BACKGROUND:The biomechanical properties of naturaly regenerated damaged articular cartilage that belongs to the fibrovascular tissue are far worse than those of the normal cartilage so that they cannot meet the requirements for joint function, leading to traumatic arthritis and loss of joint function.
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of matrix metaloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) inhibitor I with different concentrations on the early-stage repair of ful-thickness articular cartilage defects in the knee of rats.
METHODS: Twenty-four Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into control, defect (DEF), and defect combined with low-(D+L) and high-dose inhibitor (D+H) groups (n=6 for each group), respectively. Full-thickness articular cartilage defects followed by intraarticular injection of low- and high-dose MMP-3 inhibitor I for 4 weeks was administered in the later two groups. Serum MMP-3 was detected using ELISA method before and after experiment, respectively. Femoral trochleas were collected to observe characteristics of repaired tissue by gross appearance scoring and O’Driscoll histological scoring with Safranine O-Fast Green staining, and to measure type II colagen by immunohistochemistry after experiment.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Rats in the D+H group had obvious repair similarly to hyaline articular cartilage, while creamy white cartilage tissue and fibrous tissue repair were observed in D+L group and in DEF group. D+H group obtained the best repair results according to gross appearance scoring and O’Driscol histological scoring and the highest content of type II colagen (P< 0.05). MMP-3 concentration and the difference value before and after experiment were gradualy decreased in DEF, D+L, D+H, and control groups in sequence(P< 0.05). These findings demonstrate that MMP-3 inhibitor I accelerates the early-stage repair of ful-thickness articular cartilage defects in the knee of rats.

Objective To investigate the presence of occult brain tissue damage in patients with relapsing neuromyelitis optica(RNMO)and its possible mechanism by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).Methods DTI scans were performed in 16 patients with RNMO and 16 sex-and age-matched healthy controls.Histogram analysis of mean diffusivity (MD)and fractional anisotropy (FA)was performed in brain tissue (BT),white matter (WM)and gray matter (GM)to detect the presence of occult brain tissue damage in RNMO patients.Region of interest(ROI )analysis of MD and FA was also performed in 6 dedicated regions with or without direct connection with spinal cord or optic nerve to determine the relationship between occult brain tissue damage and the damage of spinal cord and optic nerve.Results Patients with RNMO had a significantly higher average MD of the BT[RNMO(0.95?0.02)? 10~(-3)mm~2/s,controls (0.91?0.03)?10~(-3)mm~2/s,t = 3.940,P

AIM:To investigate the effect of insulin on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) proliferation and to evaluate the intracellular signaling pathways involved.METHODS:VSMCs separated from Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. The proliferation of VSMCs induced by insulin was assayed by [3H]-thymidin incorporation. The protein expression and activity of p-ERK1/2 were determined by immunblot and [?-32P]ATP incorporation.RESULTS:Insulin induced cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. The proliferative effect of insulin on VSMCs was inhibited partly by LY294002 (48.8%),an inhibitor of PI-3 kinase,and the ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 (43.6%),respectively. Moreover,phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and activity of ERK1/2 induced by insulin were also inhibited partly by LY294002.CONCLUSION:PI-3 kinase and ERK1/2 are involved in insulin induced VSMCs proliferation.

Objective Impedance control plays an important role in stability.This paper intends to explore such mechanism through modeling human reaching movement.Method Implemented with revised model,we ap-ply optimal control theory to neuro-muscle-skeleton model to calculate the stiffness ellipses.Result Com-pared with the original model and experimental figures,the model we proposed could overcome the shortage of monotonous changing of the original one and fit the data better.Conclusions So that this paper concludes that co-contraction contributes to impedance control even during free upper limb planar movement.

Objective Impedance control plays an important role in stability.This paper intends to explore such mechanism through modeling human reaching movement.Method Implemented with revised model,we ap-ply optimal control theory to neuro-muscle-skeleton model to calculate the stiffness ellipses.Result Com-pared with the original model and experimental figures,the model we proposed could overcome the shortage of monotonous changing of the original one and fit the data better.Conclusions So that this paper concludes that co-contraction contributes to impedance control even during free upper limb planar movement.

The basic mechanical properties of a Radial Shock Wave Therapy Equipment (RSWTE) were experimentally studied in this paper. The output energy of the RSWTE working on the operation frequency of 10 Hz was measured by dynamic pressure transducer under the conditions of different operation pressure. The results showed that both operation pressure and operation frequency have effects on the output energy of the equipment. The output energy increases with the increase of operation pressure, and the magnitude of increased energy decreases with higher operation of frequency. With the increase of operation frequency, the output energy rises up in condition of lower operation pressure and drops off in condition of higher operation pressure. The accurate medical treatment should be selected with the optimized energy and condition according to the treatment requirement to different illness in clinical medical applications.
Equipment Design ; High-Energy Shock Waves ; Physical Therapy Modalities ; instrumentation ; Pressure

OBJECTIVETo analyze the differences in the Chinese medicine (CM) etiology and pathogenesis of AIDS.

METHODSA cross-sectional investigation study of AIDS patients and non-infected people was carried out in Henan, Guangdong and Xinjiang provinces respectively by questionnaire of clinical epidemiology and analyzed with frequencies of symptoms and signs combined with syndrome factors. The distribution differences of syndrome factors in the 3 provinces were compared.

RESULTSTotally 321 cases were investigated in the 3 provinces. As for the syndrome factors of AIDS, qi deficiency, blood deficiency, yin deficiency, yang deficiency, dampness evil, phlegm, qi stagnation, essence deficiency, and so on were dominated in the 3 provinces, but with their own features. For example, the scores of dampness evil were higher in Guangdong Province. Yin deficiency was dominated in Xinjiang Province. The scores of Henan Province were generally higher. As for the location of syndrome factors, Shen, Fei, Pi, and Gan were dominated in the 3 provinces. The score of Pi was the highest in Guangdong Province, while the score of Shen was the highest in Henan and Xinjiang provinces.

CONCLUSIONSAIDS has regional features in the nature and the syndrome factors of location in different provinces. It is necessary to take into consideration the regional factors when analyzing the pathogenesis of AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Yang Deficiency ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Yin Deficiency ; diagnosis ; epidemiology

The difficulty and expense of seeing a doctor was attributed to the out-of-level diagnosis and treatment, and the out-of-level treatment was due to the weakening of the basic medical service capacity. Since the new medical reform,the state has invested a lot, which led to the weakening of the primary medical service capacity. Exploring the institutional root of the weakening of grass-roots medical service ability could help to find the realistic path to enhance the service capacity of grass-roots medical institutions. Enhancing the service capacity of primary medical institutions was the only way to implement graded medical treatment. The administration of medical institutions restricted the improvement of service capacity of primary medical institutions, and the root of administration was the existing medical and health system. Only by starting from the reform of the system and realizing the administration of primary medical institutions, the service capacity of primary medical institutions could be enhanced.

Objective To investigate the microbleeding incidence of healthy eldery population and patients with stroke.Methods 30 cases of healthy eldery population,32 cases of cerebral hemorrhage,46 cases of patients with ischemic cerebral vascular diseases were performed of MRI and GRE-T_2 ~* WI examination.Results The microbleeding incidences was 37.5% in cerebral hemorrhage group,28.1% in multiple cerebral infarction group,25.0% in Binswanger's disease group.The most frequently seen microbleeding foci located in ganglia areas,then in thalamus areas,subcortical areas and brain stem,last in cerebellar.Conclusion GRE-T_2 ~* WI,helpful for finding microbleeding and indicating lesion degree of microblooding vessels,plays an important role in the diagnosis of stroke and decision making of treatment.

Objective To observe the protective effects of a mixture for protecting liver and supplementing stomach (保肝益胃合剂) on rat acute liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl_4). Methods The model of rat acute liver damage was established by injection of CCl_4 2 ml/kg into the abdominal cavity.The rat models were treated respectively by the mixture for protecting liver and supplementing stomach 30 g?kg~(-1)?d~(-1),the polyene phosphatide acid radical choline capsule [Yi Shanfu (易善复), 180 mg?kg~(-1)?d~(-1)],the glycyrrhizic acid diaminogen capsule [Gan Lixin (甘利欣),30 mg?kg~(-1)?d~(-1)] infused into the stomach.The activities of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) were detected.In the mean time,the liver pathological changes were observed,the degree of liver cell necrosis was evaluated,and the rat mortality was noted in various groups of treatment.Results The values of ALT,AST and the score of liver cell necrosis in the group treated with the mixture for protecting liver and supplementing stomach [(1.168?1.066) kU/L,(1.845?2.212) kU/L,(0.56?0.53) score] were significantly lower than those in the model group [(4.982?3.502) kU/L,(7.030?3.616) kU/L, (1.38?0.92) scores],and all the differences being statistically significant (all P