Objective To investigate the effects of Baicalin on intestinal mucosal injury in rats with partial common bile duct ligation (PCBDL).Methods Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups equally:sham operation,PCBDL,PCBDL1 and PCBDL2.Rats in PCBDL,PCBDL1 and PCBDL2 groups were subjected to partial common bile duct ligation.Baicalin [80 mg/(kg · d)] was fed in PCBDL1 group (for 2 weeks) and PCBDL2 group (for 3 weeks),while for other groups,9 g/L saline in the same volume was fed.Ileum mucosa were prepared for microscopic examination.The intestinal mucosal injury in rats was observed and scored.The level of NF-κB mRNA expression by Fluorescent in Situ Hybridization,and the level of NF-κB protein were determined by immunohistochemistry.Results 1.Compared with PCBDL group (3.2 ± 0.5),the pathological severity scores of intestinal mucosa significantly declined (F =21.120,P ＜ 0.01) in PCBDL1 group (1.9 ± 0.2) and PCBDL2 group (1.5 ± 0.3).2.Compared with sham operation group(0.066 ± 0.006),PCBDL1 group (0.107 ± 0.011),and PCBDL2 group (0.098 ± 0.010),NF-κB expression in PCBDL group (0.155 ± 0.012) presented significantly up-regulation (F =76.8,P ＜ 0.01).3.Compared with sham operation,PCBDL1 group,and PCBDL2 group,the positive expression rates of NF-κB mRNA of intestinal mucosal epithelium in PCBDL group significantly increased.Conclusions It is suggested that Baicalin exert protective effects on the intestinal mucosal injury in rats with PCBDL,partially by inhibiting NF-κB mRNA,down-regulating NF-κB protein expression of intestinal mucosal epithelial cells.

Objective To observe the spatiotemporal characteristics of the micro-structural injury in a rat model of diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and quantitatively assess the axonal injury severity in the vulnerable areas. Methods The 7.0 T MRI was performed in rats in DAI group (n =20) and control group ( n = 15 ) to synthesize the diffusion tensor imaging ( DTI) parameter map and calculate the parameter value of the vulnerable areas. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect β-APP expression in the vulnerable areas and the IPP software to quantitatively assess the axonal injury severity. Results Compared with the control group, FA and AD maps showed local signal defection or reduction in the corpus callosum and their values decreased significantly in the brain stem and corpus callosum in the DAI group (P ＜0.01 ). The integrated optical density (IOD) value of the vulnerable areas in the DAI group was significantly higher than that of the control group ( P ＜ 0. 01 ) , with the highest level in the brain stem (P＜0.05). The normalized FA, AD and ADC in the vulnerable areas were correlated negatively with the IOD (P ＜ 0.05). Conclusion DTI can detect invisible micro-structural injury in the vulnerable areas and quantitatively assess the axonal injury severity in vivo in the early stage.

With the widely development of psychiatric clinical researches,the ethical issue has been concerned gradually.Although the ethical review has strict rules on informed consent,there are many problems and challenges on informed consent implementation because of the special mental illness population.According to the relevant laws and regulations,combined with the characteristics of clinical psychiatric researches,this paper discussed the protection of subjects' fights and interests during the implementation of informed consent in psychiatric clinical researches,from the following aspects:providing a quiet,comfortable,and relatively independent environment for the participants to ensure informed consent,guaranteeing full informed consent time,choosing qualified researchers for informed consent,ensuring the effective process of informed consent,and guiding the subjects to correctly sign their names and the date.

