To examine the relationship between the levels of the serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the micrometastasis of peripheral blood in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 108 NSCLC patients, including 40 patients with benign lung diseases and 30 healthy controls, were investigated. The serum VEGF levels were detected by ELISA and CK19 mRNA in peripheral blood by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In NSCLC group, the serum VEGF levels and the positive rate of CK19 mRNA in peripheral blood were 479.8+/-268.5 pg/mL and 66.7%, which were significantly higher than those of the other two groups respectively (P<0.01), and both of them were increased significantly with the progression of clinical stage of the tumors (P<0.01). Serum VEGF levels as well as the positive rate of CK19 mRNA in different pathological types of lung cancer had no significant differences (P>0.05). Serum VEGF levels in the patients positive for CK19 mRNA was 561.7+/-325.6 pg/mL. It is significantly higher than that in the negative patients (P<0.01). There existed a significant correlation between serum VEGF levels and expression of CK19 mRNA in peripheral blood in NSCLC patients (P<0.001). The detection of serum VEGF levels and CK19 mRNA in peripheral blood is helpful in judging the condition and the prognosis of NSCLC patients, and serum VEGF levels and CK19 mRNA are independent of the pathological types of lung cancer. The micrometastasis in peripheral blood of NSCLC patients is significantly associated with serum VEGF levels.

AIM:To investigate the effect of oleuropein on interleukin-1β( IL-1β)-induced SD rat articular chondrocytes .METHODS:The SD rat articular chondrocytes were isolated by 2 step enzyme digestions .The chondrocytes were cultured in vitro.Inverted microscopic observation was performed during the culture .Alcian blue staining and type II collagen immunohistochemical staining were used to identify the chondrocytes .The effects of oleuropein on the viability of chondrocytes were determined by CCK-8 assay.The cells in 3rd passage were pretreated with oleuropein at 10, 50 or 100 μmol/L and subsequently stimulated with IL-1βat 10 μg/L for 24 h.Production of prostaglandin E 2 ( PGE2 ) and ni-tric oxide (NO) were evaluated by the Griess reaction and an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase ( MMP)-1 and MMP-13 was measured by real-time PCR.The protein levels of in-ducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) were detected by Western blotting .RESULTS:The cell viability of chondrocytes was not significantly impaired by treating with oleuropein at concentration of 10, 50 or 100μmol/L for 24 h compared with control group .Pretreatment with oleuropein significantly in-hibited the production of PGE 2 and NO induced by IL-1β.Oleuropein also significantly decreased the IL-1β-stimulated MMP-1 and MMP-13 mRNA expression in articular chondrocytes .Pretreatment with oleuropein inhibited the IL-1β-media-ted activation of NF-κB by suppressing the degradation of its inhibitory protein IκBαin the cytoplasm .CONCLUSION:Oleuropein inhibits IL-1β-induced inflammatory gene expression by suppressing NF-κB activation at the transcriptional le-vel, suggesting a new mechanism for the anti-inflammatory effects of oleuropein as a novel agent on treating with osteoarthri-tis.

[ABSTRACT]AIM:TostudytheeffectofsmallinterferingRNA(siRNA)ontheexpressionofbeta2-microglo-bulin (β2M) in pre-differentiated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).METHODS: The β2M siRNA was transfected into the pre-differentiated BMSCs with Lipofectamine 2000.BMSCs were divided into transfection group , blank control group and negative control group .The expression of β2 M at mRNA and protein levels was determined by real-time qPCR, Western blotting and laser confocal microscopy .The productions of aggrecan and type II collagen in pre-differentia-ted BMSCs were determined by toluidine blue staining and type Ⅱcollagen immunofluorescence .RESULTS:The results of real-time qPCR, Western blotting and laser confocal microscopy showed that siRNA successfully inhibited the expression ofβ2 M at mRNA and protein levels in the pre-differentiated BMSCs .The results of toluidine blue and type Ⅱcollagen im-munofluorescence staining showed that siRNA does not affect the productions of aggrecan and type Ⅱ collagen in the pre-differentiated BMSCs .CONCLUSION:siRNA targeting β2 M reduces the expression of β2 M in the pre-differentiated BM-SCs and does not affect the chondrocyte characteristics of pre -differentiated BMSCs .

[ABSTRACT]AIM:Toinvestigatetheinhibitoryeffectsofresveratrolonchondrosarcomaandtherelationwith mitochondrial and PI3K/Akt pathways.METHODS:Chondrosarcoma SW1353 cells were treated with resveratrol at con-centrations of 25, 50 and 100 μmol/L for the time intervals of 24 h, 48 h and 72 h.The viability and apoptosis of the SW1353 cells in the presence or absence of resveratrol were analyzed by CCK 8 assay and Hoechst 33258 staining , respec-tively.The protein levels of Bcl-2, Bax, activated caspase-3, Akt and p-Akt were detected by Western blotting .The cell migration ability was determined by wound scratch assay .RESULTS:Exposure of the cells to resveratrol resulted in a de-crease in the cell viability in a dose-and time-dependent manner (P<0.05).visible nuclei with apoptotic characteristics in resveratrol group were observed .The protein levels of activated caspase-3 and Bax were increased , and Bcl-2 and p-Akt were decreased compared with control group .The total Akt were not significantly changed .Resveratrol also significantly re-duced the migration of tumor cells .CONCLUSION:Resveratrol induces apoptosis of chondrosarcoma , which plays a role of part through mitochondrial and PI 3K/Akt signaling pathways .

