Objective To compare the catecholamine (CA ) and M enkephalin(M ENK) release from human chromaffin cells (HCC) and microencapsulated HCC (ME HCC ) and investigate the effects of microencapsulation on the growth and activity of chromaffin cells Methods Adrenal glands were taken from brain death healthy adults The chromaffin cells were isolated and primarily cultured in vitro During culture the chromaffin cells were HE stained and assessed by labelling the cells with tyrosine hydroxylase monoclonal antibody The percentage of tyrosine positive cells were counted under microscope (1) The chromaffin cells were microencapsulated with 2% alginate and cultured in vitro (experimental group) HCC which were not microencapsulated were used as control The culture media of both groups were replaced every 48h and collected and stored under -20℃ for determination of CA and M ENK concentration (2) On the 6th day of culture, nicotine was added to HCC and MC HCC suspension After 30 min incubation, the suspension was centrifuged and the supernate collected and stored under -20 ℃ for determinatoin of CA and M ENK concentration with radioimmunoassay Results (1) ME HCC grew fairly well in vitro in the culture medium and was morphologically similar to HCC (2) There was no significant difference in CA and M ENK concentration in HCC and ME HCC culture media (3) CA and M ENK concentrations in supernate were increased by nicotine stimulation and there was no difference in the CA and M ENK concentration in the supernate between the two groups Conclusions Alginate and microencapsulation technique are not harmful to HCC, ME HCC has fairly good activity and release function and can be effectively used for transplantation

Objective To investigate the immunoisolation effect of xenografts of microencapsulated human chromaffin cells (HCCs) .Methods HCCs were microencapsulated with APA microcapsules. Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups ( n = 16 each) . HCCs (group I ) , empty APA microcapsules (group II ) and microencapsulated HCCs (group III ) were implanted into the anterior chamber of the eyes and the sole of the feet. Seven days after transplantation blood samples were collected for determination of serum IL-2, IgG and IgM concentration. The right eye-balls and left feet were obtained for microscopic examination. Results The serum IL-2, IgG and IgM concentrations were significantly lower in group II and group III than in group I ( P

Objective To compare the survival of isolated chromaffin cells with that of adrenal medullary pieces implanted into the subarachnoid space .Methods Forty male Sprague Dawley rats, 180 220g, were randomly allocated to be implanted into the subarachnoid space with the homologous adrenal medullary pieces washed with PBS(group A,n=20) or the isolated chromaffin cells 5?107 in 10?l suspension (group B,n=20), respectively, after the implants were in vitro cultured in three days . The thermal threshold was determined before ,5 and 10 weeks after the transplantation. Five or ten weeks after the transplantation, 6 rats of either group were randomly selected to obtain the adrenal medullary grafts from the subarachnoid space or the sediments of cerebrospinal fluid ,observed with an electron microscopy.Results Five weeks after transplantation, the thermal threshold in both groups increased markedly,but without significant difference between them ,and there were intact chromaffin cells in the sections of both groups. Ten weeks after the operation, the thermal threshold in group A decreased to basaline, and was significantly lower than in group B; no intact chromaffin cells were found ,with the infiltration of a large number lymphocytes in the sections of group A , and in the sections of group B, the intact chromaffin cells were found with the infiltration of lymphocytes in lower amount and density. Conclusions The isolated chromaffin cells implantation is superior to the adrenal medulla pieces implantation for analgesia.

BACKGROUND: Based on previous technique prepared for encapsulating living cells with alginate-polysine- alginate (APA) microcapsules, it has been confirmed that microencapsulated chromaffin cells have good analgesic effects. The immunoisolated effects of such microcapsule materials need to be evaluated. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the immunological rejections of APA microencapsulated chromaffin cells transplanted into rat anterior chamber of eyes and tendon of feet, and to evaluate the immunoisolated effect of microencapsulation.DESIGN: A randomized controlled animal experiment. SETTING: Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.MATERIALS: Forty-eight female SD rats, with the age of 3 months, were provided by the Laboratory Animal Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The protocol was carried out in accordance with ethical guidelines for the use and care of animals. Alginate and polylysine used in the experiment were the products of Sigma Company, USA. Microcapsule generator was gifted by Germany. METHODS: This study was performed at the Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from September 2002 to September 2003. Suprarenal medulla was taken from 6 healthy adult cadavers of brain death. After isolated, digested and cultured, suprarenal medulla was prepared into chromaffin cell suspension. Written informed consents were obtained from the family members of donors, and the protocol was given approval by the Ethics Committee of the hospital. Empty microcapsules and microencapsulated cells were prepared by APA. The 48 rats were randomly divided into the human chromaffin cell (HCC) group, the empty microcapsule group and the microencapsulated HCC (ME-HCC) group. In each group, there were two transplanted regions of anterior chamber of eyes and tendon of feet, with 8 rats used for each region. Each rat in the HCC group was perfused 2×1010 L-1 cell suspension into the anterior chamber of eyes and tendon of feet. Those in the empty microcapsule group and the ME-HCC group were perfused 100 empty capsules and ME-HCCs (100 microcapsules, 400-500 HCCs per microcapsule) into the same regions, respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: On day 7 after transplantation, serum interleukin (IL)-2 level was determined by ELISA. Serum IgG and IgM levels were determined with a laser turbidimeter. On day 28 after transplantation, rat right eyeball and left feet were harvested, routinely sliced and stained by haematoxylin-eosin (HE). Histo-morphological structure was observed under a 40×light microscope. RESULTS: Forty-eight rats were included in the final analysis. Serum IL-2, IgG and IgM levels were significantly lower in the empty microcapsule group and ME-HCC group than in the HCC group (t=8.544-21.64, P < 0.01). A lot of lymphocyte and neutrophile infiltration could be found in the anterior chamber of eyes and tendon of feet of rats in the HCC group, but a little seen in that of the empty microcapsule group and ME-HCC group. CONCLUSION: APA microencapsulation has an effective immunoisolated effect on immunological rejection due to its good biocompatibility and mechanical stability.

Objective To explore susceptibility of praziquantel(PQT) against Schistosoma japonicum in the repeated chemotherapy areas in Dongting Lake region of China. Methods Sixty mice were divided into two groups, and infected respectively by cercariae released from the infected snails which were collected from new and old endemic areas. After 5 weeks, the mice in each group were divided into control groups and treatment groups (PQT group). The mice in each PQT group were treated with a single oral dose of praziquantel (600 mg/kg). Three weeks post treatment, mice were dissected, and the number of adults, the stool eggs per gram (EPG), the liver EPG and the hatching rates were observed. Results The worm reduction rates of the PQT groups of new and old epidemic areas were 98.24% and 98.71% respectively, and the stool egg reduction rates 99.94% and 99.64%, the liver egg reduction rates 75.85% and 73.10%,and there were no significant differences between the new and old endemic areas. The stool hatching test was positive in the control groups, and negative in the PQT groups. Conclusion Susceptibility of praziquantel against Schistosoma japonicum does not decrease in repeated chemotherapy areas in Dongting Lake region.

Osteoporosis seriously threatens the living quality of people, especially the elderly, and causes a huge economic burden to society. In the past, bisphosphonates, denosumab and other first-line drugs were used in the treatment of osteoporosis. However, these drugs can only inhibit bone resorption, but can not promote bone formation. Studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be used to treat osteoporosis, however, it has some defects and deficiencies, such as genetic instability, limited cell survival and increased risk of cancer. However, mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSCs-Exos) can regulate the differentiation and proliferation of osteoblasts by mediating wingless and int-1 (Wnt)/β-catenin and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, promote bone regeneration, and thus has an impact on osteoporosis. In this paper, preclinical studies on MSCs and MSCs-Exos in the treatment of osteoporosis in recent years were reviewed, in order to provide a new idea for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a common complication following spinal cord injury, with an incidence rate ranging from 38% to 70%. NP typically presents as sensation of burning, electric shocks, tingling or squeezing pain resulting from somatosensory nerve damage, which exerts a negative impact on patients′ physical and psychological well-being. After spinal cord injury, glial cells are activated to induce inflammatory cascade. Accordingly, various inflammatory mediators that may disrupt the neuronal function are released to promote abnormally increased neuronal excitability and pain signal transduction. Additionally, spinal cord injury can disrupt the release of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, alter ion channel activity, and thereby impair the normal pain regulatory mechanisms and further increase pain perception. The interaction of these mechanisms contributes to the occurrence and persistence of NP after spinal cord injury. However, the precise pathogenesis of NP remains incompletely elucidated, making its therapeutic efficacy uncertain and clinical management difficult. It is of great significance to thoroughly understand the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of NP following spinal cord injury for its treatment. For this reason, the authors reviewed the research progress on the characteristics and pathophysiological mechanisms of NP following spinal cord injury, aiming to serve as a reference for further research and development of more effective targeted therapies and management strategies.

BACKGROUND:Extracellular vesicles can regulate insulin resistance and control inflammatory response by participating in intercellular communication,while repairing skeletal muscles and promoting skeletal muscle regeneration,which is expected to be a novel treatment modality for sarcopenic obesity. OBJECTIVE:To review the biogenesis of extracellular vesicles,their biological functions,their relationship with sarcopenic obesity,and recent advances in the pathogenesis,diagnosis,and treatment of sarcopenic obesity. METHODS:The first author performed a computer search of PubMed,Embase,CNKI and other databases for relevant studies involving extracellular vesicle in sarcopenic obesity.The search keywords were"extracellular vesicle,exosome,sarcopenic obesity,obese sarcopenia,skeletal muscle regeneration,skeletal muscle mass regulation"in English and Chinese,respectively.The search period was from June 2022 to November 2022.After screening,87 articles were included for further review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Extracellular vesicles are important vectors of bidirectional cell communication and participate in the regulation of normal physiological and pathological processes through autocrine,paracrine and endocrine ways.Sarcopenic obesity is a complex multi-factor disease.Extracellular vesicles are involved in the occurrence and development of sarcopenic obesity mainly by regulating the inflammatory response of skeletal muscle and the homeostasis of muscle cells.Cytokines secreted by adipose tissue and skeletal muscle are released into the extracellular circulation through extracellular vesicle encapsulation and interact with each other to promote skeletal muscle insulin resistance and lipogenesis,which is the main pathophysiology of skeletal muscle atrophy in sarcopenic obesity.Extracellular vesicles not only promote the development of sarcopenic obesity by providing specific pathogenic markers,but also are a valuable diagnostic indicator of sarcopenic obesity.Release of extracellular vesicles from skeletal muscle during exercise enhances metabolic response and promotes skeletal muscle regeneration.Extracellular vesicles can not only be used as therapeutic targets for sarcopenic obesity but also be used to treat sarcopenic obesity by loading drugs to effectively improve drug bioavailability.

For non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with positive surgical margins, the survival rates can be dramatically decreased. However, high-level evidence is lacking in the standard adjuvant treatment for NSCLC patients with positive surgical margins. In this article, consensus and disputes on the adjuvant therapy for NSCLC patients with positive surgical margins were reviewed.

Objective:To establish the mouse model with radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and to identify and analyze it from the aspects of function, imaging and pathology.Methods:Thirty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the control group, 16 Gy irradiation group and 20Gy irradiation group. The mice in the irradiation groups received a single 16 Gy or 20 Gy chest X-ray irradiation, and underwent functional examination, imaging examination and pathological examination at 3 and 6 months after irradiation.Results:At 6 months after irradiation, hair on the chest and back of the mice turned white and fell off, and the airway resistance was increased significantly. CT images showed extensive patch shadows and consolidation in the lung. Three dimensional reconstruction suggested that the lung of mice was distorted and deformed, and the volume was decreased significantly. Pathological examination confirmed that there was extensive pulmonary fibrosis.Conclusions:Significant pulmonary fibrosis occurs after 6 months of chest irradiation in mice. The animal model of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in C57BL/6 mice was successfully established.