BACKGROUND: Liuwei Dihuang Pills (LWPs), a famous Chinese prescription for replenishing the liver and kidney, have achieved good effect in the treatment of backache. However, the mechanism underlying LWPs treating backache with kidney deficiency is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of LWPs on extracellular matrix components of rabbit intervertebral disc degeneration models in vitro, and to explore the effect of LWPs in the prevention and treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.METHODS: Totally 100 L1-6 intervertebral discs with endplate removed from 20 New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into control, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), p38-JNK/SAPK blocked, LWPs, and combination groups (n=20 per group). 2 μL of 10 mg/L TNF-α, 10 μL of 20 μmol/L SB203580 (specific inhibitor of p38MAPK) and SP600125 (inhibitor of JNK), 10% LWPs serum, 10% LWPs combined with 2 μL of 10 mg/L TNF-α were added into the medium of the corresponding group. Samples were collected at 2, 4, 6 and 14 days of culture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The addition of TNF-α significantly upregulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of collagen type I, while significantly downregulated the levels of glycosaminoglycan and hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate/keratan sulfate ratio, as well as the protein and mRNA expression levels of proteoglycan and collagen type Ⅱ (P < 0.05). LWPs could partly reverse the changes caused by TNF-α, indicating that LWPs can alleviate intervertebral disc degeneration to a certain extent.

BACKGROUND:JNKs and p38 MAPK, as important members of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), play critical roles in the cell proliferation, differentiation, transformation and apoptosis. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of Liuwei Dihuang Pill on the MAPK signaling cascade of nucleus pulposus cells in a rabbit model of intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS:100 discs samples with endplate cartilages were equivalently randomized into five groups and cultured in the medium containing 10 mg/L tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α, 2μL), p38-JNK/SAPK blockers (10μL of 20μmol/L SB203580 and SP600125, 2μL of 10μmol/L TNF-α), 10%Liuwei Dihuang Pill serum, 10 mg/L TNF-α(2μL) plus 10%Liuwei Dihuang Pill serum, respectively. Those cells received no intervention as controls. Samples were collected and detected at 2, 4, 8 and 14 days of culture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Real time-PCR and western blot assay showed that mRNA and protein expressions of JNK and P38 pathways by the nucleus pulposus cells were upregulated with time, while all above indicators were significantly decreased by the Liuwei Dihuang Pill serum. These findings reveal that Liuwei Dihuang Pill can delay the process of disc degeneration by blocking JNK and P38 signaling pathways, thus exerting protective effect on the intervertebral discs.

Objective To study the sonographic features of solid-pseudopapillary tumors of the pancreas(SPTP) and to explore the value of ultrasound in the dignosis,differential dignosis and type of SPTP.Methods B-mode ultrasonography and color Doppler flow imaging(CDFI) of nine cases of SPTP confirmed by clinical and pathology were enrolled in the study and some cases were compared with the findings of computed tomography (CT).Results On B-mode ultrasound images,tumors showed solid,solid and cystic alternative distributions or cystic structures,presenting as round or oval shape,well-defined margins.Of these nine lesions,one was mainly composed of solid part,seven showed solid tumor with cystic component inside and one showed cystic tumor.All tumors were encapsulated.The encapsulation was completive in seven cases,incontinuous in one case and interruptive in one case.In CDFI,blood flow was found in five cases, three cases were I-brand,one case was II-brand,one case was III-brand.The peak systolic velocity ranged from 8.6 cm/s to 33.2 cm/s,three cases were less than 20 cm/s.Resistance index(RI) varied from 0.38 to 0.56 and three cases were lower than 0.5.According to the sonographic features of SPTP,combined with related reviews about the tumor,those masses were classified into three types as homogeneous solid,solid and cystic alternative distributions and cystic tumor.Conclusions The B-mode ultrasound and CDFI characteristic findings might be of great value in dignosis and differential dignosis of SPTP.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effect between Gamma nail and proximal femoral nail (PFN) on the treatment for femoral intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly.METHODS: A total of 131 cases (39 males and 92 females; aged 70?81 years, mean age of 76 years) with femoral intertrochanteric fractures were collected from the Department of Orthopaedics, the Affiliated Changhai Hospital of the Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA from January 2005 to January 2008. Femoral intertrochanteric fractures were classified based on AO system, including type A1 (n=56) and type A2 (n=75). All cases were randomly divided into Gamma nail group (n=65) and PFN group (n=66). Pre- and post-operative blood loss, blood transfusion volume, operating time, and length of stay were recorded, while the complications were detected following nail implantation. Functional changes of injured limbs were detected after 9 months.RESULTS: At 9 months after following up, there was no significant difference in blood loss, blood transfusion volume, operating time, and length of stay between the two groups before and after implantation (P> 0.05). Furthermore, complications did not occur during or after implantation. Six cases in the PFN group had infection in which of them had diabetes mellitus. There were no complications such as cutting out of femoral head, femoral shaft fractures, breakage of internal device or pushing out phenomenon. All cases got bone union at the final follow-up of nine months and did not get nonunion, delayed union of fractures or shortening of injured extremity.CONCLUSION: Gamma nail and PFN have equal effect on the treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly.

BACKGROUND:To in vitro isolate neural stem cel s with high purity and uniform biological properties and to establish a complete set of neural stem cel culture system is the basis for neural stem cel research.
OBJECTIVE:To establish an isolation and culture system for neural stem cel s from newborn mouse hippocampus, olfactory bulb and cortex and to analyze the biological properties of cel s.
METHODS:Neural stem cel s were isolated from the hippocampus, olfactory bulb and cortex tissue of newborn Kunming mice by mechanical separation and trypsin digestion. Serum-free culture technology, mechanical pipetting and trypsin digestion were used for subculture of neural stem cel s. 10%fetal bovine serum was used to induce differentiation of neural stem cel s. Neural stem cel s and their differentiated products were identified by
immunofluorescent staining of Nestin, CD133,β-TubulinIII, glial fibril ary acidic protein.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The neural stem cel obtained from newborn mouse hippocampus, olfactory bulb and cortex had the capacity of self-renewal and differentiation which were positive for Nestin and CD133. After induction with fetal bovine serum, neural stem cel could differentiation toβ-tubulinIII or glial fibril ary acidic protein positive cel s that were neurons and astrocytes. This experiment has successful y established the neural stem cel isolation, culture, identification and induction system, providing experimental basis for subsequent studies of neural stem cel s.

Objective: To investigate the expression of ciRS-7 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its effect on the cellular proliferation, migration and invasion. Methods: The cancer tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues from 60 ESCC patients treated in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University between May, 2016 andApril, 2017 were selected for this study. The expressions of ciRS-7 were detected by qRT-PCR. After over-expressing or silencing of ciRS-7, the proliferation of ESCC cell line TE1 was measured by CCK-8 assay; and the migration and invasion were tested by wound healing assay and Transwell invasion assay，respectively. Finally, the effect was validated via animal experiment. Results: CiRS-7 was highly expressed in ESCC tissues (P<0.05), and its expression level was closely related to pathological grade and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). Over-expression of ciRS-7 significantly increased the proliferation, migration and invasion (all P<0.05) of TE1 cells; while silencing of ciRS-7 remarkably suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion (all P<0.05). Conclusion: CiRS-7 was up-regulated in ESCC and could enhance ESCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, suggesting that ciRS-7 could be used as a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of ESCC.

To study the protective mechanism of Dusuqing Granule, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, on the senile multiple organ injury caused by bacterial pneumonia by observing the expression changes of molecules related to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling.

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics and recent curative effect of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) after conventional treatment.Methods Clinical data of 15 MCL patients admitted in the Affiliated Hospital of Academy of Military Medical Sciences between August 2004 and October 2013 were retrospectively analyzed.Results The median age of those patients was 59 and the male to female ratio was 1.5∶1.Fourteen(93%)cases were in Ann-Arbor stages Ⅲ -Ⅳ, 15 cases (100%)primarily with lymph node involvement,7 cases (47%)with bone marrow involvement,4 cases (27%)with gastrointestinal involvement,and 3 cases (20%)with orbit involvement.Less than 40% expression of Ki-67 was observed in 9 cases (60%),while 6 cases were with more than 40% (40%).One case was blastic variant.First-line therapy was CHOP-like regimens,which were combined with rituximab in 8 of the 15 cases.In this study,the median survival time was 12 months (3 -64),and the overal response rate was 80%after induction chemotherapy.The current survival of 7 /9 cases with less than 40% expression of Ki-67 was 8 -64 months,2 /6 cases with more than 40% expression of Ki-67 was 8 and 9 months,respectively.Conclusion MCL mostly occurs in older males.Extranodal invasion is common in MCL as an aggressive tumor.The efficacy of traditional chemotherapy is currently limited.Blastic variant or high expression of Ki-67 is an adverse prognostic indicator.

ObjectiveA single pump and double arterial lines piglet model was established in this piglet's experiment.The preliminary study of cerebral blood flow proportion and distribution was performed continuously during the procedure.MethodsEight female piglets were utilized in this study.The body weight ranged from 18 kg to 22 kg.The right atrium was carmulated for venous drainage.Double arterial lines were established through cannulating into right carotid artery and ascending aortic aorta.Selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP) through right carotid artery started after bladder temperature was decreased to 20℃ and the perfusion from ascending aortic aorta was interrupted.The perfusion through ascending aortic aorta resumed following 60 minutes of circulatory arrest.Traditional rewarming strategy was adopted and the experiment ended when bladder temperature attained 36℃.The real-time blood flow in the double arterial lines was monitored using a TS410 transit-time tubing flowmeter (Transonic Systems Inc.,Ithaca,NY).Blood pressure in femoral artery,intra-circuit pressure was recorded every five minutes interval.Regional cerebral oxygen saturation ( rSO2 ) was assessed with NIRO-200 oximeter using Near-infrared spectroscopy (Hamamatsu Photonics,Hamamatsu City,Japan )and mixed venous oxygen saturation ( SvO2 ).Blood samples were drawn for blood chemistry measurement prior to extracorporeal circulation,before circulatory arrest and at the end of experiment.ResultsArterial blood pressure was maintained at (60 ± 20) mm Hg.Total blood flow perfusion was(85.30 ±6.81)ml · kg-1 · min-1 and(14.42 ±1.76) ml · kg-1 · min-1 in right carotid artery.The proportion of cerebral blood flow was (16.72 ± 2.77 )％ of total perfusion.Cerebral blood perfusion was controlled with( 15.11 ± 0.44)ml · kg - 1 · min - 1 during SACP.Compared to SvO2,rSO2 remained stable during the procedure.The plasma concentration of

Aim To investigate the effect of curcumin against high-fat-diet induced C57BL/6J mice bone changes and the correlation between the expression of cathepsin K and curcumin.Methods Curcumin treated C57BL/6J mice had been on high fat diet for 12 weeks.The HE, Alizarin red S staining and Safranin O/fast green staining of femur were employed to evaluate bone microstructure, bone metabolism and bone development.The expressions of cathepsin K were assessed by Western blot and immunohistochemical staining.Results Histopathological results showed that curcumin could improve the destruction of trabecular bone structure, cartilage development and bone calcification.Biomechanical results proved that curcumin could improve the bone strength of the type 2 diabetic mice induced by high fat.The results of immunohistochemistry and Western blot assay indicated that curcumin could significantly inhibit the expression of cathepsin K in bone tissues of mice.Conclusion Curcumin can increase bone strength, improve bone microstructure, and enhance the degree of bone calcification, which may be achieved by inhibiting the expression of cathepsin K.