To investigate the potential use of suicide gene systems in vascular targeting gene therapy, HSV-tk/GCV and EC-cd/5-FC systems were established on vascular endothelial cells in vitro by adenovirus transduction. Both modified cell lines were highly sensitive to prodrugs, the IC_(50) for GCV was 0.2?mol/L in IGll/Ad-tk cells, and IC_(50) for 5-FC was 20?mol/L in IGll/Ad-cd cells, while the parental endothelial cells were insensitive even at the highest concentrations of prodrugs in the experiment. Mixed cellular assay showed that significant bystander killing effect was exhibited in modified endothelial cells. Also, the apoptosis involved in these prodrug-mediated growth inhibitions has been shown under electron microscopy. These results indicated that both HSV-tk/GCV and EC-cd/5-FC systems could efficiently suppress vascular endothelial cell growth in vitro , suggesting the feasibility of using suicide gene in vascular targeting gene therapy.

Objective To constitute a correlation with the subjective indicators by investigation of the causes and clinical features in patients with chronic cough.Methods Totally 100 patients with chronic cough were recruited followed a diagnostic program.Airway responsiveness[by methacholine challenge test (MCT)],Leicester cough questionnaire(LCQ),visual analogue scale(VAS),cough score,age,gender and disease duration were all recorded for analysis.Results The top five causes of chronic cough in these patients were variant asthma,post infectious cough,atopic cough,eosinophilic bronchitis and upper airway cough syndrome.LCQ total score was negatively correlated with age and the VAS score(r=-0.239 and -0.470 respectively,all P<0.05),while no difference was found among patients with different causes of disease or gender(F=1.233,t=1.918,all P>0.05)and no correlation was found with BMI(r=-0.029,P>0.05).The physiological and psychological field score in female patients significantly reduced(t=2.174,1.990,P<0.05),and LCQ total score of MCT positive patients obviously reduced than negative ones(t=-2.22,P<0.05).After the treatment of two weeks,LCQ three component field and total score could be improved significantly(all P<0.01).Conclusion Gender and age may have some impact on the quality of life in patients with chronic cough.LCQ,VAS and cough score should be used to assess cough severity and evaluate therapeutic effect in patients with chronic cough.

Objective To evaluate the role of magnetic resonance angiography ( MRA ) in diagnosing peripheral hemangioma andvascular malformation . Methods 61 cases of hemangioma and vascular malformations in peripheral soft tissue were undergone MRAexamination.Results Of 13 patients with hemangioma,the arteries within hemangioma were increased and gradually fine from proximal to distal in 7 cases and in company with arteriovenous fistulae in 2 cases,there were no arteries within hemangioma in 6 cases.Vascular malformations were found in 48 patients,arteries and veins of vascular malformation were showed in 35 cases,but arteries of vascular malformations were only showed in one case.Arteries of vascular malformation were showed in 5 cases and the arteries were pressed on arterial angioyraphy in 23 cases.On MR venography(MRV),the shallow malformed veina were showed in 25 cases and in company with deep malformed veina in 13 cases,only the shallow and deep veina increased and thickness be showed in 2 cases.Arterioveinous fistulae could be seen in 8 cases on MR aterio-venography.There were no vessel be showed in 12 cases within the losions.Conclusion MRA is of significant value in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of peripheral hemangioma and vascular malformations.

Objective To measure the diameter of cochlear nerve(CN) in normal hearing children with different ages,and evaluate the diameter variations with age.Methods A total of 156 normal-hearing children were assessed with 3D-FIESTA sequence scanning of the inner ear.All the subjects were divided into 13 groups according to age,witha group of ≤6 months,a group of ≤1 year,and 11 groups from one year to 12 years.Each group had 12 cases,including 6 boys and 6 girls.The diameter of CN was measured at the entrance of the cochlea,the middle of internal auditory canal(IAC) and the fundus of IAC respectively on the axial and oblique sagittal images of 3.0 T MRI by two independent observers.The average values measured by them were the final results.The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to determine the consistency between the two independent observers.The t test was used to access differencesin CN diameter by sex and sides.One-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) and two-way ANOVA were used for comparisons among different groups.Spearman correlation coefficient was applied to find a correlation between the CN diameter and age.Results The diameters of normal-hearing children's CN at the middle of the IAC,IAC fundus and the entrance of the cochlea were (1.12 ± 0.08),(1.05 ± 0.06),(0.87 ± 0.14) mm respectively,and there was significant difference among the three measuring points (F=527.57,P＜0.05).The diameters of the CN had no significant differenc (P＞0.05) in age-groups,gender and sides(P＞0.05),and there was no correlation between the diameters of normal children's CN and age.Conclusions The diameters of normal-hearing children's CN change with different points of the IAC,of which the maximum value is at the middle of the IAC,followed by the IAC fundus,and the entrance of the cochlea is at the minimum,more over the normal size doesn't change with age.

Objective:To evaluate the role of spinal mammlian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (S6K1)/glioma associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1) signaling pathway in chronic morphine tolerance in mice.Methods:Healthy male Kunming mice, aged 8-10 weeks, weighing 23-25 g, were used in the study.The experiment was performed in two parts.Experiment I Fifty mice were randomly assigned into 2 groups: normal saline group (group S, n=10) and morphine group (group M, n=40). In M and S groups, morphine and normal saline 10 mg/kg were injected subcutaneously, respectively, twice a day for 7 consecutive days.The thermal pain threshold (TPT) was measured and the maximum analgesic effect percentage (MPE) was calculated at 1 day before administration and 30 min after the last administration every day.Ten mice in each group were randomly selected and sacrificed after measurement of TPT at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days after administration in group M and after the last measurement of TPT in group S, and the lumbar segment (L 4-6) of the spinal cord was removed.Experiment Ⅱ Forty mice were randomly divided into 4 groups ( n=10 each): KU-0063794+ morphine group (group KU+ M), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)+ morphine group (group DM+ M), morphine+ KU-0063794 group (group M+ KU) and morphine + DMSO group (group M+ DM). Morphine 10 mg/kg was injected subcutaneously twice a day for 7 consecutive days in 4 groups.At 1-3 days of morphine injection, mTOR specific inhibitor KU-0063794 200μl (1 μg/μl) and 10% DMSO 200 μl was injected intraperitoneally in KU+ M group and DM+ M group at 30 min before administration twice a day.At 5-7 days of morphine injection, KU-0063794 200μl (1 μg/μl) or 10% DMSO 200 μl was injected intraperitoneally in group M+ KU or group M+ DM at 30min before administration, respectively, twice a day.TPT was measured and MPE was calculated at 1 day before morphine injection and at 30 min after the last administration every day.The animals were sacrificed after the last measurement of TPT, and the lumbar segment (L 4-6) of the spinal cord was removed for determination of the expression of spinal mTOR, phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR), S6K1, phosphorylated S6K1 (p-S6K1) and Gli1 (using Western blot). Results:Experiment Ⅰ Compared with group S, MPE was significantly increased at each time point after administration at 3, 5 and 7 days after administration, expression of spinal p-mTOR, p-S6K1 and Gli1 was significantly down-regulated ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in mTOR and S6K1 in group M ( P>0.05). Experiment Ⅱ Compared with group DM+ M, MPE was significantly decreased at 3-7 days after morphine injection, expression of p-mTOR, p-S6K1 and Gli1 in spinal cord was down-regulated ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in expression of mTOR and S6K1 in group KU+ M ( P>0.05). Compared with group M+ DM, MPE was significantly increased at 6-7 days after morphine injection, expression of p-mTOR, p-S6K1 and Gli1 in spinal cord was down-regulated ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in mTOR and S6K1 in group M+ KU ( P>0.05). Conclution:Spinal mTOR/S6K1/Gli1 signaling pathway is involved in the development and maintenance of chronic morphine tolerance in mice.

Objective To investigate the correlation between Young′s elastic modulus (EI) using shear wave elastography (SWE) and liver pathology .Methods Liver biopsy was performed on 231 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) under supersonic guidance ,and SWE with EI of liver was obtained concurrently .The correlation between measured liver stiffness and pathology was analyzed by using the liver pathology as golden standards .One‐way analysis of variance and Spearman rank correlation analysis were performed for the comparison between groups and correlation between two variables , respectively .Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to explore the predictive value of shear modulus for the liver inflammation grades and fibrosis stages .Results The EI medians of different liver inflammation grades were 6 .78 kPa (G1) ,7 .30 kPa (G2) ,9 .93 kPa (G3) and 14 .93 kPa (G4) , respectively ,which were statistically different (H=55 .19 ,P<0 .01) .And EI medians of various fibrosis stages were 6 .62 kPa (S0 -S1) ,7 .15 kPa (S2) ,9 .78 kPa (S3) and 14 .62 kPa (S4) ,respectively , which were also significantly different (H=62 .14 ,P<0 .01) .EI was positively correlated with both liver inflammation grades (r=0 .454 6 ,P<0 .01) and liver fibrosis stages (r=0 .505 6 ,P<0 .01) .The areas under the ROC for G≥2 ,G≥3 and G=4 were 0 .68 (95% CI:0 .61 -0 .75) ,0 .77 (95% CI:0 .70 -0 .84) and 0 .85 (95% CI:0 .77-0 .92) ,respectively .The areas under the ROC for S≥2 ,S≥3 and S=4 w ere 0 .73 (95% C I:0 .66 -0 .79 ) ,0 .78 (95% C I:0 .72 -0 .85 ) and 0 .83 (95% C I:0 .75 -0 .91 ) , respectively .Conclusion The EI measured by SWE is correlated with liver pathology of CHB patients , which may be used to dynamically monitor the progress of liver fibrosis .

