Objective To identify the availability of video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy. Methods Retrospectively analyzed 68 patients with myasthenia gravis who underwent thymectomy including 34 cases of video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy and 34 cases of transsternal thymectomy,and the patients were followed up for 16 years. Results Patients of the VATS group were given video-assisted thora-coscopic thymectomy. The mean operative time was (90. 1 ± 15. 0) min,mean blood loss was (45. 0 ± 5. 5) mL,mean chest tube drainage time was (2. 5 ± 1. 2) days and mean postoperative hospital stay was (7. 0 ± 1. 2) days in VATS group,and there was no serious complica-tions and surgical death. The mean operative time was (98. 0 ± 12. 5) min,mean blood loss was (118. 5 ± 17. 5) mL,mean chest tube drain-age time was (4. 5 ± 1. 3) days and mean postoperative hospital stay was (11. 0 ± 2. 5) days in transsternal thymectomy group. 3 patients de-veloped MG crisis. There was no significant difference in mid-and long-term effects between the two groups(P>0. 05). ConclusionVideo-as-sisted thoracoscopic thymectomy for MG is safe and feasible with the advantage of less invasion,less surgical trauma,lower rate of complica-tion,and good curative effect compared with transsternal thymectomy.

Objective:To analyze the morphological characteristics of maxillary first molars,mesiobuccal roots and the incidence of second mesiobuccal(MB2)roots in Uyghur adults.Methods:1 00 Uyghur adults with full dentition were included.The morphology of maxillary first molars and root canals were examined by cone beam computerized tomography(CBCT).The prevalence of MB2 and the difference between sexes were analysed.Results:Among 200 maxillary first molars,1 54(77%)teeth were with 3 roots and 3 ca-nals,42(21 %)with 3 roots and 4 canals,2(1 %)with 3 roots and 5 canals,1 (0.5%)was with 4 roots and 6 canal,1 (0.05%) with 4 roots and 7 canal.The percentage of type Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ and Ⅴ mesiobuccal roots was 77.0,1 3.5,9.0,0 and 0.5 respec-tively.The prevalence of MB2 was 22.32% in male and 21 .2% in female(P =0.901 ).Conclusion:The prevalence of MB2 in Uy-ghur adults is about 22% and the predominant morphology of maxillary first molarsmesiobuccal roots was type I.

Objective:To investigate YKL-40-mediated inflammation in human bronchial epithelial cells and analyzed the soluble factors secreted by bronchial epithelial cells exposed to YKL-40 that were responsible for increasing proliferation and migration of primary normal human bronchial smooth muscle cells (BSMCs).Methods:YKL-40-induced inflammation was assayed in two human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B cell line and primary human bronchial epithelial cells ,namely HBECs).In addition,we treated BEAS-2B cells and HBECs with YKL-40,and added the conditioned culture media ( YKL-40-BEAS-2B-CM) and ( YKL-40-HBECs-CM) to BSMCs.The proliferation and migration of BSMCs were determined by premixed WST-1 cell proliferation reagent and QCM chemotaxis migration assay ,respectively.Results: Bronchial epithelial cells treated with YKL-40 resulted in a significant increase of IL-8 production,but have no effect about RANTES ,Eotaxin and TNF-α.YKL-40-BEAS-2B-CM and YKL-40-HBECs-CM induced IL-8 was found to further stimulate proliferation and migration of BSMCs ,and the effects were inhibited after neutralizing IL-8.Conclusion:Through investigating the interaction of airway epithelium and smooth muscle ,our findings implicate that YKL-40 may be involved in the inflammation of asthma by induction of IL-8 from epithelium,subsequently contributing to BSMCs proliferation and migration.Moreover, inhibition of IL-8 signaling is a potential therapeutic target for YKL-40-induced inflammation and remodeling of asthma.

Objective: To investigate the relation between proliferation, apoptosis and Bcl-2 in human tongue squamous cell carcinoma(TSCC). Methods: Apoptosis, prolifexation and Bcl-2 protein expression were examined in 7 cases of normal tongue mucosa, 20(10 of Han and 10 of Uygur people) of tongue squamous cell papilloma (TSCP) and 42 of TSCC (30 of well-differentiated and 12 of middle-differentiated ) with immunohistochemical and in situ cell death detection technique. Results: The apoptosis index (TI) and the proliferation index (PI) showed no significant difference between Han and Uygur people or between male and femae, TI and PI in human TSCP were heigher than those in normal tongue mucosa, The proliferation was enhanced and apoptosis was inhibited according to dysplasia degree(P

OBJECTIVEThis study aims to investigate the expression levels of serum and urinary vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and epidermal growth factor-like domain 7 (EGFL7) in proliferating infantile hemangioma patients under propranolol treatment.

METHODSPropranolol (0.5-2 mg x kg(-1)) was orally administered to 30 infants every day for 4-8 months. The Achauer method was used to measure the tumor radius and thus evaluate the clinical curative effects of the treatment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the serum and urinary concentrations of VEGF-A and EGFL7 at 0, 4, and 12 weeks after the treatment.

RESULTSThe treatment response was excellent in 2 patients, good in 11, moderate in 14, and poor in 3. Serum VEGF-A (335.692 pg x mL(-1) ± 136.146 pg x mL(-1)) was high before the treatment and then significantly decreased after 4 weeks (264.853 pg x mL(-1) ± 122.120 pg x mL(-1)) and 12 weeks (211.345 pg x mL(-1) ± 104.035 pg x mL(-1)) of treatment (P < 0.05). Urinary VEGF-A (76.234 pg x mL(-1) ± 24.169 pg x mL(-1)) was high before the treatment and then significantly decreased after four weeks (56.454 pg x mL(-1) ± l6.111 pg x mL(-1)) and twelve weeks (34.728 pg x mL(-1)) ± 12.656 pg x mL(-1)) of treatment (P < 0.05). Serum and urinary EGFL7 also decreased after the treatment, showing a positive relationship with VEGF-A.

CONCLUSIONPropranolol can be safely and effectively used to treat proliferating infantile hemangiomas. This treatment can reduce the peripheral serum and urinary concentrations of VEGF-A and EGFL7 in affected children.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of propranolol in treating proliferating infantile haemangiomas,and to measure the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and hypoxiainducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in sera and urine of patients during the treatment.Methods Thirty infants with proliferating haemangiomas were treated with propranolol at doses of 0.5-2 mg/kg per day.The radius of haemangiomas was measured,and blood and urine samples were obtained from these patients before,and at 4 and 12 weeks after the beginning of treatment.Clinical efficacy was estimated according to a four-graded scale as well as the feedback from parents of these patients.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to determine the serum and urine concentrations of VEGF-A and HIF-1α.Thirty check-up infants collected from the Department of Child Health Care served as the healthy controls.Statistical analysis was done by two-way analysis of variance followed by the least significant difference (LSD) test.Results After 12 weeks of treatment,clinical response was excellent in 2 patients,good in 11,moderate in 14,and poor in 3.The serum levels of VEGF-A and HIF-1α were (268.174 ± 95.056) μg/L and (10.809 ± 1.686) mg/L respectively in the control group,sequentially decreased in the patients from baseline to 4 and 12 weeks after the beginning of treatment (VEGF-A:(385.692 ± 136.146) vs.(264.853 ± 122.12) vs.(211.345 ± 104.035) μg/L; HIF-1α:(31.462 ± 7.458) vs.(21.454 ± 5.489) vs.(12.052 ± 3.623) mg/L).The trend in expression changes of VEGF-A and HIF-1α in urine samples was similar to that in blood samples in these patients.Positive correlation was observed between the expression level of VEGF-A and HIF-1α in sera (r=0.730,P＜ 0.05) and urine (r=0.667,P＜ 0.05) of these patients.Moreover,the levels of serum VEGF-A,urine VEGF-A,serum HIF-1α and urine HIF-1α were all negatively correlated with the time course following propranolol administration (r =-0.390,-0.689,-0.806,-0.683,P ＜ 0.05,0.01,0.05,0.01 respectively).Conclusion Propranolol is effective for the treatment of proliferating infantile haemangiomas,likely by reducing serum and urinary concentrations of VEGF-A and HIF-lα in children.

Objective:To show whether the Fas Ligand gene induces mast cells apoptosis.Methods:RT-PCR was used to amplify the gene of rat Fas ligand extracelluar domain and transmembrane domain and cloned it into eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1.Transcent transfect RBL-2H3,the expression of Fas ligand RBL-2H3 was detected by RT-PCR、Western blot.The Annexin V FCM was used to detect the RBL-2H3 apoptosis after the transfection of Fas Ligand.Results:It is successful to obtain the gene of rat Fas Ligand extracellular domain and transmembrane segment,cloning it into pcDNA3.1,FasL was expressed on the surface of RBL-2H3 and it's supernatant after the transfection of pcDNA3.1/FasL.The cell start to be apoptosis.Conclusion:Our study reveals that Fas Ligand gene transfection in RBL-2H3 can effectively induced apoptosis.It is a promising strategy for Fas Ligand to be used in the therapy of allergic disease. [

The objective of this study is to explore the application possibility of chitosan/pcDNA-EGFP-TGFPbeta1 nanoparticles in the transfection of synovial-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SDMSCs). Chitosan/pcDNA-EGFP-TGFbeta1 nanoparticles were fabricated through method of ionic crosslinking. The SDMSCs were harvested from rabbit joints and cultured to passage 3. The SDMSCs were then transfected with chitosan/pcDNA-EGFP-TGFbeta1 nanoparticles. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) was employed to detect the shape and diameter of the nanoparticles. The transfected SDMSCs were examined under the fluorescence microscope and detected through the flow cytometry (FCM). The SEM examination showed that the contour of the fabricated chitosan/pcDNA-EGFP-TGFbeta1 nanoparticles was round and its average diameter was 50 nm. After being cultured for 48 h, the SDMSCs transfected by chitosan/pcDNA-EGFP-TGFbeta1 nanoparticles could be detected under the fluorescence microscope, and the live SDMSCs could also be examined through FCM. The transfection rate was 8% - 10%. Therefore, it suggested that the chitosan/pcDNA-EGFP-TGFbeta1 nanoparticles fabricated through the method of ionic crosslinking could transfect the SDMSCs, but the transfection rate should be improved.
Animals ; Chitosan ; chemistry ; Genetic Vectors ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; genetics

BACKGROUND:Synovial mesenchymal stem cells have the ability of multilineage differentiation in vitro, which are expected to be seed cells for the treatment of cartilage defects in cartilage tissue engineering. Appropriate growth factors are critical for the chondrocyte differentiation of synovial mesenchymal stem cells.
OBJECTIVE:To study the role of secreted factors by chondrocytes to induce chondrogenesis of synovial mesenchymal stem cells.
METHODS:The synovial mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes were harvested from rat knee joints and cultured through the digestion method. The supernatant was col ected from chondrocytes, and centrifuged, filtered and cryopreserved. The third passage synovial mesenchymal stem cells centrifuged as pel ets were cultured in the chondrocyte supernatant for 21 days. And the cells morphology was examined and the type II col agen and aggrecan were detected through immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The synovial mesenchymal stem cellpel ets cultured in the chondrocyte supernatant became cartilage-like tissue after 21 days. The type II col agen was detected positively in the matrix of synovial mesenchymal stem cellpel et immunohistochemical y. RT-PCR examination showed that the type II col agen and aggrecan expressed in the synovial mesenchymal stem cellpel et cultured in the chondrocyte supernatant. It suggested that synovial mesenchymal stem cellcould be induced to differentiate into chondrocytes depending on soluble factors secreted by chondrocytes.

BACKGROUND:Articular chondrocytes with the ability of autocrine and paracrine can provide the growth factors and microenvironment for synovial mesenchymal stem cels differentiating into the chondrocyte. The
three-dimensional scaffold could provide space for cels adhesion, proliferation and differentiation.
OBJECTIVE: To study the ability of chondrogenesis by co-culturing synovial mesenchymal stem cels and chondrocytes under the three-dimensional condition.
METHODS:The synovial membrane and articular cartilage were harvested from rat knee joint. The synovial
mesenchymal stem cels and chondrocytes were obtained through the method of enzyme digestion. The passage 3 synovial mesenchymal stem cels and passage 2 chondrocytes were co-cultured in the chitosan/I colagen
composite scaffolds at the ratio of 1:2. Then, the cels/scaffold composite was harvested to be examined
morphologicaly, histologicaly and immunohistochemicaly after being cultured 21 days. The confocal laser was also employed to detect the cels distribution in the scaffold.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After being cultured 72 hours, it could be observed from the cels/scaffold composite examined through the scanning electron microscope that the cels adhered on the surface of the
scaffold and extracelular matrix surrounding the cels was seen on the scaffold. After being cultured 21 days, it could be found through the confocal laser scanning that the cels were wel-distributed on the scaffold, and cels decreased gradualy. Type II colagen was positive in the extracelular matrix immunohistochamicaly. It
suggested from this study that the synovial mesenchymal stem cels could be co-cultured with chondrocytes in the chitosan/I colagen composite scaffolds and have the ability of chondrogenesis differentiation.