BACKGROUND: According to present theories and our clinical experience, immune ablative and tolerance inducing theory is proposed. Immune ablative means to clear out mutate cell clones and without transfusion of hemopoietic stem cells afterwards; intolerance inducing means to induce animal models not to react to mutate somatic cells, which avoids relapse or new occurrence of autoimmune disease. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of immune-ablative and tolerance inducing therapy in treating animal model of immune polymyositis (PM). DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: Randomized, controlled animal experiment was performed at the Animal Experimental Center of Nanfang Hospital from December 2008 to April 2009. MATERIALS: One New Zealand rabbit, female, weighing 4.1 kg and 36 England guinea pigs, female, weighing 400-500 g, were used. METHODS: New Zealand rabbit's muscle tissue homogenate and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) were injected into guinea pigs to make PM animal models. The 28 animal models were randomly divided into intense immune-ablative and tolerance inducing group (Busulfan 1 mg/kg, every 12 hours, totally 8 doses; followed by CTX 40 mg/kg per day for 4 days; then cyclosporine A (CsA) 3 mg/kg per day was given till animals were dead); cyclophosphamide (CTX) group: CTX was given, 10 mg/kg per day for 3days; immune-ablative and tolerance inducing group: Busulfan 0.8 mg/kg, CTX 30 mg/kg, CsA 3 mg/kg; the administration time and dose were the same as group 1. Control group was not treated.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Full blood count (FBC) and biochemical index were tested before and after treatment, and surviving time was recorded. In addition, muscle pathological changes were observed.RESULTS: Compared with control group, number of white cells was significantly decreased in the other groups, and hematopoiesis function gradually restored after administration. The number of white cells in the immune-ablative and tolerance inducing group was the most, and striated muscle pathology showed PM. Following administration, the glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and creatine kinase of intense immune-ablative and tolerance inducing and immune-ablative and tolerance inducing groups were significantly reduced (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), but no obvious striated muscle pathological changes were found. The glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, lactic dehydrogenase and creatine kinase in the CTX and control groups remained unchanged. Survival time of intense immune-ablative and tolerance inducing group was the shortest among all groups, and there was no significant difference between CTX and control groups. The animals in immune-ablative and tolerance inducing group survived for the longest time. CONCLUSION: Immune-ablative and tolerance inducing therapy has preferable effect on treating animal models of PM, and its prognosis is better than intense immune-ablative and tolerance inducing therapy and regular CTX therapy.

Objective To study the dosimetry for copper compensator in IMRT.Methods 10 patients (3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma,4 esophageal cancer,3 colorectal cancer) from IMRT plans made in Oncentra Planning System enrolled in this study.The fluence matrices of each plan were converted into compensator thickness matrices based on attenuation coefficient of copper under 6 MV radiation ray which was measured with ion chamber.While irradiating the homogenous phantom with the intensity modulated plans performed by copper compensator,film was used to measure the planar dose.In the end,γanalysis was carried out between the measured and calculated planar doses with the criteria of 3％ DD/3 mm DTA.Paired t test to MU differences of MLC plans and copper compensator plans.Results The γanalysis results showed the planar dose pass rates of 10 plans lie between 90.2％ and 98.2％,which means the IMRf technique based on copper compensator can meet the clinical needs.The MU for copper compensator IMRT plans is less than the MLC IMRT plans (873.9 vs.975.1,P =0.005).Conclusions Compared to conventional IMRT based on MLC,copper compensator has the advantage of lower requirement of hardware and lower scattering dose in patient.Copper compensator can meet the needs of clinical practice.

OBJECTIVETo examine the effect of short-term occupational lead exposure on the inflammatory response system in blood among workers.

METHODSA total of 255 lead-exposed workers (length of service ≤1 year) at an electronics factory in Dongguan, China (exposure group), as well as 205 managers without any occupational exposure at another factory (control group), were included in the study. Occupational physical examination was done to get peripheral blood counts. The blood lead levels of workers were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The relationship between blood lead and peripheral hemogram was analyzed using SPSS software.

