BACKGROUND:Previous research has shown that stem cells at different age stages had various proliferation and differentiation in vitro.Therefore,biological characteristics of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells at different age stages play a key role in evaluating differentiation into myocardial cells and determining proliferation and differentiation parameters in vitro.OBJECTIVE:To compare in vitro proliferation,surface marking,and differentiation into myocardial cells of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells from different aged rats.DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:An in vitro contrast cytological observation was performed at the Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,Shanxi Medical University from May 2008 to May 2009.MATERIALS:A total of 15 healthy male Wistar rats were divided into three groups:1-month-old,3-month-old,and 12-month-old groups,with 5 rats in each group.METHODS:Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were cultured using adherence screening method.At the third passage,cells differentiated into myocardium-like cells by the induction of 5-azacytidine.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Cell proliferation was observed using MTT;cell surface marking was detected using flow cytometry;cardiac-specific myosin heavy chain mRNA expression was measured using RT-PCR.RESULTS:Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were adherent in each group,and the proliferation curve was similar to each other.Under the same culture condition,the proliferation in the 1-month-old and 3-month-old groups was faster than 12-month-old group (F=28.71,P ＜ 0.05).The third-passage cells strongly expressed CD44 and CD71 but weakly expressed CD34 and CD45.At 2 weeks after 5-azacytidine induction,cardiac-specific myosin heavy chain mRNA was observed in all groups;however,the cardiac-specific myosin heavy chain mRNA expression in both 1-month-old and 3-month-old groups was significantly greater than 12-month-old group (t=5.140,2.827,P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION:With the age increasing of rats,proliferation,survival time,and differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were weakened.

As an important neurotransmitter, adenosine displays its functions by acting on the adenosine receptors. Recent studies have shown that the distribution, expression and balance among subtypes of adenosine receptors are closely related with cognitive activities, and changes of adenosine receptors play key roles in neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease. It has been pointed out that prolonged activation of adenosine receptors by high level adenosine may lead to the disturbance of balance among adenosine receptor subtypes. This imbalance mainly performed as increased expression of A2a receptor and decreased expression of A1 receptor, and enhancement of the excitatory signals mediated by A2a receptor and weakened inhibitory signals mediated by A1 receptor. Changes of these two subtypes of adenosine receptors may lead to a lot of disorders of neurological activities which developed into dysfunction of cognition to the end. These findings imply that the potential of maintaining the balance among adenosine receptors on the treatment of AD would facilitate both the revealing of the mechanism and the cure of AD.
Adenosine ; physiology ; Alzheimer Disease ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; physiology ; Receptors, Purinergic P1 ; classification ; physiology

Animals ; Decompression ; Decompression Sickness ; physiopathology ; Electrocardiography ; Electroencephalography ; Electromyography ; Electrophysiology ; Male ; Rabbits

ObjectiveTo analyze the differential expression of microRNA (miRNA) and its significance in patients with neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).MethodsTwenty-five patients diagnosed with NEC with Bell stage≥Ⅱ, and 25 non-NEC patients as control group admitted to Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center between October 2014 and November 2015 were collected. White blood cells were extracted from the peripheral blood. Five samples were selected randomly each from NEC group and control group, and sequenced by second-generation Illumina high-throughput sequencing, screened for differentially expressed miRNA and analyzed for target genes prediction and biological function. The rest samples of the two groups were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction technology (RT-qPCR), the results were used to validate the results of high-throughput sequencing. Differentially expressed miRNA in the two groups of data was analyzed using DEGseq software.P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.P<0.01,q<0.001 and丨Log2 Ratio丨≥1 were taken as criteria for screening the differential expression. The differential expressions of miRNA in NEC group and control group were analyzed by cluster analysis using MeV4.6 software.ResultsA total of 482 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the two groups, with significant difference (P<0.05). Among them, 126 were known miRNAs with significantly differential expression in the two groups, with 58 being up-regulated and 68 being down-regulated. The results of up-regulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-223-5p,-183-3p,-222-5p) and down-regulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-23b-5p,-150-5p,-146a-3p,-1298-5p) were confirmed to be consistent with the results of sequencing. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the target genes with differential miRNA expression mainly involved Toll-like receptor signal transduction pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, JAK-STAT and other signal transduction pathways.ConclusionsThere are significantly differential expressions of miRNAs in peripheral white blood cells of NEC neonates. These miRNs may be involved in the occurrence and development of NEC via adjusting different target genes to regulate the signal pathway.

OBJECTIVETo observe the regulatory effect of Bushen Jianpi Recipe (BSJPR) on cellular immunity the of primary liver cancer patients of Gan-Shen yin-deficiency and Pi qi-deficiency syndrome type after intervention therapy.

METHODSAccording to the multi-center randomized controlled principle, 117 patients after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) were assigned to two groups, 60 in the treated group and 57 in the control group, who were treated respectively with BSJPR and liver protecting remedy (silymarin and vitamin c) for 12 weeks. Changes in TCM syndrome, quality of life (QOL), immediate effect on tumor size and survival time were observed. Meantime, the cellular immune function was also observed, including the T lymphocyte response determined by 3H-TdR, expression of MHC class I/II and B7 molecule detected by FACS, and interleukin 10 and 12 (IL-10, IL-12), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) tested by ELISA.

RESULTSIn the treated group after treatment, the efficacy for improving TCM syndrome reached 73.33% (44/60 cases), their half-year survival rate being 83.33% (50/60 cases); while those in the control group were 52.63% (30/57 cases) and 70.18% (40/57 cases) respectively, significant difference was shown between the two groups (P <0.05). The patients' QOL was improved in the treated group after treatment, with no obvious adverse reaction. However, the clinical benefit rate in the control group (92.7%, 51/55 cases) was higher than that in the treated group (78.0%, 46/59 cases, P =0. 035). Laboratory examination showed increases of MHC class II (CD14+/HLA-DR) expression on monocyte surface as well as IFN-gamma and IL-12 production in the treated group.

CONCLUSIONUsing BSJPR together with TACE could enhance patients' cellular immune function to elevate the clinical curative effect on primary liver cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Ascorbic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Silymarin ; therapeutic use ; T-Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; immunology ; Treatment Outcome

The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) is a neurophysiological mechanism that regulates the immune system. The CAP inhibits inflammation by suppressing cytokine synthesis via release of acetylcholine in organs of the reticuloendothelial system, including the lungs, spleen, liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Acetylcholine can interact with alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (alpha7 nAchR) expressed by macrophages and other cytokine producing cells, down-regulate pro-inflammatory cytokine synthesis and prevent tissue damage. Herein is a review of the neurophysiological mechanism in which the CAP regulates inflammatory response, as well as its potential interventional strategy for inflammatory diseases.
Acetylcholine ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Humans ; Inflammation ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Myocardial Infarction ; immunology ; Pancreatitis ; immunology ; Receptors, Muscarinic ; physiology ; Receptors, Nicotinic ; physiology ; Reperfusion Injury ; immunology ; Sepsis ; immunology ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; immunology ; Spleen ; immunology ; innervation ; Vagus Nerve ; physiology ; alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor

Objective To study the occurrence site characteristics of middle cerebral artery aneurysm (MCAA ) in volume CT digital subtraction angiograhy(VCTDSA) .Methods The image characteristics in 72 cases of MCAA from May 2009 to January 2011 were retrospectively analyzed ,according to the running of middle cerebral artery ,the occurrence sites of aneurysm were divided into four categories :M1 segment ,M2 bifurcation ,M2 distal and M3-M5 segment ,the aneurysm number was conducted the statistics and the image characteristics were analyzed ;two neuroradiologists adopted the double-blind method to measure the MCAA angle in bifurcation of M2 segment and compared it with the bifurcation angle in the normal middle cerebral artery ,the difference between them were statistically analyzed .Results (1)M1 segment aneurysms were 7 cases(9 .70% ) ,M2 bifurcation aneurysms were 58 ca-ses(80 .56% ) ,M2 distal aneurysms were 5 cases(6 .94% ) and M3-M5 segment aneurysms were 2 cases(2 .78% ) .(2)The angle in M2 bifurcation of the normal middle cerebral artery was(99 .30 ± 22 .96)° ,M2 bifurcation aneurysm angle was(139 .26 ± 27 .61)° , the difference between them showing statistical significance (P<0 .01) .(3)The difference between left and right of M 2 bifurcation angle in the normal middle cerebral artery had no statistical significance (P>0 .05) .(4)The M2 bifurcation angle in ruptured aneu-rysm was(133 .98 ± 30 .24)° ,which in unruptured aneurysms was(144 .53 ± 21 .81)° ,the difference between them had no statistical significance(P>0 .05) .Conclusion MCAA mainly occurred in M2 bifurcation .There is significant difference in M2 bifurcation an-gle between the aneurysm group and non-aneurysm group ,M2 bifurcation angle is increased ,the probability of aneurysm occurrence is increased .

Objective To evaluate the clinical and radiographic characteristics and function of erosive hand osteoarthritis (EOA) patients. Methods Data were obtained from 19 patients with EOA, including their social conditions, clinical conditions, radiographic scores and hand function evaluation. The number of hand osteoarthritis (HOA) patients was 312. The control group consisted of non-EOA patients with hand osteoarthritis with a ratio of 4:1 to EOA patients. A non-parameter test analysis was performed. All data were analyzed by SPSS 23.0 statistical analysis, t test, χ2 test, Fisher exact probility and Spearman's correlations analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results Totally data of 19 patients were collected. Eighteen were female. Onset age was (56±8). Average duration was 56 (12~120) months. FIHOA scores of all the EOA patients were at least 5. All the erosions of 39 joints were characteristically central and erosive changes in 7 joints (18%) showed up as gull-wing. Among 39 erosive joints, including 12 (31%) E and 27 (69%) R, 34 (87%) distal interphalangeal joints were involved. Data analysis found out that EOA patients had longer disease duration (Z=2.610, P=0.009), more severe K-L level (44 ±11 vs 26 ±7, t=7.134, P<0.01), higher AUSCAN total score (28±6 vs 21±7, t=3.781, P<0.01) and higher AUSCAN function score (18±6 vs 12±6, t=4.042, P<0.01). The differences of ESR and CRP were not significant between EOA and non-EOA patients. Conclusion Erosions seen in EOA patients are centrally located gull-wing in the DIP joints. EOA patients have longer duration, more severe radiographic damage and worse joint function.

The surveyof the situation of medical treatment for foreign students in Chongqing shows that there are certain problems in schools,hospitals and students etc.To strengthen the public health building,to improve conditions of medical services,to provide the necessary guide for medical treatment,and to enhance foreign students'self-adaptive capacities and so on may help solve these problems and improve the foreign students'health quality.

The scholars at home and abroad pay great attention to the studies of specificities of acupoints, but the studies were superficial and non-systemic because of lacking to application of modern sciences and technology. There are not persuasive conclusive achievements for the specificities of acupoints and the key factors influencing the effect of acupuncture. The study of the specificities of acupoints should be concentrate on the diseases for which acupuncture and moxibustion are effective. And multiple modern sciences and techniques should be adopted to resolve the key problems about biological and physical characteristics, pathological response, effects and law of compatibility of acupoints usually selected for the diseases, and then to create the model of the theory about the specificities of acupoints and to richen and develop the theory of the specificity of acupoints.
Acupuncture Points ; Humans ; Research