BACKGROUND:Many in vivo and in vitro experiments indicate that hypoxic co-cultures promote stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes.
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the influence of hypoxia on the chondrogenic differentiation of three-dimensional co-cultured adipose-derived stem cells and articular chondrocytes.
METHODS:Adipose-derived stem cells and articular chondrocytes were mixed at the ratio of 3:1, then the mixed cells were seeded onto poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-gelatin scaffold at the ultimate concentration of 5.0×1010/L. The cells were cultured in normoxia (20%O 2 ) and hypoxic (5%O 2 ) conditions for 6 weeks. After culture, hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed for histological structure analysis, and alcian blue staining was used to evaluate glycosaminoglycan synthesis. Type II col agen expression was detected by immunohistochemistry staining. The content of DNA, glycosaminoglycan and hydroxyproline in the scaffold-cellcomplex was measured.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In the hypoxia group, hematoxylin-eosin staining showed the formation of massive cells and extracellular matrix;alcian blue staining showed massive glycosaminoglycan formation;immunohistochemistry staining detected strongly positive expression of col agen type II, the content of DNA, glycosaminoglycan and hydroxyproline was higher than the normoxia group. Hypoxia promotes in vitro chondrogenic differentiation of co-cultured adipose-derived stem cells and articular chondrocytes. .

Objective To apply quality control circle (QCC) to reducing non-timely maintenance rate of medical equipment.Methods QCC was established,and some measures were taken to observe its effect in decreasing non-timely maintenance rate of medical equipment.Results The non-timely maintenance rate fell from 12.1％ to 4.5％,and 0.3 million Yuan was saved for the manpower cost.Conclusion QCC decreases the non-timely maintenance rate of medical equipment,increases the efficiency of the maintainer,shortens the downtime of the fault medical equipment,enhances hospital economic benefit and patient satisfaction and provides references for other hospitals.

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation between femoral distal medial torsion and patellofemoral joint malalignment and analyze the causes of patellofemoral joint disorders,which provide the new theory with clinical treatment.MethodsFrom May 2007 to June 2009,124 knees(95 cases) with patellofemoral joint disorders were enrolled in this study randomly.Each knee was scanned with CT in dynamic 20° -30° knee flax position.Femoral distal medial torsion angle (FMTA),patellar congruence angle (CA) and patellar tilt angle(PTA) were measured.The correlation between FMTA and CA or PTA was analyzed.Results FMTA ＜ 5° in 25 knees,≥5° in 99 knees,6 knees with trochlear dysplasia who were excluded.FMTA in 93 knees was 16.06° ± 5.68°,CA was 16.40° ± 5.48° and PTA was 19.59° ± 3.32°.The positive correlation was found between FMTA and CA when FMTA ＞ 10°through scatter diagram analysis (r =0.709,P ＜ 0.05 ).The positive correlation was found between FMTA and PTA when FMTA ＞10°( r =0.652,P ＜ 0.05),the positive trend declined when FMTA ＞ 27°.ConclusionsFemoral distal medial torsion is an important risk factor of patellofemoral joint malalignment.When FMTA ＞ 10°,FMTA and CA,PTA has positive correlation,but the positive tend between FMTA and PTA declines when FMTA ＞ 27°.

To screen the candidate genes associated with Musca domestica antibacterial peptides using DNA microarray technique, the hybrid probes were designed from the conservative domains of the encoded area of the insect antibacterial peptide genes in GenBank with biology software Designer 2.0, and were synthesized by a chemical process, with the assistance of the automated Gen III Microarray Spotter, those oligo probes were printed on a special ready-made glass, and a cDNA microarray was constructed. The total RNA was extracted from the fat body of Musca domestic third-instar larve induced after 24 hours by Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, the strands of cDNA were labled with fluoresceine Cy3 using the method of reverse transcription PCR, after prehybridization, hybridization and washing procedure, the results of hybridization were scanned using computer system, and the data were analyzed using the software of MIDAS, fifteen valid hybridization signals were detected through two times of hybridization and scanning (the positive samples as a control were excluded). DNA microarray technique can be successfully applied screen the candidate genes associated with Musca domestica antibacterial peptides, and further provide significant evidence to discover its antibacterial peptide new genes.
Animals ; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Genes, Insect ; Houseflies ; genetics ; growth & development ; Larva ; genetics ; growth & development ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; methods ; Oligonucleotide Probes ; chemistry

antly associated with serum VEGF levels.