AIM:To construct adenovirus vector expressing mice B7-H1 gene, transfect dendritic cells ( DCs ) , and to study the therapeutic effect of modified DC on thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy ( TAO) in mice.
METHODS: We designed and constructed B7-H1 gene adenovirus expression vector, and transfected DCs from mouse bone marrow, tested the phenotype and function of modified DCs, identificated its negative regulation to immune responses. The modified DCs were infected the sicked mice. And then the immunotherapeutic effect of modified DCs to TAO were tested.
RESULTS: B7 - H1 gene adenovirus vector was constructed and transfected DCs from bone marrow. The titer of the recombinant adenovirus was 1. 8í109 PFU/mL. B7-H1 gene modified DCs characteristics of regulatory DCs, could inhibit positive immune responses. The inhibition proceeding of TAO into mice infected modified DCs, was obviously prior to the control mice. The gene modified DCs, maybe become the new immunotherapy biological agent to thy TAO.
CONCLUSION: We constructed the expression of mouse B7 - H1 gene adenovirus expressed vector successfully, transfected DCs, by vector have properties of regulatory DCs, inhibiting positive immune response and the occurrence and development of thyroid eye disease. Gene modified DCs, reveal potent to the treatment of thyroid eye disease.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Yanggan Yishui Granule (YGYSG) on collagen protein I, III, and IV, as well as fibronection (EN) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and to explore its possible renal protective mechanisms.

METHODSFourty SHR were randomly divided into four groups, i.e., the model group, the Benazepril group, the low dose YGYSG group, and the high dose YGYSG group, 10 in each group. A normal control group was set up with recruited Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. After 6 weeks of treatment, the expression of collagen protein I, III, and IV, as well as FN in the 5.1 image analysis system.

RESULTSIn the WKY-control group, there was only a small amount of brown particles in the mesenchymal region, the glomerular basement membrane, or the mesangial region. The expression of collagen I, Ill, and IV, as well as EN significantly increased more in the model group than in the normal control group (P < 0.01). After treatment, the expression of collagen I, III, and IV, as well as FN significantly decreased in each treated group, showing statistical difference when compared with the model group (P < 0.01). Besides, decresed expression of collagen I, III, and IV was shown in the low dose YGYSG group and the Benazepril group (P > 0.05). The expression of collagen I, III, and IV could be further reduced in the high dose YGYSG group, showing statistical difference when compared with the Benazepril group and the low dose YGYSG group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONYGYSG might play an important role in the renal protective effect through reducing the synthesis of renal collagen I, III, and IV, as well as FN, increasing the degradation of renal collagen I, III, and IV, as well as FN, thereby reducing excessive deposition of renal extracellular matrix (ECM).

Animals ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fibronectins ; metabolism ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Kidney ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Rats, Inbred WKY

OBJECTIVE: To make a distinction between myocarditis and the reaction to some pathological state of myocardium. METHODS: Myocardium of 26 cases with sudden cardiac death were stained and LM light microscopies with immunohistochemical method 10 cases with normal myocardium were contrasted. RESULTS: A great deal of stained positive monocyte of immunohistochemistry emerged in the parasetions of myocarditis patients with various farms and stacking(> 15). CONCLUSION The stain of immunohistochemistry can be used as one of the indications for diagnosing non-typical myocarditis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antigens, CD ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac/pathology* ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry/methods* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocarditis/pathology* ; Myocardium/pathology*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the factors regarding the recovery of postoperative blood pressure of aldosterone producing adenoma (APA) patients.

METHODSSixty-eight patients with APA were recruited and their data including retinal blood vessel by Doppler sonography, urinary trace albumin, pathological changes of renal biopsy and the adrenal tissues around the adenoma were analyzed in order to determine the correlation between these data and postoperative durative hypertension.

RESULTSPostoperative durative hypertension occurred in 14 cases (41.2%) with increased resistance of unilateral or bilateral central artery of retina, in 16 cases (66.7%) with increased level of urinary trace albumin. Fifteen cases underwent renal biopsy and all of them showed different pathological alterations, 11 cases (73.3%) of which presented with postoperative durative hypertension. The pathological changes of the adrenal tissues around the adenoma is either atrophy or non-atrophy (normal or hyperplasia), 8 cases (40%) and 10 cases (22.2%) of which showed postoperative durative hypertension, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe renal pathological changes and increased resistance of retinal blood vessel are the main reasons leading to postoperative hypertension in patients with APA.

Adolescent ; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Adrenal Glands ; pathology ; Adrenocortical Adenoma ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperaldosteronism ; etiology ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Hypertension ; etiology ; Kidney ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; Retinal Artery ; physiopathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Vascular Resistance ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo detect the level of fasting plasma homocysteine (Hcy) in patients with oligospermia and/or asthenospermia and to investigate its clinical significance.

METHODSSemen quality analyses and fasting plasma Hcy determination were performed for 86 infertility patients (21 with oligospermia, 32 with asthenospermia and 33 with oligo-asthenospermia) and 19 normal fertile volunteers. The results were compared.

RESULTSThe level of plasma Hcy was significantly higher in the infertility patients than in the normal controls (P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with sperm concentration (r = -0.433, P < 0.01), the percentage of grade a sperm (r = -0.303, P < 0.05) and the percentage of grade a+b sperm (r = -0.339, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe increased level of human plasma Hcy directly or indirectly affects spermatogenesis and correlates negatively with oligospermia and/or asthenospermia.

Adult ; Asthenozoospermia ; blood ; Case-Control Studies ; Homocysteine ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Oligospermia ; blood ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility

OBJECTIVETo investigate the antibacterial effects of zirconium phosphate gauze loaded with silver on rat burn wounds seeded with commonly seen bacteria.

METHODSWistar rats were employed in the study and were scalded and infected. The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of zirconium phosphate loaded with silver were determined by double dilution in tubes. The effect on wound healing and the subeschar bacterial count of the rat burn wounds were observed after the wounds had been covered by gauze loaded with zirconium phosphate and silver, and also with the gauze which has been rinsed for 20 times.

RESULTSThe MIC of silver loaded zirconium phosphate on Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli were 8, 8 and 16 mg/L, respectively, while the MBC were 16, 8 and 32 mg/L, respectively. The subeschar bacterial count in the burn wounds with the gauze with silver loaded zirconium phosphate was ten times lower than that in those which were treated with gauze with SD-Ag and 100 times lower than that with ordinary gauze. But there was no difference in the bacterial count between the wounds which were treated with fresh gauze with silver loaded zirconium phosphate and that with the gauze which has been rinsed for 20 times (P > 0.05). Furthermore, wound healing seemed to be better with the gauze with silver loaded zirconium phosphate when compared with those by the other two kinds of gauze.

CONCLUSIONThe silver loaded zirconium phosphate was found to be bacteriocidal against bacteria commonly seen in the burn wounds.

Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Bandages ; Burns ; microbiology ; therapy ; Colony Count, Microbial ; Female ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Silver ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Wound Healing ; drug effects ; Wound Infection ; microbiology ; therapy ; Zirconium ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology

Aged ; Base Sequence ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vasospasm ; genetics ; physiopathology ; DNA Primers ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo explore a new immunotherapy against allergic rhinitis.

METHODSThe recombinant protein of CTLA4 extracellular domain was obtained through construction of CTLA4-yeast expression system. The allergic rhinitis in mice was induced by sensitizing and challenging with ovalbumin (OVA). The allergic rhinitis related symptoms and the morphological changes in nasal mucosa were compared between the allergic rhinitis group and the CTLA4 extracellular domain group treated with CTLA4 extracellular domain before each challenge by ways of intraperitoneal injection.

RESULTSCTLA4 extracellular domain with a molecular weight of 28 000, which was confirmed by Western blot, could be generated through CTLA4-yeast expression system. The purified CTLA4 extracellular domain could inhibit T cells proliferation in mixed lymphocyte reaction with a inhibitory rate of 95.4%. The mice in allergic rhinitis group appeared typical allergic rhinitis symptoms after OVA challenge, such as rhinorrhea and sneeze. Meanwhile the nasal pathological studies showed edema and congestion in mucosa tissue and local influx of inflammatory cells. Whereas in CTLA4 extracellular domain group, the nasal symptoms were rarely observed, and the pathological change in nasal mucosa was significantly abated.

CONCLUSIONSThe protein of CTLA4 extracellular domain could prevent the allergic rhinitis in mice. The underlying mechanism of which might be the inhibition of the T cell activation.

Animals ; Antigens, CD ; immunology ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; CTLA-4 Antigen ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Nasal Mucosa ; pathology ; Ovalbumin ; immunology ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; immunology ; pathology ; prevention & control

X-chromosome short tandem repeats (X-STR) analysis has been confirmed to be effective for kinship testing such as in deficiency paternity cases. The aim of this study was to develop a new multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system that can simultaneously amplify 9 X-STR loci (GATA172D05, DXS10159, DXS6797, HPRTB, DXS10079, DXS6789, DXS9895, DXS10146 and GATA31E08) in the same PCR reaction, and to obtain the database of the 9 X-STR loci in three ethnic populations in China. The genetic data of 815 (404 females and 411 males) unrelated Han Chinese from Hubei province, and Yi and Zhuang Chinese from Yunnan province were analyzed by using this multiplex system. The results showed that a total of 93 alleles for all these loci were found, and 7 to 20 alleles for each locus were observed. All of the analyzed loci were in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction in the three studied populations. The polymorphism information content (PIC) and power of discrimination (PD) in females were 0.6566-0.8531 and 0.8639-0.9684, respectively. Pairwise comparisons of allele frequency distribution showed significant differences in the most of these loci between different populations. The results indicate that this multiplex system is very useful for forensic analysis of different ethnic populations in China.
Base Sequence ; China ; Chromosomes, Human, X ; DNA Primers ; Ethnic Groups ; genetics ; Humans ; Microsatellite Repeats ; genetics ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods

OBJECTIVETo compare the long-term effect and safety of tacrolimus (FK506) and cyclosporine (CsA) in kidney transplant (KT) recipients carrying hepatitis B Virus(HBV).

METHODSA total of 109 patients with HBV were randomized into FK506 group (52 cases) and CsA group (57 cases) after KT, and a 2-year-long follow-up of the patients was conducted to record the patient and graft survival, incidence of acute graft rejection and postoperative liver function.

RESULTSThe 2-year patient/graft survival was 86.0%/73.7% and 94.2%/90.3% in CsA and FK506 groups, respectively (P<0.05), with incidence of acute rejection of 10.5% and 9.6% (P>0.05), and rate of abnormal liver function of 26.3% and 15.4% (P<0.05), respectively. Eight patients (14.4%) in CsA group required a drug conversion but none in FK506 group. The drug conversion resulted in significant reduction of ALT/AST level from 255.13+/-31.38/201.88+/-21.25 U/L to 31.25+/-11.50/25.13+/-9.68 U/L (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONFor HBV-carrying renal transplant recipients, FK506 as the primary choice of immunosuppressant can be more effective and safer than CsA.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Carrier State ; physiopathology ; Cyclosporine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; pharmacology ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Female ; Graft Rejection ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; metabolism ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Liver ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tacrolimus ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; pharmacology ; Young Adult