OBJECTIVETo study the histomorphological and immunochemical characteristics of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) induced by urogenital sinus (UGS) implantation in the rat model.

METHODSWe randomized 32 seven-week old male SD rats into a sham operation control and three (2-, 3- and 6-week) UGS model groups. We made the UGS model by implanting two urogenital sinuses from homogeneous male rat embryos into the host rats' right anterior lobe, and killed the model rats 2, 3 and 6 weeks later for measuring the wet weight, volume and micromorphological parameters of the right anterior lobe and detecting the factors expressed in the epithelium, stroma and smooth muscle by immunochemistry.

RESULTSThe model rats showed significant increases in the wet weight, volume and relevant indexes of the right anterior lobe (P < 0.05), as well as in the proportion of stromal area and relative stromal volume (P < 0.1) with the prolonging of time. The mean stromal proportion of the 3-week models was as high as 75.32%. There was also a time-dependent increase in the relative total volume of epithelia in the model groups. The luminal area and the proportions of the luminal and epithelial volumes were obviously reduced in the model rats as compared with the sham operation controls. Pan-cytokeratin positive particles were located in epithelial cells, vimentins abundantly expressed in mesenchymocytes, and alpha-smooth muscle actins expressed around the lumen of the gland.

CONCLUSIONBPH induced by urogenital sinus implantation in rats is typically stromal hyperplasia, and the locations of related factors are similar to those in men with BPH.

Animals ; Cloaca ; transplantation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Prostate ; pathology ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; etiology ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

UNLABELLEDTo study the method for dose calculation and beam weight optimization of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

METHODSThe IMRT dose calculation model based on two-dimensional convolution was constructed, the program of dose calculation and beam weight optimization with genetic algorithm was written with Visual c#.Net, and the optimization results were analyzed.

RESULTSGenetic algorithm optimization of beam weights can produce highly conformal dose distributions within a clinically acceptable computation time.

CONCLUSIONGenetic algorithm is valid and efficient in IMRT beam weight optimization, which may facilitate IMRT treatment planning.

Algorithms ; Humans ; Models, Statistical ; Models, Theoretical ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; methods ; standards

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features in children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-associated cardiac rhabdomyomas (CRM).

METHODSThe clinical data of 15 children with TSC complicated by CRM were collected. The clinical features of the patients were analyzed, and TSC gene mutations were detected.

RESULTSEleven cases (73%) developed multiple CRM. The majority of the tumors were located in the left and right ventricles. Most tumors presented as a round-like hyperechogenic mass with a clear margin on echocardiography. Arrhythmias occurred in 3 patients and 2 patients experienced heart failure. Gene mutation tests were performed in 2 patients, and pathogenic mutations were detected in both patients, which were TSC1 mutation and TSC2 mutation, respectively. Three patients were followed up for 6 to 38 months, and their CRM shrank or regressed spontaneously.

CONCLUSIONSTSC-associated CRM is generally multiple. Heart failure and arrhythmias may occur in some patients. Echocardiography is important for diagnosis of CRM. TSC-associated CRM has an inclination to spontaneous regression. TSC can be diagnosed at a molecular genetic level by TSC gene mutation detection.

Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart Neoplasms ; complications ; genetics ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mutation ; Rhabdomyoma ; complications ; genetics ; Tuberous Sclerosis ; etiology ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; genetics

As a powerful global optimization approach, genetic algorithms (GA) can solve a variety of optimization problems in which the objective function is discontinuous, non-differentiable, or highly non-linear, to produce high convergence speed and vast search space. In this thesis, GA is used to optimize the beam weights of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) inverse planning, and 2D and 3D isodose contour as well as dose volume histogram (DVH) are used to evaluate the treatment plan. Also presented in this thesis are the results of calculation with discussions.
Algorithms ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; methods ; standards

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects on ribbon synapse of inner hair cells after superpulsed CO2 laser-assisted cochleostomy in SD rats.

METHODSEighteen SD rats were randomly divided into laser-assisted surgery groups (2 W group and 5 W group), sham-operated group and control group. Ten of those were performed a cochleostomy using superpulsed CO2 laser with a corresponding power. Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were measured pre-and postoperatively. The ribbon synapses at apical and middle cochlear turns were observed under laser scanning confocal microscope and then were quantified with 3ds Max software.

