AIM: To quantitatively investigate transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) and its receptors in normal bulbar conjunctival tissues and pterygium tissues. METHODS: Thirty cases of pterygium patients were randomly selected to undergo surgical resection of pterygium lesion, and the normal margin of bulbar con-junctival tissues were collected as control. Gene expres-sion was detected quantitatively by the method of quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) analysis. RESULTS: The expression level of TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 was 4.26×10-7±1.45×10-7 and 1.08×10-10±0.68×10-10 in normal bulbar conjunctival tissues, while 10.67×10-7±7.47×10-7 and 8.23×10-11±6.63×10-11 in pterygium tissues. The expression level of TGF-βRⅠand TGF-βRⅡwas 0.003015±0.0036 and 5.33×10-5±5.05×10-5in normal bulbar conjunctival tissues, while 0.000379±0.000281 and 1.002×10-5±9.04×10-6 in pterygium tissues. The expression level of TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 in pterygium was elevated (P<0.01). TGF-β1 expression level in pterygium increase 2.9±2.8 times than in normal conjunctiva. TGF-β2 expression level in pterygium increase 7.5±1.4 times than in normal conjunctiva. The expression level of TGF-βRⅠin pterygium was significantly lower (P<0.05). The expression level of TGF-βRII in pterygium was significantly lower (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: QRT-PCR is an effective method to quantitatively detect gene expression in eye. The upregulation of TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 and downregulation of their receptors expression may play an important role in the pathogenesis of pterygium, which is noteworthy further investigation in diagnosis and treatment of pterygium.real-time PCR; gene expression

Cutaneous Fistula ; Digestive System Abnormalities ; therapy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the effects of action observation therapy on upper-extremity motor function after ischemic stroke and on the motor cortex using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).Methods Forty patients with ischemic stroke were randomly assigned to an observational group (n =20) or a control group (n =20).Both groups received conventional rehabilitation,while the observational group was additionally provided with action observation therapy for 8 weeks.Both groups were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) and the Barthel index (BI) before and after the 8 weeks of treatment and functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed before treatment.Two months after the treatment,nine patients of the experimental group and 8 of the control group who continued to receive their respective treatments after discharge were again assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging.Results After the treatment the average FMA score and BI score of both the observational group and the control group had increased significantly.The increase in the average FMA score of the observational group was significantly greater than that of the control group.However,there was no significant difference between the two groups in the increases in BI score after 8 weeks of treatment.The fMRI results showed that there was a significantly greater rise in activity in the bilateral precentral gyrus,parietal lobe and the supplementary motor area of the patients in the observational group after the treatment compared with the control group.Conclusion Action observation therapy can improve upper extremity motor function and performance in the activities of daily living after ischemic stroke and induce changes in the excitability of the cerebral motor cortex.

The Coat protein and Maturase gene of E.coli bacteriophage MS2 was amplified by PCR,then the gene was cloned into pET32a to construct the intermediate vector pET32aCP.The conservative sequence of FMDV internal ribosome entry site(IRES) was cloned into the downstream of pET32aCP bacteriophage gene to construct the prokaryotic expression vector pCPES.The recombinant plasmid pCPES transformed into E.coli strain BL21(DE3) was induced to express with 1mmol/L IPTG.The expression products were purified by sucrose density gradient centrifugation.The expression products observed by TEM were circular viruslike particles,and the diameter of these particles was about 26nm.The stability of viruslike particles was detected,and the viruslike particles was identified by RTPCR.The results showed that the viruslike particles contain the FMDV IRES RNA and have good stability.The viruslike particles have great prospect as the standard and quality control in the area of RNA virus detection.

