Evaluating lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer preoperatively can help surgeons to choose the optimal extent of surgical lymph node resection. The diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography for lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer is about 70% , which is less accurate than endoscopic ultrasonography,and more accurate than magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography. Many molecular markers can predict the lymph node metastasis. The prognostic role of gene expression profiles is better than that of a marker. Sentinel lymph node and mathematical methods (Maruyama software, artificial neural network) may be useful in predicting the lymph node metastasis. Laparoscopy and quantum dots technique are potential methods in predicting lymph node metastasis.

Objective To explore the value of multislice CT (MSCT)in the diagnosis of complex congenital heart disease (FCHD)in children.Methods 41 children cases with clinical diagnosis of congenital heart disease were collected randomly.All the children were examined with MSCT and ultrasonic cardiogram(UCG)examination,and 20 cases were examined with cadioangiography(CAG) check.All the cases were confirmed by surgery.The results of Preoperative MSCT,UCG and the CAG heart examination diagnosis were compared with surgical diagnosis results.Results Surgery confirmed 225 deformities and 1 1 5 intracardiac malformations.In the intracardiacmal malformations,the accurate diagnostic rates of MSCT,UCG,the CAG were 92.2%,99.1% and 74.4%,respectively;With surgery confirmed 110 heart malformations,the accurate diagnostic rates of MSCT,UCG,the CAG were 98.2%,84.5%,96.2%,respec-tively.The combined use of MSCT and UCG confirmed 224 correct diagnoses,the diagnosis coincidence rate reached 99.6%;The check accuracy of MSCT was highter than UCG in congenital heart disease with heart malformations(χ2 =12.962,P <0.05),The differences has statistical significance.Conclusion The check accuracy of MSCT is better in the diagnosis of congenital heart disease.The joint application of MSCT and UCG can obviously improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of congenital heart disease and congenital anoma-lies.

ObjectiveTo study the speciality of hemodynamics in middle cerebral artery(MCA) by means of transcranial color Doppler ultrasound(TCCD) at different tilting angles in patients with cervical and thoracic spinal cord injury.Methods48 patients with spinal cord injury were involved. The velocity of peak systolic(PSV), end diastolic(EDV) and mean velocity(MV) of MCA on the tiltable at 0°,30°,60°,80° were measured.ResultsThere was no significant difference in PSV between 0°and 30°(P>0.05), while EDV and MV showed very significant (P<0.01)from 0°to 30°,60°and 80° position. From 0°to 60°,80°,there were differences not only at EDV and MV, but also PSV(P<0.01).ConclusionThe velocities of MCA were changed at different tilting angles in the patients with spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVEThis study examined the expressions of plasma stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and CXCR4 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of children with Kawasaki disease (KD) and aimed to explore the significance of SDF-1 and CXCR4 mRNA in KD.

METHODSFifty-six children with KD (12 cases complicated by coronary artery lesions) and 60 age and gender-matched healthy children (normal controls) were enrolled in this study. Plasma SDF-1 levels and CXCR4 mRNA expression in PBMC were measured using ELISA and real-time quantitative PCR at the acute and convalescence stages of KD.

RESULTSPlasma SDF-1 levels (1833 +/- 395 ng/L vs 1126 +/- 408 ng/L; P < 0.05) and the CXCR4 mRNA expression in PBMC (6.57 +/- 2.81 vs 2.58 +/- 1.01; P < 0.01) in KD patients were significantly higher than those in normal controls at the acute stage. Both plasma SDF-1 levels and CXCR4 mRNA expression in KD patients decreased significantly at the convalescence stage, but nevertheless remained higher than those in the normal controls. The patients with concomitant coronary artery lesions showed higher CXCR4 mRNA levels than without at the acute stage (8.19 +/- 2.39 vs 6.13 +/- 2.77; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPlasma SDF-1 concentration and CXCR4 mRNA expression in PBMC increased in KD patients. CXCR4 mRNA might be involved in the development of coronary artery lesions in KD.

Chemokine CXCL12 ; Chemokines, CXC ; blood ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; metabolism ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; blood ; RNA, Messenger ; blood ; Receptors, CXCR4 ; genetics

Syringin, chlorogenic acid and 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid are three main bioactive ingredients in herbs of Saussurea involucrata with various pharmacological properties, while their contents are very low. In this study, the biosynthesis of syringin, chlorogenic acid and 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid in the cell suspension cultures of S. involucrata were regulated by feeding carbon sources and precursors, which resulted in a great increase of the contents and yields of the above three bioactive ingredients. After 16 days of fermentation, the yields of syringin, chlorogenic acid and 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid reached 339.0, 225.3, 512.7 mg x L(-1), respectively. Meanwhile, their contents increased up to 67.9, 1.9, 10.6 times of wild medicinal material, respectively. The results provided a solid basis for further studies on application of cell suspension cultures of S. involucrata for large-scale production of bioactive compounds syringin, chlorogenic acid and 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid.
Cell Culture Techniques ; Cells, Cultured ; Chlorogenic Acid ; analysis ; metabolism ; Cinnamates ; analysis ; metabolism ; Glucosides ; analysis ; biosynthesis ; Phenylpropionates ; analysis ; Saussurea ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEKawasaki disease (KD) is a febrile illness of childhood. The etiology of KD remains unknown. Multiple theories exist, including an infectious etiology and an immunological abnormality. Cardiac involvement ranges from myocarditis and pericarditis in the acute stage to the development of coronary artery aneurysms later in the course. The present study aimed to explore the effect of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in Kawasaki disease and its relationship with damage to the coronary arteries during the development of KD.

METHODSPlasma MCP-1 concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and MCP-1 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was measured by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in comparison of three groups: 56 patients with KD, 60 age-matched patients with non-infectious diseases, and 66 age-matched febrile patients with various diseases.

RESULTSPlasma MCP-1 concentration and MCP-1 mRNA expression in PBMC of patients with active KD [(409.55 +/- 97.42) pg/ml] and (1.97 +/- 0.77) were higher than those of control group. Plasma MCP-1 levels and MCP-1 mRNA expression of inactive KD group [(301.64 +/- 71.55) pg/ml] and (1.31 +/- 0.39) were significantly higher than those of non-infectious diseases patients. There was a marked increase in patients with inactive KD than those of non-infective patients, but there were no significant differences between inactive KD and febrile patients. Plasma MCP-1 levels and MCP-1 mRNA expression were markedly increased in KD patients with coronary artery lesions than those in patients without coronary artery lesions.

CONCLUSIONPlasma MCP-1 concentration and MCP-1 mRNA expression in PBMC were significantly increased in patients with KD, and they were higher in KD with coronary artery lesions. It indicates that MCP-1 may be a useful parameter for monitoring disease activity in patients with KD.

Chemokine CCL2 ; blood ; genetics ; metabolism ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Coronary Vessels ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; metabolism ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; blood ; genetics ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics

Objective:To investigate the alteration of delayed memory and its relationship with neurogenesis and angiogenesis in vascular dementia (VD) rats after moxibustion therapy. Methods: Two hundred adult male SPF Wistar rats were chosen for the experiment. Thirty-six rats were randomly selected as the sham operation group. Except for rats in the sham operation group (n=36), the others were made into VD models by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (BCCAo). After modeling, the 108 survived rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: a model group, a neural stem cells (NSCs) plus endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) moxibustion group and a NSCs moxibustion group. Co-transplanted implant was transplanted into the rats in the NSCs plus EPCs moxibustion group, and the rats in the NSCs moxibustion group were transplanted by NSCs only. The NSCs plus EPCs moxibustion group and the NSCs moxibustion group received suspended moxibustion therapy at Baihui (GV 20), Dazhui (GV 14) and Shenting (GV 24), (each group was divided into 3 subgroups by the treatment course as 1, 2 and 3 courses). Every group was measured by Morris water maze to evaluate its delayed memory after 3 treatment courses and the rat’s brain was taken out after perfusion of 4% paraformaldehyde one day after 1, 2 and 3 treatment courses, respectively. Marker protein expression was detected by laser confocal microscope to analyze the effect on neurogenesis and angiogenesis. Results: VD rats showed delayed memory in Morris water maze test 3 d after ischemic injury. After 3 courses of moxibustion therapy, VD-induced delayed memory deficits were improved in the NSCs plus EPCs moxibustion group and the NSCs moxibustion group. The expressions of nestin, doublecortin (DCX) and CD34 increased significantly in the two moxibusiton groups after every treatment course (all P＜0.05), which might contribute to the neurogenesis and angiogenesis in hippocampus. In addition, compared with the rats in the NSCs moxibustion group, the expressions of nestin, DCX and CD34 increased significantly in the NSCs plus EPCs moxibustion group (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Moxibustion can reverse VD-induced delayed memory deficits, which may be related to the promotion of neurogenesis and angiogenesis.

Mutagenesis and screening of hydrogen-producing photosynthetic bacteria,Rhodobacter sp.R7 strain,was investigated by using the combination mutation of ultraviolet ray and LiCl and layer plating methods.A carotenoid mutant named R726 strain was obtained.The plate phenotype properties in carotenoid mutant were different from that of parent strains.Living cells spectra showed that absorption peak of 550 nm was appeared in carotenoid mutant,but not in parent strain.The absorption spectra of extraction of pigment further confirmed the difference of carotenoid composition between the mutant and parent strains.The result of TLC on silica gel plate showed that mutant has a lack of yellow carotenoid composition which occurs in parent strain.H_2 productivity and biomass in carotenoid mutant was higher than that of parent strain.These results revealed that mutant has a modified carotenoid biosynthesis pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore the renal functions of vasopressin-deficient Brattleboro(BB) rats by using different concentrated Gadolinium-diethylenetetramine pentaacetic acid(Gd-DTPA) dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).MethodsThe study included 14 BB rats(male rats of 3 month-old) and 14 normal male Wistar rats used as control group.Dynamic MRI was performed by using either a low dosage(0.05 mmol/kg) or a high dosage of Gd-DTPA(0.5 mmol/kg).Data of 0-60 min renal cortex,medulla and pelvic were obtained after using contrast medium.MRI of kidneys at different time was analyzed and the mean relative signal intensity(RSI) was measured.Then the RSI curves of different groups were marked.Data of each group were caculated separately by SPSS 11.0 software.ResultsThe findings demonstrated that RSI curves of the vasopressin-deficient kidneys showed different patterns as compared with those of the control group(P