0.05).The survival area and capillary density were more favorable in the EPCs-injection sites than the controls(P

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aorta, Thoracic ; abnormalities ; Diagnostic Errors ; Essential Hypertension ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective To study the role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the effect of SB203580 on proliferation and apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells and the effects of H2S on expressions of collagenⅠand collagenⅢmRNA in hepatic stel-late cells. Methods There were five groups of HSC-T6 cells in this study including control group (DMEM medium contain-ing10%fetal bovine serum), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS)group,SB203580 (SB)group and SB+NaHS group. MTT method was used to detect the cell proliferation and inhibition rate of HSC-T6 cells treated by SB203580 and H2S. The apoptotic rate of HSC-T6 cells was detected by flow cytometry with annexin V-FITC/PI double staining. RT-PCR was used to detect the expressions of collagenⅠand collagenⅢmRNA in HSC-T6. Results The apop-totic rate of HSC-T6 cells was significantly higher in SB group and SB+NaHS group than that of control group, and the rate was significantly higher in SB+NaHS group than that of SB group (P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in the apop-totic rate of HSC-T6 cells between DMSO and NaHS groups than that of control group. The expressions of collagenⅠand col-lagenⅢmRNA were found in five groups of cells. There was a higher expression of collagenⅠand collagenⅢmRNA in NaHS group than that of control group (P＜0.05). The expressions of collagenⅠand collagenⅢmRNA were significantly lower in SB group and SB+NaHS group than those of control group and NaHS group (P＜0.05). Conclusion H2S activated P38MAPK signal pathway. And P38MAPK was specifically blocked by SB203580 in HSC-T6 cells, which inhibited the cell proliferation stimulated by H2S and promoted the apoptosis.

Objective To analyze the clinical results of 360° fusion for spondylolisthesis.Methods Data of 76 patients from March 2005 to November 2012,including 26 males and 50 females with a mean age of 54.3 years were retrospectively analyzed.All patients had undergone modified 360° fusion.The clinical outcomes were evaluated by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores (JOA) and visual analogue scale (VAS).The fusion status and loss of correction were assessed by CT and plain radiographs.Results All patients had been successfully followed up for at least one year.Post-operative reduction rate was 96.8％,with a mean loss rate of 1.1％ at six months and 0.8％ at one year follow-up separately,but the difference was not significant.Postoperative percentage of slip,lumbar lordosis,intervertebral disc height and slip angle had significant differences,compared with those of the pre-operative,but the difference between one week post-operative,six months follow-up and one year follow-up were not significant.The fusion rate was 76.3％ at six months follow-up and 98.7％ at one year follow-up,and there were significant differences.Both JOA and VAS score at six months and one year follow-up indicated significant differences in contrast to that of preoperative.Dural injury was found in one patient,and subsidence was found in one patient.One received a second operation at 3 months after the surgery due to screw loose.Conclusions Modified 360° fusion shows great clinical outcome and fusion rate,which can be a dominant procedure for treating spondylolisthesis.

Hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome were studied in 17 762 subjects of Tianjin Municipality from July 2007 to July 2009. The overall prevalence rate of hyperuricemia was 12. 16% (2160cases) , the rate in males was significantly higher than that in females (15. 71% vs. 6. 51% , P <0. 01).The overall prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome was 25. 56% (4540 cases) , the rate in males was also higher than that in females (28. 17% vs. 21. 40% , P <0. 01). Binary logistic regression analysis disclosed that females with high uric acid were twice likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome than males; and female ≤ 44 years with hyperuricemia had the highest odd ratio for metabolic syndrome.

Objective To explore the relationship between receptor of advanced glycaton end products(RAGE)gene Gly82Ser polymorphism and patients with transient ischemia attack(TIA).Methods The Gly82Ser gene at the position of RAGE gene exon 3 was identified by a polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP)method in 70 cases of TIA & Diabetes(DM), 60 of simply TIA and 66 healthy control subjects.Results The genotypes of RAGE gene Gly82Ser identified were GG, GS and SS.The frequencies of RAGE gene Gly82Ser GS heterozygous genotype of TIA & DM and control were respectively 62.9% and 43.9%, significantly higher in TIA & DM patients than in control subjects(OR 2.036, 95% CI 1.021--4.062, P=0.042), however no significant difference was found between simply TIA and control(53.3% vs 43.9%, OR 1.299,95% CI O.644--2.618, P=0.465). Significant difference of the frequency of S allele was found neither between TIA & control and control(being 34.3% and 26.5%, respectively, OR 1.446,95% CI 0.859--2.434, P=0.164), nor between simple TIA and control(28.3% vs 26.5%, OR 1.096,95%CI 0.630--1.907, P=0.746).Conclusions RAGE gene Gly82Ser GS heterozygous genotype may be associated with TIA & DM patients.RAGE gene Gly82Ser polymorphism is a risky factor for TIA & DM patients, but not for TIA patients.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in hydrogen sulfide-induced alterations in expression of collagen I and collagen III in hepatic stellate cells.

METHODSIn vitro cultured rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6) were treated with hydrogen sulfide, or left untreated for use as controls, and divided into groups for treatment with different inhibitors for the various factors involved in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Reverse transcription-PCR was used to measure Collagen I and collagen III mRNA expression. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of PI3K and p-Akt, which are upstream proteins of the PI3K/Akt pathway.

RESULTSCompared with the untreated control cells, the hydrogen sulfide treated cells showed elevated expression of collagen I mRNA (F =14.635, P less than 0.05), collagen III mRNA (F =14.620, P less than 0.05), PI3K protein (F =26.672, P less than 0.05), and p-Akt (F =23.522, P less than 0.05). Compared to the cells treated with hydrogen sulfide alone, the cells treated with the various inhibitors showed lower expression of collagen I mRNA (F =14.635, P less than 0.05), collagen III mRNA (F=14.620, P less than 0.05), PI3K protein (F =26.672, P less than 0.05), and p-Akt protein (F =23.522, P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHydrogen sulfide can activate the PI3K/Akt pathway and elevate the expression of collagen I and collagen III in rat hepatic stellate cells.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type I ; metabolism ; Collagen Type III ; metabolism ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; pharmacology ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Signal Transduction

Neuronal firing is crucial to the information processing in the nervous system. In order to make a further study of bifurcation scenarios, experiments were performed on neural pacemakers formed at the injured site of rat sciatic nerve subjected to chronic ligatures. We chose the conductance of voltage-dependent potassium ion channels as conditional parameter, and the extracellular calcium concentration as bifurcation parameter, to give a demonstration of how the firing pattern of neural pacemaker responses to dual parameter adjusting. Among 28 preparations observed, 21 were insensitive to dual parameter adjusting since no change of bifurcation scenario structure was detected. On the contrary, the residual 7 preparations showed dramatic bifurcation scenario shifting corresponding to different dual parameter configuration. Briefly, when concentration of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), a voltage-dependent potassium ion channels blocker, was kept at different level and extracellular Ca2+ concentration was decreased gradually, different bifurcation scenarios of firing patterns were exhibited in an identical neural pacemaker. The two-parameter bifurcation scenarios of experimental neural pacemaker with different parameter configuration were also different. The results show that neural firing pattern is different when the parameter configuration is different, and the bifurcation scenario is a fundamental framework to identify the transitions between firing patterns.
4-Aminopyridine ; pharmacology ; Action Potentials ; physiology ; Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Male ; Neurons ; physiology ; Periodicity ; Potassium Channels ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sciatic Nerve ; injuries ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of overexpression of second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (Smac) gene on apoptosis of gastric cancer cells.

METHODSUnder the induction of liposome, MKN-45 cells were transfected by Smac gene and incubated with G418 for subclone selection. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to determine cellular Smac gene expression. After induction of apoptosis by mitomycin (MMC), cell viabilities were analyzed using trypan blue stain. Apoptosis was measured by electronic microscopy, acridine orange-ethidium bromide fluorescent staining and in situ terminally labelled transferase technique (TUNEL). Western blot and colorimetry were used to assess cellular caspase-3 expression and its activity.

RESULTSThe Smac mRNA and protein levels in MKN-45/Smac subclone cells (subclone consistently expressing Smac gene) were significantly higher than those in MKN-45 (P < 0.01). When compared with those in MKN-45, cell viabilities of MKN-45/Smac were reduced by 10.0% to 30.8% (P < 0.01), after treatment with 10 microg/ml MMC for 6 to 24 hours. Some of the MKN-45/Smac cells showed characteristic morphologic changes of apoptosis, their apoptotic rate being increased by 21.2% (P < 0.01). After treatment with MMC, caspase-3 expression and its activity in MKN-45/Smac cells were significantly higher than those in MKN-45 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSOverexpression of Smac in gastric cancer cell line significantly improves expression and activity levels of caspase-3 after induction by MMC. Such apoptosis-inducing effect establishes a novel strategy for regulating the apoptosis activity of gastric cancer.

Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; Mitochondrial Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Mitomycin ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transfection

BACKGROUNDThe association between vulnerability of plaque assessed with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and plasma levels of fibrinolytic biomarkers was determined in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, few data are available on the relationship between the levels of tissue type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and virtual histological intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) signs of plaque instability.

METHODSEighty-nine patients with ACS were enrolled in the study. Blood was collected to measure t-PA levels by liquid phase bead flow cytometry. Eighty-nine nonbifurcate lesions (identified by coronary angiography and ECG) were investigated using IVUS before catheterization. IVUS radiofrequency data obtained with a 20 MHz catheter were analyzed with IVUS virtual histological software. The areas of plaque and media were calculated and lesions were classified into two groups: VH-IVUS derived thin cap fibroatheroma (VH-TCFA) and non-VH-TCFA plaque.

RESULTSPlasma t-PA level in the patients with TCFA was significantly lower than that with non-TCFA ((1489+/-715) pg/ml vs (2163+/-1004) pg/ml). Decreased plasma levels of t-PA were associated with plaque vulnerability. Plasma levels of t-PA correlated negatively with plaque plus media and necrotic core in plaque in patients with ACS.

CONCLUSIONSt-PA is an independent risk factor and a powerful predictor of vulnerable plaques. Decreased levels of t-PA may reflect instability of atherosclerotic plaques and might therefore serve as noninvasive determinants of those at high risk for consequent adverse events.

Acute Coronary Syndrome ; blood ; pathology ; Aged ; Coronary Artery Disease ; pathology ; Coronary Vessels ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator ; blood ; Ultrasonography, Interventional