With the increasing frequency of international exchanges and cooperations,students from foreign countries,such as India and Pakistan,have come to our country for their higher degree education.We studied retrospectively and explored the teaching methods of Histology in English,and further provide our thoughts and viewpoints on improving the teaching qualities of foreign students.

ObjectiveTo study the values of EEG and [18F]2-deoxyglucose(FDG) positron emission tomography in localizing the epiletogenic cortex,and evaluate their relation.MethodsVideo-EEG(VEEG) and FDG-PET scans were performed in 44 patients with refractory epilepsy.Electrocorticography(ECoG) in surgery and patholopy were performed in 38 patients who had undergone neurosurgical therapy.Congruence among them were studied.Results43 patients(98%) had FDG-PET hypometabolism.42 patients(95%) had epileptiform wave.There were 22 patients(50%) whose PET and EEG were in complete congruence,whereas 10 patients(23%) in part congruence.12 patients who had undergone operation had controversial results in PET and EEG,8 cases had agreement between ECoG and PET,and 2 cases had agreement between ECoG and VEEG. ConclusionFDG-PET is a effective,sensitive and non-invasive investigation.It can provide valuable supplemental data in patients with unlocalized surface EEG.

Objective To study the COLIXA3 gene polymorphism of patients with fluorosis and to explore the pathogenesis of COLIXA3 gene in endemic fluorosis.Methods Fifty one cases of patients with drinking-water borne fluorosis were selected as the case group in Xinzhou city,Shanxi province and 28 cases of healthy people were as the control group.Dental fluorosis was detected by Dean method and skeletal fluorosis was examined by X-ray.COLIXA3 of exon 5 gene product of 103 points was amplified by PCR and the gene locus genotype was sequenced.Results Ten cases of mild dental fluorosis,14 cases of moderate dental fluorosis,15 cases of severe dental fluorosis were detected among the 51 patients.The control group was free of dental fluorosis.All the 51 cases of patients with fluorosis had varying degrees of skeletal fluorosis,mainly osteosclerosis lesions,accounting for 86.27％(44/51 ),and mild skeletal fluorosis patients were all osteosclerosis lesions,and osteosclerosis lesions and multiple skeletal lesions were found among moderate and severe skeletal fluorosis patients in the case group,while control group had no skeletal fluorosis.The differences between genotypes of frequency distribution of AA,Aa,aa of COLIXA3 of case and control groups were not statistically significant [96.08％(49/51 ),3.92％(2/51 ),0.00％(0/51) and 96.43％(27/28),3.57％(1/28),0.00％(0/28),x2 =0.94,P ＞ 0.05].ConclusionsCOLIXA3 gene polymorphism is not significantly correlated to fluorosis.

Objective To explore whether different degrees of fluorosis influence the expression of cartilage COLIXA3 protein in fluorosis model rats. Methods Forty male Wistar rats 3 to 4 weeks old were randomly divided into 5 groups according to body mass, and these rats were fed with distilled water containing sodium fluoride(NaF) of 0(control), 25, 50, 100 and 150 mg/L for 6 months, respectively, in order to establish the animal model of drinking water type fluorosis. Pathomorphologieal changes of the osseous tissues of rats were analyzed under light microscope and transmission electron microscope, and the expression of COLIXA3 protein of femur metaphysis was examined by immunohistochemistry. Results HE staining showed different degrees of femoral metaphyseal ossification of cartilage in each experimental group, bone density increased, with sclerotic lesions of skeletal fluorosis. The control group showed no abnormal cartilage. Electron microscopy showed that the experimental groups with varying degrees of cartilage cell swelling, cell matrix fades, 50 mg/L group .showed hyperplasia, and 100,150 mg/L groups were observed with organelles decreased, part of the disintegration of the cartilage cell lacunae, lmmunohistochemical staining of rat chondrocytes COLIXA3 was positive, cytoplasm with brown granules, cartilage COLIXA3 protein expression(23.3 ± 4.5, 41.2 ± 5.6, 26.4 ~ 7.5) in the 25, 50 and 100 mg/L groups enhanced. Compared to the control group (6.1 ± 3.5), the expression of 50 and 100 mg/L groups was significantly increased, and the differences were statistically significant(all P < 0.05). The expression(13.3 ± 4.2)of COLIXA3 protein in 150 mg/L group was decreased compared with the previous three, but is still higher than that of control, and the difference was not statistically significant(P > 0.05). Conclusions There has pathological changes of sclerosing skeletal fluorosis in animal model. Low-dose fluoride promotes while high-dose inhibits cartilage cell proliferation. When fluorine concentration in external environment is too high and with extended exposure to fluoride, direct toxic effects of fluoride on cartilage cells is observed. Fluorine affects and promotes the expression of COLIXA3 protein in cartilage. Low-dose fluoride can promote COLIXA3 protein expression, as the dose increases (over 100 mg/L), the effect decreases.

ObjectiveTo study the relationship between expression of a3 chain of collagen Ⅸ (COLIXA3)mRNA in the population exposed to fluorine and fluorosis,in order to reveal the role of COLIXA3 gene in the pathogenesis of endemic fluorosis.MethodsTwelve cases of mild drinking water-born skeletal fluorosis were selected as case groups in Regiment 123 and 128 of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Seven Division,6cases of healthy people living in fluorosis areas for more than 10 years as a internal control group and 6 heathly cases living in non-fluorosis areas for more than 10 years as a external control group.The expression of COLIXA3mRNA of peripheral blood lymphocyte of skeletal fluorosis patients and control groups were determined by using SYBR Green Ⅰ chimeric fluorescent method for real-time quantitative PCR.ResultsThe results of the relative expression of COLIXA3 mRNA of case group,internal control group and external control group were 2.16 ± 0.62,1.06 ± 0.09 and 1.05 ± 0.12,respectively.The COLIXA3 expression in case group was significantly higher than that of the internal control group and the external control group (all P ＜ 0.05),while the difference of COLIXA3expression between the internal control group and the external control group was not significantly different (P ＞0.05).ConclusionsFluorine contributes to the expression of COLIXA3 mRNA in peripheral blood lymphocyte,and the expression is up to 2 times higher than that of the control groups,meaning potential biomarkers.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the application of digital surgical technology in reconstruction of orbital frame and assess the treatment outcomes.

METHODSSeven patients with post-traumatic orbital defect were included in this study. Images of the orbit were obtained for each individual through computed tomography (CT). Preoperative design was finished according to rapid prototyping, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) and other digital surgical techniques. Surgical fracture reductions with internal fixation and implant of Medpor were used in operation to reconstruct orbit as well as correct enophthalmos and diplopia.

RESULTSAccurate realignment of the displaced orbital rim was obtained in all the 7 patients, and enophthalmos and diplopia were corrected in 4 and 2 patients, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSDigital techniques provide a precise means for preoperative design and operation implementation during orbital reconstruction. As a result, complications can be reduced, and the patient's facial appearance can be maximally improved.

Adult ; Computer-Aided Design ; Diplopia ; etiology ; surgery ; Enophthalmos ; etiology ; surgery ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Orbit ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Orbital Fractures ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Radiography ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Surgery, Computer-Assisted ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

AIMTo explore the relationship between expression of signal transduction and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) gene and proliferation of rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) under hypoxia conditions.

METHODSAfter primarily cultured rat PASMCs was treated with AG490 and then exposed to hypoxia, the tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT3 protein were detected at 2 h, 6 h, 12 h, 16 h, 24 h of exposure to hypoxia by semi-quantitive RT-PCR (sqRT-PCR) and Western blot respectively. The expression of c-myc mRNA was analyzed by sqRT-PCR. 3H-TdR incorporation was used to detect the cell proliferation.

RESULTSThe level of tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT3 increased at 6 h and peaked at 12 h. The expression of c-myc mRNA increased after 2 h of hypoxia and reached maximal level at 4 h, then declined at 6 h and to the basal levels at 12 h. With the prolonging of hypoxia time, 3H-TdR incorporation in PASMC under hypoxia conditions was significantly higher. AG490 inhibited proliferation of PASMCs by preventing STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation and the expression of c-myc under hypoxia conditions.

CONCLUSION(1) The activation of STAT3 and c-myc gene might play an important role in the early stage of hypoxia-induced PASMCs proliferation. (2) STAT3 upregulated the expression of c-myc during the proliferation of PASMCs induced by hypoxia.

Animals ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; metabolism ; Pulmonary Artery ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction

BACKGROUNDThe aim of this study was to prospectively study the changes in neutrophil elastase (NE), fibroblast growth factor 9 (Fgf9), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) in sputum induced during the early period after lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS).

METHODSFrom April to October 2005, ten consecutive patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) underwent LVRS. Ten non-small cell lung cancer patients (stage II - IIIa) received lobectomy as a control group. The induced sputum was collected from both groups at six different times (two weeks before operation and postoperatively at 1, 2, 4, 6 and 10 days). The level of NE, Fgf9, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSThe pulmonary function (FEV(1)%) and arterial blood gases (PaO(2) and PaCO(2)) were significantly different between the groups. There were no significant differences in age, ejection fraction (EF), and operation duration, but hemoglobin in the LVRS group was statistically higher than in the controls. At certain times, there were significant differences in NE, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 (P < 0.05) but not in Fgf9 between the two groups. The levels of NE and TIMP-1 were maximal at 2 days postoperatively and that of MMP-9 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 at 4 days postoperatively in the LVRS group. In the control group, maximal levels of NE and TIMP-1 occurred at 2 days postoperatively and that of MMP-9 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 at 1 day postoperatively. Ten days after surgery, all values of the control group were not significantly different from the baseline. In the LVRS group, the levels were significantly different from the pre-operative values (P < 0.05) apart from TIMP-1.

CONCLUSIONThe levels of NE, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 of the LVRS group were different from those of the control group. The time course of these changes may be related to LVRS and the underlying process of COPD.

Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 9 ; analysis ; Humans ; Leukocyte Elastase ; analysis ; Lung Neoplasms ; surgery ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; analysis ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonectomy ; Prospective Studies ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; surgery ; Sputum ; chemistry ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; analysis

OBJECTIVESTo study the inhibitory mechanism of tamoxifen on benign prostatic hyperplasia.

METHODSThe Wistar male adult rats were injected into muscle with testosterone propionate 4-6 mg/kg, simultaneously were irrigated into stomach with tamoxifen citrate 0.21 mg/kg. The partly rats of each group were decapitated at 7, 15 and 30 days, then their index numbers of prostate were calculated, and the structural changes of the prostatic histocyte were observed in the light microscopy and scan electronic microscopy.

RESULTSAt the 7th, 15th, and 30th day, the index numbers of prostate of those rats which had been injected only with testosterone propionate were higher than that of the control group and the irrigating group(P < 0.05). The hyperplasia of the prostatic epithelial cells and the ground substance of those rats, which had been irrigated with tamoxifen citrate, had not happened in light microscopy and the scan electronic microscopy.

CONCLUSIONSTamoxifen could block the effect of the estrogen, which could suppress the prostatic hyperplasia. This study could provide the experimental evidences for using Tamoxifen to treat the human benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tamoxifen ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

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