Objective To investigate the correlations of the expressions of CXCR4 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in esophageal cancer and their associations with patients' clinicopathological features.Methods The paraffin-embedded samples of 127 patients with esophageal cancer treated by thoracic surgery in Zhongshan Hospital in 2005 were collected. The CXCR4 and VEGF expressions in esophageal cancer tissues were detected with immunohistochemical technique. The immunostaining was evaluated according to the staining area and intensity. Results The overall expression rate was 88.2% and 79.5%, respectively. CXCR4 expression was significantly associated with tumor grade, size, tumor depth, regional lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P<0.05);VEGF expression was significantly associated with tumor depth, TNM stage and tumor grade.In addition, there were significant correlations between CXCR4 and VEGF (P<0.01). Conclusions There was significant association between CXCR4, VEGF expressions and clinicopathological features of esophageal cancer. There might be some potential correlation between CXCR4 and VEGF expression in esophageal cancer.

Objective To compare the characteristics of MRI, CT, single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT) and transcranial Doppler sonography(TCD) in patients with spongiform leukoencephalopathy after inhaling heroin vapor. Methods Seventeen patients were investigated. MRI or CT was scanned in 17 patients, SPECT in 9 patients′ and TCD in 11 patients. Results MRI or CT: Brain MRI and CT revealed extensive symmetric white matter involvement of bilateral cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres and the brainstem.The lesions, which showed no contrast enhancement, were hypodense on CT and hypointense on T 1 weighted and hyperintense on T 2 weighted MRI. SPECT: The regional cerebral blood flows(rCBF) of white matter involvement on bilateral cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres was reduced obviously. The rCBF of temporal lobes, parietal lobes, occipital lobes, cerebellar hemispheres, and basal ganglion was reduced in varying degrees. TCD: The systolic peak became sharpened, and end diastolic flow velocity and mean flow velocity were reduced obviously and pulsatility index was increased markedly in patients with spongiform leukoencephalopathy after inhaling heroin vapor. Conclusion The characteristic manifestations of MRI and CT imaging may be regarded as the main foundation of diagnosing spongiform leukoencephalopathy after inhaling heroin vapor; SPECT and TCD can help comprehend the changes of hemodynamics of cerebral vessels and the degree of cerebral ischemia in patients with spongiform leukoencephalopathy after inhaling heroin vapor.

Objective To evaluate obstetrics and gynecology training quality by analysis of clinical knowledge and clinical skills scores for long-term graduates.Methods A retrospective analysis of clinical knowledge and clinical skills scores was performed in obstetrics and gynecology training for 134 long-term graduates.Results The clinical knowledge and clinical skills scores of obstetrics and gynecology training were 82.27?7.68,87.69?7.24.There was no,P﹥0.05.Only the scores of clinical skills judged by one teacher in interview was correlated with clinical knowledge scores,while there were no correlation between clinical knowledge judged by other five teachers and scores of clinical skills.Conclusion There was no correlation between clinical knowledge and the scores of clinical skills scores.Culturing students’practical ability and communication ability is worth strengthening,while the consistency of teachers’evaluation standard should be improved.

Objective To investigate the manifestation and the prevention means of video display terminal (VDT) visual fatigue in old people. Methods Conventional eye inspection were performed for 45 patients, including optical muscle movement, position of eye, confluence function and presbyopia. Results We found that the average difference between middle distance correcting lens and 33 cm reading distance from presbyopia correcting lens was about 0.52 DS( P

The research data at home and abroad show that the overall burnout rate of clinical professional graduate students was high. They are vulnerable to burnout because of long duty hours, learn-ing pressure, intense and overloading work and especially the significantly reduced personal accomplish-ment in the situation of the contradiction between doctors and patients in our country. Burnout not only re-sults in psychological distress and physical symptoms, but also has negative effect on the quality of graduate medical education during residency training. Therefore, educators need to develop an active awareness of burnout and ought to perform interventions such as formulating the appropriate learning goals, improving the work efficiency, reducing work hours, positive psychological counseling and stress management training to prevent such occurrences.

Objective We performed experiments using Neuregulin-1β (NRG-1β) treatment to determine a mechanism for the protective role derived from its beneficial effects by remodeling gap junctions (GJs) during heart failure (HF). Methods Rat models of HF were established by aortocaval fistula. Forty-eight rats were divided randomly into the HF (HF, n = 16), NRG-1β treatment (NRG, n = 16), and sham operation (S, n = 16) group. The rats in the NRG group were administered NRG-1β (10 μg/kg per day) for 7 days via the tail vein, whereas the other groups were injected with the same doses of saline. Twelve weeks after operation, Connexin 43 (Cx43) expression in single myocytes obtained from the left ventricle was determined by immunocytochemistry. Total protein was extracted from frozen left ventricular tissues for immunoblotting assay, and the ultrastructure of myocytes was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Results Compared with the HF group, the cardiac function of rats in the NRG group was markedly improved, irregular distribution and deceased Cx43 expression were relieved. The ultrastructure of myocytes was seriously damaged in HF rats, and NRG-1β reduced these pathological damages. Conclusions Short-term NRG-1β treatment can rescue pump failure in experimental models of volume overload-induced HF, which is related to the recovery of GJs structure and the improvement of Cx43 expression.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric ; statistics & numerical data ; Lung Diseases ; epidemiology ; mortality ; physiopathology ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Survival Rate

Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; MART-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Medulloblastoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Melanocytes ; pathology ; Melanoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; metabolism ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Neurilemmoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nevus of Ota ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Skin Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Vimentin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of oxaliplatin combined with low-molecular-weight citrus pectin (LCP) on cell proliferation and apoptosis in human colon carcinoma cell line HT29 in vitro.

METHODSEffects of oxaliplatin alone and oxaliplatin combined with LCP on HT29 cells proliferation were determined by MTT. Coefficient of drug interaction (CDI) was calculated. Influence of oxaliplatin alone and oxaliplatin combined with LCP on HT29 cell apoptosis was determined by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). Protein expression change of procaspase-3, 8, 9, PARP was examined by Western blotting.

RESULTSBoth oxaliplatin alone and oxaliplatin combined with LCP could suppress HT29 cell proliferation in both dose- and time-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect of oxaliplatin combined with LCP on HT29 cell proliferation was more significant (P<0.01) with a CDI less than 1. FACS analysis showed that oxaliplatin alone and combination therapy could increase the apoptosis proportion of HT29 cells. After the drug treatment for 6, 24, and 48 hours, the apoptosis rate of oxaliplatin alone group was (9.76±0.47)%, (20.45±0.74)%, (28.70±3.29)%, and apoptotic rate of the combination group was (20.63±0.69)%, (34.35±1.02)%, (49.47±3.04)%, respectively, which was significantly higher as compared to oxaliplatin alone (P<0.01). Both oxaliplatin alone and combination therapy down-regulated expressions of procaspase-3, 9, and PARP protein. Procaspase-3, 9, PARP protein expression in combination group decreased more significantly, while procaspase-8 expression was not significantly different between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONLCP can enhance the ability of oxaliplatin to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis, which may be associated with the activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Colonic Neoplasms ; pathology ; HT29 Cells ; Humans ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; pharmacology ; Pectins ; pharmacology