BACKGROUND:In vitro experiments have confirmed that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can be induced to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells, thus which can be considered to function as liver repair.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem celltransplantation on acute liver injuries in rats through in vivo animal experiments.
METHODS:Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups:normal control group without modeling, celltransplantation group, and PBS group. Rat models of acute liver injury were prepared by 10%CCl4-olive oil solution in the celltransplantation and PBS groups which were fol owed by intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 mL human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cellsuspension and 0.5 mL PBS, respectively.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that pathological changes related to acute liver injury appeared at 24 hours after intraperitoneal injection of CCl 4 . Then, the liver structure recovered at 7 days after celltransplantation, but it did not recover til the 14th day after PBS injection. Compared with the normal control group, serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were significantly increased in the other two groups (P<0.05-0.01). In the celltransplantation group, the serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were significantly lower than those in the PBS group at 3 days after treatment (P<0.05-0.01), and recovered normal y after 7 days. cells positive for anti-human nucleoprotein antibody were found in the portal area of liver tissues in the celltransplantation group after 3 days of transplantation, and then cells positive for anti-human albumin antibody appeared after 7 days. These findings indicate that intraperitoneal transplantation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can improve liver function and repair injured liver tissues after acute liver injury in rats to some extent.

The DegP protein, functioning as both chaperone and protease, plays a critical role in degrading and removing denatured or damaged proteins in the cellular envelope during heat shock and other stresses. So far, several proteins have been identified as its natural targets. A carboxyle-terminal peptide derived from the PapG pilus, one of the in vivo substrates for DegP, has been shown to activate the protease. Nevertheless, neither the details nor the physiological implications of such activation have been studied. The evidence that DegP undergoes conformational changes upon binding the peptide derived from C-terminal sequence of pilus subunit PapG has been presented. It demonstrated that upon binding this peptide, detectable changes can be observed for both secondary and tertiary structures of DegP, as examined by CD spectroscopy. Gel filtration and dynamic light scattering analysis also revealed that the size of DegP becomes smaller to a minor extent. Moreover, both the hydrophobic surfaces and catalytic sites of DegP were found to expose slightly in the presence of the peptide. Upon peptide binding, a less flexible and more rigid conformation of DegP was obtained as analyzed by fluorescence anisotropy. The physiological implications of these observations for DegP are discussed.

Neurology is a relatively difficult subject in all medical subjects, to which medical students, interns and low qualification residents generally have a kind of fear, called neurophobia. Through such teaching methods as bedside teaching, problem and case oriented group discussions, mini-lectures and net-work communication, and combined with the specific case and imaging data, our teaching and research section helps students consolidate the basic knowledge of neuroanatomy, grasp the physical examination of the nervous system, and cultivate their thinking of positioning and qualitative diagnosis, so as to enable them to achieve better learning effect in the shortest practice time when they are in clinical neurological depart-ment, and help them to overcome neurophobia.

BACKGROUND:The tumor tissue engineering can build an integrated culture model to ful y simulate the in vivo microenvironment of tumor growth, which can be used to study tumor developmental dynamics and related treatment strategies.
OBJECTIVE:To review the three-dimensional culture of tumor cells using tumor engineering technology.
METHODS:PubMed database was retrieved for articles related to tumor engineering, three-dimensional culture of tumor cells, biological scaffold materials and tumor microenvironment published from January 1992 to March 2013.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Three-dimensional culture, because of its reproducible tissue and cellgrowth in vivo, has become an important platform for study of tumor resistance, invasiveness and tumor microenvironment. The three-dimensional culture has showed a trend to gradual y replace the flat culture technique in many fields, and provides a research platform which is very close to in vivo environment. In recent years, with the development of tumor engineering, a variety of new polymer materials have been used in the three-dimensional culture of tumor cells. Three-dimensional culture technology is becoming a hotspot in the field of tumor biology, in which, using a variety of methods and materials, the cells show a growth in the spatial manner to form a biological support or matrix similar to in vivo growth environment. Biomaterials have become the soil on which seed cells can grow wel , and plays an alternative to the extracellular matrix or the matrix of tissues and organs in the tumor engineering. Therefore, the three-dimensional cellculture has been widely used in cancer research, which has become a powerful tool to tumor drug resistance, angiogenesis, cel-cellinteraction, signal transduction, stem cells and other research.

Objective To study the method of development of PHT PB resistant amygdala kindled rats. Methods By examining the effects of the antiepileptic drugs PHT and PB in a group of rapidly kindled rats,the 40 animals with different sensitivity to these drugs were selected. Then using immunohistochemistry method to determinate the expression of PGP in the brain of the rats. Results Using determination of the after discharge threshold for evaluation of PHT′s and PB′s anticonvulsant effects, 6 animals showed no increase in their ADT at repeated test trials with PHT or PB (from PHT PB resistant rats), and 6 animals exhibited reproducible increase in ADT about 100% after injection of PHT or PB (from PHT PB nonresistant rats). The immunohisto chemistry for P glycoprotein showed increased staining in capillary endothelium in the samples from PHT PB resistant rats as compared with staining in PHT PB nonresistant rats,in extensive fields of bilateral cerebral hemispheres ( P

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of surgical retrieval of testicular spermatozoa,and to present the preliminary results of the retrieved testicular spermatozoa used in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for treatment of non obstructive azoospermic infertility. Methods Forty nine cases of non obstructive azoospermia underwent open testicular biopsy and diagnostic testicular sperm extraction (TESE).Those who had sperms in diagnostic TESE underwent ICSI at least 3 months later. Results Sperms were detected in diagnostic TESE in 12 cases (24.9%). The testicular volume,FSH level and testicular pathology did not accurately predict the presence or absence of sperm in testes.Seven (87.5%) of 8 cases had sperm in re TESE, which were used in their ICSI cycles,resulting in 3 clinical pregnancies. Conclusions The diagnostic TESE should be performed to determine the presence or absence of testicular spermatozoa in testicular failure before ICSI,and the surgically retrieved testicular spermatozoa can be adopted in ICSI for treatment of non obstructive azoospermic infertility.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of electromyography-triggered stimulation on the hand function post stroke.Methods 40 stroke patients were divided into electromyography-triggered stimulation group and neuromuscular electric stimulation group.They were assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), active range of motion of wrist extension (WE-AROM) and modified Barthel index (MBI) before and 6 weeks after treatment. Results The scores of all the assessments improved in both groups after treatment (P<0.001),and improved more in the electromyography-triggered stimulation group than in the neuromuscular electric stimulation group (P<0.05).Conclusion Compared with neuromuscular electrical stimulation, electromyography-triggered stimulation may further improve the hand function post stroke

Objective To study the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 3 sites allele (T189M, R85H, C121W) of SCN1B and the association between gene distribution and epilepsy. Methods All 330 blood samples of refractory (80 cases), non-refractory (100 cases) epilepsy patients and healthy people (150 cases) were collected. Genomic DNA of leucocyte was extracted. SNPs of three sites allele of SCN1B were tested by allele-specific primer-polymerase chain reaction (ASP-PCR).Data were analyzed by SAS 8.1 statistical software. Results Epilepsy group and healthy group had significantly statistical difference in composition of 3 sites allele on single site genotype (x~2=11.19, 11.14 and 6.50, all P < 0.05).There was no statistical significance between refractory and non-refractory epilepsy group. On gene combination, in 27 different combinations of polymorphism, mutation frequency in 3 sites (CT + AG + CG) was highest in epilepsy group (18.40%).The next was one site in CT + GG + CC (16.80%).In healthy group, frequency of non-variant in CC + GG + CC was highest (16.67%), and the next was 2 sites in CT+ AG+CC (13.73%).Thirty-five cases in epilepsy group (28.80%) had 3 sites mutation compared with 10 cases in healthy group (9.71%), and their difference had statistical significance (x~2=12.54, P<0.05).Eighteen cases in refractory epilepsy group (30.51%) had 3 sites mutation compared with 21 cases in non-refractory epilepsy group (28.77%), and the difference had no statistical significance. Fifty cases in epilepsy group (40.00%) had 2 sites mutation compared with 41 cases in healthy group (40.20%), and there was no statistical significance between them; 25 cases in refractory epilepsy group (42.37%) had 2 sites mutation compared with 21 cases in non-refractory epilepsy group (28.71%), and their difference had no statistical significance. Conclusions Mutation, especially multisite mutation of SCN1B is relatively likely to cause epilepsy in human. Gene distribution and combination of three sites allele of SCN1B in refractory epilepsy is close to that in non-refractory epilepsy.

Objective To investigate the effect of skull acupuncture on cerebral infarct volume and plasma SOD activity and MDA and NO contents. Method Forty-eight male SPF-grade SD rats were randomized into sham operation, model and skull acupuncture groups. A rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was made by intraluminal thread occlusion. Rat nerve function was assessed by Zea Longa neurological function scoring. Rat cerebral infarct volume was measured by TTC staining. Plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) contents were measured by colorimetry. Result Rat neurobehavioral score was significantly lower on day 1, 3 and 7 in the model group than in the sham operation group (P<0.01). TTC measurement showed that cerebral infarct volume was significantly smaller in the skull acupuncture group than in the model group (P<0.01). Plasma SOD activity was lower and MDA and NO contents were higher in the model group than in the sham operation group (all P<0.01). Plasma SOD activity increased and MDA and NO contents decreased after skull acupuncture treatment compared with the model group (all P<0.01). Conclusion Skull acupuncture has a protective effect against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and can increase plasma SOD activity and decrease plasma MDA and NO contents in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

The calcaneus bone strength was assessed by quantitative ultrasonography in 47 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM group) and 30 healthy postmenopausal women (control group).Speed of sound (SOS),broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and stiffness index (SI) in T2DM patients were (1 015 ± 170)m/s,(84 ± 14) dB/MHz and 45 ± 8,respectively,which were significantly lower than those of control group (1 403 ± 232) m/s,(111 ± 18) dB/MHz and 66 ± 12 (all P ＜ 0.001).Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (IR) was independently correlated with the parameters of quantitative ultrasonography in T2DM patients.The results suggest that calcaneus bone strength is reduced in postmenopausal women with T2DM.