AIM:To observe the effect of botulinum neurotoxin type A heavy chain ( BoNT/A HC) on the pat-tern of spinal protein expression by intrathecal injection after spinal cord injury in rats , and to explore the role of BoNT/A HC intervention in spinal protein expression and some of its mechanisms in nerve regeneration after injury .METHODS:The model of unilateral lumbar spinal cord injury was established .The effects of BoNT/A HC intervention at different doses (2 μg, 4 μg, 6 μg and 8 μg) on the general pattern of protein expression in the spinal cord tissues at the injury site and the cranial part adjacent to the injury site was measured and evaluated by SDS-PAGE and Coomassie brilliant blue staining first, and then by two-dimensional SDS-PAGE.RESULTS:The histological structure of the ipsilateral side of lumbar spi-nal cord showed obvious destruction and degradation , mainly affecting both gray and white matter of the left side of the cord.The result of SDS-PAGE with Coomassie brilliant blue staining from injured spinal cord tissue displayed that the ex-pression of some proteins after one-time BoNT/A HC treatment appeared obviously different from that without BoNT /A HC treatment.Moreover, the pattern of the protein expression affected by BoNT/A HC was similar to that of the normal spinal cord.The more detail information from two-dimensional SDS-PAGE indicated that more than 10 proteins with different mo-lecular weight and isoelectronic points were differentially expressed at day 2 and day 20 after local injection of 6μg BoNT/A HC.This altered expression actually appeared a tendency toward the pattern shown in normal group .CONCLUSION:The immediate application of BoNT/A HC at the injury site after unilateral lumbar spinal cord injury is able to affect the pattern of local protein expression .The altered protein expression by injury could be reversed back to normal or approxi -mately normal by local BoNT/A HC administration.

As one of the major geriatric syndromes,frailty exerts adverse effects on life expectancy and quality of life of the elderly.Because of its importance,a number of methods and tools have been introduced for the assessment of frailty.Malnutrition,as an independent risk factor,interacts with frailty and is involved in its progression.This article reviews recent studies on frailty and malnutrition.

Objective To investigate the role of Twist and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)in the development of epithelial ovarian cancer and their relationship with clinical pathological features.Methods The expressions of Twist and VEGF were detected by immunohistochemical staining (SP)method in 80 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer and 10 paired cases of normal ovarian tissue.Results In the 80 cases of ovarian cancer tissues,the positive expression rate of Twist and VEGF in epithelial ovarian cancer was 85% and 86.25%,respectively,which were remarkably higher than those in normal ovarian tissues (P <0.01).The expressions of Twist and VEGF were closely associated with clinical stages,pathological grades and lymph node metastasis,but not correlated with age or pathological patterns (P >0.05).There was a significant correlation between the expressions of Twist and VEGF in epithelial ovarian cancer (r =0.646,P <0.01).Conclusion The high expressions of Twist and VEGF may play a potential role in the occurrence,development and invasion process of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Adenoma, Acidophil ; metabolism ; Adult ; Angiomyolipoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; metabolism ; Codon ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Exons ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gene Deletion ; Genes, p53 ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To study the expression and pathologic significance of CD147,cyclophilin A (CyPA)and cyclophilin B(CyPB)in psoriatic lesions.Methods Immunohistochemical method was ap- plied to detect the expression of CD147,CyPA and CyPB in skin specimens of 15 patients with psoriasis pustulosa(PP),20 patients with progressive psoriasis vulgaris(PPV),and 20 patients with inactive psori- asis vulgaris(IPV).Immunoreactivity intensity distribution index(IRIDI)was calculated to assess the expres- sion intensity of CD147,CyPA and CyPB.Results CD147,CyPA and CyPB were detected in all speci- mens.The IRIDI scores of CD147 and CyPA were significantly higher in keratinocytes of psoriatic lesions than in those of the control specimens(all P0.05).The IRIDI score of CyPB in T lymphocytes of PP lesions was significantly elevated than that in PPV lesions,which was in turn higher than that in IPV lesions(all P0.05).Conclusion CD147,CyPA and CyPB may play a role in the occurrence and development of psoriasis.

In order to prepare the recombinant vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) using intein mediated rapid purification system,the cDNA encoding the recombinant VIP was designed and synthesized according to the preference of E.coli,and then was cloned into the expression vector PTWIN. The recombinant plasmid PTWIN-VIP was transformed into expression host E.coli strain ER2566.The fusion protein consisting of the recombinant VIP,intein and chitin binding domain was expressed and purified by chitin affinity chromatography. The target peptide was released from the fusion protein by changing the temperature and the pH of the cleavage buffer. The molecular weight of the recombinant VIP was determined by the mass spectrometry and the results was conformity with the theoretical value. The preliminary bioactivity assay indicated that the recombinant VIP decreased the serum resistin levels significantly in LPS-induced acute inflammation. The preparation and the characterization of anti-inflammatory effects of the recombinant VIP layed the foundation for its further application.

Objective To retrospectively analyze the treatments of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (nvAF) in elderly patients aged 80 years and over,and to investigate the influencing factors for occurrence of stroke and transient ischemic attack(TIA)and relationships between antithrombotic therapy and stroke or TIA.Methods 101 elderly patients with nvAF were enrolled and grouped according to the occurrence of stroke/TIA and antithrombotic-correlated bleeding.The influencing factors were retrospectively analyzed and antithrombotic schemes were compared.Results Incidence rate of stroke/TIA was 28.7％ (29/101).Among all patients,70 cases were treated with antiplatelet therapy,19 cases were treated with anticoagulation therapy,while 12 cases received no antithrombotic (antiplatelet or anticoagulation) therapy before stroke.Both the nvAF time course and the antithrombotic strategy were significantly different between post-AF stroke/TIA group and non-postAF stroke/TIA group(both P＜0.05).The difference was reflected in ratios of antiplatelet therapy/anticoagulation therapy.The proportion of anticoagulation therapy was higher in non stroke/TIA group(x2 =5.778,P =0.016).Different antiplatelet therapy scheme significantly affected occurrence of stroke/TIA(P＜0.05).There was no significant effect of antithrombotic schemes on hemorrhagic events(x2=0.708,P =0.702).Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension,coronary heart disease,cancer,diabetes and previous stroke history,as well as nvAF duration were the independent risk factors for post-AF stroke/TIA(OR=1.351,95 ％CI:1.129-1.617).Conclusions Currently,the proportion using anticoagulation therapy is low,and single antiplatelet therapy is the main regimen in the elderly patients with nvAF.For elderly patients with nvAF,anticoagulation therapy has a protective effect against the occurrence of post-nvAF stroke/TIA,meanwhile there is no significantly increased risk of bleeding,which makes anticoagulation therapy advisable in the elderly.The nvAF time course is one of the risk factors,which is worth experts' attention in risk evaluation of thrombus in elderly patients.

Objective To study the effects of nuclear factor-?B(NF-?B)decoy oligodeoxynucleotide(ODN)on the preeclamptic umbilical serum induced expression of precollagen Ⅰ,Ⅲ mRNA and tumor necrosis factor-?(TNF-?)in cultured human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells (HUASMC).Methods Primary cultured HUASMC of normal pregnancy were divided into four groups: group A(HUASMC were incubated with umbilical serum of normal pregnancy);group B(HUASMC were incubated with umbilical serum of preeclampsia);group C(HUASMC were transfected with NF-?B cis decoy ODN 48 h before incubation with umbilical serum of preeclampsia);group D(HUASMC were transfected with NF-?B scramble ODN 24 h before incubation with umbilical serum of preeclampsia).NF-?B cis decoy ODN and NF-?B scramble ODN were transfected with cationic lipofectamine to the latter two groups,respectively.The proliferation of human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells was evaluated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and the apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry.The expression levels of precollagen Ⅰ,Ⅲ mRNA were detected by RT-PCR,the expression levels of TNF-? were detected by western blot.Results(1)The proliferation of group B(0.19?0.02)and group D(0.18?0.03)was significantly increased as compared with those of group A(0.11?0.02)and group C(0.14?20.02)(P0.05).(5)The expression of TNF-? of group B(0.74?0.11),group C(0.36?0.09)and group D(0.79?0.12)were significantly higher than that of group A(0.15?0.03)(P0.05).Conclusions NF-?B cis decoy ODN could down-regulate the proliferation,as well as the expression levels of precollagen and TNF-? of HUASMC induced by umbilical serum of preeclampsia.NF-?B may play an important role in the pathogenesis of placental artery abnormalities in preeclampsia.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lead ; toxicity ; MMPI ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Personality ; drug effects

Objective To investigate the effects of chronic high glucose on α-cells glucagon releasing in relation to insulin resistance induced by high glucose. Methods TC1-6 cells, an α-cell line, were incubated separately in DMEM containing high (25.0 mmol/L), medium (11.1 mmol/L) and low (5.5 mmol/L) concentrations of glucose for 1 to 5 days. The secretion and gene expression of glueagon were measured. When TC1-6 cells had been cultured for 5 days, three different concentrations of insulin were added for 6 h and then glucagon secretion was detected. Western blot was used for 1 and 3 days to confirm the effect of high glucose on phosphorylation of Akt in TC1-6 cells. Results (1) Exposure of TC1-6 cells to 11.1 and 25.0 mmol/L glucose resulted in a slight increase of glucagon secretion compared with those incubated with 5.5 mmol/L. However, after 5 days in media containing 25.0 mmol/L glucose, glucagan secretion was significantly increased as compared to cells treated with low glucose [(136.80±10.94 vs 78.62±4.72 ) ng/106 cells, P<0.05]; moreover, in TC1-6 cell cultured with high glucose glucagon mRNA expression was increased significantly. (2) 10-7 mol/L insulin reduced significantly glucagon secretion of TC1-6 ceils exposed to low glucose [(21.59±1.30 vs 55.12±3.86) ng/106 cells], but just scarcely inhibited glucagon secretion of cells incubated with high glucose [(106.58±8.53 vs 117.18±10.55) ng/106 cells]. When insulin concentration was increased to 10-5 mol/L, glucagon secretion of TC1-6 cells in high glucose was also reduced [(46.55±3.72 vs 118.61±10.68 )ng/106 cells]. (3) After treated with 10-5 mol/L insulin for 2h, the levels of Akt phosphorylation in both groups of TC1-6 cells were increased by 180% and 70%, while the level in high glucose group was significantly lower than that in low glucose group. In the presence of phosphoinositide 3 kinase inhibitor, the levels of Akt phosphorylation were both lowered, but the inhibition in low glucose group was more significant than in high glucose group. Conclusion High glucose induces hypersecretion of glucagon, which may be due to the a-cell insulin resistance.