Objective To explore the dosage and injection method of concanavalin A(Con A) for inducing Wistar rats into the acute hepatic injury model. Methods (1)According to the dosage of Con A, 42 Wistar rats were randomly divided into groups A, B, C, D, E, N, 7 rats in each group. Group N was given tail intravenous injection of normal saline as normal control group. Groups A, B, C, D, E were given intravenous injection of 4, 8, 16, 30, 40 mg/kg of Con A respectively. At the 8th hour after modeling, the levels of alanine transaminase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), albumin(ALB), interleukin(IL)-2 , IL-10, interferon (IFN)-γ, and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αwere detected. And HE staining was used to observe the pathological feature of hepatic tissue. (2)According to the injection method of Con A, 21 Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group, intraperitoneal injection group and tail intravenous injection group, 7 rats in each group. The dosage of Con A for the rats in intraperitoneal injection group and tail intravenous injection group was 16 mg/kg. At the 8th hour after modeling, the levels of serum ALT, AST, and ALB were determined. Results The number of abnormal deaths in various dose Con A groups at the end of each experiment was 0 in groups A, B, C, and 2 in group D, and 7 in group E. A small amount of spotty necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, and hepatic lobule with almost integrity of structure were found in groups A, B, while obvious bridging-like necrosis was seen in groups C, D. Serum ALT, AST, and ALB levels in intraperitoneal injection group had no statistically significant difference as compared with the normal control group. Conclusion Tail intravenous injection of 16 mg/kg of Con A can be used to induce an acute immunological liver injury rat model successfully.

OBJECTIVETo elucidate the effects of exogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on biological characteristics of rat osteoblasts cultured in vitro.

METHODSThe osteoblasts isolated from a Sprague-Dawley rat and cultured in vitro were treated with different concentrations of bFGF (5-50 ng/ml) respectively. At 24 hours after treatment, the proliferating cell nuclear antigen was measured with immunocytochemistry, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was determined and the expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta(1)) was detected to observe the effects of bFGF on growth and differentiation of osteoblasts.

RESULTSbFGF (5-50 ng/ml) could obviously promote the growth of osteoblasts. The intracellular expression of TGF-beta(1) mRNA increased significantly, but the intracellular ALP content decreased.

CONCLUSIONSbFGF can obviously stimulate the proliferation of osteoblasts and promote the synthesis of TGF-beta(1), but cannot promote the differentiation of osteoblasts.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; pharmacology ; Osteoblasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; analysis ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; genetics ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) neurons serve as central respiratory chemoreceptors, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain undefined. The present study investigated the expression of acid-sensitive ether-à-go-go-gene-like (Elk, Kv12) channels in the NTS of mice. Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the distribution and cellular localization of the Kv12 channels in NTS neurons. Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) were used to evaluate protein and mRNA expression levels of Kv12 channels. The results showed that all of the three members (Kv12.1, Kv12.2, Kv12.3) of the Kv12 channel family were expressed in NTS neurons, and their expressions were co-localized with paired-like homeobox 2b gene (Phox2b) expression. The expression of Kv12.1 mRNA was the largest, whereas the expression of Kv12.3 was the least in the NTS. The results suggest Kv12 channels are expressed in Phox2b-expressing neurons in the NTS of mice, which provides molecular evidence for pH sensitivity in Phox2b-expressing NTS neurons.
Animals ; Mice ; Neurons ; Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated ; Solitary Nucleus ; Transcription Factors/genetics*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-PBHSCT) using modified BU/CY conditioning regimen for young AML patients of low and middle risk in the first complete remission (CR1). METHODS: Ten young AML patients of low and middle risk who did not want to accept allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation（allo-HSCT）and underwent auto-PBHSCT in CR1 during May 2013 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. From 3 months after auto-PBHSCT, the maintenance therapy with interleukin-2 (IL-2) or IL-2 combined with histamine dihydrochloride was performed for these patients in the next 18 months. The side effects of the conditioning regimen, hematopoietic recovery time, transplant-related mortality (TRM) within 100 days and 1 year after auto-PBHSCT, relapse rate, leukemia-free survival (LFS) rate at 2 years and 3 years, overall survival (OS) were evaluated at 3 years and 4 years. RESULTS: Gastrointestinal side effects were the major non-hematologic toxicity reaction, among which, 7 cases relatively mild and 3 cases displayed moderate, just one case suffered from severe reaction. In 4 cases, the mild liver damage occurred, but no hemorrhagic cystitis occurred. All the patients experienced different kinds of infection, including 5 cases of bloodstream infection, 2 cases of gastrointestinal infection, 3 cases of crissum infection and 2 cases of oral infection. The myeloablative effect occurred in all ten patients. The median times for absolute neutrophil count (ANC)<0.5×10/L and for platelet count <20.0×10/L were 1.5 (0-3) days and 3 (2-5) days after transplantation, respectively. The patients achieved ANC>0.5×10/L at 10 to 19 days, median was 13 days after auto-PBHSCT. The patients achieved platelet count >20×10/L at 10 to 72 days; median was 32 days after auto-PBHSCT. The TRM within 100 days and 1 year after transplantation was 0. The relapse occurred in 2 cases at 6 and 14 months after auto-PBHSCT raspectively. The median follow-up time was 48.1 months, and the median survival time was 54.7 months after transplantation. The 2-year and 3-year LFS were 100% (10 cases) and 80% (8 cases), respectively. The 3-year and 4-year OS were 80% (8 cases) and 70% (7 cases), respectively. CONCLUSION Modified BU/CY as conditioning regimen for auto-PBHSCT can achieve the myeloablative effect without raising TRM and obtain good LFS and OS. As for young AML patients without high risk, it is a valuable therapeutic option, especially for those lacking the chance of allo-HSCT.
Disease-Free Survival ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplantation Conditioning ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Treatment Outcome