AlM:To investigate the effect of cyclosporine A ( CsA) on the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase ( Pl-3k ) pathway during procession of proliferation in epithelial cells of rabbit lens, and provide treatment strategies for after cataract on the basis of experiment.
METHODS: Sixty eyes of 30 healthy white rabbits were operated by lens cortex removal in cataract surgery, and 30 right eyes were divided in treatment group and the other 30 eyes were divided in control group. From the first postoperative day, the control group eyes were dropped with normal saline 6 times each day, and the treatment group eyes were dropped with 1% CsA 6 times each day. Six rabbits were selected randomly and killed on the day before dropping and 1, 2wk, 1 and 2mo of postoperative day respectively. The lens of those killed rabbits were removed by surgery. The strategies of immunohistochemistry and mount in situ hybridization were used to detect the content of proliferating cell nuclear antigen ( PCNA) , gene of phosphate and tension homology deleted on chromsome ten ( PTEN) mRNA, Ser473-R, respectively.
RESULTS:The expression of PCNA and Ser473-R were both down-regulate after operation in treatment group and control group, and the PCNA levels were significantly lower among treatment group than those in control group on 1wk (0.690±0.035 vs 0.785±0.015, t=6.099, P<0.01) and 2wk (0. 571±0. 038 vs 0. 670±0. 037, t=4. 585, P<0. 01). ln addition, the levels of Ser473 - R were significantly lower among treatment group than those in control group on 1wk (0.374±0.031 vs 0.435±0.030, t=3.486, P=0.006) and 2wk (0. 220±0. 022 vs 0. 251±0. 020, t=2. 516, P=0. 031). However, the expression levels of PTEN mRNA were continually increased 1wk~1mo after operation, in which the expression levels of PTEN mRNA were significantly higher among treatment group than those in control group on 1wk (0. 302±0. 027 vs 0. 255±0. 038, t=2. 474, P=0. 033).
CONCLUSlON:1% CsA could inhibit the proliferation of epithelial cells in lens of rabbits with after cataract through preventing Pl-3k pathway.

Adult ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Male ; Peracetic Acid ; toxicity

This paper introduces the preamplifier for the microcomputer-detecting system of 3-Channel ECG signals and its technical specifications. The practical experiments and clinical applications show that its performances conforms with all the requirements of the system.
Amplifiers, Electronic ; Electrocardiography ; instrumentation ; Equipment Design ; Heart Diseases ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; instrumentation ; Microcomputers ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

BACKGROUND:Until now, little has been reported on establishment of pancreatic stem cell strains and lines,and the purification of pancreatic stem cells is difficult since the cell line establish rate is low.OBJECTIVE:To explore a more rational and effective technique of in vitro separation and continuous passage of pancreatic stem cells, with the hope to establish cell strains and even cell lines and to lay the foundation for the follow-up study of pancreatic stem cells in the treatment of diabetes.METHODS:Firstly, Percoll discontinuous density gradient centrifugation method was applied to separate the mouse pancreatic endocrine portion from the exocrine portion, then to obtain cell strains with highly proliferative ability and low differentiation from pancreatic endocrine portion-the islet. We used mouse embryonic fibroblasts treated with mitomycin C as a feeder layer, for in vitro continuous culture of islet-derived pancreatic stem cells under feeder layer conditions until they were transferred to the 30th passage to establish cell lines. Then pancreatic stem cell line derived from pancreatic islet was detected and identified by a series of tests including growth characteristic test, morphological observation, related molecular marker identification and differentiation characteristic identification.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In the continuous process of passage, pancreatic stem cells showed active proliferative ability, and maintained the typical morphological characteristics of stem cells and expression of pancreatic stem cell marker-Nestin. After induction, pancreatic stem cells showed insulin gene expression,reflecting their differentiation potential. Therefore, under the condition of feeder layer, the pancreatic stem cell line derived from Kunming mice was successfully established and the related identification was completed,which lays the foundation for the following research.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a maladaptive response in a variety of organic heart disease(OHD),which is characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction that results from disturbed energy metabolism. SIRT3, a mitochondria-localized sirtuin, regulates global mitochondrial lysine acetylation and preserves mitochondrial function. However, the mechanisms by which SIRT3 regulates cardiac hypertrophy remains to be further elucidated. In this study, we firstly demonstrated that expression of SIRT3 was decreased in AngiotensionⅡ(AngⅡ)-treated cardiomyocytes and in hearts of AngⅡ-induced cardiac hypertrophic mice. In addition, SIRT3 overexpression protected myocytes from hypertrophy, whereas SIRT3 silencing exacerbated Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.In particular,SIRT3-KO mice exhibited significant cardiac hypertrophy. Mechanistically, we identified NMNAT3 (nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 3), the rate-limiting enzyme for mitochondrial NAD biosynthesis, as a new target and binding partner of SIRT3.Specifically,SIRT3 physically interacts with and deacety-lates NMNAT3,thereby enhancing the enzyme activity of NMNAT3 and contributing to SIRT3-mediated anti-hypertrophic effects.Moreover,NMNAT3 regulates the activity of SIRT3 via synthesis of mitochon-dria NAD.Taken together,these findings provide mechanistic insights into the negative regulatory role of SIRT3 in cardiac hypertrophy.Sirtuin 3(SIRT3),a mitochondrial deacetylase that may play an impor-tant role in regulating cardiac function and a potential target for CHF

OBJECTIVETo search for a safe and convenient surgical method for management of urethral disruption.

METHODSWe performed urethral realignment for 18 cases of posterior urethral disruption and 4 cases of ruptured bulbous urethra using the urethral guidance probe following bladder puncture stoma.

RESULTSUrethral realignment was accomplished in 21 of the cases, 18 under epidural and 3 under local anesthesia, with the mean blood loss of 20 ml and the average operation time of 18 minutes. Open surgery was necessitated in 1 case due to the complication of bladder rupture. Routine postoperative urethral dilation extended for 3 months, and all the cases were followed up for 3 to 24 months. The maximum urine flow rate was 15-22 ml/s in 13 cases and 10-14 ml/s in 7. One case received urethral anastomosis 3 months later because of urethrostenosis.

CONCLUSIONSUrethral realignment with the urethral guidance probe is a safe, convenient and effective surgical strategy for the management of urethral disruption.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; instrumentation ; methods ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Urethra ; injuries ; surgery ; Young Adult

Neurogranin, a neuron-specific postsynaptic protein, has been considered to play an important role in synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of prenatal restraint stress on neurogranin expression in rat offspring hippocampus. Pregnant rats were given a restraint stress (3 times a day for 7 d, 45 min each time) at the late stage of gestation except that in the control group. The offspring rats were divided into four groups: female control group, male control group, female stress group and male stress group. Expression of neurogranin was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The results showed that neurogranin-positive immunostaining was detected in all areas of the hippocampus. The staining density was stronger in the CA1 and CA3 regions than that in the dentate gyrus (DG) region. Western blot assay showed that neurogranin protein level in female and male prenatal stressed offspring was significantly lower than that in the controls (P<0.01). Neurogranin level was significantly lower in the female stress group than that in the male stress group, whereas there was no significant gender difference in the control group. Immunohistochemical data further confirmed these results. The present study provides evidence that prenatal restraint stress induces gender-dependent decrease in neurogranin expression in the offspring hippocampus. The prenatal restraint stress-induced decrease in neurogranin expression in the hippocampus might be associated with the deficit in spatial learning and memory reported previously.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Female ; Hippocampus ; chemistry ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Neurogranin ; analysis ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Restraint, Physical ; Stress, Psychological ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between thresholds in the chirp-ABR and behavior audiogram in order to find out if it is possible to be used as an clinical application of the chirp-ABR in estimating hearing sensitivity.

METHODSTwenty-two cases with hearing loss or normal hearing were enrolled in the study. The behavior audiogram and the response thresholds of chirp ABR (including chirp ABR, L-chirp ABR and U-chirp ABR) were obtained from 35 ears.

RESULTSTwenty-two cases were of both genders. The age was between 3.3- 6.5-years-old with the average age of 4.8-years-old. Divided by the degree of hearing loss, in the 35 ears, there were 6 with normal hearing, 2 with slightly hearing loss, 4 with moderate hearing loss, 10 with severe hearing loss and 13 with profound hearing loss. The Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.939, 0.900 and 0.930, respectively, which got from the data between the average of 0.5 - 4 kHz and chirp ABR respond threshold, 0.5 kHz and L-chirp ABR, and the average of 1 - 4 kHz and U-chirp ABR.

CONCLUSIONAs an objective test, the response threshold of chirp-ABR and the behavior audiogram were a highly correlated with each other, but more application in more subjects is needed.

Acoustic Stimulation ; Audiometry, Evoked Response ; Auditory Threshold ; physiology ; Child ; Child Behavior ; Child, Preschool ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; physiology ; Female ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Male

Injury to the supraaortic artery is a rare event, with poor prognosis and high mortality. Improvement of the outcome may lie on the combination of several aspects, including better pre-hospital care, use of emergency cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), improved surgical techniques and facilities, and advanced postoperative intensive care. Some researchers emphasized the importance of emergency CPB in the treatment and thought that it was responsible mainly for the improved outcome. However, there exists controversies about it. In this article, we reported that a patient with life-threatening hemorrhage due to traumatic transection of the left common carotid artery, who was admitted to our hospital in July 2003, was treated successfully with operations with help of emergency CPB and systemic hypothermia.
Accidents, Occupational ; Adult ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; Angiography ; methods ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; methods ; Carotid Artery Injuries ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Injury Severity Score ; Male ; Risk Assessment ; Treatment Outcome ; Vascular Surgical Procedures ; methods

OBJECTIVETo analyze the confusing factors and clinical and audiological characteristics in infants failed in hearing screening.

METHODSBetween August 2004 and January 2006, 166 infants (315 ears) with detailed birth record and hearing screening record were reviewed in the study. The age of this series ranged from 2 to 6 months. They were born in maternal and child health hospitals (MCH) in Guangzhou city and surrounding areas, and had hearing screened by otoacoustic emissions (OAE). However, they failed in the first and second hearing screening. The birth history, high-risk factors of hearing-impaired during newborn period and pregnancy history of subjects were fully detailed. Subjects were classified according to the age: 2 to 3 months old infants were considered as group 1, while 4 to 6 months old infants were considered as group 2. Auditory brainstem response (ABR), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and acoustic immittance measurement were examined. Subjects with abnormal hearing-evaluation were retested during the following one to three months (before 6-month-old). The ABR results, DPOAE results and tympanic cavity pressure and static compliance value were compared between the two tests and then diagnosis was made.

RESULTS(1) Among the 166 cases, 34 (20.5%) cases were once suffered from hypercholesterolemia of newborn, and 10 cases (6.0%) had asphyxia and hypoxia history. (2) The proportion of presenting type B tympanogram in group 2 was higher than that of group 1 (chi2 = 26.22, P < 0.01). (3) The proportion of normal ABR in group 2 (37.2%) was significantly higher than that of in group 1 (23.4%, chi2 = 0.527, P < 0.05). Fifty-six percent of infants accepted twice ABR test had improving ABR results during the second test. (4) The proportion of normal DOPAE in group 2 (39.7%) was slightly lower than that of in group 1 (42.2%, chi2 = 0.14, P > 0.05). Among the infants who accepted twice DPOAE test, 32.0% had improving results in the second test. (5) Four cases (4 ears ) were diagnosed as auditory neuropathy.

CONCLUSIONSMiddle ear function and development of auditory system in infants may be confusing factors in hearing screening. The results of hearing screening should be interpreted appropriately.

Acoustic Impedance Tests ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Neonatal Screening ; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous