OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of acupuncture along affected meridian on the mem- brane metallo-endopeptidase (MME) gene expression of migraine patients without aura (MO) of Gan-yang hyperactivity syndrome (GYHS).

METHODSTotally 20 MO patients of GYHS were randomly assigned to the acupoint group (acupuncture along affected meridian) and the non-acupoint group, 10 cases in each group. Needling was performed once per day for 10 consecutive days. Gene chip technology was used to obtain two sets of gene expression profiles and analyzed using Gene Ontology (GO).

RESULTSIn the acupoint group, MME gene expression decreased after needling (P = 0.0023).That gene was rich in the beta-amyloid metabolic process (P = 3.16E-05) and the peptide metabolic process (P = 0.009612). Its expression was not seen in the non-acupoint group.

CONCLUSIONThe effect of point selection along affected meridian could be achieved possibly by regulating the MME gene expression.

Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Endrin ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; Humans ; Meridians ; Migraine Disorders ; therapy ; Syndrome

No abstract available.
Neodymium* ; Onychomycosis* ; Pilot Projects*

ObJective To summarize the microsurgieal techniques through direct Sylvian fissure approach. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in 62 patients undergoing microsurgeries through direct Sylvian fissure approach, including 4 with cavernous angioma in the Sylvian fissure, 5 with insular lobe tumors, 33 with middle cerebral artery aneurysms, 15 with glioma spanning or invading the Sylvian fissure, 1 with metastatic tumor, 2 with arteriovenous malformations, and 2 with temporal lobe epilepsy. Results All the vascular lesions were exposed satisfactorily and managed appropriately. Of the 19 cases ofgliomas and metastatic tumors, total resection was achieved in 13 cases, and subtotal resection in 6 cases. Transient aphasia or hemiparesis occurred postoperatively in a few patients but all recovered within 1 or two months. Conclusions The Sylvian fissure provides a good surgical route as a subarachnoid space between the frontal, parietal, temporal and insular lobes. The Sylvian fissure should be carefully separated under the operating microscope with high-power magnification, and tension-free retaction is critical in important language areas. In the management of tumors involving the Sylvian fissure, we recommend that extended resection be performed after exposure and appropriate preservation of important blood vessels in the fissure.

OBJECTIVETo study the impact of organized stroke ward on the therapeutic effect in stroke patients.

METHODSA total of 2637 patients with acute stroke were randomly assigned to organized stroke ward or the general ward for treatment, and the rates of mortality, nonrecovery, improvement, and recovery were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe rates of mortality, nonrecovery, improvement, and recovery in 5 years were 2.00%, 0.90%, 74.94% and 22.16% respectively in the organized stroke ward group, as compared to 3.26%, 1.02%, 74.01% and 21.71% in the general ward group, respectively. The mortality rate was significantly lower in organized stroke ward (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found in the rates of nonrecovery, improvement, or recovery between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONAdmission of the stroke patients in organized stroke ward for treatment can be associated with lowered mortality rate.

Female ; Hospital Units ; standards ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Male ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Patient Care Team ; organization & administration ; Stroke ; mortality ; therapy ; Stroke Rehabilitation ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To investigate the effect of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) on Nav1.3 sodium channels and the function of sodium current in neuropathic pain.Methods:Eighteen adult rats had a spared nerve injury (SNI) induced and then were randomly divided into a saline group and a BoNT/A group, each of 9. Another 9 rats formed a fake operation group, Five days after the SNI, BoNT/A (7U/kg or 15U/kg) or saline was subcutaneously administered into the plantar surface of a hindpaw. On the 3rd, 7th and 14th day after the injection, the SNI rats′ paw withdrawal threshold was measured. On the 7th and 14th day the expression of Nav1.3 protein in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons was examined using western blotting, while any change in the functional tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-S) current was recorded using the patch clamp technique.Results:Administration of BoNT/A at either 7U/kg or 15U/kg significantly increased the SNI-induced mechanical allodynia. The expression of Nav1.3 protein in DRG neurons increased significantly after the SNI, but had decreased significantly by the 7th and 14th day after the administration of BoNT/A. BoNT/A significantly decreased the current density in TTX-S sodium channels in DRG neurons following SNI.Conclusion:Administration of BoTN/A affects the expression of Nav1.3 protein and functional TTX-S current, relieving neuropathic pain.

OBJECTIVETo provide right time points in selection of right aged animals and the normal physiological data of TX mice.

METHODS7-12 months old TX and DL mice were studied, each group contained 3 female and 3 male mice of TX or DL mice. The concentration of copper in the serum, dry tissues (liver, brain and kidney), together with copper biochemistry indexes were measured. The liver histopathology was observed under light microscopy and electron microscope.

RESULTSTransaminase increased significantly only in 10 and 11-month- old (AST(TX10) = 218.3 U/L, AST(TX11) = 197.5 U/L, AST(DL10) = 171.5 U/L, AST(DL11) = 165.0 U/L, P(10) less than 0.001, P(11) = 0.022), but the copper concentration of liver, brain and kidney was significantly increased during 7-12 month old (the average concentration of copper, Liver(TX) = (750.0 +/- 85.5) mg/kg, Brain(TX) = (39.7 +/- 2.2)mg/kg, Kidney(TX) = (29.8 +/- 5.0) mg/kg, Liver(DL) = (11.6 +/- 1.5) mg/kg, Brain(DL) = (16.8 +/- 0.9) mg/kg, Kidney(DL) = (14.2 +/- 1.0) mg/kg, t = 21.16, 23.60, 7.47, for all these organs P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTX mice is a suitable model of liver disease with natural recovery, so selecting animal model of suitable time point is very important.

Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Brain ; metabolism ; Ceruloplasmin ; metabolism ; Copper ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Kidney ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Diseases ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of syndecan-1 protein at different stages in the course of gastric carcinoma and its significance in carcinogenesis and metastasis.

METHODSThere were 56 cases of chronic gastritis, 50 cases of chronic atrophic gastritis, 59 cases of intestinal metaplasia, 61 cases of displasia, and 112 cases of gastric carcinoma. Among the carcinoma cases, 55 were without and 57 with lymph node metastases. All paraffin-embedded tissue samples were assessed by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe syndecan-1 positive rate was 96.43% (54/56) in gastritis, 98.00% (49/50) in chronic atrophic gastritis, 100.00% (59/59) in intestinal metaplasia, 91.80% (56/61) in displasia, 45.45% (25/55) in gastric carcinoma without, and 24.56% (14/57) in gastric carcinoma with lymph node metastases. There was no significant difference among chronic gastritis, chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference between displasia group and gastric carcinoma group (P <0.05), as well as between gastric carcinoma with and without lymph node metastases. There was a significant difference among well, moderately and poorly differentiated carcinoma groups.

CONCLUSIONA decreasing expression of syedecan-1 in the development of gastric carcinoma is related with gastric carcinogenesis, and it may further promote metastasis of gastric carcinoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; chemistry ; pathology ; Gastritis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Metaplasia ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Precancerous Conditions ; metabolism ; pathology ; Stomach ; chemistry ; pathology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Syndecan-1 ; biosynthesis

OBJECTIVETo establish a new method for the preparation of porcine acellular dermal matrix.

METHODSThe antigenicity of the porcine dermis was weakened by removing epidermal and dermal cells from the porcine skin through the digestion with low-concentration trypsin and repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Split thickness porcine skin was treated with 0.05% trypsin to remove the cells from the epidermis and dermis. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles were employed to further weed out the residual cells within the dermis. The prepared acellular dermis was then examined grossly, as well as histologically, and also by immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSNo cell could be identified in the prepared porcine acellular dermal matrix. The integral basement membrane was preserved on the surface of dermal matrix with compact dermal matrix collagen structure.

CONCLUSIONLow concentration trypsinization and repeated freeze-thaw cycles seemed to be a simple and effective method for the preparation of xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix.

Animals ; Dermis ; cytology ; transplantation ; Extracellular Matrix ; transplantation ; ultrastructure ; Freezing ; Skin Transplantation ; Swine ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Trypsin ; administration & dosage

OBJECTIVETo prepare nanoparticles containing E1A gene and observe the efficiency and feasibility of transfecting E1A gene into human undifferentiated thyroid cancer cell line HTC/3. To examine the sensitivity of transgene cells to X-ray and X-ray-induced apoptosis in those cells.

METHODSNanoparticle-DNA complex was prepared with PLGA coating adenoviral early expression gene E1A, and the package efficiency, release progress in vitro, and size of the complex were determined. The nanoparticle-DNA was transfected into the HTC/3 cells. Lipofectamine was used to transfect E1A gene as a control. RT-PCR was used to examine E1A gene mRNA expression in the transfected cells. The survival ratio of HTC/3-E1A and control cells, and the growth inhibition ratio induced by different doses of X-ray in HTC/3-E1A cells were examined by MTT assay. The apoptosis in HTC/3-E1A cells induced by 2 Gy X-ray iradiation was examined by flow cytometry and DNA electrophoresis.

RESULTSThe package efficiency, release progress in vitro, and size of the nanoparticle-DNA complex were 0.78%, 18 days, and 150-280 nm, respectively when transfected the plasmid at the same level, the nanoparticle group got more positive transgene cell clones than that in lipofectamine group, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). RT-PCR showed that transgenic cells from both nanoparticle-DNA and lipofectamine groups had E1A gene mRNA expression. The HTC/3-E1A cells grew slowly, and their doubling time was prolongated (1.44 times in comparison with that in parental cells). According to IC50, the sensitivity of HTC/3-E1A cells to X-ray was improved 2.9 and 2.8 times, respectively, in comparison with that in HTC/3-Vect and HTC/3 cells. The ratio of subG0/G1 phase of HTC/3-E1A cells was significantly higher than that in HTC/3-Vect and HTC/3 cells (P < 0.01). The ratio of S phase of HTC/3-E1A cells was significantly lower than that in HTC/3-Vect and HTC/3 cells (P < 0.01). A typical DNA ladder pattern of apoptosis in HTC/3-E1A cells was observed by electrophoresis, but not found in HTC/3-Vect and HTC/3 cells.

CONCLUSIONA nanoparticle-DNA complex has been successfully prepared, and it may carry a foreign gene into cells. The sensitivity of HTC/3-E1A cells to X-ray is significantly improved. Moreover, apoptosis is induced by x-ray in the E1A gene-transfected cells.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; physiology ; Apoptosis ; radiation effects ; Cell Cycle ; radiation effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; DNA ; genetics ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; Particle Size ; Plasmids ; Polyglycolic Acid ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transfection ; X-Rays

OBJECTIVETo study the BRCA1 mutations in patients with early-onset breast cancer and their affected relatives in Guangdong province and explore the relationship between BRCA1 mutation and the expressions of estrogen receptor(ER), progesterone receptor(PR), HER2 and ALN.

METHODSFrom 58 patients with early-onset breast cancer and their affected relatives, the genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the coding regions of the BRCA1 gene was amplified using polymerase chain reaction. BRCA1 gene mutations were screened by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and subsequent direct DNA sequencing. The expression of ER, PR, HER2 and ALN were detected with immunohistochemistry and their relations with the gene mutation were analyzed.

RESULTSDisease-related BRCA1 mutations were detected in 2 of the 58 patients, who were younger than 35 years old, including 1 with a novel splice-site mutation (IVS5-1 G-->A). No association was found between this novel mutation and the expressions of ER, PR, HER2 and ALN.

CONCLUSIONThe incidence of BRCA1 mutation is significantly lower in patients with early-onset breast cancer and their affected relatives in Guangdong province than in the Western populations. The novel mutation identified in BRCA1 gene may represent a mutation characteristic of the patients in Guangdong province. BRCA1 gene mutations may not have any relation with the expression of ER, PR, HER2 and ALN.

Adult ; Age of Onset ; Base Sequence ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; China ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Genes, BRCA1 ; Genotype ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; genetics ; Receptors, Estrogen ; genetics ; Receptors, Progesterone ; genetics