Objective To observe the effect of valsartan on brian ultrastructure, Klotho gene and micro-inflammatory factor [intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-l(VCAM-1)] expression in spontaneously hypertensive rat models. Methods Ten male spontaneously hypertensive rats of 22 weeks age were selected and randomly divided into a hypertension group and a valsartan intervention group, while another 5 Wistar-kyoto rats were set as a normal contrast group. The brain ultrastructure of the 2 groups was observed by electron microscope. The expression of micro-inflammatory factor (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1)and Klotho gene was detected with RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot, respectively. Results The cerebral neuron damage of spontaneously hypertensive rats whose ultrastructure showed cell-pyknosis, chromatin margination and typical apoptotic body formation were alleviated after the intervention of valsartan. RT-PCR showed that the gene expression of Klotho increased while ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 decreased after valsartan intervention. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot also showed that the protein expression of Klotho increased, while ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 decreased after valsartan intervention. ConclusionValsartan can improve the brain ultrastructure of spontaneously hypertensive rats by increasing the expression of Klotho.

Objective To observe the apoptosis and expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4's mRNA in ischemia-reperfusion injured rat renal tubular epithelia cells (NRK-52E) in vitro, and effect of Cordyceps Sinensis (CS) extractant.Methods Cultured NRK-52E cells were divided into a control group, a model group, and a CS preincubated group. All first removed media and incubated with antimycin A for 1 h, and then recovered the media to simulate the ischemia-reperfusion injury in vitro. We detected the apoptosis ratio of cells by flow cytometer and the mRNA expression of TLR-4, Bax, Bcl-2 gene by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction at different time points.Results In ischemia-reperfusion injured NRK-52E, the apoptosis ratio rose as time passed (P＜0.05). We also observed increased mRNA expression of TLR-4, Bax (P＜0.05) and deceased expression of Bcl-2 (P＜0.05). Compared with the model grpup, the CS preincubated NRK-52E cells showed apparent tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion injury, which manifestated lower apoptosis ratio (P＜0.05), decreased expression of mRNA of TLR-4, Bax and increased expression of Bcl-2 (All Ps＜0.05). Conclusion The number of apoptosis cells and the expression of TLR-4 mRNA inceased with ischemia-reperfusion injury of NRK-52E in vitro. CS can prevent the NRK-52E cells from ischemia-reperfusion injury by downregulating TLR-4 gene.

Objective To explore the changes of the Klotho protein expression in blood serum of hypertensive patients with brain harm,so as to investigate the incidence mechanism of brain harm caused by hypertension and the associated risk factors.Methods The research objects were recruited from the hypertensive in-patients and healthy individuals from health examination during September 2007 to March 2008 in our hospital.There were 56 hypertensive patients without syndrome,104 hypertensive patients with brain harm,and 30 normal control individuals,They all were marched in sex and age.Klotho protein concentration of blood serum,cholesterin,creatinine,blood glucose and blood pressure of these 3 groups were tested.And correlation analysis of the above factors and the patients' ages and hypertension medical records was performed.Results The Klotho protein concentration of blood serum in the normal control group was obviously higher than that of the hypertensive patients without syndrome and those with brain harm(P

Objective To investigate the dynamic changes and clinical significanes of TNF?α,IL?1,IL?10 and HMGB?1 in patients with tuberculosis. Methods Fifty?nine patients with active tuberculosis were enrolled in this study. The patients received the standard chemotherapy and the curative effect of the patient was evaluat ed according to the outcome classification in our country. The peripheral blood serum from the patients during the treatment and 12 healthy volunteers were collected. The concentrations of serum TNF?α,IL?1,IL?10 and HMGB?1 were detected by ELISA tests. Results Significant decreases of the concentrations of serum TNF?α,IL?1 and HMGB?1 were shown in patients from the initial treatment,to retreatment and extra?pulmonary tuberculosis (P<0.01),and the serum IL?10 was increased significantly (P<0.01) along with the chemotherapy and improvement of the disease. At the beginning of the treatment ,the levels of 4 kinds of inflammatory factors had no significant differences between the completed and uncompleted treatment patients (P>0.05). At the end of the treatment , the levels of serum TNF?α,IL?1 and HMGB?1 of the uncompleted treatment group were significantly higher than the normal levels (P<0.01) ,but the level of IL?10 was significantly lower than the normal level (P<0.01). Conclusion The dynamic testing of the inflammatory cytokines contributes to evaluation and judgement of the curative effect and the condition of patients with the active tuberculosis.

