Objective To investigate the effects and mechanisms of propofol and dexmedetomidine on neurites and synapses of hippocampal neurons neonatal rats, in vitro. Methods Hippocampal neurons of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured 6 days, in vitro and were divided into control group (Group C), solvent of propofol group (Group S), propofol group (Group P), dexmedetomidine group (Group D),propofol and dexmedetomidine group (Group PD), and yohimbine group (Group Y). All groups were cultured for 24 h further. Neuron morphology and the expression of protein were measured. Results After exposing to propofol, we found that the mean total length of neurites of primary cultured hippocampal neurons and synapses and the expression of BDNF, TrkB and CRMP-2 protein were reduced; dexmedetomidine played a protective role. Moreover, yohimbine, partly inhibited neuroprotection of dexmedetomidine. Conclusions Propofol decreases the development of neurites and synapses of hippocampal neurons neonatal rats, in vitro, and dexmedetomidine provides a protective effect on propofol by up-regulating the expression of BDNF, TrkB and CRMP-2. The effect, partly has a concern aboutα2-adrenergic agonist.

Objective To investigate the effects of [Gly14]-Humanin(HNG) on SOD, MDA, GSH and cell apopto?sis in a rat model of secondary brain injury. Methods One hundred thirty-five adult and healthy male rats were random?ly divided into 3 groups: sham model group (n=45), vehicle control group (n=45) and HNG group (n=45). Secondary brain injury was induced in the vehicle control and HNG groups using improved Feeney method. Vehicle control received abdominal injections of Sodium Chloride Injection (2 ml/kg) whereas the HNG group received abdominal injections of HNG (2 μL/kg) immediately and 24 h after injury. Each group was divided into three subgroups (n=15 rats per each group) by sacrificed time including 1 h, 3 d, and 7 d after injury. The expression levels of SOD, MDA and GSH of the brain tissue were analyzed and the cell apoptosis was examined using TUNEL method after brain contusion. Results MDA and cell apoptosis around the lesion started to increased at 1h, reached a peak at 3d and then gradually subsided but still remained a higher level at 7 d than 1 h. HNG significantly attenuated brain injury-induced increase in MDA and apopto?sis at all time points (P<0.05). By contrast, SOD started to decrease at 1h, reached the lowest point at 3 d and then gradu? ally recovered but still remained a lower level at 7 d than 1 h. HNG significantly mitigated brain injury-induced increase in MDA and apoptosis at all time points (P<0.05). The time course of GSH expression followed a pattern similar to that of MDA. MDA expression was strongly positive correlated with the number of cell apoptosis (r=0.720, P<0.05), strongly neg?ative correlated with the level of SOD and GSH(r=-0.702, P<0.05;r=-0.674, P<0.05). Conclusions After brain injury, HNG inhibits oxidative stress levels and reduces apoptosis, thereby mitigating secondary brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Recent trials and clinical studies have shown that intracoronary transplantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) improves cardiac function following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, whether homing of MSCs into the infarcted myocardium or not is still unknown.OBJECTIVE: To study the homing of MSCs intracoronary administration in porcine myocardial infarction model using in vivo magnetic resonance imaging tracking.METHODS: Porcine MSCs were isolated and cultured by the whole bone marrow method. Following labeling by superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO), MSCs were treated with trypsinization to adjust the concentration at 10~(10)/L. Myocardial infarction was induced in all 10 pigs. At one week after modeling, the labeled MSCs were delivered via intracoronary infusion with standard over-the-wire (OTW) balloon angioplasty catheters. Prussian blue staining was used to evaluate labeling efficiency, and double echo steady state was used to scan four-chamber and cor biloculare at long axis view, which was considered as locating phase to obtain image of left ventricle at short axis view. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: MSCs could be efficiently and safely labeled with SPIO. Intracoronary transplantation of MSCs is able to home the sites of myocardial injury and the border between infarcted and normal tissue. MRI can track SPIO-labeled MSCs delivered through intracoronary and were confirmed on pathology. After 5 weeks the injected labeled cells could still be detected with MRI.

