Objective To retrospectively investigate the effect of finasteride on bone mineral density in elderly patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).Methods 120 elderly patients with BPH were retrospective studied in our hospital,and grouped into the finasteride group and the control group according to taking finasteride or not.Bone mineral density in all patients was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and 12-15 months after follow-up,and peripheral blood was collected for measuring serum biochemical indicators including calcium,phosphorus,creatinine and alkaline phosphatase (ALP).Results There were no significant differences in indexes of bone mineral density,serum calcium,phosphorus,creatinine and ALP between the finasteride group and the control group.Conclusions Finasteride may not increase the risk of osteoporosis in elderly patients with BPH.

Objective To assess the efficacy and pathological change of fertility-sparing treatment with progestin for endometrial carcinoma (EC) of stage Ⅰ a and complex atypical hyperplasia (CAH) and to observe the prognosis of the treatment.Methods Nine EC patients of stage Ⅰ a and 21 CAH patients aged under 40 years who desired childbearing and retaining their fertility were enrolled into this study.All patients were given a daily oral high-dose of progestin with duration of treatment ranging from 6 to 9 months.Diagnostic curettage was performed every 3 months as a modality for seeing the histologic change of neoplastic tissues and endometrial tissue.A careful and long-term follow-up is necessary for patients with complete response (CR).Results During the first period of fertility-sparing management,according to histologic change,5 EC patients and 18 CAH patients showed CR with no evidence of endometrial adenocarcinoma or hyperplasia,2 EC patients and 2 CAH patients showed partial response with a regression to complex or simple hyperplasia without atypia,2 EC patients and 1 CAH patient showed stable disease or progressive disease.Accordingly,a total of 26 patients showed CR (26 of 30 patients).The median time to CR was 6 months (range,3 to 21 months) of progestin treatment.The median follow-up time was 55.5 months (range,24 to 104 months) and all patients were alive.During follow-up,among the 26 patients with CR,3 of 6 EC patients achieved CR recurred disease after a median time interval of 10 months (range,6 to 51 months),7 of 20 CAH patients achieved CR had recurrent disease after a median time interval of 12 months (range,6 to 55 months).Four of 7 CAH with recurrent disease achieved CR to progestin retreatment.Eight of 26 patients achieved CR continued a further 3 or 6 months of consolidation therapy,3 of them had recurrent disease,the remaining 18 stopped progesterone treatment after CR and 7 patients had recurrent disease; there was no significant statistical difference between the two groups (P=1.000).EC patients succeeded in 4 pregnancies,CAH patients succeeded in 10 pregnancies,they gave birth to 16 healthy babies in all.Conclusions EC of stage Ⅰ a and CAH had slow progression of symptoms.Progestin treatment in EC of stage Ⅰ a and CAH patients was effective.A careful and long-term follow-up is required because of the substantial high rate of recurrence.Progestin re-treatment in most patients with recurrent endometrial cancer is effective and safe.

Objective To investigate the functional and structural changes of connectivity of default mode network (DMN) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) by functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and to study the relationship between them.Methods Twenty-seven RRMS patients(clinically diagnosed as RRMS)and 27 healthy volunteers (matched to the patients in age and gender) were selected to participate in this study.All the subjects underwent 3.0 T MR scanning.Softwares such as DPARSF,MICA,TrackVis were used for data post-processing.Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex(PCC) of DMN were chosen as ROIs,and functional and structural changes of DMN and the relationship between them were analyzed.Values of r reflecting the functional connectivity and fractional anisotropy(FA) of two groups were obtained.Then statistical analysis was performed by using student t test and Pearson correlation analysis.Results The DMN space pattern of the RRMS patients was mostly identical to that of controls,but with specific difference in the connectivity strength with respect to that of controls.Particularly,the patient group showed increased DMN connectivity in the mPFC,but decreased connectivity in the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and PCC.Compared with controls,the r value (0.695 ±0.151 vs.0.796±0.085),FA value(0.261 ±0.012 vs.0.285 ±0.017) between mPFC and PCC in RRMS patients were decreased (t =-3.020,-6.206,P ＜ 0.05).In addition,functional connectivity (r value) was found to correlate with structural connectivity(FA value) between the PCC and mPFC (r =0.704,0.735,P ＜ 0.01).The number of MS lesion,had no correlation with r value or FA value (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The functional connectivity and structural connectivity of DMN change in RRMS patients.The functional connectivity and structural connectivity between mPFC and PCC are both decreased in RRMS patients compared with the controls.The injury of structural connectivity may be the structural basis of the decrease of functional connectivity.

The method was established for determination of geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid, pinoresinoldiglucoside, which are three kinds of constituents of Eucommia ulmoides absorbed into the blood components. LC-MS/MS technique was applied to determine the blood components of the bloodstream after administration of E. ulmoides extract. At the same time, HPLC was used for detection of the ingredients content of the blood sample from 23 batches of E. ulmoides. The results showed that geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid and pinoresinoldiglucoside are prototype into the blood in rats after oral administration of E. ulmoides extract, The linear range of geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid and pinoresinoldiglucoside was good, and the average recoveries geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid and pinoresinoldiglucoside were 98.69%, 100.8% and 98.39%, respectively. The method is simple and feasible with good reproducibility.
Animals ; Chlorogenic Acid ; blood ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Eucommiaceae ; chemistry ; Glycosides ; blood ; Iridoid Glucosides ; blood ; Lignans ; blood ; Male ; Plasma ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Objective To investigate the effect of down-regulated Blimp1 gene expression on differenetiation of bone marrow cells into dendritic cells (DCs).Methods Blimp1-shRNA was constructed and then loaded into lentivirus vector as lenti-blimp1-shRNA.Bone marrow cells from Balb/c mice were induced differentiation to DCs in an 8-day cell culture system with GM-CSF/IL-4 incubation and LPS stimulation at day 7.The cells were divided into groups as empty control (no treatment),lenti-control (transfected by lentivirus empty vector at day 1),and lenti-Blimp (transfected by lenti-blimp1-shRNA at day 1).The transfection efficiency was evaluated by GFP fluorescence for one week.The morphology and growth curve were analyzed.Real-time PT-PCR and Western blotting were used to evaluate mRNA and protein expression of Blimp1.At day 8,CD11 c and CD86/MHC-Ⅱ were quatitified using flow cytometry.Results GFP fluorescence emerged 3 days after transfection and was continuously expressed.Classic DC morphology was shown in no treatment cells,while damaged morphology presented in the cells with lentivirus transfection.The empty control cells proliferated from day 3,peaked as (2.45 ± 0.26) 106/well at day 4,and kept at (2.27 ± 0.19) 106/ well at day 8,The cells receiving lentivirus presented (1.69 ± 0.39) 106/well.The expression of Blimp1 mRNA and protein in the lenti-Blimp1 group was 76％/1％ and 1.0％/74.0％ of the empty control group.At day 8,CD11c,CD86 and MHC-Ⅱ expression in the empty control group was (69.2 ±5.0)％,(51.1± 4.9) ％ and (56.3 ± 7.3) ％,while (68.6±5.9)％,(49.5±4.3)％ and (69.4±4.5)％ in the lenti-control group,and (72.8 ± 5.5)％,(50.2 ± 6.0)％ and (46.5 ± 5.7)％ in the lenti Blimp1 group.Conclusion Lentivirus-mediated Blimp1-shRNA gene therapy modulates blimp1 expression of DC precursors.Down-regulation of Blimp1 fails to interrupt the differentiation of DCs but inhibits the maturation.

OBJECTIVE We designed the overall layout,formulated the functional demand,and optimized the key design and operating parameters of a new-style asepsis clean ward.The new-style ward intends to provide a higher quality environment for patient infection control and all-around protection during treatment.METHODS We applied computational fluid dynamics(CFD)simulation to optimize the design scheme according to Chinese and international hospital design specifications.RESULTS The new-style asepsis ward reflected a new idea,new technology,high standards and created a comfortable and safe,high-quality environment for the treatment of patient.The Satisfaction of patients was more than 95% and workload of nurses was alleviated obviously.CONCLUSIONS The new-style asepsis ward can significantly control the endogenous infection of patients.

OBJECTIVE To compare the computational fluid dynamics(CFD) simulated results and field test data of the new-style asepsis ward.METHODS We used various equipments to test the asepsis ward and CFD software to simulate airflow of asepsis ward.RESULTS After calculating and comparing,we found the CFD simulation results agreed well with the tested data.Key design and operating parameters were up to the standard.The new-style of asepsis ward could improve the air quality and provide a comfortable environment for patient treatment and it was of great help to decrease the infection rate of patient.CONCLUSIONS The new-style asepsis ward can significantly control the endogenous infection of patients.

Objective To detect serum levels of thyroid hormones in patients with thyroid nodules (TN), and investi-gate their relationship with the nature of TN. Methods A total of 245 patients with TN were recruited in the study. Accord-ing to levels of thyroid antibodies and postoperative pathological results, all patients were divided into nodular goiter (NG) group, thyroid adenoma (TA) group and thyroid cancer (TC) group. TC group was further classified as the TC with increased level of thyroid antibodies (TC-AB+group) and the TC with normal level of thyroid antibodies (TC-AB-group). The serum levels of free T3 (FT3), free T4 (FT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were detected for all patients before operation, and differences of thyroid hormones were analyzed between different groups. Results The serum level of TSH was signifi-cantly higher in TC group than that of NG group and TA group (P<0.05). The serum level of FT3 was significantly lower in TC-AB+group than that of NG group and TC-AB-group. The serum level of FT4 was significantly lower in TC-AB+group than that of NG group, and the serum TSH level was significantly higher than that of other groups (P<0.05). Conclusion The increased serum levels of TSH were found in some patients with TC, which may partly attribute to their coexistence with autoimmune thyroiditis and subsequent hypothyroidism. The increased serum TSH level may not be the inherent characteris-tics of TC.

OBJECTIVETo study the histogenesis and pathological characteristics of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and GIST type stromal tumor (ST) beyond the gastrointestinal tract.

METHODSA retrospective study was carried out on leiomyoma, leiomyosarcoma and neurilemoma (46 cases in gastrointestinal tract and l3 cases in urinary tract and perineal area). 4 antibodies (CD117, CD34, SMA, S-100) were used for immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTSAmong 45 cases of GIST, the positive rate of CD117 and CD34 was 93.3% and 88.9% respectively. Among 12 cases of GIST type ST beyond the gastrointestinal tract, the positive rate of CD117 and CD34 was 83.3% and 75.0% respectively. In 2 cases (1 in gastrointestinal tract) of leiomyomas, both CD117 and CD 34 were negative in tumor cells, while SMA was extensively positive.

CONCLUSIONSCD117 and CD34 positivity are the most valuable factors in diagnosing ST. Both GIST and GIST type ST beyond the gastrointestinal tract are considered originating from a proto-interstitial stem cell with disoriented differentiation.

Actins ; analysis ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antigens, CD34 ; analysis ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; chemistry ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leiomyoma ; chemistry ; pathology ; Leiomyosarcoma ; chemistry ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurilemmoma ; chemistry ; pathology ; Pelvic Neoplasms ; chemistry ; pathology ; Perineum ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; S100 Proteins ; analysis ; Urologic Neoplasms ; chemistry ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo study the base sequence of an enhancer in up-stream 5'-flank near regulation region (from -595 to +74) of human colorectal cancer related gene ST13.

METHODSSeveral deletion PCR primers were designed. Amplified DNA fragments of ST13 gene 5'-flank near region were cloned with pGEMT-EASY vector and sequenced; then subcloned into several pGL2 report vectors respectively. Equal quantitative recombined DNA was transfected into SW620 cell lines and the luciferase activity was checked.

RESULTSSeveral amplified base sequence fragments (669 bp,263 bp,163 bp) in pGL2-Basic all enhanced and promoted luciferase gene expression strongly. The 47 bp and 101 bp fragments didn't promote luciferase gene expression. 101 bp fragment recombined with pGL2-Promoter enhanced luciferase gene expression distinctly (P<0.01), but the effect was less strong than the positive pGL2-Control(P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe base sequence 101 bp (from -595 to -494) in up-stream 5'-flank near regulation region of colorectal cancer related gene ST13 is an enhancer regulating gene transcript.

Base Sequence ; Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; genetics ; Enhancer Elements, Genetic ; genetics ; Genes, Reporter ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Transcription, Genetic ; Transfection ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; genetics