BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence identifies the immune system not as an isolated system with automodulations, but one that interacts with the central nervous system.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution of c-fos expression in the lung and brain tissues of asthmatic rats and explore is significance.DESIGN: Randomized controlled study.SETTING: Department of Oncology, Southern Hospital, and Department of Neurosurgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University.MATERIALS: The experiment was conducted Department of Oncology,Southern Hospital, and Department of Neurosurgery, Zhujiang Hospital,Southern Medical University, between January and August 2004. Fourteen healthy male rats were randomized into experimental group (n=10) and control group (n=4).METHODS: On the first day of experiment, the rats in experimental group received intraperitoneal injection of 2 mL of the suspension containing 10 mg albumen, 200 mg aluminum hydroxide powder and inactivated pertussis vaccine (5×109), and subjected to inhalation of ultrasonically atomized 10 g/L albumen from on the 15th day, 2 times per hour for totally 3 days, to induce asthma in the rats. The rats in the control group received intraperitoneal injection of 2 mL normal saline on the 1st day and inhalation of ultrasonically normal saline on the 15th day, 30 mL a day for totally 3 days. The lung and brain tissues of all the anesthetized rats were fixed by perfusion, and immunohistochemical method with ovin-biotin-peroxidase complex and imaging analysis system were used to observe the distribution of Fos protein in the lung and brain.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Distribution of c-Fos protein in lung and cerebrum.c-Fos in the lung and brain tissues was obviously higher in asthmatic group than in the control group (P ＜ 0.05), located mainly in the parietal-fontal cortex, limbic forebrain (cingulum cortex, pyriform cortex and central amygdaloid nucleus and so on), thalamus paraventricular nucleus, hypothalamus paraventricular nucleus, supraoptic nucleus, lateral region of the hypothalamus, hypothalamus periventricular nucleus, nucleus of solitary tract,area postrema and ventrolateral medulla. No obvious Fos expression was observed in the cerebellum. A large number of c-Fos-positive cells were observed in the wall of the airway and lungs in asthmatic rats, mainly distributing in the mucous membrane and submucous layer and around the smooth muscles; in the control rats, no positive cells or only occasional cells with weak c-Fos positivity were found in the wall of the airway and lungs.CONCLUSION: c-Fos expression increases obviously not only in the lungs of asthmatic rats, but also in medullar and its ascending projecting nuclei (hypothalamus, amygdala and so on), suggesting that the expression of protooncogene c-fos might be closely related with neuroimmunomodulation in asthma.

Objective:To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) in mice.Methods:Twenty four C57 MIRI mice were randomly(random number) divided into four groups: SO group, RI group, MSC+RI group, and MSC + RI+ PC61 group. The ratio of Treg were detected by flow cytometry. Serum levels of CK, TNI, BNP, IL-10 and TGF-β were measured by ELISA. The histological changes of myocardium were observed by HE staining. The number of cardiomyocyte apoptosis was measured by TUNEL staining, and the area ratio of myocardial infarction were determined by TTC staining. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data.Results:In the MSC + RI group, the ratio of Treg and the levels of IL-10 and TGF-β were the highest, while CK, TNI and BNP were the lowest ( P<0.01) .The number of myocardial apoptotic cells, infarct size and tissue fibrosis were the least ( P<0.01) . Conclusions:MSC can induce the production of Treg, increase the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β, and reduce the inflammatory injury after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion.

Objective: To observe the morphological changes of root canals in maxillary second premolars at various ages by using cone-beam CT (CBCT) in order to provide imaging and theoretical reference for clinical treatments. Methods: The digital CBCT data of the maxillary second premolars in 440 cases from the patients in Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University during March 2011 and December 2017 were collected. The CBCT images were divided into 4 groups according to the patients′ ages: groups ≤20, 21-40, 41-60 and>60 years old, respectively. Changes of morphologies of root canals with aging including such parameters as types of the root canal, incidence of double root canals in single rooted teeth, distance between both root canal orifices of double rooted canals, and morphological change of the cross section of roots. Chi-square test and liner trend test were adopted in statistical analysis in the present study. Results: Most maxillary second premolars had only one root [95.2% (419/440)]. Type Ⅰ of the root canals was the most common type [57.3% (252/440)], and the following prevalent groups were type Ⅱ[16.8% (74/440)], type Ⅳ [10.2% (45/440)] and type Ⅲ [8.9% (39/440)]. The distribution of type Ⅰ~Ⅳ of the root canals were significantly different amongst various aged groups (P<0.05). Along with aging, the percentages of type Ⅰ decreased while type Ⅱ increased. However, there were no remarkable changes of type Ⅲ and type Ⅳ observed. The incidence of double canal in single rooted teeth gradually increased with aging especially in 20-year-old and above groups, e.g. 13.1% (13/99) in group of ≤20 years old and 45.0% (86/191) in group of 21-40 years old. However, there was no significant increase observed after the age of 40. The distance between two root canal orifices of double rooted canals became shorter with aging except in groups of 40-year-old and above. The morphologies of the cross sections of root canals in most groups were flat shaped [57.8% (1 121/1 938)] and oval shape [31.3% (607/1 938)]. Along with aging, the percentage of circular shape gradually increased while flat and oval shapes decreased. Conclusions The morphology of root canal could be clearly showed by the CBCT images. Most maxillary second premolars had only one root and one apical foramen. Along with aging, the morphology of the root canals became more and more complicated.

Objective To observe the effect of calcified lymph nodes on video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with lung cancer. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the COPD patients with lung cancer who underwent VATS lobectomy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from May 2014 to May 2018.The patients were assigned into a calcified lymph node group and a control group according to the presence or absence of calcified lymph nodes in CT,and the size,morphology,and calcification degree of the lymph nodes were recorded.The operation duration,intraoperative blood loss,chest tube retention time,hospitalization days,and overall complication rate were compared between the two groups. Results The 30 patients in the calcified lymph node group included 17 patients with one calcified lymph node and 13 patients with two or more calcified lymph nodes,and a total of 65 calcified lymph nodes were recorded.The calcified lymph nodes with the size ≤5 mm were the most common (53.8%),and complete calcification was the most common form (55.4%) in lymph node calcification.The mean operation duration had no significant difference between the calcified lymph node group and the control group (t=-1.357,P=0.180).The intraoperative blood loss (t=-2.646,P=0.010),chest tube retention time (t=-2.302,P=0.025),and hospitalization days (t=-2.274,P=0.027) in the calcified lymph node group were higher than those in the control group. Conclusion Calcified lymph nodes increase the difficulty and risk of VATS lobectomy in the COPD patients with lung cancer.The findings of this study are conducive to predicting the perioperative process of VATS lobectomy.
Humans ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Retrospective Studies ; Lung Neoplasms/surgery* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Calcinosis ; Lymph Nodes

Objective: To investigate a SARS-CoV-2 epidemic reported in Rongcheng City, Weihai, Shandong Province. Methods: The SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid positive patients and their close contacts were investigated, and the whole genome sequencing and genetic evolution analysis of 9 variant viruses were carried out. An infection source investigation and analysis were carried out from two sources of home and abroad, and three aspects of human, material and environment. Results: A total of 15 asymptomatic infections were reported in this epidemic, including 13 cases as employees of workshop of aquatic products processing company, with an infection rate of 21.67% (13/60). Two cases were infected people's neighbors in the same village (conjugal relation). The first six positive persons were processing workers engaged in the first process of removing squid viscera in the workshop of the company. The nucleic acid Ct value of the first time were concentrated between 15 and 29, suggesting that the virus load was high, which was suspected to be caused by one-time homologous exposure. The whole genome sequence of 9 SARS-CoV-2 strains was highly homologous, belonging to VOC/Gamma (Lineage P.1.15). No highly homologous sequences were found from previous native and imported cases in China. It was highly homologous with the six virus sequences sampled from May 5 to 26, 2021 uploaded by Chile. The infection source investigation showed that the company had used the squid raw materials captured in the ocean near Chile and Argentina from May to June 2021 over the last 14 days. Many samples of raw materials, products and their outer packages in the inventory were tested positive for nucleic acid. Conclusion: This epidemic is the first local epidemic caused by the VOC/Gamma of SARS-CoV-2 in China. It is speculated that the VOC/Gamma, which was prevalent in South America from May to June 2021, could be imported into China through frozen squid.
Humans ; SARS-CoV-2 ; COVID-19 ; Epidemics ; China/epidemiology*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the plasma level of amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and related influencing factors in a community-based healthy population in Beijing area.

METHODSWe measured plasma NT-proBNP level by fluoroimmunoassay between March 2012 and July 2012 from 1 034 healthy subjects (including 486 men and 548 women). Empiric method was used to determine the reference value and influencing factors were analyzed.

RESULTSAge and gender are important factors affecting the level of NT-proBNP in healthy subjects. NT-proBNP plasma level is significantly higher in women than in men within each age strata below 75 years old, i.e. < 45, 45-54, 55-64 and 65-74 years old (P = 0.005, 0.001, 0.001, 0.011 respectively), but NT-proBNP plasma level is similar between male and female older than 75 years (P = 0.504). NT-proBNP level also increases with age irrespective of gender. Body mass index (BMI) is another independent influencing factor of NT-proBNP (P < 0.001), while estimated glomerular filtration rate is not influencing factor. The reference range of NT-proBNP is < 133 ng/L for men and < 289 ng/L for women aged < 55 years old, < 185 ng/L for men and < 333 ng/L for women aged between 55 and 64 years old, and < 465 ng/L for men and < 378 ng/L for women aged ≥ 75 years old.

CONCLUSIONThe major influencing factors of NT-proBNP level in the healthy population are age, gender and BMI. It essential to establish normal reference range of NT-proBNP according to these factors for Chinese population.

Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Peptide Fragments ; Reference Values