Objective To observe the changes of ultrasound image before and after treatment and in order to provide the reference for clinical diagnosis.Methods Seventy-eight chronic epididymitis patients who treated with traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine from January 2007 to February 2009were enrolled in this study.They were given oral sparfloxacin tablets as 3 tablets once a day,at the same time,Danhong Tongjing decoction were given 1 dose/d,boiling water decoction,to take medicine morning and evening.Clinical effectiveness was observed after treated for 30 d.The epididymal size,internal echo intensity,resistance index(RI) of blood flow,maximum and minimum blood flow (Vmax,and Vmin),the ratio of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure (S/D) and blood flow changes of color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) were detected before treatment,treatment for 15 d,and after treatment.Results Fifty patients were cured,20 patients were better and 8 patients had no effectiveness.In cured and better patients,the epididymal size,Vmax and Vmin,RI and S/D at treatment for 15 d and after treatment were significantly improved compared with before treatment [the epididymal size:the thickness of tail:(1.14 ± 0.19),(0.75 ±0.13) cm vs.(1.68 ± 0.25) cm; the thickness of body:(0.54 ± 0.17),(0.46 ± 0.11) cm vs.(0.63 ± 0.12)cm; the thickness of head:(1.12 ±0.16),(0.80 ±0.15) cm vs.(1.53 ±0.27) cm;Vmax:(0.22 ±0.12),(0.19 ± 0.10) m/s vs.(0.28 ± 0.13) m/s;Vmin:(0.14 ± 0.05),(0.07 ± 0.02) m/s vs.(0.19 ± 0.08) m/s;RI:0.64 ±0.13,0.52 ±0.10 vs.0.89 ±0.17;S/D:3.64 ±1.40,2.78 ±1.26 vs.4.35 ±1.62] (P ＜0.05).Conclusions Color Doppler ultrasound can accurately detect the significant changes before and after treatment in patients with chronic epididymitis,such as epididymal size,internal echo intensity,RI,Vmax,Vmin,S/D and grade of blood flow,which can provide information for prognosis,and guide the clinical treatment.It has important application value in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic epididymitis.

The recently published articles about the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis were reviewed.Osteoarthritis(OA)is characterized by cartilage degradation,osteophyte and involvement of the synovium.Mechanics,inflammatory mediators and aging collide studies in developmental,genetic and joint disease models indicate that Wnt/?-catenin signaling is critically involved in these processes.Many different factors contribute to the onset and progression of OA and Wnt/?-catenin signaling plays a vital role in these processes.

BACKGROUND: p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family. It plays an important role in the development of osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To review the progress of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway in the pathological process of osteoarthritis. METHODS: An online search of CNKI and PubMed databases was performed for articles using keywords of “p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway, osteoarthritis, articular cartilage, chondrocyte” in Chinese and English, respectively. Relevant articles were summarized from three aspects of introduction of p38 signal transduction pathway, the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway in osteoarthritis and the inhibitor of p38 in osteoarthritis. A total of 90 articles were included. According to inclusion criteria, a number of 46 articles were retained at last. RESULES AND CONCLUSION: p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway has a close relation with chondrocyte hypertrophy and calcification, chondrocyte apoptosis, synthesis of cartilage matrix metal oproteinase, production of proinflammatory cytokines, and exerts a significant effect on the development of osteoarthritis. p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase is involved in the formation and development of osteoarthritis through a variety of complex mechanisms and plays a very important role. Therefore, blocking p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway may be a new target in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Objective:To investigate the effect of survivin-siRNA plasmid on survivin expression in human lung cancer cell line A549, and to observe its effect on the apoptosis, proliferation, and chemosensitivity of A549 cells. Methods: pSilencer-survivin-siRNA (survivin-siRNA) plasmid was constructed using pSilencer-U6 plasmid and was transfected into A549 cells. Expression of survivin mRNA and protein was examined by RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis, respec-tively. Apoptosis and proliferation of A549 cells were examined by DAPI staining and MTT, respectively. Results: Sur-vivin-siRNA plasmid was successfully constructed, and it significantly inhibited survivin mRNA and protein expression in A549 cells. Survivin-siRNA transfection induced apoptosis, inhibited proliferation and increased chemosensitivity of A549 cells to cisplatin. Conclusion: pSilencer-survivin-siRNA can silence survivin expression in A549 cells and subsequently inhibit proliferation, promote apoptosis, and enhance chemosensitivity of A549 cells to cisplatin. Survivin may serve as a potential target for gene therapy of lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the arsenic trioxide(As2O3)-induced oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in mouse oocytes and possible mechanisms. METHODS ① For in vitro assay,the mouse oocytes were denuded from ovaries of normal mice and incubated in medium for 20 h in different treatment groups:control,As2O3 1 and 2 μmol · L- 1,N-acetylcysteine (NAC) 5 mmol · L-1, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy(Tempo)1 mmol · L-1, As2O3(1 and 2 μmol · L-1)+NAC 5 mmol · L-1,As2O3 (1 and 2 μmol · L-1)+Tempo 1 mmol · L-1. ② For in vivo assay,mice were subjected to ip injection with physiological saline (normal control),As2O3 1 and 2 mg · kg-1,or As2O3 (1 and 2 mg · kg-1)+NAC 200 mg · kg-1, respectively. After 60 d,all the mice were sacrificed and their ovaries were quickly excised. Intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels were determined by 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein-diacetate (DCFH-DA). The oxidative damage to mtDNA was induced using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)for 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine(8-OHdG). The expression of DNA polymerase γ(Polγ)and mitochondrial transcription factor A(mtTFA)was detected by Western blotting and the vitality of lysosomes was monitored by β-galactosidase(β-Gal)Assay Kit. RESULTS ①In vitro experiments,As2O3 elevated 8-OHdG levels of mtDNA in mouse oocytes accom? panied by increased levels of ROS (P<0.05),but co-treatment with NAC or Tempo significantly reduced ROS and 8- OHdG levels (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the expression levels of Pol γ and mtTFA were down-regulated by As2O3(P<0.05),but were markedly elevated by the addition of NAC or Tempo (P<0.05). ②In vivo assay,As2O3 elevated ROS as well as 8-OHdG levels of mtDNA in mouse oocytes,while the expression levels of Pol γ and mtTFA were down-regulated by As2O3(P<0.05). Co-treatment with NAC significantly reduced ROS and 8-OHdG levels,but markedly elevated Pol γ and mtTFA levels(P<0.05). Besides,a notable increase in β-Gal activity was shown in As2O3-treated mouse oocytes in vitro (P<0.05),while antioxidants efficiently reduced the activity (P<0.05). However,no significant changes were observed in the in vivo study. CONCLUSION The oxidative damage to mtDNA induced by As2O3 in mouse oocytes may be mediated by ROS and associated with down-regulation of protein levels of Pol γ and mtTFA as well as increment of lysosomal activity.

Objective To study the value of CT scan in diagnosis and clinical therapy of thyroid diseases.Methods CT findings in 61 cases with various thyroid diseases confirmed pathologically were analyzed retrospectively.Results ① 9 patients were Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.Of them,5 cases were diffuse lesions and 4 localized at one enlarged lobe and 1 with calcification.② 28 cases with hyperplasia included 2 Graves disease of diffuse lesions with enlargement and 26 nodular hyperplasia.There were calcification in 8 and cystic change in 13.③ 24 cases of thyroid tumor included 14 thyroid adenomas with complete circumscribed enhanced ring around the lesion,10 of them were in company with cystic change and 4 with calcification.13 cases were single lesion and one case was mattiple lesions.10 thyroid carcinoma,3 cases were in company with cystic change and 7 with calcification.Metastasis of cervical lymph nodus was found by CT in 7 cases.Metastatic lymph nodes presented marked enhancement,cystic change and calcification.Conclusion CT scan both plain and contrast-enhanced are beneficial for the detection of thyroid diseases,and is also important for planning the management and predicting the prognosis of this disease.

BACKGROUND:Pneumonectomy, extracorporeal circulation, lung transplantation and pulmonary embolism can cause ischemia/reperfusion injury of lung tissue. Lung ischemia/reperfusion injury is an important factor of lung function disorders after lung transplantation. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the effect of ischemic postconditioning on rat models of lung ischemia/reperfusion injury. METHODS:Twenty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into sham, ischemia/reperfusion and ischemic postconditioning groups (n = 8 rats/group) to establish the lung ischemia/reperfusion injury model. The rats in the sham group were only subjected to separation of the hilum of left lung and pulmonary arteries and veins, without blocking. The rats in the ischemia/reperfusion group were subjected to another 2 hours of reperfusion after 1 hour of lung ischemia. The rats in the ischemic postconditioning group were first subjected to 30 seconds of lung ischemia and 30 seconds of reperfusion for three times, and then to 2 hours of reperfusion. After the experiment, the specimens of lung tissue were obtained to detect the wet/dry weight ratio of lung tissue, activities of superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase, the contentsof inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6, and the histopathological changes of lung tissue were observed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the sham group, the wet/dry weight ratio of lung tissue, activities of myeloperoxidase and myeloperoxidase, the levels of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the ischemia/reperfusion and ischemic postconditioning groups, however, the increase levels of these indices were not significant in the ischemic postconditioning group, and the contents and activities in the ischemic postconditioning group were al significantly decreased (P < 0.05) compared with those in the ischemia/reperfusion group. In the ischemia/reperfusion and ischemic postconditioning groups, the activity of superoxide dismutase was obviously lower than that in the sham group, however, the activity of superoxide dismutase in the ischemic postconditioning group was obviously higher than that in the ischemia/reperfusion group. Pathological examination showed that thickened alveolar wal, edema and a large amont of inflammatory cel infiltrations were observed in the lung tissue of rats in the ischemia/reperfusion group. The degrees of alveolar wal thickening and edema in the lung tissue of rats in the ischemic postconditioning group were mild compared with the ischemia/reperfusion group, and in addition, some inflammatory cels were infiltrated. The histopathological scores of lung tissue in the ischemic postconditioning group were lower than those in the ischemia/reperfusion group. These results suggest that ischemic postconditioning plays its protective role on rat models of ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting inflammatory cel accumulation, oxygen free radical production and pro-inflammatory cytokine release after ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Objective To use the laboratory detection indicators and pregnant information to predict severe preeclampsia in preg-nant women.Methods 80 pregnant women with severe preeclampsia were collected as the disease group,and 444 cases were select-ed as the control group.Their laboratory detection indicators and pregnant information were compared.between the two groups.The Logistic regression and the ROC curve were used to analyze the predictive value of each indicator for predicting severe preeclamp-sia.Results BMI,MAP,HCT,PLT in the first trimester of pregnancy and BMI,MAP in the second trimester of pregnancy were positively correlated with severe preeclampsia.HCG and PAPP-A in the first trimester of pregnancy were negatively correlated with severe preeclampsia.The single indicators with large predicting value for severe preeclampsia included PAPP-A in the first trimester and MAP in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.The combining MAP in the first and second trimester of pregnancy had the largest predictive value.Conclusion PAPP-A in the first trimester and MAP in the first and second trimester of pregnancy can predict subsequent severe preeclampsia.

Objective To investigate the application and survival mechanism of a long and narrow pedicle flap which was used to repair the tissue defects after removal of tumor in aged patients.Methods The long and narrow pedicle flap was designed with its pedicle located beside wound surface along the pathway of well-known or perforating branch blood vessel to repair the defect caused by removing the tumor in aged patients.The size of the flaps ranged from 3 cm × 4 cm to 10 cm × 12 cm.The length and width of the pedicle ranged 2 - 8 cm and 1.0 - 1.5 cm.Results This flap was used in 17 cases.The flap was survived well in 14 patients,and healed later in other 3 patients because of wrong bandaging in earlier period.Conclusions The capability of bearing ischemia and hypoxia of the flap tissue is stronger after transfer owing to low metabolic rate in the skin tissue in aged patients.The flap is easily survived by repairing the tissue defects after removal of tumors in aged patients with the long and narrow pedicle flap.The pedicle of flap is narrow and long,and the transposition of the narrow pedicle flap is easy.The postoperative appearance is satisfactory.It is an ideal choice for repairing the defect caused by removal of tumor in aged patients.

Objective To explore the value of DWI and ADC in evaluation the pathologic characteristics of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE).Methods Twenty six patients with HAE underwent routine MRI and DWI ( b =500,800 s/mm2 ) scan,ADC values of different part including the center,peripheral area and surrounding zone of the lesion were measured,respectively.One-way ANOVA was used for comparing the ADC values of two groups.HE staining specimens and MVD of peripheral area of the lesion were analyzed by different pathological staining methods.The correlation between MVD and ADC values of the peripheral area was analyzed by using the Pearson rank correlation analysis.ResultsTotally 32 lesions were detected in 26 HAE patients.The ADC values of the center,the peripheral zone and the surrounding area of the lesions were (1.3 ±0.3) × 10-3,(1.1 ±0.4) × 10-3 and (1.8 ±0.5) ×10 -3 mm2/s when b =500 s/mm2,but when b =800 s/mm2,the ADC values were ( 1.2 ± 0.4) × 10 -3,(1.1 ± 0.3) × 10-3 and (1.9 ± 0.4) × 10-3 mm2/s,respectively.There were significant difference of the ADC values between two groups(P ＜0.01 ).The significant differences of the ADC values were also found in different area of the lesion (P ＜ 0.05 ).There were no correlation was found between ADC value and MVD [(12.9 ± 3.7)/HP] in the peripheral area of HAE(r =-0.042 and -0.077,P ＞ 0.05).ConclusionsDWI reflected the heteromorphism of peripheral zone and help to identify the infiltration area and biological boundary.No relationship was found between the ADC values of peripheral zone of lesion and MVD.