Objective To study the relationship between the pain of the patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LIDH) and the changes of serum cytokine,and to discuss the clinical significance.Methods From January 2014 to December 2016,74 cases of LIDH diagnosed in the 323rd Hospital of the PLA were selected,including 45 males and 29 females,whose age was 46.2± 16.1 years,and the duration 22.6± 7.8 months.According to the VAS pain score,37 cases were mild,23 cases were moderate and 14 cases were severe.The control was 30 cases of healthy physical examination in the same period,18 males and 12 females,age 45.3 ± 15.8 years.All subjects were collected for venous blood on fasting.MDA,superoxide dismutase (SOD),interleukin-6 (IL-6),tumor necrosis factor (TNF),thromboxane (TX),endothelin (ET),prostaglandin E (PGE) and calcitonin (CA) were all measured by radioimmunoassay.The results were analyzed statistically.Results The compared with normal control group,serum cytokines MDA,SOD,IL-6,TNF,TX,ET,PGE and CA increased in different degrees (P＜0.05～0.01).The VAS assessment of severe pain in LIDH was significantly higher than that of mod erate or mild pain (P＜0.05～0.01).Logistic analysis showed that these serum cytokines were closely related to the pain of LIDH (OR=2.415～4.127,95％CI=1.146～11.735,P＜0.05).Conclusion The serum cytokines in patients with LIDH are closely related to the degree of pain,suggesting that these cytokines in serum may affect biochemical metabolism in the process of pain.

By electrophysiological methods, cultured Drosophila embryonic and larval central neurons have been widely used to study ion channels, neurotransmitter release and intracellular message regulation. Voltage-activated K(+) channels play a crucial role in repolarizing the membrane following action potentials, stabilizing membrane potentials and shaping firing patterns of cells. In this study, a mechanical vibration-isolation system was used to produce a sufficient number of acutely dissociated larval central neurons, of which the majority were type II neurons (2~5 microm in diameter). Using patch clamp technique, the whole-cell K(+) currents in type II neurons were characterized by containing a transient 4-AP-sensitive current (I(A)) and a more slowly inactivating, TEA-sensitive component (I(K)). According to their kinetic properties, five types of whole-cell K(+) currents were identified. Type A current exhibited primarily fast transient K(+) currents that activated and inactivated rapidly. The majority of the neurons, however, slowly inactivated K(+) currents with variable inactivation time course (type B current). Type C current, being present in a small number of the cells, was mainly composed of noninactivating components. Some of the neurons expressed both transient and slow inactivating components, but the slowly inactivating components could reach more than 50% of the peak current (type D current). Type E current showed distinct voltage-dependent activation properties, characterized by its bell-shaped activation curve. Type E current was inhibited by application of Ca(2+)-free solution or 0.1 mmol/L Cd(2+). Moreover, this novel current ran down much more rapidly than other types. These results indicate that different K(+) channels, which have different kinetic and pharmacological properties, underlie the whole-cell K(+) currents in type II neurons of Drosophila larval central nervous system.
Action Potentials ; Animals ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Drosophila ; metabolism ; physiology ; Larva ; cytology ; Membrane Potentials ; Neurons ; metabolism ; physiology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Potassium ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of overexpression of Smad7 gene on cell proliferation in human bronchial epithelial cell lines.

METHODSHuman bronchial epithelial cell lines, BEP2D and BERP35T2 cells, were cotransfected with the mammalian expression vectors PCISmad7.neo and pMyc-SEAP, the latter was ac-myc cis-acting enhancer element fused with alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) reporter gene. Expression of c-myc, p15 and p21 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR before and after stable transfection of Smad7 into BEP2D and BERP35T2 cells in order to study the regulation of TGF-beta-mediated growth inhibition.

RESULTSAfter BEP2D and BERP35T2 cells transfected with Smad7, the transcriptional activity of c-myc was significantly increased. Smad7 overexpressing cells showed upregulation of c-myc expression and downregulation of p15 and p21 expression, which contributed to the loss of TGF-beta responses in these cells.

CONCLUSIONOverexpression of Smad7 may facilitate cell proliferation by antagonizing TGF-beta-mediated antiproliferative gene responses.

Bronchi ; cytology ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Cells, Cultured ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p15 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Signal Transduction ; Smad7 Protein ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; biosynthesis ; genetics

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major complication in liver transplantation (LT) and it is closely related to the recovery of grafts' function. Researches has verified that both innate and adaptive immune system are involved in the development of IRI and Kupffer cell (KC), the resident macrophages in the liver, play a pivotal role both in triggering and sustaining the sterile inflammation. Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), released by the initial dead cell because of the ischemia insult, firstly activate the KC through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) such as toll-like receptors. Activated KCs is the dominant players in the IRI as it can secret various pro-inflammatory cytokines to exacerbate the injury and recruit other types of immune cells from the circulation. On the other hand, KCs can also serve in a contrary way to ameliorate IRI by upregulating the anti-inflammatory factors. Moreover, new standpoint has been put forward that KCs and macrophages from the circulation may function in different way to influence the inflammation. Managements towards KCs are expected to be the effective way to improve the IRI.
Cytokines ; Hand ; Immune System ; Inflammation ; Ischemia* ; Kupffer Cells ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Macrophages* ; Receptors, Pattern Recognition ; Reperfusion Injury* ; Reperfusion* ; Toll-Like Receptors

Objective To investigate the expressions of interleukin-8 (IL-8) mRNA and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein in astrocytic tumors and their correlation with the tumor cell apoptosis. Methods The expressions of IL-8 mRNA in 64 cases of astrocytic tumor and 10 normal brain tissues were detected using RT-PCR. The expression of PCNA protein in the tumors was assayed with immunohistochemistry, and the apoptosis index (AI) of the tumor cells determined using TUNEL assay. Results The expression ofIL-8 mRNA in the astrocytic tumors was strongly correlated to the malignancy of the tumors, and both the PCNA expression and the apoptosis index increased in tumors of greater malignancies. IL-8 mRNA expression was positively correlated to the expression of PCNA (r=0.938, P<0.01) and AI (r=0.907, P<0.01) in these tumors. Conclusion IL-8 mRNA expression is positively correlated to the histological grade of the astrocytic tumors, whose proliferation is mediated by inhibition of cell apoptosis and upregulation of IL-8 transcription.

Objective To investigate the effects of Rac1 gene silencing on cell cycle and apoptosis of Daoy cell line in medulloblastoma. Methods Daoy cells were divided into Rac1-shRNA group and empty plasmid control group; Daoy cells in the former group were transfected by using Rac1-shRNA plasmid (Rac1-shRNA). RT-PCR, Western blotting and flow cytometry were used to observe the changes of cycle and apoptosis of Daoy cells after Rac1 gene silencing. Results Rac1 mRNA and protein in medulloblastoma Daoy cell lines were highly expressed; cell cycle of Daoy cells with Rac1 gene silencing were blocked at G0-G1 phases and cell percentage of G0-G1 phases significantly increased to 80.9%±4.9%; however, the proportion of cells in the S phase reduced to 11.8%± 2.3%. The apoptosis rate of Rac1-shRNA plasmid group (36.7%±3.9%) was significantly different as compared with that of empty plasmid control group (8.5% ±0.9%) (P<0.05). Conclusion RNA-interfered Rac1 gene silencing can inhibit the proliferation of Daoy cells and promote their apoptosis, indicating that Rac1 may become a new target being able to inhibit the cell proliferation and promote the apoptosis of Daoy cells in medulloblastoma.

The STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials Of Moxibustion (STRICTOM), in the form of a checklist and descriptions of checklist items, were designed to improve reporting of moxibustion trials, and thereby facilitating their interpretation and replication. The STRICTOM checklist included 7 items and 16 sub-items. These set out reporting guidelines for the moxibustion rationale, details of moxibustion, treatment regimen, other components of treatment, treatment provider background, control and comparator interventions, and precaution measures. In addition, there were descriptions of each item and examples of good reporting. It is intended that the STRICTOM can be used in conjunction with the main CONSORT Statement, extensions for nonpharmacologic treatment and pragmatic trials, and thereby raise the quality of reporting of clinical trials of moxibustion. Further comments will be solicited from the experts of the CONSORT Group, the STRICTA Group, acupuncture and moxibustion societies, and clinical trial authors for optimizing the STRICTOM.
Clinical Trials as Topic ; methods ; standards ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; methods ; standards ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Research Design ; standards

Objective To summarize the epidemiological and clinical features of infectious diseases of the central nervous system(CNS)by a single-center analysis.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 1247 cases of CNS infectious diseases diagnosed and treated in the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from 2001 to 2020.Results The data for this group of CNS infectious diseases by disease type in descending order of number of cases were viruses 743(59.6％),Mycobacterium tuberculosis 249(20.0％),other bacteria 150(12.0％),fungi 68(5.5％),parasites 18(1.4％),Treponema pallidum 18(1.4％)and rickettsia 1(0.1％).The number of cases increased by 177 cases(33.1％)in the latter 10 years compared to the previous 10 years(P<0.05).No significant difference in seasonal distribution pattern of data between disease types(P>0.05).Male to female ratio is 1.87︰1,mostly under 60 years of age.Viruses are more likely to infect students,most often at university/college level and above,farmers are overrepresented among bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis,and more infections of Treponema pallidum in workers.CNS infectious diseases are characterized by fever,headache and signs of meningeal irritation,with the adductor nerve being the more commonly involved cranial nerve.Matagenomic next-generation sequencing improves clinical diagnostic capabilities.The median hospital days for CNS infectious diseases are 18.00(11.00,27.00)and median hospital costs are ￥29,500(￥16,000,￥59,200).The mortality rate from CNS infectious diseases is 1.6％.Conclusions The incidence of CNS infectious diseases is increasing last ten years,with complex clinical presentation,severe symptoms and poor prognosis.Early and accurate diagnosis and standardized clinical treatment can significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality rate and ease the burden of disease.

OBJECTIVETo explore the risk factors on relapsing tuberculosis related to smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis which had been cured for five years.

METHODSPatients with smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis registered in 1995 from ten countries in Hubei province were studied and logistic regression was used for data analysis.

RESULTSThe 5-year relapse rate of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis was 3.85 percent. Risk factors related to relapse would include being non-modeled county, negative smear after treated for three months, the class of retreatment, management of non-DOTS, method of chemotherapy and patients that did not get treated by the tuberculosis institute, with odds ratios of 0.15, 4.62, 3.68, 5.88 and 6.47, respectively.

CONCLUSIONEffect standard, regulation DOTS and the centralized management measure might have had effects on decreasing the relapse rate.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antitubercular Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Contact Tracing ; Directly Observed Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; isolation & purification ; Odds Ratio ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Sputum ; microbiology ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; drug therapy ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo study thoracic high resolution CT findings of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients in convalescent period and the relationship between the features with laboratory and pulmonary function results.

METHODSAll the 100 SARS patients who had been discharged from hospital for about 2 months underwent thoracic high resolution CT examinations. Among them, 65 also had laboratory results and 91 underwent examinations of pulmonary function.

RESULTSForty-nine SARS patients (49.0%, 49/100) in convalescent period still had abnormal findings in CT examination. And ground-glass opacification (95.9%, 47/49) and reticular opacification (59.2%, 29/49) were common. There was no significant difference in the level of lymphocytes and CD4 cells among groups divided according to severity of CT findings (P > 0.01). Diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco%) of level 2 and 3 were statistically lower than that of level 0 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe features of CT findings of SARS patients in convalescent period are not the same as those of patients in period of apparent manifestation. The high resolution CT can reflect pulmonary diffusing function to some degree.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Convalescence ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods