Objective:To investigate the clinical significance of the changes of T lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with gastric cancer. Methods:The lymphocyte subsets in 67 patients with gastric cancer were analyzed with flow cytometry. CEA and CA199 from all patients were also detected. Results were statistically analyzed, and the patients were followed up. Results:The aver-age values of Tc (CD8+CD28+) in patients with stagesⅢandⅣgastric cancer were 12.3±5.1 and 9.9±4.6, respectively, with significant difference (P=0.043). The average values of Tc (CD8+CD28+) in patients with elevated CEA and with normal CEA were 9.3±3.6 and 12.1± 5.6, respectively (P=0.025). Similarly, the average values of Tc (CD8+CD28+) in patients with elevated CA199 and with normal CEA were 9.3±4.2 and 12.1±5.3, respectively (P=0.029). The overall survival of patients with decreased Tc (CD8+CD28+) was lower than that of patients with normal Tc (CD8+CD28+) (8.1 vs. 15.1 months, P=0.008). Conclusion:The cellular immune function of patients with gastric cancer gradually decreased with the progression of TNM. Higher CA199 and CEA values indicated lower average values of Tc (CD8+CD28+). The overall survival of patients with decreased Tc (CD8+CD28+) was lower.

BACKGROUND:Great development has been made in the research of various repair materials and tissue-engineered bone, and different materials exhibit a strong ability to repair bone defects. OBJECTIVE:To review the research status and progress of repair materials for bone defects. METHODS:PubMed, PMC, CBM, CNKI and WanFang databases were used online to retrieve the relative articles regarding repair materials for bone defects published from June 2007 to June 2017. The key words were "biomaterials, bone repair materials, bone substitute, bone tissue engineering, bone defect, bone repair" in English and Chinese, respectively. Finally, 66 eligible articles were included, while the unrelated and repeated ones were excluded. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The main repair materials for bone defects include autologous bone, allogeneic bone, xenogeneic bone, demineralized bone matrix, bioceramics, metal materials, polymer materials,tissue-engineered bone and relative derived composites. Different materials have shown certain advantages and disadvantages. Clinicians should make an optimal choice in view of the characteristics of materials. Although there is a great progress in thestudies of repair materials for bone defects, further investigations are warranted on how to produce highly biomimetic materials, optimize cell adhesion and migration, precisely control the expression and release of related genes and growth factors, validate clinical safety, and provide medical evidence in clinical practice.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of endemic fluorosis in Guide county of Qinghai province, in order to provide appropriate measures to monitor and control the disease. Methods Damo, Wenquan, Baoning villages(water source has been changed) and Taiping village(water source has not been changed) in Guide county were involved in the study in 2008. One tap water sample was collected in dry and rainy seasons, respectively. Water fluoride was tested in accordance with the "Standard Test Methods for Drinking Water" (GB/T 5750.5-2006); of all the children aged 8 to 12, dental fluorosis was diagnosed using Dean criteria; 6 copies of urine samples were collected in each age group, urinary fluoride was measured using fluoride ion-selective electrode (WS/T 89-1996). According to the "Clinical Diagnostic Criteria of Endemic Skeletal Fluorosis "(WS 192-2008), clinical skeletal fluorosis was determined in adults over the age of 16 by X-ray examination for 10 people in each selected village. Results The mean water fluoride was 0.58,0.38,2.28,0.37 mg/L in Damo, Wenquan, Taiping, and Baoning villages, respectively, and that of Taiping village exceeded the national standard(1.0 mg/L). One hundred and ninety-three children aged 8-12 were checked, the detection rate of dental fluorosis was 49.74% (96/193); urine samples of 116 children were tested, median urinary fluoride was 1.49 mg/L A total of 1503 adults over the age of 16 were examined, the clinical detection of skeletal fluorosis was 51.63%(776/1503); a total of 82 people were X-rayed, X-ray detection of skeletal fluorosis was 20.73%(17/82). The characteristic of X-rays were degeneration and ossification of interosseous membrane. Conclusions Prevalence of dental fluorosis of children and adult clinical skeletal fluorosis are higher. The endemic fluorosis is still comparatively serious. Prevention efforts need to be further strengthened.

