Objective To obtain the antigen and antibody of JC virus(JCV)VP2.Methods The JCV VP2 gene were amplified from a cerebrospinal fluid sample by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)and confirmed by sequencing.Then,the gene was cloned into plasmid pET32a(+)to construct recombinant prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a(+)-VP2.The recombinant plasmid was transformed into the competent E.coli BL21.Induced with isopropyl-β-D-1-1 thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG),E.coli BL21 were subsequently crushed by ultrasound.The gene expression in the supernatant was analyzed by Western blot.Thereafter,the expressed protein was purified by isoeleetric point method.The polyclonal antibody against JCV VP2 protein was obtained from the BALB/c mouse immunized with the purified protein.Results The VP2 fusion protein was expressed in the E.coli BL21.The recombinant fusion protein was expressed by IPTG induetion with relative molecular mass of 58.5×10~3.Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDSPAGE)analysis showed that the expression level was highter after 6-10 h of IPTG induction.The recombinant protein had good antigenicity which was confirmed by BALB/c mice immunized with the protein.Conclusions The successful expression and purification of VP2 fusion protein and the antibody will be valuable for the study on the biological function of VP2 and JCV epidemiologieal investigation.

In the areas of prevention and life skills counseling for breast cancer, risk assessment and prediction can assist clinicians to decide if chemoprevention or prophylactic surgery is needed or suggestions on improving the quality of life for their clients. Several mathematical models, namely Gail Model, Claus Model, BRCAPRO Model and Cuzick-Tyrer Model etc. have been developed to make predictions, clinically. This paper has reviewed the development, operation, advantage versus disadvantage and areas of application for the four models. Having family history of breast cancer, one subject was calculated on the risks by the four models and different results were found. Up to 45 years old, the accumulative risks from the four models and population risk were 1.9%, 11.8%, 2.5%, 5.0% and i.6%, respectively. To 75 years old, they were 20.2%,32.5%, 13.1%, 25.0% and 8.5%, respectively. The subject had a relatively high breast cancer risk during her lifetime. A new model is supposed to include a variety of important risk factors and to be validated by large scale of case-control samples. Incidence of breast cancer in China had significantly increased during the last ten years, but the research on developing assessment methods of breast cancer risk had never been reported, suggesting that the development of models for Chinese population is necessary.

Objective To investigate the curative effect of acute severe brain injury complicated ARDS, Methods 31 patients who had acute severe brain injury complicated ARDS were divided into two groups:A group was early discovery of ARDS and given treatment.B group was late discovery of ARDS and treated late.Then the curative effects were compared.Results A group was significantly higher than B group in blood gas analysis(P

Objective To investigate the optimal scanning parameters for diffusion tensor imaging of the cervical cord.Methods MRI and diffusion tensor imaging of the cervical cord was performed in 80 healthy adult volunteers.Different parameters including b values,the number of the diffusion sensitive gradient directions,the number of excitations,and slice thickness were applied and their effects on the quality of the images were compared.DTI was performed on the cervical spinal cord with different b-values (400,700,and 1000 s/mm~2)in group 1,with different numbers of diffusion gradient directions(6,13, and 25)in group 2,with different numbers of excitations(2,4,and 8)in group 3,and with different slice thicknesses(2,3,and 4 mm)in group 4.Two radiology experts gave a score to every image with double blind methods,then compared the image quality.Results In the comparison of the four different parameters,DTIs using a b value of 700 s/mm~2(2.25?0.58)showed better image quality than those with the b values of 400 s/mm~2(1.86?0.53)and 1000 s/mm~2(1.48?0.35)(P

BackgroundHuman retinal gliocytes play an important role in proliferative diseases,which are the basis of in vitro studies.Researchers have cultured human retinal gliocytes in the past.In our study,we found that the cells we cultured presented a unique shape different from those by other researchers.ObjectiveThis study was to design to produce a new culture and purification method for retinal gliocyte in vitro.Methods Retinal tissue was isolated from human eyeballs and digested using the two-step digestion method (2％ pancreatin and 0.133％collagenase Ⅵ) to harvest the retinal glio cytes.The cells were collected and cultured in endothelial cell-targeted nutrient culture containing 10％ fetal calf serum and supplemented with β-endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF) and sodium heparin,and the culture dishes were coated with fibronectin(FN) to promote the attachment of retinal gliocyte.During the culturing process,the gliocytes were identified by the observation of morphological characteristic and regular histological examination.The identification of the cells also was performed by immunochemistry targeting glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP),Vimentin,neuron specific enolase ( NSE ),S-100,CD34,and Ⅷ factor.Results Retinal gliocytes were isolated successfully from the human retina by the two-step digestion method.Primary cultured cells attached after 72 hours and achieved confluency between day 9 and 10 that were aligned petaliform in shape.Regular histological examination after H&E staining showed blue cell nuclei and light red cytoplasm.The target cells presented with strong responses for GFAP and Vimentin and no response for NSE,S-100,CD34 and Ⅷ factor.ConclusionsLarge amount of purified human retinal gliocytes can be obtained by two-step digestion and cultured in endothelial cells-targeted culture medium supplemented with β-ECGF and sodium heparin in plates coated with FN.The cultured cells expressed markers for retinal gliocytes.However,specific features of these cells remain to be further elucidated.

OBJECTIVETo screen differentially expressed genes in cytochalasin B (CB)-induced denucleated K562 cells by restriction display (RD) technique.

METHODSThe total RNA was isolated and purified from K562 cells before and after CB (10 mug/ml) treatment. The mRNA from both treated and untreated K562 cells were reversely transcribed into cDNA, and the differentially expressed genes were separated using RD technique combined with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and sliver staining, followed by cloning, sequencing and homology analysis against GenBank database of these genes.

RESULTSSeven differentially expressed genes were identified in CB-treated cells including aquaporin 1 (AQP1) gene, which was verified to be up-regulated after CB treatment by RT-PCR.

CONCLUSIONAQP1 gene might be in close association with the regulation of denucleation processes and CB-induced proliferation inhibition of K562 cells.

Aquaporin 1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Cytochalasin B ; pharmacology ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Gene Expression Profiling ; methods ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUNDRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune inflammatory disorder. Many methods have been used to observe the progress of RA. The purpose of this study was to observe the progress of RA in rats with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and arthritis score, and analyze the relationships among different methods in evaluation of RA.

METHODSSixteen healthy Sprague Dawley (SD) rats about 8-week old were randomly assigned to a RA group and a control group. Bovine type II emulsified incomplete Freud's adjuvant was used to induce arthritis in the RA group. Arthritis score of the rats in two groups were recorded, and (18)F-FDG PET/CT, MR imaging were performed both on the corresponding rats every 3 days. All the rats were sacrificed at week 5, and histopathological examination was performed on rat knees stained with haematoxylin and eosin.

RESULTSThe arthritis score and the standard uptake value (SUV) of knee joints in RA rats increased with the progression of arthritis gradually. Both peaks of arthritis score and SUV appeared at 21 days after the first immune injection, then the arthritis score and SUV of knee joints decreased slowly. The arthritis scores of knee joints in RA rats were positively correlated with their SUV changes. The MR images were confirmed by the histopathological studies.

CONCLUSIONPET/CT can detect the earliest molecular metabolism changes of RA, and MR imaging can follow up the dynamical anatomical changes of RA, all of which indicated that PET/CT and MR imaging may be applied as useful tools to monitor the progress of RA.

Animals ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility and safety of nickel-titanium compression anastomosis ring (CAR27) in colorectal anastomosis after low anterior rectal resection in animal models.

METHODSEnd-to-end colorectal anastomosis was performed using CAR27 in 6 experimental pigs after resection of the middle and lower third of the rectum. The animals were observed postoperatively for up to 56 days. Five pigs were sacrificed at day 14 and the other at day 56. Distance from anal verge to anastomosis and anastomotic circumference were measured. Histopathologic examination was performed.

RESULTSThe median distance from anal verge was 5.3(4-6) cm. No anastomotic leak or other complications were observed. All the pigs recovered and gained weight. In 5 animals sacrificed at day 14, the mean circumference of the anastomosis was 6.8(6.5-7.0) cm, and histopathological examination showed mild inflammatory reaction and fibrosis. In the one sacrificed at day 56, the circumference expanded to 9.3 cm, and no inflammation and fibrosis were observed. Minor adhesion was noticed in only one pig, while smooth and intact serosa in the anastomosis was seen in the rest of the animals.

CONCLUSIONCAR27 is a promising device for mid and low colorectal anastomosis.

Anastomosis, Surgical ; instrumentation ; Animals ; Female ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Nickel ; Rectal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Rectum ; surgery ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature ; Titanium

BACKGROUNDThrombin is a multifunctional serine protease that plays a crucial role in hemostasis following tissue injury. In addition to its procoagulation effect, thrombin is also a potent mesenchymal cell mitogen, therefore it plays important roles in the local proliferation of mesenchymal cells in the tissue repair process. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can induce some human cells to proliferate at lower rates while at higher concentrations they promote cells to undergo apoptosis or necrosis. Accumulative evidence suggests that thrombin can induce some cells to produce ROS. Based on these observations, we provide a hypothesis that thrombin can stimulate human lung fibroblasts to produce ROS, which play an important role in human lung fibroblast proliferation.

METHODSROS were detected in fibroblasts at 30 minutes and 60 minutes following thrombin (20 U/ml) exposure using flow cytometry. The ratio of reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) was assayed in lung fibroblasts using a commercial kit following treatment with thrombin at different concentrations. NADPH oxidase and the extracellular regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway were detected by Western blotting after thrombin stimulation to lung fibroblasts.

RESULTSThrombin, at 20 U/ml, stimulated human lung fibroblasts (HLF) to generate ROS in a time dependent manner. The ratio of GSH/GSSG in fibroblasts treated with thrombin showed a significant decrease. NADPH oxidase was activated and the ERK1/2 signal pathway was involved in the proliferation process of fibroblasts treated with thrombin.

CONCLUSIONThe activation of NADPH oxidase by thrombin leads to the production of ROS, which promotes fibroblasts proliferation via activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; analysis ; physiology ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; physiology ; Flow Cytometry ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lung ; cytology ; NADPH Oxidases ; analysis ; physiology ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; physiology ; Thrombin ; pharmacology

Child ; Female ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Lupus Nephritis