The purpose of this paper is to investigate that the effect of cyclic biaxial mechanical strain on proliferation and synthetic function in the osteoblasts isolated from 3 month-old normal female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and osteoporotic rats. The osteoblasts were cultured in F-12 medium contained with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBC) and grown to subconfluency in Flexercell apparatus in a humidified incubator with 5% CO2 and 95% air at 37 degrees C. Mechanical strain was applied to the cells for periods of 30 min, 2, 4 and 8 hours every day,lasting 2 days. The amplitude of mechanical strain applied to the cells were 400, 1000 and 4000 microm strain respectively, at a frequency of one hertz (1 H). Unstrained cells were used as control. The results showed that proliferation activity of osteoblast in osteoporotic rats are higher than that in normal rats without mechanical strain the mechanical strain can elevate the proliferation activity and the synthetic function of osteoblast from normal rats at 400, 1000 microm strain. However, the mechanical strain increased significantly the proliferation in the osteoblasts and suppressed obviously the synthetic function in the osteoblasts at 4000 microm strain. The mechanical strain don't affect the proliferation activity and the synthetic function of osteoblast from osteoporotic rats at 400 microm strain. The mechanical strain decrease the proliferation activity of osteoblast from osteoporotic rats at 1000 microm strain. The mechanical strain can elevate the proliferation activity and the synthetic function of osteoblast from osteoporotic rats at 4000 microm strain. In our study, the reaction of the osteoblasts from normal rats and osteoporotic rats to the mechanical stimulation suggested that there are more highly sensitive to the mechanical stimulation in the osteoblasts from normal rats than that from osteoporotic rats.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cell Division ; Cell Separation ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Osteoblasts ; metabolism ; pathology ; Osteocalcin ; biosynthesis ; Osteoporosis ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Mechanical

Objective To analyze the effect of quality of life (QOL) on the prognosis of long-term survivors with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods A total of 192 NPC patients treated between 1999 and 2000 and with tumor-free survival before July 2003 were enrolled in this study. All patients received QOL measurement between July and August in 2003. Measurement scales included Chinese SF-36 questionnaire and a checklist consisting of fourteen items about self-rating symptoms. The median follow-up time was 7.9S years (range 2.67-9.55 years). The effects of QOL, social demographic and clinical factors on prognosis were analyzed. Results Univariate analysis showed that QOL affected the tumor-free survival and overall survival. Multivariate analysis showed that hypomnesia was an independent prognostic factor of tumor-free survival, while trismus, headache and age were independent prognostic factors of overall survival. The younger and the better QOL had better prognosis. The other sociodemographic and clinical factors had no prognostic value. Conclusion QOL is an important factor affecting the prognosis of long-term survivors with NPC, and it should be routinely evaluated during the follow-up.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the osteogenesis and adipogenesis in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from normal rats and osteoporotic rats by ovariectomy. Osteoporotic animal model was established in 3 month-old and 6 month-old female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by ovariectomy. Animal experiments were divided into 4 groups: 1) control-3 group; 2) ovx-3 group; 3) control-6 group and 4) ovx-6 group. MSCs were isolated by means of the density-gradient centrifugation method from each group, respectively. Colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-Fs ) number, CFU-Fs size distribution and cell density in CFU-Fs of primary passage MSCs were measured at the inverted phase contrast microscope. The cell cycle and proliferation index (PI) as well as apoptosis idex (AI) of MSCs were studied by (FCM). After osteogenic induction (OSI), calcium nodes of MSCs were marked by alizarin red staining (ARS); The expression level of alkaline phosphatase(ALP) was detected by dynamics method with substrate of phosphoric acid para-Nitro benzene and the content of osteocalcin (OCN) was detected with the isotope labelling method. After adipogenic induction (ADI), lipid droplet in MSCs were detected by oil red O staining and the mRNA level of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was measured by RT-PCR. The results showed that CFU-Fs and PI are obviously decresed and AI are increased of MSCs in OVX-3 and OVX-6 groups (P<0.05). The secretory volume of ALP and BGP of MSCs and the content of calcium nods of MSCs are lower in OVX-3 and OVX-6 groups than that in control-3 and control-6 groups after osteogenic induction (P<0.05). The number of lipid droplet and the expression level of LPL mRNA are higher in OVX-3 and OVX-6 groups than that in control-3 and control-6 (P<0.05). The result in our study suggested that depress of osteogenesis and the up-regulation of adipogenesis of MSCs in osteoporotic rats by ovariectomy may be relate close to the pathogenesis of osteoporosis.
Adipocytes ; pathology ; Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; pathology ; Osteoblasts ; pathology ; Osteoporosis ; etiology ; pathology ; Ovariectomy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stem Cells ; pathology

Objective To evaluate the reliability, validity and feasibility of the Chinese version of SF-36 health survey questionaire in long-term survivors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods A total of 85 long-term NPC survivors completed the Chinese version of SF-36 by either telephone or mail survey. Correlation analysis, reliability analysis and factor analysis were performed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale. Results The Chinese version of SF-36 was easy to complete. The split-half reliability was 0. 92 and the Cronbach's α coefficient among domains were all above 0. 70, which showed good reliability and discrimination capacity among domains. All the correlation coefficients between each item and its domain achieved or approached 0. 5, which were greater than those between the item and other domains. These results demonstrated that the Chinese version of SF-36 had good content validity and discriminatory validity. Six principal components were extracted from the scale, which could basically represent eight domains. The cumulative variance was 71.4%. Two common factors were extracted from the eight domains, which accounted for 73.3% of the variance. The Chinese version of SF-36 was able to detect differences in the quality of life between NPC patients and healthy populations. Conclusions The Chinese version of SF-36 has good feasibility, reliability and validity in evaluating the quality of life in long-term NPC survivors.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the probable molecular mechanism in mechano-transduction of the regulation of integrins and the effects of cyclic biaxial mechanical strain on proliferation and synthetic function in the osteoblasts isolated from 3-month-old female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The osteoblasts were cultured in F-12 medium contained with 10% fetal bovine serum(FBS) and grown to subconfluency in Flexercell type I dishes in a humidified incubator with 5% CO2 and 95% air at 37 degrees C. Mechanical strains were applied to the cells for periods of 30 min, 2, 4 and 8 hours every day, lasting 2 days. The amplitude of mechanical strain applied to the cells were 400, 1,000 and 4,000 mu strain respectively, at a frequency of one hertz(1 Hz). Unstrained cells were used as control. The expression of integrins alpha 2, beta 1, beta 3 on the membrane of osteoblasts and proliferation activity of osteoblasts were studied with Flow Cytometry(FCM). The content of osteocalcin, carboxyterminal propeptide of type-I procollage(PICP), total protein secreted by osteoblastes were detected with the isotope labelling method. The results showed that there are actual expressions of integrins alpha 2, beta 1, beta 3 on the membrane of osteoblasts without mechanical strain and that the expression of integrins beta 1 is highest. The mechanical strain increased the expression of integrins alpha 2, beta 1, beta 3 on the membrane of osteoblasts, but the strain-related up-regulation of expression of integrins alpha 2, beta 1, beta 3 are different in various amplitude and different duration of mechanical stains. The up-regulation of expression of integrins beta 3 is most sensitive to mechanical strain. The up-regulation of expression of integrins alpha 2, beta 1, beta 3 is higher at 4,000 mu strain than at 400, 1,000 mu strain. The mechanical strain can elevate the proliferation activity and the synthetic function of osteoblast at 400, 1,000 mu strain. However, the mechanical strain increased significant the proliferation in the osteoblasts and suppressed obviously the synthetic function in the osteoblasts. In the present study, the reaction of the osteoblasts in 3 month-old rat to the mechanical stimulation suggested that 1) expressions of integrins alpha 2, beta 1, beta 3 were increased in a amplitude of strain-dependent manner; 2) the changes of expression of integrins alpha 2, beta 1, beta 3 relate close to the changes of the proliferation and synthetic function of the osteoblasts. Low amplitude of strain can increase the proliferation and the synthetic function of the osteoblasts along with up-regulation of expression of integrins alpha 2, beta 1, beta 3; while higher amplitude of strain elevated significantly the proliferation of osteoblasts and suppressed obviously the synthetic function of the osteoblasts along with up-regulation of expression of integrins alpha 2, beta 1, beta 3. The amplitude of 4,000 mu strain is an optimal amplitude as stimulus for up-regulation of expression of integrins alpha 2, beta 1, beta 3 on the membrane of osteoblasts and increase the proliferation activity, but decrease the synthetic function of osteoblasts in the present study. Accordingly it indicates that integrins have a important role in regulation of signal transduction pathway in osteoblasts as a result of mechanical strain.
Animals ; Cell Division ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Integrin alpha2 ; biosynthesis ; Integrin beta1 ; biosynthesis ; Integrin beta3 ; biosynthesis ; Mechanics ; Osteoblasts ; metabolism ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the statement on randomized controlled trials on Wenxin granule for treatment of atrial fibrillation and to judge whether those trials could offer high quality evidence or not, thus improve design level and quality.

METHODRCTs were searched from home and abroad about atrial fibrillation treated with Wenxin granule, which reported before October, 2010. Jadad scale and CONSORT statement were used.

RESULTThere were 66 RCTs retrieved that met inclusion criteria. Using Jadad rating scale, only 2 literatures gain score 4 and 1 literature gains score 3, 54 literatures gain score 2, 7 literatures gain score 1, 2 literatures gain score 0. Only 2 literatures described random number table as the method of grouping. None of the RCTs was reported the allocation concealment. Only 1 literature was used blinding. Fifty-nine literatures were mentioned the lost to follow-up conditions. According to the CONSORT standards, only six literatures (9.1%) mentioned the method of generating the random sequence. Four literatures (6.1%) were quasi-random. Nineteen literatures (28.8%) had inclusion criteria. Six literatures (9.1%) had the follow-up record. Fifty one literatures (77.3%) described the adverse events. None had the estimation of the sample size, intention-to-treat analysis and stratified analysis. None had the ethical approval or informed consent.

CONCLUSIONThe quality of clinical trials of Wenxin granule in treating atrial fibrillation needs to be improved.

Atrial Fibrillation ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic