Objective To understand the underlying mechanism of mites-induced pediatric asthma by bioinformatic analysis on speciifc microRNA (miRNA) array and target gene screening. Methods This is a case control study of 62 pairs of dust mites-induced asthma children with age and gender matched healthy controls. Twelve pairs were randomly selected for miRNA array. The abnormal expression of miRNAs was compared between asthma and control children. The results were validated by RT-qPCR and bioinformatic analysis in remaining pairs of children. Results Six miRNAs (miRNA-151a-5p, 625-5p, 126-3p, 513a-5p, 27b-3p, 22-3p) were signiifcantly down-regulated more than two folds in dust mites-induced asthma children than those in controls. The enriched bioinformatics analysis showed that these miRNAs and their target genes CBL, PPARGC1B, ESR1, ONECUT2, EGFR, SYK, and STAT1 were related to inlfammatory cytokine signaling pathway. Conclusion It is suggested that miR-22-3p, 513a-5p, 625-5p, 27b-3p, and miRNA-target genes form a network through co-regulation to target genes to participate dust mites-induced asthma in children.

Endovascular Procedures ; Humans ; Ischemia ; surgery ; Knee ; blood supply

OBJECTIVETo report the initial clinical experience of endovascular thoracic branched stent grafts in the treatment of aortic arch dissections involving the left subclavian artery.

METHODSFrom February 2004 to June 2004, 14 patients were cured with the endovascular thoracic branched aortic stent-grafts made by Beijing YuHengJia SciTech Co. All patients had Stanford type B aortic dissection with the entry tears just beyond the origin of the left subclavian artery by an average distance of 8.7 mm. The branched stents were consisted of the aortic section and the branched section. The diameter of the stents was 15% to 20% larger than the diameter of the landing zones of native arteries. The repair procedure was performed in angiography laboratory. The branched stent grafts were delivered under fluoroscopic guidance and implanted into the aortic arch including the left subclavian artery.

RESULTSFourteen branched stent-grafts and 2 additional flexible stent-grafts were delivered successfully in all 14 cases. The entry tears were excluded completely, and the truth lumen of the dissection was revealed to the normal diameter in all patients. Neither peripheral complication nor death occurred. All 14 patients had recover the normal life.

CONCLUSIONIt demonstrates that it is possible to apply the technical feasibility of endovascular thoracic branched aortic stent graft to repair the intimal tear of dissection just beyond the left subclavian artery.

Adult ; Aged ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; surgery ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic ; surgery ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation ; instrumentation ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stents ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA and immunoreactivity in experimental acute inflammatory brain injury.

METHODSTen rats were inoculated with pneumococcus to establish the model of bacterial inflammatory brain injury and other 6 rats were used as normal controls. At 24 h after inoculating, the expression of BDNF mRNA and BDNF protein in brain tissue was detected by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical methods, respectively.

RESULTThe necrosis of neuron in cerebral cortex and hippocampus was observed after infection. The increase of BDNF mRNA expression in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of experimental animals was demonstrated at 24 h after inoculation: (0.1194 +/- 0.02941 compared with 0.0662 +/- 0.01176)A and (0.1608 +/-0.01854 compared with 0.0680 +/- 0.00946)A (P<0.01), respectively. Compared with controls the expression of BDNF protein in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus was enhanced at 24 h of inoculation:(177.04+/-43.66 compared with 79.79+/-7.23)mm(2) (P<0.01) and (81.78 +/-37.47 compared with 42.98 +/-20.44)mm(2) (P<0.01), respectively. Strong positive hybridization and immunoreactivity were observed in the infiltrated inflammatory cell in leptomeninges, subarachnoid cavity, ventricles and brain parenchyma in the brain from the experimental rats.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of BDNF mRNA and BDNF protein increases following brain inflammatory injury, which supports the hypothesis that BDNF may constitute intrinsic neuroprotective mechanism as a part of the inflammatory response.

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; analysis ; genetics ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Meningitis, Pneumococcal ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore the efficacy and shortcoming of endovascular therapy with mainly endovascular graft in treating disorders occurring in the thoracic or thoracoabdominal aorta.

METHODSTotal 137 cases with great vessel disorders including dissections, aneurysm, pseudoaneurysm, aortic deceleration injury and coarctation were treated by endovascular technique. The lowest lesion located between the celiac and mesenteric arteries.

RESULTSTwo cases underwent emergent surgery due to acute visceral arterial insufficiency. Seven cases had early endoleaks. After a follow-up of 1 - 43 (average of 11) months, 2 late endoleaks were detected; 5 patients died, 4 of them were due to endograft unrelated diseases, one due to a recurrent multiple aneurysms.

CONCLUSIONEndovascular treatment is relatively safe and effective for treating high risky patients with lesions occurring in the great vessels and seems to have a prospective future, although the device needs to be further improved and the long-term efficacy should be confirmed.

Angioplasty ; methods ; Aortic Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Radiography ; Treatment Outcome

Objective Todescribethemonthlyincidencedistributionofhand-foot-mouthdisease(HFMD)from2010to 2012inZhoushancityandtoanalyzetheseasonaltrendandthecausesofpeakchanges.Methods Circulardistribution method was used to identify the peak period of HFMD incidence.Watson -William test and Watson's U2 test were applied for comparing the peak periods respectively.Chi -square test was conducted to analyze and compare the distribution of HFMDpathogenindifferentyearsandBonferronimethodwasusedformultiplecomparisons.Results Therewasseasonal centralized tendency of HFMD incidence during 2010 to 2012 (P<0.01).The peak period occurred between 8th of May and 1st of September which showed a significant difference among three years (P<0.01).Specifically,the peak period in 2012 was earlier than that in 2010 and 201 1 (both P<0.01 ).Among the 356 reported cases with laboratory confirmed, there was significant difference between the distribution of HFMD pathogen by Chi -square test (P <0.01 ).The predominant strain was EV71 in 2010 and 2011 accounting for 58.46%and 64.62%respectively and other enteric viruses in 2012 accounting for 48.84%.The ratio of pathogens in 2012 was statistically different from that in 2010 and 201 1 respectively(bothP<0.01).Conclusion HFMDcasesoccurwithobviouspeakseason,regionalandgeographic differences.The major pathogens of EV71 in 2010 and 2011 were changed into other enteric viruses in 2012.

BACKGROUNDIt is important to identify the multiple sites of leptin activity in obese women with breast cancer. In this study, we examined the effect of exogenous human leptin on heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and in a breast carcinoma xenograft model of nude mice.

METHODSWe cultured MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and established nude mice bearing xenografts of these cells, and randomly divided them into experimental and control groups. The experimental group was treated with human leptin, while the control group was treated with the same volume of normal saline. A real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was developed to quantify the mRNA expression of HSP70 in the MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and in tumor tissues. Western blotting analysis was applied to quantify the protein expression of HSP70 in the MCF-7 cells. Immunohistochemical staining was done to assess the positive rate of HSP70 expression in the tumor tissues.

RESULTSLeptin activated HSP70 in a dose-dependent manner in vitro: leptin upregulated significantly the expression of HSP70 at mRNA and protein levels in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in expression of HSP70 mRNA in the implanted tumors between the leptin-treated group and the control group (P > 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining revealed no significant difference in tumor HSP70 expression between the leptin-treated group and the control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSA nude mouse xenograft model can be safely and efficiently treated with human leptin by subcutaneous injections around the tumor. HSP70 may be target of leptin in breast cancer. Leptin can significantly upregulate the expression of HSP70 in a dose-dependent manner in vitro.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leptin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the resuscitation promoting role of resuscitation promoting factor and the initial bacteria amount of dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

METHODSMycobacterium tuberculosis (dormant bacteria) was cultured for 100 days, then diluted into 1 mg/ml concentration with 7H9, and further diluted into 0.5, 0.25, 0.125, 0.0625, and 0.03125 mg/ml. Twelve new tubes added with 5 ml 7H9 and divided into two groups: the first group was added with the resuscitation-promoting factor protein, and the second group as control was added with 7H9. In each group the above diluted solutions were added. The tubes were located at 37 degrees C for culture. Optical density (OD) was detected on day 15, 25, 30, and 35. From each tube 1 microl culture solution was plated on 7H11 medium for colony counting.

RESULTSOD detection showed that bacteria proliferation in each group had positive linear correlation (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), indicating that the resuscitation-promoting factor played a similiar role in solutions with different dilution concentrations. 7H11 results and the OD results show that these two detection methods in each group had linear correlation (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), indicating that these two methods showed consistent test results.

CONCLUSIONThe resuscitation-promoting factor has no effect on the resuscitation of dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its initial bacteria amount.

Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; physiology ; Resuscitation

OBJECTIVETo establish a rapid, inexpensive, and simple drug susceptibility test (DST) for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) and evaluate its feasibility.

METHODWe used nitrate reductase combined with mycobacteriophage assay (PhaB-NRA) to test 49 clinical M. tb isolates of, and the results were compared with those of PhaB-NRA and traditional absolute concentration method.

RESULTSThe sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of PhaB-NRA for rifampicin were 89.1%, 91.67%, and 89.8%; on the contrary, those of isonicotinyl hydrazide were 86.21%, 90.0%, and 87.8%, respectively. The coincidence between PhaB-NRA and traditional assay were 0.746 for rifampicin and 0.750 for isonicotinyl hydrazide.

CONCLUSIONSPhaB-NRA is an inexpensive, rapid, and simple DST method. It is a promising rapid screening technique for DST of M. tb.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Biological Assay ; methods ; Humans ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; methods ; Mycobacteriophages ; physiology ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; drug effects ; Nitrate Reductase ; metabolism ; Rifampin ; pharmacology ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo explore the primary experimental methods to construct tissue engineering blood vessel.

METHODSUsing the collagen-chitosan to prefabricate the scaffolds with 3-dimensional structure, the proliferated human endothelial cells (ECs), smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and fibroblasts act as the seed cells. The cells were seeded to scaffolds in two-step method, and engineering tissue were matured by static culture or bioreactor culture. Extracellular matrix contents and the platelet aggregation were examined in engineering tissue, tissue engineering blood vessels were taken as patches to repair the man-made defaults on the rats aorta.

RESULTSThe proliferated human ECs, SMCs and fibroblast can hold activity and act as seed cells. The prefabricated scaffolds, with excellently cell and tissue biocompatibility, can facilitated cells adherence and upgrowth, the cells quantities and extracellular matrix contents in engineered tissue are time dependent increase (P < 0.05). Platelet aggregation tests confirm the tissue engineering blood vessel have some anti-coagulability. Using the engineering tissue patch to repair the default, 6 aortas in 8 animal were patency till 10 days post-operation.

CONCLUSIONSThe seeding cells can be seeded on the 3-dimensional collagen-chitosan scaffolds and matured, the tissue engineering blood vessel can be constructed primarily.

Animals ; Bioartificial Organs ; Biocompatible Materials ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cell Division ; Chitosan ; Collagen ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; Humans ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tissue Engineering ; methods