Objective To evaluate the clinical value of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatogra-phy ( MRCP) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography ( ERCP) in the diagnosis of obstructive jaundice. Methods MRCP and ERCP were performed in 32 patients with obstructive jaundice, all patients were diagnosed surgically or histopathologically. Results The level of obstruction was diagnosied by MRCP and ERCP with accuracy of 90.6% (29/32) and 82. 8% (24/29) respectively(P =0. 5960) ,whereas the accuracy of combination of MRCP and ERCP reached 96. 9% (31/32) . For the etiologic diagnosis, the accuracy reached 75.0% (24/32) and 72. 4% (21/29) in MRCP and ERCP respectively ( P = 0. 9503) , whereas the accuracy MRCP and ERCP of imcombination reached 93. 8% (30/32) , significantly higher than that of MRCP( P = 0.0387) or ERCP alone(P = 0. 0245). Conclusions MRCP and ERCP are reliable and safe methods for the diagnosis of obstructive jaundice; furthermore, combination of the two procedures could improve the efficacy of diagnosis.

Tensegrity structure is comprised of compression-resis tant elements and a set of continuous tensile elements that are interconnected w ith each other. The stability of such system depends on maintenance of tensional integrity inside the structure, or what has come to be termed “tensegrity”. A ccording to studies on biology, cell structures are assembled on the basis of te nsegrity mechanism. Tensegrity of cytoskeleton can affect cell shape and functio n. Furthermore, some basic rules of mechanochemical transduction in cells can be well explained using tensegrity theory.

Objective To prepare Shichangpu Double Layer Tablets. Methods The release of the sustained-release layer (SRL) was used as the response parameters and uniform design with alterable levels was used to optimize the recipe of SRL of Shichangpu Double Layper Tablets. Fast-release layer (FRL) was made from water extraction by ultra-filtration. Results The dissolution kinetics of SRL could follow zero-order equation and FRL showed good prosperities for fast release in 10 min. Conclusion The in vitro release of SRL of Shichangpu Double Layer Tablets testifies the significant sustained release action and FRL disintigrates rapidly. The preparation technology of Shichangpu Double Layer Tablet is reliable and simple.

Depending on the specified electric field parameters such as electrical field strength and duration, electrical pulses have generally been applied in biomedical fields. Conventional electroporation is commonly used for cell fusion, transfection, electrochemotherapy and so on. Recently, pulse electric fields with high strength (MV/cm) and duration of several tens of nanoseconds can affect intracellular signal transduction and intracellular structures with plasma intact, owing to the application of intracellular manipulation. Most researches indicate that parameters between those two ranges could be used to result in an inreversible apoptosis of cancer cells. The procedure between electroporation and intracellular manipulation is irreversible electrical breakdown (IREB). IREB selectively kills tumor cells by inducing cell apoptosis; thus it might provide a new method for cancer therapy.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Apoptosis ; Cell Membrane Permeability ; drug effects ; Combined Modality Therapy ; methods ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; methods ; Electroporation ; methods ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; therapy

Objective To analyze the protein expression and subcellular distribution of mechanogrowth factor (MGF) in ostcoblasts under stretch stimulation. Methods Cyclic stretching was applied to osteohlasts by a mechanical stretching device. The whole-cell proteins were extracted from controlled and stretched osteoblasts for detecting the protcin expression level of MGF by Western blot and observing the intracellular distribution of MGF by fluorescent immunocytological method. Results Western blot showed significant increase of expression of MGF in osteoblasts under stimulation of cyclic stretching. The level of protein was increased by four folds after 12-hour stretching of osteohlasts, and then declined sharply. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that MGF was mainly distributed in the nuclei of osteoblasts. ConcinsionsUnder the cyclic stimulation, the expression of MGF reaches a short period of peak in osteoblasts, which may be related to the injury of osteoblasts caused by stretching. MGF is mainly distributed in the nuclei of osteoblasts, indicating that MGF may contain nuclear localization signal and modulate the expression of relative genes.

The stress environment regulates the factors of growth, resorption and remolding in bone tissue. Mechanical stimulation at cell physical level affects the physiological activity of osteoblasts, including proliferation, ALP activity and osteocalcin production. Mechanotransduction is a procedure which transduces the biophysical force into biochemical responses. It is also the basis of many physiological functions. The early response genes (c-fos, c-jun), the second message systems (Ca2+, NO, cAMP) and the mechano-sensitive cation channel are involved in the mechanotransduction course when osteoblasts respond to the mechanical stimulation.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Calcium ; physiology ; Humans ; Mechanotransduction, Cellular ; Osteoblasts ; physiology ; Osteocalcin ; biosynthesis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Signal Transduction ; Stress, Mechanical

This experiment was designed to study the apoptosis and related mechanism of adherent liver tumor cells (SMMC-7721) and adherent normal liver cells (HL-7702) when they were exposed to the steep pulse generated by the steep pulse apparatus for tumor treatment. The results showed that the steep pulse of 200 V could induce tumor cells apoptosis. The tumor cells presented with their apoptosis when they were exposed to the steep pulse from 200 V to 250 V. Laser scanning confocal microscopy was used to make a real time study of calcium burst when the adherent tumor cells were exposed to the steep pulse. The results showed:On the condition of no extracellular Ca2+, the concentration of Ca2+ in tumor cells exposed to the steep pulse of 150 V did not change; the concentration of Ca2+ in tumor cells exposed to the steep pulse of 200 V decreased; the concentration of Ca2+ in tumor cells exposed to the steep pulse of 250 V decreased more evidently. On the condition of existing extracellular Ca2+, the concentration of Ca2+ in tumor cells exposed to the steep pulse of 150 V did not change; the concentration of Ca2+ in tumor cells exposed to the steep pulse of 200 V decreased little; the concentration of Ca2+ in tumor cells exposed to the steep pulse of 250 V reduced little, too. Maybe the change of calcium burst in the tumor cells is the mechanism of apoptosis when cells are exposed to the steep pulse.
Apoptosis ; radiation effects ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Electricity ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

In the study of the relationship between cells overloading and the formation, regeneration and growth of bone, the text discussed osteoblasts express IGF-1 variation under overloading environment. The research of overloading on cellular level may elucidate the mechanical effect on the formation, regeneration and growth of bone and the mechanism of cell response in bone.
Animals ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Osteogenesis ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Stress, Mechanical ; Weight-Bearing ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo detect the somatic mutations in peritoneal mesothelioma with whole genome sequencing technique.

METHODSSurgically resected cancer and pericancerous tissue samples from one patient with peritoneal mesothelioma were obtained. The whole genome sequences of tumor tissue and pericancerous tissue were examined by the second generation sequencing technique and compared with reference sequences from human genome database.

RESULTSThere were 639 717 single nucleotide variations (Single Nucleotide Variation SNV) found in both tumor and pericancerous tissue cells; while 20 302 SNVs were unique for tumor cells and 2 185 SNVs unique for pericancerous tissue, but still 223 SNVs found in cancer and pericancerous tissue were differed from those in human genome database.

CONCLUSIONThe preliminary results indicate that merely comparing the gene sequences of cancer and pericancerous tissue samples in an individual with the human genome reference sequence can not accurately locate all somatic mutations in pathological cells. For those individualized diseases caused by random somatic mutations, it is suggested to sequence the whole genome at birth or at least to reserve a DNA sample at early age for both research and clinical needs.

Aged ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Mesothelioma ; genetics ; Mutation ; Peritoneal Neoplasms ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

Mechano-growth factor (MGF) is one of IGF-1 isoforms. MGF is mechanosensitive and has important functions in muscle hypertrophy, regeneration and nerve injury recovery. In this study, MGF cDNA (330 bp) was cloned from stretched osteoblasts by RT-PCR. In order to avoid prolin residue inhibiting enterokinase cleavage, 9bp of MGF cDNA 5' end sequence was truncated by primer, then the obtained truncated MGF (des(1-3)MGF) cDNA (321 bp) was subcloned in pET32a(+) vector to construct a prokaryotic recombination expression plasmid. Trx/des(1-3)MGF fusion protein, existing in forms of solution, was expressed in transformed Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3) by IPTG induction at 30 degres C. The supernatant of cell lysates was subjected to ion exchange chromatography and Ni2+ metal affinity chromatography, and the fusion protein was obtained with the purity over 95%. After the fusion protein was cleaved by enterokinase, Trx and des(1-3)MGF was isolated by reverse-phase HPLC. Through these procedures, des(1-3) MGF was obtained with the purity of 98%. The protein molecular mass was conformity to the theoretical value by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry analysis. The purified des(1-3)MGF was incubated with MC3T3-E1 for cell proliferation and migration assays. The results show that des(1-3)MGF exhibited more facilitative effects on proliferation and migration of MC3T3-E1 than that of des(1-3)IGF-1.
Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Osteoblasts ; metabolism ; Protein Isoforms ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; STAT5 Transcription Factor ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics