Objective:To study the toxicity of 11 dehydrocorticosterone on hippocampal neurons and to determine whether 11? hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11? HSD1) is involved in the neurotoxity. Methods:Western blotting, radiometric enzyme activity assay and MTT assay were employed in this study. Results:Both 11? HSD1 protein and bioactivity were positive in the hippocampal neurons as demonstrated by Western blotting and radiometric enzyme activity assay. At concentration of 10 -6 mol/L, 11 dehydrocorticosterone was neurontoxic to hippocampal neurons cultured in serum free DMEM medium. This neurotoxic effect of 11 dehydrocorticosterone was blocked by 11? HSD1 inhibitor carbenoxolone (CBX) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist RU38486, but not by mineralcocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist spironolatone. Corticosterone and its derivative 11 dehydrocorticosterone up regulated 11? HSD1 level. Conclusion:11 dehydrocorticosterone has toxicity on hippocampal neurons, and it can be blocked by CBX, suggesting 11? HSD1 may convert biologically inactive 11 dehydrocorticosterone to active corticosterone. The up regulation of 11? HSD1 by glucocorticoids in return exaggerates the neurotoxic effect of corticosterone, which may play a positive role in the delayed neuron death during stress.

Objective To observe the adverse reactions of acute stage and late stage in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy.Methods 89 patients were investigated in the outpatient department by form.The median follow-up time was 3 years (2-23 years).Results In the acute stage,the ratios of serious xerostomia [78.7 ％(70/89)],the ear reaction [66.3 ％ (59/89)] and nose impairment [64.0 ％ (57/89)] were very high.In the late stage 79.8 ％ (71/89) patients developed radioactive tympanitis,in which 53.9 ％ (48/89) patients induced hearing loss,42.7 ％ (38/89) patients developed dry nose or nasal excessive discharge.The rate of serious xerostomia was 11.2 ％ (10/89),66.3 ％(59/89) patients suffered from superficial and more serious caries.Conclusion The rates of the radioactive tympanitis and caries stayed high in the late stage of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy.Concurreut chemoradiotherapy is probable to increase or aggravate the incidence of adverse reactions in the acute stage,but don’t show an effect on the late stage reaction.

Objective This study was designed to study the distribution and developmental changes of 11?\|hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1(11?\|HSD1) in the neonatal rat brain. Methods Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to observe the distribution and changes of 11?\|HSD1 protein levels in the neonatal rat brain. Results 11?\|HSD1 protein was highly expressed in all layers of the cerebral cortex as well as all sub\|regions of the hippocampus by immunohistochemistry.Western blot analysis showed that the expression of 11?\|HSD1 protein in the neonatal rat cortex,hippocampus and hypothalamus was higher during the first two weeks of life,but started to fall from 15th day after birth.Conclusion\ The expression pattern of 11?\|HSD1 protein in different brain areas in the neonatal rat suggests that 11?\|HSD1 protein may play an important role in the development and maturation of the brain.\;[

To compare the growth factors mRNA expressions in human skin fibroblasts cultured in two (2D) or three dimensional systems (3D). Human skin fibroblasts were isolated and cultured in collagen jelly (3D) or the regular culture plates (2D). After 72 hours, the total RNA of fibroblasts were extracted. Specific oligonucleotide primers for the growth factor VEGF and bFGF were synthesized and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) was utilized to amplify the mRNA of those growth factors. RT PCR productions were separated by electrophoresis in 1% wt/vol agarose gels and photographed. Semi quantitative data were statistically analyzed. Although the morphology of fibroblasts in 3D culture was different from that in 2D culture, the RT PCR analysis revealed the same expression and concentration of VEGF mRNA and bFGF mRNA in human skin fibroblasts cultured in different systems.

Objective To denoise digital radiographic images well.Methods A technique was presented that used the Anscombe's transformation to adjust the original image to a Gaussian noise model based upon the wavelet denoising method and the wavelet-domain Hidden Markov Tree(HMT) model.Wavelet domain HMT models were used to determine the dependencies of multiscale wavelet coefficients through the state probabilities of the wavelet coefficients,whose sedistribution densities could be approximated by Gaussian mixture model.Results The proposed method could keep natural images edges from damaging and increase PSNR.Conclusion Quantitative and qualitative DR images assessment shows that the proposed algorithm outperforms the traditional Gaussian filter in terms of noise reduction,quality of details and bone sharpness.

Objective To examine the sensitivity and specificity of glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in predicting metabolic syndrome (MS) and its association with cardiovascular risk factors.MethodsIn 6292 adults (median age 45 years) who participated in a medical check-up program,analysis of distribution of HbA1c and its association with various cardiovascular risk factors was performed. The ability of HbA1 c to predict MS was evaluated.Anthropometric measurements were made and fasting plasma glucose,lipid profiles and HbA1c were tested. ResultsThe prevalence of MS was 11.24％.Cardiovascular risk factors were significantly increased as the serum level of HbA1c increased. HbA1c of 5.8％ predicted the presence of MS.Females showed the same cut-off of HbA1c for the prediction of MS with males ( the area under the curve of the females was higher than that of the males ). Conclusion HbA1c was increased as cardiovascular risk factors increased and HbA1c of 5.8％ may predict the presence of MS.HbA1c might be a predictive measure of MS and cardiovascular diseases in adults.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of remifentanil on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats with liver cirrhosis.MethodsThirty male SD rats weighing 260-300 g were randomly divided into 3 groups (n =10 each):group liver cirrhosis (group C); group liver cirrhosis + hepatic I/R (group I/R) and group remifentanil (group R).Liver cirrhosis was produced in all animals in the 3 goups.I/R injury was induced by 20 min occlusion of the hepatic artery and portal vein entering the middle and left lobes of the liver followed by 4 h reperfusion at 1 week after establishment of hepatic cirrhosis in I/R and R groups.In group R remifentanil was infused iv at 1 μg·kg-1 ·min-1 starting from 10 min before ischemia until the end of 4 h reperfusion.Venous blood samples were taken from inferior vena cava at the end of 4 h reperfusion for measurement of serum ALT and AST activities.The animals were then sacrificed and liver specimens were taken from middle lobe for determination of Bcl-2 and Bax expression (by immuno-histochemistry) and hepatocyte apoptosis (by TUNEL) and microscopic examination.Apoptosis index (percentage of apoptotic cells) was calculated.ResultsI/R significantly increased serum ALT and AST activities,Bax expression and apoptosis index and decreased Bcl-2 expression in group I/R as compared with group C.Remifentanil significantly attenuated the I/R-induced changes in serum ALT and AST activities,Bax and Bcl-2 expression and apoptosis in group R as compared with group I/R.Remifentanil also ameliorated I/R-induced liver damage.ConclusionRemifentanil can auenuate hepatic I/R injury in rats with liver cirrhosis by up-regulating Bcl-2 expression and down-regulating Bax expression and inhibiting apoptosis.

Objective To study the elongation factor 1α(EF-1α) gene functions in prostate cancer cell line DU145 in the aspects of cell proliferation and clone formation by using the RNA interference technique. Methods DU145 cell lines were divided into control group, transfection control group transfected with scramble siRNA and experimental group transfected with EF-1α siRNA. After transfecting EF-1α siRNA into DU145 cell line, the down-regulation of EF-la expression in DU145 cell line was confirmed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Then, the cell proliferation and clone formation assays were carried on in these 3 groups of DU145 cells. Results Compared with controls, the specific down-regulation of EF-1α expression was achieved in experimental group only. Compared with control group, after the down-regualtion of EF-1α in DU145 cell line, the cell proliferation rate decreased from day 4 to day 7 after transfection by 45. 9%, 53. 5% , 35. 3% and 38. 1% , respectively(P<0. 05). The clone formation number in experimental group decreased by 67.0% (P<0. 01). Conclusions The down-regulation of EF-1α has a negative impact on prostate cancer cell proliferation and clone formation. EF-1α might be an appropiate targeting gene in prostate cancer targeting therapy.

g this model, trainees could improve their basic techniques, such as resection and vaporization technique.

Objective To evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of finasteride in treating patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) during a 14-year period in a hospital.Methods Forty-one patients with BPH receiving finasteride 5 mg daily for the treatment from December 1994 to Febrary 2009 were included in the study. The base line and the end of study data of nocturia, prostate volume, serum creatine, complete blood count and serum prostatic specific antigen (PSA) were recorded. The acute urinary retention, surgical treatment and drug adverse reaction (prostate cancer or breast cancer) during the observation periods were recorded as well.ResultsAll the 41 cases took finasteride regularly for long-term medical therapy of BPH. At the end of this study, the average age of patients was (87.9±5.4) years old and the average duration of treatment was (141.1±27.1) months. The numbers of nocturia were 1.8±1.5 and 3.2±1.3 pre- and post- treatment, respectively (t= -4.52,P<0. 05). Before and at the end of the study, the prostate volumes were (44.9±26.6) ml and (42.8±31.3) ml, respectively(t=0. 33,P>0.05). Stratified study showed that, compared with the baseline data, the prostate volume was increased by 17.3 ％ in patients with prostate volume <25 ml(t= -0. 88 ,P>0. 05) ; the prostate volume was decreased by 17.2％ in patients with prostate volume of 25-40 ml(t=2.59,P<0.05); the prostate volumes were (63.3±28. 9) ml and (62.6±36.5) ml pre- and post-treatment in patients with prostate volume > 40 ml, and there was no significant change(t= 0.07, P>0. 05). Before and after the treatment, the serum creatine levels were (96.8±18. 6) mol/L and (86.45±32. 3) mol/L, respectively(t= 1.79, P>0. 05) ; the white blood cell counts were (6.4±1.5) × 109 L and (6.0±1.7) ×109 L, respectively (t= 1.13,P>0. 05) ; and the PSA levels were (1.2±2.0) μg/L and (1.4±1.7) μg/L, respectively (t=-0. 49,P>0. 05). Three cases (7.3％) occurred acute urinary retention. There was no prostate cancer and breast cancer case, and no new adverse event occurred during long-time use of finasteride. Conclusions This retrospective study has demonstrated that the clinical progress of BPH can be controlled effectively by long-term administration of finasteride.