OBJECTIVETo explore the therapeutic effect of the modified maxillary bone disassembly procedures on patients with tumors in the anterior and middle skull base.

METHODSRetrospective analysis was made of patients treated with the modified maxillary bone disassembly procedures. Ten tumors in the anterior and middle skull base were resected according to the pathology, size and site of the skull base tumors including 9 benign tumors and 1 malignant tumor.

RESULTSAll tumors were resected completely. All patients were followed up from 12 months to 5 years postoperatively. The complications were less and the life quality was increased. The patients with benign tumors showed no recurrence . Two patients with cerebrospinal rhinorrhea cured spontaneously after 7 days. One patient with melanoma died of brain metastase.

CONCLUSIONSIt is necessary to estimate the tumors thoroughly before surgery. According to the location of the tumor, the modified maxillary bone disassembly is the nearest and harmless approach, through which the tumors can be completely excised with minimal invasiveness. The life quality is thus increased.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Maxilla ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull Base Neoplasms ; surgery ; Surgery, Oral ; methods ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between expression of Fas, bcl-2 and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in myocardial ischemia in rats.

METHODSMyocardial ischemia was experimentally induced by ligating the left coronary artery. The rate were killed from 10 minutes to 7 days after the operation. Apoptotic myocardial cells were detected by TUNEL method. The expression of Fas and bcl-2 was studied by ABC immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSCardiomyocytic apoptosis appeared from 3 to 36 hours after ischemia. This phenomenon however could not be detected by TUNEL method 7 days after ischemia. The expression of Fas could be detected by ABC immunohistochemistry from 3 hours to 7 days after ischemia, and the expression of bcl-2 from 10 minutes to 7 days. Cardiomyocytic apoptosis and Fas / bcl-2 expression appeared in different regions of myocardium: apoptosis in the ischemic regions, while Fas and bcl-2 expression in regions without obvious ischemia.

CONCLUSIONIn rats, Fas and bcl-2 may not directly regulate apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in case of myocardial ischemia.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; metabolism ; pathology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; fas Receptor ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDPancreatic islet cell transplantation is an effective approach to treat type 1 diabetes. However, this therapy is not widely used because of the severe shortage of transplantable donor islets. This study investigated whether mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human umbilical cord blood (UCB) could be transdifferentiated into insulin producing cells in vitro and the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) gel in this procedure.

METHODSHuman UCB samples were collected and MSCs were isolated. MSCs specific marker proteins were analyzed by a flow cytometer. The capacities of osteoblast and adipocyte to differentiate were tested. Differentiation into islet like cell was induced by a 15-day protocol with or without ECM gel. Pancreatic characteristics were evaluated with immunofluorescence, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry. Insulin content and release in response to glucose stimulation were detected with chemiluminescent immunoassay system.

RESULTSSixteen MSCs were isolated from 42 term human UCB units (38%). Human UCB-MSCs expressed MSCs specific markers and could be induced in vitro into osteoblast and adipocyte. Islet like cell clusters appeared about 9 days after pancreatic differentiation in the inducing system with ECM gel. The insulin positive cells accounted for (25.2 +/- 3.4)% of the induced cells. The induced cells expressed islet related genes and hormones, but were not very responsive to glucose challenge. When MSCs were induced without ECM gel, clusters formation and secretion of functional islet proteins could not be observed.

CONCLUSIONSHuman UCB-MSCs can differentiate into islet like cells in vitro and ECM gel plays an important role in pancreatic endocrine cell maturation and formation of three dimensional structures.

C-Peptide ; analysis ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Separation ; Cells, Cultured ; Extracellular Matrix ; physiology ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Glucagon ; analysis ; Humans ; Insulin ; analysis ; secretion ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; cytology ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUNDHuman umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs) could be induced to differentiate into insulin producing cells (IPCs) in vitro, which have good application potential in the cell replacement treatment of type-1 diabetes. However, the mechanisms regulating this differentiation have remained largely unknown. Notch signaling is critical in cell differentiation. This study investigated whether Notch signaling could regulate the IPCs differentiation of human UCB-MSCs.

METHODSUsing an interfering Notch signaling protocol in vitro, we studied the role of Notch signaling in differentiation of human UCB-MSCs into IPCs. In a control group the induction took place without interfering Notch signaling.

RESULTSHuman UCB-MSCs expressed the genes of Notch receptors (Notch 1 and Notch 2) and ligands (Jagged 1 and Deltalike 1). Human UCB-MSCs with over-expressing Notch signaling in differentiation resulted in the down-regulation of insulin gene level, proinsulin protein expression, and insulin-positive cells percentage compared with the control group. These results showed that over-expressing Notch signaling inhibited IPCs differentiation. Conversely, when Notch signaling was attenuated by receptor inhibitor, the induced cells increased on average by 3.06-fold (n = 4, P < 0.001) in insulin gene level, 2.60-fold (n = 3, P < 0.02) in proinsulin protein expression, and 1.62-fold (n = 6, P < 0.001) in the rate of IPCs compared with the control group. Notch signaling inhibition significantly promoted IPCs differentiation with about 40% of human UCB-MSCs that converted to IPCs, but these IPCs were not responsive to glucose challenge very well both in vitro and in vivo. Hence, further research has to be carried out in the future.

CONCLUSIONSNotch signaling may be an important mechanism regulating IPCs differentiation of human UCB-MSCs in vitro and Notch signaling inhibition may be an efficient way to increase the number of IPCs, which may resolve the shortage of islet of cell replacement treatment of type-1 diabetes.

Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; Humans ; Insulin ; biosynthesis ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Receptors, Notch ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; physiology

The discussion centered primarily on background, basis and research ways of the study on producing area suitability of genuine traditional Chinese drugs in this paper. The authors expounded application and development of the used modem techniques. The direction and strategy of producing area suitability of genuine traditional Chinese drugs for the future were proposed and prospected aiming to provide with scientific thoughtway and guiding later production and practice.
Climate ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Ecosystem ; Geographic Information Systems ; Pharmacognosy ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; growth & development ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique ; Soil ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

The present study investigated the influence of the methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid elicitors on the formation of phenylethanoid glycosides (PeG) in the suspension cultures of Cistanche deserticola. The results showed that methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid enhanced greatly the accumulation of PeG and echinacoside (Echin), but their optimum elicitation dosage and addition time were different. The yields of PeG and Echin were significantly increased in the presence of 5 micromol/L methyl jasmonate on day 14 (up to 2.59-fold and 3.82-fold, respectively), whereas treated with 50 micromol/L salicylic acid on day 28, the maximum content of them were, respectively, 2.71 and 3.16-fold higher than the untreated cell cultures.
Acetates ; pharmacology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cistanche ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Culture Media ; Cyclopentanes ; pharmacology ; Glycosides ; biosynthesis ; Oxylipins ; pharmacology ; Phenylethyl Alcohol ; metabolism ; Salicylic Acid ; pharmacology

This article studied the chemical constituents from the aerial part of Vitis thunbergii var. taiwaniana. The 60% ethanol extract was eluted with 95% ethanol though HP-20 macroporous adsorption resin column. 12 compounds, including (1) betulinic acid, (2)2, 2, 2'-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane bis (2, 3-epoxypropyl) ether, (3) eriodictyol, (4) trans-ε-viniferin, (5) (+)-cis-ε-viniferin, (6) kobophenol A, (7) ampelopsin A, (8) nepalensinol B, (9) cis-miyabenol C, (10) cis-vitisin B, (11) cis-gnetin H and (12) (+)-hopeaphenol, were separated by using normal phase silica gel, ODS, Sephdadex LH-20 column chromatographies and semi-preparative or preparative HPLC. Compounds 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 were separated from the genus Vitis for the first time and compounds 3, 7, 12 were separated from Vitis thunbergii var. taiwaniana for the first time. At a concentration of 50 μmol · L(-1), compound 6, 7 and 11 showed strong cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cell lines with the inhibition rate of 66.58%, 57.16%, 52.84%, respectively.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Vitis ; chemistry

We studied on the bio-safety problem of cultivating innovative talents in medical microbiology. The bio-safety of laboratory was controlled by educating bio-safety before the experiments, regulating basic operations during the experiments and constructing management system out of the experiments. Then we got some experience to ensure students’ bio-safety during the research.

Objective To investigate the protein and mRNA levels of Rac1 in glioma tissues,and explore the correlation of Rac1 with pathological grades. Methods Immunofluorescence,RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the protein and mRNA levels of Rac1 in 45 cases of gliomas tissues and 10 cases of normal brain tissues. Results The results indicated that normal brain tissues showed no protein and mRNA expressions of Rac1, and that of Rac1 highly expressed in glioma tissues (42/45 at most). The spearman correlation analysis revealed that the levels of transcription and expression of Rac1 were positively correlated to the tumor grades; positive expression rate of Rac1 in high grade of glioma was statistically higher than that in low grade of glioma. Conclusion The high expressions of Rac1 in the glioma are closely correlated to the tumor cell invasion and metastasis, which can be used as a marker indicating the malignance and proliferation of glioma.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the association between vasectomy and prostate cancer.

METHODSWe searched comprehensively the databases, CBMDisc, CMCC, CMAC, CNKI (from 1978 to January 6, 2009), and PubMed (from 1965 to January 6, 2009) using the key words "vasectomy" and "prostate cancer", screened the retrieved literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, performed a Meta-analysis with the software RevMan 4.2 after identification of the relevant data, and calculated the overall pooled OR (95% CI) as well as that of the association of prostate cancer with <20 and > or =20 yr vasectomy.

RESULTSA total of 20 088 cases and 232 506 controls in 27 reports (7 cohort and 20 case-control studies) were included in this investigation. The overall pooled OR (95% CI) was 1.10 (0.97-1.24), and those of <20 and > or =20 yr vasectomy were 0.94 (0.83-1.06) and 1.05 (0.90-1.23), respectively.

CONCLUSIONNo existing literature show any positive association between vasectomy and prostate cancer.

Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Risk Factors ; Vasectomy ; adverse effects