?Corneal collagen cross-linking ( CXL ) could increase the mechanical strength, biological stability and halt ectasia progression due to covalent bond formed by photochemical reaction between ultraviolet - A and emulsion of riboflavin between collagen fibers in corneal stroma. Corneal melting is an autoimmune related noninfectious corneal ulcer. The mechanism of corneal melting, major treatment, the basic fundamental of ultraviolet- A riboflavin induced CXL and the clinical researches status and experiment in CXL were summarized in the study.

Objective To evaluate the influence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on maternal and perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical features of both twin and singleton pregnancies, which delivered in Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013. The twin pregnancies were divided into two groups:those with (GDM-T, n=51) and without GDM (non-GDM-T, n=130), which were matched by maternal age and delivery time (within one month) in a ratio of 1∶2 among singleton pregnancies with (GDM-S, n=102) and without GDM (non-GDM-S, n=102), respectively. The differences of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes among these four groups were examined. The overall assessment of pregnancy outcomes was completed using Delphi method. Statistical analysis was performed with one-way analysis of variance, t test, Kruskal-Wallis test, rank test, Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Results (1) When compared to GDM-S and non-GDM-S group respectively, less women conceived with the help of assisted reproductive technology, higher proportion of women underwent and gestational age at delivery tend to be earlier in GDM-T and non-GDM-T group (all P<0.01). In oral glucose tolerance test,the fasting blood glucose level of GDM-T group was higher than the other three groups (F=21.716, P<0.01), the glucose levels at 1 and 2 h were higher than non-GDM-T and non-GDM-s respectively (both P<0.01), but no significant difference was found when compared with GDM-S group (P>0.01). Similarly, no significant difference was found in prenatal glycosylated hemoglobin value between GDM-T and GDM-S group (P>0.01). (2) There was no significant difference in the incidences of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, anemia, premature rupture of membranes, oligohydramnios, placental abruption, postpartum hemorrhage, asphyxia neonatorum, small for gestational age, hypoglycemia of newborn, hyperbilirubinemia of newborn and perinatal death between GDM-T group and the other three groups(all P>0.01). Higher incidences of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and postpartum hemorrhage were shown in the GDM-T group than in the GDM-S and non-GDM-S groups, respectively (both P<0.01). The incidences of preterm birth in GDM-T and non-GDM-T group were both higher than that in GDM-S and non-GDM-S, respectively [54.9%(66/102), 53.8%(140/260), 5.0%(10/102) and 3.0%(6/102), all P<0.01], while no significant difference was found between GDM-T and non-GDM-T group (P>0.01). (3) The overall assessment of pregnancy outcomes did not show any difference between GDM-T group and the other three groups (χ2=6.707, P>0.01). However, the score for fetal outcomes in the GDM-T group was higher than in the GDM-S and non-GDM-S group, but lower than in non-GDM-T group [M(Q)=1.0(2.3), 0.0(3.0), 0.0(0.0), 1.0(2.8) score, χ2=122.818, P<0.01]. Conclusions GDM does not increase the risk of adverse pregnant outcomes in twin pregnancies.

Recently traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-induced liver injury has been an unresolved critical issue which impacts TCM clinical safety. The premise and key step to reduce or avoid drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is to identify the drug source of liver injury in early stage. Then the timely withdrawal of drug and treatment can be done. However, the current diagnosis of DILI is primarily governed by exclusive method relying on administering history supplied by patients and experience judgment from doctors, which lacks objective and reliable diagnostic indices. It is obvious that diagnosis of TCM-induced liver injury is especially difficult due to the complicated composition of TCM medication, as well the frequent combination of Chinese and Western drugs in clinic. In this paper, we proposed construction of research pattern and method for objective identification of TCM-related DILI based on translational toxicology, which utilizes clinical specimen to find specific biomarkers and characteristic blood-entering constituents, as well the clinical biochemistry and liver biopsy. With integration of diagnosis marker database, bibliographic database, medical record database and clinical specimen database, an integrative diagnosis database for TCM-related DILI can be established, which would make a transformation of clinical identification pattern for TCM-induced liver injury from subjective and exclusive to objective and index-supporting mode. This would be helpful to improve rational uses of TCM and promote sustainable development of TCM industry.
Animals ; Biomarkers, Pharmacological ; metabolism ; Biopsy ; methods ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver ; drug effects ; pathology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; adverse effects ; Rats

Spinal biomechanics, especially the range of spine motion,has close connection with spinal surgery. The change of the range of motion (ROM) is an important indicator of diseases and injuries of spine, and the essential evaluating standards of effect of surgeries and therapies to spine. The analysis of ROM can be dated to the time of the invention of X-ray and even that before it. With the development of science and technology as well as the optimization of various types of calculation methods, diverse measuring methods have emerged, from imaging methods to non-imaging methods, from two-dimensional to three-dimensional, from measuring directly on the X-ray films to calculating automatically by computer. Analysis of ROM has made great progress, but there are some older methods cannot meet the needs of the times and disappear, some classical methods such as X-ray still have vitality. Combining different methods, three dimensions and more vivo spine research are the trend of analysis of ROM. And more and more researchers began to focus on vivo spine research. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of the methods utilized recently are presented through viewing recent literatures, providing reference and help for the movement analysis of spine.
Animals ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; instrumentation ; methods ; trends ; Radiography ; Spine ; diagnostic imaging

Background Researches demonstrated that ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) can enhance survival and promote differentiation of neutron.Meanwhile,CNTF also is thought to play an important role in the development of visual pathway.But,less studies are reported in the relationship of CNTF and form deprivation amblyopia.Objective This study was to investigate the expressions of CNTF in visual cortex area 17 in form deprivation amblyopia model.Methods Twelve 4-week-old cats were randomized into normal group and form deprivation amblyopia group.Monocular form deprivation amblyopic models were established in 6 cats by eyelids suture method.Pattern visual evoked potential(P-VEP) was recorded to evaluate the amblyopic models 16 weeks later following the eyelids suturing.Then,bilateral visual cortex tissue was incised at a vertical in sagittal axis fashion to prepare the section.Nissl staining was used to detect the morphologies of neurons.Expression of CNTF in Ⅰ-Ⅵ layers of visual cortex area 17 was located and quantified by immunochemistry.The positive cell number and gray scale for CNTF were calculated and compared between two groups.The use of the animals complied with Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Coucerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Commission.Results Compared with the normal group,P-VEP amplitude was significantly reduced (6.11 ±1.56 μV vs.11.42±t.92 μV) and latency was significantly prolonged(75.77±9.83 ms vs.58.56±7.17 ms) in the form deprivation amblyopia group (t=5.272,3.464,P＜0.05).Nissl staining showed that the number of neurons in the form deprivation amblyopia group was less than that in the normal group.In the form deprivation amblyopia group,neurons became shrinkage and turned round,cytoplasmic processes get shortened,and the nucleus became small.The number of Nissl bodies was decreased.lmmunochemistry showed the positive neutrons for CNTF in Ⅰ-Ⅵ layers of visual cortex area 17 in hoth normal cats and model cats with the more positive cells in Ⅱ-Ⅳ layers.Compared with the normal group,the positive cell number for CNTF was significantly reduced in Ⅱ-Ⅳ layers of visual cortex area 17 in the form deprivation amblyopia group (Ⅱ layer:95.93±8.24 vs.116.25±6.52;I layer:102.65±7.45 vs.125.23±8.21;Ⅳ layer:l10.65±6.85 vs.139.54±4.26) (t=4.737,4.989,8.773,P＜0.05).In addition,the gray scale of CNTF positive cells was significantly lower in Ⅱ-Ⅳ layers of visual cortex area 17 in the form deprivation amblyopia group than that the normal group (Ⅱ layer:106.98 ± 8.86 vs.138.65 ± 6.38 ; Ⅲ layer:109.56 ± 8.69 vs.149.59 ±8.55;Ⅳ layer:l16.65 ±9.52 vs.155.76±9.87) (t=7.105,8.043,6.986,P＜0.05).Both CNTF positive cell number and gray scale in Ⅰ,Ⅴ,Ⅵ layers of visual cortex area 17 had no significant differences between two groups (P＞0.05).Conclusions Form deprivation in critical period of a new born animal may lead to distributing abnormality of CNTF in visual cortex,which maybe play a role in the development of form deprived amblyopia.

BackgroundCorneal neovascularization (CNV) is a common eye disease.The researches on the pathogenesis and treatment of CNV are focus in Ophthalmology.ObjectiveThis study was to investigate the effects of culture supernatant from human amniotic epithelial cells (AECs) on CNV in vitro and its mechanism.MethodsHuman AECs were obtained from a placenta and cultured in serum-free medium for 48 hours,and the supernatant was collected.The levels of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1 Ra) and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) in the human AECs culture supernatant were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Rabbit corneal epithelial cells (CECs) were obtained and cultured in different concentrations of human AECs culture supernatant for 48 hours,serum-free medium was used as the control group.The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) mRNA in rabbit CECs were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR).Human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (UVECs) were cultured in the three mediums above,and the proliferation of human UVECs (absorbance value,A value) was tested by the cell counting kit 8 ( CCK8 ).Migration assay was performed by the wound healing method for the human UVECs.The membrane ultra-structure of human UVECs was examined under the atomic force microscope (AFM).ResultsCultured and passaged human AECs showed a positive response for keratin.The expression of VEGF mRNA (1.00±0.22) and bFGF mRNA (1.00±0.36) in rabbit CECs was suppressed by the human AECs culture supernatant,with a significant reduction in comparison with the serum-free DMEM group (2.98±0.46,2.55±0.48 )(P=0.001,0.002).The A value was significantly lowered in the human AECs culture group for 72 hours compared with the serum-free DMEM group ( 1.941 ± 0.036 versus 2.144 ± 0.059 ) ( P =0.000 ),and the bFGF-induced migration rate of human UVECs was strongly inhibited by the culture supernatant of human AECs in comparison with serum-free DMEM.The plasma membrane of human UVECs cultured with the human AECs culture supernatant was full of bumps,and decreased intercellular connection and cellular pseudopodia were found on the AFM image.The concentration of IL-1Ra was (153.56±0.36)ng/L and that of PEDF was (70.41 ±0.68 )μ,g/L in the human AECs culture supernatant.Nothing was deteched in serum-free DMEM group.Conclusions Human AECs culture supernatant suppressed the expression of VEGF and bFGF in CECs as well as the migration and proliferation of vascular endothelial cells.The effect may be associated with IL-1Ra and PEDF secreted by human AECs.These results suggest that human AECs may be a potential therapy for the inhibition of CNV.

