The multi-potent differentiation capability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) implies potential to achieve patient-specific regenerative therapy for myocardial infarction. However, it is evident that transplanted stem cells do not survive well in the harsh ischemic microenvironment. Erythropoietin (EPO) has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of neuronal and myocardial apoptosis. Here, we investigate the cell viability and the change of erythropoietin signal pathway of MSCs challenged by hypoxia treatment.Methods MSCs were derived from the bone marrow of 2-week-old Wistar rats and expanded. Hypoxia treatment of cells was performed using a ProOx-C-chamber with the oxygen concentration set to 0.5% for the times required.Results The rate of trypan blue staining was 3.5% ± 0.4% in control group, and 3.9% ± 0.2%, 5.0% ±0.5%, 7.1% ± 0.5% in the groups treated with hypoxia for 24, 48, 72, 96 hours. Western blot analysis suggested the expression of EPO in MSCs was significantly upregulated after 48-hour treatment with hypoxia, which was further confirmed by immunofluorescence staining. There was higher and earlier expression of EPOR. And the expression level of total ERK remained constant during the hypoxic treatment. However, the expression of HIF-1α phosphorylated ERK was significantly upregulated after 24-hour treatment with hypoxia and peaked at 72 hours.Conclusions MSCs is not sensitive to hypoxia insult alone. The components in EPO signal pathway (e. g.EPO, EPOR and P-ERK) is upregulated in MSCs after hypoxic treatment, which suggests that EPO signal pathway plays an important role in the hypoxia-tolerance and paracrine protecting capability of MSCs.

Objective To study the effects of isotonic and resistance exercises on renal hormones in plasma. Methods Eight healthy men were instructed to performed isotonic and resistance exercises, respectively, with the same target heart rate and the same exercise duration, in which both exercises-induced changes of plasma renin activity (PRA), aldosterone (ALDO) and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) were observed. Results Plasma levels of PRA, ALDO and ADH increased significantly after both isotonic exercise and resistance exercises. Plasma levels of ADH and PRA were higher after resistance exercise than those after isotonic exercise. Conclusion The increases of PRA, ALDO and ADH in plasma caused by exercise might be an adaptive response to maintain balances of water and electrolyte in the status of physical stresses. The tendency of increase of ADH and PRA after resistance exercise suggested that the exercise intensity rather than type of exercise correlated with on the changes of renal hormones.

Objective To evaluate the value of S100B gene on cardiovascular remodeling in rats with abdominal aorta coarctation.Method Sprague-Dawley rats(sanitary degree,male),weighring(220～240)g,were used in the study.They were provided by College of Medicine,Zhejiang University.The abdominal aortas of rats were isolated and constricted so as to establish models of heart failure;the abdominal aortas of another ten rats were isolated but not ligated(sham-operation group).After one week,the 20 rats were alive and randomly divided into 2 groups:operation group(n=10)and Carvidilol-operation group(Car group,n=10).Car Group was treatedwith 2 mg·kg-1per day Carvedilol and operation group was administered with the same doses of normal saline.After 4 weeks,a catheter was inserted through the right jngular artery into the left ventricle to record hemodynamic.Then all rats were euthanized,and the heart tissues were rapidly excised,rinsed with PBS.The left ventricles were then cut into two parts at the equator:the upper sections were fixation,the lower sections were stoted at-80℃,at 100 mg per tube.LV transverse section(4μm thick)was subjected to S100B immunehistoc- hemistry.RNA was iselated from tissues by Trlzol to determine levels of S100BmRNA and β-actinmRNA by RT- PCR.The data was expressed as(x±s);One-way analysis of variance was used for comparison among groups, and Student-Newman-Keulsa test for comparison between two groups.Statistical significance was set at P＜0.05. Results In Operation Group,there was a decrease in maximal rate of systolic and diastolic of left ventricular pressure(±dp/dtmax)[(1543.6±277.9)mmHg/s vs.(2640.4±481.3)mmHg/s and(-1352.5±202.3) mmHg/s vs.(-1873.2±412.3)mmHg/s];and an increase in left ventricular end diastolic pressure(LVEDP) [(24.8±5.2)mmHg vs.(2.1±0.7)mmHg]compared with sham-operation group(P＜0.01,P＜0.01 and P＜0.05).And in Car group,the level of LVEDP was just in the midst of the Operation Group and sham-opera- tion group,and had statistical significance(P＜0.01);while±dp/dtmac[(2372.3±92.6)mmHg/s and (-1786.4±62.6)mmHg/s]were much higher than those in operation group(P＜0.01).There were no any S100B positive cells and expression of S100B mRNA in sham-operation group;while there were much more S100B positive cells in operation group than those in Car group(P＜0.01).The expression of S100B mRNA in operation group was more pronounced than that in Car group.Changes in expression of S100BmRNA were positively correlat- ed with changes in LVEDP(r=0.847,P＜0.01);while changes in expression of S100BmRNA were negatively correlated with changes in±dp/dt max(r=-0.853 and-0.689,beth P＜0.01).Conclusions There was hish expression of S100B in myocytes from rats with experimental heart failure and negative correlation between the expression of S100B and heart function.It indicated that S100B could play a negative role in heart failure.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effects of muscle energy technique combined with joint mobilization on frozen shoulder.Methods Thirty-six patients with frozen shoulder were randomly assigned to:group A (treated with muscle energy technique plus joint mobilization),group B (treated with passive stretching with joint mobilization),and group C (treated with joint mobilization merely),and each had 12 patients.All the patients were treated accordingly for 3 times a week,totally for 4 weeks.The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons evaluation system (ASES) was adopted to evaluate clinical effects before and at the end of treatment.Results After 4 weeks of treatment,all patients' ASES scores were improved significantly (P ＜ 0.05).The improvement in the shoulder score index and shoulder range of motion were to a significantly better extent in group A than in the other two groups.Conclusion Muscle energy technique plus joint mobilization could effectively relieve pain increase the shoulder ROM and improve performance in activities of daily living in patients suffering from frozen shoulder.

Objective To analyze the clinical effect of intravascular intervention for treating the severe stenosis of bilateral renal arteries (BRASS).Methods A total of 40 patients with BRASS admitted in Fuwai Hospital from September 2008 to December 2010 were retrospectively analyzed.These patients,23 males and 17 females,aged from 21 to 76 years with average age of (59.75 ± 17.59) years,with luminal narrowing over 70％ in bilateral renal arteries,met the criteria of BRASS evidenced by angiography of renal arteries,and were subjected to renal artery interventional therapy. The etiological factors included arteriosclerosis (34 cases),Takayasu arteritis (3 cases) and congenital fibromuscular dysplasia (3 cases).After percutaneous endovascular intervention,the therapeutic effects were evaluated by lowering the systemic blood pressure and serum creatinine level in 12-month follow-up in average after operation. The data were analyzed with SPSS 13.0 statistical software.ResultsAmong the 80 reual arteries in 40 patients,18 arteries were treated with percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTBA),while the other 62 arteries were treated with percutaneous transluminal renal artery stenting (PTRAS).Mter endovascular intervention,the mean systolic blood pressure decreased from ( 165.0 ± 27.0) mm Hg to ( 135.7 ± 25.3 ) mm Hg on the second day after operation ( P ＜ 0.01 ) ; and the mean diastolic blood pressure decreased from ( 88.9 ±15.1 ) mm Hg to (74.8 ± 13.2) mm Hg on the second day after operation ( P ＜ 0.01 ).Accordingly,the kinds of anti-hypertension drug used decreased from ( 3.1 ± 0.9 ) to ( 2.3 ± 1.2) ( P ＜ 0.01 ).Only one patient died suddenly 3 months after intervention,and one died of acute myocardial infarction 7 months after operation.The other 38 patients were followed up for 12 months.At last,the mean systolic blood pressure of patients decreased from ( 165.0 ±27.0) mm Hg to ( 133.53 ± 15.94) mm Hg and the mean diastolic blood pressure decreased from (88.9 ± 15.1 ) mm Hg to (77.37 ± 13.47 )mm Hg. Of all 38 patients,2 were cured (5.3％),27 were improved (71.1％) and 9 failed to treatment (23.7％).Of all 38 patients,76.4％ got hypertension lowered.Moreover,renal function (Scr) was improved in 2 patients (6.3％ ),steady in 21 patients ( 65.6％ ),declined in 9 patients ( 28.1％ ) resulted in azotemia stage.Of 38 patients,71.9％ patients got overall benefit from endovascular intervention in respect of renal function improved.Conclusions The procedure of PTBA or PTRAS offered a minimally invasive,relatively safe and effective technique for BRASS patients to decrease blood pressure and stabilize renal function.

Objective Study the endobronchial ultrasound features of mediastinal tubercular lymphadenopathy and sarcoidosis to probe a new method for the differential diagnosis. Methods The endobronchial ultrasound features of 74 lymph nodes in 16 mediastinal tubercular lymphadenopathy and 30 sarcoidosis patients diagnosed in our department were studied retrospectively, and the sizes, borders, fusion and echo features of mediastinal tubercular lymphadenopathy were compared to sarcoidosis. Results Both of the long size and the short size of mediastinal tubercular lymphadenopathy were smaller than sarcoidosis [(15.77 ± 4.10) vs (19.76 ± 5.83), t = 3.28, P = 0.021;(12.67 ± 4.09) vs (16.81 ± 5.54), t = 3.56, P = 0.001]. And the following features were statistically significant of tubercular lymphadenopathy as compared to sarcodosis: indistinct borders, fusion of lymph nodes, hyperechoic echotexture and patchy anechoic/hypoechoic areas [50.0% (11/22) vs 17.3% (9/52), χ2 = 8.38, P = 0.004; 18.2%(4/22) vs 0.0% (0/52), P = 0.008; 50.0% (11/22) vs 0.0% (0/52), P = 0.000; 63.6% (14/22) vs 0.0% (0/52), P = 0.000, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in the existence of central hilar structure [9.1% (2/22) vs 19.2% (10/52), P = 0.491] between mediastinal tubercular lymphadenopathy and sarcoidosis. Conclusions The endobronchial ultrasound features of mediastinal lymph nodes, including sizes, borders, fusion, hyperechoic echotexture and patchy anechoic/hypoechoic areas are helpful in the differential diagnosis of mediastinal tubercular lymphadenopathy and sarcoidosis.

Sugarcane bagasse modified by polyethylenimine (PEI) and glutaraldehyde (GA) was used as a carrier to immobilize Clostridium acetobutylicum XY16 in the process of butanol production. The effects of chemically modified sugarcane bagasse on batch and repeat-batch fermentations were investigated. Batch fermentation was conducted with an addition of 10 g/L modified sugarcane bagasse and 60 g/L glucose, resulting in a high solvent concentration of 21.67 g/L and productivity of 0.60 g/(L x h) with the treatment of 4 g/L PEI and 1 g/L GA. Compared to the fermentations by free cells and immobilized cells on unmodified sugarcane bagasse, the productivity increased 130.8% and 66.7%, respectively. The fibrous-bed bioreactor also maintained a stable butanol production during repeat-batch fermentations, achieving a maximum productivity of 0.83 g/(L x h) with a high yield of 0.42 g/g.
Batch Cell Culture Techniques ; Bioreactors ; Butanols ; metabolism ; Cells, Immobilized ; Cellulose ; metabolism ; Clostridium acetobutylicum ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Saccharum ; chemistry

Objective To study the clinical value of using a four-point method (FP) in measuring joint angles.Method Methods Twenty-five subjects without knee dysfunction were studied.Every knee joint was tested in extension,below 90° of flexion and above 90° of flexion with the traditional three-point method (TP) and the new four-point method.X-rays were taken as a gold standard measurement.The reliability and validity were analyzed using Bland-Altman plots,which can yield 95% limits of agreement (LOA).Results (1) The joint axis centers moved with changes in joint angle.(2) The 95% LOA of inter-tester reliability was (-5.0,2.7) with the FP and (-6.5,4.4) with the TP.The 95% LOAs of intra-tester reliability were (-3.6,4.0) for tester A and (-4.1,4.8) for tester B with the FP,while (-5.0,6.4) for tester A and (-6.1,5.8) for tester B with the TP.(3) The 95% LOAs in the three positions were (3.5,2.6) in extension,(-3.3,3.6) in mild flexion and (-1.9,5.7) in greater flexion with the FP,and ( 6.8,1.1),(-4.0,7.1) and (0,8.5) with the TP.Conclusions The FP gives better reliability and validity than the TP in joint angle measurement.

Objectives:The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of recombinant growth hormone(rhGH) on protein metabolism during intraabdominal infection.　 Methods : The study was made up of two parts: animal experiments and clinical studies. All animals were divided into three groups: normal control, sepsis control and rhGH therapy groups. All patients were divided into two groups: infection control and rhGH therapy groups. Expressions of hepatic albumin mRNA and muscle myosin heavy chain mRNA were detected.　 Results: In septic animals, rhGH accelerated nitrogen retention and recovery of body weight, improved concentrations of plasma albumin and muscle protein. Expressions of hepatic albumin mRNA and myosin heavy chain mRNA decreased significantly after infection. By using rhGH, expression of albumin mRNA and myosin heavy chain mRNA increased obviously. In clinical study, plasma concentrations of albumin, prealbumin and transferrin were higher than infectious controls after rhGH administration.　 Conclusions: rhGH improved nitrogen balance and protein synthesis of liver and muscle during sepsis .More studies were needed to determine weather rhGH was an effective metabolic intervention method during sepsis.

Objective To assess the association of Haptoglobin(Hp) polymorphism with acute coronary syndrome(ACS) in Chinese. Method A total of 112 patients with ACS including 57 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 55 patients with unstable angina pectoris confirmed with angiography and 121healthy controls were recruited in this study. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was utilized to genotype Hpl and Hp2 alleles and genotype frequencies in cases and controls were compared. All polymorphisms were test of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both groups separately. The differences of genotypes and alleles between two groups were analyzed with x2 test. The association between Hp polymorphism and the risk of ACS was estimated by odds ratio (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and the comprehensive evaluation of the factors associated with ACS were determined by using multivariate logistic regression analysis. P ＜0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results The frequency of Hp2-2 genotype was significantly higher in ACSs than in controls (0. 571 vs. 0. 355, P = 0. 001; OR = 2. 419, 95% CI:1. 427 ～4. 100), multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicates that Hp2-2 genotype is an independent risk factor to ACS (P = 0.002; OR = 2.557,95% CI: 1. 392 - 4.637). Similarly, the Hp2 allele frequency in ACS groups was significantly higher than that in the control subjects (0. 759 vs. 0. 616, P =0.001; OR = 1. 965,95% CI 1. 316 ～2. 934). Conclusion The Hp2-2 genotype is associated with ACS in Chinese. Hp2-2 genotype may be an independent risk factor to ACS, and Hp2 allele may be a genetic susceptibility factor to ACS in Chinese.