Our study investigated the neurotoxicity of quinolinic acid (QA) to spiral ganglion cells (SGCs), observed the protective effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801 and magnesium ions on the QA-induced injury to SGCs, and analyzed the role of QA in otitis media with effusion (OME)-induced sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). After culture in vitro for 72 h, SGCs were exposed to different media and divided into 4 groups: the blank control group, the QA injury group, the MK-801 treatment group, and the MgCl(2) protection group. The apoptosis rate of SGCs was analyzed by Annexin V and PI double staining under the fluorescence microscopy 24 h later. SGCs were cultured in vitro for 72 h and divided into four groups: the low concentration QA group, the high concentration QA group, the MK-801 group, the MgCl(2) group. The transient changes of intracellular calcium concentration were observed by the laser scanning confocal microscopy. Apoptosis rate in QA injury group was higher than that in blank control group and MgCl(2) protection group (both P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between MK-801 treatment group and blank control group (P>0.05). In high concentration QA group, there was an obvious increase of the intracellular calcium concentration in SGCs, which didn't present in low concentration QA group. In MgCl(2) group, the peak values of the intracellular calcium concentration in SGCs were reduced and the duration was shortened, but the intracellular calcium concentration in SGCs had no significant change in MK-801 group. It was concluded that QA could injure SGCs by excessively activating NMDA receptors on the cell membrane, which might be the mechanism by which OME induced SNHL, while Mg(2+) could protect the SCGs from the neurotoxicity of QA.

Ultrasonic microbubbles were used to open blood-brain barriers (BBB) with a reversed and limited behavior feature in the study, which could improve the brain-targeted delivery of anti-tumor drugs. The glioma rat model was prepared. Low-frequency ultrasound was combined with microbubbles to affect the permeability of BBB compared with the permeability of independently administered Evans blue (EB) crossing BBB. Time point and length of ultrasound were investigated whether they affect the permeability of BBB and the damage of brain tissue. The effect of the growth time of glioma on BBB permeability was explored. Only glioma had a very little impact on BBB permeability. However, ultrasonic microbubbles opened the BBB with the features of temporary, limited and reversed behavior and improved EB and magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent penetrating BBB. A length of 30 s ultrasound is appropriate for opening BBB and no damage of brain tissue. Drugs should be injected before ultrasound so that they enter into brain as BBB opening. Ultrasonic microbubbles can open BBB effectively and safely, which improve drugs penetrating BBB under proper time point and length.
Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; Contrast Media ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Glioma ; drug therapy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Microbubbles ; Permeability ; Rats ; Ultrasonics

Objective:To discuss the clinical feature, diagnosis, and treatment course of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) to guide clinical practice and improve prognosis of patients. Methods:Clinical data of 15 patients with pathologically confirmed pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma between December 1994 and March 2014 in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were retro-spectively studied. Results:The patients include eight males and seven females with a median age of 44. Tumors in these patients appeared in different parts of the pancreas. Eight patients had tumor in the head, six in the body and tail, and one in the uncinate process. The tumor size ranged from 3 cm to 18 cm, with an average diameter of 6.67 cm. The patients presented less jaundice and the tumor markers remained constant, specifically, no increase was reported. Six patients had metastasis before their operation. Twelve patients received radical resection, while the other three received palliative treatment. The preoperative and intraoperative diagnoses were not exact. The final diagnosis depended on pathologic confirmation after surgery or puncture. The immunohistochemical results of trypsin and chymotrypsin were positive in the patients who were examined. The postoperative chemotherapy was usually based on gemcitabine. The average survival time was 20.6 months. Conclusion:Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma has special clinical features, and clinicians tend to regard it as low-grade malignancy. The attitude towards ACC should be positive.

