OBJECTIVETo explore an technique to repair the microform cleft lip (MCL).

METHODSThe individual method was used to repair the MCL, a contrastive research was carried to analyzed the result.

RESULTSIt was found that the form of the cupid's bow was good, and the configure of the upper lip was reconstructed. The deficit of the orbicularis muscle was overcame and the function was satisfying by this procedure. Symmetry was recovered.

CONCLUSIONSIndividual technique is an available method to repair the microform cleft lip. Furthermore, this technique is also promising to repair the other kinds of cleft lip.

Cleft Lip ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods

BACKGROUNDPatients with severe full-thickness burn injury suffer from their inability to maintain body temperature through perspiration because the complete destructed sweat glands can not be regenerated. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) represent an ideal stem-cell source for cell therapy because of their easy purification and multipotency. In this study, we attempted to induce human BM-MSCs to differentiate into sweat gland cells for sweat gland regeneration through ectodysplasin (EDA) gene transfection.

METHODSThe dynamic expression of EDA and EDA receptor (EDAR) were firstly observed in the sweat gland formation during embryological development. After transfection with EDA expression vector, human BM-MSCs were transplanted into the injured areas of burn animal models. The regeneration of sweat glands was identified by perspiration test and immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTSEndogenous expression of EDA and EDAR correlated with sweat gland development in human fetal skin. After EDA transfection, BM-MSC acquired a sweat-gland-cell phenotype, evidenced by their expression of sweat gland markers by flow cytometry analysis. Immunohistochemical staining revealed a markedly contribution of EDA-transfected BM-MSCs to the regeneration of sweat glands in the scalded paws. Positive rate for perspiration test for the paws treated with EDA-transfected BM-MSCs was significantly higher than those treated with BM-MSCs or EDA expression vector (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSOur results confirmed the important role of EDA in the development of sweat gland. BM-MSCs transfected with EDA significantly improved the sweat-gland regeneration. This study suggests the potential application of EDA-modified MSCs for the repair and regeneration of injured skin and its appendages.

Adult ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Ectodysplasins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Pregnancy ; Receptors, Ectodysplasin ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sweat Glands ; cytology ; metabolism ; Transfection ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo compare clinical outcomes of swing shoulder and internal fixation in treating proximal humeral fractures.

METHODSFrom June 2007 to June 2012, totally 89 elderly patients with humeral proximal fractures were treated by swing of shoulder or internal fixation, and 81 patients were followed up. In swing shoulder group, there were 38 patients including 13 males and 25 females aged from 62 to 84 with an average of (67.11±6.18) years old; 27 cases were 2-part fractures and 11 cases were 3-part fractures according to Neer classfication. In internal fixation group, there were 43 patients including 16 males and 27 females aged from 60 to 80 with an average of (66.47±5.48) years old; and 29 cases were 2-part fractures and 14 cases were 3-part fractures according to Neer classfication. VAS score and complications were compared between two groups after treatment, and Constant-Murley functional scoring was used to evaluate shoulder function of patients.

RESULTSEighty-one patients were followed up from 13 to 26 months with an average of 18.3 months. There was no significant difference in preoperative VAS score between two groups. After treatment, VAS score in swing shoulder group was (3.11±0.95), and (3.88±1.14) in internal fixation group, and had significant difference between two groups (t=-3.313,P<0.05). There was no significant difference in Constant-Murley scores between swing shoulder group (79.53±3.73) and internal fixation group (77.98±4.11) (t=1.768,P>0.05). Postoperative complications in swing shoulder group was 18.4%(7/38), 39.5%(17/43) in internal fixation group, and had significant differences between two groups (χ2=4.313,P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSwing shoulder for the treatment of proximal humeral fractures in elderly has advantages of low cost, less complications and good recovery of joint function; while internal fixation has a good therapeutic effect but increased complications.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; adverse effects ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Manipulation, Orthopedic ; adverse effects ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Shoulder Fractures ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changing laws of serum high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) in septic rats and intervention effect of Xuebijing on it.

METHODSLipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 mg/kg BW) was intravenously injected into the tail vein of healthy male Wistar rats to prepare the sepsis rat model. In Experiment 1: 50 Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups, i.e., the normal group (A, n=10); the LPS model group (B, n=10), the LPS +Xuebijing treatment group (C, n=30). Rats in the C group were further divided into three subgroups, i.e., 2 h before LPS injection (group C1), 2 h after LPS injection (group C2), and 8 h after LPS injection (group C3), 10 in each group. Blood samples were collected from the caudal vein to detect serum HMGB1 levels by Western blot at 4, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after LPS injection. Experiment 2: 30 Wistar rats were equally divided into the LPS model group (D) and the LPS + Xuebijing treatment group (E), 15 in each group. They were treated as rats in the B group and the C1 group respectively. Five rats were sacrificed at 12, 24, and 48 h after LPS injection in the two groups. Blood as well as the tissue samples were harvested to measure such indices as ALT, AST, Cr, and BUN, as well as pathological changes of liver, lung, and kidney.

RESULTS(1) Compared with the A group, serum HMGB1 levels were higher at various time points in the B group (P < 0.05). Compared with the B group, serum HMGB1 levels at 12,24,48, and 72 h decreased in the C1, C2, and C3 groups. Besides, the decrease was more obvious at 24 h and 48 h.The decrement in the C3 group was less than that in the C1 and C2 groups (P < 0.05). (2) In the D group, ALT, AST, Cr, and BUN were significantly higher than those in the A group and reached the peak at 24 h (P < 0.05). Compared with the E group, AST, Cr, and BUN at 24 and 48 h, and ALT at each time point decreased significantly in the E group (P < 0.05). (3)The results of pathological section of liver, lung, and kidney showed local congestion and hemorrhage, cell edema/necrosis/degeneration, infiltration of inflammatory cells, damage of characteristic structures and so on; particularly serious lesion occurred at 24 and 48 h in the D group. The microscopic lesion was obviously alleviated in the E group than in the D group at corresponding time points.

CONCLUSIONSThe serum HMGB1 levels increased in septic rats, with late occurrence of peak value and longer duration of the high value. HMGB1 played an important role in excessive inflammatory response and multiple organ dysfunction. Xuebijing could reduce the serum levels of HMGB1, improve biochemical parameters, and attenuate severe inflammatory response of liver, lung, and kidney tissues in septic rats. Besides, the earlier use, the better effect obtained.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; HMGB1 Protein ; blood ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sepsis ; blood ; drug therapy

Objective To reveal and forecast the incidence trend of Brucellosis, in order to provide acientific basis for future intervention and policy-making. Methods Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze and statistically describe the distribution of the disease in different times, different locations and different (7.0783/10 million to 13.1257/10 million) and Qingxu ( 1.4811/10 million to 8.5241/10 million) were higher,followed by Yangqu county(0 to 5.8232/10 million), Xiaodian(0.8108/l0 million to 2.4229/10 million) and Jinyuan district ( 0.5329/ 10 million to 1.5896/10 million), and the remaining counties(districts) in the annual There were 223 cases of Brucellosis patients from 2006 to 2009 in Taiyuan. Vocational high risk population was farmers, with a total of 140 cases, accounting for 62.78% of the total number of incidence, followed by students and workers, respectively, 13, 14 cases, accounting for 5.83% and 6.28%, other occupational groups, 56 cases,77.58%;28 cases aged above 60 years, accounting for 12.56%;22 cases aged younger than 19 years, accounting identical in the four years, most cases occurred in spring and summer and showing a clear seasonal high.Conclusions The incidence trend of Brucellosis is on the rise from 2006 to 2009. High risk population is farmer,and the number of younger patients is on the rise, we propose strengthen protection for high risk groups.

This study aimed to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of combined ABZ-interferon (IFN)-α treatment for CE in mice.After 5 months of secondary infection with protoscoleces,mice were randomly allocated into four groups:ABZ-treated group,IFNαtreated group,ABZ+IFN-α group and untreated control group.Drugs in diverse treated groups were respectively administered for 2 months,of which,sera were respectively collected in 0 d,7 d,14 d,28 d,36 d,48 d,and 60 d.Mice were then euthanized and associated indications were investigated to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy.Results showed that ABZ+IFN-α induced a significant reduction of the number,size as well as weight of cysts,compared with that in ABZ (P＜0.05) or untreated group (P＜0.01) respectively.This effect was associated with ultrastructural modification of the cyst in ABZ+IFN-α group.Interestingly,significant decrease of IL (interleukin)-10 in serum and in vitro production by spleen cells with ABZ+ IFN-α treatment was observed in comparison with untreated control (P＜0.01).Serum IgE,IgG and subsets were respectively decreased in ABZ+IFN-α treatment,compared with that in control group (P＜0.01).Our findings demonstrated that combination of ABZ with IFN-α may contribute to an efficient therapeutic regimen of human and animal CE.

COVID-19 epidemic continues to spread around the world till these days, and it is urgent to develop more safe and effective new drugs. Due to the limited P3 biosafety laboratories for directly screening inhibitors of virulent viruses with high infectivity, it is necessary to develop rapid and efficient screening methods for viral proteases and other related targets. The main protease (M^pro), which plays a key role in the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2, is highly conserved and has no homologous proteases in humans, making it an ideal target for drug development. From two different levels, namely, molecular level and cellular level, this paper summarizes the reported screening methods of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro inhibitors through a variety of representative examples, expecting to provide references for further development of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro inhibitors.

As a common protease with high similarity among coronavirus species, the main protease (M^pro) of SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the catalytic hydrolysis of viral precursor proteins into functional proteins, which is essential for coronavirus replication and is one of the ideal targets for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. This paper reviews the main protease inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2, including their molecular structures, potencies and drug-like profiles, binding modes and structure-activity relationships, etc.

BACKGROUNDSleep/wake disturbances in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are well-documented, however, no animal or mechanistic studies on these disturbances exist. Orexin is a crucial neurotransmitter in promoting wakefulness in sleep/wake regulation, and may play an important role in sleep disturbances in ALS. In this study, we used SOD1-G93A transgenic mice as an ALS mouse model to investigate the sleep/wake disturbances and their possible mechanisms in ALS.

METHODSElectroencephalogram/electromyogram recordings were performed in SOD1-G93A transgenic mice and their littermate control mice at the ages of 90 and 120 days, and the samples obtained from these groups were subjected to quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSFor the first time in SOD1-G93A transgenic mice, we observed significantly increased wakefulness, reduced sleep time, and up-regulated orexins (prepro-orexin, orexin A and B) at both 90 and 120 days. Correlation analysis confirmed moderate to high correlations between sleep/wake time (total sleep time, wakefulness time, rapid eye movement [REM] sleep time, non-REM sleep time, and deep sleep time) and increase in orexins (prepro-orexin, orexin A and B).

CONCLUSIONSleep/wake disturbances occur before disease onset in this ALS mouse model. Increased orexins may promote wakefulness and result in these disturbances before and after disease onset, thus making them potential therapeutic targets for amelioration of sleep disturbances in ALS. Further studies are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms in the future.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Female ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Neuropeptides ; genetics ; metabolism ; Orexins ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sleep ; physiology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase-1 ; Wakefulness ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the migrating effect of adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) on the wound model of human epidermal keratinocyte (HEKa).

METHODSRat ADSCs (rADSCs) were isolated and cultured (n = 10), rADSCs were direct co-cultured with HEKa cells in experiment group (experimental group, n = 10). In the control groups, rADSCs were indirect co-cultured with HEKa cells in transwell chamber (indirect group, n = 8), or HEKa was cultured alone (single group, n = 8). Then confluent HEKa cells were scraped to establish a wound model under invert microscope. After scraped 24, 48, and 72 h, cell numbers of which migrated across the edge of the wound was measured, the rate of wound healing was calculated by using SigmaScan Pro 5 software, and the proliferating effect of rADSCs on HEKa were examined by incorporation of [(3)H] thymidine.

RESULTSThe cells migrated across the edge of wound after 24 hours in experimental group, indirect group, and single group were (9.2 + or - 0.2), (5.0 + or - 0.3), (4.2 + or - 0.3), and were (58.5 + or - 0.4), (26.5 + or - 0.3), (20.7 + or - 0.5) 48 hours after, and were (125.8 + or - 0.4), (43.0 + or - 0.5), (35.6 + or - 0.5) cells/HP 72 hours after, respectively; the numbers were all significantly higher in experimental group than those in control groups (P < 0.05). The rates of wound healing after scraped 72 hours were 61.0% + or - 3.0%, 35.0% + or - 2.5% and 32.0 + or - 2.1%, the outcome in experimental group was significantly better than in the control groups (P < 0.05). And the thymidine feeding displayed the proliferation of HEKa in the three groups were (1440 + or - 210), (1050 + or - 280) and (1130 + or - 390) cpm/10(5) cell, and there was significant difference between the experimental and the control groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe rADSCs can promote the migration of HEKa by direct contact with it.

Adipose Tissue ; cytology ; Animals ; Cell Count ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Coculture Techniques ; Epidermis ; cytology ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; Wound Healing