Objective To explore the possible mechanisms of Arsenic Trioxide in treating rheumatoid arthritis(RA)by observing the changes of HE staining and NF-KB expression as well as the apoptosis of syn- oviocytes in adjuvant-induced arthritis rats.Methods After the animal model was set up on Wistar rats sue- cessfully,they were randomly divided into AA model group and arsenic trioxide treatment group.The treat- ment group were injected with 4 mg'kg~(-1)9?d~(-1)arsenic trioxid fluid for 7 days.All of the rats were killed 3 days after the complete of injections.The joint specimens were exposed,fixed,decalcified,wrapped and cut into slices.All slices were examined by HE stain and immunohistological evaluation.Results HE staining showed that when compared with the normal control group,the layers of synoviocytes of the AA group were increased to 6-8,and the arrangement of synoviocytes was disordered and heavy inflammatory cell infiltration were found in the AA group.In the arsenic trioxide treatment group,the layers of synoviocytes increased to 3～4,and medi- um amount of inflammatory cell infiltration were found.The intensity of synovial NF-kB(p65)positive stain in AA model group was significantly higher than that in the normal control group.The synovial expression and ac- tivation of NF-kB in the treatment group were decreased markedly,and did not return to normal level.The average gray scale calculation showed that there were significant differences between the three groups(P

TAR DNA binding protein-43(TDP-43) and fused in sarcoma/translocated in liposarcoma protein (FUS/TLS) have been found to be associated with two neurodegenerative diseases - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Mutations in TDP-43 and FUS/TLS lead to abnormal protein expressions, which result in altered RNA processing. The pathological changes of TDP-43 and FUS/TLS-associated ALS and FTD are similar. Although the interactions between ALS and FTD remain unknown, it is speculated that TDP-43 and FUS/TLS-associated neurodegenerative diseases may share similar pathogenesis.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Frontotemporal Dementia ; Humans ; Mutation ; RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional ; RNA-Binding Protein FUS ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To explore the clinical related prognostic factors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in treating malignant hematological diseases. Methods From September 1997 to August 2008,a total of 26 patients with hematological diseases were treated with allo-HSCT from HLA identical-sibling and haplo-identical donors in our hospital, including 14 patients with acute leukemias,10 with chronic myeloid leukemias,and 2 myelodysplastic syndromes. Results All patients achieved sustained full donor type engraftment. The cumulative overall survival (OS) was 63.9 %,and cumulative disease free survival (DFS) was 62.6 %. Fifteen patients had graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (57.7 %),including 8 acute GVHD(aGVHD) (30.8 %) (grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD was 15.4 %) and 7 chronic GVHD. GVHD between HLA identical-sibling and haplo-identical donors was different and there was statistic difference between the two groups (P=0.014). 4 patients relapsed,7 patients died. The univariate analysis showed OS were correlated with grade Ⅳ aGVHD (P=0.05) and CMV infection (P=0.027). Conclusion Allo-HSCT is effective for the cure of patients with malignant hematological diseases. The key to improve the efficacy of HSCT is to reduce the incidence of transplant-related complications,especially GVHD and infection.

Objective To study the current situation of human brucellosis infection in a population at high risk in Qian'an,and to provide a scientific basis for prevention and control of the disease.Methods Towns with centralized residents working in sheep breeding,transporting,slaughtering and processing in Jianchangying,Muchangkou and Xiaguanying of Qian'an were selected.In each selected town,2-3 villages with relatively centralized households working in sheep farming,transportation and slaughtering were chosen.All of the people who contacted the sheep or their excrement were chosen as monitoring objects,and serological antibody was tested with rose Bengal plate test(RBPT) and serum agglutination test(SAT).Regional,gender,age and occupational distribution of brucellosis were analyzed.Results A total of 367 blood samples were tested,46 of them were positive in both RBPT and SAT with a ratio of 12.53％ (46/367).Male positive rate [13.51％ (30/222)] was slightly higher than that of females [11.03％(16/145)].The rate in Jianchangying was higher than that of other two towns with a ratio of 13.38％(40/299).The veterinary population had the highest ratio of 33.33％(1/3).Conclusions It is necessary to carry out the surveillance on brucellosis and to further strengthen communication with the animal husbandry department,and strengthen protection on key population.At the same time,in order to control the spread of the disease,extensive health education and intervention measures should be carried out.

OBJECTIVETo study incidence and death among previous paid blood-donated AIDS sufferers.

METHODSA retrospective cohort study was adopted to study incidence and death of 373 previous paid blood-donated HIV sufferers and its effect factors.

RESULTSPrevious paid blood-donated HIV infection was serious and the infection rate in blood-donated crowd was 35.87% (373/1040); the mean incubation period of AIDS was 8.87 years (95% CI: 8.76 - 8.99, Kaplan-Meier method); the cumulative incidence of AIDS (10 years) was 92.23% (344/373), and the incidence of total sufferers was 11.64/100 person-year; the cumulative probability of survival of one-year, three-year, five-year AIDS sufferers was separately 94.48% (325/344), 85.76% (295/344) and 83.14% (286/344), median survival time was over 5 years; the anti-virotic treatment days (960.29 +/- 486.38), infection age (33.39 +/- 9.08) disease age (41.98 +/- 8.88) had significant effects on AIDS sufferers' survival time/survival rate (chi(2) = 61.355, P = 0.000; chi(2) = 6.555, P = 0.010; chi(2) = 3.969, P = 0.046).

CONCLUSIONThe survival time of previous paid blood-donated HIV cases was longer, and their survival rate was higher, remarkably higher than the UNAIDS' research findings.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Adult ; Age of Onset ; Blood Donors ; China ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Rural Population ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of the basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) to regenerate an autologous tissue-engineered cartilage in vitro.

METHODSThe Cells were harvested from the elastic auricular cartilage of swine,and were plated at the concentration of 1 x 10(4) cells/cm2 , studied in vitro at two different media enviroments: Group I contained Ham's F-12 with supplements and b-FGF, Group II contained Ham's F-12 only with supplements. The passage 2 cells (after 12.75 +/- 1.26 days) were harvested and mixed with 30% pluronic F-127/Ham's F-12 at the concentration of 50 x 10(6) cells/ml. It was injected subcutaneously at 0.5 ml per implant. The implants were harvested 8 weeks after the vivo culture and examined with the histological stains.

RESULTSThe chondrocytes displayed morphologically similar to the fibroblasts in the media containing basic-FGF. The number of cell doublings (after 12.75 +/- 1.26 days) in vitro culture was as the following: Group I, 70; Group II, 5.4. Eight 8 weeks after the vivo autologous implantation, the average weight (g) and volume (cm3) in each group was as the following: Group I, 0.371 g/0.370 cm3 Group II, 0.179 g/0.173 cm3 (P < 0.01). With the b-FGF in vitro culture, the cells were expanded by 70 times after 2 weeks. Histologically, all of the engineered cartilage in the two groups were similar to the native elastic cartilage.

CONCLUSIONThese results indicate that the basic-FGF could be used positively to enhance the quality and quantity of the seeding cells for the generation of the well-engineered cartilage.

Animals ; Cartilage ; cytology ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factors ; pharmacology ; physiology ; Male ; Regeneration ; drug effects ; Swine ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Transplantation, Autologous

Though mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been clinically used to repair a variety of damaged tissues, the underlying mechanisms remain elusively as the majority of the ex vivo expanded MSC die shortly after transplantation. To explore the mechanism in which the death cells play tissue repair effect, apoptosis of rat bone marrow MSC was induced by culturing cells in the conditions of hypoxia or/and serum-free medium, and the subcellular structures in the supernatants were analyzed. The results showed that apoptosis occurred in the presence of either hypoxia or serum-free condition as well, and the apoptotic proportion reached up to (17.44 ± 2.15) after the cells were treated by hypoxia plus serum free culture for 72 hours. The flow cytometric analysis of the sub-cellular substances harvested by ultracentrifugation of the supernatants found that the MSC released substantial amount of membrane microparticles into the supernatants, which expressed CD29, CD44A and Annexin-V-binding phosphatidylserine. It is concluded that the MSC can release membrane microparticles after induction, the amount of these membrane microparticles was around 15-fold of the parent cell numbers. The membrane microparticles is the mediators in the cross-talk between the transplanted cells and their surrounding tissues. This study provides some novel information for the mechanisms of MSC therapy.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cell Count ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell-Derived Microparticles ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

