OBJECTIVETo explore biomechanical properties and stress-strain of mucosa scars after cleft palate surgery.

METHODSAfter the model of mucosa scars was made, the mucosa scars and normal mucosa were excised and examined immediately by tensionometry.

RESULTSThe mucosa scars after cleft palate surgery were compared with normal mucosa. The Poisson's ratio of mucosa scars and normal mucosa was 0.5 and 0.49, respectively, showing no significant difference between the two groups. The ultimate Young's modulus of mucosa scars was about 24.22 MPa, however, it declined to 3.32 Mpa in normal mucosa.

CONCLUSIONSThe mucosa scars after cleft palate surgery are biomechanically weaker than normal mucosa. It can be used for further research, such as maxillary orthognathic surgery, distraction osteogenesis, and orthodontic treatment.

Biomechanical Phenomena ; Cicatrix ; physiopathology ; Cleft Palate ; surgery ; Humans ; Mouth Mucosa ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; Osteotomy, Le Fort

Objective To create a model with simple expression of mechanical characteristics of the human chest for the development of a manikin. Methods A simplified Gruben-model was proposed based on the anatomical structure and physical characteristics of the materials, and perfect coefficients were computed. The model feasibility was proved by the coefficient of determination and residual analysis.Results The mathematic form of the model provided had three fewer terms than Gruben′s. The coefficient of determination approximated 1, the residue was small, and the perfect coefficients of "a typical human" were determined.Conclusion The hypothesis of the model makes the coefficients physically meaningful, which provides a new method to study the force-displacement relationship of the thorax. Also the simple form makes it easy to create the model and provide some guidance for the design of a manikin′s chest.

Objective To investigate the properties of proliferation and differentiation of neonatal rat retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) in vitro. Methods RPCs were isolated from neonatal SD rats neural retina and cultured in DMEM/F12+N2 with EGF and bFGF (suspension medium )or 10%FBS without EGF and bFGF (differentiation medium). The cells grew as suspended spheres or adherent monolayers, depending on different culture conditions. The neural stem cells or retinal progenitors, neurons, astrocytes, retinal ganglion cells, rod photoreceptors and the proliferating cells were evaluated with immunofluorescence analysis by Nestin or Pax6, Map2, GFAP, Thy-1, Rhodopsin and BrdU antibodies respectively. Results RPCs could propagate and differentiate in suspension or differentiation medium and express the markers of Nestin (92.86%) or Pax6 (86.75%), Map2 (38.54%), GFAP (20.93%), Thy-1 (27.66%) and Rhodopsin(13.33%)in suspension medium; however, Nestin (60.27%), Pax6 (52%), Map2 (34.94%), GFAP (38.17%), Thy-1(30.84%) and Rhodopsin (34.67%) in differentiation medium. 96.4% of the population in the neurospheres was BrdU-positive cells. The cells could spontaneously adherent forming some subspheres and retinal specific cell types. Conclusion Neonatal rat RPCs possess the high degree of proliferation and can differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, retinal ganglion cells and rod photoreceptors in vitro. There are different proportions for RPCs to differentiate into specific cell types.

Objective To detect HLA-DRB1(DR1-10) alleles in 5 families with multi-case rheumatic diseases, and to study the possible influence of DRB1 genes in the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases.Methods Sequence-Specific Primer PCR (PCR-SSP)method was used to examine HLA-DRB1 alleles. Totally 36 members of 5 families and 166 healthy people were involved in this study. The results were assesed by Chi-square test.Results The HLA-DRB1 allele frequency in the patients and their relatives was similiar. No significant difference was found. But DR4 allele frequency in the patients (90.9%) and their relatives (68%) was much higher than that in normal controls (16.8%) and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.0001). In family 4, two RA patients have different DRB1 alleles, while in family 5, two patients have the same DRB1 alleles, one developed SLE and the other developed RA.Conclusions DR4 is closely related to rheumatoid arthritis. The nelatives of RA patients may be at greater risk to develop RA than individuals without family history. Some patients had the same DRB1 allele but developed different rheumatic diseases. This suggested that there might be some common pathways in genetic predisposing of rheumatic diseases. On the other hand, only a few patients with the same DRB1 allele developed rheumatic diseases during their life, so other factors besides DRB1 gene might also be involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases.

Objective To observe the protection and distribution of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) by distinct intravenous infusion time on renal ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) in rats.Methods We used unilateral nephrectomy and contralateral vascular occlusion method to establish renal IRI model in rats.The experimental groups which received 2 × 106 MSCs infusion through the tail vein,were subsequently divided into 3 subgroups:2 h pre-reperfusion (PreOp,n =16),immediately after reperfusion (Op,n =16),6 h post-reperfusion (PostOp,n - 16).The control groups included sham operation group (n =16) and ischemia group (n =16).Chemotaxis of DAPI-labeled MSCs was detected 6 h after administration in the IR kidney.Renal function was detected at 6,24,and 48 h respectively after operation. Forty eight h after operation,the renal tissues were harvested to observe the pathological changes by HE staining and the tubular epithelial cell apoptosis via TUNEL assay.Results MSCs were found in the experimental groups after IR in the kidney,most in PostOp group.Twenty-four and 48 h after reperfusion,there was no significant difference in Cr and BUN between the experimental groups and sham operation group (P＞0.05),but the levels of Cr and BUN in the experimental groups were significantly lower than in the IR group (P＜ 0.05). As compared with IR group,the renal pathological injury was alleviated,the number of apoptotic cells was decreased in the experimental group,most significantly in PostOp group (P＜0.05).Conclusion MSCs can reduce the inflammatory response and inhibit renal tubular cell apoptosis in rat renal IRI.Post-reperfusion administration of MSCs leads to the best chemotaxis efficiency and protection.

Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Mutation ; Prognosis ; Remission Induction ; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3

Anemia, Aplastic ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Infections ; Transplantation Conditioning

Objective: To generate mouse B7-2 gene RNAi lentivirus and study its interference effects on B7-2 expression and T lymphocytes proliferation induced by dendritic cells. Methods: Three sequences specific targeting B7-2 gene and one non-specific sequence were respectively synthesized, and inserted into lentiviral vector, then the recombinant vectors were sequencing. 293 T cells were co-transfected with lentiviral expression plasmid and packaging plasmids to produce recombinant lentivirus which titre was checked according to the expression level of green fluorescent protein ( GFP). Bone marrow cells from C57 BL/6 mice were isolated to differentiate into DCs at the present of GM-CSF, IL-4 and LPS for 48 h, then morphology and phenotypic was identified. DCs were infected by recombinant RNAi lentivirus and then the efficiency of infection and the expression of B7-2 on the surface of DCs were detected by flow cytometry. Effects on the proliferation of T cells were detected by co-culturing with DCs which were infected by B7-2 RNAi lentivirus and murine spleen T cells in vitro. Results: DNA sequencing confirmed that three B7-2 RNAi and one non-specific recombinant lentiviral transfer plasmids were successfully constructed, the titer of recombinant lentivirus was ( 2-4) × 108 TU/ml. The recombinant lentivirus could effectively infect DC and inhibit the expression of B7-2. After the B7-2 recombinant lentivirus infection, the ability of DCs to stimulate the proliferation of T cells decreased obviously ( P＜0. 05). Conclusion: The lentiviral B7-2 gene RNAi vector can effectively silence the expression of B7-2 on the surface of DCs and inhibit the proliferation effect of T cells induced by DCs.

OBJECTIVETo compare the chronic changes between the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) and the spine or the hip joints in conventional radiography of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and discuss the clinical staging of this disease.

METHODSAll images of the joints of the AS patients were evaluated twice in blinded manner by two doctors. The cervical spine, lumbar spine, sacroiliac joints and hip joints were separately evaluated by BASRI, and the results were averaged and analyzed. Definite involvement was defined as a score > or=2.

RESULTSThirty-seven AS patients (81.0% male with mean age of 28.49 years) were examined, and 81.0% of them had definite involvement of the spine and 40.5% of hip involvement. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was 0.459 between BASRI-SIJ and BASRI-s, and 0.465 between BASRI-SIJ and BASRI-h.

CONCLUSIONSeparately, the severity of SIJ changes can not represent the severity of changes in the spine and hip, etc, therefore SIJ changes may not be sufficient evidence for AS staging.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hip Joint ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Severity of Illness Index ; Spine ; pathology ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; classification ; pathology