Objective To explore an ideal approach to establish rabbit model of hepatic fibrosis suitable for radiological and serological research.Methods Totally 40 rabbit models of hepatic fibrosis was established by intraperitoneally injecting 5% carbon tetrachloride in oil solution or 100% carbon tetrachloride(both groups,0.1 ml/kg,once a week),and drinking 5% ethanol water.Another 8 rabbits who drank normal water and received a peritoneal injection at 0.1 ml/kg served as control.The rabbits(5 or 2 per time for model group and control) were killed at 6,8,10 and 12 weeks respectively after first injection.Their livers were resected for gross and morphological observation with HE and Masson staining.Results Death of the models usually happened within 4 weeks after first injection and became stable after 6 weeks.Mortality of 5% carbon tetrachloride group was 60%,but 25% in 100% carbon tetrachloride group.Macroscopy and microscopy indicated that liver fibrosis was observed in rat models.Conclusion Long-term intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride results in rabbit hepatic fibrosis.Injection of 100% carbon tetrachloride intraperitoneal,at 0.1 ml/kg,once a week,combined with and 5% ethanol as drinking water is a suitable approach to establish rabbit model of hepatic fibrosis with low mortality and high success rate.

Objective To investigate the relationships between the concentration of serum NT-proBNP,New York Heart Association(NYHA) classification,left ventricular ejection fraction((LVEF),)and the value of serum NT-proBNP in the evaluation of cardiac function and the diagnosis of chronic heart failure.Methods One hundred and two subjects were selected,including 30 healthy controls and 72 patients with heart failure.The concentration of serum NT-proBNP was determined by an automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassayan Roche Elecsys 2010.LVEF was measured by the modified Simpson′s equation with echocardiography.The diagnosis of clinical physician was considered to be the golden standard for heart failure.Results The relationships between the concentration of serum NT-proBNP and NYHA,serum NT-proBNP levels(287.7 pg/ml) was significantly higher in heart failure patients(287.7 pg/ml) than that in healthy controls 287.7 pg/ml vs (46.1 pg/ml),P

0.05)],which less than in control group [(4.614?1.683) IU/cm,(0.119?0.068) IU/cm,(564.2?53.8) ?m Pa

Aim Powdered injections of luotai consist of total saponins of panax notoginseng(PNS) which protect against ischemia injury from myocardial reperfusion injury.Methods ISO-induced acute myocardial ischemia model in rat was made, which decreased S-T sigments in ECG.Luotai after intravenous injection or oral can protect against S-T sigment significant reduction and ∑ST after ISO induced acute myocardial ischemia .Results Luotai 50 mg?kg-1 and 100 mg?kg-1 significantly inhibited S-T sigment decreases. Conclusion Luotai protect ISO induced acute myocardial ischemia and has dose-dependent effect.This ISO-induced acute myocardial ischemia model in rat has some significant advantages,for example,higher stability, good duplication, quickly filtrates, easily masters.

ObjectiveTo investigate the concentration of water fluoride and the application of water defluoridation projects in Suizhou,and to provide a basis for water improvement and prevention of the disease.MethodsCross-sectional study was carried out to investigate completely the water defluoridation projects built between 1986 and 2009 in the area under Suizhou's jurisdiction; 3 source water and terminal water samples of the projects in use were collected,respectively; 1 water sample was collected,respectively in the 3 projects with out-ofcommission or discarded water sources that used to be major water supply,for detection of fluoride,chloride,total hardness,heavy metals and other indicators.ResultsA total of 21 projects were investigated,14 projects were in normal use (66.7％),7 projects were out of order and abandoned (33.3％).Of the 14 projects normally used,13projects with water fluoride concentration ≤ 1.0 mg/L(92.9％)and 1 project with water fluoride concentration higher than 1.0 mg/L(7.1％),the concentration of water fluoride in the 7 abandoned projects was higher than 1.0 mg/L(100％).Arsenic and lead levels of all the water samples were normal.There were two water samples with iron content exceeded the standard,and one total hardness of water samples exceeded the standard in the normally used 14 peripheral water sources.One chloride content exceeded the standard,one manganese content exceeded the standard,two iron content exceeded the standard and three total hardness exceeded the standard in the seven abandoned projects.ConclusionsSome defluoridation projects are stopped using and abandoned in Suizhou,and the water fluoride exceeds the standard.

D-lactonohydrolase is useful in the procedure of resolution of racemic pantolactone to produce D-pantolactone, but the activity and stability under low pH of the wild type enzyme is not satisfactory enough to be applied to industrial production. The expected properties of wild type enzyme were enhanced by directed evolution. According to the formation of products and pH indicators, a screening system was designed. After three sequential error prone PCR and one round DNA shuffling followed by screening, Mut E-861, the best mutant with improved activity and stability under low pH situation was obtained. Gene analysis of the Mut E-861 mutant indicated that the mutant enzyme had A352C, G721A mutations and a silent mutation of position 1038. Moreover, the activity and stability of Mut E-861 were determined. The results showed that the activity of this mutant was 5.5-fold higher than that of wild type, and the stability under low pH was improved at no expense of D-lactonohydrolase activity. After incubated at pH 6.0 and pH 5.0 the activity of D-lactonohydrolase could be retained 75% to 50%, however, compared with 40% to 20% for wild type.
Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; DNA Shuffling ; Directed Molecular Evolution ; Enzyme Stability ; Escherichia coli ; enzymology ; genetics ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; Mutant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Protein Engineering ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; enzymology ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the ideal approach in creating rabbit model of hepatic fibrosis and to evaluate the feasibility and value of dynamic whole-liver 3D magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) in the quantitative study on the staging of hepatic fibrosis.

