OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of p38 MAPK on ischemic postconditioning (IPO) attenuating pneumocyte apoptosis after lung ischemia/reperfusion injury (LIRI).

METHODSForty adult male SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups based upon the intervention (n = 8): control group (C), LIR group (I/R), LIR + IPO group (IPO), IPO + solution control group (D), IPO + SB203580 group (SB). Left lung tissue was isolated after the 2 hours of reperfusion, the ratio of wet lung weight to dry lung weight (W/D), and total lung water content (TLW) were measured. The histological structure of the left lung was observed under light and electron transmission microscopes, and scored by alveolar damage index of quantitative assessment (IQA). Apoptosis index (AI) of lung tissue was determined by terminal deoxynuleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end and labeling (TUNEL) method. The mRNA expression and protein levels of and Bax were measured by RT-PCR and quantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC).

RESULTSCompared with C group, W/D, TLW, IQA, AI and the expression of Bax of I/R were significantly increased, the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2/Bax were significantly decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and was obviously morphological abnormality in lung tissue. Compared with I/R group, all the indexes of IPO except for the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2/ Bax were obviously reduced, the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2/Bax were increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). All the indexes between D and IPO were little or not significant( P > 0.05). The expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2/Bax of SB were significantly increased and other indexes were reduced than those of IPO (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONIPO may attenuate pneumocyte apoptosis in LIRI by inactivation of p38 MAPK, up-regulating expression of Bcl-2/Bax ratio.

Alveolar Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Ischemic Postconditioning ; Lung ; blood supply ; enzymology ; pathology ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; enzymology ; pathology ; prevention & control ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role and significance of ATP-sensitive K+ channels in the pathological process of hypoxia hypercapnia-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction (HHPV) and the relationship with ERK1/2 signal pathway in rats.

METHODSWe made the third pulmonary artery rings of SD rats, used the model of pulmonary artery rings perfusion in vitro. Under acute hypoxia hypercapnia condition, and observed the effects of the three stages of HHPV incubated by glybenclamide(Gly) and the combined application of Gly and U0126. At the same time, the values of rings' tension changes were recorded via the method of hypoxia hypercapnia conditions reactivity.

RESULTSUnder the normoxia condition, the values of the third pulmonary artery rings tension were relatively stable, but under the hypoxia hypercapnia condition, we observed a biphasic pulmonary artery contractile response compared with N group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). When the third pulmonary artery rings incubated by Gly, it's phase II persistent vasoconstriction was enhanced compared with the H group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and the phase I vasoconstriction was also heightened. Moreover, under the hypoxia hypercapnia condition, U0126 could significantly relieve the phase II persistent vasoconstriction compared with HD group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) induced by Gly, but the phase I acute vasoconstriction and the phase I vasodilation had no changes (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONGly may mediate HHPV via activating ERK1/2 signal transduction pathway.

Animals ; Glyburide ; pharmacology ; Hypercapnia ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; In Vitro Techniques ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; physiology ; Male ; Pulmonary Artery ; drug effects ; metabolism ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vasoconstriction ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo analyze the effect of three-dimensional (3D) laparoscopic total thyroidectomy combined with central lymph node dissection for thyroid cancer and its effect on the inflammatory response of the patients.

METHODSThe clinical data were analyzed in 90 patients with thyroid cancer undergoing radical thyroidectomy at our hospital between September, 2013 to April, 2016, including 30 receiving 3D laparoscopic surgeries, 30 with 2D laparoscopic surgeries and 30 with open surgeries. The surgical data, postoperative adverse reactions and the impact of the surgeries on the inflammatory responses of the patients were compared among the 3 groups.

RESULTSCompared with the open surgery and 2D laparoscopic surgery, 3D laparoscopic surgery was associated with lowered blood loss during the surgery and a lowered incidence of adverse reactions. The operation time in 3D group was significantly shorter than that in 2D group (P<0.05), but the total hospitalization expenses were similar between the two groups. The postoperative drainage volume did not differ significantly between the 3D group and the other two groups. The postoperative hospital stay, number of lymph nodes dissected, positivity rate of lymph nodes and the inflammatory response showed no significant differences among the 3 groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION3D laparoscopic total thyroidectomy combined with central lymph node dissection is safe and effective and reduces intraoperative blood loss and perioperative adverse reactions without significant influence on inflammatory response in patients with thyroid cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mining ; Occupational Exposure ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications ; mortality ; Survival Analysis ; Tuberculosis ; complications ; mortality

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mining ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications ; epidemiology ; Tuberculosis ; complications ; epidemiology ; Young Adult

AIM To observe the effects of Tangzhi Kangping Granules (Astragali Radix,Ligustri lucidi Fructus,Schisandrae chinensis Fructus,etc.) on regulating blood sugar and lipid of rats with glucose and lipid metabolism disorders.METHODS Among the seventy rats for the trial,ten rats were randomly assigned to normal control group,the other 60 rats were injected with STZ citric acid-sodium citrate solution (60 mg/kg) combined with high-fat emulsion (10 mL/kg) for 4 weeks to be the models of glucose and lipid metabolism disorders.The model rats were divided into model control group,mefformin + fenofibrate group,Xiaoke Pills + Xuezhikang group,and high,medium and low dose Tangzhi Kangping Granules groups.After 4-week intragastric administration,the rats had their levels of fasting serum glucose (GLU),triglyceride (TG),total cholesterol (TC),high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),low density lipids (LDL-C),insulin (INS),adiponectin (ADP),leptin (Leptin),interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) measured.RESULTS Compared with the model control group,the rats in high,medium and low dose Tangzhi Kangping Granules groups displayed significantly decreased serum contents of GLU,TG and TC,lowered levels of LDL-C,ADP,Leptin,IL-6,TNF-α,and yet significantly increased levels of HDL-C and INS.CONCLUSION Tangzhi Kangping Granules,a blood sugar andlipid regulator may adjust the levels of insulin,adiponectin and leptin,and therefore improves the body's inflammatory environment to alleviate insulin resistance.

OBJECTIVEWe propose an image-based key frames gating method for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) sequence based on manifold learning to reduce motion artifacts in IVUS longitudinal cuts.

METHODSWe achieved the gating with Laplacian eigenmaps, a manifold learning technique, to determine the low-dimensional manifold embedded in the high-dimensional image space. A distance function was constructed by the low-dimensional feature vectors to reflect the heart movement. The IVUS images were classified as end-diastolic and non-end-diastolic based on the distance function, and the IVUS images collected in end-diastolic stage constitutes the key frames gating sequences.

RESULTSWe tested the algorithm on 13 in vivo clinical IVUS sequences (images 915±142 frames, coronary segments length 15.24±2.37 mm) to calculate the vessel volume, lumen volume, and the mean plaque burden of the original and gated sequences. Statistical results showed that both the vessel volume and lumen volume measured from the gated sequences were significantly smaller than the original ones, indicating that the gated sequences were more stable; the mean plaque burden was comparable between the original and gated sequences to meet the need in clinical diagnosis and treatment. In the longitudinal views, the gated sequences had less saw tooth shape than the original ones with a similar trend and a good continuity. We also compared our method with an existing gating method.

CONCLUSIONThe proposed algorithm is simple and robust, and the gating sequences can effectively reduce motion artifacts in IVUS longitudinal cuts.

Algorithms ; Angiography ; methods ; Artifacts ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Motion ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity

The rapidly evolving aging society in China is associated with increased incidences of osteoporosis and fractures, which have become common health problems that threaten the quality of life of the elderly. Gut microbiota colonizing in the human intestinal tract form a mutual symbiotic relationship with the host and play an important role in the metabolism and immune regulation of the host. In recent years increasing studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota not only affect the digestive system but also contribute to the disease conditions involving the immune system, and have a close relationship with the occurrence and progression of osteoporosis. This review summarizes the progress and hotspots in recent researches of the associations among gut microbiota, the immune system, osteoporosis.
Aged ; Aging ; China ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; microbiology ; Humans ; Microbiota ; Osteoporosis ; microbiology ; Quality of Life

OBJECTIVETo establish rabbit model of scoliosis induced with stable asymmetric lumbar loads.

METHODSScoliosis was induced in 10 two-month-old New Zealand rabbits using 316L stainless steel springs placed between the unilateral transverse processes of L2 and L5. Serial radiographs were documented before and at 1, 4, 8, 9 and 12 weeks after the operation. At weeks, the rabbits were randomly divided into SR group (n=5) with the spring removed and SK group (n=5) without spring removal.

RESULTSAll the rabbits survived the experiment with Cobb angle all greater than 10 degree at the end of the experiment. Significant changes were found in the Cobb angles and kyphotic angles at 1, 4 and 8 weeks after the operation (P<0.05). At 8 weeks, the Cobb angle, the kyphotic angle and the length of the spring were similar between SR and SK groups (P>0.05), and in the 4 weeks following spring removal in SR group, the Cobb angle and the kyphosis decreased significantly compared with those in SK group (P<0.05). Micro-CT showed that the BV/TV of the concave side was greater than that of the convex side. The length of the spring did not show obvious changes during the experiment (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAsymmetric lumbar loading is a convenient, time-saving, and highly reproducible approach for establishing rabbit models of scoliosis.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Rabbits ; Scoliosis ; physiopathology ; Spine ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo identify specific protein markers for renal cell carcinoma detection and diagnosis, as well as develop new potential therapeutic targets of the disease.

METHODSWe used two-dimensional difference in-gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) technique conjunction with mass spectrometry (MS) for the identification of significant differentially expressed proteins between 15cases of paired clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and adjacent normal renal tissues. The protein spots were considered as differentially expressed if a 1.5-fold altered expression level was observed (Student's t test, P value<0.05).

RESULTSOf the 27 differentially expressed protein spots, 26 proteins were successfully identified. 11 proteins up-regulated in renal cell carcinoma,15 proteins down-regulated. Among them Short/branched chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, mitochondrial (ACDSB), Aldose 1-epimerase (GALM), Peroxiredoxin-4 (PRDX4), Macrophage-capping protein (CAPG), Beta-defensin 107 (D107A), Microfibril-associated glycoprotein 4 (MFAP4) were first time screening as new differential expressed proteins by protomic study in renal cell carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS2-D DIGE is a useful technique for screening and analysis differential expressed proteins in renal cell carcinoma. These new differently expressed proteins may be useful for development new molecular markers for the tumor.