The RhD antigen is expressed only in human red blood cells (RBC).Its immunogenicity and clinical application are only next to ABO blood group system, and is widely used both for blood typing and prevention of hemolytic disease of the newborn. The traditional anti-Rh(D) is derived by fractionation of plasma from individuals who have been sensitized by pregnancy or transfusion, or have been deliberately immunized to produce anti-Rh(D). Because of the limited source of plasma, researchers began the study of monoclonal and recombinant antibody. Monoclonal and recombinant anti-Rh(D) antibodies may provide alternatives to the current plasma derived polyclonal IgG anti-Rh(D), but up to now,none of them have yet proved effective in humans for prevention of RhD immunity and hemolytic disease of the newborn.

OBJECTIVETo observe the primary prevention role of Wuling Capsule (WC) on poststroke depression (PSD) patients.

METHODSAcute stroke patients were recruited and randomized into 2 groups by stratification, 55 in each group. All patients received same routine treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Patients in the experimental group additionally took WC (0.33 g each pill), 3 pills per day, three times per day; while those in the control group additionally took placebos, 3 pills per day, three times per day. Two weeks consisted of one therapeutic course. The diagnosis of PSD was performed once every other week. Those in accordance with PSD diagnosis discontinued any drug therapy. Those not in accordance with PSD diagnosis continued the drug therapy for 1-12 therapeutic course(s) (in total of 6 months). If they were still not in accordance with PSD diagnosis, then they discontinued the drug therapy. The morbidity of PSD, the average time of depression occurrence, Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD) score, and adverse reactions were observed.

RESULTSThe 1-, 3-, and 6-month morbidity of PSD was 8%, 16%, and 34% in the experimental group, while they were 19.6%, 29.4%, and 54.9% in the control group. The occurrence rate was lower in the experimental group than in the control group. Besides, there was statistical difference in the 6-month occurrence rate between the two groups (chi2 = 4.465, P < 0.05). The average time of PSD occurrence was longer in the experimental group than in the control group (14.96 +/- 8.31 weeks vs. 9.36 +/- 6.06 weeks; t=6.762, P < 0.05). The HAMD score at the PSD occurrence was 11.96 +/- 2.14 in the experimental group, lower than that of the control group (14.57 +/- 4.24), showing statistical difference (t=5.641, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONWC was superior to the placebos in lowering the incidence of PSD, delaying the occurrence time of PSD, attenuating the depression degree of PSD, and had certain preventive effect on the incidence of PSD.

Aged ; Capsules ; Depression ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Primary Prevention ; Stroke ; complications

Objective To evaluate the myocardial blood supply in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) using 99Tcm-MIBI SPECT MPI. Methods A total of 342 patients were divided into four groups according to the number of abnormal metabolic indices: no abnormal metabolic index (Group 1), one abnormal index (Group 2), two abnormal indices (Group 3), three or more abnormal indices (Group 4). Each patient underwent two-day protocol of gated stress and rest 99Tcm-MIBI MPI. One hundred and three of the 342 patients were clinically diagnosed as MS and underwent CAG within 1 month after MPI. χ2test was used to evaluate the difference among the four groups and Kappa test to analyze the correlation between MPI and CAG. Results Compared with CAG, the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values by 99Tcm-MIBI SPECT MPI for coronary artery diseases (CAD) in 103 MS patients were 80.5% (33/41), 85.5% (53/62), 78.6% (33/42) and 86.9% (53/61), respectively. The correlation coefficient between MPI and CAG was 0.657 (P<0.001). The abnormal MPI rates in group 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 23.3% (10/43), 32.9% (26/79), 54.4% (56/103), and 57.3% (67/117), respectively (χ2=23.22, P<0.001). Conclusions In MS patients,99Tcm-MIBI SPECT MPI can be useful for evaluating myocardial blood supply and the myocardial ischemia rates may correlate positively with the number of abnormal metabolic indices.

Animals ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; physiology ; RNA, Small Interfering ; physiology ; RNA, Untranslated ; physiology

AIM:To investigate the role of potassium channel expression alteration in chronic cigarette smoking-induced increase in pulmonary vascular responsiveness,the effect of chronic cigarette smoking on large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel(BKCa) and voltage-dependent delayed rectifier potassium channel(Kv1.5) expression in rat pulmonary smooth muscle cells were investigated in vivo.METHODS: HE staining,immuno-histochemistry and in situ hybridization techniques were used.RESULTS:(1) Chronic cigarette smoking downregulates the protein and mRNA expression of BKCa in pulmonary arterial smooth muscles.(2) Chronic cigarette smoking downregulated the protein and mRNA expression of Kv1.5 in pulmonary arterial smooth muscles.(3) In big artery,BKCa decreased more makedly than Kv1.5,but in small artery,both of them decreased equally.CONCLUSION: Chronic cigarette smoking downregulates the levels of BKCa and Kv1.5 in rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells in vivo,which maybe contribute to the mechanism of cigarette smoking-induced increase in pulmonary vascular responsiveness.

Calcium oscillation may regulate gene transcription in a frequency-decoding manner during agonist stimulation,which provides an indicator of transcription level in cells. To determine whether persistent exposure to hypoxia may sensitize or blunt cell response to histamine, the effects of 24 h subacute mild hypoxia on histamine-stimulated calcium oscillation frequency were examined in pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs). The results are: (1) 24 h subacute mild hypoxia significantly increased the histamine-stimulated calcium oscillation frequency in PAECs. The averaged frequency of calcium oscillation in posthypoxic PAECs was significantly higher than that in normoxic ones. (2) NADPH oxidase inhibitor, diphenylene iodonium chloride (DPI, 10 μmol/L), abolished histamine-stimulated calcium oscillations both in normoxic and posthypoxic PAECs. (3) Xanthine oxidase inhibitor, oxypurinol (100 μmol/L), did not affect the calcium oscillation kequency in normoxic PAECs. However, it significantly decreased the elevation of calcium oscillation frequency in posthypoxic PAECs. These results demonstrated that, during pulmonary disease related to persistent hypoxia,PAECs become more sensitive to histamine. During histamine stimulation, NADPH oxidase plays a critical role in generating calcium oscillations, while xanthine oxidase may contribute to, at least in part, the increase of calcium oscillation frequency in posthypoxic PAECs.

To study the effect of the combined administration of different doses of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma on the proliferation of DFMO-treated intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) and p53, p21 mRNA and protein expressions, in order to define the molecular basis for the effect of the combined administration of different doses of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma on the cell proliferation. The effect of the drugs on the cell division rate and cell cycle of IEC-6 cells was detected by FCM. Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the effect of the drugs on mRNA of p2l and p53 related to IEC-6 proliferation. Western blot was used to analyze the effect of the drugs on p2l and p53 protein expressions of IEC-6 cells. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma could increase p53, p21 mRNA and proteins expression in DFMO-treated IEC-6 cells. The combined administration of different ratios of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma could significantly down-regulate Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma's effect on p53, p21 mRNA and proteins expression in DFMO-treated IEC-6 cells and promote the proliferation of IEC-6 cells. The combined administration of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma could down-regulate Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma's effect on DFMO-treated intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6).
Animals ; Atractylodes ; chemistry ; Cell Line ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; Intestines ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of using oral mucosal grafts (buccal mucosa and lingual mucosa) for urethroplasty in the treatment of anterior urethral strictures. Methods Between Jan 2001 and Dec 2010,255 patients with urethral strictures (length ranging from 3 cm to 18 cm,mean 6 cm)underwent one-stage onlay oral mucosal grafts urethroplasty.Two different techniques were used for urethral reconstruction.The first technique involved tubularized dorsal lingual mucosa graft (LMG) augmentation of urethral plate ; the second technique used dorsal patch graft urethroplasty.Of the 255 patients,49 patients with long-segment urethral strictures ( ≥ 8 cm) underwent dual buccal mucosal graft ( BMG),dual LMG,combined LMG and BMG or long-strip LMG urethroplasty. ResultsThe patients were followed up for 8 -120 months postoperatively ( mean 37 months).Of the 255 cases,230 cases voided well and the urinary peak flows ranged from 16 to 51 ml/s (mean 26 ml/s).The overall success rate was 90.2％.Seventeen cases developed a recurrence of urethral stricture.Among these patients,15 underwent BMG urethroplasty again and 2 underwent direct vision internal urethrotomy,after which the patients voided well.Eight cases presented with urethrocutaneous fistula,these patients underwent a second operation,after which,the urethrocutaneous fistulas were cured. Conclusions The buccal mucosa and lingual mucosa are excellent sources of graft materials for the repair of anterior urethral strictures.Combined two oral mucosal grafts substitution urethroplasty is an effective technique for the treatment of long-segment urethral strictures.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of myoblast formation around the urethra of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) rats after treated with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs) or musclelike cells/calcium alginate composite gel injection therapy.MethodsIsolation,cultivation and identification of Sprague-Dawley rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell were performed.5-azacytidine was introduced to induce muscle-like cells.Calcium alginate gel was initially prepared by 2％ sodium alginate and 1％ calcium chloride solution at a volume ratio of 5∶1.Compounds of stem cells or muscle-like cells were mixed with gel,respectively,and were prepared for microinjection.SUI was produced in 72 6-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats.The rats were then divided into 4 groups:Gel group,stem cell-gel group,muscle-like cell-gel group and mock control group.Each group was further divided into 3 groups.Submucosal injection of gel was performed at urethra and bladder neck.After preparation of cross sections of rat urinary tract at 4 weeks and 8 weeks after injection,HE staining,fluorescent tracing,staining of Desmin and α-skeletal muscle actin (α-SMA) were performed.OD values of positive rates were compared.ResultsAt 4 weeks and 8 weeks after injection in stem cell-gel group and muscle-like cell-gel group,growth of blood vessels gradually increased at gel edge,BMSCs and muscle-like cells gathered around the new blood vessels observed by fl(u)orescence tracer,muscle-like cells grew into elongated spindle-like cells.Desmin and α-SMA staining were positive in these groups,and the OD values in the stem cell-gel group and muscle-like cell-gel group was significantly higher than that from the gel only group and control group,but no difference was found between stem cell-gel group and muscle-like cell-gel group.ConclusionsCompound of BMSCs,muscle-like cells and calcium alginate composite gel has the potential to differentiate into muscle cells in the microenvironment of SUI rat model.In short term,the myoblast formation potential is the same whether the BMSCs was introduced into the micro-environment in vivo directly,or the BMSCs was implanted into microenvironment after the formation of the muscles cells induced by 5-azacytidine in vitro.

Animals ; Extracellular Matrix ; physiology ; Female ; Rabbits ; Radiography ; Tissue Engineering ; Urinary Bladder ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Urodynamics