Objective To explore the safety of Habib VesOpen bipolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) catheter used in the treatment of portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Methods A total of 10 miniature pigs were randomly divided into 3 groups. Group A(n=6):RFA of normal portal vein was directly performed;group B (n=2): balloon obstruction of the portal vein was performed first, which was followed by RFA for the fresh thrombus in the portal vein; group C (n=2): PVTT model was established first, and RFA of the portal vein was carried out when the portal thrombus became organized. MRI examination was employed at one, 3 and 4 weeks after RFA; the animals were sacrificed 4 weeks after RFA and pathological examination of portal vein was performed. Results Pigs of group A received portal vein RFA under the condition of 5 W power for 0.6-3.6 min. No obvious abnormality was detected by MRI and pathological examination , which were performed one month after the treatment. In the pigs of group B , MRI performed after RFA showed that the damage of portal vein area was more serious than that in the pigs of group A;abdominal MRI examination performed at one, 3 and 4 weeks after RFA showed that the portal venous edema was gradually decreased;pathological examination at one month after RFA demonstrated serious injury of adjacent liver tissue. Pigs of group C received portal vein RFA under the condition of 7 W power for 1.5 min; no obvious edema of the ablated area was observed on MRI performed after RFA , and pathological examination revealed organized thrombus necrosis and va scular endothelial cell damage. Conclusion When Habib VesOpen bipolar RFA catheter is used for the treatment of PVTT, the RFA power and time should be properly selected according to the severity of PVTT. In order to ensure a safer procedure, high power and short ablation time should be used when the severity of PVTT is mild, while low power and longer ablation time are recommended when the PVTT is more severe.

Objective To explore the influence of elevating the oxygen pressure on articular chondrocytes in vitro.Method A hydrogen peroxide induced human articular chondrocyte damage model was established.Then the articular chondrocyte viability was detected using the CCK-8 kit.Collagen Ⅱ(COL Ⅱ),The expression levels of aggrecan (ACAN),matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and adisintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (ADAMTS5) were detected using the realtime PCR and Western blotting.Result The viability of articular chondrocytes improved at 12 h but decreased at 24 h after the stimulation of hydrogen peroxide.Twenty-four hours later,the average expression level of COL Ⅱ and ACAN decreased(P＜0.05),while that of MMP13 and ADAMTS5 elevated(P＞0.05).Conclusion Hydrogen peroxide induced elevation of the extracellular oxygen pressure can influence the synthesis and degradation of the articular chondrocyte extracellular matrix.

To determine the relationship between the urinary endothelin (ET-1), nitric oxide (NO) levels and the clinical, pathologic types of primary glomerulonephritis (GN) patients, urinary levels of ET-1 and NO were detected in 27 patients with biopsy-proven primary GN and 12 normal controls by radioimmunoassay and by copper-plated and cadmium column reduction assay, respectively. The results showed that urinary ET-1 levels in the patients with primary GN were significantly higher than in normal controls (p < 0.01), while the urinary ET-1 levels in patients with moderate mesangial proliferation GN were significantly higher than those in patients with mild mesangial proliferation GN (p < 0.05). Urinary ET-1 levels in patients whose clinical feature was nephrotic syndrome were found to be higher than in patients whose clinical feature was nephritic syndrome. However, urinary NO levels were to the contrary (p < 0.05). The ratio of ET-1/NO in primary GN patients was significantly higher than that in normal controls, and it positively correlated with the 24-hour urinary excretion of protein. These results suggest that urinary ET-1 levels are related to the proliferation of mesangial cells. The imbalance between ET-1 and NO may be related to the pathogenesis of primary GN and the occurrence of proteinuria.
Adolescence ; Adult ; Endothelin-1/urine* ; Endothelin-1/physiology ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis/urine* ; Glomerulonephritis/etiology ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Nitric Oxide/urine* ; Nitric Oxide/physiology ; Nitric-Oxide Synthase/metabolism

Objective To build a supervision mechanism for independent clinical labs (ICL),surveyed the current situation of such novel institutions in China.Methods By way of the nationwide network of clinical labs,ICL in China were surveyed by written questionnaires and spot inspection.Results In the surveyed 38 ICLs,the maximum registered capital was 44 900 thousands,the minimum was 2 000 thousands.The maximum number of employee was 1 105,the minimum was 19.6 labs passed ISO15189 ratification,4 labs passed CAP ratification.17 labs participated in local external quality control,29 labs par-ticipated in national external quality control.Conclusion Although ICL in our country have developed well in the past dec-ade,such vulnerabilities as unbalanced staff ratio,full-range quality control bugs,cutthroat competition,asymmetrical infor-mation disclosure and bio-safety have loomed in the meantime.It is time to formulate a stricter industry access system and appropriate regulatory modes.

