Human umbilical cord stromal cells derived from Wharton's jelly bear the potential of stem cells. They share the common surface markers with mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow. They have a relatively higher proliferation rate and self-renewal capacity and can be successfully differentiated into mature neurons, cardiomyocytes, endothelial, adipocytes, chondrocytes and skeletal cells. Researches have shown their promising foregrounds in regenerative therapeutic applications. This article will give a review about the separation and cultivation methods, in vitro differentiation, and in vitro and in vivo transplantation experiments of the aforementioned stromal cells.

Neural mass models are able to produce epileptic electroencephalogram (EEG) signals in different stages of seizures. The models play important roles in studying the mechanism analysis and control of epileptic seizures. In this study, the closed-loop feedback control was used to suppress the epileptic-form spikes in the neural mass models. It was expected to provide certain theory basis for the choice of stimulus position and parameter in the clinical treatment. With the influence of measurement noise taken into account, an unscented Kalman filter (UKF) was added to the feedback loop to estimate the system state and an UKF controller was constructed via the estimated state. The control action was imposed on the hyper-excitable population and all populations respectively in simulations. It was shown that both UKF control schemes suppressed the epileptic-form spikes in the model. However, the control energy needed in the latter scheme was less than that needed in the former one.
Computer Simulation ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; physiopathology ; Feedback ; Humans ; Models, Neurological

Objective To investigate the effects of direct current electric fields on the orientation responses of vascular endothelial cells and the influence of the cytoskeleton filament actin on the orientation responses of cells in direct current electric fields. Methods Cultured vascular endothelial cells, with or without treatment with the actin inhibitors cytochalasin B or Y27632, were exposed to a direct current electric field of 200 mV/mm, and cell images were taken at 0, 4 and 8 hours during the exposure. Cells not exposed to the electric field were used as a control.Cell orientation was quantified using an image analyzer. Immunofluorescence staining of the cells for F-actin was observed through confocal microscopy. Results Cells in the control cultures oriented randomly with no predominant polarity. Cells exposed to the direct current electric field showed significant re-orientation to align their long axes perpondicular to the field vector. Neither cytochalasin B nor Y27632 reduced the re-orientation induced by the field, and earlier orientation response was observed in Y27632-treated cells. F-actin staining showed that the orientation of F-actin stress fibres was at random in control cells and perpendicular to the field vector in the field-exposed cells without any drug treatment. Although the formation of stress fibres was inhibited in the cytochalasin B-or Y27632-treated cells, the cells in the direct current electric fields kept their re-orientation responses, similar to the cells without any drug treatment. Conclusions A direct current electric field can induce vascular endothelial cells to re-orient, but the re-orientation response is independent of actin polymerization and actin stress fiber formation.

Objective To study Tephroseris Kirilowii Turez.Houlub extract on cell cycle and apoptosis marker AnnexinV/PI of U266 in vitro..Methods U266 cells were cultured together with Tephroseris Kirilowii Turez.Houlub extract.Cell cycle and apoptosis marker AnnexinV/PI were detected by flow cytometry(FCM).Results After exposure of U266 cells to Tephroseris Kirilowii Turez.Houlub extract.the cell cycle distribution was changed.There Was a decrease of cells in the G0/G1 phase with an increase of cells in the S phase and G2/M phase and apoptosis.FCM with staining of Annexix V FITC/PI showed a dependence of apoptotic cells with the dosage of Tephroseris Kirilowii Turez.Houlub extract.Conclusion Tephroseris Kirilowii Turez extract has strong cell apoptosis effect on U266 cells.

AimThe aim of this study was to establish a rodent model with similar characters of human metabolic syndrome(MS).Methods Three species mice and Wistar rats were fed with high energy chows(HEC)for 6 to 23 weeks.Animals were weighted every week.Fasting blood glucose(FBG)together with total cholesterol(TC)and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C)were investigated by oxidase test every two week.And fasting blood insulin(FINS)was determined by radioimmunoassay.Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)was calculated as FBG×FINS/22.5.At the end of the experiment,oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT)was performed.Then animals were decapitated,and coel-fat and orchio-fat were collected and weighted to calculate the visceral fat coefficient(VFC).Results FBG,serum TC and LDL-C significantly increased(P<0.01)after 6 weeks feed of HEC in KM mice.The mice also formed abdominal obesity and insulin resistant together with impairment of glucose tolerance(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Though similar to the KM mice,C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice couldn't form abdominal obesity while the latter had increased body weight(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Wistar rats formed hyperlipidemia from 1 to 10 week and hyperglycemia from 10 to 23 week together with insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusion KM mice feed with HEC for 6 weeks could successfully establish metabolic syndrome mice model which might be suitable for drug-screening,the major characters includes the formation of abdominal obesity(increase of VFC),the increase of serum TC,LDL-C,FBG and HOMA-IR,and the decrease of OGTT.

Objective To investigate the features and influence factors of cardiac function in preterm infants.Methods One hundred and eleven preterm infants were divided into three groups according to the gestational age which was 28-31+6,32-33+6 and 34-36+6 weeks respectively.Fifty term-birth infants at gestational age of 37-41+6 weeks were taken as control group.The cardiac function was examined by SonoSite 180 PLUS color Doppler ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.The parameters of cardiac function included heart rate,peak flow rate of aorta valve orifice (AV),peak flow rate of pulmonary artery valve orifice (PV),cardiac output (CO),stroke volume (SV),left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV),left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV),the ratio of early (E) and late (A) diastolic velocities of mitral and tricuspid valves (MVE/A,TVE/A).Within one week after delivery,the cardiac function was examined,and the cardiac function of preterm infants with different gestational age were compared.Another 162 preterm infants were divided into four groups according to the time at examination as 12 h-,24 h-,72 h-and 1 week-28 d.The influence factors of cardiac function were determined by multi-factor linear regression analysis.Results The AV,PV,CO,LVEDV,LVESV and SV increased with the increasing of gestational age.MVE/A (1.13±0.17,1.14±0.18,1.13±0.18) and TVE/A (0.90±0.16,0.90±0.13,0.90±0.15) of 28-31+6,32-33+6 and 34-36+6 weeks group were higher than those of control group (1.28±0.17 and 1.04±0.20),respectively (P＜0.05).PV of 72 h-group and 1 week-28 d group were higher than that of 12 h-group [(79.60±11.22) cm/s and (78.86±13.64) cm/s vs (72.61±8.56) cm/s](P＜0.05).The heart rate of 1 week-28 d group was higher than that of other three groups (P＜0.05).Both CO and SV were positively related to body weight and gestational age (r=0.55 and 0.36,0.61and 0.52,respectively,P＜0.05).Conclusions The left ventricular pump function increases with the increasing of gestational age,while the diastolic function of left and right ventricle of preterm infants does not change significantly in the first month of life.The PV of preterm infants significantly increases 72 h after delivery.The body weight and gestational age are important influence factors of cardiac function in preterm infants.

Objective To investigate the dynamic change and correlation of the pulmonary ventilative function, mechanic and cardiac function in the term infants. Methods Twenty hundred term infants were divided into A 、B 、C and D groups by age which was 0 ～ 24 h, ～ 72 h, ～ 1 w and 28 d respectively. The lung ventilative and mechanical function were measured respectively by using techniques of tidal breathing flow-volume loop(TBFVL)and the single occlusion. The Master screen Paed-lung function devices of Germanic JAEGER Co. was be used in this study. The parameter of pulmonary function including minute volume(MV) ,tidal volume (TV), respiratory system compliance(Crs) and respiratory system resistance (Rrs). The cardiac function were measured by using SonoSite 180 PLUS color Doppler ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The main parameter of cardiac function including cardiac output(CO) and stroke volume(SV). Results The TV of A, B ,C and D group were 20. 2 ± 3.78,21. 1 ± 3.71,22. 3 ± 4. 48 and 23. 9 ±4.90 (ml)respectively, the TV of C and D group were higher than that of A group, and the TV of D group was higher than that of B group (P ＜ 0. 05).There were no significantly difference of Crs, Rrs among A, B, C and D group(P ＞ 0. 05). The CO of A,B,C and D group were 0.93 ±0. 23,0.93 ±0.23,1.02 ±0.21 and 1.08 ±0.27 (L/min) ,the CO of D group was higher than that of A and B groups (P ＜ 0. 05). The CO was negative correlation with Rrs (r = - 0. 16,P ＜ 0. 05) and positive correlation with MV、 TV、 Crs (r was 0. 50、 0. 54、0. 13 respectively, P ＜ 0. 05).Conclusion The lung ventilative function is mature gradually with increasing age. The cardiac output has been obviously improved for postnatal 1 week in the term infants. The pulmonary ventilative function and mechanic parameter are important effective factors of cardiac function.

This paper reported that a new type of floating osmotic pump of ambroxol hydrochloride was designed. Third method apparatus (Chinese Pharmacopeia 2010, appendix XD) was employed to simultaneously evaluate the release and floating behavior in vitro. The system was optimized using central composite design-response surface methodology. Similar factor (f2) between the release profile of self-made formulation and the target release profile was chosen as dependent factor. The amount of glucose (A, mg), pore former (B, %) and weight of coating (C, %) were employed as independent factors. Optimized formulation was: A (100.99 mg), B (1.70%), C (4.21%). The value of f2 (89.14) was higher than that of market capsules (69.02) and self-made tablets (72.15). It was showed that self-made capsules possessed character of zero-order release (r = 0.994 4) and drug release completely (>90%). It was showed in result of in vivo study that tmax and Cmax of self-made capsules were significantly lower than that of market capsules and self-made tablets. The correlation coefficient between the fraction of absorption in vivo and the release rate in vitro was 0.985 1, and relative bioequivalence of self-made capsules was 110.77%. Accordingly, self-made capsules displayed obviously characteristics of controlled release both in vivo and in vitro.

Oocyte-like cells (OLC) can be generated by stem cells after the induction and differentiation in vitro, and maturated when transplanted in vivo to improve the development potential. Human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSC) were cultured for 10 days in porcine follicle fluid (pFF) that was extracted from the medium follicle with high levels of hormones and Bmp 15 protein. After the induction, the cell aggregates showed the germ cell-like cells and produced the germ cell marker oct4, and triggered epigenetic changes with high expression of methylation transferase gene dnmt3b. The cell aggregates were packaged into porcine theca folliculi to form grafts, which were then transplanted into mouse renal capsule. After one month of transplantation, the morphology of OLC from a graft was not only similar to oocytes, but also expressed the germ cells markers (oct4, nanog, stella, ifitm3, dazl, nanos3, bmp15, and gd9). The results demonstrate that the in vivo differentiation model was useful for OLC development.
Amniotic Fluid ; cytology ; Animals ; Biomarkers ; Cell Differentiation ; Female ; Humans ; Mice ; Oocytes ; cytology ; Ovarian Follicle ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; Swine

The aim of this study is to identify the express specificity of bone morphogenetic protein 15 (Bmp15) in porcine. The pBMP15-EGFP reporter vector was constructed from the 2.2 kb fragment of porcine bmp15 promoter to trace the differentiation process of stem cells into oocyte-like cells. We used porcine ovary and Chinese Hamster Ovary cell line (CHO), mouse myoblast cell line (C2C12) and porcine amniotic fluid stem cell (pAFSC) to investigate the expression and regulation of this gene via RT-PCR, immunofluorescence, cell transfection, and microinjection methods. We also used single layer cell differentiation to detect the application potential of bmp15. The results show that bmp15 gene was specifically expressed in the porcine ovary and CHO rather than in C2C12 and pAFSC. In addition, the characteristic of tissue-specific of Bmp15 was detected on CHO instead of other cell lines by transient transfection. We also detected the expression of Bmp15 in oocyte at different development stages by immunofluorescence of fixed paraffin-embedded ovary sections. Furthermore, microinjection results show that bmp15 expressed in oocytes at 18 h of maturation in vitro, and continued up to 4-cell stage embryos. Most importantly, we found that the expression of Bmp15 started at day 12 after inducing pAFSC into oocyte-like cells by transfection; green fluorescent was visible in round cell masses. It indicated that bmp15 has the expression specificity and the pBMP15-EGFP reporter vector can be used to trace Bmp15 action in the differentiation of stem cells into germ cells.
Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15 ; genetics ; CHO Cells ; Cell Differentiation ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Female ; Genes, Reporter ; Genetic Vectors ; Mice ; Microinjections ; Myoblasts ; cytology ; Oocytes ; metabolism ; Ovary ; metabolism ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; Swine