Objective: To study the mechanism of the preventive effects of soybean isoflavones on osteoporosis. Methods: The serum collected from experimental rats given soybean isoflavones extract was added to the culture system of osteoblast cells (OB) isolated from the calvaria of neonatal SD rats. MTT assay was employed to determine cell proliferation. The activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bone gla protein (BGP) were determined by ALP and BGP Kits. The content of IL 6 secreted by OB was determined by ELISA Kit. Results: Isoflavones could stimulate OB proliferation, elevate the activity of ALP and BGP level. They had no apparent effects on the secretion of IL 6. Conclusion: Soybean isoflavones can promote proliferation and differentation of OB in vitro and have no remarkable influence on bone absorption. The effects of soybean isoflavones on osteoporosis seem to depend on stimulation of bone formation rather than suppression of bone absorption.

BACKGROUND: Multipotent differentiation ability enables mesenchymal stem cells from autologous bone marrow to differentiate into osteoblasts and chondroblasts, thereby promoting the formation of bones and cartilage. However, the osteogenic ability differs from each other, and whose osteogenic ability is the best still needs to be studied further. OBJECTIVE: To compare the osteogenic ability of fascia- and muscle-derived stem cells in rats. METHODS: Fascia- and muscle-derived cells were isolated from 20 rats, followed by flow cytometry sorting, and were then cultured. FDC-LacZ cells were transfected with retro-BMP4 virus twice. Afterwards, the transfection efficiency of fascia-derived cells was detected through LacZ and alkaline phosphatase staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with fascia-derived cells, muscle-derived cells showed stronger chondrogenic ability and produced more calcium deposition. These findings indicate that the osteogenic ability of muscle-derived cells is superior to that of fascia-derived cells in rats.

Objective Retrospective observating the diminishing inflammation and lowering enzymatic effect with diammonium glycyrrhizinate (ganlixin injectionfluid) on hepatitis, such as chronic hepatitis, hepatocirrhosis, drug induced hepatitis and alcoholic hepatitis. Methods The 629 case hepatitis sufferers, including chronic hepatitis with light to middle degree, hepatocirrhosis, drug induced hepatitis and alcoholic hepatitis, were treated with 150 mg diammonium glycyrrhizinate added into 250 ml 5 % to 10 % glucose injection liquid. Another 127 chronic hepatitis sufferers treated with injecho potenl ini were seen as contrast. When the treatment was over, the level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and serum bilirubin (SB) and symptom of patients in two groups were analysed. Results The level of ALT and SB dropped more rapidly than that in contrast group, but there were no marked difference in symptoms recover. After 17 days therapy, there are 93.3 % patients with ALT normal level in treating group, but 73.3% in contrast group (P

Objective To investigate whether velocity vector imaging (VVI) combined with stress echocardiography could detect potential myocardial impairment of the left ventricle(LV) in diabetic rats.Methods DM rats ( n = 18,administered by STZ at 65 mg/kg) and control rats( n = 12) were performed with VVI and M-mode echocardiography both at rest and after dipyridamole stress 12 weeks later. Twodimensional echocardiographic cine loops and M-mode images of three consecutive beats were obtained from the short-axis views at the mid-LV level. The means of segmental peak systolic velocity(Vs), circumferential strain(εc) ,radial strain(εr), systolic circumferential and radial strain rate (SRc, SRr) and the percent wall thickening (WT% ,derived from M-mode) were obtained. After echocardiograms were performed,the hearts were excised and prepared for HE staining and ultrastructural observations under electron microscopy.Results At rest,only SRc in the DM group was significantly lower than that in the control group( P ＜0.05), the other parameters were statistically comparable between the two groups. After dipyridamole stress,all VVI values in the DM group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P ＜0.05).However,there was no significant difference in WT% between the two groups either at rest or after dipyridamole stress ( P ＞0.05). Conclusions The VVI parameters combined with dipyridamole stress are more effective in evaluating potential myocardial impairment of the LV walls in diabetic rats. SRc might be more sensitive indices that can be used to detect myocardial impairment at rest.

Objective To obtain the Tat-GFP fusion proteins with penetrating activity and labeled with green fluorescence protein (GFP), and to explore the cell membrane penetrating activity of Tat-GFP in MCF-7 cells. Methods The plasmid pET-24a-Tat-GFP was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 cells. Different concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 mmol · L-1 ) of isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG ) and cell culture temperatures (22℃ and 37℃)were used to optimize the protein expression.The Tat-GFP proteins in supernatant were purified using Ni-IDA resins. Western blotting analysis was used to identify the Tat-GFP protein, and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM ) was used to examine the cell penetration of Tat-GFP protein. Results There was no significant difference in the Tat-GFP protein production induced by 0.5 and 1.0 mmol·L-1 IPTG;however,the low temperature (22℃)-induced BL21 cells expressed more Tat-GFP proteins than that at 37℃ induction.The Western blotting analysis results showed that GFP antibody could specifically recognize the proteins in PVDF membranes in dose-dependent manner;the CLSM results indicated the distribution of green fluorescence in cytoplasm and nucleus of MCF-7 cells.Conclusion The Tat-GFP protein highly expresses in the supenatant of Escherichia coli i BL2 1 cells at low temperature;the obtained Tat-GFP protein with green fluorescence preserves the cell penetrating activity.

Objective To assess the effectiveness of the Chinese herbal formula Tongxie Yaofang(TY) or its modified prescriptions in the management of irritable bowl syndrome(IBS).Methods A systematic review was carried out according to the Cochrane standards.A computerized literature search was carried out in main Chinese and English databases including CNKI,CBMdisc,Database of Chinese Doctorate Dissertation,Database of excellent Chinese Master Dissertation,MEDLINE and Cochrane Library.Studies were retrieved when they were randomized controlled trials(RCTs) whose interventions for IBS patients were TY or modified prescriptions of TY with placebos or conventional medicine as controls.Outcome measurement included the alleviation of main symptoms such as abdominal pain,diarrhea frequency,and(or) comprehensive effectiveness and quality of life(QOL).Meta-analysis was performed after evaluating the quality of included studies.Subgroup analysis was done between subgroups of diarrhea-predominant IBS and subtype-regardless IBS,and was also done between diarrhea-predominant IBS treated with TCM syndrome differentiation and that without TCM syndrome differentiation.Funnel plot analysis was used to analyze the publication bias.Results Forty-six studies met the inclusion criteria,and 4155 participants were included in the meta-analysis.The results showed that the effectiveness of TY or modified prescriptions of TY was better than that of conventional medicine or placebos[OR= 5.30,95%CI(4.38,6.41)].Subgroup analysis showed that the OR of TY or modified prescriptions of TY in the diarrhea-predominant groups[OR=5.61,95%CI(4.33,7.25)]was higher than that of subtype-regardless groups[OR=4.95,95%CI(3.74,6.55)],and OR of TY or modified prescriptions of TY in the studies of diarrhea-predominant IBS treated based on TCM syndrome differentiation [OR=6.50,95%CI(3.78,11.20)] was higher than that of the studies without TCM syndrome differentiation[OR=5.37,95%CI(4.01,7.19)],but the difference was insignificant.Funnel plot showed certain publication bias.Conclusion The effectiveness of TY or modified prescriptions of TY for IBS patients is better than that of western medicine and placebo.But their effectiveness for diarrhea-predominant IBS or with TCM syndrome differentiation was not proved to be better than those for other subtypes or without TCM syndrome differentiation.Biases may exist for overall quality of the studies is low;negative results in some high quality studies need further discussion.

Anterolateral thigh flap is perfect for reconstructing maxillofacial soft tissue defects. This tissue has been widely used by clinicians, but often causes operation difficulties because of vascular variation. In this paper, we report a case where anteromedial thigh was used as new donor site when the vascular anatomic variation of anterolateral thigh perforator flap induced a failure in the flap harvest. Moreover, this paper discusses the anatomy and application of anteromedial thigh flap.
Humans ; Maxillofacial Abnormalities ; surgery ; Perforator Flap ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Thigh ; surgery

Objective To investigate whether myocardial dysfunction and perfusion impairment had happened in diabetes mellitus(DM)rats,and to assess the relationship between them by using myocardial contrast echocardiography(MCE)and velocity vector imaging(VVI).Methods MCE and VVI were performed from the short-axis views of the mid-left ventricular level both at rest and after dipyridamole stress in control rats and DM rafs(12 weeks after induction with streptozotocin).MCE-derived myocardial blood flow(MBF)and myocardial flow reserve(MFR)and VVI-derived circumferential strain rate(SRc)and SRc reserve were obtained.Results SRc(absolute value)and MBF in the DM group were significantly lower than those in the control group at rest(P =0.03 for SRc and P =0.005 for MBF).SRc reserve and MFR in the DM group were significantly lower than those in the control group after dipyridamole stress (P =0.000 for SRc reserve and P =0.014 for MFR).There was no significant correlation between SRc and MBF at rest in the DM group(r =0.189,P =0.453).However,significant negative correlation existed between SRc reserve and MFR(r =-0.658,P =0.003).Conclusions Both myocardial systolic function and perfusion are impaired in DM rats.The decrease of MBF might not be the predominant determinant of myocardial systolic dysfunction at rest.However,the impairment of MFR could be an important contributor to the decrease of myocardial contractile reserve.

Objective To investigate whether myocardial contrast echocardiography(MCE)combined with stress echocardiography could detect myocardial microcirculation disturbance of left ventricular(LV)in diabetic rats.Methods MCE were performed at rest and after dipyridamole infusion from parasternal shortaxis views at the papillary muscle level in DM rats(n=18,12 weeks later after STZ administration)and control rats(n=12).Regions of interest(ROI)were positioned with the anterior, lateral, posterior and septum walls.Plateau intensity(PI), initial slope of the curve(β)and time to PI(TTP)were obtained from the curve and myocardial blood flow(MBF)and myocardial flow reserve(MFR)was estimated.After the performance of MCE, myocardium was prepared for γ Well counting with ~(99m)Tc-MIBI and CD31 immunohistochemistry staining.Results There was no significant difference in MBF between the ROI of anterior, lateral, septum walls beyond posterior wall in each group at rest and after stress.MCE values from anterior wall were selected as the indexes for comparisons between the two groups.The PI., MBF and MFR in the DM group were significantly lower than those in the control group at rest and after stress(all P< 0.05).The β in the DM group was significantly lower and TTP was significantly longer after dipyridamole stress(P<0.05).The nuclide intake of myocardial tissue in different walls was similar in the DM group, but theY were all lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The capillary density decreased significantly in the DM group compared with the control group.Conclusions The PI,β,TTP,MBF and MFR derived from MCE were all sensitive parameters in detecting the microcirculation disturbances in the earlier period of DM.