AIM: To investigate the correlation of tissue specific stem cells regarded as original source of regeneration for an absolute majority of tissues and the system of channels and collaterals. METHODS: Referring to traditional classic theoretic works Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic, Yellow Emperor's Eighty-one Difficult Classic, An Examination of the Eight Extra Meridians and modern theoretic works about channel and collaterals, we revealed the distributional law of stem cell niche in the tissue according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and verified the TCM theory of channels and collaterals by animal experiment. RESULTS: TCM system of channels and collaterals was constituted by different kinds of stem cell niche in ordinal distribution: ①Only the stem cell niche, where different types of adult stem cell were found, has a highly unified and stabilized structure of cell aggregation; In other words, the structures of the cell aggregations formed through self-proliferation of stem cells are similar or identical. ②The time for the treatment of the origin of disease is the same longer as the time for the self-duplication of the adult stem cells and their generation of healthy cells through differentiation at different levels. ③The classification of channels and collaterals in the Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic corresponds to that of the adult stem cells. The adult stem cells generate three grades of committed stem cells after differentiation. Many abroad researchers reported that only a few cancer stem cells were the source of cancer, whereas many cancer cells could not grow into new cancer. ④At the initial stage of embryo growth, stem cells and the progenitor cells proliferate and differentiate in coordination and there does not exist the three types of committed stem cells, nor does the universally unified structure of stem cell niche. Afterwards, the adult stem cells in the stem cell niches become the original source of the tissue regeneration. The cells that regularly migrate in the system of channels and collaterals are mainly the committed stem cells, adult stem cells are the next and the second type of committed stem cells that are easy to form cancer cells are the least. ⑤Acupuncture will inevitably damage and even dismiss the stem cell niches but those cell components will reform new stem cell niches. And adult stem cells in the new niches may normally show self-proliferation in an ultra-complimentary way to generate more healthy committed stem cells through differentiation and the second type of committed stem cells generate more healthy differential cells through differentiation so as to make the corresponding tissue structure and function recovered to the benign state. CONCLUSION: The theory of channels and collaterals has profoundly revealed that the stem cell niche is a complex and open micro system; that is, the types of exotic committed stem cells and adult stem cells are not stable. It has both the static quality of being stable without change and the dynamic state of being complex and changeable. And, in the evolutionary history of species, both can be inverted into each other.

BACKGROUND:More and more stem cel s such as hematopoietic stem cel s, neural stem cel s and induced pluripotent stem cel s have been discovered, but there is no unified theory on stem cel classification and stem cel differentiation. Similarly, more and more stem cel niches, such as niches of hematopoietic stem cel s, intestinal epithelial stem cel s and hair fol icle stem cel s, have been found, and there is stil no unified theory on the formation and distribution of stem cel niches. In the past 20 years, the viewpoint that“the orderly distribution of different types of stem cel niches constitutes the meridian system of Chinese medicine”has not been taken seriously, especial y in China. OBJECTIVE:To explore the evolutionary mechanisms for stem cel differentiation and stem cel niche distribution. METHODS:With the reference of the Inner Canon of Yel ow Emperor and literature on human anatomy, we further explained the distribution rule of stem cel niches in various tissues from the perspective of meridian theory. We explored the law of stem cel differentiation based on the biogenetic law, species evolutionary tree and the theory of meridians of Chinese medicine. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The embryonic development with the formation of three germ layers in higher animals directly transcends the evolutionary history of their invertebrate ancestors in an extremely simple way. The basic objects described in the biogenetic law should first be two stem cel differentiation chains C11→C132→C164→C1448→C1448×C1n=C1448n(n≤7) and C11→C17→C1448(n≤7) as wel as the evolution of the distribution of stem cel s in the meridian system. The presently accepted species evolutionary tree assumes that the ancestor of the deuterostomia is a primitive bilaterally symmetric animal, which is completely wrong. It violates the Darwinian principle of evolution from the viewpoint of stem cell differentiation, and the evolutionary tree cannot fork to form two branches, protostomia and deuterostomia, that are unrelated on the their origins. Cockroaches, spearfish and ginkgo cannot be living fossils. The origin of the species is multi-sources, and the species evolution is ongoing in a multi-level wavy manner.

