OBJECTIVETo study the effect of total flavanones of Sedum sarmentosum (SSTF) on the apoptosis of rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6) and its mechanism.

METHODDifferent concentrations of SSTF and HSC-T6 cells were co-cultured for different period of time. The MTT assay was used to detect the inhibitory effect of SSTF on the proliferation of HSC-T6 cells. The flow cytometry Annexin-V/PI double staining method was adopted to detect SSTF's effect on HSC-T6 cell apoptosis. Western blotting and Real-time PCR methods were applied to observe the effect on the protein and mRNA expressions of apoptosis-related cytokines Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3.

RESULTSSTF significantly inhibited HSC-T6 cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in a dose and time dependent manner. According to Western blotting result, SSTF promoted apoptosis by inhibiting Bcl-2, Bax and promoting the protein expression of Caspase-3; according to a further Real-time PCR study, Bcl-2 mRNA levels can inhibit Bcl-2 and promote Bax and Caspase-3 expressions.

CONCLUSIONSSTF has the effect of promoting the apoptosis of HSC-T6 mainly by inhibiting Bcl-2 and promoting protein and mRNA expressions of Bax and caspase-3.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Flavanones ; pharmacology ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Sedum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the expression and significance of structural proteins, VEGF and Ang-1 in cavernous venous malformations of the body surface.

METHODSTissue samples came from 25 cases of cavernous venous malformations, 12 cases of normal moderate veins and 12 cases of normal small veins. Envision immunohistochemical stain was used to investigate the expression of IV collagen, fibronectin, laminin, VEGF and Ang-1. The results were analyzed semi-quantitatively.

RESULTSThe distribution of structural proteins in cavernous venous malformations is similar to moderate and small veins, but the expression in venous malformations is less obviously. VEGF expression in cavernous venous malformations and small veins is stronger obviously than moderate veins. Ang-1 expression in small veins is stronger remarkably than cavernous venous malformations and moderate veins.

CONCLUSIONThe abnormal expression of structural proteins may be an important factor in etiopathology and progress of cavernous venous malformations. There is disturbance of blood vessel remodelling in the sinusoid of cavernous venous malformations, with which the less expression of Ang-1 may be related.

Angiopoietin-1 ; metabolism ; Collagen Type IV ; metabolism ; Fibronectins ; analysis ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; metabolism ; Humans ; Laminin ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism ; Veins ; abnormalities ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of Fas/FasL in infantile hemangiomas and discuss the role of Fas/FasL in the pathologic evolution of infantile hemangioma.

METHODThe EnVision immunohistochemical stain and RT-PCR technique was used to examine the expression of Fas/FasL protein and mRNA in the infantile hemangiomas.

RESULTS(1) In the early and middle proliferating stage, a number of infantile hemangioma cells expressed Fas. In the late proliferating stage, the number of positive cells increased obviously and the expression of Fas mRNA was reaching the strongest level. In the early regressing stage the Fas still existed in some cells and after that the expression decreased quickly. (2) Up to the middle proliferating stage, there were a few of FasL(+) cells foound. In the late proliferating stage, the number of FasL(+) cells increased significantly. From the early regressing stage, the number of FasL(+) cells decreased rapidly and disappeared.

CONCLUSIONThere may exist significant correlation between the expression of Fas/FasL and the development of the infantile hemangioma cells. The apoptosis of the infantile hemangioma cells mediated by Fas/ FasL may be the major reason of the spontaneous involution of infantile hemangioma.

Apoptosis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Fas Ligand Protein ; metabolism ; Hemangioma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Infant ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; fas Receptor ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical pathology of cavernous venous malformations of the body surface.

METHODSTissue samples of cavernous venous malformations from 42 cases were stained with hematoxylin and eosin to observe the pathologic structure. The clinical manifestations and case history were summarized accordingly.

RESULTSThere was no distribution difference of the malformation in sex and body sides, but with obvious difference in anatomic sites. The malformation occurred most frequently at the head and neck, more frequently at extremities and least frequently at the trunk. According to pathologic structure, cavernous venous malformations of the body surface can be divided into three types: the cellular, the canaliform and the mixed.

CONCLUSIONThe cause of distribution difference in anatomic sites remains unclear. Internal hemorrhage and infection may account for the increased growth and ache of the lesion. The different pathologic structure of the malformation may cause different clinical manifestations.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; complications ; pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infection ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain ; etiology ; Sex Factors ; Skin ; blood supply ; pathology ; Veins ; abnormalities

OBJECTIVETo determine the value of spectral karyotyping (SKY) to identify the complex chromosome aberration.

METHODSFour cases were selected that can not be identified by standard cytogenetic techniques. The chromosome specimens were detected by the routine SKY method, and the results were analyzed by the SKY View software.

RESULTSBy using SKY a case of complex chromosome rearrangements and two cases of chromosome duplication were identified. However it could not identify the chromosome inversion and the breakpoint of chromosome aberration.

CONCLUSIONSKY may be a valuable tool in identification of complex chromosome translocation, rearrangement, minute aberration and unknown derivative chromosomes. Though SKY can not replace the standard cytogenetic techniques, but it will be the benefit supplementary.

Adult ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosome Banding ; Chromosome Disorders ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Duplication ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Infant ; Male ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spectral Karyotyping ; methods ; Translocation, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo optimize the prenatal diagnosis platform by using domestically made fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) kit and to explore the clinical application of FISH to rapid prenatal diagnosis of a wide range of chromosomal abnormalities.

METHODSAmniotic fluid samples from 110 pregnant women were studied with the rapid prenatal diagnosis method of FISH and the conventional cell culture method of karyotyping, the results from both methods were compared.

RESULTSFour cases of trisomy 21, 1 case of trisomy 18, 58 cases of 46, XX, and 47 cases of 46, XY were detected by FISH in the 110 amniotic fluid samples. It is concordant with the results from conventional karyotype analysis. The concordance rate is 100%.

CONCLUSIONDomestically made FISH kit can be used to rapidly and accurately detect the most common chromosome aneuploidies by using less sample volume while the price is relatively low. FISH can be a reliable and rapid prenatal diagnostic tool as an adjunct to classical cytogenetic study. It can be used for rapid and accurate prenatal diagnosis of women with high risk of maternal serum screening.

Adult ; Amniocentesis ; Amniotic Fluid ; Aneuploidy ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 ; genetics ; Down Syndrome ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; methods ; Karyotyping ; methods ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; methods ; Trisomy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of air pollution on respiratory health in school-aged children in the main urban area of Chongqing, China.

METHODSThe main urban area of Chongqing was divided into polluted area and clean area according to the air pollution data shown on the Environmental Protection Agency Website of Chongqing between 2010 and 2015. A cluster sampling method was used to select 695 third- or fourth-grade children from 2 primary schools in the clean or polluted area as study subjects, with 313 children from the clean area and 382 children from the polluted area. Pulmonary function was examined for all children and a standard American epidemiological questionnaire (ATS-DLD-78-C) was used to investigate the prevalence of respiratory diseases and symptoms.

RESULTSCompared with the clean area, the polluted area had significantly higher concentrations of inhalable particles (PM), fine particulate matter (PM), and nitric oxide (NO) (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed after adjustment for confounding factors, and the results showed that compared with those in the clean area, the children in the polluted area had significantly higher risks of cough (OR=1.644), cough during cold (OR=1.596), expectoration during cold (OR=2.196), persistent expectoration (OR=1.802), and wheezing (OR=2.415). The boys and girls in the clean area had significantly higher forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second than those in the polluted area (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAir pollution in the main urban area of Chongqing is associated with the increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms in school-aged children and has certain effect on children's pulmonary function.

Air Pollution ; adverse effects ; Child ; Female ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Respiratory Tract Diseases ; etiology ; Vital Capacity

OBJECTIVETo investigate the polymorphic distribution of short tandem repeat (STR) sequences D21S1433, D21S1442, D21S1444, D21S2051 in Guangdong Han nationality in China.

METHODSUsing quantitative fluorescens PCR technology, the authors analyzed 200 unrelated samples to acknowledge the allele frequency, heterozygosity and other genetic information.

RESULTSD21S1433, D21S1442, D21S1444, D21S2051 were tested in 200 samples, which were tested to be statistical according to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P> 0.05), 9, 10, 9 and 5 alleles were detected separately in each STRs. The heterozygosity of each STR was 0.818, 0.820, 0.770, and 0.261. The polymorphic information content > 0.7 in D21S1433, D21S1442, D21S1444, while D21S2051 owned only 0.247 polymorphic information.

CONCLUSIOND21S1433, D21S1442, D21S1444 are found to have high heterozygosity and polymorphic information content, and they could provide useful markers for genetic purposes, while D21S2051 is not informative in Guangdong Han nationality in China.

Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetics, Population ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pregnancy ; Tandem Repeat Sequences ; genetics

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Chemokine CXCL12 ; metabolism ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, CXCR4 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of exposure to vehicle exhaust in pregnant mice on the reproductive function and DNA methylation in male offspring mice.

METHODSTwenty pregnant mice were randomized into control group and vehicle exhaust exposure group (n=10) and exposed to routine laboratory condition and to vehicle exhaust for 10 consecutive days (8 h per day) in a tunnel with a heavy traffic, where the concentrations of TSP, PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NOX and the decibel of noise were measured. The offspring mice were raised till reaching maturity, and the epididymides of the male mice were collected to test the weight coefficients, DNA methylation level, and mRNA levels of Aldh7a1 and Rpe.

RESULTSThe body weight and the weight coefficients of the epididymides and testes differed significantly between the exposure group and the control group (P>0.05). The concentrations of TSP, PM2.5, PM10 and NOx and the decibel of noise were significantly higher in the traffic environment and the control environment (P<0.05). Reduced representation bisulphite sequencing (RRBS) and Gene ontology (GO) showed that 58 genes had significantly different methylation levels between the two groups, mostly relating to the process of spermatogenesis (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, Aldh7a1 and Rpe mRNA expressions in the testes were down-regulated significantly in the exposure group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONExposure of pregnant mice to vehicle exhaust causes damages of the reproductive function in the male offspring mice.