Objective To evaluate the clinical outcome of reconstruction of the superior peroneal retinaculum (SPR) by using a portion of Achilles’s tendon and suture anchors in the treatment of chronic peroneal tendon dislocation .Methods Seven patients in our hospital from January 2010 to January 2015 who underwent surgical reconstruction of SPR by using a portion of Achilles ’ s tendon and suture anchors were evaluated .The ankle ’ s range of motion ( ROM) and The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ( AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score were used to evaluate the clinical outcome .Results All 7 cases were followed up for 6 to 24 months,the average time was 14 months,with-out recurrence.The ankle’s ROM improved from (23.6 ±1.9) °preoperative to (30.0 ±1.5) °at the final follow-up,and the AOFAS An-kle Hindfoot Scale improved from (60.6 ±3.6) point preoperative to (93.6 ±3.9) point at the final follow-up.Conclusion Surgical re-construction of SPR by using a portion of Achilles ’ s tendon and suture anchors may be an effective alternative surgical method for chronic peroneal tendon dislocation .

Anticoagulants ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Coagulants ; blood ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; blood ; drug therapy ; Signal Transduction ; Thromboplastin

BACKGROUND:There is little evidence on the use of al ogeneic tendon graft in the reconstruction of ankle joint.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the clinical outcome of anatomical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments with cryopreserved al ogeneic tendon graft in patients with chronic ankle instability.
METHODS:Twenty-six patients with chronic lateral instability underwent anatomical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments with cryopreserved al ogeneic tendon. There were 18 cases of simultaneous injury or chalasia in calcaneofibular ligament and anterior talofibular ligament, and 8 cases of anterior talofibular ligament injury or chalasia. The ankle joint function was evaluated according to AOFAS scale and Good classification. The affect ankle and healthy ankle were compared in the extension, plantar flexion activity, and metaleg activity.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Al the 26 patients were fol owed up for 9-24 months with a mean of 15 months. No cases appeared recurrent ankle lateral instability. The mean AOFAS score in the group of calcaneofibular ligament and anterior talofibular ligament was improved from (48.4±3.7) points preoperatively to (88.2±3.8) postoperatively, while that in the group of anterior talofibular ligament was improved from (50.0±6.4) points preoperatively to (89.5±3.4) points postoperatively. According to Good score, there were excellent in 19 feet, good in 6 feet, fair in 1 foot, with an excellent and good rate up to 96%. No serious complication was occurred in this group. Anatomical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments with cryopreserved al ogeneic tendon graft can increase the tendon-bone contact area, improve the rate of tendon healing, and enhance the stability of ankle joint in patients with chronic ankle instability. Further studies are needed to verify its long-term efficacy.

Objective To elucidate functional alterations of glomerular mesangial cell (GMC) contraction and its relationship with diabetic glomerular hyperfiltration. Methods Male Wistar rats were divided into groups of normal control and 2 weeks diabetes induced by STZ. GMC were cultured in the presence of normal glucose (5mM). Meanwhile in comparison GMC obstained from normal rats were cultured in the presence of 30 mM glucose for 48 h in vitro. By using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) , we measured basal calcium concentration, the changes of calcium level in response to vasoconstrictor agonist angiotensin H (Ang I ),and the effect of protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor PMAC10 M,24 h)on cytosol calcium of GMCs. Results The creatinine clearance rate (Ccr) was increased with age in diabetic rats, reaching a peak at 2 weeks (P

Objective To study the changes of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase D (PC-PLD) enzyme activity of glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) in high glucose and the effect of PLD on cytoskeleton. Methods Rats GMCs were cultured in high glucose(30 mmol/L) for 48 hours. PLD enzyme activity was measured by enzyme coupled colorimetry. PKC activity was measured by substrate phosphorylation, and fluorescence intensity of F-actin was observed by FITC-labeled antibody and laser scan cofocal microscopy (LSCM) . Results In high glucose, PLD and PKC activities were obviously elevated, but fluorescence intensity of F-actin was decreased and its cytoskeletal pattern was disassembly. After treatment with inhibtor of PLD, PKC activity was significantly decreased, and intensity and organization of F-actin were recovered. Conclusion Elevation of PLD activity induced by high glucose may influence the cytoskeleton and contraction of CMC through PKC pathway.

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between the immune response of anti-tetrodotoxin vaccine, including its dose-response, and to select optimal immunization dose so as to enhance antitoxic effect of the anti-tetrodotoxin vaccine.

METHODSTetrodotoxin (TTX) was coupled to Tachypleus tridentatus hemocyanin (TTH) chemically to form artificial antigen (TTX-TTH), and with which Balb/c mice were immunized. Influence of different immunization doses [100 microg as the higher (H) and 25 microg as the lower (L) dose group] on the protective effects of TTX vaccine was compared. The quality of antisera and effects of vaccine in anti-TTX poisoning were observed.

RESULTSThe sera antibody quality increased more quickly in group L than that in group H after immunization. The dose at which the half of immunized mice survived when challenged once with TTX were 16 x LD (1 LD = 13.5 microg/kg, i.p.) in group L and 11 x LD in group H. When TTX was used time and again, the half of immunized mice could tolerate as high as 40 x LD and 22 x LD of accumulated dose, and the maximum tolerable cumulated dose was 104 x LD and 90 x LD for group L and H respectively. The scheme L was better both in antibody quality and effect of protecting against TTX toxicity than that in scheme H.

CONCLUSIONSThe experimental vaccine of TTX could effectively protect animal from TTX intoxication. The lower immunization dose in this study is selected as the optimal immunization scheme.

Animals ; Antibodies ; blood ; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Hemocyanins ; immunology ; Horseshoe Crabs ; Immune Sera ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Tetrodotoxin ; immunology ; toxicity ; Toxicity Tests ; Vaccination ; methods ; Vaccines ; administration & dosage ; immunology

AIMTo investigate the role of a novel dipeptidyl peptidase 8 transcript variant (DPP8-v3) gene in testis development and/or spermatogenesis.

METHODSA human testis cDNA microarray was hybridized with mRNA of human adult and fetal testes. Differentially expressed clones were sequenced and characterized and their expression was analyzed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern-blot analysis.

RESULTSA new transcript variant of the human dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP8), exhibiting a 5-fold higher expression level in human adult than that in fetal testes, was cloned and was named DPP8 variant 3 (DPP8-v3). The full-length sequence of DPP8-v3 was 3,030 bp, encoding a protein of 898 amino acids.

CONCLUSIONDPP8-v3 is a novel human DPP8 transcript variant highly expressed in the adult testis. Similar to DPPIV, DPP8-v3 may play a key role in the immunoregulation of testes and accordingly may influence spermatogenesis and male fertility.

Adult ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Blotting, Southern ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Complementary ; Dipeptidases ; chemistry ; genetics ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Testis ; embryology ; enzymology ; growth & development

OBJECTIVETo observe the role of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EnMT), and to explore the mechanism of fibrosis disease.

METHODSHuman umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) from umbilical cord of healthy fetus were isolated by enzymatic digestion and identified by immunofluorescence assay. The third to fifth generations of cultured HUVEC in logarithmic phase were harvested and seeded in 12-well plates and 6-well plates, and they were divided into control group (ordinary culture without any stimulation), 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 ng/mL TNF-α groups (5, 10, 25, 50, 100 ng/mL of TNF-α was respectively added into the nutrient solution) according to the random number table, with three samples in each group. After being cultured for 72 hours, the cell morphology was observed under inverted phase-contrast microscope; the expression levels of coagulation factor VIII and α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were detected by immunofluorescence assay, and the ratios of numbers (absorbance values) of cells with expression of both factors were calculated. The mRNA expression levels of cadherin, α-SMA, and type I collagen were detected by RT-PCR (denoted as gray value ratio). Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance and LSD test.

RESULTS(1) The shape of primary HUVEC was round, short-spindle, or flat, and cells grew vigorously in cobblestone appearance after passages. After being subcultured for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 passage (s), the positive rate of coagulation factor VIII of HUVEC was respectively (85.5 ± 1.8)%, (88.1 ± 5.0)%, (93.6 ± 3.7)%, (92.9 ± 4.8)%, (89.5 ± 1.1)%, and they were significantly higher than that of primary HUVEC [(81.4 ± 3.8)%, with F values all equal to 7.481, P values all below 0.05]. (2) As compared with that in control group, the appearance of cells in 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 ng/mL TNF-α groups was gradually transformed from round, short-spindle, or flat shape to long-spindle shape with reduced intercellular junction and larger intercellular gap along with the increase in the concentration of TNF-α. (3) The ratios of numbers and the absorbance values of coagulation factor VIII and α-SMA double positive cells in control group (0.055 ± 0.015, 0.078 ± 0.017) were significantly lower than those in 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 ng/mL TNF-α groups (0.257 ± 0.106, 0.280 ± 0.129, 0.505 ± 0.059, 0.817 ± 0.035, 0.929 ± 0.101 and 0.437 ± 0.040, 0.456 ± 0.097, 0.496 ± 0.082, 0.787 ± 0.131, 0.885 ± 0.087, with F value respectively 45.009, 50.099, P values all below 0.01). (4) The expression levels of cadherin mRNA in 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 ng/mL TNF-α groups were 0.70 ± 0.05, 0.63 ± 0.06, 0.60 ± 0.10, 0.45 ± 0.16, and 0.26 ± 0.14, and it was significantly lower in the latter four groups than in control group (0.83 ± 0.03, with F values all equal to 11.593, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The mRNA expression levels of α-SMA and collagen I in 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 ng/mL TNF-α groups were 0.45 ± 0.10, 0.51 ± 0.16, 0.49 ± 0.12, 0.60 ± 0.09, 0.76 ± 0.03 and 0.38 ± 0.18, 0.45 ± 0.15, 0.52 ± 0.12, 0.66 ± 0.17, 0.76 ± 0.20, and they were significantly higher in the latter three groups than in control group (0.37 ± 0.14, 0.31 ± 0.12, with F value respectively 7.839, 2.898, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSTNF-α can obviously promote EnMT in a dose-dependent manner. EnMT may be another significant source of myofibroblasts that contributes to fibrotic tissue in scar formation.

Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; drug effects ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVEThe main purpose of this work was to give the evidence of reasonable and feasible dust control measures which will be taken in the future by analyzing the trend of dust concentration from 1991 to 2010 and identifying working faces with the severe dust contamination in one underground iron mine.

METHODSThe data was from routine monitoring between the years 1991 and 2010, which enclosed the total dust concentrations and silica contents. China National Standard of Occupational exposure limits for hazardous agents in the workplace used to judge whether the dust concentration exceeded the National Standard.

RESULTSThe general trend of total dust concentration from 1991 to 2010 was decreased, especially maximum and average levels. The highest exceeding rate was 43.16% in 1993 and the best years were 2009 and 2010, but the exceeding rates were still over 30%. The dust exposure levels varied with different work faces. The mining and supporting were the most severe dust pollution faces which the highest ultra exceeding rates were 51.61% and 51.48% and the maximum exceeding times were 64.6 and 16.4 respectively. The next was constructing face with 40.23% exceeding rate and 24.6 times more than standard.

CONCLUSIONThe trend of total dust concentration from 1991 to 2010 was decreased, but the dust exceeding rate was still high. The strong measures should be taken to control the dust pollution in this iron mine, especially mining and supporting faces.

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Dust ; analysis ; Environmental Monitoring ; Iron ; analysis ; Mining ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis

OBJECTIVEto explore whether 6 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within SMAD4 gene were involved in the genetic susceptibility of coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP) by case-control study.

METHODSthis study consisted of 438 CWP patients and 448 controls. All study subjects were Han Chinese, underground coal miners and recruited from coal mines of Xuzhou Mining Business Group Co Ltd. The 5 ml venous blood sample was obtained from all studied subjects and extracted genome DNA from the isolated leucocytes. Six SNPs were selected from the HapMap and detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

RESULTSthe single SNP analyses showed that the genotype frequencies of SMAD4 (rs10502913) was significantly different from those in controls (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that SMAD4 (rs10502913) AA genotype was associated with increased risk of CWP (adjusted OR = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.00 - 2.69, P = 0.05) and this was evident among subgroups of those smoker (adjusted OR = 2.28, 95%CI = 1.09 ∼ 4.80, P < 0.05) and cases with stage I (adjusted OR = 2.42, 95%CI = 1.41 ∼ 4.14, P < 0.01). The SMAD4 (rs9304407) GG genotype was associated with an decreased risk of CWP (adjusted OR = 0.65, 95%CI = 0.43 ∼ 0.98, P < 0.05) and the further stratification analysis showed that the risk of CWP was decreased in nonsmoking groups.

CONCLUSIONSour results suggest that individuals with the SMAD4 (rs10502913) AA genotype was associated with an increased risk of CWP. However, carriers of SMAD4 (rs9304407) GG genotype have a protective effect on the developing CWP.

Aged ; Anthracosis ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Coal Mining ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Smad4 Protein ; genetics