To investigate the role of Egr-1 in the carcinogcnestic process of hepatocellular carcinoma (H-CC). Methods Expression of Egr-1 gene in HCC tissues were detected by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Human breast andmouse liver and brain tissues were used for control. ResultsLittle or no Egr-1 transcription was detected both in HCC tissues and in their normal counterparts. High transcription of Egr-1 was detected in the LCD and atrophic-like liver plate of HCC tissues. Protein expression of Egr-1 gene was consistent with mRNA transcription. High expression of Egr-1 protein was also detected in normal breast and mouse brain tissues. ConclusionsLittle or no expression of Egr-1 may play a role in the deregulation of normal growth in the carcinogenestic process of HCC. The differences of Egr-1 expression among liver cells, breast epithelia and mouse brain tissues might be associated with their different ways of proliferation and differentiation in different cell types.

Objective To evaluate endoluminal repair and preoperative management for acute Standford type B aortic dissection complicating massive hydrothorax. Methods The clinical data of 27 patients (23 males, 4 females) hospitalized from January 2003 to December 2008 were analysed retrospectively. The average age was 47 ±9 years (35 ～70). Eleven patients had bilateral huge hydrothorax (40. 7% ) , while 13 had left hydrothorax (48. 1% ) and 3 had right hydrothorax (11. 1% ) only, and in 2 of them with additional pericardial effusion (7.4% ). SaO2 was below 90% in all cases. All patients underwent emergency endovascular repair. For control of massive hydrothorax found by CT or chest fluoroscopy, puncture drainage or tube drainage were administrated postoperatively. Results All the 27 operations were successful, and there was no perioperative mortality. Three type Ⅰ and one type Ⅳ endoleaks occurred but disappeared in one month. Hydrothorax disappeared 28 days to 3 months postoperatively in all patients, of which 5 cases had puncture drainage (18.5%) and 1 case had tube drainage ( 3. 7% ). Mean follow-up was 30 ± 20 m ( 6 ～ 78 m ) after endovascular management. Complications included pleural thickening (6 of 27, 22. 2% ) , pulmonary atelectasis (2 of 27, 7. 4% ) , and lung consolidation combined with chest dent (2 of 27, 7. 4% ). Conclusions Emergency endovascular therapy is safe and effective for acute Stanford type B aortic dissection with massive hydrothorax. Drainage of hydrothorax after stent-graft deployment is a must for the patient suffering from severe respiratory failure.

Objective:To predict Th/B cell epitopes in HA of influenza virus(H1N1) and analyze antigenicity of the candidate epitopes in order to develop epitope-bacterin by the way of bioinformatics.Methods:The HA amino acid sequences of influenza virus (H1N1),which the viral infection was prevalent recently,were downloaded from Genbank.The Th/B cell epitopes were predicted and analyzed by bioinformatics methods.Then,specificity and conservation of the candidate epitopes were estimated.Finally,antigenicity of the candidate epitopes was identified by influenza virus (H1N1) positive serum samples of mice.Results:Three Th/B cell epitopes containing HA73-87,HA125-139,HA188-205 were acquired.Two of the candidate epitopes were in a relatively conserved domain of HA1,and a deal of 2006-2009 influenza virus (H1N1) isolates contained the sequences.Moreover,the candidate epitopes were showedin a distinct antibody combining reactivity with the influenza virus (H1N1) positive serum of mice,which inferred the predicted epitopes to be functional ones.Conclusion:The selected epitopes are able to be functional HA Th/B cell epitopes of influenza virus (H1N1).Our study also establish the foundations for the further research of influenza virus infection and immunity mechanism,the recognition of influenza virus (H1N1) functional epitope and the development of epitope vaccines.

Objective:To predict Th/B cell epitopes in HA of influenza virus(H1N1)and analyze antigenicity of the candidate epitopes in order to develop epitope-bacterin by the way of bioinformatics.Methods:The HA amino acid sequences of infiuenza virus(H1N1),which the viral infection was prevalent recently,were downloaded from Genbank.The Th/B cell epitopes were predicted and analyzed by bioinformatics methods.Then,specificity and conservation of the candidate epitopes were estimated.Finally,antigenicity of the candidate epitopes was identified by influenza virus(H1N1)positiVe serum samples of mice.Results:Three Th/B cell epitopes containing HA_(73-87),HA_(125-139),HA_(188-205) were acquired Two of the candidate epitopes were in a relatively conserved domain of HA1,and a deal of 2006-2009 influenza virus(H1N1)isolates contained the sequences.Moreover,the candidate epitopes were showedin a distinct antibody combining reactivity with the influenza virus (H1N1)positive serum of mice,which inferred the predicted epitopes to be functional ones.Conclusion:The selected epitopes are able to be functional HA Th/B cell epitopes of influenza virus(H1N1).Our study also establish the foundations for the further research of influenza virus infectlon and immunity mechanism,the recognition of influenza virus(H1N1)functional epitope and the development of epitope vaccines.

Objective:To investigate the expression changes at the transcriptional level in normal lung tissues of mice after exposure to heavy ion radiation for different durations at different doses, aiming to provide evidence for exploring sensitive genes of heavy ion radiation, heavy ion radiation effect and the damage mechanism.Methods:Experiments on the temporal kinetics: the whole thorax of mice was irradiated with 14.5Gy carbon-ions and the total RNA of lung tissue was extracted at 3days, 7days, 3 weeks and 24 weeks. In dose-dependent experiment, the total RNA of lung tissue was extracted at 1 week after irradiated with a growing thoracic dose of 0, 7.5, 10.5, 12.5, 14.5, 17.5 and 20Gy. Protein-to-protein interaction (PPI) analysis and gene-ontology biological process enrichment analysis were performed on significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs).Results:A clearly differential expression patterns were observed at 3-day (acute stage), 1-week (subacute stage), 3-week (inflammatory stage) and 24-week (fibrosis stage) following 14.5Gy carbon-ions irradiation. Among those, the 3-day time point was found to be the mostly different from the other time points, whereas the 7-day time point had the highest uniformity with the other time points. Cellular apoptosis was the main type of cell death in normal lung tissues following carbon-ions exposure. The interactive genes of Phlda3, GDF15, Mgmt and Bax were identified as the radiosensitive genes, and Phlda3 was the center ( R=0.76, P<0.001). Conclusion:The findings in this study provide transcriptional insights into the biological mechanism underlying normal lung tissue toxicity induced by carbon-ions.

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy differences between herb-partitioned moxibustion on navel and clomiphene for anovulatory infertility.

METHODSWith double-blind double-dummy randomized control method, a total of 40 patients with anovulatory infertility were randomly divided into a moxibustion group and a clomiphene group, 20 cases in each one. Blinding was conducted on both patients and doctors. The patients in the moxibustion group were treated with herb-partitioned moxibustion on navel and oral administration of clomiphene placebo, while the patients in the clomiphene group were treated with placebo-partitioned moxibustion on navel and oral administration of clomiphene. The herb-partitioned moxibustion and placebo-partitioned moxibustion were given at the end of menstruation, 1.5 hours per treatment, once a week, and no treatment was given during menstruation. The oral administration of clomiphene and clomiphene placebo were given from 5 days into menstruation, 50 mg, once a day, for consecutive 5 days. One menstrual cycle was taken as one treatment course, and 3 treatment courses were conducted. After 3 treatment courses, the endometrial thickness (ET), maximum follicular diameter (MFD), ovulation rate (OR) and effective rate (ER) were evaluated between the two groups.

RESULTS(1) Compared before treatment, ET was significantly increased after treatment in the two groups (both<0.05); after treatment, the ET in the moxibustion group was higher than that in the clomiphene group (<0.05). (2) After treatment, MFD was significantly increased in the moxibustion group (<0.05) and insignificantly increased in the clomiphene group (>0.05); the MFD in the moxibustion group was higher than that in the clomiphene group (<0.05). (3) The OR was 75.0% (15/20) and 65.0% (13/20) in the two groups respectively, which were not significantly different (>0.05). (4) The total ER in the moxibustion group was 95.0% (19/20), which was superior to 70.0% (14/20) in the clomiphene group (<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe clinical efficacy of herb-partitioned moxibustion at navel on anovulatory infertility was superior to that of clomiphene, but their effects on OR was similar.