Background:A recent perspective European study has shown that Chronic Liver Failure-Consortium Organ Failure score(CLIF-C OFs)is an effective diagnostic criteria for acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF)in alcoholic or hepatitis C virus patients with acute decompensation(AD). Aims:To assess the efficacy of CLIF-C OFs for distinguishing ACLF in non-hepatitis B virus(HBV)-related chronic liver disease patients with AD. Methods:A total of 274 consecutive non-HBV-related chronic liver disease patients with AD from Jan. 2005 to Dec. 2010 at Shanghai Ren Ji Hospital were enrolled. Patients were divided into three groups:ACLF at admission,ACLF developed within 28-day and non-ACLF according to CLIF-C OFs criteria. Clinical and biochemistry characteristics,severity of the disease and 28-day and 90-day mortality data between ACLF and non-ACLF groups were analyzed. Results:Of the patients assessed,40 had ACLF at admission,27 had ACLF developed within 28-day,207 remained not having ACLF. Patients in ACLF group had higher TB,Cr,INR,ALT,AST,ALB,WBC,score of Child-Pugh,CTP,MELD,MELD-Na than non-ACLF patients(P <0. 05),and were younger in age(P < 0. 01). Incidences of hepatic,renal,cerebral,coagulation,circulation and lung failure,28-day mortality,90-day mortality were significantly higher in ACLF group than in non-ACLF patients( P <0. 01). However,no significant differences were seen in the characteristics mentioned above between ACLF at admission group and ACLF developed at 28-day group(P > 0. 05). TB level at admission and infection occurred within 28-day were the risk factors for developing ACLF(P < 0. 05). Conclusions:ACLF constitutes a more severe subgroup in non-HBV-related chronic liver disease patients with AD,and CLIF-C OFs could help to distinguish ACLF patients out from non-HBV-related chronic liver disease patients with AD.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effects of cistanche total glycosides (CTG) on dopaminergic neuron in substantia nigra (SN) of model mice of Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODSExperimental mice were randomly divided into 5 groups, the normal control group, the model group, the high (400 mg/kg), moderate (200 mg/kg) and low (100 mg/kg) dose CTG groups. Mouse model of chronic PD was induced by peritoneal injection of MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-ttrahydropyridine) 30 mg/kg for 5 successive days. Climbing test was used to estimate the neurobehavior of mice on the 7th and 14th day (D7 and D14) after initiating MPTP injection; meantime, quantitative immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect the number of dopaminergic neuron in SN and expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in striatum.

RESULTSThe average time of climbing in the high dose CTG group on D7 and D14 was significantly shorter than that in the model group (P < 0.01). The mean optic density (OD) of TH in striatum was higher in the three CTG groups than that in the model group on D7 (P < 0.01); but on D14, significance only showed in the high and moderate dose CTG groups (P < 0.01). Moreover, the MPTP induced decrease of TH positive neuron could be antagonized by CTG, but significant difference only showed between the high dose CTG group and the model group at the two time points of observation (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCTG could improve the neurobehavior of PD model mice significantly, and inhibit the decrease of nigral dopaminergic neurons and TH expression in striatum.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Cistanche ; chemistry ; Dopamine ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Glycosides ; pharmacology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Parkinson Disease, Secondary ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; Random Allocation ; Substantia Nigra ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; metabolism

AIM:To explore whether YAP protein is important in induced pluripotent stem cell ( iPSC)-induced cardiovascular progenitor cell and/or vascular smooth muscle differentiation .METHODS:Using episomal vector based reprogramming , we generated human iPSCs from donor fibroblasts .We used both this iPSCs and human H 1 embryonic stem cells to differentiate into vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) through cardiovascular progenitor cells (CVPC).Western blotting, qPCR and immunofluorescence microscopy were used to check the expression of YAP and related genes during this differentiation process .RESULTS:The results showed that iPSCs expressed pluripotent stem cell markers, such as Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, TRA-1-60 and SSEA3, and could form teratoma in SCID mice.YAP was highly expressed in pluripotent stem cells , but dramatically decreased when CVPC differentiation started .YAP gradually increased dur-ing CVPC three-day differentiation.The TAZ and YAP binding partner TEAD1, but not TEAD2 and TEAD4, have similar expression pattern in CVPC differentiation .Immunofluorescence result confirmed that YAP was activated and accumulated in nucleus .Interesting-ly, both YAP and phosphorylated YAP expression decreased to very low level after CVPC differentiated into VSMCs in 7 days.TEAD4 and TAZ also decreased, while TEAD1, TEAD2 and TEAD3 expression did not change during VSMC differentiation .CONCLU-SION:YAP and TEAD1 expression increased during CVPC differentiation , while YAP and TEAD4 expression decreased from CVPC to VSMCs differentiation , which suggested YAP might have different function during diverse cell differentiation .

Objective To explore the changes serum S-100? in children with acute carbon monoxide poisoning and its clinical significance.Methods The levels of serum S-100? of 28 children with acute carbon monoxide poisoning and those of 20 healthy children were mea-sured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results The serum S-100? levels of the study group and control group were(0.517?0.346)and(0.037?0.014)?g/L respectively,there was significant difference between two groups(t=6.197 P

The present study sought to investigate the anti-inflammation and immunoloregulation effect of 17 Guizhi Fuling capsule ingredients. The anti-inflammatory ingredients on LPS-induced RAW264. 7 cell injury were assessed with ELISA and immunofluorescence. The release of IL-1β, TNF-α, PGE2 were detected with ELISA and the expression of COX-2 was detected with immunofluorescence. The effects of them on promoting splenic lymphocyte proliferation were assessed with MTT and Hoechst 33342 staining method. The results showed that 15 ingredients had obviously anti-inflammatory activity on LPS- induced injury and play the immunoloregulation roles. This study suggested that the 15 ingredients may be the active ingredients on pelvic infection.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Capsules ; pharmacology ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; immunology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Immunologic Factors ; pharmacology ; Inflammation ; drug therapy ; Interleukin-1beta ; immunology ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; enzymology ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Spleen ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; immunology

Topological description and matching are committed steps for three-dimensional reconstruction of vessel tree from two angiograms. Binary tree is proposed to describe the two-dimensional vessel tree. "Node Weight" and "Similar Node" are defined in order to get better description. Vessel segments in two images are matched by the preorder traversal of the binary trees, and the method is proved fast and accurate.
Algorithms ; Angiography ; methods ; Computer Simulation ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; methods ; Models, Biological ; Pattern Recognition, Automated ; methods ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; methods

Adolescent ; Adult ; Dust ; analysis ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Industry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Quartz ; Young Adult

Poloxamer F127, poloxamer F68 and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose K4M were used to prepare the thermosensitive in situ gel of boanmycin hydrochloride for injection. Its gelation temperature, rheological behavior, texture characteristics, scanning electron microscopy, in vitro and in vivo drug release were evaluated. These results showed that the formulation was a fluid solution at room temperature, which could become semisolid at the temperature of 37 degrees C, and the thermally induced sol-gel transition allowed to be injectable and in situ setting. The formulation was constructed into a tridimensional network at gelation temperature. The drug release was controlled by the diffusion of the drug and the erosion of the gelmatrix. The pharmacokinetics indicated that the drug could be released slowly for up to 48 hours after subcutaneous administration in rats.
Animals ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Bleomycin ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; Diffusion ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Gels ; Hypromellose Derivatives ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Male ; Methylcellulose ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Poloxamer ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rheology ; Temperature ; Viscosity

Objective To study the mechanism, clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatments of orbital fracture-induced exophthalmos after craniocerebral injury. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 13 patients with orbital fracture-induced exophthalmos after head injury: their causes of injury, clinical situations, types of fracture, operative treatments and surgical outcomes. Spiral CT thin slice scan and three-dimensional reconstruction were performed on the orbit before any treatment, and then, orbital fractures were repaired by corresponding surgical approaches according to the position of fractures and head injury. The effect of operation was evaluated by spiral CT and follow up was performed. Results The patients obviously manifested as having craniocerebral injury and 14 eyeballs in 13 patients had exophthalmos. The average preoperative degree of protrusion was (2.94±0.47) mm.The axial spiral CT together with the reconstructive picture presented the pre- and pro-operative orbital fractures clearly. Orbital fracture positions were situated at superior and medial wall of the orbit. All operations were succeed without death or severe disability. Conclusion The diversify of intracranial pressure is the main reason of orbital fractures which shrinks towards the inter orbit to its volume and induces exophthalmos after craniocerebral injury. The spiral CT examination has vital significance in the diagnosis and treatment of orbital fracture-induced exophthalmos and the patients can obtain good outcome by early surgery.

The aim of this study was to obtain the capsid protein VP2 of human bocavirus (HBoV) identified in Beijing recently and construct virus-like particles (VLPs) in insect cells for further study of this virus. The full-length VP2 gene of HBoV from BJ3722 was inserted into the baculovirus expression transfer vector (pFastBac 1) to obtain the recombinant Bacmid, and generation of recombinant baculoviruses was followed by transfection of the recombinant Bacmid into insect cells. Then the recombinant VP2 protein was recognized by SDS-PAGE using Coomassie-blue staining and Western blot using hyper-immune serum against VP2 of HBoV from rabbit. The recombinant baculoviruses were harvested and amplified to gain large amounts of viruses with high titers to infect insect cells at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0. 5. After 7-10 days or 4-5 days of the infection, the supernatants of culture or the cell lysates treated with lysing solution were harvested, and ultracentrifuged twice through 40% sucrose cushion to obtain purified VLPs, which were followed by Western blot and IFA for VLPs' composition and specificity analysis, by electron microscopy for VLPs' morphologic structure. The recombinant VP2 protein with molecular weight of approximately 61 kD expressed in recombinant baculoviruses was recognized by SDS-PAGE using Coomassie-blue staining and Western blot. The presence of VP2 on VLPs was demonstrated by Western blot and IFA from samples collected during the purification of VLPs from the supernatants of culture or the cell lysates, and the expression of VP2 in insect cells led to the formation of VLPs which formed the typical icosahedral appearance of parvoviruses with a diameter of approximately 20 nm. In conclusion, the recombinant baculoviruses were constructed, the HBoV VP2 protein was expressed in insect cells with high specific antigenicity and VLPs was formed successfully.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Capsid Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Human bocavirus ; genetics ; metabolism ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Spodoptera ; Virion ; genetics ; metabolism ; ultrastructure