Objective To study the possibility of umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells(UCB MNCs) having polydifferential potention to be induced and differentiated into hepatic stem/progenitor cells.Methods Collecting 32 cases fresh UCB from mature delivery,UCB MNCs were isolated by density-step centrifugal effect and were randomly divided into two groups:(1) control group 8 cases:the basic medium supplemented without cytokines;(2) trial group 24 cases,divided into four groups randomly,and the experimental results were detected at 0d,7d,14d,21d,respectively.The basic medium supplemented with various combinations of growth /differentiation factors(FGF-1,FGF-2,LIF,SCF,HGF,and OSM);cell morphological change was observed,hALBmRNA was examinated using RT-PCR methods,the expressions of ALB、CK18、CK19 were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results In trial group cell number increased,cell volume enlarged,refraction strong,polymorphic cells(mostly oval cells) appeared and obviously attached on the culture dishes.The expression of CK18、CK19、ALB were positive by immunohistochemistry,and the level of hALBmRNA improved along with the culture time.Conclusions UCB MNCs can be induced and differentiated into hepatic stem/progenitor cells in vitro.Human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells may be a new source of transplantable hepatic stem/progenitor cells and hepatocytes.

Objective To evaluate the clinical results of patients submitted to laparoscopic assisted supracervical hysterectomy for benign uterine disease.Methods Women referred for supracervical hysterectomy for benign uterine diseases were divided into laparoscopy group(n=34)or open group(n=30).The operative time,blood loss,complications,morbidity,ileus,wound infections were compared between the two groups.Results In terms of Operative time,both of total operative time and oophosalpingorectomy time,there was no significant difference between laparoscopic group and open group.Less blood loss was found in laparoscopic group than open group.No complications were found in both groups.Conclusions Laparoscopic assisted supracervical hysterectomy is a safer and easier approach to complete supracervical hysterectomy with reduced blood loss and quick convalescence.It can be successfully integrated into a large health maintenance organization/residency-training program.

Objective To explore the effects of acupoint application of midnight-noon ebb-flow with hour-prescription of points on dysfunction for sufferers with senile osteoporosis(SOP).Methods In this study,76 patients with SOP in clinic in this hospital were recruited and randomly divided into the experimental group(n=38) and the control group(n=38) in accordance with random number table.Both were on the basic treatment of Caltrate D.The experimental group performed acupoint application of midnight-noon ebb flow with hour-prescription of points,while the control one performed common acupoint application.Oswestry Disability Index(ODI) was used to evaluate the dysfunction before,after 4 weeks and 8 weeks of intervention.SF-36 was adopted to evaluate the patients' quality of life before and after 8 week's intervention.Results The ODI scores of the experimental group after 4 weeks and 8 weeks were lower than those of the control group(P＜0.01).Repeated ANOVA indicated that the scores of ODI in group effect,time effect and interaction effect were of statistical significance(P＜0.01).Further comparison showed that the scores of ODI in three different time sections suggested that the latter time point were lower than those of the former time point(P＜0.01).The scores of eight dimensions of SF-36 after the intervention of the experimental group were higher than those of the control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The acupoint application of midnight noon ebb flow-with hour-prescription of points can effectively improve the dysfunction whose curative effect enhanced with time increasing and improve the quality of life.

Background and purpose:Loss or altered expression of Ras association domain family 1A gene (RASSF1A) through DNA methylation has been associated with the pathogenesis of a variety of cancers, which suggests the tumor suppressor function of this gene. This study aimed to explore the effect of DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Aza-2’deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dc) on demethylation and expression of RASSF1A in cervical cancer cell lines. Methods:HPV positive cervical cancer cell lines HeLa and Caski, HPV negative cell lines HT-3 and C-33A were treated with two different concentration of 5-Aza-dc (5 μmol/L, 10 μmol/L). MSP (methylation-specific PCR) and Bisulfite genomic sequencing PCR (BGS) combined with TA clone were used to investigate methylation status of RASSF1A gene promoter and exon 1 before and after treatment of 5-Aza-dc. RASSF1A gene mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR. Results:Two HPV positive cell lines showed hypomethylated RASSF1A promoters and expressed RASSF1A mRNA, and after treatment with 5-Aza-dc, the mRNA expression of RASSF1A did not change significantly (FHeLa=3.003, P=0.125; FCaski=0.045, P=0.956). Two HPV negative cervical cancer cell lines showed hypermethylation status of RASSF1A promoter and silenced RASSF1A. After treatment with 5-Aza-dc, demethylation occurred in the promoter region of RASSF1A gene, which subsequently induced re-expression of this gene in HT-3 and C-33A. The F test (FHT-3=18.002, P=0.03;FC-33A=17.179, P=0.03) and LSD-t test (P<0.05) demonstrated that significant difference in the expression of RASSF1A was found upon two different concentrations drug treatment.Conclusion:The methylation status of promoter and exon 1 of RASSFIA gene in HPV positive and HPV negative cervical cancer cell lines are different. The promoter hypermethylation is correlated with RASSF1A gene expression in HPV negative cervical cancer cell line HT-3 and C-33A, and plays a key role in RASSF1A silencing. 5-Aza-dc may effectively reverse the methylation status of RASSFIA gene promoter in cervical cancer HT-3 and C-33A cells and reactivate gene expression silenced by aberrant hypermethylation in a dose-dependent manner within certain extent.

Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS), a traditional Chinese medicine, is used in clinics for the treatment ofinsomnia in China and other Asian countries. Herein, we described for the first time a comparative pharmacokinetics study of the six major compounds of ZSS in normal control (NC) and para-chlor-ophenylalanine (PCPA)-induced insomnia model (IM) rats that were orally administered the aqueous extract of ZSS. An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole orbitrap mass (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of coclaurine, magnoflorine, spinosin, 6'''-feruloylspinosin, jujuboside A (JuA), and jujuboside B (JuB) in ZSS in rat plasma. The established approach was successfully applied to a comparative pharmacokinetic study. The systemic exposures of spinosin and 6'''-feruloylspinosin were decreased in the IM group compared to the NC group, while plasma clearance (CL) was significantly increased. The Tmax values of JuA and JuB in IM rats were significantly lower than those in NC rats. The T1/2 of JuA in the IM group was significantly accelerated. The pharmacokinetic parameters of coclaurine and magnoflorine were not evidently affected between the two groups. These results indicate that the pathological state of insomnia altered the plasma pharmacokinetics of spinosin, 6'''-feruloylspinosin, JuA, and JuB in the ZSS aqueous extract, providing an experimental basis for the role of ZSS in insomnia treatment. The comparative pharmacokinetics-based UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS using full-scan mode can therefore provide a reliable and suitable means for the screening of potentially effective substances applied as quality markers of ZSS.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with CO 2 fractional laser on hypertrophic scars. Methods:From 2017 to 2019, 20 patients [17 males, 3 females, aged (24.4±4.24) years] with mandibular acne keloid in the Department of Dermatology of Air Force Medical Center, were treated with ALA-PDT combined with CO 2 fractional laser treatment, once a month, 3 times in total, and were followed up for 6 months. The efficacy, safety, and recurrence were evaluated by the Vancouver scar scale (VSS) score. Results:The effective rate was 100% after three treatments. The VSS score decreased significantly after the first treatment, and as the number of treatments increased, the VSS score further decreased. The first improvement after treatment was thickness and hardness. There was no recurrence during the 6-month follow-up. The main adverse reactions were pain, erythema and pigmentation.Conclusions:ALA-PDT combined with CO 2 fractional laser can be used as a new treatment for hypertrophic scars.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of spearmint oil on emphysema-like changes and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta(IL-1beta), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-9) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treated rats.

METHODEmphysematous changes model was induced by intratracheal instillation of LPS once a week for up to 8 weeks in rats. Rats were divided into control, dexamethasone (0.3 mg x kg(-1)), and spearmint oil (10, 30,100 mg x kg(-1)) groups. Each group was treated with saline, dexamethasone, and spearmint of oil respectively for 4 weeks. Then total and different white blood cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) were carried out. The pathologic changes of lung tissue such as alveolar structure, airway inflammation, and goblet cell metaplasia were observed by HE and AB-PAS staining. Expression of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, TIMP-1 and MMP-9 were measured.

RESULTBoth spearmint and dexamethasone decreased the destruction of pulmonary alveolus. The total and different white blood cell counts in BALF including neutrophile and lymphocyte of spearmint oil 100 mg x kg(-1) and dexamethasone group were significantly reduced, and the goblet cell metaplasia was also inhibited. Dexamethasone had inhibitory effect on the expression of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, TIMP-1 and MMP-9. Spearmint oil 30, 100 mg x kg(-1) significantly reduced TNF-alpha and IL-1beta respectively. Spearmint oil 10, 30 and 100 mg x kg(-1) had no effect on the expression of TIMP-1, but could decrease the expression of MMP-9 significantly in lung tissues.

CONCLUSIONSpearmint oil has protective effect on rats with emphysematous changes, since it improves alveolar destruction, pulmonary inflammation, and goblet cell metaplasia. The mechanism may include reducing TNF-alpha, IL-1beta content and inhibiting overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in lung tissues.

Animals ; Azo Compounds ; pharmacology ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; cytology ; Goblet Cells ; drug effects ; Interleukin-1beta ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Leukocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Mentha spicata ; chemistry ; Metaplasia ; Monocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Neutrophils ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Oils ; therapeutic use ; Pulmonary Emphysema ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; pathology ; Rats ; Respiratory System ; drug effects ; pathology ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; drug effects ; metabolism

This paper is based on the theory of"internal diseases will be presented externally"in Traditional Chinese Medicine, combined with the idea of syndrome differentiation and grasping the main symptoms, and proposes the concept of"virtual special disease". It is extracted from ancient books and expert experience, and it is believed that it is widespread and can be tested by clinical practice. The application of virtual syndrome to diagnosis can achieve the purpose of simplifying the complexity TCM syndrome differentiation. On the one hand, it provides a new exploration for enriching the TCM syndrome differentiation system; on the other hand, it provides new ideas for supplementing the biological research of syndromes and developing the diagnosis of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Wuling powder, which is from Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases of Zhang Zhongjing, is a famous formula from thousand years now on. As people have a deeper understanding of Wuling powder, its application range is more extensive. In Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases and Essentials from the Golden Cabinet, there are a total of 11 articles concerning Wuling powder. Wuling powder syndrome can be classified as pulse floatation, fever, thirst, irritability, vomiting and urination, which can also occur in dehydration by sorting out and analyzing these articles. This paper talks about the relationship between Wuling powder syndrome and dehydration from the etiology, the symptom and the clinical application as well as to the thought of Wuling powder syndrome several aspects.

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether vitamin C can promote the proliferation ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) derived from aging mice.

METHODSThe senescence-accelerated mouse prone 6 (SAMP6) mice and senescence-accelerated mouse resistant 1 (SAMR1) mice were used as the test group and the control group, respectively, and the SAMP6 mice were examined by micro-CT to verify the senescent phenotype. BMMSCs were harvested from the two mouse lines and cultured in vitro, and the cells from SAMP6 mice were subjected to treatment with different concentrations of vitamin C. The proliferation ability of the cells from the two mouse lines was tested using MTT assay and growth curves, and TeloTAGGG Telomerase PCR ELISA was used to measure the telomerase activity; PCR and Western blotting were performed to detect the expression level of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) in the cells.

RESULTSThe SAMP6 mice displayed a bone senescent phenotype. The proliferation ability of BMMSCs derived from SAMP6 mice and their telomerase activity were significantly lower than those derived from SAMR1 mice (P<0.05). Vitamin C treatment significantly enhanced the proliferation ability of BMMSCs derived from SAMP6 mice in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05) and increased telomerase activity and TERT expression in the cells (P<0.05). At the concentration of 100 µg/mL, vitamin C produced the strongest effect in promoting the proliferation of BMMSCs from SAMP6 mice, while at the concentration of 1000 µg/ml, growth suppression occurred in the cells.

CONCLUSIONVitamin C can promote the proliferation of BMMSCs from aging mice possibly by increasing the cellular telomerase activity.

Aging ; Animals ; Ascorbic Acid ; chemistry ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media ; chemistry ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Mice ; Telomerase ; metabolism