AIM: To study the current density of transient outward potassium current (I_(to)) in cells from the epicardial zone of the 1-week and 2-month infarcted rabbit heart. METHODS: Rabbits were infarcted by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery, 1 week as well as 2 months later, the single ventricular myocytes were isolated enzymatically from the infracted area of 1-week infracted rabbit heart (PMI-1 week) and 2-month infracted heart (PMI-2 months), region remote from the infracted zone of 2-month infracted heart (REM-2 months) and free wall of left ventricule from noninfarcted heart (CON). I_(to) was recorded using whole cell patch-clamp techniques. (RESULTS:) Membrane capacitance of myocytes in REM-2 months group was signifitantly larger than that in CON. I_(to)current density (at +60 mV) was significantly reduced in PMI-1 week [(7.5?2.4) pA/pF, n=12] and PMI-2 months [(10.6?4.1) pA/pF, n=18] compared with CON [(17.4?5.2) pA/pF, n=16], P

AIM: To study the effect of experimental acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) on sodium and L-type calcium current in rat cardiomyocytes. METHODS: I Na and I Ca-L were recorded using whole cell patch-clamp techniques from left ventricular myocytes in ANP model established by retrograde injection of 3 5% sodium taurocholate 2 5 mL/kg into pancreatic duct. RESULTS: Peak I Na current density (at -30 mV) was significantly reduced in ANP [(12 45?2 26) pA/pF, n =16] compared with sham [(25 32?3 31) pA/pF, n= 14], P

Objectives To identify the COL7A1 gene mutation in a recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) family, and to perform prenatal diagnosis in the patient's offspring. Methods The genomic DNA, obtained from the patient and his wife, was used to screen all 118 exons of the type VII collagen gene (COL7A1) via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by direct DNA sequencing of the PCR products. Fetal DNA was extracted from amniotic fluid of the patient's wife at the 15th week of gestation. PCR, direct DNA sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were performed for prenatal diagnosis. Results The patient in this study was a compound heterozygote for a S48P missense mutation in exon 2 and an 11 base pair deletion (3625del11) leading to a premature termination codon (PTC) in exon 27, which are a novel combination of COL7A1 mutations in RDEB. The COL7A1 genotype of his wife was normal. In the fetus, the same deletion of 11 base pair (3625del11) was found in exon 27, but no mutation was found in exon 2. Thus, the fetus was predicted to be a clinically normal child with a carrier genotype. Seven months later, a clinically unaffected male infant was born and the prediction was confirmed. Conclusion We successfully performed the first DNA-based prenatal diagnosis in China in a family with Hallopeau-Siemens RDEB.

AIM: To study the current density and function of Na + channel in cells from the epicardial border zone of the 1-week infarcted rabbit heart. METHODS: Rabbits were infarcted by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. 1 week later, I Na was recorded using whole cell patch-clamp techniques in ventricular myocytes from infarcted heart(IZs) and compared with the I Na from noninfarcted heart(NZs). RESULTS: Peak I Na current density(at -30 mV) was significantly reduced in IZs(22 48?4 62 PA/PF, n= 14) compared with NZs(45 50?5 33 PA/PF, n= 12), P

OBJECTIVETo determine the feasibility and efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD) in treating early gastric cancer(EGC) and precancerous lesions in the remnant stomach of patients after gastrectomy.

METHODSClinical data of 36 patients with EGC and precancerous lesions in remnant stomach undergoing ESD in Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital from January 2008 to December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Operative, postoperative conditions and long-term follow-up of these patients were evaluated.

RESULTSBoth the success rate and the complete resection rate were 100%. The average maximum diameter of the tumor was 1.5(range 0.6-4.5) cm. During the ESD process, two bleeding cases were treated successfully by endoscopic hemostasis. The average operation time was 40(10-80) min. The delayed hemorrhage developed in 2 cases within 1-3 days after operation, and were also treated successfully by endoscopic hemostasis. There was no perforation or delayed perforation. No emergency surgery was required for the complication. Twelve cases were diagnosed as mild-moderate dysplasia, 7 cases as high grade intraepithelial neoplasia, 16 cases as hyperplastic polyps, and 1 case as signet ring cell carcinoma with T1 stage, who underwent operation for resecting gastric stump and lymph node dissection 7 days after ESD without subsequent follow-up. The curative resection rate was 92.7%(35/36). The median follow-up of the remaining 35 patients was 36(6-78) months without discomfort and recurrence under gastroscopy.

CONCLUSIONESD is safe and effective for EGC and precancerous lesions in the remnant stomach.

Adenocarcinoma ; Dissection ; Gastrectomy ; Gastric Mucosa ; Gastric Stump ; Gastroscopy ; Hemostasis, Endoscopic ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Operative Time ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of additional gastrectomy after endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD) on the prognosis of early gastric cancer.

METHODSClinical data of 107 early gastric cancer patients undergoing additional gastrectomy after ESD (research group, n=44) or radical surgery (control group, n=63) from January 2008 to December 2014 in Zhongshan Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The reasons for additional gastrectomy after ESD included positive resection margin (n=10), lymphovascular invasion (n=5), well-differentiated mucosal tumor with a diameter >3 cm (n=10), poor-differentiated mucosal tumor with a diameter >2 cm (n=4), submucosal tumor(sm1) with a diameter >3 cm (n=10), and submucosal tumor(sm2) (n=9). Operation time, length of stay, lymph node metastasis, tumor recurrence and disease-free survival rate were compared between two groups.

RESULTSBaseline data of two groups were not significantly different (all P>0.05). After evaluation, absolute and relative indications were identified in 19 cases (43.2%) and 25 cases (56.8%) of research group, and in 28 cases (44.4%) and 35 cases(55.6%) of control group without significant difference (P=0.897). Lymph node metastasis occurred in 6 patients (4.5%) after surgery in research group and 6.3% in control group (P=0.690). Operation time was (218.5±74.3) minutes in research group and (219.8±81.8) minutes in control group (P=0.932). Length of stay was (10.0±12.3) days in research group and (10.8±9.9) days in control group (P=0.687). Follow-up time was (35.5±15.0) months in research group and (29.5±18.1) months in control group (P=0.072). Tumor recurrence rate was 4.5% in research group and 9.5% in control group (χ(2)=0.928, P=0.229). Mortality was 4.5% in research group and 7.9% in control group (χ(2)=0.487, P=0.485). Besides, no significant differences of operation mode (P=0.164), lymphatic clearance mode (P=0.330), number of harvested lymph node (P=0.467), morbidity of postoperative infection or fever (P=0.923) were found. Three-year tumor-free survival rate was 95.5% and 89.2% in research and control group respectively without significant differences (P=0.571).

CONCLUSIONAdditional gastrectomy after endoscopic submucosal dissection has no negative influence on the prognosis of patients with early gastric cancer, whose efficacy is similar to simple radical gastrectomy.

Aged ; Disease-Free Survival ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Endoscopic Mucosal Resection ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; methods ; Gastric Mucosa ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Lymphatic Vessels ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Operative Time ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; surgery ; Survival Rate

Objective:To test the usefulness of PET-range verification (RV) method for proton radiation accuracy verification in poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) phantom using off-line PET/CT scanning.Methods:Proton irradiation dose of 2 Gy and 4 Gy were delivered in PMMA phantom. Given the difference of clinical target volume (CTV), 7 subgroups with different depth (5.0, 7.5, 10.0, 12.5, 15.0, 17.5, 20.0 cm) were set for each dose (14 radiation plans or radiation fields). PET/CT scan was performed 10 min after irradiation of 48-221 MeV proton beam. A co-registration between CT from treatment planning system and PET/CT was performed, as well as the smoothing and normalization of PET/CT data. The region of interest (ROI) and profile lines were drawn with the Raystation PET-RV software. The predictive induced radioactivity and the measured induced radioactivity profile lines were analyzed to evaluate the Δ R50, namely, the error at the position corresponding to 50% of the maximum predictive induced radioactivity at the end of both curves. Results:The size of each ROI was 5.0 cm×5.0 cm×2.5 cm. Profile lines were evenly distributed with the interval of 3 mm, and totally 289 pairs of profile lines were drew. The 2 Gy- and 4 Gy-dose groups yielded similar mean depth errors (Δ R50 between 1 mm and -1 mm with a standard deviation <1 mm). Conclusions:The off-line PET/CT scanning of PMMA phantom reveals a good agreement between predicted and measured PET data, with error of ±1 mm. The PET-RV method can be extended to clinical cases′ verification in human body treatment with further investigation.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disease. The diagnosis of schizophrenia so far relies heavily on subjective evidence, including self-reported experiences by patients, manifestations described by relatives, and abnormal behaviors assessed by psychiatrists. The diagnosis, monitoring of the disease progression and therapy efficacy assessment are challenging due to the lack of established laboratory biomarkers. Based on the current literature, clinical consensus, guidelines, and expert recommendations, this review highlighted evidence-based potential laboratory biomarkers for the diagnosis of schizophrenia, including genetic biomarkers, neurotransmitters, neurodevelopmental-related proteins, and intestinal flora, and discussed the potential future directions for the application of these biomarkers in this field, aiming to provide an objective basis for the use of these biomarkers in the early and accurate diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis and rehabilitation assessment of schizophrenia.

Neuroligins (NLs) are postsynaptic cell-adhesion proteins that play important roles in synapse formation and the excitatory-inhibitory balance. They have been associated with autism in both human genetic and animal model studies, and affect synaptic connections and synaptic plasticity in several brain regions. Yet current research mainly focuses on pyramidal neurons, while the function of NLs in interneurons remains to be understood. To explore the functional difference among NLs in the subtype-specific synapse formation of both pyramidal neurons and interneurons, we performed viral-mediated shRNA knockdown of NLs in cultured rat cortical neurons and examined the synapses in the two major types of neurons. Our results showed that in both types of neurons, NL1 and NL3 were involved in excitatory synapse formation, and NL2 in GABAergic synapse formation. Interestingly, NL1 affected GABAergic synapse formation more specifically than NL3, and NL2 affected excitatory synapse density preferentially in pyramidal neurons. In summary, our results demonstrated that different NLs play distinct roles in regulating the development and balance of excitatory and inhibitory synapses in pyramidal neurons and interneurons.
Animals ; Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Cerebral Cortex ; embryology ; physiology ; GABAergic Neurons ; physiology ; Interneurons ; physiology ; Membrane Proteins ; physiology ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; physiology ; Protein Isoforms ; physiology ; Pyramidal Cells ; physiology ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synapses ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine (split virion) and to analyze its cross-reactive antibody responses to H7N9 avian influenza virus.

METHODSAn open-labeled clinical trial was carried out in infants aged 6-35 months, adults aged 18-60 years and the elderly aged >60 years. After vaccinations (one dose for adults and the elderly and two doses for infants), adverse events were observed. Serum samples were obtained before vaccination and 21 days after vaccination from adults and elderly subjects. Three types of antibody against seasonal influenza virus and antibody against H7N9 avian influenza virus were tested using microhemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. Immunogenicity of the vaccine was evaluated based on the immunogenicity criteria for adults and the elderly, set by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for the European Medicines Agency.

RESULTSA total of 202 subjects (65 infants, 69 adults and 68 elderly) were enrolled and injected for at least one dose. The overall rate of adverse events was 12.4% (25/202) and most of them were under systemic reaction. No serious adverse event was reported. Pre- and post-vaccination serum samples were collected from 124 subjects (64 adults, 60 elderly). After 21 days of vaccination, the sero-conversion rate, sero-protection rate, and geometric mean titer (GMT) ratio (post-/pre-vaccination) of antibody against seasonal influenza virus were 78.1%-90.6%, 92.2%-100.0% and 7.9-41.0 among adults while 66.7%-83.3%, 86.7%-100.0% and 5.7-20.4 among the elderly, respectively. However, after vaccination, both sero-conversion rate and sero-protection rate of antibody against H7N9 avian influenza virus among adults and the elderly became zero, with GMT ratio between 1.2 and 1.4.

CONCLUSIONThis trial vaccine appeared to have good safety and immunogenicity but inducing no cross-reactive antibody response to H7N9 avian influenza virus.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Antibody Formation ; Child, Preschool ; Cross Reactions ; Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests ; Humans ; Infant ; Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype ; Influenza Vaccines ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Vaccines, Inactivated ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult