Objective To study the possible relationships between expression of matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)2,9 and the pathogenesis of preeclampsia in which trophoblast invasion is impaired. Methods MMP-2,9 expression were detected by immunohistochemistry streptavidin-biotin complex (SABC)method in 20 normal term placentae and 20 preeclampsia placentae,respectively.In addition, mRNAs for MMP-2,9 were analyzed by real time PCR in both groups.Results The intensities of both MMP-2 and MMP-9 immunostaining in preeclampsia placentae were significantly declined compared to those of normal term placentae(P

Objective To study the effect of puerarin on the nitrogen monoxide(NO) concentration in rats with pre-eclampsia. Methods Thirty SD rats were selected and divided into three groups: normal pregnancy group, pre-eclampsia model group and puerarin group(10 rats in each group). We used endotoxin to set up the pre-eclampsia model rats on gestation 14th day and puerarin to treat these rats. The 24 hour urine protein on gestation 8th,15th,19th days were determined, as well as the heart rate, blood pressure on gestation 10th,15th,19th days. Nitrate reductase method was used to determine the plasma NO concentration of each group on gestation 21st day. Results (1) There was significant difference in urine protein concentration between the puerarin [(73 ? 20) ?g],pre-eclampsia [ (464 ? 57)?g], and normal pregnancy [(140 ? 12)?g], groups (which is equal to the value of urine protein of pregnancy 19th day subtracting that of pregnancy 8th day, P0.05).(4)There was significant difference in NO concentration (NO concentration at gestation 19th day subtracting that of 8th day) between the three groups(P

Objective To evaluate whether estradiol can inhibit and cure the inflammation of experimental preeclampsia in rats. Methods Experimental preeclampsia was induced in 14-day-pregnant rats by infusion of endotoxin (1.0 ?g/kg). Rats with normal pregnancy were infused with sodium chloride solution.A group of preeclampsia rats was injected with 17?-estradiol (17?-E_2, 1 mg?kg -1 ?d -1 ). Blood pressure, albuminuria,inflammation associated adhesion molecule CD_ 49d and tumor necrosis factor-?(TNF-?) were assessed. Results On pregnant day 19, for normal pregnancy group(group C) the blood pressure was (120.4?2.0)mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa),urinary protein (0.47?0.06)mg/24 hours;for experimental preeclampsia group(group A) blood pressure was (134.2?2.4) mm Hg,urinary protein(0.79?0.10)mg/24 hours; for experimental preeclampsia with 17?-E_2 treatment group (group B) blood pressure was(123.3?1.7)mm Hg,urinary protein (0.51?0.08)mg/24 hours. A significant increase of blood pressure and urinary albumin was observed in group A. CD_ 49d expression and TNF-? concentration were also increased. 17?-E_2 reduced the expression of CD_ 49d , concentration of TNF-?,blood pressure and albuminuria of experimental preeclampsia. However, the weight of fetuses in 17?-E_2 treatment group were less than that in other groups. Conclusion 17?-E_2 can improve the symptoms of experimental preeclampsia,but its effects on fetus need to be further studied.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of combined use of Compound Nanxing Pain Paste with blood-promoting and diuretic Chinese herbal medicines in treatment of chronic knee synovitis.

METHODSFrom October 2008 to March 2011, 120 patients with chronic knee synovitis were equally divided into three groups: oral treatment group, external treatment group and combined treatment group. Patients in oral treatment group had a mean age of (56.58 +/- 5.47) years and a course of disease about (7.35 +/- 2.59) months,involving the left knee in 18 cases,the right knee in 17 cases and both knees in 5 cases, who were administered orally with blood-promoting and diuretic Chinese herbal medicines composed of Wu Ling San and Tao Hong Si Wu Decoction. Patients in external treatment group had a mean age of (56.25 +/- 6.35) years and a course of disease about (7.68 +/- 2.76) months,involving the left knee in 16 cases, the right knee in 20 and both knees in 4 cases, who were treated externally with Compound Nanxing Pain Paste. Patients in combined treatment group had a mean age of (55.65 +/- 4.49) years and a course of disease about (7.50 +/- 3.36) months, involving the left knee in 16 cases, the right knee in 18 and both knees in 6 cases, who were given both oral and external treatments. The clinical effects and knee function of the three groups were assessed and compared.

RESULTSFinally, a total of 118 patients were included in the result analysis, including 40 patients in oral treatment group, 39 patients in external treatment group and 39 patients in combined treatment group. In combined treatment group, 27 patients were clinically cured, 9 were improved, and 3 patients were ineffective vs. 15, 16 and 8 patients in external treatment group, and 13, 16 and 11 in oral treatment group. The overall effective rate of combined treatment group was better than that of oral group and external treatment groups (P < 0.05). The function comprehensive score of knee joints in combined treatment group was better than that of oral treatment group,while the function comprehensive score of knee joints in oral treatment group was better than that in external treatment group in terms of demand for assistance, stair-climbing ability, lameness, and swelling pain.

CONCLUSIONCombined use of oral blood-promoting and diuretic Chinese herbal medicines with Nanxing offers a good therapeutic effect on chronic knee synovitis in relieving pain, reducing swelling and improving joint function,while Nanxing could also reduce pain and improve joint function to a certain extent.

Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Diuretics ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Synovitis ; therapy

Stroke research and rehabilitation have traditionally focused on the physical and functional impact of a stroke. Less attention has been given to the psychosocial factors associated with this chronic condition. By the few studies that have specifically focused on psychosocial factors in the context of stroke, poststroke depression is demonstrated to significantly influence stroke outcomes. Associations of stroke with psychological symptoms other than depression have rarely been evaluated. This study was aimed to investigate the changes of psychological stress, social support and medication adherence in patients with ischemic stroke in the mainland of China. In this study, 90 patients with hemiplegia one year after first-ever middle cerebral artery infarction (stroke group) in the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from June 2008 to June 2011 were recruited for interview. Ninety age- and sex-matched normal volunteers (control group) were also examined at the same period. The psychological distress was assessed by the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90), the social support by the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), and medication adherence by Morisky's self-reported inventory, respectively. Group differences were analyzed using unpaired-t test and chi-squared test. The results showed that total mean scores of the SCL-90 in the stroke group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). Except two dimensions, paranoid ideation and psychoticism, mean scores of the rest dimensions (including somatization, obsession-compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, and phobic anxiety) of SCL-90 were significantly higher in the stroke group than those in the control group (P<0.05, or P<0.01). The objective support, subjective support, support availability and total social support scores in the stroke group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05, or P<0.01). Those in the "SCL-90 total scores >150 group" were significantly higher than in the "SCL-90 total scores <100 group" and the "SCL-90 total scores between 100 to 150 group" (P<0.05, or P<0.01). Those in the "SCL-90 total scores between 100 to 150 group" were significantly higher than in the "SCL-90 total scores <100 group" (P<0.05). In 90 patients with ischemic stroke, 26 (28.89%) patients obtained high medication adherence, 47 (52.22%) patients medium medication adherence, and 17 (18.89%) patients low medication adherence, respectively. Among these stroke patients, there were 17 (50.00%) patients with high medication adherence in the "SCL-90 total scores >150 group", 28 (75.67%) patients with medium medication adherence in the "SCL-90 total scores between 100 to 150 group", and 12 (61.16%) patients with low medication adherence in the "SCL-90 total scores <100 group", respectively. There was significant difference in the medication adherence rate among the different SCL-90 scores groups in these stroke patients (P<0.05 or P<0.01). It was led to conclude that ischemic stroke patients one year after hemiplegia have psychological distress, low level of social support and poor medication adherence in the mainland of China. Therefore, it is necessary to mobilize the government, medical institutions and various social support groups to offer psychological interventions to relieve the stress of patients with ischemic stroke, and improve their medication adherence.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; psychology ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Male ; Medication Adherence ; statistics & numerical data ; Middle Aged ; Social Support ; Stress, Psychological ; etiology ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Although a large number of related studies have been carried out, there is still a lack of practical methods to amplify hematopoietic stem cells(HSCs)in vitro.Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)secrete a variety of cytokines that promote the HSCs proliferation and inhibit their differentiation. These cytokines play an important role in maintaining the hematopoietic microenvironment and regulating HSCs function. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of bone marrow MSCs on the proliferation of HSCs in vitro under different coculture modes. METHODS:Mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow of C57BL/6 mice were cultured in vitro using the whole bone marrow adherent culture. CD117+cells (HSCs) were sorted from passage 3 cells by using miniMACS magnetic beads sorting. Then, CD117+cells were co-cultured with MSCs under different coculture models, including single culture of HSCs (control group), Transwell coculture (upper chamber, HSCs; lower chamber, MSCs) and two-dimensional contact coculture (coculturing HSCs and MSCs in 24-well plates). The morphology of HSCs was observed under phase contrast microscope and fluorescence microscope, and the number of active cells of HSCs was counted at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after coculture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: During the coculture of 1-7 days, the number of HSCs in the two groups was increased with culture time (P <0.05). After 3 days of coculture, HSCs in each group was grown into the logarithmic growth phase, and morphological changes in some HSCs were detected at 5 days of coculture. At 7 days of coculture, the viabilities of HSCs in different culture models were ranked as follows: single culture model < Transwell coculture model < two-dimensional contact coculture model (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that MSCs can effectively promote the proliferation of HSCs in vitro,and the promotion effect is increased under contact coculture conditions.

OBJECTIVETo conduct prenatal diagnosis on the couples carrying Thailand deletion (--THAI) alpha-thalassemia 1 and at high risk of having fetus with alpha-thalassemia.

METHODSGenotypes of couples and fetuses were analyzed by PCR and DNA sequencing.

RESULTSFour pregnant women were patients with Hb H diseases of --THAI compounding with alpha-thalassemia 2, while their husbands were heterozygote of the Southeast Asian type alpha-thalassemia 1 (--SEA). Another 5 families, either husbands or wives were heterozygote of --THAI or --SEA. The genotypes of their fetuses were as follows: 2 cases with Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis syndrome, 1 Hb H disease, 4 alpha-thalassemia heterozygote and 2 normal. The DNA sequencing approved the PCR results.

CONCLUSIONThe study on prenatal diagnosis of Thailand deletion alpha-thalassemia 1 is of importance to the genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis of alpha-thalassemia.

Adult ; Base Sequence ; Female ; Fetal Diseases ; blood ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Genotype ; Hemoglobins ; analysis ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Deletion ; genetics ; alpha-Thalassemia ; blood ; diagnosis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic efficiency and adverse effect of the fludarabine-containing regimens in the treatment of low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

METHODSThirty-two patients with low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma consisting of 19 primary one and 13 relapsed or refractory were treated with fludarabine-containing regimens, which included FMD (fludarabine, mitoxantrone and dexamethasone); FMC (fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and mitoxantrone) and FC ( fludarabine and cyclophosphamide).

RESULTSThe average course completed in these 32 patients was 4.1 with a complete response rate (CR), partial response rate (PR) and overall response rate (OR) of 65.6%, 18.8% and 84.4% , respectively. There were no significant difference in CR, PR and OR between primary and relapsed or refractory group (71.4%, 21.0%, 92.4% vs. 46.2%, 13.1%, 59.3%, respectively). Myelotoxicity and immunotoxicity was the dominating adverse effects. Ill to IV grade granulocytopenia and thrombocytopenia were observed in 31.3% (10/32) and 9.4% (3/32) of these patients respectively. Infection developed in 7 patients, and two of them died of pulmonary infection. The median follow-up period was 16 months (1-30 months) with 2-year overall-survival rate (OS) and progression-free survival rate (PFS) of 93.8% and 84.4%, respectively. No significant difference was observed between primary and relapsed or refractory group in OS (100% vs. 76.9%) and PFS (94.7% vs. 69.2%).

CONCLUSIONFludarabine-containing regimens is well tolerated and effective in the treatment of low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Agranulocytosis ; chemically induced ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Cyclophosphamide ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Dexamethasone ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Lymphoma, Follicular ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mitoxantrone ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Remission Induction ; Survival Rate ; Thrombocytopenia ; chemically induced ; Vidarabine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives

This study aimed to investigate the pathophysiology and therapy of multi-drug resistant model of minimal residual leukemia in mice. The multi-drug resistant model of minimal residual leukemia was established by using P388/VCR-G cell line expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and DBA mice. The results showed that P388/VCR-G were inoculated in the abdominal cavities of DBA mice, the incidence of leukemia was 100%. Any of these mice with leukemia could not obtain remission spontaneously. The model of leukemia was sensitive to cyclophosphamide (Cy) and the time of survival was related to the dose of Cy received. The logarithm of cells inoculated in mice correlated regressionally with the dose of Cy. So this model was ideal for research on minimal residual leukemia. The distribution of residual leukemia cells in complete remission was not uniform in different organs including liver, spleen, thymus and bone marrow. Minimal residual leukemia cells could be found by fluorescent microscopy in freezing tissue slice. It is concluded that the multi-drug resistant model of minimal residual leukemia expressing EGFP can be established by using P388/VCR-G cell line and DBA mice. The minimal residual leukemia cells can be observed by fluorescence microscopy in complete remission stage.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cyclophosphamide ; pharmacology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Female ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Leukemia, Experimental ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred DBA ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Neoplasm, Residual ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Survival Analysis ; Tumor Burden ; drug effects ; Vincristine ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the epidemiology and etiologic characteristics of a Dengue fever outbreak in Fuzhou from the beginning of September to the end of October in 2004 in order to understand the source of infection.

METHODSData on descriptive epidemiology was collected to study the characteristics and related factors to the epidemic. Dengue virus was isolated through the use of C6/36 cell line while viral serotypes were identified by indirect immunofluorecent assay with type-specific monoclonal antibody. The sources of infection were traced by nucleotide sequencing.

RESULTSDuring the epidemic, 93 cases occured consistently with the region entomoplily growth and decay. The viruses of 6 strains isolated from 10 patients' blood specimens were identified as dengue virus type 1. Phylogenetic evidence suggested that the viral isolate had high genetic relation with the isolates from Kampuchea (DENV-1/KHM/2001; GenBank Accession No. L0904278).

CONCLUSIONThe epidemic was caused by introduction of patients migrating into Fuzhou.

China ; epidemiology ; Dengue ; epidemiology ; Dengue Virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Disease Outbreaks ; Emigration and Immigration ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Phylogeny