Adult ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Lineage ; Embryo, Mammalian ; cytology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Pluripotent Stem Cells ; cytology ; Regeneration ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; Tissue Engineering ; methods

Objective To investigate the imaging features of perivascular epithelioid cell tumor of liver (PEComa),and to improve the diagnostic level of the disease. Methods A retrospective analysis of imaging manifestations was performed on 11 cases of hepatic hemangioma confirmed by surgery and pathology. All patients underwent CT and MRI examination before PET/CT examination ,then received operation. Results Eleven cases were solitary hepatic lesions ,10 of which were located in the right lobe of the liver ,and 1 in the left. The lesions were round or quasi-circular and the diameter ranged from about 13.5cm to about 1.8 cm,with an average of 5.7 cm. CT plain scanning showed that the liver was slightly lower density ,with clear boundary. The smaller lesions were homogeneous density,while the larger ones were not,and the lower density area was visible. Enhancement of peripheral lesions in the arterial phase was enhanced. The lesions in the portal vein were not uniformly enhanced , and visible separation was found in large lesions. In the delay phase ,the lesions were significantly decreased or slightly lower. MRI plain scan showed the lesion T1WI showed moderate signal or slightly low signal ,and large lesion signal was not uniform,and T2WI lesions showed slightly high signal while DWI lesions high signal and the enhanced features were similar to those of CT. PET/CT examination showed that visible radioactive uptake of abnormal concentration or uneven concentration were found in lesions with diameter larger than 3.0 cm,and the maximum SUV value ranged from 12.2 to 3.6,with an average value of 5.7. Lesions with diameter less than 3.0 cm showed a slight concentration of radioactive uptake and the highest SUV value was 4.7,with an average value of 2.9. The only 11.8 cm lesion showed no significant radioactivity ,which was as the same as that of normal liver tissue. Delayed PET/CT imaging(1 hour)showed that SUV values of all lesions were decreased in varying degrees. Conclusion PET/CT imaging of perivascular epithelioid cell tumor of liver has its characteristics. The combina-tion of PET/CT imaging and routine imaging examination will benefit the improvement of diagnosis level obviously.

OBJECTIVETo apply the Wright-Giemsa stain in micronucleus test and to explore the stain outcomes of Wright-Giemsa dye of various proportions and staining times.

METHODSUse Wright-Giemsa dye, Wright dye (staining time 3 min) and Giemsa dye (staining time 5 min) to stain HepG2 and then observe the staining effect. The Wright-Giemsa dye was applied under 5 different proportions (3:1-1:3) and different staining times (1, 3, 5, 10, 15 min).

RESULTSAfter stained for 3-5 min with the proportion ratio of 3:1 of Wright-Giemsa dye, the HepG2 cells showed much better staining outcomes compared with the single stain of either Wright or Giemsa.

CONCLUSIONSWright-Giemsa stain can be used in cell micronucleus test to obtain good staining outcomes.

Azure Stains ; Coloring Agents ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Micronucleus Tests ; Staining and Labeling ; methods

Objective To explore the related factors of reoccurence of peritonitis in pateints with continous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in order to provide ehnical basis for preventing the reoccurence of peritonitis.Methods The eduction degree,primary diseases,ages,Hb,Alb,the possible reason of peritonitis,dialysis time and payment method of medical expenses of 12 cases with peritoneal dialysis-ralted peritonitis for 32 times and operators were retrospectively analyzed.The correlation between the above factors and the occurrence of peritonitis was compared.Results The reoccurrence of peritonitis among pateitns with the peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis was related with the ages,the education degrees of operators,Hb,Alb,the dialysis time and the primary diseases(P<0.05).Those pateints with advanced ages,lower eduction degrees of patients and operators,poor nutrition situations,primary disease of diabetes mellitus,and dialysis times of 1 to 3 years were prone to suffer peritonitis again.But there Was no relation with the gender and the payment method of medical expenses(P>0.05).The main reasons for reoccurence of peritonitis were non-standard operation,constipation and diarrhea.Conclusions The pateints with advanced ages,lower Alb and Hb,lower education degrees of patients and operators,diabetes mellitus,and dialysis times of 1 to 3 years,especially the family member operators,should be strenghtened the follow-up management and re-training,thereby preventing the reoccurence of peritonitis.

OBJECTIVETo supply basis for the establishment of quality standard of Cryptolepis buchanaii.

METHODCharacters of crude drugs, microscopic characteristic as well as UV spectrum of the herb were studied.

RESULTLaticifers were found in the cortex and pith of the stem; much papillary non-glandular hair was found covering the stomata in the sub-cuticle of the leaf.

CONCLUSIONThe results can be employed as the basis for identifying the herb.

Cryptolepis ; anatomy & histology ; cytology ; Drug Contamination ; Pharmacognosy ; Plant Leaves ; anatomy & histology ; cytology ; Plant Stems ; anatomy & histology ; cytology ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; cytology ; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet

There has been an increasing interest in recent years on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC). It is well known that MSCs are capable of self-renewal and differentiating into many cell lineages. MSC can be expended to a large quantity that is required for clinical transplantation. Recent studies show that MSC have potential application in immune diseases due to their unique immunologic characteristics, such as low immunogenicity and immunoregulatory function. But their immunoregulatory mechanism is not yet clear. This review discusses the advances in researches on the mechanism of MSCs' immunoregulatory function and potential clinical application in immune disease and organ transplantation.
Animals ; B-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Graft vs Host Disease ; immunology ; Humans ; Immune Tolerance ; immunology ; Immunotherapy ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Altitude Sickness ; blood ; enzymology ; Glutathione ; blood ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; blood ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; blood ; Oxidoreductases ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphism and microsatellite instability (MSI) in patients with gastric cancer.

METHODSMTHFR gene C677T and A1298C polymorphism were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and MSI was examined with PCR.

RESULTSMTHFR gene C677T and A1298C polymorphisms were analyzed on 122 gastric cancers and 110 normal controls The genotype frequencies of MTHFR 677CC, 677CT and 677TT were 47.5%, 39.3% and 13.1% on patients with gastric cancer, and 48.5%, 42.6%, 8.9% in the controls respectively. There was no significant difference of genotype frequency between the two groups (P > 0.05). The individuals with 677CT genotype, 677TT genotype and 677CT + TT genotype exhibited significantly reduced risk (OR = 0.38,95% CI: 0.15-0.98; OR = 0.26,95% CI: 0.03-2.18 and OR = 0.36,95% CI: 0.07-0.98) of developing gastric cardia cancer compared with those harboring the wild-type(677CC). The individuals with 677TT genotype having a 3.03-fold (95% CI: 1.07-8.65) increased risk of developing gastric corpus cancer. The genotype frequency of MTHFR 1298AA, 1298AC and 1298CC were 59.8%, 36.1% and 4.1% in gastric cancer patients, and 57.4%, 7.6%, 5.0% in the controls, respectively. The distribution of MTHFR A1298C genotype was not significantly different between gastric cancer and controls (P > 0.05). The individuals with 1298CC genotype had a reduced risk of developing gastric antrum cancer (OR = 0.41- fold, 95% CI: 0.03-2.18, 0.05-3.72) when comparing with those having 1298AA genotype. Patients with MSI+ gastric cancer had an increased frequency of the MTHFR 677TT genotype when comparing with those suffering from MSI- gastric cancer (P = 0.009) and with controlled subjects (P = 0.008). There was no significant association found between MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and MSI (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONPolymorphism of MTHFR C677T was associated with increased risk on gastric corpus cancer and reduced risk on gastric cardia cancer. The polymorphism of MTHFR A1298C was associated with reduced risk for gastric antrum cancer while MSI pathway was possibly involved in the development of gastric cancer with MTHFR 677TT genotype.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) ; genetics ; Microsatellite Instability ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Stomach Neoplasms ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo determine the optimal cytokine combinations with hepatic growth factor (HGF) that results in the most significant simultaneous in vitro expansion of cc-kit(+)Lin(-) cells derived from the bone marrow.

METHODSC-kit(+)Lin(-) cells were isolated from mouse bone marrow using a high-gradient magnetic cell sorting system (MACS) and expanded in the presence of stem cell factor (SCF), FLt-3 ligand (FL), leukemia inhibitor factor (LIF) thrombopoietin (TPO) and different concentrations of HGF for 7days in a liquid culture system. The total cell number and Annexin-V-positive cell number were counted, and the antigen expressions were studied with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).

RESULTSIn each group, c-kit(+)Lin(-) cells were expanded effectively and rapidly by 2 to 8 folds. Addition of 10 ng/ml HGF into SCF+FL+LIF+TPO resulted in the most significant expansion of c-kit(+)Lin(-) and total cells by 8.00 and 45.43 folds, respectively, with cell apoptosis rate of 17.42 %. But as the concentration of HGF increased, the c-kit(+)Lin(-) cells and the apoptosis rate decreased.

CONCLUSIONHGF at10 ng/ml shows optimal synergistic effect with SCF, FL, LIF and TPO in expansion of c-kit(+)Lin(-) cells, and excessive HGF may induce cell differentiation.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cell Count ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Flow Cytometry ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDThe number of Clara cells and the Clara cell 16-kDa protein (CC16) levels of the lung decrease in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a powerful antioxidant and can reduce the frequency of acute exacerbations of COPD. But the exact mechanism is unclear. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of NAC on Clara cells in rats with cigarette smoke exposure.

METHODSEighteen adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, 12 exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) thrice a day, 10 cigarettes for 30 minutes each time for 1 week, without (CS group) or with (CS + NAC group) oral intake of NAC 80 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), and another 6 rats exposed to fresh air (control group). Clara cells were observed by an electron microscope. The mRNA expression of CC16 and CC16 protein in lungs were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry respectively. The glutathion (GSH) level in plasma and lung tissue were tested by fluorimetry assay.

RESULTSCompared with the controls, the pathologic score of small airways significantly increased in the CS exposed rats (20.3 +/- 14.7 vs. 53.7 +/- 11.5, P < 0.05). The Clara cell particles in cytoplasm decreased in the CS group (P < 0.05). The percentage of CC16-positive cells in bronchioles in the CS group (27.8 +/- 4.3 and 29.5 +/- 2.4 in terminal bronchioles and respiratory bronchioles, respectively) significantly decreased as compared with the control group (37.1 +/- 3.8 and 43.8 +/- 5.8 in terminal bronchioles and respiratory bronchioles, respectively) (P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in GSH level ((181 +/- 26) nmol/L in the control group vs. (170 +/- 18) nmol/L in the CS group) between the two groups. After treatment with NAC, the pathologic score of small airways (24.1 +/- 17.5) decreased (P < 0.05). Clara cell particles in cytoplasm of Clara cells increased and GSH level in plasma ((213 +/- 40) nmol/L vs. (170 +/- 18) nmol/L in the CS group) increased too (P < 0.05), while the increase in the proportions of CC16 positive cells in bronchioles (30.1 +/- 6.4 and 34.3 +/- 6.3 in terminal bronchioles and respiratory bronchioles, respectively) did not reach the statistical significance (P > 0.05). No significant difference was found in the expression of CC16 mRNA among the three groups. Correlation analysis indicated that the percentage of CC16-positive cells in bronchioles negatively correlated with the pathologic score of small airways (r = -0.592, P < 0.05), but not with GSH level.

CONCLUSIONSOne-week CS exposure decreased the number of Clara cells and the expression of CC16 in bronchioles in rats. NAC might provide protection of the Clara cells from oxidative damage and possibly through the elevation of the synthesis and secretion of CC16. These data indicate that NAC decreases airway inflammation induced by CS via induction of CC16.

Acetylcysteine ; metabolism ; Animals ; Bronchioles ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Fluorometry ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Uteroglobin ; genetics ; metabolism