Objective To detect the expression of vascular endotheilal growth factor (VEGF), stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α), and its receptor CXCR-4 in the retinopathy of diabetic rats, and to explore the relationship between those factors and diabetic-retinopathy(DR). Methods Diabetes was induced in 40 rats with a single intraperitional injection of streptozotocin(STZ). Experimental rats were randomly divided into M1 (diabetic for 1 month), M3 (diabetic for 3 months), and M5 (diabetic for 5 months) groups, and another 10 rats served as a normal control group (NC). Retinal vascular status was observed by transmission electron microscope. After retinal stretched preparation, VEGF, SDF-1α and CXCR-4 immunohistochemistry were done. Retinal VEGF, SDF-1α, and CXCR-4 mRNA were detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Protein expression was measured by Western blot. Results Under transmission electron microscope, change in vascular status was found in M1 to M5 groups, but not in the NC group. The changes became increasingly serious with the prolongation of the disease. By immunohistochemistry, we found the expression of VEGF, SDF-1α, and CXCR-4 on the retina increased gradually. It increased after injecting STZ for 1 month and increased significantly after 5 months.VEGF, SDF-1α, and CXCR-4 mRNA expression increased obviously after injecting STZ for 1 month and increased significantly after 5 months. Western blot showed that protein of VEGF, SDF-1α, and CXCR-4 had no change after injecting STZ for 1 month. It began to increase in the M3 group and increased most in the M5 group. Conclusion The expression of VEGF, SDF-1α, and CXCR-4 on the retina in retinopathy of diabetic rats increases gradually with the prolongation of the disease. It is an important factor for diabetic retinopathy.

Objective To realize basic status of occupational exposure among medical postgraduates,and provide theoretical evidence for making occupational precaution measures.Methods Data about occupational exposure among medical postgraduates in a teaching hospital between January 2011 and December 2013 were analyzed retro-spectively.Results A total of 3 362 medical postgraduates were monitored,56 (1 .67%)sustained occupational ex-posure.The most common occupational exposure sites were left hand thumbs(n=15,26.79%),occupational expo-sure most frequently occurred during operation(n=29,51 .79%),a total of 40(71 .43%)occupational exposure oc-curred during the process of operation and invasive procedure,all were sharp injuries.46(82.14%)exposure sources were with bloodborne-transmitted diseases.Surgery students accounted for 66.07%(n =37)of students sustained occupational exposure,exposure rate in master’s candidates was higher than doctoral candidates(2.31 % vs 0.28%,χ2 =18.325,P <0.001 ).After timely treatment and preventive medication,none of the students were infected. Conclusion It is necessary to strengthen the occupational safety education for medical postgraduates,improve pre-caution awareness,standardize all kinds of procedures,and implement standard precaution;timely and effective treatment after exposure is important for reducing occupational injury among medical postgraduates.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy and safety of telbivudine for blocking mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in pregnant women with high viremia.

METHODSA total of 128 pregnant women with high HBV load (HBV DNA ≥ 1.0*10⁷ copies/ml and positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)) were enrolled in the study from January 2009 to January 2013 and divided into the following three groups:group A (n=42) treated with telbivudine at 12 weeks of gestation until postpartum 12 weeks; group B (n=41) treated with telbivudine at 20 to 28 weeks of gestation until postpartum 12 weeks; group C (n=45; control group) with no telbivudine treatment.All study participants were given compound giyeyrrhizin for liver protection. All infants born to the women from the three groups were vaccinated with hepatitis B immunoglobulin (200 IU) and the HBV vaccine (20 tg) ager birth. The mother-to-infant transmission of HBV was indicated by the presence of HBsAg in infants at 7 months after birth.The maternal HBV DNA levels of the women in the three groups were statistically compared with the HBsAg positive rates in their neonates.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in the HBV DNA levels between the three groups before treatment (P more than 0.05). The pre-delivery level of HBV DNA in group A (0.553 ± 1.588 log10 copies/ml) and in group B (0.486 ± 1.429 log10 copies/ml) was significantly decreased compared to that in group C (7.698 ± 0.255 log10 copies/ml) (both P < 0.01).The post-delivery (12 weeks) level of HBV DNA in group A (0.381 ± 1.116 log10 copies/ml) and in group B (0.335 ± 1.073 log10 copies/ml) was significantly decreased compared to that in group C (7.728 ± 0.277 log10 copies/ml) (both P < 0.01).There were no significant differences in the HBV DNA levels between group A and group B (P > 0.05). No infants in group A or group B were HBsAg-positive,while the HBsAg-positive rote was 17.4% in group C (P=0.012; P=0.015).

CONCLUSIONSTelbivudine treatment starting from the 12th week of gestation or from the 20-28th week of gestation can significantly decrease the serum HBV DNA level in peripheral blood of pregnant women with high viremia and reduce the infection rate of HBV in their neonates.

Female ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Infant, Newborn ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ; Mothers ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; Thymidine ; analogs & derivatives ; Viremia

Objective To investigate the relationship between Fat Mass- and obesity-associated gene (FTO) polymorphisms and the susceptibility of non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a Han population from Qingdao region of China. Methods A total of 119 NAFLD patients were recruited from Qingdao Municipal Hospital and Chengyang District People's Hospital and 187 control individuals who received annual physical examination were also included. Their clinicopathological information and study questionnaire were collected. Their fasting venous blood was extracted for biochemical analyses and FTO polymorphism genotyping using the polymerase chain reaction combined with DNA sequencing. The data were statistically assessed. Results The data showed statistically significant differences in age, BMI, ALT, GGT, TG and Bil between NAFLD patients and normal controls (all P < 0.05). FTO polymorphism genotyping data showed three genotypes of FTO rs1421085 (TT, CT, and CC), rs8050136 (TT, CT, and CC) and rs9939609 (TT, AT, AA). However, there was no statistical difference in both allele frequency and genotype of FTO rs1421085, rs9939609, and rs8050136 between NAFLD and controls (all P > 0.05) and there was also no statistical difference in clinical parameters among these genotype carriers (all P > 0.05). Conclusion NAFLD patients showed significantly statistical differences in age, BMI, ALT, GGT, TG, and BIL vs. those of normal controls. However, this study did not find any association of FTO rs1421085, rs9939609, and rs8050136 polymorphisms with NAFLD susceptibility in this Qingdao region of Han Chinese population.

LIN28 is an RNA binding protein with important roles in early embryo development, stem cell differentiation/reprogramming, tumorigenesis and metabolism. Previous studies have focused mainly on its role in the cytosol where it interacts with Let-7 microRNA precursors or mRNAs, and few have addressed LIN28's role within the nucleus. Here, we show that LIN28 displays dynamic temporal and spatial expression during murine embryo development. Maternal LIN28 expression drops upon exit from the 2-cell stage, and zygotic LIN28 protein is induced at the forming nucleolus during 4-cell to blastocyst stage development, to become dominantly expressed in the cytosol after implantation. In cultured pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), loss of LIN28 led to nucleolar stress and activation of a 2-cell/4-cell-like transcriptional program characterized by the expression of endogenous retrovirus genes. Mechanistically, LIN28 binds to small nucleolar RNAs and rRNA to maintain nucleolar integrity, and its loss leads to nucleolar phase separation defects, ribosomal stress and activation of P53 which in turn binds to and activates 2C transcription factor Dux. LIN28 also resides in a complex containing the nucleolar factor Nucleolin (NCL) and the transcriptional repressor TRIM28, and LIN28 loss leads to reduced occupancy of the NCL/TRIM28 complex on the Dux and rDNA loci, and thus de-repressed Dux and reduced rRNA expression. Lin28 knockout cells with nucleolar stress are more likely to assume a slowly cycling, translationally inert and anabolically inactive state, which is a part of previously unappreciated 2C-like transcriptional program. These findings elucidate novel roles for nucleolar LIN28 in PSCs, and a new mechanism linking 2C program and nucleolar functions in PSCs and early embryo development.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Embryo, Mammalian/metabolism* ; Embryonic Development ; Mice ; Pluripotent Stem Cells/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger/genetics* ; RNA, Ribosomal ; RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Zygote/metabolism*