Serpiginous choroiditis (SC) is infrequent, chronic and posterior uveitis displaying a geographic pattern of choroiditis easy to recur. Studies reveal that the active lesions of inflammatory processes are mainly localized to the choriocapillaris and retinal pigment epithelium cells. SC may manifest with variable features, although a creeping pattern of choroiditis, extending from the juxtapapillary area, with grayish yellow discoloration. Fundus fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, fundus auto-fluorescence and optical coherence tomography are helpful to diagnose atypical SC. In addition, these image examinations can evaluate the activity and progression of lesion, and detect any complication that might occur. SC is mainly distinguished from multifocal SC related with tuberculosis or virus and etc. Pathogenesis is unclear, an organ-specific autoimmune inflammation or infection seems likely to be the underlying process. It is mainly using glucocorticoid with immunosuppressant therapy at present. Timely and effectively control inflammation can effectively prevent vision loss, choroidal neovascularization and choroidal scar in SC patients.

Current therapies of diabetes proven to lowering glucose include metformin,TZDs,sulphanylureas,nateglinide,Repaglinide,acarbose and insulin analogues.Given our better understanding of the beta cell function are slowly emerging.Recently,the gastrointestinal peptide hormones glucagon-like peptide 1 analogues and inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase-4(DPP-4) have been shown to significantly contribute to glucose homeostasis.Meanwhile,other novel prospect for diabetes such as selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor(PPAR) gamma modulators,inhibitors of sodium glucose co-transporters 2 have been proven to be attractive drug candidates.The therapeutic potential of these molecules are discussed in this review.

In this study, the expression of IL-24 at maternal-fetal interface and the roles in extravillous trophoblast (the TEV-1 cell line) invasion were examined. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of IL-24 in villi and decidual tissue. The proliferation of TEV-1 cells under the effect of IL-24 was measured by MTT assay. The invasiveness of TEV-1 cells under the effect of recombinant IL-24 (rhIL-24) was examined by transwell system. Immunohistochemical detection showed that IL-24 was expressed in the villi and decidual tissue, and distributed in villous column, trophoblasts, stroma and blood vessels. The proliferation of TEV-1 cells was not inhibited by rhIL-24 of various concentrations. The examination of invasion in vitro showed that rhIL-24 could inhibit the invasion of TEV-1 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The results suggested IL-24 could inhibit the invasion of TEV-1 cells. Therefore, IL-24 produced by maternal-fetal interface in human first trimester pregnancy may influence the invasion of trophoblasts and is involved in normal pregnancy.

Objective: To explore the subjective well-being (SWB) of immigrant children and the differences between urban children and immigrant children in Beijing. Methods: The SWB Self-evaluating Scale,Positive Affect and Negative Affect Seale-Revised Edition, Student Life Satisfaction Scale, and Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale were administrated to a sample of 1018 immigrant children and 447 urban children in 4 immigrant children schools, 3 mixed public schools and 4 public schools in Beijing. Results: (1) On the whole,immigrant children from school for farmer-worker's children (6.9±2.7) and from mixed public school (7.4±2.3) scored lowest on SWB, urban children from mixed public school (8.2±2.1) were placed in the middle,and urban children from public school (8.4±1.9) scored highest (F=16.27, P<0.001). (2) Immigrant chlldren's general well-being score was (7.0±2.6), and their positive affect score was higher than that of negative affect [(3.0±0.5) vs.(2.3±0.6), P<0.001] . (3) Boys scored higher in environment satisfaction and gen-eral life satisfaction than girls [(3.7±0.9) vs.(3.5±0.9), (2.9±0.7) vs.(2.8±0.7), Ps<0.05], but lower in school satisfaction [(4.5±0.9)vs.(4.7±0.9), P <0.001] . (4) Higher grade children had more negative affect and self-satisfaction, but lower in the other aspects. Conclusion: Generally speaking, immigrant children's subjective well-being are above the average level, and immigrant children in mixed public schools have higher score than those in pure immigrant children schools, but both kinds of immigrant children score lower than urban children in subjective well-being.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Benzene ; poisoning ; Humans ; Male ; Multiple Organ Failure ; chemically induced ; Occupational Diseases ; complications

BACKGROUND: It has been proved that vascular endothelial growth factor 165(VEGF165) and bone morphogenetic protein 2(BMP2) can accelerate the vascularization synergistically.OBJECTIVE:To construct the vectors, pDsVEGF165Red1-N1 and pIRES2-BMP2-enhanced green fluorescent protein(EGFP) followed by co-transfected into HEK 293-T cells,and study their expression and location of VEGF165and BMP2 in the cells.DESIGN: A randomized and controlled experiment.SETTING: National Key Laboratory,Institute of Surgery Research,Daping Hospital,Third Military Medical University.MATERIALS: The experiment was conducted at National Key Laboratory,Institute of Surgery Research,Daping Hospital,Third Military Medical University from September 2002 to March 2004. pcDNA3.1\BMP2 ( gift of Dr.Bostrom, UCLA School of Mediine, Los Angeles,USA).pDsRed1-N1(gift of Pro. Roger Y.Tisen,University of California,San Diego,USA). pUC18/VEGF165,293-T cells(preserved by our Laboratory).METHODS: According to the nucleotide sequence of hVEGF165, the primers were designed.The hVEGF165 gene without stop codon was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).The fragment digested was cloned into the expression vector pDsRed1-N1.Meantime,the pIRES2-BMP2-EGFP expression vector was constructed.The two plasmids were co-transfected into HEK 293-T cells.The co-expression and distribution of the VEGF165and BMP2 were observed with confocal laser microscopy (CLSM) and detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western Blotting.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Identification of the recombinant plasmids and the expressing mRNA and protein in 293-T cells.RESULTS: The recombinant plasmids were verified correct construction by restriction enzyme analysis, PCR and sequencing. The two genes which were co-transfected could express in HEK 293-T cells.The co-expression of the report genes,RFP and EGFP, were found over the cytoplasm and in the nuclei by CLSM.CONCLUSION: Two report gene expression vectors contain VEGF165 and BMP2 have been constructed successfully, which can be co-expressed in HEK 293-T cells. Thus, they can provide important and convenient tool to study intracellular interaction of VEGF165 and BMP2.

· Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of legal blindness in individuals aged over 65 in the United States and other industrialized nations. Till now, we have limited choices of treatment for this kind of disease. Treatment available can be grouped into two major categories: physical and pharmacological therapies. The former received extensive attention with little success whereas the latter attract new attention with great hope of success. The pharmacological therapies indude photodynamic therapy (PDT), steroids, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, extracellular matrix (ECM) modifiers, gene therapy, nutrition supplements, choroidal blood flow facilitators and the like. PDT treatment is the only available effective treatment for certain forms of neovascular AMD. Anecortave acetate,as a synthetic derivative of cortisol, might stabilize vision in patients with predominantly classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) for up to 6mo through subtenon juxtascleral depot application. Intravitreous injection of VEGF aptamer stabilized or improved vision in 87.5% of patients with subfoveal CNV 3mo after treatment. Malfunction of choroidal blood flow is found in early stage of AMD. Elevation of intravascular pressure is the crucial hemodynamic factor in age-related macular degeneration, resulting in a decrease of the blood flow of choriocapillaries. Chain reactions are triggered which lead to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degeneration,Bruch's membrane breakdown, CNV formation, AMD and blindness in the end. Therefore, specific drugs that can increase the choroidal blood flow could be very useful to prevent the AMD from developing and worsening. Although most of them are still in the experimental stage,it is hopeful to find a way to treat AMD at the early stage and to prevent the disease to be triggered and developed.

Objective To investigate molecular changes in growing rats masticatory muscle after functional mandibular protrusion.Methods SD rats were randomly divided into eight groups as control 3d,7d,14d,21d and experimental 3d,7d,14d,21d.The RTPCR and qPCR methods were used to find expression and any differences of mRNA of MMPs in growing rats masticatory muscle after functional mandibular protrusion. (Results)(① Expression) of MMP-2,MMP-9 mRNA expressed in all growing rats masticatory muscle.② Expression differences of MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNA in 3d,21d were found between control and experimental groups after functional mandibular protrusion.Conclusion ①MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNA participate in masticatory muscle normal development.(② MMPs) mRNA involve changes in growing rats masticatory muscle after functional mandibular protrusion.

AIM: To study the effect and mechanism of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) on neural stem cell (NSCs) proliferation and differentiation from new born Sprague- Dawley rat striatum. METHODS: NSCs were isolated from the brains of new born Sprague-Dawley rat striatum, and the features of cells were characterized by immunofluorescence staining. The effects of different culture medium on cell cycle distribution and proliferation of NSCs were determined by flow cytometry (FCM) . The effects of atRA on differentiation of NSCs were determined by immunofluorescence staining and classified count of differentiated cells. RESULTS: FCM assay indicated that atRA inhibited the proliferation of NSCs. The percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase in atRA treatment group was significantly higher than that in control, and the proliferation index (PI) was significantly low. The percentage of neurons differentiated from NSCs in atRA group was 2.5 times of the control group after induced by adding 10% FCS in culture medium. CONCLUSION: atRA counteracts the effects of bFGF on the promotion of mitosis and inhibition of differentiation of NSCs. atRA also promotes NSCs to differentiate into neurons in vitro.

Objective To explore the characteristics of electrocardiographic (ECG) changes after transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD). Methods Changes in ECGs of 215 patients after transcatheter closure of VSD from 2002 to 2004 were studied. Results The ECGs of all 215 patients were normal before operation while after operation, ECGs remained normal in 137 patients but 78 patients turned out to be abnormal. Transient atrioventricular interference dissociation occurred in 17 patients and their ECGs recovered to normal after 5 days. Left anterior bundle branch block occurred in another 17 patients and 15 of them returned to normal state 6 days after the procedure. Either right bundle block or left one occurred in 22 patients and their ECGs remained abnormal until they were discharged from the hospital. Advanced or Ⅲ? atrioventricular block occurred in 11 patients, 9 of them returned to normal state, but 2 patients required pocemaker implantation. Conclusion Transcatheter closure of VSD interferes the cardiac conducting system. Most patients can restore normal state, but few may leave behind sequelce.