Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Objective To study the techniques of the treatment for epidermoid with endoscope-as- sisted microneurosurgery.Methods The suboccipital,infratemporal transtentorial approach and endoscope- assisted microneurosurgery were used.Results Total resection was achieved in 10 cases,and subtotal resec- tion was made only in 2, and had no complications of all.Conclusion Endoscope-assisted microneuro- surgery can increase the total-resection rate for tumors,and reduce complications.

Objective To establish and evaluate a gene microarray for determination katG mutations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates associated with resistance to isoniazid(INH).Methods A panel of probes were designed and gene chips were prepared by dotting.Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates resistance to 5 drugs was determined by proportional dilution methods.Amplicons of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were detected by our chip and sequenced.Results The drug resistance rate of the isolates to at least one of the anti-tuberculosis drugs was 70.8%(97/137).45 strains out 137 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates was resistant to INH(32.8%).katG was successfully amplified from 100% of the susceptible strains and 88.9%(40/45)resistant strains.4 of 45 INH resistant isolates' katG were deleted.27 of 40(67.5%) katG has been detected to have katG 315 codon mutations.The mutations were 315 AAC(Asn,13/40), ACC(Thr,6/40),ACA(Thr,4/40),ATC(Ile,2/40),AGC(Arg,2/40).The mutation rate of katG analyzed by gene chips we prepared were identical to katG sequencing.Conclusion The gene microarray techniques we developed for determination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistance to INH are specific, sensitive and may be used as an alternative in clinical laboratory.

BACKGROUNDThe Toll-like receptors (TLRs) represent a group of single-pass transmembrane receptors expressed on sentinel cells that are central to innate immune responses.The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of soluble TLRs in pleural effusions, and the diagnostic values of TLRs for pleural effusion with various etiologies.

METHODSPleural effusion and serum samples were collected from 102 patients (36 with malignant pleural effusion, 36 with tuberculous pleural effusion, 18 with bacterial pleural effusion, and 12 with transudative pleural effusion). The concentrations of TLR1 to TLR10 were determined in effusion and serum samples by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Four classical parameters (protein, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose and C-reactive protein (CRP)) in the pleural fluid were also assessed. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were used to assess the sensitivity and specificity of pleural fluid TLRs and biochemical parameters for differentiating bacterial pleural effusion.

RESULTSThe concentrations of TLR1, TLR3, TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9 in bacterial pleural effusion were significantly higher than those in malignant, tuberculous, and transudative groups, respectively. Analysis of receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that the area under the curves of TLR1, TLR3, TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9 were 0.831, 0.843, 0.842, 0.883 and 0.786, respectively, suggesting that these TLRs play a role in the diagnosis of bacterial pleural effusion. Also, the diagnostic value of TLRs for bacterial pleural effusions was much better than that of biochemical parameters (protein, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose and CRP).

CONCLUSIONSThe concentrations of TLR1, TLR3, TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9 appeared to be increased in bacterial pleural effusion compared to non-bacterial pleural effusions. Determination of these pleural TLRs may improve the ability of clinicians to differentiate pleural effusion patients of bacterial origin from those with other etiologies.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bacterial Infections ; metabolism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pleural Effusion ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Prospective Studies ; Toll-Like Receptor 1 ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 3 ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 7 ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 9 ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptors ; metabolism ; Young Adult

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects and the underline mechanisms of berberine on the cardiac function and left ventricular remodeling in rats with renovascular hypertension. The renovascular hypertensive model was established by the two-kidney, two-clip (2K2C) method in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Two weeks after surgery, all the operated SD rats were randomly assigned into four groups: (1) renovascular hypertensive model group; (2) berberine 5 mg x kg(-1) group; (3) berberine 10 mg x kg(-1) group; (4) captopril 45 mg x kg(-1) group; and the sham operated rats were used as control. Four weeks after the drugs were administered, the cardiac function was assessed. The ratios of heart weight to body weight (HW/BW), left ventricular weight to body weight (LVW/BW) and right ventricular weight to body weight (RVW/BW) were compared between groups. Coronal sections of the left ventricular tissue (LV) were prepared for paraffin sections, picrosirius red and HE staining was performed. The left ventricular wall thickness (LVWT), interventricular septal thickness (IVST), the parameters of myocardial fibrosis indicated by interstitial collagen volume fraction (ICVF) and perivascular collagen area (PVCA) were assessed. Nitric oxide (NO), adenosine cyclophosphate (cAMP) and guanosine cyclophosphate (cGMP) concentrations of left ventricular tissue were measured. Berberine 5 mg x kg(-1) and 10 mg x kg(-1) increased the left ventricular +/- dp/dt(max) and HR. Berberine 10 mg x kg(-1) decreased HW/BW and LVW/BW. The image analysis showed that both 5 and 10 mg x kg(-1) of berberine decreased LVWT, ICVF and PVCA, while increased the NO and cAMP contents in left ventricular tissue. Berberine could improve cardiac contractility of 2K2C model rats, and inhibit left ventricular remodeling especially myocardial fibrosis in renovascular hypertension rats. And such effects may partially associate with the increased NO and cAMP content in left ventricular tissue.
Animals ; Berberine ; pharmacology ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Cyclic AMP ; metabolism ; Cyclic GMP ; metabolism ; Hypertension, Renovascular ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ventricular Function, Left ; drug effects ; Ventricular Remodeling ; drug effects

This study was to establish an iron overload bone marrow (BM) model by co-culturing the mononuclear cells from BM with iron, and investigate its hematopoiesis changes. The iron overload model was set up by adding different concentration of ferric citrate (FAC) into the mononuclear cells from BM and culturing for different time, and the model was confirmed by detecting labile iron pool (LIP). Then the apoptosis of hematopoietic cells, ability of hematopoietic colony forming (CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-GM and CFU-mix) and percentage of the CD34(+) cells of the BM cells all were determined. The changes of these indexes were tested after the iron-overloaded BM was treated with deferasirox (DFO). The results showed that after BM cells were cultured with FAC at different concentrations for different time, the LIP increased in time-and concentration-dependent manners. The intracellular LIP reached maximum level when cultured at 400 µmol/L of FAC for 24 hours. The detection of BM cell hematopoietic function found that the apoptotic rate of the FAC-treated cells (24.8 ± 2.99%) increased significantly, as compared with normal control (8.9 ± 0.96%)(p < 0.01). The ability of hematopoietic colony forming in FAC-treated cells decreased markedly, as compared with normal control (p < 0.05). The percentage of CD34(+) cells of FAC-treated cells (0.39 ± 0.07%) also decreased significantly, as compared with normal control (0.91 ± 0.12%)(p < 0.01). And these changes could be alleviated by adding DFO. It is concluded that the iron-overloaded model has been set by adding iron into the mononuclear cells from BM in vitro, and the hematopoietic function of iron-overloaded BM is deficient. These changes can be alleviated by removing the excess iron from the BM cells through treating with DFO. These findings would be helpful to further study the mechanism of iron-overload on the hematopoiesis of BM and also useful to find the way to treat iron-overload patients with hematopoietic disorders.
Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cells, Cultured ; Hematopoiesis ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Iron ; metabolism ; Iron Overload

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in clinical efficacy on lumber disc herniation (LDH) treated with Yaoyangguan (GV 3) between mild moxibustion under thermosensitive condition and that under non-thermo-sensitive condition.

METHODSFifty-seven LDH patients were selected as the study objects. Mild moxibustion at Yaoyangguan (GV 3) was applied for 45 min each time. Additionally, the conventional acupuncture was given, once a day, for 20 days. At the end of treatment, two groups were classified. A thermosensitive acupoint group (thermosensitive group) was composed of the cases with thermo-sensitization at Yaoyangguan (GV 3) and presenting for > or =4 times in the entire treatment. A non-thermosensitive acupoint group (tranquilization group) was composed of the cases without thermo-sensitization or the frequency of thermo-sensitization <4 times in the entire treatment. The modified Japanese orthopedics association scoring system (M-JOA) was adopted to observe the cases before and after treatment and 6 months after treatment in the two groups. The efficacy was compared between the two groups.

RESULTSAfter treatment and in 6 months after treatment, the score of M-JOA was apparently reduced as compared with that before treatment in the two groups (all P<0.05). The score reducing in the thermosensitization group was more obvious than that in the tranquilization group (both P<0.01). After treatment and in 6 months after treatment, the curative rate and remarkably effective rate were 89.7% (26/29) and 79.3% (23/29), which was better than 71.4% (20/28) and 60.7% (17/28, both P<0.05) in the tranquilization group separately.

CONCLUSIONMild moxibustion at acupoint under thermosensitive condition achieves the better short-term and long-term effects as compared with that under non-thermosensitive condition.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the antidepressant components of Polygala tenuifolia.

METHODThe chromatographic method was used to isolate and purify the chemical constituents, their structures were identified by spectral analysis, MTT method was applied to investigate their cytotoxic activities.

