Objective To determine whether peritoneal mesothelial cells express CD40 and to investigate potential mechanism by which CD40-CD40 ligand(CD40L) interaction may be involved in the inflammation of peritoneal membrane. Methods Rat peritoneal mesothelial cells (MC) were harvested from peritoneal cavity and maintained under defined in vitro conditions. Expression of CD40 on MC under normal culture or stimulation with interferon-?(IFN-?), tumor necrosis factor-?(TNF-?), interleukin(IL)-1 was examined by RT-PCR and FACS analysis. After activation with CD40 mAb, the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on MC was analyzed by FCAS. Results MC cultured in vitro expressed CD40 constitutively. The expression of CD40mRNA and CD40 protein up-regulated markedly following the stimulations with IFN-?, but not with IL-1, TNF-?. The expression of ICAM-1 on MC was significantly increased after activation of CD40 with IFN-? and CD40mAb. Conclusions MC functionally expresses CD40. The interaction of CD40 on MC and CD40L+ cells in peritoneal cavity may play an important role in peritoneal local defense and may be involved in the inflammation process of peritoneum.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features, imaging features, treatment options and prognosis of linear scleroderma with central nervous system involvement.Methods:One case of linear scleroderma " en coup de sabre" (LSES) school-age child suffering from dizziness, vomiting and blurred vision was admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital on March 25, 2019.The curative effect was observed after treatment.The relevant literature was searched, and the characteristics of cases and therapeutic effects were reviewed.Results:The clinical features of this case included recurrent and transient dizziness, vomiting, and blurred vision.Cranial imaging indicated abnormal signals in the left frontotemporal lobe white matter, cingulate gyrus, basal ganglia region, and corpus callosum proximal pressure part, multiple soft meningeal line enhancement and abnormal brain substance enhancement on the brain surface in the lesion area.After 2 months of combined treatment with Methotrexate(MTX) and corticosteroids, some symptoms such as dizziness and vomiting disappeared.Three months after the treatment, in the primary cerebral hemisphere and multiple calcifications in the brain parenchyma, the lesions significantly reduced in cranial imaging.The child was followed up for 11 months and displayed no clinical symptoms.New hair was dense at the alopecia area, and skin color, texture and grain were close to normal at the damaged area.In the review of domestic literature, treatment and prognosis were not involved.Foreign literatures reported 5 cases of children, with the first choice of Methylprednisolone being combined with MTX treatment, significant effect was observed, and consistent with the treatment of this case.Conclusions:In order to detect and treat them as early as possible and improve the prognosis, LSES patients should undergo cranial integrity assessment and neurological imaging examination at an early stage, regardless of clinical manifestations of nervous system involvement.

Radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) has been one of the most effective treatments for prostate cancer.This study is designed to identify the related predictive risk factors for complications in patients following RRP.Between 2000 and 2012 in Department of Urology,Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center,421 cases undergoing RRP for localized prostate cancer by one surgeon were included in this retrospective analysis.We reviewed various risk factors that were correlated with perioperative complications,including patient characteristics [age,body mass index (BMI),co-morbidities],clinical findings (preoperative PSA level,Gleason score,clinical stage,pathological grade),and surgeon's own clinical practice.Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) was used to explain comorbidities.The total rate of perioperative complications was 23.2％ (98/421).There were 45/421 (10.7％),28/421 (6.6％),24/421 (5.7％) and 1/421 (0.2％) in grade Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ respectively,and 323/421 (76.8％) cases had none of these complications.Statistical analysis of multiple potential risk factors revealed that BMI ＞30 (P=0.014),Charlson score ≥1 (P＜0.001) and surgical experience (P=0.0252) were predictors of perioperative complications.Age,PSA level,Gleason score,TNM stage,operation time,blood loss,and blood transfusion were not correlated with perioperative complications (P＞0.05).It was concluded that patients' own factors and surgeons' technical factors are related with an increased risk of development of perioperative complications following radical prostatectomy.Knowing these predictors can both favor risk stratification of patients undergoing RRP and help surgeons make treatment decisions.

Objective To explore the attitudes towards the Smoking Ban policy and the bias in different levels of related society sanctions so as to provide evidence for implementing anti-smoking measures in the public places.Methods A multi-univariate-multilevel logistic model was developed to find the relation between penalty attitudes and the covariates' effects.Results 74.6％ (3647/4892) and 61.2％ (2994/4892) of the residents agreed to punish either the managers of public places or to the smokers.The two kinds of attitude were associated (x2 =1253.45,P＜0.0001 ).Residents being female,aged between thirty and fifty-nine years old,having had higher than college education,being non-current smokers,with high scores on knowledge of tobacco control,tended to have the attitude of punishing the public place managers and smokers.However,those persons exposed to everyday secondhand smoke or being non-current smokers,tended to punish the smokers in the generalized Wald test.Conclusion There was strong evidence noticed that most of the residents in Guangzhou had supported the ‘tobacco control penalty'.Factors as age,sex,level of education received,knowledge on hazards of smoking,being current smokers and under secondhand smoke exposure were the influencing factors.Non-current smokers and those who exposed to secondhand smoke everyday,would prefer to take different penalties policies.

Objective To analyze the CT findings of melamine induced urinary calculi.Methods Nineteen children with a history of ingestion of melamine contaminated infant formula milk were studied, including 12 males and 7 females, age ranged from 50 days to 5 years.Results CT demonstrated renal pelvic and ureteral stones in 13 cases, with urinary obstruction in 9 of them.The size of the stones ranged from 0.3 cm × 0.3 cm to stag-horn calculus.The density of the stones measured from a low of 40-70 HU up to a high of 410 HU with an average density of 160 HU.Conclusion CT scan is an excellent modality in demonstrating urinary tract calculi caused by melamine. It is the method of choice when ultrasound examinations are equivocal.

AIM: To investigate the effect of IL-4, CD40L on RANTES production in murine renal tubular epithelial cells (TEC). METHODS: TEC were obtained from mouse, expression of RANTES and CD40 on TEC were measured. RESULTS: (1) Activation of TEC with IL-4 resulted in significant increase in CD40 expression (P

Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Atractylodis Rhizoma were widely used in strengthening spleen under different disease conditions, and were easily and often misused each other. Therefore, DNA barcode was used to distinguish Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Atractylodis Rhizoma from their adulterants to ensure the safe use. The sequence lengths of ITS2 of Atractylodes macrocephala, Atractylodis Rhizoma (A. lancea, A. japonica and A. coreana) were both 229 bp. Among the ITS2 sequences of A. macrocephala, only one G/C transversion was detected at site 98, and the average GC content was 69.42%. No variable site was detected in the ITS2 sequences of A. lancea. The maximum K2P intraspecific genetic distances of both A. japonica and A. coreana were 0.013. The maximum K2P intraspecific genetic distances of A. macrocephala, A. lancea, A. japonica and A. coreana were less than the minimum interspecific genetic distance of adulterants. The ITS2 sequences in each of these polytypic species were separated into pairs of divergent clusters in the NJ tree. DNA barcoding could be used as a fast and accurate identification method to distinguish Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Atractylodis Rhizoma, from their adulterants to ensure its safe use.
Atractylodes ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; classification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Quality Control ; Rhizome ; classification ; genetics

To study the effect of cholesterol and 25-OH-cholesterol on cholesterol metabolism in HepG2 cells and the effect of coptisine (Cop) extracted from Coptidis Rhizoma (CR) in reducing and regulating cholesterol. In this study, TC, TG, LDL-c and HDL-c were measured by biochemical analysis; mRNA and protein expressions of LDLR, HMGCR and CYP7A1 were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. According to the results, cholesterol and 25-OH-cholesterol inducing could decrease in mRNA and protein expressions of LDLR and CYP7A1, so as to increase TC and LDL-c contents. However, Cop could up-regulate mRNA and protein expressions of LDLR and CYP7A1 and down-regulate that of HMGCR, so as to reduce TC and LDL-c levels. These findings suggested that Cop has potential pharmacological activity for reducing cholesterol, and may reduce cholesterol by regulating mRNA and protein expressions of key genes involved in cholesterol metabolism, such as LDLR, CYP7A1 and HMGCR. This study laid a firm theoretical foundation for developing new natural drugs with the cholesterol-lowering activity.
Berberine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Cholesterol ; metabolism ; Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic ; drug effects ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptors, LDL ; genetics ; metabolism ; Triglycerides ; metabolism

Objective To study local and systemic immune response in an animal model treated with recombinant hIFN-α-2b-BCG instillation. Methods The MB49 orthotopic bladder cancer model in C57BL/6 mice was established and treated separately with rBCG, wild BCG, wild BCG combined with IFN-α-2b and PBS as the control. The changes of lymphocyte subgroups in peripheral blood were analyzed with FCM, and mTNF-α and mIL-12 in peripheral blood of mice were detected with ELISA.Immunohistochemistry was carried out to detect the local immune reaction, T cell subsets and FAS, in bladder cancer after being treated with rBCG or wBCG. Results The content of CD4+ T lymphocyte was up-regulated in the rBCG group. The CD4+/CD8+ ratio of 2. 63 was up-regulated than pretreatment, significantly different than that of wBCG group(P＜0.05). ELISA assay showed that BCG significantly up-regulated the level of mTNF-α and mIL-12 in serum of orthotopie murine bladder cancer mice. The mTNF-α 806 pg/ml, mIL-12 860 pg/ml in rBCG group, was not significantly higher than those in wBCG group and combination group. The immunocompetent cell numbers with CD3, CD4,CD8 phenotype increased significantly in the tumor tissue of BCG treated group than the control(P＜0.05). The results of CD4+ in rBCG group and the combination group, and CD8+ in rBCG group were significantly higher than that of the wBCG(P＜0.05). The expression of Fas in tumor tissues treated with intravesical BCG was increased(P＜0. 05). Conclusions The recombinant IFN-α-2b-BCG can retrieve the disproportion of systemic lymphocyte subgroups, and increases Th1-type factors and local Fas expression in orthotopic murine bladder cancer. The recombinant IFN-α-2b-BCG is effective in regulating local and systemic immune reaction in orthotopic murine bladder cancer model.

OBJECTIVETo compare the differences between computer aided identification and ultra-thin layer slicing in measuring the lesions of femoral head necrosis,and to confirm the accuracy and practicability of computer aided method.

METHODSFrom June 2012 to December 2013, the X-ray and MRI of 24 patients (24 hips on unilateral) were reviewed, who had avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFA) at late stage (stage III and IV) according to the ARCO international staging system. There were 15 males and 9 females, with an average age of (65.1 ± 8.8) years old, ranged 33 to 74 years old. Based on the software system with seeds point identification, the ragional adaptive search method with computer aid was used to calculate the volume of necrotic lesion in femoral on MRI. Then the pathological slices of those intraoperative femoral heads were made to measure the gross volume of necrotic lesion in femoral head,and the values were compared with the data in the computer.

RESULTSFor 24 hips, by the calculation of computer, the necrotic volume was (20.00 ± 3.04) cm (ranged, 18.72 to 21.29 cm³). Under the pathological section, the necrotic volume of the femoral head was (19.89 ± 3.17) cm³ (ranged, 18.55 to 21.23 cm³). In computer and pathology two kinds of measurement, the two entire femoral head volume had no significant difference using these two measurements (t = -1.227, P = 0.232).

CONCLUSIONComputer aided identification for necrotic area of femoral head adaptive can demonstrate the morphology of femoral head necrosis accurately and reliably, which will help surgeon better understand the morphology and orientation in femoral head.

Adult ; Aged ; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted ; Female ; Femur Head Necrosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged