OBJECTIVESTo investigate the cause of chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) and the correlation between presence of bacterial signal and the response to antibiotics by detecting bacterial 16S rRNA gene signal using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

METHODSEPS and first void urine (VB1) from 59 men with CPPS were analyzed by PCR for bacterial signal using universal primers specific for bacterial 16S rRNA gene. If the bacterial signal was found only in EPS or the EPS bacterial signal was at least 10 times stronger than the VB1 one, positive result could be decided for bacterial signal detection. All patients were treated with levofloxacin and azithromycin for 4 weeks. The treatment could be considered effective if more than 50% improvement, compared to the state before the treatment, was achieved in the symptom severity index(SSI), symptom frequency questionnaire(SFQ), national institutes of health chronic prostatis symptom index of pain(quasi-CPSI) or the patients' general subjective assessment.

RESULTSPositive bacterial signal was detected in 46 of the 59 CPPS patients; The difference of improvement rates between positive bacterial signal group and negative bacterial signal group, which were 65%-74% and 0 respectively, was significant.

CONCLUSIONSThe basis of detecting 16S rRNA gene signal by PCR in clinical practice was built. The study shows that bacterial infection is related to CPPS. Bacterial signal detection results can help predict the effect of antimicrobial therapy.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Azithromycin ; therapeutic use ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Levofloxacin ; Male ; Ofloxacin ; therapeutic use ; Pelvic Pain ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prostatitis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; RNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study effects of electroacupuncture at Jiaji (EX-B2) on protracted withdrawl syndrome of the patient of heroin dependence.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty cases of heroin dependence were randomly divided into 4 groups: acupuncture group I (Jianji and Shenshu acupoints), acupuncture group II (acupoints at limbs), simulation group and control group. Protracted withdrawl syndrome scale, Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were used to observe changes of the scores before and after treatment of 4, 8, 10 weeks.

RESULTSIn the treatment of 4, 8, 10 weeks, the cumulative scores for protracted withdrawl syndrome, HAMA and SDS in the acupuncture group I and II decreased significantly as compared with those in the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture can significantly improve protracted withdrawl syndrome, alleviate anxiety and depression, and electroacupuncture at Jiaji (EX-B2) being better than at the acupoints of the limbs.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Heroin Dependence ; Humans ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome

The aim of this study was to detect the relationship between age and biomechanical properties in porcine common bile duct (CBD). The CBDs of 50 Hubei white pigs aged 3-12 months were obtained. The experiment of pressure-diameter was conducted on the biomechanical experiment stand for soft tissues, and then the elastic modulus and compliance were calculated. The materials were transversely extracted, refrigerated, and sliced up before HE staining. The diameter and wall thickness of the CBD were measured by a computer image analysis system. The results showed that there was statistically significant difference in regard to the compliance of the porcine CBDs of different months (F = 59.69, P = 0.00). The compliance of the porcine CBD increased gradually with monthly age. However, after the pigs being aged 10 months, the compliance decreased gradually with monthly age. The compliance of the CBD of pigs aged 7-10 months was not significantly different (P > 0.05), but the compliance of the CBDs of pigs' aged 3-6 months and 11-12 months was significantly lower than that of pigs aged 7-10 months (P < 0.01). The changes in elastic modulus of porcine CBD with age were opposed to the changes in compliance. The results of the present study suggests that the in biomechanical properties of pigs' CBDs change with their ages, and the CBDs of pigs aged 7-10 months have good compliance. Thus, for the pig-to-human liver xenotransplantation, the livers of pigs aged 7-10 months, being chosen as donators, may be more conducive to matching.
Age Factors ; Aging ; physiology ; Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Biophysical Phenomena ; Common Bile Duct ; anatomy & histology ; physiology ; Compliance ; physiology ; Elastic Modulus ; physiology ; Swine ; Transplantation, Heterologous

In order to provide morphological data and theoretical basis for pig-to-human hepatic xenotransplantation, the difference in morphological parameters and vessel wall structural factors between human and porcine hepatic portal vein was studied. From human subjects and pigs of varying ages, hepatic portal veins were collected, paraffin-embedded and cut into sections. The histological structures were stained with HE, and elastin, collagen and smooth muscles were stained with Weigert, Aniline blue and orange G, respectively. Morphological parameters and relative contents of structural components were determined under microscopy and by computer image analysis system, respectively. The results showed that histological structures of human and porcine hepatic portal vein wall were similar. Caliber, wall thickness, lumen and wall area in pigs increased with age, all in linear correlation to months. Morphological parameters of 6- month-old pigs were similar to those of human. In pigs, collagen content increased gradually with months, elastin content remained relatively stable, smooth muscle content reached the peak at the 3rd month, and collagen/elastin (C/E) rose gradually. The contents of collagen and elastin in porcine hepatic portal vein wall were lower, while the content of smooth muscle was higher than in human, and C/E at the 5th and 6th month was similar to that in human. It is concluded that morphological parameters and contents of structural components of porcine hepatic portal vein vary with age. At the 6 month, its caliber, wall thickness, lumen and wall area are similar to those of human. There are differences in contents of structural components between human and pigs. However, in terms of C/E, mechanic properties of pigs at the 5th and 6th month mimic those of human, hence inosculation is viable in xenotransplantation between pigs and human.

This paper was designed to investigate the effect of laminar shear stress on matrix metalloproteinase -9 (MMP-9) expression in rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and the possible signal transduction mechanism involved. Rat bone marrow MSCs were isolated and cultured, then, exposed to laminar shear stress at indicated strengths such as low (5dyne/cm2), medium (15 dyne/cm2) and high (30 dyne/cm2) via parallel plate flow chamber. RT-PCR was used to analyze the expression of MMP-9. The signaling inhibitors such as Wortmannin (PI3K specific inhabitor), SB202190 (p38MAPK specific inhabitor), and PD98059 (ERK1/2 specific inhabitor) were used to investigate the possible mechanical signal transduction pathway. The results showed: (1) The expression of MMP-9 was weak in static state, however, MMP-9 expression increased when MSCs were exposed to 15 dyne/cm2 shear stress for 2 hours, and MMP-9 expression increased with the extension of stimulating time, and it reached the peak at 24 h; (2) MSCs were stimulated by shear stress for 2 hours at different strengths (5 dyne/cm2, 15 dyne/cm2, 30 dyne/cm2), and under all these conditions, the expression of MMP-9 increased, and reached the peak at 15 dyne/cm2; (3) After MSCs were pretreated by three kinds of signal pathway inhibitors, the expression of MMP-9 did not change obviously in Wortmannin group and PD98059 group, but it was significantly inhibited in SB202190 group. This study demonstrated that shear stress could induce the expression of MMP-9 in rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells; the amount of MMP-9 expression was closely related to stimulating time and the strengths of shear stress; and p38MAPK signal pathway played a critical role during the process.
Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Stress, Mechanical

There were many masses on a patient's cervical region which caused significant respiratory compression. After aspiration and incisional biopsy, the results confirmed the diagnosis of local lymph nodes amyloidosis.
Amyloidosis ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neck

The aim of study was to explore the effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) transfected with recombinant adenovirus-mediated human vascular endothelium growth factor 165 (ad-vegf-165) on treating ischemic necrosis limbs. Adult SD rats were selected for study. Limb ischemic necrosis model was established by right femoral artery ligation in SD rats. 7 days after ligation, MSC, ad-h-vegf-165-MSC and ad-LacZ-MSC labelled by DAPI were injected into ischemic necrosis limb in rats respectively. One week after injection, the expression of VEGF in ischemic necrosis limbs was detected by Western blot. And at 1, 2 or 4 weeks after injection, the expressions of FVIII and myosin on MSC were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The results indicated that the MSC labelled by DAPI could be found in the transplantation site of ischemic necrosis limbs under fluorescent microscope. And the number of MSC in MSC-vegf group was more than that in MSC and MSC-LacZ groups. The VEGF expression in MSC-vegf group was higher than that in MSC and MSC-LacZ groups. More importantly, the number of endothelial cells demonstrated characteristic FVIII positive MSC in MSC-vegf group was more than that in MSC and MSC-LacZ group after injections of 1, 2 and 4 weeks. However, the number of myosin positive MSC among MSC-vegf, MSC and MSC-LacZ groups showed no significant difference. It is concluded that MSC transfected with Ad-vegf promotes angiogenesis to repair ischemic necrosis limbs through the increased expression of VEGF.
Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Hindlimb ; blood supply ; Humans ; Ischemia ; pathology ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Necrosis ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transfection ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics

In this paper we present an easily available method of intracellular dialysis via a microcatheter inserted into glass pipette during patch clamp experiment. An oblique hole through the glass pipette holder (above the lateral hole for cell-seal suction) is drilled, through which a microcatheter (O.D.=0.1 mm) made from the universal pipetter tip by hand-drawing passes and sticks out of the holder mouth in parallel with the Ag-AgCl electrode. With a syringe connected to the microcatheter, substitution of intracellular solution and intracellular dialysis of drugs can be achieved easily. Compared with repatch technique and intracellular solution substitution techniques used abroad, this method operates more easily and can produce more reliable results.
Dialysis ; instrumentation ; methods ; Equipment Design ; Microelectrodes ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; instrumentation

In order to investigate the therapeutic effects of Lishengsu, a domestic preparation of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor, the recovery of leukopenia was observed in 58 patients with malignant tumors after chemotherapy. In these patients, 7 cases were in first cycle of chemotherapy and 51 were given in repeated cycles. When blood leukocyte level decreased to less than 3x10(9)/L, Lishengsu was subcutaneously injected for 3-5 days at a dose of 75 microgram or 150 microgram per day. The results showed that Lishengsu remarkably alleviated the degree of leukopenis and accelerated the leukocyte counts recovered to normal level. The promotive effects of Lishengsu to recovery of leukopenia were dependent on degree of leukopenia at start of administration of Lishengsu. The curative effect of Lishengsu to chemotherapy-induced leukopenia was reliable with slight side-effects
Adult ; Aged ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Leukopenia ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms ; complications ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the expression of COX-2 and liver cancer and construct a recombinant adenovirus encoding human COX-2 antisense RNA, and then to investigate its effects on liver cancer cell proliferation.

METHODSThe expression of COX-2 in 34 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and in SMMC-7402 and SMMC-7721 cell lines was studied by using immunohistochemical techniques. The shuttle plasmid encoding anti-sense COX-2 was constructed by using cloning COX-2 cDNA fragment in the reverse direction into the pHCMVSPIA. Then the plasmid pJM17 and the shuttle plasmid were co-transferred into 293 cells with lipofectamine for homologous recombination to acquire recombinant adenovirus (Ad-AShcox-2), which was confirmed by PCR. Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines SMMC-7402 and SMMC-7721 were transduced in vitro. The cell apoptosis and cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry. The cell proliferation was determined by colony-forming efficiency.

RESULTSWe observed COX-2 expression in 82.4% of the hepatocellular carcinomas and SMMC-7402 cell line, but no COX-2 expression in the SMMC-7721 cell line. In addition, the recombinant adenovirus encoding anti-sense COX-2 fragment Ad-AShcox-2 was obtained with a titer of 1.06 x 10(12) PFU/ml. Ad-AShcox-2 reduced the expression of COX-2 and enhanced the percentage of cells into G1/G0 phase in the SMMC-7402 cell line. The difference of apoptotic index between the Ad-AShcox-2 group and the control group was statistically significant in SMMC-7402 but not in SMMC-7721. Similarly, colony-forming rates of SMMC-7402 and SMMC-7721 cell lines after Ad-AShcox-2 being transferred were (2.7+/-0.94)% and (33.6+/-4.24)%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONBy reducing the expression of COX-2 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells with the expression of COX-2, the cells could be inhibited.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Apoptosis ; physiology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; pathology ; Membrane Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; RNA, Antisense ; biosynthesis ; genetics