OBJECTIVE: To provide prenatal diagnosis for a pregnant women carrying a chromosome translocations using single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP-array). METHODS: The fetus and its parents were subjected to chromosome karyotyping and SNP array analysis. RESULTS: A Xp22.12 microduplication was identified in the fetus with a size of 496.3 kb. Search of literature and database indicated the microduplication to be variant of unclear significance. The phenotypically normal mother has carried a 505.8 kb duplication at the same position. The father was normal for the testing. The couple decided to continue with the pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy girl at full-term. No abnormality was found during the follow-up. CONCLUSION The Xp22.12 microduplication encompassed part of RPS6KA3 gene, which shows various features of Coffin-Lowry syndrome. Female with Xp22.12 microduplications may be asymptomatic carriers due to X chromosome inactivation. Our case may provide data for delineating the phenotype-genotype correlation of Xp22.12 microduplication.

Tooth germ injury can lead to abnormal tooth development and even tooth loss, affecting various aspects of the stomatognathic system including form, function, and appearance. However, the research about tooth germ injury model on cellular and molecule mechanism of tooth germ repair is still very limited. Therefore, it is of great importance for the prevention and treatment of tooth germ injury to study the important mechanism of tooth germ repair by a tooth germ injury model. Here, we constructed a Tg(dlx2b:Dendra2-NTR) transgenic line that labeled tooth germ specifically. Taking advantage of the NTR/Mtz system, the dlx2b⁺ tooth germ cells were depleted by Mtz effectively. The process of tooth germ repair was evaluated by antibody staining, in situ hybridization, EdU staining and alizarin red staining. The severely injured tooth germ was repaired in several days after Mtz treatment was stopped. In the early stage of tooth germ repair, the expression of phosphorylated 4E-BP1 was increased, indicating that mTORC1 is activated. Inhibition of mTORC1 signaling in vitro or knockdown of mTORC1 signaling in vivo could inhibit the repair of injured tooth germ. Normally, mouse incisors were repaired after damage, but inhibition/promotion of mTORC1 signaling inhibited/promoted this repair progress. Overall, we are the first to construct a stable and repeatable repair model of severe tooth germ injury, and our results reveal that mTORC1 signaling plays a crucial role during tooth germ repair, providing a potential target for clinical treatment of tooth germ injury.
Animals ; Mice ; Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1/pharmacology* ; Signal Transduction ; Tooth/metabolism* ; Tooth Germ/metabolism* ; Odontogenesis

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, histogenesis, immunophenotypes, molecular genetic characteristics, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of calcifying fibrous tumors (CFT). Methods: A total of 32 cases of CFT (22 cases from Henan Provincial People′s Hospital and 10 cases from PLA Army Medical Center) diagnosed between June 2009 and February 2019 were reviewed. The clinical and pathologic data were analyzed. Results: There were 12 male and 20 female patients, aged from 15 to 63 years (mean 40.8 years). Eleven cases occurred in stomach, four cases in retroperitoneum, four cases in ovary, two cases in scrotum, two cases in mediastinum, two cases in head and neck, one case each in thoracic cavity, lung, adrenal gland, kidney, sigmoid colon, epididymis and mesosalpinx. All the tumors were solid masses with clear boundaries. The maximal dimension of the tumors ranged from 0.6 to 10.0 cm. Microscopically, there was hypocellular stromal sclerosis and wavy storiform coarse collagen with superimposed scattered or patchy lymphocytes and plasma cells; calcification or gravel formation were also detected. Immunohistochemistry showed that spindle cells were positive for vimentin and some were positive for CD34; and they were negative for calponin, SMA, desmin, S-100 protein, SOX10, STAT6, β-catenin, ALK, CD117, DOG1, CKpan, and EMA. No ALK rearrangement was detected by FISH in all cases. No C-KIT and PDGFRA mutation was detected in all the tested 11 cases of stomach, four cases of retroperitoneal and one case of sigmoid colon CFT. MDM2 was not amplified by FISH in all four tested cases of retroperitoneal CFT. Conclusions CFT is a rare benign tumor of fibroblastic cell origin. The diagnosis mainly depends on histomorphologic analysis and immunophenotyping. CFT should be differentiated from other benign and malignant spindle cell mesenchymal tumors.