Aim To determine the possibilities and mechanisms of EGFR, a receptor protein tyrosine kinase associated with many important cellular processes re-sponsible for cardiovascular remodeling in renovascular hypertensive rats. Methods 2K1C hypertensive rats were used in the present study. Blood pressure was measured with the tail-cuff method. LVMI and his-topathological changes in the cardiovascular system were analysed. EGFR expressions of aorta and myocar-dium as well as phosphorylation levels of ERK in hy-pertensive rats were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis, respectively. Results Sys-tolic blood pressure was markedly increased 2 weeks after 2K1C surgery. Cardiovascular remodeling induced by hypertension was confirmed by elevated LVMI, pro-liferation of collagen fibers in myocardial interstitium, histopathological changes in cardiovascular system and increased IMT of thoracic aorta 6 weeks after 2 K1 C surgery. Compared with sham rats, EGFR expression in the ventricular myocardium of 2 K1 C rats was signifi-cantly increased at 6 weeks ( P<0. 05 ) , and the EG-FR/GAPDH ratio was higher in 2 K1 C rats with higher systolic blood pressure ( P < 0. 05 ) . Phosphorylation level of ERK 1/2 was upregulated correspondingly in 2 K1 C rats ( P <0. 01 ) . Increased EGFR expression was also found in aortas of 2K1C rats, particularly in tunica intima and media. Conclusion EGFR and its down-stream kinases ERK 1/2 are involved in cardio-vascular remodeling in association with the severity of hypertension in renovascular hypertensive rats.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) plays important roles in anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulative activities. The aim of this study was to observe if HO-1 transfection could inhibit the damage of osteoblasts induced by ethanol. HO-1 was transfected into osteoblasts via constructed plasmid. After exposure to ethanol for 24 h, cytoactivity and apoptosis of osteoblasts were measured by MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Furthermore, the oxidative stress and inflammatory factors in osteoblasts were measured. Compared to positive control group, the cytoactivity of transfected osteoblasts was significantly increased, and the apoptosis rate was significantly decreased (P<0.05). At the same time, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) were significantly decreased (P<0.05), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) level was increased (P<0.05) in the transfected osteoblasts as compared with positive controls. These results suggest that HO-1 plays a protective role in osteoblasts, and HO-1 transfection can effectively inhibit bone damage induced by ethanol.
Cells, Cultured ; Ethanol ; toxicity ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Genetic Vectors ; pharmacology ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo study the role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) in the anti-replication effects of tetracycline (Tet) on hepatitis B virus (HBV).

METHODSThe Tet-dependent regulatory fragment (TO) was PCR amplified from the pcDNA4TM/TO vector, inserted into the pUC118 cloning vector, and verified by sequencing. The counterpart fragment in the pVITRO3 expression vector, which contains two multiple cloning sites (MCSs), was replaced with the confirmed TO to generate a pVITRO3-TO vector. The Tet repressor (TR) gene from the pcDNA6/TR regulatory vector was incorporated into one MCS of pVITRO3-TO and the TNFalpha gene was subsequently incorporated into the other MCS. The resultant vector, pVITRO3-TOTR-TNFalpha, was transiently transfected into HepG2 cells. TNFalpha expression from the vector was induced by exposure to various concentrations of Tet and measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine the appropriate Tet concentration for experimentation. To investigate whether Tet inhibits TNFalpha expression as a mechanism of its anti-replication activity against HBV, the HepG2.2.15 cell line stably transfected with pVITRO3-TOTR-TNFalpha was used as an HBV replication model. Levels of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were detected by immunoassay. HBV DNA level was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR.

RESULTSThe TNFalpha expression from the newly constructed pVITRO3-TOTR-TNFalpha vector was Tet-controllable in the eukaryotic cells examined. The optimal concentration of Tet for the experimental system was 1.0 mug/ml. HBsAg and HBeAg expression was down-regulated in the HepG2.2.15 cells stably transfected with the pVITRO3-TO-TR-TNFalpha vector. After incubation with Tet for 1, 3 and 5 days, the inhibition rate of HBsAg was 2%, 1.1% and 0, compared to 14.8%, 11.5% and 28.4% in the non-Tet control group. The corresponding inhibition rates of HBeAg were 50.0%, 26.7% and 47.9%, compared to 0.3%, 1.6% and 0.0%, in the control group. HBV DNA levels in the cells and the cell culture supernatants exposed to Tet were decreased by 70.3% and 79.9%, respectively. TNFalpha inhibited production of HBsAg mRNA.

CONCLUSIONA Tet-dependent regulatory fragment double-expressing TNFalpha single vector system was constructed successfully, achieving controllable TNFalpha expression in both transiently transfected eukaryotic cells and stable cell lines. In this HBV cell model system, Tet-induced overexpression of human TNFalpha inhibited HBV DNA replication and reduced HBsAg and HBeAg expression. Inhibition of HBV transcription may be a key role of TNFalpha against HBV replication.

DNA, Viral ; biosynthesis ; Genetic Vectors ; Hep G2 Cells ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; metabolism ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; metabolism ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; physiology ; Humans ; Tetracycline ; pharmacology ; Transfection ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; Virus Replication

OBJECTIVETo explore a new technique that keep function and good aesthetic shape after reduction mammaplasty.

METHODSThe superomedial glandular pedicle technique was applied with differing patterns of skin incision according to the degree of the mammary hypertrophy. The extra glandular tissue was removed from the lateral and inferior segment of the breast. The remaining superomedial glandular tissue was remodeled a conical shape. The skin incision was sutured after excision of excess skin.

RESULTS36 cases (72 breasts) were treated with this technique. The results were satisfactory and there were no complications. The breasts maintained a lasting and aesthetically pleasing shape and the nipple-areola preserved good sensation.

CONCLUSIONSThe superomedial glandular pedicle is a safe and effective technique that can provide long-lasting outcome. The design of the procedure can be adapted to a variety of skin incision patterns and breast morphologies.

Adult ; Breast ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Mammaplasty ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical and myopathological characteristics and desmin mutations in patients with desminopathy associated cardiomyopathy from 5 Chinese families.

METHODSThirty-six individuals (18 male, 18 female) were from 4 autosomal dominant inherited families and 1 sporadic case. Nineteen patients manifested myopathy followed by cardiomyopathy; 13 patients presented with isolated cardiomyopathy; 1 patient had isolated myopathy; 3 patients died of cardiac diseases without detailed clinical information. Out of the 23 patients underwent electrocardiogram examinations, 20 patients showed kinds of abnormalities in cardiac conduction block. Echocardiogram revealed dilated cardiomyopathy in one case, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in one case, and restrictive cardiomyopathy in two cases. Muscle specimens from 7 different patients were performed for histological, immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural examinations. All exons of the desmin gene were screened in 21 patients, 17 asymptomatic family individuals and 50 Chinese controls.

RESULTSMuscle biopsies revealed multiple proteins aggregated in muscle fibers, also supported by immunostaining and electroscopic examinations. Five novel heterogeneous mutations were identified in 4 families and one sporadic case.

CONCLUSIONSNovel mutations of desmin gene were linked with cardiomyopathy in patients from 5 Chinese families with desminopathy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Cardiomyopathies ; diagnosis ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Desmin ; genetics ; Exons ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Pedigree

Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Urinary Diversion ; adverse effects ; Urinary Fistula ; diagnosis ; etiology

Objective To develop a supporting pole for medical detachable camouflage net at field conditions to enhance the timeliness of battlefield camouflage of deployable units such as medical tent.Methods The pole had a dumbbell-shaped,hollow and columnar structure,which was composed of a base,a pole body and a terminal disc.The pole body consisted of internal and external parts.The external part had a vertical opening at its top and screw thread at its side wall,which was equipped with a binding bolt.The terminal disc had a circular structure and a 20 cm outer diameter,which was fixed 10 cm under the top of the internal pole to support the net.The base had a center hole and a sleeve to hold the lower part of the external pole to immobilize the supporting pole.Results The supporting pole decreased the deployment time of the camouflage net from 5 min to 2 min and the withdrawal time from 4 min to 1.5 min,and enhanced the timeliness of all-element deployment of mobile medical unit during field practical training.Conclusion The supporting pole meets the tactical requirements for deployment,storage,transport and robustness,and thus is worthy promoting in medical unit.