OBJECTIVEInjection of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) can prevent bone loss in sciatic nerve transaction rats. We try to investigate the action mechanism of IGF-1 on bone formation.

METHODSA total of 40 adult male Spragne-Dawley rats were divided into two groups (experimental group and control group) with 20 animals in each. Sciatic neurectomy was performed to model disuse osteoporosis in all rats. IGF-1 was administered in experimental group with the dose of 100 microgramme/kilogram per day for 3 days. Meanwhile, the rats in control group were treated with saline. Bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry 4 and 6 weeks after neurectomy respectively. Expression of Osterix and Runx2 was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay.

RESULTSThere was a significant increase in the bone mineral density of experimental group compared with control group. There was a significant decrease in the level of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB-ligand but an increase in the level of osteoprotegerin 4 and 6 weeks after neurectomy in the experimental group compared with control one. The expression of Osterix and Runx2 was up-regulated in the bone marrow of experimental group compared with control group.

CONCLUSIONIGF-1 can increase bone formation by stimulation of osteoblast number and activity, and reduce bone resorption by restriction of differentiation of osteoclast, suggesting that IGF-1 may improve the therapeutic efficacy for disuse osteoporosis.

Animals ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Bone Resorption ; prevention & control ; Cell Differentiation ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Injections ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Osteoblasts ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sciatic Nerve ; surgery ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Up-Regulation ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the molecular pathway of substance P (SP) to induce osteoblastic differentiation.

METHODSMesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured. The cultures were divided into four groups with Group A (control group) cultured without any factors, Group B cultured with SP, Group C cultured with SP and SP receptor neurokinin-1 (NK1) antagonist, and Group D cultured with SP NK1 antagonist respectively to induce osteoblastic cells differentiation. Osterix gene expression was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for three times after 1-2 weeks of cultivation and the results were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

RESULTSThe log phase of bone marrow stromal cells appeared at 4-6 days. ALP staining revealed that the majority of cells, more than 95%, were positive and small blue-purple granules were found in the cytoplasm. And Group B, treated with SP, showed a higher level of ALP activity than the other three groups. Meanwhile, RT-PCR found that Osterix expression in Group B was obviously up-regulated, compared with other groups. But Osterix expression in Group D had no remarkable differences, compared with the controls.

CONCLUSIONSSP can up-regulate Osterix gene expression to stimulate differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblastic cells at the final stage. The regulatory effect of SP on Osterix expression was dependant on SP NK1 receptors.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; analysis ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Substance P ; pharmacology ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo follow the fate of murine epidermal stem cells (ESCs) seeded in a syngeneic dermal equivalent implanted in vivo.

METHODSEmbryonic stem (ES) cells were induced in vitro to differentiate into ESCs. After stained with a fluorescent dye Hoechst 33342, these ESCs were seeded into a fibroblast-collagen-gelatin sponge complex, functioning as a dermal equivalent model, and implanted subcutaneously into 129/J mice, which were syngeneic to these stem cells. The fate of these cells was observed with HE staining, immunocytochemical staining or Van Gieson's staining.

RESULTSThese ESCs were clearly visible in the implant by fluorescent microscopy 3 weeks or longer after implantation. These cells remained viable, differentiated into hair follicle-like structure, glandular structure, and gave rise to additional structures displaying features resembling native dermis. A number of markers were expressed in the differentiated structures, including CD29 (integrin beta1 subunit) and cytokeratin 18 (CK18). No apparent rejection or severe side effects were observed at least during the 10 weeks following implantation.

CONCLUSIONNow that ESCs could survive in vivo in this dermal equivalent model, and differentiate into hair follicle-like structures as well as glandular structures, it is feasible to use these cells as seed cells in the study to fabricate dermal equivalent having the potential to develop dermal appendages.

Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cells, Cultured ; Dermis ; cytology ; transplantation ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Skin Transplantation ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; Tissue Engineering

Objective To investigate the prevalence of non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and their impact factors.Methods The detailed clinical information (onset age and disease duration) of 440 patients with idiopathic PD,admitted to our hospital from 2008 to 2011,were recorded.Several scales,including non-motor symptom screening scale,Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD) and unified Parkinson's disease rating scale(UPDRS),were performed; these data were calculated with SPSS statistic software.Results Among the 440 PD patients,defecation incompletion (60.5％) and constipation (60％) enjoyed the highest frequency,followed by forgetfulness (56.6％),sweating (52％) and sadness (47.7％).Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the sum of non-motor symptoms had a linear positive correlation with disease durations,HAMD total scores,and UPDRS Ⅱ and Ⅲ scores (P＜0.05).The frequency of daytime dribbling,taste/smelling abnormality,swallowing difficulty or choking,and constipation in patients with different disease durations were significantly different (P＜0.05); however,the frequency of forgetfulness,concentration and sadness in patients with different disease durations showed no significant differences (P＞0.05).Conclusion Gastrointestinal and psychiatric symptoms,and memory loss are the most common non-motor symptoms in PD patients; the sum of the non-motor symptoms increases with the increment of disease durations and the severity of PD and depression.

OBJECTIVETo study the indoor environmental factors associated with the prevalence of asthma and related allergies among school children.

METHODSA cluster sampling method was used and the ISAAC questionnaire was conducted. A total of 4612 elementary students under Grade Five of 7 schools were enrolled in the survey for the impact of indoor environmental factors on the prevalence of asthma and related allergies in several urban and suburban schools of Beijing.

RESULTSA total of 4060 sample were finally analyzed including 1992 urban and 2068 suburban. The prevalence of wheeze, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic eczema in the past 12 months was 3.1% (61/1992), 5.3% (106/1992), 1.1% (22/1992) among urban children while 1.3% (27/2068), 3.1% (65/2068), 1.0% (22/2068) among suburban children respectively. The prevalence of wheeze and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis of the past 12 months in urban were both significantly higher than that in suburban (χ(2) = 14.77, 11.93, P < 0.01). The incidences of having asthma and eczema ever among urban children (5.3% (105/1992), 29.4% (586/1992)) were significantly (χ(2) = 39.03, 147.22, P < 0.01) higher than that among suburban (1.7% (35/2068), 13.8% (285/2068)). Although the distributions of indoor environmental factors were similar in both areas, passive smoking and interior decoration had different influence on the prevalence of asthma and related allergies among school children in the two areas. The significant impact of passive smoking on having asthma ever among suburban children was observed (OR = 2.70, 95%CI = 1.17 - 6.23) while no significant result in urban (OR = 1.06, 95%CI = 0.71 - 1.58); the percentage of interior decoration was 84.0% (1673/1992) among urban children and 80.0% (1655/2068) among suburban children, there was significant impact of interior decoration on the prevalence of having eczema ever among urban children (OR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.17 - 2.10) but no significant results were found in suburban sample (OR = 1.06, 95%CI = 0.76 - 1.48).

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of asthma and related allergies among school children is much higher in urban areas than that in suburban areas and the indoor environmental factors such as passive smoking and interior decoration may differently explain the prevalence of asthma and related allergies in the two areas.

Adolescent ; Air Pollution, Indoor ; analysis ; Asthma ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Cities ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Male ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Students ; Suburban Population ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urban Population

Although gene therapy was regarded as a promising approach for glioma treatment, its therapeutic efficacy was often disappointing because of the lack of efficient drug delivery systems. Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) have been reported to have a tropism for brain tumors and thus could be used as delivery vehicles for glioma therapy. Therefore, in this study, we attempted to treat glioma by using MSCs as a vehicle for delivering replication-competent adenovirus. We firstly compared the infectivity of type 3, type 5, and type 35 fiber-modified adenoviruses in MSCs. We also determined suitable adenovirus titer in vitro and then used this titer to analyze the ability of MSCs to deliver replication-competent adenovirus into glioma in vivo. Our results indicated that type 35 fiber-modified adenovirus showed higher infectivity than did naked type 3 or type 5 fiber-modified adenovirus. MSCs carrying replication-competent adenovirus significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo compared with other control groups. In conclusion, MSCs are an effective vehicle that can successfully transport replication-competent adenovirus into glioma, making it a potential therapeutic strategy for treating malignant glioma.
Adenoviridae ; Animals ; Brain Neoplasms ; pathology ; therapy ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Genetic Vectors ; Glioma ; pathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Oncolytic Virotherapy ; Random Allocation ; Virus Replication ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo study the pathological features of liver tissues from patients clinically diagnosed with mild chronic hepatitis B based on current guideline and emphasize the important significance of liver puncture and biopsy for these patients.

METHODSTotally 156 patients clinically diagnosed with mild chronic hepatitis B based on current guideline received liver puncture under the real-time Doppler ultrasonographic guiding. Pathological diagnosis was made after microscopic examinations of the liver tissue specimens stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and reticular fiber staining. The differences between clinical and pathological diagnosis for these patients were analyzed.

RESULTSFinally, 105 (67.3%) patients were pathologically diagnosed with mild chronic hepatitis B; 28 (18.0%), 3 (1.9%) and 20 (12.8%) patients were pathologically diagnosed as moderate, severe chronic hepatitis B and cirrhosis, respectively. Forty-eight (30.8%) and 39 (25.0%) patients of non-mild chronic hepatitis B were found to have G3-4 inflammation and S3-4 fibrosis, respectively. Differences in serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin or albumin between mild and non-mild chronic hepatitis B based on pathological diagnosis were not statistically significant (t-test, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAccurate pathological diagnosis is helpful to guiding an antiviral therapy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between liver function test, serum HBeAg, HBV DNA level and liver pathological changes in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODS233 patients with chronic hepatitis B accept liver puncture biopsy, liver function test, HBeAg detection and HBV DNA fluorescent quantitation PCR detection. Comparisons of liver function test, HBeAg and HBV DNA level were conducted among different liver pathological changes including inflammation grading and fibrosis staging.

RESULTSIn different inflammation grading groups, ALT was highest in group G3 and lowest in group G(0-1)(P = 0.016); TBil was highest in group G4 and lowest in group G(0-1) (P = 0.000); HBV DNA level was highest in group G4 and lowest in group G(0-1), but not statistically significant among groups (P = 0.463). In different fibrosis staging groups, ALT was highest in group S3 and lowest in group S(0-1), but not statistically significant among groups (P = 0.562); TBil was highest in group S4 and lowest in group S2 (P = 0.039); HBV DNA level was highest in group S3 and lowest in group S(0-1), but not statistically significant among groups (P = 0.395). In HBeAg positive group,the proportion of G(3-4) in inflammation grading or S(3-4) in fibrosis staging was lower than that in HBeAg negative group (46% vs. 52%, P = 0.438; 38% vs. 53%, P = 0.025; respectively).

CONCLUSIONHBV DNA level can not indicate the severity of liver inflammation or fibrosis in chronic HBV infection. Patients with HBeAg negative often are complicated with more severity of liver fibrosis. In routine liver function test, TBil level correlates with liver inflammation grading or fibrosis staging; ALT level also correlates with liver inflammation grading but not with fibrosis staging.

Adult ; Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Female ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; immunology ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; metabolism ; Hepatitis B virus ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; immunology ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Inflammation ; etiology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; etiology ; immunology ; Liver Function Tests ; statistics & numerical data ; Male ; Viral Load

Objective To analyze the etiologic characteristics of Vibrio cholerae in Guangdong province in 2007.Genetic relationship was observed including among predominated biotype isolates from different areas within the province and among same biotypes isolates from cholera cases and regular surveillance.Methods Isolates from cholera cases and through environmental surveillance were typed by sero-and phage-typings.Similarity of molecular fingerprinting was analyzed through comparing the pulsed field gel electrophoresis(PFGE)pattern of predominated biotype isolates,and those of the same biotype isolates from cholera cases and environment surveillance,respectively.In addition,genetic relationship was determined by clustering analysis,using bionumerics software.Results In total,31 isolates from cholera cases were collected and subtyped for 3 serogroups.V.cholerae O1 El Tor Inaba phage 1d was the predominant biotype which causing most of the cases in Guangdong province in 2007.Data from cluster analysis showed that the similarity among Inaba phage 1d strains from different areas were from 94.5% to 100%.However.16 isolates were collected from environment surveillance programs and the predominated biotype could not be found.Additionally,the biotype distribution of cases isolates was not consistent with those isolates through surveillance.High phylogenetic diversity was observed for the same biotypes isolates from cases and surveillance samples.Conclusion Our data showed that V.cholerae O1 El Tor Inaba phage 1d was the predominated biotype with multi-clone coexisting and circulating in Guangdong province in 2007.It also appeared to be the characteristics of cholera in the non-epidemic period,suggesting that it was necessary to enhance the alert surveillance programs for cholera epidemic based on the molecular typing techniques.

OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical experience of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment for adult refractory cardiogenic shock.

METHODSFrom January 2003 to January 2011, patients with refractory cardiogenic shock required veno-arterial ECMO by failure of conventional therapy and intra-aortic balloon pump counterpulsation therapy were retrospectively studied. Patients with severe traumatic brain injury, advanced malignancies and multiple organ failure were excluded. Patients were divided into weaned group (n = 31) and not weaned group (n = 23) according to the ECMO weaning.

RESULTSThe duration of ECMO was 24.16 (14.12, 56.75) hours. Twenty-two out of 31 patients in the weaned group survived and were discharged, 9 patients died after successfully weaned from ECMO (5 due to multisystem organ failure, 2 due to reoccurred cardiogenic shock, 1 due to infectious shock and 1 due to disseminated or diffuse intravascular coagulation). Pre-ECMO mean arterial pressure, ejection fraction, the duration of ECMO were significantly higher while pre-ECMO blood lactate [(8.64 ± 3.17) vs. (14.44 ± 2.52) , P < 0.01], the duration of ROSC [ (16.70 ± 5.29) vs. (35.64 ± 5.89), P < 0.01] and multisystem organ failure [0 vs. 17.4% (4/23) , P < 0.05] were lower in weaned group than in not wean group.

CONCLUSIONSECMO is an effective mechanical assistant therapy strategy for adult refractory cardiogenic shock patients. Timely applying this strategy on suitable patients is crucial for the success of ECMO. Cardiac function and reversibility of heart failure are key factors determine the fate of weaned or not weaned ECMO in adult refractory cardiogenic shock patients.

Adult ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; therapy