In Alzheimer's disease there is obvious evidence of insulin resistance in the brain. Thiazolidinediones,a kind of insulin sensitizer,not only improves insulin sensitivity,but also decreases inflammation,promotes release and clearance of?-amyloid protein,all are beneficial to the improvement of memory.

Objective To evaluate hepatic artery resection and microsurgical reconstruction in radical resection of Klatskin's tumor.Methods We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of 7 patients with advanced hilar cholangiocarcinoma (Klatskin's tumor) who underwent left hemihepatectomy combined with right hepatic artery resection and microsurgical reconstruction with or without portal vein reconstruction from August 2008 to March 2012.Results Right hepatic artery was reconstructed with end-to-end anastomosis,using the reserved left hepatic artery (n =1),the remanent right hepatic artery (n =1),the hepatic artery proper (n =4) and the gastroduodenal artery (n =1),among those 2 patients underwent concomitant portal vein reconstruction.Post-operative pathology showed middle to low differentiated adenocarcinoma in 2 patients,low differentiated adenocarcinoma in 3 and papillary adenocarcinoma in 2.R0 resection was achieved in 6 patients.There was no post-operative liver failure,biliary-enteric anastomotic leakage or perioperative deaths.Conclusions Hepatic artery resection and microsurgical reconstruction increases the radical resection rate of advanced hilar cholangiocarcinoma and decreases postoperative complications.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correct method of bone resection and posterior capsular soft tissue releasing in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for the patients with rheumatoid arthritis with stiff knee in flexion.

METHODSFrom November 2009 to January 2012,15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis with stiff knee in flexion underwent primary TKA and releasing of the posterior soft tissues. There were 7 males and 8 females,aged 22 to 75 years old (58.7 years old on average). The preoperative range of movement(ROM) was (3.2 ± 1.7)°. According to Knee Society score (KSS) criterion, the preoperative clinical score was 23.3 ± 12.5 and functional score was 35.2 ± 9.8. Based on the correct osteotomy, effective releasing of posterior structures was used for different degrees of flexion contracture during the TKA procedure.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up, and the average duration was 2.3 years (1.6 to 3 years). At the latest follow-up,the KSS clinical score was 81.7 ± 6.5 and functional score was 82.8 ± 9.3. The flexion and extension ROM of the knee joint was (103.5 ± 13.1). Three knees remained 50 flexion contracture deformity, but the function of the affect knees was good.

CONCLUSIONThe effective releasing of the soft tissue of posterior capsule is a major management for correction of the flexion contracture in TKA. The correct releasing of posterior structure can not only achieve fundamental gap of TKA but also effectively avoid bone over-resection.

Adult ; Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; complications ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Arthrogryposis ; surgery ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Capsule Release ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Range of Motion, Articular

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relation of the viral markers in serum and those expressed by hepatocytes to pathological lesions of hepatic tissue in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODSThe relation of viral markers including HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, HBcAb and HBV DNA in serum of 647 patients with chronic hepatitis B and HBsAg, HBcAg expressed by hepatocytes in 418 of these patients to pathological lesions of hepatic tissue was determined.

RESULTSViral markers in serum and those expressed by hepatocytes in patients with chronic hepatitis B were closely correlated with pathological lesions of hepatic tissue.

CONCLUSIONThe degree of inflammation and fibrosis in hepatic tissue is milder in serum HBsAg, HBeAb, HBcAb positive and HBV DNA negative patients but more serious in those with negative hepatocytic expression of HBsAg and HBcAg. HBV DNA is not significantly associated with pathological lesions of hepatic tissue.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; genetics ; Female ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; immunology ; physiology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; pathology ; virology ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Liver ; pathology ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Background More efforts have been made in the functional protection of the glaucoma ganglion cells (RGCs) nowadays.As main ingredient,astragalus polysaccharides (APS) enhances neuron regeneration protein expression and promotes peripheral nerve recovery.But whether APS has a protecting effect on RGCs is incompletely clear.Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of APS on the RGCs in a rat model of experimental glaucoma.Methods Forty-four SPF SD rats were divided into 4 groups randomly as follows:normal control group,negative control group,low dose APS group and high dose APS group,with 10 rats for each group.APS of 500 mg/kg or 2000 mg/kg (2.5 ml) was administered by gavage feeding once daily for 2 weeks in low dose or high dose of APS group,respectively,and the same volume of normal saline solution was applied instead of APS in the model control group.Two weeks later,aspirate 0.2 ml aqueous followed by methylcellulose injected into the anterior chamber to create the acute ocular hypertension model in the three groups above.No any intervention was performed in the normal control group.The rats were sacrificed on the fifth day after model established to take a retinal section.Ocular hypertension-induced damage was evaluated by regular retina histopathologic examination.Immunolhistochemistry for caspase-3 and TUNEL kits were used to determine the expression of caspase-3 protein in retina and apoptosis rate of RGCs.Retinal cross-sections were analyzed by Image Pro Plus 5.1 software to determine the thickness of various retinal layers and the positive staining cell density in the retinal ganglion cell layer (RGCL).Results On the fifth day after establishment of models,intraocular pressure (IOP) was significantly elevated in the model control group,low dose APS group and high dose APS group in comparison with the normal control group (t=-8.900,-10.700,-11.300,P＜0.01).Retinal morphology was normal in the rats of the normal control group,but in the model control group,rat retina was significantly thickened from severe retinal edema and cell arrangement disorder.Mild retinal abnormality was seen in the low dose APS group;while obvious retina edema was in high dose APS group.The entire retinal thickness,outer nuclear layer thickness and retinal nerve fiber thickness values were lower in the low dose APS group than those of model control group (t =-23.700,-14.770,-11.640,P＜0.01).However,no difference was found in outer nuclear layer thickness and retinal nerve fiber thickness values between high dose APS group and normal control group (t =-0.780,-0.460,P ＞ 0.05).Percentage of positive RGCs for caspase-3 protein and rate of apoptotic RGCs were significantly reduced in low dose APS group compared with model control group (caspase-3:F=87.710,P=0.001;RGCs apoptosis:F=272.840,P＜0.01).Conclusions 500 mg/kg APS can protect retina and RGCs against ocular hypertension-induced damage.The protection of APS is non-dosedependent.

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical and laboratory characteristics of myleodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) with PDGFRβ abnormalities.

METHODSChromosome specimens were prepared directly and/or short-time culture of bone marrow cells. Karyotyping was performed with R-binding technique. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed using PDGFRβ, PDGFRα, FGFR1 break-apart probes and whole chromosome 5 and 12 painting probes, respectively. The expression of JAK2 V617F was measured with quantitative PCR.

RESULTSThe clinical and hematological findings of 27 patients were compatible with diagnosis of MDS/MPN. PDGFRβ rearrangement was detected in 4 patients with D-FISH, and 2 of which were confirmed as t(5;12) by chromosome painting. PDGFRα, FGFR1 and JAK2 V617F mutation were not detected in these 4 PDGFRβ positive MDS/MPN patients with.

CONCLUSIONSPDGFRβ gene rearrangement may be detected in some MDS/MPN patients. FISH is a convenient and reliable approach to detect PDGFRβ gene.

Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Karyotyping ; Myeloproliferative Disorders ; genetics ; Neoplasms ; Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of a microencapsule scaffold capable of sustained release of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in promoting the osteogenic differentiation of rat periosteum-derived stem cells (PDSCs) in vitro.

METHODSPDSCs from 4-week-old SD rats, after identification of the surface markers using flow cytometry, were induced to differentiate into osteoblast, chondroblast, and adipocyte lineages. The differentiated cells were verified by staining with Alizarin red, toluidine blue, alcian blue, oil red O and by immunofluorescence assay. FGF-2/PELA/BMP-2, FGF-2/PELA, PELA/BMP-2 and PELA microcapsules were prepared, examined for surface morphologies using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tested for controlled release of FGF-2 and BMP-2 using ELISA. The third passage of PDSCs were cultured in the presence of the aqueous extracts of one of the 4 materials, and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity in the culture media was detected at 7 and 14 days of culture; the expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes were quantified with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The osteogenic differentiation ability of the PDSCs cultured with the extracts was compared.

RESULTSThe PDSCs, which expressed mesenchymal stem cell surface markers, were shown to have osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation potentials. The cells cultured with the extract of FGF-2/PELA/BMP-2 microcapsules showed the highest AKP activity at 7 and 14 days of culture, and their expression levels of OCN and RunX-2 mRNA were the highest among the 4 groups; RunX-2 expression reached its peak level on day 14, and OCN mRNA expression level increased progressively as the culture time extended.

CONCLUSIONFGF-2/PELA/BMP-2 biomimetic controlled release microcapsules preserve the cytokine activities and are capable of promoting the osteogenic differentiation of rat PDSCs.

In this study, the antitumor activities of VEGF shRNA and tubulin inhibitors on human prostate cancer DU145 cells was investigated, and shRNA transient expression plasmid pCSH1-VEGF targeting VEGF mRNA was constructed. The silence efficiency of pCSH1-VEGF was detected by RT-PCR assay, Western blotting, and Matrigel invasion assay. The sensitivity change of DU145 cells to Taxol and vincristine (VCR) was measured by MTT assay. To detect the effects of pCSH1-VEGF and Taxol in vivo, nude mice model of DU145 xenograft tumor was established by subcutaneous inoculation. The results showed that transcription and expression of VEGF were knocked by pCSH1-VEGF in DU145 cells. Matrigel invasion assay results showed that pCSH1-VEGF significantly reduced the migration of DU145 cells with inhibitory rate of 56.1%. Furthermore, pCSH1-VEGF enhanced the sensitivity of DU145 cells to Taxol and vincristine, and the values of IC50 decreased by 77.3% and 92.6%, respectively. In vivo experiment showed that Taxol, pCSH1-VEGF, combination of pCSH1-VEGF and Taxol inhibited tumor growth by the rates of 48.8%, 56.2% and 81.8%, respectively. The coefficient of drug interaction (CDI) of pCSH1-VEGF and Taxol was 0.82. The data suggested that VEGF shRNA could significantly enhance the sensitivity of human prostate cancer to tubulin inhibitors.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Paclitaxel ; pharmacology ; Plasmids ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Transfection ; Tubulin Modulators ; pharmacology ; Tumor Burden ; drug effects ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Vincristine ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the mutations of ATP2C1 gene in Chinese patients with Hailey-Hailey disease (HHD).

METHODSGenomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. PCR and direct DNA sequencing were used to detect the mutations in all 27 exons of ATP2C1 gene in patients of two Chinese families and a sporadic patient with HHD.

RESULTSThree mutations in ATP2C1 gene were found, including 1 nonsense mutation, 1 deletion/frameshift mutation and 1 missense mutation. All of them were novel mutations.

CONCLUSIONAll the three mutations could affect the transcription and translation, and further the function of protein encoded by ATP2C1 gene.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Calcium-Transporting ATPases ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Codon, Nonsense ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Exons ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Mutation, Missense ; Pedigree ; Pemphigus, Benign Familial ; genetics ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Deletion

AIMTo study the expression and effect of TLR4 and NFkappaB protein in hippocampus neuron in rats exposed to chronic hypoxic hypercapnia.

METHODSThe disorder of learning-memory in pulmonary hypertension rat model was reproduced by chronic hypoxic hypercapnia. Thirty rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control group, hypoxic hypercapnia 2-week and 4-week group. The number of apoptosis neurons in hippocampus CA1/3 was counted by TUNEL method. Activity of TLR4 and NFkappaB in hippocampus CA1/3 was detected by using SP immunocytochemical technique.

RESULTSThe expression of TLR4 protein in hippocampus CA1/3 in group 2HH( CA1: 0.1275 +/- 0.0242, CA3: 0.1156 +/- 0.0376) and 4HH (CA1: 0.1522 +/- 0.0187, CA3: 0.1427 +/- 0.0453) were significantly higher than those in the NC group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The positive expression of NFkappaB were showed in cell nucleus in group 2HH (CA1: 0.1326 +/- 0.0324, CA3: 0.1301 +/- 0.0112) and group 4HH (CA1: 0.1612 +/- 0.0428, CA3: 0.1578 +/- 0.0365), and significantly higher than those in the NC group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The apoptosis of neural cells in hippocampus CA1/3 gradually increased with the time of exposure, and reached peak at 4 weeks (P < 0.01 vs NC group).

CONCLUSIONThe activation of TLR4 and NFkappaB may play an important role in the apoptosis of hippocampus neural cells in rat exposed to chronic hypoxic hypercapnia.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Hypercapnia ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Neurons ; metabolism ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; metabolism