Humans ; Multiple Myeloma ; drug therapy

AIM: To describe the prevalence and causes of low vision and blindness in a population within Sichuan province in southwestern China.METHODS: A stratified, multi-phased and cluster probability sampling design was employed to enumerate 125 641 participants from 40 351 households within 38 counties/cities. Participants underwent a comprehensive eye examination, including standardized visual acuity (VA) tests using logarithm of the minimum angle resolution charts. Prevalence was age- and gender-standardized to the 2000 China Census.RESULTS: Population-weighted prevalence of blindness was 0.77% (95% CI: 0.72- 0.82, n=966) and low vision was 1.22% (95% CI: 1.14-1.27, n=1 513). Overall, the prevalence of visual disability was 1.40% in the urban population, and 2.22% in the rural population (P<0.01). Cataract was the leading cause of visual disability (55.7%, n=1 381), and was of similar frequency in both urban and rural populations. Retinal disease was the second leading cause (9.7%, n=236), but was more common in urban than rural participants (34.3% vs 2.7%, P<0.01). Corneal disease accounted for 6.5% (n=161) of cases of visual disability, and was more common in the rural population (7.2% vs 3.9%, P=0.006). CONCLUSION: We estimate that 1.72 million people suffer from visual disability within Sichuan province, of which 525 000 are blind, the focus of blindness prevention should be in rural area.

Biomedical Research ; Dental Research ; Humans ; Taste ; Taste Buds ; cytology

Background Oscillatory potentials (OPs) of scotopic electroretinogram (ERG) plays an important role in the evaluation of visual function in multiple retinal diseases.However,the origin of OPs is uncompletely clear.It is essential to analyze the time domain and frequency domain components for the further study of OPs.Objective The present study was to investigate the change characteristics of frequency spectrum of scotopic OPs with age and stimulating intensity.Methods RCS-rdy+-p+rats with the ages of 21,25,32,35,37,46,60,90 days were selected iu this study and 3 rats for each.Scotopic flash ERG were recorded from all the rats with RETI-scan system.Gold-foil ring cornea recording electrode was used as the recording electrode and the steel needle electrode was used as the reference and earth electrode during the record.The intensity of stimulating light was set at-20,-10,-5,0 and 5 dB respectively.Data were output into the computer and processed by the software Matlab7.0.Results The principle frequency corresponding to maximum amplitude component was 80-120 Hz in the various ages of rats under the different stimulating conditions above.With the increase of the intensity of stimulating light,high frequency component (200-250 Hz) began to appear and the amplitudes showed a gradually raise upon the intensity of light.The major component was subdivided into two peaks at 0 dB stimulation.Further,the age affected the major frequency peak with the maximum value at 60-day-old rats and the minimum value at 25-day-old rats.Also,the pass-band width of main amplitude appeared to be maximal at 60-day-old rats and minimal at 25-day-old rats.Conclusions OPs in Rcsrdy+-p+ rats are influenced by stimulating intensity and agc.Stimulating intensity affects the amplitude and age lead to the change of distribution of primary frequency of OPs.It is possible to know the influences of the degeneration of rods and be helpful to diagnosis this kind of disease.

Background RCS-rdy--P+ rat occur retinitis pigmentosa (PR) with the aging and development.To find OUt the retinal functional change using electrophysiological technique is useful for the further study of RCS-rdy--P+ rat. Ohjectlve The goal of this experiment was to investigate the dark-adapted electroretinogram (ERG) of RCS rats with aging. Methods The series of seotopic ERG were recorded in postnatal 21-,32-,37-,45-,60-day-old RCS-rdy--P+ rats respectively,and the age-matched RCS-rdy+-P+ rats were simultaneously recorded as control group.The ERG record was performed by a series of flash with RETI-scan system,gold-foil ring form cornea recording electrode and home-made stainless steel needle electrode.The use of animals complied with the Regulations of the Administration of Affair Concerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Commission. Results Increase dark adaptation duration led to an ascended amplitude in ERG b-wave within 12 hours under the same light intensity,frequency and body temperature.Compared with the RCS-rdy+-P+ rats,the amplitudes of scotopic ERG a-wave and b-wave in RCS-rdy--P+ rats with postnatal 21 days age were apparently declined,showing significant difference between them(P<0.01).The implicit time of both RCS-rdy+-P+ rats and RCS-rdy--P+ rats were delayed, especially for the a-wave. The amplitudes of a-wave and b-wave were declined drastically with the growth of RCS-rdy--P+ rats and progression of their retinal degeneration, and the ERG responses were undetectable at the postnatal 60 days. Both the b-wave and a-wave amplitudes were lowered at P21-day RCS-rdy+-P+ rats and after that,significant increase amplitudes were noted till the P32-day rats. Thereafter, the b-wave amplitude and a-wave amplitude were stable from P32 d to P45 d,and much more ascending of b-wave and a-wave amplitudes was at P60 d RCS-rdy+-P+ rats. Conclusion RCS-rdy--P+ rats occur the retrogression of retinal function along with the ages growth. The scotopic ERG changes of RCS-rdy--P+ rats with aging is evidently different and is in accordance to the characteristics of the RP.

Objective To summary the microsurgery clinical experience of 21 patients with cerebellopontine angle tumor by the help of three dimensional individual digital anatomy. And to evaluate the value of three dimensional individual anatomy in the treatment of tumors in cerebellopontine angle. Methods Between January 2011 and November 2011,21 patients with various cerebellopontine angle tumor,managed at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, underwent CTA scan, and reconstruct the local anatomy by 3D view software. According to the individual anatomical model, the microsurgery program by restrosig moid approach was developed. Results All patients had reposition of the bone flap at original site after craniectomy during the same operative setting mentioned above with retrosigmoid approach. No complication was noted.Patients did not have any delayed postcraniectomy pain at operation site.Postoperative computed tomography of the skull showed good healing and shaping of the suboccipital bone at the surgical region. Conclusion With the help of three dimensional individual anatomy, the microsurgery of cerebellopontine angle tumor underwent less postoperative complications.This study provides a safe and effective individualized microsurgical methods by restrosig moid approach.

Atherosclerosis, a chronic degenerative disease mainly attacks the middle-aged and the aged population as they grow old. Anti-angiocellular aging has gradually become a new strategy for atherosclerosis. In the process of atherosclerosis developing, endothelial cell renewing is speeding. Various biological function disorders that induce blood vessel aging emerge, which leads to changes of the telomere and telomerase, resulting in aged endothelial cells and dysfunction. Telomere and telomerase may play key roles in the etiological factors such as inflammation and AS plaque. In our previous work we have found that Chinese compounds with Shen invigorating effects could not only obviously ameliorate the symptoms and functions of the senility, but also show significant effects on restraining atherosclerosis. We should actively study the mechanisms of Chinese medicine for treating atherosclerosis from Shen, and the mechanisms of Shen invigorating compounds for regulating angiocellular aging through the telomere pathway, thus providing evidence for establishing vascular cell aging based atherosclerosis prevention and treatment strategies by Chinese medicine.
Aging ; Atherosclerosis ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Endothelium, Vascular ; pathology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Both sides of the picornavirus genome have 5'-untranslated region (5'UTR) and 3'- untranslated region (3'UTR). This study demontrated that both the 5'-and 3'-UTR can form complex structures, such as stem-loop, clover and pseudoknot structure, These structures play an important role in the regulaton of the replication and translation of the viruses. This article reviewed the progress of research on the structure and function of picornavirus' 3'-UTR over recent years.
3' Untranslated Regions ; Animals ; Humans ; Nucleic Acid Conformation ; Picornaviridae ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Picornaviridae Infections ; virology ; RNA, Viral ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To clone and express cathepsin B gene of Echinococcus granulosus(EgCatB)and analyze EgCatB protein by using bioinformatics tools and online databases. Methods The total RNA of E. granulosus was extracted and reverse?ly transcribed into cDNA as the template sequence for PCR. The EgCatB gene was cloned by using the In?Fusion PCR cloning method and expressed by a wheat germ cell?free system,and then the recombinant protein was identified by Western blotting. The signal peptide,transmembrane helices and subcellular location of the EgCatB sequence were predicted by the online soft?ware SignalP 4.1,TMHMM sever v. 2.0 and TargetP 1.1 respectively. Subsequently,the homologue sequence and conserved sites were aligned by using BLASTP and GeneDoc software. Finally,the structures and the glycosylation modification site of the EgCatB encoding protein were analyzed and predicted in turn by ProtParam,SMART,Predictprotein,Swiss?model,NetOGlyc 4.0 and NetNGlyc 1.0 approaches. Results The EgCatB gene was successfully amplified from cDNA of E. granulosus and ex?pressed in the soluble fractions. The molecular weight of the expressed protein was estimated 35 kDa. The bioinformatics analysis revealed that EgCatB was a classical secreted protein containing a Pept_C1 domain. The homology analysis indicated that the amino acid sequence of EgCatB was highly conserved in the active enzyme sites. The protein structure prediction showed a cata?lytic active center was formed through Gln106,Cys112,His282 and Asn302. It was found that there were nine O?glycosylation sites in the EgCatB sequence,but no N?glycosylation sites. Conclusions The EgCatB gene is cloned and expressed successfully,and the recombinant protein is analyzed by bioinformatics approaches and structure predication. The study provides useful informa? tion for further functional study of the EgCatB protein.

Objective To investigate and compare the different effects of soluble adult wornl antigen(SWA)and soluble egg antigen(SEA)of Schistosoma japonicum on the apoptosis and cell-cycle of routine CD4~+T cells.Methods Purified CD4~+T ceUs from normal C57BL/6 mice were cultured with CFSE labeled antigen presenting clls in the presence of different stimuli for 36 h.Flow cytometry(FCM)was used to detect the apoptosis of CD4~+T cells by fluorescence conjugated caspase-3 antibodie staining.The flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell-cycle of CD4~+T cells cultured as described above for 96 h by propidium iodide staining.Results Compared with the apoptosis percentage of CD4~+T cells[(1.24±0.29)%]in the SEA stimulated group,that in the SWA stimulated group[(1.52±0.38)%]did not show statistically significant difference(P>0.05).Compared with the cell percentages in G1 phase[(78.91±2.98)%],S phase[(7.39±0.85)%]and G2/M phase[(10.69±1.05)%] in the SWA stimulated group,that of the G1 phase[(59.42±1.32)%]was significantly lower,but those in the S phase[(21.07±O.88)%] and G2/M phase[(18.88±1.21)%]were significantly increased in the SEA stimulated group(P<0.01).Conclusions There is no statistically significant difference between the apoptosis levels of CD4~+T ceHs stimulated by SWA and SEA.However,SEA significantly promotes the progression of the cell-cycle of CD4~+T cells compared with SWA.