OBJECTIVETo study the inhibition of berberine (BBR) against ECV-304 apoptosis induced by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).

METHODSECV-304 cells were pre-treated with 128 microg/mL BBR for 2 h and then S. aureus was added (1:100). The viability of cells was detected by MTT (3-4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The morphological changes were observed by Hoechst 33258 staining. The protection of BBR for infected cells was detected by DNA Ladder.

RESULTSECV-304 cells' viability were not obviously affected by berberine. But S. aureus induced ECV-304 cells' viability could be significantly inhibited by pre-treatment of BBR (P < 0.05). Besides S. aureus-induced ECV-304 apoptosis could be reduced, with significantly lessened apoptotic body and unobvious DNA degradation.

CONCLUSIONBBR could significantly inhibit S. aureus induced ECV-304 apoptosis.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Berberine ; pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; microbiology ; pathology ; Humans ; Staphylococcus aureus

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of lentivirus-mediated RNA interference targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) gene on the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of leukemic cell line U937.

METHODSShort hairpin RNAs (shRNA) targeting VEGFR-1 was synthesized and cloned into pRNAT-U6.2 lentiviral vector. The expression vectors were transfected into 293T cell line to produce packaged lentivirus. After infected with the packaged lentivirus, the expression of VEGFR-1 gene of U937 cells at mRNA and protein level was detected by real-time PCR and Western blot. VEGF production by the cells was determined by ELISA. Cell proliferation and survival under regular culture and in the presence of cytarabine (Ara-C) was determined by CCK-8 assay. Migration assays were performed by 5 µm pore transwell inserts.

RESULTSThe lentiviral shRNA vector targeting VEGFR-1 was successfully constructed and transfected into U937 cells. The shRNA vector effectively inhibited the expression of VEGFR-1 gene in U937 cell line at mRNA and protein levels. As compared to that of the control, the proliferation rate of U937-shVEGFR-1 cells reduced; The VEGF production and migrated cell number of U937-shVEGFR-1 cells decreased dramatically. After treated with Ara-C, the inhibition rate and apoptotic rate of U937-shVEGFR-1 cells increased significantly. The number of migrated cells in the KD group under regular culture and in the presence of VEGF was markedly lower than that in the NC group and CON group. Bevacizumab could decrease the number of migrated cells in the NC group and CON group, but could not in the KD group.

CONCLUSIONSLentivirus-mediated RNA interference targeting VEGFR1 gene reduces the proliferation, migration of U937 cell line and enhances its sensitivity to Ara-C.

Apoptosis ; genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Gene Silencing ; Humans ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; U937 Cells ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the effects of high spermatic vessel dissection on testicular morphological alteration of SD rats in prepuberty,puberty and sexual maturity phases.Methods Thirty-day-old SD rats were divided into 2 groups underwent sham operation and left high spermatic vessel dissection as a simulation of Palomo′s maneuver.Detailed morphological investigations were made at 3 different postoperative intervals among the 3rd day,30th day and 56th day.Results High spermatic vessel dissection in prepubertal rats induced acute testicular ischemia in the operated testes on the 3rd day.Most of the operated testes on the 30th day showed testicular atrophy.And all the operated testes showed testicular atrophy and sperm disappearance in epididymis on the 56th day.Conclusion High dissection of spermatic vessel in prepubertal rats induced testicular ischemia in prepuberty and testicular growth failure in puberty,testicular atrophy completely and sperm production losing in sexual maturity phase.

OBJECTIVETo explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of abdominal acupuncture for cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type.

METHODSThirty cases of cervical vertigo, in which the color ultrasonography indicated vertebral arterial blood insufficiency, were treated with abdominal acupuncture therapy. The points were Zhongwan (CV 12), Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Xiawan (CV 10), Shangqu (KI 17) and Huaroumen (ST 24). The treatment was given once every day and five continuous treatments made one session. Separately, before treatment and in the 1st and 5th treatments, the cervical vertigo symptom and functional assessment scales were adopted for scoring. Simultaneously, the color ultrasonography was applied to observe the blood flow changes of the bilateral cervical arteries.

RESULTSExcept the score for headache in the 1st treatment, the scores in cervical vertigo and function assessment scale in the 1st and 5th treatments were all improved significantly in 30 patients as compared with those before treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). In the 1st and 5th treatments, on the affected side, the vertebral artery diameter, mean velocity and blood flow per minute were all improved significantly as compared with those before treatment (all P < 0.01). In one session treatment, the total effective rate was 100.0% (30/30) and the curative rate was 60.0% (18/30).

CONCLUSIONAbdominal acupuncture therapy not only relieves the clinical symptoms, but also improves vertebral arterial blood supply for the patients of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type.

Abdomen ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Regional Blood Flow ; Spondylosis ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Vertebral Artery ; physiopathology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo isolate and culture tumor stem cells from glioma tissues obtained at surgical operation and to study their biological characteristics.

METHODSGlioma tissues obtained from surgically resected specimens of 8 patients were fully chopped, trypsinized, and filtered to prepare single cell suspensions. The cells were cultured in serum-free medium with EGF, LIF and bFGF. CD133(+) cells were purified by magnetic cell sorting, and cultured continuously in vitro to obtain tumor cell spheres. Tumor stem cells of the 5th passage were induced to differentiate with 10% FBS, and expression of cell differentiation markers such as Nestin, MAP2, GFAP was evaluated with immunocytochemistry techniques.

RESULTSCD133(+) cells were successfully separated and cultured from one anasplastic mixed astrocyte-ependymocyte type glioma specimen. These cells maintained a sphere-like growth status in vitro (3 months, 14 passages), and can self-renew, proliferate and conditionally differentiate into MAP2(+) and GFAP(+) cells. However, CD133(-) cells did not possess these properties.

CONCLUSIONGlioma tissue contains tumor stem cells. Those cells can be cultured and passaged in vitro for a long term, and therefore to offer new approaches for studying cellular and molecular biology of glioma.

AC133 Antigen ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Brain Neoplasms ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Separation ; Cells, Cultured ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; metabolism ; Glioma ; pathology ; Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Peptides ; metabolism

AIMTo compare the efficacy and complications of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (SWL) and pneumatic ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URS) in the treatment of lower ureteral calculi.

METHODSFrom August 1997 to June 1999, 210 patients with calculi in the distal third of the ureter were treated with SWL and the other 180 with URS. The stones were fragmented with either HB-ESWL-V lithotripter or JML-93 pneumatic lithotripter through Wolf 7.5 approximately 9.0 Fr ureteroscope. The outcome was assessed in terms of stone clearance rate, re-treatment rate and complication incidence.

RESULTSThe stone clearance rate was 78.1 % with SWL and 93.3 % with URS (P<0.05). SWL had a re-treatment rate of 11.9 %, vs 2.2 % in the URS group (P<0.05). URS caused ureteral perforation in 3.3% of patients, while it was 0 with SWL (P<0.05). The differences in the incidence of other complications such as infection and stricture between the two groups were insignificant.

CONCLUSIONThough the selection of these two options depends on equipments available and the expertise of the operator, we recommend URS as the optimal treatment for distal ureteral calculi.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lithotripsy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Ureteral Calculi ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo study the clinicopathologic features of uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) and the roles of adjuvant therapy.

METHODSSixty-one cases of UPSC with operation done and followed up for a period of 4 to 9 years were enrolled into the study. The histology of slides specimens were reviewed and immunohistochemical study was performed. The follow-up and survival data were analyzed.

RESULTSAll of the 61 patients were post-menopausal, with a median age of 68 years. The clinical presentations included abnormal vaginal bleeding, abdominal symptoms and abnormal Pap smears. The median size of the tumors was 7.5 cm (range=1.2 to 14.8 cm). There were 27.9% cases in FIGO stage I (8.2% in stage IA, 14.8% in stage IB and 4.9% in stage IC), 9.8% in stage II, 32.8% in stage III and 29.5% in FIGO stage IV. The histologic features were similar to those of the ovarian counterpart, with tumor cells containing the high-grade nuclei and arranged in complex papillae. Psammoma bodies were identified in 24.6% of the cases. Immunohistochemical study showed that the tumor cells demonstrated diffuse and strong nuclear staining for p53 and Ki-67. They were negative for estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor. Fifteen of the 61 cases (24.6%) showed no evidence of myometrial invasion. However, ten of the 15 cases had extrauterine disease, with peritoneal (6/15) and nodal (9/15) involvement. Tumors with deep myometrial invasion, lymphovascular permeation and nodal metastasis were associated with worse prognosis by univariate analysis. Fifty-six patients received adjuvant therapy. The number of patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy alone, adjuvant radiotherapy alone and combined adjuvant chemotherapy/radiotherapy were 42, 24 and 10, respectively. The median survivals of the chemotherapy group and non-chemotherapy group (with or without radiotherapy) were 66.4 months and 32.8 months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSUPSC has distinctive clinical and pathologic features. The tumor stage, lymph node status, lymphovascular permeation and depth of myometrial invasion were important prognostic factors. Adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III/IV tumors or recurrent UPSC may have survival benefit.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cisplatin ; administration & dosage ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Menopause ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Staging ; Paclitaxel ; administration & dosage ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes and their association with the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) in elderly residents in Haizhu District of Guangzhou.

METHODSStratified random sampling was employed to select a total of 1800 resident aged 50 years or older in the region. The fasting fingertip blood glucose>5.6 mmol/L was used as the criterion for the initial screening. The data were collected from qualified subjects via scheduled questionnaire surveys, blood collection and testing, and physical examination. The subjects were divided into the 3 groups, namely normal blood glucose, prediabetes, and diabetes groups. The combination rates of the relevant risk factors (hypertension, hyperlipemia, obesity, and central obesity) were compared among the groups by Framingham Heart Study to predict the occurrence of CHD in 10 years.

RESULTSThe incidence was 11.00% for prediabetes and 7.56% for diabetes in the elderly residents in Haizhu District. The occurrence of hypertension, hyperlipemia, obesity, and central obesity was significant higher in the prediabetes and diabetes group than in the normal blood glucose group, and showed no significant differences between the former two groups. The 10-year risks for CHD were markedly higher in both the prediabetes and diabetes groups than in the normal blood glucose group, but similar between the former two groups.

CONCLUSIONElderly patients with prediabetes and diabetes have significantly increased 10-year risk for CHD in comparison with those with normal blood glucose, but the risk is similar between the former two groups, indicating a close association of IGR (impaired fasting glucose+ impaired fasting glucose) with CHD. Early control of blood glucose is essential to the prevention and control of CHD.

Aged ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; China ; epidemiology ; Coronary Disease ; blood ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prediabetic State ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sampling Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between the number and activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), insulin resistance and severity of coronary lesions in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

METHODSPatients with coronary angiography evidenced CAD were divided in insulin resistance group (IR, n = 25) and insulin sensitive group (IS, n = 44) according to insulin level, 25 health volunteers served as control. Circulating EPCs were marked as KDR/CD133+ cells via fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. EPCs were also isolated from peripheral blood and cultured in vitro for 7 days, identified by DiI-acLDL uptake and lectin staining methods. EPCs migration activities were determined by modified Boyden chamber assay, EPCs proliferation activities were determined by MTT assay.

RESULTCirculating EPCs number was significantly lower in IR group compared with IS group [(0.34 +/- 0.08) per thousand vs. (0.47 +/- 0.09) per thousand, P < 0.01] and control group (P < 0.05). Both insulin resistance index (r = -0.291, P = 0.01)and Gensini score (r = -0.3984, P = 0.006)were negatively correlated with number of circulating EPCs. Proliferation and migration capacities of EPCs were also significantly lower in IR group compared to those in IS group (all P < 0.05) and control group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSInsulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia could aggravate severity of coronary artery lesions via reducing the number and activities of circulating EPCs in patients with CAD.

Aged ; Blood Cell Count ; Cell Adhesion ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; blood ; pathology ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stem Cells ; cytology

BACKGROUND: Femoral head necrosis is a multifactorial disease, and has the youth oriented tendency. It often results in femoral head collapse and leads to total hip arthroplasty. Thus, finding a secure and effective treatment is of clinical benefits to relieve patients' suffering and to reduce social economic burden. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation has been used in the clinical practice of femoral head necrosis. However, the conclusion remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To access the safety and efficacy of the core decompression combined with autologous BMSCs transplantation in patients with femoral head necrosis by using meta-analysis approach. METHODS: Randomized clinical controlled trials (RCTs) which compared the therapeutic effects between core decompression combined with autologous BMSCs and core decompression were systematically retrieved from inception to June 20, 2017 in PubMed, The Cochrane Library (Issue 5, 2017), Embase, CNKI, CBM, VIP and WanFang databases. After extraction of the information and evaluation of the study quality, a meta-analysis was performed by RevMan software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Eight RCTs with 323 patients (395 hips), 193 hips in BMSCs group and 202 in conventional therapeutic group, were ultimately included. The revisit time was 12-60 months. The overall quality of the trials was considered moderate-high. The results of meta-analysis show that compared with core decompression alone, autologous BMSCs transplantation combined with core decompression could alleviate the pain [Visual Analogue Scale: mean difference ( MD)=-0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) (-0.76,-0.01)], enhance the joint function [Harris score: 12 months MD=7.16, 95%CI (3.88, 10.44) and 24 months MD=11.16, 95%CI (8.32, 14.00)], decrease the rate of disease progression in radiography [odds ratio=0.23, 95%CI (0.09, 0.55)]. Although there was no statistical significance between two groups, BMSCs transplantation had trend to reduce the rate of total hip arthroplasty [risk ratio=0.44, 95%CI (0.19, 1.03)]. No obvious complications were found in the course of BMSCs therapy. Given the above, autologous BMSCs transplantation combined with core decompression is a secure and effective therapeutic method for femoral head necrosis.