Objective The present study was initiated to determine the expression profiles of the Fox genes in normal Balb/c mouse liver and their dynamic expression changes during fibrogenesis induced by experimental bile duct ligation(BDL).Methods RT-PCR was employed to detect 18 Fox family members including Foxo1,Foxo3,Foxm1,and Foxl1 in normal mouse liver.After mice were bile-duct-ligated,real time fluorescence quantitative PCR(FQ-PCR)was performed to ananlyze the dynamic mRNA expression changes of 9 inflammation-or proliferation-related Fox family genes.Results All the 18 Fox genes were found to be exDressed in the normal mouse liver and bile duct ligation profoundly influenced the expression of Fox transcriptional factor family genes.The expression of Foxol was significantly reduced by BDL,while FoxoL1 and Foxom1 expression were enhanced in this roodel.Moreover,the expression of Foxo1 and Foxo3 were the highest among the Fox members.Conclusion The Fox family genes-related to inflammation and proliferation were dynamically changed during BDL-induced liver injury,it indicates these genes were involved in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis.

Objective To investigate the effects of atorvastatin combined with aspirin on carotid atherosclerotic plaque and blood biochemical parameters in patients with minor stroke.Methods 120 patients with acute minor stroke were randomly divided into A group,B group and C group,40 cases in each group in 40 cases.On the basis of conventional treatment,A B,C groups,were given 10,20,40mg atorvastatin + 100mg aspirin,continuous medication for 6 months.Before and after treatment,the lipid metabolism and oxidation indexesindices,blood rheological parameters,carotid IMT and plaque area were compared among the three groups.Results After treatment,TC,TG,LDL,HOMA-IR,IMT and plaque area were significantly decreased in all groups (t =12.687,3.653,10.590,3.675,all P ＜0.05),and TC,TG,LDL,HOMA-IR,IMT and plaque area of C group were significantly lower than those of A group and B group,the differences were statistically significant(F =63.315,5.987,4.876,4.354,3.657,3.887,all P ＜0.05).After treatment,fibrinogen,plasma viscosity,erythrocyte rigidity index and hs-CRP were significantly decreased(t =3.437,4.325,3.876,3.487,all P ＜ 0.05).And the hs-CRP of C group were was significantly lower than those that of A group and B group,the difference was statisticallysignificant(F =4.532,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Atorvastatin combined with aspirin can significantly improve the carotid atherosclerotic plaque and blood biochemical parametersindexes in patients with minor stroke,and high dose atorvastatin has better effect in on patients with'carotid plaque,lipid metabolism and inflammatory reaction better effect.

Objective To investigate the treatment effect of atorvastatin in patients with soft carotid atherosclerotic plaques using contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS).Methods Sixty patients with acute cerebral infarction and soft carotid atherosclerotic plaques were divided into two groups:high-dose atorvastatin treatment group(40 mg daily)and control group without atorvastatin treatment.The same soft carotid plaque in each patient was examined before and after 3-months'treatment respectively using CEUS.The parameters of CEUS were compared between pretherapy and post-treatment,including arrived time (AT),time to peak(TTP),peak intensity(PI),based intensity(BI)and enhanced intensity(EI,EI=PI-BI).Results EI of carotid plaques in treatment group was decreased significantly than that in control group after three months'treatment(P＜0.05).While the difference of EI in control group has no significance between pre-therapy and post-treatment(P＞0.05). Conclusions The neovascularization in soft carotid plaques was reduced after 3-months'treatment of a high dose atorvastatin.CEUS can be used to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin in treatment of soft carotid plaques.

Objective To verify the efficiency and stability of hydrogen-rich water preparation with hydrogen-rich rods. Methods ①Seven firenew hydrogen-rich rods were separately placed in seven plastic bottles, each filled with distilled water and soaked for 6 h, before the hydrogen concentration of the water was measured.This process was repeated 10 times.②After the hydrogen-rich rods with the strongest and weakest hydrogen product capacity were removed, the remaining 5 hydrogen-rich rods were placed separately into 5 plastic bottles filled with distilled water,put in a water bath pot at 20,40 and 60℃, respectively, and kept for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 h, respectively.Then, the hydrogen concentration, oxidation-reduction potential(ORP),and dissolved oxygen concentration(DO) were measured at various time points.③In order to determine the hydrogen emission rate from the hydrogen-rich water, the hydrogen-rich rods were constantly kept in some samples and the others were removed.All the sample bottle caps were kept open during the experimental process, and the hydrogen concentration was measured at such time points as 0, 10 and 30 min, 1, 2, 5, 12, 24, 30, 48 and 72 h, respectively.Results ①The hydrogen-rich rods used in this study could well meet the requirements.②When the environment temperature was kept constant, the hydrogen concentration of the water was increased with the soaking time of the hydrogen-rich rods, and the ORP of the water was reduced.However, the DO of the water was decreased with the rise of the environment temperature.③When the hydrogen-rich water was kept in opened plastic bottles with a 25 mm oral diameter, the hydrogen concentration of the samples with the hydrogen-rich rods reserved was almost about 0.50 ppm until 72 h, and that of the others was reduced to almost 0 ppm.Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the hydrogen-rich rods test is a simple and effective method for preparing hydrogen-rich water, which will be an valuable and useful method for using hydrogen-rich water in health promotion and prevention of chronic diseases.

Healthy granulation tissue played an important role in the wound healing process. However, some factors which interfered the process would result in unhealthy granulation tissue. Unhealthy granulation tissue may affect wound repairing. This article would focus on the concept, mechanisms, interventions of unhealthy granulation tissue.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the proliferation effect of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on prostate in aged rats at the environmental exposure dose and the possible mechanism.METHODS Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats,aged 1.5 years,were randomly divided into 4 groups (8 rats per group) and treated with DEHP (30,90 and 270 μg· kg-1,ig) and vehicle once daily respectively for 4 weeks.All the animals were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium and sacrificed on the day subsequent to the last treatment.① Abdominal aortic blood samples were collected,and serum estradiol (E2),testosterone (T) and prolactin (PRL) levels were assayed by ELISA.② The prostate tissues were dissected and categorized into different lobes,weighed and measured.The prostate relative mass was calculated.③ The morphological changes were detected by HE staining and prostate epithelial height was analyzed with microscopic image analysis software.RESULTS Compared with vehicle control group,the prostate relative mass,dorsolateral prostate mass,and dorsolateral prostate index in DEHP 270 μg· kg-1 group were significantly higher (P＜0.05).The height of the ventral prostate epithelium in DEHP 30,90 and 270 μg· kg-1 groups was increased significantly (P＜0.01),so was the height of dorsal prostate epithelium in DEHP 270 μg· kg-1 group (P＜0.01).There were no significant changes in levels of E2,PRL or T in DEHP 30,90 and 270 μg· kg-1 groups,but the ratios of E2/T in DEHP 30 and 270 μμg· kg-1 groups were increased significantly (P＜0.05).CONCLUSION Low-dose DEHP could promote the proliferation of prostatic hyperplasia in the aged rats,which might be associated with the relative levels of endogenous hormone.

Objective To assess the value of arterial spin labeling(ASL) MRI in the staging of early renal allograft function. Methods Sixty two renal allograft recipients (2 to 4 weeks after kidney transplantation) and 20 age match volunteers were included in this study. All subjects underwent conventional MRI and ASL MRI which was performed in the oblique-sagittal plane. Recipients were divided into two groups according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), recipients with good allograft function (eGFR≥60 ml · min-1 · 1.73 m-2,n=37) and recipients with impaired allograft function (eGFR<60 ml · min - 1 · 1.73 m - 2,n=25). Renal blood flow (RBF) was measured and an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to confirm the reproducibility of the measured results from two doctors. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni were used to compare the different cortical RBF among three groups. Correlation of RBF with eGFR was evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to assess the diagnostic efficacy of using cortical RBF to discriminate allografts with impaired function from good function. Results RBF values showed good reproducibility between doctors with an ICC larger than 0.90 in different group. Mean cortical RBF were (390 ± 61),(290 ± 69),(201 ± 86) ml · 100 g-1 · min-1 for healthy controls, recipients with good and impaired allograft function, respectively(F=37.313,P<0.01). RBF exhibited a significant correlation with renal function as determined by eGFR for recipients (r=0.60,P<0.01). Mean cortical RBF showed a high area under the ROC curve (0.773) to discriminate renal allografts with different function, with a sensitivity of 56.0% (14/25) and a specificity of 89.2% (33/37). Conclusion ASL MRI can assess the early renal allografts perfusion, and provide valuable information in the staging of renal function. It could be a useful method for evaluating renal function noninvasively.

Purpose To investigate the value of arterial spin labeling (ASL) in evaluating renal function in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.Materials and Methods Fifteen patients with RCC undergoing laparoscopic partial nephrectomy were studied prospectively.The patients were performed ASL scan one week before and three months after operation.The correlation between renal blood flow (RBF) value measured by ASL and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measured by radionuclide method in the renal cortex of healthy side was analyzed.The RBF values in the kidney of affected side or healthy side were measured,the difference of which between before operation and three months after operation was compared.Results The RBF value and GFR data in the renal cortex of healthy side had positive correlation (r=0.638,P＜0.05).In the affected side of kidney,the RBF value of remaining renal tissue [(291.5 ± 37.3) ml/(100g·min)] compared with that of preoperative renal tissue [(237.8 ± 46.2) ml/(100g·min)]increased about 53.7 ml/(100g · min) (P＜0.05).In the healthy side of kidney,the RBF value of renal tissue [(241.1 ± 50.3) ml/(100 g · min)] compared with that of preoperative renal tissue [(290.4 ± 51.8) ml/(100 g·min)] decreased about 49.3 ml/(100 g·min) (P＜0.05).Conclusion ASL can be used to evaluate renal function,and it is valuable to evaluate renal perfusion function after laparoscopic partial nephrectomy of RCC.

Long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)can be involved in regulating gene expression through multiple interactions with DNA,RNA or proteins.Studies have shown that lncRNAs not only regulate innate immune response,but also regulate immune cell development and adaptive immunity.According to recent reports,a number of lncRNAs play a role in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases,including systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE),and may become a diagnostic marker and prognostic reference for diseases.This paper summarizes the research progress of lncRNAs in SLE,with the hope of providing more new ideas and methods for the study of SLE.

Objective To establisha multiplex STR genotyping m ethod for autosom al STR and Y-STR loci in forensic biological practice. Methods W idely used autosom al STR loci and Y-STR loci w ere se-lected. A set of PC R prim ers w as designed, and a 5-dye fluorescent labeled STR multiplex PC R reagent kit w as developed. Results A kit w as developed w hich can sim ultaneously detect 15 autosom al STR loci, 10 Y-STR loci, and an Amelogenin. Conclusion The 15 autosom al STR plus 10 Y-STR kit in com bination w ith capillary electrophoresis m ethod w as used to STR genotyping w ith accurate and reli-able results. The new one-step testing kit can potentially be w idely used in forensic cases and D N A databank in the future.