Objective To investigate the changes of serum sclerostin(SOST)and secreted frizzled related protein 5(SFRP5)levels and their prognostic value in patients with post-traumatic osteoarthritis(PTOA).Methods 84 patients with PTOA admitted to the hospital from January 2020 to January 2022 were selected as the disease group,and 84 healthy patients who underwent physical examination in the hospital during the same period were selected as the health group.Serum SOST and SFRP5 levels were detected in the diseased and healthy groups by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The patients in the disease group were followed up for 1 year and the prognosis of PTOA patients was evaluated by Lysholm knee function score.Spearman correla-tion analysis was used to analyze the correlation between serum SOST,SFRP5 and Lysholm knee function score in PTOA patients.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the prognostic factors of PTOA patients.The predictive value of serum SOST and SFRP5 levels in poor prognosis of PTOA patients was ana-lyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results Compared with the healthy group,the serum SOST and SFRP5 levels in the disease group were significantly decreased,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum SOST and SFRP5 levels were posi-tively correlated with Lysholm knee function score.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that body mass index＞25 kg/m2,Kelgran-Lawrence grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ at admission and cartilage Outerbridge grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ at admission were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in PTOA patients(P＜0.05).Long-term exercise,SOST and SFRP5 levels were protective factors(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve(AUC)of serum SOST and SFRP5 combined in predicting poor prognosis of PTOA patients was higher than that of SOST and SFRP5 alone in predicting poor prognosis of PTOA patients(Z=2.316,P=0.021;Z=2.356,P=0.019).Conclusion Serum SOST and SFRP5 levels are reduced in PTOA patients compared to healthy individuals,both of which are associated with poor prognosis in PTOA patients and have some predictive efficacy for patient prognosis.

Cell Line ; Dialysis Solutions ; adverse effects ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; adverse effects ; Peritoneum ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; RNA, Small Interfering ; pharmacology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

OBJECTIVETo construct a novel recombinant rhIFN-epsilon155ser, and study its biological activities.

METHODSThe whole sequence of rhIFN-epsilon was artificially synthesized and some codons were altered according to the preferred codon using of E.coli. The sequence was cloned into plasmid vector pBV220 to express in E.coli DH5alpha. After purification and re-folding of rhIFN-epsilon155ser inclusion body, the final product was tested for its biological activities, including anti-viral, anti-proliferative and NK cell enhancing activities. At the same time, by using DNA microarray biochips, the gene expression patterns in the rhIFN-epsilon155ser and rhIFN-alpha2b treated cells were compared and analyzed.

RESULTSThe re-built rhIFN-epsilon155ser sequence was expressed in E.coli as a form of inclusion body. After purified and re-folded, the rhIFN-epsilon155ser protein reached a purity of above 95%. The rhIFN-epsilon155ser protein had a specific anti-viral activity of about 6 x 10(5) IU/mg in WISH/VSV system. Its anti-proliferative activity and NK cell enhancing activities in vitro seemed to be lower than that of rhIFN-alpha2b. Data obtained from microarray biochips indicated that there were 283 pieces increasing 2 folds and 1489 pieces decreasing 2 folds among totally 22,278 pieces of human genes were found in the rhIFN-epsilon155ser treated cells; more changes in gene expression pattern were detected in the rhIFN-alpha treated cells.

CONCLUSIONA novel recombinant rhIFN-epsilon155ser was constructed, which belonged to type 1 interferon. The biological activities of rhIFN-epsilon155ser were compared with rhIFN-alpha2b. The changes of gene expression pattern in the interferon treated cells were detected, analyzed and discussed.

Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cloning, Molecular ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Interferons ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; K562 Cells ; Killer Cells, Natural ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

BACKGROUNDH3N2 subtype influenza A viruses have been identified in humans worldwide, raising concerns about their pandemic potential and prompting the development of candidate vaccines to protect humans against this subtype of influenza A virus. The aim of this study was to establish a system for rescuing of a cold-adapted high-yielding H3N2 subtype human influenza virus by reverse genetics.

METHODSIn order to generate better and safer vaccine candidate viruses, a cold-adapted high yielding reassortant H3N2 influenza A virus was genetically constructed by reverse genetics and was designated as rgAA-H3N2. The rgAA-H3N2 virus contained HA and NA genes from an epidemic strain A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2) in a background of internal genes derived from the master donor viruses (MDV), cold-adapted (ca), temperature sensitive (ts), live attenuated influenza virus strain A/Ann Arbor/6/60 (MDV-A).

RESULTSIn this presentation, the virus HA titer of rgAA-H3N2 in the allantoic fluid from infected embryonated eggs was as high as 1:1024. A fluorescent focus assay (FFU) was performed 24-36 hours post-infection using a specific antibody and bright staining was used for determining the virus titer. The allantoic fluid containing the recovered influenza virus was analyzed in a hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test and the specific inhibition was found.

CONCLUSIONThe results mentioned above demonstrated that cold-adapted, attenuated reassortant H3N2 subtype influenza A virus was successfully generated, which laid a good foundation for the further related research.

Animals ; COS Cells ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Dogs ; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus ; genetics ; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype ; immunology ; Influenza Vaccines ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neuraminidase ; genetics ; Plasmids ; Reassortant Viruses ; immunology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vaccines, Attenuated ; immunology ; Viral Proteins ; genetics

Objective:To analyze the brain function of patients with delirium in intensive care unit (ICU) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), further analyze the structural changes in the brain using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and explore the correlations of brain function with structural changes in patients with delirium in ICU from a new perspective of functional imaging, provide visual evidence for the diagnosis of delirium.Methods:Patients with delirium admitted to ICU of the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from January 1st to December 31st in 2017 were enrolled as subjects. During the same period, the healthy volunteers who matched the gender, age and education level of the patients with delirium were enrolled as control group. The intensive care delirium screening checklist (ICDSC) scores within 24 hours after ICU admission were recorded. All the subjects were scanned by fMRI and DTI. The abnormal changes in resting-state brain function of the patients with delirium were evaluated by cerebral regional homogeneity (ReHo) data analysis. The DTI data were processed by the FSL software, and the fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of the brain were extracted, respectively, to evaluate the damage to brain structure. The values of ReHo, FA and MD were compared between the two groups. The ReHo value of brain region with reduced ReHo value of patients with delirium as compared with the healthy volunteers was extracted for Pearson correlation analysis with ICDSC scores.Results:A total of 22 patients with delirium were included. Seven patients who did not cooperate in the examination, used sedatives or had false images in scanning, were excluded. Finally, 15 patients were enrolled in the delirium group, and 15 healthy volunteers in the healthy control group. ① No statistically significant difference was found in gender, age or education time between the two groups. ICDSC score of the delirium group was significantly higher than that of the healthy control group (6.07±1.28 vs. 1.07±0.88, P < 0.01). ② fMRI scanning and analysis results: compared with the healthy control group, the ReHo values of the cerebellum, right hippocampus, striatum, midbrain and pons in the delirium group were significantly increased (all P < 0.05, AlphaSim correction), while the ReHo values of bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral median frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, temporal lobe and parietal lobe were significantly lowered (all P < 0.05, AlphaSim correction). Correlation analysis showed that the ReHo value of the left superior frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with ICDSC score in the patients with delirium ( r = -0.794, P < 0.05), indicating that the changes in the functional area of the medial frontal gyrus was most closely related to delirium. ③ DTI scanning and analysis results: compared with the healthy control group, the FA values of the left cerebellum, bilateral frontal lobes, left temporal lobe, corpus callosum and left hippocampus in the delirium group were decreased significantly (all P < 0.05, AlphaSim correction), while the MD values of the medial frontal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, anterior cingulate gyrus, bilateral insular lobes and left caudate nucleus were enhanced significantly (all P < 0.05, AlphaSim correction), suggesting that the structural and functional damage was found in multiple brain regions in patients with delirium. Conclusions:Multiple brain regions of patients with delirium present abnormal resting-state brain function. The abnormal resting-state brain function of the left superior frontal gyrus is closely related to the occurrence of delirium. Structural damage is found in multiple brain regions of patients with delirium. The structural changes in the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, corpus callosum, hippocampus and cerebellum and their abnormal functions can be used as preliminary imaging indexes for the diagnosis of delirium.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of gypenosides on DMN-induced liver fibrosis in rats.

METHODA rat liver fibrosis model was established by injecting DMN intraperitoneally. Four weeks later, model rats were randomly devided into three groups: the model group, the gypenosides treated group (200 mg x kg(-1)) and the colchicine treated group (0.1 mg x kg(-1)), with 10 specimens for each group. After a 2-week treatment, following parameters were observed: (1) last body weight, weight ratio between liver and spleen; (2) content of liver hydroxyproline (Hyp); (3) activity of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GT), content of albumin (Alb) and total bilirubin( TBiL) in serum; (4) liver pathology (Sirius red staining and HE staining); (5) activity of liver superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reduced (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and content of liver maleic dialdehyde (MDA).

RESULTThere were classic liver cirrhosis pathological changes in model groups. Compared with the normal group, liver Hyp content, activity of serum ATL, AST, gamma-GT and content of serum TBiL, MDA of model groups significantly increased; content of serum Alb and liver GSH, activity of liver SOD and GSH-Px decreased significantly in model groups. In comparison with the model group, liver cirrhosis remarkable improved in the gypenosides group, content of liver Hyp reduced significantly (P < 0.01), which was equal to the colchicine group. Compared with the model group, liver function parameters improved markedly in the gypenosides group; liver SOD and GSH-Px activities significantly increased; MDA content reduced significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONGypenosides shows an effect in treating DMN-induced liver fibrosis in rats.

Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Dimethylnitrosamine ; adverse effects ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Gynostemma ; Hydroxyproline ; metabolism ; Liver ; drug effects ; enzymology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar