Humans ; Immunoglobulin Light Chains ; genetics ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains ; genetics ; immunology ; Kidney ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; immunology ; pathology ; therapy ; Mutation ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism

Schwann cells (SCs) have potently neuroprotective and myelinization abilities. They are one of the earliest and the most frequently used cells that are applied to therapeutic studies in spinal cord injury. At present, SCs are usually used as a platform for therapeutic alliance to integrate various interventions. This review will mainly discuss the issues met in therapeutic alliances with SCs for spinal cord injuries, results of various therapeutic alliances with SCs, positive effects of co-transplantation with SCs on neural stem cells, survival, migration of SCs after transplantation and roles of endogenetic SCs in repairing spinal cord injury.

Objective To compare the effects of vitrification with slow-freezing on the developmental ability of day 3 cleavage stage embryos.Methods Patients who had no less than 4 high quality embryos were included in this study.These embryos were cryopreserved using the methods of vitrification or slow-freezing.In the eryopreserved embryo transfer cycles,the embryos which were cryopreserved using one of the methods were chosen randomly.The developmental ability of embryos was compared between these two groups.Results A total of 80 patients were included in this study with 160 embryos.In the group of slow-freezing,73(91%)embryos were survived and achieved 15(38%)clinical pregnancies.Among these,3 were twins and the implantation rate was 25%(18/73).In the group of vitrification,71(89%)embryos were survived and achieved 19(48%)clinical pregnancies.Among these, 9 were twins and the implantation rate was 39%(28/71),which was significantly higher than the slow- freezing group(P

Objective To study the relationship between the intervals of Mitomycin C treatment and cytotoxicity, apoptosis and drug resistance for bladder cancer cells.Methods The bladder transitional cell cancer line BIU-87 was treated for two hours every time for five times with intervals of 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours respectively.Cytotoxicity was measured by MTT.p53,bcl-2,Bax and p170 expression were analyzed by Western blot.Results The IC_(50)(?g/ml)were 4.41,0.71,2.83,4.51and 6.16 with treatment intervals of 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours respectively, p53 and bcl-2 were significantly down-regulated and bcl-2/Bax was re- duced at 24 hour treatment interval but not changed at 48,72 and 96 hour intervals,p170 was not detected at 24 hour treatment interval but increasingly expressed at 48,72 and 96 hours intervals.Conclusion The in- terval of Mitomycin C treatment is closely related with cytotoxieity and apoptosis and drug resistance of blad- der cancer cells.The intervals of intravesical instillations may play an important role in the effect of chemotherapy.

Actins ; metabolism ; Adult ; Amputation ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Bone Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Calmodulin-Binding Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Radiography ; Tibia ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery

Aged ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fibronectins ; metabolism ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; Kidney Glomerulus ; metabolism ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Pinggan Qianyang Recipe (PQR) on inhibiting angiotensin II (Ang II) induced proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and changes of DNA methylation.

METHODSVSMCs were cultured using tissue explant method, and PQR containing serum was prepared. Primarily cultured VSMCs were divided into four groups, the normal group, the model group, the folate group (folic acid intervention) , and the PQR group. The proliferation and migration of VSMCs was duplicated by Ang II. After 24-h Ang II induced culture, 40 microg/mL folic acid was added to the folate group for 48 h, while 5% PQR containing serum was added to the PQR group for 48 h. The cell growth curve of VSMCs was drawn by using Cell Counting Kit (CCK-8). The proliferative activity of VSMC was determined by MTT assay. The migration of VSMCs was measured by Millicell chamber. The general level of cytosine methylation in cell nucleus was detected via 5-mC antibodies immunofluorescence, and mRNA expression levels of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) were measured by Real-time q-polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR).

RESULTSVSMCs were promoted by Ang II at 10(-6) mol/L for 24 h. Compared with the normal group, the proliferative activity and migration quantity of VSMCs obviously increased, and DNA methylation level obviously decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the cell growth, proliferative activity and migration quantity of VSMCs obviously decreased and the general DNA methylation level increased in the folate group and the PQR group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the normal group, the mRNA expression of DNMT1 decreased in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, mRNA expression of DNMT1 in Ang II induced VSMCs was obviously enhanced in the folate group and the PQR group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSPQR could inhibit Ang II induced proliferation and migration of VSMCs, and cause high genomic DNA methylation level. Changes of DNA methylation might be associated with DNMT1 expression.

Angiotensin II ; pharmacology ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1 ; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases ; metabolism ; DNA Methylation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of interaction between environmental exposure factors and genetic polymorphism in toxicant metabolizing enzymes on risk of occupational chronic benzene poisoning.

METHODSOne hundred and fifty-two cases of chronic benzene poisoning were analyzed for the risk by case-only study.

RESULTSThe frequency of non-null GSTT1 gene in benzene poisoning workers with moderate benzene exposure level was higher than that in cases with lower benzene exposure (68.63% vs 38.00%, OR(adj) = 4.32, 95% CI 1.75 - 10.66, P = 0.002). The frequency of NQO1 C.609T/T gene in alcohol drinking group was higher than that in non-drinking group (61.11% vs 20.00%, OR(adj) = 8.03, 95% CI 2.28 - 28.25, P = 0.001), moreover, it was higher in workers with smoking and drinking than that in the rest group, and in drinking x exposure level workers than that in non-drinking x exposure level workers (85.71% vs 22.76%, OR(adj) = 18.62, 95% CI 2.01 - 172.72, P = 0.01 and 61.11% vs 20.00%, OR(adj) = 3.18, 95% CI 1.55 - 6.52, P = 0.002 respectively). The frequency of non-null GSTM1 gene was also higher in drinking x exposure level workers than that in non-drinking x exposure level workers (66.67% vs 47.06%, OR(adj) = 1.99, 95% CI 1.05 - 3.76, P = 0.036).

CONCLUSIONThere is interaction between the polymorphism of GSTT1 gene and moderate benzene exposure level; non-null GSTM1 gene and drinking x exposure level increase the risk of occupational chronic benzene poisoning; polymorphism of NQO1 gene C.609 also interacts with drinking, while polymorphism of NQO1 gene and drinking x smoking may further increase the risk of occupational chronic benzene poisoning.

Adult ; Benzene ; metabolism ; poisoning ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Glutathione Transferase ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Occupational Diseases ; enzymology ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Risk Factors

Aim: To study theapoptotic rate (AR) and the androgen and estrogen milieu in the proximal and distal ductal sys tems of prostate, in order to help exploring the effects of these factors on prostatic growth and the pathogenesis of be nign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Methods: The proximal and distal ends of the ductal system were incised from 20 normal prostate as well as the hypertrophic prostate tissue from 20 patients with BPH. The AR was determined by the DNA end-labeling method and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estrodiol (E2), by radioimmunoassay. Results:There was no significant difference in DHT and E2 density between the proximal and distal ends of the ductal systems in normal prostate. E2 appeared to be higher in BPH than in normal prostatic tissues, but the difference was statistically in significant. In normal prostatic tissue, the AR was significantly higher in the distal than in the proximal ends of the ductal system ( P ＜ 0.05), while the AR of the proximal ends was significantly higher ( P ＜ 0.01) than that in the BPH tissue. No significant correlation was noted between the DHT and E2 density and the AR both in the normal prostate and BPH tissues. Conclusion: The paper is the first time describing a difference in AR in different regions of the ductal system of normal prostate, while the hormonal milieu is similar, indicating a functional inhomogeneity of these regions. A low AR in the proximal duct, where BPH originates, and an even lower AR in the BPH tissue, sug gesting the participation of apoptosis in the BPH pathogenesis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathological manifestations of early renal amyloidosis (AL) and its diagnostic criteria.

METHODSFifteen cases with early renal amyloidosis admitted from 1994 to 2001 were collected from the hospital, and their clinical and pathological features were reviewed. Of them, the initial diagnoses were not made by depending findings from the light microscopy (LM) and immunofluorescense (IF), but confirmed by electron microscopy (EM) afterwards. Immuno-electron microscopy (IEM) were applied for amyloidosis typing.

RESULTSMost patients of early renal AL were in the middle to old age. Nephrotic syndrome was the most prominent symptoms and signs accompanying with rare microscopic hematuria and hypertension. Most of them had a normal renal function. Pathological examinations of renal biopsies using LM and IF showed mild mesangial proliferation and mild thickening of glomerular basement membrane (GBM). Immunoglobulins and complements were negative or only scanty in certain cases, but in all cases there was a light chain protein deposition homogeously. There were 4 cases of minimal change glomerulopathy, 5 cases of mild mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis, 5 cases of stage I membranous nephropathy, and 1 case of cast nephropathy diagnosed with LM. The amyloid fibrils (diameter 8 - 10 nm) were randomly distributed in the mesangium, along GBM and at the arteriolar wall under EM. Additionally, Congo red staining was positive. IEM demonstrated that amyloid fibrils labeled with colloid gold was combined with a kind of light chain protein which was confirmed as the light chain type of AL.

CONCLUSIONSThe diagnosis of early renal AL was occasionally neglected by depending only findings of LM and LF. However, special amyloid fibrils can be detected using EM. EM observation is an indispensable technique for the diagnosis of early renal AL and the typing of AL may further be determined by using IEM.

Adult ; Aged ; Amyloidosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Basement Membrane ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Light Chains ; metabolism ; Kidney Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; Kidney Glomerulus ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Microscopy, Immunoelectron ; Middle Aged