A pyelonephritis model of mouse is made by c. albicans infection. The determination of im-mune functions in model show that, both proliferation response of T cell to ConA and IL-2 activ-iting of spleenocytes of model animal to inductionwith ConA increased at 30 days after injected.The proliferation response of B cell to stimulation with LPS inhanced from 15 through 30 days,primary Ab response of model animal to SRBC stimulation inhanced between 15-30 days afterimmunization. DTH response to stimulation with c. albicans protein Ag raised since 15 days andup to peak at 30 days. Agglutination titer of serum raised up 15 days, and remained at higherlevel untill 30 days.

Objective To observe the changes of brain neurotransmitters in patients with vasovagal syncope (VVS) with encephalofluc-tuogram technology (ET). Methods From August, 2015 to December, 2016, 30 patients with VVS were selected as case group, 30 controls matched with sex and age were selected from the outpatients without syncope. They were detected the function of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (Glu), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), acetylcholine (Ach), norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) with ET. Results There was no significant difference between the two groups in the values of GABA, Glu, 5-HT, Ach and DA (t<1.680, P>0.05), while the values of NE was higher in the case group than in the control group (t=-3.552, P<0.001). Conclusion VVS may be related to the high level of activity of NE in the brain.

The effects of the feed attractants on Whitmania pigra were studied. The average weight of Wh. pigra were 5.0 g. Arginine was selected as feed attractants, xanthan gum was selected as feed substrate. The times of Wh. pigra going into the inducing room were recorded. The water temperature was 22-25 degrees C during the whole experiment. Arginine that had better inducing effect was chosen to carry on in the gradient experiment. The results showed that the best inducing effect was found when the added amount of arginine was 0.3%, which was close to the arginine content of the natural body fluid of Wh. Pigra and Bellamya purificata, 2.97 mg x g(-1).
Animal Feed ; analysis ; Animals ; Arginine ; analysis ; metabolism ; Body Weight ; Feeding Behavior ; Leeches ; growth & development ; physiology

Objective To analyze the pressure-driven streaming potential in a cancellous bone meso-mechanical model with numerical simulation, so as to understand characteristics of streaming potential distributions in cancellous bone. Methods Based on the control equations of electric field and fluid, the finite element method was used to calculate the streaming potential in the cancellous bone model when subjected to pressure. Results The streaming potential near the solid surface of the model was relatively large (about 43.4 μV), while the streaming potential away from the solid surface was smaller (about 19.7 μV). Pressure and Zeta potential had a significant impact on the streaming potential of the model, presenting a linear relationship with the streaming potential. The streaming potential was greatly affected when the ion concentration was low, whereas the effect on the streaming potential was small when the ion concentration was high. Conclusions This research finding provides a theoretical reference for prevention and treatment by stimulation methods of electric current and electromagnetic fields in clinical fractures, senile osteoporosis and other bone diseases.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a disease with chronic inflammation of unknown etiology involving any part of the gastrointestinal tract. The incidence and prevalence of CD are increasing recently in Asia. Half of the CD patients will have intestinal complications, such as strictures or fistulas, within 20 years after diagnosis. Twenty-five percentage of CD patients have had at least one small bowel stricture and 10% have had at least one colonic stricture and lead to significant complications. Most of these patients will require at least one surgery during their lifetime. Early diagnosis and evaluation with adequate managements for the patients can prevent disability and mortality of these patient. Here, we reviewed the current incidence of CD with stricture, the etiology of stricture, and how to diagnose and manage the stricture.
Asia ; Colon ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Crohn Disease* ; Diagnosis ; Disease Management ; Early Diagnosis ; Fistula ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Intestines ; Mortality ; Prevalence

Authors raised that staging based strategies and practice of integrative medicine (IM) by combining syndrome typing and disease identification, and choosing suitable measures in accordance with different persons and seasonal conditions after more than ten years' clinical practice and researches. Radical operation as prior (as evil eliminating) and strengthening vital qi in perioerative period are best strategy for promoting rapid rehabilitation of early stage prostate cancer patients. Strengthening body resistance to eliminate evil was used in treating advanced prostate cancer patients. For example, a comprehensive treatment program for hormone-dependent patients was combined with endocrinotherapy and Chinese herbs for synergisic efficacy-enhancing actions. In this way, these patients' quality of life (QOL) were improved and time to castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) was delayed, even some patients were clinically cured. There are lack of effective medicines and methods for CRPC patients. Greatly tonifying original qi is mainly used for improving their clinical symptoms and prolonging survivals. Practice has proved staging based strategies and practice of IM has favorable advantages in treating prostate cancer, especially showing prospect in prolonging survival and postponing progression of advanced prostate cancer patients. Besides, it also could provide beneficial considerations and inspiration for combination of syndrome typing and disease identification.
Disease Progression ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant ; diagnosis ; Quality of Life

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that dental pulp stem cells have high proliferation and multi-directional differentiation abilities and can differentiate into a variety of cells under certain conditions. At present, the use of dental pulp stem cells to construct tissue-engineered dentin-pulp complex is expected to become a new strategy for human dental defect repair . OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of dental pulp stem cells on the repair of rat tooth defects by construction of tissue-engineered dentin-pulp complex. METHODS: Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were used to make animal models with dental pulp removal, and then model rats were randomly divided into model group and transplantation group. Rats in the transplantation group were subjected to tissue-engineered dentin-pulp complex transplantation, and those in the model group given no treatment. Tooth samples were collected at 3, 5, 7 weeks post transplantation and observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunofluorescence staining. The dentin thickness of rats was measured by Image Pro Plus 6.0 image software system. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Dental pulp cells was mostly spindle/oval-shaped and partially polygonal. The third generation of cells with long spindle shape showed fibrous growth and uniform morphology. Findings from immunohistochemical staining showed spindle-shaped deep-colored cells with oval nuclei stained as dark blue were identified as fibroblast-like cells, and were positire for vimtin. (2) Findings from hematoxylin-eosin staining showed vacuolar degeneration of the cells, and hbdestroyed pulp tissue and debris, irregular cord-like tissue, and a large amount of red blood cells and inflammatory cells in the pulp cavity, accompanied by clearly visible vascular dilation. Seven weeks after transplantation, a bundle of odontoblasts were visible in the matrix-like tissues of the dentin, and there was a distinct boundary between the original dentin and regenerated dentin. (3) Findings from immunofluorescent staining showed that after dentin-pulp complex transplantation, the number of cells in the pulp cavity increased significantly at 3 weeks, and there was also a substantial increase in dental pulp cells at 5 weeks that were distributed on the wall of the pulp cavity. Compared with the model group, the dentin thickness in the transplantation group was significantly higher at each time after transplantation (P < 0.05), and in the transplantation group, there was also a significant difference in the dentin thickness at different time points (P < 0.05). To conclude, the tissue-engineered dentin-pulp complex can promote dentin regeneration and repair.

OBJECTIVEIt is revealed that circulating fibrocytes are elevated in patients/animals with cardiac fibrosis, and this review aims to provide an introduction to circulating fibrocytes and their role in cardiac fibrosis.

DATA SOURCESThis review is based on the data from 1994 to present obtained from PubMed. The search terms were "circulating fibrocytes " and "cardiac fibrosis ".

STUDY SELECTIONArticles and critical reviews, which are related to circulating fibrocytes and cardiac fibrosis, were selected.

RESULTSCirculating fibrocytes, which are derived from hematopoietic stem cells, represent a subset of peripheral blood mononuclear cells exhibiting mixed morphological and molecular characteristics of hematopoietic and mesenchymal cells (CD34+/CD45+/collagen I+). They can produce extracellular matrix and many cytokines. It is shown that circulating fibrocytes participate in many fibrotic diseases, including cardiac fibrosis. Evidence accumulated in recent years shows that aging individuals and patients with hypertension, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and atrial fibrillation have more circulating fibrocytes in peripheral blood and/or heart tissue, and this elevation of circulating fibrocytes is correlated with the degree of fibrosis in the hearts.

CONCLUSIONSCirculating fibrocytes are effector cells in cardiac fibrosis.

Coronary Disease ; pathology ; Fibroblasts ; physiology ; Fibrosis ; pathology ; Heart Failure ; pathology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; pathology ; Myocardium ; pathology

Adult ; Aged ; Aging ; metabolism ; Female ; Glutathione ; blood ; Glutathione Disulfide ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxidation-Reduction

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic stomach intestinal pylorus sparing surgery (SIPS) in the treatment of severe obesity. Methods: The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinical data of 5 patients with severe obesity who were admitted to the China-Japan Union Hospital Affiliated to Jilin University from October to November 2018 were collected. There was 1 male and 4 females, aged from 18 to 55 years, with an average age of 33 years. All the 5 patients underwent laparoscopic SIPS. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations; (2) postoperative situations; (3) follow-up. Follow-up was performed by outpatient examination, telephone interview and Wechat up to February 2019, including general condition, changes in body weight, body mass index, waistline, blood pressure, percentage of excess weight loss, fasting plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, blood lipid, and uric acid at 3 months after surgery. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD, and they were tested with Hotelling T² test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M (range). Results: (1) Surgical situations: 5 patients underwent successfully laparoscopic SIPS under clear surgical field, without obvious bleeding, conversion to open surgery or perioperative death. The operation time was 240 minutes (range, 165-345 minutes). (2) Postoperative situations: the time to initial out-of-bed activity, time to first and flatus, and time to initial drinking and liquid intake were 2 days (range, 2-3 days), 3 days (range, 2-3 days), and 3 days (range, 3-4 days), respectively. On the third day after surgery, all the 5 patients were confirmed anastomotic patency, without gastric leakage, stenosis, or obstruction by upper gastrointestinal contrast. The abdominal drainage-tube was removed on the fourth day after feeding without obvious discomfort and foreign substances extraction from the drainage-tube. The duration of postoperative hospital stay was 6 days (range, 6-7 days). (3) Follow-up: 5 patients with severe obesity were successfully followed up for 3 months. During the follow-up, one patient had significantly increased frequency of defecation, roughly 5-8 times a day, especially after eating greasy food. According to the dietary guidance of the case manager, diarrhea was improved significantly after reducing the intake of oily food. Of the 5 patients with severe obesity, color doppler ultrasonography examination revealed that cholestasis was found in 2 patients at 3 months after operation, which may be related to significant weight loss, ratio imbalance of bile acid to and cholesterol, intestinal microbiota, injury of vagus nerve, significant increasing in mucin of gallbladder, and without oral ursodeoxycholic acid as prescribed by the doctor. The body weight, body mass index, waistline, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure of 5 patients with severe obesity were (100±15)kg, (36±4)kg/m^2, (111±10)cm, (130±12)mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), and (78±14)mmHg at 3 months after operation, respectively, showing significant differences compared with these of preoperation (F=61.631, 75.558, 87.045, 9.501, 16.248, P<0.05). The percentage of excess weight loss was 44%±9%. Among the 5 patients with severe obesity, the fasting plasma glucose of 2 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus decreased from 9.55 mmol/L and 13.49 mmol/L to 5.18 mmol/L and 5.62 mmol/L after operation, respectively. Level of glycated hemoglobin decreased from 10.0% and 9.9% to 5.2% and 6.2% after operation, respectively. In the 2 patients with hyperlipidemia, one patient with hypertriglyceride had level of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein increased from preoperative 2.24 mmol/L, 4.84 mmol/L and 2.92 mmol/L to 2.47 mmol/L, 6.68 mmol/L and 5.51 mmol/L after operation, another patient with hypercholesterol had cholesterol level decreased from preoperative 5.97 mmol/L to postoperative 5.75 mmol/L after operation. In the 3 patients with hyperuricemia, two patients had the uric acid decreased from 404 μmol/L and 484 μmol/L to 319 μmol/L and 417 μmol/L after operation, respectively, one had the uric acid increased from 531 μmol/L to 674 μmol/L after operation. Conclusions Laparoscopic SIPS has a significant short-term effect on patients with severe obesity, but its long-term safety and efficacy need to be further followed up.