Objective To discuss the effects of elastic modulus on propagation characteristics of ultrasonic guided waves in long bones based on finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, so as to provide the theoretical references for evaluating bone fatigue damage at the early stage. Methods A cylinder was used to model the long bone, and FDTD method was used to simulate the long bone with different elastic modulus. Then, the propagation characteristics of different guided wave modes were calculated, including the phase velocity, the group velocity, the central frequency and the energy. ResultsThe elastic modulus of long bones was closely related with the propagation characteristics of ultrasonic guided waves. The phase velocity, the group velocity, the central frequency and the energy were all reduced with the decrease in elastic modulus, and the variation tendency of L(0,5) mode was the most obvious. Conclusions The propagation of ultrasound guided waves can reflect the variation of elastic modulus of long bones, which provides a possible way to evaluate the fatigue damage at the early stage in long bones.

OBJECTIVETo explore the way to induce mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons in vitro.

METHODSMSCs were obtained from rat bone marrow, cultured and passaged. MSCs used in this experiment had multipotency, which was indirectly proved by being induced to differentiate into chondrocytes and adipocytes. MSCs were cultured in medium containing 0.5 mmol/L IBMX for 2 days. Then the medium was replaced with induction medium, which contained GDNF, IL-1beta, mesencephalic glial-cell-conditioned medium and flash-frozen mesencephalic membrane fragments. The surface markers of the differentiated neurons, such as NSE, nestin, MAP-2a, b and TH were detected by immunocytochemistry and Western blot after MSCs were cultured in induction medium for 7 days and 15 days.

RESULTSMSCs differentiated into neural progenitors and expressed nestin after MSCs were incubated with medium containing IBMX for 2 d. After the medium was replaced with induction medium containing many inducing agents, MSCs differentiated into neuron-like cells and dopaminergic neuron-like cells and expressed NSE, MAP-2a, b and TH. The percentage of NSE-positive cells, MAP-2a, b-positive cells and TH-positive cells was 30.032 +/- 2.489%, 41.580 +/- 5.101% and 34.958 +/- 5.534%, respectively after MSCs were induced in medium containing GDNF, IL-1beta, mesencephalic glial-cell-conditioned medium and flash-frozen mesencephalic membrane fragments for 15 days.

CONCLUSIONMSCs can differentiate into dopaminergic neuron-like cells and are a new cell source for the treatment of neurodegeneration diseases and have a great potential for wide application.

Adipocytes ; cytology ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Carboxylesterase ; analysis ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Dopamine ; analysis ; Intermediate Filament Proteins ; analysis ; Mesencephalon ; cytology ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; analysis ; Nestin ; Neurons ; cytology ; metabolism ; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVEThe sex therapy is not yet popularized at present. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the combination of the improved sex therapy and oral sildenafil on erectile dysfunction (ED).

METHODSA total of 3130 Uigur cases of ED received in Xinjiang Bogda Hospital were divided into a control group (n=625) and a trial group (n=2505), the former treated with oral sildenafil alone, and the latter by the combination of the improved genital therapy and sildenafil, both for 3 months and followed up at 6 and 12 months after the treatment. The therapeutic effects were evaluated and compared using IIEF-5.

RESULTSThe IIEF-5 scores of the control group were 12.80 +/- 3.76 and 18.10 +/- 2.61 before and after the treatment, and 17.35 +/- 2.73 and 16.64 +/- 2.63 at 6 and 12 months, respectively, while those of the trial group were 12.73 +/- 3.52 and 19.06 +/- 4.07 before and af- ter the treatment, and 19.86 +/- 2.42 and 20.47 +/- 2.38 at 6 and 12 months, respectively, with statistically significant differences either between pre- and post-treatment (P < 0.05) or between the control and trial groups at 6 and 12 months (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe combination of the improved sex therapy and oral sildenafil is superior to sildenafil alone in the treatment of ED, and its efficacy is relatively stable at 12 months.

Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; ethnology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Piperazines ; therapeutic use ; Purines ; therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Sildenafil Citrate ; Sulfones ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore and verify that transient receptor potential vanilloid 4(TRPV4) affects chondrocyte degeneration. METHODS: Neonatal SD rats were selected, primary chondrocytes were extracted, and identified by toluidine blue staining and alcian blue staining;an in vitro chondrocyte inflammation model was constructed by IL-1β, and TRPV4 inhibitor was used to treat chondrocytes under inflammatory conditions, and the chondrocytes were treated by RT-PCR method was used to detect matrix metallopeptidase 13(MMP-13), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin 5, (ADAMTS-5)、nitric oxide synthase 2(NOS2)、Collagen, type II alpha 1(Col2α1)and aggrecan (Acan) mRNA in chondrocytes; primary chondrocytes were treated with different concentrations of TRPV4 overexpression plasmid, and the optimal overexpression dose was screened. The mRNA expressions of TRPV4, MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, NOS2, Col2α1 and Acan in chondrocytes under the optimal TRPV4 overexpression dose were detected. RESULTS: Toluidine blue staining and Alcian blue staining identified the extracted cells as primary chondrocytes;RT-PCR showed that TRPV4, MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, NOS2 mRNA in chondrocytes treated with TRPV4 inhibitor under inflammatory conditions. The expression of Col2α1 mRNA was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the expression of Col2α1 mRNA was increased (P<0.05). Although there was no significant difference in the expression of Acan mRNA, the overall trend was also increasing. The expression of Col2α1 and Acan mRNA in chondrocytes was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the expression of NOS2 mRNA was increased(P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in MMP-13 and ADAMTS-5 (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Inhibiting the expression of TRPV4 can down-regulate the expression of genes related to chondrocyte degeneration.
Animals ; Rats ; Aggrecans/metabolism* ; Cartilage, Articular ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrocytes ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 13/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism* ; TRPV Cation Channels/metabolism*

Objective To develop a new technique for diagnosis of Plasmodium knowlesi and at the same time to be able to discriminate among the diverse species of Plasmodium causing human malaria. Methods In this study the nested multiplex malaria PCR was redesigned, targeting the 18S rRNA gene, to identify the fifth human Plasmodium species, Plasmodium knowlesi, together with the other human Plasmodium (Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae) by amplified fragment size using only two amplification processes and including an internal reaction control to avoid false negatives. Results The technique was validated with 91 clinical samples obtained from patients with malaria compatible symptoms. The technique showed high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (96%) when it was compared to the reference method employed for malaria diagnosis in the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and a published real-time PCR malaria assay. Conclusions The technique designed is an economical, sensitive and specific alternative to current diagnosis methods. Furthermore, the method might be tested in knowlesi-malaria endemic areas with a higher number of samples to confirm the quality of the method.

Fusion between the transmembrane protease serine 2 and v-ets erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog (TMPRSS2-ERG fusion) is a common genetic alteration in prostate cancer among Western populations and has been suggested as playing a role in tumorigenesis and progression of prostate cancer. However, the prevalence of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion differs among different ethnic groups, and contradictory results have been reported in Asian patients. We aim to evaluate the prevalence and significance of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion as a molecular subtyping and prognosis indicator of prostate cancer in Asians. We identified the fusion status in 669 samples from prostate biopsy and radical prostatectomy by fluorescence in situ hybridization and/or immunohistochemistry in China. We examined the association of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion with clinicopathological characteristics and biochemical recurrence by Chi-square test and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Finally, a systematic review was performed to investigate the positive rate of the fusion in Asian prostate cancer patients. McNemar's test was employed to compare the positive rates of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion detected using different methods. The positive rates of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion were 16% in our samples and 27% in Asian patients. In our samples, 9.4% and 19.3% of cases were recognized as fusion positive by fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively. No significant association between the fusion and clinical parameters was observed. TMPRSS2-ERG fusion is not a frequent genomic alteration among Asian prostate cancer patients and has limited significance in clinical practices in China. Besides ethnic difference, detection methods potentially influence the results showing a positive rate of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion.
Aged ; China ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oncogene Fusion/genetics* ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/genetics* ; Serine Endopeptidases/genetics* ; Transcriptional Regulator ERG/genetics*