Objective To quantitatively analyze the effects of high background radiation area (HBRA) on the frequencies of translocation and unstable chromosome aberrations in human peripheral blood lymphocytes.Methods Based on the data from 9 published articles retrieved from 7 electronic databases,the Meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of high natural background radiation (HNBR) on the frequencies of chromosome aberrations in the peripheral blood lymphocytes in 17 777 persons from HBRA and 10 386 from the control area (CA).Cochrane's Q and I2 statistics were used to evaluate heterogeneity among studies and pooling odds ratio (OR) with 95％ confidence intervals (95％ CI) were calculated using random-effect models.Publication bias was also calculated by funnel plot,Egger linear regression test and Begg rank correlation test.Results The pooling OR of translocation [OR(95％ CI) =1.57(1.10-2.24)] and unstable chromosome aberration [OR(95％ CI) =2.04(1.32-3.14)] of long-term exposed inhabitants living in HBRA were higher than control.The subgroup analysis showed that,fortranslocation,the OR (95％ CI) were 1.24 (1.09-1.42,I2 =0.00) for male,1.37 (1.17-1.60,I2 =0.00) for female,1.17 (1.05-1.30,I2 =69.50％) for adults,and 1.38 (1.25-1.51,I2 =0.00) for Chinese.For unstable chromosome aberration,the OR (95％ CI) were 3.78 (2.40-5.97,I2 =0.00) for female,2.60 (2.25-3.00,I2 =69.60％) for adults,1.03(0.85-1.24,I2 =0.00) for children,3.19 (2.46-4.13,I2 =21.60％) for Iranian,and 1.64 (1.33-2.02,I2 =0.00) for Chinese.HBRA,age and sex differences were the reasons of above heterogeneity.Conclusions To the inhabitants living in HBRA,the frequencies of translocation and unstable chromosome aberration of peripheral blood lymphocytes are higher than those in control area.More comprehensive analysis should be performed to assess the health risk in HBRA inhabitants,which may arise new stragety in radiation protection.

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects of doxycycline, losartan, and their combination in the prevention of left ventricular remodeling (LVRM) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats.

METHODSTwenty-four hours after the induction of AMI, the 254 survival rats were randomly assigned to the following groups and received drug treatment: (1) AMI controls (n=64), (2) doxycycline (30 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), n = 63), (3) losartan (10 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), n = 62), and (4) combination doxycycline and losartan (30 and 10 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) respectively, n = 65) treatment groups. Also, sham operated rats (n = 30) were selected randomly. Each group was further divided into three subgroups of 1, 2, and 4 weeks of treatment. After the completion of treatment, hemodynamic studies were performed. Then, the heart of rat was fixed and analyzed pathologically.

RESULTSExclusive of the dead rats and the hearts with the myocardial infarction size < 35% or > 50%, complete experimental data were obtained in 157 rats. Besides sham operated rats, there was no significant difference in myocardial infarction sizes among the 12 subgroups of AMI control and drug treatment groups (P> 0.05). Compared with sham operated rats, left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and left ventricular absolute weight and relative weight (LVAW and LVRW) were significantly increased in 1, 2, and 4 week subgroups of AMI controls (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, and P < 0.001, respectively), with LVEDP elevated more significantly in 4 week than in 1 and 2 week subgroups (P < 0.01); whereas the maximum rising and dropping rate of left ventricular pressure (+/-dp/dt) and its corrected value by left ventricular systolic pressure (+/-dp/dt/LVSP) were all significantly decreased only at 4 week subgroup of AMI controls (P < 0.001). Compared with AMI controls group, LVEDP was significantly decreased in all 1, 2, and 4 week subgroups of the three treatment groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, and P < 0.001, respectively); LVAW and LVRW were significantly decreased in 2 and 4 week subgroups of losartan and combination groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001, respectively), and in only 4 week subgroup in doxycycline (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, and P < 0.001, respectively); whereas the maximum dropping rate of left ventricular pressure and the corrected value of left ventricular pressure rising and dropping rate were significantly increased only in 4 week subgroups of all three treatment groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively). There is no significant difference in all indices above among the three treatment groups at all three time points (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIt is indicated that doxycycline can prevent left ventricular remodeling and improve its systolic and diastolic function after AMI in rats, with the equivalent effect to that of losartan. There seems no additive effect when the two drugs are used in combination.

Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Doxycycline ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Losartan ; therapeutic use ; Myocardial Infarction ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ventricular Remodeling ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of the self-developed anti-heparanase polypeptide antibodies on growth and invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma HCCLM6 cells.

METHODSUsing MTT, flow cytometry, plate clone formation, transwell invasion and heparan degrading enzyme assay, the growth and invasion changes of human hepatocellular carcinoma HCCLM6 cells by co-culture with each of three self-developed rabbit anti-heparanase polyclonal antibodies were detected.

RESULTSCompared with normal rabbit IgG, in the presence of each anti-heparanase polypeptide antibody, the growth, cell cycle and clone formation remained unchanged, and under the P1 or P2 anti-heparanase polypeptide antibody (with final concentration 100 microg/ml), the cell invasiveness was inhibited by 52.5% and 36.6%, respectively, and the heparanase activity was inhibited by 42.9% and 39.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe P1 and P2 anti-heparanase polypeptide antibodies can effectively inhibit the invasion ability and heparanase activity of liver cancer HCCLM6 cells. However, All the three antibodies have no effects on its growth, cell cycle and clone formation.

Antibodies ; pharmacology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; enzymology ; pathology ; Cell Adhesion ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Coculture Techniques ; Enzyme Activation ; Glucuronidase ; immunology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; enzymology ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.Methods Nine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were enrolled in this study.Patients were given cyclophosphamide and granu- locyte colony-stimulating factor(G-CSF)as the mobilization regimen.Urine was alkalinized and hydrolyzed to protect the function of the heart,liver and kidney of the patients.A CS3000 Plus blood cell separator was used to collect peripheral blood stem cells,which were preserved in liquid nitrogen.Two to five days before the administration of the stem cells,the patients were pretreated with intravenous injection of cyclophos- phamide (50 mg?kg~(-1)?day~1) for 4 consecutive days and antithymocyte globulin (ATG,2.5 mg?kg~(-1)?day~1) for 3 consecutive days.Granulocytes were recoverd by G-CSF stimulation.Then,the peripheral blood stem cells were reinfused.Therapeutic effect was evaluated by assessment of alteration of clinical manifestation (skin erythema),levels of proteinuria and antoantibodies,hematopoietic reconstitution and occurrence of transplantation related complications.Results After transplantation,all patients had been successfully en- grafted.The time for peripheral leucocyte count to reach 1.0?10~9/L was 7～15d;the time for platelets to reach 20?10~9/L was 0～21 d.The skin erythema resolved in all patients;proteinuria decreased to normal level and the autoantibodies became negative in most of the patients.Serum sickness-like response occurred in all patients,renal and heart failure in 1 patient,hemorrhagic cystitis in 3 patients,psychiatric disorders in 1 patient,candidal infection in 1 patient.Conclusion One-year follow up suggests that autologous stem cell transplantation is markedly effective and relatively safe for systemic lupus erythematosus.However,the duration of remission remains to be investigated in a long-term follow up study.

BACKGROUNDStroke and traumatic injury to the nerve system may trigger axonal destruction and the formation of scar tissue, cystic cavitations and physical gaps. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) can secrete neurotrophic factors to promote neurite growth and thus act as a prime candidate for autologous transplantation. Biological scaffolds can provide a robust delivery vehicle to injured nerve tissue for neural cell transplantation strategies, owing to the porous three-dimensional structures (3D). So transplantation of the purposeful cells seeded scaffolds may be a promising method for nerve tissue repair. This study aimed to evaluate the compatibility of a novel collagen-heparan sulfate biological scaffold with olfactory ensheathing cells in vitro.

METHODSCollagen-heparan sulfate (CHS) biological scaffolds were made, and then the scaffolds and OECs were co-cultured in vitro. The viability of OECs was tested by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay at days 1, 3, 5 and 7. Statistical analysis was evaluated by student's t test. Significance was accepted at P < 0.05. OECs were labeled with carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE), and the CFSE-labeled OECs were seeded into CHS scaffolds. The attachment and growth of OECs in CHS scaffolds were observed and traced directly by fluorescent microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM).

RESULTSCHS biological scaffolds had steady porous 3D structures and no cytotoxicity to OECs (F = 0.14, P = 0.9330). CHS biological scaffolds were good bridging materials for OECs attachment and proliferation, and they promoted the axonal growth.

CONCLUSIONThe compatibility of CHS biological scaffolds with OECs is pretty good and CHS biological scaffold is a promising cell carrier for the implantation of OECs in nerve tissue bioengineering.

Animals ; Cell Adhesion ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen ; chemistry ; Flow Cytometry ; Heparitin Sulfate ; chemistry ; Immunohistochemistry ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Olfactory Pathways ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Tissue Scaffolds ; adverse effects ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo compare the beneficial effects of Atenolol and Metoprolol on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and related gene expressions after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats.

METHODSAMI model was established with the ligation of anterior descending coronary artery in 251 randomly selected female SD rats. Twenty-four hours after operation, the 124 survivors were randomly assigned to AMI control group (MI group, n = 43), Atenolol group (group A, 10 mg x kg(-1) d(-1), n = 39), and Metoprolol group (group B, 20 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), n = 42). Sham operation group (group S, n = 27) was also established. Two subgroup (48 h subgroup and 4 weeks subgroup) was randomly divided in each group according to the time points. Drugs were given to each treatment group by gastric gavage 24 h after ligation. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was detected with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and DNA ladder. Bcl-2, bax and caspase-3 genes were detected with immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis.

RESULTSCompared with AMI control group, myocyte apoptosis rate (MAR) significantly decreased only in infarction area (P < 0.01) in group B. Bcl-2 expression was found to increase in myocytes of infarction, border and non-infarcted areas except for non-infarcted area of group A. Changes of the expressions of bax and caspase-3 was not significant. Four weeks after AMI, MAR was found to decrease significantly in scar, border and non-infarcted areas (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in both group A and group B. No significant changes of bcl-2, bax and caspase-3 expressions was found except for a significant decrease of bax expression in non-infarcted area of group A. As indicated by Western blot, no significant change of the expressions of caspase-3, bcl-2 and bax were found in myocytes of group A and group B compared with AMI control group; however, bcl-2/bax ratio significantly increased to the same level of sham-operated group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONBoth Atenolol and Metoprolol treatment can reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis in infarction/scar, border and non-infarcted areas after AMI, mainly through the increase of bcl-2 expression and bcl-2/bax ratio.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Atenolol ; pharmacology ; Female ; Metoprolol ; pharmacology ; Myocardial Infarction ; pathology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; biosynthesis ; genetics