Objective To investigate cyclic mechanical stimulation on expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in osteoblast-like cells (MG63) and to explore the rote of MAPK involved in the process.Methods Expressions of CTGF protein and mRNA in MG63 cells were detected by Western blot and RT-PCR,respectively. Phosphorylation levels of p38, ERK, JNK were examined by Western blot. Results Cyclic mechanical stimulation upregulated expressions of CTGF protein and mRNA. The levels reached a maximal response of 2-3 fold after 3-6 h. ERK and JNK signal pathways were activated by cyclic mechanical stimulation, the phosphorylated proteins increased within 10 min of stretch, phosphorylated ERK reached maximal levels by 60 min of stretch, phosphorylated JNK reached maximal levels by 15-30 min of stretch, but not for p38 signal pathway.Only the inhibitior of JNK signal pathway (SP600125) markedly suppressed stretch-induced CTGF expression,meanwhile the inhibitors of ERK (PD98059) and p38 (SB203580) did not show such effect. Conclusion Cyclic mechanical stimulation upregulates CTGF expression via JNK-dependent pathway in MG63 cells.

AIMTo observe the responses of pain-related neurons in habenula to the nociceptive stimuli and classic analgesic morphine for inquiring into its characteristics of pain.

METHODSThe experiment was proceeded with adult rats under light anesthetized. Through the cannula inserted by operation or the multielectrode injecting the morphine, naloxone, CCK-8 and etc into lateral cerebro-ventricule or habenula, the unit firings from the neurons of habenula were recorded.

RESULTSThe unit firings were recorded from pain-related neurons distributed in MHb or LHb. The pain-related neurons could be differentiated into pain excitatory or pain inhibitory neurons. After the morphine iontophoresed, the main response of the pain excitatory neurons was inhibited, the pain inhibitory neurons were excited. The naloxone iontophoresed could antagonize the analgesic effect of morphine on neurons of habenula. After the morphine injected (10 mg/kg, i. p) into morphine-tolerated rats, the analgesic efficacy of pain-related neurons in LHb was more stronger than in MHb. It showed that the neurons in LHb were suffered from morphine was higher than MHb. After injection of antagonist of CCK-8 into lateral cerebro-ventricle, morphine injected peritoneally could weaken the tolerance level of morphine. Conversely, after injection of morphine (10 mg/kg, i. p.) 10 min, second time injection of CCK-8 (15 ng/10 microl) into lateral cerebro-ventricle could antagonize the analgesic action of morphine on the neurons in LHb, but in MHb the antagonized action was not obviously.

CONCLUSIONThe excitatory and inhibitory neurons in Hb were sensitive to the nociceptive stimuli and not easy to adapt to it. The sensitivity of the neurons in LHb to morphine was more higher than the neurons in MHb.

Animals ; Habenula ; cytology ; drug effects ; Morphine ; pharmacology ; Naloxone ; pharmacology ; Neurons ; drug effects ; physiology ; Pain Threshold ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sincalide ; pharmacology

AIMTo explore the types of receptors distributed in MHb and LHb.

METHODSRecording the currents of potassium channels in Hb neurons isolated from the rats 10-15 days after birth. To distinguish the types of receptors distributed in MHb and LHb by using the agonists of mu receptor DAMGO, and sigma receptor DPDPE.

RESULTSTwo types of current of K+ channels were recorded, the transient rectifier and delayed rectifier potassium channels. DAMGO or DPDPE increased the intensity of current of K+ channels.

CONCLUSIONIn MHb there was a higher density of sigma receptor, and in LHb a higher density of mu receptor distributed.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Habenula ; metabolism ; Neural Pathways ; Neurons ; metabolism ; Potassium Channels ; metabolism ; Rats ; Receptors, Opioid ; metabolism

