Brain Neoplasms ; complications ; Humans ; Hypothalamic Diseases ; etiology ; Syndrome

Objective To investigate the association between FcγRIIA H/H131 genotype and pneumonia through a comprehensive meta‐analysis .Methods Databases including PubMed ,Embase ,and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched with such terms as “FcgammaRIIa” ,“FCGR2A” ,“Fcgamma receptor IIA” ,“CD32” and“pneumonia” ,“polymorphism” ,“variant” ,“genotype” ,“allotype” ,as well as“pneumonia”and“polymorphism”in Chinese to identify relevant studies .Two reviewers independently extracted the data .Crude odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95%confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated .Heterogeneity across studies and publication bias were evaluated and sensitivity analyses were performed .Results Six case‐control studies were finally included in this analysis .The results indicated an association between FcγRIIA H/H131 genotype and pneumonia susceptibility (OR 1 .67 , 95% CI 1 .11‐2 .51 ) , but no significant association with R/R genotype(OR 1 .09 ,95% CI 0 .85‐1 .40) or H/R genotype(OR 0 .81 ,95% CI 0 .60‐1 .19) . Statistically significant heterogeneity was found during data pooling (I2 was 75 .4 % ,51 .8% and 71 .9% ) .Sensitivity analyses further indicated the reliability of the study .Egger′s and Begg′s tests identified publication bias in R/R genotype ,but not in H/H or H/R genotype .Conclusions We preliminarily find an association between FcγRIIA H/H131 genotype and pneumonia susceptibility .

Objective:To evaluate the effect of semiconductor lasers irradiation after routine root canal preparation on root cannal seal.Methods:60 Single-rooted freshly extracted human teeth were randomly divided into 6 groups(n=10).The crowns were removed at the cementoenamel junction and the roots were endodontically prepared with conventional methods.The roots in groups A and B were irradiated with 1 W semiconductor laser for 20 s,in group C and D were ultrasonically washed for 1 min,in group E and F without any treatment were used as the controls.Then all the roots were filled by vertical condensation of warm gutta-percha.The root cannal seal was evaluated with microleakage measurement.The data was analyzed by ANOVA.The teeth of group B,D and F were sectioned and examined under scanning electron microscope(SEM).Results:The microleakage(mm) of group A,C and E was 1.70±0.82,2.02±0.40 and 4.56±2.72 respectively(A vs E,P<0.01;C vs E,P<0.05;A vs C,P>0.05).SEM observation showed the melting,narrowness or closure of most dentinal tubules in group B,past and/or gutta-percha in the most dentinal tubules of group D.Conclusion:Semiconductor laser irradiation prior to root cannal filling can promote the effects of cannal seal.

Objective To explore the effect of Xinkang Tablets on myocardial apoptosis index,collagen volume fraction and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase activity of rats with adriamycin-induced heart failure.Methods The chronic heart failure (CHF) SD rat model was established by intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin.After successful modeling,the rats with CHF were randomly divided into 5 groups,namely model group,western medicine group,and low-,middle-and high-dose of Chinese medicine groups,10 rats in each group.The rats in the above groups were given intragastric administration of distilled water,22.5 μg/kg of Digoxin mixed suspension,9,18,36 g/kg of XinkangTablets,respectively,in the volume of 10 mL/kg of distilled water dilution,once a day,for 5 continuous weeks.Another the same batch of 10 SD rats were randomly allocated to the sham operation group,and were treated with intragastric administration of the same volume of distilled water.And then the apoptotic rate of myocardial cells was measured by TUNEL method,the collagen volume fraction (CVF) was measured after Masson staining,and the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase activity was determined by inorganic phosphate assay.Results Compared with the sham operation group,the apoptotic rate of myocardial cells and CVF in the model group were increased(P ＜ 0.01),indicating that the myocardial remodeling occurred in rats with CHF.Compared with the model Group,the apoptotic rate of western medicine group and three Chinese medicine groups was significantly decreased(P ＜ 0.01),suggesting that Digoxin and Xinkang Tablets can relieve apoptosis to certain extent.The CVF in Digoxin group and middle-and high-dose of Chinese medicine groups were lower than those in the model Group (P＜ 0.05 or P＜ 0.01),indicating that Digoxin and Xinkang Tablets can delay the myocardial fibrosis.Last but not least,the SERCA2a activities in the middle-and high-dose of Chinese medicine groups were higher than those in the model group (P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01),suggesting that Xinkang Tablets may relieve myocardial remodeling and improve cardiac function through the regulation of SERCA2a activity.Conclusion Xinkang Tablets decrease the apoptotic rate and myocardial cell volume fraction probably through the regulation of SERCA2a activity,which may play a role in counteracting apoptosis and myocardial fibrosis,and ultimately delay the remodeling of the myocardium.

Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease with unclear etiology. From the point of etiology, Chinese medicine (CM) theory holds that pathological products like dry toxin, blood stasis are produced in the pathological process. They are both pathologic results and pathogenic factors for its further development. So pathological products are also named as second pathogenic factors. In this article, the concept of second pathogenic factors was sorted and defined. Main second pathogenic factors of Sjögren's syndrome were pinpointed, and their modern medical bases were analyzed. Authors came to a conclusion that clearing away second pathogenic factors is a key point in treating Sjögren's syndrome.
Humans ; Sjogren's Syndrome ; pathology

In this study, we developed a novel liposome-silica hybrid nano-carrier for tumor combination therapy via oral route, using paclitaxel and cyclosporine as a model drug pair. Optimization of the preparation of the drug-loading formulation and characterization of its physicochemical parameters and drug release profile were performed in vitro. Then in vivo pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics studies were performed. The results showed that the obtained formulation has a small particle size (mean diameter of 100.2 +/- 15.2 nm), a homogeneous distribution [the polydispersity index was (0.251 +/- 0.018)] and high encapsulation efficiency (90.15 +/- 2.47) % and (80.64 +/- 3.52) % for paclitaxel and cyclosporine respectively with a mild and easy preparation process. A sequential drug release trend of cyclosporine prior to palictaxel was observed. The liposome-silica hybrid nano-carrier showed good biocompatibility in vivo and co-delivery of cyclosporine and paclitaxel significantly enhanced the oral absorption of paclitaxel with improved anti-tumor efficacy, suggesting a promising approach for multi-drug therapy against tumor and other serious diseases via oral route.
ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family B, Member 1 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Biological Availability ; Cyclosporine ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Female ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Male ; Mice ; Nanoparticles ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Paclitaxel ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Particle Size ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sarcoma 180 ; pathology ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; Tumor Burden ; drug effects

Aim To establish a highly purified,active and prac-tical extract and primitive culture method for rat brain microvas-cular endothelial cells ( BMECs) for providing materials for con-struction in vitro blood-brain barrier ( BBB) model. Methods Cerebral cortex of 1-2 week SD rats was collected,and successive digestion with typeⅡcollagenase and collagenase/dispase, sieve filtration and then twice gradient centrifugation in 20% BSA and 44% Percoll condition were used to obtain brain microvascular section. After that brain microvascular section was seeded in cul-ture bottle and then primarily cultured. Inverted microscope and factor-VIII relative antigen immunostaining methods were used for cellular morphological observation and identification. Results BMECs climbed out the vessel segment and proliferated with ad-herence after 2 h in vitro culture,and they became typical peb-bles structure after further 3-4 d culture. Morever, factor-VIII relative antigen immunostaining identified that expression for the endothelial cells was positive,cytoplasm was brown and positive cells account for more than 99%. Conclusion Rat BMECs with high purity could be extracted and cultured by using the above methods,and it has great potential for construction in vitro BBB model and in depth studies on biological characteristics and func-tions of BMECs.

Objective:Primary gastric choriocarcinoma (PGC) is a rare tumor. This study aimed to analyze cases reported in Chi-nese and two cases in our hospital. This study was also conducted to investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment of PGC. Meth-ods:The Chinese Medical Current Contents and China Biology Medicine database was retrieved with the following terms:primary gas-tric choriocarcinoma, stomach choriocarcinoma, and ectopic choriocarcinoma. The clinical data in published literature were retrospec-tively analyzed. Two cases from our hospital were also retrospectively analyzed. Results:A total of 16 patients with PGC (14 case stud-ies and 2 cases from our hospital) were included in this study. The average age of the patients was 57.69 years (ranging from 42 years to 79 years). Among the 16 patients, 4 were females and 12 were males. The main clinical manifestation was abdominal discomfort (12/16). Laboratory and imaging tests were non-specific, but HCG-βin all of the patients increased (11/11). Organ or lymph node metasta-sis was found in 13 patients, including 6 cases in which two or more organs showed metastasis. These organs were primarily the liver, the stomach lymph nodes, the lungs, the brain, and the abdominal cavity. Pathological examination results showed that 12 of the 16 cas-es displayed ulcers with necrosis and hemorrhage. The four remaining cases manifested lesions. Lesions may occur in the stomach less-er curvature (5 cases), stomach sinus (6 cases), cardiac (2 cases), and gastric body (3 cases). The histological components of PGC co-ex-isted with other factors, such as adenocarcinoma (7 cases), adenocarcinoma and squamous (2 cases), adenocarcinoma and a signet ring cell (1 case), or pure choriocarcinoma (6 cases). Surgery combined with chemotherapy was the main treatment. A total of 14 patients un-derwent surgical operations. Among these patients seven underwent chemotherapy after surgery and one underwent chemotherapy. Among the 10 patients who were followed up, 8 died within six months after diagnosis. Conclusion:PGC is a rare stomach cancer with poor prognosis and primarily affects older men. No characteristic clinical manifestations were observed, but HCG-βas a specific serum tumor biomarker increased in all of the affected patients. Histological components co-existed with other stomach cancers. Surgical exci-sion combined with chemotherapy was the preferred treatment in early stages, and systemic chemotherapy was the recommended treat-ment in advanced stages.

AIM: To optimize the conditions for in vitro culture of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, we characterized expressions of various growth factors in RPE cells, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), β fibroblast growth factor (βFGF), transforming growth factor β2 (TGFβ2), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). We also studied expressions of caspase-3 under different concentrations of fetal bovine serum (FBS) with insulin-transferrin-sodium selenite (ITS) supplement. METHODS: First, we investigated if expressions of TNF-α, VEGF, βFGF, TGFβ2, IFN-γ, and caspase-3 in FBS and ITS with of concentration. Second, we cultured primary RPE cells from eyes of forty C57 BL/6 mice in standard dulbecco's modified eagle's medium (DMEM) containing 20,40,100mL/L FBS and 20,40,100mL/L FBS together with 10g/L ITS. Immunohisto-chemical staining and cell counting were performed to verify the existence and growth condition of RPE cells. Expressions of TNF-α, VEGF, βFGF, TGFβ2 and IFN-γ were determined using cells and supernatant from passage-3 to -4 primary RPE cell after 48 hours of culture with RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The expression of casepase-3 was determined via Western blotting. The major outcome measurement is the expression level of growth factors in cultured RPE cells and the experiment design is to expose the RPE cells to different culture medium. RESULTS: TNF-α, VEGF, βFGF, TGFβ2, but not IFN-γ, were expressed and the expressions increased with concentration. No expression of the aforementioned genes was detected in presence of ITS. The primary cultures of RPE cells were successfully established. TNF-α, VEGF, βFGF, TGFβ2 (but no IFN-γ) and the active caspase-3 were detected in 20,40,100mL/L FBS or 20,40,100mL/L FBS combined with 10g/L ITS; the expressions were upregulated with increasing concentration of FBS. There is no significant difference in the expression of growth factors between these groups. However, significant differences were shown among different concentration of FBS (P＜0.01）. The lowest expression was observed in 20mL/L FBS or 20mL/L FBS combined with 10g/L ITS medium with RPE cells. But RPE cells were shown in better growth condition in 20mL/L FBS combined with 10g/L ITS.CONCLUSION: TNF-α, VEGF, βFGF, TGFβ2 and caspase-3 were expressed in RPE cells and supernatants. The production of above 20mL/L FBS combined with 10g/L ITS in DMEM may be the ideal cell culture medium that supports the normal growth of RPE cells.

A simple and sensitive assay for rapid detection of human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) was developed by colorimetic reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). The method employed six specially designed primers that recognized eight distinct regions of the HCoV-NL63 nucleocapsid protein gene for amplification of target sequences under isothermal conditions at 63 degrees C for 1 h Amplification of RT-LAMP was monitored by addition of calcein before amplification. A positive reaction was confirmed by change from light-brown to yellow-green under visual detection. Specificity of the RT-LAMP assay was validated by cross-reaction with different human coronaviruses, norovirus, influenza A virus, and influenza B virus. Sensitivity was evaluated by serial dilution of HCoV-NL63 RNA from 1.6 x 10(9) to 1.6 x 10(1) per reaction. The RT-LAMP assay could achieve 1,600 RNA copies per reaction with high specificity. Hence, our colorimetric RT-LAMP assay could be used for rapid detection of human coronavirus NL63.
Colorimetry ; methods ; Coronavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; virology ; Coronavirus NL63, Human ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; DNA Primers ; genetics ; Humans ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; methods ; Reverse Transcription ; Sensitivity and Specificity