Objective To investigate the effects of extracellular ATP on the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury in rats.Methods Twenty healthy adult rats were randomly divided into two groups after contusion injury was performed by the weight drop method at T10 with Allen impactor.Group A(ATP group) and group B(control group) each had ten rats.At days 1,3,7,14 and 28 after injury,the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury in rats was assessed with modified Tarlov scores and slanting board test.Results Modified Tarlov scores and slanting board test were better in group A than in group B after spinal cord injury in rats.Significant difference was found in modified Tarlov scores and slanting board test between the two groups at days 14 and 28 after injury(P

Background Orbital fracture in children has its own characteristics.Choosing the suitable plastic materials is the effective measurement to improve the successful rate of surgery.Absorbable plate filling provides a new material for children with orbital fracture.However,few studies compare the effectivity and safety between absorbable plate filling and conventional filling.Objective The aim of this study was to compare the longterm efficacy and safety between absorbable plate and Medpor implants in the repair of pediatric orbital fracture.Methods Clinical data of 72 eyes of 72 pediatric patients with orbital fracture who received surgicals reconstruction in Beijing Tongren Eye Center from 2008 April to 2014 August were respectively analyzed,including 28 patients with absorbable plates filling and 44 patients with Medpor implants.Demography and preoperative clinical signs were matched between the two groups.Operative procedure was same except the implanted materials.The functional training of extraocular muscle was performed since the second day after surgery in both groups.The imaging findings of the orbit were evaluated by computed tomography (CT) before and after surgery.The patients were followed-up for avarage 12.7 months after operation.The therapeutic effectiveness and safety were compared between the different implants,such as incidence of enophthalmos,extraocular movement impairment and diplopia,and the sensory deficit of skin and complications were documented.Results Extraocular muscle movement improved and diplopia alleviated or disappeared in 92.9％ (26/28) in the absorbable plate group and 90.9％ (40/44) in the Medporgroup,without significant difference between the two groups (P=0.57).The sensory deficit of skin was found in 13 eyes (46.4％) and 20 eyes (45.5％ in the absorbable plate group and Medpor group,respectively,and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P =0.56).CT revealed that the anatomical reconstruction of orbits could be achieved in all patients in both groups without the shifting of implants and extrusion.No enophthalmos and postoperative infection were found in absorbable plate group,however,the residual enophthalmos or late infection was found in I eye for each in the Medpor group.Conclusions Both the absorbable plate and Medpor implants show good results for reconstruction of pediatric orbital fracture.Absorbable plate is an ideal material for pediatric orbital blowout fracture because of fewer postoperative complications.

Objective To explore the roles of reactive oxygen species(ROS) and TGF-?1 in aldosterone-induced PAI-1 production.Methods Quiescent rat mesangial cells (MCs) were treated by aldosterone.The level of ROS in MCs induced by aldosterone was measured by confecal laser scanning microscopy and the TGF-?1 activity in the supematant of culture was measured by mink lung epithelial cell (Mvllu) proliferation inhibition MTT assay.Then,before the addition of aldosterone,MCs were pretreated with NAC or TGF-?1 neutralizing antibody to decrease cellular ROS or inhibit activity of TGF-?1 induced by aldosterone respectively.PAI-1 mRNA was examined by semi-quantification RT-PCR and PAI-1 protein by Western blotting.Results The intracellular ROS induced by aldosterone increased by 5-fold compared to that of control group,and the activity of TGF-?1 stimulated by aldosterone increased markedly.TGF-?1 neutralizing antibody and NAC effectively decreased aldosterone-induced PAI-1 mRNA expression by 30% and 32%,and PAI-1 protein expression by 21% and 11%,respectively.However,neither TGF-?1 neutralizing antibody nor NAC alone could regulate aldosterone-induced PAI-1 mRNA and protein expression to normal level in 24 hours.Conclusions ROS and TGF-?1 play important roles in up-regulation of aldosterone- induced PAI-1 in MCs.ROS and TGF-?1 are not the exclusive pathway of PAI-1 expression induced by aldosterone in MCs.

Objective To examine the induction effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs) transfected with bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) gene differentiating into chondrocytes. Methods We observed the phenotype of cells which were stained with alcian blue and HE climbing to the six pore plate with invert microscope. The glycosaminoglycan (GAG) value in culture medium was detected in control group,BMP7 transfect and culture medium induced groups after 7,14 and 21 days using standard curve method. Standard curve was described using galacturonic-acid as reference substance. The content of collagen Ⅱ was detected by ELISA method. Results HE and Alcian blue staining showed that BMP7 gene transfection group and the group induced by fluid possess the characteristics of chondrocyte. BMP7 induced BMSCs differentiation to chondrocyte which secrete specific protein called collagen Ⅱ and GAG. Content of GAG were (17.1±3.4),(39.5±5.4),(40.8±6.1)mg/L in control group,BMP7 gene transfected group and induced group,collagen Ⅱ were (89.7±14.3),(152.8±14.5),(155.5± 19.3)μg/L in these three groups separately. Comparing with control group,GAG and collagen Ⅱ of BMP7 gene transfected group and culture medium induced group increased obviously(all P < 0.05),but there was no significant difference between BMP7 gene transfeeted group and culture medium induced group (P > 0.05). Conclusion This active protein induces BMSCs differentiating into chondrocyte,in a level similar to that of inducing medium.

Syndrome and formulae (or prescription) are two key issues in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the premise research for material basis of TCM. However, vagueness of syndromes and complexity of formulae greatly limited the evaluation to syndromes and effective substance basis of prescription. Therefore, how to solve the evaluation of syndromes, confirming the efficacy material basis in prescription are the current hot issues of international concern. To solve these problems, establishing chinmedomics by integrated serum pharmacochemistry of TCM with metabolomics technology, that is a unique method of TCM research, made outstanding contributions in solving international concerns such as the effectiveness and security aspects of TCM. On the basis of the biological characterization of syndrome, the metabolic profiling of animal models of TCM syndrome, and related metabolic fingerprints as well as metabolic biomarkers were established to evaluate the overall effects of TCM formulae and corresponding relationship of syndrome-formulae. The active constituents were screened using the plotting of correlation between (endogenous) marker metabolites and (exogenous) serum constituents (PCMS), and is ongoing verification by further biological experiments. Correlation analysis between the ingredients in the body after oral formulae and endogenous markers in vivo can be used to clarify the active ingredients and synergistic properties. This method was successfully applied for rapid discovery of potentially bioactive components and metabolites from TCM, and through a series of studies on the chinmedomics, it proved that the established method could help to explore the effective substance for further research of TCM. As a new research approach, Chinmedomics is the best method to fit the holistic concept of TCM, and it can not only interpret the essence of syndrome but also elucidate the scientific connotation of Chinese medical formulae.
Animals ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Prescriptions ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

One new dicyclopeptide cyclo-(L-N-methyl Glu-L-N-methyl Glu) (1), together with one new natural dicyclopeptide cyclo-(L-methyl Glu ester-L-methyl Glu ester) (2), and two known dicyclopeptides cyclo-(L-methyl Glu ester-L-Glu) (3), and cyclo-(L-Glu-L-Glu) (4), were isolated from the aerial parts of Dianthus chinensis L. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses and chemical methods.
Dianthus ; chemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Components, Aerial ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Pericellular matrix (PCM) is a narrow tissue region surrounding chondrocytes, which "chondron" with its enclosed cells. A number of studies suggested that PCM is rich in proteoglycans, collagen and fibronectin, and plays an important role in regulating microenvironment of chondrocytes. Direct measures of PCM properties through micropipette aspiration technique showed that PCM was different from mechanical property of chondrocytes and nature extracellular matrix. However, the function of PCM is not clear, and need further study.
Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Chondrocytes ; chemistry ; cytology ; metabolism ; Extracellular Matrix ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Humans

ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of ex-vivo liver resection combined liver autotransplantation for patients with massive primary liver cancer who underwent complex liver resection.Methods The clinical data of 4 patients suffering from massive primary liver cancer who were admitted to the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from January 2008 to May 2010 were retrospectively analyzed.Regular liver resection could not be carried out because the first,second and third hepatic hilum of the 4 patients were invaded by the tumors,so ex-vivo liver resection combined liver autotransplantation were performed.ResultsThe operation was successfully carried out for the 4 patients.The operation time,the duration of anhepatic phase and the volume of operative blood loss were 690-840 minutes,250-300 minutes and 400-1400 ml,respectively.Portacaval bypass operation was not performed.After ex-vivo liver resection,the inferior vena eava or hepatic vein and portal vein of the 4patients were repaired,and the allogenous blood vessels were kept to extend the superior vena cava of the remnant liver so as to facilitate the anastomosis of blood vessels and reconstruction of the first hepatic hilum. After operation,the hepatic function of 1 patient was back to normal; 1 patient who stfffered from abdominal hemorrhage received reoperation for hemostasia; 1 patient was found with hepatic dysfunction; 1 patient died of hepatorenal dysfunction at postoperative day 5.Compensatory hypertrophy was observed in the 3 patients who survived at postoperative months 1-2.Of the 3 patients,2 were found with multiple pulmonary metastases at postoperative months 8 and 9,and they died at postoperative mouths 13 and 15.Until April 2012,1 patient survived for 37 months with no tumor recurrence or metastasis. ConclusionsEx-vivo liver resection combined liver autotransplantation provides the technical feasibility for performing complex liver resection for patients. The incomplete compensation of liver function and the short-term recurrence of tumors after operation are still the main issues which hinder the development of this technique.

Objective To identify the differential serum proteins in patients with hepatic injury resulting from coal-burning type of arsenism. Methods Six serum samples were collected from patients with liver injury resulting from coal-burning type of arsenism and healthy subjects(control gruop) in endemic arsenism area. Twodimensional gel electrophoresis(2-DE) was performed to separate serum proteins, after silver staining, the differential expression of proteins were analyzed and then identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF-MS). Results The 2-DE map of serum protein patterns of patients and normal control were established successfully. The results showed that there were an average of (824 ± 31 ) spots and (782 ± 42) spots on 2-DE matching of the patients and control groups and the matching rate was 94.9%(782/824). From these two groups 49 differential protein spots were identified, of which over 3 times the difference in the expression of 30 protein spots were singled out and MALDI-TOF-MS analysis was carried out. Ten proteins were identified. Upregulated expression was observed in alpha-2-macroglobulin, B-cell receptor-associated protein, keratin 1,apolipoprotein A-I, and down-regulated expression was observed in haptoglobin, α2-heremans-schimid-glycoprotein,mitogen-activated protein kinase 4, zinc finger protein 323, ZAP-70 and SP40 in the patient group. Conclusions The well-resolved and reproducible 2-DE serum patterns of patients are established and some differentially expressed proteins are characterized. Whether these proteins of differential expression are serum markers for liver injury resulting from coal-burning type of arsenism need to be further verified.

Objective To observe the effects of vitamin C (VC) and E (VE) on the uhrastrueture of liver, kidney and brain tissue of fluorosis rats. Methods One hundred and twenty Wistar rats were chosen as the experimental animals and were divided into 9 groups randomly. The control group were given distilled water and the fluoride exposed group were given distilled water containing sodium fluoride 150 mg/L. The throe VC-fluoride exposed groups were given VC orally in a dose of 50,100,150 mg·kg-1.d-1, respectively, and the three VE-fluoride exposed groups were given VE of 25,50,75 mg·kg-1·d-1, respectively. The VC-VE-fluoride exposed group were given VC of 100 mg·kg-1·d-1and VE of 50 mg·kg-1·d-1at the same time of high fluoride water intake. The rats were sacrificed after 9 months and the ultrastructure changes on liver, kidney and brain tissues of each group were observed under transmission electron microscope(TEM). Results The uhrastrueture of liver, kidney and brain showed pathologic changes in the rats that drank water containing high eoneentrations of sodium fluoride. ①Edema of hepatocytes, smeared mitochontria and nuclear matrix, lipid droplet in eytoplasm of hepatocytes, margination of nueleohs as well as obvious swelling of liver sinusoidal endothelial were observed in fluoride exposed group. ② There were marginafion of heterochromatin, expansion of cell space and endoplasmic reticulum in the kidney after the exposure to excess fluoride.③Signifieant changes were found on glial eells on the brain, including cell swelling, increase and marginafion of heterochromatin in the fluoride exposure group. There were no significant uhrastrueture changes in the VC or VE intervention group, while the VC-VE-fluoride exposure group was almost the same as the control group. Conclusions Fluoresis may cause damage on liver, kidney and brain in rats. VC and VE, alone or combined, have protective effects, and the combined supplementation was stronger than single supplementations.