Many studies have showed that nitric oxide(NO) might in duce dual effects during focal cerebral ischemic injury,namely neuroprotctive and neurotoxic effects.After cerebral ischemia, NO induced by endothelial NO synthase(eNOS) has neuroprotective effect. NO induced by neuronal NO synthase(nNOS) and inducible NO synthase(iNOS) has neurotoxic effect. Dual effects of nitric oxide have been becoming novel subjects for the protection of focal cerebral ischemic injury.

Objective: To exploration the self-efficacy, self-esteem, and positive/negative affect and the re-lationships among them in Chinese adolescents. Methods: The Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, Generalized Self-Ef-ficacy Scale, and Adolescents Positive/Negative Affect Scale were administrated to 2247 middle school students sampled from 16 schools from 6 districts. Results: Self-esteem tended to increase as grade [(2.91±0.38), (2.93±0.41), (3.01±0.41), (2.98±0.44), (3.04±0.41), (3.17±0.42)]. Boys had higher self-efficacy [(2.74±0.39)vs.(2.68±0.40), P <0.001]. Two senior grades had higher self-efficacy than other 4 grades (P<0.05). Girls had higher positive and negative affect [(2.77±0.67)vs.(2.68±0.67), (2.22±0.70) vs.(2.13±0.68), Ps <0.05]. Junior grade one had the highest positive effect (2.85±0.62), grade one and two in high school had more negative effect than other 4 grades (2.26±0.71, 2.25±0.73).Self-efficacy and self-esteem were positively correlated with positive affect (r=0.24, 0.36), negatively correlated with negative af-fect (r=-0.17, -0.32) ; self-esteem significantly mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and positive/negative affect (Z=13.00, -13.07) . Conclusion: Self-esteem tends to increase as grade, boys have higher self-efficacy than girls, and girls have higher positive and negative affect than boys. Self-esteem mediates the rela-tionship between generalized self-efficacy and positive/negative affect in Chinese adolescents after controlling the effects of gender and grade.

Objective To evaluate and analyze the results of one stage anteroposterior decompression and internal fixation for ossification of posterior longitudinal ligaments (OPLL). Methods One stage anteroposterior decompression and fixation was carried out from October 2001 to March 2004 in eight cases of OPLL including seven males and one female with age of 32-55 years (average 48.2 years). Results All cases were followed up for 6-30 months. According to criteria of Japan Orthopedic Association (JOA), the postoperative JOA score increased for 1-8 scores (mean 4.5 scores). The postoperative improvement rate of symptom was 50%. Conclusion One stage anteroposterior decompression and internal fixation is a good alternative method for treatment of OPLL, for it has advantages of complete decompression, reliable therapeutic effect and sound recovery.

Objective To evaluate the family and individual quality of life for the prelingually deaf adolescents with cochlear implants and compare the influence of preoperative communication mode.Methods A retrospective study was conducted in 21 prelingually profoundly deaf adolescents divided into the nonverbal group and oral group according to preoperative communication modes.The scores of the children using hearing implants quality of life (CuHI Qol) and nijmegen cochlear implant questionnaire (NCIQ) were collected and compared statistically between the two groups.Results The postoperative scores of CuHI Qol (51.71±8.9) in 21 patients were significantly higher than those before operation (42.14±6.04,P<0.001), and no significant differences were observed in the family influence between the two groups while the scores of oral group were significantly higher than the nonverbal group in parents' expectation and quality of life(P<0.05).The NCIQ scores of the oral group were significantly higher than nonverbal group(P<0.05) in the following subdomains : advanced sound perception, speech production, social interactions and there was no statistical difference in basic sound perception, self-esteem and activities.Conclusion The quality of life of prelingually deafened adolescents with cochlear implants can be improved obviously and patients with oral communication mode before operation have better quality of life.

Objective:To examine the relationship of parental rearing,self-concept and personality traits of spring bud classes.Methods:A sample of 113 students,including spring buds' 30,non-spring buds' 30,and middle schools' 43,was tested by NEO-PI-R,CAPI,EMBU and Self-concept scale.Results:①Punishment of father,rejection and denial of mother and parental partiality of control group was higher than those of spring bud classes.②Family self-concept of spring bud classes was higher than that of non-spring bud classes.③Neuroticism of control group was higher than that of spring bud classes,but extraversion,human relationship orientation and flexibility of spring bud classes were higher than those of control group.④Partiality of father had positive correlation to extraversion and face of spring bud class students.Personality,moral and family self-concept had positive correlation to harmonious of spring bud class students.Conclusion:Personality and family self-concept of spring bud class students is greatly affected by parental rearing.

Objective To evaluate the value of Orthopaedic POSSUM scoring system in predicting mortality and morbidity for the patients underwent femoral shaft fractures.Methods The mortality and incidence of postoperative complications was predicted with in a retrospective study of 155 cases of femoral shaft fractures.Results The estimated incidence of postoperative complications is 45/155, which has no statistical significance with the real incidence 39/155 (?2=0.59,P=0.44), The estimated morbidity by POSSUM is more accurate in high-risk subgroup than in low-risk one. The estimated mortality is 10/155, which also has no statistical significance with the real mortality 8/155 (?2=0.24,P=0.63).Conclusion The POSSUM scoring system can predict postoperative mortality and morbidity for the patients underwent femoral shaft fractures efficiently.

Objective To investigate the effects of nitric oxide(NO) and its donor(L-arginine) on focal cerebral ischemic injury in rats. Methods Forty-two healthy male SD rats weighing 250-300g were used. The animals were anesthetized with 20% urethane 1g? kg-1. Common carotid artery (CAA), external carotid artery(ECA) and internal carotid artery were(ICA) exposed through a median incision in the neck. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was produced by insertion of a 40 mm long nylon thread (0.3 mm in diameter) into ICA through ECA. The tip of the nylon thread was made into a ball of 0.5 mm in diameter with heat and the length of insertion was (18.5?0.5)mm on average. The animals were randomly divided into four groups: group 1: sham operation; group 2: ischemia group; group 3: low dose L-arginine(300mg?kg-1 intraperitoneal injection) and group 4: high dose L-arginine(500mg?kg-1 IP). Group 3 and 4 were further divided into 3 subgroups: subgroup A: L-arginine was given 1h after MCAO and the animals were killed 2h after medication (1h + 2h); subgroup B: L-arginine was given 3h after MCAO and the animals were killed 3h after medication(3h + 3h) and subgroup C: L-arginine was given 6h after MCAO and the animals were killed 3h after medication(6h + 3h) . The brain was removed immediately. The volume of cerebral infarct/volume of whole brain was calculated(%) . The NO, MDA content and NOS, SOD activity in the brain tissue of ischemic hemisphere were measured. Results L-arginine significantly decreased cerebral infarct volume and ameliorated focal cerebral ischemia. The effects in high dose group were better than in low dose group. L-arginine significantly increased NO content, decreased MDA content and enhanced the SOD activity in the focal ischemic cerebral tissue. Conclusions It may be concluded that L-arginine has beneficial effect on brain injury in acute ischemic stage and high dose provides better effects.

Objective To investigate the influence of milrinone on systemic inflammation in the perioperative cardiac valve replacement Methods Twenty patients, scheduled for cardiac valve replacement were randomly divided into 2 groups: milrinone and control groups Before anesthesia induction, a bolus of milrinone 30?g/kg was given in 10min, followed by a continuous infusion of 0 5?g?kg 1 ?min 1 during operation in milrinone group and the same volume of saline was administrated in control group The mixed venous blood samples were obtained from the pulmonary artery at the following points : before induction of anesthesia (T 1), 30min after anesthesia (T 2), 30min after the cross clamping of aorta (T 3 ), 10min and 30min after the declamping (T 4,T 5), 30min and 8 h after CPB(T 6,T 7), 24h and 72 h after operation (T 8,T 9) IL 6, IL 8 and IL 10 were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay Results Compared with those at T 1, the levels of WBC,PMN,IL 6 and IL 8 increased significantly from T 5 to T 9, and IL 10 level rose markedly from T 3 to T 9 (P0 05) Conclusions During CPB and cardiac valve replacement the systemic inflammation is obvious , reaches the peak 30 min after CPB and persists to 72h after operation Perioperative administration of low dose milrinone is effective against the inflammation