BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor 121 may be an optimal target gene for thetreatment of acute myocardial infarction.OBJECTIVE: To investigate effect of direct myocardial injection of adenovirus recombinant human vascular endothelial growthfactor 121 gene (Ad-hVEGF121) on myocardial infracted rat heart structure, function and angiogenesis.METHODS: Totally 78 male SD rats were randomly divided into the sham-surgery (n=18), acute myocardial infarction (n=24),Ad-VEGF121 (n=19) and normal saline (n=17) groups. Among them, left anterior descending coronary arteries of the latter threegroups were ligated to prepare acute myocardial infarction models and rats were randomly selected to receive Ad-hVEGF12 ornormal saline via three points in the cardiac muscle at the 10-15 minutes after ligation. The chest was exposed without ligation inthe sham-surgery group.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: At 2 weeks after injection, cardiac ultrasound showed that, compared with the sham-surgerygroup, the number of new capillaries, body weight and left ventricular mass / body weight of the acute myocardial infarction,Ad-hVEGF121 and normal saline groups were obviously increased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), especially those received transfectedrAd-hVEGF12, had higher density of blood capillaries than those of the normal saline and acute myocardial infarction groups.However, there were no obviously differences between each group in infarct size, cardiac structure or functions. The directmyocardial injection of Ad-VEGF121 can significantly promote the formation of new blood vessels within the myocardium.

Canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2) has been proposed as a vector for recombinant vaccine. Alternatively, it may be an attractive tool for gene transfer due to lack of pre-existing immunity in humans. In this study, a transfer vector based on CAV-2, in which the 1381bp fragment of the E3 region was deleted, and a linker containing the Not I, Cla I, Fse I restriction enzyme sites were cloned into the deleted region. The recombinant CAV-2 genome was released from the plasmids enzyme digestion and transfected into MDCK cells by lipofectamine to obtain the recombinant virus. No significant difference in morphology, hemagglutination and replication between the recombinant and the wide type CAV-2 was found. These results indicated that this recombinant virus CAV-2-deltaE3 (NF) may be an efficient vector for gene transfer and the capacity of the vector for inserted foreign gene was up to 3.3kb.
Adenoviruses, Canine ; genetics ; ultrastructure ; Animals ; Binding Sites ; genetics ; Cell Line ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA Restriction Enzymes ; metabolism ; DNA, Viral ; chemistry ; genetics ; Dogs ; virology ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Humans ; Lipids ; chemistry ; Microscopy, Electron ; Transfection ; methods ; Virus Replication ; genetics

Glutaraldehyde clinically is the most commonly accepted crosslinking reagent for bioprosthetic valves preparation. Glutaraldehyde-treated tissue is stable against chemical and enzymatic degradation; however, its calcification and cytotoxicity are severe. Dye-mediated photooxidation is an alternative tissue preservation method that oxidizes the protein with visible light in the presence of a suitable photosensitizer. This article reviews chemical mechanism, research progress, clinical applications future development of these two methods.
Animals ; Bioprosthesis ; Calcinosis ; Cross-Linking Reagents ; Glutaral ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Humans ; Photochemistry

OBJECTIVETo crosslink bovine pericardial valves by phthalocyanine sensitized photooxidation reaction.

METHODSFresh bovine pericardial tissues were immersed in PBS solution containing 0.01% cupreous sulfonatophthalocyanine and exposed to a broad wavelength light source for 20-120 h. Using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyarylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to analyze the cross-linking extent of pericardial tissue. With the help of attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), explained the change of protein structure after photooxidation reaction. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to measure the change of shrinkage temperature. Tissue water content experiment method was also used.

RESULTSPhotooxidized tissue was resistant to extraction when it was compared with untreated tissue and had similar crosslinking extent over glutaraldehyde-treated tissue. The three dimension structure of collagen were changed but not seriously destroyed and the model of photooxidation reaction was validated. Phthalocyanine-treated tissue was much more flexible than glutaraldehyde-treated tissue.

CONCLUSIONBovine pericardial tissue can be successfully crosslinked by phthalocyanine-mediated photooxidation reaction.

Animals ; Bioprosthesis ; Cattle ; Cross-Linking Reagents ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Indoles ; Pericardium ; chemistry ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared

OBJECTIVETo study the expression level and significance of glucose transporter 1 (Glut-1) in normal breast tissue, adenosis, adenoma and breast carcinoma.

METHODSA total of 147 cases of female breast tissue samples, including 92 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma, 26 cases of breast fibroadenoma, 24 cases of breast adenosis and 5 cases of normal breast tissues, were collected for quantitative detection of the expression of Glut-1 protein by immunohistochemistry (EnVision method) and Western blot, and its mRNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSIn normal breast tissue and benign lesions of the breast, Glut-1 was undetectable or only weakly detectable in cytoplasm of ductal and acinar epithelia. In contrast, the intensity of Glut-1 staining was significantly higher in invasive ductal carcinomas (P = 0.0002) with protein expression predominantly in cellular membrane and lesser in cytoplasm. Western blot and RT-PCR analyses showed that the expression of Glut-1 protein and mRNA were significantly increased in invasive ductal carcinoma than fibroadenoma (P =0.001 for protein; P <0.05 for mRNA) and adenosis (P =0.001 for protein; P < 0.05 for mRNA). There was a significant difference among groups (P = 0.0002 for protein; P = 0.0001 for mRNA).

CONCLUSIONSGlucose transport activity, as indicated by Glut-1 protein and its mRNA expression, significantly increases in breast carcinoma than non-cancerous lesions. The over-expression of Glut-1 in breast carcinoma is tightly coupled with tumor cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis, implying that Glut-1 may serve as a new marker in the early diagnosis and prognostication of breast malignancy as well as a new therapeutic target.

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Glucose ; physiology ; Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glucose Transporter Type 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Prognosis

BACKGROUNDBevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor, has shown promising activity in recurrent malignant gliomas. We reported the treatment response for the combination of bevacizumab and chemotherapy in a series of six patients with recurrent malignant glioma and investigated the molecular alterations in cancer pathways using the surgical biopsies from these patients.

METHODSStandard therapy with primary resection followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy had failed in all patients. Bevacizumab was administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Concomitantly, four patients received temozolomide (50 mgxm(-2)xd(-1)), one patient irinotecan (125 mg/m(2) every 2 weeks) and one patient topotecan (1.2 mgxm(-2)xd(-1)). Response to therapy was mainly determined by magnetic resonance imaging. The expression of Ras, phosphorylated mitogen activated protein kinase (p-MAPK), phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT), phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) were semiquantitatively assessed by immunohistochemistry using surgical biopsies before the initial treatment.

RESULTSFive of the six patients had a radiographic response. Three were complete response, and two were partial response. Only one patient had progressive disease. The 6-month progession-free survival (PFS) was 33% and the median PFS was 15 weeks, with a range of 6 to more than 60 weeks. Of the three core pathways analyzed in this study, the Ras/MAPK and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mTOR pathways were more likely to be associated with the treatment response to bevacizumab. In two younger patients (ages < 50) with complete response, simultaneous overexpression of p-MAPK, p-AKT and p-mTOR might be the crucial feature.

CONCLUSIONSBevacizumab in combination with chemotherapeutic agents may be an effective strategy for patients with recurrent malignant glioma. Activated MAPK and AKT might be possible biomarkers for selecting suitable patients for this targeted therapy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Bevacizumab ; Camptothecin ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Glioma ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; mortality ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo assess the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the follow-up of patients with hepatocellular carcinomas treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and to compare it with that of computed tomography (CT).

METHODSFrom December 2009 to September 2011, 40 patients (47 hepatocellular carcinomas) were treated with RFA after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and underwent MRI and CT for follow-up. RFA margins were assessed on a five-point scale with receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were evaluated.

RESULTSThe interobserver agreement rate for MRI was significantly higher (Kappa=0.935) than for CT (Kappa=0.714; P < 0.05). The scores of 1 and 5 points for MRI, which confirms the presence or absence of residual tumor, accounted for 89.4% (84/94), while for CT accounting for only 31.9% (30/94). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of MRI was significantly higher than that of CT (P < 0.05), as were the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of detection rate (mean, 100%, 96.4%, 76.9%, 100%, and 96.8% for MRI, respectively, vs. 30.0%, 57.1%, 10.3%, 87.7%, and 63.8% for CT).

CONCLUSIONMRI is superior to CT in assessing the RFA margins in terms of the diagnostic accuracy and detection rate .

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm, Residual ; diagnosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of daily low-dose tadalafil on erectile dysfunction (ED) induced by pelvic fracture urethral disruption (PFUD).

METHODSThis study included 46 cases of PFUD-induced ED treated from Jan 2008 to Dec 2011. The patients were aged 33.9 +/- 7.2 years (range 25 -51 yr), and the interval between injury and treatment was 19.6 +/- 12.7 months (range 3 - 72 mo), all with normal erectile function before PFUD. Based on the nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity (NPTR) recorded by erectometry without medication of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE-5I), the patients were divided into an abnormal nocturnal erection group and a non-nocturnal erection group, and treated with tadalafil 10 mg once daily for 3 months. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by IIEF-5 scores and the rate of yes responses to questions 2 and 3 of the Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP).

RESULTSTotally 38 (82.6%) of the patients accomplished the treatment and follow-up, 26 (68.4%) in the abnormal nocturnal erection group and 12 (31.6%) in the non-nocturnal erection group. After 3 months of daily tadalafil treatment at 10 mg, the IIEF-5 scores were significantly improved in the abnormal nocturnal erection group than in the non-nocturnal erection group (P < 0.05), and the rate of yes responses to SEP2 and SEP3 was remarkably higher in the former than in the latter (76.9% vs 41.7% and 65.4% vs 25.0%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSDaily low-dose tadalafil can effectively improve the erectile function of PFUD-induced ED patients, particularly in those with nocturnal erection.

Adult ; Carbolines ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Fractures, Bone ; complications ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pelvis ; injuries ; Penile Erection ; Tadalafil ; Treatment Outcome ; Urethra ; injuries

Objective To explore the clinical experience and surgical method of the repairment of frontal plantar tissue defects by using "tennis racket"-like flap with the medial plantar retrograde,and to study the reliability in the clinical application of the medial plantar retrograde flap.Methods From June 2011 to June 2016,"tennis racket"-like flap with the medial plantar retrograde was used to repair the frontal plantar tissue defects in 10 cases.The cutting range of flap was from 3.5 cm × 2.0 cm to 8.0 cm x 4.0 cm in size;in all patients the donor area was covered by skin grafts.Results All flaps survived and wounds healed by first intention.In 10 patients the donor sites healed primarily with a straight scar,and the appearance and texture of the flaps were satisfactory.All patients were followed up from 6 to 24 months (mean 12 months).According to the Chinese foot function evaluation standard trial evaluation,the outcomes were excellent in 9 cases,good in 7 cases,and medium in 2 cases.Conclusions "Tennis racket"-like flap with the medial plantar retrograde is less anatomic variation with reliable blood supply,and sensory recovery is quick;the donor site is a small crater and cicatrial contractures are light;the cost is low.All patients are treated on one session and therefore it is an ideal method for the repairment of frontal plantar tissue defects.

Objective:To establish the clot waveform analysis (CWA) reference intervals of prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (Fbg) and thrombin time (TT) parameters CT, |Min1|, |Min2|, |Max2| and observe the changes in patients with coagulation factors deficiency.Methods:One hundered and twenty-five cases of apparent healthy person were enrolled to establish the CWA reference intervals of four coagulation parameters and 25 cases with coagulation factors were used to study the changes of CWA patients.Results:The CWA reference intervals of PT |Min1| (dT/dt), |Min2| (d 2T/dt 2), |Max2| (d 2T/dt 2) are3.14±1.22, 0.56±0.22 and 0.50±0.18; The CWA reference intervals of APTT |Min1| (dT/dt), |Min2| (d 2T/dt 2), |Max2| (d 2T/dt 2) are 4.75±1.71, 0.78±0.29 and 0.65±0.28; The CWA reference intervals of Fbg CT(s), |Min1| (dT/dt), |Max2|(d 2T/dt 2) are 7.01±1.96, 1.22±0.51 and 0.15±0.11; The CWA reference intervals of TT |Min1| (dT/dt), |Min2| (d 2T/dt 2), |Max2| (d 2T/dt 2) are 0.95±0.32, 0.14±0.05 and 0.07±0.03.These parameters of CWA in factor Ⅴ deficient patients were significantly reduced, the activity of coagulation factor Ⅶ was 0.42, |Min2| and |Max2| were significantly lower than that of normal people. The paramenters of CWA in factor Ⅶ deficient patients were significantly reduce. Conclusion:The CWA reference intervals of four CWA parameters helps judgment of coagulation factor deficiency.