RESULTNine compounds were isolated from the roots of P. tenuifolia. Their structures were identified as sibiricose A, (1), sibiricose A5 (2), tenuifoliside A (3) and 3', 6-disinapoyl sucrose (4), sibiricose A6 (5), 3, 4, 5-trimethoxycinnamate (6), polygalaxanthone III (7), tenuifolioses A (8), tenuifolioses H (9) and some compounds' activities to PC12 were observed.

CONCLUSIONCompound 1 was isolated from this plant for the first time. Compounds 2,3 could protect PC12 cells damage induced by P. tenuifolia.

Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Esters ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Mice ; PC12 Cells ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Polygala ; chemistry ; Rats ; Sucrose ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo isolate and identify the cancer stem cells from primary human ovarian cancer tissues.

METHODSFresh tumor tissues from five cases of pathologically diagnosed ovarian cancers were taken, minced and then digested with collagenase and hyaluronidase to obtain single cell suspension. The erythrocytes were removed with ACK Lysis buffer. The suspensions were sorted by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) using CD133-binding microbeads. Then the sorted CD133(+) cells were verified by flow cytometry. The cells were cultured in serum-free medium supplemented with EGF, bFGF, insulin and BSA, and grew into spheroids. Immunofluorescence, differentiation and tumor formation tests of the cells were performed to characterize the properties of cancer stem cells.

RESULTSThe ovarian cancer stem cells were successfully isolated from primary human ovarian tumors, which formed typical spheroids in serum-free medium and had stronger ability of tumorigenesis. The results of related experiments verified that CD133 positive cells owned the properties of cancer stem cells.

CONCLUSIONSThe ovarian cancer stem cells presenting the characteristics of stemness in vitro and in vivo, have been successfully isolated from primary human ovarian tumor tissues by MACS. The isolated ovarian cancer stem cells could be used in future researches of their biological functions.

AC133 Antigen ; Animals ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; methods ; Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunomagnetic Separation ; methods ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred NOD ; Mice, SCID ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; metabolism ; pathology ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Peptides ; metabolism

UNLABELLEDTo further explore the relationship between hypertrophic scar and injury to conical structure of skin and the pathogenesis of hypertrophic scar, and to reproduce an optimal animal model of hypertrophic scar.

METHODSThe back of two FRDP pigs were shaved, and a piece of normal skin was harvested for the observation of conical structure of skin. Skin wounds with depth of 0.38 mm, 0.76 mm, 1.14 mm and 1.52 mm, respectively, were created by gas-driven dermatome. Eight wounds measuring 7.0 cm x 7.0 cm were created on each pig. The wounds were divided into 4 groups according to the wound depth with 4 wounds in each group, i.e. 0.38 mm group, 0.76 mm group, 1.14 mm group and 1.52 mm group. The 0.38 mm and 0.76 mm groups were designated as superficial wound groups and 1.14 mm and 1.52 mm groups as deep wound groups. The wounds were allowed to heal without treatment. Tissue samples from the wound were harvested on 0, 10, 30, 60, 90 and 150 post injury day (PID) , and they were sectioned for HE staining and staining for elastic fibers (VVG). The wound healing and the scar formation were observed with naked eye. The skin conical structures in normal and injured skin were also observed. The morphology of hypertrophic scar was observed, and the thickness of the scar tissue was determined and scored.

RESULTSThe wounds in superficial wound groups healed within 3 weeks with flat surface without scar formation. The wounds in deep wound groups healed later than 4 weeks with thick, hairless, hard in texture, with depigmentation or pigmentation, finally forming contracture. The skin conical structure could be found on the back of FRDP with HE and VVG staining, and it was similar to that of human in terms of the structure. In superficial wound groups, the upper part of the skin conical structure was injured, but fat fornix and glands were intact. In deep wound groups, the lower part of the skin cone, together with the fat fornix and gland were all injured. On the 150th post injury day, the histological picture of the tissue in superficial wound groups was similar to that of normal skin. But the skin conical structure could not be found in deep wound groups, and the wounds were filled by a large accumulation of disarrayed and irregularly arranged collagen fibers. With passage of time, the scar became thicker and thicker, and the scar hypertrophy reached the zenith in 150th PID.

CONCLUSIONThe injury of skin conical structure can lead to the formation of hypertrophic scar. FRDP can be used to reproduce and ideal model of hypertrophic scar.

Animals ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; etiology ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Hyperplasia ; Skin ; injuries ; pathology ; Swine