The term vasculogenic mimicry describes the formation of fluid-conducting channels by highly invasive and genetically dysregulated tumor cells. The molecular mechanisms of vasculogenic mimicry may be associated with phenotypically interconversion, tumor-extracellular matrix interactions and abnormality in signal pathway of tumor cells. It is recently discovered that in hepatocellular carcinoma vasculogenic mimicry may be associated with the invasive and metastatic potential of tumor cells, as well as poor clinical outcome. This article reviews the present research progression of vasculogenic mimicry in hepatocellular carcinoma.

0.05 ). But CD8 +CD28 -T suppressor cells from colitis rats was significantly higher than that from controls (spleen: 11.3% ? 2.3% vs. 5.6% ? 1.0% ; colon: 6.5% ?5.4% vs. 1.1 %? 0.6% , P 0.05 ; colon: 7.5% ? 4.2% vs. 16.9% ? 4.1% , P

Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Pharyngeal Diseases ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Pharynx ; innervation ; physiopathology ; Sensation

Objective To study the differences of anal manometry among dirrhea-dominant(DD), constipation-dominant(CD) irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) and functional constipation(FC), and to evaluate effects of sex and age on these parameters.Methods Age-matched 18 DD-IBS, 14 CD-IBS and 30 FC patients were selected, and 18 volunteers as healthy controls. Anal manometry was evaluated with localized point pull-extraction technique.Results The pressure parameters in DD-IBS, CD-IBS and FC were no significantly difference from those in healthy controls, but the threshold volume of gas to induce RAIR was significantly larger(P

Objective To investigate the role of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-Ⅰ , ⅠⅠ , platelet-derived growth factors (PDGF)-AA,-BB and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) in various stages of the pulmonary development in rats. Methods All lung tissues of fetal and neonatal rats were collected at the gestational age 18, 20, 21 d, and 1, 4, 7, 10 and 21 d after birth. The expression of IGF-Ⅰ , IGF- ⅠⅠ , PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively. The levels of IGF- Ⅰ , IGF-ⅠⅠ , PDGF-A, PDGF-B and KGF mRNA were measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results The peak expression of IGF-Ⅰ was at 4, 7 and 10 d after birth. IGF-ⅠⅠ was detectable early in fetal lung development and decreased gradually until 21 d after birth. The changes of IGF- Ⅰ , ⅠⅠ mRNA were similar to IGF- Ⅰ , ⅠⅠ polypeptides. The PDGF-A,PDGF-B mRNA were abundant early in fetal lung development. The steady state of PDGF-A chain mRNA was significantly different only at 7 d (0. 97?0. 23,P0. 05). The PDGF-AA polypeptide was abundant early in fetal lung development, and the expression peak was found in 1, 4 and 7 d after birth. KGF mRNA was higher in the fetal samples than that of rats after birth, but no difference in postnatal rats at all time points. Conclusions Peptide growth factors may play a critical role in the development of lung in rats.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Asthma ; therapy ; Female ; Humans

Previous studies have shown that hearing loss people are more likely to have not only abnormal speech communication, but also psychological problems especially emotional disorders, cognitive impairments and personality defects. Therefore, it is necessary to provide psychological support to patients during they accept medical therapy.
Communication ; Hearing Loss ; complications ; psychology ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; Mental Health ; Speech

Objective To investigate retrospectively the clinical characteristics of hospitalized ulcerative colitis(UC)patients of our department,and evaluate the diagnosis and treatment.Methods The cases of UC patients from 1989 to Jun 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. We analyzed the patients' symptoms,diagnosis,and treatment.Results There were 155 cases reviewed. The sex ratio(M/F)was 1.54∶ 1. The average age of patients was 41.8. The peak age of onset was 20~30. 32.3% of our cases were mild type,and 41.3% were moderate type,severe type were 26.5%. Of these pateints,52.9% were pancolitis,and 39.4% were chronic recurrent type,which was very common. Most cases(72.9%)were diagnosed by clinic combined with endoscope and pathology. Most of the severe UC responded well to the drug therapy. Very less(4.5%)had to underwent surgery. No patient died.Conclusion Most of our patients are mild or moderate type,and they respond well to drug some severe and moderate types need steroids and immuno suppressor. The extracolonic manifestation rate(12.9%)and operation rate(4.5%)are low.

Objective To study the persistence and replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in Epstein Barr virus (EBV) transforming peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) from patients with he patitis C as well as variation of hypervariable regions (HVR) of the HCV genome. Methods PBMC from one patient with hepatitis C was infected by EBV and then transformed into lymphoblasts capable of being propagated indefinitely. Then, HCV RNA of the cultured cells and supernatants was detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) every month and in situ PCR to identify the location of HCV RNA in the cells. The HVR genome sequences of HCV in the first and the ninth month subculture cells were identified by sequence analysis. Results HCV plus strand RNA could be detected in the cultured cells for as long as 1 year. The HCV plus strand RNA could be identified in supernatants and the minus strand RNA were also observed in the cultured cells intermittently. In situ PCR showed that the blue black positive signals of HCV RNA located mainly in cytoplasmas of EBV transforming B cell but negative in nucleous. The positive signal was not found in negative control cells by in situ RT PCR. HCV HVR genome sequence after half year was found to have two regions of a high degree of variability in 1491 to 1583 nucleotide (384 to 414 amino acid) and 1761～1781 nucleotide (473 to 479 amino acid). But, compared the HCV HVR genome sequence in first month subcultured cells with that in ninth month, there was not significant difference. Conclusion HCV may exist in the cultured cell line for a prolonged period wihtout HVR genome sequence changed.

The expression of nm23-H1 and p53 genes were studied with ABC immunohistochemical method in 54 cases of gastric cancer and 57 cases of colorectal cancer. The result showed that the expression of nm23-H1 was 72.2% in gastric cancer and 64.9% in colorectal cancer, respectively. No significant difference was found between the expression of this gene and lymph node metastasis of the cancers. The mutant p53 protein expression was 53.7% and 52.6% in gastric and colorectal cancers, respectively. Although it was not correlated with lymph node metastasis, its expression was significantly higher in cancers with distant metastases, suggesting that the mutant p53 protein expression may be indicative of poor prognosis in gastrointestinal cancers.