Objective To investigate the effects of spleen preservation on hepatic fibrosis and relevant cytokine in rabbits with advanced schistosomiasis. Methods After hepatic cirrhosis was induced by infecting Schistosoma japonicum cercariae in rabbits, total splenectomy (TSG), subtotal splenectomy (SSG) or sham operation (model control group, MCG) were performed respectively on these rabbits. Meanwhile,a normal control group (NCG) was established. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) , interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-lβ) were detected respectively by radioimmunoassay(RIA) at the 8th, 15th and 21st week post-infection. The expressions of transforming growth factor betal (TGF-β1), type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen in liver tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry before and after the operations. Results Compared with NCG, the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β of MCG rabbits increased significantly at the 8th week post-infection (P <0.01). However, the levels of them decreased to a lower level at the 15th week. At the 6th week after operation,no significant difference was found among the three model groups ( MCG, TSG, SSG) (P > 0.05). The expressions of TGF-β1, type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen in liver tissue of MCG rabbits were significantly higher than those of NCG rabbits before the operation (P < 0. 01). No significant difference was found among the three model groups at the 6th week after the operation ( P > 0.05). Conclusion The residual splenic tissue after subtotal splenectomy does not aggravate the hepatic fibrosis at advanced schistosomiasis. The mechanism may be that the relevant cytokines of hepatic fibrosis (TGF-β1, TNF-a, IL-6, IL-1β) decreased to a lower level at this time,and splenectomy does not influence the levels of them.

Objective To evaluate the effect and mechanism of bone morrow MSCs transplantation in swine with AMI by cell biology and molecular imaging methods including PET/CT, SPECT, and MRI. Methods Twenty?four Chinese mini?swine ( ( 25 ± 5 ) kg ) were randomly divided into 2 groups: MSCs group ( n=12) and control group ( n=12) . Myocardial infarction was induced in swine hearts by occlusion of the LAD. Thirty minutes later, the MSCs group received autologous MSCs transplantation through in?tramyocardial injection into the peri?infarcted areas (2×107,2 ml) and the control group was subjected to cell culture medium in the same way. At the 1st and 4th weeks after MSCs transplantation, myocardial glu?cose metabolism, myocardial perfusion and cardiac function were evaluated in the two groups through PET/CT, SPECT and MRI. The minimum FDG mean signal intensity ( MSI ) , summed MSI, SRS, SRS%, LVEF, ESV, stroke volume ( SV) and cardiac output ( CO) were calculated. On the 4th week, HE and Masson′s Trichrome stains were performed. Mann?Whitney u test and non?parametric Wilcoxon test were used. Results (1) As evaluated by PET in the 1st week, the MSI and summed MSI in MSCs group were less than those in control group ( 22. 10 ± 3. 18 vs 35. 70 ± 3. 02, z=-2. 65; 1 013. 50 ± 29. 37 vs 1 084. 00 ± 21?15, z=-1.97;both P<0.05) . Compared to the minimum MSI and summed MSI in the 1st week, those in MSCs group increased significantly (34.00±4.25, z=-2.81;1 075.50±28.30, z=-2.80;both P<0?01) in the 4th week. SRS and SRS% decreased in the 4th week compared to those in the 1st week (20.20±2.24 vs 23.80±1.58, (29.80±3.31)% vs (35.10±2.34)%;both z=-2.08, both P<0.05). The averaged MSI in left ventricular infarction area (MSI<70) also increased (56.25±3.54 vs 48.14±2.71;z=-2.80, P<0.01). The a?bove?mentioned parameters had no statistically significant differences in the 4th week compared to those in the 1st week in the control group (all P>0.05). (2) In the 1st week, the perfusion variables had no signifi?cant differences between the two groups ( P>0.05) . There was no significant difference in any perfusion vari?ables between the 1st and 4th weeks in the two groups, respectively (P>0.05). (3) As evaluated by MRI, the cardiac functional parameters had no significant differences between the two groups at the 1st week. In the MSCs groups, LVEF increased significantly ((54.41±2.62)% vs (47.54±2.43)%;z=-2.60, P<0.01) and ESV reduced significantly ((22.85±1.91) vs (27.07±1.67) ml;z=-2.70, P<0.01) in the 4th week com?pared to those in the 1st week; SV and cardiac CO in the 4th week also increased significantly ((29.35± 1?84) vs (26.52±1.46) ml, (2.23±0.14) vs (1.96±0.13) L/min;z=-2.09 and -1.99, both P<0?05). In the control group, there were no significant differences in the cardiac functional parameters between the 1st and 4th weeks ( all P>0.05) . Conclusions Four weeks after MSCs transplantation for AMI, cardiac func?tion and myocardial glucose metabolism improved significantly but without significant myocardial perfusion improvement. Therefore, the cardiac function improvement might be associated with increased myocardial glucose metabolism.