AIM: To study effect of endogenous carbon monoxide on intracellular calcium concentration and explore the mechanism in brain protection of endogenous CO in focal cerebral ischemia in rats. METHODS: SD rats were divided into three groups randomly, which including hemin, ZnPP group and saline group as control. Respectively saline, hemin, ZnPP were injected intra-peritoneally twelve hours before middle cerebral artery was occluded. Twenty four hours after MCAO model was set up, the concentration of carbon monoxide in blood and intracellular calcium in neural cells was examined. RESULTS: Contrast to saline group, the concentration of CO in blood rose up while intracellular calcium in occluded side decreased in hemin group; the concentration of CO in blood went down while intracellular calcium in occluded side rose up in ZnPP group, there was significant difference among them (P0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It may be one of mechanisms on brain protection in ischemic cerebral tissue that carbon monoxide affected intracellular calcium concentration of neural cells by regulating Ca~(2+)-K~+ channel on cell membrane as a messenger gaseous molecular and neurotransmitter. [

Objective To explore the mechanism of hepatic autophagy inhibition induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury in the aging liver.Methods The healthy male Lewis rats aged 3 months (3M) and 24 months (24M) were selected,and then were randomly divided into 3M IRI group,3M sham operation group,24M IRI group,24M sham operation group.In the experimental group,noninvasive vascular clamp was used to clamp the left and middle hepatic lobes (about 70o％ hepatic ischemia).The liver was subjected to ischemia at 37 0.5℃ for 30min and reperfusion for 6h.The hepatic duodenal ligament was dissected only by sham operation.The serum levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured at 6 h after operation.Liver tissues of each group were examined by liver pathology and the number of autophagosome of LC3B in liver tissue of each group was observed under confocal microscopy.The changes of autophagyrelated protein were analyzed by Western blotting.Results The levels of serum ALT and AST in 24M IRI group were significantly higher than those in 3M IRI group,the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05).Pathological analysis showed that 3M IRI group showed spotty necrosis,the 24M IRI group showed massive necrosis and the infiltration of the inflammatory cells;Confocal microscopy showed that the number of autophagosome in the liver tissue of the 24M sham group was slightly lower than that of the 3M sham operation group and the number of autophagosome in the 24M IRI group was significantly lower than that in the 3M IRI group (P＜0.05).The levels of autophagyrelated proteins (Beclin1 and ATG4B protein) in 24M IRI group were significantly down-regulated compare to 3M IRI group (P＜0.05).Conclusion The ischemia-reperfusion injury of liver in aged rats inhibits autophagy,and its mechanism may be related to the decrease of autophagy-related protein level in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of sevoflurane on short-term memory impairment and the relative synaptic mechanism.MethodsAt 12 h,24 h and 72 h after the mice were exposed to 1.5％ sevoflurane for 1h,the spontaneous alternation and locomotor activity was assessed by Y maze,the short term potentiation (STP) were measured with extracellular recording technique in hippocampal slices.ResultsAt 12h after administration with sevoflurane in vivo,the spontaneous alternation ( (54.7 ± 1.7) ％,P＜0.01 ) and locomotor activity (16.4 ± 1.3,P ＜ 0.01 ) decreased significantly compared with that of control group,and the population spike amplitude after induction of STP ( ( 122.3 ± 13.9) ％,P ＜ 0.05 ) decreased significantly in hippocampal slices,but there was no different at 24h and 72h.After administration with sevoflurane in vitro,the basic ( ( 83.5 ± 8.9) ％,P ＜ 0.01 ) or titanic ( ( 116.5 ± 14.9) ％,P ＜ 0.01 ) population spike amplitude decreased significantly in hippocampal slices,but the amplitude could recovery after wash-out.ConclusionSevoflurane can impair the shortterm memory by suppressing synaptic transmission in the near future but not the long future.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; diagnosis ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m

Objective To compare the diagnostic value of renal ultrasound scan (RUS) and 99Tcmdimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scintigraphy in children with acute pyelonephritis (APN). Methods In all, 165 children with initial clinical diagnosis of APN, aged from 1.5 months to 11 yrs ( median 20 months), were included in the study, all of which were examined with RUS and DMSA renal scientigraphy. The diagnosis with DMSA renal scientigraphy results was taken as the standard reference to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of RUS. Results Of 99 out of all 330 kidneys that were found abnormal on DMSA renal scientigraphy, 31 were abnormal on RUS. Of the rest normal kidneys on DMSA scans renal scientigraphy, 4 were abnormal on RUS. Thus diagnostic sensitivity of RUS for APN was 31.3%(31/99) and specificity was 98.3% (227/231). Conclusions Although RUS provides with high diagnostic specificity for children with APN, its low sensitivity may underestimate the clinical evaluation of APN.More often than not, 99Tcm-DMSA renal scientigraphy is a clinical necesscity for the definite RUS diagnosis.

OBJECTIVETo observe MET-associated alteration during the trans-differentiation from MSCs to neuron-like cells, and to explore the possible molecular mechanism.

METHODSBone marrow MSCs were isolated from rat femur and purified in continuous cell culture. After induced differentiation to neuron-like cells by the combination of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), cells were tested by comparative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the relative expression of MET biomarkers and transcription factors, and for cell cycle by flow cytometry. Meanwhile, target genes of Wnt/β-catenin pathway were also analyzed by comparative PCR to determine the possible involvement.

RESULTSIn MSC-induced neuron-like cells, MET-associated transcription factors such as Snail, Slug, ZEB1, ZEB2, and Twist were significantly attenuated in expression level. The Mesenchymal marker Vimentin expression level was increased. Membrane protein E-cad was slightly down-regulated, while N-cad level was marginally elevated. Percentage of proliferating cells (S phase in cell cycle) markedly shrank from 40.42% for MSCs to 6.76% for MSC-derived neuron. Additionally, Wnt/β-catenin target genes β-catenin and c-myc were decreasingly expressed.

CONCLUSIONChemically induced trans-differentiation from MSC to neuron caused similar MET-featured alteration in gene expression and proliferation to known MET, which might be underlied by deactivation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Animals ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Neurons ; cytology ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc ; metabolism ; Rats ; Wnt Signaling Pathway ; beta Catenin ; metabolism

Objective　To explore the role of acute infection of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) in respiratory diseases. Methods　Microimmunofluorescence test was used to detect IgG antibodies for Cpn in serum obtained from 93 inpatients and PCR was used to test Cpn in detection of Cpn DNA in throat specimens from 55 of the 99 patients. Results　Acute Cpn infection was diagnosed in 35.5% of the respiratory diseases. Antibodies for Cpn (titer of ≥512) were present in 47.6% of the pneumonia group, which may suggest that during 1998 to 1999, Cpn caused an epidemic in Beijing. They were also present in 50% of asthma group, 50.0% of pulmonary heart disease group and 26.3% of lung cancer group. Only five patients (9.1%) were positive by PCR. There exists discrepancy between serological and PCR results. Conclusion　Detection of IgG antibodies for Cpn conduces to diagnosis of acute Cpn infection and give advice for appropriate therapy.

Objective To stuay CT findings of adrenal gland trauma(AGT).Methods The CT images of adrenal gland trauma which were found in 1712 patients who had emergency abdominal CT examinations for assessment of blunt force trauma were analyzed restrospectively.Results Among 1712 cases.we identified 29 patients(1.7%)with adrenal gland traumatic lesions.A total of 32 lesions were found.Twenty-six lesions were unilateral(23 right-sided,3 left-sided),and 3 cases were bilateral(6 lesions).Main CT findings were as followed:(1)Adrenal hematomas appeared as discrete round or oval masses expanding the adrenal gland in 22 patients with 25 lesions.The lesions were hyperdense or of homogeneous density in plain scan and did not enhance in three-phase contrast-enhanced dynamic scan.The splayed adrenal limbs around hematoma were enhanced significantly as eurvilinear structures.(2)Mild to moderate uniform swelling of gland was shown in 4 cases.(3)Diffuse irregular hemorrhage obliterating the gland was shown in 3 cases.Contrast extravasation was shown in 1 case,which was active bleeding from the broken adrenal gland proven by operation.Associated CT findings included strand-like hemorrhage of the periadrenal fat and posterior pararenal hemorrhage mimicking thickened diaphragmatic crus.The concurrent injuries of ipsilateral thorax or/and abdomen were found in 25 patients.Conclusion The AGT has typical CT findings.Familiarity with characteristic CT findings of adrenal trauma is essential for the radiologist to avoid misdiagnosis.