A endodermal sinus tumer (Teilum) is a highly malignant germ cell tumor showing a selective overgrowth of yalk sac endoderm intimately associated with the extraembryonic mesoblast. Several cases of the tumor originating from the ovaries have been reported in the literature. We present a case of the tumor with a rare origin from the sacrococcygeal region.
Endoderm ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; Female ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal ; Ovary ; Sacrococcygeal Region

The developing process of the hair of the fetal skin was studied. The ages of 103 human embryos and fetuses ranged from 4 to 40 gestation weeks. Ten different sites were selected, i.e., scalp, forehead, cheek, chest, abdomen, back, palm, sole, finger and toe. For the embryos 3 sites were studied, i.e., cephalic, trunk, and caudal portions. Following results were made: 1) The primitive hair germ was first noted the 10th week in the face skin as nubbins of mesenchymal cells beneath discrete foci of crowdes, elongated germinative epithelial cells. The developing hair germs and hair pegs were observes at the cephalic portion by 11 weeks. At 15 weeks the hair pegs including hair germs were noted in the trunk skin. The bulbous hair peg stage started at the 16th week in the cephalic portion and at the 18th week in the trunk. 2) Relative number of fetal hairs progressively increase up to 20 weeks of gestation but, thereafter decreased although it was different by the site of the body. 3) The diameter of fetal hair follicles increased with fetal age to the term with slight difference by the portion of body. 4) The developmental process of hair was more rapid in the cephalic portion than the trunk in views of morphologic changes of the hair structures, number and diameter of hair follicles.
Humans

Isolated acute monoarticular septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint is a extremely rare disorder, and is usually associated with predisposing factors such as contiguous foci of infection, heroin addiction, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus and maintenance hemodialysis. This case occurred in healthy adult. The etiological agent was staphylococcus aureus. Good result wads achieved by applying appropriate antibiotic therapy combined with an adequate drainage.
Adult ; Arthritis, Infectious ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Causality ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Drainage ; Heroin Dependence ; Humans ; Renal Dialysis ; Staphylococcal Infections ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Sternoclavicular Joint

Exosomes serve as vesicles to deliver protein, lipids, nucleic acids or other cellular components, to neighboring or distant cells. Recent studies have highlighted the potential therapeutic effects of stem cell-derived exosomes on cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Our previous studie-shave investigated the role of stem cell-derived exosomes in cardiac protection. Mesenchymalstem cells released miR-22-enriched exosomes after ischemic preconditioning and these exosomes showed protective effects oncardiomyocytes.MiR-21-conaining exosomes were secreted by H2O2-treated cardiac progenitor cells and protected cardiomyocytes from H2O2-induced apoptosis. Heat-shock lead to the production ofheat shock factor 1-enriched exosomes from cardiac stem cells, which reducedapoptosis of cardiomyocytes. Given these important effects of exosomes in intercellular communications, exosomes have been proposed as a vector for drug delivery or other therapeutic purposes. However, cells secretea limited number of exosomes, which has hampered the development of exosomes for research and clinical application.Synthetic exosome-mimics by cellextrusion or cell membrane-cloaked nanoparticles, which canbe fabricated on a large-scale, provide novel platforms fordrug delivery. Two Korean groups fabricated exosome-mimetic nanovesicles by extruding monocytes or macrophages through a serial of filters and utilized these exosome-mimetics for the delivery of anti-tumor drug. Recently,cell membrane-cloaked nanoparticles have emergedas a potential tool for drug delivery with the advantages ofimmunocompatibility, stability and targeting capabilityfor the treatment of cancer. In summary, exosomes or exosome-mimics may serve as potential therapeutic tools for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

We investigated the possibility of producing chicken alpha interferon (ChIFN-alpha) in transgenic plants. The cDNA encoding ChIFN-alpha was introduced into lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants by using an agro-infiltration transient expression system. The ChIFN-alpha gene was correctly transcribed and translated in the lettuce plants according to RT-PCR and ELISA assays. Recombinant protein exhibited antiviral activity in vitro by inhibition of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) replication on chicken embryonic fibroblast (CEF). The results demonstrate that biologically active avian cytokine with potential pharmaceutical applications could be expressed in transgenic lettuce plants and that it is possible to generate interferon protein in forage plants for preventing infectious diseases of poultry.
Animals ; Chickens ; Interferon Type I ; biosynthesis ; Interferon-alpha ; genetics ; Lettuce ; genetics ; Plants, Genetically Modified ; genetics ; Recombinant Proteins

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of antisense monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (A-MCP-1) nanoparticles (NPs) as gene carrier on gene transfer in two kinds of animal models.

METHODSPoly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) was used to make the NPs loaded with A-MCP-1 through a double-emulsion/solvent evaporation technique. NPs size was assessed by dynamic laser defractometer. The particle morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy. DNA content in the NPs was measured by dissolving known amounts of NPs in chloroform and extracting DNA with water. In vitro release was performed in tris-EDTA buffer at 37 degrees C using double-chamber diffusion cells. The receiver buffer was replaced daily. The A-MCP-1 NPs was transfected into the cultured smooth muscle cells. PCR was used to evaluate the transfection of A-MCP-1. Cationic lipid (Lipofectamine) was used to transfect A-MCP-1 as control. After 48 hours incubation, cells were digested and examined by polymerase chain reaction. Twenty New Zealand white rabbits under jugular vein to artery bypass grafting procedure were divided into four groups: the first group received grafts treated with A-MCP-1 NPs, the second group received grafts treated with cationic liposome (dioleoyl trimethyl ammonium propane)-A-MCP-1, the third group received grafts treated with plasmid DNA, and the fourth group received grafts without transfection as control. Fourteen days after surgery the grafts were harvested. The expression of A-MCP-1 and its effect on MCP-1 in vein grafts were detected by dot blotting. The morphology of the grafts was investigated. To establish abdominal aortic aneurysms rats model, rats were randomly divided into three groups: A-MCP-1 NPs injection group, shame NPs injection group and control groups (without injection). Two weeks after surgery, diameter of abdominal aorta was measured and aortic tissue was obtained for PCR analysis to evaluate the A-MCP-1 expression. Western blot were applied to detect the inhibitory effect to the expression of MCP-1 mRNA and CD68 protein by A-MCP-1 NPs.

RESULTSNPs size ranged 198nm to 205nm with average around 201.4 nm. DNA content in the NPs was 4.14%. NPs showed steady release rate in vitro in Tris-EDTA solution. It released faster in the first week then maintained a slowly sustained release up to 16 days. In cell culture A-MCP-1 gene successfully transfected into smooth muscle cells by NPs vector. In vein grafting animal model, A-MCP-1 expression was detected in the vascular walls of NPs and cationic lipid treated groups. The degree of vascular hyperplasia in the gene NPs treated group was significantly lower than that in control group. There was no significant difference in the inhibition of intimal hyperplasia between NPs and cationic lipid treated groups. Two weeks after transfection in abdominal aortic aneurysm rats models, the abdominal aortic diameter of A-MCP-1 NPs injection group was (1.79 +/- 0.12) mm, significantly smaller than that of control groups [shame NPs group was (2.58 +/- 0.21) mm, and saline group was (2.63 +/- 0.29) mm] (P < 0.01). The expressions of MCP-1 mRNA and CD68 protein in A-MCP-1 NPs injection group were 12.5 +/- 1.5 and 17.6 +/- 2.1, which were much lower than those in control group [in shame NPs group, which were 35.7 +/- 4.5, 42.3 +/- 5.7 (P < 0.01), and saline group which is 32.4 +/- 3.9, 39.8 +/- 4.8 (P < 0.01)]. Specific band of A-MCP-1 was detected only in the A-MCP-1 NPs injection group by PCR.

CONCLUSIONA-MCP-1 gene NPs can be successfully used in rabbit vein grafting model and abdominal aortic aneurysm rats models, and may be potentially applied in clinical practice.

Animals ; Aortic Aneurysm ; genetics ; Chemokine CCL2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genetic Vectors ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; Models, Animal ; Nanoparticles ; Oligonucleotides, Antisense ; genetics ; Polyglycolic Acid ; chemistry ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Rats ; Transfection

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Feces ; chemistry ; Female ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Microsomes, Liver ; metabolism ; Papaverine ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Vasodilator Agents ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; pharmacokinetics

Cisplatin (CDDP), homoharringtonine (HHT), mitoxantrone (MIT) and hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) are highly effective anti-tumor drugs. To evaluate their effects in the therapy of leukemia and establish a valuable method to estimate anti-tumor drugs, Annexin V/PI double parameter flow cytometry was used to detect the effects of these drug inducing apoptosis and death in Jurkat cell line. The results showed that MIT and HCTP-induced apoptosis effects on Jurkat cell line were obvious at 4 hours in early phase after adding drug (P < 0.05) and at 8 hours in late phase after adding drug (P < 0.05). HHT had obvious effect on inducing apoptosis of Jurkat cells, but no significant difference from low to high doses. The effect of CDDP on inducing apoptosis of Jurkat cell line was obviously weaker than that of HHT, MIT and HCPT, its weak effect on apoptosis of Jurkat cell line was found only at high concentration of drug for long time. Death effects on Jurkat cell line can not be observed in every experimental group. It is concluded that low dose of MIT can effectively induced apoptosis of Jurkat cell line. Annexin V/PI double parameter flow cytometry can be used as a reliable method for clinical screening anti-tumor drugs.
Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Camptothecin ; pharmacology ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor ; methods ; Harringtonines ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Jurkat Cells ; Mitoxantrone ; pharmacology