Objective To construct and identity pSIREN-HIF-1α/shRNA expression vector in order to make foundation of gene therapy for further exploration of RNA interference to nasopharyngeal darcinoma. Methods According to HIF-1αcDNA gene sequence in the gene bank (NM_001530/NM_181054), a pair of 60 nt oligonucleotides each containing the sites of restriction endonuclease at both ends,were designed and synthesized by Reynolds design principles. Oligonucleotides were annealed and ligated with linedrized RNAi-Ready pSIREN-RetroQ-ZsGreen.Transfected into JM109, the recombinants were finally sequenced and identified by 1%agarose gel electrophoresis. Results The size of the target gene fragment amplified by PCR was 470 bp and in accordance with the expected result.pSIREN-HIF-1α was successfully constructed and identitfied by 1%agarose gel electrophoresis.Sequence analysis of inserted fragment revealed the same sequence as synthesized shRNA Oligonucleotides. Conclusion pSIREN-HIF-1α /shRNA expression vector has been successfully constructed, and can make the foundation of research using liposome packaging transfectiing nasopharyngeal darcinoma cell for the next step .

Objective To evaluate the global and segmental (inflow,body and outflow) systolic functions of right ventricle in end-stage renal failure (ESRF) patients by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography(RT-3DE) and four-dimensional right ventricle quantitative analysis (4D-RVQ) and to reveal the long-term impact of renal insufficiency on right ventricular systolic function.Methods RT-3DE was performed in 48 ESRF patients and 26 healthy individuals (control group).Images were acquired and analysed off-line in TomTec 4D-RVQ station.The parameters of RV global and segmental systolic functions,including RV global and segmental end-diastolic volume (EDV),end-systolic volume(ESV),stroke volume(SV),ejection fraction(EF),the time to minimum systolic volume(T-msv) were obtained.All the variables were standardized by body surface area (BSA) or heart rate (HR).Results ① In the ESRF group,EDV,SV and EF of body compartment were significantly higher than those of the controls[EDV:(8.5±3.4)ml/m2 vs (6.4± 1.7)ml/m2,P =0.002;SV:(4.5 ± 1.7)ml/m2 vs (2.7±0.9)ml/m2,P =0.0037;EF:(45.4 ± 11.5)％ vs (41.1 ± 7.1)％,P =0.0489],and so were EDV,SV of inflow compartment [EDV:(19.6± 1.0)ml/m2 vs (16.5±0.9)ml/m2,P =0.0438;SV:(12.3±4.6)ml/m2 vs (10.1±3.2) ml/m2,P =0.0433].②Compared with the control group,the global and segmental T-msv were all delayed obviously in the ESRF group (P ＜ 0.001).③The percentage of SV of body compartment accounting for the global SV significantly increased in the ESRF group [(19.5 ± 7.3)％ vs (15.5 ± 5.5)％,P =0.0222],while that of outflow compartment reduced significantly [(20.3 ± 7.0)％ vs (26.8 ± 8.2)％,P =0.0005].Conclusions The global and segmental systolic functions of right ventricle were impaired in ESRF patients,especially in the body compartment.The RT-3DE and 4D-RVQ are helpful technologies in the evaluation and follow-up of right ventricular systolic function in patients with renal failure.

Objective To observe the effects of 75 gram glucose oral tolerance test (75 g OGTT) and standard mixed meal test (SMMT) on insulin secretion function of the islets of Langerhans and plasma free fatty acid (FFA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods Seventy-six patients with type 2 diabetes without using insulin and with no obvious complications were recruited for 75 g OGTT following overnight fasting on the first day and SMMT (bread 50 g,egg 50 g and milk 250 ml) on the 7th day.Blood specimens were collected from each patients before the tests and 30 min,60 min,120 min and 180 min after glucose or meal load to measure their levels of plasma glucose,serum insulin,C peptide,FFA and lipids (total cholesterol,triglyceride,high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol).Results No difference in fasting plasma glucose,serum insulin,C peptide,FFA and lipids between 75 g OGTT and SMMT was found.Postprandial plasma glucose 30 min,60 min,120 min and 180 min after 75 g OGTT was significantly higher than that after SMMT,with (15.3?3.5) vs (9.9?3.4) mmol/L,(18.2?4.8) vs (12.8?4.0) mmol/L,(16.3?5.8) vs (12.2?4.9) mmol/L and (10.6?5.4) vs (9.5?4.5) mmol/L (F=28.1,P

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the prognostic effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with local advanced gastric cancer.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed prognosis in 191 patients with advanced gastric cancer, of whom 71 were treated with NAC and 120 received surgery only between February 2007 and July 2013. Postoperative complication rate was recorded. Survival by clinicopathological features, pathological T and N stages, and histopathological tumor regression was retrospectively compared between the two groups.

RESULTSAccording to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, none of the 71 patients in the NAC followed by surgery group showed complete response, 36 showed partial response, 25 had stable disease, and 10 had progressive disease. The chemotherapy response rate was 50.7%; the disease control rate was 85.9%. Grade 3/4 adverse events were seen in less than 20% patients, with acceptable toxicities. No difference was found in the overall postoperative complication rates between the two groups (7 versus 22 cases, P=0.18). Median survival time was significantly different, at 54 months in the NAC combined with surgery group and 25 months in the surgery-only group (P=0.025).

CONCLUSIONIn patients with operable gastric adenocarcinomas, NAC can significantly improve overall survival without increasing surgical complications.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology

OBJECTIVEConditioned taste preference (CTP) is a taste learning reflex by which an animal learns to prefer a substance which tastes not well and has been studied with much interest in recent years. However, the neural substrates of CTP are less known. This study aimed to determine the possible neural path- ways of CTP and whether serum leptin level and the leptin receptor (OB-Rb) in the hind brain are involved following CTP formation.

METHODSWe established CTP of quinine in rats with a 2-bottle preference test. The serum leptin concentrations were detected, the expression of c-fos in the rat brain was tested to determine the nuclei in relation with establishment of CTR Finally, the OB-Rb mRNA expression was examined by RT-qPCR assay in parabrachial nucleus (PBN) and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) of the hind brain.

RESULTSCompared with control group, the level of serum leptin was higher in the CTP group (4.58 ± 0.52 vs 1.67 ± 0.25 µg/L, P < 0.01); increased c-fos positive cells were found in the anterior hypothalamus (AH, 221.75 ± 4.96 vs. 178.50 ± 6.63 cells/mm², P < 0.05), the basal lateral amygdala (BLA, 70.75 ± 6.17 vs 56.50 ± 3.62 cells/ mm², P < 0.05) and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST, 41.25 ± 1.32 vs 32.50 ± 1.02 cells/mm², P < 0.05). But in ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH, 20.75 ± 2.73 vs 38.5 ± 1.54 per 1 mm², P < 005), PBN (21.50 ± 2.24 vs 36.25 ± 1.49 cells/mm², P < 0.05) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA, 22.25 ± 1.53 vs 35.50 ± 2.11 cells/mm², P < 0.05), the number of c-fos positive cells was decreased in the CTP group. In addition, we found OB-Rb mRNA expression in PBN of CTP group rats was higher than that of control group (0.95 ± 0.055 vs 0.57 ± 0.034, P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference of OB-Rb mRNA expression in NST between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONNuclei AH, BLA, NST, VMH, PBN and CeA participate in the formation of CTP. Leptin and its receptor in PBN may be involved in the formation and maintenance of CTP.

Animals ; Conditioning (Psychology) ; Leptin ; blood ; Rats ; Receptors, Leptin ; physiology ; Rhombencephalon ; physiology ; Taste ; physiology

Amifostine ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Benzene ; toxicity ; Blood ; drug effects ; Blood Cell Count ; Male ; Mice ; Random Allocation

The prevalence of thyroid cancer has shown an upward trend in China in recent years. Advances in thyroid ultrasound and fine needle puncture cytology have improved the accuracy of the preoperative diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Also,the application of endoscopy-assisted techniques and intraoperative nerve monitoring technology and the further understanding of thyroid lymph node metastasis have made the thyroid surgeries safer and less invasive. This article summarizes the recent advances in the surgical therapy of thyroid cancer.
Carcinoma, Papillary ; surgery ; Humans ; Iodine Radioisotopes ; therapeutic use ; Molecular Targeted Therapy ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; surgery ; therapy