Objective To identify the member of the caspase family proteases involved in γ-radiation-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells and to study the expression of the caspase gene in normal, apoptotic cells and in immortal tu mor cells. Methods By using degenerate oligonucleotide primers encoding the highly conserved peptides that were pre sent in all known caspases, we performed RT-PCR on poly(A)RNA from γ-radiation-induced apoptotic HL-60 cells. Caspase-3 mRNA in apoptotic HL-60 cells and in human tumor cell lines was analyzed by Northern blot. Results The amplified DNA fragment was identified with caspase-3 cDNA by cloning and sequencing. The Northern blot analysis of caspase-3 mRNA of different human tumor cell lines showed that the caspase-3 gene transcript was more highly ex pressed in leukemia cell lines and the SH-SY5Y cell line than in HeLa and MCF-7 cells. It was more highly expressed in the radiation-induced apoptotic HL-60 cells than in control HL-60 cells. Conclusion These results indicated that caspase-3 was involved in γ-radiation-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. The high level of expression of caspase-3 may aid efforts to understand the insensitivity of some tumor cells to radiation, their inherent ability to survive, and apop tosis.

objective To evaluate the clinical effect of touqing capsule associated with Fengchi on the vertebral artery type of cervical spondylosis(CSA)in the attack stage.Methods A total of 100 patients with CSA, according to the doctor order, were randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group respectively, with 50 patients in each. The control group was treated with acupuncture therapy, the treatment group was additionally treated with Touqingcapsule on the basis of the control group, and both groups were treated for 20 days. The hemodynamics was detected by transcranial doppler, the change of TCM syndrome integral was observed before and after the treatment, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated.Results After treatment, the treatment group dizziness (1.10 ± 0.33 vs. 2.01 ± 0.26,t=14.909), neck shoulder ache (0.87 ± 0.16 vs. 1.92 ± 0.69,t=10.266), numbness (0.95 ± 0.14)vs. 1.87 ± 0.16,t=29.844), the total integral (2.16 ± 0.75 vs.3.89 ± 1.14,t=8.756) integral were significantly lower than the control group(P<0.01).Treatment group RVA (40.03 ± 5.89 cm/svs. 34.26 ± 6.26 cm/s,t=4.628), the LVA (42.14 ± 5.42 cm/svs.33.89 ± 6.08 cm/s,t=6.985) rise and PI (0.79 ± 0.14 vs.1.04 ± 0.19,t=7.312) reduction were significantly better than those of the control group (P<0.01). The total effective rate in the treatment group was significantly better than the control group (91.7%(44/48)vs. 74.5%(35/47),χ2=3.863, P=3.863).Conclusion Touqing Capsule associated with Fengchi is effective for CSA. Its functional mechanism is correlated with improvement of haemodynamics of vertebral-basilar artery of the CSA patients.

Objective To observe the effects of multidisciplinary rehabilitation on early heterotopic ossification of patients with traumatic elbow joint injury.Methods 80 work injury patients of early heterotopic ossification after traumatic elbow joint injury were randomly divided into the experiment group(42 cases) and control group(38 cases).The experiment group received multidisciplinary rehabilitation,including physical therapy,occupational therapy,physical factor therapy,traditional Chinese medicine,ward rehabilitation and vocational training.The control group was treated with pain killer and diminish inflammation medicine and median frequency electrical therapy.Range of motion(ROM) of joint and visual analogue scale(VAS) were separately assessed before and after 3 months treatment.Results After 3 months treatment,ROM and VAS of the experiment group were significantly changed compared with admission(P<0.01).The effectiveness of the experiment group was superior to that of the control group(P<0.05).After discharge,39 cases returned to primary work,3 cases changed work in the experiment group,and after 1 year follow-up,no case needed to receive operation.Conclusion In the early stage of heterotopic ossification after traumatic elbow joint injury,multidisciplinary rehabilitation can significantly relax clinical signs,improve functions and make the work injury patients return to work.

r study.

Objective To investigate the relationship between a mutation in the platelet-activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolase gene (Arg92→His) and psoriasis. Methods Genomic DNA was analyzed in 47 patients with psoriasis and 52 healthy controls via polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results The frequency of the mutation in the PAF acetylhydrolase gene (Arg92→His) was significantly higher in patients with psoriasis than that in the controls (P

To report two cases of type 1.5 split cord malformation (SCM), a subtype of SCM with combined characteristics of types I and II and to review the relevant literature and propose a new possible pathogenetic theory for type 1.5 SCM. A 52-year-old woman had hemicords within a single dural sac with a dorsal bony septum at the L5 level. A 9-year-old boy had hemicords within a single dural sac with a ventral bony septum and fibrous extension at the L3 level. Both patients underwent microsurgical treatments for removing the bony septum, detethering the spinal cord, and sectioning the filum terminale. The surgical procedure revealed an extradural partial bony septum and hemicords within an intact single dural sac in each patient. Both patients were discharged from the hospital without de novo nerve dysfunction. Published cases have validated that types I and II SCM can overlap. We recommend recent type 1.5 SCM as a normative terminology for this overlapping SCM and report two rare cases of this SCM. We propose an associated pathogenesis consisting of uneven distribution and regression to explain type 1.5 SCM. Furthermore, we postulate that the amount of condensing meninx primitiva might determine whether the left bony septum has fibrous extensions to the opposite dura in type 1.5 SCM.