Biodegradable and biocompatible functional polymers show high potential as novel drug carriers in disease diagnosis and therapy.Recently,protein drugs have brought about major breakthroughs in the treatment of various diseases including cancer,while the development of carrier technology is relatively delayed.This article reviews recent advances in biodegradable functional polymers as protein drug nanocarriers.Additionally,we have discussed the perspective of developing new generations of biocompatible and functional polymers.

Adult ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Stem Cells ; cytology

Objective To discuss the clinical significance of internal fixation through anterolaterel and posteromedial approaches in the treatment of closed sagittal Pilon fractures of Topliss classification and compare the effects of the two approaches.Methods The study involved 57 patients with closed sagittal Pilon fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation from 2007 to 2010,including 29 patients treated through anterolateral approach (Group A) and 28 through posteromedial approach (Group B).All patients were with closed fractures,and all surgery time windows were 10-19 days.The two groups were compared in aspects of gender,age,type of fractures,soft tissue graduation,injury factors,condition of combined fibula fracture,surgery time window,operation time,intra-operative blood loss,ambulation time,infection and necrosis rate of skin and soft tissue,length of stay,ankle joint function recovery after internal fixation,and intra-operative X-ray reduction.Results All patients were followed up for 12-26 months (mean,20 months) except for one patient in the Group A,with total follow-up rate of 98％.The two groups showed no significant differences regarding the gender,age,type of fractures,soft tissue graduation,injury factors,condition of combined fibula fracture,surgery time window selection,operation time,intra-operative blood loss,and ambulation time (P ＞0.05).While,the infection and necrosis incidence of skin and soft tissue,and the hospital stay we re significantly lower and shorter in the Group A than that in the Group B (P ＜ 0.05 ).Two patients in the Group A were complicated with toe extensor tendon adhesion,which was released by removing the fixation.Fifteen patients had wound infection during hospitalization,including three patients in the Group A and 12 in the Group B,but they were all cured after treatments like dressing.Fifteen patients were treated with stage Ⅰ allogeneic bone graft and 11 with autologous iliac bone graft.All the patients obtained bone union.Conclusions Topliss classification of closed sagittal Pilon fractures has clear clinical significance in surgical plan selection and operative procedures.Both of the anterolateral and posteromedial approaches can achieve good effects in the treatment of closed sagittal Pilon fractures due to high energy injury.However,the anterolateral approach is relatively a better choice,for it brings in a lower incidence of infection and necrosis of skin and soft tissue and a shorter length of hospital stay.

Objective To investigate the imaging characteristics of mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma of the kindey (MTSCC-K).Methods Five cases of pathologically confirmed MTSCC-K were analyzed retrospectively.All patients underwent CT scanning,and 4 cases underwent conventional MR and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) scanning.MR enhancement ratio for the tumor was calculated according to MR signal intensity of pre-and post-contrast in tumor and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of tumor and normal renal cortical.Results Two case located in the right kindey,and 3 cases located in the left kindey.The maximum diameter of lesions ranged from 3.2 cm to 7.1 cm.Five cases showed nearly round shape with clear borderline.Pseudocapsule was found in 4 cases,3 cases had necrosis and cystic,and 1 case had calcification.There were no hemorrhage,fat and invasion of adjacent tissue.Isodensity or hypodense tumors were found on plain CT.Isointense or hyperintense tumors were found on plain T1WI,while isointense or mixed-signal tumors were found on plain T2WI.Slightly homogeneous or heterogeneous enhancement was observed on dynamic enhanced CT or MR,and the solid component of tumors showed hyperintense on DWI and hypointense on ADC.The mean CT value of tumor at the plain,cortical and nephrographic phase was 32.6 HU,46.5 HU and 66.5 HU,respectively.The mean ADC value of tumor and normal renal cortical was 1.23 × 10-3 mm2/s and 2.31 × 10-3 mm2/s,respectively.The mean MR percentage of enhancement value of tumor was 32.7％ and 104.9％,respectively.Conclusions The imaging characteristics of MTSCC-K include nearly round shape,pseudocapsule,clear borderline,necrosis,cystic and calcification.There is no invasion of adjacent tissue and seldom malignant appearances.Isodensity or hypodense can be observed on plain CT,isointense or hyperintense on plain T1WI,and a mild continuously enhancement on dynamic enhanced scanning.

Objective To evaluate the correlation of ADC values on 3.0 T MR with the pathological grades in pT1b clear cell renal cell carcinoma(CCRCC).Methods Conventional MR images,ADC values and Fuhrman pathological grading of pT1b CCRCC were performed in 30 patients.Grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ were defined as low-grade group; grade Ⅲ and IV were defined as high-grade group.The differences of ADC values among four different pathologic grades were compared with a one-way analysis of variance. The comparison of ADC values of two different grade groups was performed with t test,and the ROC curve was performed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of ADC value. Correlation between pathological gradings and ADC values was assessed with Spearman rank correlation analysis. Results ( 1 ) The mean ADC value of grading Ⅰ ( 10 patients ), Ⅱ ( 8 patients ),Ⅲ ( 7 patients ),IV ( 5 patients ) was ( 0.94 ± 0.11 ) ×10-3 mm2/s,(0.82 ±0.13) × 10-3 mm2/s,(0.68 ±0.09) × 10-3 mm2/s,(0.59 ±0.03) × 10-3 mm2/s,respectively.Significant differences of ADC values among the four grades were present (F =16.422,P =0.000 ).( 2 ) The mean ADC value of the low-grade group was significantly higher than that of the high-grade group(t =5.738,P =0.000).Sensitivity and specificity of diagnosing the low-grade group was 88.9％ and 83.3％ respectively.There was a negative correlation between pathological grading and ADC value ( r =-0.807,P ＜ 0.05). Conclusions The ADC values of pT1b CCRCC have close correlation with pathological gradings.They can be used to predict the degree of tumor malignancy preoperatively and guide surgical planning.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the penile erectile function of hospitalized male patients with cardiovascular diseases, the incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in this cohort, and the relationship of ED with cardiovascular diseases and its risk factors.

METHODSUsing a self-designed questionnaire, we conducted an investigation among the hospitalized patients in the Department of Cardiovascular Diseases of the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals of Xi'an Jiaotong University. We measured their body height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, and blood pressure, obtained their personal data, past history, metabolic indexes, and erectile function scores by IIEF-5, and analyzed the risk factors of ED using univariate and multivariate logistic regression and OR analyses.

RESULTSTotally, 225 valid questionnaires were included in this investigation, which showed a 66.7% incidence of ED, 15.8% mild, 27.0% mild to moderate, 17.6% moderate, and 6.3% severe. The incident rates of ED in the 18-35 yr, 36-49 yr, 50-65 yr, and > 65 yr age groups were 13.6%, 39.1%, 89.2%, and 91.2%, respectively. Univariate logistic regression analysis manifested that the risk factors of ED in the patients with cardiovascular diseases included age (OR = 3.122, 95% CI 2.040-4.779), smoking (OR = 1.768, 95% CI 1.209-2.584), BMI (OR = 1.261, 95% CI 1.114-1.427), total cholesterol (OR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.339-2.340), TC/HDL (OR =1.715, 95% CI 1.349-2.181), hypertension (OR = 1.717, 95% CI 1.110-2.658), and coronary heart disease (OR = 2.235, 95% CI 1.169-4.275), while multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the risk factors to be age (OR = 4.99, 95% CI 2.264-10.998), financial condition, (OR = 2.804, 95% CI 1.127-6.976), smoking (OR = 2.109, 95% CI 1.179-3.772), BMI (OR = 1.414, 95% CI 1.136-1.760), and TC/HDL (OR = 2.001, 95% CI 1.016-3.943).

CONCLUSIONThe incidence of ED is high in hospitalized patients with cardiovascular diseases and rises with the increase of age. Age, smoking, financial condition, BMI, and TC/HDL are the risk factors of both ED and cardiovascular diseases, and financial condition is closely associated with ED.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Body Height ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; complications ; Erectile Dysfunction ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; Imidazoles ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pyrimidines ; Regression Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Waist Circumference ; Young Adult

Diffusion tensor imaging(DTI) is an efficient and noninvasive tool to investigate the characteristics and functions of white matter fiber tracts,and it can be used to study the relationship between the structure and function in the nervous system,the plasticity and damage repair of visual development,abnormalities of the white matters that relate to the visual pathways.Recently,the quantification of white matter fiber tracts from the lateral geniculate bodies to the occipital lobe visual cortex using DTI offers morphological information for the function and structure of the white matters during visual development.Some studies attempt to compare the DTI outcomes and tractography between amblyopic children and normal children so as to better display the variations of optic radiation in children with amblyopia,and to evaluate the relationship between structure and function of the white matters.DTI becomes an important supplementary research approach in these fields.This paper reviews the application of DTI in visual development and amblyopic eyes.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of histogram analysis of susceptible signal intensity in differentiating papillary (pRCC) from chromophobe renal cell carcinoma(ChRCC). Methods Thirteen cases with pRCC and 9 cases with ChRCC, who underwent susceptible-weighted imaging(SWI), MR common scanning and enhancement, were assessed retrospectively. The histogram parameters of susceptible signal intensity were measured, including maximum, minimum, mean, median, skewness and kurtosis. The independent samples t test(normal distribution) and Mann-Whitney rank sum test(skewed distribution) were used to compare the differences in SWI parameters between pRCCs and ChRCCs. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the efficiency of the whole-tumor SWI parameters in differentiating pRCCs from ChRCCs. Results The significant differences of the minimum, mean, median and skewness between pRCCs and ChRCCs were present(P<0.05), and there was no significant differences in maximum and kurtosis between between pRCCs and ChRCCs(P>0.05). In all the histogram parameters, the area of ROC curve of mean value was largest(0.80). The sensitivity of minimum value (84.62％) was the highest and and the specificity of skewness(100.00％) was the highest. Conclusion Histogram analysis of susceptible signal intensity can help differentiate pRCCs from ChRCCs.

Objective To observe the lung protective effect of Tongfu Xiefei method (TFXF) in rats with sepsis, and to discuss its possible mechanism.Methods Forty-two Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into blank control group (n = 6), model group (n = 18) and TFXF group (n = 18). Sepsis model was reproduced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in rats of model group and TFXF group. After the reproduction of sepsis model, rats in TFXF group received Tongfu Xiefei granules 0.01 mL/g by gavge, while those in model group were given equal dose of normal saline by the same way. The rats in blank control group received no treatment. At 3, 6, 12 hours after CLP, abdominal aorta blood was collected for blood gas analysis and inferior vena cava blood was collected for determination of the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected for measurement of concentrations of total protein (TP), total phospholipid (TPL), and desaturated phosphatidyl choline (DSPC). The ratio of wet/dry lung weight ratio (W/D) was measured, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in lung tissues were determined. The pathologic changes in their lungs were observed with light microscopy.Results Compared with those in blank control group, the levels of pH value, arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2), HCO3-, base excess (BE) were lowered, and partial pressure of carbon dioxide of arterial blood (PaCO2) was increased in model group. The serum concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 were gradually increased after the reproduction of sepsis model. Compared with those in blank control group, the levels of TP, TPL, and DSPC/TPL in model group were decreased, while the levels of W/D, MDA and MPO were increased. Compared with those in model group, pH value was elevated in TFXF group at 3 hours (7.27±0.04 vs. 7.18±0.07,P < 0.05). PaO2 (mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) was improved at 3, 6, 12 hours (3 hours: 128.00±16.05 vs. 106.78±10.73, 6 hours: 98.46±15.97 vs. 72.80±16.33, 12 hours: 90.70±9.31 vs. 74.28±12.19, allP < 0.05). The serum concentrations of TNF-α (ng/L) in TFXF group were significantly lower than those in model group at 12 hours (508.20±94.08 vs. 756.60±138.77,P < 0.05), and the serum concentrations of IL-6 (ng/L) in TFXF group were significantly lower than those in model group at 6 hours and 12 hours (6 hours: 687.80±35.00 vs. 849.40±148.28, 12 hours: 728.80±214.41 vs. 917.00±245.96, bothP < 0.05). Compared with those of model group, the levels of TP (g/L) in BALF in TFXF group were significantly decreased at 12 hours (1.01±0.23 vs. 1.60±0.47,P < 0.05), and the levels of TPL (mg/L) in TFXF group were significantly increased at 12 hours (86.40±11.33 vs. 62.40±16.33,P < 0.05). The levels of DSPC/TPL in TFXF group were significantly higher than those in model group at 6 hours and 12 hours (6 hours: 0.58±0.13 vs. 0.38±0.10, 12 hours: 0.45±0.13 vs. 0.24±0.07, bothP < 0.05). The levels of W/D in TFXF group were significantly higher than those in model group at 3 hours (3.84±0.25 vs. 2.99±0.50,P < 0.01), but lower than those in model group at 12 hours (3.21±0.53 vs. 4.89±1.14,P < 0.05). The levels of MDA (nmol/mg) in TFXF group were significantly lower than those in model group at 6 hours and 12 hours (6 hours: 4.04±2.58 vs. 8.89±2.61, 12 hours: 11.31±3.60 vs. 20.60±8.10, bothP < 0.05), while the levels of MPO (U/g) in TFXF group were lower than those in model group at 12 hours (4.79±0.66 vs. 7.22±1.76,P < 0.05). Compared with model group, the lungs in TFXF group showed less morphological changes under light microscopy, such as pulmonary edema, congestion, effusion and fibrosis.Conclusions The method of Tongfu Xiefei may improve hypoxemia and metabolic acidosis, alleviate lung edema and ameliorate pulmonary pathological changes in rat sepsis model. Tongfu Xiefei method shows a protective effect in sepsis by the way of reducing peroxidative damage, inhibiting the release of proinflammatory factors and abating degradation of lung surfactant.

Objective To observe the effect of Sini decoction on inflammatory response and immune function in septic rats and to discuss its possible mechanism.Methods 66 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal control group (n=6),model group (n=30),and Sini decoction group (n=30).Septic model was reproduced by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS,5 mg/kg).After the reproduction of sepsis,rats in Sini decoction group received Sini decoction (5 g/kg) by gavage,while those in model group were given equal dose of normal saline in the same way.Rats in normal control group did not receive any treatment.Blood was collected via eye sockets at 2,12,24,48,72 hours after LPS administration,then the rats were sacrificed.The concentrations of inflammatory mediators,such as interleukin (IL-1,IL-6,IL-10),tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),and the expression level of monocyte human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) were determined with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),and the pathological changes in intestinal mucosa were observed under electron microscope.Results The concentration of IL-1 (ng/L) at 2 hours in model group was gradually increased and peaked at 48 hours (4.07 ± 0.10),and then gradually decreased,while the IL-1 level in Sini decoction group peaked at 12 hours (2.98 ± 0.12) followed by a gradual decrease.IL-6 (ng/L) in model and Sini decoction groups peaked twice at 12 hours (91.39 ± 1.55,73.00 ± 2.38) and 48 hours (82.51 ± 1.49,64.68 ± 1.68) respectively.IL-10 (ng/L) in model group gradually decreased after peaking at 2 hours (86.66 ± 6.12),and that in Sini decoction decreased at 12 hours (71.61 ± 2.35) followed by an increasing tendency,and approached normal level at 48 hours (109.09 ±4.77 vs.124.01 ± 7.89,P＞0.05).TNF-α (ng/L) in model group was gradually increased and peaked at 48 hours (83.37 ±3.79),and that in Sini decoction peaked at 12 hours (48.52 ± 1.21),and decreased to normal level at 72 hours (18.59 ± 1.97 vs.15.50 ± 2.68,P＞0.05).During the course of the experiment,as compared with those of the model group,level of IL-1,IL-6,and TNF-α were significantly lower at all time points in Sini decoction group,and IL-10was significantly higher.The expression level of HLA-DR (μg/L) in model and Sini decoction groups peaked at 2 hours (4.86 ± 0.15,4.85 ± 0.17),and then gradually lowered.HLA-DR expression μg/L) at 48 hours and 72 hours in Sini decoction group was significantly lower than that in model group (48 hours:4.21 ± 0.12 vs.2.74 ± 0.16,72 hours:3.80 ± 0.09 vs.2.27 ± 0.12,both P＜0.01).Pathological study of intestinal mucosa showed that the intestinal mucosa were infiltrated significandy by inflammatory cells,and villi were damaged severely in both model group and Sini decoction group at 2 hours after LPS challenge.Infiltration of inflammatory cells in Sini decoction group was less intense after 12 hours,and the intestine villi repair was more obvious compared with model group.Conclusion Sini decoction could regulate systemic inflammatory response,and promote the repair of intestinal mucosa,the intestinal function and the immune status of septic rats.