Objective To compare the usefulness of contrast-enhanced T1 high resolution isotropic volume excitation (THRIVE) sequence and fat-saturated TSE sequence in detection of spinal metastases.Methods Thirty-one consecutive patients with spinal metastases were recruited.All patients received post-contrast TSE T1WI followed by a fat-suppressed THRIVE sequence.The number of lesions,SNR and CNR for both sequences,and the scoring of image quality concerning motion-artifact and tumor conspicuity were compared.Results Acquisition time of the post-contrast TSE T1W sequence and the THRIVE sequence was 2 min 55 s and 33 s,respectively.No significant difference was found in the number of lesions detected between the two sequences (Z=-0.816,P=0.414).The SNR (432.54±271.60) and CNR (233.27± 197.65) of the THRIVE sequence were significantly lower than the SNR (674.32±375.79) and CNR (312.38±207.49) of the TSE T1W sequence respectively (t=-4.366,-2.660,P＜0.001,0.012).Tumor conspicuity of the post-contrast TSE sequence was better than that of THRIVE sequence (Z=-4.082,P＜0.001),while the motion-artifact in TSE sequence was more severe (Z=2.291,P=0.022).Conclusion The post-contrast THRIVE sequence is capable of decreasing acquisition time and motion-artifact.Besides,its detected efficacy is equal to that of TSE sequence.There is practical possibility to replace the conventional post-contrast TSE T1WI sequence with the THRIVE sequence in the imaging of spinal metastases.

Objective:To investigate the clinical manifestations and causative factors of adverse drug reactions following cinepazide mahate injection and provide reference for the safe use of drugs.Method:503 cases treated with cine- pazide maleate in our hospital were retrospectively studied and the results were statistically analyzed by SPSS(versionl 1.0).Result:Of 503 patients,27 cases presented some adverse events with an incidence of 5.4%,and adverse drug reac- tions were found in 11 cases with an incidence of 2.2%.The main adverse drug reactions were nervous,gastrointestinal and dermal reactions.The adverse drug reactions had no relation with sex,but with age of patients and combination use of drugs(P

Objective:To evaluate the effect of shikonin on the expression of RANTES and chemotactic activity of monocyte in endometriosis.Methods:Established SCID endometriosis models and cultured U937 cells were treated by a series of concentration of shikonin.RANTES transcriptive expression was determined by Real-time PCR,and RANTES secretion was determined by ELISA.Furthermore,Chemotaxis assay in vitro was conducted to elucidate the effect of shikonin on chemotaxis of U937 cells by RANTES.Results:Shikonin improved the RANTES transcription of human endometrium transplanted to SCID mouse(P

Objective:Normal murine DCs were pulsed with complex of tumor antigen from elemene-combo tumor cell vaccine-heat shock protein 70 of BCG (H TA-HSP70 BCG).Their proliferation and antigen presenting function were evaluated.Methods:The dendritic cells(DCs)were cultured in complete media containing GM-CSF and IL-4 and pulsed with H TA-HSP70 BCG,H TA or HSP70 BCG.Their proliferation and stimulating effects on spleen nonadherent cells were evaluated with MTT assay.Their capability of endocytosing FITC labeled dextran was assayed with FACscan,morphological changes of DC were observed in electron microscope.Results:Proliferation index of DCs pulsed with H TA-HSP70 BCG was 2.107?0.013,proliferation index of DCs pulsed with H TA-HSP70 BCG mixed with normal nonadherent spleen cell was 1.927?0.073.The percent of DCs endocytosed FITC labeled dextran was 58.61%.Above changes were more significant than those of DCs pulsed with H TA or HPS79 BCG.Conclusion:H TA-HPS70 BCG had more potent activity to pulse DC and strengthen antigen presenting of DC.

