Objective To investigate the effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting cytoplasmic domain of tissue factor on apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells. Methods Specific siRNA targeting cytoplasmic domain of tissue factor were designed, and synthetic oligos were inserted into plasmid DNA. The siRNA constructs were transfected into human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) with liposome. The HUVEC were transfected with the constructs encoding siRNA Ⅰ, siRNA Ⅱ and pcDNA~(TM)6.2 GW/-miR plasmid separately. The transfected HUVEC were mixed with CD8~+ T lymphocytes. The apoptotic rate of tranfected HUVEC mixed with lymphocytes was analyzed by flow cytometry. Magnetic beads were used to measure PT of the supematant in the mixed lymphocytes culture. Results The siRNA constructs were confirmed by DNA sequence analysis. The apoptotic rate of HUVEC transfected with siRNA Ⅰ and Ⅱ plasmids was decreased significantly as compared with the empty control group (P<0.01). The apoptosis rate of HUVEC transfected with siRNA Ⅰ plasmid was lower than that of HUVEC transfected with siRNA Ⅱ plasmid (P<0.05). APTT of the culture supernatants in the three transfection groups was lower in the control groups (P <0.05), but there was significant difference among the three transfection groups. Conclusion The siRNA targeting cytoplasmic domain of tissue factor were successfully constructed, siRNA can protect HUVEC, and reduce the apoptotic rate of endothelial cells in mixed lymphocyte reaction without influencing the coagulation function.

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of excessive fluoride on type I collagen in rat developmental dentine.

METHODSEighty SD rats, 5 days old, were divided into experimental and control groups, 40 in each group. The experimental group received subcutaneous injection of 0.2% NaF every 4 days (the dose was 2 mg NaF per kg body wt). The same volume of 0.9% NaCl was used in the control. Twenty rats in each group were killed 4 days after the second and the seventh injection respectively. The expression of type I collagen was assayed with immunohistochemical technique.

RESULTS4 out of 20 rats after two injections showed abnormal distribution of type I collagen (dense stain of collagen in the odontoblast, aggregation of collagen in the dentine and disordered arrangement of collagen in the predentine; All 20 rats after seven injections showed abnormal distribution of type I collagen.

CONCLUSIONExcessive fluoride may affect the metabolism of type I collagen in rat developmental dentine.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Collagen Type I ; analysis ; Dentin ; chemistry ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Fluorides ; toxicity ; Immunohistochemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo compare robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) in the treatment of prostate cancer and investigate the clinical application value of RLRP.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed 70 cases of prostate cancer treated by RALRP and another 32 cases treated by LRP. We compared the operation time, intraoperative blood loss and transfusion, catheter-indwelling time, postoperative hospital stay, incisal margin positive rate, biochemical recurrence, and normal postoperative urinary continence and penile erectile function between the two groups of patients.

RESULTSAll the operations were successfully accomplished. RALRP exhibited a significant superiority over LRP in intraoperative blood loss and transfusion, catheter-indwelling time, and postoperative hospital stay, urinary continence and erectile function (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONRobot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, with its advantages of few postoperative complications and well-preserved urinary continence and penile erectile function, is an effective, safe and minimally invasive surgical option for prostate cancer.

Blood Loss, Surgical ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Operative Time ; Penile Erection ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Prostatectomy ; methods ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; methods

Objective To investigate the daily total fluoride intake in relating to the prevalence of skeletal fluorosis in two villages in Jiangsu Province,in order to provide the scientific evidences for the control and prevention of endemic fluorosis.Methods Adults sampled from a high-fluoride Village,Wamiao,and a low-fluoride Village,Xinhuai,were surveyed in this study according to the fluoride concentration in their household shallow well.The average daily total fluoride intake from difierent sources and the skeletal fluorosis were investigated in each subject.Then the subjects from two villages were allocated into five subgroups(＜2.00,2.00～,3.00～,4.00～,≥5.00 mg/d),the relation fluoride intake and prevalence of osteofluorosis was analyzed.Results The prevalence of skeletal fluorosis in Wamiao Village was 31.06%(41/132),but no skeletal fluorosis case(0/35)was found in Xinhuai Village.According to the daily total fluoride intake,subjects with higher daily total fluoride intake tended to associated with a higher prevalence of skeletal fluorosis in a significant dose-response relationship(regression equation:y=2.624-6.855x+3.424x2:r=0.997).The benchmark dose lower limitation of daily total fluoride intake with 95% confidencewas 2.50 mg/d calculated according to this dose-response relationship,the reference dose(RfD)was 2.50 mg/d.In Wamiao Village a significant difference was also found between daily total fluoride intake in 41 subjects[(5.09±1.20)mg/d]with X-ray detectable skeletal fluorosis and in 91 subjects[(3.08±1.12)mg/d]without X-ray detectable skeletal fluorosis(t=-9.32,P＜0.01).Conclusions These findings indicate that the daily total fluoride intake has a significant dose-response relationship with the prevalence of skeletal fluorosis in an endemic fluorosis area associated with high-fluoride drinking water;and the RfD in this study was lower than that in the national standard of"Chinese hygienic standard for daily total fluoride intake(WS/T 87-1996)"(3.50 mg/d).

Autopsy ; Eye Injuries ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans

in view of the emphasis on disease management and clinical research, the authors introduced the evaluation and construction methods of the departments based on disease management. Introduction to the selection process of the evaluation and construction methods of such departments, the authors expounded the construction thought of clinical research evaluation system. This paper analyzed the important role of clinical scientific research in the formation of hospital characteristic advantage and leading position, then suggested that hospitals should take research-type diseases as the basis, promote steady breakthroughs in their medical services and scientific research level, and fully reflect the responsibilities of tertiary hospitals.

OBJECTIVETo investigate plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) level in patients with prostate cancers and its clinical significance.

METHODSPlasma ET-1 level was measured by radioimmunoassay in 31 patients of prostate cancer (23 with non-HRPC, 8 with HRPC) and 26 patients of BPH.

RESULTSCompared with each other of the ET-1 level, there were no significant difference among the BPH group,non-HRPC group and HRPC group. No significant difference was found either between bone metastasis (BM) and non- BM, between high and middling differentiation prostate cancer group, as well as in different PSA level groups (P >0.05). But the ET-1 level in low differentiation prostate cancer was notably lower than those of the high and middle respectively (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTo detect plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) level is not a useful method to evaluate the development and the prognosis of prostate cancer.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Endothelin-1 ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; blood ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; blood ; Radioimmunoassay

OBJECTIVETo study the causes of chronic cough in children.

METHODSRetrospective analysis was carried out on the clinical data of 132 children with chronic cough from August 2010 to September 2011.

RESULTSSeveral conditions were found to contribute to chronic cough in children, including cough variant asthma (CVA, n=56), upper airway cough syndrome (UACS, n=44), infections/postinfectious cough (IC/PIC, n=22), allergic cough (AC, n=8), gastroesophageal reflux cough (GERC, n=5), and others (n=3). There was significant difference in the distribution of IC/IPC among an infant group (<1 year), a group of young children (>1 year), a group of preschool aged children (>3 years) and a group of school-age children (6-14 years) (χ2=11.638, P=0.001), and the infant group showed a significantly higher prevalence of IC/PIC than the other three age groups (P<0.05). IC/PIC was the main cause of chronic cough in the infant group, while CVA and UACS were the main causes in each of the other groups. A relatively large proportion of AC, CVA and UACS cases had a personal history of allergy, a family history of allergy/asthma and a history of exposure to harmful environments.

CONCLUSIONSCVA, UACS, and IC/PIC are main causes of chronic cough in children, varying among different age groups. Children with a personal history of allergy, family history of allergy/asthma and a history of exposure to harmful environment are more vulnerable to AC, CVA and UACS.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chronic Disease ; Cough ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; complications ; Infant ; Infection ; complications ; Male ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of MMP-8 in human and rat tooth development.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry was used to detect the localization of MMP-8 protein while in situ hybridization was used to examine the expression of MMP-8 mRNA.

RESULTSThe expression of MMP-8 protein was localized in odontoblast and dentin matrix at the later bell stage in human tooth germ. The dentin was denser close to the pulp cavity. The expression of MMP-8 mRNA was found in very few polarized odontoblast at the early bell stage and all polarized odontoblast at the later bell stage in rat tooth germ.

CONCLUSIONThe results suggested that MMP-8 involved in dentin matrix rebuilding in the process of dentin formation in human and rat dental development.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Dentin ; enzymology ; Embryo, Mammalian ; In Situ Hybridization ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Maxilla ; enzymology ; Odontogenesis ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tooth Germ ; embryology ; enzymology

OBJECTIVETo study the correlation between noise and blood pressure and/or hypertension, and its age characteristic.

METHODSThe pure tone audiometric and blood pressure examinations were performed in 14537 workers from 157 factories. Hearing impairment was used as a surrogate indicator of cumulated noise exposure. The associations of hearing impairment and duration of noise exposure with blood pressure and hypertension were analyzed respectively after age and gender stratification.

RESULTSMost of the objects were males (81.2%), younger than 35 years old (77.8%), and the duration of exposure to noise was less than 5 years (73.6%). The prevalence of hearing impairment in males was significantly higher than that in males, and increased with age and duration of noise exposure. Only in males with age younger than 35 years old, the systolic and diastolic blood pressures of subjects with sensorineural hearing loss significantly enhanced, and the diastolic blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension increased with duration of noise exposure. The risk of hypertension in males with sensorineural hearing loss significantly increased, the odds ratios in subjects with age younger than 35 years old and with age older than 35 years old were 3.0 (95%CI: 1.5 ∼ 6.1) and 2.1 (95%CI: 1.2 ∼ 3.4), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe severe hearing impairment induced by noise was associated with hypertension. It is suggested that people should pay attention to the effects of noise on hypertension in young workers.

Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; Male ; Noise, Occupational