Objective] To observe the clinical effect of Yiyuan Shengjing Decoction on similar climacteric syndrome of breast cancer after treated with tamoxifen. [Method] Choose 60 cases of breast cancer, randomly divide them into control group 30 cases and treatment group 30 cases, the control one were treated with tamoxifen and oryzanol, the treatment one, with tamoxifen and Yiyuan Shengjing Decoction. After 4w, evaluate the efficacy, compare their clinical symptoms score, hormone levels and endometrium thickness, and calculate the clinical relieving rate. [Result] After treatment, both groups clinical symptoms were relieved more than before treatment, with difference of statistical meaning; comparing on clinical symptoms scores, the treatment was much less than control one, with statistical meaning; on clinical relieving rates, the treatment group reached 83.33%, while 26.67% for control one, both had difference of statistical meaning. The comparison of reproductive hormone levels and endometrium thickness, the difference had no statistical meaning. [Conclusion] Yiyuan Shengjing Decoction treating breast cancer similar climacteric syndrome after treated with tamoxifen had marked cure effect, without influencing reproductive hormone level and endometrium thickness.

Objective To explore effects of fosinopril and losartan on renal Klotho expression and oxidative stress in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and the mechanisms underlying the protection against renal damage. Methods Fifteen male SHRs (22 weeks old) were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=5 in each group): a SHR group, a fosinopril group ［10 mg/(kg?d)］, and a losartan group ［50 mg/(kg?d)］. Age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were chosen for a control group. Eight weeks later, tail arterial pressure, 24 hours urinary protein (Upro)，urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) were measured. Renal pathological changes were examined under light microscopy by HE staining. The renal mRNA and protein expression of Klotho were determined by RT-PCR, immunohistochemical staining or Western blot. The levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), malondialdehyde (MDA), Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), Mn superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were determined.Results The typical pathological characteristics of hypertensive renal damage were observed in the kidney of the SHR group．Compared with the SHR group, the systolic pressure, Upro, and urinary NAGase, the content of MDA and renal pathological damage was reduced while the renal Klotho expression and activities of TAOC, Cu/Zn-SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px were increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01) in the fosinopril or losartan group. There was no significant difference in renal Mn-SOD level among the 4 groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Fosinopril and losartan can exert protection against hypertensive renal damage through upregulating Klotho expression as well as reducing oxidative stress.

OBJECTIVETo compare the accuracy of mesiodistal tooth angulation measurements by using traditional panoramic radiographs and cone beam CT (CBCT) panoramic images.

METHODSPlaster models of 15 volunteers with individual normal occlusions were collected. The functional occlusal plane and tooth long axis on the plaster models were marked from the right first molar to the left first molar in the upper and lower dental arches. A radiographic stent, which contains radiopaque markers near the functional occlusal plane and approximating the root axis, was fabricated for each model. Traditional panoramic radiographs and CBCT scan images were obtained from each patient, with the radiographic stent seated on the dentition. A panoramic image reconstruction was made from the CBCT volumetric data by using related software. The CBCT panoramic image data were oriented parallel to the maxillary or mandibular functional occlusal plane containing all the radiopaque markers when measuring the maxillary or mandibular teeth, respectively. The mesiodistal tooth angulations of the plaster model, traditional panoramic radiographs, and CBCT panoramic images were measured and compared. Multivariate analysis of variance and Dunnett-t test were performed to compare the differences among the three methods.

RESULTSThe difference among the three methods was statistically significant (P = 0.00). Significant differences compared with the model measurement were found in two teeth (upper second premolar and lower second premolar) among twelve teeth (P = 0.00) in traditional panoramic measurement. CBCT panoramic measurement was not significantly different to model measurement.

CONCLUSIONTraditional panoramic radiographs do not provide a more reliable measure of mesiodistal tooth angulation, whereas CBCT panoramic image is an tool for evaluating mesiodistal tooth angulation.

Bicuspid ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Dental Arch ; Dental Occlusion ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Maxilla ; Molar ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Tooth ; Tooth Root

Objective To investigate the effects of isoflurane and sevonumne on apoptosis and expression of CD44 and CD54 in human lung cancer cell line A549.Methods Human lung cancer A549 cells were obtained from Shanghai Cell Biology Medical Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Sciences,and inoculated in 24 well culture plate.After being cultured for 24 h the cells were randomly divided into 3 groups:group Ⅰ control(group C);group Ⅱ isoflurane (group Iso) and group Ⅲ sevoflurane (group Sev).A 549 cells were exposed to 1.7% isoflurane and 2.5%sevoflurane for 4 h respectively in group Iso and Sev respectively,and were then cultured for another 24 h.Apoptosis and expression of CD44 and CD54 in A549 cells were detected with flow cytometer at 0 (T0),2 h(T1) and 4 h(T2) of and 24 h after(T3) exposure to isoflurane and sevoflurane.Results The percentage of apoptotic cells wag significantly higher at T2 and T3 in group Iso than in group C.The percentage of apoptotic cells was significantly higher at T1,T2 and T3 in group Sev than in group Iso and C.The expression of CD44 and CD54 at T1,T2 and T3 was significantly decreased as compared with the baseline at T0 in group Iso and Sev and was significantly lower in group Iso and Sev than in group C.Conclusion Isoflurane and sevoflurane can induce apoptesis of human lung cancer cell line A549, and sevoflurane is more effective. Isoflurane and sevoflurane can inhibit the expression of CD44 and CD54 of human lung cancer cell line A549.

Objective This study was designed to explore the effect of hyperglycemia on the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4 ) in renal tubular epithelial cells and its significance in diabetic nephropathy. Methods In vitro cultured renal tubular epithelial cells ( NRK-52E) were divided into LG group (cultured in 5mmol / L glucose DMEM) and HC group (cultured in 25mmol / L glucose DMEM). Cells were harvested at different time points. Immunohistochemistry, Rt-PCR, Western Blot were used to detect TLR4 protein and mRNA expression, and the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α from the cell culture supernatant were determined by EL1SA assay. Results After 6 hours, there was increased expression TLR4 mRNA in HC group, which appeared to be maintained for 24 hours and began to decrease after 48 hours ( P < 0.05). TLR4 protein expression increased in HC group after 24 hours, and increased even further after 48 hours. Compared with LG groups, the difference had statistical significance ( P <0.05). In HG group, IL-6 and TNF-α expression in the supernatant from the NRK-52E culture were significantly increased ( P < 0.05) , and the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α was positive correlated with the expression of TLR4 protein ( r =0.799,0.820). Conclusion High glucose triggers an increase in expression of TLR4 in NRK-52E cells, itself leading to an increase in expression of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-6. In this way, TLR4 participates in the progress of diabetic nephropathy.

Objective To compare and explore the morphological characteristics of mast cells in different tissues of 6 types of common laboratory animals.Methods Ten healthy adult SPF Kunming mice, 10 SD rats, 10 Hartley guinea pigs, 10 New Zealand rabbits, 6 beagle dogs and 6 Macaca mulata ( male:female=1:1, for all) were used in this study. The animals were sacrificed by euthanasia, samples of the skin, lung, spleen and sigmoid colon were taken from mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, dog and monkey, and fixed in formalin and Bouin’ s solution.Paraffin sections were stained with toluidine blue and Alcian blue-safranin O, respectively.The mouse skin and dog spleen were immunohistochemically stained for substance P.A color pathological image analysis system was used to conduct the analysis of morphometric pa-rameters of mast cells.Samples of the skin of these animals were also fixed in glutaraldehyde for the electron microscopic observation and comparison of the mast cells.Results Mast cells in different types of animals were distinctive in distribu-tion, morphology, size, metachromasia and staining properties.Density and morphometric parameters of the mast cells had significant differences among the 6 types of animals ( P＜0.05 ) .Characteristic granules were contained in the skin mast cells of guinea pig, dog and monkey.Mast cells in the mouse skin, dog spleen and nerves in the mouse skin showed immu-noreactive substance P.Conclusions Mast cells in the 6 types of laboratory animals showed histochemical and morphologi-cal heterogeneity, which have important reference values in animal experimental research on mast cell function.