Altitude ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; Mice ; Weight Loss

In order to explore the effect and underlying mechanism of hypoxia on body weight, the effect of intermittent moderate hypoxia on high-fat diet-induced obesity was observed in mice, and the role of leptin in hypoxic effect was identified. Healthy Kunming mice were divided randomly into 4 groups (n=20 in each group). The control group: the mice were fed normally under the normal oxygen pressure. Hypoxia group: the mice were fed normally, and given intermittent moderate hypoxia training. Obesity group: the mice were fed diet rich in fat and sugar under the normal oxygen pressure. Hypoxia + obesity group: the mice were fed diet rich in fat and sugar, and given intermittent moderate hypoxia training. After 40 d of feeding and training, the body weight of mice was determined, and the average increasing rate of body weight in each group was calculated and normalized with food intake. Meanwhile, plasma leptin level was measured with ELISA method, and fatty degeneration and leptin receptor expression in liver were observed by Sudan III staining and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The obesity mouse model was successfully established with increases in body weight, plasma leptin level and distribution of adipocytes in the liver. The average body weight and density of adipocytes in the liver in hypoxia and hypoxia + obesity groups decreased obviously, while plasma leptin level and leptin receptor expression in the liver were increased. It is suggested that intermittent moderate hypoxia reduces body weight through elevating plasma leptin level and/or enhancing leptin receptor expression in the liver.
Adipocytes ; cytology ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Female ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leptin ; blood ; Liver ; chemistry ; Mice ; Mice, Obese ; Obesity ; metabolism ; pathology ; Receptors, Leptin ; analysis

The aim of this study was to establish the culture system of isolation and cultivation of the neural stem cells (NSCs) from the embryonic rat brain and spinal cord. The methods of microscopic dissection, cell culture and immunofluorescence cytochemistry were used. The results are as follows. (1) In the presence of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), both brain- and spinal cord-derived stem cells proliferated and expanded in vitro for 8 - 10 passages (over 60 d). The period of expansion resulted in a 10(6)-fold increase in brain-derived NSCs and 10(5)-fold increase in spinal cord-derived NSCs. These proliferating cells expressed nestin. (2) In the medium containing 1% FBS, the two NSCs populations could be induced to differentiate into neurons, astrocytes and oligodentrocytes. The percentage of neurons (beta-tubulin III-ir) differentiated from brain-derived NSCs decreased rapidly from 11.95+/-2.5% at passage 2 (P(2)) to 1.97+/-1.16% at passage 5 (P5). Significant difference was shown between P(2) and P(5) (P<0.01). The percentage of oligodentrocytes (Rip-ir) differentiated from brain-derived NSCs remained mostly unchanged from 8.66+/-2.93% at P(2) to 9.12+/-1.13% at P(5). The same differentiation patterns were found in spinal cord-derived NSCs. All these results indicate that both embryonic rat brain- and spinal cord-derived NSCs can expand and proliferate in vitro through multiple passages, and retain the capacity to differentiate into all three major types of cells in the central nervous system.
Animals ; Brain ; cytology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cell Separation ; Cells, Cultured ; Embryo, Mammalian ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Female ; Neural Stem Cells ; cytology ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Spinal Cord ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo study the association of ORMDL3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) with lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) and apolipoprotein B (apoB) levels.

METHODSA total of 300 children diagnosed with bronchial asthma between January 2010 and December 2012 were selected for the asthma group, and 298 children diagnosed with upper respiratory tract infection in the same period were selected for the control group. Serum LysoPC and apoB levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Genotype analysis was performed using the TaqMan probe.

RESULTSLysoPC and apoB levels were significantly higher in the asthma group than in the control group (P<0.01). Among children with various genotypes of ORMDL3 gene at locus rs12603332, the asthma group had significantly higher LysoPC and apoB levels than the control group (P<0.01). Among the children with asthma, those with CC genotype had significantly higher LysoPC and apoB levels than those with CT and TT genotypes (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSLysoPC and apoB may intervene in the pathological process of asthma. Pro-inflammatory gene ORMDL3 SNP rs12603332 may be associated with high LysoPC and apoB levels, which leads to the occurrence of childhood asthma.

Apolipoproteins B ; blood ; Asthma ; blood ; genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Lysophosphatidylcholines ; blood ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to subdivide M1 stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with bone-only metastases for prognosis prediction while identifying the treatment effect of locoregional radiotherapy (LRRT) and metastasis radiotherapy (MRT) among patients with different risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From November 2006 to October 2016, a total of 226 patients with bone-only metastasic NPC were retrospectively enrolled. All patients developed distant lesions before receiving treatment. All potential prognostic factors were considered and the correlation of the M1 subdivisions with overall survival (OS) was determined by Cox regression hazards model. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to appraise survival condition and log-rank testing was used to compare the differences. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 33.9 months (range, 3 to 126 months). According to multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, the number of metastatic lesions and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA status after palliative chemotherapy (PCT) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Thus, we subdivided patients into three risk groups according to these two factors. Systemic chemotherapy combined with LRRT may benefit patients in low- and intermediate-risk groups but not in the high-risk group. Further aggressive MRT based on systemic chemotherapy showed no survival benefit in any risk group. CONCLUSION: The stratification of NPC patients with bone-only metastasis based on EBV DNA after PCT and the number of metastatic lesions provided promising prognostic value and could aid clinicians in person-specific treatment.
Diagnosis ; DNA ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies

Senescence is an inevitable natural life process that involves structural and functional degeneration of tissues and organs. Recently, the process of skin aging has attracted much attention. Determining a means to delay or even reverse skin aging has become a research hotspot in medical cosmetology and anti-aging. Dysfunction in the epidermis and fibroblasts and changes in the composition and content of the extracellular matrix are common pathophysiological manifestations of skin aging. Reactive oxygen species and matrix metalloproteinases play essential roles in this process. Stem cells are pluripotent cells that possess self-replication abilities and can differentiate into multiple functional cells under certain conditions. These cells also possess a strong ability to facilitate tissue repair and regeneration. Stem cell transplantation has the potential for application in anti-aging therapy. Increasing studies have demonstrated that stem cells perform functions through paracrine processes, particularly those involving exosomes. Exosomes are nano-vesicular substances secreted by stem cells that participate in cell-to-cell communication by transporting their contents into target cells. In this chapter, the biological characteristics of exosomes were reviewed, including their effects on extracellular matrix formation, epidermal cell function, fibroblast function and antioxidation. Exosomes derived from stem cells may provide a new means to reverse skin aging.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the survival trends and patterns of failure in patients with stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy over the last 20 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight hundred and eight patients diagnosed with stage II NPC between January 1990 and December 2012 were involved in this retrospective cohort study. All patients were treated with RT. According to the main imaging techniques and RT technology, we categorized these patients into four calendar periods: 1990-1996, 1997-2002, 2003-2007, and 2008-2012. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis–free survival (DMFS) were served as the clinical outcome. RESULTS: After a median follow-up period of 84.7 months, we observed increasing trends in survival and disease control. The 3- and 5-year OS rates increased from 87.1% and 78.7% in the first calendar period to 97.4% and 94.5% in the last calendar period, respectively (p<0.001). Additionally, significant increasing trends could be seen in the PFS and LRFS during the four calendar periods. In the subgroup analysis, the LRFS in patients older than 50 years at diagnosis showed greater improvement than younger patients. However, the rate of distant metastasis was stable and relatively low, as the 5-year DMFS ranged from 90.5% to 94.7% among the four calendar periods. CONCLUSION: The survival rates in patients with stage II NPC showed increasing trends from 1990 to 2012. The advance of RT provided excellent locoregional control and enhanced OS.
Cohort Studies ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Chronic primary immune thrombocytopenia (CITP) is the most common acquired autoimmune disease that seriously threaten the physical and mental health of patients. Compared with Western medicine treatment, the intervention and treatment of Chinese medicine (CM) has shown certain therapeutic advantages. This paper reviewed the new pathogenesis progress on T cell immune abnormality in CITP, and CM studies on interferes effects of cellular immune regulation of CITP in recent years. Qi deficiency failing to control blood and internal obstruction of blood stasis are the two common types of CM syndromes in CITP patients, the corresponding treatments include invigorating Pi (Spleen), supplementing qi, activating blood, as well as tonifying qi and activating yang, regulating Gan (Liver) to invigorate Pi. The authors also mentioned the problems in the research field of CM for CTIP treatment, and put forward new ideas for the research in the future.