Objective To explore the effects of CD40Ig gene transfer in vitro on cardiac allograft survival in mice. Methods The recombinant adenovirus vector carrying murine CD40 extracellular domain and human IgG Fc fusion gene (AdCD40Ig) was constructed. Using BALB/c mice as donors and C57BL/6 mice as recipients, the model of mice abdomen heterotopical heart transplantation was set up. In the experimental group, the isolated donor heart was transfected with AdCD40Ig, then transplanted to recipient. The other groups included empty vector transfected control group, untransfected control group, and syngeneic control group (the donors and the recipients were C57BL/6 mice). The survival time of donor hearts and the infiltration of inflammatory cells in heart allograft were observed. The expression of CD40Ig fusion protein in recipient was identified by Sandwich ELISA; The IFN-? producing cells in recipient was determined by FACS. Results The survival time of the cardiac allograft in experimental group was ( 15.8? 0.7) days, significantly longer than empty vector transfected control group and untransfected control group (P

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Integrative Medicine

Objective To investigate age-dependent variation of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) content in human peripheral leukocytes.Methods 94 healthy individuals (50 males and 44 females) of ages varying from 4 to 87 years were dividied into six groups by age: age under 20 years, age between 20 to 30 years, age between 30 to 40 years, age between 40 to 50 years, age between 50 to 60 years and age beyond 60 years. Their 5-mC content in human peripheral leukocytes were analyzed by HPLC.Results The 5-mC content of age between 50 to 60 years (mean age 54.7) and age beyond 60 years (mean age 71.7) are statistically not significant, but statistically highly significant (P

Integrative Medicine ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Animals ; Carotid Arteries ; surgery ; Carotid Artery Injuries ; etiology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Microsurgery ; Random Allocation

Objective To investigate the clinical features of moyamoya disease complicated with Graves′disease and the efficacy of extra-and intra-cranial revascularization. Methods The clinical data of 4 patients with moyamoya disease complicated with Graves′disease were analyzed retrospectively. Among them,three were females and one was a male. Their mean age was 32 ± 7 years. After medical treatment, their thyroid function was normal. The patients were treated with superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery bypass grafting. Results (1) Three patients showed cerebral infarction and one showed frequent transient ischemic attack. DSA confirmed that 2 patients had unilateral moyamoya disease and 2 had bilateral moyamoya disease. Head MRI revealed brain infarcts. (2) The thyroid function was normal after drug treat-ment,the symptoms of moyamoya disease were stable in 3 cases. One patient had high metabolic symptoms, such as high fever and accelerated heart rate within one week after procedure. The patients were followedup for 6 to 18 months,one was good,3 were excellent,and there was no recurrence of Graves′disease. Postoperative head MRI revealed that the 4 patients did not have new brain infarcts. MRA showed that the arterial filling in cerebral sulci in the ischemic lesion areas was obviously improved compared with that before procedure. Retrograde filling of the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery M2-M3 segment was observed in 2 patients. Postoperative single photon emission computed tomography perfusion imaging revealed that the ischemic perfusion lesions on the operated sides were obviously improved compared with those before procedure. Conclusion When complicated with Graves′ disease,the symptoms of moyamoya disease will aggravate. It manifests as acute and chronic cerebral ischemia. After controlling the symptoms of hyperthyroidism,most cerebral ischemic symptoms can be alleviated. Superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery bypass grafting may establish an effective collateral circulation and improve the clinical symptoms.

A bacterium that contains a chitin deacetylase has been isolated from ocean soil. It has been identified Baciluus .The best suitable condition of producing this enzyme is that pH is 4.0,35℃,and the incubate time is 80 hours in the present of Ca 2+ as well as having no chitosan. The best temperature of this enzyme when it acts is 40℃～50℃ and the best pH range is 4.5～5.0.

Objective:To investigate middle school students' parent-related fears of poor performance on im- portant examinations in the United Stated and China.Methods:The“Failure Outcome Expectancy (FOE)”inventory was used to measure students' perceptions of test anxiety in a sample of 1,215 public middle school students,ages 14and 15.Results:The findings indicated that students in different countries reported similar trends in the reasons for their parent-related test anxiety including student worries with respect to confidence about admission to higher institu- tions,and student contributions to parental annoyances in relation to academic achievement.However,cross-cultural differences revealed that Chinese students reported significantly expectations,or the potential for annoying their par- ents than American students.American students reported a significantly stronger preoccupation about their capacity to face challenges in life than Chinese students.Additionally,gender differences were more significant in the western culture of the United States than in China.American female students reported stronger perceptions on seven items of parent-related causes of their test anxiety than Chinese female students.Chinese male students reported stronger pre- occupation only on two items than their American counterpart.Conclusion:Chinese and American students have similar trends in the reasons for their parent-related test anxiety.There are also culture difference and gender differ- ence in this problem.

Objective To investigate whether porcine endothelial cells transfected with SP1 de-coy ODNs could resist complement-mediated cytotoxicity during the model of SV-40-PED with human serum in vitro. Methods Immortalized porcine aortic endothelial cells of the line PED were divided in-to three groups. The transfected group was SV-40-PED with SP1 decoy ODNs. The mismatched group was SV-40-PED with scrambled SP1 decoy ODNs. The negative group was cells with oligo-fectamine only. The expression of α1,3-GT mRNA and αGal was detected after 26 h by using fluores-cence microscope, Western blot, RT-PCR and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity assay. Results Fluorescence microscopy observed the decreased fluorescence of αGal after SP1 decoy ODNs transfec-tion. Dotted fluorescent decrease could be observed on some membrane while the mismatched group and negative group with bright green fluorescence. Western blot showed that the average absorbance of the PED cells transfected with decoy ODNs was decreased to 52.6% of the negative group (P<0.05). The expression of α1,3-GT mRNA in the PED cells transfected with decoy ODNs was 0.42±0.20 (isoform 1) and 0.27±0.12 (isoform 2) respectively, significantly lower than in the negative group (isoform 1, 0.72±0.17; isoform 2, 0.50±0.19; both P<0.05). The expression of α1, 3-G Tin the mismatch group was not different from that in the negative group (P>0.05). 20% normal hu-man serum (NHS) and 40 % NHS had cytotoxic effect on both mismatch and negative groups, but de-coy ODNs could confer SV-40-PED protection from the cytolysis effect (P<0.05), which made a re-markable reduction of complement-mediated cytotoxicity towards SV-40--PED. Conclusions SP1 decoy ODNs could confer porcine endothelial cells protection from complement-mediated cytotoxicity effect in vitro.

The possibility that a recombinant protein vaccine based on xenogeneic homologous FGFR-1 of chicken induces production of autoantibodies against self-FGFR-1 in BALB/c mice was examined by using ELISA, Western blot analysis and ELISPOT assay respectively. Autoantibodies against mouse FGFR-1 were identified by Western blot analysis and ELISA. Compared with the two control groups, the number of APBCs, which were detected by ELISPOT assay, was significantly increased in the spleens of mice immunized with cFR1 (P < 0.05). IgG1 and IgG2b, which were detected by ELISA, were the major subclasses and were substantially increased in response to chicken FGFR-1 when compared with control group. The recombinant chicken FGFR-1 protein used as a vaccine can induce autoantibodies against self-FGFR-1 in mice and provide a basis for the active immunotherapy of tumor angiogenesis.