Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Foodborne Diseases ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Meat ; poisoning ; Middle Aged ; Pesticides ; poisoning ; Swine ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate morphological change of osteoblasts cultured on titanium plates with different microarchitecture structure when exposured to fluid shear stress.

METHODS14 dynes x cm(-2) fluid shear stress was applied on osteoblasts cultured on 3 different commercially pure titanium plates: Polished treatment (PT), sandblast (SB), sandblasting and acid-base (SB-AB) surfaces. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was adopted to observe the morphological changes after 0.5, 4, 7.5 h time point respectively.

RESULTSMorphologically, no significant changes were observed after 0.5 h and few osteoblasts were seen after 7.5 h on all 3 type of different surfaces, and significant changes could only be observed after 4 h. Osteoblasts were elongated and rearranged along the flow way on different levels on PT surface. Shape of cells was altered, from long fusiform suspending over depressed areas into polygon stretching out many synapsises tightly attached to pits on SB-AB surface. Osteoblasts on SB surface displayed similar change as SB-AB surface, besides, some cells were elongated along the way of flow, stretching out threadlike synapsises attached to edges of pits.

CONCLUSIONMorphological change of osteoblast responding to fluid shear stress in physiological range depends on substrate microarchitecture and varies with the time of fluid shear stress application.

Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Osteoblasts ; Stress, Mechanical ; Titanium

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; microbiology ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Helicobacter Infections ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori ; growth & development ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mouth Mucosa ; microbiology

AIM:To investigate the clinical effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs combined with laser photocoagulation for diabetic macular edema (DME).METHODS: Totally 94 patients (141 eyes) with DME from June to December 2015 in our hospital were selected and randomly divided into combined group of 47 cases (68 eyes, ranibizumab combined with laser therapy) and the control group of 47 cases (73 eyes, laser treatment).The levels of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), macular central retinal thickness (CRT), total macular volume (TMV) and macular edema level were compared between the two groups at different time after treatment.RESULTS: The mean values of BCVA in the combined group were higher than those in the control group at 2, 6 and 12wk, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).At 2, 6 and 12wk after treatment, the CRT and TMV values of the combined group were lower than those of the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).After treated for 12wk, patients with macular edema of combined group was 80.9% in mild level, 17.7% in moderate level, 1.5% in severe level, those of the control group was 60.0%, 31.5%, 5.5%, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The effect of anti-VEGF drugs combined with laser therapy for DME patients is better than that of single laser therapy alone.

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Ginkgo biloba ; Glutathione ; analysis ; Lung ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Paraquat ; toxicity ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; therapeutic use ; Poisoning ; drug therapy ; Rats ; Superoxide Dismutase ; analysis ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the relationships between intrahepatic HBV DNA level and serum HBV DNA level, between intrahepatic HBV DNA level and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) level in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and assess the valuation of pretreatment liver HBV DNA level in antivirus therapy.

METHODSLiver specimens taken from 41 HBeAg-positive CHB patients before antivirus treatment were divided into two parts, one for histological examination, and the other for intrahepatic HBV DNA quantified detection by PCR-fluorescence. At the same time, serum levels of HBV DNA and HBeAg were detected. The patients were classified into two groups according to the pretreatment intrahepatic HBV DNA level (< or = 10(4)fg/cm(3) in group A, >10(4)fg/cm(3) in group B) and accepted interferon alpha-1b (3MU every day for 26 weeks) in combination with lamivudine (100mg per day for 52 weeks). During the treatment, the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), HBV DNA and HBeAg seroconversion rate were monitored.

RESULTS(1) The level of liver HBV DNA was much higher than that of serum HBV DNA (4.081 +/-1.127 vs 3.163 +/-1.010, t = 2.218, P < 0.05). Liver HBV DNA level had positive correlation to serum HBV DNA level (r = 0.840, t = 4.322, P < 0.001) and serum HBeAg level (r = 0.459, t = 3.056, P < 0.005). (2) Intrahepatic HBV DNA level was negative correlation to the severity of liver damage (chi(2) = 3.874, P < 0.05). (3) Serum HBV DNA level in all the patients reduced remarkedly after therapy, especially in group A. At the end of 52 weeks, the rates of HBeAg and anti-HBe seroconversion in group A were higher than those in group B (68.4% vs 36.4%, chi(2) = 4.194, P < 0.05; 73.7% vs 40.9%, chi(2) = 4.447, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIntrahepatic HBV DNA is a more valuable marker than serum HBV DNA or HBeAg to assess HBV replication, and can reflect the status of body immunity indirectly. It may be a useful indicator for the efficacy of antivirus treatment.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Liver ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Viral Load ; Virus Replication ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of surface modification of titanium on OPG/RANKL mRNA expression in human osteoblast-like cells.

METHODSMG-63 osteoblast-like cells were seeded on the titanium plates with surface polishing and with surface modification by sandblasting plus acid-base treatment, with the cells on glass slides as the control. On days 2, 4, 6, and 8 following cell seeding, the cells were harvested for examination of OPG/RANKL mRNA expression using RT-PCR and real-time PCR.

RESULTSThe expression of OPG/RANKL mRNA was sensitive to the surface microphotography. Compared with the other groups, the cells on the titanium plates with sandblasting plus acid-base treatment, which resulted in a porous micro-structure and high roughness, showed significantly up-regulated expression of OPG mRNA. OPG mRNA expression also showed a time-dependent up-regulation, and was the highest on day 8. The expression of the RANKL mRNA in cells on both of the titanium plates was higher than that in the control cells. The peak level of RANKL mRNA expression occurred on day 6 followed by a gradual decrease.

CONCLUSIONA rough and porous surface of the culture plates and prolonged culture time can synergistically up-regulate the ratio of OPG/RANKL mRNA.

Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Line ; Humans ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Osteoprotegerin ; genetics ; metabolism ; Porosity ; RANK Ligand ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Surface Properties ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Titanium ; chemistry ; pharmacology

Background::In recent years, norepinephrine has attracted increasing attention for the management of maternal hypotension during elective cesarean section with spinal anesthesia. Intermittent bolus is a widely used administration paradigm for vasopressors in obstetric anesthesia in China. Thus, in this randomized, double-blinded study, we compared the efficacy and safety of equivalent bolus norepinephrine and phenylephrine for rescuing maternal post-spinal hypotension.Methods::In a tertiary women’s hospital in Nanjing, China, 102 women were allocated with computer derived randomized number to receive prophylactic 8 μg norepinephrine (group N; n = 52) or 100 μg phenylephrine (group P; n = 50) immediately post-spinal anesthesia, followed by an extra bolus of the same dosage until delivery whenever maternal systolic blood pressure became lower than 80% of the baseline. Our primary outcome was standardized maternal cardiac output (CO) reading from spinal anesthesia until delivery analyzed by a two-step method. Other hemodynamic parameters related to vasopressor efficacy and safety were considered as secondary outcomes. Maternal side effects and neonatal outcomes were collected as well. Results::Compared to group P, women in group N had a higher CO (standardized CO 5.8 ± 0.9 vs. 5.3 ± 1.0 L/min, t = 2.37, P = 0.02) and stroke volume (SV, standardized SV 73.6 ± 17.2 vs. 60.0 ± 13.3 mL, t = 4.52, P < 0.001), and a lower total peripheral resistance (875 ± 174 vs. 996 ± 182 dyne·s/cm 5, t = 3.44, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the incidence of bradycardia was lower in group N than in group P (2% vs. 14%, P= 0.023), along with an overall higher standardized heart rate (78.8 ± 11.6 vs. 75.0 ± 7.3 beats/min, P = 0.049). Other hemodynamics, as well as maternal side effects and neonatal outcomes, were similar in two groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusions::Compared to equivalent phenylephrine, intermittent bolus norepinephrine provides a greater CO for management of maternal hypotension during elective cesarean section with spinal anesthesia; however, no obvious maternal or neonatal clinical advantages were observed for norepinephrine.

BACKGROUNDToll like receptor (TLR) 9 has been shown to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in animal models. Its pathogenic role in human SLE, however, was poorly elucidated. This study was performed to investigate the role of TLR9 involved in the aberrant signaling pathway and its correlation with disease activity in SLE.

METHODSmRNA level of TLR9 and interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). IFN-a expression was measured in the serum of the SLE patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSTLR9 expression was significantly higher in SLE patients than that in health controls (P = 0.011). SLE patients with positive anti-dsDNA antibody had significantly higher expression of TLR9 than that with negative anti-dsDNA antibody (P = 0.001). TLR9 expression was positively correlated with fever (P = 0.017), alopecia (P = 0.046), safety of estrogens in lupus erythematosus national assessment SLE disease activity index (SELENA-SLEDAI) score (r(s) = 0.385, P = 0.003), and the level of IRF5 (r(s) = 0.35, P = 0.027) and IFN-a (r(s) = 0.627, P = 0.001) in SLE patients.

CONCLUSIONTLR9 is associated with SLE disease activity and might be involved in the IFN-a pathway of SLE.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Antinuclear ; blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Interferon Regulatory Factors ; metabolism ; Interferon-alpha ; blood ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; metabolism ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; blood ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Toll-Like Receptor 9 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the mRNA and protein expressions of peroxiredoxin II (PrxII) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their significance.

METHODSHCC was induced by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in 6 tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis). The expression levels of PrxII mRNA and protein were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot on HCC tissues and on their surrounding liver tissues (para-HCC). Biopsied liver tissues were taken before the HCC induction (pre-HCC) from the same animals and from a group of blank controlled animals that served as controls. Liver biopsy specimens from 18 cases of human HCC and from 17 healthy human volunteers were studied using the same methods.

RESULTSThe mRNA and protein expressions of PrxII in tree shrew HCC tissues were significantly higher than those in para-HCC and pre-HCC tissues, and also higher than those in the liver tissues from the control animals (all P < 0.05). The expression levels of PrxII mRNA and protein in human HCC tissues were also significantly higher than those in their para-HCC tissues and in the human normal liver tissues (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPrxII might play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis and might be used as a molecular target for HCC prevention and treatment.

Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peroxiredoxins ; genetics ; Tupaiidae