OBJECTIVETo study the combination of Mandibular distraction and orthognathic techniques for the reconstruction of adult hemifacial microsomia.

METHODSThe three-dimensional CT reconstruction data was used with Mimics for preoperation design. The osteotomy location, distraction vector, distraction distance were decided before operation with a surgical guider. At the first stage, internal distractor was implanted after ostetomy through an extra-oral approach. The distraction begun 5-7 days after operation with a frequency of 1 mm/day. After distraction, the distractor was maintained for 3-6 months. At the second stage, the distractor was removed. Le Fort I osteotomy was performed in order to correct the cross-bite and improve the facial contour. Usually, bone graft was inserted into the gap after Le Fort I osteotomy. The genioplasty was also performed if necessary.

RESULTS9 cases of adult hemifacial microsomia with severe mandibular deviation were treated. The facial asymmetry were improved greatly. 1 patient suffered an wound infection in the maxillary region after Le Fort I osteotomy and healed uneventfully with wound irrigation.

CONCLUSIONSMandibular distraction combined with orthognathic surgery is an effective procedure for adult hemifacial microsomia with complicated mandibular hypoplasia.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Facial Asymmetry ; surgery ; Goldenhar Syndrome ; surgery ; Humans ; Mandible ; surgery ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; methods ; Osteotomy, Le Fort ; methods

Objective To study the influence and dose effect of ultrasound on the contraction of uterine smooth muscle in rats.Methods Estradiol benzoate was injected into rats three days before conducting an in-vitro experiment.Their uteri were resected and irradiated with ultrasound(0.8 MHz,3 W/cm~2,0-40 rain).The contrac- tion frequency and amplitude were recorded using an MS-302 biological experiment system.Results It could be seen that the contraction frequency and amplitude,and general contractile activity were significantly increased during ultrasonic irradiation(P＜0.01).The increased contraction frequency and amplitude lasted for ten minutes,and then the normal contraction pattern resumed.The contraction frequency as well as the percentage change in eontraction fre- quency were highest during the first 15 minutes of ultrasonic irradiation;the contraction amplitude as well as the per- centage change in amplitude were highest during 40 minutes of ultrasonic irradiation.Contraction activity was at its highest for 30 minutes,but the percentage change in activity was highest for 20 minutes.Conclusions Ultrasound can induce uterine smooth muscle contraction in rats.This biological effect is related to the irradiation time.

Objective:To investigate the effects of mycophenolate mofetil ( MMF) on the differentiation and connective tissue growth factor(CTGF)and fibronectin(FN)expression of lung fibroblasts(LF)through interfering the transdifferentiation of LF into MF in vitro.Methods:LF of neonatal rat were cultured in vitro ,induced into MF by transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),and treated with different concentrations of MMF ,which was 0μmol/L(control group),0.1μmol/L(low dose group),1μmol/L(middle dose group)or 10 μmol/L( high dose group ) .Morphology of LF and MF were observed by inverted phase contrast microscope , the expressions of vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were identified by immunofluorescence staining ,and then analyzed the effect of MMF on the transdifferentiation of fibroblasts .ELISA was used to detect the levels of connective tissue growth factor ( CTGF ) and fibronectin ( FN) .Results: LF was induced into MF by TGF-β196 hours later.The immune fluorescence performance of α-SMA in the lung fibroblasts revealed MMF could suppress the expression of α-SMA,but had no effect on the phenotype of myofibroblasts .The results of ELISA showed that the levels of CTGF and FN were significantly decreased compar with that of control group and was concentration -de-pendent ( P<0.05 ) .Conclusion: MMF can prevent lung fibroblasts from transdifferentiating into myofibroblasts and inhibit the expressions of CTGF and FN ,suggesting that MMF has anti-fibrosis effect and one of the mechanisms is by suppressing the expressions of CTGF and FN.

BACKGROUNDCancer of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction remains a virulent malignancy with poor prognosis. Rapid progresses were made in chemotherapeutic agents and the development of molecular markers allowed better identification of candidates for targeted therapy. This study aimed to identify the candidate peptides used for anti-angiogenic therapy of esophageal cancer by in vivo screening C7C peptide library for peptides binding specifically to blood vessels of human esophageal cancer.

METHODSThe phage displayed C7C peptide library was injected intravenously into mice bearing human esophageal tumor xenografts under renal capsule. After 5 rounds of screening, 13 clones were picked up individually and sequenced. During each round of screening, titers of phage recovery were calculated from tumor xenograft and control tissues. Homing of these 9 peptides to tumor vessel was detected by calculating phage titers in the tumor xenograft and control tissues (lung and spleen) after each phage was injected into mice model, and compared with the distribution of phage M13 and VIII-related antigen in tumor xenograft by immunohistochemical staining. Comparisons among groups of data were made using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by the Bonferroni multiple comparisons test.

RESULTSThe number of phage recovered from tumor tissue of each round increased gradually in tumor group while decreased in control groups (P < 0.01 in tumor and spleen, P < 0.05 in lung). Immunohistochemical staining showed similar staining pattern with M13 antibody or VIII-related antigen antibody, suggesting that phages displaying the selected peptides could home to blood vessel of human esophageal cancer. According to their DNA, 9 corresponding peptide sequences were deduced. And the homing ability to blood vessel of phages displaying the selected peptides was confirmed by comparing with their recovery in tumor and control tissues. Two motifs, YSXNXW and PXNXXN, were also obtained by analyzing the homology of these peptide sequences. The staining distribution of phage with the sequence of PNPNNST was similar to that of the blood vessel marker factor VIII-related antigen staining. After sequencing, each phage with the selected peptide of PNPNNST with 1.0 × 10(11) pfu/ml was injected intravenously into mice. The homing ability to tumor vessel of these 9 kinds of peptides in the xenograft was higher than control tissues (lung and spleen).

CONCLUSIONNine peptides obtained from in vivo screening homed to the blood vessel of human esophageal cancer, and the two motifs of YSXNXW and PXNXXN are the possible biochemical recognition units binding to vascular endothelial cells of esophageal cancer.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; blood supply ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Peptide Library ; Peptides ; therapeutic use

BACKGROUNDTuberculosis remains the leading cause of human death. Currently, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only available vaccine against tuberculosis but its efficacy is highly variable. Thus, developing new tuberculosis vaccines becomes an urgent task. In this study, we evaluated in BALB/c mice the humoral and cellular immune responses of recombinant BCG expressing the antigen ESAT-6 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

METHODSEscherichia coli-BCG shuttle plasmid named pDE22-esat-6 was constructed by inserting the BamHI/EcoRI digested esat-6 gene PCR product into the similarly digested parental plasmid pDE22. BCG cells were transformed with pDE22-esat-6, which was named recombinant BCG (rBCG). BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously on the back with 100 microl normal saline containing 10(6) CFU of BCG or rBCG. They were sacrificed after 4 weeks to detect their humoral and cellular responses.

RESULTSThere was no any significant differences in the growth characteristics between the conventional BCG and rBCG. In immunized mice, the IgG antibody titres of rBCG group were as high as 1:8000, which was significantly higher than that in BCG group (1:1400, P < 0.05). The elicited IFN-gamma level of rBCG group was (1993 +/- 106) pg/ml, which was also significantly higher than that in BCG group ((1463 +/- 105) pg/ml, P < 0.05). The splenocyte proliferation index of rBCG group reached 4.34 +/- 0.31, which was higher than that of BCG group (3.79 +/- 0.24, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONrBCG secreted expressing antigen ESAT-6 stimulated stronger humoral and cellular immune responses than BCG did, and, therefore may be the better vaccine against mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Animals ; Antigens, Bacterial ; genetics ; immunology ; BCG Vaccine ; immunology ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Interferon-gamma ; biosynthesis ; Lymphocyte Activation ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; immunology ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; Vaccines, Synthetic ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo study the adaptive alteration in bilaminar zone of rabbits' temporomandibular joint following disc displacement.

METHODSTwenty-six Japanese white rabbits were used in this study. Among these rabbits,6 were used as controls. The right discs of other 20 rabbits were displaced anteriorly by operation. Four of these rabbits were killedatn 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks respectively after surgery. The TMJS were studied by HE staining, Alcin bluen staining and in situ detection of type II collagen mRNA expression.

RESULTSThere appeared cartilage metaplasia after one week following disc displacement. Typical chondrocytes could be found in the bilaminar zone. The new chondrocytes expressed type II collagen.

CONCLUSIONSThe bilaminar zone of TMJ will be remodeled following disc displacement and become a disc-like tissue to function as a disc.

Animals ; Collagen Type II ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Female ; Joint Dislocations ; metabolism ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; Rabbits ; Temporomandibular Joint Disc ; metabolism ; pathology ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders ; metabolism ; pathology

BACKGROUNDEpidermic studies have suggested a pathophysiological link between obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and atherosclerosis (AS); for which carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) has been considered as an early marker. The pathogenesis by which OSAHS can induce AS has not been elucidated. This study was conducted to investigate the association among plasma interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels, carotid IMT and the severity of OSAHS.

METHODSBased on the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) during sleep monitored by polysomnography, 52 male patients with OSAHS were recruited as the OSAHS group which was further divided into mild OSAHS (n = 16), moderate OSAHS (n = 18), and severe OSAHS (n = 18) subgroups. Eighteen healthy subjects were selected as the control group. Of all OSAHS patients, 20 with moderate-to-severe OSAHS underwent continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for 90 days. HDL5000 color Doppler ultrasonography was used to measure carotid IMT. Plasma IL-18 levels were measured by ELISA.

RESULTSCompared with the plasma IL-18 levels in the control group ((250.27 +/- 76.48) pg/ml), there was a significant increase in the mild OSAHS subgroup ((352.08 +/- 76.32) pg/ml), the moderate subgroup ((600.17 +/- 83.91) pg/ml), and the severe OSAHS subgroup ((9797.64 +/- 109.83) pg/ml) (all P < 0.01). Moreover, there was a significant difference in plasma IL-18 levels among the three OSAHS subgroups (P < 0.01). Carotid IMT was significantly greater in the severe OSAHS subgroup than in the mild OSAHS subgroup (P < 0.01). Before CPAP treatment, plasma IL-18 levels were positively correlated with carotid IMT (r = 0.486, P < 0.001) and with AHI (r = 0.865, P < 0.001). On day 90 of CPAP treatment, plasma IL-18 levels were significantly declined but carotid IMT was not changed significantly.

CONCLUSIONSIn untreated OSAHS patients carotid IMT and plasma IL-18 were positively correlated and were significantly higher than in normal controls; the elevation of plasma IL-18 levels was correlated with the severity of OSAHS. Inflammatory response associated with OSAHS may be related to the development of AS. By improving AHI, miniSaO(2), and reducing plasma IL-18 levels, CPAP treatment may slow down or prevent the development of AS in OSAHS patients.

Adult ; Carotid Arteries ; pathology ; Electrocardiography ; Electroencephalography ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Interleukin-18 ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Tunica Intima ; pathology

To study the lead excretion effect of the chelator Zn-DTPA on the lead intoxication mice, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied to detect the lead content of biological samples. The acute lead intoxication mice model was established by injecting lead acetate intraperitoneally with the dose of 1 mg. Zn-DTPA was administered intraperitoneally to mice once daily for five consecutive days 4 h after intoxication. Control group, model group, combination of Zn-DTPA and Ca-DTPA group were evaluated at the same time. The urine was collected every day. The mice were sacrificed in batches in the 2rd, 4th, 6th day. Biological samples including urine, whole blood, femur and brain were prepared and nitrated. Lead concentration was detected by ICP-MS. The result showed that Zn-DTPA could increase lead content in urine markedly and reduce lead content in blood, femur and brain.
Animals ; Chelating Agents ; pharmacology ; Lead ; pharmacokinetics ; urine ; Lead Poisoning ; drug therapy ; Mass Spectrometry ; Mice ; Pentetic Acid ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo construct hu-PBL/SCID chimeras and to investigate the development of lymphoma and oncogenicity of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

METHODSHuman peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) were isolated from healthy adult donors and transplanted intraperitoneally into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Mice with hu-PBL engraftment from healthy EBV seronegative donors were injected intraperitoneally with EBV-containing supernatant from suspension culture of B95-8 cell line (active infection), whereas mice receiving lymphocytes from healthy EBV seropositive donors were not re-infected with B95-8 derived EBV (latent infection). Pathological examination and molecular analysis were performed on experimental animals and induced neoplasms.

RESULTSIn the early stage of this experiment, 12 mice died of acute graft-versus-host disease, mortality was 34.3% (12/35 mice) with an average life span of 17.5 days. In 19 survival hu-PBL/SCID chimeric recipients from 12 healthy donors, tumor incidence was 84.2% (16/19 mice). The average survival time of tumor-bearing mice was 65.5 days. EBV-related neoplasms in SCID mice were nodular tumors with aggressive and fatal features. Histological morphology of tumors exhibited diffuse large cell lymphomas. Immunohistochemistry revealed that LCA (CD45) and L26 (CD20) were positive, but both PS1 (CD3) and UCHL-1 (CD45RO) were negative, and EBV products ZEBRA, LMP1, and EBNA2 were expressed in a small number of tumor cells. EB virus particles were seen in the nuclei of some tumor cells by electron microscopy, and EBV DNA could be amplified in the tumor tissues by PCR. In situ hybridization indicated that the nuclei of tumor cells contained human-specific Alu sequence.

CONCLUSIONSEBV-induced tumors were human B-cell malignant lymphomas. We obtained direct causative evidence dealing with EBV-associated tumor deriving from normal human cells.

Adult ; Animals ; Antigens, CD20 ; metabolism ; Chimera ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; immunology ; virology ; Graft vs Host Disease ; prevention & control ; virology ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; physiology ; Humans ; Leukocyte Common Antigens ; metabolism ; Leukocyte Transfusion ; methods ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; immunology ; virology ; Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, SCID