Objective To investigate the role of PI3K/Akt pathway in mitomycin(MMC) induced apoptosis of liver stem cells.Methods Rat liver stem ceils were stimulated with MMC,and the effect of MMC on the apoptosis rate of WB-F334 cells at different time points(6,12,24 h),as well as the effects of different concentrations of (0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,1.0 mg/mL) MMC on the cytotoxicity of WB-F334 cells were evaluated;moreover,cells were treated with p38 MAPK inhibitor and PI3K/Akt inhibitor,and the roles of MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in MMC mediated apoptosis of WB-F334 cells were explored.Results The apoptosis rate of the MMC-treated WB-F334 increased with time(P＜0.05).Compared with the un-treated control group,different concentrations of MMC had obvious cytotoxicity on liver stem cells,and the cytotoxicity increased with concentration.Western blotting results showed that Akt and MAPK in WB-F334 cells were significantly phosphorylated 15 min after MMC stimulation;the degree of phosphorylation decreased with time,and phosphorylation disappeared after 60 min,suggesting that the p38 MAPK,PI3K/Akt pathway can be activated by MMC;furthermore,when p38 MAPK inhibitor was added to MMC treated cells,the apoptosis rate of p38 MAPK inhibitor treated cells showed no significant difference compared to the un-treated cells(P＞0.05),indicating that the MAPK pathway had no significant effect on MMC induced WP,-F334 cell death;however,when the PI3K/Akt inhibitor(API-2)was added,the apoptosis rate of API-2 treated cells was significantlv decreased compared to the un-treated cells(P＜0.05),indicating that the PI3K/Akt pathway had a significant effect on MMC induced apoptosis of WB-F334 cells(P＜0.05).Conclusion Stimulation of MMC can induce apoptosis of hepatic stem cells WB-F334 through the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

The complement system, the chief component of innate immunity, is not only required for host defense against pathogens and homeostasis, but also related to the pathogenesis and development of various kidney diseases. Recent study has shown that tissue-derived complement and immune cell-derived complement can each mediate local inlfammation. The comple-ment system acts as a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity. Furthermore it’s also a functional bridge between pathogenic humoral and cellular immune responses in an array of kidney diseases. Increasing evidence links inappropriate complement acti-vation and deifciencies of complement proteins to the pathogenesis of kidney autoimmune disease, ischemia-reperfusion injury, transplant rejection and complications in hemodialysis. The development of pharmacologic agents that target complement in pa-tients with this assortment of immune and/or inlfammatory kidney diseases has the potential to abrogate disease progression and improve patient health.

Objective To discuss the clinical characteristics and the relationship with the survival of smoking lung cancer patients.Methods The clinical data of 368 cases were retrospectively analyzed by comparing the differences of the age,gender,histological type,clinical stage,treatment and tradition Chinese medicine typing,and their correlation with the survival was analyzed.Results Among the 368 patients,the ones aged between 50 to 69 accounted for 69.84％ ; the proportion between the male ones and the female ones was 7.98 ∶ 1 ; the proportion of the squamous cell carcinoma was as high as 52.45％ ; the proportion of the patients with small cell lung cancer in extensive stage was significantly higher than that of the patients in the limited stage(75.38％ ∶ 24.62％) ; the numbers of the patients with non-small cell lung cancer in stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ was significantly higher than that in the stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ (82.77％ ∶ 17.23％) ; the ones with non-surgical treatment accounted for 76.36％,and the proportion of ones with surgery treatment was 23.64％ ; most of the patients were treated by both Chinese medicine and chemotherapy(41.04％) ; the main types of all patients were qi-yin deficiency syndrome and toxic heat flourishing syndrome,accounting for 36.96％ and 29.28％ respectively.The age (F =10.356,P =0.000),clinical stage (F =11.289,P =0.000),treatment methods (t =2.624,P =0.021),smoking index(F =3.681,P =0.021) were the key factors effecting the survival (P ＜ 0.05),and the gender,histological type,tradition Chinese medicine type had no significant effect(P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion The clinical characteristics of the cases are 50-69 aged,male,squamous cell carcinoma,advanced stage,treatment without surgery.The survival of smoking lung cancer patients is effected by the age,clinical stage,treatment methods and smoking index.

Objective To investigate the acoustic characteristics of snoring sound in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and with simple snoring. Methods 22 patients with OSAHS and 15 with simple snoring were included in this study. Natural overnight snoring was digitally recorded and portable sleep mo-nitoring was performed simultaneously. 10 snores, which were the 1st snores after 10 cycles of obstructive apnea, from each patient in OSAHS group, and 10 snores from each patient in simple snoring group were analyzed in the time and frequency domains. Results The sound waves of snoring in the two groups exhibited different patterns both in the time and frequency domains. The snoring spectrum of patients with simple snoring showed distinct fun-damental- harmonic structures which were not clear in patients with OSAHS. The central frequency of the patients with OSAHS was higher, and 800 Hz power ratio was lower than those of the patients with simple snoring. In the OSAHS group, the central frequency of the patients with moderate-to-severe OSAHS was higher, and 800 Hz power ratio was lower than those of the patients with mild OSAHS. The differences of the two parameters were of statistical significance. Conclusion The snoring sounds in patients with OSAHS and with simple snoring have dif-ferent characteristics in time and frequency domains, indicating that it is feasible to research the OSAHS by way of snore monitoring and analyzing technique.

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Objective To evaluate the efficacy of different doses of dexmedetomidine combined with propofol for drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) in the patients with snoring.Methods Sixty patients with snoring,aged 24-62 yr,with body mass index of 24-37 kg/m2,of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ,scheduled for elective DISE,were randomly divided into either group Ⅰ or group Ⅱ,with 30 patients in each group.In Ⅰ and Ⅱ groups,dexmedetomidine was infused over 10 min in a loading dose of 0.4 and 0.8 μg/kg,respectively,followed by an infusion of 0.4 μg · kg-1 · h-1.At 15 min of dexmedetomidine infusion,propofol was given by target-controlled infusion with the initial target plasma concentration (Cp) of 1.0 μg/ml.At 2 min after the target effect-site and plasma concentrations were balanced,the Cp of propofol was increased/decreased by 0.2 μg/ml to maintain the Cp of propofol stable during DISE.Bispectral index (BIS) value was recorded before anesthesia (T1),at 10 and 15 min of dexmedetomidine infusion (T2,3),at 2 min after the target effect-site and plasma concentrations were balanced (T4),at the beginning of DISE (T5),when the fiberoptic laryngoscope was placed at the site of oropharynx (T6),at the end of DISE (T7),at emergence (T8),and while discharge from the examination room (T9).Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) scores were recorded at T1-4.Sleep was recorded within 15 min of dexmedetomidine infusion.The emergence time,discharge time,and anesthetics-related adverse events were recorded.Results All the patients completed DISE successfully.BIS values were maintained at 75-90,and RASS scores ≤ 4 during dexmedetomidine infusion.BIS values were maintained at 65-75 during DISE.Compared with group Ⅰ,BIS values were significantly decreased at T4,and RASS scores were significantly increased at T2-4,the sleep rate was significantly increased within 15 min of dexmedetomidine infusion,the Cp of propofol was significantly decreased during DISE,the emergence time was significantly prolonged (P＜0.05),and no significant change was found in the discharge time and anesthetics-related adverse events in group Ⅱ (P＞ 0.05).Conclusion Dexmedetomidine infused at 0.4 μg · kg-1 · h-1 after infusion of a loading dose of 0.8 μg/kg combined with propofol provides better efficacy for DISE in the patients with snoring.

BACKGROUND:Currently, bone graft is mainly used for repair of bone defects, and tricalcium phosphate is the most used artificial bone material. But the effectiveness of the tricalcium phosphate bone graft is stil controversial, and there is also no detailed report about its function during the healing of bone defect. ＜br> OBJECTIVE:To observe the concentration changes of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor as wel as bone healing after tricalcium phosphate graft in bone defects. ＜br> METHODS:Forty-eight C57 mice were randomly divided to experimental group and control group. A 2-mm-long diaphyseal segment and periosteum from the middle of the right femur was cut to prepare unilateral bone defect models. Tricalcium phosphate bone graft was used in the experimental group, and no bone graft in the control group. During the fol owing 4 weeks, X-ray examination was done once a week to observe the bone healing, and then the animals were executed for col ecting samples in the graft area. The concentrations of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor in samples which were taken from the bone graft area were determined by using ELISA assay. ＜br> RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:X-ray films showed that 2 weeks later, bone fracture healed mostly in the experimental group except a smal part of cortical bone;3 weeks later, bone fracture was basical y healed, and only a smal amount of tricalcium phosphate remained;4 weeks later, bone fracture was completely healed, and the cal us grew obviously, and the tricalcium phosphate was nearly absorbed. In the control group, the fracture line was stil visible at 1-2 weeks, but it became vague at 3 weeks;then, the fracture was healed at 4 weeks except some of the cortical bone. The levels of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group at different time points (P＜0.05). These results suggest that tricalcium phosphate bone graft can up-regulate the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor and accelerate bone healing.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sorafenib in the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma.Methods The clinical date of 33 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma from September 2007 to April 2012 was reviewed retrospectively.26 were males and 7 were females,with an average age of 69 years.Pathological diagnosis showed 30 clear cell RCCs,2 papillary RCCs,and 1 unclassified RCC.These patients were treated by sorafenib 400 mg twice a day until intolerable toxicity or disease progression.The primary end points were objective response rate,clinical benefit rate,median survival time,median progression-free survival and the incidence of adverse reaction.Results All patients were evaluable for response and toxicity,with 8 patients (24％) of partial remission,19 cases (58％) of stable disease,and 6 cases (18％) of disease progression.The disease control rate was 82％,the median progression-free survival was 10.2 months,while the median survival time was 16.5 months.The common adverse reactions included hand-foot skin reaction (61％),diarrhea (46％),hypertension (21％).Most adverse reactions occurred around the second week after drug therapy,with the duration unequal.The majority of adverse reactions could be released by symptomatic treatment,which did not affect the medication.Conclusion Sorafenib has good short term efficacy for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma,and most adverse reactions were tolerable.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the main influence factors of sound pressure level parameters in patients with simple snoring (SS) and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrom (OSAHS). METHOD: Eighty-four cases with snoring disease underwent polysomnography and simultaneously snoring sound pressure level recording. The correlations between AHI, age, BMI, abdomen circumference, neck circumference, the lowest oxygen saturation total apnea time and sound pressure level parameters: equivalent continuous sound level(LAeq)and maximum sound pressure level(L10) were analyzed. RESULT: LAeq was significantly correlated to AHI (P= 0. 000) and BMI (P= 0. 007), and the odd ratios of AHI and BMI were 5. 74,2. 09 respectively, but it was unrelated to age, abdomen circumference, neck circumference, the lowest oxygen saturation and total apnea time. A significantly association also existed between L10 and AHI(P=0. 000), BMI(P=0. 032), and the odd ratios were 4. 11 and 2. 33 respectively. Other factors had nothing to do with L10. CONCLUSION The main factors which affect the snoring sound pressure level parameters LAeq and L10 are AHI and BMI.
Humans ; Polysomnography ; Pressure ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; physiopathology ; Snoring ; physiopathology ; Sound

Hypoxia exists in a wide range of advanced solid tumors and is often associated with poor prognosis.Hypoxia can enhance tumor invasion, promote tumor angiogenesis, impact genomic stability and change the tumor microenvironment by activating expression of relevant genes through hypoxia-induced factors (HIFs).Hypoxia provides favorable conditions for tumor metastasis and relapse, and it is involved in all aspects of tumor development.The study of hypoxia in tumors may provide useful information for pre-clinical evaluation, individualized treatment and clinical prognosis.Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive imaging method, which can be used for assessing and quantifying tumor hypoxic microenvironment.This article reviews the mechanisms of hypoxia-induced tumor biological behavior changes and the research progress of the application of radiotracers for PET imaging of tumor hypoxia.