Objective To investigate the expression and significance of syntaxin 8 (STX8) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC),and analyze the relationship between STX8 expression and clinicopathological features of NSCLC.Methods Seventy samples of NSCLC and 70 samples of pericancerous tissues were collected for immunohistochemistry staining,and another 10 samples of NSCLC and pericancerous tissues were used for RNA and protein extraction,qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of STX8 mRNA,and Western blot assay was adopted to detect the expression of STX8 protein.The relationship between STX8 expression and clinicopathological features of NSCLC was analyzed.Results Results of qRT-PCR showed that the expression of STX8 mRNA was significantly higher in NSCLC tissues than that in the pericancerous tissues (3.962 5±0.487 3 vs.0.538 2±0.097 5,t=21.797,P＜0.01).Immunohistochemistry results showed that the high expression rate of STX8 was significantly higher in NSCLC tissues than that in the pericancerous tissues [71.43％ (50/70) vs.38.57％ (27/70),x2=15.267,P＜0.01].Western blot results showed that the expression of STX8 protein was significantly higher in NSCLC tissues than that in the pericancerous tissues (2.496 1±0.362 5 vs.0.340 2±0.119 1,t=17.876,P＜0.01).The high expression rate of STX8 was significantly different in different histological types of NSCLC (P ＜0.05).The high expression rate of STX8 was higher in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma than that in adenosquamous carcinoma,and the high expression rate of STX8 was not observed in large cell carcinoma.There were no significant differences in expressions of STX8 in NSCLC patients with different gender,ages,tumor diameters,TNM stages and with or without lymph node metastasis (P＞0.05).Conclusion A high expression of STX8 in NSCLC tissues may be correlated with the occurrence and development of NSCLC.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the differential diagnosis and treatment of acute scrotum.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics of 316 cases of acute scrotum and reviewed the related literature.

RESULTSAmong the total number, there were 117 cases of acute epididymitis (37.0%), 76 acute orchitis (24.1%), 39 acute periorchitis (12.3%), 23 acute scrotal infection (7.3%), 21 testicular trauma (6.6%), 17 idiopathic scrotal edema (5.4%), 16 testicular torsion (5.1%), and 7 scrotal gangrene (2.2%). Eighty-one of them underwent surgery and 235 received conservative treatment, of whom 1 with scrotal gangrene died of toxic shock for refusing surgical drainage. Those with testicular torsion all showed positive results in Prehn's test and responded well to surgery.

CONCLUSIONAcute scrotum is detrimental to male health, for which early diagnosis and prompt treatment are essential.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Epididymitis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Orchitis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Scrotum ; pathology ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of positron emission tomography (PET) in diagnosing liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

METHODSEighteen patients suspected with liver metastases after resection of colorectal cancer and three patients suspected with other diseases were diagnosed by PET and CT before operation. The result of both diagnostic approaches was compared with the result of exploratory operation.

RESULTSSeventeen of 18 patients were confirmed as liver metastases after resection of colorectal cancer, in whom 14 patients had other synchronous metastases outside liver metastasis including lung metastasis (n= 2), abdominal wall metastasis (n= 2 ), bone metastasis (n= 1), peritoneal cavity lymph nodes metastasis (n= 6), mediastinal lymph nodes (n= 2), virchow lymph node metastasis (n= 1). One patient with negative PET diagnosis was still alive with cancer- free after 1 year followed- up. Three patients suspected with other diseases were also diagnosed as liver metastases from colorectal cancer by PET.

CONCLUSIONPET has higher sensitivity in diagnosing liver metastases or other synchronous metastases after resection of colorectal cancer, which suggests that PET can guide the determination of second operative surgery for liver metastases after resection of colorectal cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; secondary ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo prepare shuxiong micropellets.

METHODShuxiong micropellets were prepared by using a centrifugal granulator. The formulation composition and process factors were optimized investigated by adopting several indices such as size distribution, repose angle, bulk density and friability as indexes.

RESULTThe optimal process parameters were as follows. The ratio of fine intermediate product and MCC was 3:1 (w/w), the adhesive agent was 3% HMPC solution, the rotating rate of plate was 200 r x min(-1), the blower rate was 15 x 20 L x min(-1), the rate of air flow was 15 L x min(-1), the spray air pressure was 0.5 MPa, the rotating of spray solution pump was 5-25 r x min(-1) and the rotating rate of powder feed machine was 5-25 r x min(-1).

CONCLUSIONUnder the optimal conditions, micropellets prepared by using centrifugal granulator hadpossessed prefect shape and surface characteristics and the yield of shuxiong pellets was 90.5%.

Carthamus tinctorius ; chemistry ; Cellulose ; Centrifugation ; methods ; Chalcone ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; isolation & purification ; Drug Combinations ; Excipients ; Ginsenosides ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Hypromellose Derivatives ; Ligusticum ; chemistry ; Methylcellulose ; analogs & derivatives ; Microspheres ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Phenols ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quinones ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of gamma linolenic acid (GLA) on atherogenesis in rats.

METHODSixty healthy male rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: normal contro 1, fed by normal feed; atherogenesis mode 1, fed by high lipid diet; positive control group 0.9 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) of lovastatin and group IV 250 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) duoxikang; high dose of 375 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) GLA; low dose of 187.5 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) GLA. After the model group received atherogenic diet for six weeks, serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were detected by enzyme method to confirm the formation of atherogenic. After fed for another five weeks, morphologic atherosclerosis of aorta in rats was observed by HE staining methods. The blood samples were collected and serum TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, T-AOC, HL, LPL, NO, NOS, MDA and GSH were determined.

RESULTGLA attenuated the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, inhibited the level of serum TC, TG, MDA, OX-LDL, NO, NOS, HL, LPL and LDL-C and increased the level of T-AOC.

CONCLUSIONGLA might significantly attenuate the development of atherosclerosis in rats fed with high lipid diet through improving the antioxidation capacity of the body.

Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; blood ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Cholesterol ; metabolism ; Diet, Atherogenic ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; gamma-Linolenic Acid

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of veratridine (VER) on persistent sodium current (I(Na.P)), Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange current (I(NCX)), calcium transients and the action potential (AP) in rabbit ventricular myocytes, and to explore the mechanism in intracellular calcium overload and myocardial contraction enhancement by using whole-cell patch clamp recording technique, visual motion edge detection system, intracellular calcium measurement system and multi-channel physiological signal acquisition and processing system. The results showed that I(Na.P) and reverse I(NCX) in ventricular myocytes were obviously increased after giving 10, 20 μmol/L VER, with the current density of I(Na.P) increasing from (-0.22 ± 0.12) to (-0.61 ± 0.13) and (-2.15 ± 0.14) pA/pF (P < 0.01, n = 10) at -20 mV, and that of reverse I(NCX) increasing from (1.62 ± 0.12) to (2.19 ± 0.09) and (2.58 ± 0.11) pA/pF (P < 0.05, n = 10) at +50 mV. After adding 4 μmol/L tetrodotoxin (TTX), current density of I(Na.P) and reverse I(NCX) returned to (-0.07 ± 0.14) and (1.69 ± 0.15) pA/pF (P < 0.05, n = 10). Another specific blocker of I(Na.P), ranolazine (RAN), could obviously inhibit VER-increased I(Na.P) and reverse I(NCX). After giving 2.5 μmol/L VER, the maximal contraction rate of ventricular myocytes increased from (-0.91 ± 0.29) to (-1.53 ± 0.29) μm/s (P < 0.01, n = 7), the amplitude of contraction increased from (0.10 ± 0.04) to (0.16 ± 0.04) μm (P < 0.05, n = 7), and the baseline of calcium transients (diastolic calcium concentration) increased from (1.21 ± 0.08) to (1.37 ± 0.12) (P < 0.05, n = 7). After adding 2 μmol/L TTX, the maximal contraction rate and amplitude of ventricular myocytes decreased to (-0.86 ± 0.24) μm/s and (0.09 ± 0.03) μm (P < 0.01, n = 7) respectively. And the baseline of calcium transients reduced to (1.17 ± 0.09) (P < 0.05, n = 7). VER (20 μmol/L) could extend action potential duration at 50% repolarization (APD(50)) and at 90% repolarization (APD(90)) in ventricular myocytes from (123.18 ± 23.70) to (271.90 ± 32.81) and from (146.94 ± 24.15) to (429.79 ± 32.04) ms (P < 0.01, n = 6) respectively. Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) appeared in 3 out of the 6 cases. After adding 4 μmol/L TTX, APD(50) and APD(90) were reduced to (99.07 ± 22.81) and (163.84 ± 26.06) ms (P < 0.01, n = 6) respectively, and EADs disappeared accordingly in 3 cases. It could be suggested that: (1) As a specific agonist of the I(Na.P), VER could result in I(Na.P) increase and intracellular Na(+) overload, and subsequently intracellular Ca(2+) overload with the increase of reverse I(NCX). (2) The VER-increased I(Na.P) could further extend the action potential duration (APD) and induce EADs. (3) TTX could restrain the abnormal VER-induced changes of the above-mentioned indexes, indicating that these abnormal changes were caused by the increase of I(Na.P). Based on this study, it is concluded that as the I(Na.P) agonist, VER can enhance reverse I(NCX) by increasing I(Na.P), leading to intracellular Ca(2+) overload and APD abnormal extension.
Acetanilides ; pharmacology ; Action Potentials ; Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Myocardial Contraction ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; drug effects ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Piperazines ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Ranolazine ; Sodium-Calcium Exchanger ; metabolism ; Tetrodotoxin ; pharmacology ; Veratridine ; pharmacology

Age Distribution ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Calcium ; blood ; Female ; Herpes Zoster ; blood ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; blood ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of in vitro and in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescence imaging tracking of transplanted bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) dual-labeled with ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) and red fluorescence protein (RFP).

METHODSBMSCs were incubated with culture medium containing USPIO for 24 hours. The Prussian-blue staining, transmission electron microscopy and trypan-blue staining were used to study the efficacy and safety of labeling. F344 rat model of acute myocardial infarction was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. The dual-labeled BMSCs were injected into the margin of the infraction myocardium. Then MRI and fluorescence imaging were performed to trace the cells both in vitro and in vivo. Postmortal study was carried out to observe the distribution of transplanted cells in myocardium.

RESULTSThe percentage of dual-labeled BMSCs reached 99% after co-incubating with USPIO for 24 hours. USPIO particles were mainly located in lysosomes. As demonstrated by trypan-blue staining, there was no significant deference in viability between labeled and unlabeled groups (P>0.05). All dual-labeled transplanted BMSCs showed a significant decreasing signal on MRI, and the signal intensity changes had no significant difference over 4 weeks (P=0.66). In vitro cell tracing with fluorescence imaging of isolated heart from F344 rats was successful,while in vivo cell tracing with fluorescence imaging failed. Prussian blue staining showed that USPIO distributed near the infarcted myocardium, corresponding with the fluorescence imaging.

CONCLUSIONMRI can be used to trace the dual-labeled BMSCs transplanted into F344 rat hearts in vivo, while fluorescence imaging and pathological fluorescence imaging can trace the transplanted cells in vitro.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cells, Cultured ; Dextrans ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetite Nanoparticles ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Myocardial Infarction ; surgery ; Myocardium ; cytology ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred F344

This study reported the first imported measles case associated with genotype D4 measles virus in Shanxi province in China. The clinical specimen of throat swab was inoculated into Vero/SLAM culture to isolate the virus. A RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR) was performed to amplify the 676 nucleotides sequence corresponding to the carboxyl terminus of measles virus nucleoprotein. The phylogenetic tree based on the 450 nucleotide acids of carboxyl terminus of N protein was constructed and the homology similarity was analyzed. The Shanxi isolate MVi/Shanxi. CHN/20. 09/1 was clustered within the same genotype group with WHO genotype D4 reference strain, Montreal. CAN/89, and the homology of nucleotide acid between Shanxi isolate and WHO genotype D4 reference strain was 97.3%. The homology of nucleotide acid and amino acid between Shanxi isolate and 2009 genotype D4 representative strain circulating in USA, Canada, India and Russian were 98.0%-100% and 97.3%-100%, respectively. These results showed that the virus isolated from the imported measles case was genotype D4. This is the first report that the genotype D4 measles virus was imported and isolated in China. It is important to accumulate baseline data of China and help to measure transmission pathways and to clarify epidemiological links.
Animals ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; immunology ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; China ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; France ; ethnology ; Genotype ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; immunology ; Male ; Measles ; blood ; diagnosis ; virology ; Measles virus ; classification ; genetics ; immunology ; Phylogeny ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Vero Cells ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To study insulin sensitivity and the serum level of adiponectin in infants with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and the effect of breastfeeding on the insulin sensitivity through a follow-up study. METHODS: A total of 106 full-term IUGR infants who were hospitalized from October 2014 to October 2018 were enrolled as the IUGR group, and 90 full-term appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants who were born during the same period of time were enrolled as the AGA group. Birth weight and body length were recorded. Serum levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), insulin, and adiponectin were measured on day 7 after birth. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. According to the feeding pattern, the IUGR group was further divided into a breastfeeding group with 37 infants and a formula feeding group with 42 infants. The above serum indices and growth indices were also measured at the age of 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: Compared with the AGA group, the IUGR group had significantly increased levels in serum insulin and HOMA-IR and a significantly decreased level of adiponectin (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the breastfeeding and formula feeding groups in growth indices and serum levels of FBG, TG, LDL, and HDL on day 7 after birth and at the ages of 3 and 6 months (P>0.05). In the breastfeeding group, serum insulin and HOMA-IR decreased and adiponectin level increased over the time of breastfeeding (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Insulin sensitivity decreases in the early stage after birth in IUGR infants, and breastfeeding can improve insulin sensitivity.
Adiponectin ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance