Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus ; immunology ; Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Male ; Mucous Membrane ; immunology

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the application of prognosis evaluation of ulnar nerve injury by 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). METHODS: The metabolites of first dorsal interossei (FDI) of two hands from 12 healthy volunteers and 1 volunteer with complete ulnar nerve injury were detected by 1H-MRS and the data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: For the FDI of healthy adults, the female peaks area of extra-myocellular lipids (EMCL) was higher than the male (P < 0.05); There was no significant difference in Cho, Cr and intra-myocellular lipids (IMCL) between male and female (P > 0.05); There was no significant difference in all the peaks area between the left and right hand (P > 0.05). The EMCL peak of the injury side was higher than that of the healthy side, and the area of FDI was reduced in the volunteer with ulnar nerve injury. CONCLUSION Noninvasive and quantitative detection of 1H-MRS may be valuable for prognosis evaluation of peripheral nerve injury.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods* ; Sex Distribution ; Ulnar Nerve/metabolism*

The 1.7 kb full-length hemagglutinin (HA) gene fragment of H5N1 subtype avian influenza virus was amplified by RT-PCR and then cloned into the pFastBacHT donor plasmids. The recombinant plasmid pFastBac-H5 was identified by restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing. Following the transposition pFastBac-H5 into the bacmid in DH10Bac E.coli competent cells, the colonies were identified by blue and white selection. The recombinant bacmid (rBacmid-H5) was verified by PCR analysis. Transfection of rBacmid-H5 DNA into sf9 cells using Cellfectin reagent results in the production of recombinant viral stock. Cells were harvested 72h post infection and analyzed by SDS-PAGE, Western-blot, hemagglutination and hemagglutination inhibition test;the expressed HA protein (rH5)shows hemaggluting activity and can be inhibited by H5N1 virus immunized chicken sera. On the other hand, immunization of chickens with rH5 protein results in high titers of H5N1 virus specific hemagglutation inhibition antibodies, which proved its biological activity.

Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of topical tacrolimus for erosive oral lichen planus (EOLP). Methods Literatures published up to December 2013 were searched from PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM), and System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe (SIGLE). All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of topical tacrolimus for EOLP which compared with other interventions or a placebo were considered in this Meta-analysis. Two researchers collected data independently. The assessment of methodological quality was based on Cochrane Handbook and the materials were analyzed with the software Revman 5.2.5. The primary outcome measures were the symptoms (e.g. pain, discomfort) complained by patients. The secondary outcome measures included the improvement rate of clinical signs assessed by the investigators and the incidence of adverse effects (e.g. clinical candidiasis). Results A total of 9 RCTs involving 476 patients were finally included. The pooled odds ratio (OR) of clinical improvement for topical tacrolimusvs. topical corticosteroids was 1.19 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.64-2.22,I2: 44%]. Regarding to 0.1% tacrolimus and 0.03% tacrolimus, the pooledOR were 1.87 (95 %CI: 0.60-5.82) and 1.47 (95 %CI: 0.14-16.04) respectively in subgroup analysis. No serious adverse events were reported in topical tacrolimus group. Conclusions There was no evidence to support that topical tacrolimus for EOLP was more effective and safer than topical corticosteroids in this Meta-analysis. Clinical assessment criteria should be established and accepted by clinicians and researchers before further RCTs are undertaken.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features as well as the differential diagnoses of the solid variant of mammary adenoid cystic carcinoma with basaloid features.

METHODSClinical and pathological data were collected in four cases of the solid variant of mammary adenoid cystic carcinoma with basaloid features, and microscopic pathological examination and immunohistochemistry EnVision method were performed. The relevant literature was also reviewed.

RESULTSThe four patients were female, with age ranged from 46 - 65 years old (average 56 years) and the maximum tumor diameter ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 cm. Microscopically, the tumors exhibited a predominantly solid architecture with a myxoid or hyalinized stroma. The tumor cells showed moderate to marked nuclear atypia, and a basaloid appearance with scanty cytoplasm and inconspicuous nucleoli, and ≥ 5 mitotic figures per 10 high power fields. Glandular space embedded within tumor islands could be noticed. These spaces were genuine glandular structures and the cells lining these true glandular lumens had more abundant and eosinophilic cytoplasm. Pseudoglandular spaces of cribriform pattern or variable shape were also occasionally seen, and these cysts contained homogenous eosinophilic material. Focal necrosis was found. All cases were negative for ER, PR and HER2. Immunohistochemical staining for CK5/6, CK7 and CK14 was positive in the genuine glandular structures. All cases were positive for CD10, but also positive with varying intensity from weak to strong for vimentin and CD117. Staining for Ki-67 in three patients showed 10% - 50% positive.

CONCLUSIONSThe solid variant of mammary adenoid cystic carcinoma with basaloid features is a histologically distinctive and also a rare subset of the mammary adenoid cystic carcinoma. Awareness of its pathological features can help with the diagnosis as well as differential diagnosis. More cases are still needed for accurately assessing the prognosis of this particular tumor.

Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratin-14 ; metabolism ; Keratin-5 ; metabolism ; Keratin-7 ; metabolism ; Mastectomy ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; metabolism ; Vimentin ; metabolism

The present study was designed to observe the protection of Grateloupia filicina polysaccharide (GFP) against hepatotoxicity induced by Dioscorea bulbifera L in mice and its underlying mechanism. GFP was intragastrically (ig) given to mice at various doses. After 6 days, the mice were treated with ethyl acetate extract of Dioscorea bulbifera L (EF, ig). Serum levels of alanine/aspartate aminotransferase (ALT/AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TB) were measured, and liver histological evaluation was conducted. Furthermore, reductions of liver glutathione (GSH) amount and glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) activity were tested. The expressions of GCL-c, GCL-m, and HO-1 (heme oxygenase-1) in liver were observed by Western-blot. The results showed that GFP (600 mg x kg(-1)) decreased EF-induced the increase of serum ALT, AST and TB, and GFP (400, 600 mg x kg(-1)) inhibited EF-induced the increase of serum ALP. Liver histological evaluation showed that the liver injury induced by EF was relieved after treated with GFP. GFP further increased liver GSH amount and reversed EF-induced the decrease of GCL activity. The Western-blot result showed that GFP augmented EF-induced the increase of HO-1, and reversed EF-induced the decrease of GCL-c. In conclusion, GFP can act against the oxidative stress liver injury induced by Dioscorea bulbifera L in mice.
Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; blood ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Bilirubin ; blood ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; blood ; metabolism ; Dioscorea ; toxicity ; Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase ; metabolism ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; metabolism ; Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings ; antagonists & inhibitors ; isolation & purification ; toxicity ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rhodophyta ; chemistry

Aged ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; methods ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polychondritis, Relapsing ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; methods ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

OBJECTIVETo study the predictors of depression in patients with chronic prostatitis (CP).

METHODSWe enlisted 49 CP patients in this study, and evaluated their clinical symptoms with NIH-CPSI and IIEF-5, their depression symptoms with the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90), their trait-oriented coping styles with the Trait-Oriented Coping Styles Questionnaire (TCSQ), and their illness perceptions with the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R). We conducted Pearson correlation analysis on the correlation of depression with the clinical symptoms of the patients and used multivariate Logistic regression models to analyze the predictors of their depression.

RESULTSPain or discomfort, urination symptoms, impact of symptoms and total score in NIH showed a significant positive correlation with depression symptoms, but a negative correlation with erectile function (r = 0.32, 0.31, 0.35, 0.38, and -0.36, P<0.05). Besides, 43.4% of the depression symptoms in the CP patients could be explained by negative trait-oriented coping and disease impact factors (R2 = 0.434, adjusted R2 = 0.456, F = 14.853, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONDepression symptoms are closely associated with clinical symptoms, and negative trait-oriented coping and disease impact factors are the main predictors of depression in CP patients.

Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Depression ; etiology ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prostatitis ; psychology ; Self-Assessment ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

AIMTo investigate the relaxation mechanisms of neferine (Nef) on the rabbit corpus cavernosum tissue in vitro.

METHODSStrips of rabbit corpus cavernosum were mounted in organ chambers. The effects of Nef were examined on isolated muscle strips precontracted with phenylephrine (PE) alone, in the presence of N(W)-nitro-L-arginine (LNNA, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), 1-H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-alpha]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor), indomethacin (cyclooxygenase inhibitor), tetraethylammonium (Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel blocker), 4-aminopiridine (4-AP, voltage dependent K(+) channel blocker) and glibenclamide (ATP sensitive K(+) channel blocker). The effects of Nef on KCl-induced contraction of isolated muscle strips were also investigated. The procedure of calcium absence-calcium addition was designed to observe the effect of Nef on two components of the contractile responses to PE based on the source of Ca(2+) (extracellular vs. intracellular).

RESULTSCorpus cavernosum strips relaxed in response to Nef (10(-9)-10(-4) mol/L) in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC(50) of 4.60 X 10(-6) mol/L. However, they were not affected by LNNA, ODQ, indomethacin or K(+)-channel blockers. Nef (10(-6) mol/L, 10(-5) mol/L) concentration dependently reduced the maximal contraction response of isolated strips induced by KCl to 79.3%+/-5.5% and 61.5%+/-3.2%, respectively (P < 0.01). In the calcium absence-calcium addition procedure, Nef 10(-5) mol/L inhibited both intracellular calcium-dependent and extracellular calcium-dependent contraction induced by PE (2 X 10(-5) mol/L) (P < 0.05). The inhibition ratios were 26.2%+/-5.4% and 48.3%+/-7.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe results of the present study suggest that Nef possesses a relaxant effect on rabbit corpus cavernosum tissues, which is attributable to the inhibition of extracellular Ca2+ influx and the inhibition of release of intracellular stored Ca(2+), but not mediated by the release of nitric oxide, prostaglandins or by the activation of potassium channels.

Animals ; Benzylisoquinolines ; pharmacology ; Calcium ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Male ; Muscle Contraction ; drug effects ; Muscle Relaxation ; drug effects ; Penis ; drug effects ; physiology ; Phenylephrine ; pharmacology ; Potassium Chloride ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Vasoconstrictor Agents ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo isolate and identify human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSC) by improved methods and assess the characteristics of PDLSC ex vivo.

METHODSThe periodontal ligament cells were obtained from the healthy impacted third molars and teeth extracted for orthodontic purposes and used to isolate PDLSC by limiting dilution assay. PDLSC were cultured and expanded in alpha-MEM supplemented with 10% FBS. Colony-forming assay, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, osteogenic and adipogenic induction were used to identify PDLSC.

RESULTSThe obtained cells had high colony-forming efficiency and were positive staining for vimentin and negative for pancytokeratin. Flow cytometry revealed that the isolated cells were positive for STRO-1 and CD146 antibodies and most were in the G0/G1 phase of cell cycle. Under specific conditions, they could differentiate to the osteoblast and adipocyte lineages in vitro.

CONCLUSIONLimiting dilution assay is an effective method to isolate PDLSC and the single-cell-derived colonies demonstrate the properties of stem cells in vitro.

Cell Differentiation ; Cell Separation ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Osteoblasts ; Periodontal Ligament ; Stem Cells