The progression of liver fibrosis directly affects treatment options and prognosis.Early diagnosis and classification of liver fibrosis and dynamic monitoring are clinically needed.Noninvasive diagnostic techniques can avoid or reduce liver biopsy to enable early identifica-tion of liver fibrosis and to dynamically monitor the progression of fibrosis.But various limitations have restricted its application.Noninvasive diagnostic techniques,such as liver transient elastography using the different probe mode,controlled attenuation parameter,spleen stiffness measurement,ultrasound-based transient elastography for the early prediction of hepatic fibrosis,and risk assessment of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma,have been applied in clinical studies.In order to better understand and apply these diagnostic models,the progress in clinical studies of noninvasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis,as well as the limitations,is reviewed.

Microskin autografts were covered with artificial collagen skin, pig skin and cadaver skin in the rats. The results showed that the adhesion to wound and hemostasis of artificial collagen skin was better than pig or cadaver skins. The histological section of healing wound with artificial collagen skin showed that there were revascularization and fibroblast infiltration. The results suggest that artificial collagen skin may be used instead of allograft.

In this study collagen was applied locally for the treatment of burn wound in the rat. Twenty rats weighing 18-22g were made into 7% [1 degree burn model and divided into two groups: collagen group and control group. After burn, collagen (0.4ml, once daily) was smeared on the rat wound in the treatment group, whereas saline (0.4ml, once daily) in the control group. It was found that collagen can significantly accelerate burn wound healing by comparing the wound healing time and histological changes.

Research base is one of the key factors for subject construction.The current situations of research bases in western universities are not satisfactory due to terrain and history.Recognizing and improvement of the problems are very important for making them better to fit the needs of their development.It is the right time to cope with it.

AIM To study the effects of Biejiajian Pills (Colla Carapacis Trionycis,Asini Corii Colla,Nidus Vespae,etc.) on NF-κB,p65,p50 and IκB in NF-κB signaling pathway and target gene expression in HSC-T6 cells of rats.METHODS HSC-T6 cells were cultured with Biejiajian Pills drug serum for 24 hours,the expressions of p65,p50,VEGF and TIMP-1 mRNA were determined by qPCR;the expression of p65 was measured by immunofluorescence;the expressions of IκBα,IκBβ and α-SMA were determined by Western blot.RESULTS The Biejiajian Pills middle-,high-dose and positive control groups showed significantly lower expressions of p65,VEGF and TIMP-1 mRNA as compared with the blank control group and negative control group,the expressions of p50 mRNA among various groups showed no significant differences.But immunofluorescence showed that the expression of p65 in cytoplasm was decreased.Meanwhile,Biejiajian Pills showed significantly higher IκBα protein expression and obvious down-regulation of α-SMA expression in a dose-dependent manner,but had no significant influence on the expression of IκBβ.CONCLUSION Biejiajian Pills' therapeutic effects on hepatic fibrosis may be related to influencing NF-κB signaling pathway and inhibiting the expression of down-stream target gene.

Objective To investigate the association of the expressions of Fas, FasL, Bcl-2 and Bax in thyroid tissue with the pathogenesis in Graves′ disease (GD). Methods Thyroid tissues from 54 patients with GD and 10 patients with thyroid adenoma (paraadenoma tissue as normal controls) were studied for Fas, FasL, Bcl-2 and Bax expressions in the thyrocytes and lymphocytes by immunohistochemical method. Quantitative analysis was performed by Mias 99 pathological image system. Results (1) The positive granule area, average light density and integrated light density of Fas, FasL, Bcl-2 and Bax in the thyroid tissue from patients with GD were higher than those from normal controls (P

Objective: To observe the effect of Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) on creatine kinase (CK), mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration, and ultrastructure of skeletal muscle in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) model rats.Methods: A total of 130 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a blank group, an exercise control group, a pre-exercise Tuina group, and a post-exercise Tuina group. According to the time points for sample collection, the exercise control group was divided into a 0 h exercise control group, a 24 h exercise control group, a 48 h exercise control group, and a 72 h exercise control group; the pre-exercise Tuina group was further divided into a 0 h pre-exercise Tuina group, a 24 h pre-exercise Tuina group, a 48 h pre-exercise Tuina group, and a 72 h pre-exercise Tuina group; and the post-exercise Tuina group was divided into a 0 h post-exercise Tuina group, a 24 h post-exercise Tuina group, a 48 h post-exercise Tuina group, and a 72 h post-exercise Tuina group. Rats in all groups except for the blank group received DOMS modeling. Professionals performed Nie-Pinching manipulation and finger Nian-Twisting manipulation on the lower limbs of the rats. The samples were collected at 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, or 72 h after exhaustive exercise for each pre-exercise Tuina group. The samples were collected at 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, or 72 h after Tuina for each post-exercise Tuina group. The changes in serum CK, skeletal muscle mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration, and Ca2+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) were determined. The ultrastructure changes of skeletal muscles in each group were observed by a transmission electron microscope. Results: The electron microscope showed that compared with the exercise control group, the skeletal muscle structures of the pre-exercise Tuina group and the post-exercise Tuina group were significantly improved, and the overall performance of skeletal muscle in the pre-exercise Tuina group was more similar to that of the blank group. The level of serum CK in the pre-exercise Tuina group and the post-exercise Tuina group was significantly lower than that in the exercise control group (P<0.01). The Ca2+ concentration of skeletal muscle in the 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h pre-exercise Tuina groups was lower than that in the post-exercise Tuina group at the same time point (P<0.01). The Ca2+-ATPase concentration of skeletal muscle in the 24 h and 72 h pre-exercise Tuina groups was lower than that in the post-exercise Tuina group at the same time point (P<0.05).Conclusion: Tuina effectively prevents muscle damage caused by heavy exercise and long-term exercise, which may be related to the increase of skeletal muscle Ca2+-ATPase activity and mitochondrial Ca2+ transport.

Objective To investigate the effect of sterol regulating element binding protein (SREBP1c) and its ac-tive form (SREBP1cm) on human protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK).Methods Re-porter victors of PERK promoter and its truncations were constructed with pGL 3-basic and co-transfected with internal reference pRL-SV40 into cell and luciferase activity was detected .pcDNA3.1 ( -)-SREBP1c or pcDNA3.1 ( -)-SREBP1cm was co-transfected with PERK promoter transcriptional activity core regions and the detection of dual -lu-ciferase reporter gene was used to analyze the regulation of SREBP 1c/1cm on PERK promoter transcriptional activity . The expression level of PERK mRNA and protein were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot .Results PERK pro-moter and truncations were successfully constructed into pGL 3-basic, and PERK promoter core area of transcription-al activity had determined;Dual-luciferase report gene showed that SREBP 1c inhibited PERK promoter transcrip-tional activity and SREBP1cm promoted PERK promoter transcriptional activity .RT-PCR and Western blot showed that SREBP1c decreased PERK mRNA and protein expression , but SREBP1cm increased PERK mRNA and protein expression, which was consistent with the detection of dual-luciferase report gene .Conclusions SREBP1c and SREBP1cm have a opposite regulation effect on PERK promoter transcriptional activity and its expression .

Objective To explore the long-term effects of dexmedetomidine on the brain development in propofol-induced neonatal rats.Methods Thirty-five seven-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats of both genders,weighing 10-15 g,were randomly divided into seven groups (n =5) using a random number table:normal saline group (group N),intralipid group (group F),propofol 100 mg/kg group (group P),dexmedetomidine 75 μg/kg (group D),dexmedetomidine 25 μg/kg,50 μg/kg and 75μg/kg+propofol 100 mg/kg groups (groups PD25,PD50 and PD75),neonatal rats in each group were treated according to the corresponding dosing regimen.After fully awake,the rats were allowed to mature until postnatal week 9 and the spatial learning and memory capacities were tested by Morris water maze.The rats were sacrificed after the tests.Brain was sliced for determination of hippocampal apoptosis by TUNEL assays and the expression of postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) by immunohistochemistry.Results Compared with group N,the escape latency was significantly prolonged,the times of platform crossing were significantly decreased,the hippocampal apoptosis ratio was significantly increased and the expression of PSD95 was significantly down-regulated in groups P,PD25 and PD50 (P＜0.05).Compared with group P,the escape latency was significantly shortened,the times of platform crossing were significantly increased and the hippocampal apoptosis were significantly decreased in groups PD50 and PD75 (P＜0.05),the expression of PSD95 was up-regulated in group PD75 (P＜0.05).Compared with group PD25,the escape latency was significantly shortened,the number of platform crossing was significantly increased and the hippocampal apoptosis were significantly decreased in groups PD50 and PD75 (P＜0.05),the expression of PSD95 was significantly up-regulated in group PD75 (P＜0.05).Compared with group PD50,the hippocampal apoptosis were significantly decreased,the expression of PSD95 was significantly up-regulated in group PD75 (P＜ 0.05).Conclusion The addition of dexmedetomidine 50,75 μg/kg attenuates propofol-induced neurocognitive impairment in neonatal rats after aducthood,partially by attenuating hippocampal apoptosis and upregulating the expression of PSD95.Dexmedetomidine alone was not neurotoxic to the developing brain.

Objective To study the therapeutic effect of Ningxin Anshen Fang on insomnia, and regulative mechanism to the metabolic loop of glutamic acid (Glu)/γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-glutamine (Gln).Methods The model of insomnia was established by using modified multiple water platform sleep deprivation method in rats, and then all rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, diazepam group, Ningxin Anshen Fang low-dose group (low-dose group), Ningxin Anshen Fang mid-dose group (mid-dose group) and Ningxin Anshen Fang high-dose group (high-dose group).The general conditions were observed, sleep latency and sleep duration were observed by applying pentobarbital sodium (PS) cooperative sleep test, and model and curative effect of Ningxin Anshen Fang on insomnia were reviewed.The content of Glu and GABA in brainstem and hypothalamus was detected by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).The expressions of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and astrocyte glutamine synthetase (GS) in brainstem and hypothalamus were detected by using Western blot experiment.Results The sleep latency was significantly shortened, sleep duration was prolonged, GABA level in brainstem and hypothalamus was increased and ratio of Glu to GABA (Glu/GABA) was decreased by Ningxin Anshen Fang in insomnia rats.The expression of GAD in brainstem and hypothalamus was significantly promoted in all Ningxin Anshen Fang groups.Conclusion Ningxin Anshen Fang can affect the synthesis and decomposition Glu and GABA and expressions of Glu and GABA, and normalize the excitotary/inhibitory metabolic imbalance of Glu/GABA through regulating Glu/GABA-Gln metabolic loop, which may be related to that Ningxin Anshen Fang has the curative effects of calming heart and tranquillizing mind, and sedation and hypnosis.