BACKGROUND:Compared with traditional hydrogels, intel igent hydrogels can appear to exhibit different responses to different stimuli such as temperature, pH value, light, and magnetic field, produce two-stage structure and alter chemical structure to generate the ordered supramolecular structure by self-assembling, and ultimately cause the formation of the gel with three-dimensional structure.
OBJECTIVE:To review the research status of intel igent hydrogels and its application in tissue engineering.
METHODS:A computer-based search of CNKI and PubMed databases was performed to retrieve articles addressing intel igent hydrogels in tissue engineering published before 2014. The keywords were“hydrogel, tissue engineering”in Chinese and English.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Intel igent hydrogels are classified into temperature sensitivity, pH sensitivity, photosensitivity, magnetic susceptibility and temperature/pH dual responsive hydrogels. The change of the external environment can be automatical y detected and responded. Intel igent hydrogels exhibit a series of outstanding performances in drug delivery systems, drug delivery, repair and improvement of defected tissues, which are not possessed by traditional materials. In particular, the intel igent hydrogels show considerable superiorities in tissue engineering, including low immunogenicity that reducing inflammation and rejection, biodegradability, realizing the three-dimensional scale simulation of cel microenvironment that is conducive to cel adhesion, growth, migration and differentiation.

Objective To evaluate the protective effects of Sipunculus nudus preparation(SNP) on mice irradiated by 60Co.Methods The mice were divided into control group,model group and 0.5,1.0,and 2.0g?kg-1?d-1 SNP groups.SNP was administrated by intra-gastric infusion with the volume of 0.4mL per 20g.In the fifteenth day,the model group and the treated groups were irradiated by ?-ray of 60Co(0.83Gy/h) with the dose of 5 Gy.Peripheral blood WBC,RBC,PLT,the spleen(SI) and thymus index(TI),the BMNC,SOD and MDA in serum,testicle index,germ cells were detected.Results Comparing with the model group,TI,SI and peripheral blood WBC,RBC and BMNCs were higher.The activities of SOD in serum were increased,while MDA decreased.Testicle index and germ cells were increased,and germ abnomality rate was decreased in SNP groups.Conclusion SNP has protective effects on mice irradiatied by 60Co.

Objective To investigate the effects of physical and chemical factors in the environment for dried blood sample (DBS) preparation of neonatal screening assay.Methods A total of 60 normal and 120 positive DBS were prepared under control and 10 different conditions.Another 30 normal and 80 positive DBS were prepared under control and 7 different concentration gradients of formaldehyde.The levels of phenylalanine (Phe),glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenease (G6PD),thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and 17α-hydoxyprogesterone (17α-OHP) were tested by time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay or fluorescence assay.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 software.Results Compared with the control group,the results of Phe were not significantly different (P ＞ 0.05) when the samples were dried under the formaldehyde sensitive threshold (4.62 to 6.95 ppm for 18 hours).G6PD levels were significantly lowered when the samples were dried under all the conditions except for fast cold drying (2 to 8 ℃ overnight and formaldehyde condition,0.30 to 0.38 ppm for 4 hours or 0.21 to 0.24 ppm for 18 hours).TSH and 17α-OHP levels were lowered obviously when the samples were dried under the conditions of humidity,UV and formaldehyde condition (TSH:0.32 to 0.52 ppm for 4 hours,0.38 to 0.45 ppm for 18 hours,17α-OHP:4.37 to 4.62 ppm for 4 hours,0.38 to 0.45 ppm for 18 hours).The results of Phe,G6PD,TSH and 17α-OHP were not statistically different with the control group when the samples were dried under the fast cold drying and 2 to 8 ℃ overnight.Conclusion The physical and chemical factors in the environment of DBS preparation should be related to the accuracy of neonatal disease screening closely.The necessary control factors including formaldehyde,ethanol,glacial acetic acid,ultraviolet irradiation,heat,humidity and decoration pollution may exhibit significant effects on the preparation of DBS.Fast cold drying and overnight at 2 to 8 ℃ could be available for DBS preparation.

Objects To study the protective effects of cimetidine against oxidative stress in rats induced by cumulative low-dose irradiation.Methods Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (10 each):normal control group,model control group,lentinan group [89mg/(kg.d)] and 3 dose groups of cimetidine.After oral administration,all the rats were exposed to γ-ray irradiation 8 hours/day for 12 days,and sacrificed on the 13th day.The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD),glutathione peroxidase (GPx),catalase (CAT) and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum,liver,thymus and spleen were determined.By using the superoxide anion radical system,hydroxyl radical system,H2O2 radical system,oxidation system of linoleic acid induced by alkane radical system and diphenyl picryl hydrazinyl radical (DPPH) radical system,the antioxidation activities of cimetidine were detected.Results The activities of SOD in liver and thymus decreased significantly,the GPx activity in serum,liver and spleen decreased significantly and MDA level in serum,liver and spleen increased significantly after 0.3Gy cumulative ionizing radiation.Cimetidine enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes in serum and organs,and reduced the MDA level.In a certain concentration range,cimetidine had different scavenging effects onto these radical systems,and showed good performance in hydroxyl radical.Conclusion Cimetidine can effectively ameliorate the oxidative stress from low-dose cumulative irradiation by scavenging free radicals,increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes and reduce the content of lipid peroxidation products,thus presents a potential radio protective effect.

Objective To observe the regulatory effect of acupotomy lysis on SP level in spinal cord and tissues above spinal cord of rats with knee osteoarthritis.Methods 60 healthy SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group,model group,electro-acupuncture(EA)group,and acupotomy lysis(AL)group.Mix 4%papain solution with 0.3 mol/L cysteine solution in the ratio of 1∶1.After pausing for 0.5h,inject the mixture,20 μl each time,into the left knee joint cavities of rats in model,AL,and EA groups on the day of 1,4,7.After 4 weeks AL group was treated with acupotomy lysis and EA group with electro-acupuncture.Three weeks after treatment,take samples of spinal cord,midbrain,pituitary gland,thalamus,and hypothalamus from the swellings of rats'waists.Measure the content of SP therein separately.Results Compared with normal control group,there was a significant rise in the content of SP in spinal cord and the tissues above spinal cord of model group rats (P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and there was a significant rise in spinal cord,pituitary gland,thalamus and hypothalamus of EA group rats (P＜0.05,P＜0.01);in AL group,there was a significant rise in spinal cord,pituitary gland,thalamus,and there was no statistically difference in hypothalamus and midbrain.Compared with normal control group,there was a significant rise in spinal cord (P＜0.05)and a significant decrease in the SP contents in hypothalamus(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)in EA group.There was no statistically difference between EA group and AL group except in hypothalamus(P＜0.05).Conclusion Acupotomy lysis has positive functions in regulating SP content in centrum of rats with knee osteoarthritis,which helps easing pain.

Objective To investigate the radioprotective effect of cimetidine on survival rate and hematopoietic system in acutely irradiated mice.Methods The total body irradiation doses were 6.0Gy and 8.0Gy respectively at 1.01Gy/min rate. Sixty healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, positive-drug (523) group and cimetidine groups (33.3mg/kg, 100mg/kg and 300mg/kg). Each group had ten mice. The mice were given intragastric administration of cimetidine for 6d before the irradiation in cimetidine groups, and 523 was administered before irradiation once a day for one day in 523 group, and at 5h after irradiation, was given again. The 30d survival rate after 8.0Gy irradiation was recorded. The peripheral blood cells, bone marrow DNA content and frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (fMNPCE) were determined 30d after 6.0Gy irradiation.Results After 8.0Gy irradiation, all the mice died on 21th day in model control group. The survival rates in cimetidine groups were 50%, 20% and 30%, respectively. After 6.0Gy irradiation on 30th day, compared with control group, the peripheral white blood cells (WBC) and bone marrow DNA content were decreased significantly (P<0.01,P<0.05) in model group, and fMNPCE was increased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with model group, WBC was significantly increased in 300mg/kg cimetidine group (P<0.01). In cimetidine groups, the bone marrow DNA content was increased significantly after irradiation (P<0.01 orP<0.05), and the fMNPCE was decreased significantly (P<0.01 orP<0.05) and tended towards normal.Conclusion Cimetidine could improve 30d survival rate of acutely irradiated mice and has good protective effect on hematopoietic system.

Objective:By observing the effects of Calycosin on the proliferation and migration of human renal cancer 769-P cell, to explore the possible molecular mechanism of Calycosin against renal cancer.Methods:769-P cell were cultured with different concentrations of Calycosin [0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200 μmol/L, dissolved in Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)], and the effects of different concentrations of Calycosin on the viability of 769-P cell was detected by CCK8 method. The 769-P cell treated with 200 μmol/L Calycosin were used as the Calycosin group, and the 769-P cell treated with DMSO were used as the control group. The cell colony formation assay and cell scratch assay were used to detect the effects of Calycosin on the proliferation and migration of 769-P cell, respectively. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the effect of Calycosin on the expression of miRNA-1246 and chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4) in 769-P cell. Western blotting method was used to detect the effects of Calycosin on the expression of CXCR4 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway proteins in 769-P cell. Measurement data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation ( ± s), and one-way ANOVA was used for comparison between multiple groups, while t-test was used for comparison between two groups. Results:After cultured with 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μmol/L of Calycosin, the absorbance values of renal cancer 769-P cell were 0.99 ± 0.06, 0.74 ± 0.07, 0.60 ± 0.03, 0.55 ± 0.05, 0.40 ± 0.06, 0.21 ± 0.04, respectively; compared with 0 μmol/L, the Calycosin could reduce the survival rate of 769-P cell ( P<0.05). The number of clones of 769-P cell in the control group and the Calycosin group was 109.80 ± 13.19 and 60.66 ± 11.22, respectively, and the number of clones of the 769-P cell in the Calycosin group was decreased, the difference was statistically significant ( t=5.67, P<0.01). The relative migration rates of 769-P cell in the control group and the Calycosin group were (43.13 ± 3.82)% and (14.27 ± 3.25)%, respectively, after the 769-P cell were treated with Calycosin, the cell migration ability was weakened ( t=5.71, P<0.05). The relative expression levels of miRNA-1246 in 769-P cell of the control group and the Calycosin group was 1.03 ± 0.12 and 6.99 ± 1.84, respectively, and the relative expression levels of CXCR4 mRNA was 7.17 ± 2.96 and 0.98 ± 0.06, respectively, showed that Calycosin can up-regulate the expression of miRNA-1246 in 769-P cell ( t=3.24, P<0.01), and down-regulate the expression of CXCR4 mRNA ( t=4.18, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the Calycosin could down-regulate the expression of CXCR4 protein and ERK pathway protein in 769-P cell. Conclusion:Calycosin can inhibit the proliferation and migration of renal cancer 769-P cell, and its mechanism may be related to up-regulating the expression of miRNA-1246 and blocking the CXCR4/ERK pathway.

Objective To study the features of liver damage caused by anti-TB medicines among patients with TB-HBV co-infection, in order to complement and improve the implementation of DOTs strategy in the region. Methods A historical cohort study was conducted including the process of reviewing and analyzing files of the 781 naive TB patients hospitalized from June 2004 to October 2005. Cases were divided into HBsAg (+) group and HBsAg (-) group. Results The overall damage rate among the 781 investigation cases was 20.74%, including 121 cases (74.69%) in HBsAg (+) group and 41 cases (25.31%) in HBsAg (-) group. Data showed that liver damage rate and average value of ALT and AST of HBsAg (+) group were higher than those in HBsAg (-) group. First case with liver damage in HBsAg (+) group happened on the 7th day of the treatment, while the first liver damage case happened in HBsAg (-) group was on the 16th day. The average onset in HBsAg (+) group was earlier than HBsAg (-) group for 18.09 days. The average time of liver function recovery in HBsAg (+) group was 57.02 days and in HBsAg (-) group it was 27.56 days while the appearance among HBsAg (+) group was 29.46 days later than in HBsAg (-) group. Conclusion The incidence rate of liver damage caused by anti-TB medicines was higher among HBV positive patients than those HBV negative patients. Patients co-infected with HBV infection appeared to be more serious, with higher incidence on liver damage and earlier onset, as well as with the degree of damage to the liver.

OBJECTIVETo study pantothenate kinase 2 (PANK2) gene mutations in Chinese patients with Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome (HSS).

METHODSPANK2 gene mutations were detected by PCR, DNA sequence analyses, restriction enzyme digestion and PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism in 5 patients, 3 unaffected family members and 51 unrelated healthy persons.

RESULTSNovel compound heterozygous PANK2 gene mutations, A803G and T1172A, in exons 3 and 5, respectively, were found in one patient. At the same time, 3 types of single nucleotide polymorphisms, -38 t>a in 5'-UTR, IVS1+42 c>a and G77C in exon 1, were confirmed; among them, -38 t>a, IVS1+42 c>a, were first reported.

CONCLUSIONPANK2 gene mutations can cause HSS in Chinese patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Base Sequence ; Child ; China ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration ; genetics ; Pedigree ; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a child with mental retardation. METHODS: The child was subjected to next generation sequencing (NGS). Candidate variant was analyzed with bioinformatic software. RESULTS: NGS revealed that the child has carried a de novo heterozygous c.4035G>C (p.Gln1345His) variant of the ARID1B gene. The variant was unreported previously and may cause instability of the protein structure. CONCLUSION The de novo missense variant of ARID1B gene may underlie the mental retardation in the child. Above result has enabled genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for her family.