Objective To analyze the sensitivity of auxiliary examinations in different periods of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD).Methods The clinical data of 53 sCJD patients were retrospectively analyzed including the different stages of skull diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI),24-hour ambulatory electroencephalogram (EEG),18F-FDG PET/CT (PET-CT)and cerebrospinal fluid 14-3-3 protein.When calculating the sensitivity of an auxiliary examination,the diagnostic criteria were defined by combining the specific clinical manifestations with two or more positive results of other auxiliary examinations.Results There were 24,53 and 22 sCJD patients,respectively,met the criterion of early (E),middle (M) and later (L) stage of disease (some patients fit 2 or 3 stages).The sensitivity ofDWl (E:58.3％ M:85.4％,L:94.7％),EEG (E:45.8％,M:62.7％,L:77.8％),14-3-3 protein in cerebrospinal fluid (E:11.1％,M:52.9％) and PET-CT (E:80％,M:100％) increased gradually with disease progression,The sensitivity of PET-CT was higher than the other auxiliary examinations for E and M stages;no PET-CT was conducted in L stage.High signal regions mainly distributed in the cortex in E and M stages,but in L stage,no significant difference was found on the distribution of high signal regions between cortex and basal ganglia.Conclusions The sensitivities of the auxiliary examinations were different for sCJD patients in different stages.Reexaminations in different periods may improve the sensitivity for sCJD diagnosis.The sensitivity of PET-CT was high,and the combination of PET-CT and other auxiliary examinations may play a key role in the diagnosis of sCJD.

Objective To assess the clinical characteristics of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients and patients's attitude towards BPH and BPH therapy. Methods The question-naires were distributed to 3560 BPH patients throughout the country during the period of Prostate Health Educational Programmer (PHELP). The survey was mainly focused on the questions of patient understanding toward BPH, the preference of treatment and international prostate score scale.Results The evaluations based on 2878 completed patient's questionnaires showed that 86. 0% of patients were diagnosed with moderate or severe low urinary tract syndrome. The main reasons for seek treatment was irritative symptoms (64. 1%), obstructive symptoms ( 41. 7%), physical checkup (41.0%), worry about prostate cancer(14. 5%). Most of patients sought treatment from big hospitals. Most of patients (69.1%) had right understanding towards BPH. Nocturia was the most bothersome of lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS) suggestive of BPH. Rapid LUTS improvement was the patient's main objective (87.4%). Conclusions Chinese patients did not recognize the complications of BPH progression. Irritative symptoms are the main reasons for seek treatment. Nocturia is most bothersome syndrome, which deteriorates quality of life mostly.

Objective To investigate the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-7(BMP-7)in the tissue of prostate cancer(PCa). Methods The pathological samples of 87 cases of PCa were collected.The average age was 66(59-78)years,preoperative of t-PSA was 45.7(2.4-138.2)ng/ml.Gleason score:37 cases were≤6,18 cases were 7,32 cases were≥8.Stages:stage I(T1aN0M0)+stageⅡ(T1bN0M0,T1cN0M0,T2N0M0)20 cases;StageⅢ(T3N0M0)20;Stage Ⅳ(T4N0 M0,TxN1 M0,TxN0 M1)47 cases.According to bone scan or positron emission computed tomography-CT test results,patients were divided into PCa without bone metastasis,42 cases and PCa with bone metastasis,45 cases.Thirty cases of BPH were set as controls.BMP-7 in the PCa and BPH were detected by PV immunohistochemical study.Statistical analysis was done between two groups to compare the differential expression of BMP-7 and serum t-PSA in PCa, and BPH tissues.Results BMP-7 expression in the absorbance A value in benign prostatic hyperplasia was 70.55±5.41, in prostate cancer tissue 70.47± 6.18, no significant differences between the 2 groups(P>0.05).BMP-7 expression in the absorbance A value in prostate cancer without bone metastasis was 65.94 ± 1.76, but with bone metastasis 74.80±5.76.There was a significant difference (P<0.05).Gleason score≤6 absorbance A value was 65.96 ± 1.56, Gleason 7 absorbance A value 65.83 ± 2.75,≥8 absorbance A value 78.06±1.39.Compared with Gleason score≥8, BMP-7 expression in the absorbance A value were significantly lower than the latter (P<0.05).Clinical stage grouping of BMP-7 expression in the absorbance A value: Stage Ⅰ + Ⅱ 65.86±1.72, Stage Ⅲ 65.87±1.85, Stage 74.49±5.83.There was a significant difference (P<0.05).In PCa tissues, BMP-7 of the absorbance A value and the serum t-PSA values showed a positive correlation (r=0.77,P,<0.05). Conelusions The expression level of BMP-7 has occurred in the high pathological Gleason score, late clinical stage, particularly in bone metastasis cases.The expression level of BMP-7 and serum t-PSA have a positive correlation.

Objective To know the medical effectiveness of health management on pilots with chronic fatigue syndrome during the course of convalesce. Methods Divided 97 pilots with chronic fa-tigue syndrome according to related diagnostic criteria, and then divided them into the experimental group (47 cases) and the control group(50 cases) randomly. Routine nursing cares were used in the control group, while health management was used in the experimental group in addition. Compared the stares of re-lated symptom easing between the two groups by BFI, FS and FAI scales. Results The chronic fatigue syndrome-related symptom were allieviated in both the two groups after the convalesce, while the allievia-tion degree in the experimental group was significantly. Conclusions Health management during the course of convalesce can effective allieviate the symptom of pilots with chronic fatigue syndrome, and then promote their rehabilitation.

Objective To explore the value of lipidic degradation in puparium cases of C.megacephala during weathering in postmortem interval estimation. Methods The puparium cases of reared C.megacephala were collected, and laid outdoor. They were taken back 5 days and 10 days later, and then be stored at -20℃. The samples of control group were cleaned and cryopreserved immediately. The spectra were collected and preprocessed. The peak position and peak height were read and performed statistical analysis by SPSS 19.0 software. Results Compared to control group, the positions of Vas CH3 band showed no shift, and the Vas CH2 band showed blue shift, meanwhile, the Vs CH2 band disappeared in both experimental groups, moreover, the Vs CH3 band showed red shift only in 10d group;except of the Vs CH3 band in 5d group, the intensities of both the other two lipidic bands reduced in both experimental groups. Compared with 5day group, the Vs CH3 band showed red shift in 10d group, meanwhile, the differences of all the lipidic bands had statistical signiifcance. Conclusion Detection of lipidic degradation in puparium cases of C. megacephala during weathering by micro-FTIR provides a novel way to estimate postmortem interval and performs its potential for forensic applications.

Objective To investigate the correlation between serum amyloid A (SAA) and disease activity (DAS28) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Forty-four patients with RA, 35 patients with systemic lupus erythe-matosus (SLE), 18 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and 30 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this study. The levels of SAA were measured by ELISA. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was measured by the Westergren method. The value of serum C reactive protein (CRP) was examined by immunonephelometry assay. The correlation between SAA and DAS 28, ESR and CRP was assessed, respectively. Results The SAA levels were significantly higher in RA group than those of SLE, OA, and HC groups (P<0.05). The serum ESR and CRP levels were both higher in RA group than those of OA and HC groups (P>0.05), but there was no significant difference between RA group and SLE group. There was positive correlation between SAA and DAS28, ESR, and CRP levels (rs=0.790, P<0.001;rs=0.674, P<0.001;rs=0.679, P=0.004), respective-ly. Conclusion SAA may be a new serological marker to assess disease activity in RA.

Objective To observe the protein degredation of empty puparium cases ofC. megacephala after weathering and to explore its practical significance on postmortem interval estimation in forensic science. MethodsThe standardized feeding was used inC. megacephala, and the empty puparium cases were collected and put into the forest. They were taken back 5 days, and 10 days later, respectively. The spectra were collected and preprocessed, and then the absorption peaks of amides were read, and curve fitting was performed in the average spectra of each group. The statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 19.0.Results Compared to control group, ifve days post weathering, the position of amideⅠabsorption peak showed blue shift, but the amideⅡabsorption peak showed no shift, moreover, none of the amide absorption peaks showed changes inpeak intensity. For the secondary structures, α-helix decreased and β-sheet increased slightly, however, β-turn did not change; Ten days post weathering, the positions of both amideⅠandⅡabsorption peaks showed blue shift, and an obviousshoulder peak appeared in amide I absorption peak. Meanwhile, both of amideⅠandⅡabsorption peaks showed decreased in peak intensity. Moreover, for the secondary structures, α-helix and β-sheet showed the same tendency as in the 5th day group, except for the β-turn increased dramaticlly.Conclusion The spectra of the empty puparium cases of C. megacephala showed that the absorption peaks of amideⅠandⅡpresented certain characteristic features within ten days post weathering, and estimate relative long-time postmortem interval.