AlM: To investigate the relationship among carotid atherosclerosis, homocysteine ( Hcys ) and anterior ischmic optic neuropathy( AlON) .METHODS: Sixty-five AlON patients enrolled in AlON group and 70 non - AlON controls enrolled in control group. All the participants in 2 groups were examined by carotid artery color doppler flow imaging to evaluate the incidence of carotid atherosclerosis. Plasma levels of Hcys, vitamin B12 and folate were measured by automatic biochemical analyzer. The incidence of carotid atherosclerosis, plasma levels of Hcys, vitamin B12 and folate were compared statistically between AlON and control group.RESULTS: Fifty - six AlON patients ( 86%) exhibited carotid atherosclerosis, which was found in 43 control subjects ( 61%) . Fifty - nine AlON patients ( 91%) exhibited increased plasma levels of Hcys compared with that in 38 control subjects ( 54%) . Lowered vitamin B12 was found in 37 patients with AlON ( 57%) and in 43 control subjects ( 61%) . Lowered folate was found in 54 AlON patients ( 83%) and in 32 control subjects ( 46%) . The incidence of atherosclerosis in carotid artery ( P =0. 001), mean Hcys level (P=0. 0005) and lowered folate ( P = 0. 0006 ) were different statistically between AlON group and control group. Mean vitamin B12 level was indifferent between AlON group and control group ( P=0. 0722). Logistic regression analysis showed that carotid atherosclerosis was an a risk factor for AlON (OR=1. 312, 95%CI:0. 927~1. 772), whereas elevated Hcys level (OR=2. 378, 95% CI: 1. 479 ~ 3. 821 ) was also shown to be significant risk factor for AlON. CONCLUSlON: Carotid atherosclerosis and elevated Hcys were related with AlON. Reducing above-mentioned risk factors related to thrombus may be crucial to the prevention and cure of AlON.

Objective To evaluate the impact of multiple lacunar infarction (MLI) on the outcomes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods MCI patients were selected in outpatients and hospitalized patients using a common international standard MCI screen. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computer tomography (CT) were used to determine the presence of MLI. MCI patients were followed up for 6～24 months and their cognitive status and the impact of MLI on MCI were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Results One hundred twenty patients were diagnosed as having MCI based on clinical evaluation and neuropsychological assessment. Among them, 43 (35.8%) patients had MLI and the rest 77 (64.1%) patients did not have. Twenty-seven MCI patients with MLI (62.8%) developed dementia, while 15 MCI patients without MLI (19.4%) developed dementia during 6～24 months follow-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that the incidence of dementia was significantly higher in patients with MLI than in patients without MLI did (P＜0.05). Conclusions MCI patients with MLI are more prone to dementia. These results suggest that early interventions aimed at controlling the modifiable risks are warranted for dementia prevention in MCI patients with MLI.

Objective To evaluate the promotional effectiveness of different TCM appropriate technology packages; To provide a scientific basis for improving the technology package. Methods 8 assessment indexes, including input costs, the number of experts, the number of people with senior professional post, the number of grassroots people under the guidance of experts, the number of training hours, the number of people receiving training, evaluating rate and the number of users were selected. TOPSIS method was used to evaluate the promotional effectiveness of five kinds of TCM packages in grassroots. Results The Ci values for appropriate technology packages were 0.76 for pains in neck, shoulder, waist and lower extremities, 0.49 for gynecological diseases, 0.44 for infantile diarrhea, 0.66 for chronic gastropathy, and 0.00 for tumors. Conclusion The effectiveness of promotion of TCM appropriate technology packages from high to low is pains in neck, shoulder, waist and lower extremities package, chronic gastropathy package, gynecological diseases package, infantile diarrhea package, tumors package.

BACKGROUND:Sodium butyrate, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, can inhibit cell proliferation, and induce apoptosis and differentiation of various cancer cells. However, the role of sodium butyrate combined with tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) on lung cancer stem cells remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of sodium butyrate combined with TRAIL on biological behaviors of lung cancer stem cells. METHODS:Magnetic bead separation was used to separate lung cancer stem cells (CD133+) from human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. After the lung cancer stem cells were treated with simple DMEM/F12, DMEM/F12 containing sodium butyrate (5 mmol/L), TRAIL (50 μg/L) or sodium butyrate combined with TRAIL, the cell proliferation within 96 hours of culture was determined by MTT assay; the apoptosis within 24 hours of culture was measured by flow cytometry; the cell migration within 48 hours of culture was detected by cell scratch test; the expression levels of pluripotent transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog) within 48 hours of culture were detected using western blot analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The CD133+ lung cancer stem cells were successfully enriched from human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. MTT assay showed that sodium butyrate and TRAIL significantly inhibited the proliferation of lung cancer stem cells (P< 0.05), and the combination effect was even stronger (P < 0.05). Results from flow cytometry analysis and scratch test showed that sodium butyrate or TRAIL induced apoptosis and inhibited cell migration of lung cancer stem cells (P < 0.05), and the combination of sodium butyrate and TRAIL showed a stronger effect (P < 0.05). In addition, the expression levels of Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog were significantly down-regulated by sodium butyrate (P < 0.05), TRAIL or sodium butyrate combined with TRAIL, and the combination effect was stronger (P < 0.05). In conclusion, sodium butyrate and TRAIL have synergistic effects on lung cancer stem cells, indicating a new way for treatment of lung cancer.

Objective To study the regulation of microRNA 199a (miR-199a) on adhesion,migration and invasion ability of human eutopic endometrial stromal cells (ESC) from patients with endometriosis.Methods ESC were transfected with miR-199a mimics or negative control (NC) RNA by lipofectamine 2000.The adhesion,migration and invasion ability of ESC were detected by cell adhesion assay,scratch assay,cell migration assay and matrigel invasion assay,respectively.Luciferase reporter assay was used to evaluate whether IKKβ was the target gene of miR-199a.The expression of ikappa B kinase beta (IKKβ),inhibitory kappa B alpha (IκB-α),phospho-IκB-α (p-IκB-α) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF κB) protein were measured by western blot.Results ( 1 ) Adhesion potential:the adhesion inhibitory rates were ( 14 ± 4 )％ in miR-199a group and 0 in control group,which showed significant difference (P＜0.01 ).(2) Migration and invasion:in the scratch assay,ESC transfected with miR-199a exhibited a lower scratch closure rate than that of controls.In migration and invasion assays,the migration and invasion ability of miR-199a group were significantly decreased compared with those of NC group [ 130 ± 31 vs.247±36 (P＜0.01); 63 ± 15 vs.133 ± 17 (P＜0.01),respectively].(3) The luciferase activity of miR-199a group was significantly lowered than that of control group [ 0.160 ± 0.006 vs.0.383 ± 0.083 ( P ＜0.01 ) ].The protein levels of IKKβ,p-IκB-α,IκB-α and NF-κB of 0.350 ±0.195,0.443 ±0.076,1.970 ±0.486 and 0.454 ± 0.147 in miR-199a group were significantly different compared with the NC group in which the protein levels were set at 1.000 ( P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions miR-199a can inhibit the adhesion,migration and invasion of the ESC.IKKβ is the target gene of miR-199a in ESC.One of the mechanisms of the inhibition effect is probably that miR-199a inhibits the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway by targeting IKKβ gene.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the distribution laws of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome factor and their combination in coronary heart disease (CHD), and to study the correlation between the TCM syndrome factor combination and cardiac function as well as blood-lipid. METHODS: The parameters of the cardiac function of 300 patients with a final diagnosis of CHD by coronary angiography were measured by echocardiography, and the levels of blood lipids in the CHD patients were detected. An analysis of the correlation was done between the TCM syndrome factor combination and cardiac function as well as blood-lipid in CHD. RESULTS: The TCM syndrome factor combinations of CHD were blood stasis due to qi deficiency, qi and yin deficiency, intermingled phlegm and blood stasis, and yang deficiency and blood stasis. The ejection fraction of CHD patients with yang deficiency and blood stasis was markedly decreased. The levels of triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in CHD patients with intermingled phlegm and blood stasis were markedly increased, and the level of triglyceride in CHD patients with qi and yin deficiency was markedly increased too. CONCLUSION: The treatment of CHD should aim directly at the symptoms and causes. It is also proved that some compound traditional Chinese herbal medicines for supplementing qi and activating blood circulation, nourishing yin and resolving phlegm, and activating yang should be used in treatment of CHD. In cases of CHD with low cardiac function, particular emphasis should be laid on activating yang and blood circulation, while in cases of CHD with blood-lipid disturbance, particular emphasis should be laid on resolving phlegm and activating blood circulation, replenishing qi and nourishing yin.

