BACKGROUND: Uncoupling of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is the main cause for transplantation rejection, and it is the best way to prevent transplantation rejection by induce immunological tolerance of the recipient to the donor organ. Self-tolerant T cells can be obtained by negative selection in thymus, whether the intrathymic injection of allogenic antigen can get the immunological tolerance to the antigen?OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of intrathymic injection of allogenic antigen on inducing immunological tolerance in nerve transplantation.DESIGN: A comparative observation.SETTINGS: Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University; Department of Orthopaedics, Fourth Clinical Hospital of Harbin Medical University.MATERIALS: Thirty donor C57BL/6 mice (H-2b), male, aged from 6-8 weeks, weighing 18-22 g, were purchased from the Veterinarian Institute of Heilongjiang Province; While 60 recipient Balb/c mice (H-2b) female, aged from 6-8 weeks, weighing 18-22 g, from Beijing Experimental Animal Center. MHC (H-2b) antigen was prepared by the Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, and the concentration of protein was 4.4 g/L.METHODS: The experiments were carried out in the Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University from June to November 2002. The recipient Balb/c mice were randomly divided into four groups: intrathymic injection group, syngenic transplantation group, allogenic transplantation group and immunosuppressant drug group. MHC (H-2b) antigen was extracted from splenic cells of donor C57BL/6 mice and injected intrathymically into recipient Balb/c mice (H-2d). Two weeks later, the sciatic nerve was transplanted to the recipient mice. Mixed lymphocyte reaction and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) were detected at 3 weeks after transplantation.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The differences of mixed lymphocyte reaction and DTH were compared among the groups.RESULTS: All the 30 donor C25BL/6 mice (H-2b) and 60 recipient Balb/c mice (H-2d) were involved in the analysis of results.①Results of mixed lymphocyte reaction: The cell proliferations in the syngenic transplantation group and intrathymic injection group were obviously lower than that in the allogenic transplantation group [(546.1±75.1), (2 668.3±533.8), (3 101.3±429.1), (4 312.3±534.1) minutes-1, P＜0.05].②Results of DTH: The thicknesses difference between two pads in the syngenic transplantation group and intrathymic injection group were obviously lower than that in the allogenic transplantation group [(41.1±3.7), (72.1±5.1), (57.6±11.3), (86.2±13.2)μm, P＜0.05].CONCLUSION:The intrathymic injection of donor H-2b antigen could induce immunological tolerance of nerve transplantation.

The potential biodegradation of crude oil was assessed based on the development of a fermentative process with a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which produced 15.4 g/L rhamnolipids when cultured in a basal mineral medium using glycerol as a sole carbon source. However, neither cell growth nor rhamnolipid production was observed in the comparative culture system using crude oil as the sole carbon source instead. As rhamnolipid, an effective biosurfactant, has been reported to stimulate the biodegradation of hydrocarbons, 1 g/L glycerol or 0.22 g/L rhamnolipid was initially added into the medium to facilitate the biodegradation of crude oil. In both situations, more than 58% of crude oil was degraded and further converted into accumulated cell biomass and rhamnolipids. These results suggest that Pseudomonas aeruginosa could degrade most of crude oil with direct or indirect addition of rhamnolipid. And this conclusion was further supported by another adsorption experiment, where the adsorption capacity of crude oil by killed cell biomass was negligible in comparison with the biologic activities of live cell biomass.
Biodegradation, Environmental ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Glycolipids ; pharmacology ; Petroleum ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Water Pollutants, Chemical ; metabolism ; Water Purification ; methods

The intestinal absorption properties of the main effective components (glycyrrhizic acid, isoliquiritigenin, 6-gingerol, ginsenoside Rb1, atractylode-I) in Lizhong decoction (LZD) extracts were investigated with an in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion model in rats. UPLC-TQ-MS was used to determine the concentration of the five components in the intestinal perfusion. Animal welfare and experimental procedures were in accordance with the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine. As evaluation indexes for the intestinal absorption characteristics, the absorption rate constant (K_a) and the apparent permeability coefficient (P_eff) of the five main ingredients were analyzed. Results showed that the best absorption sites for glycyrrhizic acid, isoliquiritin and 6-gingerol were the ileum, colon and duodenum, respectively, and the differences between different intestinal segments were statistically significant (P <0.05). There was no notable difference in K_a and P_eff between ginsenoside Rb1 and atractylode-I in the different intestinal segments (P > 0.05), suggesting that they were absorbed throughout. The five components were well-absorbed in the whole intestine (P_eff > 1.0×10^-3 cm·min^-1), indicating that LZD is suitable for preparing sustained, controlled release and enteric-coated preparations.

Aim To identify the potential biomarkers associated with carbon tetrachloride(CCl 4 )-induced a-cute hepatic injury in rats and explore the therapeutic effect of Hugan Tablets(HGT). Methods The model was established by intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 in oil(1 : 1,V/ V)with a dosage of 1 mL·kg - 1 body weight to rats once. The levels of aspartate aminotrans-ferase(AST),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),alka-line phosphatase (ALP ) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)in serum of rats were determined. Moreover,a proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1 H-NMR)based metabonomic approach in combination with multivariate data analysis was applied to demonstrate CCl4-induced acute hepatic injury metabolic perturbations in rat urine and feces and identify the corresponding metabolic bio-markers. The intervention effect of HGT was evaluated based on the changes of metabolic phenotype and po-tential biomarkers related to acute hepatic injury. Re-sults The levels of AST,ALT,ALP and LDH in ser-um of rats with acute hepatic injury were significantly reduced by administration of HGT,respectively. The disturbed metabolic state associated with CCl4-induced acute hepatic injury in rat urine and feces could be re-stored by HGT. Meanwhile,five potential biomarkers (2-oxoglutarate,citrate,creatinine,trimethylamine N-oxide,hippurate)in rat urine and three potential bio-markers(butyrate,glucose,uracil)in rat feces related to acute hepatic injury were reversed by administration of HGT,respectively. Conclusion HGT exerts pro-tective effects against CCl4-induced acute hepatic inju-ry in rats,which is probably mediated by regulation of tricarboxylic acid cycle and gut microbiota metabolism.

This study was aimed to establish a method for rapid detecting BK polyomavirus (BKV) and to investigate the feasibility and value used in leukemia patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Primers were designed according to BKV gene sequence; the quantitative standards for BKV and a real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR for BKV were established. The BKV level in urine samples from 36 patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were detected by established method. The results showed that the standard of reconstructed plasmid and real time fluorescent quantitative PCR method were successfully established, its good specificity, sensitivity and stability were confirmed by experiments. BKV was found in 55.56% of urine samples, and the BKV load in urine was 2.46 × 10(4) - 7.8 × 10(9) copy/ml. It is concluded that the establishment of real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR for BKV detection provides a method for early diagnosis of the patients with hemorrhagic cystitis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Adolescent ; Adult ; BK Virus ; isolation & purification ; Case-Control Studies ; Cystitis ; prevention & control ; virology ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Viral ; urine ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hemorrhage ; prevention & control ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polyomavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; virology ; Viral Load ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in the bacterial ecology and to analyze the bacterial resistance to antibiotics in a burn ward in Nanning district during the past 15 years, so as to provide reference to the clinical management of burn infection under subtropical climate.

METHODSFive thousand eight hundred and fifty-five strains of bacteria were isolated from the wounds and blood of 2269 burn patients admitted to our hospital from April of 1989 to March of 2004. Kiry-Bauer method was employed for the detection of antibiotic sensitivity test. The bacterial examination and bacterial resistance were analyzed in spans of every five years.

RESULTSBurn patients in our district were mainly infected by the gram negative bacilli (3559 strains, accounting for 60.79%), among which Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae and Nitrate negative bacilli were major ones in every period. Gram positive cocci accounted for 33.99% (1990 strains), which ranked the second, among which Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Coagulase negative staphylococci (MRCNS) were the most predominant ones. The bacterial resistance to multiple antibiotics, such as Gentamicin, third generation of Cephalosporin, and Norfloxacin showed a tendency of increase or maintained at high level while the incidence of resistance to Imipenem and Vancomycin was very low.

CONCLUSIONThe climate and the way of using antibiotics exerted direct effects on the status of the bacterial ecology and change in bacterial resistance to various antibiotics.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Burn Units ; Burns ; microbiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Colony Count, Microbial ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Infant ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new infectious disease rapidly spreading around the world, raising global public health concerns. Radiological examinations play a crucial role in the early diagnosis and follow-up of COVID-19. Cross infection among patients and radiographers can occur in radiology departments due to the close and frequent contact of radiographers with confirmed or potentially infected patients in a relatively confined room during radiological workflow. This article outlines our experience in the emergency management procedure and infection control of the radiology department during the COVID-19 outbreak.

OBJECTIVEThe effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation is poor because of the harsh environment post infarction. Our previous studies have proven that Statins could enhance the implanted bone marrow MSCs survival, but the exact mechanism remained to be clarified. We hypothesized that atorvastatin (Ator) could protect MSCs from hypoxia and serum-free (H/SF) induced apoptosis and investigated the potential mechanisms.

METHODSChinese mini-swine's bone marrow derived MSCs were cultured in vitro and exposed to hypoxia and H/SF, Ator of various concentrations (0.001 - 10 µmol/L), AMPK inhibitor-compound C (CC), PI3K inhibitor-LY294002 (LY), Ator + CC and Ator + LY. Cell apoptosis was assessed using Annexin V/Prospidine Iodine kit by flow cytometry. Phosphorylation of AMPK, Akt, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) level and phosphorylation were tested with Western blot. Real Time-PCR was performed to analyze the gene expression of AMPK, Akt and eNOS.

RESULTSMSCs apoptosis in Ator (0.01 - 10 µmol/L) treated H/SF groups was significantly reduced compared with H/SF group (1.94% - 6.10% vs. 10.94%, P < 0.01 or 0.05). Apoptosis was higher in Ator + CC group than in 1 µmol/L Ator group (4.94% ± 0.98% vs. 2.59% ± 0.84%, P < 0.01) and similar between Ator + LY and 1 µmol/L Ator group (2.02% ± 0.45% vs. 2.59% ± 0.84%, P > 0.05). The gene expressions of AMPK, Akt and eNOS were significantly upregulated in atorvastatin treated groups. Meanwhile, phosphorylation of AMPK and eNOS increased in MSCs treated with atorvastatin (P < 0.01 or 0.05). Phosphorylation of eNOS significantly correlated with AMPK phosphorylation (r = 0.599, P = 0.004), but not with Akt phosphorylation (P = 0.263).

CONCLUSIONSAtorvastatin can protect MSCs from H/SF induced apoptosis through AMPK pathway, which resulting in activation of eNOS.

Adenylate Kinase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Atorvastatin Calcium ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Culture Media, Serum-Free ; Heptanoic Acids ; pharmacology ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; metabolism ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; Pyrroles ; pharmacology ; Signal Transduction ; Swine

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics, risk factors and therapeutic outcome of Philadelphia chromosome-positive adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(+)aALL).

METHODSThe clinical data of 117 newly diagnosed adults with Ph(+)ALL in our hospital between January 1995 and December 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. And their prognoses were followed up.

RESULTSThere were 117(16.1%) of 727 aALL patients diagnosed as Ph(+)aALL. Among the 117 cases, 64.1% patients were classified as pre-B immunophenotype and 31.3% as common B immunophenotype, 37.5% patients with co-expression of myeloid antigens (CD13 or CD33), and 98.4% patients with positive CD34. The complete remission (CR) rate after 1 or 2 cycles of induction chemotherapy was 62.2% in Ph(+)aALL group versus 82% in Ph(-)aALL group (P = 0.000). The median disease-free survival time of Ph(+) group was 6 months and the median survival time was 9 months. Sole karyotype abnormality subgroup t(9;22) accounted for 53% of all Ph(+)aALL patients and additional karyotype abnormality subgroup, t(9;22) plus other chromosome variation, accounted for 47%. Patients in sole karyotype abnormality subgroup had slightly lower CR rate (59.6% vs 62.5%, P = 0.768), longer median survival time (7 months vs 4 months, P = 0.158), and higher 3-year overall survival rate (27.3% vs 14.4%, P = 0.271). For the myeloid antigen co-expressed patients and the only lymphocytic antigen expressed ones, CR rate was 56.0% and 61.5% (P = 0.750), the median survival time was 5 months and 4 months (P = 0.182), and the 3-year overall survival rate was 16.0% and 15.0% (P = 0.354), respectively. In the imatinib plus combination chemotherapy treatment group, 81.3% patients achieved CR, compared with that of 58.3% in patients treated with only traditional combination chemotherapy (P = 0.083). The median survival time was 9.5 months and 6 months (P = 0.003) in these two subgroup, and 3-year overall survival rate was 52.2% and 10.3% (P = 0.029), respectively. For the patients receiving allo-HSCT after CR and that receiving traditional consolidation chemotherapy, the median survival time was 15 months and 6 months (P = 0.000), and the 3-year overall survival rate was 62.0% and 10.3% (P = 0.000), respectively. For the patients receiving imatinib as consolidation-maintenance treatment and that receiving allo-HSCT, the median survival time was 12 months and 15 months (P = 0.300), and the 3-year overall survival rate was 64.7% and 62% (P = 0.505), respectively.

CONCLUSIONOf all adult ALL patients, the Ph(+) subgroup accounted for about 16.1%, which have unfavorable prognosis such as lower CR rate and shorter survival duration under traditional chemotherapy. Neither additional chromosome abnormalities to t(9;22) nor co-expression of myeloid antigen had negative effect on CR rate and survival duration. Addition of imatinib to the therapy was beneficial to improve the CR rate and survival duration. Either receiving imatinib as consolidation-maintenance treatment or allo-HSCT after complete remission can improve long-term survival rate of Ph(+) adult ALL group significantly.

Adult ; Benzamides ; Female ; Humans ; Imatinib Mesylate ; Male ; Philadelphia Chromosome ; Piperazines ; therapeutic use ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Prognosis ; Pyrimidines ; therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to identify the long-term character of the domestic bileaflet mechanical valve in the chronic implanted sheep model and to evaluate the potential value of the modal.

METHODSSix adult sheep underwent implanted mechanical bileaflet valve in pulmonary position under the cardio-pulmonary bypass with beating heart. The chronic implanted sheep model was built up and observed in the respects of a long-term survival, function of prosthesis and pathological specimen.

RESULTSSix adult sheep survived with good condition after operation. The average survival period of six sheep was (221 +/- 208) days. Two sheep were postoperatively sacrificed in 41 and 71 days, respectively. The necropsy revealed normal valve function without thrombosis, periprosthetic leakage and overgrowth of fibrous tissue. One sheep died from dysfunction of prosthetic valve at the postoperative 196 days. The reason was the prosthetic thrombosis with slight overgrowth of fibrous tissue in periprosthesis. The other two sheep died from severe anemia at the postoperative 196 days and 234 days, and the autopsy revealed no abnormal finding else. And one remained to survive with good condition up to now (over 617 days) and was checked by Doppler echocardiogram twice at the postoperative 438 days and 479 days, respectively. The results showed normal function of the bileaflet valve in pulmonary position.

CONCLUSIONThe long-term good effects would be achieved by using the implanted new domestic bileaflet valve in pulmonary position of sheep.

Animals ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; methods ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Pulmonary Valve ; surgery ; Sheep