Objective To investigate the effect of manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) at 7.0T for tracing nerve tracts in rat brain in vivo. Methods With brain stereotactic apparatus, 0.4 μl Mncl_2 with aqueous solution of 1 mol/L was injected into the right somatosensory cortex of 9 SD rats. MR scan was performed for tracing corticospinal tracts and other coherent nerve tracts pre-, and 24, 48, 72 h, 7 days post-injection with 7.0T micro-MRI system, respectively. Results Corticospinal tracts were showed in intact after Mn~(2+) administration from somatosensory cortex, thalamus, cerebral peduncle to pons at the time point of 24, 48, 72 h and 7 days, while the best tdisplaying was achieved at 24-48 h after Mn~(2+) administration. Simultaneously a small quantity of Mn~(2+) reached the opposite somatosensory cortex through the corpus callosum. Conclusion MEMRI for tracing rat nerve tracts can be showed clearly with 7.0T MRI. The location of manganese-enhanced corticospinal tracts in agreement with the rat brain atlas in stereotaxic is in agreement with that Paxinos' published. MEMRI can display the relationship between the two sides of hemisphere, and may play an important role in investigating the brain function and nerve plasticity after nerve injury in vivo.

Objective To explore the methods of preparing whole blood control of seven trace elements (magnesium,manganese,iron,copper,zinc,lead,calcium) in laboratory and evaluate its performance.Methods Heparin sodium anticoagulant calf whole blood was used as substrateMetal salt or standard solution with target concentration of each element was added.And whole blood control product was made after process of anticorrosion,mixing and sub-packaging.Antibacterial effect was observed,uniformity and stabilitywasevaluatedaccording to CNAS-GL03 and matrix effects was evaluatedaccording to CLSI EP14.SDI (standard deviation index) and detection coefficient of variation (CV)were calculated to evaluateapplication effectiveness.Results Laboratory preparation of whole blood control reached target concentration,sterility tests was qualified,results of uniformity and stability indicated that the substrate was even and stable at least for one year.Besides,matrix effects of other six elements can be ignored except lead.Historical and inter-laboratory comparisons had shown that laboratory preparation of whole blood control has no obvious difference with commercial ones in performance.Conclusion The formulation and evaluation scheme of whole blood control of seven trace elements (magnesium,manganese,iron,copper,zinc,lead,calcium) was feasible and can be used as commercial ones for elementary tests in medical laboratory.

Objective To investigate the gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and ultrastructural changes in cultured endothelial cells from human cerebral microvessels under hypoxic conditions.Methods Human cerebral microvessels were isolated from freshly obtained specimens of normal brain adherent to resected cerebral arteriovenous malformations.The expression of factor Ⅷ-relative antigen(FⅧ-RA) in cultured cells was observed with immunocytochemistry.The level of VEGFmRNA in cells and released VEGF protein in cell supernatant were determined by RT-PCR analysis and ELISA respectively when they were exposed to hypoxic conditions(95% N_2,5% CO_2;two hours,four hours,eight hours) or maintained in basal condition.Ultrastructural changes in cells were also observed by electron microscopy.Results In inverted microscope the cultured cells showed contact inhibition and a rounded cobblestone appearance.More than 90% of them were stained strongly with antibodies against FⅧ-RA.Significant VEGF mRNA and protein accumulated when these cells were exposed to hypoxia for 4 hours.However,their VEGF expression was down-regulated after hypoxia for 8 hours and a number of vesicles and swollen mitochondria were present in the cytoplasm.Conclusion The level of VEGF expression may havesignificant relationship with ultrastructural changes in human cerebral endothelial cells under hypoxic conditions.

The characteristics and rules of acupoint selection of acupuncture for trigeminal neuralgia were analyzed. By searching CNKI, VIP, WF, literature regarding acupuncture for trigeminal neuralgia from 1980 to 2013 was collected to establish an acupuncture prescription database. The data mining technology was applied to analyze the characteristics and rules of the acupoint selection. As a result, a total of 180 papers were included, involving 148 acupoints. It was found that the acupoints that had high frequency of selection included Hegu (LI 4), Xiaguan (ST 7), Fengchi (GB 20) and trigger points. The acupoints selected were distributed in 14 meridians, in which yangming meridian of hand-foot had a frequency of 41. 58%. The special acupoints including crossing points, yuan-primary points and five-shu points were widely used, accounting for 65. 9%. As for the branch of trigeminal nerve, the top-3 selected acupoints were Yangbai (GB 14), Yuyao (EX-HN 4), Cuanzhu (BL 2) in the first branch, Sibai (ST 2), Quanlian (SI 18), Yingxiang (LI 20) in the second branch, Jiache (ST 6), Xiaguan (ST 7), Dicang (ST 4) in the third branch. In conclusion, it is believed that the clinical treatment of trigeminal neural gia focuses on local acupoints in combination with nerve distribution-based acupoints and distal acupoints, also the special acupoints are emphasized.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Data Mining ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Meridians ; Trigeminal Neuralgia ; therapy

To discover novel fluoroquinolone lead compounds as possible anti-infective or/and antitumor chemotherapies, combination principle of pharmacophore-based drug design, a series of novel tricyclic fluoroquinolone title compounds, [1,2,4]triazino[3,4-h][1,8]naphthyridine-8-one-7-carboxylic acid derivatives ( 5a-5p), were designed and synthesized with a fused [1,2,4]-triazine ring unit. Their structures were characterized by spectral data and elemental analysis and the in vitro antibacterial and anti-cell proliferation activities were also evaluated. The results showed that the titled compounds exhibited more significant inhibitory activities against drug-resistant bacteria (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multi drug-resistant Escherichia coli strains) and three tested cancer cell lines (human hepatoma SMMC-7721, murine leukemia L1210 and human murine leukemia HL60 cells). Interestingly, SAR showed that compounds with electron-donating groups attached to benzene ring had stronger antibacterial activity than antitumor activity, but electron-withdrawing compounds displayed more potential antitumor activity than antibacterial activity, especially antitumor activity of nitro compounds was comparable to comparison doxorubicin. Thus, novel triazine-fused tricyclic fluoroquinolones as potent anti-infective or/and antitumor lead compounds are valuable to pay attention and for further development.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Carboxylic Acids ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Drug Design ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; Fluoroquinolones ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Leukemia L1210 ; Liver Neoplasms ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; Mice ; Naphthyridines ; Triazines

To explore an efficient strategy for the conversion of antibacterial fluoroquinolones into antitumor fluoroquinolones, an azole heterocyclic ring of oxadiazole instead of the C-3 carboxylic acid group with a functionalized hydrazone group as a modified side-chain, fifteen novel 2-(fluoroquinolon-3-yl)-oxadiazole-5- sulfanylacetylhydrazone derivatives 7a-7o were designed and synthesized on the basis of the pharmacophore hybridization principle from pefloxacin, separately. The structures for fifteen title compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, 1H NMR and MS, and their in vitro antitumor activity against Hep-3B cell line was evaluated by a MTT assay. The results showed that the title compounds exhibited more significantly inhibitory activity than that of the parent pefloxacin, in which compounds with electron-withdrawing group attached on aryl ring had more potency than that of compounds with electron donating group, especially compounds with a carboxylic substituent were comparable to comparison doxorubicin. It suggests that it is favorable for an improvement of antitumor activity to remain a carboxylic acid unit at the aromatic ring.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Fluoroquinolones ; chemistry ; Humans ; Oxadiazoles ; chemistry ; Structure-Activity Relationship

Objective To assess the effectiveness of the combined treatment model for Wilms'tumor and to improve treatment results.Methods Fifty-five patients diagnosed with Wilms' tumor between July 1981 to June 2010 were analyzed retrospectively.Eighteen patients were diagnosed by preoperative ultrasound-guided fine needle biopsy,and 53 patients were confirmed by postoperative pathology results.Seven cases were in clinical stage Ⅰ,19 cases in clinical stage Ⅱ,21 cases in stage Ⅲ,six cases in stage Ⅳ and two cases in stage Ⅴ.Thirty-five cases had histopathological subtype,30 cases had the favorable type,and five cases had the unfavorable type.Among the 55 patients,kidney tumor resection was performed on 48 cases,wide edge partial nephrectomy was performed on two cases,tumor enucleation was performed on one bilateral renal tumor case,kidney tumor resection with pulmonary metastasectomy was performed on two cases,and two cases had no surgical procedures.Eighteen cases received preoperative chemotherapy,40 cases received postoperative chemotherapy,and 12 cases received postoperative radiotherapy.Patients were grouped according to age,stage,histological type,treatment model,treatment course and whether or not they had radiotherapy.The Kaplan-Meier method was used in the evaluation and comparison of over survival (OS),disease free survival (DFS) and relapse free survival (RFS) of the different groups to reveal the relationship between different grouping factors with the prognosis of Wilms' tumor. ResultsThe median of follow-up was 34 mon ( ranging from 3 to 355 mon).The 3-year OS,5-year OS and 2-year DFS were 77.6％,69.0％ and 52.4％,respectively.The differences of OS in different stages ( P =0.006 ),DFS between pure operation group and combined therapy group ( P =0.004 ) and RFS between radiotherapy group and no radiotherapy group ( P =0.03 ) were significant,P ＜ 0.05.ConclusionsThe normative multi-disciplinary treatment model for patients with Wilms' tumor can achieve good results and is well tolerated.

The effect of cholesterol ester transfer protein(CETP) on SR-B1 mRNA expression in mouse liver was investigated.The results demonstrated that CETP transgenic mice showed lower serum total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels but higher total cholesterol and cholesterol ester content in liver when compared with wild type mice(P＜0.05).The expression of SR-B1 mRNA in liver of CETP transgenic mice was significantly lower as compared with the control group(P＜0.05).

Objective To study the role of manganese-enhanced MRI(MEMRI) in the depiction of cortical architecture of rat brain after systemic administration of Mn~(2+) through caudal vein and compare the effects of normal or opened blood-brain barrier on the manganese-enhanced MRI. Methods Fifteen SD rats were randomly divided into three groups according to ranked list of random. Blood-brain barrier was opened in short time by the injection of 30% mannitol via the right internal carotid artery, in group A, then 100 mmol/L MnCl_2 physiologic saline solution was delivered through vena caudalis, and MRI was performed 12 hours later. In group B, 100 mmol/L MnCl_2 physiologic saline solutions was administrated through vena caudalis, following normal saline injection into the right internal carotid artery, and MRI was performed 12 hours later. The group C served as normal control group. All images were acquired with a 7.0 T microMR scanner. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) in regions of interest were measured by Paravision 4.0 and the differences of three groups were compared by using one-way ANOVA. The differences of SNR on both sides of hemispheres were compared by using paired t test. Results MEMRI could show the gray matter and white matter of rat brain and the anatomy borders between somatosensory cortex and motor cortex clearly. Periventricular structures such as hippocampus, dentate gyms, habenula united, and olfactory bulb could also be showed clearly. Symmetrical enhancement on both sides of the cortex and banded structures was shown clearly in group B. The SNR increased and the differences were significant in right cerebral cortex, both sides of cerebellar cortex, hippocampus and pituitary, among three groups (right cerebral cortex 35.2±7.0,30.1±2.4,26.6±2.8,F =4.36,P=0.038;left cerebellar cortex 27.1±5.2,29.4±3.8,19.4±4.5, F=6.66, P=0.011;right cerebellar cortex 27.8±3.8,28.5±4.2,20.4±4.8, F=5.84, P=0.017; left hippocampus 34.5±4.9,38.1±5.3,24.5±3.6, F=11.38, P=0.002; right hippocampus 35.3±5.5, 37.6±4.7,25.6±3.0,F=9.93,P=0.003;pituitary 39.5±3.8,52.6±9.1,26.2±4.2,F=22.80, P=0.001) after systemic administration of Mn~(2+). Asymmetric enhancement on two sides of cortex was shown in group A. The mannitol-infused side was enhanced obviously but displayed blurring banded structures. However,the SNR differences of both sides of hemispheres in group A and B were not significant (P >0.05). Conclusions After systemic administration of MnCl_2 through vena caudalis, MEMRI could map the laminar architectures and the anatomy border of functional zone of somatosensory cortex specifically. High concentration of mannitol could open blood brain barrier(BBB) effectively and have distinct impacts on the architectures displayed in MEMRI. Opening or maintaining BBB in MEMRI had respective characteristics, and it should be selected according to practical needs.

Objective To explore the prognostic value of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) for 28-day mortality of elderly patients with non-cardiac critical ill in emergency intensive care unit (EICU). Methods A total of 70 elderly non-cardiac critically ill patients (age≥60 years) in EICU were enrolled, and the blood samples were collected to detect BNP level after the patients' admission to EICU. After 28 days, the mortality was assessed. Results Twenty-two patients (31.4 %) died during 28 days observation, whose BNP levels were significantly higher than that of the survivors [ln BNP: (6.4 ± 1.2) ng/L vs. ( 5. 1 ± 1.5 ) ng/L, P＜ 0. 05] ; BNP level had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0. 759 (95% CI: 0. 636-0. 882, P＜0.05) for predicting mortality,and the optimal cut point of BNP was 342 ng/L (sensitivity 77.3%, specificity 68.7%).Conclusions BNP level could be a predictor for 28-days mortality for elderly non-cardiac critically ill patients.