ObjectiveTo study the dynamic changes of rat donor myocardial cell apoptosis during hypot hermic preservation and the effect of melatonin.MethodsEighty rats were randomly divided into two groups: experimental group with the i solated rat hearts being preserved in 4?℃ St Thomas solution with melatonin ( 0.1?mmol/L ); control group with the isolated rat hearts being preserved in 4?℃ St Thomas solution only. After preservation for 4, 8, 12, 24 and 36?h, a poptotic index was evaluated by the percentage of mycardial cells using TUNEL po sitive staining.ResultsWith the hypothermic preservation time prolonging, more myocardial cell apoptosi s was found (control group, P

Objective To explore the expression and clinical significance of IL-12 in acute cardiac allograft rejection in rats.Methods Two groups of SD rats received cervical heterotopic heart transplantation from allogeneic Wistar or syngeneic SD rats.The cardiac grafts were harvested at 1,3,5,and 7 days after transplantation and detected for the expression of IL-12 mRNA by reverse transcriptional polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results With the posttransplantation day delayed,the expression of IL-12 mRNA was significantly increased in allogeneic transplant group(P

Objective To study the effect of Bcl-2 gene transfer on apoptosis of myocardium in mice heart transplantation rejection. Methods Models of mice neck heterotopic heart transplantation were set up, and were randomly divided into transplant group, Bcl-2 group and control group. Bcl-2 was transfected into isolated donor heart, and after 1 hour the donor heart was transplanted to the recipient. At 1st,3rd,5th and 7th day after transplantation, apoptotic index was evalulated by the percentage of mycardial cells with TUNEL positive staining and the protein expression of Bcl-2 was measured by immunohistochemical method. Results The apoptotic myocardial cells significantly increased at 3rd day and the apoptotic peak was at 7th day after transplantation in transplant group.The protein expression of Bcl-2 in Bcl-2 group significantly increased at 3rd day, the expression peak was at 5th day after transplantation, and high level expression remained at 7th day. Apoptosis indices of mycardial cells in Bcl-2 group were significantly lower than those in transplant group (P

Objective To study the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1), and its correlation with lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous carcinoma(ESC). Methods The expressions of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were detected in 78 cases of esophageal squamous carcinomas by using immunohistochemical SP method. Results The expression level of MMP-9 in high differentiated (grade Ⅰ～Ⅱ) and early stage (stageⅠ～Ⅱ) ESC was significantly lower than that in low differentiated(grade Ⅲ～Ⅳ) and late stage (stage Ⅲ～Ⅳ) ESC(P

To establish a murine carotid artery transplantation model for the study of the chronic rejection, 80 rats were divided into two groups, an allotransplant (ACI-Lewis) group and an isotransplant (Lewis-Lewis) group (control group). The donor carotid artery and the recipient carotid artery were anastomosed by using a polyethylene cuff (internal diameter: 0.7 mm, length: 3 mm).The pathological changes of carotid artery transplant were observed 14, 28 and 56 days after the transplantation. The results showed that the model was successfully established in 95% of the animals. The chronic rejection-associated arteriosclerosis was induced 28 days after the transplantation. The new chronic rejection model of carotid artery by using cuff technique caused fewer traumas and was easy to make. The pathological changes of the transplant mimicked the chronic rejection-associated arteriosclerosis found in human transplant.
Anastomosis, Surgical/methods ; Arteriosclerosis ; Carotid Artery, Common/*transplantation ; Delayed Graft Function ; Graft Rejection/*pathology ; Models, Animal ; Polyethylene ; Rats, Inbred ACI ; Rats, Inbred Lew

This study examined the effect of astilbin on the proliferation of rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs) induced by angiotensin II (AngII) and explored the possible mechanisms. Cell proliferation model of RASMCs was induced by treatmente with AngII. Cells were randomly divided to 8 groups. Normally cultured VSMCs serves as blank control group; in AngII model group, cells were treated with AngII at 10(-7) mol/L; in three astilbin groups, cells were treated with 10, 15, 30 mg/L of astilbin; in three AngII+astilbin groups, cells were treated with AngII (at 10(-7) mol/L) and astilbin at 10, 15, 30 mg/L. Cell proliferation ability was detected by MTT method and the cell cycles and proliferation index were flow cytometrically determined. The expression of c-myc mRNA was assessed by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the expression of NF-κB in RASMCs was immunocytochemically observed. Our results showed that MTT metabolism in RASMCs in the basic and AngII stimulated situation was inhibited by astilbin, and the cells numbers of G(0)/G(1) phase were increased and that of G(2)/S phase were decreased markedly. Not only highly expression of c-myc gene stimulated by AngII could be inhibited by Astilbin significantly, but also the expression of NF-κB protein can be down regulated by Astilbin. We are led to conclude that astilbin astilbin can inhibit the AngII-mediated proliferation of RASMCs by blocking the transition of RASMCs from G(0)/G(1) phase to S phase and by down-regulating the expression of NF-κB, c-myc gene.