Objective To observe the state of endemic flurosis, construction and running status of water improvement projects in order to provide a scientific basis for prevention and treatment fluorosis. Methods Water samples of the diseased and nondiseased villeges were collected from east, west, south, north and centre of each villege in 2005, and fluoride concentration was determined for each surveyed village with unimproved-water. At the same time, all the tap water and source water samples were collected to determine fluoride concentration in each water-improved village surveyed. In 2008, all the endemic fluorosis villages in Guied county were divided into slight, medium and heavy types according to the water fluoride content before water improved, and 1,1,3 survey villages were chosen from each type. In all of the village children aged 8 to 12 years were tested for dental fluorosis by Dean method. Six copies of the urinary fluoride were sampled in different age groups. The fluorine content in water and urine was determined by F-ion selective electrode. The situation of clinical skeletal fluorosis of adults over 16 years of age was investigated, 20 adults (evenly divided between men and women) in the villages of medium and heavy types were examined by X-ray for skeletal fluorosis. Results In 3 village fluoride content of drinking water exceeded the national drinking water standards ( <1.0 mg/L) of 85 surveyed villages with improved-water. Among the 16 projects, 8 were intermittently running and 3 were retired, leaving only 31.25% of the projects active. Theprevalence of enamel fluorosis was 41.13%( 116/282), that of skeletal flurosis was 47.95%(969/2021) and that of X-ray checked was 20.73% (17/82). The median of urine fluoride was 1.06 mg/L and the scope was 0.20 - 9.44 mg/L.Conclusions Most of the improved-water projects do not normally supply water in the disease ward of Guide county. Therefore, there is an increasing trend of the disease, so further control measures are needed.

OBJECTIVETo observe the differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) co-cultured with purified sinoatrial node cells (SNC) of neonate rats.

METHODSSNC from neonatal SD rat were cultured and purified with differential attachment method and labeled with BrdU. Rat BMSCs were isolated by a Percoll's gradient solution and cultured in DMEM. After 2 passages, these BMSCs were transfected with pEGFP-N1 by Lipofectamine and labeled with GFP. EGFP-BMSC were co-cultured with SNC in a rate of 1:5 for 1 week. EGFP-BMSC cultured in SNC culture medium served as controls. SNC marker hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide gated cation channel 4 (HCN4) and connexin 45 (Cx45) expressions were determined by immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTPositive immunofluorescence staining against HCN4 and Cx45 were detected in EGFP-BMSC co-cultured with SNC but not in EGFP-BMSC cultured in SNC culture medium.

CONCLUSIONDirect cell-to-cell contact between BMSCs and SNC cells may induce BMSCs differentiation into sinus node-like cells.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Separation ; Cells, Cultured ; Coculture Techniques ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sinoatrial Node ; cytology

Objective: To observe the effects of acupoint thread-embedding therapy and low-carbohydrate diet therapy on obese patients with food addiction. Methods: Sixty-five eligible patients were randomized into a thread-embedding group of 33 cases and a diet group of 32 cases to respectively receive 12-week treatment. Before treatment, after treatment and at 6-month follow-up, the two groups were observed and compared in terms of body mass (BM), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), body fat rate (BFR), basal metabolic rate (BMR) and Yale food addiction scale version 2.0 (YFAS 2.0). Results: At the end of treatment, there were no significant differences in the general efficacy, and the improvements in BM, BMI, WC, HC, WHR and BFR between the thread-embedding group and diet group (all P>0.05). At follow-up, the thread-embedding group showed more significant improvements in all the aforementioned indicators compared with the diet group except HC (all P<0.05). At the end of treatment and follow-up, BMR and YFSA 2.0 had more significant improvements in the thread-embedding group than in the diet group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupoint thread-embedding therapy can produce significant efficacy in treating obese patients with food addiction; it can improve the food addiction state and work better in maintaining the efficacy compared with low-carbohydrate diet therapy.

Objective To analyze the drug resistant characteristics of 84 clinical isolated Helicobacter pylori (Hp) strains, and to observe the inhibitory effects of anti-Hp Lactobacillus acidophilus (La)4 and La6 on different antibiotic-resistant Hp strains. Methods Hp strains were isolated and cultured from gastric mucosa of 84 different gastropathy patients (20 patients with chronic gastritis, 24 with gastric ulcer, 19 with duodenal ulcer and 16 with gastric cancer). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of metronidazole, clarithromycin and amoxicillin were tested by E-test in order to determine the resistance of these three antibiotics in clinical isolated Hp strains. With standard La as control, the supernatant of anti-Hp La4 and La6 was added into Hp strains culture wells. Hp strains were cultured in solid media for 72 hours, and then inhibition ring were recorded. Anti-Hp Lactobacillus acidophilus liquid was also added to culture medium of different Hp strains, which were in liquid culture, culture medium were taken at different time points (4,8,12,24,48 hrs) to calculate bacteria colony number and test urease activity. Results In 84 clinical isolated Hp strains, the resistant rates of metronidazole, clarithromycin and amoxicillin resistance rates were 67.9%, 17.9% and 1.2% respectively. Of those 11 strains were mixed drug resistance, which included 10 strains of metronidazole and clarithromycin mixed drug resistance, and one of metronidazole and amoxicillin mixed drug resistance. In solid culture conditions, supernatant of anti-Hp Lactobacillus acidophilus La4 and La6 had obvious inhibitory effect on antibiotic-resistant and non-resistant Hp strains. In liquid culture conditions, anti-Hp Lactobacillu acidophilus La4 and La6 bacterium liquid could inhibit the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant and non-resistant Hp strains, the antagonistic role was significantly stronger than the standard Lactobacillus acidophilus strains (P<0.05). The urease activity of antibiotic-resistant Hp strains was inhibited since mixed cultured with anti-Hp Lactobacillu acidophilus La4 and La6 for 4 hours, the urease activity gradually decreased as culture time extended, and the inhibitory role was significantly stronger than the standard Lactobacillus acidophilus strains (P<0.05). Conclusions In 84 Hp strains, most were metronidazole resistant strains, followed by clarithromycin resistant strains, metronidazole and clarithromycin mixed resistance strains. In vitro, anti-Hp Lactobacillu acidophilus La4 and La6 had obvious inhibitory effects on antibiotic-resistant and non-resistant Hp strains.

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy and safety of Jingui Shengqi Pill in treating partial androgen deficiency in aging males (PADAM), and to explore the new approach in improving the quality of life in PADAM patients.

METHODSForty patients with PADAM were treated with JSP, the efficacy was evaluated with international index of erectile function (IIEF) scoring, PADAM questionnaire scoring, hormone, prostatic specific antigen (PSA), etc., and the data before treatment were compared with those after treatment in the same group.

RESULTSAfter 3 months of treatment, PADAM scoring and IIEF scoring were all significantly improved. Symptoms regarding physical ability, vasomotion, and psychical and mental condition all got improved more markedly than symptoms regarding sexual hypofunction. The serum level of testosterone was 3.85 +/- 0.36 before treatment and 5.02 +/- 0.83 after treatment (P < 0.05); luteinizing hormone of 7.33 +/- 2.14 and 4.84 +/- 1.43 (P < 0.01), follicle-stimulating hormone of 10.22 +/- 4.48 and 6.47 +/- 3.28 (P < 0.01), respectively. The level of PSA failed to change significantly (1.94 +/- 0.55 and 2.06 +/- 0.47, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONJSP is effective and safe in treating PADAM, the mechanism of it is different from supplementing extrinsic androgen. It may have produced the effect by means of favorably regulating the condition of sex hormone to improve the balance of pituitary-sex gland axis, so it has more extensive clinical application.

Aged ; Androgens ; deficiency ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Testosterone ; blood

Objective To compare the therapeutic effect of preoperative chemoradiotherapy or postoperative adjutant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer.Methods The clinical data of 76 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer from 2011 to 2016 in Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital were retrospectively analysed.A total of 30 cases received preoperative chemoradiotherapy (group A),5 of them received concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with bevacizumab target treatment.The other 46 cases (group B) were given post-operative adjutant chemoradiotherapy.Both group A and group B were treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).The chemoradiotherapy regime was as follows:the median of target volume dose was 50.4 Gy (45.0-55.8 Gy);the median of chemotherapy sessions was 26 times (24-28 times).Capecitabine tablets (825 mg/m2,twice a day) were also given on the date of chemotherapy.The clinical data and follow-up results of all patients were compared between the two groups.Results The five-year disease free survival rates of group A and group B were 66.7％ and 57.7％,respectively;and the five-year overall survival rates of group A and group B were 81.8％ and 73.0％,respectively,no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups (P=0.599,0.489).The anus-preserving rates of patients with tumor below peritoneal reflection in group A and group B were 56.52％ and 25.00％,there was statistically significant difference (P=0.045).In the group A,86.6 ％ patients resulted in down-staging,including 3 cases with complete pathologic response.Conclusion Preoperative chemotherapy could down tumor stage and improve rates of anal preservation and local control without increasing possibility of postoperative complications.Preoperative chemotherapy in combination with bevacizumab target treatment may be more effective in lowering tumor stage.

Our previous results have demonstrated that insulin reduces myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury and increases the postischemic myocardial functions via activating the cellular survival signaling, i.e., phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K)-Akt-endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-nitric oxide (NO) cascade. However, it remains largely controversial whether c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) is involved in the effects of insulin on MI/R injury. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to investigate the role of JNK, especially the cross-talk between JNK and previously expatiated Akt signaling, in the protective effect of insulin on I/R myocardium. Isolated hearts from adult Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 30 min of regional ischemia and followed by 2 or 4 h of reperfusion (n=6). The hearts were pretreated with PI3-K inhibitor LY294002, or phosphorylated-JNK inhibitor SP600125, respectively, then perfused retrogradely with insulin, and the mechanical functions of hearts, including the heart rate (HR), left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and instantaneous first derivation of left ventricular pressure (+/-LVdp/dt(max)) were measured. At the end of reperfusion, the infarct size (IS) and apoptotic index (AI) were examined. MI/R caused significant cardiac dysfunction and myocardial apoptosis (strong TUNEL-positive staining). Compared with the control group, insulin treatment in MI/R rats exerted protective effects as evidenced by reduced myocardial IS [(28.9 +/- 2.0)% vs (45.0 +/- 4.0) %, n=6, P<0.01], inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis [decreased AI: (16.0 +/- 0.7) % vs (27.6 +/- 1.3) %, n=6, P<0.01] and improved recovery of cardiac systolic/diastolic function (including LVDP and +/-LVdp/dt(max)) at the end of reperfusion. Moreover, insulin resulted in 1.7-fold and 1.5-fold increases in Akt and JNK phosphorylation in I/R myocardium, respectively (n=6, P<0.05). Inhibition of Akt activation with LY294002 abolished, and inhibition of JNK activation with SP600125 enhanced the cardioprotection by insulin, respectively. And the abolishment by LY294002 could be partly converted by SP600125 pretreatment. In addition, SP600125 also decreased the Akt phosphorylation (n=6, P<0.05). These results demonstrate that insulin simultaneously activates both Akt and JNK, and the latter further increases the phosphorylation of Akt which attenuates MI/R injury and improves heart function; this cross-talk between Akt and JNK in the insulin signaling is involved in insulin-induced cardioprotective effect.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Heart ; Insulin ; metabolism ; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; Myocardium ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase ; metabolism ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; Signal Transduction