Circulating cell-free nucleic acids are defined as extracellular DNAs or RNAs in blood with physiological or pathological origins. Previous studies showed that the concentration of cell-free nucleic acids in the blood of cancer patients is significantly higher than in healthy people. Further studies showed that the genetic and epigenetic alterations of circulating cell-free nucleic acids are relevant to cancer development and progression, including mutation, hypermethylation, loss of heterozygosity, change of integrity, and abnormal expression of microRNAs. Detection of circulating cell-free nucleic acids shows promising potential in cancer screening, diagnosis, personalized treatment, and prognosis.

Along with the application and development of the assisted reproductive technology in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer,the emergence of frozen embryos in the law,medicine,and ethics area are gradually increased.Two-child policy makes more older couples choose assisted reproductive technology,which will cause more disputes about frozen embryos.There is no unified conclusion of the legal status of human embryos,and there exists three main views of embryos namely property,person and intermediate state.Defined the legal status of frozen embryos as ethical substance,this paper analyzed the main position and possible legal and ethical issues involved in the disposal of frozen embryos through three typical cases.

A few of patients with lumbar disk herniation having a separation of clinical symptoms and signs and imaging features, can be found in clinic, but the traditional theory of direct mechanical compression of nerve roots by herniated nucleus pulposus can't be used to explain this abnormal protrusion of lumbar intervertebral disc. The clinical symptoms and signs of the atypical lumbar disk herniation are affected by multiple factors. The indirect mechanical compression and distraction effect of spinal nerve roots may play an important role in the occurrence of the separation, and the appearance of abnormal clinical symptoms and signs is closely related to the migration of herniated nucleus pulposus tissue, transmission of injury information in the nervous system, and the complex interactions among the nucleus pulposus, dural sac and nerve roots. Moreover,the changes of microcirculation and inflammation secondary to the herniated nucleus pulposus tissue, the hyperosteogeny in the corresponding segment of the lumbar vertebrae and the posture changes all results in a diversity of symptoms and signs in patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. Besides, there exist congenital variation of lumbosacral nerve roots and vertebral bodies in some patients, and the misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis of imaging finding may occur in some cases. However, the appearance of a separation of clinical symptoms and signs and imaging examination in patients may be caused by a variety of reasons in clinic. The exact mechanism involved in the interaction among nucleus pulposus tissue, dural sac and nerve root, secondary changes of pathophysiology and biomechanics around the nucleus pulposus, the determination of lesioned responsible segments, and how to overcome the limitations of imaging all need the further researches.
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; complications ; diagnosis ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Nerve Compression Syndromes ; etiology

It is now clear that both endogenous and exogenous sources of nitric oxide(NO) exert important modulatory effects on cardiac mitochondrial function.There is also growing evidence that NO can be produced within the mitochondria themselves.NO can influence respiratory activity,both through direct effects on the respiratory chain or indirectly via modulation of mitochondrial calcium accumulation.At pathological concentrations,NO causes irreversible alterations in respiratory function and also interacts with reactive oxygen species(ROS) to form reactive nitrogen species(RNS),which may further impair mitochondrial respiration and even lead to open the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and induce cell death.Diabetes,aging,myocardial ischemia,and heart failure are all associated with altered ROS generation,which can alter the delicate regulatory balance of effects of NO in the mitochondria.

Aged ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; complications

Objective To investigate the early influences of laser photocoagulation on macular retinal thickness in diabetic retinopathy(DR). Methods Optic coherence tomography examination was performed in 30 eyes with DR(phase Ⅲ~Ⅳ) before, and on the 3rd day and the 7th day after photocoagulation respectively. The thickness of neuroretina and pigment epithelium were measured in the areas of fovea macula and 750 ?m from fovea macula. Results Three days after photocoagulation, significant thickening of neuroretina was observed in the fovea macula, which is positively related with age, fasting blood sugar and duration of DR. There was no significant changes in the thickness of pigment epithelium in macula and in the thickness of neuroretina 750 ?m from fovea macula. Conclusion Significant thickening of neuroretina in fovea macula in DR early after photocoagulation reveals progressed macular edema induced by photocoagulation which is positively related with age, fasting blood sugar and duration of DR.

OBJECTIVEThis study aims to investigate the expression of connexin 43 (cx43) gene during early development in zebra fish and provide a foundation for further research of cx43 gene in tooth development.

METHODSTotal RNA was extracted within 72 h after fertilization of zebra fish embryos and then reversed transcribed to generate the cDNA library. The specific fragments of the cx43 gene were then cloned and connected to the PGEMT vector. After confirming the constructed plasmid, the corresponding RNA polymerase was chosen, and the digoxin-labeled anti-sense mRNA probe of cx43 was synthesized in vitro. The cx43 gene expression of zebra fish indifferent stages was carried out by in situ hybridization. The relationship of the cx43 gene expression and anatomy of the pharyngeal teeth were compared by alizarin red staining.

RESULTSThe mRNA antisense probe of cx43 was acquired. The positive signal of sepia was observed in the different stages of zebra fish pharyngeal teeth after fertilization. After fertilization for 9 days, the expression site of cx43 in situ hybridization was overlapped in accordance with the anatomical site of the pharyngeal teeth.

CONCLUSIONcx43 gene participates in tooth development and mineralization process and plays a crucial role in later mineralization.

Animals ; Connexin 43 ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Vectors ; In Situ Hybridization ; Odontogenesis ; Plasmids ; RNA, Messenger ; Tooth ; Zebrafish

OBJECTIVETo investigate the mechanism of retinoic acid (RA) signal in dental evolution, RA is used to explore the influence of the mechanism on neural crest's migration during the early stage of zebra fish embryos.

METHODSWe divided embryos of wild type and transgenic line zebra fish into three groups. 1 x 10(-7) to 6 x 10(-7) mol x L(-1) RA and 1 x 10(-7) mo x L(-1) 4-diethylaminobenzaldehyde (DEAB) were added into egg water at 24 hpf for 9 h. Dimethyl sulfoxid (DMSO) with the concentration was used as control group. Then, antisense probes of dlx2a, dlx2b, and barxl were formulated to perform whole-mount in situ hybridization to check the expressions of the genes in 48 hpf to 72 hpf embryos. We observed fluorescence of transgenic line in 4 dpf embryos.

RESULTSWe obtained three mRNA probes successfully. Compared with DMSO control group, a low concentration (1 x 10(-7) mol x L(-1)) of RA could up-regulate the expression of mRNA (barx1, dlx2a) in neural crest. Obvious migration trend was observed toward the pharyngeal arch in which teeth adhered. Transgenic fish had spreading fluorescence tendency in pharyngeal arch. However, a high concentration (4 x 10(-7) mol x L(-1)) of RA malformed the embryos and killed them after treatment. One third of the embryos of middle concentration (3 x 10(-7) mo x L(-1)) exhibited delayed development. DEAB resulted in neural crest dysplasia. The expression of barxl and dlx2a were suppressed, and the appearance of dlx2b in tooth was delayed.

CONCLUSIONRA signal pathway can regulate the progenitors of tooth by controlling the growth of the neural crest and manipulating tooth development

Animals ; Branchial Region ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Embryo, Nonmammalian ; drug effects ; embryology ; metabolism ; In Situ Hybridization ; Neural Crest ; drug effects ; Odontogenesis ; Signal Transduction ; Tooth ; drug effects ; embryology ; metabolism ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology ; Zebrafish ; embryology ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective:To construct an adenovirus vector harboring human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) cDNA and investigate the expression of bFGF in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro. Methods: The adenovirus expression vector Ad5-bFGF was constructed by homologous recombination technique. The best value of MOI was tested by transfecting human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with Ad5-GFP. Ad5-bFGF was used to transfect HUVEC at the obtained value of MOI and the expression of bFGF protein was detected by immunocytochemistry method and Western blotting. Results: The best value of MOI for adenovirus 5 to transfect HUVEC was 200 and the transfection rate was 90%. Immunocytochemistry method and Western blotting showed that bFGF was expressed in HUVEC after transfection with Ad5-bFGF and the expression was significantly higher than that in untransfected HUVEC (P

A method was evaluated for determination of twenty-one doping (including nandrolone, boldenone and methandienone) in human urine by gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. Samples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction, concentrated, TMS derivatization and limit of detection at ng x mL(-1) by MID/GC/HRMS. According to the code of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), precision and recoveries of the procedure were evaluated by replicate analysis (n = 6), the recoveries in the range of 66%-103%, with the RSD below 10.0%. The precision within the day of the method with three different concentrations was also determined RSD were less than 9.5%, 10.0% and 9.7%.