Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has become one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide.With the advancement of stem cell technology,tissue engineering and biomaterials,cell-based therapy has been inspiring for many degenerative diseases.For its unique advantages,AMD has become one of the most promising fields for cell-based therapy,which involve retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)cells,induced differentiation of neural retina cells and related cytokine regulations.RPE cells can be derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) or Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS).Recently hESC-derived RPE cells have been applied to patients with dry AMD with initial success in clinical trials.In terms of tissue engineering,studies are focused on factors affecting the long-term survival of transplanted cells,including tissue scaffolds,soluble hybrid materials and scaffold anchoring.This article briefly reviews the RPE differentiation,neural retina differentiation and related cytokines of cell-based therapy and scaffolds,materials,and cell-scaffolds interactions of tissue engineering in AMD treatment.

Objective To analyze the aetiological characteristics and bacterial susceptibility in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) complicated with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) after mechanical ventilation. Methods To review the clinical characteristics, aetiological flora and bacterial susceptibility in 28 patients complicated with VAP in the ICU in recent years. Results The incidence rate of VAP was 66.7％. 91 clinical bacteria and 10 mycete isolates were collected, 64 (80.3％) were Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) and 27(29.7％) Gram- positive bacteria (GPC). The dominant bacteria was Xanthomonas maltophilia in COPD complicated VAP. Conclusion The main kind of bacteria in COPD complicated VAP after mechanical ventilation was GNB, and all kinds of the bacteria showed high tolerance. More attention should be paid to the cultivate aetiological bacteria and bacterial susceptibility and select the most suitable antibiotics in the treatment of VAP.

Objective:To review effects of functional electrical stimulation(FES) on paralyzed or paretic muscles,and introduce the progress of functional electrical stimulation repairing spinal cord injury.Methods:A computer-based search was conducted in CNK/and MEDILINE for articles related to functional electrical stimulation repairing spinal cord injury from November 1990 to November 2009 with the Keywords of spinal cord injury and electrical stimulation.Data were check firstly.Articles related to functional electrical stimulation repairing spinal cord injury were selected and looked for full-texts.The articles were analyzed and summarized.Results:Functional electrical stimulation (FES) can activate paralyzed or paretic muscles to generate functional or therapeutic movements with constant frequency.FES can improve the impaired motor function of muscles stimulated.Functional electrical stimulation technique could repair part of motor function following spinal cord injury.Conclusions:Functional electrical stimulation is a new and promising technique in modem rehabilitation engineering.Functional electrical stimulation (FES) can activate paralyzed or paretic muscles to generate functional or therapeutic movements.FES can improve the impaired motor function of muscles stimulated.

Objective To determine if pregnancy affects the toxicity of bupivacaine and to investigate the effect of Shenfu injectio,a preparation of Chinese herbal medicine,on central nervous system and cardiac toxicity of bupivacaine in pregnant rats.Methods Twenty-four SD rats weighing 320-360 g were assigned to 3 groups(n =8 each):Ⅰ non-pregnant control group,Ⅱ pregnant control group and Ⅲ Shenfu injectio pretreatment group. The animals were anesthetized with isoflorane(2%-4%)-O_2 inhalation which was stopped before bupivacaine infusion was started.Femoral artery was canunlated for MAP monitoring and blood sampling and femoral vein was cannulated for bupivacaine infusion.MAP,HR and ECG were continuously monitored.All animals in the 3 groups received continuous infusion of 5% bupivacaine at 2 mg?kg~(-1).min~(-1).In group Ⅲ Shenfu injectio 10 ml?kg~(-1) was injected intraperitoneally(IP)30 min before bupivacaine infusion whereas in the two control groups(group Ⅰ and Ⅱ)equal volume of normal saline was injected IP instead of Shenfu injectio.The duration between the beginning of bupivacaine infusion and onset of convulsion/arrhythmia(QRS≥90 ms)/asystol was recorded and the amount of bupivacaine infused was calculated.Results There was no significant difference in the amount of bupivacaine causing convulsion and asystol between group Ⅰ and Ⅱ but the amount of bupivacaine causing arrhythmia was significantly larger in group Ⅰ(non-pregnant) than in group Ⅱ(pregnant control group)(P＜0.05).The amount of bupivacaine causing convulsion,arrhythmia and asystole was significantly larger in Shenfu injectio pretreatment group(group Ⅲ)than in pregnant control group(group Ⅱ)(P＜0.05 or 0.01).Conclusion Bupivacaine- induced cardiotoxicity is increased in pregnant rats and Shenfu injectio pretreatment can reduce the systemic toxicity of bupivacaine in pregnant rats.

Aim: To clone and over-express the gene encoding aminoglycoside(AG)phosphotransferase(APH)from clinical MRSA isolates in E.coli and to develop an assay method for the recombinant APH.Methods: The susceptibility of clinical MRSA isolates to AGs was tested by disk diffusion.A nucleic acid sequence encoding APH was amplified from the genomic DNA of an isolate and ligated to expression vector pET-28a,and then trans-formed into E.coli BL21(DE3).After purification of the recombinant protein by affinity chromatography,the phosphorylation activity of the enzyme was determined by ESI-MS and disk diffusion.Flesults: All 6 clinical MRSA isolates were unsusceptible to AGs.After cloning and expression,the recombinant APH was purified to90%.The in vitro activity assay indicated that the recombinant protein could inactivate kanamycin B in the assay mixture within 2 h.Conclusion: The recombinant APH showed excellent enzymatic activity.The assay method was simple and convenient,which may provide the basis of developing a screening model for APH inhibitors.

Objective To investigate the expressions of intermedin /adrenomeduliin 2 (IMD/AM2) and its receptor calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR) in the kidney of rats after renal ischemia reperfusion injury(IRI). Methods Male Wistar rats were divided randomly into two groups: sham group and operation group. Renal IRI model was induced by clamping both renal arteries. Blood and kidney were harversted at 0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h after reperfusion, respectively. Renal histological changes were semi-quantitated. Expressions of IMD and CRLR in the kidney were detected by Western blot, and the content of IMD in serum was measured by radioimmunity at 12 h, 48 h, 72 h after repeffusion. Results Kidneys of renal IRI model rats displayed significant pathologic changes, and the changes were much severer at 48 h after reperfusion. The expressions of IMD and CRLR in kidney were significantly up-regnlated at 12 h, 48 h, 72 h after renal IRI (P<0.01). The level of IMD in serum increased at 12 h, 48 h, 72 h after renal IRI (P<0.05). Conclusion The expressions of IMD and its receptor are up-regulated in the kidney after renal IRI, which may participate in the pathophysiological changes induced by renal IRI.

BACKGROUND:ABO-incompatibility between donor and recipient is not a barrier for Successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation even though it is well established that major ABO incompatibility may lead to prolonged destruction of donor-derived erythrocytos and prolonged transfusioil requirements.OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of ABO.incompatible on clinical characteristics in allogeneic-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.DESIGN:A retrospective observation.SETTING:Department of Hematology.the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School.PARTICIPANTS:Fourteen patients(11 males and 3 feiliales,aged 15-60 years old)with malignant hematologic diseases who received ABO-incompatible allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from May 2002 to September 2007 Were recruited for this study.Of the 14 patients,7 were human leukocyte antigen(HLA).matched,and the other 7 were HLA-half-matched.Controls were 11 patients who received ABO-compatibility bone marrow transplantation during the same period.Written informed consents for receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were obtained from each reciplent.The donors were sibling sister,sibling brother.son and mother,and they all agreed to provide marrow for transplantation.T1lis experiment was given an approval by the Ethics Committees of the hospital.METHODS:Regimen conditioning:HLA-matched transplantation regimen conditioning consisted of busulfan(Bu)and cyclophosphamide(Cy).HLA-half-matched transplantation regimen conditioning adopted GIAC program from Beijing People's Hospital.The GIAC program consisted of 4 parts:G:granulocyte colony-stimulating factors used for donors;I:stronger immunosuppressive regimen conditioning used for recipients;A: antihuman thymocyte globulin added:C: combined transplantation of bone marrow and peripheral blood;Perfusion of hematopoietic stem cells:The marrow from ABO-incompatible donor depleted erythrocytes by hydroxyethyl starch sedimentation.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Adverse reaction.complication and hematologic recovery after ABO-incompatibility stem cell transplantation.RESULTS:One out of fourteen recipients developed pure red cell aplasia(PRCA)and dropped out of final analysis.Hematologic recovery:The median time of erythrocyte recovery after ABO-incompatible stem cell transplantation was delayed compared with ABO compatible stem cell transplantation (t=2.352.P＜0.05).There were no significant difieFences in the recovery of neutrophils and platelets between ABO-incompatible group and ABO-compatible group(P＞0.05).The median time of recovery of the erythrocyte and the blood type switching was delayed in HLA-mis-matched allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation compared with HLA-matched allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation,but without significant difference(P＞0.05).Complications:During the stem cell transfusion following transplantation.none of 14 Patieats had hemolytic complications or delayed haemolysis.CONCLUSION:There was no evidence of ABO-incompatibility between donor and recipient is a barrier for successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Objective To investigate the causes, clinical features, classifications and liver function change of drug-induced liver damage (DILD) in the elderly. Methods One hundred and sixty seven inpatients with acute drug-induced liver injury in our hospital in the past ten years (January 2000 to December 2009) were retrospectively investigated,and the diagnosis and classification methods of acute DILD were based on international consensus meeting (international criteria). Results Among 167 DILI cases, there were 53 cases (31.7%) in the older group and 114 cases (68.3%) in middle-youth age group. Fatigue and jaundice were the more common symptoms, accounting for 50.3% and 46.7%, respectively. In 167 cases, no obvious symptoms and signs were shown in 25 cases. There were no significance differences in clinical manifestation between two groups. Many drugs could induce liver injury. The most common drugs inducing DILD were Chinese traditional and herbal drugs, accounting for 47.9%. Drugs used in heart diseases and inducing liver injury were more common in the older group. In this study, 40 (75.5%), 5 (9.4%) and 8 (15.1%) cases were designated as hepatocellular, cholestetic and mixed DILD in the older group, and 91 (78.9%), 8 (7.4%) and 15 (13.7%) in middle-youth age group, respectively. There were no significance differences between two groups in classifications. Conclusions Many drugs could cause liver injury. The symptoms of acute DILD are nonspecific. Drugs used in heart diseases and inducing liver injury are more common in older patients.

Objective To evaluate the clinical application of CT-guided localization with combination of methylene blue and a Hookwire system for small pulmonary nodules (SPNs) before video-assisted thoracoscopic resection.Methods CTguided localization the SPNs before resection in 56 patients and 60 nodules,then underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) resection.Among 56 patients,19 males and 37 females,aged from 35 to 81 years,mean age was (61.1 ±8.9)years.Results SPNs diameter (6.80 ±4.12) mm,distance from the parietal pleura (15.38 ±4.63) mm.CT-guided localization success rate was 100％,positioning time (10.76 ± 8.17) min,8.9％ (5/56) had micro pneumothorax aftet positioning,7.1％ (4/56) occurrence of needle tract bleeding,no conservative treatment.VATS resection rate was 100％.The pathology of 60 lesions were shown:Bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma(BAC) were 33 lesions(55.0％),BAC and adenocarcinoma were 11 lesions(18.3％),Atypicaladenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) were 7 lesions (11.8％),Inflammation were 4 lesions (6.7％),Harmatoma were 3 lesions(5.0％),Tuberculoses were 2 lesions(3.3％).Conclusion CT-guided localization with combination of methylene blue and a Hookwire system before video-assisted thoracoscopic resection is a promising technique for small solitary pulmonary nodules.It could play an important role in accurate localization of small pulmonary nodules,and it is a safe technique with clinical application.

Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; genetics ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; Neoplasms ; virology