Objective To investigate clinical efficacy and prognostic factors of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.Methods The retrospective case-control study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 322 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma who were admitted to the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between December 2005 and November 2015 were collected.Preoperative staging and classification of tumor and treatment planning were carried out according to the results of laboratory and imaging examinations.Observation indexes:(1) clinical features and results of assisted examinations;(2) treatments and results of pathological examination;(3) followup and survival;(4) prognostic factors analysis:gender,age,preoperative highest total bilirubin (TBil),preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA),preoperative CA19-9,preoperative CA242,preoperative CA125,treatment methods and TNM staging.The follow-up of outpatient examination and telephone interview was perfornmed to detect patients' survival up to November 2016.Survival curve was drawn using the Kaplan-Meier method.Survival and univariate analyses were done using the Log-rank test,and multivariate analysis was done using the Cox proportional hazard model.Results (1) Clinical features and results of assisted examinations:among the 322 patients,there were 301 patients with a chief complaint of jaundice.Of the 322 patients,the preoperative highest levels of TBil,DBil,ALT and AST in 322 patients were 3.9-785.2 μmol/L,1.6-410.2 μ mol/L,14.8-484.5 U/L and 21.4-539.8 U/L,respectively.Levels of ALP and GGT in 272 patients were 93.8-1 890.0 U/L and 2.0-1 832.8 U/L,respectively.Seventy-seven of 292 patients had an elevated CEA level,272 of 298 patients had an elevated CA19-9 level,153 of 260 patients had an elevated CA242 level and 86 of 260 patients had an elevated CA125 level.According to Bismuth-Corlette type,24 patients were detected in type Ⅰ,115 in type Ⅱ,55 in type Ⅲa,63 in type Ⅲb and 65 in type Ⅳ.(2) Treatments and results of pathological examination:Of the 322 patients,104 patients underwent radical resection,including 79 with hilar bile duct resection (9 combined with vascular resection and reconstruction) and 25 with extended hepatic lobectomy (16 combined with caudate lobectomy),and 218 patients underwent palliative treatments,including 134 with external biliary drainage and 84 with internal biliary drainage.Five patients were dead in the perioperative period,of which 2 died of acute liver failure,1 died of systemic infection and multiple organ failure,1 died of acute renal failure and 1 died of acute suppurative cholangitis,septic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation.Of 263 patients receiving pathological examination,adenocarcinoma was detected in 253 patients (12 with high-differentiated adenocarcinoma,85 with moderate-differentiated adenocarcinoma,33 with low-differentiated adenocarcinoma and 123 with indefinite differentiation),mucinous adenocarcinoma in 5 patients,cholangiocarcinoma in 3 patients and neuroendocrine carcinoma in 2 patients.TNM staging of 322 patients:stage Ⅰ was detected in 8 patients,stage Ⅱ in 53 patients,stage Ⅲ in 132 patients,stage Ⅳ in 96 patients and indefinite stage in 33 patients.(3) Follow up and survival:among the 322 patients,296 were followed up for 12-132 months,with a median follow-up time of 65 months,including 94 with radical resection and 202 with palliative treatments.Among the 296 patients,the median survival time and 1-,3-,5-year survival rates were 10 months,47.1％,20.2％ and 9.5％,respectively.0f296 patients with follow-up,median survival time and 1-,3-,5-year survival rates were 31 months,84.0％,46.2％,25.0％ in 94 patients receiving radical resection and 7 months,29.9％,8.1％ and 2.3％ in 202 patients receiving palliative treatment,respectively,with a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (x2=78.777,P＜ 0.05).Among the 94 patients receiving follow-up and radical resection,the median survival time and 1-,3-,5-year survival rates were 31 months,82.1％,45.1％,25.7％ in 73 patients undergoing hilar bile duct resection and 35 months,90.5％,49.8％,22.1％ in 21 patients undergoing hepatic lobectomy,respectively,with no statistically significant difference (x2=0.186,P＞0.05).Among the 73 patients undergoing hilar bile duct resection,median survival time and 1-,3-,5-year survival rates were 16 months,57.1％,0,0 in 7 patients combined with vascular resection and reconstruction and 34 months,84.6％,49.5％,27.5％ in 66 patients undergoing simplex hilar bile duct resection,respectively,showing a statistically significant difference (x2 =11.977,P＜ 0.05).(4) Prognostic factors analysis:results of univariate analysis showed that preoperative highest TBil,preoperative CEA,preoperative CA242,preoperative CA125,treatment methods and TNM staging were related factors affecting prognosis of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (x2=25.009,18.671,9.359,33.628,94.729,77.136,P＜0.05).Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative highest TBil ≥ 342.0 μmol/L,preoperative CEA ≥ 5.00 μg/L,palliative treatments,TNM stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ were the independent risk factors affecting the poor prognosis of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HR =2.270,2.147,3.166,2.351,95％ confidence interval:1.587-3.247,1.446-3.188,2.117-4.734,1.489-3.712,P＜0.05).Conclusions Prognosis of hilar cholangiocarcinoma is still unsatisfactory.The R0 resection is the key in radical surgery.Preoperative highest TBil≥342.0 μmol/L,preoperative CEA ≥ 5.00 μg/L,palliative treatments,TNM stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ are independent risk factors affecting the poor prognosis of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Objective To understand the status quo of health resource allocation of medical institutions in poverty-stricken areas, and to provide decision-making basis for rationalizing health and poverty alleviation policies and improving the overall service capacity of medical institutions in poverty-stricken areas. Me thods The overall institutions, bed capacity and staffs in medical institutions in 680 poor counties were analyzed. Re s ults The proportion of government health expenditure in 14 concentrated areas was lower than 15％. The largest number of health institutions was 349 in the Dabie Mountains and 70 in Tibet, and the number of beds was lower than the national average level of 5.11.The largest number of health technical staff for 1 000 people of the four provinces is 4.42 people, the smallest number is 2.72 in Wumeng mountain area;the registered nurses (number) for 1 000 people is up to 1.56 people in the Luo Xia mountain area, the lowest Tibet, only 0.39 people. Thousands of population practice (assistant) physician number of Tibetans is up to 2.98 people, the lowest is 1.07 for the Xinjiang Southern Xinjiang three states; health care than the lowest in Tibet 1:0.54. Conclus ion At present, China's centralized contiguous poverty-stricken areas of county-level medical institutions is extremely short of resources, and the health resource allocation is uneven.