[ ABSTRACT] AIM:To investigate the expression relevance of transcription factors GATA-1 and GATA-2 in the bone marrow CD71 +cells of a high-altitude polycythemia (HAPC) rat model.METHODS:Male SD rats (n=48) were randomly divided into normal control group and HAPC model group .HAPC model was established at an altitude of 4 300 m in the natural environment and verified by the morphology and quantity of the bone marrow cells and hematologic parameters detection .A relative change in the trend of bone marrow CD 71 +cell numbers was detected by flow cytometry analysis .The expression of GATA-1 and GATA-2 at mRNA and protein levels in the CD 71 +cells was examined by RT-qPCR and West-ern blot .CD71 +cells were cultured under hypoxic condition and transfected with the optimal interference sequence of GA -TA-1shRNA1 for 96 h.The expression of GATA-1 and GATA-2 at mRNA and protein levels was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot .RESULTS:The establishment of the animal model with HAPC was successful as the bone marrow smears and the hematologic parameters showed compared with the control .The quantity of the bone marrow CD 71 +cells of HAPC rats were significantly increased and the expression of GATA-1 at mRNA and protein levels in the CD 71 +cells were higher than those of the control .The expression of GATA-2 at mRNA and protein levels was similar to that of the control .The correla-tion analysis showed that the expression of GATA-1 was negatively correlated with that of GATA-2 in the control, while no obvious correlation between them was observed in the HAPC rats .The expression of GATA-1 at mRNA and protein levels in HAPC group was lower than that in control group after interfered by GATA-1 shRNA1 for 96 h, but no obvious diversity of GATA-2 expression between the 2 groups was observed .CONCLUSION:GATA-1 and GATA-2 are abnormally expressed and their negative correlation is destroyed in HAPC , which may be one of the pathogenesis of HAPC .

Inthis study, the DNA fragment encoding the regions Ⅰ to Ⅱ of CSP gene from Plasmodium falciparm isolate FCC1/HN was cloned into an. expression vector pcDNA3 contained cytomegalovius (CMV) and transformed into human Hela cell line. The expressed protein PfCSP (condidate vaccine) was used to immunize BALB/c mice by subcutaneous、 intravenous or intraperitoneal administration respectively. The splenocyte of BALB/c mice immumized with the condidate vaccine released significantly IL-2 and IFN-γ following stimulation with this vaccine. It is associated with increase of the splenic T lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by this vaccine and enhancement of NK cell killing activity in the former studies. These results suggested that the vaccine could stimulate T cell response and enhance the cell-mediated immunity.

Objective To evaluate the effieaey of test bolus technique with multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) for determining the optimal scan delay time in CT Hepatic artery (HA)-portal vein (PV) angiography and multi-phase scanning.Methods MSCT liver angiography and multi-phase scanning were performed in 187 patients divided randomly into two groups.In group A (n =59),the scan delay time was set according to the subjective experiences of operators; in group B (n=128),the scan delay time was determined by test bolus technique.Abdominal aorta and superior mesenteric,vein were selected as target blood vessels,and 50 HU was set as enhancement threshold value.20 ml contrast agent was injected intravenously and time-density curve of target blood vessels were obtained,then HA-PV scanning delay time were calculated respectively.The quality of CTA images obtained by using these 2 methods were compared and statistically analysed using Chi-square criterion.Resuits For hepatic artery phase,the images of group A are:excellent in 34(58%),good in 17(29%),and poor in 8 (13%),while those of group B are excellent in 128( 100%),good in 0(0%),and poor in 0(0%).For portal vein phase,the images of group Aare:excellent in 23(39%),good in 27(46%),and poor in 9(15%),while those of group B are excellent in 96 (75%),good in 28 (22%),and poor in 4 (3%) respectively.There was statistically significant difference between the ratios of image quality in group A and group B (X2=14.97,9.18,P < 0.05).Conclusion Accurate scan delay time was best determined by using test bolus technique,which can improve the image quality of liver angingraphy and multi-phase scanning.

This study was aimed to investigate 6 kinds of human cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-12, IL-13, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha) in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), so as to find their relationship with the disease. The pure monoclonal antibodies were spotted on the prepared NC membrane glass slides under certain conditions to make human cytokine protein microarray. The serum samples were collected from peripheral blood of 28 patients and 25 normal controls, the serum concentration of cytokines was determined by using the protein microarray and ELISA. The results showed that the expression levels of IL-4, IL-12, IL-13, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in ALL patients were lower than those in the normal controls, but ELISA indicated that the expression of TNF-alpha in ALL patients and normal controls was negative. In conclusion, both cellular and humoral immunity are all inhibited in patients with ALL. Microarray is more sensitive than ELISA.
Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunity, Humoral ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-12 ; blood ; Interleukin-13 ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Male ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; blood ; immunology ; Protein Array Analysis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood