BACKGROUND:Ligustrazine has been shown to restore the function of the femoral headviathe revascularization, increased blood flow, theabsorption ofnecroticbone, and bone regeneration. OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of ligustrazine on remodeling of periodontal tissues and the expression of osteoprotegerin in the maintenance phase in rats with orthodontic tooth movement. METHODS:Thirty-two healthy male Wistar rats were included and equaly randomized into four groups. Maxilary left first molar mesialization was performed through traction of 50 g force for 21 days to establish the rat model of tooth movement. 5, 10, 15 mg/L ligustrazine (50 μL) were localy injected into the first molar periosteum in model rats on the day before removing the orthodontic forcing device. Same volume of saline was injected in the control group. The injection was administered every other day. At 1 and 4 weeks after injection, the distance of tooth movement, the recurrence distances and percentage were determined and calculated. The pathological changes in periodontal tissues were observed by immunohistochemistry and hematoxylin-eosin staining. The width ofthe parodontium and number of osteoblasts were observed under an optical microscope. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The recurrence distance inthecontrol group was increased compared withtheexperimental group, while the number of osteoblasts and osteoprotegerin immunoreactivity were decreased. Good width of the parodontium and smal recurrence trend were found in 10mg/L ligustrazine group. These findings indicate that ligustrazine promotes the proliferation of osteoblasts and enhances the expression of osteoprotegerin, which is beneficial to the retention of teeth after orthodontic surgery.

Objective To examine the effects of benazepril and losartan on glomerular podocyte autophagy in aged spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and investigate the underlying mechanisms of renal-protective effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB).Methods Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs) were used as the normal control (NORM) group (2 ml physiological saline per day).SHRs were randomly divided into 4 groups:the CTRL group (2 ml physiological saline per day),the ACEI group (10 mg · kg-1 · d-1),the ARB group (30 mg· kg-1 ·d-1) and the combined group (10 mg· kg-1 · d-1 benazepril and 30 mg· kg-1 · d-1),with six 18-month-old make rats in each group.The experiments were conducted during a 4-month period.Blood pressure was monitored regularly.At the end of the experiments,we measured the levels of urine protein,urine creatinine,serum creatinine (SCR),blood urea nitrogen (BUN),and serum and renal cortex angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ).Ultrastructural changes in the kidney were examined under light and transmission electron microscopy.The expressions of nephrin,LC3BⅡ,Atg5 and p62 in the glomerulus were analyzed by Western blot analysis.Results After treatment,the blood pressure and the urine albumin/creatinine ratio of the four SHR groups were still significantly higher than those of the NORM group,but the blood pressure and the urine albumin/creatinine ratio of the ARB group and the combined group were significantly lower than those of the CTRL group (all P＜ 0.05);There were no significant differences in SCR and BUN levels among these five groups (P＞ 0.05);The level of serum AngⅡ of the combined group was significantly higher than that of the CTRL group [CTRL (0.08±0.00) μg/L,Combined (0.12±0.01) μg/L,P＜0.05];The levels of cortex AngⅡ of the four SHR groups were significantly lower than those of the NORM group,while the level of cortex AngⅡ of the ARB group was significantly higher than that of the CTRL group (all P＜0.05);Renal ultrastructural examination revealed shrunken glomeruli,fused or effaced epithelial cell foot processes,and focal atrophy of renal tubules in the four SHR groups.These pathological changes were more serious in the CTRL group but less so in the combined group.There were significantly more autophagosomes in the NORM group and the combined group than in the CTRL group (P＜0.05).Compared with the NORM group,the expressions of nephrin,LC3BⅡ,Atg5 and p62 in the CTRL group were suppressed significantly (P ＜ 0.05).The expressions of nephrin,LC3BⅡ and Atg5 in the ACEI group and the expressions of nephrin,LC3BⅡ,Atg5 and p62 in the ARB group and the combined group were higher than in the CTRL group (P＜0.05).Conclusions ACEI/ARB can decrease the autophagic activity of glomerular podocytes.The renal-protective effects of ACEI/ARB may be mediated by glomerular podocyte autophagy,which is induced by AngⅡ.

Objective:To observe the effect of tannic acid on renal morphology and function of diabetes mellitus model rats ,and to explore the mechanism of improving effect of tannic acid from oxidative stress , nitrosative stress angle.Methods: 8 rats were randomly selected from 68 6-week-old male Wistar rats as normal control group and the remaining 60 rats accepted high-sugar and high-fat diet for 4 weeks, then were injected streptozotocin ( STZ, 52 mg/kg ) intraperitoneally in order to manufacture a diabetic rat model.Further the diabetic rats were randomly divided into model group ,aminoguanidine group ,low-dose of tannic acid group and high dose of tannic acid group.The rats in aminoguanidine group were injected aminoguanidine [AG,40 mg/(kg· d)] intraperitoneally, those in low-dose of tannic acid group were injected tannic acid [TA,20 mg/(kg· d)] and those in high-dose of tannic acid group were injected tannic acid [TA,30 mg/(kg· d)].The rats in normal control group and model group were injected normal saline [NS, 30 mg/(kg· d)] and all rats were sacrificed and tissues were derived at the end of the week 10.Morphologic changes of kidney in diabetic rats were observed by HE staining and correlative biochemical indices of renal function were detected by biochemical analyzer.8-hydroxy deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) content of renal tissue in rats in different groups were detected by ELISA method.Mesangial cells cultured in vitro were treated with high concentration of glucose (30 mmol/L) and AGEs (250 mg/L) and at the same time with different concentration of tannic acid (10,20,40 and 80μmol/L) on the basis of setting corre-sponding control group.The contents of 8-OHdG and 3-NT in the culture supernatant were measured by ELISA method after 48 hours.Results:Tannic acid can effectively improve the renal pathological changes and improve renal function of diabetic rats .The contents of 8-OHdG and 3-NT in kidney tissue homogenate of diabetic rats and in the supernatant of GMC cultured with high glucose or AGEs were all significantly increased and can be reduced by tannic acid.Conclusion:Tannic acid improving the structure and function damage of kidney in diabetic rats might be achieved by oxidative stress and nitrosative stress mechanism .

Objective To improve the understanding of the characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in the elderly patients, and to improve the diagnosis and treatment level. Methods Monitoring results of polysomnography (PSG) from 110 elderly OSAHS patients were analyzed retrospectively. The general conditions, sleep architecture, apnea and hypopnea events, oxygen reduction as well as possible correlations between various indicators were analyzed using SPSS18.0 statistical software. Results The median rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep time of elderly patients with OSAHS accounted for 2. 17% and 76.73%,respectively. The median arousal index was 45.6 times/h. The longest time of sleep apnea was (51.94±22.06) s, the median of average sleep apnea time was 22.50 s, the longest time of hypopnea was (47.06±12.52) s and the average hypopnca time was (21.50±4.63) s. The median respiratory disturbance index (RDI) of all patients was 21.50, the patients with RDI between 5 and 20 accounted for 46.40%, with RDI between 20 and 40 accounted for 31.80% and with RDI over 40 accounted for 21.8%. The average oxygen saturation accounted for (93.45% ± 2.81%), the lowest oxygen saturation accounted for (76.3%± 10. 5%) and the median oxygen desaturation index was 31.6;times/h. BMI was negatively correlated with lowest oxygen saturation (r=-0. 378, P＜0.01) and average oxygen saturation ( r = - 0. 355, P ＜ 0. 01 ), while was positively correlated with oxygen desaturation index (r=0. 338, P＜0. 01 ). The lowest oxygen saturation was negatively correlated with the longest time of obstructive apnea (r= -0. 47, P＜0. 01 ), the average time of obstructive apnea (r=-0.316, P＜0.01), the longest time of hypopnea (r=-0.293, P＜0.01) and the average time of hypopnea (r=-0. 277, P＜0.01). The median time intervals of oxygen desaturation during supine, left side and right side position were 2.36 min, 11.54 min and 12.45 min,respectively. The median time intervals of oxygen desaturation during left side and right side position were both longer than that of supine position (Z= -6.12 and -7. 10 respectively, both P＜0.01).Conclusions Elderly patients with OSAHS manifest obvious disorder of sleep structural and sleep fragmentation. According to RDI, the majority of the patients are classified as mild to moderate in severity. However, elderly patients with OSAHS are severe regarding to hypoxia relatively. The severity of hypoxia is related with BMI and the lasting time of sleep-disordered breathing events, and hypoxia are less severe when sleeping on left side or on right side.

Objective:To investigate mechanism of TRAIL-resistance in A549 cells ( a cell line of non-small cell lung carcino-ma cells) due to Akt phosphorylation .Methods:A549 cells were treated with Akt inhibitor Perifosine and rsTRAIL protein individual-ly and in combination.The expressions of Akt phosphorylation(p-Akt),c-FLIPLL and caspase-8 were detected by Western blot.The apoptotic rate of the A549 cells treated was detected by flow cytometry and the cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay .Results:A549 cells showed the increased level of Akt phosphorylation mediated by rsTRAIL protein .Treatment with the Akt inhibitor Perifosine induced a suppression of Akt activation in A 549 cells and a concomitant decrease in the expression of c-FLIPLL .As a result, Perifosine significantly enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis rate of (76.5 ±3.02)%and cytotoxic rate of (83.2 ±2.54)%by promoting the activ-ity of caspase-8.Conclusion:Akt activity promotes A549cells survival against TRAIL-induced apoptosis and that the cytotoxic effect of rsTRAIL protein can be enhanced by modulating the Akt phosphorylation in human non -small cell lung carcinoma cells .

Objective:To observe the specific killing effect on tumor cells of the spleen cells in mice immunized with three tandem repeats of CEA minigene DNA vaccine pcDNA-triCEA625-667 and to evaluate the safety of the vaccine. Methods: The BALB/c mice were randomly divided into blank vector group ( pcDNA3. 0 ) , haploid vaccine group ( pcDNA-CEA625-667 ) and tandem repeats vaccine group (pcDNA-triCEA625-667). The mice received a total of 4 intramuscular immunization every 10 days once. The changes of body weight,survival state were recorded and the levels of serum ALT and serum creatinine were detected. The specific CTL killing activity of spleen cells in accinated mice on mouse hepatoma cells(H22-CEA+),gastric cancer cells(MFC-CEA+),colorectal cancer cells ( CT26-CEA+) with high expression of CEA and mouse hepatoma cells ( H22-CEA-) without expression of CEA was detected. Results:The two vaccines had strong killing activity on CEA positive liver cancer,gastric cancer and colon cancer cells,and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0. 01 ) compared with the PcDNA3. 0 group. And they had almost no effect on CEA negative tumor cells (H22-CEA-). The killing activity on liver cancer cell(H22-CEA+) and gastric cancer cell(MFC-CEA+) induced by pcDNA-triCEA625-667 was stronger than that induced by pcDNA-triCEA625-667(P<0. 05). The survival status,change of body weight and function of liver and kidney of the mice were not affected by the vaccine. Conclusion:There was no adverse reaction in the course of vaccine immunization. The minigene DNA vaccine derived from CEA can induce tumor specific CTL effect and the immune response level elicited by three tandem repeats of minigene DNA vaccine was superior to that elicited by haploid vaccine.

Objective To study the changes of renal cortex angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ) expression and podocyte autophagy in aging rats with normotension versus hypertension,to further investigate the possible mechanism of renal injury in hypertension during aging.Methods Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto-rats (WKYs) were allocated to three groups by age of 3-month-old group,13-month-old group,22-month-old group.Gender,age and number-matched spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) served as controls.Blood pressure was monitored.Levels of urinary albumin,urinary creatinine,serum creatinine (SCR),blood urea nitrogen (BUN),Ang Ⅱ in serum and in renal cortex were detected.The kidney ultrastructural changes and podocyte autophagosomes were observed under light and transmission electron microscopy.Expressions of nephrin,LC3B Ⅱ,Atg5 and p62 in glomeruli were analyzed by Western blotting.Results Blood pressure was significantly higher in SHRs than in WKYs (P＜0.05).During aging from 3-month-old to 13-month-old and to 22 monthold group,the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio was increased significantly in SHRs with hypertension and in WKYs with normotension [WKY:(0.12±0.01) g/mmol,(0.14±0.04) g/mmol vs.(0.34± 0.05) g/mmol;in SHR:(0.29±0.04) g/mmol,(0.31±0.05) g/mmol vs.(0.72±0.16) g/mmol,P＜0.05],but SCR and BUN levels had no significant difference in SHRs and WKYs during aging (both P＞0.05).And Ang Ⅱ levels in both serum and renal cortex had no significant change in normotension group during aging three time points (both P＞0.05).An age-dependent decrease of Ang Ⅱ level in renal cortex appeared during aging three time points in hypertensive rats [SHR:(0.02 ±0.00) μg/L,(0.02±0.00) μg/L vs.(0.01±0.00) μg/L,P＜0.05],but serum level of Ang Ⅱ had no significant difference during aging three time points (P＞ 0.05) in hypertension group.The structural changes,including glomerulosclerosis,tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis were observed during aging three time points both in normotensive and hypertensive rats,but these pathological changes were more serious in hypertensive rats.Autophagosomes relatively accumulated in aging normotensive rats.The protein expressions of LC3B Ⅱ,Atg5 and p62 were increased in normotensive rats during aging (all P＜0.05).While the protein expressions of nephrin,LC3B Ⅱ,Atg5 and p62 were decreased in aging hypertensive rats (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Ang Ⅱ expression level in renal cortex is decreased during aging in hypertensive rats.Podocyte autophagic activity is relatively decreased during aging in normotensive rats,but is relatively increased during aging in hypertensive rats.Ang Ⅱ-induced podocyte autophagy may be involved in the pathogenesis of renal injury in hypertension during aging.

Objective To explore the potential mechanisms of non-small cell lung carcinoma cells to rsTRAIL protein-induced apoptosis by phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase (PI3K/Akt)inhibitor LY294002,and to provide new ways to increase killing activities of rsTRAIL protein for non-small cell lung cancer.Methods The A549 cells at logarithmic growth phase were selected and randomly divided into rsTRAIL group and LY294002+rsTRAIL group. The inhibitory rate of growth of the A549 cells was tested by MTT assay.The cell cycle and apoptotic rate were detected by flow cytometry analysis. The expression levels of Ser473 phosphorylated form of Akt (p-Akt),c-FLIPL protein and Bcl-2 protein in the A549 cells in two groups were analyzed by Western blotting method. Results The inhibitory rate of growth of the A549 cells in LY294002+rsTRAIL group (74.6 %± 2.63%)was higher than that in rsTRAIL group (5.61% ± 0.32%) (P< 0.05 ). Compared with rsTRAIL group, the percentage of the cells at G0/G1 phase in LY294002+rsTRAIL group was increased(P<0.05)and the percentage of the cells at S phase was decreased(P<0.05).The apoptotic rate of the A549 cells in LY294002+rsTRAIL group (61.5%±3.02%)was higher than that in rsTRAIL group (3.21%±0.96%)(P<0.05). The Western blotting results showed that the expression levels of p-Akt, c-FLIPL and Bcl-2 proteins in the A549 cells in LY294002+rsTRAIL group were decreased (P<0.05 )and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 was increased (P<0.05 ) compared with rsTRAIL group.Conclusion LY294002 can increase the killing activity of rsTRAIL protein in A549 cells by inhibiting the activity of PI3K.

Objective To investigate needs of caregivers of patients with schizophrenia for mental health knowledge and provide the scientific evidence for formulating the general intervention to improve the caregivers′mental health knowledge and skills . Methods Sixty-five caregivers of the patients with schizophrenia participated in the survey by a general state questionnaire and the requirement to mental health knowledge and skill questionnaire using the convenience sampling method. The survey included mental illness knowledge drug, knowledge rehabilitative therapy and self-adjustment. Results Among all the items of the questionnaire, the 3 items they needed most was mental illness knowledge, the preventing method and the symptoms of the recurrent diseases. The 3 items they needed most in respect of drug knowledge were what examinations are needed when taking special drugs, the adverse reactions of the antipsychotic drugs and the importance of persisting in taking drugs. The 3 they needed most in respect of rehabilitative therapy were the relationship between psychology and disease rehabilitation, the role of mental treatment and the role of work-entertainment therapy. The 3 items they needed most in respect of self-adjustment included sleep adjustment, self-adjustment of affects and self-management of daily life and instructions on dieting. Conclusions The caregivers′mental health knowledge and skills are not enough. Therefore, their mental health knowledge and skills should be strengthened so that they can take better care of the patients to realize comprehensive rehabilitation of patients.

Objective To monitor the expression patterns of bcr-abl in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients during treatment with imatinib mesylate and evaluate the detection of MRD by RQ-PCR method. Methods The ABI Prism 7500 Sequence Detection System using Taqman fluorogenic probes was used to quantify target gene. bcr-abl mRNA was detected by RQ-PCR in 106 CML patients. The normalized quotient (NQ) of bcr-abl mRNA was calculated as followings: NQ=bcr-abl mRNA copy numbers/abl mRNA copy numbers. Results The NQ of BCR-ABL mRNA was well correlated with the progression of disease and the number of Ph+ cell (r =0.9824 and 0.9346, respectively). The NQ was decreased rapidly in 62 patients and kept in low level for a long time, and only 2 of them were relapsed. For 8 patients, after treatment the NQwere decreased initially and increased sharply, 7 of them were relapsed after 5-9 months. After treatment the NQ of 31 patients were still>0.1, 11 patients were relapsed after a short remission and 7 were ineffective or progression. Out of 5 patients whose NQ were fluctuated and had little regularity, but all of them had a continuing remission. Conclusion RQ-PCR is a more sensitive technique in the detection of bcr-abl fusion gene.It is an important method to monitor the tumor cell during the treatment with imatinib mesylate in CML patients.