Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of low vision and blindness in the elder people.Various animal models based on the technology of the genetics are established recently in researches on this disease to investigate its pathogenesis or mechanisms.This article reviews different experimental genetic murine models of AMD used in recent studies.

BACKGROUND:With the development of the research, induced pluripotent stem cel s are applied to the build of disease model, drug screening, regenerative medicine, and many other research fields, and have made significant achievements, especial y in the study of nervous system diseases.
OBJECTIVE:To summarize the recent development of induced pluripotent stem cel s and to raise problems and prospects based on the latest research in this field.
METHODS:The first author searched the PubMed database for articles about the induced pluripotent stem cel s, including reviews, clinical research and basic research, published from January 2006 to September 2014. The keywords were“iPS, induced pluripotent stem cel”, and final y 60 articles were included in result analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Induced pluripotent stem cel research continues to make breakthrough from its discovery by Yamanaka’s team in 2006 to winning Nobel Prize in 2012. Induced pluripotent stem cel research has broad prospects in the disease model construction, drug screening and regenerative medicine. Currently, problems such as reprogramming methods, cel stability, and clinical transformation stil need to be solved, and further researches are necessary.

Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Sepsis ; complications ; physiopathology ; Shock, Septic ; complications ; physiopathology

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Ethylene Dichlorides ; poisoning ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Diseases ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Objective To analyze the risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in elderly patients with esophageal cancer aged 70 years and over. Methods 185 elderly patients aged 70 years and over after esophagectomy were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to examine the risk factors for PPCs and related mortality. Results In 185 elderly patients from 70 to 86 years of age with a median age of 72 years, PPCs occurred in 36 patients(19.5%) including pneumonia in 23(63.8%) cases, atelectasis in 3 (8.3%) cases, adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in 2(5.5%) cases, pulmonary embolism in 1(2.7%) case and respiratory failure in 7(19.4%) cases. The related mortality was 5.9% (11cases) and the causes of death were pneumonia (4 cases), ARDS (1 case), pulmonary embolism (1case) and respiratory failure (5 cases). There were 43 (23.2%) cases with the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1%)< 65% before operation. The bleeding volume during operation ranged from 200ml～2000 ml, with a mean volume of about 350ml, and was above 800ml in 8(4.3%) cases. Injury of recurrent laryngeal nerve during operation occurred in 13(7.0%) cases. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that smoking, obesity, poor preoperative pulmonary function (FEV1 % < 65%), bleeding volume over 800ml during operation and injury of recurrent laryngeal nerve were the independent risk factors for PPCs in elderly patients with esophageal cancer aged 70 years and over. Poor preoperative pulmonary function (FEV1% < 65%)(OR=29.49, P=0.023), bleeding volume over 800ml during operation(OR=32.93, P=0.011) and injury of recurrent laryngeal nerve(OR= 10.14, P= 0.034) were also the independent risk factors for related mortality of PPCs. Conclusions The high risks of PPCs and related mortality in elderly patients with esophageal cancer are not only due to the physiological and pathological characteristics of elderly people, but also due to the operative manipulation.

Background: The International Medical University (IMU) has an outcome-based curriculum defined by eight major curriculum outcome domains. The attributes, qualities and competencies expected of a health care professional form the basis for these outcome domains. Community service is an effective curriculum delivery tool widely practised by medical universities around the world. We present the results of a survey among IMU students to explore the effectiveness of community service as a curriculum delivery tool in enabling activities defined within the major curriculum outcome domains of IMU. Methods: A self-administered 6-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to survey student participants of 20 community service events held in a rural village between 2007 – 2012. The survey tool included questions on demographic data as well as the perception of the students on whether participation in the events enabled them to experience activities defined under the eight major curriculum outcome domains of IMU. The one sample Student t-test was used to test for statistical significance while regression analysis was done to look for significant predictors. Results: A total of 255 students were surveyed, of which 229 (90.5%) were medical students while the rest were nursing students. Most of the students were in the 3 rd (48.2%) and 4 th (43.8%) year of their studies and have completed the surgery, internal medicine and family medicine posting. Six out of the 8 curriculum outcomes domains were achieved through participation in the community service programme. Conclusion: Community service is an effective curriculum delivery tool for the outcome-based curriculum of IMU where activities defined in six out of eight outcome domains were achieved.
Education, Medical

Objective To understand the expiration date of alcohol-based hand disinfectant after it is opened for use,and provide reference for rational clinical application of alcohol-based hand disinfectant.Methods 20 bottles of the same brand alcohol-based hand disinfectant which opened at the same time by the clinical departments were selected as the study object,hand hygiene compliance in theses departments ranked fourth from the end in the hospital,specimens were taken on the first day after opening,and repeated every 10 days until the disinfectant was used up.Hand specimens were also taken after disinfected by disinfectant.Qualified condition of disinfectant and hand specimens was detected.Results A total of 98 disinfectant specimens were collected,by naked eye observation,20 bottles of alcohol-based hand disinfectant were free of discoloration,precipitation,and suspended matter during the whole study period.The qualified detection rates of alcohol-based hand disinfectant within 60 days after opening were all 100%.44 hand specimens were taken and detected after disinfection,3 of which were unqualified(all were disinfected by alcohol-based hand disinfectant 50 days after opening),then detected again after disinfected by the same batch of disinfectant,all were qualified,which suggested that unqualified detection result of hand specimens was not due to disinfectant.Conclusion Alcohol-based hand disinfectant still has a good bactericidal effect on the sixth day after opening.

Objective Pentamethylquercetin (PMQ) has a role in cardiovascular protection. We investigate the effects of 3,3' ,4' ,5,7-pentamethylquercetin, a derivative of PMQ, on intimal hyperplasia of the vein grafts in rats both in vivo and in vitro. Methods The proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells ( VSMC ) was induced with Ang Ⅱ (0. 1μmol/L, 24 h)while PMQ was administrated at six different dosages (0. 1, 0.3, 1,3, 10 and 30 μmoL/L). Cell viability was identified with MTT; ROS was measured with DCFH-DA; and the expression of NADPH oxidase subunits Nox1, p47phox, and p22phox mRNA were measured with real-time PCR. For the experiment in vivo, 24 SD rats were randomly assigned to control group and PMQ groups, the latter was further divided into three different dosage groups. In the control group, solvent was administrated daily via gavage. In PMQ groups, PMQ ( 12.5 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg) was administrated daily respectively in the same way.All SD rats received operation performed by one person. Reversed external jugular vein was implanted into the external carotid of the same side with interrupted suture. 4 weeks after operation, all vein grafts were harvested. Status of the vein grafts was observed and tissue sections were analyzed with HE staining. The intimal hyperplasia ( intima/media area index and intima/media thickness index) of the vein grafts was assessed. Results Cell viability and ROS of VSMC induced by Ang Ⅱ were suppressed by PMQ. Cell viability and ROS of VSMC were increased substantially when treated with Ang Ⅱ. The therapeutic effects of PMQ could be initially identified at dose of0. 3 μmol/L, with a peak at 3 μmol/L. The effects decreased from 30μmol/L to 10 μmol/L. PMQ at dose of 0.1 μmol/L had no effect on cell viability and ROS of VSMC induced by Ang Ⅱ. PMQ also downregulated the mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase subunits Nox1, p47phox and p22phox induced by Ang Ⅱ. A peak effect was observed at 3μmoL/L and decreased at 30 μmol/L. PMQ at o. 1 μmol/L had no effect on mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase subunits induced by Ang Ⅱ. As compared with control group, PMQ decreased intima/media area index ( 1. 64 ±0.20 in control, 0. 74 ±0.18 at 12.5 mg/kg, 1.09 ±0.17 at 25 mg/kg, 1.21 ± 0. 21 at 50 mg/kg) and intima/media thickness index ( 1.34 ± 0. 24 in control, 0.67 ± 0. 17 at 12.5 mg/kg, 0. 74 ± 0.14 at 25 mg/kg, 0.93 ± 0. 18 at 50mg/kg) at three dosages after implantation. Conclusion PMQ may suppress the proliferation of VSMC and inhibit neointima hyperplasia of vein grafts in rats. The effects may be attributed to the anti-oxidative activity and the downregulation of mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase subunits Noxl, p47phox and p22phox.

To study bioadhesive property of carbomer 934 in dog alimentary tract, carbomer 934 and ethylcellulose were radiolabelled with technetium-99 m. The gastrointestinal emptying rate of these materials was measured by the technique of gamma scintiscan. The results showed that the empty rate of adhesive material (carbomer 934) was remarkably slower in dog alimentary tract compared to nonadhesive material (ethylcellulose). It is concluded that, in dog, the interaction between gastrointestinal mucus layer and adhesive material or nonadhesive material was significantly different. Carbomer 934 had stronger bioadhesive property in vivo than that of ethylcellulose.
Acrylic Resins ; pharmacokinetics ; Animals ; Cellulose ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; Digestive System ; diagnostic imaging ; Dogs ; Gamma Cameras ; Gastric Emptying ; Intestinal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Radioimmunodetection

Aim To select a potential biomarker for early lung cancer diagnosis and targeted therapy by using the cancer specific bounded peptide ZS-6 which had already been obtained from the laboratory.Methods The peptide ZS-6 marked by biotin was used as a probe to pan out the human lung cancer cDNA phage display library,after 4 rounds of subtraction panning,the specific binding clones of ZS-6 were identified.After amplification and purification,then those DNA sequences were identified and analyzed with bioinformatics.Results 18 phage clones were identified to the specific peptide ZS-6 and the DNA sequence showed one of them was an unknown new gene while the others were known tumor related genes.Conclusion A tumor biomarker selected from human lung cancer cDNA library provides a potential tool for early lung cancer diagnosis and therapy.