BACKGROUND: What kind of traumatic changes could be observed in remote lumbar spinal cord after high-speed steel ball induced sciatic nerve injury?OBJECTIVE: To study the ultra structural changes of lumbar spinal cord motor neurons after the sciatic nerve injury due to high-speed steel ball.DESIGN: Retrospective randomized controlled study with experimental animals as subjects.SETTING: The field operation research institute of a military medical university college.MATERIALS: This study was carried out at the Ballistic Laboratory of Research Institute for Surgery from May 2001 to December 2002. Sixty-five SPF flap-eared rabbits of either gender weighing from 2.5 to 3.0 kg were provided by the Experimental Animal Center of Daping Hospital Affiliated to the Third Military Medical Univeristy of Chinese PLA. All the rabbits were divided randomly into normal control group( n = 5), firearms injury group (n = 30) and cutting injury group( n = 30) . The two latter groups were subdivided into one-day, three-day, one-week, two-week, 4-week and twelve-week groups with 5 rabbits in each group.METHODS: The rabbits in the firearms injury group were injured at the midpoint of lateral posterior body surface projection of the right sciatic nerve with 0. 38 g steel ball containing 0.65 g detonators. The right sciatic nerve was cut at the same injury level in the cutting injury group.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The following pathologic changes of the lumbar spinal cord were observed with optical and electronic microscope at posttraumatic day 1, day 3 and week 1, week 2, week 4 and week 12 respectively.RESULTS: Micro-hemorrhage, neuron swelling and vacuoles were observed in the firearms injury group and the number of motor neurons decreased significantly, but these changes were unobservable in the cutting injury group.CONCLUSION: Compared with the cutting group, the injury to the spinal cord was severer in the firearms group and the survival neurons were less.

The DNA fragment RM07 was isolated from halophilic archaea Halobacterium halobium, which can function as promoter not only in halophilic archaea, but also in Escherichia coli as eubacterial promoter. Sequencing analysis indicated that it possessed the typical consensus sequences (-35 and -10) of bacterial gene promoter, which was confirmed by further deletion analysis: With its -35 sequence deleted and -10 sequence left,DNA fragment RM07a nearly cannot initiate transcription;With its both -35 and -10 sequences,RM07b DNA fragment could be active as promoter at a level even higher than RM07. Our research also showed that the promoter function of RM07 fragment in Escherichia coli was under the control of environmental factors,especially its positive correlation with the increasing concentration of sodium chloride. Therefore, RM07 DNA fragment may be potential1 novel promoter source for constructing double-function vectors. It also has special significance in elucidating the issues of the fusing characteristics of archaea and lateral gene transfer between archaea and bacteria.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Lineage ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Oligodendroglia ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To analyze retrospectively the MR features of MELAS patients,in order to improve the early diagnosis of MELAS.Methods MR data of 1 6 MELAS patients confirmed by clinical diagnose and muscle biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. MR features of plain scan(n=1 6),ASL(n=3),MRA(n=1 5),DWI(n=14)and MRS(n=3)were analyzed.Results MRI data demonstrated brain lesions mainly distributed in posterior cerebral hemisphere extending to subcortical area,which was not consistent with the vascular supply territories.The lesions were observed as low signal on Spin-echo sequence of T1 WI,while high signal on T2 WI, FLAIR and DWI.The focal lesions showed increasing Lac peak on MRS.Fifteen of 16 patients underwent MRA and one showed increased arterial branches in lesion zones.Three patients had ASL scanning demonstrating high irrigation in lesion zones which would wander once relapsed.Meanwhile,old lesions showed encephalatrophy and cerebromalacia.All patients’muscle biopsy pathology showed ragged red muscle fibers.Under electron-microscopic,bioblasts were bigger and more than average level and muscle fibers atrophied.Mitochondrial DNA sequence of 3 patients showed mtDNA A3243G transgenation.Conclusion The DWI,MRS and ASL sequences show good ability in MELAS diagnosis and differential diagnosis.

Adult ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Lead ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; prevention & control ; Occupational Health ; Occupational Health Services ; Stearates ; Young Adult

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of different health management on adults with prediabetes.MethodsA total of 1182 pre-diabetics were enrolled in this prospective observation study and assigned to one-by-one interview group,in situ education group,communicative interview group and control group.Three intervention groups received life style intervention ( including health education and risk factor control) for 2 years.Analysis ofvariance,x2 test or q test were used for data analysis.ResultsAfteryear intervention,fasting plasma glucose (FPG)and 2 h plasma glucose of the intervention groups were significantly decreased ( P ＜ 0.05 ).FPG of the one-by-one interview group and the in situ education group was significantly lower than that of the communicative interview group at 6 months ( P ＜ 0.05 ). At 24months,FPG of the one-by-one interview group was lower than that of the in situ education group (P ＜0.05).The percentage of participants who showed appropriate blood glucose control was increased in the intervention groups. In addition,blood pressure,triglyceride,cholesterol,creatinine and body weight of those in the intervened groups were significantly improved compared with the control group ( all P ＜ 0.05 ),although electrocardiogram results and arteriosclerosisshowed nosignificant changes(P ＞ 0.05 ).Conclusion Health management may contribute to life style change and hypertension control of prediabetics.Furthermore,in situ education may be the most effective life style interventions.

AIM:To investigate the effects of estrogen on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases-2(MMP-2), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2(TIMP-2) and transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) in cultured human corneal stromal cells.METHODS: Inflammatory environments of human corneal stromal cells were simulated by using 1.5ng/mL IL-1β.The cells were then treated with or without different concentrations of estrogen(0, 1×10-4, 1×10-6, 1×10-8, 1×10-10mol/L estradiol)in vitro.Cell viability was evaluated by MTT.Expression levels of MMP-2, TIMP-2 and TGF-β1 proteins were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).RESULTS:Estrogen did not affect the viability of human corneal stromal cells.Compared with the control group, expression levels of MMP-2 and TGF-β1 proteins in E2 treatment group significantly decreased after being treated with estrogen, while the expression level of TIMP-2 significantly increased.CONCLUSION: Estrogen could, to some extent, down-regulate the expression of MMP-2 and TGF-β1 and up-regulate the expression of TIMP-2, which might contribute to protecting human cornea.

AIM: To evaluate the changes in central corneal thickness (CCF) caused by mydriasis with Mydrin-P.METHODS: A total of 106 eyes of 53 patients with refractive errors were studied. Each eye had instillation of Mydrin-P to obtain mydriasis. CCT was examined before and after mydriasis using ultrasonic pachymeter.RESULTS: CCT increased significantly after mydriasis with Mydrin-P.CONCLUSION: Mydrin-P can affect the measurement of CCT.

Aim To explore the protective effects of in-terleukin-17 ( IL-17 ) monoclonal antibody ( mAb ) on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis rats and the re-lated mechanisms. Methods Seventy-five male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group, sham operation group, model group, non-specific IgG group and IL-17 mAb group. Each group included fif-teen rats. Rats in the latter three groups were intratra-cheally administered with bleomycin A5 to establish pulmonary fibrosis model, whereas the ones in sham operation group were treated with the same volume of physiological saline. On day 7, 14 and 21, rats in non-specific IgG group and IL-17 mAb group were in-jected with non-specific IgG and IL-17 mAb, respec-tively,through the caudal vein. However,the ones in the other groups were administered with the same volume of physiological saline. All rats were sacrificed on day 28. Pulmonary tissues were then removed, and HE and Masson staining was performed. The contents of IL-17, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α ( TNF-α) in pulmo-nary tissues were measured by enzyme linked immu-nosorbent assay ( ELISA ) . Western blot was used to analyze the pulmonary tissues protein expression of nu-clear factor-κB ( NF-κB) p65 in the nucleus as well as collagen type I ( Col Ⅰ) and collagen type III ( ColⅢ) in the whole cells. The levels of Col Ⅰ and ColⅢ in the pulmonary tissues were detected by fluores-cence real-time quantitative PCR. Serum was separa-ted, and the concentrations of procollagen type 1 carboxyterminal propeptide ( PICP ) and procollagen type III aminoterminal propeptide ( PIIINP ) in serum were then measured by ELISA. Results The severity of alveolitis and pulmonary fibrosis was lower in IL-17 mAb group than that in model group and non-specific IgG group ( P <0. 01 ) . In comparison with normal control group and sham operation group, pulmonary tissues IL-17, IL-6 and TNF-α contents, NF-κB p65 protein expression in the nucleus, Col Ⅰ and Col ⅢmRNA and protein levels, and serum PICP and PIIINP concentrations were significantly increased in model group and non-specific IgG group ( P<0. 01 ) . Follow-ing treatment with IL-17 mAb, the above indicators were significantly decreased as compared to model group and non-specific IgG group ( P<0. 01 ) . How-ever, there was no significant difference in these indi-cators between non-specific IgG group and model group ( P >0. 05 ) . Similar results were also seen between sham operation group and normal control group ( P >0. 05 ) . Conclusion IL-17 mAb protects rats from pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting inflammatory response via downregulating NF-κB expression and decreasing collagen synthesis in the pulmonary tissues.

Objective To analyze the outcome of idarubicin-intensified myeloablastive conditioning regimen in allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBSCT) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Methods From August 2004 to July 2009, 12 patients with MDS were treated with alIo-PBSCT following the idarubicin-intensified conditioning regimen. The conditioning regimen was idarubicin (15 mg/m~2), continuous intravenous infusion for 20 h, days-12 to-10; busulfan (0.8 mg/kg), intravenous infusion every 6 h, days-6 to-4; cyclophosphamide (1.8 g/m~2), intravenous infusion every 6 h, days-3 to-2; cyclosporine A combined with short-term methotrexate was used for the prophylaxes of acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD). Results All twelve patients achieved Trilineage engraftment, and were well tolerated to this regimen. Eight patients survived, and the overall survival was 66.7%, disease-free survival (DFS) 58.3%. Two patients relapsed. OS for neither WHO subgroups nor IPSS subgroups had statistically significant difference. Conclusion Allo-PBSCT with idarubicin-inteusified conditioning regimen is an effective treatment with reduction of the relapse rate for MDS patients.