Diabetes mellitus impacts patient survival and quality of life mainly due to its acute and chronic complications.Pancreas transplantation may restore normoglycemia and reduce the complication of insulin-dependent diabetes,thus improving the quality of life and prolonging patient's survival.Although pancreas transplantation requires major surgery and life-long immunosuppression therapy,it currently remains the gold stand for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus,who do not respond to conventional therapy.Meanwhile,potential of the islet transplantation,insulin-producing cells replacement therapy,and artificial pancreas as the alternative to pancreas transplantation are under investigation.

Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), a major contributor to glucose transport in skeletal muscle, is closely related to diabetic treatment. Exercise regulates apparently GLUT4 gene expression which produces many beneficial metabolic adaptations for diabetic patients. Study has shown that both AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) and CaMK (calcium-calmodulin dependent protein kinase) signaling pathways are involved in regulation of exercise-induced GLUT4 gene expression in skeletal muscles, but the relationship between these two signaling pathways in regulating the GLUT4 gene is unclear. The purpose of the following study was to investigate the relationship of these two pathways in Caffeine- and AICAR-stimulated skeletal muscle cells GLUT4 gene expression. Muscle contractile activity results in increases in both cytosolic Ca2+ and AMPK activity. To mimic this response, primary cultured rat skeletal muscle cells were treated with Caffeine to raise cytosolic Ca2+ and with AICAR to activate AMPK. The muscle cells were divided into different groups (Control, AICAR, Caffeine, AICAR/Caffeine, Caffeine +Compound C, AICAR/Caffeine +Compound C, AICAR +KN93, AICAR/Caffeine + KN93), which were used for experiments of stimulation by AICAR and Caffeine, inhibition by AMPK inhibitor, Compound C and CaMK inhibitor, KN93 respectively. The results showed that both AICAR and Caffeine induced about 2- and 3-fold increases respectively (P

Objective To simulate local hemodynamic factors at particular arterial positions.Method A combination of high-lipid diet and immuoreactive injury was used to establish a hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis model in rabbit.Serrial sections were analysed by OLYSIA software.Data of caliber at different positions of carotid bifurcation,areas and circumference and thickness of the atherosclerotic plaque at carotid bifurcation were obtained and to establish a geometric model of rabbit carotid artery bifurcation with Gambit software.Wall shear stress distribution of the carotid sinus were analysed by numerical simulation.Result 1) A geometric model of rabbit carotid artery bifurcation was obtained.2) The wall shear stress of the carotid sinus of the atherosclerosis(AS) model group was found to be lower than that of the control group at shear rate 128.5 S~(-1).The lowest wall shear stress of the control was 4.028 times that of the AS model.Conclusion Low wall shear stress is a risk hemodynamic factor in the development of atherosclerotic plaque.

Objective To investigate the effects of fluid shear stress on interleukin-8(IL-8)mRNA expression in human endothelial cell line-EA.Hy926 cells.Methods Weibel-Palade body and factor Ⅷ related antigen were detected to identify cultured EA.Hy926 cells.Quantitative reversal transcription-polymerase chain reaction was also used to assay IL-8 mRNA expression.Results It was found that the growth feature of EA.Hy926 cells in vitro culture was similar with that of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs).Meanwhile,it also had the typical features of endothelial cells,i.e.Weibel-Palade body in plasma and express factor Ⅷ related antigen.IL-8 mRNA expression of endothelial cells exposed to low shear stress(0.420 Pa)increased at 1 h and reached its peak value at 2 h,then gradually decreased at 3 h and kept the descending trend throughout the remained time course of the study,as compared with that in cells not treated with shear stress.Also after exposed to shear stress of different levels(0.182,0.420,1.000,1.640 Pa)for 2 h,in which IL-8 mRNA expression of EA.Hy926 cells decreased with the increase of the intensity of the shear stress.Conclusion The results suggest that fluid stress can induce the expression of IL-8 mRNA in EA.Hy926 cells.EA.Hy926 cells might be used as a cell source in the field of biorheological research of endothelial cells.

Objective:To study the differences of gene expression between Tca8113 and Tca8113/CBP tissues in nude mice. Methods:Tca8113 cells were injected subcutaneously in both sides of armpits of nude mice at the concentration of 5?106 cells/0.1 ml. Two weeks after injection, Carboplatin was used subcutaneously around the tumor 0.01 mg/g (weight) each day in Tca8113/CBP group while Tca8113 group was injected with physiologic saline as control. Mice were sacrificed 10 weeks after drug injection. The two kinds of tissues were investigated by human 16k cDNA v2.1 SBC-R-HC-100-21 gene chip. Results:Among the 16 000 target genes, there were 719 genes whose expression levels showed differences between the two kinds of tumor tissues. Conclusion:Microarray technique can simultaneously screen different genes from above-mentioned two kinds of tissues. Further analysis of the obtained genes will be helpful to understand the molecular mechanism of multidrug resistance.

This review summarizes the newest advances in recent researches on meridian. Firstly, fascia, connective tissue, mast cells, fibroglia fibrils and interstitial fluid are found accumulated under the deeper layer tissue of the acupoints and channels, thus giving indications of their important role in the propagated sensation along meridian. Secondly, the supplementary data involve the characteristics and the neurobiological basis of propagated sensation along meridian, which suggest that the function of the meridian is of integrity, i.e. the points on different segments of the same channel produce a uniform clinical effect. The effect of Luomai (collateral, branch of the large channel) and the mechanism of long distance of transmission across spinal segments are introduced. Thirdly, the objective evidence of channel-viscera bi-directional correlativity. Lastly, the application of the gene chip technique to meridian research. As for the main trends in the researches of meridian, the emphases are laid on the function of acupoints and channels, on the correlation between the channel and internal organs, on the rational distribution of proportion as well as on the coordination of meridian research between laboratory experiments and clinical practices. Recently, faced to international competition, Chinese physicians and researchers feel an unshrinkable duty and are making a greater effort to carry out researches on the meridian.
Acupuncture ; trends ; Acupuncture Points ; Humans ; Meridians

Objective To detect and compare the pH value of different locations in esophagus and trachea of mice.Methods 40 male Kunming mice of clean grade were randomly divided into two groups,of which the esophagus(esophageal group) and trachea(windpipe group) were measured,before the experiment two groups kept 12 hours abrosia.The esophagus and trachea of the rats in two groups were dissected and separated out,the distance from the central incisors were 0.3 cm,0.5 cm,0.7 cm,the incision was like 'T'.The sensitive grade of pH test paper was used for the determination,and the data was recorded in each group and analyzed.Results All the mice were measured successfully.The pH of the esophagus group were (6.10±0.17),(5.84±0.11),(5.44±0.11),and the pH value of the trachea group were(7.44±0.11),(7.19±0.11),(6.97±0.07),respectively.There was a significant difference in the same segment between the two groups(P<0.05).Conclusion The results showed that the differences in the pH values of trachea and esophagus and the pH values of different segments,which provides a theoretical basis for the design of model mice by intragastric administration of pH to identify the value of trachea and esophagus.

Gene-enhanced engineering deals with the scientific and technologic endeavour to produce cultured cells or polymer matrices transduced with multiple gene vectors encoding cytokine cDNA by means of genetic engineering technique, to make transduced cells or gene activated matrices highly express according cytokine, and then to enhance certain abilities of the artificial tissue. Up to now, various genes encoding modulatory species of ribonucleic of proteins such as growth factors, receptors, and transcription factors have been used in the context of gene-enhanced tissue engineering and expressed within numerous tissues, including artificial blood vessels, bone, cartilage, skin and urinary system, etc. Many experiments in vitro or in vivo have begun to show good prospects and great potential application of the new approach. We believe great changes will take place in the research field of tissue engineering due to the induction the of genetic engineering, and the new approach will become a very promising and valuable tool for therapy.
Blood Vessel Prosthesis ; Bone Substitutes ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genetic Engineering ; methods ; Tissue Engineering

Interleukin-8 (IL-8), which is a member of C-X-C chemokine subfamily, is an important activator and chemoattractant for neutrophils and has been implicated in a variety of inflammatory diseases. Numerous reports show that various cells express IL-8 mRNA and produce IL-8 protein rapidly, including monocytes, T lymphocytes, neutrophils, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and epithelial cells. The human IL-8 gene has a length of 5191 bp and contains four exons separated by three introns. It maps to human chromosome 4q12-q21. The mRNA consists of a 101 bases 5' untranslated region, an open reading frame of 297 bases, and a long 3' untranslated region of 1.2 kb. The 5' flanking region of the IL-8 gene contains potential binding sites for several nuclear factors including activated protein-1 (AP-1), activated protein-2 (AP-2), nuclear factor-gene binding (NF-kappa B), nuclear factor-interleukin-6 (NF-IL-6, also calls CAAT/enhancer-binding proteins, C/EBP), IFN regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1), hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 (HNF-1), and so on. IL-8 gene expression is regulated initially at the level of gene transcription. The rapid induction of IL-8 gene expression is likely mediated by latent transcription factors that bind the IL-8 promoter. AP-1 and NF-IL-6 physically interact with NF-kappa B, and functional cooperativity among these factors appears to be critical for optimal IL-8 promoter activity in different cell types. The IL-8 receptor (IL-8R) is a dimeric glycoprotein consisting of a 59 KDa and a 67 KDa subunit. It has been given the name CDw128. It is expressed in many different cell types including those not responding to IL-8. The receptor density is approximately 20,000/cell in neutrophils, 1,040/cell in monocytes, and 300/cell in T-lymphocytes. The IL-8R is a member of the family of G-protein-coupled receptors. There are at least two different IL-8 receptor types (CXCR1 and CXCR2). The activities of IL-8 are not species-specific. IL-8 affects the adhesion of neutrophils to the endothelium and induces the transendothelial migration of neutrophils. IL-8 also exhibits in vitro chemotactic activities against of T-lymphocytes and basophils. IL-8 gene expression can be regulated by fluid shear stress, which may play an important role in the genesis and development of both inflammation and arterosclerosis.
Gene Expression Regulation ; Interleukin-8 ; chemistry ; genetics ; physiology ; Receptors, Interleukin

Ligament injury always has an unsatisfied outcome because of the poor blood supply and scar tissue formation. This may result in severe joint dysfunction. Tissue engineering, as a most prospective field, may provide an effective approach for the treatment of ligament injury. This paper has reviewed some recently published articles focusing on the sources of seed cells in ligament tissue engineering, application of growth factors, screening of scaffold materials with specific mechanical and biodegradable properties, and interaction between cells and scaffold materials. At present, what should be extensively studied are scaffolds with specific mechanical and biodegradable properties, and bioreactors providing three-dimensional culture microenvironment mimic in vivo.
Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Ligaments ; injuries ; surgery ; Ligaments, Articular ; injuries ; surgery ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Tissue Engineering