Objective To investigate the influence of tissue-specific growth hormone receptor (GHR)deficiency in type 1 diabetes in the mice at the gene level using pancreaticβcells combined with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes model.Methods The experiment was divided into four groups:knockout mice group (LLc knockout group), using the homozygotes (LLc:LL+Cre) producted by pancreaticβ cell-specific expressed recombinant enzyme mice (RIP-Cre)and Cre-LoxP system modified GHR mice (Floxed,LL);LL control group, containing Floxed GHR allele homozygous mice (LL);LLc STZ group and LL STZ group (STZ was used for inducing type 1 diabetes model mice). The mice with feeding glucose≥25 mmol · L-1 were considered to be successful models.The Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT),pancreas tissue HE staining and immunohistochemistry were performed in the mice.Results The blood glucose of the mice in LL STZ group and LLc STZ group and LLc STZ group were increased after inj ection of STZ and the models achieved the diagnostic criteria for diabetes 1 6 d later.The results of GTT showed that compared with LLc control group and LLc knockout group, the blood glucose levels of the mice in LL STZ and LLc STZ groups were increased (P<0.05).There was no significant change of morphology and structure of islets between LL control group and LLc knockout group detected by HE staining. The immunohistochemistry results showed that the insulin level of the mice in LL STZ group was significantly reduced compared with LL control group;the insulin level of the mice in LLc STZ group was reduced compared with LLc control group.Conclusion Pancreaticβcell GHR gene knockout has no effect on the blood glucose and the function ofβcells in the mice with STZ-induced type 1 diabetes.

Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Paraffin Embedding ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Tissue Fixation

Objectives: To evaluate mice as experimental animal for Chlamydia pneumoniae, a common cause of acute respiratory infections in human.　Methods: Intranasal inoculation of Icr mice with C. Pneumoniae induced a prolonged course of lung infection, as demonstrated by persistence of lung pathology(60 days).　Results: Icr mice were susceptible to C. pneumoniae. Lung pathology was characterized by patchy interstitial pneumonitis with predominately neutrophil leukocyte infiltration in the early(7 days) and lymphocytes infiltration in the later stages(14 days later) of infection.　Conclusions:Icr mice were susceptible to C. pneumoniae and the mouse model is useful for the investigation of the pathogenesis of C. pneumoniae infection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the information acquired through the four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine in patients with bronchial asthma, and to classify the syndrome types. METHODS: Four hundred and thirty patients with bronchial asthma were randomly investigated. The information acquired through the four diagnostic methods was recorded and the database was established by Amos software, and then the data were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). RESULTS: After analyzing the data with 4 factors, 5 factors and 6 factors, we found that the results of CFA with 6 factors were in accordance with clinical practical experience. CONCLUSION: According to the results of CFA with 6 factors and with the standard regression coefficient 0.4 as primary and secondary critical points, the syndromes in patients with bronchial asthma can be classified into 5 types, which are syndromes of cold fluid retained in lung, phlegm-heat obstructing lung, wind-phlegm blocking lung, qi deficiency of lung and kidney and qi deficiency of spleen.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of applying nanotechnology against M.tuberculosis growth.Methods Chitosan-antisense ODN nanoparticles were prepared by complex coacervation method.Varied amount of ODNs and chitosanODN nanoparticles were added to the cultures and the growth of the bacilli was monitored.Results The nanoparticles were composed of(35.6±0.9)% ODN and(64.4±0.9)% chitosan.Compared to the free ODN,antisense nanopartilces were more effective in inhibiting the proliferation of M.tuberculosis.Antisense nanoparticles decreased growth by(2.8±0.1)CFU/ml at concentration of 4/μmol/L.Conclusion Chitosan-ODN nanoparticles were more effective in inhibiting the growth of M.tuberculosis than free ODN.

Objective To determine the neuronal damage or loss and gliosis at the cellular level in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease(SCA3/MJD), and evaluate the potential use of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and protein S 100 B(S100B) serum concentrations as biochemical markers. Methods Serum concentrations of NSE and S100B were measured in 102 SCA3/MJD patients and 100 healthy subjects matched by sex and age. The correlations between both markers and age, age of onset, disease duration, CAG repeat size, scores of international cooperative ataxia rating scale(ICARS), and scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia(SARA) were analyzed. Results Compared with the healthy controls, patients with SCA3/MJD had higher NSE serum concentrations [(6.95±2.83)ng/mL vs (4.83±1.70) ng/mL, P<0.05] and higher S100B serum concentrations [(0.07±0.06) ng/mL vs (0.05±0.02) ng/mL, P<0.05]. In the SCA3/MJD patients group, NSE levels presented a positive correlation with age, disease duration, ICARS scores and SARA scores, whereas S100B levels did not correlate with age, age of onset, disease duration, ICARS scores and SARA scores. CAG repeat size did not correlate with the NSE levels and S100B levels in different age groups of SCA3/MJD patients. Conclusion Serum NSE might be a useful marker to monitor disease progression and represent the degree of severity of a certain disease. Elevated S100B serum concentrations in patients compared to healthy controls may suggest an application of this protein as a peripheral marker of brain impairment in SCA3/MJD.