Objective To investigate the anti-fibrogenesis property of imatinib mesylate in a rat model of liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride/olive oil and its effect on the expression of trans- forming growth factor(TGF)-?1.Methods Rat liver fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal administra- tion of carbon tetrachloride and olive oil mixture twice a week for eight weeks.Imatinib mesylate was given 20 mg/kg daily by oral lavage.The control rats received saline by oral iavage.Liver collagen depo- sition was evaluated by immunohistochemistry with Masson staining.The activation of hepatic stellate cells was detemined by the immunohistoehemistry staining of?-smooth muscle actin.The mRNA expres- sions of TGF-?1,c-Abl and TIMP-1 were measured by RT-PCR.While protein expressions of TGF-?1, phosphorylated platelet-derived growth factor receptor and c-Abl were detected by Western blot and im- munohistochemical staining.Hepatic hydroxyproline content was also quantified.Results The collagen deposition[(16.23?1.01)%vs(25.61?0.92)%]and the number of activated HSCs(10.52?1.33vs 13.10?1.21)were reduced in the imatinib mesylate treatment group compared with the control group by 35% and 20%,respectively(P

Adult ; Aluminum Silicates ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; statistics & numerical data ; Quartz ; adverse effects ; analysis ; Silicosis ; epidemiology ; mortality

Objective The aim of our study is to establish and characterize the animal model for au- toimmune myositis.Methods Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into 2 groups:model group(n=40) and control group(n=10).The model group rats were immunized with muscle homogenate every week for 5 weeks and received an injection of 2?g pertussis toxin at the first and second week.As controls,10 SD rats were injected with an equal volume of normal saline.Tissue specimens from limb skeletal muscles were ob- tained at 1,2,3,4,5 weeks after injection.At the same time,the blood samples were collected,and the level of CPK was measured.Results The model group had significantly elevated serum CPK levels.There were multiple inflammatory lesions in the skeletal muscles.Local degeneration and necrosis of muscle fibers with disappeared transverse striation,mononuelear cell infiltration in the interstitial could be observed.The patho- logic grade was mainly 2a.The infiltrating mononuclear cells were predominantly CD8~+T cells that mainly lo- cated in the endnmysium.MHC classⅠantigen expression on muscle fiber membranes in the model group was upregulated.Conclusion The experimental autoimmune myositis induced by syngeneic skeletal muscle ho- mogenate in SD rat is pathologically similar to human myositis.It can be used as a good model for human myositis and provides the basis for the etiopathology and therapeutical studies.

Objective To explore the dynamic changes of soluble interleukin-2 receptor(SIL-2R) and tumor necrosis factor ?(TNF-?) levels in pediatric malignant solid tumors clinical value.Methods The levels of SIL-2R and tumor necrosis factor ?(TNF-?) were measured by ELISA in 15 cases with pediatric malignant solid tumors before and after chemotherapy.Results Before chemotherapy the levels of SIL-2R and TNF-? of every group patients were significantly higher those that of normal control group (P

It is an important task to lab of clinical microbiology to surveille multi-drag or pan-drug resistant strains,such as penicillin-or macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae,methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA),3rd generation cephalosporin-or quinolone-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Acinetobacter baumannii,and so on.We must understand characteristics of these resistant strains to guide doctors' empirical therapy of infective diseases.

Objective To evaluate the clinical outcome of external bracket fixation in the treat- ment of complex tibia diaphysis fracture involving intra-articular fractures.Methods Forty-two cases of complex tibia diaphysis fracture with proximal and distal intra-articular fractures treated surgically in our hospital from January 1999 to January 2004 were analyzed.The complex tibia diaphysis fractures were categorized according to the AO classification as type C2 (multiple segments fracture) and type C3 (ir- regular fracture),proximal and distal intra-articular fractures in 23 and 19 cases,respectively.Definite operation was done within one week.Twenty-two cases were treated with simple external fixator,and 20 cases treated with screws and external fixator.Results All the 42 cases were followed-up regularly. According to AO evaluation of the knee and ankle joint movement,83% (35/42 cases) of the cases gained satisfactory functional outcome,14% (6/42 cases) had quite satisfactory results and 2% (1/42 case) had unsatisfactory functional outcome.Conclusion External bracket fixation can obtain outcome of relative length of the tibia and fibula,tube structure reconstruction,smoothness of the articular surface and the parallel and symmetric relation of knees and ankles for complex tibia diaphysis fracture with proxi- mal and distal intra-articular fracture.The arthritis resulting in pain in movement and restriction of func- tion is considered to be the most important factor affecting the joint function.Early functional exercise is important for best recovery of knee and ankle function.

This study investigated the effect of arctigenin (Arc) on the cell activation, cytokines expression, proliferation, and cell-cycle distribution of mouse T lymphocytes. Mouse lymphocytes were prepared from lymph node and treated with Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)/Ionimycin (Ion) and/or Arc. CD69, CD25, cytokines, proliferation and cell cycle were assayed by flow cytometry. The results showed that, at concentrations of less than 1.00 micromol x L(-1), Arc expressed non-obvious cell damage to cultured lymphocytes, however, it could significantly down-regulate the expression of CD69 and CD25, as well as TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 on PMA/Ion stimulated lymphocytes. At the same time, Arc could also inhibit the proliferation of PMA/Ion-activated lymphocytes and exhibited lymphocyte G 0/G1 phase cycle arrest. These results suggest that Arc possesses significant anti-inflammatory effects that may be mediated through the regulation of cell activation, cytokines expression and cell proliferation.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte ; metabolism ; Arctium ; chemistry ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Female ; Furans ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; Interleukin-10 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-2 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Interleukin-4 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Ionomycin ; pharmacology ; Lectins, C-Type ; metabolism ; Lignans ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; T-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate ; pharmacology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

BackgroundDiabetic retinopathy (DR) is the result of the cytokine network disorders,the imbalance of angiogenic factor and vascular inhibitory factor is the start factor.ObjectiveTo analyze the levels of CXC chemotatic factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients,evaluate the clinical application value of them in different clinical types of DR using receiver operating characteristic (ROC)analysis and to approach the new way of individualized treatment.Methods This was a prospective research.The gold standard was ophthalmolscope and fundus fluorescein angiography.The levels of CXC chemotatic factors and multiplicaiton factors were measured in 96 cases with type 2 diabetes mellitus (66 cases with retinopathy and 30 cases without retinopathy as control).The assessment tasks were performed for these index and courses of DR with ROC curve.Results The expression of age,course of disease has significant difference in different courses of DR ( F =8.507,P =0.001 ; F =28.143,P =0.000).Compared with the control group,the expression of growth-related oncogene-α ( GROα ) ( t =- 2.172,P =0.035,AUC =0.625 ),whole blood viscosity 200 ( t =- 3.724,P =0.001,AUC =0.904 ) and neutrophilic leukocyte (t=-2.562,P =0.013,AUC =0.577 ) has significant difference in the group of mild NPDR.Compared with the control group,the expression of interferon-γ-inducible protein 10 ( IP-10 ) ( t =-3.591,P =0.001,AUC =0.592 ),platelet derivation growth factor-BB ( PDGF-BB ) ( t =- 3.233,P =0.003,AUC =0.735 ),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) ( t =- 3.617,P =0.001,AUC =0.776 ),C peptide ( t =- 3.366,P =0.002,AUC =0.962 ),leukocyte ( t=-3.201,P =0.003,AUC =0.852) and neutrophilic leukocyte(t =-4.201,P=0.000,AUC =0.852) has significant difference in the group of moderate and severe NPDR.ConclusionsCXC chemotatic factors may act as reactivator in the pathogenesis of DR,GROα and IP-10 may be useful for clinical monitoring of the severity of DR,and evaluating the imbalance state of chemotatic factors maybe a new approach to clinical monitoring and prognosis of DR.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of salivary duct carcinoma (SOC) so as to provide basis for the diagnosis and therapy of SOC.

METHODSEight patients suffered with SOC treated in Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Kunming Medical College from March 2001 to February 2009 were studied retrospectively including the clinical data. Meanwhile, eight tumor specimens were examined for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cytokeratin (CK), gross cystic disease fluid protein (CC DFP)-15, androgen receptor (AR) and oncogene C-erBb-2 protein expression via immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSOf the eight patients with SOC, five tumors grew in the parotid gland, the majority of the patients had facial nerve paralysis, three had recurrence. Computerized tomography (CT) showed that no obvious margin and similar crystal. Immunohistochemical staining for the expression of VEGF, CK, GCDFP-15 and C-erbB-2 were carried out in all SOC, while AR in majority.

CONCLUSIONSOC is a high-grade malignant carcinoma among all salivary carcinoma, immunohistochemical analysis of SOC has revealed a variety of similarities to ductal carcinoma of the breast. GCDFP-15, AR and C-erBb--2 may play an important role in pathological diagnosis for SOC.

Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Carrier Proteins ; Glycoproteins ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; Receptors, Androgen ; Retrospective Studies ; Salivary Ducts ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) receptor, stimulates feeding and increases body weight. The primary action site of ghrelin has been reported to be the neuropeptide Y (NPY)/agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC). In addition to the hypothalamus, the caudal brainstem also appears to be an important mediator for the orexigenic activity of ghrelin. However, it is not clear whether ghrelin applied directly to the caudal brainstem activates forebrain structures. The aim of this study was to determine whether recruitment of forebrain structures was required for hyperphagic responses stimulated by ghrelin delivery within the caudal brainstem. In our experiment, all rats were surgically implanted with indwelling cannulas in the dorsal vagal complex (DVC), and ghrelin (20 pmol in 0.5 μL) was delivered to the DVC. After the injection, the orexigenic response to ghrelin was recorded by Feeding and Activity Analyser, and NPY/AgRP mRNA expressions in rat hypothalamus were detected by real-time PCR. In addition, the NPY immunoreactive neurons in the ARC were assayed by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that ghrelin significantly increased cumulative food intake at 1, 2 and 3 h after ghrelin injection, maximal response occurring at 2 h after injection. NPY/AgRP mRNA levels in ARC treated with ghrelin increased significantly compared with those in control group (injected with saline). The highest levels of NPY and AgRP mRNA were detected at 2 h after injection. The total number and mean optical density of NPY-positive neurons increased in ghrelin treated rats compared with those in control group. Consistently, ghrelin's effect was most pronounced at 2 h after injection. Taken together, we conclude that the activation of NPY/AgRP neurons in the ARC is involved in the mediation of the hyperphagic response to brainstem ghrelin administration in neurologically intact rats.
Agouti-Related Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; physiology ; Brain Stem ; metabolism ; physiology ; Feeding Behavior ; drug effects ; Ghrelin ; pharmacology ; Hyperphagia ; physiopathology ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; physiology ; Male ; Neurons ; metabolism ; physiology ; Neuropeptide Y ; genetics ; metabolism ; Peptide Fragments ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley