Objective: To construct conditional replication adenovirus vector CNHK600-IL-18, in which the IL-18 expression was driven by hypoxia promoter and adenovirus replication was regulated by human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter. Specific replication ability and the killing effect of CNHK600-IL-18 on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells were investigated. Methods: Viral replication experiments (TCID50 method) were performed to evaluate the selective replication ability of pSG600 and CNHK600-IL-18 during 96 h in three different hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. MTT assay was applied to evaluate the killing efficacy of pSG600 and CNHK600-IL-18 on the three HCC cell lines at different MOI. BJ cells were infected with CNHK600-IL-18. The supernatant was collected and the level of IFN-γ secreted by T cells was measured. Results: Western blot showed that IL-18 was detected in SMMC-7721 cells after CNHK600-IL-18 infection. The supernatant of CNHK600-IL-18 -infected BJ cells induced T cells to secret IFN-γ. CNHK600-IL-18 replications in HCC cell lines BEL-7404 and SMMC-7721 were 31 658 and 125 396 after 96-h incubation, respectively, which were 400 and 1587 folds as much as in BJ cell line. Conclusion: CNHK600-IL-18 selectively replicates in HCC cells and generated bioactive IL-18 with high efficacy. CNHK600-IL-18 has an obvious tumor-killing effect against HCC.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Bundle of His ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Purkinje Fibers ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; pathology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo observe preliminary efficacy of decompressive unilateral improved transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases.

METHODSFrom August 2009 to December 2011, 28 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases were treated by decompressive unilateral improved TLIF,including 16 males and 12 females with an average of 61 (aged 46 to 71) years old,the courses of disease ranged from 6 months to 6 years. Among them, 20 cases suffered from lumbar spinal stenosis, 8 cases were lumbar disc herniation. Decompressive range included single segment in 24 cases,and double segments in 4 cases; 15 cases were performed operation on the left side, 13 cases on the right side. JOA lower back pain scoring system (29 points) were applied for evaluate preoperative and postoperative symptoms, physical signs and sphincteral functions;Visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to evaluate preoperative and postoperative low back pain.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up 6 to 28 (mean 14) months. Postoperative JOA score and VAS score were 17.9 +/- 2.2, 2.8 +/- 0.7 respectively,and preoperative JOA score and VAS score were 8.5 +/- 1.7, 8.6 +/- 1.2, respectively. There were significant meaning in JOA and VAS scores before and after operation (P < 0.05). Twenty-eight patients were all obtained intervertebral synostosis.

CONCLUSIONDecompressive unilateral improved TLIF for treatment of unilateral radicular lumbar spinal stenosis and lumbar disc herniation,which has advantages of minimally invasive,curative effects,decrease medical costs,is worthy spreading in clinical.

Adult ; Aged ; Decompression, Surgical ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Diseases ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; Treatment Outcome

Humans ; Influenza A virus ; Influenza Vaccines ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; virology

To improve the anesthesia skills of younger anesthesiologists ,department of anes-thesiology of the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University formed the tutorial system based on tutori-al team. Through enhancing the selection of tutors,establishing of tutorial team and conducting clini-cal skill guidance and scientific research ability training,department of anesthesiology aimed to devel-op personal quality,clinical and scientific research ability of younger anesthesiologists in the process of clinical completion and application of scientific research subject.

Objective To evaluate the effects of dexmedetomidine on postoperative cognitive function in the aged patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy.Methods Forty patients,aged 65-80 yr,of ASA physical status Ⅱ or Ⅲ,scheduled for elective carotid endarterectomy,were randomly divided into 2 groups (n =20 each):control group (group C) and dexmedetomidine group (group DEX).Anesthesia was induced with midazolam,etomidate,fentanyl and rocuronium.The patients were tracheally intubated.In group DEX,a loading dose of dexmedetomidine 0.03 μg· kg-1 ·min-1 was infused intravenously for 10 min starting from the time point before induction,and dexmedetomidine 0.30μg· kg-1 ·min-1 was infused until 30 min before the end of operation starting from the end of intubation.The equal volume of normal saline was given instead of dexmedetomidine in group C.At 1 day before operation (To) and 6 and 24 h after operation (T1.2),venous blood samples were collected for determination of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations.The cognitive function of the patients was assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at To,T2,and 48 h,72 h,7days and 1 month after operation (T3-6).Results Compared with the baseline value at T0,the serum BDNFconcentrations were significantly increased at T1 in the two groups,MMSE scores were decreased at T2,3 in groupC,and MMSE scores were decreased,and the serum BDNF concentrations were increased at T2 in group DEX.Compared with group C,the MMSE scores were significantly increased at T3.4,the serum BDNF concentrations were increased at T2,and no significant change was found in MMSE scores at T5.6 in group DEX.Conclusion Dexmedetomidine is helpful in improving postoperative cognitive function and in promoting the recovery of postoperative cognitive function,and the mechanism may be related to enhanced production of endogenous BDNF in the aged patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy.

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship of the expression of FOXA1 in the prostate cancer (PCa) tissue with the Gleason score and clinical staging of PCa and with castration-resistant PCa (CRPC).

METHODSUsing the immunohistochemical method, we detected the expressions of FOXA1 and Ki-67 in the pathological sections of 35 cases of PCa and 21 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Then we analyzed their correlation with the Gleason score and TNM staging of PCa and that with CRPC.

RESULTSThe positive expression of FOXA1 was significantly higher in the PCa than in the BPH tissue (P < 0.001) and was positively correlated with that of Ki-67 (P < 0.001) as well as with the Gleason score (P = 0.027) and clinical staging of PCa (P = 0.002), but showed no correlation with CRPC (P = 0.391).

CONCLUSIONThe positive expression of FOXA1 is increased in PCa, most significantly in the advanced stage of the tumor.

Disease Progression ; Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-alpha ; metabolism ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Male ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology

The aim of this study is to develop a synthetic medium suitable for 13C metabolic flux analysis (13C-MFA) of Streptomyces rimosus. The cell growth rate and oxytetracycline production by S. rimosus M4018 were compared when M4018 cells were growth on the optimized chemically defined media with organic nitrogen sources or inorganic nitrogen sources. First, a synthetic medium contained KNO3 as the main nitrogen source was screened, then optimized by a response surface method. Using this new medium, the oxytetracycline yield was increased from 75.2 to 145.6 mg/L. Furthermore, based on the 13C-MFA, we identified that Entner-Doudoroff pathway does not exist in S. rimosus cells cultured in a chemically defined medium with feed of 100% 1-13C labeled glucose. This study is helpful for subsequent 13C-MFA application of S. rimosus.
Carbon Isotopes ; analysis ; Culture Media ; chemistry ; Metabolic Flux Analysis ; Nitrogen ; chemistry ; Oxytetracycline ; biosynthesis ; Streptomyces rimosus ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the role of serum level of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell count (WBC) as predictors in postoperative early infectious complications with fever after posterior lumbar internal fixation (PLIF).

METHODSA retrospective study was conducted from January 2012 to January 2014. Fifty-two patients with fever in the early stage(within 10 days) after the PLIF were collected in the study. They were divided into infection group and non-infection group (group A and group B) according to the results of postoperative blood culture. There were 26 patients in group A and 32 patients in group B. The values of PCT, CRP, ESR, and WBC count were compared and analyzed between two groups.

RESULTSThe values of PCT, CRP, and ESR in group A were higher than those of group B. Meanwhile, CRP and ESR in group B were still higher than the normal range. Among the 26 patients with infections (group A), PCT was superior to CRP and ESR, had a good ability in discriminating different kinds of postoperative infections. The area under the ROC curve of serum PCT levels was the largest (CI 95% was 0.81 to 0.98) in the indexs; and ROC curve of WBC count was no statistically significant. When the cut off points of each predictors were evaluated, the higher sensitive was CRP and reached at 90.27% and the higher specific was ESR and reached at 88.50%.

CONCLUSIONFor the patients with fever at the early stage after the PLIF should be paid attention and reasonable choosing predictors are helpful to identify postoperative infection in the early stage. The CRP and ESR may be influenced by the surgery, and the PCT level is helpful to differentiate infection type.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Calcitonin ; blood ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Female ; Fever ; blood ; diagnosis ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Infection ; blood ; diagnosis ; Leukocyte Count ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; blood ; diagnosis ; Protein Precursors ; blood