Objective To study the differences in retinoic acid receptor γ(RARγ) mRNA expression levels in blood leukocytes between antipsychotic-free and antipsychotic-naive schizophrenic patients and healthy control,especially in different genders. Methods Forty-three acute schizophrenic patients who were antipsychotic-naive or antipsychotic-free for at least three months (male = 34, female = 9) and 39 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects (male =25 ,female = 14) were included for blood leukocytes expression of RAR γ mRNA ,using real-time PCR technique. Results Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z analysis showed a significant increase of RARγ mRNA (P =0.041) level in blood leukocytes of pooled schizophrenic patients(0. 027 ± 0. 003) than in the healthy subjects (0. 020 ± 0.002). The elevation was mainly found in the female patients (0. 030 ± 0.003). Within-sex analysis showed that the female schizophrenic patients showed a trend increase (P = 0. 166) of RAR γmRNA expression compared with the male patients (0. 026 ± 0. 001) and exhibited greater RARγ mRNA expression (P = 0. 014)when compared with the female healthy subjects(0. 018 ±0.004). Conclusions The present findings showed an abnormal expression of leukocyte RARγ mRNA level in antipsychotic-free and antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia especially in the female patients. Blood RARγ markers could add to the diagnosis and individualized pharmacotherapy of schizophrenic patients ,especially the female patients.

Objective To study the biodistribution of anti-HER-2/neu monoclonal antibody Herceptin labeled by 131I(131I-Herceptin) in healthy KM mice and nude mice bearing human ovarian cancer xenografts and radioimmunoimaging (RII) of the nude xenografts-bearing mice.Methods 131I-Herceptin was prepared using Iodogen method.The labeling efficiency, radiochemical purity, stability and immunocompetence were measured.The percentage activity of injection dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g) and the radioactivity ratio of tumor to non-tumor tissue (T/NT) were calculated for each time point.The optimal time for imaging was investigated by comparing the 131I-Herceptin SPECT for the nude mouse models bearing ovarian cancer xenografts at different time points.Results The labeling efficiency and radiochemical purity of 131I-Herceptin were 89.8% and 98.4%, respectively.The labeling was stable and had good immunocompetence.131 I-Herceptin was cleared rapidly mainly through liver, spleen and kidneys, consistent with first order two-compartment model.The uptake of 131I-Herceptin in the tumors bearing human SKOV-3 xenografts was much higher than that in nontumor tissue.The% ID/g was 18.08 in the tumor at 24 h post injection.The T/NT ratio increased with time and was 27.27 at 72 h post injection.The tumors in nude mice bearing SKOV-3 xenografts could be visualized on 131I-Herceptin SPECT imaging 2 h post injection; definitely identiffed 48 h post injection and the radioactivity ratio of tumor to contralateral tissue was 11.44 at 120 h post injection.However, the tumor in nude mice bearing HO-8910 xenografts did not show abnormal uptake of 131 I-Herceptin at each time point.Conclusions 131 I-Herceptin is a good radiopharmaceutical targeting SK-OV-3 xeuografts and it may be useful in imaging carcinoma of ovary and target therapy of its metastases with high HER-2/neu expression.

Objective To study the correlation between the coagulation factor Ⅶ (F Ⅶ) and progressive hemorrhage after brain contusion in mice and provide the experimental evidence for the clinical application of recombinant human FⅦa.Methods Twelve male BALB/c mice were given liposomeencapsulated FⅦsiRNA via tail vein at doses of 1,3,5 and 10 mg/kg with 3 mice per dosage.The other 3 mice received equivalent volume of normal saline as controls.Two days after the injection,mice blood sampling was used to detect FⅦ mRNA expression in liver using real-time PCR,level of plasma FⅦ using ELISA method,and activity of plasma FⅦ using chromogenic substrate assay.The optimal dose at which F Ⅶ expression was inhibited was determined.Thirty BALB/c male mice were assigned to two groups (n =15 per group) according to the random number table:FⅦ-suppressing group,mice were injected with FⅦsiRNA at the optimal dose and control group,mice were injected with same volume of negative control vector.The model of brain contusion was established in both groups.Volume of hemorrhage following brain contusion was measured at 3,24 and 72 h postinjury,and hematoma volume at 24 and 48 h postinjury.Results Liposome-encapsulated siRNA delivery down-regulated FⅦ expression in the mouse liver.Level and activity of plasma FⅦ were also reduced significantly.The optimal siRNA dose was 3 mg/kg.At 3,24 and 72 h postinjury,relative volume of brain hemorrhage in FⅦ-suppressing group was 1.46 ± 0.10,1.82 ± 0.23 and 2.28 ± 0.15 respectively,significantly higher than that in control group (1.00 ± 0.25,1.20 ± 0.31 and 1.20 ± 0.22 respectively) (P ＜ 0.05).At 24 and 48 h postinju-ry,volume of hematoma in FⅦ-suppressing group was (6.7 ± 1.5)mm3 and (9.8 ± 1.0) mm3,significantly higher than that in control group [(5.2 ± 1.2) mm3 and (5.5 ± 1.5) mm3] (P ＜0.01).Conclusions Level of FⅦ in vivo relates closely to the progressive hemorrhage of brain contusion in mice.Administration of FⅦ is effective to reduce the incidence of progressive hemorrhage.

Objective To analyze negative lymph nodes of 34 non-small cell lung cancer(NCLC) patients with total correction by means of fluorescent quantitation PCR and immunohistcchemistry,and to form molecular bi- ology staging.Methods Clinical data and tissue samples of 193 lymph nodes were collected from 34 patients under- going resection for non-small cell lung cancer.Using fluorescent quantitation reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry method,lymph nodes were examined for CEA gene mRNA,P53 and CK to form molecular biology staging.All the patients were followed-up for an average of forty months.Results The CEAmRNA was identified in 21.7% (42/193) lymph nodes negative patients from 17 patients(17/34,50%); TMN staging was up-regulated in 8 patients;positive lymph nodes were increased in 9 patients.P53 and AE1/AE3 were identified 9.8%(19/193) from 11 patients,18.6 % (36/193)from 15 patients,separately;TMN staging was up-regulated in 2 patients of P53 examination and 5 patients of AE1/AE3 analysis;positive lymph nodes were in- creased in in 7 patients of P53 examination and 11 patients of AE1/AE3 analysis.There was obvious statistical sig- nificance in them,but the molecular biology staging based on the three markers was not an independent factor on re- currence and metasis of lung cancer.Conclusion CEAmRNA.P53 and AE1/AE3 analysis could find lung cancer micrometasis more sensitively to form molecular biology staging which was relative to the prognosis,but not an inde- pendent prognostic indicator.It might be good to the therapy strategy after operation.

AIM: To investigate the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and α-SMA in human lens epithelium cell (HLEC) line B3 after transfection by liposome-coated siRNA targeting CTGF.METHODS: HLECs were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting CTGF,labeled with 5`-fluorescein isothiocyanate (5`-FITC) and coated with lipofectamine.The transfection ratio was evaluated via fluorescence intensity.Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was performed to assess cytoviability of both non-transfected and transfected HLECs.Quantitative RT-PCR,cell immunochemistry and Western blot analysis were conducted to detect the expression changes of CTGF and α-SMA after transfection.RESULTS: A highly effective transfection ratio was observed in siRNA co-transfected with lipofectamine.The transfection ratio reached 95% at 24h.The proliferation of HLECs was inhibited by siRNA after 72h transfection.The expression of CTGF and α-SMA significantly decreased in HLECs after transfected by CTGF siRNA for 24h.This effect was not found in negative control siRNA.CONCLUSIONS: SiRNA targeting CTGF decreased CTGF and α-SMA expression in HLECs,which is a potential therapeutic strategy for posterior capsular opacification.

OBJECTIVETo explore an ideal method for repairing the skin-soft tissue defects according to the different anatomical units of cheek, and find reasonable design principles to transfer the expanded flaps.

METHODSAccording to the location of the defect, we placed 1-3 appropriate expanders nearby, when the flap expanded enough we adopted advanced skin flaps, rotation-advanced skin flaps or transposition skin flaps to repair the defect. In this group of 269 cases, the defects were secondary to hemangioma, various scars, nevus or nevus excision.

RESULTSIn all 269 cheek defects, 305 expanded flaps were developed which included 145 rotation-advanced flaps, 121 advanced skin flaps and 39 transposition skin flaps. 52 of them generated complications, including blood circulation disorder of the distal part of flaps, hematoma, infection, injection, lower eyelid ectropion, expander extrusion and capsule contracture. Mostly, these complications didn't affect the final results.

CONCLUSIONSThe principles presented in this article are the guidelines to treat the skin-soft tissue defect of check with tissue expansion. The satisfied results come from the reasonable flap designs.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Cheek ; surgery ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Skin Transplantation ; methods ; Surgical Flaps ; Tissue Expansion ; methods ; Young Adult

Amifostine ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Benzene ; toxicity ; Blood ; drug effects ; Blood Cell Count ; Male ; Mice ; Random Allocation

Ectopic spontaneous activity originated from the injured dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in rats was recorded through single dorsal root fiber. The firing patterns induced by veratridine and aconitine, inhibitors of inactivation gate of sodium channel operating on different binding sites, were compared. In the same neuron, veratridine (1.5 approximately 5.0 micromol/L) caused slow wave oscillations of interspike intervals (ISIs), while aconitine (10 approximately 200 micromol/L) caused tonic firing. Moreover, even if the background firing patterns were various and the reagent concentrations used were different, veratridine and aconitine still induced slow wave oscillations and tonic firing patterns, respectively. The results suggest that veratridine and aconitine induce different firing patterns in injured DRG neurons, which may relate to their inhibitory effects on different binding sites of the sodium channel.
Aconitine ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Electrophysiological Phenomena ; physiology ; Female ; Ganglia, Spinal ; injuries ; physiopathology ; Male ; Neurons ; pathology ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium Channel Agonists ; Sodium Channels ; physiology ; Veratridine ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to investigate the feature of D(L)CO (Diffusion Lung Capacity for Carbon Monoxide) in CHF (left ventricular heart failure) patients, underlying pathophysiological mechanism and clinical significance.

METHODSWe retrospectively studied the D(L)CO, pulmonary ventilation function, cardiopulmonary exercise testing and related clinical information in severer HF patients.

RESULTSPeak VO2 severely decreased to 34 ± 7 percentage of predicted(%pred) and anaerobic threshold to 48 ± 11%pred in all patients. D(L)CO moderately decreased to 63 ± 12%pred and there were 25 patients lower than 80%pred. FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC and TLC were 75 ± 14%pred, 71 ± 17%pred, 97 ± 11%pred, and 79 ± 13%pred, which indicated borderline or mild restrictive ventilatory dysfunction. The decrease of D(L)CO was more severe than those of TLC, FEV1 and FVC.

CONCLUSIONFor patients with severe CHF, cardiopulmonary exercise function is extremely limited, D(L)CO generally moderately declines and ventilation function is merely mildly limited. D(L)CO is the parameter for cardiopulmonary coupling, reflecting limitation of the cardiovascular dysfunction while without ventilatory limit.

Blood Gas Analysis ; Heart Failure ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; physiopathology

China ; Heart Transplantation ; methods ; Humans