Adult ; Bone Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Giant Cell Tumor of Bone ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Patella

Connexin43 has been shown to play a pivotal role in wound healing process. Wound repair is enhanced by acute downregulation of connexin43, by increasing proliferation and migration of keratinocyte and fibroblast. Angiogenesis is also a central feature of wound repair, but little is known about the effects of connexin43 modulation on functions of endothelial cells. We used connexin43 specific small interference RNA (siRNA) to reduce the expression of connexin43 in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC), and investigated the effects of connexin43 downregulation on intercellular communication, viability, proliferation, migration and angiogenic activity of HUVEC. Treatment of siRNA markedly reduced the expression of connexin43 by -80% in HUVEC (P < 0.05), and decreased the intercellular communication by -65% (P < 0.05). The viability, proliferation, migration and angiogenic activity of HUVEC decreased significantly (P < 0.05), compared with that of the normal cells. The results suggest that temporally downregulation of connexin43 expression at early stage of wound to inhibit the abnormal angiogenesis characterized with leaky and inflamed blood vessels, maybe a prerequisite for coordinated normal healing process.
Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Umbilical Veins ; cytology ; Wound Healing

Genuine medicinal materials with special characteristics of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is recognized as high quality medicine. Both ancient records and modern research considered that the origin is an important reason for the formation of genuine medicinal materials. However, blindly transplanting of genuine medicinal materials has led to the quality decline and counterfeit medicines appeared in production or sale progress, which may increase the risk of accidents in TCM. Frequent accidents emerged in Chinese herbal affects its export. What's more, it is a great threat to the medication safety in TCM clinical. There is an urgent need to implement traceability systems of TCM, which could provide convenient information record and traceability of TCM circulation. This paper reviews a variety of technical methods for genuine medicinal materials traceability, and proposed the establishment of genuine medicinal materials traceability system based on two-dimensional code and network database.
Databases, Factual ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; economics ; standards ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Field avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) designated as JS/9 5/03, which was isolated from Jiangsu province of china, was cultivated in chicken emb ryo. It's single strain RNA was extracted from purified virus and worked as temp late of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a pair of pri mer designed according to megalign results of published IBV sequences in Genbank was used to amplify the neucleocapsid gene, the RT-PCR product was sequenced d irectly. Sequence analysis revealed that the sequence of JS/95/03 is most homolo gized with that of M41 strain.

AIMTo establish the methods for determining the activity of sphingosine kinase(SPK) and the content of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) in biological samples.

METHODSThe ECV304 cells were transfected with pcDNA3 vector encoding Flag-labeled SPK gene. The expression of SPK was measured by Western blot assay and the activity of SPK was determined by enzymatic reaction, isotope incorporation and thin-layer chromatography methods. The S1P in biological samples was extracted, digested by alkaline phosphatase and then catalyzed by SPK. The S1P contents were determined according to the amounts of products.

RESULTSSPK gene transfection could enhance the expression and activity of SPK in cells markedly, and the cellular S1P was also increased obviously. HGF stimulation could increase the activity of SPK and cellular S1P in ECV304 cells.

CONCLUSIONMethods for determining the activity of SPK and the content of SPK in biological samples were established.

Cell Line ; Cytophotometry ; Humans ; Isotope Labeling ; Lysophospholipids ; metabolism ; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) ; metabolism ; Sphingosine ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism

Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Heart Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liposarcoma, Myxoid ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Myxoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Myxosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Pericardium ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Vimentin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical application of reversed small saphenous vein-sural neurovascular island flap for reconstruction of soft tissue defect on foot and ankle in children.

METHODSFrom July 2006 to June 2008, 8 children with soft tissue defects on foot, heel or ankle were treated with reversed small saphenous vein-sural neurovascular island flaps. The size of flaps ranged from 6 cm x 5 cm to 9 cm x 7 cm. The upper margin of the flaps reached the upper third of cruris, with 1 case reaching the transverse line of popliteal fossa.

RESULTSAll the flaps survived. The patients were followed up for 1 - 17 months with good aesthetic and functional results. The growth of the two legs had no difference. The sensation of the flaps improved with no heel ulcer and no dysfunction at the donor site. The upper boundary of flaps can reach the upper third of the cruris even the reansverse line of popliteal fossa. The rotation point of the flaps located at 4 - 6 cm above the lateral ankle in children.

