Objective To investigate the effects of silymarin on expressions of nuclear factor kappa B(NF-?B) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) in the kidneys of rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO)-induced renal fibrosis.Methods Seventy-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham-operated group(n=24),operated group(n=24) and silymarin treated group(n=24).Renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis model was established via UUO.Silymarin was given by gavage with 30 mg/(kg?d) in silymarin treated group,and the same volume normal saline was given by gavage in operated group and sham-operated group.In each group,8 rats were killed at 7,14 and 21 d after operation.Histological changes were observed in tubulointerstitial injury under microscope.The expressions of NF-?B and ICAM-1 in renal tissue were determined with immunohistochemical method.Results Tubuloin-terstitial injury scores in operated group at 7,14 and 21 d were 1.168?0.108,1.776?0.064 and 2.301?0.157,respectively,and Tubulointerstitial injury scores in the treated group at 7,14 and 21 d were 1.043?0.114,1.677?0.083 and 2.084?0.201,respectively.Tubulointerstitial injury scores in silymarin treated group were significantly lower than those in operated group(Pa

Aneurysm, Dissecting ; genetics ; Aortic Aneurysm ; genetics ; Diseases in Twins ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective To investigate the effects of ZMS,the active component of Zhimu,on amyloid precursor protein(APP) and ?-site APP cleaving enzyme 1(BACE1) in HEK293sw cells. Methods HEK293sw cells were pretreated with different concentrations of ZMS in routine culture medium for 24 h,and then serum-free medium with ZMS was used for further culture for 48 h.Cells were examined for expression of APP and ?-secretase BACE1 with Western blotting and RT-PCR,and were then examined for BACE1 activity with fluorescence method. Results 1 ?mol/L and 10 ?mol/L ZMS significantly decreased the expression of BACE1 mRNA and protein,while had no effect on the expression of APP mRNA and protein.It was indicated by fluorescence analysis that 10 ?mol/L ZMS significantly decreased the ?-secretase activity.Conclusion ZMS significantly decreases the activity and expression of ?-secretase BACE1,while has no effect on the expression of APP in HEK293sw cells.

AIM: To investigate the early changes of retinal function in diabetic patients detected by multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG).METHODS: The first-order kernel responses of mfERG were recorded from eyes of 33 normal control subjects,63 diabetic patients without retinopathy and 43 diabetic patients with background retinopathy. The response densities and implicit times of N1 and P1 were compared among the control, diabetic patients without retinopathy and diabetic patients with retinopathy.RESULTS: The response densities of N1 and P1 in central 3 rings were reduced significantly in diabetic eyes with and without retinopathy. And the implicit times of N1 and P1 were delayed significantly only in diabetic eyes with retinopathy.CONCLUSION: mfERG can detect the early changes of retinal function quantitatively in diabetic patients. Analysis of response densities and implicit times of N1 and P1 can reflect the progress of local retinal dysfunction in diabetes.

Background The condition of the sclera is associated with many ocular diseases.The measurement of human scleral thickness in vivo is helpful for us to understand the features of the sclera and related diseases.Objective The present study was to measure the anterior sclera thickness(AST) in patients with senile cataract and to analyze the relationship among AST and other associated ocular parameters.Methods This study was approved by the Ethic Commission of First Hospital of Peking University.Written informed consent was obtained from each individual prior to examination.One hundred and five senile cataract patients were recruited in this study.Central corneal thickness (CCT),corneal curvature (CCV) and axial length were measured using ultrasonic pachymeter,keratometer,and A-scan unit,respectively.The AST was measured at 2 mm posterior to the scleral spur in the temporal meridian using ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM).The differences of CCT,CCV,ocular axial length and AST between bilateral eyes and the different sexes were compared by the Paired test and independent sample t test.The correlations among various parameters were assessed by the Pearson linear correlation analysis.The differences of CCT and AST among different axial length groups were evaluated by one-way ANOVA.Results No significant differences were found in the CCT,CCV,axial length and AST between bilateral eyes (t =0.584,P =0.561 ; t =1.161,P =0.248 ; t =0.140,P =0.889 ; t =0.342,P =0.773).Temporal AST at 2 mm posterior to the sclera spur was (0.589 ±0.051)mm in the right eyes.An insignificant decline in CCT was found in the male group compared with the female group (right eyes:t =0.469,P =0.641 ; left eyes:t =0.465,P =0.643).However,compared with the female group,the increase of axial length,reduction of the mean CCV value and enhancement of the mean AST were observed(right eyes:all P＜0.01 ;left eyes:all P＜0.01).CCV showed a negative correlation with ocular axial length (r =-0.50,P＜0.01),but no significant correlation was found among age,CCT,ocular axial length and AST(P＞0.05).No remarkable differences were found in CCT and AST among the various axial length groups (CCT:F =0.998,P=0.372;AST:F=1.919,P=0.383).Conclusions In senile cataract patients,correlation is not found between AST and CCT;the increase of axial length is not associated with the thinning of the eyeball wall to a certain extent.Differences exist in some ocular parameters between different sexes.

Background A close relation between sclera thickness and glaucoma has been determined.Clinical features vary in different types of glaucoma patients,which hints that the scleral thickness might be distinct among these patients.Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the differences of central corneal thickness(CCT),anterior scleral thickness(AST) and axial length in glaucomatous patients.Methods This study was approved by the Ethic Commission of First Hospital of Peking University.Written informed consent was obtained from each individual prior to the examination.A retrospective descriptive study was designed.One hundred and sixty consecutive patients were recruited from March,2009 to November,2010 in First Hospital of Peking University,including 35 eyes with primary angle closure glaucoma(PACG) (35 cases),34 eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma POAG) (34 cases),37 eyes with normal tension glaucoma(NTG) (37 cases)and 17 eyes of ocular hypertension OHT) (17 cases).Thirty-seven eyes of 37 subjects with incipient cataract served as the control group.CCT and ocular axial length were measured with ultrasonic pachymeter and A-scan unit,respectively,and AST at the temporal quadrant 2 mm posterior to the scleral spur was measured by ultrasonic biomicroscopy (UBM).The measuring parameters among different groups were compared by analysis of covariance,and the correlations of AST,CCT with ocular axial length were analyzed using Pearson linear correlation and linear regression.The differences and correlation of CCT,AST and AL among five groups were analyzed.Results The CCT values in PACG group,POAG group,NTG group,OHT group and control group were (535.54 ± 5.20),(550.47 ± 5.28),(521.61 ± 5.07),(575.75 ± 7.76) and (535.06± 5.06) μm,respectively,showing a significant difference among them (F =9.560,P =0.000),and the CCT value of OHT group was increased in comparison with POAG group,PACG group,NTG group and control group(all P =0.000).The CCT of the POAG group was thicker than that in the PACG group,NTG group and control group(P=0.046,0.000,0.040).No significant difference was found in CCT among NTG group,PACG group and control group(P=0.950,0.060).The AST values of PACG group,POAG group,NTG group,OHT group and control group were(0.593±0.050),(0.600±0.050),(0.592-±0.060),(0.610-±0.060) and(0.604±0.060) mm,respectively,showing a insignificant difference among them (F =0.700,P =0.590).The axial length in the patients with PACG was shorter than that of the POAG group,NTG group,OHT group and control group (all P =0.000).The Pearson correlation analysis showed significantly positive correlation between CCT and AST in POAG group and NTG group(r=0.445,P=0.008;r=0.400,P=0.014).Conclusions This study confirms that there is dissimilarity in CCT but not in AST among different types of glaucomatous patients.The changes of CCT and AST are consistent in POAG and NTG patients.

Objective To determine the changes of interleukin-12(IL-12) and IL-12 mRNA in gastric mucosa of children with helicobacer pylori (Hp) infection,and to study the effects of Hp infection on the expression levels of IL-12 and IL-12 mRNA,and to evaluate its possible roles in the pathogenesis of gastric mucosal inflammation in Hp related gastroduodenal diseases.Methods Biopsy specimens were taken from the antral mucosa on endoscopy in patients with or without Hp infection, which were diagnosed by urease test and Giemsa staining. The expression levels of IL-12 and IL-12 mRNA in gastric mucosa were determined by ELISA and RT-PCR.Results Inflammation of gastric antral mucosa was more severe in Hp-positive mucosa .The expression levels of IL-12 and IL-12 mRNA in Hp-positive mucosa were (66.42?15.15) ng/g and (59.21?15.03)%,which were more than those in (Hp-negative )(22.22?8.79) ng/g and (17.94?7.39)%(P

AIM:To evaluate the optic nerve and axon impairment of relapsing - remitting multiple sclerosis ( RRMS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders ( NMOSD ) via detecting the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and the ganglion cell complex( GCC) thickness by optic coherence tomography(OCT).
METHODS: Retrospective case control study. Two hundred three cases were collected from August 2014 to January 2016 in Beijing Tian Tan Hospital. They were divided into four groups, including the normal group (n=60), the RRMS group ( n = 60 ), the NMOSD anti -aquaporin- 4 autoantibody seropositive( NMOSD- AQP4 -Ab seropositive) group (n= 48), and the NMOSD-AQP4-Abseronegative group (n = 35). All people were detected for the average and four quadrants ( superior, inferior, nasal, temporal) of pRNFL thickness and the average and two quadrants (superior, inferior) of GCC thickness with OCT. One way analysis of variance or nonparametric tests was used to compare the differences of pRNFL and GCC thickness between groups.
RESULTS: Comparing with the normal group, the average and all quadrants of pRNFL and GCC thickness in the RRMS, the NMOSD - AQP4 - Ab seropositive and the NMOSD-AQP4-Ab seronegative group were thinner (P<0. 01). Among them, the pRNFL and GCC thickness in the NMOSD- AQP4 - Ab seropositive group was the thinnest. Differences between groups in the pRNFL thickness:compared with the RRMS group, all quadrants of pRNFL and GCC thickness in the NMOSD-AQP4-Ab seropositive group were significantly thinner(P<0. 01); compared with the NMOSD- AQP4- Ab seronegative group, the inferior, nasal and temporal pRNFL thickness in the NMOSD-AQP4-Ab seropositive group were significantly thinner(P<0. 05), while the superior quadrant did not show significant differences( P > 0. 05); compared with the RRMS group, the superior pRNFL thickness in the NMOSD - AQP4 - Ab seronegative group was significantly thinner ( P < 0. 05), while the inferior, nasal and temporal quadrants did not show significant differences ( P > 0. 05 ). Differences between groups in the GCC thickness: compared with both the RRMS and the NMOSD- AQP4- Ab seronegative group, all quadrants of GCC thickness in the NMOSD -AQP4-Ab seropositive group were significantly thinner (P<0. 05); compared with the RRMS group, the superior GCC thickness in the NMOSD - AQP4 - Ab seronegative group was significantly thinner(P<0. 01), while the inferior quadrant did not show significant difference(P>0.05).
CONCLUSION: The optic nerve and axon impairment in NMOSD - AQP4 - Ab seropositive group was the most severe and the impairment in RRMS group was the least severe. The impairment in NMOSD - AQP4 - Ab seronegative group was between the former two, and could be more similar to that of RMMS.

Objective Severe preeclampsia, and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet syndrome (HELLP) are serious complications of pregnancy, and evidence suggests a genetic basis for these conditions. A G1528C mutation in the alpha-subunit of the mitochondrial trifunctional protein (MTP) gene has been identified in association with these conditions. The aim of this study is to explore the carrier rate of the G1528C mutation in the MTP gene in pregnant women with severe preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome and in their newborns, as well as in a normal pregnant population, so as to determine its association with maternal liver disease among women in Beijing. Methods A multicenter, prospective, case control study was carried out. Polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to screen the G1528C mutations in the MTP gene. One hundred and forty cord blood samples from cases with severe preeclampsia (n=130) and HELLP syndrome (n=10) were collected. Ninety maternal peripheral blood samples among them (84 from severe preeclampsia and 6 from HELLP syndrome) were also collected for screening the common disease-causing mutation in Caucasians. Five hundred and sixty cord blood samples and 90 maternal peripheral blood samples obtained from normal pregnant women served as controls. Results The G1528C mutations in the MTP gene were not found in samples from women with severe preeclampsia and their newborns, from women with HELLP syndrome and their new borns, as well as in samples from the normal pregnant women and their new borns. Conclusions The common disease-causing mutation of G1528C in MTP gene in Caucasians is probably not a common mutation in Chinese Han people in Beijing. Further study is needed to expand the sample size among HELLP syndrome and maternal liver diseases in Chinese population.

Abstract?AIM:To study the Influence and outcomes of eye healthcare information teaching for the visual development of children under“combination of medicine and education” in kindergartens.?METHODS:The children(5-6 years old) were randomly selected from 6 kindergartens in Nanjing, 3 in Yuhua District as the experimental group, and the other 3 in Jianye District as the control group.A one-year follow-up was conducted to evaluate the difference of visual development, including the rate of low vision, rate of referral caused by refractive abnormality, rate of astigmatism, the average of the equivalent spherical lens and the rate of lacking physiological hypermetropia, between the experimental group and the control group children.?RESULTS:One school year later,the rate of low vision, rate of referral caused by refractive abnormality and the rate of astigmatism, were significantly lower (P<0.05)in the experimental group under the mode of“combination of medicine and education”, which were also lower than those before experiment(P<0.05).The average of the equivalent spherical lens of experimental group increased and the rate of lacking physiological hypermetropia decreased significantly, compared with the control group ( P <0.05 ) and with those before experiment(P<0.05).?CONCLUSION:Using “combination of medicine and education” eye health care model,is good for children's visual development,so as to reduce the rate of low vision and delay the occurrence of myopia.