OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of embryonic dermal signal on the hair-inductive capacity of neonatal mice dermal cells which have been amplified in vitro.

METHODSEmbryonic mice dermal cells of embryonic day 14 were added to a chamber on the back of nude mice with neonatal mice dermal cells which had been amplified in vitro for 3 days and freshly isolated neonatal mice epidermal cells. The hair regeneration was compared between the groups with or without embryonic mice dermal cells. Meanwhile, chambers with following cells respectively were constructed as controls: embryonic mice dermal cells + neonatal mice epidermal cells; freshly isolated neonatal mice dermal cells + neonatal mice epidermal cells; amplified neonatal mice dermal cells only; embryonic mice dermal cells only; freshly isolated neonatal mice dermal cells only; neonatal mice epidermal cells only.

RESULTSThe number of regenerated hairs with the aid of embryonic mice dermal cells (207 +/- 15. 948) was significantly higher than that (67 +/- 8.963) in the group without embryonic mice dermal cells (n = 3, t = 7.653, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONEmbryonic dermal signal can enhance the hair-inductive capacity of neonatal mice dermal cells which have been amplified in vitro.

Animals ; Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Cells, Cultured ; Hair ; physiology ; Hair Follicle ; surgery ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Regeneration ; Skin ; cytology ; embryology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in erectile dysfunction (ED) induced by androgen deficiency.

METHODSWe randomly divided 30 eight-week-old healthy male SD rats into six groups: 2-week control (A), 4-week control (B), 2-week castration (C), 4-week castration (D), 2-week castration + androgen replacement (E), and 4-week castration + androgen replacement (F), those in groups E and F subcutaneously injected with testosterone propionate (TP) at the physiological dose of 3 mg/kg per day after castration, while those in the other groups with isodose oil instead. At 2 and 4 weeks after operation, we determined the level of serum testosterone (T) , intracavernous pressure (ICP) , mean carotid arterial pressure (MAP) of the rats, measured the concentration of H2S in the plasma and corpus cavernosum tissue, and detected the expressions of cystathionine-P3-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine-gamma-lyase (CSE) by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.

RESULTSThe serum T level was significantly lower in group C ([0.63 +/- 0.15] nmol/L) than in A ( [ 16.55 +/- 4.17] nmol/L) and E ( [ 18.99 +/- 4.62] nmol/L) (P <0.05), as well as in group D ([0.70 +/-0.22] nmol/L) than in B ([15.44 +/-5.18] nmol/L) and F ([20.99 +/-6.41] nmol/L) (P <0. 05) , and so were ICP/MAP after 5 and 7 V electrical stimulation of the pelvic ganglia (P <0. 05) , H2 S concentration (P <0.05), and the expressions of CBS and CSE (P <0.05). The expressions of CBS and CSE proteins were also significantly decreased in group C as compared with D (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe reduced expressions of CBS and CSE may inhibit the H2 S signaling pathway, which might be one of the mechanisms underlying androgen deficiency-induced ED in rats.

Androgens ; deficiency ; Animals ; Cystathionine beta-Synthase ; metabolism ; Cystathionine gamma-Lyase ; metabolism ; Erectile Dysfunction ; metabolism ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; metabolism ; Male ; Orchiectomy ; Penis ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

The biological activity of ADCC by anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody was determined by BioGlo™ Luciferase Assay System using Jurkat/NFAT-luc+FcγRIIIa cell line as effector cell and WIL2-S cell line as target cell. The developed method was verified for specificity, precision and accuracy. Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody showed a dose-response mode by the developed method, and the determination result complied with the following four-parameter equation: y = (A-D)/[1 + (X/C)(B)] + D. The optimized parameters of the method were determined including the antibodies diluted concentration (18,000 ng·mL(-1)), dilution rate (1:5), the ratio of effector cell and target cell (6:1), and induction time (6 h). The values of eight independent tests have passed a statistical test for curve regression analysis, linear or parallelism, which showed the method possessed good specificity. Four different dilute groups of recovery rates sample were determined for 3 times, and the result showed mean relative potencies of (44.39±3.93)%, (72.74±2.78)%, (128.28±7.01)% and (168.19±2.70)% respectively, with a variation coefficient of less than 10%, and the recoveries of (88.78±7.85)%, (96.99±3.70)%, (102.63±5.61)% and (112.12±1.80)% respectively. A novel reporter gene method for determination of biological activity of ADCC by anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody was successfully developed, which showed strong specificity, good reproducibility and high accuracy, and might be used routinely.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived ; pharmacology ; Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity ; Antigens, CD20 ; immunology ; Genes, Reporter ; Humans ; Reproducibility of Results ; Rituximab

Abstract: Objective - - To establish a pre column derivatization high performance liquid chromatography method for detecting Methods dimethyl sulfate (DMS) in workplace air. DMS in workplace air was collected with mercaptopyridine impregnated （ silicone tube. The derivative of DMS and mercaptopyridine was eluted by mobile phase phase A: water, phase B: acetonitrile, ∶ the volume ratio was 40 60) , and separated with a C18 column, then detected with diode array detector and quantitated by a Results - standard curve. The linear range of DMS was 0.17 40.00 mg/L, with the correlation coefficient of 0.999 95. The detection limit and the lower limit of quantitation were 0.05 and 0.17 mg/L respectively. The minimum detection concentration and minimum quantitation concentration were 0.02 and 0.04 mg/m³, respectively (air sample volume of 4.5 L, 1.0 mL sample - - - solution). The average desorption efficiency was 98.40% 102.00%. The within run and between run relative standard deviations - - were 0.61% 3.92% and 1.71% 6.00%, respectively. The samples could be stored at room temperature for at least 14 days. Conclusion This method can be used to detect DMS in workplace air.

AIMTo explore the synthetic methods of polypeptides containing new heart of kidney imaging agents.

METHODS AND RESULTSFive new target chelators--2-N-(2'-s-triphenylmethylacetyl) amino-(N'-2"-N",N"-diethylethylamine) phenylpropamide (MPNE), 2-N-(2'-s-triphenylmethyl acetyl) amino-(N'-2"-N",N"-dimethylethylamine) phenylpropamide (MPNM), 2-N-(2's-triphenylmethylacetyl) amino-3-methyl-(N'-2"-N",N"-dimethylethylamine) butyramide (MVNM), 2-N-(2'-s-triphenyl methylacetyl) amino-3-methyl-(N'-2"-N",N"-diethylethylamine) butyramide (MVNE), 2-N-(2'-s-triphenylmethylacetyl) amino-(N'-acetylglycine) phenylpropamide (MPG2)--were synthesized through five steps with mercaptoacetic acid as primitive materials, all of which were identified on the basis of spectroscopic data, such as IR, 1HNMR, MS or elementary analysis. The protection of the mercapto group was improved and the relatively new reaction condition of active ester with amino acid is developed. All the chelators were labeled with Technetium-99m and their biological activities in mice given in ID values was tested to explore new heart imaging agents, where ID is the percentage injected dose per organ. The ID was determined by in vivo biodistribution study. Tc-99m complexes 0.1 mL was injected into the laterial tail vein of 3 anaesthetised rats. At 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 min post-injection, rats were sacrificed by decapitation, bled from the neck and dissected. Organs were removed at dissection. The radioactivities in various organs were determined in an automatic twin crystal gamma counter.

CONCLUSIONThe bio-distribution results in mice indicate that 99Tcm-MVNM have higher heart uptake (ID = 8.40%/g, 2 min post-injection) and quicker blood clearance (ID = 4.3%/g, 60 min post-injection); 99Tcm-MPNE and 99Tcm-MPNM also have fairly high heart uptake and quick blood clearance; 99Tcm-MPG2 has better kidney accumulation and higher activity ratios of kidney to blood (about 4).

Amides ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacokinetics ; Animals ; Kidney ; metabolism ; Mice ; Molecular Structure ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Organotechnetium Compounds ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacokinetics ; Peptides ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Sulfides ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacokinetics ; Tissue Distribution

OBJECTIVETo develop a follicular unit-like construct with allogeneic hair, evaluate its histocompatibility and long-term stability after transplantation, and explore the possibility of its clinical application.

METHODSHuman hair and medical polypropylene was processed according to the structure of follicular units and prepared into hair prostheses for transplantation. The histocompatibility of polypropylene and human hair in New Zealand rabbits was observed by HE staining and scanning electron microscope, and the loss rate of the hair was recorded to evaluate the long-term result of transplantation.

RESULTSMild inflammatory cell infiltration around polypropylene and human hair was observed early after the transplantation, accompanied with local epithelial cell proliferation. The prosthesis mimicking the follicular units still showed good histocompatibility one year after the transplantation without degradation of the hair. The loss rate of the hair was averaged (4.1∓4.0)% at one year after the transplantation, and the total appearance of the prosthesis remained satisfactory.

CONCLUSIONAllogeneic human hair and polypropylene in the hair prosthesis show good histocompatibility in rabbits. The prosthesis allows good cosmetic effect after transplantation with low rate of hair loss, demonstrating its potential in clinical application.

Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; Female ; Hair ; transplantation ; Hair Follicle ; transplantation ; Humans ; Materials Testing ; Polypropylenes ; Rabbits

OBJECTIVETo construct a convenient, reliable and visual model of hair follicle development to test the hair-inductive potential of follicular cells and investigate the molecular mechanism regulating hair follicle morphogenesis and cycling.

METHODSAn open chamber was transplanted into the nude mice dorsal skin, dermal and epidermal cells isolated from newborn C57BL/6 mice skin were mixed at a specific ratio and then injected into the chamber together, 1 week after transplantation, the chamber was removed, and then, hair formation and regeneration after hair plucking was observed.

RESULTS1 week after cells implantation, the wound was moist without apparent contraction and among that pink and translucent tissue was formed. 2 weeks after implantation, the wound healed completely. 3 weeks after implantation, black hair grew from the skin was observed. 4 weeks after implantation, thick and black hair grew from the skin vertically. Completely developed structure of hair follicle was observed with paraffin section and HE staining. 1 week after plucking, new hair had regrown. The ratio of cell component was varied, whereas the other component was fixed at 1 x 10(7) cells. When the number of epidermal cells was reduced to 1 x 10(6) cells, the efficiency of hair follicle reconstitution was mostly unchanged. On the other hand, the density of newly formed hair was diminished considerably by reducing the number of dermal cells to 5 x 10(6) cells or lower. Neither epidermal cells nor dermal cells transplanted alone formed hair follicle.

CONCLUSIONSNewborn mice skin cells transplanted by chamber method can construct a complete model of hair follicle development, which can be used to test the hair-inductive potential of follicular cells and investigate the molecular mechanism regulating hair follicle morphogenesis and cycling.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Hair ; physiology ; Hair Follicle ; physiology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Nude ; Regeneration ; Skin ; cytology

The most appropriate time to introduce androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer remains controversial. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of early versus delayed surgical castration on prostate cancer progression and survival in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model. TRAMP mice were randomly divided into three groups: the early castration group (on which castration was performed at the age of 4 weeks), the delayed castration group (on which castration was performed when abdominal tumours could be palpated), and the sham-castrated group. Mice were monitored daily throughout their lives until cancer-related death or the development of an obviously moribund appearance, at which time the individual mouse was killed. Androgen receptor expression in prostate tumours was also evaluated. The results shows that the average lifespan in early castration, delayed castration and sham-castrated groups were 54.1 weeks, 59.9 weeks and 39.1 weeks, respectively. Both early castration and delayed castration conferred a statistically significant survival advantage when compared with the sham-castrated group (P<0.001). However, the difference in lifespan between the early castration group and the delayed castration group was not statistically significant (P=0.85). The increase in lifespan in the TRAMP mice that received either early or delayed castration correlated with lower G/B value (genitourinary tract weight/body weight) at death than the sham-castrated mice. In conclusion, early and delayed castrations in TRAMP mice prolonged survival to a similar extent. This finding may provide a guide for clinical practice in prostate cancer therapy.
Adenocarcinoma ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Disease Models, Animal ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Transgenic ; Orchiectomy ; Organ Size ; Prostate ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Receptors, Androgen ; metabolism ; Time Factors ; Transgenes ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti-tumor effect of adenovirus-mediated Bcl-XL shRNA on colon cancer cells in vitro.

METHODSA recombinant Bcl-xl adenovirus was constructed, amplified, and purified. The effect on mRNA expression of Bcl-XL was assessed by RT-PCR, and the effect on apoptosis-induction of colon cancer(Lovo cell line) in vitro was assessed by MTT assay and cell clonogenic assay.

RESULTSRT-PCR showed that Ad/Bcl-XL shRNA significantly down-regulated the mRNA expression of Bcl-XL in Lovo cells. Ad/Bcl-XL shRNA suppressed the proliferation of Lovo cells in a dose-dependent as well as a time-dependent manner compared with Ad/GFP (P<0.05). Treatment with Ad/Bcl-XL shRNA dramatically suppressed the colony formation of Lovo cells in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). Ad/Bcl-XL shRNA showed no effect on normal human fibroblast.

CONCLUSIONAd/Bcl-XL shRNA exhibits cytotoxic effect on Lovo cells and may have the potential value in the treatment of colon cancer.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Colonic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; bcl-X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo introduce the technique of transarterial interventional embolization treating for arteriovenous malformations (AVM) in the face.

METHODSFrom April 1998, 17 patients have been treated with this method. Seldinger's maneuver was used in this series. Of them, 11 cases received only interventional embolization; 6 cases received both interventional embolization and surgical resection.

RESULTSThe interventional embolization was effective in all the 17 cases, which was confirmed by immediate angiography. Their clinical symptoms were gradually relieved. Interventional embolization obviously decreased hemorrhage during surgical resection.

CONCLUSIONSInterventional embolization provides a new way for the treatment of AVM. Preoperative embolization can lower the surgical risk as it obviously decreases hemorrhage during the surgical procedure.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Child ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; methods ; Face ; blood supply ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Radiography, Interventional