BACKGROUND:Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) containing high levels of platelet-derived growth factor for knee osteoarthritis has achieved good clinical results;however, the effects of RPR on the repair of damaged articular cartilage are stil controversial.
OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of RPR on the repair of damaged articular cartilage in a rabbit model of knee osteoarthritis.
METHODS:The model of osteoarthritis in the rabbit right knee was established by Hulth’s method. Autologous PRP (0.5 mL) (PRP group), sodium hyaluronate (0.5 mL) (sodium hyaluronate group), and normal saline (model group) were injected into the right knee joint cavity, respectively. The morphology of articular surface and nitric oxide contents in knee joint fluid were observed and determined at 8 weeks after surgery.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The morphology of articular cartilage in the PRP group was better than that in the other three groups. Mankin scores of articular cartilage and nitric oxide contents of knee joint fluid in the PRP group were significantly decreased compared with the model and sodium hyaluronate groups that in (P<0.05), while increased compared with the sham-operation group (P<0.05). Our results suggest that repair effects of PRP on the damaged articular cartilage are superior to sodium hyaluronate treatment.

Objective To investigate the treatment mechanism and effect of platelet-rich plasma(PRP) in treating rabbit knee osteoarthosis(KOA).Methods Thirty-two New Zealand adult clean class rabbits were randomly divided into the blank control group(A),model control group(B),PRP treatment group(C) and sodium hyaluronate treatment group(D).The group A conducted the simulated model construction,while the group B,C and D established the KOA rabbit model by using the Hulth method.After establishing the animal model,the group C was given PRP 0.5mLl by knee articular cavity injection,once every 3 weeks,twice in total;the group D was given sodium hyaluronate by knee articular cavity injection,once per week for 5 continuous weeks.The group A and B were injected with equal amount of normal saline at the same time point in the group C.The histological structure of articular cartilage,cell number,integrity of tidal line,and toluidine blue staining were observed by common optical microscope.The differences of Mankin′s scores were compared among various groups.The proper amount of knee joint fluid was collected for measuring the arachidonic acid expression in each group.Results The structure and morphology of articular cartilage in the group A were normal without obvious damage,while which in the group B,C and D had different degrees of damage,especially the cartilage structure in the group B had greater changes.Although the group B and C had the morphological and structure change of articular cartilage,but which was close to the cartilage structure in the group A.The Mankin′s score in the group A was lowest,while which in the group B was highest,which in the group C and D was significantly decreased after intervention treatment;the difference between the group B with the group C and D had statistical significance(P<0.05).The difference between the group C and D had statistical significance(P<0.05).The arachidonic acid level in the group A was lowest and which in the group B was highest,which in the group C and group D ranged between the group A and B,moreover the group C was lower than the group D (P<0.05).Conclusion PRP has obvious therapeutic and alleviated effect in treating KOA.

BACKGROUND:The research and application of platelet-rich plasma in tissue regeneration and restoration have always been an issue of concern in the medicine and bioengineering fields.OBJECTIVE:To analyze the effects of platelet-rich plasma in combination with tendon stem cells on histomorphology change and matrix metalloproteinase 1 expression of the tendon tissues in a rabbit model of Achilles tendinopathy.METHODS:Forty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into model group (n=32) and blank control group (n=8).In the model group,the animals were injected about 2 cm distant to the attachment point of the left calcaneus with prostaglandin E2 (once a week,for totally 4 weeks) to make the animal model of tendinopathy.The rabbits in the blank control group were injected the equal amount of normal saline.After 4 weeks,model rabbits were randomly divided into four subgroups:combination group,tendon stem cell group,platelet-rich plasma group and model control group,with eight rabbits in each group.Platelet-rich plasma and tendon stem cells,alone or in combination,and normal saline were injected into the corresponding group,twice with an interval of 3 weeks.At 6 weeks after injection,the tendon tissue was collected and stained for histological examination and detection of matrix metalloproteinasa 1 expression.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Hematoxylin-eosin staining:the tendon fibers in the combinationgroup were intact and arranged orderly;in the tendon stem cell group,the tendon fibers were almost arranged orderly despite some fractured fibers;in the platelet-rich plasma group,fiber breakage and loose fiber structure were observed;in the model control group,there were no intact tendon fibers,with the presence of inflammatory cell filtration.(2) Masson staining:The tendon fibers in the combination group had slight wave-shaped changes but the fibers were not cut off;in the tendon stem cell group,the tendon fibers were slightly in disorder,but with the intact structure,and obvious inflammatory cell filtration was observed;in the platelet-rich plasma group,fiber breakage,reduced collagen fibers and inflammatory cell filtration were obviously observed;in the model control group,there were no intact tendon fibers,and inflammatory cell filtration was clearly visible.(3) The expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1:Compared with the blank control group,the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1 was significantly higher in the other groups except the combination group (P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference in the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1 between the combination group and blank control group (P ＞ 0.05).To conclude,the combination of platelet-rich plasma and tendon stem cells can inhibit the vicious cycle of degeneration of collagen and extracellular matrix,reduce the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1 in tenocytes,and delay inflammation responses and degeneration due to tendinopathy.

OBJECTIVETo explore the application value of morphology assessment of sperm from fresh semen in routine in vitro fertilization (IVF).

METHODSWe analyzed the morphology of the sperm from fresh or optimized semen samples and, based on the sperm morphology of the raw semen, allocated 908 IVF cycles due to the pure tubal factor to different groups: morphologically normal sperm (MNS) ≤ 4%, > 4% - ≤ 15%, and > 15% in Trial 1 and MNS ≤ 1%, > 1% - ≤ 2%, > 2% - ≤ 3%, and > 3%-- ≤ 4% in Trial 2. We compared the rates of fertilization, cleavage, high-quality embryo, -blastocyst formation, and pregnancy among different groups.

RESULTSThe total fertilization rate was significantly lower in the MNS ≤ 4% than in the MNS > 4% - ≤ 15% and >15% groups (74.40% vs 78.61% and 80.03%, P < 0.01). Compared with the MNS ≤ 1%, > 1% - ≤ 2%, and > 2% - ≤ 3% groups, the MNS > 3% - ≤ 4% group showed remarkably increased rates of 2PN normal fertilization (77.23%, 78.97% and 78.99% vs 85.47%, P < 0.01), cleavage (95.71%, 96.01% and 97.27% vs 98.73%, P < 0.05), and blastocyst formation (53.85%, 49.01% and 49.55% vs 63.41%, P < 0.01). No statistically significant differences were observed in the rates of clinical pregnancy, implantation, early abortion, live birth, or malformation at birth among different groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMNS ≤ 4% affected the total rate of fertilization while MNS ≤ 3% reduced the rate of normal fertilization in IVF. However, even MNS ≤ 1% did not result in fertilization disorder or failure. Therefore, teratozoospermia alone was not an indicator of ICSI and sperm mor- phology assessment had no obvious value for predicting the rates of embryo quality, clinical pregnancy, and live birth in IVF.

Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Spermatozoa ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of microelement including Cu and Zn on the accumulation of three danshinones in Salviae miltiorrhizae root and build a theory basis for its good quality and high yield.

METHODSand culture experiments were conducted to study the effect of Cu and Zn on the accumulation of three danshinones and oxidase including peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity in the plant root. The correlation between available Cu and Zn contents in matrix and oxidase activity in the plant root and, the correlation between available Cu and Zn contents in matrix and contents of tanshinones in the root were discussed.

RESULTContents of danshinones in the root increased with the increasing of Cu and Zn concentration. Dynamic monitoring on contents of dan-shinones of the plant roots growing in the pots with different Cu and Zn concentration in the whole growing season showed that the contents of danshinones for 60 days were the lowest, for 120 days the highest and then dropped for 150 days. In addition, among available Cu and Zn contents of matrix, oxidase including peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity and contents of tanshinones in the root,the correlation between two factors were significant difference (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe mechanism of Cu and Zn on the accumulation of danshinones may be that Cu and Zn improve the activity of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase, which promote transformation of phenolic compounds to terpenes and therefore to increase contents of danshinones.

Catechol Oxidase ; metabolism ; Copper ; metabolism ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; metabolism ; Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Phenanthrenes ; metabolism ; Plant Proteins ; metabolism ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Zinc ; metabolism

Bronchoalveolar lavage is an important animal experimental technique in the study of respiratory system and its pathological changes. It can acquire a variety of biochemical factors, inflammatory mediators and immune cells from the respiratory tract and lungs, and provides an important evaluation index and reference for animal experiment. Bronchoalveolar lavage is an effective and reliable method for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases. It has been gradually standardized and widely used in clinical practice at present, however, there is no set of standard for bronchoalveolar lavage in rats and mice. The results of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid are affected by many factors, such as the lavage fluid, suction pressure, the amount of lavage and recovery, and the retention time of lavage fluid in the lungs. Successful and efficient acquisition of lavage specimens is the key to the study and evaluation of respiratory diseases. This paper summarizes the current lavage methods commonly used by domestic and foreign researchers, and provides a reference for further research in the this field.

Grounding technique is very important to ensure the human safety, imaging devices' safety and the devices' reliable running. This paper expatriates the principles of the grounding safety, interference rejection earth, and the grounding modes and the mode selection for each imaging devices and equipments, and related grounding requirements.
Equipment Safety ; methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; instrumentation

Objective To investigate the effect of quantitative ultrasound bone mineral density test on the screening of osteoporosis in patients with knee osteoarthritis and to explore the relationship between knee osteoar-thritis and osteoporosis. Methods 160 patients with knee osteoarthritis were divided into 4 groups:Ⅰ,Ⅱ,ⅢandⅣby Kellgren-Lawrence and measured height,weight,age,quantitative ultrasound bone mineral density and dual energy X-ray bone density.We compared the T values measured by quantitative ultrasound bone mineral density test and dual energy X-ray bone density,assessed the accuracy of quantitative ultrasound bone mineral density test for osteoporosis,and investigated the correlation between the value of quantitative ultrasound bone mineral density and knee osteoarthritis in different grades. Results Quantitative ultrasound bone mineral density was positively correlated with dual energy X-ray bone density(r = 0.751,P < 0.05). The AUC of diagnosis of osteoporosis by quantitative ultrasound bone mineral density test with T<-2.5 was 0.774,95% CI was 0.676 and 0.791,specificity was 96.7%,sensitivity was 85.7% and Youden index was 82.4%.With an increase in the grades of Kellgren-Law-rence,the knee osteoarthritis gradually worsened.The T values of quantitative ultrasound bone mineral density and dual energy X-ray bone density increased gradually in negative direction,and the difference was statistically signifi-cant(P<0.001).Conclusions Quantitative ultrasound bone mineral density test has good specificity and sensi-tivity and can be used to screen patients with knee osteoarthritis. The more severe the knee osteoarthritis is,the easier to develop osteoporosis.

Objective To explore the genetic interactions between angiotensin-convertingenzyme (ACE) I/D and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T genotypes in middlecerebral artery stenosis (MCAS) among the asymptomatic residents in Foshan area of China. MethodsUsing a cluster sampling method, 2500 subjects were randomly selected from the residential communitiesof Rongqi town of Foshan area, Guangdong Province. By means of epidemiological questionnaire survey,physical examination, examination of the biochemical markers and transcraniai color Doppler (TCD), 897eligible subjects (306 males and 591 females) were selected from this population and subsequentlydivided into MCAS group and control group according to the TCD results. ACE and METHFR genepolymorphism analyses were conducted using amplified fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chainreaction (AFLP-PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Chi-square test, t test, Mann-Whitney test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. ResultsGender, age, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and Ⅱ+CC genotype distribution in the subjects with MCAS weresignificantly different from those in the control subjects. Logistic regression analysis identified age andACE Ⅱ+ MTHFR CC genotype as the independent factors that affected MCAS. Conclusion There aregenetic interactions between ACE I/D and MTHFR C677T genotypes, and the ACE Ⅱ+MTHFR CCgenotype is an independent genetic factor for protection against MCAS in the asymptomatic residents inFoshan area of China.

Objective To investigate the effects and cost of four formulations of niclosamide ethanolamine salt in Oncomela-nia hupensis snail control in the field in marshland and lake regions,so as to provide the evidence for drawing up the plan of mol-luscicide using in schistosomiasis endemic areas. Methods One drainage channel and one channel without water in the same area with snails in Jiangling County,Jingzhou City were selected as the research fields. The drainage channel was divided into 9 sections,except one section as a blank control group where the natural death rate of snails was observed only,and the remaining 8 sections were taken as the observation groups,where different dosages of 4％niclosamide ethanolamine salt powder,5％ni-closamide ethanolamine salt granules,25％ niclosamide ethanolamine salt suspending agent,26％ metaldehyde and ni-closamide ethanolamine salt suspending agent,and 50％niclosamide ethanolamine salt wettable powder were used re-spectively. The channel without water were divided into 4 sections,except one section as a blank control group,the oth-er 3 segments were taken as the observation groups,where 4％niclosamide ethanolamine salt powder,5％niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules,and 50％ niclosamide ethanolamine salt wettable powder were used respectively. Before and after spraying molluscicide for 7 days and 15 days,the system sampling method was used to observe the effects of snail control. Meanwhile,the unit cost method was used to calculate the costs of the different mulluscicide formulations abovementioned in unit area(1 m2). Results In the field at the drainage channel,the snail mortality rates of the groups spraying 4％niclosamide ethanolamine salt powder(50 g/m2),5％niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules(40 g/m2),25％ niclosamide ethanolamine suspending agent,26％ metaldehyde and niclosamide ethanolamine salt sus-pending agent,and 50％niclosamide ethanolamine salt wettable powder(2 g/m2 and 4 g/m2)for 7 days were 79.52％-97.87％,while the rates after spraying for 15 days were 71.00％-96.30％,and compared with those before spraying, the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.01). For the groups spraying with 2 g/m2 or 4 g/m2 suspending agent as well as wettable powder for 7 days,the snail mortality rates were significantly different(both P<0.05). In the field at the channel without water,the snail mortality rates of the 3 observation groups after spraying molluscicide for 7 days were 97.14％-100％,while for 15 days were 94.32％-100％,and compared with the rates before spraying,all the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.01). The unit costs per 1 m2 of the molluscicide abovementioned were ranged from 0.280 Yuan to 0.416 Yuan. Conclusions In marshland area inside embankment,the molluscicide formulations of the powder and granule are suitable for the environments without water or with instability water level , while the molluscicide formulations of the suspended agents and wettable powder are suitable for the water environment. Though the unit cost of powder is the lowest,the molluscicide in this formulation flies away seriously.