China ; Cochlear Implantation ; trends ; Cochlear Implants

Facial Nerve ; Facial Nerve Diseases ; Facial Nerve Injuries ; Facial Paralysis ; Neurology ; trends

Cholesteatoma ; classification ; Humans ; Microsurgery ; Otitis Media ; classification

Objective To develop models of epileptic discharge by activating group Ⅰ metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) or by blocking gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors on rat hippocampal slices. Methods Rat hippocampal slices were exposed to mGluR group Ⅰ specific agonist dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) or to GABAA receptor antagonists bicuculline methiodide(BMI), and single pyramidal cell in the CA3 region of the slice was recorded by whole cell patch clamp technique. Results Exposure to DHPG or BMI resulted in the induction of spontaneously occurring epileptic discharge in the CA3 region of rat hippocampal slice, and there was no significant difference in the frequency of discharge between them(P>0.05). Conclusion Epileptic discharge can be generated in vitro in response to a loss of balance between excitatory and inhibitory influences.

Adult ; Ear Canal ; Ear Neoplasms ; Humans ; Male ; Sarcoma, Myeloid

Objective To investigate the role of autophagy in radiation-induced death process of human esophageal squamous carcinoma Eca-109 cells.Methods Esophageal carcinoma cell line Eca-109 was divided into 6 groups of control,5 mmol/L 3-Methyladenine treatment,10 mmol/L treatment,6 Gy irradiation,irradiation + 5 mmol/L drug,and irradiation + 10 mmol/L drug.Some cells were transferred with GFP-LC3 plasmid and the changes of autophagosome were obserred.After each treatment,the expression of autophagy marker LC3B was measured by Western Blot,cell viability was detected by MTT,morphological characteristics of apoptosis cells were stained with a fluorescein of Hoechst 33342 and the percentage of apoptotic cells and cell cycle distribution were measured by flow cytometry.Clonogenic survival were used to evaluate the cell radiosensitivity.Results Autophagy level was increased after radiation,and the LC3B Ⅱ expression and LC3B Ⅱ/LC3B Ⅰ ratio were significantly decreased by autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine (F =25.64,P ＜ 0.05).The number of autophagosome fluorescent foci were significantly increased in the GFP-LC3 transfected cells after radiation,but reduced by 3-Methyladenine (F =127.36,P ＜ 0.05).Compared with radiation alone group,autophagy inhibition combined with radiation significantly decreased cell viability (F =129.54,P ＜ 0.05) and colony formation,increased apoptosis and the percentage of G2/M-phase cells.Conclusions 3-Methyladenine enhances the radiosensitivity of esophageal squamous carcinoma Eca-109 cells,suggesting that inhibition of autophagy could be used as an adjuvant treatment of radiotherapy in esophageal squamous carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Reproductive activity of hepatocytes is limited. There are numerous studies concerning stem cells differentiation into hepatocytes, including embryonic stem cells, bone marrow cells, pancreas stem cells, neural stem cells, various sources of mesenchymal stem cells.OBJECTIVE: To explore the possibility of induction of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from umbilical cord blood (UCB) into hepatocyte-like cells in vitro culture.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: A cytological in vitro study was performed at the Institute of Hematology, Medical College of Jinan University from October 2005 to April 2006.MATERIALS: Fetus cord blood was obtained from spontaneous delivery and caesarean delivered healthy pregnant women at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University. The parturients signed the informed consents.METHODS: UCB-MSCs were incubated in vitro, and digested in trypsin-EDTA. The third passage of cells at 5 × 10~4 cells/cm~2 wereinoculated. Original medium was removed 48 hours later. Cells were washed in phosphate-buffered saline. In the first phase, cells were incubated in F12 medium supplemented with dexamethasone, hepatocyte growth factor, epidermal growth factor and 1 ×its for 2 weeks. In the second phase, cells were incubated in F12 medium containing dexamethasone, hepatocyte growth factor,oncostatin M and 1 × ITS for two weeks.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The following parameters were measured: expression of surface marker of UCB-MSCs using flow cytometry, expression of related gene and protein of hepatocytes following induction respectively using RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining.RESULTS: No CD34/CD45/CD14 of hematopoietic markers were detected, either no the CD54, CD49f, HLA-DR were found. The low expression of CD106 and high expression of CD29, CD44, CD13 were found. The gene expression of a-fetoprotein, albumin,CK-18 and TAT were discovered, and three kind of protein a-fetoprotein, albumin, CK-18 were positively observed in cytoplasm after 4 weeks of induction using immunofluorescence staining.CONCLUSION: UCB-MSCs are able to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells in vitro culture following combination with many growth differentiation factors, such as dexamethasone, hepatocyte growth factor, epidermal growth factor, tumorigenesis M and ITS.

AIM: To explore the possibility of differentiating functional insulin-producing cells from human BM-derived stem cells. METHODS: Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from human bone marrow. Then these cells were induced with epidermal growth factor, β-mercaptoethanol and high concentration of glucose. The gene expression related to islet β cells was detected by RT-PCR. Insulin in the treated cells was examined by immunocytochemistry. In addition, the levels of insulin secretion and glucose-stimulated insulin release were examined by microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Finally, the induced cells were implanted into the right renal subcapsular space of diabetic mice. Blood glucose levels were monitored 16 d after implantation. The right kidneys of the treated mice were harvested for immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The key genes related to pancreatic β cells had been confirmed to express by PCR and insulin was detected by immunocytochemistry in differentiated human BM-derived stem cells induced by high glucose, which responded to glucose challenge. Furthermore, implantation of the cells in renal subcapsular space was able to lower the glucose levels in hyperglycemic mice. After 16 days, the implanted cells were determined still to be insulin positive cells by immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSION: These results indicate human BM-derived stem cells are capable of differentiating into functional insulin-producing cells and may represent a pool of cells for the treatment of diabetes.

AIM:To investigate the paracrine actions of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)to brain microvascular endothelial cells(BMECs)in hypoxic conditions.METHODS:Human bone marrow MSCs and rat BMECs were isolated,cultured and identified.The contents of VEGF and MMP-9 were confirmed using ELISA assays of the conditioned media.The transendothelial electrical resistance(TEER)was detected to reflect the permeability of the BMECs monolayer.The effects of different conditioned media on BMECs were investigated in hypoxic conditions.RESULTS:The contents of VEGF and MMP-9 in conditioned media were induced to increase significantly by the hypoxic stress,which were much lower in BMECs conditioned media than that in MSCs conditioned media.Hypoxia induced a significant increase in VEGF and MMP-9 in MSCs conditioned media collected in comparison to those in normal conditions.In hypoxic conditions,MSCs conditioned media enhanced the proliferation(optical density values:0.947?0.103 vs 0.254?0.024,P