Adenocarcinoma, Follicular ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Adenoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Papillary, Follicular ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Cell Nucleus ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Thyroid Gland ; pathology ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Thyroid Nodule ; diagnosis ; Thyroiditis ; diagnosis

Objective To establish a calcification mode in vitro of human vascular smooth muscle cells (HVSMCs) induced by β-GP. Methods Primary HVSMCs were obtained from human embryo by plant method and confirmed by stain with α-sm-actin antibody. The cells after 4-6 passages were divided into two groups.The control group was incubated with normal DMEM medium while the calcification group was incubated with the medium containing 10 mmol/L β-glycerophosphate for 10 days.Calcification was confirmed by alizarin red S stain and alkaline phosphatase(ALP) assays. Results The primary cells observed by S-P stain were positive and the cells after being stained were pale yellow. After being induced with β-GP, the cells of calcification group began concentric growth and formed vesicles. Alizarin red S staining showed that the reaction of calcifying nodules was red,ALP activity was higher than that of controls at various time points(4 d,6 d,8 d and 10 d,P＜0.01 ).Conclusion The HVSMCs could be induced into calcification in vitro by β-GP, and this model contribates to further studies of vascular diseases.

ObjectiveTo establish pediatric serum CysC reference intervals based on the children's hospital laboratory data in Zhejiang Province and analyse the effects of CysClevels on age and gender. MethodsCysC was one of tests of a routine biochemical screening panel employed for most outpatients and inpatients in the children's hospital, and 8 127 subjects (4 264 boys and 3 863 girls) were selected from 13 567 subjects from laboratory information system according to the exclusion criterion with seriously systemic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, elevated values of creatinine, urea or ALT for which 1.5-fold upper limit, serum samples with hemolysis, icterus or lipid turbidity, same patients with non-first-time CysC results and living addresses which were not in Zhejiang. The serum CysC was determined by transmission turbidimetry on Roche DPP modular automatic biochemical analyzer. SPSS 17.0 software and EXCEL 2003 were employed for statistical analysis in this study. Results The serum CysC concentration was a Gaussian distribution after log transformation. The mean Log-transformated CysC lg (CysC) concentration of boys in five age groups ( ＜ 1 month, 1 to 3 months, 4 to 11 months, 1 to 2 years and 2 to 16 years) were 0. 224,0. 170,0. 112,0. 061, -0. 011 (mg/L,lg) respectively, and the mean Log-transformated CysC lg(CysC) concentration of girls in five age groups were 0. 222, 0. 164, 0. 089, 0. 057,-0. 010 ( mmg/L, lg) respectively, and no statistically significant differences between Ig( CysC ) and gender in five age groups were found ( t values were 0. 174, 0. 362, 0. 445,- 1. 464 and - 0. 093, respectively,and corresponding P values all were greater than 0. 05 ). The mean lg ( CysC ) concentrations in five age groups were 0. 222,0. 166,0. 100,0. 059, - 0. 010 ( mmg/L, lg), and significant differences between Lg ( CysC ) and ages by Analysis of Variance were observed ( F = 309. 785 and P = 0 in between-groups totally,P = 0 in any two groups). Serum CysC levels were highest in the age of ＜ 1 month, then declined to the age of 2 years and kept stable in the age of 2 to 16 years. The serum CysC reference intervals for children were as follows:0. 95 -2. 92 mg/L in the age of ＜ 1 month, 0. 81 -2.67 mg/L in the age of 1 to 3 months, 0. 65 -2.45 mg/L in the age of 4 tol2 months, 0. 56 -2. 35 mg/L in the age of 1 year and 0. 45 -2. 13 mg/L in the age of 2 to 16 years. ConclusionsThere is no significant effect on pediatric CysC levels with gender but close correlated with age below 2 years old. It is necessary to establish appropriate age-related reference intervals of serum CysC for efficiently evaluating renal function in local children.

Objective:To explore the effect of group psychotherapy on damage of theory of mind (TOM) in patients with early-onset schizophrenia.Methods:Totally 60 patients with early-onset schizophrenia were included and divided into the intervention group (n ＝ 30) and the health education group (n ＝ 30).The patients in the intervention group were offered 10 twice a week 2-hour sessions of group psychotherapy,and those in the control were offered group health education twice a week.All participants completed baseline measures and post-intervention measures with the Eye Emotion Recognition and Theory of mind Picture-sequencing Task (TOM-PST).Results:Totally 23 patients in the intervention group and 29 patients in the health education group finished the post-intervention measures.After 5-week intervention,subscores of sad and fear and total score of emotion recognition,total score of TOM-PST,understanding first order error belief,second order error belief,third order error belief,sense of reality,detecting fraud compared to baseline had statistically significant difference in intervention group.In health education group,subscores of joy emotion recognition,understanding first order error belief,third order error belief,total score of TOM-PST compared to baseline had statstically significant difference.The patients with group psychotherapy got higher scores of total score of TOM-PST and understanding second order error belief and third order error belief than the health education group after 5-week intervention (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion:This study suggests the group psychotherapy could partially improve theory of mind with early-onset schizophrenia,and promote the recovery of social cognition.

Objective To study the imaging characteristics of the ligaments in craniocervical junction (CCJ), and to optimize the examination methods and scanning sequences of the ligaments in this region. Methods Two groups of 51 healthy volunteers in each were selected to undergo CT and MRI examination respectively. The CT and MRI features of the ligaments in CCJ were assessed. Two senior imaging doctors compared the results of showing the ligaments in CCJ by several MRI sequences, including T1 WI ,T2 WI, proton density weighted imaging (PDWI), T2 * WI and short time inversion recovery (STIR) ,and proton density fat saturate (PDFSAT). Standard normal rank transformation was done according to the primary data,and then analysis of variance of repeated measurement was applied. Results CT and MRI could both demonstrate the ligaments (except the anterior atlantooccipital membrane only seen on MRI) and their adjoins in CCJ, while MRI had more advantages than CT. The display ratio of the anterior atlantooccipital membrane was 100% (51/51) by MRI. The display ratio of the apical ligament was 29.4%(15/51) by CT and 43.1% (22/51) by MRI. The posterior atlantooccipital membrane-dura complex,tectorial ligament-dura complex, transverse ligament, and alar ligament could be demonstrated clearly by CT and MRI, the display ratio was 100% respectively (51/51). The results of PDWi scored by two doctors were both 5.0, there were no significant differences between them (F = 0.000, P > 0.05), which were significantly higher than T, WI (M = 3.0), T2Wi (M = 3.0), T2 * WI (M = 1.0), STIR (M = 1.0), and PDFSAT(M = 3.0)(P < 0.01). Conclusion MRI was superior to CT in demonstrating the ligaments in CCJ. PDWI was the optimal MRI sequence. Imaging research of normal ligamentous structures in CCJ could provide valuable diagnostic and therapeutic information for evaluating the ligamentous diseases.

Objective To investigate whether erythropoietin(Epo) is potentially beneficial in protecting cultured retinal neurocytes.Methods Primary isolated retinal nerve cells were cultured.Expressions of Epo and EpoR protein in cultured retinal neurocytes were decected by immunohistochemical analysis.Survival of cultured neurocytes that were incubated in the presence of Epo or glutamate in the presence or absence of Epo were estimated by determining the activity of their mitochondrial dehydrogenases using the MTT assay.Results Epo and EpoR protein were expressed on the cultured retinal neurocytes.The presence of different concentrations of Epo did not improve the survival of retinal neurocytes,and Epo could prevent glutamateinduced toxicity. Conclusion Epo is beneficial in protecting mixed cultured retinal neurocytes from glutamate-induced cytotoxicity.

Objective To analyze the clinical and pathological characteristics of children with lupus nephritis(LN).Methods Ninety-one children with LN were diagnosed from 1993 to 2005,according to the clinical literature and renal pathology and the data were retrospectively summarized.Results Within the cohort of 91 children,there were 69 females and 22 males(female to male ratio 3.1).Most of the sick children were at the school age ranging from 6.0 to 15.5 years old.Nephrotic syndrome(44.0%) was the most common clinical manifestation.Fifty-nine renal biopsies were performed.Class Ⅳ LN(59.3%) was the most frequent pathological findings."A full-house pattern" on immunofluorescence was found in 72.0% of biopsies.The clinical and pathological manifestations of some children were atypical.There were 3 patients characterized by predominant deposits of immunoglobulin M(IgM),1 patient with predominant deposits of IgA,and 2 children with pauci-immune LN.Three children with class Ⅱ LN in our study presented with nephrotic syndrome.LN was initially controlled by aggressive treatment in 93.7% of thse patients.Relapses of nephritis covered 27.1% of them,mostly caused by the intermittent treatment.Conclusions The clinical and pathological manifestations of LN were variable.Some atypical LN was considered to be associated with the distinct pathogenesis.Most of LN could be controlled by aggressive treatment.Long and regular treatment is necessary to improve the prognosis of LN.

