Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) is a member of the apolipoprotein A family, which was discovered the earli-est. It has an important role in the regulation of lipid metabolism, which mainly includes cholesterol synthesis and transfer. Therefore, apoA-I is closely related to hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. Clinically, serum ApoA-I/ApoB has been used as one of the indexes of hyperlipidemia. This article reviewed the study progress in ApoA-I's gene polymorphism and its relationship with reverse cholesterol transport (RCT).

Objective:To observe the changes of choriocapillary blood flow area (CBFA) and diameter of ellipsoid zone absence (DEZA) of eyes with idiopathic macular hole (IMH) before and after surgery and its correlation with visual function.Methods:A prospective study. From May 2019 to January 2020, 23 IMH patients (IMH group and fellow eyes group) diagnosed in the Department of Opthalmology of The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, and 30 age and gender-matched normal controls (30 eyes, control group) were included in this study. All patients were examined the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before and after surgery. The BCVA examination was performed using the international standard Snellen visual acuity chart, which was converted into logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) BCVA for record. CBFA and DEZA were obtained by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). CBFA was measured on the choriocapillary with a circle of 1.0 mm radius centered in the fovea. DEZA was the diameter of ellipsoid zone absence horizontally. The differences of CBFA and logMAR BCVA in the three groups, and the changes of CBFA, DEZA, logMAR BCVA in IMH group before and after surgery were analyzed. The measurement data between the three groups were compared by one-way analysis of variance, and the independent samples t test was used for the comparison between the two groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used for the correlation between the index, multiple linear regression analysis were performed between postoperative visual acuity and preoperative parameters. Results:Before and 6 months after surgery, the logMAR BCVA in IMH group were 1.26±0.7 and 0.48±0.22, CBFA were 1.49±0.30 and 1.92±0.17 mm 2, DEZA were 1 080.22±576.98 and 433.78±423.04 μm, respectively. Compared with those before surgery, BCVA and CBFA were significantly improved, DEZA obviously decreased and the differences were statistically significant ( t=5.53, 7.77, 6.58; P<0.01). CBFA in IMH group was lower than fellow eyes group and control group, the difference was statistically significant ( F=14.13, P<0.01). After surgery, CBFA in IMH group increased similar to that of fellow eyes group ( t=4.32, P=0.37), but lower than that of control group with the significant difference ( t=4.07, P<0.01). The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that logMAR BCVA and DEZA were positively correlated ( r=0.69, 0.75; P<0.01), CBFA and DEZA were negatively correlated ( r= -0.49, -0.89; P<0.05) before and after surgery. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the postoperative logMAR BCVA was positively correlated with DEZA ( t=2.32, P=0.02). Conclusions:After surgery, BCVA and CBFA of IMH eyes are significantly increased, DEZA is obviously reduced. Before and after surgery, logMAR BCVA is positively correlated with DEZA, and CBFA is negatively correlated with DEZA.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of mortality of injury among residents in Gusu District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province from 2013 to 2023, so as to provide the evidence for developing targeted measures of injury prevention and control. Methods: Gender, age and underlying cause of deaths due to injury in Gusu District were collected through Death Reporting Information System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System and Jiangsu Death Reporting Information System from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2023. The crude mortality, Chinese-standardized mortality and world-standardized mortality of injury were analyzed, and the trend in mortality was analyzed using annual percent change (APC). Results: Totally 4 217 deaths due to injury were reported in Gusu District from 2013 to 2023. The crude, Chinese-standardized and world-standardized mortality rates were 51.58/105, 23.24/105 and 21.98/105, respectively, all showing a tendency towards a rise (APC=6.802%, 2.688% and 2.823%, all P<0.05). The crude mortality rate of injury was higher in women than in men (54.61/105 vs. 48.41/105, P<0.05). The five most common causes of injury included fall (32.99/105), traffic accidents (6.03/105), suicide (4.23/105), drowning (3.00/105) and asphyxia (2.16/105), accounting for 93.86% of the total number of deaths. The crude mortality rates of fall, suicide and asphyxia appeared a tendency towards a rise (APC=9.724%, 6.333% and 5.638%, all P<0.05). The crude mortality rates of injury among men, women and overall residents appeared a tendency towards a rise with age (all P<0.05). Fall was the primary cause of injury death among residents aged 65 years and above, and suicide was the primary cause of injury death among residents aged 15 to 44 years. Conclusions The crude mortality of injury appeared a tendency towards a rise in Gusu District from 2013 to 2023. The main causes of death were fall, traffic accidents, suicide, drowning and asphyxia, with the crude mortality of fall, suicide and asphyxia showing an upward trend.

Abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) test, which evaluates the behavioral response of animals through expanding the intestinal tract, is the most widely used method to assess animal's visceral sensitivity in recent years.However, as AWR experimental operation involves many factors, it''s hard to find a commonly recognized operating procedure.Through review of literature of AWR experimental measuring methods, this article summarizes the basic steps of AWR operation.Meanwhile, it scrutinizes the differences of various measuring methods in relevant factors, including expansion method and airbag method, with special operating suggestions to them.Hopefully, this article will provide an option to future researchers who will use this method to evaluate animal''s visceral sensitivity, and provide a necessary foundation for the standardization of the experimental operation.

Objective To optimize the preparation of air bag materials for abdominal withdrawal reflex test.Methods To measure the diameters of different pressue-air bags by digital vernier caliper and X ray imaging.Using the pain threshold (3 points) as a criterion to test the pressure values of different air bags in the rats with corresponding visceral pain sensitivity.Results With the increasing pressure, the changes of the diameter of round latex balloon were uniform and gentle, and could meet the pressure range used in the experiment (20~80 mmHg).The threshold of visceral pain in rats was near the nociceptive stimulus value,and would not cause irreversible damage to the rat intestinal tract.Conclusions Air bag made from round latrex ballon is an ideal tool to be used in abdominal withdrawal reflex test in rats.

Objective To establish a rabbit VX2 liver tumor model by transplanting tumor tissue mass into the rabbit's liver,to analyze and observe the growing features of the liver tumor.Methods The tumor tissue mass(about 106-108 VX2 liver tumor cells)was inoculated into the left hepatic labe in 20 rabbits to establish rabbit VX-2 hepatic carcinoma model.The observation included the following two respects.(1)The tumor's volume at 7,10,14,17 and 21 days after the procedure was measured by ultrasonography and the growth rate of tumor was calculated.(2)The morphological feature of the tumor was inspected both macroscopically and microscopically.Results The growing pattern of the tumor was compatible with the exponential curve.Seventeen days after transplantation the increase rate of the tumor volume was much higher than that of the tumor diameter. Histopathologjcally,the growing pattern of the tumor took the form of infiltrative way,with its appearance being quite similar to the VX2 squamous cell carcinoma.Conclusion Transplantation of tumor tissue mass is the technique of first choice to establish the VX2 liver carcinoma model in rabbits.This experimental model is a very ideal animal form for both clinical and fundamental studies of liver carcinoma.

The aim of this study is to construct specific shRNA expressing plasmids, and to observe their effects on H9c2 cardiomyocytes injury induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). RIPK1 and RIPK3 are the key kinases mediating the process of necroptosis. Using recombinant DNA technology, we inserted the synthetic shRNA into pSUPER vector to construct RIPK1-shRNA or RIPK3-shRNA plasmid respectively. We transfected H9c2 cardiomyocytes with the two shRNA plasmids respectively, before we treated them with H/R stimulation. Then, we measured the relevant genes and proteins by real-time PCR and Western blot. Meanwhile,we detected the markers of necroptosis and cardiomyocytes injury. The results showed that inhibition of ripk1 or ripk3 gene expression by its specific shRNA might protect the cardiomyocytes injury induced by H/R stimulation.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Line ; Gene Expression ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; pathology ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Rats ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection

Objective To investigate whether tissue engineered bone with implanted vascular bun-dles can up-regulate release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in models of femoral defect in rabbits.Methods Thirty-two rabbits were randomized into 2 even groups.In both groups, a segmental bone defect of 15 mm in length was made at the left femur before a tissue engineered bone was inserted into the defect.In the experimental group, a femoral vascular bundle was implanted into the tissue engineered bone.In the control group, there was no vascular implantation.At 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after implantation, samples were taken to determine new bone formation by histology and expression level of VEGF by immuno-histochemistry.Results The new bone formation was significantly higher in the experimental group at the end of 4, 8, and 12 weeks(P < 0.05) .The expression level of VEGF in the experimental group was also significantly higher than in the control group at all time points after operation, and the expression of VEGF peaked at 4 weeks.Conclusion Tissue engineered bone with vascular bundle implanted can up-regulate VEGF release in models of femoral defect in rabbits.

Objective To study the application and significance of constructivism theory in pathological experiment teaching.Methods Six classes in total of 198 students majoring in clinical medicine were selected from grade 2009 of Guangdong medical college for research and were divided into experimental group (n=99) and control group (n=99) using random number table.Various teaching methods based on constructivism theory were used in experimental group while conventional teaching methods were applied in control group.The observing ability for specimen and slices,theoretical level and learning behavior of students were assessed with the same standard and anonymous homemade questionnaire survey was executed for students.SPSS 13.0 statistical software was used to analyze the results.The examination results of the two groups were compared using independent samples t-test.The questionnaire survey results of the two groups were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum test.P＜0.05 represented the difference having statistical significance.Results The observing capability for specimen and slices,theoretical level and learning behavior of students in experimental group were significantly improved (P＜0.01)and the questionnaire survey results demonstrated that there were statistical difference in feedbacks between the two groups and the satisfaction rate was significantly improved in experiment group (P＜0.01).Conclusions Applying comprehensive teaching methods based on constructivism theory can stimulate students' interest and initiative in learning,improve students' learning behavior and learning strategies,and significantly improve the teaching quality.

AIM　To explore whether dexamethasone-dextran (260 000) has the characteristics of site-specific delivery in rat gastrointestinal tract. METHODS　Dexamethasone prodrug and dexamethasone were administered to rat ig at the dose of 5 μmol*kg-1. The distribution of dexamethasone in the contents and mucosa of different parts of the rat GI tract at different time intervals and its concentration in plasma were determined by HPLC. RESULTS　Dexamethasone was mainly released in the cecum and colon contents and mucosa after oral administration of dexamethasone prodrug. The absorption was reduced significantly. The peak time of the drug in plasma was 8.1 h, and the peak concentration was 32 μg*L-1. However, free dexamethasone was found mainly in the contents and mucosa of the stomach, proximal and distal small intestine. The peak time of the drug in plasma was 2.2 h, and the peak concentration was 2120 μg*L-1. CONCLUSION Dexamethasone can be specifically delivered to the large intestine by using dexamethasone-dextran (260 000). It appears that the prodrug has a potential in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.