Objective To explore the effect of magnesium sulfate combined with calcium channel blockers on cystatin C, uric acid, alpha fetal protein and urinary transferrin in patients with hypertension pregnancy.Methods 75 cases with hypertension of pregnancy were selected and divided into two groups, control group(n=37) were treated with conventional therapy, experiment group(n=38) were treated with magnesium sulfate combined with calcium channel blockers on the basis of control group.Cystatin C, uric acid, alpha fetal protein and urinary transferrin were compared after treatment between two groups.Results Compared with control group, Cys C, uric acid, serum AFP l, urinary TRF levels were all lower in experiment group( P<0.05), serum hematocrit, whole blood viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation index were all lower in experiment group(P<0.05).The total efficiency of experiment group was significantly higher than control group (P<0.05).Conclusion Magnesium sulfate combined with calcium channel antagonists in treatment of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy patients has good clinical curative effect, can effectively improve blood viscosity, reduce serum Cys C, UA, AFP and urinary TRF level.

BACKGROUND:Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)(PLGA)may produce lactic acid and glycolic acid when PLGA degrades,thus leading to the acid accumulation and inducing the inflammatory reaction locally.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of lysine,histidine and arginine on regulating the acid accumulation of PLGA copolymer during the degradation.DESIGN:Repeated measurement and experiment.TIME AND SETTING:The experiments were performed in the College of Bioengineering.Chongqing University from July 2006 to August 2007.MATERIALS:PILGA(80:20)was produced by Sigma(USA);Lysine,histidine and arginine(purlty>99%)were purchased from Sigma(USA);Chitosan(deacetylation degree:85%)was purchased from Chengdu Kelong Chemical Reagent Factory;Algin(viscosity:1.05-1.15)was purchased from Tianiin Damao Chemical Reagent Factory.METHODS:Lysine,histidine and arginine were added into PLGA with the proportion of 5%(w/v)and 10%(w/v)respectively.The resultant film sample was put into a bottle with tri-distilled-water for 2-month degradation at 37℃.The pH value of degradation solution was detected by pH meter;Each film sample was taken out and lyophilized 12 hours to get its dry weight and calculate mass loss ratio.Each variety of the solution was sampled three specimens,the average pH value,average initial weight and average finial weight of these three specimens were taken as the indices at each sampling time point,respectively.Accordingly,the regulation effect of basic amino acid was comparexl with that of algin,chitosan and NaHCO3.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The changes of pH value of degradation solution;the mass loss ratio of the composite.RESULTS:Each basic additive could relieve the acid accumulation,among them,NaHCO3 was the strongest,while algin and chitosan showed a lowest capacity,basic amino acid was moderate;The suitable regulation effect could be achieved at a level of 5%lysine.CONCLUSION:Basic amino acid can effectively regulate the acid accumulation after PLGA degrades,and the optimal concentration of lysine is 5%.

BACKGROUNDMatrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) is the third generation tissue-engineering technique for the treatment of full-thickness articular cartilage defects. The aim of this study was to describe this new technique and the postoperative findings in adolescent knee with focal chondral defect.

METHODSThe MACI consists of diagnostic arthroscopy and cartilage harvest, chondrocyte culture and seeding in tissue-engineering collagenous membrane, and implantation of the scaffold. Clinical outcome at minimum 1-year follow-up was assessed in seven patients (mean age (16.6 ± 1.5) years; 14 - 19 years) with full-thickness cartilage defects, with International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) score and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Besides, MR imaging was performed with T1 and T2-weighted imaging and three-dimensional spoiled gradient-recalled (3D-SPGR) MR imaging.

RESULTSClinical evaluation showed significant improvement and MRI analysis showed that the structure was homogeneous and the implant surface was regular and intact in six patients, but irregular in one. Of all the seven patients, the cartilage defect site was nearly totally covered by the implanted scaffold.

CONCLUSIONSThese results indicated that MACI technique is an option for cartilage defect in adolescent knee joint, especially large defect of over 2 cm(2). Long-term assessment is necessary to determine the true value of this technique.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Cartilage, Articular ; injuries ; surgery ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; cytology ; surgery ; Male ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Transplantation, Autologous ; methods ; Young Adult

Aim To observe the effects of promethazine on the analgesia,hypnosis,amnesia and therapeutic index of isoflurane.Methods The experiments were designed to study promethazine on the analgesic effect of isoflurane by hot-plate test and writhing test,and to study the effect of promethazine on the sleeping time of isoflurane by the method of righting reflex,and the amnesia of isoflurane by Morris water maze,and the ED_(50),LD_(50) by sequential method in mice.Results The result of hot-plate test and writhing test indicated that promethazine could enhance the analgesic effect of isoflurane(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01);through the experiment of righting reflex, sleeping time of isoflurane in mice was extended by promethazine(P＜0.01);in Morris water maze experiment, the average latency in the combination of promethazine and isoflurane was longer than that of the promethazine group or isoflurane group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01), while aiming to the residence time, the combination of the two was shorter than that in the third quadrant(P＜0.01 or P＜0.05),the TCPP of the group of isoflurance was more than that of the combination group;promethazine could decrease the ED_(50) of isoflurance(P＜0.01),but it did not obviously affect its LD_(50)(P＞0.05).Conclusion Promethazine can not only reinforce the effect of isoflurance on analgesia,hypnosis and amnesia, but also boost the therapeutic index of isoflurance.

OBJECTIVETo assess the clinical value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in early diagnosis of breast cancer.

METHODSCEUS was performed in 107 cases of ultrasound BI-RADS(®) category 3 or category 4 small breast tumors (diameter no greater than 10 mm) before surgery. The range, type and patter of enhancement of the tumor and the surrounding tissues were observed, and the time-intensity curve (TIC) was analyzed for TIC curve type, basic and peak intensity, enhancement intensity, rising slope, and enhancement intensity. The results were analyzed comparatively between benign and malignant tumors.

RESULTSThe peak intensity, enhancement intensity index and peak time in CEUS were statistically significant between benign and malignant breast tumor (t=-2.310, -2.592, -2.127, P=0.021, 0.010, 0.033), and the intensity difference and rising slope also differed significantly (t=-3.422, -3.388, P=0.001, 0.001). TIC curve type, enhancement pattern, enhancement types and enhancement range were statistically significantly between benign and malignant breast tumor (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONBenign and malignant BI-RADS(®) category 3 or 4 small breast tumors differ in the peak intensity, enhancement intensity index and peak time in CEUS. More nodular hyperplasia showed no enhancement in CEUS, and 97.8% of the lesions without enhancement are benign. In enhanced breast nodules, malignant breast lesions show more quick wash-in and wash-out type and quick wash-in and slow wash-out type, and the latter is more common; benign lesions often show a slow wash-in and slow wash-out type. In CEUS, the range of enhancement in malignant nodules is wider than that in two-dimensional ultrasound.

Breast Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Contrast Media ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Female ; Humans ; Ultrasonography

To optimize the culture environment and protocol of hematopoietic cells' expansion, avoiding the fluctuation caused by medium changing in stirred culture and concentration gradient in static culture, the hematopoietic cells from cord blood (CB) were cultured in a stirred bioreactor connected with a cell retention system, which is a gravity sedimentation settler designed for hematopoietic cell. Total cells expanded 11.5 and 18.6 fold respectively in the twice perfusion stirred cultures, in which CFU-Mix was expanded 23.2 and 20.4 fold, CFU-GM 13.9 fold and 21.5 fold, BFU-E 8.0 fold and 6.9 fold, CD34+ cells 17.1 fold and 15.4 fold. After 12-day culture, it was obtained that 1082 x 10(6) total cells, 6.31 x 10(6) CFU-GM, 6.2 x 10(6) CFU-Mix and 23 x 10(6) CD34+ cells from 267 x 10(6) CB mononuclear cells (MNC) in the first culture, and 1080 x 10(6) total cells, 4.65 x 10(6) CFU-GM, 11.0 x 10(6) CFU-Mix, and 25.0 x 10(6) CD34+ cells from 180 x 10(6) CB MNC. These two cultures met to the clinical scale. Due to the optimized dissolved oxygen (DO) and stable culture environment, the rate of stem/progenitor cells to total cells in the perfusion culture was higher than that in T-flask cell-retention feeding culture. But the cell growth was inhibited in the later phase of perfusion culture, when the cell density is high. The inhibition should be attribute to the high cell density itself. The perfusion culture environment in bioreactor with optimal DO and pH controlling is more favorable for stem/progenitor cells' maintenance and expansion, and the expanded cells' number has reached a clinical scale. But the high cell density in the later phase of perfusion culture caused inhibition to mature hematopoietic cell's growth.
Bioreactors ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cells, Cultured ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of atorvastatin on cardiac remodeling and function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats and whether this effect is mediated by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) signaling pathway.

METHODSAMI was induced by left coronary artery ligation in 64 male Sprague-Dawley rats, and 45 surviving rats were randomized into control group (n=15), low-dose atorvastatin group (10 mg/kg, n=15) and high-dose atorvastatin group (20 mg/kg, n=15). Similar surgical procedure was performed in sham-operated rats (n=15) without coronary ligation. Atorvastatin was given daily by gavage from the first day after AMI. Eight weeks later, the cardiac function, left ventricular weight/body mass index (LVMI), collagen volume fraction (CVF), and the expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad2 were compared between the groups.

RESULTSAMI caused significantly reduced cardiac function, increased LVMI and CVF, and upregulated expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad2 mRNA and proteins in the control group (P<0.05). The cardiac function, LVMI, and CVF were improved by atorvastatin, which also down-regulated the expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad2 (P<0.05), and the effects were more prominent in high-dose atorvastatin group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAtorvastatin can dose-dependently improve cardiac remodeling and function after AMI in rats, which is mediated by regulating the activity of TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling pathway.

Animals ; Atorvastatin Calcium ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Heptanoic Acids ; pharmacology ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; physiopathology ; Pyrroles ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Smad2 Protein ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism ; Ventricular Remodeling ; drug effects

Injectable sustained-release pcDNA3-GRF (1-32) microspheres were prepared by double emulsion-in liquid evaporation process,using biodegrable poly lactic-co-glycolic acid as carrier. The enrapment efficiency, mean particle size, drug content thus prepared were 69%, 2.20 microm, 8% and 70% respectively. The result of transfection in vivo showed that after 30 days, accumulative increased body weights on the group injected with pcDNA3-GRF (1-32) microspheres was significantly higher than those group injected with naked plasmid (12.87%), plasmid-empty microspheres (19.72%) and saline (58.58%) respectively. PCR and RT-PCR showed that the expression level of GRF gene on the group injected with pcDNA3-GRF (1-32) microspheres was the highest. GRF gene released by microspheres was still detected after 30 days. In conclusion, pcDNA3-GRF (1-32) microspheres have a controlled release effect and GRF gene could be successfully transfected into muscle cells of mouse by microspheres with higher efficacy and stronger biological function.
Animals ; Body Weight ; DNA ; administration & dosage ; Growth ; Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone ; genetics ; Lactic Acid ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Mice ; Microspheres ; Muscle, Skeletal ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; Polyglycolic Acid ; administration & dosage ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo study the distribution of serotype and the positive rate of toxins among vibrio cholerae non-O(1) isolated from environmental waters in Foshan city.

METHODSWater specimens were collected from river and cultured for vibrio cholerae non-O(1). The PCR method was used to detect cholerae enterotoxin (CT) gene; the ELISA method was used to detect heat-stable toxin (ST) and heat-labile toxin (LT).

RESULTS478 vibrio cholerae non-O(1) strains were isolated from 1 644 water specimens, with a positive rate of 29.07%. Serological assay showed that the main serotype of vibrio cholerae non-O(1) in Foshan city is VBO(7). Positive rate of CT, ST and LT were 1.91%, 13.14% and 12.17%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSA few non-O(1) strains were found to have several virulent factors simultaneously, and the results suggest that vibrio cholerae non-O(1) in environmental waters is potentially pathogenic and may affect people's health. It is necessary to pay attention to the prevention of diarrhoea caused by vibrio cholerae.

China ; Enterotoxins ; genetics ; Environmental Monitoring ; methods ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Seasons ; Serotyping ; Vibrio cholerae non-O1 ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Water ; analysis ; Water Microbiology

OBJECTIVETo analyze genomic copy number variations (CNVs) in two sisters with primary amenorrhea and hyperandrogenism.

METHODSG-banding was performed for karyotype analysis. The whole genome of the two sisters were scanned and analyzed by array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH). The results were confirmed with real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR).

RESULTSNo abnormality was found by conventional G-banded chromosome analysis. Array-CGH has identified 11 identical CNVs from the sisters which, however, overlapped with CNVs reported by the Database of Genomic Variants (http://projects.tcag.ca/variation/). Therefore, they are likely to be benign. In addition, a -8.44 Mb 9p11.1-p13.1 duplication (38,561,587-47,002,387 bp, hg18) and a -80.9 kb 4q13.2 deletion (70,183,990-70,264,889 bp, hg18) were also detected in the elder and younger sister, respectively. The relationship between such CNVs and primary amenorrhea and hyperandrogenism was however uncertain. RT-qPCR results were in accordance with array-CGH.

CONCLUSIONTwo CNVs were detected in two sisters by array-CGH, for which further studies are needed to clarify their correlation with primary amenorrhea and hyperandrogenism.

Amenorrhea ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4 ; genetics ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; genetics ; Comparative Genomic Hybridization ; methods ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperandrogenism ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Karyotyping ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Siblings ; Young Adult