HBeAg is an ungranular secretory protein,which encoded by C gene of HBV DNA and it increases with the replication of HBV. So it is one of the markers of active replication of HBV in clinical diagnosis. HBeAg is important biologic raw materials which is widely used in preparation of related diagnostic articles with HBV infection serological detection. The technology of expression and purification of recombinant HBeAg is quite mature,which had successfully expressed the target protein in various expression systems. The key factors on HBeAg expression include important site mutation in precore region ,the choice of vectors,effects of RNA interference(RNAi)and so on. Therefore,in order to meet requirements of related diagnostic products,it need to improve expression level and purity of recombinant HBeAg and avoid cross-reaction with HBcAg. In a word,it showed that acquisition of high quality recombinant HBeAg could lay substantial foundation for improving diagnostic products,provide a reliable evidence for exploiting new type of therapeutic and preventive HBV vaccine and offer possibility of HBeAb detection methodological optimization.

Background Mitomycin C (MMC) has an inhibitory effect on the growth and proliferation of human pterygium fibroblasts,however,there is little literature about its influence on plasma membrane. Objective This study was to investigate the influence of MMC on the physical and chemical features and ultrastructures of plasma membrane. Methods Human pterygium tissues were obtained during the surgery.Human pterygium fibroblasts were primarily cultured and passaged using explant cultured method and identified by Vimentin staining.The third generation of cells were incubated to 96 well plate at a density of 5 × 103 cells/well,and 0,50,100,200,300 and 400 mg/L MMC was added in the culture well respectively to act for 12 hours.Cell viability was assayed using cell counting kit-8 ( CCK-8 ),and cellular apoptosis was detected using annexin V-FICT/PI.The changes of cell membrane structure were examined under an atomic force microscope.Malondialdehyde( MDA ) content in cell supernatant and level of lactate dehydrogenase ( LDH ) in extracellular fluid were detected to assess the lipid peroxidation level and permeability of cell membrane.Intracellular Ca2+ changes and membrane surface topography were assessed by Fluo-3/AM mark and flow cytometry( FCM ).This study was approved by Ethic Commission of Affiliated First Hospital of Jinan University.Informed consent was obtained from each patient. Results A lot of cells grew with the shape of spindle 1-2 weeks after culture.Positive response was seen in cultured cells for Vimentin.Growth and proliferation of the cells reduced 12 hours after action of MMC with the increase of MMC concentrations.The apoptosis rate of human pterygium fibroblasts was 4.2％,4.2％,5.4％,19.3％ and 25.8％ in 0,50,100,200 and 300 mg/L MMC groups respectively.Different degrees of abnormalities of cells membrane were found in various concentrations of MMC groups.The elevated contents of LDH and MDA in extracellular fluid were detected in various concentrations of MMC groups compared with the control group,and the LDH and MDA levels were gradually ascended as the increase of MMC concentrations,with a significant difference between any two groups(P＜0.05).The disturbance of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis was also been seen after MMC acted. Conclusions MMC leads to the changes of physical and chemical features in human pterygium fibroblasts at a dose-dependent manner.Cell membrane may be the acting target of MMC.

Adult ; Bone Plates ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Fractures, Open ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of cryptotanshinone on androgen synthesis for the prenatally androgenized male rats.

METHODSOn days 16-18 of pregnancy, rats were injected s. c. with testosterone propionas continuously for 3 days; male offspring were studied as subject. Serum concentrations of testosterone (T), 17a-hydroxy progesterone (17-OHP), blood glucose, and insulin were measured by radioimmunoassay. Then, the rats were treated with cryptotanshinone by gavage for 14 days, and the levels of serum T, 17-OHP and insulin were detected and the 17a-hydroxylase protein expression in interstitial cell was measured using the method of immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThere was no difference between the male groups who were prenatally androgenized in serum levels of T, but the 17-OHP, fasting insulin levels and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) elevated significantly (P < 0.05). Cryptotanshinone could lower the levels of 17-OHP (P < 0.05) but had no effect on 17a-hydroxylase.

CONCLUSIONPrenatally androgenized male rats exhibit elevated 17-OHP and diminished insulin sensitivity. Cryptotanshinone could decrease 17-OHP, but has no effect on insulin, indicating it may reduce androgen synthesis.

Androgens ; biosynthesis ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Phenanthrenes ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar