Background The tissue-engineered cornea is becoming the hot spot in the ophthalmologic field,while the research of corneal substitute is in the ascendant,because it is more similar to the corneal morpha and easy to survive in vivo.Objective This study was to investigate the biocompatibility of recombinant human type-Ⅲ collagen/poly9 ( 3-( methacryloylamino ) propyl dimethyl ( 3-sulfopropyl ) ammonium hydroxide ) ( PMPDSAH ) interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) (RHC-Ⅲ/PMPDSAH IPN) hydrogel as a tissue-engineered cornea in rabbit eye and its feasibility as the corneal substitute.Methods One hundred and eight rabbits were randomly divided into experimental group( 90 rabbits) and normal control group ( 3 rabbits),and 15 rabbits ( 30 eyes ) used as the donor corneas.RHC-Ⅲ/PMPDSAH IPN,NGF PMPDSAH IPN and corneal grafts were lamellarly transplanted into the right eyes in RHC-Ⅲ/PMPDSAH IPN group,NGF PMPDSAH IPN group and allograft group respectively.The corneal transparency and neovascularization were examined and scored under the slim lamp and compared among three groups using Kraskal-Wallis H test.The corneal epithelization time was observed and compared among these three groups using one way analysis of variance and LSD-t test.The histological examination of corneas was performed at the 3rd day,1st and 2nd week,1 st,3rd and 6th month after the surgery.The immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of K3 in cornea at the 6th month.Results The grafts were well attached in RHC-Ⅲ/PMPDSAH IPN group,NGF PMPDSAH IPN group and allograft group,and no rejection reaction was found throughout 6-month following up.Compared with normal control group,no significant differences were found in the scores of corneal opacification and neovescularization in these three groups (x2 =4.34,P =0.23 ;x2 =2.60,P =0.46 ) at the 6th month.NGF PMPDSAH IPN group achieved reepithelialization in (4.97±0.63) days and was obviously shorted than that in RHC-Ⅲ/PMPDSAH IPN group and allograft group ( t =11.97,P =0.00; t =5.80,P =0.00).The re-epithelialization time in RHC-Ⅲ/PMPDSAH IPN was (6.86±0.71) days,and that of allograft group was (5.87±0.43 ) days,showing a significant difference ( t =6.32,P =0.00).Hematoxylin-eosin staining results demonstrated that implanted materials integrated into the host corneal tissue well and support corneal epithelialization.Part of the material degraded at the 2nd week and degraded completely 1 month later.Regular alignment and distribution of collagen fibers were seen in the regenerated cornea and were similar to those of the normal stroma in 6 months.Immunohistochemistry showed the positive expression of keratin-3 in corneal epithelial cells.Conclusions RHC-Ⅲ/PMPDSAH IPN has a good biocompatibility without toxicity to corneal tissue.Furthermore,NGF can promote the corneal wound-healing and re-epithelialization.The material can be used as safe and reliable corneal substitute after improving the mechanical strength.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is an important regulatory factor of cell proliferation and metastasis, involved in the occurrence and development of a variety of malignant tumors, and it is one of the hot spots in the research of targeted anti-tumor drugs. Our group screened a novel benzobis (imidazole) structure small molecule compound LZJ541 through the screening model of Janus kinase (JAK)/STAT3 pathway inhibitors, which has definite STAT3 inhibitory activity. We examined the effect of LZJ541 on the proliferation of HepG2 and PC-3 cells by MTT assay in vitro, detected the effect of LZJ541 on the expression of STAT3-related proteins in HepG2 cells by Western blot, and measured the effect of LZJ541 on the apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of HepG2 cells via flow cytometry. The results indicated that LZJ541 significantly inhibited the activation of STAT3 signaling pathway and restrained the proliferation of HepG2 cells. Its half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) was 13.8 μmol·L^-1, which was much lower than that of PC-3 cells (with low STAT3 expression, IC₅₀: 41.99 μmol·L^-1), LZJ541 can also inhibit the phosphorylation of STAT3 in HepG2 cells, thereby inducing apoptosis and cycle arrest and then exerting anti-tumor effects. In conclusion, LZJ541 has a certain anti-tumor effect in vitro, which provides an experimental basis for the development of new STAT3-targeted anti-tumor drugs around this kind of compounds.

So far there exists no corresponding quality test procedures and grading standards for the seed of Prunus humilis, which is one of the important source of base of semen pruni. Therefor we set up test procedures that are adapt to characteristics of the P. humilis seed through the study of the test of sampling, seed purity, thousand-grain weight, seed moisture, seed viability and germination percentage. 50 cases of seed specimens of P. humilis tested. The related data were analyzed by cluster analysis. Through this research, the seed quality test procedure was developed, and the seed quality grading standard was formulated. The seed quality of each grade should meet the following requirements: for first grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 68%, thousand-grain weight 383 g, purity ≥ 93%, seed moisture ≤ 5%; for second grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 26%, thousand-grain weight ≥ 266 g, purity ≥ 73%, seed moisture ≤9%; for third grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 10%, purity ≥ 50%, thousand-grain weight ≥ 08 g, seed moisture ≤ 13%.
Cluster Analysis ; Germination ; Prunus ; growth & development ; Seeds ; physiology

The degradation of chlorinated organic compounds by zerovalent iron is an effective technique which is popular in recent years.In the present paper,the recent researches on the technique were reviewed including the reductive dechlorination of chlorinated organic compounds by using the zerovalent iron and the factors which affect the degradation,especially the influence of DO,Cl~- and Fe~(2+),and the perspective of application of the technique was presented.

Adolescent ; Anemia, Aplastic ; complications ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; etiology ; Male

When looking back to the literature regarding insomnia, it is believed that "disharmony of stomach leads to insomnia" is an important mechanism for the attack of insomnia. This theory is widely accepted in clinical practices by ancient and modern acupuncturists, thus the method treating insomnia from the stomach is developed. But deeper research on its mechanism is still lacking. Through correlation between stomach meridian and heart meridian, spleen and stomach being the pivot of rise and decline of qi movement and yin-yang and being the pivot of five zang-viscera housing spirit, modern abdomen-brain theory and experimental research, the mechanism of treating insomnia from the stomach is discussed in this paper, so as to be better to guide clinical acupoint-selection and treatment.
Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; China ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Stomach ; physiopathology

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic results of percutaneous transhepatic stent angioplasty for portal vein stenosis following liver transplant.Methods From 2005 to 2007,7 patients developed portal vein stenosis following liver transplant.Percutaneous transhepatic stent angioplasty of the portal vein was performed in all patients.The therapeutic results were monitored by clinical follow-up and imaging examination.Results In seven patients,the percutaneous transhepatic stents were placed successfully.The follow up period ranged from 3 months to 34 months.Portal venous patency Was maintained in six patients(one patient died due to hepatic arterial thrombosis and ischemic insult to bile duct at three months following the stent placement).No complications due to stent angioplasty occurred.Conclusion Percutaneous transhepatic stent angioplasty is an effective and safe method for treatment of portal vein stenosis following liver transplant.

Objective To observe the impacts of the method of fortifying the spleen and supplementing Qi on the cellular immunity of chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV)carriers.Methods Asymptomatic HBV carriers group(ASC group,n=60)with HBV DNA positive were randomly divided into Fortifying the Spleen and Supplementing Qi decoction group(A group,n=30)and conventional treatment group(B group,n=30),the peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets were detected with flow cytometey and compared with those of the healthy people(The normal control group,n=18).All the patients were treated,and 24 weeks after treatment the indexes were measured again.Results As compared with those of normal controls,the numbers of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were decreased significantly in HBV carriers(P＜0.01);There was a statistical significance between the values before and complete the treatment with the decoction of fortifying the spleen and supplementing Qi(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and compared with conventional treatment group,there Was a statistical significance(P＜0.05).Conclusion T-cell subset function was disturbed in the HBV carriers.The method of fortifying the spleen and supplementing Qi could improve the cellular immunity of carriers with chronic hepatitis B.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the inhibitory effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on E coliinduced prostatitis in rats.

METHODSBMSCs were isolated, cultured and amplified by the attached choice method. Fifty SD rats were randomized into five groups of equal number: normal control, acute bacterial prostatitis (ABP) , chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP), ABP + BMSCs, and CBP + BMSCs, and the animals in the latter four groups were injected with E. coli into both sides of the prostate under ultrasound guidance for 1 - 14 days to induce ABP and for 4 - 12 weeks to induce CBP. The control rats were injected with the same amount of PBS. Two weeks after injection of BMSCs into the prostates, pathomorphological changes in the prostate were observed under the light microscope and the mRNA and protein levels of IL-1β and TNF-α determined by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively, followed by statistical analysis with SPSS 18.0.

RESULTSHistopathological evaluation showed typical pathological inflammatory changes in the prostates of the rats in the ABP and CBP groups, including glandular structural changes, interstitial edema, inflammatory cell infiltration, and fibrous hyperplasia, which were all remarkably relieved after treated with BMSCs. The mRNA and protein levels of IL-β ([0.829 ± 0.121] and [271.75 ± 90.59] pg/ml) and TNF-α ([0.913 ± 0. 094] and [105.78 ± 19. 05] pg/ml) in the ABP and those of IL-1β ([0. 975 ± 0. 114] and [265. 31 ± 71. 34] pg/ml) and TNF-α ([0. 886 ± 0. 084] and [107. 45 ± 26. 11 ] pg/ml) in the CBP groups were significantly higher than those in the control rats ([0. 342 ± 0.087] and [45.76 17. 99] pg/ml, P <0. 05); ([0.247 ± 0.054] and ([19.42 ± 7. 75] pg/ml, P <0. 01) as well as than those in the ABP + BMSCs ([0. 433 ± 0. 072] and [51. 34 ± 22. 13] pg/ml, P < 0. 05 ) ; ( [0. 313 ± 0. 076] and [28. 38 ± 8. 78] pg/ml, P < 0. 01) and the CBP + BMSCs group ([0.396 ± 0.064] and [56.37 ± 21.22] pg/ml, P <0.05); ([0.417 ± 0.068] and [29.21 ± 10.22] pg/ml, P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONInjection of BMSCs can reduce E coli-induced prostatic inflammation reaction, which.may be associated with its reduction of inflammatory cell infiltration and the expressions of IL-1β and TNF-α in the prostate tissue.

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; physiology ; Chronic Disease ; Escherichia coli Infections ; therapy ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta ; genetics ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; physiology ; Prostate ; metabolism ; Prostatitis ; metabolism ; microbiology ; therapy ; RNA, Messenger ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of detoxifying and blood circulation activating Chinese herb extraction of polygonum cuspidatum and hawthorn on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), plaque integral and plaque stability related serum indexes of patients with carotid atherosclerosis.

METHODSixty and four cases of carotid artery atherosclerosis patients were assigned randomly to 2 groups: detoxifying and blood circulation activating treatment group (treatment group, 32 cases) and control group (32 cases). Patients in treatment group were treated with capsules of extraction of polygonum cuspidatum and hawthorn, 1 pill po, bid (dosage of administration: polygonum cuspidatum extraction 5.33 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), hawthorn extraction 5.0 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)); patients in control group were treated with lovastatin 20 mg po, qd (dosage of administration: 0.33 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)). The course of treatment was six months. To observe changes of IMT, plaque integral, and detect the level of plaque stability related serum indexes such as Hs-CRP, MMP-1 and TIMP-1.

RESULTAfter 6 months of treatment, in control group one patient quit the clinical trial because of liver dysfunction and one patient was rejected because of having not followed the therapeutic regimen. 32 cases in treatment group and 30 cases in control group were analyzed. The results showed that IMT and plaque integral of treatment group decreased significantly after the treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and there was no significant difference compared with control grope. Serum Hs-CRP, MMP-1 and MMP-1/TIMP-1 decreased after the treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and the treatment group was superior to control group in decreasing serum Hs-CRP (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDetoxifying and blood circulation activating Chinese herb extraction of polygonum cuspidatum and hawthorn has good effect of anti-atherosclerosis and promoting plaque stability. Its mechanism might be related with anti-inflammation and inhibiting degradation of extracellular matrix, and deserves further studies.

C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; blood ; drug therapy ; Crataegus ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Fallopia japonica ; chemistry ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Safety ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; blood