Animals ; Cardiac Electrophysiology ; Heart Atria ; innervation ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Vagus Nerve ; physiology

Alleles ; Gene Amplification ; Genome ; Genotype ; HLA-A Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-B Antigens ; genetics ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods

BackgroundRetinitis pigmentosa (RP)is a group of progressive monogenic inheritance disease.Seldom epidemiology is performed to summarize the varied clinical phenotypes,especially some sporadic cases with untypical genetic history.ObjectiveThe aim of this survey was to investigate the clinical epidemiological characteristics and phenotype of sporadic RP.MethodsA prospective cohort study was designed.A survey of a series of clinically diagnosed sporadic primary RP patients was conducted at the Southwest Eye Hospital from July 2010 to November 2011.A total of 130 patients that matched the inclusion criteria were enrolled in this survey.Clinical ocular examinations and questionnaire surveys were given,including ophthalmoscopic examination,best corrective visual acuity( BCVA ),perimetry and Ganzfield electroretinogram (ERG)and color fundus photo.RP with different phenotypes were classified. ResultsA total of 130 sporadic RP patients were collected in this survey.Of them,66 were male and 64 were female with a mean age of (36.9±14.4) years.The average onset age of these subjects was (21.2±18.4) years.Seven (5.38％) patients had consanguineous marriage history,and 13 ( 10.00％ )patients had systemic disease.Forty-four (33.85％) patients had outdoor jobs,and 86 (66.15％ ) worked indoor.Eighty-nine patients had typical RP ( 68.5％ ),and the number of patients that developed central RP and sine pigmento RP were 16 ( 12.3％ ) and 16( 12.3％ ),respectively.An absence of a- and b-waves in full-field ERG wasdetected in 99 (76.15％ ) cases.The longest duration of night blindness was identified in typical RP patients and the lowest BCVA in central RP patients.ConclusionsThe age at first onset is early in sporadic RP.There are wide variations in different types of RP,but the ERG outcome is specific for all RP types.

Adult ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 ; Down Syndrome ; diagnosis ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Maternal Age ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, High-Risk ; Preimplantation Diagnosis

OBJECTIVE: To explore the growing development and community succession of main sarcosaphagous insects on pig carcasses in summer indoor and outdoor environment in Shenzhen area and to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI). METHODS: From early May to August in 2013, in Forensic Medical Examination Center of Shenzhen Public Security Bureau, the main insect species and the decomposition process were observed in two adult pig carcasses of simulative indoor and outdoor environment. The different decomposition stages and the community succession of insects were recorded. RESULTS: The indoor and outdoor pig carcasses showed skeleton 412.5 and 325 hours after death, respectively. The main species of flies on pig carcasses were Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya rufifacies and Chrysomya chani. The main species of beetles were Crecphilus maxillosus, Necrobia ruficollis, Saprinus splendens and Dermestes maculatu. The dominant species of flies in the outdoor pig carcasses obviously produced the second generations due to the effect of mass rainfall, nor in the indoor pig carcasses. CONCLUSION There are regular patterns on the community succession of insects on pig carcasses in summer indoor and outdoor environment in Shenzhen area. The activity patterns of seven typical insects and their larva show important value for estimating PMI.
Animals ; Autopsy ; Cadaver ; China ; Coleoptera ; Death ; Diptera ; Environment ; Insecta/growth & development* ; Larva ; Population Dynamics ; Postmortem Changes ; Seasons ; Swine

BACKGROUND:Magnesium can be degraded voluntarily in vivo, so a second surgery is avoided. However, its aloys have not been widely used in the clinical orthopedics because there is a lack of accurate and reliable methods to assess its degradationin vivo.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the degradation of micro-arc-oxidized AZ31 magnesium aloy in the femoral condyle of rabbits based on micro-CT images and relative data.
METHODS:Forty micro-arc-oxidized AZ31 magnesium aloys were implanted into the right femoral condyle of 40 New Zealand rabbits. Then 10 right femoral condyles were removed at 5, 10, 15 and 20 weeks after surgery, respectively, to quantitatively analyze and evaluate the degradation of AZ31 magnesium aloys by micro-CT images and relative data.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The surface of AZ31 aloys was corroded progressively with dark color and distorted appearance at 5-20 weeks post implantation. Micro-CT images showed that in the first 5 weeks, the degradation was inactive, and at the 10th week, it turned active; at the 15th week, the corrosion pits were obviously increased in number, and the corrosion area and corrosion speed were enlarged and fastened, respectively. Up to the 20th week, the aloy surfaces were ful of corrosion pits besides roughness and discontinuity. Relevant data analysis showed that the volume fraction of magnesium aloy was 98.6%, 97.1% and 86.4% at the 5th, 10th and 20th weeks after implantation, respectively, and it had a significant decrease from the 10th to 15th week and from the 15th to 20th week (P < 0.05). Within 15-20 weeks, the volume fraction of magnesium aloy was decreased by 6.5% that was the maximum volume reduction per unit cycle. With the progress of corrosion, the surface continuously became rough and vague, and its surface area was enlarged; the ratio of surface area to volume continuously increased, and there was a significant difference at 15 and 20 weeks (P < 0.05). Because of the increasing number of corrosion pits, the cross-sectional radius decreased, which was reflected by the trabecular thickness decreasing from 1.00 to 0.87 mm. From the view of the slope of curve, the trabecular thickness decreased most rapidly at 10-15 weeks. The mineral density of magnesium aloy continuously decreased from 649.302 to 356.445 mg/cm3 during the whole experiment period (P< 0.05). In addition, the micro-CT image density decreased from 679.710 to 644.947 mg/cm3, but there was no significant difference. To conclude, the degradation speed is peaked at 10-20 weeks after implantation, and the content of magnesium aloys decrease with degradation, but the magnesium density has no significant change.

OBJECTIVEThis study aims to investigate and compare the toxic effects of four types of metal oxide (ZnO, TiO(2), SiO(2,) and Al(2)O(3)) nanoparticles with similar primary size (∼20 nm) on human fetal lung fibroblasts (HFL1) in vitro.

METHODSThe HFL1 cells were exposed to the nanoparticles, and toxic effects were analyzed by using MTT assay, cellular morphology observation and Hoechst 33 258 staining.

RESULTSThe results show that the four types of metal oxide nanoparticles lead to cellular mitochondrial dysfunction, morphological modifications and apoptosis at the concentration range of 0.25-1.50 mg/mL and the toxic effects are obviously displayed in dose-dependent manner. ZnO is the most toxic nanomaterials followed by TiO(2), SiO(2), and Al(2)O(3) nanoparticles in a descending order.

CONCLUSIONThe results highlight the differential cytotoxicity associated with exposure to ZnO, TiO(2), SiO(2), and Al(2)O(3) nanoparticles, and suggest an extreme attention to safety utilization of these nanomaterials.

Aluminum Oxide ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Line ; Cell Shape ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; pathology ; Humans ; Lung ; drug effects ; embryology ; pathology ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Surface Properties ; Titanium ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Zinc Oxide ; toxicity

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rules that apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) changes with time and space in cerebral infarction, and to provide the evidence in defining the stage, guiding treatment or judging the prognosis in infarction. METHODS: Eighty-eight work-ups in 69 patients with cerebral infarction (8 hyperacute, 35 acute, 20 subacute, and 25 chronic infarctions) were imaged with both conventional MRI and diffusion weighted imaging. The average ADC, the average relative ADC (rADC), and the ADC or rADC from the center to the periphery of the lesion were calculated. RESULTS: The average ADC and the average rADC of hyperacute and acute infarction lesion depressed obviously. The average ADC and the average rADC of subacute infarction lesion were significantly higher than those of hyperacute and acute infarction lesion (P < 0.05), and some approached the values of uninjured side which appeared "pseudonormal values" at 10 to 14 days. The average ADC and the average rADC in chronic infarction lesion were the highest (P < 0.05). The longer the prognosis, the higher the average ADC and the average rADC of infarction lesion. The ADC and the rADC in 7 hyperacute and 26 acute lesions had gradient signs that these lesions increased from the center to the periphery. The ADC and the rADC in 15 subacute lesions had adverse gradient signs that these lesions decreased from the center to the periphery. CONCLUSION The ADC and the rADC of infarction lesions have evolution rules with time and space corresponding to the pathophysiological foundation. The evolution rules with time and those in space can be helpful to decide the clinical stage and pathophysiological phase of infarction, and to provide the evidence in guiding the treatment or judging the prognosis in infarction.
Aged ; Brain ; pathology ; Cerebral Infarction ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Time Factors

Objective To investigate the protective effects of diltiazem ( Dil) on damaged human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by an-giotensin Ⅱ( Ang -Ⅱ).Methods Human umbilical vein endothelial cells( HUVECs) were cultured in vitro ,with 1 ×10 -6 mol· L-1 Ang-Ⅱas an injury factor simulating the injury model.The cell viability was as-sessed using MTT metabolism assay .The apoptosis rate of HUVECs was detected by flow cytometry , The production of lactate dehydrogenase ( LDH) activity in cell supernatant was detected by colorimetry.The pro-tective effect of diltiazemon damaged HUVECs induced by Ang -Ⅱ was investigated.Results Compared with control group,Ang -Ⅱ(1 ×10-7, 1 ×10-6 , 1 ×10-5 mol · L-1 ) concentration -and time -dependently decrease the cell vitality and the apoptosis rate of HUVECs.Pretreatment with dilconcentration-dependently improved the cell vitality and the apoptosis rate of HUVECs.In addition, compared with the damaged group , diltiazem reduced LDH activity in the cell supernatant.Conclusion Diltiazem has protective effect on the damaged HUVECs induced by Ang -Ⅱ.

AIMTo design and synthesize a series of new taxoids with a 5-O-sidechain, and to test the multi-drug resistant reversal activity of these compound on KB/V200 cells which is 180 times more resistant to vincristine.

METHODSUsing Sinenxan A as a common synthetic starting material, three different types of 5-O-sidechain molecules were synthesized through different route. For type I compounds, 14-acetoxy of Sinenxan A was selectively removed by hydrolysis, xanthation and reduction with tributyltin; A C-10-oxo group was introduced by PCC oxidation; 5-O-acetyl group was selectively removed by potassium tert-butoxide and finally the side chain was introduced by acylating with the corresponding acid. For type II compounds, 5-O-sidechain was introduced to the 5-deacetyl Sinenxan A which was obtained by selective hydrolysis with tBuOK. For type III compounds, 9-acetoxy group was introduced, then 5-OH was left free by thorough hydrolysis and reacetylation. Acylation at 5-position, the final product was obtained. Structure of the compounds have been confirmed by FABMS and 2DNMR. The activity of the compounds in vitro was tested on KB/V200 resistant cell line using MTT method.

RESULTSNine compounds showed resistant reversal activity and enhancing the cytotoxicity of vicristine against KB/V200 cells. Compounds I2, I3, I4 restored the sensitivity of KB/V200 towards vicristine to a level of IC50 at 1 x 10(-8) mol.L-1 which is better than the positive control Verapamil.

CONCLUSIONThe drug resistant reversal activity of taxane derivatives can be affected by substitution at different positions and the length of side chains of Sinenxan A. It is worthy to be further studied.

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Drug Synergism ; Humans ; KB Cells ; drug effects ; Taxoids ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Vincristine ; pharmacology