RESULTSThe postoperative ABR thresholds of the 2 W and 5 W groups were larger than the preoperative case (t = -5.65, P < 0.01; t = -4.97, P < 0.01). The synapse number at the middle turn decreased significantly in 5 W group (F = 17.15, P < 0.01), while no significant changes were noted at the apical turn (P > 0.05). There was no statistical difference in 2 W group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe superpulsed CO2 laser-assisted cochleostomy with high-power is accompanied by a synaptic injury, while no obvious effects after the low-power laser surgery, which might be a safe strategy to preform cochleostomy.

Animals ; Cochlea ; surgery ; Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner ; radiation effects ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Gas ; adverse effects ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synapses ; radiation effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate mutations of CHRNA4 gene in Chinese patients with autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE).

METHODSTwo hundred and fifty-seven patients (including 215 sporadic and 42 familial cases) were analyzed. Mutational screening was performed by sequencing all of the 6 exons of the CHRNA4 gene including the donor and acceptor splice sites.

RESULTSThe results have excluded the involvement of any known mutations of the CHRNA4 gene. A novel synonymous mutation c.570C>T(D190D) and 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CHRNA4 gene were detected in 6 sporadic cases, including c.639T/C, c.678T/C, c.1209G/T, c.1227T/C, c.1659G/A, and c.1629C/T. The SNP D190D was hererozygous and absent in 200 healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONThis results suggested that mutations of the CHRNA4 gene may be rare in southern Chinese population with ADNFLE. The synonymous mutation D190D has not been reported previously. Its impact on the pathogenesis of ADNFLE warrant further study.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; methods ; Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe ; genetics ; Female ; Genes, Dominant ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Receptors, Nicotinic ; genetics ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the virulence gene and mutation features in the Chinese patients with autosomal dominant noctumal frontal lobe epilepsy(ADNFLE) by using the direct sequencing(DS) PCR products with all the exons of CHRNA4 in 6 ADNFLE families,and to interpret the molecular pathogenesis in Chinese patients affected by ADNFLE.Methods Six ADNFLE families were collected,included 66 people and 24 patients with ADNFLE,and 200 healthy volunteers were selected as control group.The genomic DNA was extracted.The exons 1-6 in CHRNA4 were amplified by the PCR.The amplified products were sequenced and analyzed.All data were analyzed with SPSS 13.0 software.Results There were 4 base substitutions in exon 5,and they were c.909T ＞ G,c.1440G ＞ T,c.1458T ＞ C and c.942C ＞ T.All those base substitutions were synonymous.The first three were homozygosis substitutions,but the last one was heterozygosis substitutions.Conclusions The hot spot mutations of CHRNA4 which have been reported were not detected.Whether or not there is a correlation between ADNFLE and this substitution need to be identified by study with

Objective To investigate the relationship between the serum levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and the severity of electroencephalogram(EEG) in children with epilepsy.Methods Two hundred and thirty epileptic children and 74 healthy children were enrolled in the study.Serum level of NSE was detected and video EEG was performed before and 1 year after treatment of the epileptic children respectively.Serum level of NSE in healthy control group was also detected.Results The serum level of NSE before treatment of the epileptic children was significantly higher than that of healthy control group(P ＜ 0.001).There was no significant difference in serum level of NSE between generalized seizures and focal seizures (P =0.13).The serum level of NSE 1 year after treatment was significantly decreased compared with that before treatment (P ＜ 0.001),while the degree of severity on EEG was improved significantly.The serum level of NSE of abnormal EEG group was higher than that of the normal range EEG group and bounded EEG group(all P ＜0.05),there was positive correlation between serum level of NSE and the severity of EEG (rs =0.605,P ＜ 0.001).Conclusions The serum levels of NSE are related to the severity of EEG changes.Serum NSE combined with EEG can betterly predict the degree of brain damage in epileptic children.

Objective: To detect the CHRNA7 gene mutation and polymorphism in Southern Han Chinese patients with nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (NFLE). Methods: Blood samples were collected from 215 Southern Han Chinese patients with NFLE and 200 healthy Southern Han Chinese control subjects. Genomic DNA was extracted, and CHRNA7 whole genome exons were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and subjected to Sanger sequencing. Results: No CHRNA7 gene mutation was detected in all of the NFLE patients. However, five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in sporadic cases were found, located in exons 5, 6, and 7 of the CHRNA7 gene. Among them, c.690G>A and c.698A>G are known SNPs, while c.370G>A, c.654C>T, and c.497-498delTG were newly discovered SNPs. These SNPs were also found in some of the healthy controls. Conclusions: No CHRNA7 gene mutation was identified in Southern Han Chinese patients with NFLE. The CHRNA7 gene is probably not responsible for NFLE in this population.

Humans ; Encephalitis