Abstract：Objective To develop a colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip ⁃ based method for the rapid detection of Zika virus（ZIKV）NS1 antigen. Methods The gold nanoparticles modified with the anti⁃ZIKV NS1 monoclonal antibody as the detection probe were coated on the glass ⁃fiber pad. The anti ⁃ZIKV NS1 monoclonal antibody and the goat anti ⁃mouse polyclonal antibody were immobilized on a nitrocellulose membrane as the test line and the control line，respectively. In order to achieve critical results，the ratio of the optical density （OD）of the test line to that of the control line was compared. Serial diluted ZIKV NS1 standard antigen was applied to evaluate sensitivity of the immunoassay. The culture supernatant and serum samples for arboviruses（ZIKV，Dengue virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and Chikungunya virus） were utilized to demonstrate the specificity of the method. Results The detection result could read by naked eyes within 20 minutes. The visual cut ⁃off level for the test strip was achieved at 100 ng/mL of the Zika virus NS1 standard antigen. No cross⁃reactions with Dengue virus，Japanese encephalitis virus and Chikungunya virus were observed. The strip could remain good stability within 36 weeks whether stored in 4 ℃ or room temperature（22-25 ℃）. Conclusion Apart from stability， the method was convenient，rapid and specific for ZIKV NS1 antigen，which showed a promising potential in the point of care test and the screening test.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the diagnostic value of F-18-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for the recurrent or residual nasopharyngeal carcinomas in the skull base area.

METHODSNine post-irradiation nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients did FDG-PET scanning, CT/MRI imaging and underwent nasopharynx and skull base-biopsy under endoscopy. The results of FDG-PET were evaluated and compared with CT/MRI studies and biopsies.

RESULTSIn 9 cases of post-irradiation nasopharyngeal carcinoma, CT/MRI detected 7 recurrent cases and 2 suspected recurrent cases in occipital bone and clivus. All 9 cases had accumulated FDG in nasopharynx and cranial base. A definite diagnosis was made by biopsy, 3 cases were confirmed recurrence, and others 6 cases were proved mucous chronic inflammation and (or) osteoradionecrosis. The accuracy of FDG-PET was 33.3% (3/9), and the false positive rate was 66.7% (6/9).

CONCLUSIONSDiagnosis of recurrent or residual nasopharyngeal carcinomas in the skull base area with FDG-PET had high false-positive rate, final diagnosis must depend on histopathologic examination under endoscopy.

Adult ; Aged ; False Positive Reactions ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; methods ; Skull Base ; diagnostic imaging

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of oral administration of low-dose propranolol on heart rate variability (HRV), acceleration capacity (AC), deceleration capacity (DC), and cardiac conduction in the treatment of infantile hemangioma.

METHODSA total of 118 infants with hemangioma (≤1 year) were enrolled, and 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography was performed before oral administration of low-dose propranolol and after one month of administration. The changes in time-domain indices [standard deviation of all normal sinus RR intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of all mean 5-minute RR intervals (SDANN), root mean squared successive difference (RMSSD), and percentage of successive normal sinus RR intervals >50 ms (PNN50)] and frequency-domain indices [low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF)] for HRV, AC, and DC were observed, as well as abnormalities in cardiac conduction and other aspects after administration of propranolol.

RESULTSAfter administration of propranolol, the infants had significantly increased SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF, and PNN50 (P<0.01), and significantly reduced AC, mean heart rate (HR) and minimum HR (P<0.01). The 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic findings showed a nonsignificantly higher abnormal rate after administration of propranolol.

CONCLUSIONSIn the treatment of infantile hemangioma, propranolol can inhibit the activity of sympathetic nerve and block cardiac conduction, but without any serious adverse effect.

Administration, Oral ; Electrocardiography ; drug effects ; Female ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Hemangioma ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Propranolol ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of nasal cavity expansion surgery on the abnormal blood supply of the cerebral arterial system.

METHODSFifty-nine inpatients with abnormal blood supply of cerebral arterial system confirmed by transcranial doppler (TCD) and chronic nasal obstructive diseases were included in this study. All patients accepted nasal cavity expansion surgery and were followed-up with TCD every month after operation until TCD became normal, or up to seven months even if the TCD was still abnormal. SPSS 17.0 software was used to analyze the data.

RESULTSIn all 59 patients, there were 164 TCD-abnormal cerebral arteries. Among them, 37 patients(62.71%) with abnormal TCD arteries became normal within 1 to 7 months after operation, 8 patients (13.56 %) got better, but 14 patients (23.73 %) did not improve.

CONCLUSIONSAbnormal blood flow of some cerebral arteries was possibly induced by increasing the activation of sympathetic nervous system around the vertebral arterial system, caused by chronic nasal obstruction. Nasal dilatancy surgery can improve the blood supplement of the cerebral arterial system.

Blood Flow Velocity ; Cerebral Arteries ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Humans ; Nasal Cavity ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial

OBJECTIVETo establish the 3T3 mouse fibroblast neutral red uptake (NRU-PT) phototoxicity test method, and evaluate the practicality of the method in detecting potential phototoxicity of the cosmetic products.

METHODSFifteen phototoxic and 9 non-phototoxic chemicals were tested in our laboratories, the phototoxic potential of the test chemicals was evaluated in a prediction model in which either the photo irritation factor (PIF) or the mean photo effect (MPE) was compared with the coherence and sensitivity of the method. 20 kinds of functional cosmetics were detected and the results were analyzed by the 3T3 NRU-PT in vitro and Guinea pig skin phototoxicity test (in vivo).

RESULTSBoth PIF and MPE of the chemicals were highly reproduced, and the correlation between in vitro and in vivo data was almost perfect. All the non-phototoxic provided a negative result, while 14 of the 15 phototoxic tested chemicals gave clear positive results. For cosmetics, the correlation between in vitro and in vivo data was consistent.

CONCLUSIONThe 3T3 NRU PT test was established successfully, it should be used as a good alternative method for assessing the phototoxic potential of the chemicals and cosmetics in China.

3T3 Cells ; drug effects ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cosmetics ; toxicity ; Dermatitis, Phototoxic ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; Guinea Pigs ; Mice ; Toxicity Tests