BACKGROUND:The magnetic resonance molecular imaging used in the research of lumbar disc degeneration includes T2 mapping and T1ρtechnologies at present.
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the feasibility of 1.5 T MR equipment on T2 mapping of New Zealand white rabbits lumbar disc.
METHODS:T2 mapping images of New Zealand white rabbit lumbar discs were obtained on 1.5 T MR equipment. The regions of interest T2 values of lumbar discs were measured with post-processing workstation.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Sagittal and coronal T2 maps of 3-month rabbit discs were obtained
satisfactorily on 1.5 T MR equipment. The regions of interest T2 values of nucleus pulposus in L 4/5 , L 5/6 and L 6/7 discs were (104.6±14.0) ms, (109.1±13.8) ms and (109.5±15.1) ms respectively at Pfirrmann
regions of interest T2 values of anterior annulus fibrosus in L 4/5 , L 5/6 and L 6/7 discs were (82.1±9.5) ms, (80.4± 11.2) ms and (79.9±10.6) ms respectively, and T2 values of posterior annulus fibrosus in L 4/5 , L 5/6 and L 6/7 discs were (85.8±11.9) ms, (85.1±12.1) ms and (85.3±9.3) ms respectively. There were no significant differences in T2 values of nucleus pulposus, anterior annulus fibrosus and posterior annulus fibrosus in L 4/5 , L 5/6 and L 6/7 discs at PfirrmannⅠP>g 0ra.0d5e).( However, the T2 values of nucleus pulposus were higher than those of annulus
fibrosus in the same discs (P<0.01), and there were no significant differences in T2 values between the anterior and posterior annulus fibrosus (P>0.05). The T2 values of rabbit lumbar discs obtained on 1.5 T MR equipment can be used for quantitative assessment of intervertebral disc signal.

Objective To investigate the value of multi-slice spiral CT(MSCT) in diagnosis of laryngocarcinoma in early stage.Methods MSCT data of 28 patients with laryngocarcinoma confirmed pathologically were analyzed retrospectively.Images quality was evaluated and the results obtained with various windows and CT virtual laryngoscopy (CTVL) were compared.Results 20 cases(69%) could be displayed with conventional soft tissue windows,24(81%) could be demonstrated with lung windows and 27(93%) could be demonstrated with CTVL.Conclusion MSCT can effectively demonstrate laryngocarcinoma,and can be applied routinely in examination of laryngocarcinoma.

LysR-type transcriptional regulators are involved in the regulation of numerous cellular metabolic processes in Klebsiella pneumoniae, leading to severe infection. Earlier, we found a novel LysR family gene, named kp05372, in a strain of K. pneumoniae (designated GPKP) isolated from forest musk deer. To study the function of this gene in relation to the biological characteristics of GPKP, we used the suicide plasmid and conjugative transfer methods to construct deletion mutant strain GPKP-Δkp05372; moreover, we also constructed the GPKP-Δkp05372+ complemented strain. The role of this gene was determined by comparing the following characteristics of three strains: growth curves, biofilm formation, drug resistance, stress resistance, median lethal dose (LD₅₀), organ colonization ability, and the histopathology of GPKP. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to test the expression level of seven genes upstream of kp05372. There was no significant difference in the growth rates when comparing the three bacterial strains, and no significant difference was recorded at different osmotic pressures, temperatures, salt contents, or hydrogen peroxide concentrations. The GPKP-Δkp05372 mutant formed a weak biofilm, and the other two strains formed medium biofilm. The drug resistance of the GPKP-Δkp05372 mutant toward cephalothin, cotrimoxazole, and polymyxin B was changed. The acid tolerance of the deletion strain was stronger than that of the other two strains. The LD₅₀ values of the wild-type and complemented strains were 174-fold and 77-fold higher than that of the GPKP-Δkp05372 mutant, respectively. The colonization ability of the GPKP-Δkp05372 mutant in the heart, liver, spleen, kidney, and intestine was the weakest. The three strains caused different histopathological changes in the liver and lungs. In the GPKP-Δkp05372 mutant, the relative expression levels of kp05374 and kp05379 were increased to 1.32-fold and 1.42-fold, respectively, while the level of kp05378 was decreased by 42%. Overall, the deletion of kp05372 gene leads to changes in the following: drug resistance and acid tolerance; decreases in virulence, biofilm formation, and colonization ability of GPKP; and regulation of the upstream region of adjacent genes.
Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/physiology* ; Biofilms ; Deer/microbiology* ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Klebsiella Infections/pathology* ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/growth & development* ; Male ; Mice ; Transcription Factors/physiology*

Objective: To investigate the expressions of miR-144 and lncRNA DNAJC3-AS1 in breast cancer tissues and their effects on chemo-resistance of breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Methods: A total of 196 pairs of breast cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues collected between January, 2012 and December, 2016 in Department of Oncology, 3201 Hospital were used for this study. The relative expressions of DNAJC3-AS1, DNAJC3 and miR-144 in collected tissues were determined using qPCR, and their impact on the survival of BC patients was also analyzed. The targeted binding relationship between DNAJC3-AS1 and miR-144 was verified by Luciferase reporter gene assay. DNAJC3-AS1 over-expression plasmid and miR-144 mimics were transfected into MCF-7 cell lines respectively, and qPCR was used to verify the transfection efficiency. The effects of DNAJC3-AS1 and miR-144 overexpression on proliferation and cisplatin sensitivity of MCF-7 cells were verified by CCK-8 assay. Results: DNAJC3-AS1 and its host gene DNAJC3 were highly expressed in BC tissues (all P<0.01), and these two were positively correlated (r=0.451, P<0.01); in addition, patients with high expressions of DNAJC3-AS1 and DNAJC3 had a shorter survival period (all P<0.01). miR-144 was highly expressed in BC tissues (P<0.01) and negatively correlated with DNAJC3-AS1 (r=-0.524, P<0.01). The average over-expressionfold for DNAJC3-AS1 was 13.47 (P<0.01), while the fold for miR-144 was 20.27 (P<0.01). Bioinformatics analysis and fluorescence reporter gene assay confirmed that DNAJC3-AS1 could specifically bind to miR-144. MCF-7 cell lines over-expressing DNAJC3-AS1 and miR-14 were successfully constructed; compared with control group, cells in DNAJC3-AS1 over-expression group exhibited significantly enhanced proliferation and reduced cisplatin-sensitivity (all P<0.01), while the cells in miR-144 over-expression group showed significantly enhanced drug sensitivity (P<0.01). Conclusion: miR-144 and lncDNAJC3-AS1 were highly expressed in BC tissues, miR-144 promotes cisplatin sensitivity of BC MCF-7 cells through targeting DNAJC3-AS1.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and high risk factors of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complicated with tuberculosis infection. METHODS: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed in the hospital of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2007 to January 2017 was retrospectively collected, who were enrolled in the study group. A control group was randomly selected from the RA patients hospitalized in the same period without co-infection at a ratio of 1 :2. The general data, clinical data, laboratory test data, treatment plan, etc. of the two groups were collected in detail for single factor statistical analysis. Then multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors of RA complicated with tuberculosis infection with statistical significance in univariate analysis. RESULTS: The clinical manifestations of fever (83.3%) were most common, followed by cough (69%) and body mass loss (45.2%). In the infected group, pulmonary tuberculosis accounted for 73.3%. In the infected group the chest CT showed two or more cases, accounting for 59%. There were 9 cases (33.3%) occurring in the typical tuberculosis occurrence site. Compared with the control group, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reaction protein (CRP) levels, and the daily average dose of glucocorticoid in 1 year in the infected group were higher than those in the control group. And those differences were statistically significant(P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in gender, age, disease duration, disease activity score, white blood cell (WBC), platelet (PLT), hemoglobin (Hb), immunoglobulin G (IgG), complement (C), Anti cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP), CD4⁺T cell count, and immunosuppressant use (P > 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CRP levels(OR=1.016, 95%CI:1.002-1.031) and the daily average dose of glucocorticoid in 1 year(OR=1.229, 95%CI:1.066-1.418)were the independent risk factors of RA complica-ted with tuberculosis infection. CONCLUSION RA patients with tuberculosis infection are mainly phthisis. The clinical manifestations of RA combined with tuberculosis infection are lack of specificity, and the chest imaging features of pulmonary tuberculosis are diverse, which are easy to be misdiagnosed. CRP levels and the daily average dose level of glucocorticoid in 1 year were risk factors for RA and tuberculosis infection.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/complications* ; Autoantibodies ; Blood Sedimentation ; Humans ; Peptides, Cyclic ; Retrospective Studies ; Rheumatoid Factor ; Tuberculosis/epidemiology*

OBJECTIVE To s tudy the impr ovement effects of tilianin on the atherosclerosis （AS）model mice and its potential mechanism. METHODS Eight C 57BL/6J mice were taken as the normal group. Forty ApoE－/－ mice were randomly divided into model group ，tilianin low-dose ，medium-dose and high-dose groups [ 2.1，3.5，7.0 mg/（kg·d）] and simvastatin group [positive control drug ，3.5 mg/（kg·d）]，with 8 mice in each group. Normal group was given normal diet ，and other groups were given high-lipid diet to induce AS model. At the same time ，normal group and model group were given normal saline intragastrically ， administration groups were given relevant drug intragastrically ，once a day ，for 12 consecutive weeks. The levels of TC ，TG， LDL-C，HDL-C，Ox-LDL，IL-1β，IL-6，MCP-1 and TNF-α in plasma were determined. The pathomorphological changes of the aorta in mice were observed. The positive rate of ICAM- 1，VCAM-1 and PCNA in the aorta were determined. mRNA expressions of MMP- 2，MMP-9，TGF-β1，Smad2 and Smad 3 as well as protein expressions of TGF-β1，Smad2/3 and p-Smad 2/3 were also determined in aorta of mice. RESULTS Compared with normal group ，the plasma levels of TC ，TG，LDL-C，Ox-LDL，IL-1β， IL-6，MCP-1 and TNF-α in model group were increased significantly（P＜0.01），while HDL-C level was significantly reduced （P＜0.01）. Lipid plaques were formed in the aorta ，and the plaque area was large and caused severe stenosis of the lumen. mRNA expressions of MMP- 2，MMP-9，TGF-β1，Smad2 and Smad 3 as well as positive rate of ICAM- 1，VCAM-1，PCNA and protein expression TGF-β1，Smad2/3，and p-Smad 2/3 in the aorta were significantly increased （P＜0.01）. Compared with model group ， most of above indexes of medication groups were improved significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Tilianin can inhibit the activation of TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway and then inhibit the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells ，reduce ， inflammation and regulate lipid metabolism to inhibit the No.81960766） formation of AS.