Objective　To study distribution of the calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive fibers in the cremaster arteries of the rat.Methods　The distribution of the calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive fibers in the cremaster arteries had been studied by means of ABC technique.Results　The calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive fibers were observed on all branches of cremaster arteries.The immunoreative fibers in first and second branches of the arteries exhibited the denser grains and denser mass,but in third branches,the network of the fibers was obvious.The density of the immunoreactive fibers reduced following the bifurcations of the arteries.The network of the fibers also could be found in the capillary.Conclusion　The results demonstrated that the distribution of calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactive fibers might be related to the physiological regulation and microcirculation of the cremaster arteries.It formed the morphological basis for experimental model of researching nerve regulation in the microcirculation.

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of procalcitonin (PCT),C-reactive protein (CRP)and white blood cell (WBC)for the severity of community-acquired pneumonia(CAP)in adult and elderly patients.Methods A total of 1 12 hospitalized patients with community acquired pneumonia from May 2013 to September 2014 were selected,and they were divided into the adult group(n=50)and the elderly group (n =62).The PCT,CRP and WBC levels in patients with severe and non-severe pneumonia were compared,and the correlation between those inflammatory markers and pneumonia severity index (PSI),British Thoracic Soci-ety CURB-65 Score(CRUB-65)were analyzed in each age group.Results PCT and CRP levels,PSI and CURB-65 scores in adult and elderly patients with severe pneumonia were higher than those in patients with non-severe pneumonia of corresponding age group (P < 0.05 ).Moreover,PCT had significant positive correlation with PSI and CURB-65 scores in the elderly group (P <0.05).But no correlation were found between the two kinds of scores and PCT in adult group as well as CRP,WBC in the two age group(P >0.05).Conclusion PCT and CRP might be useful markers to evaluate the severity of CAP,and PCT has a higher pre-dictive value in elderly patients with CAP.

Objective To explore connective tissue growth factor(CTGF)and transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1)detection levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)and significance.Methods Totally 65 patients with COPD treated in the hospital from March 2016 to March 2017 were selected as the subjects,the patients were divided into acute exacerba-tion group(32 cases)and stable phase group(33 cases)according to the severity of the disease.Another 35 cases of physical examination in the hospital were selected as the control group.Serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid CTGF and TGF-β1 levels were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) method,and lung function index,such as forced vital capacity(FVC),forced expiratory volume(FEV1),and FEV1/FVC of patients with COPD were detected,and the relationship was analyzed of CTGF and TGF-β1 in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung function.Results CTGF and TGF-β1 levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in acute exacerbation group were significantly higher than those in stable group and control group(P<0.05).CTGF and TGF-β1 levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the sta-ble group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).Lung function results showed that lung function index FVC,FEV1 and FEV1/FVC value in acute exacerbation group decreased significantly when compared with those in stable group and the control group(P<0.05).FEV1 and FEV1/FVC in the sta-ble group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).CTGF expression level was posi-tively correlated in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of acute exacerbation group,and TGF-β1 was also positively correlated.Serum CTGF and TGF-β1 levels were positively correlated,and CTGF and TGF-β1 in alveolar lavage fluid were also positively correlated.Serum CTGF and TGF-β1 levels were negatively correla-ted with FVC,FEV1,FEV1/FVC,and CTGF and TGF-β1 in alveolar lavage fluid were negatively correlated with FVC,FEV1 and FEV1/FVC respectively.Conclusion The high expression of CTGF and TGF-β1 is closely related to the occurrence and development of COPD,and it can be used as an index for monitoring the condition of COPD.

OBJECTIVETo establish a novel nude mice model which can be visualized in real time and detected in a continuous and dynamic way for the development and metastasis of adenoid cystic carcinoma.

METHODSHuman adenoid cystic carcinoma cells, ACCM cell line, were infected with retroviral vector of pLEGFP-N1 and then screened for a single colony of ACCM-GFP cells. Cell proliferation and morphological analysis were conducted for ACCM and ACCM-GFP cells. Nude mice lingual carcinoma model was set up with ACCM-GFP cells injection and real time observation with fluorescence imaging on ACCM-GFP tumors was performed subsequently. Histological assay was analyzed for ACCM and ACCM-GFP tumors as well.

RESULTSACCM-GFP cells were able to express GFP stably in the long term. ACCM and ACCM-GFP cells showed no significant difference in cell proliferation and morphology, and no significant difference of histological characteristics in vivo could be found between ACCM and ACCM-GFP tumors. Tumor development could be monitored in real time with fluorescence imaging system in vivo.

CONCLUSIONGFP-expressing ACCM tumor model can be applied to detect and observe its development in the long term in a noninvasive, real time and dynamic way. It is also a kind of ideal in vivo mouse model for adenoid cystic carcinoma research.

Animals ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude