BACKGROUND:Induced pluripotent stem cel s can bypass the ethical issues of embryonic stem cel s, and become the hotspot of stem cel research. OBJECTIVE:To explore the research progress and problems of induced pluripotent stem cel s. METHODS:A retrospective analysis on the findings, research progress and problems of induced pluripotent stem cel s in recent years was performed. The Thomson Reuters Web of Science was searched for the articles related to the induced pluripotent stem cel s and p53 gene. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In recent years, domestic and foreign scholars have conducted a lot of researches on induced pluripotent stem cel s. For example, a Japanese group is establishing the stem cel bank to provide a basis for the treatment of retinal diseases. However, the safety issues of induced pluripotent stem cel s need to be solved before routine cel treatment application, in which the functional research of related p53 gene is one of the essential concerns. The other member of p53 gene, p73 gene, also participates in the generation and differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cel s, and the in-depth studies are needed. The finding of p53 gene function wil promote the in-depth development of regenerative medicine and translational medicine.

OBJECTIVETo explore the molecular biological mechanism of ZHU's Tiaojing Cuyun Recipe (TCR) for treating anovulatory infertility patients with Shen deficiency syndrome (SDS) by observing its clinical efficacy.

METHODSUsing randomized blocking methods, 80 patients were assigned to the treatment group (40 cases) and the control group (40 cases). Patients with regular menstrual cycle started medication from the 5th day of menstruation. Those with irregular menstrual cycle first took progesterone till withdrawal bleeding ,and then started medication from the 5th day of vaginal bleeding. Patients in the treatment group took ZHU's TCR, one dose per day, while those in the control group took Clomifene Citrate (CC), 50 mg per day. Three menstrual cycles consisted of one therapeutic course, a total of 2 courses. Clinical efficacy such as pregnancy rates and abortion rates were observed. Ovulation indices (the maximal diameter of mature follicles, luteinized follicles, ovulational follicles, and the endometrial thickness on the ovulation day), SDS, and integrals of menstrual symptoms were monitored before and after treatment. Serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) , and estradiol (E2) were determined using chemiluminescent immunoassay before treatment and after on therapeutic course. Serum levels of activin A (ACTA), inhibin B (INHB), and follistatin (FS) were detected using double antibody sandwich ELISA.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the pregnancy rate was obviously elevated and the abortion rate was obviously lowered in the treatment group (P <0. 05). Ovulation rates of mature follicles and luteinizing follicles decreased more in the treatment group (P < 0.05). Compared with before treatment, integrals for SDS were lower, the maximal diameter of pre-ovulational follicles was increased, and integrals for menstrual symptoms in non-pregnant patients of the two groups were obviously lowered. Meanwhile, the endometrial thickness on the ovulation day was increased in the treatment group after treatment, but reduced in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, integrals for SDS were decreased, and the maximal diameter of pre-ovulational follicles was lowered in the treatment group after treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Integrals for SDS and the difference in the endometrial thickness on the ovulation day were increased, but the difference in the maximal diameter of pre-ovulational follicles were reduced (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In the treatment group serum levels of E2 and ACTA increased more after one therapeutic course than before treatment (P < 0.01), but serum levels of INHB and FS decreased more after one therapeutic course than before treatment (P < 0.05). In the control group serum levels of FSH and ACTA increased more, and the serum level of FS decreased more after one therapeutic course than before treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, serum levels of FSH and ACTA increased more, and serum levels of INHB decreased more in the treatment group after one therapeutic course than before treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSZHU'sTCR could improve SDS of anovulatory infertility patients, regulate the follicular development, and elevate the pregnancy rate. Its actions might be associated with regulating their sex hormones, expressions of ovary local factors such as INHB, ACTA, and FS.

Activins ; Clomiphene ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Estradiol ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Follistatin ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; complications ; therapy ; Inhibins ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Ovarian Diseases ; Ovarian Follicle ; Ovulation ; Progesterone

