PurposeTo explore the value of prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of pentalogy of Cantrell.Materials and Methods A retrospective study was performed in 6 fetuses with pentalogy of Cantrell diagnosed with prenatal ultrasound. The first diagnostic ultrasound time, ultrasound images and follow-up results were reviewed to analyze ultrasonographic features.Results All the fetuses were characterized by omphalocele and ectopic heart. All 6 fetuses were diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound during the first ultrasound screening, of which 5 were diagnosed before 16 weeks of gestation. Five cases were confirmed with induced labor and 1 was confirmed postnataly. The accuracy of prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis was 100%.Conclusion The characteristic features of pentalogy of Cantrell are omphalocele and ectopic heart. Prenatal ultrasound is reliable and valuable to diagnose pentalogy of Cantrell.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of novel porous calcium phosphate cement (CPC) scaffoldings on attachment, proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).

METHODSBMSCs of Beagle dogs were implanted and cultured with CPC scaffoldings in vitro, tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and poly (lactide-coglycolide) (PLGA) scaffoldings as controls. The attachment, proliferation and differentiation of BMSCs were detected through morphological characters, growth curve and the semi-quantitative detection of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC) activity.

RESULTSCell morphology and growth curve illustrated that BMSCs attached to and grown better on the surface of novel porous CPC scaffoldings than that of PLGA group (P < 0.05). Semi-quantitative analysis of ALP showed that ALP expression level in BMSCs on the CPC and TCP group were significantly higher than that of the PLGA group (P < 0.05), the CPC group was slightly higher than the TCP group, but no significant difference was found between the two groups (P > 0.05). The staining and semi-quantitative analysis results of OC demonstrated that calcium deposition of the PLGA group was significantly less than the CPC and TCP group on both observation point (P < 0.05), but no significant difference between the CPC and TCP group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe novel porous CPC material used in this study has good biocompatibility similar to TCP but much better than PLGA which is favorable of BMSCs adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. The novel porous CPC material is a suitable scaffolding for BMSCs to fabricate tissue-engineered bone in vitro.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Bone and Bones ; Calcium Phosphates ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Dental Cementum ; Dogs ; Osteocalcin ; Osteogenesis ; Tissue Engineering

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical and imaging characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and to study their relationship.

METHODSForty-six SARS confirmed patients were admitted to our hospital from February to April, 2003. X-ray examination documents were available in all cases and chest CT scanning was acquired in 6 cases, which were analyzed retrospectively, accompanied by their clinical features.

RESULTSFever was found in 97.8% of the patients. Clinical symptoms were mild, but X-ray and CT findings were distinct. CT scanning demonstrated ground glass like lesions and large patchy exudation and consolidation at the early stage in 6 cases. Different findings on radiography and CT were related to the different phases of the disease. After treatment, most lesions were absorbed completely, but slowly in patients with multi-lobe consolidation and/or extensive interstitial infiltration.

CONCLUSIONSpecial clinical and imaging findings could be found in SARS cases. The prognosis of SARS patients is related to the degree of lesions detected by radiography and CT.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Radiography ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; diagnostic imaging

Objective:To establish the quality control method for compound Jieyu granules. Methods:Liquorice was identified by TLC. saikosaponin a, Saikosaponin d and rutin were determined by HPLC. Results:The spots on TLC plates were clear without any in-terference. The linearity was achieved within the range of 0. 508-16. 200 μg (r=0. 999 8) for saikosaponin a, 0. 503-16. 100 μg(r=0.999 7) for saikosaponin d, and 0.130-4.250 μg(r =0.999 9) for rutin. The average recovery was 99.7%(RSD =2.03%), 99. 8%(RSD=1. 44%) and 102. 6%(RSD=1. 40%), respectively. Conclusion:The method is simple, reliable and accurate, and can be applied as the quality control method for compound Jieyu granules.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in China and poses high morbidity and mortality. In recent years, increasing evidence has indicated that microRNAs played important functions in the occurrence and development of tumors. The purpose of this study was to identify the biological mechanisms of miR-362 in CRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quantitative real-time PCR was carried out to assess the expression of miR-362 and SIX1. The Kaplan-Meier method was employed to evaluate the 5-year overall survival of CRC patients. The proliferative and invasive abilities of CRC cells were assessed by MTT and transwell assays. RESULTS: miR-362 was significantly decreased in CRC tissues and cell lines, compared to the normal tissues and normal cells. A significant connection was confirmed between the overall survival of 53 CRC patients and low expression of miR-362. Downregulation of miR-362 inhibited the proliferation and invasion through binding to the 3′-UTR of SIX1 mRNA in CRC. Additionally, we discovered that SIX1 was a direct target gene of miR-362 and that the expression of miR-362 had a negative connection with SIX1 expression in CRC. SIX1 could reverse partial functions in the proliferation and invasion in CRC cells. CONCLUSION: miR-362 may be a prognostic marker in CRC and suppress CRC cell proliferation and invasion in part through targeting the 3′-UTR of SIX1 mRNA. The newly identified miR-362/SIX1 axis provides insight into the progression of CRC.
Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; China ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Down-Regulation ; Humans ; Methods ; MicroRNAs ; Mortality ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger

Objective To explore the risk factors of apathy and correlations with cognitive function in patients with hypertension combined with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD).Methods Totally 141 patients with hypertension combined with CSVD were prospectively enrolled and were divided into apathy group(n=43)and non-apathy group(n= 98)according to neuropsychiatric inventory-apathy scale(NPI-Apathy)scores.The general data,imaging marker scores and total imaging burden scores were compared between groups.In hypertension combined with CSVD patients,multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to screen the independent risk factors of apathy,and Spearman correlation analysis was also performed to observe the correlation of apathy and cognitive function.Results The patients'age,high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),Fazekas scores of lateral periventricular white matter hyper-intensity(WMH),cerebral microbleed of depth/infratentorial and total imaging burden scores of apathy group were all higher,while mini-mental state examination(MMSE)and Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)scores were both lower than those of non-apathy group(all P＜0.05).HDL-C and Fazekas scores of lateral periventricular WMH were both independent risk factors for apathy(both P＜0.05),while NPI-Apathy scores were moderately negatively correlated with cognitive function in patients with hypertension combined with CSVD(r=-0.543,-0.484,both P＜0.001).Conclusion HDL-C and Fazekas scores of lateral periventricular WMH were both independent risk factors for apathy in patients with hypertension combined with CSVD.The more severe the apathy,the lower the cognitive function.