BACKGROUND: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) promotes neurite outgrowth from neocortical explants, and supports neuronal survival under serum-free condition. Thus, HGF can mediate neurotrophic function as a novel neurotrophic factor.OBJECTIVE: To establish an in vitro injury model with a semi-solid culture system for the purpose of improving the evaluation of neurite regeneration of transected spinal cord neurons from rat embryo, and investigate the effect of HGF on neurite regeneration.DESIGN: Randomized controlled study.SETTING: Hematology Laboratory of Radian Medical Institute of Academy of Military Medical Sciences of PLA.MATERIALS: The experiment was carried out at the Hematology Laboratory of Radian Medical Institute of Academy of Military Medical Sciences of PLA from August 2004 to May 2005. Wistar fetal rats of 14-16 days old were provided by Animal Center of Academy of Military Medical Sciences of PLA. Tail collagen was extracted from adult male Wistar rats with body mass of (250±50) g.METHODS: ① Rat tail type Ⅰ collagen substrate was prepared and spread on a culture dish, cut into about 0.5-1.0 mm3 slices, then spinal cord slices of 15-day-old fetal Wistar rat were explanted on the primary culture. Five days later, the outgrowing processes were severed, then a block of collagen, with the surface area of 2 mm2 and 200 μm away from the slice, was removed and the vacancy was replaced with a fresh collagen block of 2 μL after aspirating the medium. The fresh collagen block could be solidified and then fresh liquid medium was added as the secondary culture. The regeneration of neurite was observed by microscopy at 0, 1, 6,12 and 24 hours after severing. ② The medium was changed with 0.5% N3-conditioned medium. 10 μg/L HGF was added in the experimental group, and 0.5% N3-conditioned medium was added in the control group.The status of regeneration was evaluated by the average value of 3 longest regenerative neurites for each slice. There were 12 slices in each group.The status of neurite regeneration was calculated and was evaluated 24 hours later.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① neurite regeneration in situ; ②comparisons of neurite regeneration between control group and experimental group.RESULTS: ① Neurite regeneration in situ: The neurites disintegrated near the severing line immediately following the transection injury. This process persisted about 1-2 hours and the distance away from the severing line was about 20 μm. Then the proximal end of neurites would swell and thicken. At this time neurites stopped collapsing and neurite regeneration began. Their regenerating rate would quicken at 12 hours after severing. Regenerating neurites were more branching and curlier as compared with original neurites. ② Comparisons of neurite regeneration between control group and experimental group: The average length of regenerative neurites was more in the experimental group than that in the control group [(375±96) μm, (200±75) μm, P ＜ 0.05].CONCLUSION: ① We establish a simple, economic model to evaluate neurite regeneration. ② By this model, we prove that HGF can promote neurite regeneration.

Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Ghrelin ; blood ; Glucose ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity ; blood ; Time Factors

Objective To investigate of the radiological manifestations in congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) of lung in adult and to improve the diagnostic accuracy of CCAM of lung in adult.Methods Five cases with pathologically proved CCAM of lung in adult were retrospectively analyzed.Chest X-ray was available in 5 cases and chest CT was performed in 2 cases.Results On plain chest radiography,thin wall air cystic lesions with air-fluid level were detected in 3 cases.Honeycomb like small cystic lesion was detected in 1 case.Multiple round cystic lesions were found in 1 case.CT scan of the chest demonstrated a round thin wall air cystic lesion in the lateral segment of right lung's middle lobe,and a thin wall air cystic lesion with the wall merged into the shadow of chest wall in the left apicoposterior segment in one case.Small cystic lesions just like honeycomb were found in bilateral basal segments of the inferior lobes,with a 0.8—1.0 cm sized round mass revealed in the right lung′s inferior lobe basal segment, and the mass was spiculated in another case.Conclusion The imaging signs of CCAM of lung in adult is cyst or cyst-solid and at the risk of developing carcinoma.

Objective To explore the clinical application of microsurgical techniques to therapy the femoral neck fracture in younger patients and prevent the necrosis of femoral head.Methods Seventy-four younger adults,age from 23 to 50,with femoral neck fractures were treated by open veducition,internal fixa- tion and pedicled bone transplantation from Jan.1995 to Dec.2004.All of the 74 patients were reviewed clin- ically and radiologically after an average of 3.2 years.Results In this group,19/74 cases(25.68%)had avaseular necrosis of the femoral head,which were diagnosised after an average of 28.5 months following inju- ry.Despite these results,these patients assessment with Harris system had been very good or good in 55/74 patients(74.32%).Conclusion It's an effective method to decrease the incidence of necrosis of femoral head after management the femoral neck fracture in younger patients by microsurgical techniques.

In order to assess the effect of long-term versus short-term intravesical chemotherapy in preventing the recurrence of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, we searched several databases with words as mesh terms and free text words to find all eligible randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for the comparison of the two strategies of instillation durations. "Observed-Expected events research (O-E)" and "Variance (V)" for calculating hazard ratio (HR) were used in Revman 5.2 software recommended by Cochrane Collabration for data analysis. Sensitivity and subgroup analysis were selected to minish heterogeneity. GRADEpro 3.6 profile recommended by Cochrane Collabration was employed for quality assessment of analyses. Finally, 13 eligible RCTs with 4216 patients were included in this review and 16 comparisons from 13 trials were involved for analysis. The pooled analysis revealed no significant difference between long-term and short-term duration [HR=0.99, 95% CI (0.89, 1.11), P=0.89]. Within the subgroup analysis, patients benefited from long-term instillations with a start regimen of one immediate instillation [HR=0.83, 95% CI (0.69, 1.00), P=0.05]. But patients were not suitable to receive long-term instillations with epirubicin (EPI) [HR=1.01, 95% CI (0.91, 1.13), P=0.78]. The progression rate was not reduced after long-term instillations [HR=0.96, 95% CI (0.66, 1.39), P=0.82]. From our results, patients should not receive introvesical chemotherapy more than half a year. In contrast, patients with one immediate instillation are preferred to have a long-term duration at least one year. Long-term instillations can not reduce the progression rate.

To study the effect of Fuzheng Huayu recipe (FZHY) on five types of isozymes of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) of normal and liver fibrosis rats by using the cocktail probe method. Dimethylnitrosamine ( DMN) was injected to induce the liver fibrosis model. After the tail vein injection with Cocktail probe solutions prepared with five CYP450s probe substrates (phenacetin-CYP1A2, omeprazole-CYP2C9, tolbutamide-CYP2C19, dextromethorphan-CYP2D6, midazolam-CYP3A4), the plasma concentrations of the five probe substrates were determined by LC-MS/MS, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by PK solutions 2. After the oral administration with FZHY, normal rats given phenacetin, omeprazole, tolbutamide and dextromethorphan showed increase in AUC(0-t) and decrease in CL to varying degrees, indicating that FZHY obviously inhibited the activities of CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 in normal rats, but with no obvious effect on the activity of CYP3A4. After the oral administration with FZHY, liver fibrosis rats treated with CYP2C9 showed the significant increase in AUC(0-t) and significant decrease in Vd, hut with no obvious changes in the pharmacokinetic parameters of other four types of prove substances, suggesting that FZHY could significantly inhibit the activity of CYP2C9 in rats but had no effect on the activities of CYP1A2, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4. The changes in the activity of CYP450 isozymes in liver fibrosis rats may be the reason for FZHY's different effects on CYP450 isozymes in normal and liver fibrosis rats.
Animals ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; genetics ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; genetics ; metabolism ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; genetics ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Steroidal saponins have a wide range of pharmacological effects and biological activities, such as anti-tumor, antifungal, hypoglycemic, immune regulation, insecticides, etc. In the last ten years, some new structures of steroidal saponins compounds were found from natural plants, they have some new and different activities. In order to accelerate the research on the drug innovation of steroidal saponins, we summarized the new progress of the research on such compounds.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Antifungal Agents ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; pharmacology ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; Steroids ; pharmacology

To optimize the immunization strategy against HIV-1, a DNA vaccine was combined with a recombinant vaccinia virus (rTV) vaccine and a protein vaccine. Immune responses against HIV-1 were detected in 30 female guinea pigs divided into six groups. Three groups of guinea pigs were primed with HIV-1 DNA vaccine three times, boosted with rTV at week 14, and then boosted with gp140 protein at intervals of 4, 8 or 12 weeks. Simultaneously, the other three groups of animals were primed with rTV vaccine once, and then boosted with gp140 after 4, 8 or 12 weeks. The HIV-1 specific binding antibody and neutralizing antibody, in addition to the relative affinity of these antibodies, were detected at different time points after the final administration of vaccine in each group. The DNA-rTV-gp140 immune regimen induced higher titers and affinity levels of HIV-1 gp120/gp140 antibodies and stronger V1V2-gp70 antibodies than the rTV-gp140 regimen. In the guinea pigs that underwent the DNA-rTV-gp140 regimen, the highest V1V2-gp70 antibody was induced in the 12-week-interval group. However, the avidity of antibodies was improved in the 4-week-interval group. Using the rTV-gp140 immunization strategy, guinea pigs boosted at 8 or 12 weeks after rTV priming elicited stronger humoral responses than those boosted at 4 weeks after priming. In conclusion, this study shows that the immunization strategy of HIV-1 DNA vaccine priming, followed by rTV and protein vaccine boosting, could strengthen the humoral response against HIV-1. Longer intervals were better to induce V1V2-gp70-specific antibodies, while shorter intervals were more beneficial to enhance the avidity of antibodies.
AIDS Vaccines ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; immunology ; Animals ; DNA, Viral ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; immunology ; Female ; Guinea Pigs ; HIV Infections ; immunology ; prevention & control ; virology ; HIV-1 ; genetics ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunization ; methods ; Vaccines, DNA ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; immunology ; Vaccinia virus ; genetics ; immunology ; env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; immunology

Objective To analyze the effects of 2D culture and micropellet culture on the chondrocyte phenotype . Methods High density 2D culture and micropellet culture were used to culture rabbit chondrocytes ,the cell morphology and level of matrix expression were measured .Results After 2 weeks of 2D high density culture ,multilayer chondrocyte distribution was ob‐served .HE staining showed that the cells were round in shape ,and were closely connected with each other ,alcian blue staining showed that the secretion of proteoglycan was low ;after 2 weeks of micropellet culture ,cartilage‐like white tissue was formed .HE staining showed that the cells were polygonal in shape ,and were sparsely distributed ,alcian blue staining showed that the secretion of proteoglycan was significantly higher than that in 2D culture(P<0 .05) .Conclusion Using micropellet to culture rabbit chon‐drocytes is favorable for the secretion of extracellular matrix .

Objective To screen differentially expressed genes in placentas with hepatitis B virus (HBV)infection and to discuss the molecular mechanism of HBV intrauterine infection.Methods Thirty placenta tissue specimens from HBsAg and HBV DNA positive pregnant women were used as the study group and 30 placenta tissue specimens from normal pregnant women with HBsAg and HBV DNA negativity were served as the control group.The suppression subtractive hybridization(SSH)technique was used.Total RNAs of placenta tissue of the study group were mixed as the tester,and total RNAs of placenta tissue of the control group were mixed as the driver.A subtractive cDNA library was constructed by PCR-selective cDNA subtraction systems.Amplifications of the library were carried out with E.coil strain DH5? by reverse spot hybridization.RT-PCR confirmed that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)was up-regulated in placenta tissue with HBV infection.Results Colony PCR showed that the clones contained 200-1000 bp inserts. Thirty five clones were confirmed by reverse spot hybridization and analyzed by sequencing and bioinformatics.Thirty three known genes and 2 genes with unknown function were obtained.RT-PCR preliminarily confirmed that PI3K gene was up-regulated in HBV infected placenta.Conclusions The differentially expressed genes in placentas with hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection using SSH technique has been screened out successfully.These differentially expressed genes encoding proteins participating in cell vital metabolism and malformation,and signal conduction-antiapoptosis pathway.This finding brings some new clues for studying the mechanisms of HBV intrauterine infection.