Sodium houttuyfonate (SH) is a derivative of effective component of a Chinese material medica, Houttuynia cordata, which is applied in anti-infection of microorganism. But, the antimicrobial mechanisms of SH still remain unclear. Here, we firstly discovered that SH effectively inhibits the three types of virulence related motility of.Pseudomonas aeruginosa, i.e., swimming, twitching and swarming. The plate assay results showed that the inhibitory action of SH against swimming and twitching in 24 h and swarming in 48 h is dose-dependent; and bacteria nearly lost all of the motile activities under the concentration of 1 x minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (512 mg x L(-1) same as azithromycin positive group (1 x MIC, 16 mg x L(-1)). Furthermore, we found that the expression of structural gene flgB and pilG is down-regulated by SH, which implies that inhibitory mechanism of SH against motility of P. aeruginosa may be due to the inhibition of flagella and pili bioformation of P. aeruginosa by SR Therefore, our presented results firstly demonstrate that SH effectively inhibits the motility activities of P. aeruginosa, and suggest that SH could be a promising antipseudomonas agents in clinic.
Alkanes ; pharmacology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Biofilms ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fimbriae, Bacterial ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; Houttuynia ; chemistry ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; cytology ; drug effects ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Sulfites ; pharmacology ; Virulence ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Salvianolate on myosin heavy chain (MHC) in cardiomyocytes of congestive heart failure (CHF) rats.

METHODSSixty male SD rats were divided into 6 groups according to random digit table, i.e., the normal control group (NCG), the model group, the Captopril group (CAG), the low dose Salvianolate group (LSG), the high dose Salvianolate group (HSG), the Captopril and high dose Salvianolate group (CSG), 10 in each group. CHF rat model was established with peritoneal injection of adriamycin in all rats except those in the NCG. Equal volume of normal saline was peritoneally injected to rats in the NCG, once per week for 6 successive weeks. Corresponding medication was started from the 5th week of injecting adriamycin. Rats in the CAG were administered with Captopril solution at the daily dose of 10 mg/kg by gastrogavage. Rats in the LSG and the HSG were administered with Salvianolate solution at the daily dose of 24.219 mg/kg and 48.438 mg/kg respectively by gastrogavage. Salvianolate was dissolved in 2 mL 5% glucose solution and administered by peritoneal injection. Rats in the CSG were peritoneally injected with high dose Salvianolate solution and administered with Captopril solution by gastrogavage. Two mL normal saline was peritoneally injected to rats in the model group, once per day for 8 successive weeks. Eight weeks later, the cardiac function and myocardial hypertrophy indices were detected by biological signal collecting and processing system. mRNA expression levels of alpha-MHC and beta-MHC in cardiac muscle were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Expressions of protein kinase C (PKC) in cardiac muscle were detected by Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, heart mass index (HMI) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) obviously increased in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, HMI and LVMI decreased in HSG, CAG, and CSG groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). It was more obviously lowered in the CSG group than in the CAG group (P < 0.05). Compared with the NCG, the mRNA expression level of alpha-MHC in cardiac muscle decreased, the mRNA expression level of p-MHC and the expression of PKC in cardiac muscle increased in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the mRNA expression level of alpha-MHC in cardiac muscle was increased, and the mRNA expression level of beta-MHC and the expression of PKC in cardiac muscle were decreased in HSG, CAG, and CSG groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was statistical difference between the CSG group and the CAG group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSalvianolate could up-regulate the mRNA expression level of alpha-MHC, and down-regulate the mRNA expression level of beta-MHC in cardiac muscle. Its mechanism might be related to decreasing the expression of PKC.

Animals ; Captopril ; Doxorubicin ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Heart Failure ; metabolism ; Male ; Myocardium ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Myosin Heavy Chains ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the resistant effect of houttuyfonate sodium (SH) combined with imipenem (IMP) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) biofilms.

METHODThe two-fold dilution method was used to examine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the tested drug. The crystal violet staining was applied to detect the effect of the combination of 1/2MIC, 1MIC, 2MIC of SH, single IMP, 1/2MIC of SH and IMP of various concentrations on the clearance rate of adherent bacteria, growth of biofilms and alginate production. Fluorescein diacetate (FDA)-propidium iodide (PI) doubling staining assay was employed to observe the bacterial viability and morphological changes after membrane dispersion of each drug group.

RESULTSodium houttuyfonate could enhance the effect of IMP against pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Particularly, the combination group with the concentration of 2MIC showed the highest effect, with P < 0.001 compared with the negative control group. The above results were proved by the bacterial viability and biofilm morphology under fluorescence microscope.

CONCLUSIONAfter being combined with imipenem, sodium houttuyfonate shows a higher effect against biofilms. It is expected that the combination of the two drugs could improve the clinical efficacy of associated infections.

Alkanes ; pharmacology ; Biofilms ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Drug Synergism ; Imipenem ; pharmacology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Microbial Viability ; drug effects ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; drug effects ; physiology ; Sulfites ; pharmacology