OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the expression change of cytokines and the wound age during the healing process of rats skin wound. METHODS: Immunohistochemical and image-analysis methods were performed on vital skin wounds(after incision 0.5-168 h am) and postmortem damage(after incision 0.5-6 h pm). RESULTS: The expression of the cytokines PDGF-beta, PDGFR-beta, TGF-beta 1, and bFGF in the epithelial cells was already enhanced since 0.5 h am after damage and their strongest expression reaction was seen at 24-96 h am. In addition, the expression of PDGF-beta, PDGFR-beta, TGF-beta 1 and bFGF was also found in the macrophages and the fibroblasts of the granulation tissue, and the expression changes in the postmortem damage group showed that the skin tissue within 0.5-3 h after incision showed immunohistochemical changes but weakly expression and 3 h thereafter no any change was found. CONCLUSION The expression characteristics of the above mentioned cytokines in wound repair should be related to the wound age and it reminds therefore that they may be used as immunohistochemical criteria for accurate determining the wound age.
Animals ; Cytokines/biosynthesis* ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/biosynthesis* ; Male ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor/biosynthesis* ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta/biosynthesis* ; Skin/metabolism* ; Time Factors ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/biosynthesis* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Wound Healing

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; complications ; mortality ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; complications ; mortality ; Male ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Prognosis ; Thrombosis ; etiology ; Vena Cava, Inferior

Objective To analysis the spatial autocorrelation on the small-scale distribution of the genetic variation in the population of Oncomelania hupensis in Puge county, Sichuan province, using simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker. Methods 5 pairs of SSR primer were used to amplify the genomic DNA of Oncomelania hupensis, and the alleles with frequency ranging from 15% to 85% were used to calculate Moran' s I spatial autocorrelation coefficients in 14 distance band based on equal numbers of paired samples. Results A total of 274 alleles were scored by 5 pairs of SSR primer, the average polymorphic information content of the 274 alleles were 0.965 which indicated a high level of genetic diversity. 39 alleles showed different patterns of positive spatial autocorrelation of genetic variation, which was non-random spatial structure. When the distance band increased, the spatial auto-correlativity decreased based on the average Moran' s I value at 14 distance band. The alleles which showed a negative spatial autocorrelation were not found in any distance band. Conclusion The spatial distribution of the genetic variation of SSR showed positive spatial autocorrelation in the population of Oncomelania hupensis, and the spatial auto-correlativity decreased with the increase of distance band.

OBJECTIVETo identify clinical and laboratory abnormalities and genetic defect of Fechtner syndrome in a Chinese family.

METHODSThe characteristic morphological features of platelets and leukocytes were examined on blood smears with Wright's-Giemsa staining and ultrastructure of platelet and leukocyte were investigated under electron microscope. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood of the proband and 9 members of his family. All the exons and exon-intron boundaries of the MYH9 gene were amplified by PCR followed by direct sequencing.

RESULTSPatients presented the characteristic clinical features including macrothrombocytopenia, leukocyte inclusions and/or hereditary nephritis. A heterozygous C to T mutation was found in the proband and three members of his family at nucleotide 5981 in exon 40 of MYH9 gene, resulting in a nonsense mutation which encoded truncated protein due to premature termination at the Arg 1933 codon.

CONCLUSIONIt is the first report of a Chinese family with Fechtner syndrome. The Arg (CGA) 1933--> stop (TGA) nonsense mutation in MYH9 gene is a causative genetic defect.

Adult ; Codon, Nonsense ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Exons ; genetics ; Humans ; Inclusion Bodies ; genetics ; Male ; Molecular Motor Proteins ; genetics ; Myosin Heavy Chains ; genetics ; Nephritis, Hereditary ; genetics ; Pedigree ; Syndrome ; Thrombocytopenia ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of the flexible surgical approaches on therapeutic and cosmetic outcomes of facial nevi.

METHODSFrom August 2002 to January 2008, 16 cases with facial nevi had been treated in our wards with the selected approaches. Surgical approaches including serial excision or one-time radical excision, free skin graft, and expanded flap were adopted in accordance with the individual size and location of the facial nevi.

RESULTSAll cases experienced complete excision and had satisfactory cosmetic appearance in the end.

CONCLUSIONThe flexible surgical measures help to minimize the risk of malignant transformation and achieve good cosmetic results.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Face ; pathology ; surgery ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; surgery ; Humans ; Infant ; Nevus, Pigmented ; pathology ; surgery ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Skin Transplantation ; Surgical Flaps ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the possible clonal origin of neuroendocrine cells in colorectal adenocarcinoma.

METHODSTwenty-six microsatellite loci were screened using laser capture microdissection, DNA extraction and whole genome amplification. Microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in adenocarcinoma cells and neuroendocrine cells amongst 30 cases of colorectal carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation were detected using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP)-silver staining. The mutation status of p53 was evaluated by PCR-sequencing. The clonal origin of neuroendocrine cells in colorectal adenocarcinoma was determined.

RESULTSAmongst the 30 cases studied, the prevalence of MSI was 16.9% while that of LOH was 8.5%. The rate showed no statistically significant difference between adenocarcinoma cells and neuroendocrine cells. In 6 cases, the microsatellite alteration was entirely consistent. In 23 cases, the rate of microsatellite alteration consistency was greater than that of inconsistency. In 1 case, the consistency and inconsistency rates were identical. There was statistically significant difference between consistency and inconsistency of microsatellite alteration. The prevalence of p53 mutation was 16.7% which was the same for both adenocarcinoma cells and neuroendocrine cells.

CONCLUSIONSAdenocarcinoma cells and neuroendocrine cells in colorectal adenocarcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation have similar biologic changes. It is likely that they are of identical origin.

Adenocarcinoma ; genetics ; pathology ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Humans ; Laser Capture Microdissection ; Loss of Heterozygosity ; Microsatellite Instability ; Neuroendocrine Cells ; pathology ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics

This study is to investigate the effect of ferulic acid on learning and memory impairments of vascular dementia (VD) rats and its mechanism of action. VD rats model was replicated by permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (2VO). The learning and memory capability of VD rats was evaluated by Morris water maze. The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the content of glutamic acid (Glu) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in hippocampus of VD rats' brain were determined, separately. The results showed that ferulic acid could alleviate learning and memory deficits of VD rats significantly. Ferulic acid was found to inhibit the activity of AChE and increased the activity of SOD in rat hippocampus. In addition, ferulic acid could also decrease the content of Glu and MDA in rat hippocampus. These results suggested that ferulic acid could alleviate VD rats' learning and memory deficits, which might be due to antioxidation, the improvement of cholinergic system in brain, or the inhibitory of nerve injury by excitatory amino acids.
Acetylcholinesterase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Anticoagulants ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Coumaric Acids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Dementia, Vascular ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Glutamic Acid ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Memory Disorders ; drug therapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of polysaccharide ATPS-2 from Armillariella tabescens on the immunological liver injury in mice induced by BCG plus LPS.

METHODBCG and LPS were adopted to establish BCG plus LPS liver injury model in mice. The content of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and NO, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondiadehyde (MDA) content of liver homogenate in mice were measured by colorimetric method. The content of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 (IL-1), on serum were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) , and T- and B-lymphocyte proliferation were measured by MTT. Index of liver, spleen and thymus were calculated after treatment.

RESULTPolysaccharide ATPS-2 from A. tabescens (25, 50, 100 mg x kg(-1)) could obviously reduce the high level of ALT, AST, NO and TNF-alpha, IL-1 on serum, inhibit the high level of MDA, increase the low activity of SOD in liver homogenate and enhance T-and B-lymphocyte proliferation, elevate the spleen, thymic index and decrease liver index of the mice to different extent.

CONCLUSIONPolysaccharide ATPS-2 from A. tabescens had apparently protective effects in the immunological liver injury mice induced by BCG plus LPS.

Agaricales ; chemistry ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; B-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; Interleukin-1 ; blood ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Diseases ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Polysaccharides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Protective Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the indication and results of three methods for total ear reconstruction.

METHODS960 cases of total ear defect were treated with skin expansion and autogenous rib cartilage framework (n = 786), or skin expansion and Medpor framework (n = 150), or ear prosthesis (n = 24). The indication and results of the three methods were analysed.

RESULTSGood cosmetic results were achieved with all three methods. Autogenous rib cartilage framework was suitable for patients under 30 years old with unaffected skin at mastoid region. Medpor framework was good for grown-up, especially over 30 years old, or with mild infection at mastoid region. Patients with severe skin injury at mastoid region or unwilling to accept surgery should choose ear prosthesis.

CONCLUSIONSSatisfactory results can be achieved with suitable methods for total ear reconstruction.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Ear, External ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostheses and Implants ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Skin Transplantation ; methods ; Surgical Flaps ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the inhibitory effects of insulin on nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) nuclear translocation of vascular endothelial cells induced by burn serum and its correlative mechanism.

METHODSHuman umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured in vitro and divided into 5 groups: blank control group (BC, ordinary culture without any stimulation), normal serum control group (NS, cultured with nutrient solution containing 20% healthy human serum), burn serum stimulation group (BS, cultured with nutrient solution containing 20% burn human serum), burn serum+insulin treatment group (BI, cultured with nutrient solution containing 20% burn human serum and 1x10(-7) mol/L insulin), inhibitor pretreatment group [IP, pretreated with 50 micromol/L protein kinase B (Akt) specific inhibitor LY-294002, then cultured with the same medium as used in BI group 30 minutes later] according to the random number table. Six hours later, the injury and apoptosis of HUVECs was respectively observed by the scanning electron microscope and determined by the flow cytometry. Meanwhile, the phosphorylation of inhibitor kappa B-alpha (p-IkappaB-alpha) and Akt (p-Akt) in cytoplasm, and the content of NF-kappaB-p65 in nucleus were determined with Western blot.

RESULTS(1) Compared with those in BC group, HUVECs in BS group shrank obviously with irregular nuclear structure, and intercellular links jagged or vanished. Slight change was observed in HUVECs structure in NS and BI groups, with the cell ductility and nuclear structure much better than those in BS group. (2) The apoptosis rates of HUVECs in BS group [(28.5+/-2.3)%], BI group [(22.3+/-1.8)%], and IP group [(29.7+/-2.4)%] were all obviously higher than that in BC group [(15.7+/-2.2)%, F=14.288, P<0.05 or P<0.01]. There was no significant statistical difference between NS group [(17.0+/-2.5)%] and BC group in apoptosis rate (F=14.288, P>0.05). The apoptosis rate of HUVECs in BI group was obviously lower than that in BS group (F=14.288, P<0.05). (3) Compared with those in BC group, the protein expressions of p-IkappaB-alpha in cytoplasm and NF-kappaB-p65 in nucleus were up-regulated, and the protein expression of p-Akt in cytoplasm was down-regulated in BS and IP groups. The expression levels of the three proteins in NS and BI groups were close to those in BC group.

CONCLUSIONSInsulin could inhibit the IkappaB phosphorylation, and then restrict NF-kappaB nuclear translocation and improve the vascular endothelial cells function accordingly through regulating phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/Akt pathway.

Apoptosis ; Burns ; blood ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; I-kappa B Proteins ; metabolism ; Insulin ; pharmacology ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Serum ; metabolism ; Umbilical Veins ; cytology