METHODSRabbit model of hepatic fibrosis was created by intraperitoneal injection of 5% and 100% carbon tetrachloride (0.1 ml/kg, once a week) respectively. MR perfusion weighted imaging was performed at the 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th week since injection. The time of peak (TOP), the time to peak (TTP), the maximum slope of increase(MSI) and the maximal relative signal increase (MRSI) of portal vein and hepatic parenchyma were analyzed quantitatively, and were compared with pathological results. Comparison of different concentrations of CCl4 was analyzed using chi-square test. Inter-group comparison of perfusion parameters was analyzed using one-way ANOVA P less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.

RESULTS40% of the rabbits treated with 5% carbon tetrachloride developed hepatic fibrosis, while 75% of the rabbits treated with 100% carbon tetrachloride developed hepatic fibrosis; the mortality rate is significantly different between these two groups (X2=5.013, P less than 0.05). PWI examination was successfully achieved in 31 rabbits, liver perfusion baseline was stable, and good TIC curve was obtained. With the progress of hepatic fibrosis, TOP and TTP of portal vein and hepatic parenchyma were increased, and MSI and MRSI were decreased. There were significant differences among stage of S0-S2, S3 and S4.

CONCLUSIONSThe method (100% carbon tetrachloride intraperitoneal injection, 0.1 ml/kg, once a week) has high success rate of creating rabbit model of hepatic fibrosis. The stage of hepatic fibrosis could be evaluated quantitatively with dynamic whole-liver 3D MR perfusion-weighted imaging.

Animals ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; administration & dosage ; Disease Models, Animal ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Liver ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Liver Circulation ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; methods ; Male ; ROC Curve ; Rabbits ; Radiography ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo investigate the cell viabilities of vascular smooth muscle cells and vascular endothelial cells stimulated by cigarette smoke extract(CSE) .

METHODSThe CSE was prepared by smoke-bubbled phosphate buffered saline(PBS) generation.After culturing cells with different concentrations of CSE, we used the cell counting kit-8 to determine the cell viability.The expression levels of c-jun and cyclinD1 were analyzed through Western blot.The c-jun plasmid was transfected to detect the change of cyclinD1 expression.

RESULTSThe smooth muscle cell viability increased when the CSE concentration ranged 0.625%-10%, whereas the endothelial cells viability decreased when exposed to the CSE concentration. After exposure to CSE for 48 hours, there was no difference in c-jun expression between toxin group and PBS group;however, the expression of p-c-jun in the smooth muscle cells significantly increased in the toxin groups than in the PBS group(P<0.05) and the expression of p-c-jun in the vascular endothelial cells significantly decreased(P<0.05) . The level of cyclinD1 significantly increased after exposed to CSE, and its expression level also increased in respond to the c-jun overexpression.

CONCLUSIONCSE can enhance the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and decrease in the activity of endothelial cells proliferation, which may be explained by the phosphorylation of c-jun and the expression of cyclinD1.

Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; Cells, Cultured ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun ; metabolism ; Tobacco ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the protective effects of affiliating portasystemic shunt on small-for-size graft in liver transplantation.

METHODSFifteen Chinese Bama miniature pigs were divided into three groups: group A (small-for-size liver transplantation), group B (distal splenorenal shunt + small-for-size liver transplantation), and group C (mesocaval H-shape shunt + small-for-size liver transplantation). Animals were followed up for 7 days with survival, dynamical liver function biochemical parameters, liver biopsies, portal venous pressure (PVP) and portal blood flow (PBF).

RESULTSAnimal survivals were as follows: group A, 1/5, group B, 3/5 and group C, 5/5.Group A resulted in abnormal liver function parameters that were significantly ameliorated in group B and C. The histological examination of graft in group A displayed severe pathologic changes including hepatocyte vacuolar change or necrosis, sinusoidal congestion, parenchymal hemorrhage. Affiliating portasystemic shunt significantly alleviated graft injuries in group B and C. PVP rose and peaked up to 28.6 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), PBF fluctuated after reperfusion in group A, but group B and C with affiliating portasystemic shunt showed significantly lower PVP and maintained rather stable PBF after reperfusion. There were also statistical differences in PVP or PBF between group B and C.

CONCLUSIONSAffiliating portasystemic shunt effectively might protect small-for-size graft from injuries after reperfusion.

Animals ; Female ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Portal Pressure ; Portal Vein ; physiology ; Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical ; methods ; Random Allocation ; Regional Blood Flow ; Survival Rate ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature

OBJECTIVETo recognize the characteristics of desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) and improve the standard of diagnosis.

METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data on the treatment of 2 patients with DSRCT in terms of their conditions, tissue sources, pathologic characteristics, immunohistochemical methods, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

RESULTSClinical manifestations were complicated. The 2 patients were mis diagnosed before operation. Their tumors consisted of irregular nests of small and round cells, with nuclear hyperchromatism and scant cytoplasm embedded in a plenty of fibrous connective tissues. The edge of the nest was clear, with different sizes and shapes. Immunohistochemically, the 2 patients were positive for CK or EMA, NSE, des and vim of the epithelium, nerve, muscle and interstitial. They died 9 months after operation.

CONCLUSIONSThe tumor may occur in the abdomen, pelvic cavity and other sites, with different clinical manifestations. Routine examination should be replaced by immunohistochemical test for correct diagnosis of the tumor. Prognosis of most patients is not good.

Adolescent ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Connective Tissue ; diagnosis ; Retrospective Studies