Objective To explore the CT characteristics of mycobacteria intracellulare lung disease.Methods CT imaging data of 37 patients with mycobacteria intracellulare lung disease in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively.Results The main CT signs of mycobacteria intracellulare lung disease included centrilobular nodules (97.3%), bronchiectasis (73.0%) and patchy consolidation (54.1%).Fibrous lesion(43.2%), diameter≥1 cm nodules(35.1%)and thin-wall cavity(29.7%) were also common found in patients.Thick-wall cavity and pleural effusion were not common.The typical CT manifestation was bronchiectasis accompany by the centrilobular nodules occurred in the right middle lobe and (or) left lingular lobe.Conclusion CT manifestations of mycobacteria intracellulare lung disease have some characteristics, and CT examination has a certain value in the diagnosis of this disease.

The effects of the pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) of different intensity on bone mineral density (BMD) and biomechanical properties of rabbits' femur had been studied. Twenty-seven female white big ear rabbits were randomly divided into three groups. The magnetic groups were fed in 15 Hz PEMFs, which pulse duration was set to be 5 ms (6 h x d(-1)), the magnetic intensity was 10 x 10(-4) T and the other was 20 x 10(-4) T. Control group were just fed in coils, and the instrument of PEMFs was powered off. After six weeks, by examine BMD and biomechanical properties of the rabbits' femur, the effects of these PEMFs were studied. Compared with control group, the values of BMD, maximum load and structural rigidity of magnetic group were significantly increased (P < 0.05). In addition, there was significant increase in values of BMD and structural rigidity in group 10 x 10(-4) T in comparison with group 20 x 10(-4) T (P < 0.05). PEMFs is effective in improving BMD and biomechanical properties. The experiment indicated that there was evident "window-effect" during the treatment by PEMFs. It is favorable to the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis.
Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Density ; physiology ; radiation effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Female ; Femur ; metabolism ; physiology ; Osteoporosis ; prevention & control ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation

Uncovering the functionally essential variations related to tumorigenesis and tumor pro-gression from cancer genomics data is still challenging due to the genetic diversity among patients, and extensive inter-and intra-tumoral heterogeneity at different levels of gene expression regulation, including but not limited to the genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptional levels. To minimize the impact of germline genetic heterogeneities, in this study, we establish multiple primary cultures from the primary and recurrent tumors of a single patient with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Multi-omics sequencing was performed for these cultures that encompass the diversity of tumor cells from the same patient. Variations in the genome sequence, epigenetic modification, and gene expression are used to infer the phylogenetic relationships of these cell cultures. We find the discrepancy among the relationships revealed by single nucleotide variations (SNVs) and transcriptional/epigenomic pro-files from the cell cultures. We fail to find overlap between sample-specific mutated genes and differ-entially expressed genes (DEGs), suggesting that most of the heterogeneous SNVs among tumor stages or lineages of the patient are functionally insignificant. Moreover, copy number alterations (CNAs) and DNA methylation variation within gene bodies, rather than promoters, are significantly correlated with gene expression variability among these cell cultures. Pathway analysis of CNA/DNA methylation-related genes indicates that a single cell clone from the recurrent tumor exhibits distinct cellular characteristics and tumorigenicity, and such an observation is further confirmed by cellular experiments both in vitro and in vivo. Our systematic analysis reveals that CNAs and epigenomic changes, rather than SNVs, are more likely to contribute to the phenotypic diversity among subpop-ulations in the tumor. These findings suggest that new therapeutic strategies targeting gene dosage and epigenetic modification should be considered in personalized cancer medicine. This culture model may be applied to the further identification of plausible determinants of cancer metastasis and relapse.

Bioartificial liver support system (BALSS) provides a new way to treat liver failure and leaves more time for patients who are waiting for liver transplantation. It has detoxification function as well as the human liver, at the same time it can provide nutrition and improve the internal environment inside human body. Bioreactors and hepatocytes with good biological activity are the cores of BALSS which determine the treatment effect. However, in the course of prolonged treatment, the function and activity of hepatocytes might be greatly changed which could influence the efficacy. Therefore, it is very important to detect the status of the hepatocytes in BALSS. This paper presents some common indicators of cell activity, detoxification and synthetic functions, and also introduces the commonly detection methods corresponding to each indicator. Finally, we summarize the application of detection methods of the hepatocyte status in BALSS and discuss its development trend.

OBJECTIVE To explore the protective effect of marein against alcoholic fatty liver （AFL） and its potential mechanisms. METHODS AFL mice model was established with strong wine by gavage. The mice were randomly divided into normal control group （n＝9， 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution）， model group （n＝10， 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution） and marein 75 and 150 mg/kg groups （n＝9）. Mice were given relevant medicine intragastrically， once a day， for consecutive 30 days. After the last medication， the levels of triglyceride （TG）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） in liver tissue were determined， and hepatic histopathological changes of liver tissue were observed； the protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α （PPARα）， carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 （CPT-1）， and diacylglycerol acyltransferase （DGAT） were determined in liver tissue. BRL hepatocytes injury model was induced by ethanol combined with ferrous sulfate and oleic acid； after treatment with 3， 6 and 12 μmol/L of marein for 24 h， the distribution of lipid droplets， the levels of TG， MDA and SOD and protein expressions of PPARα， CPT-1 and DGAT in hepatocytes were examined. After pretreatment with MK886 （PPARα inhibitor， 10 μmol/L），modeled hepatocytes were treated with 12 μmol/L of marein for 24 h， and the protein expressions of PPARα， CPT-1 and DGAT were determined. RESULTS As the results showed in vivo， compared with the model group， after treatment with 75 and 150 mg/kg of marein， the degree of steatosis was significantly reduced， and the levels of TG and MDA and protein expression of DGAT were significantly decreased（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the levels of SOD， protein expressions of PPARα and CPT-1 were significantly increased（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. As the results showed in vitro， after treatment with 3， 6 and 12 μmol/L of marein， the lipid accumulation of hepatocytes was significantly inhibited， and the levels of TG and MDA， protein expression of DGAT were significantly decreased（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， while the levels of SOD， protein expressions of PPARα and CPT-1 were significantly increased（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. After MK886 pretreatment， the effects of marein on the above protein expressions were abolished. CONCLUSIONS Marein might exert a protective effect against AFL. The mechanisms might be related to inhibiting oxidative stress-mediated injury and improving PPARα-mediated lipid metabolism signaling pathway.