Objective To analyze imaging of gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GIST),and to compare their imaging features with operational and pathological findings.Methods Clinical,imaging,and pathological data of 20 patients with GIST were collected.Results Imaging findings were endophytic or exophytic tumors with heterogeneous density or signal intensity,corresponding to hemorrhage,necrosis,and cystic changes.Imaging was correct for the location of the lesion in 11 of 16 primary GIST and 4 cases of relapsed tumors.Preoperational CT did not detect mesenteric,peritoneal,and omental metastasis in 5 cases. Hepatic metastases detected at CT (3 cases )were identified by operational findings.Conclusions GIST has some imaging features.CT is a useful tool in detecting and characterizating of lesions rather than detecting mesenteric,peritoneal,and omental metastasis.

Objective To explore the mutation and evolution of Yersiniapestis(Y. pestis) from the point of codon and 16S-ribosome. Methods Codon preference and 16S-ribosome of Y. pestis were analyzed by bioinformatics. Results Similar codon preference was found among 4 PCD1 Y. pestis, of the 3 old Y. pestis the codon preference between PMT1 and PCD1 was similar. There were some differences between PCD1, PCP1 and Yunnan 6 kb plasmid. Through the analysis of 16S-ribosome, the sequences were found similar in 11 strains of Y. pestis,Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was very close to Y. pestis, with only one nucleotide difference, mutated G-T, and corresponding amino acid methionine (M)-isoleucine (I). There were some differences in sequences of 16S-ribosome in Y. pestis, Escherichia coli and Pulex irritans. Conclusions The time for Y. pestis to obtain PCP1 is later than PMT1 does, in other words, the affinity of Y. pestis with PMT1 was closer than PCP1 with 6 kb plasmid;alteration of 16S-ribosomal nucleotide sites may cause changes in function and structure of 16S rRNA. The lower similarity between 16S-ribosomal sequences of Y. pestis and Pulex irritans indicates the time for co-evolution is very short,and the late emergence of Y. pestis.

Aim The expression of NF-?B activation and the effect of antioxidant (N- acetylcysteine, NAC) on NF-?B activity in human airway epithelial cell was assessed. Methods Using the TNF-?,the airway epithelial cell strains of normal subject(16HBE) and tumor patient (H292) was activated and using Western-Blot and ELISA the expression of NF-?B and IL-8 were detected. Results It was found that the activity of NF-?B could be stimulated by the TNF-? and increase with the amount of TNF-? with the peak occurring at 2 to 4 hours after stimulation and then decreasing at six hours. At the same time, the level of IL-8 was elevated, but decreased with inhibition of NF-?B activity by NAC, that means the action of NAC has a dose-dependent effect. Conclusion NAC not only blocks the signal transmission activated by NF-?B, but also anticipates the transcription modulation of expression of many cell factors and inflammatory mediums. It suggests that NAC may play a role in the anti-inflammatory treatment of respiratory diseases.

Objective To explore the relationship between wild rodent plague and human in wild rodent plague foci of the northwestern area in Yunnan to probe the possible transmission mechanism of wild rodent plague to human. Methods Data of component ratio of rodents and fleas was collected in different areas from 1985 - 1995. Activities and habits of residents regarding the way they keep cats and dogs and parasitic fleas and free fleas indoor were investigated, the dog serum was collected for detecting F1 antibody. Results Eothenomys miletus were main rodents in farmland and shrub, accounting for 48.00% (4753/9902) and 54.50% (4282/7857), Apodemus chevrieri were main rodents in garden, being 50.47% (1332/2639). The component ratio of Neopsylla specialis specialis was 13.31%(229/1720), 12.31%(1678/13 739) and 10.87%(957/8802) respectively in garden, farmland and shrub, higher than in indoor. The component ratio of Frantcpsylla spodix was 39.88% (686/1720), the highest in garden. Thirty-two per cent (32/100) of residents kept cats,in which 63% (20/32) with cat fleas, 68% (68/100) of villages kept dogs, in which 76%(52/68) with fleas. Eighteen parasitic fleas were caught from 43 dogs with a flea index of 0.119 and a rate for fleas of 11.63%, 7 pulex were collected from 17 indoor. Forty-three blood serum samples were obtained from dogs, among which 3 were positive blood serum. Conclusions Residents touch affected animals or media in different situations. The possibility of transmission for wild rodent plague to human exists in loci in a chain of wild rodent plague → fleas or predation → homebred animal plague (cats or dogs) →touching or respiratory → human.

Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Skin ; pathology ; Skin Neoplasms ; pathology ; Skin Ulcer ; pathology ; Tibia

Alleles ; Amelogenin/genetics* ; Chromosomes, Human, Y ; Humans ; Male ; Sex Determination Analysis

This 6-week study was conducted to evaluate the effects of seven different levels of dietary chromium (Cr) (0, 75, 150, 300, 450, 600, and 1 200 ppb Cr) in the form of Cr nanoparticle (CrNano) on growth, body composition, serum hormones and tissue Cr in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Seventy male SD rats (average initial body weight of (83.2+/-4.4) g) were randomly assigned to seven dietary treatments (n=10). At the end of the trial, body composition was assessed via dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). All rats were then sacrificed to collect samples of blood, organs and tissues for determination of serum hormones and tissue Cr contents. The results indicated that lean body mass was significantly increased (P<0.05) due to the addition of 300 and 450 ppb Cr from CrNano. Supplementation of 150, 300, 450, and 600 ppb Cr decreased (P<0.05) percent body fat significantly. Average daily gain was increased (P<0.05) by addition of 75, 150, and 300 ppb Cr and feed efficiency was increased (P<0.05) by supplementation of 75, 300, and 450 ppb Cr. Addition of 300 and 450 ppb Cr decreased (P<0.05) the insulin level in serum greatly. Cr contents in liver and kidney were greatly increased (P<0.05) by the addition of Cr as CrNano in the dosage of from 150 ppb to 1 200 ppb. In addition, Supplementation of 300, 450, and 600 ppb Cr significantly increased (P<0.05) Cr content in the hind leg muscle. These results suggest that supplemental CrNano has beneficial effects on growth performance and body composition, and increases tissue Cr concentration in selected muscles.
Animals ; Body Composition ; drug effects ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Chromium ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Hormones ; blood ; Male ; Nanoparticles ; administration & dosage ; ultrastructure ; Organ Specificity ; Particle Size ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tissue Distribution

BACKGROUNDHepatocyte transplantation has been proposed as an alternative to whole-organ transplantation to support many forms of hepatic insufficiency. Unfortunately, the lack of donor livers makes it difficult to obtain enough viable human hepatocytes for hepatocyte-based therapies. Therefore, it is urgent to find new ways to provide ample hepatocytes. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, a breakthrough in stem cell research, may terminate these hinders for cell transplantation. For the promise of iPS cells to be realized in liver diseases, it is necessary to determine if and how efficient they can be differentiated into functional hepatocytes.

METHODSIn this study, we directly compared the hepatic-differentiation capacity of mouse iPS cells and embryonic stem (ES) cells with three different induction approaches: conditions via embryonic body (EB) formation plus cytokines, conditions by combination of dimethyl sulfoxide and sodium butyrate and chemically defined, serum free monolayer conditions. Among these three induction conditions, more homogenous populations can be promoted under chemically defined, serum free conditions. The cells generated under these conditions exhibited hepatic functions in vitro, including glycogen storage, indocynine green (ICG) uptake and release as well as urea secretion. Although efficient hepatocytes differentiation from mouse iPS cells were observed, mouse iPS cells showed relatively lower hepatic induction efficiency compared with mouse ES cells.

RESULTSMouse iPS cells would be efficiently differentiated into functional hepatocytes in vitro, which may be helpful in facilitating the development of hepatocytes for transplantation and for research on drug discovery.

CONCLUSIONWe demonstrate that mouse iPS cells retain full potential for fetal liver development and describe procedures that facilitates the efficient generation of highly differentiated human hepatocyte-like cells from iPS cells in vitro.

Animals ; Butyrates ; pharmacology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytokines ; pharmacology ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Mice ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo examine Clonorchis sinensis infection in China and evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to prevent and control it, two nationwide surveys were undertaken in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities (PAMs) during 1988-92 (the 1990 survey) and during 2001-04 (the 2003 survey).

METHODSDuring the period 2001-04, two sampling methods were applied. The first method repeated the stratified cluster random sampling used in the 1990 survey; the second method applied two-characteristic stratified cluster random sampling in 27 PAMs-the 2003 endemic area (EA) survey. The Kato-Katz thick smear method was used for the nationwide survey.

RESULTSThe infection rates of Clonorchis sinensis in the 1990 and 2003 surveys were 0.311% and 0.579%, respectively. The infection rate was 2.40% in the 2003 EA survey, and it was estimated that 12.49 million people in China were infected with Clonorchis sinensis.

CONCLUSIONThe 2003 survey showed that the standardized infection rate of Clonorchis sinensis increased by 74.85% compared with the 1990 survey. The infection rate in males was higher than in females; the infection rate among people eating raw fish or eating out frequently was higher than among those who did not.

Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Clonorchiasis ; epidemiology ; parasitology ; Clonorchis sinensis ; isolation & purification ; Cluster Analysis ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVETo carry out national surveys for ascertaining the current status and trends of soil-transmitted nematode infections in China, providing scientific basis for further developing control strategies.

METHODSIn 1988-1992 (hereinafter abbreriated as "survey in 1990"), a stratified cluster random sampling method was used in the survey. In 2001-2004 (hereinafter abbreriated as "survey in 2003"), in order to compare with the survey in 1990, two-characteristic stratified cluster random sampling method was used and 687 investigation spots were sampled from the 2848 spots selected in the survey in 1990. Kato-Katz thick smear method was used to examine the eggs of soil-transmitted nematodes in fecal samples.

RESULTSThe prevalence rates were 53.6% and 19.6% for soil-transmitted nematodes, 14.6% and 6.120% for hookworms, 44.6% and 12.7% for Ascaris lumbricoides, 17.4% and 4.630% for Trichuris trichiura in survey 1990 and survey 2003, respectively. The prevalence rates of soil-transmitted nematodes were higher in 13 provinces than the average level in China in the survey in 1990, and higher in 8 provinces than the average level in the survey in 2003. The prevalence of hookworms, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and the overall prevalence of soil-transmitted nematodes were higher in females than in males. It is estimated from the results of survey in 2003 that the number of persons with soil-transmitted nematode infections in the country is about 129 million, less than that in the survey in 1990.

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of soil-transmitted nematodes has declined considerably but is still relatively high in some provinces and autonomous regions. Control activities and socioeconomic development may have contributed to the decreased prevalence.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nematode Infections ; epidemiology ; transmission ; Occupational Exposure ; Prevalence