OBJECTIVETo observe and evaluate the effect of transdifferentiation of bone marrow derived stroma cells (BMSCs) into nerve cells by ultrafiltration membrane extract mixture from Angelica sinensis and Hedysarum polybotrys.

METHODSThe BMSCs in vitro cultured after treated by ultrafiltration membrane extract mixture from Angelica sinensis and Hedysarum polybotrys were divided into 5 groups, i.e., the blank group, the low dose group (6 g/L mixture), the high dose group (12 g/L mixture), the combination group (3 g/L mixture + 0.5 mmol/Lbeta-mercaptoethanol), and the positive control group (13-mercaptoethanol). The effects of transdifferentiation of nerve cells were observed using toluidine blue staining in each group. The differences of 5 specific neuroproteins, i.e. neuron-specific enolase (NSE), nestin, neurofilament protein (NFP), microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were detected using immunohistochemical technique and immunofluorescent technique respectively. The changes of the cell cycle were detected using flow cytometry (FCM).

RESULTSAfter induction BMSCs changed morphologically. The morphological features were weaker in the high and low dose groups than in the combination group and the positive group. Except the blank group, the aforesaid 5 proteins expressed positively in the rest groups. Their expression levels were highest in the positive control group (P <0.05), followed by the combination group (P <0.05). As for the cell proliferation rate detected by FCM, it was the lowest in the positive control group, followed by high dose group, low dose group, and then the combination group (all P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe ultrafiltration membrane extract mixture from Angelica sinensis and Hedysarum polybotrys could effectively induce the transdifferentiation of BMSCs into nerve cells. Its inducing capacities were weaker in the positive control group, but it showed marked proliferation effects on differentiated cells. Therefore, the mixture might be a more ideal medication pathway for effectively inducing BMSCs' transdifferentiation into nerve cells, which might have higher proliferation and be used for clinical research.

Angelica sinensis ; chemistry ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fabaceae ; chemistry ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Mice ; Neurons ; cytology ; Ultrafiltration

Objective To observe the influence of combination therapy ofprobucol,aspirin and statins drugs (PAS) on levels of serum oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL),pregnancy-associated plasma protein A(PAPP-A) and marix metalloproteinase-3(MMP-3) and resolution of carotid vulnerable plaque in patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI).Methods One hundred and thirty-five patients with ACI,admitted to our hospital from September 2007 to July 2010,were chosen in our study; according to the results of carotid artery ultrasound,these patients were divided into carotid stable plaque group (n=45) and carotid vulnerable plaque group (n=90).Stable plaque group was considered as control group; 90 patients with carotid vulnerable plaque were randomly subdivided into aspirin and statins drugs (AS) group (n=45,aspirin 100 mg/d,atorvastatin 20 mg/d,orally) and PAS group (n=45,aspirin 100 mg/d,atorvastatin 20 mg/d,probucol 0.25 g/time,2 times/day,orally).Levels ofOx-LDL,PAPP-A and MMP-3 were detected in all patients before treatment and four weeks after drug therapy.The intima-media thickness,plaque area and echogenicity of carotid plaques were evaluated by Doppler ultrasonography during a 12-month follow-up period.Results Before treatment,serum ox-LDL,PAPP-A and MMP-3 levels in AS group and PAS group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P＜0.05); no significant differences of ox-LDL,PAPP-A and MMP-3 levels were noted between AS and PAS groups (P＞0.05).Four weeks after treatment,levels of serum ox-LDL,PAPP-A and MMP-3 in PAS group were significantly lower than those in AS and control groups (P＜0.05); the decrease of levels of ox-LDL,PAPP-A and MMP-3 in PAS group was obviously higher than that in AS and control groups (P＜0.05).Twelve months after treatment,significant decrease of plaque area and intima-media thickness (IMT) was noted in the AS and PAS groups (P＜0.05); the IMT and plaque area in PAS group were significantly smaller than those in AS group (P＜0.05); obvious decrease of echogenicity of carotid plaques in PAS group was noted as compared with that in AS group (P＜0.05).Conclusion Combination therapy of PAS might have strong anti-oxidant function and lipid-lowering effect,which could reverse and stabilize the atherosclerosis plaque.

ABSTRACT:In recent years ,there has been high prevalence of murine typhus in Yunnan Province ,People's Republic of China .A large outbreak of murine typhus occurred in Xishuangbanna Prefecture ,Yunnan Province in 2010 .However ,not all cases were confirmed by laboratory assays ;therefore ,field epidemiologic and laboratory investigations of murine typhus in Xishuangbanna Prefecture were conducted in 2011 .Blood samples were collected from clinical diagnostic cases at the acute and convalescence stages of murine typhus in Xishuangbanna Prefecture ,Yunnan Province ,from June to September of 2011 ,and blood and spleen samples were collected from mice sharing the same habitats as the patients .Immunofluorescence assays were used to test for the presence of IgM and IgG antibodies against Rickettsia typhi in sera from patients and mice .Real‐time PCR was used to detect the groEL gene of R .typhi in blood clots from patients at the acute stage and in spleen tissue from mice .A total of 1 157 clinically diagnosed murine typhus cases occurred in Xishuangbanna Prefecture ,Yunnan Province in 2011 ,with an incidence of 102 .10/100 000 .Of these cases ,80 were investigated by laboratory assays and 74 of 80 patients were confirmed to have murine typhus .The coincidence rate between the clinical diagnosis and laboratory detection was 92 .50% .The positivi‐ty rate for IgG antibodies against R .typhi was 14 .0% (14/100) for Rattus f lavipectus ,while the rate by PCR was 9 .0%(9/100) .That laboratory diagnoses confirmed that the severity of the murine typhus outbreak in Xishuangbanna cannot be ig‐nored .The distribution of host animals transmitting R .typhi underscores this conclusion .

BACKGROUNDTo summarize the clinical results of bronchoplastic procedures and pulmonary artery reconstruction or combined with other resection and plasty of heart, great vessels in the treatment of 304 patients with locally advanced lung cancer.

METHODSFrom February, 1983 to December, 2001, double sleeve resection and reconstruction of bronchus and pulmonary artery, or combined with other resection of heart, great vessels were carried out in 304 patients with locally advanced lung cancer. The operations included double sleeve left upper lobectomy in 199 cases; double sleeve right upper lobectomy in 21 cases; double sleeve right upper middle lobectomy in 14 cases; double sleeve left upper lobectomy combined with resection of left atrium in 8 cases; double sleeve right upper lobectomy combined with superior vena cava (SVC) resection and reconstruction with Gortex graft in 29 cases; double sleeve right upper middle lobectomy combined with SVC resection and reconstruction in 21 cases; double sleeve right upper middle lobectomy, carinal and SVC resection and reconstruction in 11 cases; left pneumonectomy combined right main pulmonary artery and pulmonary artery trunk resection and reconstruction with Gortex graft in 1 case.

RESULTSThere were 3 operative deaths. The operative mortality was 1% in this series. Sixty four patients had operative complications. The operative complication rate was 21.05% (64/304). The 1-, 3-, 5- and 10 year survival rates were 81.75%, 60.14%, 37.21% and 24.39% respectively.

CONCLUSIONSDouble sleeve lobectomy or comblined with other resection and reconstruction of heart, great vessels can significantly improve the prognosis and increase the curative rate and long term survival in patients with locally advanced lung cancer.

Aim To investigate the effect of Toddalia asiatica(TA)on bone destruction in rheumatoid ar-thritis(RA)and its possible mechanism by network pharmacology and in vitro experiments.Methods The active components and targets of TA against RA bone damage were analyzed by network pharmacology.Mo-lecular docking was performed by using AutoDock and PyMOL software pairs.MC3T3-e1 cells were cultured in vitro,and the effect of Toddalia asiatica alcohol ex-tract(TAAE)on cell viability was detected by CCK-8,and appropriate drug concentration and intervention time were screened.The osteoblast model was induced by osteogenic induction medium,and the osteogenic differentiation was detected by ALP staining,activity detection and alizarin red staining.The expression of pathway-related proteins Wnt3a and β-catenin was de-tected by Western blot,and the pathway inhibitor DKK-1 was used to further verify whether TAAE regulated osteoblast differentiation through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.Results A total of 158 anti-RA bone destruction targets and 56 core targets were se-lected.The enrichment of KEGG signaling pathway mainly included cancer pathway,phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway and cAMP signaling pathway.The results of CCK-8 showed that 1 g·L-1 TAAE could significantly improve cell survival rate.The results of ALP staining and ALP activity de-tection showed that TAAE could significantly increase the staining positive rate and ALP activity of cells in-duced by osteogenic induction medium.Western blot showed that TAAE could increase the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin.The expression of these proteins decreased after DKK-1 inhibitors were used.Conclu-sion TAAE can regulate osteoblast differentiation through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to treat os-teodestruction in rheumatoid arthritis.

Methamphetamine abuse is a major public health problem in the world,and in recent years,methamphetamine is also the most abused synthetic drug in China.The neurotoxic or addiction mechanism of methamphetamine has not been fully clarified,and there is still a lack of specific withdrawal methods and drugs for methamphetamine abuse.Mitochondria are not on-ly the organelles to which methamphetamine directly produces toxic effects,but also participate in regulating the neurotoxic damage process of methamphetamine.Mitochondrial quality is the regulatory basis for maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis and is regulated by three main mechanisms,which are mitochon-drial biogenesis,mitochondrial dynamic,and mitophagy.This review summarizes the research progress of mitochondrial quality control in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity,which may provide theoretical support for further research on the mechanism of methamphetamine neurotoxicity and development the mito-chondria-targeting drugs.

Aged, 80 and over ; Atrial Fibrillation ; complications ; Embolism ; etiology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Renal Artery ; surgery

Objective: Moxifloxacin (MFX) shows good activity against and can be a possible antibiotic therapy to treat infection; however, other studies have shown a lower or no activity. We aimed to evaluate MFX activity against using zebrafish (ZF) model . Methods: A formulation of labeled with CM-Dil was micro-injected into ZF. Survival curves were determined by recording dead ZF every day. ZF were lysed, and colony-forming units (CFUs) were enumerated. Bacteria dissemination and fluorescence intensity in ZF were analyzed. Inhibition rates of MFX and azithromycin (AZM, positive control) were determined and compared. Results: Significantly increased survival rate was observed with different AZM concentrations. However, increasing MFX concentration did not result in a significant decrease in ZF survival curve. No significant differences in bacterial burdens by CFU loads were observed between AZM and MFX groups at various concentrations. Bacterial fluorescence intensity in ZF was significantly correlated with AZM concentration. However, with increasing MFX concentration, fluorescence intensity decreased slightly when observed under fluorescence microscope. Transferring rates at various concentrations were comparable between the MFX and AZM groups, with no significant difference. Conclusion MFX showed limited efficacy against using ZF model. Its activity needs to be confirmed.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Moxifloxacin ; pharmacology ; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous ; drug therapy ; Mycobacterium abscessus ; drug effects ; Zebrafish