Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; B7-2 Antigen ; analysis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Follow-Up Studies ; Histiocytic Disorders, Malignant ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Sarcoma ; chemistry ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Skin Neoplasms ; chemistry ; drug therapy ; pathology

Animals ; Dendrobium ; chemistry ; Fatigue ; drug therapy ; Mice ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology

ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and side effects of ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve blockades and rectal paracetamol after pediatric inguinal hernia repair.MethodsNinety children undergoing half inguinal hernia repair were randomly divided into 3 groups:nerve block group(n=30),paracetamol group(n=30) and control group(n=30).After basal anesthesia,ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve blockades was administed in nerve block group,paracetamol group received rectal paracetamol,control group had not any medication.Every child was oberserved 1,3,6,8 h postoperatively for pain score,overall satisfaction were evaluated by parents,furthermore,evaluation of distress for children such as nausea,vomiting and delayed femoral nerve palsy was made.ResultsPain scores were significantly lower in nerve block group and paracetamol group during the postoperative follow-up 1,3 and 6 h.Overall satisfaction in nerve block group and paracetamol group were significantly higher than control group.The incidence of delayed femoral nerve palsy in nerve block group was higher than paracetamol group(F=4.22P

Objective To explore a kind of simple and high efficient approach to differentiate human embryonic stem cells(hESCs)into neural stem cells(NSCs).Methods hESCs were cultured in bacterial culture dish filled with serum free medium to gain embryoid bodies.Then the mature embryoid bodies grew in the special medium including B27 and noggin by adherent culture to differentiate into NSCs. Results The hESCs kept floating in the bacterial culture dish and growing all the time and then formed mature embryoid bodies 7 to 10 days later.The embryoid bodies could be differentiated into highly pure (96.4%)nestin positive cells.And these cells were differentiated into all kinds of neural cells if cultured further.Conclusions This kind of method is less time-consuming,cheaper,and more efficient than those of the results in literatures reported.It affords very good source of seed cells for cell transplantation therapy in the future.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of 17beta-estradiol (17beta-E(2)) on the structure and relaxation and contraction activity of thoracic aortas in ovariectomized rats with insulin resistance induced by fructose. Ovariectomized mature female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with high fructose diet for 8 weeks to induce insulin resistance. Physiological dose of 17beta-E(2) (30 mug/kg) was injected subcutaneously every day for 8 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured by use of tail-cuff. Serum nitric oxide (NO), estradiol (E(2)), fasting blood sugar (FBS) and fasting serum insulin (FSI) were measured respectively in each group. The insulin sensitive index (ISI) was calculated. The thoracic aortas were fixed in formalin, sliced and HE dyed. The structure of thoracic aortas, lumen breadth, media thickness, media thickness/lumen breadth ratio and media cross-section area were measured. The contraction response of thoracic aorta rings induced by L-phenylephrine (PE) and the relaxation response of thoracic aorta rings induced by ACh and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were measured. To explore the mechanism, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) was used. The results obtained are as follows: (1) 17beta-E(2) protected against the effect of high fructose diet, which caused an increase in SBP, hyperinsulinemia and a decrease in ISI in ovariectomized rats. (2) The structure of thoracic aortas had no significant difference among the groups. (3) Compared with the ovariectomized group (OVX) or fructose fed group (F), serum nitric oxide was significantly reduced, the contraction response of thoracic aorta rings to PE was enhanced and the relaxation response to ACh was depressed significantly in ovariectomized+fructose fed group (OVX+F). The effect of high fructose was reversed by 17beta-E(2). After pretreatment with L-NAME, the effect of 17beta-E(2), which enhanced the relaxation response of thoracic aorta rings to ACh in ovariectomized+fructose+17beta-E(2) group (OVX+F+E(2)), was partly blocked. (4) The relaxation response of thoracic aorta rings to SNP had no significant difference among the groups. (5) The contraction response of thoracic aorta rings without endothelium to PE had no significant difference among the groups. These findings suggest that 17beta-E(2) may provide protection against the effect of high fructose diet, which causes hypertension, dysfunction of endothelial cells and insulin resistance. The mechanism of this effect of 17beta-E(2) could be partly associated with the increase of NO by NOS pathway, or associated with the decrease in the level of systolic blood pressure and serum insulin, and the improvement of insulin resistance.
Animals ; Aorta ; physiology ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; Female ; Fructose ; Insulin Resistance ; physiology ; Ovariectomy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vasoconstriction ; drug effects ; Vasodilation ; drug effects ; Vasomotor System ; drug effects

Rosiglitazone (ROSI), thiazolidione peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) activator, reduces insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). It also improves vascular reactivity in T2DM patients and some animal models by unclear mechanisms. In order to investigate the effect of ROSI on aortic systolic and diastolic function of insulin resistant-hypertensive rats (IRHR) and the underlying mechanism, male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed with high fructose (HF) for 8 weeks to induce IRHR model. To verify IRHR model, systolic blood pressure (SBP), fasting blood sugar (FBS), fasting serum insulin (FSI) were measured respectively in each group, and insulin sensitive index (ISI) was also calculated. Subsequently, the vascular function test was performed. The thoracic aortic ring of SD rats was mounted on a bath system. The effect of rosiglitazone on the contraction elicited by L-phenylephrine (PE) and potassium chloride (KCl) and the relaxation induced by acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were measured. To explore the mechanism, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) was used and serum nitric oxide (NO) was measured. The results obtained were as follows: (1) Rosiglitazone reduced the level of SBP, serum insulin and improved insulin resistance in IRHRs. (2) The contractive responses of thoracic aortic rings to PE and KCl were enhanced and the relaxation response to ACh was depressed significantly in the HF group, and the effect was reversed by ROSI. (3) After pretreatment with L-NAME, the relaxation response to ACh was further impaired in the HF group, this effect was partly reversed by ROSI. (4) Sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced vasodilator responses did not differ significantly among the groups. (5) Aortic systolic and diastolic function of the control group was not affected markedly by ROSI. (6) Compared with the control group, serum nitric oxide was significantly reduced in the HF group, but after rosiglitazone treatment it was remarkably increased. These findings suggest that ROSI can improve aortic diastolic function of insulin resistant-hypertensive rats, the mechanism of this effect might be associated with an increase in nitric oxide mediated partly by NOS pathway, a decrease in the level of blood pressure, serum insulin and the improvement of insulin resistance.
Animals ; Aorta ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Vasodilation ; drug effects ; Vasodilator Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

Background:Over the years,the mechanical ventilation (MV) strategy has changed worldwide.The aim of the present study was to describe the ventilation practices,particularly lung-protective ventilation (LPV),among brain-injured patients in China.Methods:This study was a multicenter,1-day,cross-sectional study in 47 Intensive Care Units (ICUs) across China.Mechanically ventilated patients (18 years and older) with brain injury in a participating ICU during the time of the study,including traumatic brain injury,stroke,postoperation with intracranial tumor,hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy,intracranial infection,and idiopathic epilepsy,were enrolled.Demographic data,primary diagnoses,indications for MV,MV modes and settings,and prognoses on the 60th day were collected.Multivariable logistic analysis was used to assess factors that might affect the use of LPV.Results:A total of 104 patients were enrolled in the present study,87 (83.7％) of whom were identified with severe brain injury based on a Glasgow Coma Scale ＜8 points.Synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV) was the most frequent ventilator mode,accounting for 46.2％ of the entire cohort.The median tidal volume was set to 8.0 ml/kg (interquartile range [IQR],7.0-8.9 ml/kg) of the predicted body weight;50 (48.1％) patients received LPV.The median positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) was set to 5 cmH2O (IQR,5-6 cmH2O).No PEEP values were higher than 10 cmH2O.Compared with partially mandatory ventilation,supportive and spontaneous ventilation practices were associated with LPV.There were no significant differences in mortality and MV duration between patients subjected to LPV and those were not.Conclusions:Among brain-injured patients in China,SIMV was the most frequent ventilation mode.Nearly one-half of the brain-injured patients received LPV.Patients under supportive and spontaneous ventilation were more likely to receive LPV.

OBJECTIVETo know the genotype and allele frequency distribution of D1S549, D3S1754 and D12S375 in Chinese Han population in the Qingdao area and to study the three short tandem repeat(STR) loci for genetic application.

METHODSACD-blood specimens were collected from the unrelated individuals in Qingdao. The DNA samples were extracted with the use of Chelex method and were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The PCR products were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and were visualized by silver staining.

RESULTSEight alleles were found at D1S549 locus, eight alleles at D3S1754 locus and five alleles at D12S375 locus, and 22, 19 and 14 genotypes were identified respectively. No deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed in the three loci. The heterozygosities expected of them were 0.7988, 0.7087 and 0.75 respectively. The exclusion probability was calculated as 0.6592 for D1S549, and 0.5605 for D3S1754, and 0.5864 for D12S375. The discriminating power of the three loci were 0.9143, 0.8382 and 0.8861. Comparison of the allelic frequencies in Qingdao area with those in Hans of Chengdu area by chi-square test showed a difference statistically significant at D1S549 locus but no difference at D3S1754 and D12S375 loci.

CONCLUSIONThis study reveals the structure of the three loci and the obtained data are beneficial to understanding the population genetics in Chinese Han population. All of the three loci have higher chance of exclusion and higher discriminating power, and they will be useful markers for individual identification, paternity test and genetics purposes.

China ; ethnology ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Tandem Repeat Sequences

OBJECTIVETo investigate the underlying mechanism of apoptosis-inducing effect of a specific COX-2 inhibitor SC236 in gastric cancer cells.

METHODSWestern blot analysis was used to measure apoptosis-related proteins, cytochrome c, and caspase-3. The catalytic activity of the caspases was measured using a colorimetric assay.

RESULTSTreatment of AGS gastric cancer cells with SC236 caused a significant elevation of the pro-apoptotic protein Bak, release of cytochrome c to the cytosol, and activation of caspase-3. A specific caspase-3 inhibitor, z-DEVD-fmk, blocked SC236-induced apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONSC236 inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in gastric cancer cells at least partly through the up-regulation of Bak, stimulation of cytochrome c release, and activation of caspase-3.

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; Caspases ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Cytochromes c ; metabolism ; Humans ; Oligopeptides ; pharmacology ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases ; metabolism ; Pyrazoles ; pharmacology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Sulfonamides ; pharmacology ; bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo assess the effect of repeated gonadotropic stimulations on the developmental potential and growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) expression of mouse oocytes.

METHODSFemale Kunming mice were treated with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) for 3 times, and the control mice were treated with normal saline. The two groups of mice were both stimulated subsequently to obtain the mature oocytes. Immunocytochemical staining was employed to evaluate GDF-9 expression in the oocytes. The oocytes were then inseminated and cultured till the formation of blastocysts to compare the cleavage rate and blastocyst formation rate between the groups.

RESULTSA total of 253 mature oocytes were obtained in the repeated stimulation group, with a mean of 11.5 oocytes from each mouse; 521 mature oocytes were obtained in the control group with a significantly greater mean number of 32.6 from each mouse (P<0.05). The average optical density and integrated optical density for GDF-9 expression were significantly lower in the oocytes in repeated stimulation group than in the control group (P<0.05 and 0.01, respectively). After insemination, the cleavage rate were comparable between repeated stimulation group and the control group (85.6% vs 88.8%), but the blastocyst formation rate was significantly lower in repeated stimulation group (20.8% vs 35.2%, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONRepeated gonadal stimulation decreases the developmental potential of mouse oocytes possibly due to reduced GDF-9 expression.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Gonadotropins ; pharmacology ; Growth Differentiation Factor 9 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Oocytes ; cytology ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Ovulation Induction ; adverse effects ; methods