Objective To study the effect of administration of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) antagonist capsazepine (CPZ) into the nucleus accumbens (NAc) on the regulation of body weight and fat accumulation in rats, and evaluate the therapeutic effect of CPZ on neuropathic obesity. Methods Forty rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (n=8), namely, control group (without giving any treatment),group A (performed intra-NAc injection of 1 nmol/mL CPZ),group B (performed intra-NAc injection of 10 nmol/mL CPZ),group C (performed injection of 10 nmol/mL CPZ via the areas adjacent to NAc) and group D (performed injection of 10 nmol/mL CPZ via the dorsal striatum); rats of the later 4 groups were given 1 μL CPZ daily for a consecutive 3 d.The body weight of rats from different treatment groups 1 and 3 weeks after the injection was measured and compared them to that of the control group.Then,the animals were sacrificed,the body fat content of each group was evaluated. Results The body weight in rats of group A 1 week after the injection increased (126.31± 10.25)％ as compared with their original weight, and that in rats of control group increased (148.78±6.98)％ as compared with their original weight, which showed significant difference between the 2 increment (P＜0.05); the body weight in rats of group B 1 week after the injection increased (115.87± 13.90)％ as compared with their original weight, which showed significant decrease as compared with that in the control group (P＜0.05); The body weight in rats of group B 3 week after the injection increased (132.82±15.8)％ as compared with their original weight, and that in rats of control group increased (164.86±6.34)％ as compared with their original weight,which showed significant difference between the 2 increment (P＜0.05).Furthermore,the body fat content in group B was significantly lower than that of other groups (P＜0.05). Conclusion Blockade of NAc TRPV1 receptor by CPZ has significant inhibitory central adjusting effect on body weight and fat content in rats; and TRPV1 antagonist may potentially serve as a specific drug for neuropathic obesity.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile ((99)Tc(m)-MIBI) imaging in predicting the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) and prognosis in patients with operable breast cancer.

METHODSSixty five patients with breast cancer underwent (99)Tc(m)-MIBI scintimammography before NCT, and static planar images were taken at 10 min and 180 min after scintimammography. The clearance rate was calculated in each patient, correlation between the clearance rate and efficacy of NCT, and the disease free survival rate were analyzed.

RESULTSThe mean clearance rate of 65 patients was (17.4 ± 6.8)%. The efficacy of NCT was 86.2% (CR 4 cases, PR 52 cases, SD 8 cases, and PD 1 case), and the mean clearance rate of patients with good response or poor response of chemotherapy were (15.5 ± 5.0)% and (29.2 ± 3.2)%, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two groups. The average disease free survival rate in the group with low clearance rate was (75.8%, P = 0.046), significantly higher than that in the group with high clearance rate (53.1%).

CONCLUSIONScintimammography of (99)Tc(m)-MIBI may be used to evaluate the efficacy and prognosis of NCT for patients with operable breast cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; Carcinoma, Lobular ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Epirubicin ; therapeutic use ; Etoposide ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; therapeutic use ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neoplasm Staging ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Remission Induction ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use ; Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi

OBJECTIVESTo analyze the clinical characteristics of the atlantoaxial dislocation (AAD) in craniovertebral junction (CVJ) abnormalities and to study the setup of its surgery strategy.

METHODSFrom April 2009 to November 2011, 56 patients of AAD and CVJ abnormalities including 22 male and 34 female patients who had received surgery were analyzed. There were 2 cases of reducible AAD and 54 cases of irreducible AAD. The age of the patients ranged from 9 to 56 years (mean 34 years). Among them, 14 cases achieved reduction/partial reduction via direct posterior fixation, 41 cases had transoral anterior deconpression and occipito-cervical/C₁-C₂ fusion and 1 case had the posterior odontoidectomy and spinal fusion.

RESULTSFifty-three cases had a follow-up between 6 months and 36 months (mean 20 months) and 3 cases lost follow-up (had improvement at discharge). Seven cases had complications as follows: 1 case had irreversible spinal cord injury and muscle weakness of extremities, 2 cases had cerebrospinal leak, 2 cases had pulmonary infection, 1 case had local granuloma hyperplasia and 1 case had delayed healing of the incision. The later 6 cases all got recovery after reasonable treatments. The grades of Nurick at last follow-up were as follows: 6 cases (11.3%) improved by 3 grades, 30 cases (56.6%) improved by 2 grades, 13 cases (24.5%) improved by 1 grade, 3 cases (5.7%) without change, 1 case (1.9%) get worse.

CONCLUSIONSReducible AAD could achieve direct reduction and fixation via posterior pathways. Irreducible AAD needs individualized treatment. To choose the direct reduction and fixation or transoral odontoidectomy and posterior fixation and fusion should consider the pathogenetic condition, the image data and personal clinical experience.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Atlanto-Axial Joint ; surgery ; Child ; Decompression, Surgical ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Young Adult

creatinine concentration. Conclusion Bisphosphonates can decrease serum total calcium levels in hypercalcemia crisis caused by PHPT effectivelywith mild adverse events.

This study was aimed to detect the changes of bcr/able gene level in ph+ CML patients at different stages after allo-HSCT by real-time quantitative PCR and to evaluate the significance of this detection. The serial detection of bcr/abl fusion gene levels in 21 cases of CML treated with allo-HSCT was performed by RQ-PCR. The results showed that the bcr/able fusion gene could not be detected in 7 out 21 CML cases with positive fusion gene after allo-HSCT, while the bcr/abl fusion gene of different levels could be detected in 14 cases within 1-6 months. Dynamic detection indicated that the bcr/abl fusion gene levels in 9 cases were lower with relative value 0.0074%-0.088% and then could not be detected within 3-7 months after allo-HSCT. The bcr/abl fusion gene levels in 5 cases diagnosed as molecular relapse were between 0.077%-75%. The bcr/abl fusion gene levels in 1 out of 5 cases were 0.95%, 1.5%, and 0.16% in month 1, 2 and 3, respectively, and turned to negative in the month 4 without any treatment after allo-HSCT. 2 cases received the donor peripheral blood stem cell infusion, and then their bcr/abl mRNA levels could not be detected in bone marrow. Another 2 cases developed to the hematologic relapse, 1 out of 2 cases reached CR again after infusion of donor peripheral blood stem cells and chemotherapy, the other one died. It is concluded that serial quantifications of bcr/abl mRNA levels by RQ-PCR are reliable and can be used to detect the MRD, to monitor the outcome and to predict the relapse.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; genetics ; Genes, abl ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; genetics ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the influence of methylprednisolone (MP) on cellular component in donor graft and on H-2 haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in mice.

METHODSA murine model of H-2 haploidentical HSCT was established by using of c57BL/6J male mouse as donor and (c57BL/6J x LB/C) F1 female mouse as recipient. The donor mouse received peripheral-blood (PB) progenitor cells mobilization regimens consisted of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhGCSF) alone (control group) or combined with MP in dose of 2 mg/kg daily [small-dose (SD) group], 10 mg/kg daily [middle-dose (MD) group], and 50 mg/kg daily [large-dose (LD) group] respectively. Percentage of T cell subsets, DC1 (HLA-DR+CD11c+) and CD34+ cell in the grafts were detected by flow cytometry. Transplant rejection,severity of GVHD and survival time were observed.

RESULTSThe percentages of CD3+ T cell in donor grafts in the three groups were significantly lower than that in control group (P < 0.05). The percentage of CD3+ CD4+ T cells decreased more significantly than that of CD3+ CD8+ T cells, and CD4/CD8 ratios decreased significantly. The percentage of CD4+ CD25+ T cells increased significantly, the percentage of DC1( HLA-DR+CD11c+) decreased and the percentage of CD34+ cells increased in all the three groups than in control group. There were significant differences in the percentage of CD3+ T cells, CD3+ CD4+ T cells and CD34+ cells in donor grafts among SD group, MD group and LD group (P < 0.05). The engraftment rates in control, SD, MD and LD groups were 90%, 100%, 100% and 80% respectively. Severity of aGVHD in each study group decreased significantly compared with that in control group (P < 0.05). There were statistical differences among different dosage groups (P < 0.05). Survival time after transplantation in all study groups were significantly longer than that in control group (P < 0.05), and in MD group was significantly longer than in SD group and LD groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAddition of methylprednisolone to routine donor mice HSC mobilization regimen has a definite effect in alleviating aGVHD and prolonging survival time of mouse after H-2 haploidentical HSCT. With a suitable dosage addition of methylprednisolone to donor mice HSC mobilization regimen could avoid the increasing risk of graft rejection.

Animals ; Antigens, CD34 ; Dendritic Cells ; drug effects ; immunology ; Female ; Graft Rejection ; prevention & control ; Graft vs Host Disease ; prevention & control ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Male ; Methylprednisolone ; administration & dosage ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects ; immunology

BACKGROUND: Intra-articular injection of cells targeting to change the microenvironment in lesions can act on early osteoarthritis of inflammatory chondrocytes. Implanted cells affect the progress of the disease by the cell characteristics. OBJECTIVE: To explore the synergistic effect of mesenchymal stem cells from human knee adipose (ADMSCs) and synovial tissues (SDMSCs) to inhibit the degeneration of inflammatory chondrocytes. METHODS: ADMSCs, SDMSCs and inflammatory chondrocytes were primary cultured. Under in vitro two-dimensional culture conditions, cell proliferation assay (MTS) was performed to detect the proliferation of three kinds of cells. Differences in chondrogenic markers at mRNA and protein levels between three kinds of adherent cells were detected by quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence. Under in vitro three-dimensional mixed culture conditions, three groups were set up: (1) ADMSCs+inflammatory chondrocytes (A+C group), (2) SDMSCs+inflammatory chondrocytes (S+C group), and (3) ADMSCs-SDMSCs+inflammatory chondrocytes (A+S+C group). Alcian blue staining, safranin O staining and type Ⅱ collagen immunohistochemistry staining were performed on the mixed-cultured cell mass paraffin sections followed by quantitative analysis. Chondrogenic differentiation in each group was detected by quantitative PCR. Culture supernatants were collected to detect the secretion of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Under the two-dimensional culture, the proliferative rate of ADMSCs was significantly higher than that of inflammatory chondrocytes and SDMSCs (P < 0.05). The expression of type Ⅱ collagen mRNA and protein and proteoglycan protein in inflammatory chondrocytes was significantly higher than that in the other two kinds of cells (P < 0.01). Under the three-dimensional culture, the percentage of chondrogenic area per total area was significantly higher in the A+S+C group than the S+C and A+C groups (P < 0.05). The expression of type Ⅱ collagen and proteoglycan was significantly higher in the A+S+C group than the S+C and A+C groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the other two groups, the S+C group showed higher levels of interleukin 1, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor α, but lower level of interleukin 10 (P < 0.05). To conclude, the combined use of ADMSCs and SDMSCs synergistically inhibits the degeneration of inflammatory chondrocytes.

To compare the sampling errors from cluster or unequal probability sampling designs and to adopt the unequal probability sampling method to be used for death surveillance.Taking 107 areas from the county level in Shaanxi province as the sampling frame,a set of samples are drawn by equal probability cluster sampling and unequal probability designs methodologies.Sampling error and effect of each design are estimated according to their complex sample plans.Both the sampling errors depend on the sampling plan and the errors of equal probability in stratified cluster sampling appeares to be less than simple cluster sampling.The design effects of unequal probability stratified cluster sampling,such as πPS design,are slightly lower than those of equal probability stratified cluster sampling,but the unequal probability stratified cluster sampling can cover a wider scope of monitoring population.Conclusions:Results from the analysis of sampling data can not be conducted without consideration of the sampling plan when the sampling frame is finite and a given sampling plan and parameters,such as sampling proportion and population weights,are assigned in advance.Unequal probability cluster sampling designs seems to be more appropriate in selecting the national death surveillance sites since more available monitoring data can be obtained and having more weight in estimating the mortality for the whole province or the municipality to be selected.

Objective To investigate the relationship between fragmented QRS (fQRS) complex and the early left ventricular remodeling or heart function in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods A total of 76 patients with AMI hospitalized in CCU of the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University were enrolled in the study.Patients were divided into fQRS group (n=29) and non-fQRS group (n=47). The clinical data including ECG, laboratory indicators, coronary angiography results and real-time three-dimensional (RT-3D) echocardiography parameter were collected in two groups.The relationship between fQRS and baseline data,fQRS and RT-3D echocardiography parameter were analyzed.At the same time,the influencing factors of left ventricular remodeling and heart function were discussed in the study. Results Compared with non-fQRS group, left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV)were significantly higher,and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)was significantly lower in fQRS group(P<0.05).Several three-dimensional parameters including Tmsv16-SD(%)and Tmsv 16-Dif(%)were significantly higher in fQRS group than those in non-fQRS group(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in Tmsv 16-SD(ms),Tmsv 12-SD(ms),Tmsv 12-SD(%),Tmsv 6-SD(ms),Tmsv 6-SD(%),Tmsv 16-Dif(ms),Tmsv 12-Dif(ms),Tmsv 12-Dif(%),Tmsv 6-Dif(ms)and Tmsv 6-Dif(%)between two groups.Logistic regression analysis showed that fQRS and Gensini scores had effects on heart function.At the same time,fQRS was an independent predictor for left ventricular remodeling. Conclusion Left ventricular remodeling is more obvious in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated with fQRS,and fQRS can predict left ventricular remodeling better.

OBJECTIVETo construct the zinc finger protein-activating transcription factor (ZFP-ATF) plasmid and evaluate its efficacy in inducing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in EY.HY926 endothelial cells.

METHODSFirstly, we constructed the ZFP-ATF plasmid, then testified the quantity of VEGF protein in EY.HY926 endothelial cells after transfected with ZFP-ATP plasmid by Western blot, finally, we used the RT-PCR to testify whether the ZFP-ATF can stimulate expression of VEGF splice variants.

RESULTSThe ZFP-ATF DNA sequences were located the multiclone sites of PVAX1 vector between the site of BamH1and Xhol.Western blot result showed VEGF expression in EY.HY926 endothelial cells transfected with ZFP-ATF plasmid was significantly higher than that in cells transfected with VEGF165 (19.95±3.95 vs.12.15±1.55 μg÷μL, P<0.01).RT-PCR result showed VEGF-A mRNA expression level induced by ZFP-ATF was high than that induced by VEGF165.

CONCLUSIONZFP-ATF can up-regulate the VEGF-A expression in comparison with VEGF165, which might have beneficial effects in angiogenesis process.

Activating Transcription Factors ; physiology ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; metabolism ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Plasmids ; Up-Regulation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; Zinc Fingers ; physiology