Objective To explore the liver toxicities of the VDLD scheme in children with malignant tumor.Methods In a prospective trial,the levels of serum total protein,albumin, globulin,rate of albumin/globuin alanine aminotransferase,aspartate transaminase,gamma glutamyltranspeptidase,total bile acid and alkaline phosphatase were tested in children with malignant tumour before and after VDLD scheme,and compared with each other.Results The concentration of the serum total bile acid was significantly increased after VDLD scheme than before(P

Objective To understand the evaluation on graduates' professional quality from the employment institutions,and to provide the references for the higher vocational schools in improving students' training model and strengthening students' professional quality. Methods The questionnaires designed independently were answered by the employment institutions hiring 2003-2005 four majors(namely nursing,laboratory science,dental technology,optometry) graduates from Shanghai Institute of Health Sciences. Results The overall evaluation of employment institutions on the graduates was quite good,but the evaluation on graduates' professional ability was low. Conclusion With strengthening the student' specialized knowledge and skill training,higher vocational schools must pay more attention to the students' professional ability education.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of estrogen on osteoblast apoptosis induced by serum hungry in vitro.MethodsOsteoblasts of second or third generation from newly born SD rats calvaria were divided randomly into the control group, serum hungry group and serum hungry with estrogen group. Cells of each group were incubated for 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 5 d, 7 d and 14 d, then labeled using TUNEL staining and examined for morphological characteristics of apoptotic cell under light microscopy after incubated for 72 h. The rates of apoptotic cells of each group were examined with flow cytometry.ResultsThe cells of the control group showed normal appears, the serum hungry group had many cells with purple and blue particles in nuclei, but serum hungry with estrogen group had less such cells. The rate of apoptotic cell significantly increased in serum hungry group and decreased in serum hungry with estrogen group compared with the control group examined with flow cytometry (P<0.05).ConclusionEstrogen can repress osteoblasts apoptosis of rats induced by serum hungry.

BACKGROUND:The study aimed to compare the therapeutic effect of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) on the onset of acute cerebral infarction (ACI) at different time points of the first 6 hours.METHODS:A retrospective analysis was conducted in 74 patients who received rt-PA thrombolysis treatment within 4.5 hours after ACI and another 15 patients who received rt-PA thrombolysis treatment between 4.5-6 hours after ACI.RESULTS:National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were statistically decreased in both groups (P>0.05) at 24 hours and 7 days after ACI. There was no significant difference in modified ranking scores and mortality at 90 days after the treatment between the two groups (P>0.05).CONCLUSIONS:The therapeutic effect and mortality of rt-PA treatment in patients with ACI between 4.5-6 hours after the onset of the disease were similar to those in patients who received rt-PA within 4.5 hours after the onset of this disease. Therefore, intravenous thrombolytic therapy for ACI within 4.5-6 hours after ACI was effective and safe.

To investigate the potential ability of the nitrite to induce neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells, cultured PC12 cells planted on matrigel in the presence or absence of sodium nitrite were employed as model, nerve growth factor (NGF) served as a positive control. After 48 h, sodium nitrite enhanced cell viability and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion. Same as the effect of NGF, sodium nitrite (1.4 mmol x L(-1)) treated cultures contained a greater proportion of cells bearing neurites and neurites were much longer than those found in negative control cultures (P < 0.05). Compared with the negative control, sodium nitrite (1.4 mmol x L(-1)) also upregulated the expression of VEGF mRNA (P < 0.05) and hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) or VEGF protein expression (P < 0.05) in cultures of PC12 cells. On the other hand, these effects of the sodium nitrite were likely mediated by HIF-1alpha, since their effects were antagonized by addition of HIF-1alpha inhibitor YC-1. Taken together, these results suggest that low doses of sodium nitrite could induce neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells by activating the HIF-1alpha-VEGF pathway.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Food Preservatives ; pharmacology ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neurites ; drug effects ; PC12 Cells ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Sodium Nitrite ; pharmacology ; Up-Regulation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; secretion

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of LY294002 on protein kinase B expression in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma cells (SACC).

METHODSUsing Western-blot and RT-PCR detected the protein and mRNA level of protein kinase B (PKB) both in cell line, absent and present LY294002. The data were analysed by t-test.

RESULTSThe expression and transcription level of PKB (Ser(473)) in SACC-83 was lower than in SACC-LM (P < 0.05). The expression of PKB (Ser(473)) in SACC cell lines with LY294002 was lower than in SACC cell lines without LY294002 (P < 0.01). The transcription level of PKB showed no difference in SACC cell lines with and without LY294002 (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIn vitro, the protein expression and transcription level of PKB (Ser(473)) is higher in SACC-LM cell line than in SACC-83 cell line. In vitro, LY294002 can inhibit protein expression of PKB (Ser(473)) in SACC-83 cells and SACC-LM cells.

Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; Chromones ; pharmacology ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Morpholines ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured