Objective To explore the value of electroneurophysiological detection in diagnosis of children progressive muscular dystrophy (PMD).Methods The clinical features and laboratory data were analyzed in 32 children with PMD ,and electromyography(EMG) and nerve conduction velocity(NCV) were performed.Parameters studied included spontaneous activity , duration and amplitude of motor unit potential(MUP),pattern of recruitment as strong contracting,sensory conduction velocity(SCV),motor conduction velocity(MCV), distal latency and distal amplitude. Results The abnormality rates of spontaneous potentials was 49.2% and 80.9% in tibialis anterior.The decrease of duration of MUP was 29.7%-62.4%.Amplitude of strong contracting was significantly decreased.There were different from those in normal children(P

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) with branch-foundation acupoint combination on the indices regarding pituitary-target gland axis in aging rats with yang deficiency, so as to explore its regulating mechanism on aging rats with yang deficiency.

METHODSForty healthy Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, a model group, an EA group and an EA control group, 10 rats in each group. Except the normal control group, the rats in the rest 3 groups were all treated with subcutaneous injection of D-galactose for 40 d, followed by intramuscular injection of hydrocortisone for 7 d to establish aging model with yang deficiency. After the successful establishment of model, the EA group was treated with EA at "Guanyuan" (CV 4), "Housanli" (ST 36) and "Baihui "(GV 20) while the EA control group was treated with EA at "Zhongji" (CV 3) "Yinlingquan" (SP 9) and "Yintang" (GV 29); the rats in the normal control group and model group were immobilized and fixed during the same time period. The treatments were given 6 times per week totally for 4 weeks. With radiation immunity analysis method, the 8 biological indices of pituitary-target gland axis, including thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), tetraiodothyronine-4 (T4), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT), estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were detected to observe the changes of their content.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, the serum level of TSH, T3, T4 and E2 were reduced in the model group (P<0.05, P< 0.01) while those of ACTH, CORT, FSH and LH were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the serum level of TSH, T3, T4 and E2 were increased in the EA group (P<0.05, P<0.01) while those of ACTH, CORT, FSH and LH were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the EA control group, the content of TSH was increased in the EA group without statistical significance (P>0.05), that of T3, T4 and E2 was increased (all P<0.05) and that of ACTH, CORT, FSH and LH was significantly reduced (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe electroacupuncture with branch-foundation acupoint combination has benign regulating effects on the key hormones of pituitary-target gland axis, which could effectively improve the dysfunction of pituitary-target gland axis that is caused by aging with yang deficiency; the efficacy of electroacupuncture with branch-foundation acupoint combination is superior to that of adjacent control acupoint combination.

Acupuncture Points ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; secretion ; Aging ; blood ; metabolism ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electroacupuncture ; Estradiol ; blood ; secretion ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; secretion ; Humans ; Pituitary Gland ; secretion ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thyroid Hormones ; blood ; secretion ; Yang Deficiency ; blood ; metabolism ; therapy

Functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI),as a noninvasive technology of measuring human brain function,has been used in neurolingustic research on normal subjects and on patients with brain damage,to investigate the neural basis underlying language processing.Such studies complement and development the classical knowledge accumulated on aphasia,provide new insights into the neural mechanisms of aphasia and the plasticity of recovery from aphasia,and might be helpful to evaluate the capability of language functional recovery and the efficiency of rehabilitative strategies also.

OBJECTIVETo improve the outcome of the face-lift with a craniofacial contouring procedure.

METHODSThirty-seven patients aged 29-53 years (31 in female, 6 in male) were treated through a bicoronal incision. The facial tissue was lifted through a subperiosteal procedure and the facial skeleton was remodeled in three dimensions by osteotomies.

RESULTSThe results were satisfactory after the 3-12 months of the follow-ups.

CONCLUSIONSThe Face-lift combined with the facial aesthetic sculpturing may be more effective for the aging-face rejuvenating.

Adult ; Esthetics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rhytidoplasty ; methods

To investigate the morphogenetic process of human adenovirus type 41 (HAdV-41), 293TE cells were infected with purified wild-type HAdV-41, and ultrathin sections of infected cells were prepared and observed under a transmission electron microscope. Results showed that HAdV-41 entered host cells mainly through three ways: non-clathrin-coated pit, clathrin-coated pit, and direct penetration of plasma membrane. In addition, cell microvilli might help HAdV-41 enter cells. After entering into cells, HAdV-41 virus particles could be found in vacuoles or lysosomes or be in a free state in cytoplasm. Only free virus particles could be found near nuclear pores (NP), suggesting that the virus needed to escape from lysosomes for effective infection and viral nucleoprotein entered the nucleus through NP. Progeny viruses were as-sembled in the nucleus. Three types of inclusion bodies, which were termed as fibrillous inclusion body, condense inclusion body, and stripped condense inclusion body, were involved in HAdV-41 morphogenesis. In the late phase of viral replication, the membrane integrity of the infected cells was lost and viral particles were released extracellularly. This study reveals the partial process of HAdV-41 morphogenesis and provides more biological information on HAdV-41.
Adenovirus Infections, Human ; virology ; Adenoviruses, Human ; genetics ; growth & development ; physiology ; ultrastructure ; Cell Membrane ; virology ; Cell Nucleus ; virology ; Humans ; Virus Release ; Virus Replication

Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; methods ; Negative Staining ; methods ; Viruses ; ultrastructure

Objective To determine the effect of paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B (PirB) on growth of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in vitro.Methods Expression of PirB in RGCs isolated from wild-type C57 BJ/6 mice was measured by immunofluorescence.Real-time PCR and Western blot were performed to detect PirB expressions in RGCs cultured for 1,3,5,7 and 9 days.Primary cultured RGCs were left untreated as controls,transfected with lentiviral-delivered PirB RNAi as Group A,lentiviral-delivered NgR RNAi as Group B,lentiviral-delivered PirB RNAi plus ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) as Group C,lentiviral-delivered NgR plus CNTF as Group D,and only CNTF as Group E.Growth and development of RGCs were evaluated by MTT assay and morphological analysis.Results Immunofluorescence confirmed expression of PirB in RGCs,with its mRNA and protein levels changing from increase at first to decrease later with time,up to peak at days 5 and 7.PirB and NgR were respectively down-regulated in Groups A and B.Viability of RGCs was improved in Group A compared with control group [(40.2 ± 5.3) μm vs (29.1 ± 3.8) μm at day 3 ; (72.2 ± 4.2) μm vs (52.3 ± 8.2) μm at day 5,both P ＜ 0.05].By contrast,no significant difference was found in viability of RGCs among Groups B,D and E when compared to control group (P ＞ 0.05).Growth of RGCs between Groups A and C revealed insignificant difference (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Knockdown of PirB is beneficial for the growth of RGCs,suggesting a novel method to treat optic nerve injury.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and stability of a newly designed retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filter in vitro experiment.Methods In the flow model,thrombus capture rate and stability of the new IVC filter,and the Recovery retrievable filter were tested in varied thrombus size,tube diameters and positions.The process was repeated with a piece of cow aorta to observe the capture rate and stability.Results The emboli capture rate of different embolism diameter (2,3,5 mm) was 91.50%,96.50%and 99.50%,respectively.For two tube diameter (21,28 mm) was 98.00%and 93.67%,respectively.For the two directions (horizontal,vertical) was 94.33%,97.33%,and the total capture rate was 95.83%.Under those different conditions,the capture rates of Recovery filter was 81.00%,91.00%,95.00%;92.33%,85.67% and 87.67%,90.33%,respectively.while the total capture rate was 89.00%.Using the cow vessel,the capture rate was 88.50%,94.00%,98.00%;94.67%,92.33%;91.33%,95.67%,respectively;and the total rate was 93.50%.During experiment,two types of filter did not move or deflect.Conclusion The newly designed retrievable IVC filter is effective and stable in vitro study,and the capability of trapping emboli is better than that of Recovery filter.

Objective To evaluate the effect of transcatheter hepatic artery embolization with lipiodol on perfused radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) on mini-porcine.Methods Ten Chinese mini-porcine were randomly divided into embolization group and control group (each n=5) .A standard PRFA with infusing cooling procedure was done in control group,while transcatheter hepatic artery embolization with lipiodol was done before PRFA in embolization group.CT and MR scan were performed after PRFA.Then a comparative analysis of the shape and volume of the lesions in the liver were performed.Resuits In both two groups,distinct spherical margin of the PRFA lesions was obtained.The minimal diameter was (31.76±3.43) mm in embolization group and (27.23±3.49) mm in control group (t=2.675,P＜0.05) .The average volume of the embolization group was (54.47±9.98) cm~3,while in the control group was (20.90±5.68) cm~3 (t=10.424,P＜0.05) .Conclusion Transcatheter hepatic artery embolization with lipiodol before PRFA can enlarge the ablation size of mini-porcine's liver.

Background The injury or surgery of cornea cause the proliferation of corneal stromal cells and scar formation.Recent research showed that cureumin can obviously reduce the degree of fibrosis of tissue.But if curcumm play inhibitory effect on corneal keratocytes fibrosis is rarely reported.Objecttve This studv was to investigate the effect of curcumin on the transformation of corneal keratocytes into fibroblasts in vitro and further explore the antifibrotic effect of curcumin on corneal keratocytes.Methods The murine corneal keratocytes from 150 BALB/c mice were isolated and primary culture in DMEM culture medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum and then divided into blank control group(inducer group,CG),low-dose group(CG+7.5 mg/L curcumin),mediumdose group(CG+10.0 mg/L curcumin),high-dose group(CG+12.5 mg/L curcumin),non-inducer group.Seven days following intervention,the expression of cell markers such as keratocan,aldehyde dehydrogenase(ALDH),decorin and fibronectin-1 in keratocytes were analyzed by RT-PCR.The effect of curcumin on cultured murine corneal keratocytes proliferation was evaluated by MTS technique.The expression of fibronectin-1 in murine cornea was investigated by immunofluorescence assay.Results The primarily cultured keratocytes showed tlIe fusiform-like shape with the abundant cytoplasm and big nuclei.In the presence of curcumin,the mRNA levels of keratocan and ALDH were down-regulated and those of CD90 and decorin were up-regulated,showing the significantly differences with the increase of dose(P<0.05),but the expression pf fibronectin-i was not obviously changed with the alteration of dose of curcumin. MTS showed that the inhibitory rates of curcumin on keratocytes in 10.0 mg/L and 2. 5 mg/L groups were enhanced in comparison with 7.5 mg/L group, showing statistically significant difference among three groups( F = 956.00, P<0.05). The expression of fibronectin-1 was found in the corneal keratocytes with the red fluorescence in stroma. Conclusion Curcumin can inhibit the fibrosis of corneal keratoeytes in a dose-dependent manner. These results offer a preliminary theoretical basis for the application of curcumin in controlling corneal scar formation during wound healing.