Adult ; Biopsy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lithiasis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Lung Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Pulmonary Alveoli ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Adult ; Butadienes ; adverse effects ; Chemical Industry ; Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Occupational Health ; Physical Examination ; Young Adult

Objective Cardiac muscle cells play a critical role in maintaining normal function of the heart.Cardiotrophin-1(CT-1),a potent cardiac survival factor,is capable of inhibiting apoptosis or promoting survival in cardiomyocytes.To elucidate the mechanism of CT-1 promoting cardiac myocyte survival in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.To explore the potential signaling pathway that might be responsible for this effect.Methods We examined the cardiac myocyte survival effect of CT-1 in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.The cardiomyocytes were stained [3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiaziazol-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide,MTT] and the counted.Results The survival rate of cardiac myocytes was increased by CT-1 in a dose-dependent manner(10-10～10-7 mol/L) and in a time-dependent manner(1～4 d,10-8 mol/L) in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.Pretreatment of PD098059(5?10-5mol/L),a MAPK blocker,decreased significantly survival rate of cardiac myocytes by promoted CT-1.The phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA)(10-5mol/L),a PKC activator,increased significantly this effect of CT-1,but inhibited significantly by MAPK blocker PD098059.Conclusion CT-1 is a potent factor of promoting cardiac myocyte survival,and increase significantly survival rate of cardiac myocytes in a dose-dependentand a time-dependent manner in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.The MAPK signaling pathway mediates CT-1 induced cardiac myocyte survival.PKC signaling molecule may be a upstream signaling transduction pathway which cascades of MAPK in CT-1 induced cardiac myocyte survival.

The effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein on the proliferation of rat anterior pituitary cells and mouse AtT-20 cells were studied using techniques of cell culture, ～3H-TdR incorporation, flow cytometric analysis and electron microscope. Genistein significantly inhibited the proliferation of rat anterior pituitary cells and mouse AtT-20 cells. Genistein (50 and 100 μmol/L ) blocked the proliferation of AtT-20 cells at G0/G1 and G2/M phases and evoked an apoptotic peak of these cells with an apoptotic ratio of 19.9％ and 36.4%. The apoptotic cells were also observed under the electron microscope. In consequence, genistein, as a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, can significantly inhibit the proliferation of pituitary cells possibly by inducing apoptosis, and the tyrosine kinase activity may play a key role in the proliferation and differentiation of pituitary cells.

To observe therapeutic effects of acupuncture on female's climacteric depression and to study on the mechanism. Methods Sixty cases enrolled were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture were given at Ganshu (BL 18), Shenshu (BL 23), Xinshu (BL 15), etc. with uniform reinforcing-reducing method, once each day, and the control group were treated with oral administration of fluexertine hydrochloride, 20 mg, once daily. HAMD scale was used for assessment before treatment and 2,4,6 weeks after treatment. Blood dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) contents were detected before treatment and after one therapeutic course. Results The total effective rate was 86.7% in the acupuncture group and 92.9% in the control group with no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, DA content increased significantly in the acupuncture group with a significant difference as compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05); and after treatment NE and 5-HIAA contents in the two groups significantly increased as compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), with no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture can benignly and comprehensively regulate general functions, and increase contents of monoamines in the body, so as to play the role of anti-depression.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Climacteric ; psychology ; Depression ; blood ; therapy ; Dopamine ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid ; blood ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Norepinephrine ; blood

A cDNA sequence of Arnebia euchroma AP2/ERF named AeAP2/ERF was cloned by in silico cloning in this study, using ACX71873 sequence from Lithospermum erythrorhizon as the probe sequence. Some characters of the AP2/ERF gene and encoded protein sequences were predicted and analyzed by the bioinformatics methods, including general physical and chemical properties, hydrophobieity, signal peptide, secondary structure, localization sites in cells. Results showed that the 876 bp long gene included a 1 077 bp ORF and encoding 205 amino acid. The AeAP2/ERF protein had no signal peptide, it was a hydrophilic proteins located in nucleus. The function of the AP2/ERF protein was mainly involved with metabolism controlling and signal transduction.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Boraginaceae ; classification ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Computational Biology ; Computer Simulation ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; Protein Structure, Secondary ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; Transcription Factors ; chemistry ; genetics

Child ; Endoscopy ; Humans ; Male ; Paraganglioma ; surgery ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the effect and mechanism of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) on apoptosis of pulmonary eosinophiles (PE) in asthmatic guinea-pigs.

METHODSThirty guinea-pigs were divided into 3 groups at random, the control group, the asthmatic group and the As2O3 group. The dosage of As2O3 used was 2 mg/kg. The apoptotic PE were labelled by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labelling technique, and the PE infiltration and apoptosis were detected quantitatively using computerized image analysis technique.

RESULTSIn the control group, the amount of infiltrating PE was 4.4 +/- 2.5 cells/HP and the PE apoptotic index (AI) was 0.42 +/- 0.08%. In the asthmatic group, the amount increased (P < 0.01) and AI decreased significantly (P < 0.01). After the asthmatic animals had been treated with As2O3, the two parameters changed reversedly significantly (P < 0.01), and there was a significantly negative correlation between them (r = -0.949, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe PE apoptosis abnormality is one of the important mechanisms that cause bronchial asthma, As2O3 could alleviate the airway inflammation through promoting PE apoptosis and lower PE infiltration. Low dose of As2O3 is proved to be effective with relative safety, it also has potential value in treating asthma.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Arsenicals ; pharmacology ; Asthma ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Eosinophils ; pathology ; Guinea Pigs ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Lung ; pathology ; Male ; Ovalbumin ; Oxides ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation

AIM: To explore the localization and expression of transfo rming grow th factor-? 1,2 (TGF-? 1,2 ) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (?- ASMA) in fetal a nd adult skins. METHODS: Skins of 15 cases of fetuses with different gestational ages and 5 cases of adults were taken, embedded with paraffin wax, and sectione d. Immunohistochemistry method and pathological method were used to detect the e xpression intensity and distribution of TGF-? 1,2 and ?-ASMA. RESULTS: Positive immunohistochemical signals of TGF-? 1,2 and ?-A SMA were found in fetal and adult skins. In skins derived from young fet us, the positive signals of these three proteins were very weak. Along with the incr ement in gestational age, the positive cellular rates of TGF-? 1,2 and ?- ASMA were elevated pro gressively. In elder fetal and adult skins, TGF-? 1,2 were mostly distributed i n epidermal cells, endothelial cells and some fibroblasts, while ?-ASMA was mainly located in myofibroblasts and sweat gland epithelial cells. CONCLUSION: The endo genous TGF-? 1,2 might be involved in the cutaneous development at embryoni c stage, in the cutaneous structure maintenance at adult stage, and in the wound healing af ter injury.

AIM: To investigate gene expression of bax, bcl-2 and p53 in fetal skin at different gestational ages and children skin in order to explore their potentially biological significance. METHODS: Apoptosis in skin specimens was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidy transferase mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling technique (TUNEL). Gene expressions of bax, bcl-2 and p53 in skin at different developmental stages was examined with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: Along with fetal growth and development, the incidence rate of apoptosis was increased progressively in skin. In skin from early gestational fetus, bcl-2 was strongly expressed. This gene expression was progressively decreased with increment in gestational age. In children skin, the mRNA content of this gene was significantly reduced compared with fetal skin (P