Objective To explore the effect of hypoxic preconditioning on the activity and gene expressions of glu-cose transporters in the cultured rat hippocampal neurons and astrocytes under anoxic condition. Methods The cultured rat hippocampal neurons and astrocytes were treated for 6 days by intermittently exposing to hypoxic gas mixture (1% O_2, 10% CO_2, 89% N_2) for20 min each day. 24 h after the last hypoxic exposure, the cells were exposed to anoxic gas mixture (10% CO_2, 90% N_2) for 6 h, and the uptake rate of [~3H]-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG), the levels of glucose transporter GLUT1 and GLUT3 mRNAs and the cell survival rate were examined im-mediately after anoxic exposure. Results Neurons and astrocytes preconditioned with hypoxia showed higher 2-DG uptake rates and increased expressions of GLUT 1 mRNA in the astrocytes and GLUT 1 and GLUT 3 mRNA in the neurons. The preconditioned neurons also showed an increased tolerance to anoxia. Conclusion Hypoxic precon-ditioning up-regulates the activity and gene expressions of glucose transporters of hippocampal neurons and astro-cytes under anoxic condition.

Objective To investigate the different diagnostic value of serum Chitinase 3-like 1 protein(CHI3L1)and Alpha-fe-toprotein(AFP)in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods One hundreds HCC patients confirmed by histopa-thology were recruited between December,2015 to April,2016 from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical Univer-sity.Simultaneously,100 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 59 healthy individuals,matched by sex and age with HCC pa-tients,were recruited as control groups.Serum CHI3L1and AFP were measured in different groups and the difference were analyzed by STATA 1 2.0 Statistical software.The ability of these two items in differentiating different group was analyzing by ROC curve using MedCal Ver 15.2.2 software.Results Serum CHI3L1 were significantly differences in the three groups using Kruskal-Wallis analysis (χ2=93.19,P=0.000),the differences were further compared in different two groups using Mann-Whitney analysis.The results showed that serum CHI3L1 in HCC group were significantly higher than in chronic hepatitis B and healthy control group (P=0.000,z=8.766,7.400).Serum AFP were significantly differences in the three groups using Kruskal-Wallis analysis (χ2=147.54,P=0.000),and the differences were further compared in different two groups using Mann-Whitney analysis.The results showed that serum AFP in HCC group were significantly higher than in chronic hepatitis B and healthy control group (P=0.000,z=10.938,9.033).The ROC curve analysis of serum CHI3L1 and AFP for differentiating HCC group from CHB group showed that CHI3L1 yield AUC of 0.859 (95% CI:0.803~0.904) with 85% sensitivity,79% specificity and 76.8 pg/ml cut-off value,AFP yield AUC of 0.948 (95% CI:0.904~0.974)with 85% sensitivity,98% specificity and 7.6 ng/ml cut-off value,in distinguishing HCC with CHB group,the power of AFP was superior to that of CHI3L1 (P=0.006).The ROC curve analysis of serum CHI3L1 and AFP for differentiating HCC group from healthy individuals group showed that CHI3L1 yield AUC of 0.852 (95% CI:0.787~0.903)with 85% sensi-tivity,76% specificity and 76.8 pg/ml cut-off value,AFP yield AUC of 0.929 (95% CI:0.878~0.964)with 84% sensitivi-ty,100% specificity and 7.8 ng/ml cut-off value,in distinguishing HCC with healthy individuals group,the power of AFP was also superior to that of CHI3L1 (P=0.045).Conclusion Serum CHI3L1 similar to AFP has much power ability to di-agnosis HCC,but AFP was superior to CHI3L1.

This study was aimed to design a new, accurate and easy-to-use water bath cryo-jaw, and try to solve the problems met in small animals achilles tendon mechanical testing. The muscle-tendon-bony units were fixed in the clamps. SD rats achilles tendon were randomly divided into group A and B. Group A was tested by the newly designed water bath cryo-jaw, while group B was treated by non-water bath cryo-jaw. The mechanical tests revealed that non of the samples of the newly-designed water bath cryo-jaw in group A slipped and fell off, and the achilles tendons were in a physiologically active state, but one of the group B samples slipped and fell off, and the others had the frozen phenomenon obviously. The maximum stress, fracture displacement and Young's modulus of the rats in group A were significantly different compared to those in group B (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the new water bath cryo-jaw has more advantages than traditional ones. It exhibits a good simulation in vivo in the environmental conditions for testing the mechanical properties of the achilles tendon.
Achilles Tendon ; physiology ; Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Elastic Modulus ; Equipment Design ; In Vitro Techniques ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley