Models of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism were prepared in Wistar rats by levothyroxine and tapazole respectively. The levels of blood glucose, insulin and glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) of hepatocytic membrane were higher in mild and severe hyperthyroid rats than those in control rats (P

Objective To identify the impact of estradiol on the goiter and the function of the thyroid gland with different dosages of estradiol.Methods 48 Wistar rats(female,normal state) were divided into 4 groups: Ⅰ,ovx,Ⅱ,sham;Ⅲ,ovx+E_(2)-low and Ⅳ ovx +E_(2)-large.In each group,we applied nuclide scanning of()~(131)I and()~(99)mTcO4 to detect the thyroid iodine uptake and adopted the technique of RT-PCR to test the expression of NIS.Quantity of TSH、FT_(3)、FT_(4) and the estradiol were examined.Results The expression of NIS was inhibited in group Ⅰ and group Ⅳ.Conclutions Estradiol can enhance the capability of the thyroid glands uptaking iodine and inhibit the expression of NIS and so estradiol is a very important component in the pathogenesis of goiter.

AIM: To study the role of acylation stimula ting protein (ASP) in the differentiation of 3T3-F442A preadipocytes. METHODS: Differentiation of 3T3-F442A preadipocytes was induced by ASP. The morphological changes were observed by Oil-Red O staining and the di fferentiation rate was compared. TG synthesis and TG mass in these cells were al so assayed. DNA synthesis was measured by -TdR incorporation. A typical differentiation inducer, insulin, was used as a positive control to compare thes e results. RESULTS: (1) 3T3-F442A preadipocytes were induced to differentia te by ASP alone. Fat droplets were clearly visible in the cytoplasm of 3T3-F442A cells. The differentiation rate was high (90%), but no significant difference w as observed, compared with that in insulin group (95%). (2) In ASP group, TG syn thesis and TG mass were significantly increased, both of them were higher than t hat in control group (P0.05). CONCLUSION: As a new adipocytes hormone, ASP plays an important biological role in the differentiation of preadipocytes.

AIM: To study the expression of three kinds of transcriptional factors PPAR?, C/EBP? and C/EBP ?mRNA during differentiation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes induced by acylation stimulating protein. METHODS: There were three groups in the study divided by the difference differentiation inducer: (1) control group: incubating the cells without any inducer; (2) IBMX+DEX group: incubating the cells with IBMX and DEX; (3) ASP group: incubating the cells with ASP, IBMX and DEX. The insulin of the typical hormone cocktail method was taken place by ASP. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were induced to differentiate by 50 mg/L ASP+0.5 mol/L IBMX+1.0 ?mol/L DEX. The cells were harvested on the first day, second day,4th day, 6th day and 8th day after differentiation, then the total RNA of these cells were abstracted. The transcription factors PPAR?, C/EBP?, and C/EBP? mRNA expressions were assayed by RT-PCR. RESULTS: (1) During the differentiation induced by ASP group, PPAR? mRNA expression in the 3T3-L1 cells were very low on the first day after inducing differentiation. The expression was increased lightly on the second and 4th day after inducing differentiation, and it was kept on the high level on the 6th and 8th day after induction. The C/EBP? mRNA was expressed at low level on the first day after inducing differentiation. It was increased significantly on the second day and decreased significantly on the 4th day after induction. C/EBP? mRNA was not be detected on the 6th and 8th day after induction. The expression of C/EBP? mRNA was low on the first day after inducing differentiation. It was increased on the second and 4th day after induction and it was kept on high level on the 6th and 8th day after induction. (2) During the differentiation induced by IBMX+DEX group, PPAR?, C/EBP? and C/EBP? mRNA expressions were increased at the beginning of differentiation, but the levels of expression were lower than those in ASP group. CONCLUSION: The sequential expression of these transcription factors induced by ASP may be the important mechanism for the role of ASP to induce the preadipocytes to differentiate.

Objective To analyze the endoscopic features of patients with the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and crural diaphragm (CD) separation and explore its significance in hiatus hernia (HH) diagnosis.Methods From January 2011 to June 2012,the data of patients underwent esophagus high resolution manometry (HRM) examination were retrospectively analyzed and of which the patients with LES-CD separation were selected.Patients who received digestive tracts operation or lack of complete endoscopic date were excluded.A total of 93 cases were enrolled for analysis.According to Chicago Criteria,the cases were divided into three groups.There were 21 cases in type Ⅰ group (LES-CD separation＜1 cm),37 cases in type Ⅱ group (LES-CD separation≥l cm and ＜2 cm),35 cases in type Ⅲ group (LES-CD separation≥2 cm).The differences among groups in endoscopic features were analyzed.HRM were taken as golden standard,the sensitivity and specificity of endoscopy in HH diagnosis were analyzed.Measurement data were expressed as x ± s,one-way ANOVA was performed for multi-groups comparisons,LSD method or Dunnett T3 test for pairwise comparisons and chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for two groups' comparisons.Results There were no significant differences in the distance between esophagus gastric junction (EGJ) and foreteeth of the three groups (P＞0.05).Distances between EGJ and diaphragmatic HH pressure impression in type Ⅲ group,type Ⅱ group and type Ⅰ group were (3.57±0.78) cm,(1.89±0.81) cm and (1.14±0.67) cm,respectively and the differences were significant (LSDt=9.26,11.44,3.57; all P＜0.05).The percentage of continuously-open cardia and showing pressure impression of the gastric pouch of type Ⅲ group was higher than that of type Ⅱ group and the percentage of continuously-open cardia and showing pressure impression of gastric poach of type Ⅱ group was higher than that of type Ⅰ group (80.0％,40.5％ and 4.8％,x2 =11.64,29.76 and 8.59; 91.4％,27.0％ and 4.8％,x2 =30.69,40.73 and 4.32' all P＜0.05).The occurrence rates of the His angle blunting and sac of type Ⅲ group were higher than those of typeⅡ group and type Ⅰ group (74.3％ and 77.1％,24.3％ and 24.3％,4.8％ and 4.8％,x2 =17.97 and 25.41,both P＜0.05),there was no significant difference between type Ⅱ group and type Ⅰ group (P＞0.05).The rates of esophagitis of type Ⅲ group and type Ⅱ group were higher than that of type Ⅰ group (71.4％,59.5％ and 14.3％,x2 =17.14 and 11.15,both P＜0.05),there was no significant difference between type Ⅲ group and type Ⅱ group (P＞0.05).There was one case of Barrett's esophagus in each group.The sensitivity and specificity of endoscopy in HH diagnosis were 91.4％ and 81.0％,respectively.Conclusions The distance between EGJ and hiatal pressure impression,continuously-open cardia,the His angle blunting,hiatal pressure impression of the gastric pouch and hernia sac were important indicators of HH endoscopic features.The sensitivity of endosocopy is higher than the spcificity of endosocopy in HH diagnosis.

The non-neuronal cholinergic system, widely exists in prokaryotic, eukarytic, and even plant cells, however, it has not been investigated in preadipocytes and adipocytes. To search for evidence its existence in preadipocytes and adipocytes, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) α7 subunit, acetyicholinesterase (ACHE) and choline acetyltransferase (CHAT) in 3T3-L1 cells were examined using immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting. The choline-regulated visfatin expression in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes was also tested by reverse transcriptase-PCR. Incubation with methyilycaconitine (10-6 to 10-4mol/L) for 12, 24 and 36 hours dose-dependently increased visfatin expression from 1.3- to 1.55-folds (P <0.01) with maximal induction at 24 hours with 10-4mol/L methyllycaconitine. Nicotine treatments (10-6 to 10-4 mol/L) for 12, 24 and 36 hours decreased visfatin expression; choline chloride (10-4 mol/L))suppressed visfatin expression in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes at 36 hours by 1.64 to 2.03 fold (P < 0.05) which was more effective as compared with nicotine. It was concluded that α7 nAChR was expressed in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and involved in visfatin expression.

Objcctive To detect the telomerase activity in rat hepatic oval cells, and to explore the relationship between telomerase expression and the proliferation and differentiation of oval cells. Methods The 2-acetamidofluorene/partial bepatectomy (2-AAF/PH) rat model was used to induce the proliferation of oval cells. Oval cells were isolated by modified collagenase perfusion and gradient centrifugation. Electron microscope exami-nation and immunofluorescence were adopted to identify oval cells. Immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and fluores-cence quantitative PCR were used to detect the expression of telomerase in oval cells. All the data collected were analyzed by t test. Results The proliferatiun of oval cells was successfully induced by 2-AAF/PH rat model. Freshly isolated oval cells showed a large and ovoid nuclei, a small proportion of cytomplasm and a cobblestone appearance. When viewed by electron microscopy, there were few and immature organelles, and the nucleus/ cytoplasm ratio was high. Immunofluorescence staining showed that oval cells expressed OV-6, alpha-fetoprotein, cytokeratin-19, albumin and c-kit. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) was located in the nuclei of oval cells which were around the portal areas. As oval cells differentiated into small hepatocytes, the number of TERT-positive cells decreased significantly. The expression level of TERT mRNA in normal rat liver tissue was 2.27 times higher than that in LE-6 oval cells; the expression level of TERT mRNA in the isolated oval cells was 1.26 times higher than that in LE-6 oval cells. The telomerase activity decreased gradually (from △A=1.05, 1.15 to △A=0.25, 0.45) as the increase of oval cells passage (from passage 24 to passage 40) (t=17.74, 12.38, P<0.05). Conclusions Oval cells have telomerase activity. Telomerase may be indispensable for maintaining the proliferative and multi-directional differentiation abilities of oval cells.

The expression of Survivin, CDK4 and Ki-67 and the clinical significance in pediatric acute leukemia (AL) were investigated. The expression of Survivin, CDK4 and Ki-67 proteins was detected by using immunohistochemical assay in 37 children with AL and 10 children with normal bone marrow as controls. The positive expression rate of Survivin, CDK4 and Ki-67 was 45.9 %, 56.8 %, and 40.5 % respectively in 37 AL children, which was significantly higher than in control group accordingly (P<0.05). The expression of Survivin was positively correlated with CDK4 (P=0.007) and Ki-67 (P=0.008). In conclusion, all Survivin, CDK4 and Ki-67 proteins are over-expressed in pediatric AL and involved in the modulation of apoptosis and proliferation in pediatric AL.

BACKGROUND:Cholecystokinin as an endogenous neuroprotective factor in the nervous system has garnered increasing attention. Findings from previous animal studies show that cholecystokinin can effectively promote the regeneration of the injured peripheral nerve. On this basis, further clinical trials wil be performed to observe whether local application of cholecystokinin at nerve anastomosis can promote peripheral nerve regeneration.
METHODS/DESIGN:As a prospective randomized controled trial, this study wil enrol 100 patients with complete rupture of the peroneal nerve, who wil be randomly divided into two groups: after nerve suture and partial gelatin sponge infiltration at nerve anastomosis, the patients wil be treated with 8 nmol/kg cholecystokinin (treatment group) or saline (control group). At 6, 12, 24 weeks after treatment, common peroneal nerve conduction velocity and electromyography and nerve fiber morphology wil be detected; the clinical efficacy at the last folow-up wil be assessed; and al adverse events during the folow-up wil be recorded to assess the therapeutic efficacy and safety.
DISCUSSION:In this study, cholecystokinin as an inducing agent for nerve growth factor synthesis wil be observed and studied, with a view to providing a new idea for seeking peripheral nerve therapy.
ETHICAL APPROVAL: The study protocol was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Putian University (approval No. 2014116). Written informed consent wil be obtained from patients before treatment.

To explore immune intervention effects of the combined use of cycloporin A (CsA) and 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3[1,25(OH)2D3] at low doses on experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT), porcine thyroglobulin (pTG) was injected into a CBA mouse at the dose of 100 micrograms on day 0 and day 14 to establish the model of EAT. The immune prevention group from day 0 to day 28, and treatment group from day 10 to day 38 were daily administered CsA (10 mg/kg) intragastrically and/or 1,25(OH)2D3 (0.2 microgram/kg) i.p. After immunized by pTG, the mice were sacrificed on day 28 and day 38 to examine their thyroid gland pathologically, and to check the levels of serum porcine thyroglobulin antibodies (pTGAb), porcine thyromicrosomal antibodies (pTMAb). The incidences of EAT in the immune prevention group and treatment group, with administration of low dose of CsA and 1,25(OH)2D3, were decreased respectively by 44.44% and 37.50%. Those of severe disease in the two groups were decreased respectively by 71.43% and 60.32%. The levels of serum pTGAb and pTMAb in the immune prevention group were lower than those of the positive control group. It was concluded that combined use of CsA and 1,25(OH)2D3 at low doses could effectively prevent EAT with a synergic effect.
Animals ; Antibodies ; blood ; Calcitriol ; therapeutic use ; Cyclosporine ; therapeutic use ; Drug Synergism ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred CBA ; Thyroglobulin ; immunology ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune ; drug therapy ; immunology ; prevention & control