Objective To study the effects of CBL teaching mode on treatment plan making process among orthodontic postgraduates. Methods Totally 42 junior and senior orthodontic post-graduates were randomly divided into 2 groups (21 per group)named as experimental group and test group. Each group was further divided in to 3 teams involved in CBL and traditional teaching. Six cases of the same type malocclusion were selected each time;after 4 teaching cycle,test scores of two groups were analyzed with SPSS 19.0. Results were shown as mean ± standard deviation and t test andχ2 test were applied to evaluate the rationality and accuracy of treatment plan made by students. Survey questionnaire were issued to teachers and students after class and the assessment results of CBL teaching mode were summed up. Results Test scores were (88.61±8.34)in experimental group and (76.13±8.59)in control group with significant differences (t=3.16,P=0.01). Pass rate of two groups were 96.12%and 87.51%with significant differences (χ2=4.76,P=0.02). During the first teaching program, accurate rates of experimental group and control group were respectively 31.00% and 36.70% and ra-tionality were 33.31%and 33.30%. During the second teaching program,accurate rates of experimen-tal group and control group were 68.80%and 45.70%and rationality were 62.72%and 43.37%. During the third teaching program,accurate rates of experimental group and control group were 89.70% and 51.20%,and rationality were 95.00% and 66.70%. During the fourth program,accurate rates of ex-perimental group and control group were respectively 97.80% and 55.30% and rationality were 98.30% and 75.60%. Conclusions CBL teaching mode is helpful to improve the students' ability of analyzing clinical cases and making more accurate and rational treatment plan,however the increasing teaching cost and the course load are also involved.

Armillariella tabescens EJLY2098 was induced to produce ?-mannanase with konjac fine flour (Amorphopallus rivieri) as single carbon source. This induced enzyme was then purified using DEAE ion exchange chromatography and named atMAN47. Zymologic analysis showed that the molecular weight of this ?-mannanase was approximately 47 kD. The enzyme was stable when pH ranged from 5.0 to 6.5 and could be activated by Na+ and Ba2+. With an optimal temperature of 50?C. Action mode analysis of TLC revealed that the enzyme belonged to the endo-?-mannanase family. Being a meta-acid endo-?-mannanase, it was suitable to be applied to feed industry with a promising future as an enzyme preparation.

In order to provide a scientific basis for the establishment of a Daphnes Cortex medicinal material fungus library and the screening of endophytic fungi that promote the growth of Daphnes Cortex and increase the content of daphnetin, we used Illumina high-throughput testing technology to analyze 9 Daphnes Cortex samples from Gansu and Shanxi provinces. A total of 632 766 valid sequences were obtained, including 348 OTUs, 4 phyla, 20 classes, 48 orders, 108 families, 154 genera, and 208 species. The sum of the first 3 fungal genera account for more than 65% of the total abundance, with the highest reaching 98.4%. Alternaria and Phoma are the main genuses of Daphne giraldii Nitsche, and Altemaria is the dominant genus. The endophytic fungi community of Daphnes Cortex is rich in diversity, and the order of fungal diversity in different producing areas is: Gangu County > Wutai County > Tanchang County.

Recently traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-induced liver injury has been an unresolved critical issue which impacts TCM clinical safety. The premise and key step to reduce or avoid drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is to identify the drug source of liver injury in early stage. Then the timely withdrawal of drug and treatment can be done. However, the current diagnosis of DILI is primarily governed by exclusive method relying on administering history supplied by patients and experience judgment from doctors, which lacks objective and reliable diagnostic indices. It is obvious that diagnosis of TCM-induced liver injury is especially difficult due to the complicated composition of TCM medication, as well the frequent combination of Chinese and Western drugs in clinic. In this paper, we proposed construction of research pattern and method for objective identification of TCM-related DILI based on translational toxicology, which utilizes clinical specimen to find specific biomarkers and characteristic blood-entering constituents, as well the clinical biochemistry and liver biopsy. With integration of diagnosis marker database, bibliographic database, medical record database and clinical specimen database, an integrative diagnosis database for TCM-related DILI can be established, which would make a transformation of clinical identification pattern for TCM-induced liver injury from subjective and exclusive to objective and index-supporting mode. This would be helpful to improve rational uses of TCM and promote sustainable development of TCM industry.
Animals ; Biomarkers, Pharmacological ; metabolism ; Biopsy ; methods ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver ; drug effects ; pathology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; adverse effects ; Rats

To determine the role of vagi in heart rate variability, conscious rabbits were employed and electrocardiogram was recorded under conditions of bilateral vagi intact, unilateral vagotomy, and bilateral vagotomy. The variability of RR intervals (RRI) was analyzed using power spectrum and approximate entropy (ApEn). The results showed that the values of high frequency power (HF) component, low frequency power (LF) component and ApEn in animals with bilateral vagi intact were the highest, but the LF/HF ratio was the lowest; unilateral vagotomy decreased ApEn, right vagotomy increased LF/HF ratio but left vagotomy did not; the LF/HF ratio increased while ApEn decreased significantly in animals with bilateral vagotomy. It is suggested that the variability of RRI is mainly regulated by the vagi and the role of right vagi is more important than that of the left. When measuring heart rate variability, the results obtained with conventional method are consistent with those with nonlinear method.
Animals ; Entropy ; Heart Rate ; physiology ; Male ; Rabbits ; Vagus Nerve ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changing laws of serum high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) in septic rats and intervention effect of Xuebijing on it.

METHODSLipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 mg/kg BW) was intravenously injected into the tail vein of healthy male Wistar rats to prepare the sepsis rat model. In Experiment 1: 50 Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups, i.e., the normal group (A, n=10); the LPS model group (B, n=10), the LPS +Xuebijing treatment group (C, n=30). Rats in the C group were further divided into three subgroups, i.e., 2 h before LPS injection (group C1), 2 h after LPS injection (group C2), and 8 h after LPS injection (group C3), 10 in each group. Blood samples were collected from the caudal vein to detect serum HMGB1 levels by Western blot at 4, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after LPS injection. Experiment 2: 30 Wistar rats were equally divided into the LPS model group (D) and the LPS + Xuebijing treatment group (E), 15 in each group. They were treated as rats in the B group and the C1 group respectively. Five rats were sacrificed at 12, 24, and 48 h after LPS injection in the two groups. Blood as well as the tissue samples were harvested to measure such indices as ALT, AST, Cr, and BUN, as well as pathological changes of liver, lung, and kidney.

RESULTS(1) Compared with the A group, serum HMGB1 levels were higher at various time points in the B group (P < 0.05). Compared with the B group, serum HMGB1 levels at 12,24,48, and 72 h decreased in the C1, C2, and C3 groups. Besides, the decrease was more obvious at 24 h and 48 h.The decrement in the C3 group was less than that in the C1 and C2 groups (P < 0.05). (2) In the D group, ALT, AST, Cr, and BUN were significantly higher than those in the A group and reached the peak at 24 h (P < 0.05). Compared with the E group, AST, Cr, and BUN at 24 and 48 h, and ALT at each time point decreased significantly in the E group (P < 0.05). (3)The results of pathological section of liver, lung, and kidney showed local congestion and hemorrhage, cell edema/necrosis/degeneration, infiltration of inflammatory cells, damage of characteristic structures and so on; particularly serious lesion occurred at 24 and 48 h in the D group. The microscopic lesion was obviously alleviated in the E group than in the D group at corresponding time points.

CONCLUSIONSThe serum HMGB1 levels increased in septic rats, with late occurrence of peak value and longer duration of the high value. HMGB1 played an important role in excessive inflammatory response and multiple organ dysfunction. Xuebijing could reduce the serum levels of HMGB1, improve biochemical parameters, and attenuate severe inflammatory response of liver, lung, and kidney tissues in septic rats. Besides, the earlier use, the better effect obtained.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; HMGB1 Protein ; blood ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sepsis ; blood ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of alternatively activated macrophages /mononuclear phagocytes(MNP) on breast cancer cells and explore the mechanisms for the action of tumor-associated macrophages in breast cancer.

METHODSHuman peripheral blood monocytes were isolated and cultured in vitro and divided into 3 groups, namely classically activated monocytes (CAM) which were induced by lipopolysaccharide, alternatively activated monocytes (AAM) induce by IL-4, and control cells treated with the culture medium only. After cell culture for 48-72 h, the mRNA of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), alternative monocytes activation- associated CC-chemokine 1 (AMAC-1), and beta-actin of the 3 groups were extracted for RT-PCR, or the cells were cocultured with breast cancer cell line SKBR3, or seeded in chicken chorioallantoic membrane along with SKBR3.

RESULTSTNF-alpha mRNA was significantly increased in CAM, and AMAC-1 was highly expressed in AAM. The coculture experiments showed that CAM exhibited obvious inhibitory effect on SKBR3 cells after a 3-day culture whereas AAM significantly promoted the growth of SKBR3 cells after a 5-day culture. In chicken on chorioallantoic membrane experiment, the macrophages promoted tumor angiogenesis and AAM showed the most obvious effect.

CONCLUSIONIL-4 induces high expression of AMAC-1, a molecular marker of AAM, in the macrophages, and AAM can promote the growth of SKBR3 cells and tumor angiogenesis.

Animals ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Chemokines, CC ; metabolism ; Chick Embryo ; Coculture Techniques ; Humans ; Interleukin-4 ; metabolism ; Macrophage Activation ; Phagocytes ; immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo measure the plasma levels of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1), the protein expression of alpha-SMA in hepatic stellate cells and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and study on the relationships between the plasma levels of TGFbeta1, the protein expression and the serum hyaluronic acid (HA) in patients with different grades of hepatic fibrosis.

METHODSThirty seven cases with hepatic fibrosis of different grades were classified according to HE and VG staining categories from 0 to 4, in which there were 8 cases in grade 1, 9 cases in grade 2, 7 cases in grade 3, 13 cases in grade 4. The plasma levels of TGFbeta1 and the serum levels of HA were detected by ELISA. The protein expressions of a-SMA, uPA and PAI-1 in fibrotic liver tissue were observed by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSWith the progression of hepatic fibrosis, the plasma levels of TGFbeta1 and the protein expression of a-SMA, uPA and PAI-1 in fibrotic liver tissue were increased. In grade 3 and 4, the plasma levels of TGFbeta and the protein expression of a-SMA and PAI-1 in fibrotic liver tissue were significantly increased, but the protein expression of uPA in cirrhosis liver tissue did not increased.

CONCLUSIONTGFbeta1, a-SMA, uPA and PAI-1 play an important role in the progression of hepatic fibrosis. Inhibiting the early activation of latent TGFbeta1 or increasing uPA and inhibiting PAI-1 over express may contribute to matrix degradation and retard the progression of hepatic fibrosis.

Actins ; blood ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; complications ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; blood ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; blood ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study the therapeutic effects to block the TGF-beta1 (transforming growth factor beta1) signal transduction by antisense Smad4 gene on experimental fibrotic liver.

METHODSUsing the rat model of liver fibrosis induced by Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4)/ethanol, we transfected antisense Smad4 gene mediated by adenovirus via portal vein infusion into the liver, and observed the expression of Smad4 by Retro-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Western Blot. We also investigated the pathologic features and collagen expression.

RESULTSIn the non-therapeutic cirrhotic liver, the expression of Smad4 mRNA was significantly increased than normal liver, and so was the collagen I. After antisense Smad4 gene being transfected, the expression of Smad4 mRNA and that of collagen I in the therapeutic liver was significantly decreased, compared with the non-therapeutic cirrhotic liver. The fibrous degree of therapeutic liver was also reduced compared with the non-therapeutic fibrous liver.

CONCLUSIONThese results indicate that because antisense Smad4 gene could block TGF-beta1 signal transduction by reducing the expression of Smad4, so it could inhibit the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) and improve hepatic fibrosis.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Antisense Elements (Genetics) ; therapeutic use ; Collagen Type I ; analysis ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Signal Transduction ; Smad4 Protein ; Trans-Activators ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Avascular necrosis of a vertebral body, a relatively uncommon entity, is caused by malignancy, infection, radiation, systemic steroid treatment, trauma, and the like.1 Vertebral osteonecrosis induced by trauma is called Kvmell's disease, because it was initially described by Hermann Kvmell of Germany in 1891.2 This paper reported a young female with posttraumatic vertebral osteonecrosis and analyzed the causes. She was treated by thoracoscopic surgery successfully.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Kyphosis ; etiology ; Osteonecrosis ; complications ; surgery ; Spinal Diseases ; complications ; surgery ; Thoracoscopy