BACKGROUND: In our previous study, we prepared some silk fibroin/polyactic acid composite materials at different proportions, which are verified as tissue-engineered materials with good performance by systemic hypersensitivity test, acute toxicity test, hemolysis test, pyrogenic test, and cell co-culture experiment. OBJECTIVE: To study the subcutaneous degradation of silk fibroin/polylactic acid composite materials at different proportions in mice. METHODS: Fifty-four ICR mice were subjected to subcutaneous cystic clearance on the both sides of the spine, and then randomized into three groups. The silk fibroin/polylactic acid composites at 40:60, 50:50, and 30:70 were implanted into the cystic space, respectively. The specimens were taken out at 1, 3, 9 weeks after implantation. Histopathological staining, Masson staining, and CD34 immunohistochemical staining were performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Hematoxylin-eosin staining: At 9 weeks after implantation, new blood vessels gradually formed and visible fibroblasts gradually grew into the composites in the three groups. Structural collapse of the materials became more apparent, and tissues and cells further grew into the materials. The 40:60 and 50:50 composites were degraded more quickly than the other one. (3) Masson staining: At 9 weeks after implantation, mature blood vessels and collagen fibers were detectable in the three groups, which were more apparent in the 40:60 and 50:50 groups than the 30:70 group. The collagen fiber expression in the 50:50 group was significantly higher than that in the other two groups at different time after implantation (P < 0.05). (3) CD34 immunohistochemical staining: At 1-3 weeks after implantation, CD34 positive expression gradually increased in the three groups. After 9 weeks, the CD34 expression decreased in the three groups; however, the CD34 positive expression in the 50:50 group was significantly higher than that in the other two groups at different time after implantation (P < 0.05). To conclude, the silk fibroin/polylactic acid composite material at a proportion of 50:50 was degraded more quickly in mice.

Objective To investigate the effects of ethanol and aldehyde on the levels of neurosteroid in the cortical neurons of primary-cultured rots and explore their relations with the regulation of AMPA receptor. Methods CNQX (the AMPA receptor antagonist) was used to block the AMPA receptor, and then, 50 mmol/L ethanol or 25 mmol/L aldehyde was employed to treat the neurons;supernate was collected. HPLC-MS/APCI was employed to analyze and determine the concentrations of unconjugated neurosteroids (pregnenolone [PREG], dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA], allopregnanolone [AP]) and conjugated neurosteroids (dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEAS], pregnenolone sulphate [PREGS]) in media from primary cultural cerebral cortex neurons. The effects of CNQX on the regulation abilities of ethanol and aldehyde on levels of neurosteroids in primary-cultured cerebral cortex neurons were detected. Results The levels of PREG, AP and PREGS in the ethanol treatment group were significantly increased as compared with those in the PBS treatment group (P＜0.05); the levels of PREG,DHEA,PREGS and DHEAS in the aldehyde treatment group were significantly increased as compared with those in the PBS treatment group (P＜0.05). CNQX reversed the effect of ethanol on increasing the levels of PREG and PREGS, and reversed that of aldehyde on increasing the levels of PREG and DHEAS, but induced the effect on increasing the level of AP; these effects were significantly different between each 2 groups (P＜0.05). Conclusion Both ethanol and aldehyde show different effects on levels ofneurosteroids in primary-cultured cerebral cortex neurons. CNQX reverses the effect of ethanol on increasing the levels of PREG and PREGS, and that of aldehyde on increasing the levels of PREG and DHEAS.

The fusion protein (F) gene of Newcastle disease virus was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from the recombinant plasmid pVAX1-F, and subcloned into eukaryotic expression vector pmcDNA3. 1+. The F gene was identified by sequencing. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into attenuated Salmonella typhimurium SL7207, and the recombinant was designated as SL7207 (pmcDNA3. 1-F). In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the plasmid stability of pmcDNA3. 1-F was apparently higher than that of pcDNA3. 1-F in SL7207. In order to compare the immune response induced by these two re combinant bacteria, BALB/c mice were immunized orally with them at the dosage of 2 x 10(9) CFU respectively. Both SL7207(pcDNA3. 1-F) and SL7207(pmcDNA3. 1-F) initiated F-specific serum and mucosal antibodies in immunized mice. Furthermore, 4-day-old SPF chickens were immunized with SL7207(pcDNA3. 1-F) and SL7207(pmcDNA3. 1-F) at the dosage of 5 x 10(9) CFU and boosted two weeks later with the same dosage. Humoral and intestinal mucosal immune responses were observed and their levels were significantly higher than that of negative and positive controls. The result of protective efficacy showed that the chickens immunized with SL7207(pmcDNA3. 1-F) had the protective rate of 70.0%, higher than that of the SL7207 (pcDNA3. 1-F) with 50.0%. In summary, the DNA vaccine delivered by attenuated Salmonella typhimurium has good immunogenicity. A novel mucosal DNA vaccine has been developed and could be useful for controlling the infection and epidemic of Newcastle disease in the poultry.
Animals ; Chickens ; Female ; Immunization ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Newcastle disease virus ; immunology ; Plasmids ; Salmonella typhimurium ; genetics ; Vaccines, Attenuated ; immunology ; Vaccines, DNA ; immunology ; Viral Vaccines ; immunology