Objective To observe the effects of hypoxia on the expression of connective tissue growth factor(CTGF)and matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP-9)in lung fibroblasts at different time points.Methods Fibroblasts were cultured at hypoxic condition 0,1.5,3,6,12 h respectively.CTGF mRNA and MMP-9 mRNA level were detected in each group by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).The concen- tration of CTGF and MMP-9 protein in fibroblasts supernatant were determined using enzyme-linked im- munosorbent assay(ELISA).Results Hypoxia stimulated fibroblasts increased the level of CTGF mRNA with- in 1.5 h,and the levels remained at a plateau up to 6 h,and then decreased by 12 h.The level of MMP-9 mRNA increased significantly within 3 h,and the levels kept the trend for increasing.ELISA revealed that the levels of both CTGF and MMP-9 protein/cell in medium conditioned by fibroblasts exposed to hypoxia were maximal at 12 h.The level of MMP in the CTGF-Ab treated groups was significantly decreased compared to the untreated groups.Conclusions These findings suggest that hypoxia stimulates fibroblasts to release CTGF as a mitogen factor,which initiates the fibrosis cascade and airway remodeling by regulating the balance of extracellular ma- trix synthesis and degradation via MMP-9 which is secreted by fibroblast cells in response to CTGF.

Objective To evaluae possible association between interleukin-1 beta (IL-1?) gene exon 5 polymorphism and childhood asthma.Methods The study was conducted in two different groups: asthmatic children(n=55) and healthy children(n=35). The IL-1? gene exon 5 polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP). Results Frequencies of CC,CT and TT genotypes were 92.7%,7.3%,0, and frequencies of C,T allele were 96.4%,3.6% in asthmatic group. However, frequencies of CC,CA and AA genotypes were 85.7%,14.3%,0, and frequencies of C,T allele were 92.9% ,7.1% in healthy group. There were no significant difference in distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies between two groups.Conclusion IL-1? gene exon 5 polymorphism may not be associated with childhood asthma.

0.05).Conclusion PAF-AH-Ala379Val gene mutation is unrelated to bronchial asthma in children.

Objective To investigate the polymorphism of glutathione S-transferease P1 gene(GSTP1) and the association between the mutation and susceptibility in childhood asthma.Methods The distribute frequency of Ile105/Ile105,Ile105/Val105 and Val105/Val105 ge-notype in GSTP1 of 51 children with asthmatic and 40 normal children were studied with polymerase chain reaction-restriction tragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP).Results The frequencies of Ile/Ile Ile/Val,Val/Val genotype were 66.7%,27.4% and 5.9%,the frequencies of Ile,Val allele were 80.4% and 19.6% in the asthmatic group.But the frequencies of Ile/Ile,Ile/Val,Val/Val genotype were 90.0%,7.5% and 2.5%,the frequencies of Ile,Val allele were 93.8%,6.2% in control group.The frequencies Ile/Val,Val/Val genotype and Val allele in asthmatic group were more than that in control group.A significant difference was found in the frequency distribution of GSTP1 genotypes between two groups(?2=6.947 P

Objective:To observe the effect of warm-unblocking acupuncture plus fluticasone propionate nasal spray on the pulmonary ventilation, level of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and sleep quality in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods: A total of 112 AR patients were enrolled between January 2013 and August 2018 and were divided into an observation group and a control group by the random number table method, with 56 cases in each group. Patients in the observation group received warm-unblocking acupuncture plus fluticasone propionate nasal spray, and patients in the control group only received fluticasone propionate nasal spray. The nasal symptom score, pulmonary function indexes, the levels of IFN-γ and interleukin (IL)-4 in serum, and sleep quality in the two groups were compared. Results: After treatment, the total effective rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P＜0.05). The nasal symptom score dropped in both groups after treatment (both P＜0.05), and the score in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P＜0.05). The pulmonary ventilation indexes all increased significantly after treatment in the observation group (all P＜0.05); the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio (FEV1/FVC) and the forced expiratory flow at 50%, 75% and 25%-75% of the vital capacity (FEF50%, FEF75%, FEF25%-75%) increased after treatment in the control group (all P＜0.05); the pulmonary ventilation indexes were higher in the observation group than those in the control group (all P＜0.05). The level of IFN-γ increased significantly after treatment in the two groups (both P＜0.05) and the level of IL-4 dropped significantly (both P＜0.05); the observation group had a higher IFN-γ level (P＜0.05) and a lower IL-4 level (P＜0.05) compared with the control group. Regarding the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), the scores of subjective sleep quality, habitual sleep efficiency and sleep disturbances and the general PSQI score decreased significantly after treatment in both groups (all P＜0.05), and the scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P＜0.05). Conclusion: Warm-unblocking acupuncture plus fluticasone propionate nasal spray can effectively control the clinical symptoms and improve pulmonary function in the treatment of AR; this approach can regulate the levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 towards the normal range in AR patients; it can also improve patient’s sleep quality. This method can produce more significant efficacy than fluticasone propionate nasal spray used alone.

At the present time, training student to have innovative and applied ability has become the object of higher education in China. In this paper, it was proposed that teacher was obligated to create certain atmospheres in classroom to achieve this goal, including friendliness, harmoniousness, encouragement, happiness, discussion, exploration, etc. At the same time, student-centered study should be encouraged. Through these measures, the spirit of innovation will be inspired, the applied ability will be trained, the capability of self-study will be enhanced.

Objective To study the effect of injured podocytes on glomerular maturation and its underlying mechanism in neonatal mice.Methods Single i.p.injection with puromycin aminonucleoside (PA,0.1 mg/g BW) was given to ICR neonatal mice at day 1 after birth (1 dpp). Littermates injected with normal saline (NS) were used as control.Animals were examined for urine protein,blood pressure,kidney weight/body weight (KW/BW),renal histology at 2,4,8,12, 30,60 and 90 dpp (n=6～9 for each group).Immunohistochemistry and quantitative RT-PCR were performed to examine the expression of WT-1,CD31,VEGF,Flk-1,Ang-1,Ang-2,Tie-1 and Tie-2.Results Mice with PA injection had lower kidney weight and body weight at all time points as well as lower KW/BW at 4,8,12 dpp when compared with NS controls.Electron microscopy revealed nearly complete foot process effacement and segmental microvillous transformation as early as 1 day after PA injection.PA-injected kidneys showed fewer capillary loops and decreased maturation index as well as less CD31-positive endothelium in cortical glomeruli at 12 dpp. Glomerular mesangial injury and developing glomerulosclerosis along with proteinuria were noted in PA-injected kidneys starting from 30 dpp.Significantly increased systolic blood pressure was detected at 60 dpp in PA mice.Compared with NS injection,PA injection significantly induced decreased mRNA expression of Flk-1 and Tie-2 as well as increased expression of Ang-1,without obvious changes of VEGF at 2 dpp.Conclusions Podocytes in neonatal kidney of ICR mice are susceptible to PA. Such podocyte injury can alter the expression of VEGF and angiopoietin system in glomeruli,leading to abnormal development of glomerular capillaries,and subsequent proteinuria,hypertension and glomerulosclerosis.

OBJECTIVETo compare differences of clinical therapeutic effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion with different doses for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

METHODSSixty cases of IBS were randomly divided into a saturated-dose group (30 cases) and a traditional-dose group (30 cases). Heat-sensitive moxibustion was applied in both groups. The acupoints that had the strongest heat-sensitive feeling were selected and treated by warm and suspended moxibustion with moxa stick. Disappearance of heat-sensitive feeling was taken as the sign of treatment time in the saturated-dose group, while the traditional-dose group was treated for 15 min each time. The treatment in both groups was given twice a day for first 5 days, and from the sixth day it was given once a day for continuous 25 times, totally 30 days. Clinical symptom scores and therapeutic effect before and after treatment in two groups were observed.

RESULTSAfter the treatment, the cured and markedly effective rate was 75.0% (21/28) in the saturated-dose group, which was inferior to 44.4% (12/27) in the traditional-dose group (P < 0.05). The clinical symptom scores, including diarrhea, abdominal distension and pain, were obviously reduced in two groups compared with those before the treatment (all P < 0.05). Compared with the traditional-dose group, the symptom scores of diarrhea and abdominal distension in the saturated-dose group were obviously decreased (0.87 +/- 0.13 vs 1.27 +/- 0.21, P < 0.01; 1.12 +/- 0.41 vs 1.32 +/- 0.26, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe moxibustion featured with disappearance of heat-sensitive feeling and saturated dose has better therapeutic effect than that with traditional-dose for treatment of IBS. As individual dynamic amount of moxibustion, disappearance of heat-sensitive and quantitation varies from person to person, which is one of the key factors to obtain the best curative effect.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Adult ; Choristoma ; Humans ; Male ; Mediastinal Cyst ; Neck ; pathology ; Thymus Gland ; pathology