Objective To investigate the specific expression of nucleolin in the development of cap-stage tooth germ of mouse embryo,and detect the possible biological function of nucleolin. Methods In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were performed to detect the expression of nucleolin mRNA and protein in the development of tooth germ at embryo day 15(E15).Double staining for apoptotic cells and nucleolin was employed to explore the relationship between nucleoin and apoptosis in tooth germ. Results The expression of nucleolin mRNA and protein was mainly detected in the cervical loop,inner epithelium and the underlying dental papilla.Moreover,nucleolin protein was also located in the primary enamel knot and basement membrane.It was revealed by double staining that the fluorescence images of nucleolin and the location of apoptotic cells were not overlapped. Conclusion The expression pattern of nucleolin mRNA do not completely coincide with that of nucleolin protein at the cap stage of tooth germ.The location for nucleolin protein in the basement membrane suggests that nucleolin may be involved in the reciprocal interactions between the inner epithelium and dental papilla mesenchyme,subsequently affect the morphogenesis of tooth germ.

Literatures of study on acupoint functional effect of encephalic region with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are collected from the database of China National Knowledge Information (CNKI) and Wan fang database. Analysis and comments are made respectively from the status quo of studies on combination of single acupoint, two acupoints and multiple acupoints under both physiological and pathological conditions. The results show that the corresponding encephalic regions can be specifically activated by acupuncture. And different regions can be activated by different acupoints. However, studies on single acupoint, two acupoints and three acupoints are the major researches carried out at present. It is still lack of observation on effect of commonly-used combinations in clinic. Moreover, the reliability of the research results are also affected by disunity of operations protocol, reinforcing or reducing manipulations, intensity or depth of stimulation and duration of needling retention. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a unified and standard operation protocol to strictly control the bias factors which may affect the result of research in the future, and take patients as the study target as much as possible, so as to further explore the central effect mechanism.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Brain ; diagnostic imaging ; physiology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Radiography

Background Light leads to the damage of retinal function and structure by promoting the reproduction of radicals and lipid peroxides when retina is exposed to an intense light environment for a long time.It is necessary to study how to protect the retina against light-induced injury in ophthalmology.Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of anthocyanidin extracts in preventing retinal photic damage.Methods Eighteen clean male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to normal saline group,anthocyanidin group and mixed (hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) + anthocyanidin,1:1 in volume) group and 6 rats for each.The electroretinogram (ERG) with international standardized 5 items was recorded from all the rats before experiment.Normal saline,anthocyanidin extracts or mixed solution of 5 ml/kg were intraperitoneally injected in the three groups,respectively,for consecutive 5 days.Then the diffused light with the luminance intensity of (5000±300)lx was used to irradiate the right eyes of the rats for consecutive 3 hours during 19:00 through 7:00 in a device made by our laboratory,and the left eyes were covered at the same time.The ERG was repeatedly recorded 5 days after light irradiation.The rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment and retinal sections were prepared for the histopathological examination.The functional and structural changes of retinas were compared among the different groups.The use of the rats followed the Statement of ARVO.Results The differences of rat body weight were not statistically significant among the three groups (before experiment:F =0.472,P =0.841 ; after experiment:F =0.658,P=0.762).No any significant difference was found in scotopic 0.01 ERG b wave,scotopic 3.0 ERG a and b waves,scotopic 3.0 oscillatory potentials,photopic 3.0 ERG b wave and 3.0 flicker P1wave between the left eyes and the right eyes in the three groups before experiment (P＞0.05).The amplitudes of various waves of ERG were significantly declined in the right eyes compared with the left eyes (P＜0.05).The mean differential values of scotopic 0.01 ERG b wave,scotopic 3.0 ERG a and b waves,scotopic 3.0 oscillatory potentials were significantly different(F =4.594,P=0.029; F=3.834,P=0.037; F=12.823,P=0.000; F=3.976,P=0.032),but those in photopic 3.0 ERG b wave were not statistically significant (F =1.488,P =0.259).Compared with the normal saline group,the differential values of scotopic 0.01 ERG b wave,scotopic 3.0 ERG a and b waves,scotopic 3.0 oscillatory potentials were all reduced in the anthocyanidin group and mixed group (P ＜ 0.05).The cells of outer nuclear layer were decreased in the right eyes in the three groups compared with the left eyes,especially around the optic nerve head and the upside of the retina,with significant differences between them (P＜0.05),and those in the anthocyanidin group and mixed group were significantly less than normal saline group (P＜0.05).Conclusions Anthocyanidin has a protective effect on light-induced retinal damage of SD rats.The protective effect of anthocyanidin extracts is similar to the integrated effect of the mixed group.

Objective:To analyze the metastasis rule of abdominal lymph node from thoracic esophagus carcinoma. Methods:The abdominal lymph node data on 164 patients who had undergone resection of thoracic esophageal carcinoma were analyzed retro-spectively. Grouping was based on the upper, middle, and lower thoracic esophagus. Differences in tumor infiltration depth, differentiat-ed degree, pathological type, pathological stage, and metastasis rate of the abdominal lymph node among the three groups were com-pared. The metastasis rates of the abdominal lymph nodes among the different tumor infiltration depths, differentiated degrees, and path-ological types were also compared. Results:The base condition of tumor infiltration depth, differentiated degree, pathological type, and pathological stage has no statistical significance among the upper, middle, and lower thoracic esophagus. The metastasis rate of the ab-dominal lymph node also has no statistical significance among the three groups (upper, 6.9%;middle, 27.4%;and lower, 39.6%). More-over, the metastasis rate of the abdominal lymph node has no statistical significance among the different tumor infiltration depths, differ-entiated degrees, and pathological types. Conclusion:A special bound lymph node metastasis was present in the esophageal carcinoma. If the tumor in the upper thoracic esophagus infiltrated the submucosa, then it could bound metastasize down to the abdominal lymph node by the lymphatic capillary net. The majority of the esophageal carcinoma was more than T1b period when diagnosed. The tumor has infiltrated the submucosa. Thus, early stage, well-differentiated, and upper thoracic esophageal carcinoma does not indicate mini-mal metastasis of the abdominal lymph node. Routine abdominal lymph node dissection through radical surgery for esophageal carcino-ma was necessary.

Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Prostatitis ; drug therapy ; prevention & control

Objective To investigate the effect of a newly developed photosensitizer—chlorophyll derivative combined with irradiation of 650 nm laser for PC3, an androgen independent cell line in vitro. Methods PC3 was cultured and designed to 4 groups,including blank control,laser irradiation,medication of photosensitizer and medication of photosensitizer with laser irradiation (treated).The medicated concentration of chlorophyll was 0.1 g/L and irradation fluence of 650 nm semiconductor laser was 6 J/cm2.Intracellular distribution of photosensitizer and cellular morphological alterations were studied through light microscopy, electron microscopy and laser confocal microscopy. Results It showed the shrinkage, round-up and membrane integrity of treated PC3 under light microscopy.Sable deposits were observed in cytoplasm of cells in both photosensitizer and treated groups.Transmission electron microscopy showed the fragmentation of DNA and condensation of chromatin beneath the karyolemma in treated cells.In cytoplasm,the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria swell to form vesicles and vacuoles.It showed the strong red fluorescence in the cytoplasm of treat cells compared with the red fluorescence indifferent to the background through laser confocal microscopy. Conclusions Chlorophyll derivative based photodynamic therapy is able to induce apoptosis of PC3 in vitro.Mitochondria is presumed to be the primary target of photodynamic therapy and trigger the apoptotic pathway.

Objective To explore the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation(NMES) on hyolaryngeal structural movement in post-stroke dysphagia.Methods Thirty patients with post-stroke dysphagia were randomly divided into 3 groups (n =10) namely group A,group B and group C.On the basis of routine swallowing training,medication and rehabiliation given to group C,group A was provided with VitalStim therapy on both suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles,while group B was only on suprahyoid muscles lasting 2 weeks.Before and after treatment,the Video Fluoroscopy Swallowing Study (VFSS) was carried out and the upward and forward displacement distances of the hyoid and thyroid cartilage when swallowing pap were measured.Moreover,water swallow test,dysphagia severity scale and DOSS scores were used to assess the swallowing function.Results After 2 weeks' treatment,the water drinking test score,dysphagia severity scale and DOSS scores increased significantly in all groups than before treatment.The water drinking test score of group A (2.40 ± 1.26) and group B (2.10 ± 0.99),dysphagia severity scale of group A (5.30 ± 1.89) and group B(5.20 ± 1.69),as well as the DOSS level of group A (5.20 ± 1.40) and group B (5.10 ± 1.45) were significantly better than the control group.However,no significant difference was observed in all measurements between group A and group B.The group B revealed a significantly increase in anterior hyoid excursion distance of (12.15 ± 7.59) mm,much bigger than that before treatment and that of group A and B after treatment.Conclusion NMES on the basis of traditional swallowing training can improve the swallowing function of post-stroke dysphagia patients,and NMES on suprahyoid muscles can further induce an increase in anterior hyoid excursion.

ObjectiveTo explore the role of HSP27 in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury and hepatic ischemic preconditioning (IP).MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups:control group (sham operation),IR group (only hepatic IR),rHSP27 + IR group (rHSP27 injection before IR).The extent of liver injury was evaluated among these 3 groups.Murine HSP27 was silenced by short hairpin RNA and mice were subjected to IR with or without IP after interfering succeeded.Serum ALT and AST levels,hepatic histological damages and mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6) were measured.Results Silencing hepatic HSP27 aggravated IR injury indicated by higher concentration of serum ALT and AST (P＜0.05),reinforced by severer histological damage and more expression of pro-inflammatory mediators (P＜0.05),while injection of rHSP27 or IP ameliorated hepatic IR injury.Western-blot showed HSP27 expression was significantly higher in IP group than sham group.Silencing HSP27 largely removed the IP-induced hepatoprotection,indicated by restoration of caspase-3 induction.ConclusionHSP27 is an essential endogenous defense of liver against IR injury.Hepatic ischemic preconditioning can improve subsequent IR injury via up-regulation of HSP27,which is related to HSP27-mediated reduction of apoptosis.

Objective To assess the influence of the risk factors of coronary heart disease(CHD) on the prognosis of pereutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Methods The risk factors of CHD was retrospectively col-lected from 446 patients (mean age (SD) : 60.23(9.75) yrs,84.97% male )who were admitted to the First Affili-ated Hospital of Lanzhou University from January, 2007 to July, 2008. These patients were diagnosed as CHD and treated with PCI. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were followed up for 12 months after PCI,and its associatian with the risk factors of CHD was investigated. Results Among all the patients,2.24% (10/446) had family history of CHD, 20.63% (92/446) was complicated with diabetes, 52.26% (242/446) with hypertension, 42.15% (118/446) with dyslipidemia, 62.33% (278/446) of the patients was overweight, and 57.85% (258/446) was smoker. Within 12 months of follow-up, MACE incidence rate were 5.83%. Univariate analysis showed the propor-tions of female,family history of CHD, overweight, hypertension and smoker were significandy different between the patients with MACE and those without MACE (χ~2=4.133,6.848,3.997,3.939,4.120, respectively,P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed family history and overweight increased the risk of MACE (OR=7.383 and 10. 504,respectively,95% CI=1.639-33.246 and 1.231-59.598, P<0.05), being male protected against MACE (OR=0.058,95%CI=0.014-0.236,P<0.05). Conclusions The prognosis of patients of CHD under-went PCI was good. After PCI,the risk factors of CHD such as smoking,hypertension ,overweight,ete should be un-der control to decrease the occurrence of MACE.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the preterm infants after premature rupture of the membranes(PROM)brain injury and some cellular factors in the umbilical cord blood and amniotic fluid,and ana-lyze the biological markers with great predictive value,and provide a theoretical basis for early monitoring of brain injury in premature infants. Methods One hundred and thirty - nine singleton infants with PROM,their gestation less than 34 weeks,were evaluated. The umbilical cord blood and amniotic fluid of cytokines,including interleukin - 1β(IL - 1β),IL - 4,IL - 6,IL - 8,IL - 10,IL - 17A,tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF - α),granulocyte colony - stimu-lating factor(G - CSF),monocyte chemotactic protein - 1(MCP - 1),S100B protein and soluble intercellular adhe-sion molecule - 1(sICAM - 1)levels were measured with Luminex liquid chip. All the premature infants underwent brain imaging for the diagnosis of brain damage. All cases were divided into brain injury group and non - brain injury group based on brain imaging examination. Results The concentration of IL - 10 in cord blood was significantly lower in the brain injury group than that in the non - brain injury group,and the difference was statistically significant(P ﹤0. 05). The levels of IL - 1β,IL - 6,IL - 8,TNF - α,G - CSF,MCP - 1,S100B and sICAM - 1 in the brain injury group were significantly higher than those of non - brain injury group,and the differences were statistically significant (all P ﹤ 0. 05). The levels of IL - 1β,IL - 6,IL - 8,TNF - α,G - CSF,MCP - 1 and sICAM - 1 in the amniotic fluid were significantly higher than those of non - brain injury group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P ﹤ 0. 05),but amniotic fluid S100B protein level was similar between 2 groups,which had no statistical significance (P ﹥ 0. 05). To predict the value of brain damage in premature infants,the highest sensitivity in cord blood was S100B protein,the highest specificity was IL - 6. The highest sensitivity in amniotic fluid was IL - 1β,and the highest specificity was IL - 8. The levels of IL - 4 and IL - 17A in the umbilical cord blood and amniotic fluid,IL - 10 in amniotic fluid were very low,and had no predictive value for brain damage. Conclusions Many biological markers in umbilical cord blood and amniotic fluid provide information about the risk of brain injury in premature infants. The highest sensitivity in cord blood was S100B protein,the highest specificity was IL - 6. The highest sensitivity in amniotic fluid was IL - 1β,the highest specificity was IL - 8. Changes in inflammation - related biomarkers suggest that brain damage in the preterm infants might be associated with intrauterine inflammation.