OBJECTIVETo detect the clinical value of the ECT bone scan in evaluating of the situation of infection control after hip knee arthroplasty.

METHODSThe clinical data were retrospectively analyzed in 62 patients, including 34 males and 28 females with an average age of 68.8 years old ranging from 65 to 74 years. The results of ECT bone scan, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein were used to assess periprosthetic infection. The patients with positive ECT and ESR on CRP were considered to have periprosthetic infection; however, the patients with two or more negative, indexes were considered to have no infection.

RESULTSThe sensitivity, specificity, accurate rate of ECT were 75.0%, 88.9%, 87.1% respectively; ESR 50.0%, 72.2%, 69.4%; CRP 62.5%, 81.4%, 79.0%. The combination of the three methods were 87.5%, 96.3% and 95.2%,

CONCLUSIONCompared with ESR and CRP, ECT is a more effective way in the diagnosis of periprosthetic infection, which has great value and is worth popularizing.

Aged ; Arthroplasty, Replacement ; adverse effects ; Blood Sedimentation ; Bone and Bones ; diagnostic imaging ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prosthesis-Related Infections ; diagnostic imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Emission-Computed ; methods

BACKGROUND:Correlation between subchondral bone and articular cartilage in the process of osteoarthritis has not been fuly elucidated. Degeneration of cartilage is the focus of attention, and the subchondral bone also plays an important role in the process of osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To observe the differences between experimental osteoarthritis models in rabbit knees established by two kinds of surgical methods and two kinds of proteases inducing methods, and to explore the correlation between subchondral bone mass and degeneration of cartilage. METHODS:Thirty-two New Zealand rabbits were randomly and averagely divided into four groups: Hulth group (group A), anterior cruciate ligament transaction group (group B), colagenase type II group (group C) and papain group (group D). The right knees of rabbits were established as osteoarthritis models, and the left knees served as controls. Bone mineral density of the knee joint was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning at 0, 4 and 8 weeks after modeling. The rabbits were sacrificed at 8 weeks after MRI scanning, bilateral knee joints were harvested for general and histological observation. Quantitative analysis was done according to Mankin scores. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Bone mineral density of the right knees decreased at 0, 4 and 8 weeks after modeling, and the rank was as folows: group A > group B > group C > group D. MRI scanning showed that the articular cartilage thickness of the medial and lateral femoral condyle on the right knees became thinner compared with the left side, and the rank was as folows: group A < group B < group C < group D. Observation by specimens and pathological slices showed that the articular cartilage degeneration of the surgery groups worsened, group A was the most serious one, and group 1D was the lightest. Both surgery and proteases inducing methods can successfuly establish osteoarthritis models in rabbit knees. Surgery inducing models resemble the advanced or intermediate stage of osteoarthritis, while the proteases inducing models resemble the early stage of osteoarthritis. Degeneration of the articular cartilage and changes of subchondral bone are related in progressive development.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the contents of lead, cadmium, zinc and manganese in the follicular fluid and semen of infertile couples that are not professionally exposed to the four heavy metallic elements.

METHODSIn vitro fertilization pre-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) was carried out in wives, and follicular fluid collected after routine oocyte retrieval. Semen was obtained from husbands by masturbation. The contents of zinc in the follicular fluid and semen were determined by the flame atom absorption method and those of lead, cadmium and manganese by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

RESULTSThe average concentrations of lead, cad- mium, zinc and manganese were 151.06 microg/L, 2.02 microg/L, 0.54 mg/L and 28.54 microg/L in the follicular fluid, and 250.23 microg/L, 7.42 microg/L, 189.11 mg/L and 82.15 microg/L in the semen. The follicular fluid samples in which lead, cadmium, zinc or manganese was detected constituted 43.8% (21/48), 22.9% (11/48), 75.0% (36/48) and 50.0% (24/48), and the semen samples accounted for 70.2% (33/47), 31.9% (15/47), 100.0% (47/47) and 46.8% (22/47), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe results suggest that the average contents of lead, cadmium, zinc and manganese are higher in the semen than in the follicular fluid in the non-professionally exposed infertile couples, and so is the percentage of the samples containing each of the elements, with the exception of manganese.

Adult ; Cadmium ; analysis ; Environmental Exposure ; analysis ; Female ; Follicular Fluid ; chemistry ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; metabolism ; pathology ; Infertility, Male ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lead ; analysis ; Male ; Manganese ; analysis ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; Semen ; chemistry ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; Zinc ; analysis

OBJECTIVEHuman selenoprotein P (HSelP) is unique protein that contains 10 selenocysteines encoded by 10 inframe UGA, which typically function as stop codon. The function of HSelP remains unclear, in part due to the inability to express it by gene recombinant technique. This study is to investigate expression and purification of recombinant HSelP in prokaryotic expression system, and its activity to induce apoptosis in vitro.

METHODSThe shorter HSelP isoform was cloned. After the selenocysteine (SeCys) at 40th position from N terminus of the HSelP shorter isoform was mutated into cysteine by PCR, it was expressed in E. coli. The expressed product was purified with DEAE column and identified by Western blot. Subsequently, its function on induction of mitochondrial apoptotic activity was studied.

RESULTSThe mutant HSelP shorter isoform expressed in prokaryotic system was purified by DEAE column to 90% homogeneity. The purified product, HSelP280m, induced the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) and decreased the transmembrane potential in a dose-dependent manner. These events could be abolished by PTP specific inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONHSelP280m can induce the opening of mitochondrial PTP, which provides a basis for investigating the structure and function of recombinant HSelP.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cloning, Molecular ; Cysteine ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Humans ; Ion Channels ; drug effects ; Male ; Membrane Potentials ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mitochondria, Liver ; physiology ; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins ; Mutation ; Protein Isoforms ; Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Selenium ; Selenocysteine ; genetics ; Selenoprotein P ; Selenoproteins

Objective To construct an adenoviral vector containing mouse Hes1 gene, observe its expression in the hippocampus of adult mice and build a basis for further investigation of Hes1 gene in adult neurogenesis. Methods The restriction endonuclease was used to digest plasmid pEGFP-mHes1 and pDC316, and then, the products were recovered and connected by T4 DNA ligase and the shuttle plasmid pDC316-mHes1 was constructed which was identified by the method of PCR and EcoRI+HindⅢ digestion. After that, the shuttle plasmid pDC316-mHes1 was cotransfected into 293 cells with the adenovirus skeleton plasmid pBHGlox_E1,3Cre to obtain the produced replication defective recombinant adenovirus Ad5-mHes1. Then, the recombinant adenovirus could be further amplified and purified. The report recombinant adenoviruses were Ad5-EGFP containing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP).Then, Ad5-mHes1 and Ad5-EGFP were stereotactic injected into the hippocampus of the adult C57BL/6 mice and their expressions in the hippocampus were detected. Western blotting was used to detect the Hes1 protein level 7 d after the injection. Fluorescent microscopy was used to observe the expression of EGFP in the hippocampus. Results The experimental results of identification by the methods of PCR and EcoRI+HindⅢ digestion were in accordance with the anticipated results, and the sequences were also the same with mHeslCDS sequences; Hes1 gene was expressed in the hippocampus of both the PBS injection group and the Ad5-mHes1 injection group 7 d after the injection, and the expression of Hes1/GAPDH in Ad5-mHes1 injection hippocampus (0.705 ±0.128) was statistically different as compared with that in PBS injection group (0.363±0.053, P＜0.05). Ad5-EGFP strongly expressed in the granular cell layer and subgranular zone (SGZ) of dentate gyrus. Conclusion The adenoviral vector of mouse Hes1 gene is successfully established and Hes1 gene is expressed in the hippocampus of C57BL/6 adult mice.