OBJECTIVETo extract and purify ricin from castor beans and to evaluate its anti-cancer activity.

METHODSRicin was purified from castor beans according the modified method of Nicolson and Blaustin. The lectins were extracted in 0.01 mol/L phosphate buffered saline and isolated in the 40% to 80% fraction of ammonium sulfate precipitation. The dialyzed fractionated preparation was applied with a Sepharose 4B column. The lectins were eluted with a linear lactose gradient (0.01 mol/L approximately 0.5 mol/L). Ricin was separated from the ricinus agglutinin by gel filtration on a Sephadex G-100. MTT was applied to analyze the cytotoxicity with different dosage of ricin in different cancer cell lines.

RESULTSThere was no difference between the killing effect of normal cells and that of colon cancer cells by using the high dosage of ricin (5 x 10(-8) mol/L approximately 5 x 10(-10) mol/L). However, the cytotoxicity was significant different in those cells with the low dosage of ricin (5 x 10(-11) mol/L approximately 5 x 10(-13) mol/L). Meanwhile ricin had the similar cytotoxicity to leukemia cell K562 and colon cancer cell SW480.

CONCLUSIONRicin is able to kill tumor cells selectively at low concentration, but the selectivity does not appear at high concentrations.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Male ; Mice ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ricin ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic

OBJECTIVETo analyze the possible damage to the remaining tooth and composite restorations when various mixing ratios of bases were used.

METHODSTesting elastic modulus and poission's ratio of glass-ionomer Vitrebond and self-cured calcium hydroxide Dycal with mixing ratios of 1:1, 3:4, 4:3. Micro-CT was used to scan the first mandibular molar, and the three-dimensional finite element model of the first permanent mandibular molar with class I cavity was established. Analyzing the stress of tooth structure, composite and base cement under physical load when different mixing ratios of base cement were used.

RESULTSThe elastic modulus of base cement in various mixing ratios was different, which had the statistic significance. The magnitude and location of stress in restored tooth made no differences when the mixing ratios of Vitrebond and Dycal were changed. The peak stress and spreading area in the model with Dycal was more than that with Vitrebond.

CONCLUSIONChanging the best mixing ratio of base cement can partially influence the mechanistic character, but make no differences on the magnitude and location of stress in restored tooth. During the treatment of deep caries, the base cement of the elastic modulus which is proximal to the dentin and restoration should be chosen to avoid the fracture of tooth or restoration.

Composite Resins ; Dentin ; Elastic Modulus ; Finite Element Analysis ; Glass Ionomer Cements ; Humans ; Molar

To investigate the role and mechanism of ceramide (Cer) regulation in alcohol-induced neuronal proliferation and the newborn neurons formation, we used sphingomyelin synthase 2 (predominant enzyme of Cer metabolism) knockout (SMS2(-/-)) and wild type (WT) female mice to establish the model of prenatal alcohol exposure. In 24 h after being given birth (postnatal day 0, P0), the offspring of model mice received blood sphingomyelin (SM) measurement with enzymatic method. On P0, P7, P14 and P30, the proliferation of granule cells in the dentate gyrus and newborn neurons were investigated with immunofluorescent labeling. The expression of protein kinase Cα (PKCα) in the hippocampus was tested with Western blot analysis. The results showed that the SM level of blood in SMS2(-/-) pups was significantly lower than that in WT pups. No matter in SMS2(-/-) or WT mice, the prenatal alcohol exposure down-regulated the SM levels in pups with dose-dependency. In both SMS2(-/-) and WT pups, the number of proliferative neurons and newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus gradually decreased with the growing age. Compared with the WT pups, SMS2(-/-) pups showed significantly more proliferative neurons and newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus. Notably, prenatal alcohol exposure dose-dependently increased proliferative neurons and newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus in both WT and SMS2(-/-) pups. The hippocampal expression of PKCα protein in SMS2(-/-) mice was lower than that in WT mice, and prenatal alcohol exposure could up-regulate the PKCα protein expression in both WT and SMS2(-/-) mice with dose dependency. These results suggest that alcohol exposure during pregnancy can induce the compensatory neural cell proliferation and the production of newborn neurons in offspring, and the Cer-ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) pathway is involved in alcohol-induced neural cell proliferation. The activation of PKCα may be a key step to start the Cer-C1P pathway and up-regulate the alcohol-induced neural cell proliferation and the newborn neurons formation.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Ceramides ; metabolism ; Dentate Gyrus ; cytology ; Ethanol ; toxicity ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Neurons ; cytology ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; physiopathology ; Protein Kinase C-alpha ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo elucidate the details of operative technique of anastomotic posterior urethroplasty for traumatic posterior urethral strictures in attempt to offer a successful result.