CONCLUSIONSThe reversed small saphenous vein-sural neurovascular island flap in children has a reliable survival area. The operation is easily performed without any obvious influence on the growth of the operated cruris. It is a good reconstructive method for soft tissue defect in foot and ankle.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Foot Injuries ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Skin Transplantation ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; surgery ; Surgical Flaps ; blood supply ; innervation

The purpose of study was to investigate the feasibility of the application of cationic propyl gallate (C-PG) as inducer of platelet aggregation for evaluating the platelet function of single-donor plateletpheresis and identifying the incidence of defective platelet function among donors. Experiments were as follows: 3 healthy volunteers' platelet aggregation induced by 100-300 micromol/L C-PG was determined by LG-PABER analyzer to observe the effect of C-PG concentration on platelet aggregation; 30 healthy volunteers' platelet aggregation before and 24 hours after administration of 200-400 mg acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) was examined after induction by 200 micromol/L C-PG for determining the cut-off value to discriminate platelet dysfunction donors; the platelet aggregation of 483 platelet donors was detected and the activated plasma clotting time (APCT) of donors who have deficiency in platelet aggregation was examined for investigating the incidence of defective platelet function among donors. The results showed that platelets were activated by C-PG induction in a dose dependent manner, when concentration of C-PG reached 200 micromol/L, the percentage of platelet aggregation was highest. It significantly decreased after 24 hours with ASA than that before the administration (P < 0.001), especially in 180 seconds induced by C-PG. If cut-off point was fixed on the platelet aggregation < 20% in 180 seconds, donors of platelet dysfunction can be selected effectively. 25 of defective platelet aggregation function among 483 donors were detected, and 11 out of 25 platelet dysfunction donors had the deficiency in procoagulant activity with prolonged APCT. It is concluded that C-PG as inducer of platelet aggregation is feasible to screen the platelet function of donors. Five percent of platelet donors has function defect examined by C-PG as inducer of platelet aggregation.
Antioxidants ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Aspirin ; administration & dosage ; Blood Donors ; Blood Platelets ; cytology ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cations ; chemistry ; Humans ; Platelet Activation ; drug effects ; Platelet Aggregation ; drug effects ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; administration & dosage ; Platelet Function Tests ; Platelet Transfusion ; Propyl Gallate ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Whole Blood Coagulation Time

OBJECTIVETo observe the effectiveness of MEBO in the treatment of burn patients with burn area over 50% TBSA.

METHODSTwo hundred and ninety-eight patients hospitalized in our hospital from May of 1991 to December of 2003 with burn area over 50% TBSA, who had MEBO treatment before hospitalization, were enrolled in the study as the experiment (E) group. Another group of 300 burn patients with burn area over 50% TBSA that treated with SD-Ag cream were enrolled in the study as the control (C) group. Bacterial culture results, major changes in injury and mortality were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThere were 1 506 bacteria strains isolated from wounds in E group, and 9 main changes in injury (1679 cases) occurred with 20.8% mortality in this group. There were 353 bacteria strains isolated, with occurrence of 9 changes in injury (518 cases) and 4.7% mortality in the SD-Ag group.

CONCLUSIONMEBO is much less effective for the treatment of the burn patients with large burn area compared with SD-Ag cream treatment.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Bacteria ; isolation & purification ; Bandages ; Burns ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Injury Severity Score ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Silver Sulfadiazine ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Wound Healing

BACKGROUNDSerum expression of cytokines may provide information about the clinical outcome of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum cytokine levels and the clinical outcome of erlotinib treatment in a second or third line setting in patients with advanced NSCLC.

METHODSA total of 162 patients with advanced NSCLC who received erlotinib as either second or third line therapy were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were collected before the initiation of erlotinib treatment, and the levels of IL-1, IL- 2R, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cutoff points were defined as the median levels of IL-1 (low (≥26.5 pg/ml) and high (>26.5 pg/ml)), IL-2R (low ( = 115 pmol/L) and high (>15 pmol/L)), IL-6 (low (≤49.5 pg/ml) and high (>49.5 pg/ml)), and TNF-α (low (≤48.5 pg/ml) and high (>48.5 pg/ml)). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate the survival time, and Cox regression analyses were used to correlate cytokines and baseline clinical characteristics with clinical outcomes, including time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTSBetween January 2007 and May 2011, 162 patients were enrolled. Their median age was 58 years. In this group, 109 were males and 53 were females, 74 were former or current smokers and 88 were non-smokers. A total of 122 patients had adenocarcinoma, 27 had squamous cell carcinoma, and 13 had tumors with other types of histology. And 139 patients had an Eastern cooperative oncology group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1, while 23 scored at 2-3. Expression of IL-1, IL-2R, and IL-6 was not significantly associated with age, gender, ECOG performance status, smoking status, or histology and stage of tumor. Only TNF-α was associated with smoking status (P = 0.045). Survival analysis showed that patients with low levels of either IL-6 or TNF-α had a statistically longer TTP and OS than patients with high expression (P < 0.05). These cytokines remained significant upon multivariate analysis (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIL-6 or TNF-α may serve as potential predictive biomarker for the efficacy of erlotinib.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; blood ; drug therapy ; Cytokines ; blood ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Quinazolines ; therapeutic use