Objective To explore the effects and mechanisms of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) on high glucose-induced rat mesangial cells proliferation and phenotype transformation. Methods Rat mesangial cells were cultured and incubated in media containing either 5 mmol/L D-glucose or 30 mmol/L D-glucose with or without addition of wortmannin, or uPA (105 U/L) for different time periods. At the end of the incubation period, mesangial cells proliferation was assessed by MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis. Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) and p27kip1 expression and activation of Akt were evaluated by Western blotting and Akt kinase assay respectively. Furthermore, the expression and distribution of α-SMA were detected with laser confocal microscopy. Results MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that high glucose induced mesangial cells proliferation (P＜0.05) and an incresed proportion of cells in G2/M+S stage after 24 h incubation (P＜0.01), which were attenuated by uPA or wortmannin (P＜0.01). High glucose induced the enhance of Akt activity after 3 h (P＜0.05), and the effect was inhibited by wortmannin or uPA (P＜0.01). High glucose did not alter CDK2 expression (P＞0.05),but significantly inhibited p27kip1 expression (P＜0.05), which was attenuated by wortmannin or uPA (P＜0.01). High glucose induced the up-regulation of α-SMA expression and perinucleus location in mesangial cells after 24 h (P＜0.01), which were alleviated by wortmannin or uPA (P＜0.01). Conclusion uPA up-regulates p27kip1 expression and counteracts high glucose-induced mesangial cells proliferation and phenotype transformation via blocking PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Objective To evaluate the effects of rehabilitation training on muscle strength and exercise toleranee in hemodialysis patients with muscle atrophy.Methods Nine hemodialysis patients with muscle atrophy because of end renal failure were recruited in this study. A structured exercise program(90 minutes a sedssion.3 sessions a week)was administered to all the subjects for 6 month.Immediately before and at the end of the exercise programme,the muscle strength of the lower limbs,the motor conduction velocity of the peroneal nerve and maximal oxygen consumption of the patients were examined. Results It was shown that all the patients had impaired exercise capacity,weakend muscle strength and slowed nerve conduction velocity before rehabilitation training.After the exercise programme,the patients' exercise capacity as reflected by the maximal oxygen consumption and exercise time was significantly increased.The muscle strength and the motor nerve conduction velocity were significantly increased.Conclusions Muscle atrophy in hemodialysis patients results in poor exercise tolerance, but rehabilitation exercise programme improves amyotrophy and therefore has beneficial effects on the patient's overall work performance.

Objective To examine the reliability and similarity of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF)for different scan duration.Methods 10 min 10 s resting state fMRI data acquired from 13 healthy volunteers separately were divided into 10 pieces of the same length.The reliability and similarity of ALFF were assessed for each scan length (1-10 min).Results Spatial maps of ALFF steadily appeared in each time period (1-10 min);but during the time evolution,both spatial distribution and extent of ALFF increased gradually.At only one minute,there were detectable statistical differences within the group.When the time ran-ging from 5 to 10 min,relatively stable ALFF results in the group achieved.Conclusion ALFF is a relatively stable index,it can be easily affected by scan duration.In the case of 1-5 min,it should be carefully analyzed and interpretated particularly.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Graft vs Host Disease ; etiology ; prevention & control ; HLA Antigens ; immunology ; Haplotypes ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; therapy ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; therapy ; Male ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; therapy ; Survival Analysis ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the mechanism through which nicotine protects dopaminergic neurons against 6-OHDA toxicity in SD rat. Methods Rats received nicotine or saline treatment (two doses tested,0. 2 rag/ kg and 2 rag/ kg, 5 injections i.p. per day at 2-h intervals). On day 8after the treatment, a single injection of 20μg of 6-OHDA was administered into right striatum.Nicotine or saline was administered continuously daily until animals were killed. The dopaminergic neurons and CD3, CD4 and CDS-positive lymphocytes were analyzed quantitatively using immunohistochemistry. Microglia activation was quantified by IBA1 immunofluorescence. Results The loss of dopaminergic neurons induced by 6-OHDA in the substantia nigra was significantly less severe in the nicotine treatment group (at both 0. 2 and 2 mg/kg groups) than that in the saline treated group. In the striatum, we observed that the number of CD3, CD4 and CD8-positive lymphocytes reduced significantly in the nicotine treated animals as compared to saline controls. Otherwise, nicotine inhibited CD4 and CD8-positive lymphocytes infiltration equivalently. Quantitative immunofluorescenee analysis indicated the microglia activation was inhibited obviously in nicotine treatment. Conclusions Our data suggest that nicotine may have a neuroprotective effect against dopaminergic lesion induced by 6-OHDA by inhibiting the inflammation.

Objective To observe the anticoagulant effect of low molecular weight heparin on induced hemodialysis in patients with acute renal failure.Method One hundred and eight patients with acute renal failure treated with induced hemodialysis were randomly divided into low molecular weight heparin(LMWH)group and unfractionated heparin(UFH)group.A bolus disc of UFH was given at first and then maintained by continuous infusion in UFH group,whereas a single bolus dose of LMWH with 2000AFXa IU to 4000AFXa IU in LMWH group.Results Anticoagulant effect between LMWH and UFH did not show significant discrepancy during induced hemodialysis.The bleeding from internal jugular vein catheter increased in the UFH group much more than that in the UFH group was significantly higher than that in the LMWH group.Anti-FXa blood levels were significantly higher in LMWH group than in UFH group.Conclusions LMWH has minor influence on aPTT and TT,while its anticoagulation effect approximates to that of UFH.LMWH represents a realistic alternative agent UFH in acute renal failure induced hemodialysis.

OBJECTIVETo explore the repair of Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction (XSLJZD) on interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and gap junction (GJ) in the gastric muscular layer of rats of Pi-qi deficiency syn- drome (PQDS).

METHODSPQDS was established using purgative method with bitter and cold drugs in 30 healthy Wistar rats. After successful modeling they were randomly divided into the treatment group and the model group, 15 in each group. Another 15 healthy Wistar rats were recruited as the healthy control group. Rats in the treatment group were gastric administered with XSLJZD at 2 mL/100 g body weight, once daily for 14 successive days. Equal volume of normal saline was gastrically administered to those in the healthy control group and the model group. The gastric muscle tissues were taken out before modeling, before intervention, and after intervention, respectively. Ultrastructural changes of ICC and GJ were observed using transmission electron microscope (TEM). The number and distribution of Connexin43 (Cx43) were detected using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSResults of TEM indicated that compared with the healthy control group, both ICC and GJ in the model group showed obvious injury. ICC and GJ were apparently repaired after intervention in the treatment group. Compared with the same group before modeling, the integrated optical density (IOD) of the Cx43 expression significantly decreased in the model group before and after intervention (P <0.05). Compared with before intervention, the IOD of the Cx43 expression significantly increased in the treatment group (P <0.05). Compared with the healthy control group, the IOD of the Cx43 expression significantly decreased in the model group before and after intervention (P <0.05). Compared with the model group, the IOD of the Cx43 expression significantly increased in the treatment group (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONSUltrastructures of ICC and GJ in the gastric muscular layer of rats of PQDS were obviously damaged. XSLJZD could repair the structural damage of ICC and GJ in the gastric muscle tissues of rats of PQDS.

Animals ; Connexin 43 ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gap Junctions ; Interstitial Cells of Cajal ; drug effects ; Leydig Cells ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Qi ; Rats, Wistar ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVETo assess the short-term and long-term therapeutic effect of warming needle moxibustion for treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

METHODSNinety cases were randomly divided into a warming needle moxibustion group, a western medicine group and a waiting group, 30 cases in each group. The warming needle moxibustion group was treated with warming needle moxibustion on Xuehai (SP 10), Dubi (ST 35) and Zusanli (ST 36), etc.; the western medicine group was treated with oral administration of Ibuprofen sustained release capsule; the waiting group did not receive any treatment. Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Chinese version of SF-16 were used to assess the therapeutic effect before treatment, after treatment and 10 weeks after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment for 2 weeks, the total effective rate was 86.7% in the warming needle moxibustion group, 90.0% in the western medicine group, and 60.0% in the waiting group, both the warming needle moxibustion group and the western medicine group being significantly better than the waiting group (both P<0.05) and with no significant difference between the warming needle moxibustion group and the western medicine group (P>0.05); 10 weeks after treatment, the total effective rate of 83.3% in the warming needle moxibustion group was better than that of 60.0% in the western medicine group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in comparison of WOMAC and SF-16 scores after treatment between the warming needle moxibustion group and the western medicine group, and the warming needle moxibustion group in improvement of these scores was superior to the western medicine group (P<0.01, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe therapy of warming needle moxibustion is effective for treatment of knee osteoarthritis, and the short-term therapeutic effect is same as that of oral administration of Ibuprofen and the long-term therapeutic effect is better than that of Ibuprofen.

Acupuncture Points ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Needles ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To evaluate the possibility and curative effect of total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) for the treatment of primary tumors of the lumbar spine. MethodsBetween June 2005 and July 2009,nine cases of primary tumor of the lumbar spine were treated with total en bloc spondylectomy through a single posterior approach performed in seven cases(L1 giant cell tumor, L1 osteosarcoma, L2 giant cell tumor,L2 solitary plasmacytoma, L2 chondrosarcoma, L2 chordoma, and L3 histiocytic sarcoma), and two cases through a single stage anterior and posterior combined approach (L4 giant cell tumor with paraspinal mass and L4 fibrosarcoma). They were performed a single stage reconstruction after removing tumors of vertebra. Neurofunction was evaluated perioperatively and recurrence of tumor was tracked for all cases.ResultsThe follow up was obtained for 3-49 months (averaging 19 months). All patients attained significant clinical improvement after surgery without any severe complications. There was no local recurrence and distal metastasis in shortterm follow-up. ConclusionThe treatment by TES to remove tumors and reconstruction of spine are reliable for primary tumors of the lumbar spine. The curative effect of short-term follow-up is satisfactory. However, the long-term curative effect remain to be further follow-up.

Objective To explore the association between fibrinogen gene polymorphism(rs1049636) and serum γ′ fibrinogen level and ischemic stroke (IS) .Methods 421 IS patients and 421 age‐and gender‐ matched healthy controls ,including 283 males and 138 females ,were recruited in this assay .The plasma γ′fibrinogen concentration was measured by enzyme‐linked immunosor‐bent assay (ELISA) .Fibrinogen gene polymorphism(rs1049636) were genotyped by using PCR‐LDR assay .Results γ′fibrinogen concentrations in IS patients[(159 .4 ± 97 .4)U/dL] were significantly higher than that in control group[(114 .2 ± 73 .0)U/dL] with statistically significant difference(P<0 .001) .Single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) analysis showed that rs1049636 C allele was significantly associated withγ′fibrinogen level ,but not associated with increased risk of IS(P=0 .077) .Conclusion An associ‐ation between increasedγ′fibrinogen level and IS existed in Chinese Han population .However ,no association between rs1049636 C allele and IS risk was observed in our study .