Cognition Disorders ; chemically induced ; Humans ; Manganese ; toxicity ; Manganese Poisoning ; epidemiology

Acanthoma ; pathology ; Humans ; Keratosis ; pathology ; Skin Neoplasms ; pathology

This article firstly established a new efficient method for screening anti-osteoporosis ingredients, which used two-dimensional zebrafish model combined with hyphenated chromatographic techniques to evaluate anti-osteoporosis activities of epimedin A and its metabolite baohuoside I. Adult zebrafish was used for metabolism of epimedin A in 0.5% DMSO, and LC-MS was used for analysis of the metabolite, which was captured by HPLC, and prednisolone-induced osteoporosis model of zebrafish was used to evaluate the anti-osteoporotic activities of trace amounts of epimedin A and baohuoside I. The results indicated that epimedin A and baohuoside I can prevent prednisolone-induced osteoporosis in zebrafish. The developed method in this paper enables the separation, enrichment and analysis of micro-amount metabolite of epimedin A, and anti-osteoporosis activities in vivo of epimedin A and baohuoside I was simple and efficient screening resorting to zebrafish osteoporosis mode. This paper would provide new ideas and methods for a rapid and early discovery of anti-osteoporosis activities of micro-ingredients and its metabolite of traditional Chinese medicine.
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Flavonoids ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Mass Spectrometry ; Osteoporosis ; drug therapy ; Zebrafish

Objective To analyze the possibility of using TCR Vβsubfamily as the diagnostic in-dicators for major histocompatibility complex( MHC) deficiency-induced graft-versus-host disease( GVHD) . Methods The BALB/c mice were given 9.5 Gy (950 rad) of irradiation and transplanted with 106 of T-cell depleted (TCD) bone marrow cells from C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice with MHC Ⅱ deficiency.Two control groups were set up accordingly by injection of TCD bone marrow cells from wild type ( WT) C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice.Several parameters including the body weight, the GVHD clinical score and the survival time of the recipients were monitored.Flow cytometry analysis and mixed lymphocyte culture test were performed for the evaluation of autoimmune responses.Histological examination was used to analyze the severity of GVHD.Results The MHC deficiency-induced GVHD was successfully induced in the irradiated BALB/c mice receiving MHC mismatched allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation ( allo-HCT ) . The MHC matched DBA/2 mice with MHC deficiency could be used as the mice model of subclinical GVHD.Changes of the TCR Vβ6 were consistent with the results of histopathological examination.Conclusion Highly ex-pressed TCR Vβ6 could be used as indicators for the diagnosis of MHC deficiency-induced subclinical GVHD.

Objective To explore the possible mechanisms that cause the dentate gyrus (DG) neurons to play different roles in information coding. Methods In vivo extracellular single unit recording was performed on 22 waking female guinea pigs, which were positioned in a sound-attenuated recording chamber without any muscular relaxants. The spontaneous firing patterns of the DG neurons were detected and compared. Results There were two different electrophysiological populations in the DG of guinea pigs, principal cells (PCs) and fast spiking interneurons (INs). Of the PCs, 1.3% discharged regularly, 48.1% irregularly and 50.6% in bursts; in contrast, of the INs units, 64.1% discharged regularly, 2.6% irregularly and 33.3 % in bursts. The spontaneous firing patterns of PCs were significantly different from those of INs (P <0.01). In addition, the differences of several interspike interval (ISI) parameters also have been observed: (1) the ISI coefficients of variation of PCs (3.39 +/- 3.56) were significantly higher than those of INs (1.08 +/- 0.46) (P < 0.01 ); (2) the ISI asymmetric indexes of PCs (0. 047 +/- 0. 059) were significantly lower than those of INs (0. 569 +/-0. 238) (P < 0.01). Conclusion In the DG, the spontaneous firing patterns of PCs were significantly different from those of INs. The former were prone to fire in bursts, the latter were prone to fire regularly. The different roles in information coding between PCs and INs might be caused by their different firing patterns.

Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; pathology ; Female ; Humans

OBJECTIVEObserve the clinical effect of removable lingual arch plus auxiliary spring for convenient dental (especially mandibular) arch expansion.

METHODSSeventeen patients with dental arch constriction complicated by mild dental crowding were enrolled in this study, including 9 requiring maxillary arch expansion and 8 necessitating mandibular expansion. The patients were divided to two groups at random for arch expansion with removable lingual arch plus auxiliary spring and with Quad-helix, respectively, and the effect of arch expansion was compared between the two groups.

RESULTSAfter 8 weeks of arch expansion, the average width of U4-U4 and U5-U5 in removable lingual arch group was enlarged by 2.2 mm and 3.0 mm, and that in Quad-helix group by 2.3 mm and 3.5 mm, respectively, showing no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). After 12 weeks of treatment, the average width of L4-L4 and L5-L5 in the former group was enlarged by 2.3 mm and 2.5 mm, respectively, significantly greater than that in the latter group (1.0 mm and 1.2 mm, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONRemovable lingual arch plus auxiliary spring allows significant expansion of the middle segment of the dental arch (bicuspids), and can be more effective than Quad-helix for mandibular arch expansion.

Adolescent ; Child ; Dental Arch ; pathology ; Humans ; Malocclusion ; therapy ; Orthodontic Appliances, Removable ; Orthodontics, Corrective ; methods ; Palatal Expansion Technique ; instrumentation ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of Foxo3a gene over-expression on the development of rat ovarian granulosa cells and in prevention of cisplatin-induced ovarian damage in rats.

METHODSRat ovarian granulose cells released mechanically from the ovaries were cultured in vitro and identified with HE staining and immunohistochemical staining for FSHR. A recombinant adenovirus carrying Foxo3a gene was constructed for infecting the granulose cells, and the cell growth and expressions of cyclin D1, p27, Bax, and Bim were detected; the cell apoptosis and cell cycle changes were detected using Hoechst/PI 33342 staining and flow cytometry, respectively. The transfected cells were challenged with cisplatin and the cell apoptosis was detected with flow cytometry.

RESULTSOver 90% of the cultured cells survived and contained more than 95% ovarian granulose cells. Infection of the cells with the recombinant adenovirus resulted in over-expressions of Foxo3a at the mRNA and protein levels at 36 h and 48 h after the infection, respectively. The infected cells showed suppressed proliferation, increased apoptotic rate and cell cycle arrest in G1 phase with increased expressions of Bim, p27, and cyclin D1 but without significant changes in Bax expression. Cisplatin exposure caused a significantly higher apoptosis rate in the infected cells than in the control cells.

CONCLUSIONOver-expression of Foxo3a gene can promote granulose cell apoptosis by increasing Bim expression and cause cell cycle arrest in G1 phase by increasing cyclin D1 and p27 expressions, but can not prevent the toxic effects of cisplatin on ovarian granulosa cells.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Bcl-2-Like Protein 11 ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Cisplatin ; adverse effects ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 ; metabolism ; Female ; Forkhead Box Protein O3 ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Granulosa Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; metabolism ; Rats ; Transfection ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate chemotherapy-related toxicity and the short-term efficacy of topotecan and cyclophosphamide as maintenance chemotherapy for stage IV neuroblastoma in complete remission.

METHODSThe clinical data of 16 children with stage IV neuroblastoma received 3 cycles of maintenance chemotherapy with topotecan (0.75 mg·m(-2)·day(-1), infused on days 0-4) and cyclophosphamide 250 mg·m(-2)·day(-1), infused on days 0-4). The two-year event-free survival after complete remission was recorded and the chemotherapy-related toxicities were evaluated according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events of the National Cancer Institute.

RESULTSThe most common chemotherapy-related toxicity was bone marrow suppression and suppressions of neutrophils, hemoglobin and platelets, which occurred in all the patients mostly of grade III and IV. All the patients experienced episodes of infections, which were controlled effectively with antibiotics. Impairment of gastrointestinal and liver functions in these cases was mostly mild (grade I and II) and recovered after corresponding treatments. None of the patients exhibited damages in the nervous system or the renal or cardiac functions. After complete remission, the two-year event-free survival rate of these patients was 68.75% (11/16).

CONCLUSIONTopotecan plus cyclophosphamide for maintenance chemotherapy can be effective and relative safe for stage IV neuroblastoma in complete remission, thus giving a chance to those patients who choose not to have stem cell transplantation.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cyclophosphamide ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Maintenance Chemotherapy ; Male ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neuroblastoma ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Topotecan ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the efficacy of total knee anhmplasty (TKA) for the treatment of hemophilic knee arthropathy, and to explore the operative characteristics, the selection of prothesis, the effectiveness and safety of clotting factor replacement treatment.

METHODSFrom January 2008 to June 2010, 10 patients (12 knees)with hemophilic anhropathv underwent TKA. The average age was 33.6 years old (ranged, 17 to 49 years). There was 8 cases of type A hemophilia and 2 cases of type B hemophilia. According to Arnold and Hilgartner classification: 7 knees were IV degree and 5 knees were V degree. The level of VIII factor for replacement treatment was more than 80% on operation day, more than 60% within 3 days after operation, more than 40% from the third day to the second week after operation. Added prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) to improve the level of IX factor, and the level of IX factor for replacement treatment was more than 40% on operation day, more than 30% within 3 days after operation, more than 20% from the third day to the second week after operation. Functional training was mainly based on continuous passive motion (CPM) device after surgery. Clinical assessment included hospital for special surgery knee score (HSS) and the individual scores (including pain, function, activity, muscle strength, flexion deformity and stability).

RESULTSTen patients (12 knees) were followed-up, and the average duration was 11 months (ranged, 6 to 24 months). The average preoperative HSS score was (44.9 +/- 12.5) (ranged, 29 to 62 scores), whereas the average postoperative HSS score was (84.4 +/- 10.2) (ranged 72 to 96 scores) (P < 0.01). The preoperative individual score including pain, function, activity, muscle strength flexion deformity and stability were significantly improved compared with pre-operation, the differences between them were statistically significant (P < 0.01 ). TKA had the distinct role in relieving pain from preoperative (8.5 +/- 4.1) to postoperative (24.5 +/- 4.4).

CONCLUSIONUnder the strict perioperative coagulation factor replacement therapy, TKA is a safe and an effective treatment for hemophmc anhmpathy of knee joint, whicht can effectively relieve pain and improve joint function.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Arthritis ; surgery ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; methods ; Female ; Hemarthrosis ; surgery ; Hemophilia A ; complications ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged