Objective To investigate the effect of lovaslatin on proliferation of cultured rat mesangial cells. Methods Cultured rat mesangial cells were stimulated by 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in the absence or the presence of lovastain and mevalonate metabolites. 5-Bromo-2-deoxyuridine incorporation was used to assess DNA synthesis. Results FCS or PDGF caused a marked stimulation of DNA synthesis in the mesangial cells. Lovastatin inhibited FCS or PDGF-stimulated BrdU incorporation and cell proliferation. Mevalonic acid, farnesyl pyrophosphate and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate significantly prevented inhibitory effect of lovastatin on mesangial proliferation induced by FCS. Mevalonic acid and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate also significantly reversed inhibitory effect of lovastatin on mesangial proliferation induced by PDGF. But farnesyl pyrophosphate only partly reversed inhibitory effect of lovastatin. Conclusions Lovastatin, by inhibiting the synthesis of isoprenoid metabolites of mevalonate, can suppress mesangial cell proliferation. It is possible to provide a new approach for treatment of proliferative glomerular diseases.

Objective To investigate the effect of chronic liver injury on the expression of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase(UGT) 1A1 mRNA in mice. Methods Chronic liver injury model was induced by feeding CCl 4 in mice.Thirty mice were randomly divided into three groups:control group,experimental group 1(CCl 4 was given for 1 month),and experimental group 2(CCl 4 was given for 2 months).The liver function was tested;and the expression of UGT1A1 mRNA in the 3groups was analysed by RT-PCR. Results There was significant difference in the expression of UGT1A1 mRNA between the 3 groups(P

Objective To evaluate the safety and feasibility of LC in patients with acute cholecystitis. Methods The authors retrospectively analyzed 145 cases of acute cholecystitis treated by LC from 1992～2000. Results All cases were successfully treated by LC, durations of operations being 30 to 130min with a mean 68min. Postoperative complications were found in 5 cases: Two patients underwent cystic artery bleeding, which was stopped successfully via laparoscope; the other three patients had bile leakage, bleeding of the greater omentum and subhepatic abscess, respectively, the first two cases being dealt with by open operations and the later by anti-inflammatory therapy. The success rate of LC was 96 6% (140 of 145). Conclusions LC may be applied successfully to the patients with acute cholecystitis within the first three days of incidence, after the gallbladder wall is proved ≤ 5mm by B-ultrasonography.

Objective To conduct the endoscopic sinus surgery on chronic nasosinusitis by the image guided navigation system (IGNS) and to analyze the curative effect and complication compared with traditional methods .Methods 81 cases of chronic nasosi-nusitis were randomly selected and performed endoscopic sinus surgery by using IGNS ,and compared with the other 111 cases of chronic nasosinusitis by using traditional nasal endoscopic surgery in the aspects of curative effect ,complications ,etc .Results TypeⅠ and type Ⅱ nasosinusitis had no significant difference in the effective rate between the navigation group and non-navigation group;type Ⅲ nasosinusitis had significant difference in the effective rate between navigation group and non-navigation group .The total incidence rate of complications had significant difference between the navigation group and non-navigation group(P<0 .05);the incidence rate of complications in type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ nasosinusitis had no significant difference between the navigation group and the non-navigation group(P>0 .05);the incidence rate of complications in type Ⅲ nasosinusitis had significant difference be-tween the navigation group and the non-navigation group with statistical significance (P< 0 .05);the effective rates of Haller gas room and Onodi gas rooms showed no significant difference between the navigation group and the non-navigation group (P>0 .05);the total effective raates of anatomical deformity of the frontal recess or the sinus area had significant difference between the naviga-tion group and the non-navigation group(P<0 .05);the total effective rates of agger nasi cell had significant difference between the navigation group and the non-navigation group (P<0 .05) ,the total effective rates of non-agger nasi cell had no significant differ-ence between the navigation group and the non-navigation group (P>0 .05) .Conclusion For the patients with type Ⅲ chronic na-sosinusitis ,chronic frontal sinusitis ,conduct endoscopic sinus surgery by using IGNS is a reasonable choice ,can increase the opera-tive effect and accuracy ,and reduce the occurrence of complications .

Objective To investigate the effects of Dangshen (DS) extract saponins alleviating apoptosis in ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R) of renal grafts and the mechanism. Methods The I/R injury model in SD rats was established after kidney transplantation. The SD rats were randomly divided into the following 3 groups (n = 20): sham operation group, I/R model group, DS saponin intervention group. Blood urea nitrogen (Bun) and creatinine (Scr) levels were determined at the 24th h after operation; apoptosis index (AI) was detected by using TUNEL method; the expression of Bcl2 and bax mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. Results As compared with the sham operation group,the blood Bun and Scr levels were significantly increased in the I/R model and DS saponin intervention groups (P＜0. 05). As compared with the DS saponin intervention group, the blood Bun and Scr levels were significantly increased in the I/R group (P＜0.05). The AI was significantly increased in the I/R model group and DS saponin intervention group. After DS saponin intervention, the AI was decreased from 40. 28 % in the I/R model group to 28. 45 % in the DS saponin intervention group (P＜0. 05). The expression of Bcl-2 mRNA in DS saponin intervention group and I/R model group was significantly decreased as compared with the sham operation group (P＜0. 05), but that of Bax mRNA was significantly increased in the I/R model group and DS saponin intervention group as compared with the sham operation group (P＜0. 05). After DS saponin intervention, the expression of Bcl-2mRNA was increased from 0. 25 in the I/R model group to 0. 391 (P＜0. 05), and that of Bax mRNA was decreased from 0. 565 in the I/R model group to 0. 473 (P＜0. 05). Conclusion DS extract saponin could significantly alleviate apoptosis in the I/R injury of renal grafts possibly by up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and down-regulating the expression of Bax gene.

Objective: To study the effects of glutamine on heat shock protein 70(Hsp70) expression and immune in patients with acute cerebral infarction.Methods: 60 patients with acute cerebral infarction were randomly divided into 2 groups,the control group(n=30) and the glutamine group.Patients in glutamine group were supplemented intravenously with alanyl-glutamine during 24 hours after hospitalization.Other treatments were the same as in the control group.Serum Hsp70 concentrations,immune parameters,and infection rates were compared.Results: The serum Hsp70 level,the immune globulin level,the CD4+ cell and CD4+/CD8+ in the glutamine group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P

Objective To investigate the effects of "a determinant variants in chronic hepatitis B(CHB)patients on the expression of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) and anti-HBs antibodies (HBsAb). Methods Eight hundred sixty-six chronic hepatitis B patients were enrolled, which HBs Ag carriage was beyond a 6 month period.77 patients(8.9%)concomitantly carried both HBs Ag and anti-HBs antibodies,789 patients(91.1%)were only HBs Ag positive. Selection criteria for patients with both HBs Ag and anti-HBs were mainly focused on anti-HBs titers at least three times above the analytical threshold of the technique(10 U/L)on at least three consecutive visits.14 patients were selected from77 patients, who presented both markers(group Ⅰ),and 12 patients from another 789 patients who positive for HBs Ag only(group Ⅱ)were randomly selected as controls. The HBs Ag-encoding gene was amplified and cloned, and at least 15clones per patient were sequenced and analyzed. Results The number of residue changes within the S protein group Ⅰ was 2.7 times more frequently than that in group Ⅱ patients, and "a" determinant of the major hydrophilic region(MHR)occurred mostly. Ten patients (71%)from group Ⅰ and three patients(25%)from group Ⅱ presented at least two residue changes in the MHR. The most frequent changes in group Ⅰ patients were located at positions s145,s129,s126,s144, and s123 as described for immune escape variants. Conclusions In CHB patients, the coexistence of HBsAg and HBsAb is associated with an increase of "a" determinant variability, suggesting a selection of HBV immune escape mutants during chronic carriage. The consequences of this selection process play an important role in vaccine efficacy, diagnosis and clinical therapy.

Objective To identify the surface marker of bone marrow-derived liver stem cells and to isolate the stem cells, to investigate the differentiation of the stem cells. Methods The quantitative variations of the cells with stem cell surface markers, including ? 2-microglobulin negative (? 2m -), Thy-1 +,CD34 +,Flt-3 +,IL-3R +,and c-kit + markers, were detected by using flow cytometry in the bone marrow of several rat models with liver injury. Each stem cell population was then isolated using a magnetic bead cell-sorting procedure. The isolated cells were cultured in a system containing cholestatic serum and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). The morphology of the cells was observed, and the expressions of albumin, AFP, and CK8/18 were detected with immunohistochemistry technique. Results ? 2m - cells elevated significantly in each of the rat models.After being co-cultured with cholestatic serum and HGF, ? 2m - cells showed multilateral transformation and resembled hepatcytes morphologically. The differentiated cells expressed albumin, AFP, and CK8/18, all known to be the characteristic markers of hepatocyte. The other cell population showed little quantitative changes, and did not express the same proteins. Conclusions The quantitative variation of ? 2m - cells corresponds to the severity of liver injury. ? 2m - cells have the ability to trans-differentiated into hepatocytes in vitro. They might be the marker of liver stem cells.

AIM: To explore the feasibility of direct separat and selective enlargement of the bone marrow-derived liver stem cells (BDLSC) from bone marrow cells with a culture system containing cholestatic serum in vitro . METHODS: Bone marrow cells of rats were cultured with selective media containing 2%, 5%, 7% and 10% cholestatic rat serum, respectively. The BDLSC were then induced to proliferate with the addition of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on the firth day. BDLSC were characterized using immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR for lineage markers, glycogen staining and urea synthetic assay for functions 2 weeks later. RESULTS: Bone marrow cells were unble to form colony in the presence of 2% cholestatic serum and apopotosis appeared gradually in 7% or 10% cholestatic serum. The BDLSC survived in the medium containing 5% cholestatic serum while the other types of cells did not. The survival cells proliferated with a high speed during the second week and then formed hepatocyte-like colony-forming units (H-CFU). Cells in the H-CFU expressed the characteristic proteins of fetal hepatocytes. Furthermore, they had glycogen storage and urea synthesis functions, two of the critical features of hepatocytes. CONCLUSION: The selective micro-environment effectively selected BDLSC from the bone marrow cell, and will be a new way to provide an abundant source of donor hepatocytes for clinical cell therapy.

Objective To isolate and purify Thy 1 low Lin Sca 1 + bone marrow stem subset cells by magnetic activated cell sorting(MACS). Methods Thy 1 low Lin Sca 1 + cells from mouse bone marrow were collected through three processes by MACS.After Lin + cells were removed,Thy 1 low Lin Sca 1 + bone marrow stem cell subsets were harvasted.The purity of the cells was analysed by FACS and the reclaimation rate was counted. Results The purity and reclaimation rate of Thy 1 low Lin Sca 1 + cells were 72.36% and 82.43% respectively, which equaled to the level of isolation and purification of CD34 + cells by MACS. Conclusions It is effective to isolate and purify Thy 1 low Lin Sca 1 + bone marrow stem cell subsets by MACS, and the purity and reclaimation rate of the cells are high.