RESULTSThe exposure group had blood lead levels of 0.07∼1.70 µmol/L, falling within the normal range. The leukocyte count, percentage of granulocytes, and absolute value of granulocytes were significantly higher in the exposure group than in the control group, and the results remained unchanged after adjustment for age and sex (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in red blood cell count and hemoglobin value between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONShort-term occupational lead exposure may increase the counts of inflammatory cells in blood, but it has little effect on red blood cells and hemoglobin.

Adult ; Blood Cell Count ; China ; Electronics ; Female ; Humans ; Lead ; blood ; Lead Poisoning ; blood ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Young Adult

Objective To develop double-arc volumetric modulated arc therapy ( VMAT) plans using standard phantom and standard target volume in AAPM119 report, and to investigate the dosimetric parameters of Agility and MLCi2 leafs according to the requirements for target dose in AAPM119 report. Methods The Cshape, Head and Neck, Prostate, and Multitarget structures for standard target volume delineation in AAPM119 report were used.The Elekta Agility multi-leaf collimator was used to develop plans, and then with other parameters remaining unchanged, Elekta MLCi2 was used for plan optimization and dose calculation.The target dose in AAPM119 report was used as the standard to analyze the differences in target volume and dose-volume parameters of organs at risk between the four structures for target volume delineation.Results According to the mean dose in AAPM119 report, in the Cshape, Head and Neck, and Multitarget target volumes, the radiotherapy plans developed with Agility had better dosimetric parameters compared with those developed with MLCi2.In the prostate target volume, the radiotherapy plans developed with MLCi 2 had better dosimetric parameters compared with those developed with Agility .Conclusions With the structures for target volume delineation, plan designing personnel, designing parameters, and evaluation criteria remaining the same, Elekta Agility can achieve the dose target better than Elekta MLCi2 in the aspect of strict dose limit.

This study was aimed to investigate the occurrence and clinical significance of the SET-NUP214 fusion gene in patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), analyse clinical and biological characteristics in this disease. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of SET-NUP214 fusion gene in 58 T-ALL cases. Interphase FISH and Array-CGH were used to detect the deletion of 9q34. Direct sequencing was applied to detect mutations of PHF6 and NOTCH1. The results showed that 6 out of 58 T-ALL cases (10.3%) were detected to have the SET-NUP214 fusion gene by RT-PCR. Besides T-lineage antigens, expression of CD13 and(or) CD33 were detected in all the 6 cases. Deletions of 9q34 were detected in 4 out of the 6 patients by FISH. Array-CGH results of 3 SET-NUP214 positive T-ALL patients confirmed that this fusion gene was resulted from a cryptic deletion of 9q34.11q34.13. PHF6 and NOTCH1 gene mutations were found in 4 and 5 out of 6 SET-NUP214 positive T-ALL patients, respectively. It is concluded that SET-NUP214 fusion gene is often resulted from del(9)(q34). PHF6 and NOTCH1 mutations may be potential leukemogenic event in SET-NUP214 fusion gene.
Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; Histone Chaperones ; genetics ; Humans ; Mutation ; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins ; genetics ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; genetics ; Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; genetics ; Receptor, Notch1 ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transcription Factors ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role and significance of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway regulating GSK-3beta, STAT3, Smad3 and TERT in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSThe HCC cell line HepG2 was transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed against beta-catenin. Proteins were extracted and the expressions of beta-catenin, GSK-3beta, p-GSK-3beta, STAT3, Smad3 and TERT were detected by Western blot at 72 h and 96 h respectively after transfection.

RESULTSbeta-catenin expression was inhibited at both time points and the expression at 96 h was higher than that at 72 h (t = 4.43, P < 0.05). Interestingly, GSK-3beta and p-GSK-3beta expressions increased gradually at 72 and 96 h (tGSK-3beta= 4.98, tp-GSK-3beta= 29.83, P < 0.05) respectively, and STAT3 expression showed no alteration after transfection (F = 0.49, P > 0.05). Smad3 expression was increased at 72 h (t = 10.67, P < 0.05) and decreased to normal at 96 h (t = 1.26, P < 0.05), while TERT expression decreased at 72 h (t = 4.18, P is less than 0.05) and increased to normal at 96 h (t = 1.26, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSWnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway is related to the expressions of GSK-3beta, Smad3 and TERT, but perhaps not related to STAT3 protein expression in HCC. It suggested that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway might participate in HCC genesis and development through regulating the above three factors.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Signal Transduction ; Wnt Proteins ; metabolism ; beta Catenin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo know about content of iodine in foods sold in Tianjing markets presently, and the iodine nutrition conditions in college students. It was also aimed to probe the functions of the iodized salt complement with the dietary iodine intake, and whether the urine iodine could reflect dietary iodine intake.

METHODS278 food samples in markets were collected by a randomly stratified sampling method, while the arsenic-cerium catalytic contact method was used to determine the content in food. The dietary information of students for seven days was recorded, and the urine iodine was determined through the arsenic-cerium catalytic spectrophotometry.

RESULTSThe determination of 47 kinds and 278 food samples indicated that the content of iodine within animal foods (7.8 microg/100 g - 30.8 microg/100 g) was higher than that within plant foods (1.8 microg/100 g - 16.1 microg/100 g). The investigation also showed that students who regarded vegetarian food as principle accounted for 70. 19%. The amount of dietary iodine intake among those students, based on the dietary survey, was (111.67 +/- 53.18) microg/d, while supplementary iodine from iodized salt was about (230.27 +/- 45.55) microg/d. Therefore, the total iodine provided from diet would be (341.95 +/- 89.58) microg/d. Modified by urine creatinine, the median of urine iodine was 271.28 microg/gCr, and the urine iodine and dietary iodine intake was found positively related (r(s) = 0.463, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSRegarding the vegetarian food as the principle, most of students investigated are not rich. The dietary iodine intake is lower than RDA (150 microg), but it can be obtained the iodized salt by 230. 27 microg, which is the possible supplement to the shortage from foods.

China ; Diet Surveys ; Humans ; Iodine ; Nutritional Status ; Sodium Chloride, Dietary ; Students

OBJECTIVETo synthesize cyclin-dependent kinase (CDKs) inhibitors and assay their antitumor activities.

METHODSA series of pyrimidines containing different arylamino and 1-(methylsulfonyl)piperidin moieties were designed by combining the segments 1-(methylsulfonyl)piperidin and pyrimidine heterocycles according to the super-position principle of the reinforcement of biological activities.

RESULTSTheir structures were characterized by MS and 1H NMR spectra and all the synthesized compounds were screened for their antimicrobial activity with MTT assay.

CONCLUSIONThe preliminary bioassay showed that compound 3 b displayed good antitumor activity (IC(50)=13.6 µmol/L). The preliminary structure activity relationship analysis of these analogues suggest that the steric factor may have important impact on the anti-tumor activity.

Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor ; Humans ; Pyrimidines ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Structure-Activity Relationship

Aim To investigate the effect of Aesculus hippocastanum seed extract(AH) on concanavalin A (ConA)-induced acute liver injury in mice,and to ex-plore whether the mechanism was related to the inhibi-tory effect of AH on oxidative stress and c-Jun N-termi-nal kinase (JNK). Methods ConA(20 mg·kg-1) was administered via tail vein injecting to induce he-patic damage in mice. The groups of AH were given at 12.5,25,50 mg·kg-1by oral gavage separately for 20 days. The serum levels of AST,ALT,TP,and Alb were determined by automatic biochemical analyzer and the A/G ratio was calculated. TNF-α and IFN-γ levels were assayed by ELISA. The liver tissue was attained by HE and the histopathological changes were calculat-ed. The MDA, SOD, GSH contents of liver tissues were assayed by related kits. The activity of caspase-3 was detected by spectrophotometry. The expressions of cytochrome C and Bax, Bcl-2, p-JNK and p-Akt were detected by Western blot. Results The serum levels of ALT, AST, IFN-γ and TNF-α in AH groups were significantly lower than those in ConA-injured group, while the levels of TP,Alb and A/G were significantly higher. The SOD and GSH levels of liver tissues signif-icantly increased and MDA level decreased; liver his-topathological changes were consistent with those of the serological indicators, and AH treatment significantly reduced the pathological damage induced by ConA. In AH group,the expression of cytochrome C,caspase-3, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and p-JNK markedly decreased, while the expression of p-Akt protein increased compared with ConA model group. Conclusion AH could sig-nificantly protect the ConA-induced acute liver injury in mice via inhibition of ROS and JNK pathway.