Objective To investigate a poisoning caused by wild mushrooms and to identify the toxin in these mushrooms.Methods Epidemiological investigation,blood test and mushroom toxin were analyzed.Results This incident was taken place in one family,and all family members were dead.Multiple organ damage was observed in all patients;amatoxins and virotoxins were detected in both mushrooms and the soup,but were not detected in blood samples because of dialysis.Conclusion The incident was caused by wild mushrooms and public education shoud be strenthened to urge people to avoid eating wild mushrooms and go to the hospital immediately if poisoning takes place.

ObjectiveTo investigate the serum prostate-specific antigen (tPSA),serum free PSA to total PSA ratio (f/tPSA),prostate volume (PV) and prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) in early prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis.MethodsRetrospective analysis was performed on serum PSA values and related test results from 252 cases of BPH patients and 49 patients with PCa.Prostate volume (PV) was measured by transrectal ultrasound (TRUS),and the f/tPSAand PSAD values were calculated.The differences of serum tPSA,f/tPSA,PV,and PSAD between BPH and PCa group were compared,the area under the ROC curve was used to evaluate these four indicators for its diagnostic sensitivity and diagnostic specificity.ResultsThe values of tPSA,PSAD in PCa group were significantly higher than BPH group ( P ＜0.05),while the values of f/tPSA,PV in PCa group were significantly lower than BPH group ( P ＜0.01orP ＜0.05).The ROC area showed that serum tPSA(0.8013),f/tPSA(0.7390),PV(0.5613) had lower diagnosis value than PSAD(0.9214) in early prostate cancer ( PSAD ＞ tPSA ＞ f/tPSA ＞ PV).When the upper limit of normal PSA was set to take 4ng/ml,the sensitivity was 91.49％,diagnostic specificity was 51.05％.When the f/tPSA threshold set to 0.16,the diagnostic sensitivity was 57.78％,diagnostic specificity was 78.72％.When PSAD threshold was set to 0.15,diagnostic sensitivity was 88.24％,diagnostic specificity was 81.52％.ConclusionsPSA,f/tPSA and PSAD are indicators for biopsy or followup in early diagnosis of prostate cancer.In particular,the diagnostic value of PSAD has higher sensitivity and specificity than PSA and f/tPSA in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Objective To investigate the effect of astilbin on expressions of perforin and granzyme B in activated T cells of mouse heart transplantation model with acute rejection.Methods Cardiomyocytes of BALB/C mouse and spleen cells of C57BL/6 mouse were harvested and made into single cell suspensions.The cardiomyocytes(2?10~5 ml~(-1))as stimulators and spleen cells(1?10~6 ml~(-1)) as responsers were mixed and cultured.The model of mouse heart transplantation with acute rejection in vitro was therefore established.There were two groups in the experiment.Control group is the mixed culture of the cardiomyocytes and spleen cells;Astilbin group is the mixed culture of the cardiomyocytes and spleen cells with astilbin(15?g/ml).Apoptosis of T cells were analyzed by TUNEL assay.The expressions of perforin and granzyme B were measured by RT-PCR.Results Apoptosis of activated T cells in Astilbin group was significantly increased than that of the control group(P

Objective The aim of this study was to generate human cholesteryl ester transfer protein ( CETP) transgenic rabbits and analyze their biological properties.Methods We generated human CETP transgenic rabbits by DNA microinjection, and detected the expression of human CETP by real-time PCR and Western blot assay.The activity of CETP was measured using an activity assay kit.Results Human CETP transgenic rabbits were successfully generated by DNA microinjection.Compared with wide type rabbits, the expression of human CETP was dramatically increased in the liver of the human CETP transgenic rabbits.The plasma CETP activity was also much higher in the liver of human CETP transgenic rabbits than that of control rabbits.Conclusions The model of human CETP transgenic rabbits is successfully established by DNA microinjection.It will provide a useful tool for the studies of CETP biological function and its involvement in the mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases.