Objective To observe the dynamic changes of neuron-specific enolase(NSE)mRNA and protein in offspring rats brain tissue with bilirubin encephalopathy and explore the pathological mechanism and its diagnostic value on bilirubin encephalopathy.Methods Seven-day postnatal Wistar rats were used for study.One hundred and twenty rats were divided into 2 groups randomly(control group and experimental group),which were respectively subdivided into 6 groups(6,12,24,48,72,96 h).The rats in control group were intraperitoneally administered physiological saline 0.5 mL,the rats in experimental groups were intraperitoneally administered bilirubin(200 mg/kg).Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the dynamic changes of NSE mRNA expression at 6,12,24,48,72 and 96 h in brain tissue of rats with bilirubin encephalopathy.Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate NSE protein expression in hippo-campi,cerebral cortex,thalamic and pallidus at different times.Results The expression of NSE mRNA significantly decreased in brain tissue of rats with bilirubin encephalopathy from 6 h to 96 h compared with the control groups.The expression of NSE protein in hippocampi decreased in offspring rats with bilirubin encephalopathy from 6 h to 96 h,but there were no differences compared with the control groups.The expression of NSE protein in cerebral cortex was significantly decreased in rats with bilirubin encephalopathy from 6 h to 96 h,there were significant differences compared with the control group.The expression of NSE protein in thalamic significantly decreased in rats with bilirubin encephalopathy from 6 h to 96 h,but there were significant differences between experimental groups and the control groups at 24 h and 72 h.The expression of NSE protein in pallidus significantly decreased in offspring rats with bilirubin encephalopathy from 6 h to 96 h,and there were significant differences compared with control groups.Conclusions The changing trends of expression of NSE mRNA were identical to those of NSE protein.NSE may reflect the degree of injury of neurogliocyte.It can serve as reliable index to determine bilirubin encephalopathy.

AIM: To evaluate the safety, efficacy and stability of posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens ( ICL ) implanation and clear lens extraction for the correction of high myopia.
METHODS: The study enrolled 56 cases ( 100 eyes ) of high myopia. Group I comprised 32 cases ( 58 eyes ) receiving ICL implantation and Group II comprised 24 cases (42 eyes) undergoing clear lens extraction. In this study, we evaluated the two groups of subject's the visual and refractive results, intraocular pressure ( IOP ) , endothelial cell density ( ECD ) , anterior chamber depth ( ACD) , lens transparency, the surgical complications as well as visual adverse symptoms before and after surgery.
RESULTS: The postoperative subjects in group I and group II were followed, uncorrected vision acuity ( UCVA)>0. 5 were 69. 0% in group I and 71. 4% in group II after 3mo. UCVA>0. 5 were 72. 4% in group I and 73. 8% in group II after 1a. Predictability of the manifest spherical equivalent refraction within±1. 00D was achieved in 62. 1%of eyes in group I and 57. 1% in group II after 1a. The central vault of the ICL ( distance from posterior surface of ICL to the crystalline lens ) measured with anterior segment optical coherence tomography ( AS-OCT ) was 0. 35-0. 54 (0. 40±0. 16) mm. Twelve point one percent of eyes in group I and 7. 1% of eyes in group II had transient mild increase in IOP. Here were statistically significant differences between preoperative and postoperative ECD (P<0. 001 ). Complications of surgery: 1 eye had ICL spontaneous rotation, 2 eyes had anterior subcapsular cataract, 4 eyes noticed halos around lights at night in group I. Three eyes had posterior capsule mild opacification, 3 eyes noticed halos around lights at night, 12 eyes had difficulty in near vision in group II.
CONCLUSION: ICL implantation and clear lens extraction are effective, safe and predictable surgical option for the management of high myopia. No severe complications occurred, but its long time effect and safety still need more time to prove.

Acute Disease ; Fatal Outcome ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; diagnosis ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of losartan on prostatic hyperplasia in spontaneous hypertension rats (SHRs) and its pathophysiological mechanism.

METHODSWe randomly divided 36 male SHRs into three groups of equal number to be treated intragastrically with high-dose losartan (30 mg per kg per d), low-dose losartan (15 mg per kg per d) and distilled water (control group). After 6 weeks of intervention, we measured the body weight and tail artery blood pressure of the rats and compared them with the baseline data. We collected blood from the heart for determination of the levels of serum angiotensin II (Ang II), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and harvested their prostates for measurement of their weight, observation of the tissue ultrastructures under the electron microscope and detection of the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the prostate tissue by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the low- and high-dose losartan groups showed significant decreases in systolic blood pressure ([203.75 +/- 10.28] vs [184.54 +/- 16.90] mmHg, P = 0.013; [203.75 +/- 10.28] vs [166.88 +/- 14.74] mmHg, P = 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure ([151.58 +/- 9.96] vs [136.71 +/- 14.28] mmHg, P = 0.022; [151.58 +/- 9.96] vs [122.71 +/- 11.56] mmHg, P < 0.001) of the lower tail artery after treatment, as well as in the prostate weight ([0.73 +/- 0.08] vs [0.64 +/- 0.10] mg, P = 0.011; [0.73 +/- 0.08 ] vs [0.50 +/- 0.17] mg, P < 0.001). Electron microscopy revealed edema of the basal and columnar epithelial cells, concentrated and marginated heterochromatin and widened nuclear gap of interstitial fibroblast nuclei, and reduced mitochondria and endoplasmic reticula in the low-dose losartan group, and even more obvious in the high-dose group. The level of serum Ang II was remarkably higher in the low- and high-dose losartan groups than in the control ([61.32 +/- 2.49] vs [54.85 +/- 7.20] pg/ml, P = 0.021; [65.49 +/- 6.78] vs [54.85 +/- 7.20] pg/ml, P < 0.001]) , that of serum IGF-1 was lower in high-dose losartan than in the control group ([1.50 +/- 0.11] vs [1.60 +/- 0.10] ng/ml, P = 0.03), but the serum IL-6 levels exhibited no significant differences among the three groups. The expression of eNOS in the prostate tissue was significantly higher in the losartan groups than in the controls (P = 0.022), even higher in the high-dose than in the low-dose group.

CONCLUSIONLosartan can suppress the progression of prostate hyperplasia in spontaneous hypertension rats by inhibiting RAS, IGF-1 and angiogenesis.

Angiotensin II ; blood ; Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Losartan ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; metabolism ; Prostate ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR

OBJECTIVETo identify possible reasons of rotational mismatch between tibial component and femoral component in total knee arthroplasty and choose a right reference axis for placing the components in the operation and to decrease the complications.

METHODSForty normal Chinese knees were studied. There were 20 men and 20 women, and average age was 34 years (range, 18 - 42 years). The images of cross sections of the distal femur were obtained by spiral CT scanning (0.5 mm thickness). Scan direction was aligned to be in the plane perpendicular to the mechanical axis of the tibia. On the images of the distal femur and the proximal tibia, three baselines for the anteroposterior axis of the femoral component were drawn based on the clinical epicondylar axis and the surgical epicondylar axis and 3 degrees lateral rotated to the posterior condylar surfaces of the femur separately, and a baseline for the anteroposterior axis of the tibial component was drawn based on the medial 1/3 of the tibial tuberosity. The rotational mismatch angles were measured between each component by using the Autocad software.

RESULTSThe mean rotational mismatch angle between tibial component and femoral component is 2.94 degrees for the clinical epicondylar axis, 6.50 degrees for the surgical epicondylar axis and 6.83 degrees for 3 degrees lateral rotation of the femoral component referenced to the posterior condylar axis separately.

CONCLUSIONSLandmarks of each bone were the intrinsic cause of the rotational mismatch in total knee arthroplasty. The clinical epicondylar axis can be chosen for the ideal reference to rotational alignment of the femoral component because of its minimal rotational mismatch between each component.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

To investigate chemical constituents from Radix Pittospori, chloroform extract of the roots was subjected to column chromatography with various chromatographic techniques. The structures were elucidated on the basis of physico-chemical property and spectral analysis. Two triterpenoids were identified as 22-acetyl-21-(2-acetoxy-2-methylbutanoyl)-R1-barrigenol(1) and 3alpha-hydroxyl-20-demethylisoaleuritolic-14(15)-ene-28, 30-dioic acid (2). Compound 1 is a new triterpene and compound 2 is isolated from this plant for the first time.
Molecular Structure ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rosales ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo determine the safety and efficacy of local administration of lentivirus-mediated small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in murine air pouch model.

METHODSFrom May 2007 to April 2008 a siRNA targeting TNF-alpha and a missense siRNA were designed, and recombine lentivirus which coexpressed the green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a marker gene was constructed. Air pouches were established and stimulated by Ti-6Al-4V particles. Pouches were divided into 3 groups randomly. Lentivirus-mediated siRNA targeting TNF-alpha (TNF-alpha group) or lentivirus-mediated missense siRNA (MS group), or virus-free saline (control group) were injected into pouches respectively. Pouch membrane, peripheral blood, heart, liver, spleen, kidney, lung and brain were harvested at 28 d after transfection, and assayed for markers of inflammation using histological, molecular, immunological techniques and Xenogen in vivo imaging system (IVIS) 50 vivo bioluminescent assay system.

RESULTSXenogen IVIS 50 vivo image revealed strong expression of GFP localized in pouch areas and no expression in other parts of mice both in TNF-alpha group and MS group at 4 weeks after transfection, while no expression of GFP was found in control group. By RT-PCR and ELISA, the mRNA and protein levels of TNF-alpha in TNF-alpha group decreased by 81.6% and 82.6% respectively compared to control group (P < 0.01), and decreased by 78.9% and 84.0% respectively compared to MS group (P < 0.01), whereas TNF-alpha level in peripheral blood, heart, liver, spleen, kidney, lung and brain remained invariant (P > 0.05). Less inflammatory responses (thinner pouch membrane and decreased cellular infiltration) were observed in TNF-alpha group.

CONCLUSIONEfficient local delivery of lentivirus-mediated siRNA targeting TNF-alpha into modified murine air pouch can inhibit debris-induced inflammation effectively, with no systemic adverse effects.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Inflammation ; therapy ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Transfection ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo assess the relationship between the overexpression of facilitative glucose transporter-1 (Glut1) and fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in patients with primary lung adenocarcinoma.

METHODSFrom April 1999 to March 2001, 24 patients with lung adenocarcinoma were imaged with FDG positron emission tomography (PET) before surgery. Their maximum and mean standard uptake value (SUVmax and SUVmean) of tumor and SUV of normal lung (SUVlung) were measured. The expression of Glut1 of all 24 cases was studied in paraffin sections by SP immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSAll 23 tumors tested were Glut1 positive. (35 +/- 23)% of tumor cell area was positive and staining intensity was (3.7 +/- 0.9). All tumors of the patients could be detected by FDG-PET. FDG uptake of tumor was higher than that of normal lung (P < 0.01). SUVmax, SUVmean and SUVlung were (5.46 +/- 3.32), (4.05 +/- 2.54) and (0.43 +/- 0.15) respectively. Correlations were found among Glut1 expression and FDG uptake and tumor size (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONGlut1 overexpression is universal in the lung adenocarcinoma and correlate with FDG uptake.

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; pharmacokinetics ; Glucose Transporter Type 1 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of donor-derived NK cells added to pretreatment conditioning regimen on hematopoietic reconstitution after MHC haplotype-mismatched BMT in mice.

METHODSMurine model of MHC haplotype-mismatched BMT was established by using BALB/c(H-2d) x C57BL/6(H-2b) (CB6F(1)(H-2d/b)) mouse as recipient, and C57BL/6(H-2b) mouse as donor. Fifty recipient mice were divided into 5 groups. The mice in the first three groups were each infused 1 x 10(6), 5 x 10(5), 2 x 10(5)/mouse donor-derived NK cells, respectively before TBI ((60)Co, 9.0 Gy) and then conditioned with TBI, followed by infusion of C57BL/6(H-2b) mice bone marrow cells four hours later. The mice in the fourth group received TBI only, and in the fifth group, TBI and BMT at the some doses as the first three groups. Hematopoietic reconstitution, survival time, body weight, histopathology of the recipients were followed up.

RESULTS(1) Survival time was (5.15 +/- 0.66) days for the fourth group, and > 30 days for the other 4 groups. (2) Leukocyte and platelet counts at day 10 after BMT were (0.99 +/- 0.22) x 10(9)/L and (61.0 +/- 7.27) x 10(9)/L respectively for the fifth group and (2.01 +/- 0.21) x 10(9)/L, (101.50 +/- 16.34) x 10(9)/L; (1.98 +/- 0.29) x 10(9)/L, (99.50 +/- 16.41) x 10(9)/L and (1.97 +/- 0.21) x 10(9)/L, (98.0 +/- 16.19) x 10(9)/L for the first three groups, respectively. Histopathology displayed no GVHD in all the groups.

CONCLUSIONDonor-derived NK cells could promote hematopoietic reconstitution after MHC haplotype-mismatched BMT in mice.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Female ; Graft Survival ; Graft vs Host Disease ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Haplotypes ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Killer Cells, Natural ; cytology ; immunology ; Lymphocyte Transfusion ; Major Histocompatibility Complex ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Transplantation Conditioning ; methods ; Transplantation, Homologous

OBJECTIVETo observe the influence of adding anti-human thymocyte globulin (ATG) into conditioning regimen on graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and life quality of the patients of allo-peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT).

METHODSPatients were distributed into study (19 cases) and control (24 cases) groups at random. Median dose of rabbit ATG was added to the conditioning regimen based on the fludara, busufan and cyclophosphamide (FBC) in study group, and no ATG in the control group. Acute and chronic GVHD disease and Karnofsky scores were compared between two groups after allo-PBSCT.

RESULTSThe patients in the study group received a mean of 6.0 (3 - 9) x 10(8)/kg mononucleated cells and 5.5 (4.5 - 7.5) x 10(6)/kg in the control group. The mean CD(34)(+) cells number was 5.5 (3.0 - 6.5) x 10(5)/kg in the study and 5.0 (3.0 - 7.0) x 10(6)/kg in the control group respectively. Eighteen patients in the study group and in the control group were successfully engrafted. The mean time of absolute neutrophil count recovered more than 500/ micro l was 13 days and 12 days respectively. Acute GVHD occurred in 6 patients of the study group, and 15 of the control group. Seven patients suffered from chronic GVHD and 14 got 90 Kanrofsky scores in a mean of 250 days follow-up in the study group, and 19 patients GVHD and 4 patients respectively in a mean of 440 days follow-up in the control group. There was a significant difference for acute and chronic GVHD and life quality between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSAddition of anti-thymocyte globulin to the FBC conditioning regimen had no effect on stem cells engraftment but could decrease acute and chronic GVHD and improve patients life quality.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antilymphocyte Serum ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Graft vs Host Disease ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Leukemia ; psychology ; therapy ; Male ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Quality of Life ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Transplantation Conditioning ; Transplantation, Homologous