METHODSWe reviewed the clinical data of 106 patients who had undergone anastomotic repair for posterior urethral strictures following traumatic pelvic fracture between 1979 and 2004. Patients'age ranged from 8 to 53 years (mean 27 years). Surgical repair was performed via perinea in 72 patients, modified transperineal repair in 5 and perineoabdominal repair in 29. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 23 years (mean 8 years).

RESULTSAmong the 77 patients treated by perineal approaches, 69 (95.8%) were successfully repaired and 27 out of the 29 patients (93.1%) who were repaired by perineoabdominal protocols were successful. The successful results have sustained as long as 23 years in some cases. Urinary incontinence did not happen in any patients while impotence occurred as a result of the anastomotic surgery.

CONCLUSIONSThree important skills or principles will ensure a successful outcome, namely complete excision of scar tissues, a completely normal mucosa ready for anastomosis at both ends of the urethra, and a tension-free anastomosis. When the urethral stricture is below 2.5 cm long, restoration of urethral continuity can be accomplished by a perineal procedure. If the stricture is over 2.5 cm long, a modified perineal or transpubic perineoabdominal procedure should be used. In the presence of a competent bladder neck, anastomotic surgery does not result in urinary incontinence. Impotence is usually related to the original trauma and rarely (5.7%) to urethroplasty.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Urethra ; surgery ; Urethral Stricture ; etiology ; surgery ; Urologic Surgical Procedures

Objective To investigate the endurance or resistance of different bacteriophages to bubbling stress in different sampling solutions,to select the optimum sampling solution from three different ones and to select relatively stress-resistant bacteriophages from five different ones.Methods AGI-10(all glass impinger)was used as the representative for all the impingers that would bubble during operation to fulfill the bubbling experiment.Three different sampling solutions used,such as distilled water(DW),phosphatic buffer solution(PBS),and suspension medium(SM),were divided into two groups by adding olive oil(50 μl) or otherwise(0 μl).The impingers were operated 30 min at a flow rate of 7.0 L/min.The titers of bacteriophages and the volume of final sampling solutions were determined before the corrected survival probability was used to evaluate the stress resistance of several different bacteriophages.Results It was found that the survival probability of the same bacteriophage bubbling with different sampling solutions was different except for bacteriophage F2.The use of SM as the collection fluid was related to a high survival probability which remained unchanged between 50 μl and 0 μl olive oil.The corrected survival probability was 79%,77%,86%,50% and 71% for phage SM701,SM702,PhiX174,EcP1 and F2 respectively after 60 minutes of impingement at a flow rate of 7.0 L/min.Conclusion The endurance or resistance of different kinds of bacteriophages in the same sampling solution is different.SM might be an optimum sampling solution for phages.Bacteriophage SM701,SM702 and PhiX174 are more resistant to bubbling stress than EcP1 and F2.

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are a diverse group of pulmonary disorders characterized by various patterns of inflammation and fibrosis in the interstitium of the lung.The underlying pathogene sis of ILDs is complex and associated with multiple rheumatologic conditions,such as systemic sclerosis,rheumatoid arthritis,pollymyositis and dermatomyositis,Sjt(o)gren's syndrome,and systemic lupus erythematosus.As the disease progresses,excessive pulmonary fibrosis impairs alveolar gas exchange and damages pulmonary function.The common methods to diagnose ILDs,such as clinical manifestations,pulmonary function test,and radiological examinations are not specific for ILDs and not able to diagnose ILDs at the early stage due to their low sensitivity.So,the easy way is important to diagnose ILDs.One important biomarker for ILDs is the high-molecular-weight glycoprotein,Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6).KL-6 encoded by the MUC1 gene is a mucin-like glycoprotein with high molecular weight and expressed predominantly on the cell surface of type Ⅱ alveolar epithelial cells,and is detectable in the serum of patients with ILDs.We here report a case of ILDs associated with dermatomyositis and secondary Sj(o)gren's syndrome.A 60-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaints of debilitation,dry mouth,dyspnea and astasia.ILDs associated with dermatomyositis and secondary Sj(o)gren's syndrome was diagnosed clinically when the following criteria were satisfied:(1) development of dyspnea within 2 months of presentation,(2) pulmonary dispersion dysfunction,(3) bilateral infiltrative shadows on chest high resolution computed tomography (HRCT).She was treated with prednisone 50 mg/d prior to admission,but the result of therapy was not good.In our hospital she was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide and oral hydroxychloroquine sulfate.Subsequently,her serum KL-6 levels gradually decreased after treatment,pulmonary diffuse function improved,and the improvement in the clinical manifestation and HRCT findings were observed.Nevertheless,the combination treatment of glucocorticoid and cyclophosphamide had contributed to the favourable outcomes.In conclusion,detection of serum KL-6 levels in ILDs associated with connective tissue diseases may be beneficial to making a definitive diagnosis,predicting the prognosis and monitoring the disease activity,which would be of great help in clinical practice.However,a well-designed clinical study with more patients and a longer follow-up period are required to arrive at a more conclusive judgment on the role of serum KL-6 in patients with ILDs.

The prenatal ethanol exposure induced the alterations of dendritic spine and synapse in visual cortex and their long-term effect would be investigated in mice from P0 to P30. Pregnant mice were intubated ethanol daily from E5 through the pup's birth to establish mode of prenatal alcohol abuse. The dendritic spines of pyramidal cells in visual cortex of pups were labeled with DiI diolistic assay, and the synaptic ultrastructure was observed under transmission electron microscope. Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with a significant decrease in the number of dendritic spines of pyramidal neurons in the visual cortex and an increase in their mean length; ultrastructural changes were also observed, with decreased numbers of synaptic vesicles, narrowing of the synaptic cleft and thickening of the postsynaptic density compared to controls. Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with long-term changes in dendritic spines and synaptic ultrastructure. The changes were dose-dependent with long term effect even at postnatal 30.
Animals ; Dendritic Spines ; ultrastructure ; Ethanol ; toxicity ; Female ; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders ; etiology ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; pathology ; Pyramidal Cells ; ultrastructure ; Synapses ; ultrastructure ; Visual Cortex ; ultrastructure

Objective:To investigate the value of high-resolution 3T MRI in the detection of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) injuries through a diagnostic test.Methods:A retrospective case series analysis was performed in 133 patients with ulnar wrist pain admitted in Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2013 to April 2018. There were 68 males and 65 females, aged 14-69 years (mean 32.6 years). The patients was examined with the wrist MRI with consistent parameters and then received wrist arthroscopic detection or treatment. The TFCC injuries were classified as central injury, namely triangular fibrocartilage disc injury and peripheral injury, namely the tear of ulnar attachment, radial attachment, distal radioulnar ligaments and ulnocarpal ligaments. Take the results of wrist arthroscopy as the gold standard, the MRI and arthroscopic findings were compared and the sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative predictive value and positive/negative likelihood ratio were determined.Results:Wrist arthroscopy confirmed TFCC injuries in 122 patients, among which 72 patients were with central injury and 102 with peripheral injury. Meanwhile, TFCC injuries were diagnosed with MRI in 124 patients, among which 75 patients were central injury and 111 cases were peripheral injury. As for central injury, the sensitivity/specificity, positive/negative predictive value and positive/negative likelihood ratio of MRI were 0.972/0.918, 0.933/0.966 and 11.85/0.03, respectively; when the target pathology was peripheral injury, the sensitivity/specificity, positive/negative predictive value and positive/negative likelihood ratio of MRI were 0.882/0.323, 0.811/0.45 and 1.30/0.37, respectively.Conclusions:High-resolution 3T MRI is accurate in detection of central injury of TFCC, no matter the injury is traumatic or degenerated. In the diagnosis of peripheral injury of the TFCC, MRI can provide some help for its high sensitivity. However, the positive findings of MRI on peripheral structures should be cautious because of the poor specificity, and hence the results of history, physical examination and MRI should be considered together to attain an accurate diagnosis.

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; Liver Cirrhosis/metabolism* ; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6 ; Rats

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the 7th costal cartilage graft for correcting saddle nose deformity.Methods A total of thirty-two patients,10 male and 22 female,were treated from January 2013 to December 2016.The age of the patients ranged from twelve to thirty years with an average of twenty-five years.Fourteen of the thirty-two patients were cases of post traumatic saddle nose deformity,ten were congenital saddle nose deformity,and eight were secondary cleft lip saddle nose deformity.In all of the cases,the 7th costal cartilage was used as an autologous graft for rhinoplasty.The reliability of this method was assessed in term of efficacy and safety including suitability of the graft material,donor site scarring and postoperative results and complications.Results The mean time for harvesting the cartilage was 30 minutes,and the mean length of the harvested 7th costal cartilage was four cm.Postoperatively,there were three cases of nasal deviation,one case of infection and one case where the K-wire exposed.Two patient's hypertrophic scaring on the donor site.All the other cases had positive successful outcomes.Conclusions An autologus 7th costal cartilage can be harvested safely and quickly,and its handling procedure is simple.It is a good option as an autologous graft for rhinoplasty.