Objective To study the relationships between serum matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metal]oproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) with bone metabolic markers and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Chinese women.Methods In this study,192 postmenopausal Chinese females aged 48-65 were selected.Serum MMP-2,TIMP-2,bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP),osteocalcin,bone cross-linked C-telopeptides of typeⅠcollagen (CTx) and urine bone cross-linked N-telopeptides of typeⅠcollagen (NTx) were measured by ELISA.And the ratio of MMP-2/TIMP-2 was calculated.BMD was measured by dual energy X- ray abserptiometry.According to the criteria of WHO,these women were assigned to 3 groups : the normal,the low BMD and the osteoporosis groups.Results (1) Serum MMP-2 level was significantly higher in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis (1388?121)?g/L than that in age-matched normal controls (1126?141)?g/L (P0.05).(2) Notable negative relations were found between MMP-2,ratio of MMP-2/TIMP-2 with BMD of lumbar spine and Ward's triangle,serum BAP and osteocalcin (all P0.05).(3) In osteoporosis women,notable negative correlations between MMP-2,ratio of MMP-2/TIMP-2 with BMD of lumbar spine,femoral neck and Ward's triangle,serum BAP and osteocalcin were found (all P

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy(ARVC) is a cardiac muscle disease characterized by peculiar right ventricular involvement that precipitates ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death.ARVC is a major cause of sudden death in the young and athletes.It is familial origin in 50% to 70% of cases,which follows an autosomal in heritance pattern.The pathology consists of a genetically determined dystrophy of the right ventricular myocardium with fibrofatty replacement.Clinical diagnosis can be achieved by demonstrating functional and structural alterations of the right ventricle,depolarization and repolarization abnormalities,arrhythmias with the left bundle branch block and fibro-fatty replacement through endomyocardial biopsy.Clinical research has indicated that successful treatment of ARVC is based on lifestyle modifications,prophylactic therapy(antiarrhythmic drugs,catheter ablation and implantable cardioverter defibrillator)to prevent sudden death.

BACKGROUND: Rat model of orthotopic liver transplantation is a very valuable model for experimental study in liver transplantation including organ preservation, tissue ischemia-reperfusion injury, allograft rejection and immune tolerance mechanism. Stable liver transplantation animal model is the basis of the related experimental studies. However, its experimental operation is long and boring, especially performed by a single operator under direct vision. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the operation techniques to establish a stable rat model of orthotopic liver transplantation by a single operator under direct vision. METHODS: The orthotopic liver transplantation was performed using two-cuff method in 50 pairs of rats. We exposed the abdominal cavity fully, perfused the donor liver through abdominal aorta without flipping donor liver; suprahepatic inferior vena cava was in vivo cut down using one-step method, without diaphragm ring; the suprahepatic inferior vena cava was anastomosed with single-row suture, and the cuff of portal vein was installed by fixing the blood vessel forceps on rubber. Hepatic artery was not reconstructed. Fluid replacement was administered to maintain hemodynamic stability in rats after operation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The donor operative time was (36.2± 2.5) minutes, donor liver trimming time was (12.2± 1.5) minutes, receptor operative time was (45.6 ± 3.5) minutes, suprahepatic inferior vena cava anastomosis time was (10.1 ± 2.1) minutes, portal vein cuff time was (1.5 ±0.9) minutes, infrahepatic inferior vena cave cuff time was (1.1 ± 0.6) minutes, anhepatic phase was (15.1 ± 2.2) minutes. The success ratio of the operation was 100% and the survival rates within 1 week and 1 month were all 100%. It is indicated that the key factors of a successful model were stable anesthesia, good donor liver perfusion, adequate exposure, skilled microsurgical technology and vascular anastomosis technique.

Objective:To investigate the physical morphology of the root canal taper in human maxillary and mandibular permanent first molars.Methods: Forty maxillary and 44 mandibular extracted human permanent first molars were investigated.The roots were dissected transversely from their apical foramen vertical to the long axis of the root,and 1-mm-thick serial sections were made.The root apex side of each section was observed with a stereomicroscope at 30? magnification.The maximum and minimum canal diameters were measured at 0,1,2,and 3 mm from the apical foramen.The physical canal taper in the apical section was calculated.Results: 47.5%-60.0% of the narrowest diameter of root canals were present at the foramen,and 25.0%~42.5% located at the level of 1 mm from apical foramen.Almost all physical configurations of root canals in 3 mm apical region showed a bottleneck-like taper.Canal dia-meters increased rapidly at 1-2 mm with the biggest taper,and the taper had a bigger variance(0.07-0.35).The ring of shrunken bottleneck was formed at the level of 1 mm from apical foramen.The taper of canal in maximal diameter was larger than the one in minimal diameter.Conclusion: The physical morphology of bottleneck-like taper in apical canal was helpful to locate the canal apical stop in root canal treatment.

AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of Wuling Capsule(xylaria) in treating senile systolic hypertension. METHODS: Sixty-four patients with senile systolic hypertension were randomly divided into two groups.Both the treated group and the control group were treated with anti-hypertensive for 4 weeks,but the treated group received Wuling Capsule.Therapentic effects were evaluated with HAMA.Noninvasive resting blood pressure was taken every day after treatment,and dynamic blood pressure before and after treatment. RESULTS: HAMA in both groups decreased somewhat but blood pressure in the treated group was lower than that in the control group,remission rate of the treated group was greater than that in the control group.Treatment period of the treated group was shorter than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: Wuling Capsule can relief anxiety in senile hypertension patients,and it can rise the control rate of blood pressure,and also shorten the treatment period.

Objective To investigate the relationship between CD+3CD28+T cell value and chemotherapeutic efficacy in patients with advanced digestive cancer. Methods 38 digestive cancer patients with distant metastatic lesion were included.10 healthy persons were as control group. The absolute counts of CD+3CD28+T cell were measured with flow eytometry in these patients before chemotherapy. All patients received chemotherapy, gastric cancer: DCF regimen (docetaxel plus tegafur and cisplatin, one cycle), colorectal cancer:. Folfox regimen (L-OHP plus tegafur, two cycles), esophageal cancer: mitomycin plus tegafur and cisplatin (two cycles), gallbladder or pancreatic cancer: gemzar plus tegafur and cisplatin (one cycle). According to WHO standard, the chemotherapeutic efficacy was determined, 38 patients were divided into three groups: CR+PR (complete remission plus partial remission), SD (stable of disease) and PD (progress of disease) group. Statistical analysis was used upon all data. Results There was no significant difference in value of CD+3CD28+ T cell between CR+PR group and control group (P=0.549). The value of CD+3CD28+ T cell in SD group and PD group were significantly decreased (P=0.002, P=0.000). The value of CD+3CD28+T cell in CR+PR group was more than that in PD group (P =0.001), while in SD group was more than in PD group (P = 0.044). Conclusion The efficacy is poor, if the value of CD+3CD28+ T cell in patients with advanced digestive cancer is less than that of in healthy persons in peripheral blood. Therefore, the value of CD+3CD28+ T cell is important for the early prediction of the efficacy before chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND:Cartilage is an avascular tissue and has a limited capacity for self-repair after injury. There are various methods for the treatment of articular cartilage injury ranging from conservation therapy to invasive surgery. With the development of tissue engineering technology, it provides a new way for treating articular cartilage injury. OBJECTIVE:To review the new development of tissue engineering technology for repairing articular cartilage injury. METHODS:The PubMed database and CNKI database were retrieved for articles from 2000 to 2013 by the first author with computer in May 2013. The key words were“cartilage tissue engineering, cartilage defect, stem cell, scaffold, growth factor”in English and Chinese. A total of 64 articles were included which related to cartilage regeneration and cartilage tissue engineering. For the articles in the same field, those published recently or in authorized journals were selected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The three elements of cartilage tissue engineering, seed cells, scaffolds and cytokines, must be coordinated and mutual y beneficial development. At present, the research of tissue engineering for repairing articular cartilage injury has made a great progress. But the application in clinic has not enforced yet which is limited in experimental exploration stage. With the continuous development of new materials, the new tissue engineering cartilage repair materials should meet the requirement of material science and biological science, thus making the materials closely meet the biological characteristics of the self tissues. The animal studies wil turn to clinical experiments with the support of new technique, which make a breakthrough in the treatment of articular cartilage injury.

Objective To discuss the pathogenesis and clinical characteristics of acute relapsing pancreatitis .Methods The clini-cal data and relevant data of 274 acute pancreatitis cases from January 2010 to and December 2012 were analyzed ,of which one group of 231 cases were first onset and the other group of 43 cases were relapsing .Results The probability of relapse of acute pan-creatitis were highest from 1 month to half a year after first onset (20 cases ,accounting for 46 .51% );biliary factors were the major causes of first onset and relapse cases ,where the relapsing group was higher than first onset group ,with statistical significance (P<0 .05);the relapsing group had more severe symptoms of hyperlipidemia than the first onset group ,with significant difference (P<0 .05) ,The relative risk (OR value) of relevant factors were higher than biliary factors ;improper diet ,alcohol and other factors of the relapsing group were lower than the first onset group ,without statistical significance (P> 0 .05);there was no significant difference between the occurrence rate of severe pancreatitis and the occurrence rate of surgeries and deaths .Conclusion Biliary diseases and hyperlipidemia are closely related with the relapse of acute pancreatitis .