BackgroundOptic nerve injury lead to apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells ( RGCs ), and its mechanism of apoptosis is endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). So, decreasing of ERS may protect the injury of RGCs. ObjectiveThe present study was to investigate the mechanisms of endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS) and the protective effects of human umbilical cord blood stem cells on partial optic nerve crush injury. MethodsThe optical nerves were crushed with a 40 g clip by holding for 60 seconds to establish the partial optical nerve injury model in the left eyes of 102 SPF SD rats,and 10 μl of mRNA and 10 μl of nerve growth factor were injected into the vitreous immediately after the establishment of the model. The morphological changes of retinal ganglion cells(RGCs) were examined under the light microscope after 3,7,14,21 and 28 days and the RGCs number was calculated. The apoptosis rates of RGCs were detected by the TUNEL technique after 3, 12,24,45,72 hours and 1 week. The expression levels of GRP78 mRNA and CHOP mRNA were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reation (RT-PCR). This procedure followed the Regulations for the Administration of Affair Concerning Experimental Animals by Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Committee.Results The number of RGCs was significantly decreased with the prolongation of time of optical nerve injury in the model injury group,whereas the number of RGCs in the human cord blood cells group was reduced at a slower rate( Ftime =20. 100,P =0. 007 ). At various time points after the injection of human cord blood cells, the survival of RGCs was evidently increased in comparison with the model group(P＜0. 01 ). The apoptosis rate of RGCs was considerably elevated with injury time prolongation both in the model group and human cord blood cells group,but no apoptosis was seen from 3-24 hours after operation,and only a small amount of apoptotic cells were found in the human cord blood cells group from 48 hours through 1 week than in the model group(P＜0. 01 ). In the human cord blood cells group,GRP78 mRNA level was significantly higher and the CHOP mRNA level was significantly lower than those in the injury group at identical time points(P＜0. 01 ). ConclusionsIn the rat optic nerve partial crush model,ERS induces the apoptosis of RGCs. Human umbilical cord blood stem cells can protect RGCs from ERS injury by inhibiting apoptosis.

Diabetic Retinopathy ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retinal Vein Occlusion ; complications ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreous Hemorrhage ; etiology ; surgery

Objective To explore the short term efficacy and safety of percutaneous transluminal renal artery stenting in patient with renal artery stenosis.Methods From January 2003 through June 2012,fifty hypertension patients with unilateral or bilateral renal artery stenosis ≥70％ were successfully treated by percutaneous translumminal renal angioplasty with stent (PTRAS).There were 32 males and 18 females with an average age of (51.2 ± 12.3) years ranged from 21 ～78 years.The blood pressure level,dosage of anti-hypertension drugs and serum creatinine (Scr) of patients were documented and analyzed before and after stenting.All patients were clinically followed up for 6 months after stenting.Continuous variables were analyzed by using t-test for comparison among patients.Results The technical success rate was 100％.Of them,16 patients were cured,30 patients improved and 4 patients ineffective.There were significant differences in blood pressure,sCr and dosage of anti-hypertension drugs between post-stenting and prestenting [SBP (145.7 ±11.3) vs.(179.1 ±22.3) mmHg; DBP [(75.1±9.2) vs.(112.5 ±19.2)mmHg],sCr [(138.2 ±20.3) vs.(191.1 ±36.5) μmol/L] (P＜0.01) and the dosage of antihypertension drug was dramatically decreased.And there were no adverse events found during follow-up period.Conclusions The success rate of PTRAS technique was high,and the blood pressure of patients could be effectively controlled by it,being beneficial to renal function.

AIM: To evaluate the relationship between damages of visual field and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG)with highly myopia. POAG with highly myopia group (21 eyes of 17 cases), POAG with non-highly myopia group (17 eyes of 16 cases), highly myopia without POAG group (25 eyes of 20 cases) and normal control group (19 eyes of 17 cases).automated perimeter and thickness of RNFL was measured by optical coherent tomography(OCT). Main outcome mean deviation (MD), pattern standard deviation (PSD) and mean sensitivity at superior, inferior, nasal and temporal sectors in total deviation probability plots. Thickness of RNFL at superior, inferior, nasal and temporal sector.total deviation probability plots of the early POAG with highly myopia than that of POAG without highly myopia,and the early visual field defects of glaucoma in pattern deviation probability plots of this group. MD of POAG with highly myopia was more than those of others (P＜0.05).The differences of MD, PSD and mean sensitivity between POAG with highly myopia and others were significant(P＜0.05).Mean sensitivities in each sector of POAG without highly myopia were similar to those of highly myopia(P＞0.05). The thickness of RNFL of POAG with highly myopia was thinner than that of others and the thickness of RNFL of normality was thicker than that of others. The relationship between mean sensitivity and the thickness of RNFL in each quadrant was significant(P＜0.05).judgment of the visual field changes in POAG with highly myopia. The relationship between RNFL thickness by OCT and visual field damage may provide clinically relevant information in diagnosis of POAG with highly myopia. Field; optical coherent tomography

AIM: To investigate the expression of EMMPRIN, MMP1, MMP9 and TIMP2 in retinoblastoma (RB) and normal retinal tissues and their clinicopathological significance and interrelationship.METHODS: Envision immunohistochemistry stainings of EMMPRIN, MMP1, MMP9 and TIMP2 were performed in 30 enucleated eyeballs with retinoblastoma and 15 specimens of normal retina tissue, which had been routinely imbedded with paraffin.RESULTS: Positive rate of EMMPRIN, MMP1, MMP9 expression was higher in RB tissue than in normal control (P<0.01), while TIMP2 expression was lower in RB than in normal retinal tissue (P<0.01). Samples from RB cases of clinical stage Ⅰ, differentiated type, and life span≥2 years had lower positive rate in expression of EMMPRIN, MMP1, MMP9 than those from RB cases of clinical stage Ⅲ, undifferentiated type, and life span<2 years (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while samples from RB cases of differentiated type, optic nerve unaffected, and life span≥2 years had markedly higher positive rate in expression of TIMP2 than those from RB cases of undifferentiated type, optic nerve involved and life span<2 years (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In RB tissues, EMMPRIN, MMP1, MMP9 expressions were highly consistent (P<0.05), whereas TIMP2 expression is highly inconsistent with EMMPRIN, MMP1, MMP9 expression levels (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The expression level of EMMPRIN, MMP1, MMP9 and TIMP2 may be an important marker of RB progression, invasion and prognosis. There exist internally mutual regulation relations among them.

Biomedical Research ; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats ; Humans

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) plus needling the distal acupoints along the pathway of meridians for shoulder periarthritis (SP). Methods: A total of 70 patients with SP were divided into an observation group and a control group using the random number table method, with 35 cases in each group. The patients in the observation group were treated by Tuina combined with needling distal acupoints along the pathway of meridians, while those in the control group only received the same Tuina treatment as in the observation group. The visual analog scale (VAS) and shoulder joint function were scored before and after treatment, and the efficacy after treatment was evaluated. Results: After three courses of treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group was 94.3％, while the total effective rate of the control group was 80.0％, showing a statistical difference (P<0.05). After treatment, the VAS scores of the two groups were significantly lower than the baseline scores (P<0.01), and the VAS score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.01). After treatment, the total scores of internal rotation, external rotation, back touching, ear touching and motion function in the two groups were significantly higher than those before treatment (P<0.01), and the above five scores in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: Tuina combined with needling the distal acupoints along the pathway of meridians is more effective than Tuina alone in treating SP. The combined therapy can relieve the pain and improve joint function more effectively.

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of sinew-bone balancing manipulation in treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and offer clinical evidence to support the concept of paying equal attention to sinew and bone. Methods: Sixty LDH patients were randomized into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with the sinew-bone balancing manipulation, and the control group received conventional Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) manipulation. The clinical efficacy and posterior muscle chain tone effect were compared between the two groups by observing the visual analog scale (VAS) score, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, and posture-associated indicators. Results: The total effective rate was 86.7％ in the observation group, higher than 76.7％ in the control group, but the between-group difference in efficacy was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). After treatment, the VAS and JOA scores, angle-dependent muscle tone indicator of the posterior muscle chain, and lumbar posture symmetry showed significant changes in both groups (P<0.05). The VAS and JOA scores, angle-dependent muscle tone indicator of the posterior muscle chain, and lumbar posture symmetry in the observation group were significantly different from those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05), but the between-group difference in the general posture symmetry was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Both the sinew-bone balancing and conventional Tuina manipulations can reduce pain in LDH patients, improve lumbar function, and adjust the angle-dependent muscle tone coefficient of the posterior muscle chain and lumbar posture symmetry; except for the general posture symmetry of the posterior muscle chain, the sinew-bone balancing manipulation wins out over the conventional Tuina manipulation.

OBJECTIVETo study the metabolic change in brain of rats with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and the intervention effect with Anshen Jielu Recipe (AJR) on it.

METHODSEight rats selected from 32 Wistar rats as normal group, the others were established as GAD model by using uncertainty empty water bottles method. Then the GAD rats were randomly divided into the model group (saline, by gastrogavage), the control group [buspirone hydrochloride, 2.0 mg/(kg x d), by gastrogavage], the treatment group [AJR, 12.5 g/(kg x d), by gastrogavage], 8 in each group, all were treated for 7 days. The concentration of cerebral metabolites, including N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), creatine (Cr) and glutamate (Glu), in bilateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were measured using high-field strong super-conductivity (7.0T) animal MRI; and the ratio of NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr and Glu/Cr were calculated. The effect of AJR intervention was evaluated by changes of MRI before and after rats being treated with AJR for 7 days.

RESULTSRats with GAD showed lowered ratios of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr, and elevated Glu/Cr ratio in the right prefrontal cortex than those in normal rats. After AJR intervention, the abnormal changes in the three indices were restored to certain extents.

CONCLUSIONSAJR has apparent antianxiety effect in rats with GAD, with the effect initiation faster than that in the control group. Its mechanism is probably correlated with the regulation of abnormal metabolism in the brain.

Animals ; Anxiety Disorders ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Brain ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Objective To investigate the effects of T. gondii soluble tachyzoite antigen (STAgs) on the survival time of mouse heart allograft and the possible mechanism. Methods The STAgs were prepared by pulverizing T. gondii tachyzoite with ultrasound on ice. Cervical heterotopic heart transplantations were done by using Balb/c mice as donors, and C57BL/6 mice as recipients.The recipients were classified randomly into three groups: syngeneic group, acute rejection group and STAgs-treated group. The recipients in acute rejection group and STAgs-treated group were injected subcutaneously with 0. 1 ml PBS and 0. 1 ml (5 μg) STAgs at the 4th day before transplantation respectively, and those in syngeneic group were not subjected to any treatment. The grafts were observed daily by cervical palpation, and the total cessation of cardiac contraction was defined as the endpoint. The heart allografts were harvested at the 7th day after transplantation for pathological examination and immunohistochemical staining for CD4+ T, CD8+ T. Results The recipients in syngeneic group were all alive at the 100th day after transplantation. The average survival time in acute rejection group and STAgs-treated group was (6.7± 0.5) days and (70.8± 3.5) days,respectively (P＜0.05). HE staining showed that the rejection on the 7th day after transplantation in syngeneic group, acute rejection group and STAgs-treated group was fallen into 0 degree, Ⅲ-Ⅳ degree and 0- Ⅰ degree, respectively. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the CD4+ T and CD8+T were markedly down-regulated in STAgs-treated group as compared with those in acute rejection group. Conclusion T. gondii STAgs can significantly prolong the survival time of mouse heart allograft and inhibit the rejection probably by changing the ratio of TH1/TH2, or inhibiting the effect of dendritic cells by inducing the lipoxin A4.