OBJECTIVETo study the influence of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation on hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) in rats.

METHODSSD rats MSCs were separated, cultivated, identified and labeled by the green fluorescence protein (GFP) gene virus and transplanted in vitro. Healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: Normal control group (NC group) and HPH group (eight rats respectively), HPH+ MSCs transplantation group and HPH+ VEGF+ MSCs transplantation group (twenty-four respectively). The test employed atmospheric intermittent low oxygen method to establish the rat model of pulmonary hypertension and stem cells were transferred and transplanted. The rats' mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) was observed; right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) was calculated; the morphological change of lung small artery in various groups of rats was observed under the microscope; the distribution of lung small artery and adenovirus transfection fluorescently labeled MSCs was observed under a fluorescent microscope after 7, 14 and 28 days when stem cell was transplanted.

RESULTSFor NC group, the mPAP (mmHg) was 15.5 +/- 1.5 after twenty-eight days while the mPAPs for HPH , MSCs and MSCs+ VEGF were 26.1 +/- 1.9, 21.6 +/- 2.7 and 20.1 +/- 2.9 respectively which were apparently higher than that of NC group (P < 0.01) and compared with HPH group (P < 0.01), which declined clearly. There was no significant difference between MSCs and MSCs+ VEGF. After twenty-eight days, RVHI for NC group was 0.28 +/- 0.02 while the RVHI for HPH, MSCs and MSCs + VEGF were 0.43 +/- 0.07, 0.34 +/- 0.03 and 0.35 +/- 0.01 respectively which was apparently higher than that of NC group (P < 0.01) but which was clearly lower than that of MSCs and MSCs+ VEGF (P < 0.05) and there was no significant difference between MSCs and MSCs + VEGF. For HPH group, pulmonary arteriole wall became apparently thicker, the lumen became significantly narrow and nearly obstructed after twenty-eight days, the endothelial cells were incomplete; compared with HPH group, pulmonary arteriole wall of MSCs group became thin, the lumen was smooth and the completeness of endothelial cells was improved. Whereas for MSCs and MSCs + VEGF, these changes were not significantly clear.

CONCLUSIONAfter MSCs transplantation, mPAP and RVHI decline sharply and lung small artery remodeling is improved which partially reverses HPH process; there is no significant difference between VEGF together with MSCs transplantation group and pure MSCs.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; etiology ; metabolism ; surgery ; Hypoxia ; complications ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; pharmacology

Biopsy ; Guideline Adherence ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphoma ; classification ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; World Health Organization

Cerebral Palsy ; complications ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Epilepsy ; etiology ; Humans

AlM: To compare the results of 4 methods for measuring angle of exodeviation in the three types of intermittent exotropia, including when looking at indoor distance target of 6m, looking at indoor distance target of 30m, looking at outdoor far distance target, after 1h diagnostic occlusion test.
METHODS: Prospective case series study. Sixty-five patients with intermittent exotropia between June 2013 and June 2014 were enrolled in the Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital to Qingdao University, included 37 males and 28 females with average age ( 12. 5 ± 6. 2 ) years. All the patients were measured when looking at indoor distance target of 6m, looking at indoor distance target of 30m, looking at outdoor far distance target, after 1h diagnostic occlusion test. lntermittent exotropia was divided into basic type, convergence insufficiency type and divergence excess type, which was based on the different result of between the distance and near measurements. The One-way test was applied to analyze the four methods of measuring angle of exodeviation in the three types of intermittent exotropia. LSD - t test was applied to compare the differences between each two methods in each type.
RESULTS: The distance exodeviations tested with looking at indoor distance target of 6m, looking at indoor distance target of 30m , looking at outdoor far distance target, after 1h diagnostic occlusion test were basic type (45. 4 ± 21. 0, 55. 0 ± 15. 0, 64. 68 ± 17. 7, 68. 75 ± 16. 6PD), convergence insufficiency type (33. 3 ± 14. 0, 44. 9 ± 12. 9, 43. 6±11. 8, 54. 6±11. 2PD), divergence excess type (55. 6± 17.4, 66.3±18.8, 76.9±16.4, 78.1±15.6PD). There were obviously differences between each two methods in each type ( basic type F = 9. 649, P = 0. 00; convergence insufficiency type F=6. 886, P=0. 001; divergence excess type F = 7. 989, P = 0. 00 ). Compared with looking at indoor distance target of 30m, looking at outdoor far distance target ( basic type P=0. 044, divergence excess type P = 0. 048 ) and after 1h diagnostic occlusion test (basic type P=0. 04, divergence excess type P=0. 027) had the statistical difference in the basic type and divergence excess type, and there was no obviously difference between looking at outdoor far distance target and after 1h diagnostic occlusion test ( basic type P=0. 353, divergence excess type P=0. 815). Compared with the other three measurements, 1h diagnostic occlusion test can elicit larger angle of deviation in the convergence insufficiency type.
CONCLUSlON: Both measurement with looking at outdoor far distance target and after 1h diagnostic occlusion test can elicit the larger angle of deviation in the basic type and divergence excess type; The measurement with after 1 hour diagnostic occlusion test can elicit the larger angle of deviation in the convergence insufficiency type.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Sijunzi decoction (SJZD) on malondialdehyde (MDA) content and telomerase activity in heart, liver and brain tissues of D-galactose (D-gal) induced aging model mice.

METHODSD-gal aging mice model was established by cervicodorsal region subcutaneous injection with 10% D-gal once a day for six successive months. The model mice in the low-, middle- and high-dose SJZD treated groups were treated with SJZD in a dose of 6 g/kg, 12 g/kg, 24 g/kg per day respectively in the volume of 0.2 ml/10 g for 6 successive weeks. While the mice in the normal control group (NCG, non-modeled) and the model control group (MCG, modeled but untreated) were treated with distilled water instead. The MDA content and telomerase activity in heart, liver and brain tissues of mice was measured with TBA colorimetric method and PCR-ELISA respectively.

RESULTSIn MCG, the MDA content in heart, liver and brain tissues was significantly higher (P < 0.01), and the telomerase activity in liver and heart tissues was significantly lower (P < 0.01) but that in brain tissue was insignificant different to that in NCG (P > 0.05) respectively. As compared with MCG, the MDA content was significantly lower in the three SJZD treated group (P < 0.01). In comparison of telomerase activity between MCG and SJZD treated groups, it was shown that in heart tissue, there was an increased trend of the activity in the low-dose and middle-dose group, but with statistical insignificance (P > 0.05), but it did show a significant increase in the high-dose group (P < 0.05); in liver tissue no significant difference was shown between the three SJZD treated groups and MCG (P > 0.05); as for that in brain tissue, significant increase only shown in the high-dose group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSJZD can antagonize free radical injury, decrease the MDA content of heart, liver and brain in D-gal aging mice, and increase the telomerase activity in heart and brain tissues but with no effect on that in liver tissue.

Aging ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Galactose ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mice ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Telomerase ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDImage-guided core-needle biopsy as a minimally invasive procedure has partially replaced excisional biopsy of the lymph node. However, it is still a great challenge to pathologists. The aim of this study was to survey and evaluate the accuracy of pathological diagnosis using the ultrasonography (US)-guided core-needle biopsy (CNB) of the lymph node.

METHODSLymph node CNBs of 1119 consecutive patients from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Biopsies were performed following outpatient procedures with direct US guiding by using 18-gauge cutting needle. The tissues of CNB were prepared according to the routine paraffin embedding and hematoxylin-eosin staining. Ancillary studies, including acid-fast staining and immunohistochemical staining, were performed when necessary.

RESULTSThe age range was 1 year old to 85 years old. Locations of the lymph node were as follows: cervical area (n = 482), clavicular region (n = 227), retroperitoneum (n = 150), axilla (n = 93), groin (n = 79), abdomen/mesentery (n = 44), submaxillary region (n = 33), postauricular region (n = 4), iliac fosa (n = 3), parotid (n = 2), hepatic hilar region (n = 1), and elbow (n = 1). The histological diagnoses were conclusive in 815 cases (73%) and inconclusive in 304 cases (27%). The conclusive cases mainly included metastatic carcinoma (n = 449), tuberculosis (n = 111), lymphoma/leukemia (n = 124), reactive hyperplasia (n = 87), and other rare diseases (n = 44). The reasons for inconclusive cases were insufficient material for diagnosis, noncompliance of outpatients, or crushing artifacts of tissues caused by operation.

CONCLUSIONSUS-guided CNB can obtain lymphoid tissues from nearly all parts of the body for diagnostic purposes. Conclusive pathological diagnosis can be made in most of cases when adequate material was provided. Besides metastatic carcinoma, lymphomas with special immunophenotype can be accurately diagnosed and subclassified by US-guided CNB.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy, Needle ; methods ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Lymph Nodes ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms ; pathology ; Ultrasonography

Bupleurum ; chemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Saponins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

The present study aims to investigate the kinetic histocytochemical changes of acupoints in different condition. The expression of tryptase (+) mast cells, histamine (HA) , serotonin (5-HT) and nociceptive neuropeptides including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) were observed by immunohistochemistry combined with confocal technology. Mast cells were labeled with anti-mast cell tryptase antibody and simultaneously with HA or 5-HT primary antibodies to observe their co-expression. The results showed that: (1) SP and CGRP were expressed more highly on the cutaneous nerve fibers of "Hegu" (LI 4) after acupuncture stimulation than that of the control. Mast cells aggregated in close proximity to the blood vessels in intra-epidermis and dermis, and some of them with degranulation in the lower dermis and subcutaneous tissue of "Hegu" (LI 4). Both mast cells and their granules appeared with HA (+) and 5-HT (+) expression at stimulated LI 4 sites, while a few intact mast cells with a little expression of 5-HT and HA were distributed in areas of non-stimulated Ll 4. (2) The acupoints in different locations such as Baihui (GV 20), Weishu (BL 21), Zhongwan (CV 12) and LI 4 had the same constituent but the contents were different. (3) The histocytochemical responses of acupoints sensitized by the Gastric mucosa injury (GMI) were also investigated. GMI resulted in neurogenic plasma extravasation by Evans Blue (EB) in the skin of the acupoints over the back and abdomen, which mostly occurred in the T9-T11 dermatomere. The EB extravasation dots just like acupoints sensitization appeared after GMI and disappeared gradually during the natural self-recovery of the gastric mucosa. More SP and CGRP positive nerve fibers were distributed in EB dots than in regions beside EB dots and in the control, mostly distributed in the nerve fibers around both the vessels and root of hair follicle. Mast cells also aggregated and degranulated to release algogenic substances of 5-HT and HA around the vessels in areas of the EB dots. Collectively the acupoints displayed the same histocytochemical responses due to either acupuncture stimulation or GMI. This may potentially be the histocytochemical basis in the local acupoints and acupoints displayed kinetic changes in different condition.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; metabolism ; Gastric Mucosa ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Histocytochemistry ; Humans ; Mast Cells ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Mice ; Rats ; Serotonin ; metabolism ; Skin ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Substance P ; metabolism

This article discussed ZHU Lian's contributions to acupuncture-moxibustion scientific research from three aspects: building the scientific thought of "new acupuncture-moxibustion", constructing the first domestic acupuncture-moxibustion institution and opening the door to modern acupuncture-moxibustion scientific research. ZHU Lian's visionary thought of "new acupuncture-moxibustion" has influenced the following researchers till now. She established the acupuncture-Moxibustion therapeutic institute affiliated to the Ministry of Health, set up the acupuncture-Moxibustion research platforms and teams and made research cooperation. She firstly carried out acupuncture-Moxibustion clinical and basic scientific research, which started the acupuncture-Moxi- bustion scientific research in China. ZHU Lian is the Pioneer of Chinese acupuncture-Moxibustion scientific research.
Acupuncture ; education ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; China ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; history

This study is to evaluate the effects of Shenmai injection on the temporal alterations of action potential (AP), early afterdepolarization (EAD) and delayed afterdepolarization (DAD) in papillary muscles. The action potentials were recorded by a glass electrode. APD at 90% repolarization (APD9 ) was measured, and spontaneous EAD and DAD were observed. The results show APD90 was significantly prolonged in model group compared with sham-operated group, whereas it was remained unchanged in Shenmai injec- tion treatment group and amiodarone group. The spontaneous EADs and DADs were frequently visible in model group. In conclusion, EAD, DAD and trigger activities increase gradually during pathological progression of rat cardiac hypertrophy, and Shenmai injection could improve the action potential change in rat cardiac hypertrophy.
Action Potentials ; drug effects ; Animals ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Cardiomegaly ; physiopathology ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Heart Ventricles ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Injections ; Male ; Papillary Muscles ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley