0.05). The blood CD + 8 in IBS group was higher than that in control group ( P 0.05). Conclusions The peripheral blood lymphocytes count in IBS was not significantly different from the controls, the number of CD + 3 T lymphocytes was normal in IBS, but CD + 8T lymphocytes was higher, CD + 4 was lower, and CD4/CD8 ratio was decreased in IBS patients as compared with the controls. The results of this study indicated that the patients with diarrhea type IBS might be associated with hypo immunity.

The rapid development of human micro-ecology (human microbiome) in recent years has opened up new medical prospects for revealing the close relationship between microorganism and human health and disease.As the second genome of human,the special relationship between the microorganism and the host and its important function have brought new ethical and social problems,which requires to rethink and reform the existing ethical norms.This paper focused on the seven perspectives of “identity”,ownership,informed consent,risk benefit assessment,privacy,commercialization and public health,and demonstrated the importance to construct the ethics of micro-ecological research,which would enrich and expand the connotation of bioethics in theory and better guarantee the benign development of micro-ecology research in practice.

Objective To determine the efficacy of endoscopic treatment for chronic pancreatitis(CP).Methods The clinical data of CP patients in our department from December of 2000 to March of 2009 were reviewed retrospectively.Results 77 patients had been successfully followed up.The short-term clinical symptom remission rate was 86.9% and the long-term 61.0%.9 patients underwent surgery after endoscopic treatment during the follow-up.The incidence of complications related to endoscopic treatment was 5.1% including post-ERCP(endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) pancreatitis,hemorrhage,cholangitis and perforation.No death related to endoscopic treatment occurred.Conclusion Endoscopic treatment for CP is safe and effective.

Objective Apaf-1 is a key factor involved in activating the Caspase system in apoptosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of Apaf-1 on the apoptosis process induced by chemotherapeutic agent. Methods We established Apaf-1 hyper- and hypo- expression system by transferred sense and anti-sense Apaf-1 cDNA into cultured AGS cell line. And meanwhile human cyt-c, Apaf-1, caspase-3, bax, and bcl-2 gene expressions were measured by RT-PCR method. Results Cyt-c, caspase-3, and bax gene expressions increased significantly after sense Apaf-1 transfection. On the contrary, anti-sense Apaf-1 transfer has minus effects on cyt-c, caspase-3, and bax gene expressions. No significant changes have been found on bcl-2 gene expression after transfection process.Conclusions Cyt-c pathway may play an important role in the apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic drugs. The early expression of cyt-c and Apaf-1 may be the key procedure of cyt-c release from mitochondria and of caspases activation.

Objective To study the effects of internal and external biliary drainage on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression of Kupffer cells and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in rats with obstructive jaundice. Methods Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to obstructive jaundice (OJ), sham operation (SH), internal biliary drainage (ID) and external biliary drainage (ED) groups with 12 each. Kupffer cells were isolated by in situ hepatic perfusion and digestion with collagenase type Ⅳ, and purified by cell culture attachment. The expression of iNOS mRNA of Kupffer cells was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the serum TNF-α concentration was measured using ELISA method. Results The serum TNF-α level was increased in OJ group[ (110.84±26.3) pg/ml ]compared with SH group [-(88.4±17.9) pg/ml, (P=0.045)]. The TNF-α level in ID group[ (89.8±28. 3) pg/ml ]was significantly lower than that in ED group[ (118.64±22.7) pg/ml, (P=0. 011) ]and OJ group (P=0. 059). Expression of iNOS mRNA of Kupffer cells was significantly higher in OJ group (0. 824± 0. 24) compared with SH group (0. 384±0.35,P=0. 005). After relieving the OJ, the iNOS mRNA expression in ED group (0. 974± 0.48) was not suppressed (P=0. 321). On the contrary, the iNOS mRNA expression in ID group was suppressed and significantly lower than that in ED group (0. 59±0. 35) (P=0. 016). Conclusions Internal biliary drainage is superior to external drainage in terms of reversing the elevated serum TNF-α and in suppressing the iNOS mRNA expression of Kupffer cells in rats with obstructive jaundice.

Objective To study the association of ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) promoter region methylation with human esophageal cancer. Methods Promoter region methylation of UCHL1 was dctcctcd by rnethylation specific PCR (MSP) in esophageal cancer cell lines and tissue samples.The expression of UCHL1 was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot in esophagcal cancer cell lines.5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza) was applied to reactivate methylated cell lines.ResultsComplete methylation of UCHL1 promoter region was detected in 8 cell lincs (KYSE30,KYSE150,KYSE140,KYSE450,KYSE510,TE3,TE7,TE10).Loss of UCHL1 expression was found in7 cell lines ( KYSE30,KYSE150,KYSE140,KYSE450,KYSE510,TE3,TE7).Reduced expression was found in TE10 cell line. Promoter region hypermethylation was correlated with UCHL1 expression in esophageal cancer cell lines.Re-expression of UCHL1 was induced by 5-Aza treatment in KYSE150 and TE3 cell lines.UCHL1 was frequently methylated in human primary esophageal cancer (74.51％,38/51 ),while no methylation was detected in normal esophageal mucosa (0/10). No association was found between promoter region methylation and age,gender,tumor location,tumor stage or lymph node metastasis.Conclusions UCHL1is silenced by promoter region hypermethylation in human esophageal cancer.Methylation of UCHL1 is frequently happened to primary esophageal cancer and may play an important role in the tumorigenesis.

Aging is a biological process and state characterized by morphological change, hypofunction and metabolic disorder, often accompanied by severe degenerative diseases, including amyotrophy, atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, and so on. Age-related diseases not only decrease the life quality of the elderly, but also impose great burden on family and society. As population aging, we are increasingly coming to realize that the longevity we want should be healthy aging but not simple increase of lifespan. By researching on the yeast, C. elegans, drosophila, mice and humans, we get to know the mechanisms of aging and methods for anti-aging, such as dietary restriction and use of anti-aging drugs like rapamycin. In this review, we summarized mainly the studies on mechanisms of aging and elaborate associated anti-aging strategies and underlying mechanisms.

Objective To investigate the expressions of acetylcholine and norepinephrine of the central nervous system in a rat model of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and to explore the possible roles of the classical neurotransmitters of the central nervous system in the pathogenesis of IBS. Methods The rat model of IBS was reproduced by intragastric instillation of 2.0ml water at 0-4℃ in male Wistar rats for two weeks. Both the model group and the control underwent rectal distention, then were sacrificed by deep anesthesia. Sections of the posterior horn of the spinal cord and hypothalamus were obtained and processed immunohistochemically using anti-tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) antibodies respectively, and the staining results were analyzed semi-quantitatively using computerized color image analyzer. The statistical difference of the opacity density and immunoreactive areas between two groups was compared by t-test. Results Immunoreactive area, opacity density of AchE immunoreactive tissues in the posterior horn of the spinal cord and hypothalamus of the model group were all significantly higher than those in control group (P0.05). Conclusions The expressions of acetylcholine in the spinal cord and hypothalamus in the rat model of C-IBS were abnormal, which suggested that cholinergic nervous system in the central nervous system may play some roles in the pathogenesis of IBS.

Objective To investigate the quality of life(QOL),gastrointestinal symptoms and mental status of patients with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS),and to find out the possible factors affecting the patients' QOL.Methods The questionnaires which included three forms were sent to 55 IBS patients and 40 healthy controls recruited from the authors' clinical department.IBS was diagnosed according to the Rome II criteria,and patients with organic diseases were excluded from this study.The nine-item scores of QOL in all cases were calculated by using the disease-specific form included in the questionnaire of QOL.The mental-psychological status in all cases was evaluated by using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HAD).The gastrointestinal symptoms in IBS patients were recorded and graded according to the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale(GSRS).The data mentioned above were analyzed with regression model.Results Patients with IBS had statistically significant lower scores(P

Objective To screen and identify the anomously expressed proteins at protein level in colon mucosa of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome(D-IBS)patients and healthy individuals.Methods Four D-IBS patients and four healthy individuals were included in the study.Biopsies of mucosa at the ileocecal junction and sigmoid colon were performed via colonoscopy.The specimens were cleaned with ice cold saline which contained 0.1% PMSF,and were snap frozen in liquid nitrogen.The two-dimensional gel electrophoresis(2-DE)was used to screen the anomously expressed proteins,and the two proteins which presented the greatest changes in each group were identified by mass spectrometry method.Results Proteomics maps of human colon mucosa were obtained successfully with 2-DE.Average protein spots were 336 in normal control group,and the matching rate among them was 92%,while in D-IBS group,the average protein spots were 426,and the matching rate was 95%.The average matching rate between the test group and the control group was 74%.It was found that the volume value of 24 proteins spots changed more than two folds.The protein expression was found to decrease in 3 spots and increase in 21 spots.Four proteins were chosen for analysis with mass spectrometry analysis.The two up-regulated proteins were identified as Immunoglobulin J chain and heat shock protein 27,while the other two down-regulated proteins were identified as hemoglobin beta subunit and fructose-bisphosphate aldolase A.Conclusion With 2-DE,proteomics maps of human colon mucosa have been obtained successfully.The proteome expressions of colon mucosa in D-IBS patients are remarkably different from that of the healthy individuals.The four identified proteins may play a certain role in the pathogenesis of D-IBS.