Objective To investigate the impact on renal fibrosis by inhibition of connective tissue growth factor( CTGF) by RNA interference in spontaneous hypertension rat( SHR) . Method Twenty SHR were randomly (random number) divided into SHR group ( n = 10) and RNAi group ( n = 10), eight Wistar-Kyoto rats were set as control. At the end of RNA interference procedure, all the rats were sacrificed and the kidneys were harvested. The mRNA and plasmosin of CTGF and fibronectin(FN) of renal tissue were extracted and measured by RT-PCR and Western Blotting. And the localization of CTGF and FN were analyzed with immunohistochernistry technique. The collagen deposition(shown as collagen volume traction, CVF) were evaluated with 0.1% sirius-picric staining, and the hydroxyproline of myocardium were detected by colorimetry. Results The mRNA and protein expression of CTGF decreased 66% and 62% in RNAi group (P < 0.01). The mRNA and protein expression of FN decreased 56% and 51% in RNAi group.The same inhibition effect was observed by hislological analysis. Immuno-histochemistry showed that CTGF localized both in renal parenchyma and renal interstitium, whereas FN majorly expressed in renal interstitium. Observation with light microscope showed that collagen deposition(CVF)decreased sharply in RNAi group versus SHR group. And the same effect was viewed in hydroxypnoline assay[SHR group: (0.596 ± 0.067) μg/mg, RNAi group: (0.368±0.084) μg/mg, P < 0.01 ] .Further study by polarized microscope displayed that RNA interference mainly suppressed type I collagen synthesis. Conclusions Targeted inhibition of CTGF by RNA interference leads significant decrease of extracellular matrix deposition in kidney. And the anti-fibrotic effect independent of lower the blood pressure. This study indicated CTGF take a key role in the development and progress of renal fibrosis.

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of shenduqing Granules on chronic renal insufficiency in rats. Methods: The rat model of chronic renal insufficiency was made by feeding 0.75% adenine forage. The blood biochemical indexes, ion concentration in serum of rat was measured and the pathological changes of rat kidney were observed. Results: Shenduqing Granules obviously increased thymus index (TI). The weight of rat kidney in the treatment group was lighter than that of the model group. The kidney histomorphological study showed that Shenduqing Granules obvionsly reduce the pathological changes. The drug crystals were also reduced. Conclusion: Shenduqing Granules has the potential protection against chronic renal insufficiency in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the effect of locking compression plate (LCP) combined with scaled cancellous bone graft on postoperative nonunion of humeral shaft fracture. METHODS: A total of 19 cases with postoperative nonunion of humeral shaft fracture were collected from Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital, Xiangnan University between August 2005 and January 2009. There were 12 males and 7 females, aging 28-59 years with the mean age of 36 years. All patients were treated with LCP fixation combined with scaled cancellous bone graft. The key points of the operation were as follows: beck-median or lateral approach, protection of the radial nerve and ulnar nerve, removal of the cicatrix, reopening of humeral canal, and limited periosteum striping. For minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis technique, length of LCP was appropriate, 3-4 locking screws at least were used on either stump, and double cortices were penetrated with locking screws and treated with scaled cancellous bone graft. RESULTS: All the fractures healed with a mean period of 7.2 months (from 6 to 8 months). Two cases showed temporary radial nerve palsy after the operation, which gradually recovered 3 and 6 weeks, respectively after appropriate treatment. Shoulder and elbow functions were somewhat impaired in 7 cases, but the dysfunction could not influence daily living. Infection, screw loosening, blade plate breakage, and other complications were not found. CONCLUSION:The integrity of locking screws and plate prevents screw breakage and plate loosening. The combination of autoallergic cancellous bone graft and scaled decorticating technique can improve healing of humeral shaft fracture.

OBJECTIVETo discuss the operation method and characteristic of correcting upper eyelid depression by transposition of orbital septum fat.

METHODSDuring the double eyelid surgery, we set.the lateral orbital septum fat completely free, while the bottom is still connected with the middle orbital septum fat. We separate a tunnel from the middle to the inner side in orbital septum, and the separated orbital septum fat is transposed to the inner side of orbital septum by the tunnel with suturing fixation.

RESULTSFrom March 2008 to October 2013, 51 cases with upper eyelid depression were treated successfully. Patients were followed up for 3 months to 3 years (average, 7. 5 months) with sustained aesthetic results.

CONCLUSIONSOrbital septum fat transposition can successfully correct the upper eyelid depression. It should become a regular procedure in blepharoplasty.

Adipose Tissue ; transplantation ; Blepharoplasty ; methods ; Esthetics ; Eyelids ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Humans ; Orbit

Objective To explore the effects of lycopene on lifespan in drosophila and the underlying mechanism. Method Drosophila aged 30 d were reared in medium containing 0,2.5,7.5,22.5 ?g/g lycopene till they all die. The average lifespan and the average maximum lifespan were determined. Male drosophila aged 30 d were divided into control group and experiment group and cultured in medium supplemented with 0,22.5 ?g/g lycopene. The gene expression was determined 10,20 d later. Results The average maximum lifespan of male drosophila was increased with 2.5,7.5 ?g/g lycopene supp-lementation(P

BACKGROUND:Active surgical treatments are preferred for elderly hip fractures. Individual fixation method is chosen according to fracture site, type, age and whether there are basic diseases in internal medicine, which plays an important role in the successful treatment of elderly hip fractures.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of optimized surgical treatment on osteoporotic hip fracture in the elderly.
METHODS: Totally 176 patients with osteoporotic hip fracture were treated by different methods between January 2000 and January 2012, including 63 males and 113 females, with a mean age of (76.7±6.3) years. Out of the 84 cases of interchanteric fracture, seven cases were treated with conservative methods, 34 cases were treated with dynamic hip screw internal fixation, 18 cases were treated with cannulated screw internal fixation, seven cases were treated with anatomical plate internal fixation, 12 cases were treated with bipolar femoral placement, and six cases were treated with total hip arthroplasty. Out of the 92 cases with femoral neck fractures, 40 cases were treated with bipolar femoral placement, 37 cases were treated with total hip arthroplasty and 15 cases were treated with cannulated screw internal fixation. Modified Harris hip function scores were used to evaluate the therapeutic effects of different treatment methods. Complications were observed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Seventy-six cases of interchanteric fractures and 85 cases of femoral neck fractures were fol owed-up for 8-26 months with an average of (5.7±1.3) months. Three cases suffered from post-operative infection, and one case died due to cardio-pulmonary failure in 10 days after operation. Both intraoperation and postoperative complications included femoral head cutting, intraoperative fracture, internal fixation and prosthetic loosening, postoperative fracture, avascular necrosis of femoral head, coxa vara, legs shorten, and delayed fracture healing. The incidence rates of complications in patients undergoing bipolar femoral placement and total hip arthroplasty were significantly lower than those treated with conservative methods, dynamic hip screw internal fixation, cannulated screw internal fixation, and anatomical plate internal fixation (P<0.05). The outcomes of the treatment according to Harris scoring criterion were better in patients treated with bipolar femoral placement and total hip arthroplasty than in patients treated with conservative methods, dynamic hip screw internal fixation, cannulated screw internal fixation, and anatomical plate internal fixation (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in the incidence rate of complications and Harris scores among patients treated with conservative methods, dynamic hip screw internal fixation, cannulated screw internal fixation, and anatomical plate internal fixation (P>0.05). No significant differences were found in the incidence rate of complications and Harris scores between patients treated with bipolar femoral placement and total hip arthroplasty (P>0.05). These findings indicate that the treatment of osteoporotic hip fracture in the elderly can achieve satisfactory results if the comprehensive therapies are given. Bipolar femoral placement and total hip arthroplasty are preferred for elderly femoral neck fractures.

Objective Although principal components analysis profiles greatly facilitate the visualization and interpretation of the multivariate data,the quantitative concepts in both scores plot and loading plot are rather obscure.This article introduced three profiles that assisted the better understanding of metabolomic data.Methods The discriminatory profile,heat map,and statistic profile were developed to visualize the multivariate data obtained from high-throughput GC-TOF-MS analysis.Results The discriminatory profile and heat map obviously showed the discriminatory metabolites between the two groups,while the statistic profile showed the potential markers of statistic significance.Conclusion The three types of profiles greatly facilitate our understanding of the metabolomic data and the identification of the potential markers.

Objective: This study aims to explore the relationships of family functioning, general well-being, and exercise with psychological distress.Furthermore, we investigated the special roles of general well-being and exercise on the association between family functioningand psychological distress. Methods: Of 769 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients participated in the cross-sectional study which consisted of the 12-item GeneralHealth Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Family APGAR Scales, and the General Well-Being Schedule. The collected data were analyzedusing multiple linear regression analysis and path analysis. Results: The prevalence of psychological distress was 72.3%. Family functioning, general well-being and exercise were associated factorsof psychological distress (p<0.05). The indirect effect of family functioning on psychological distress was partially mediated by generalwell-being (Effect=-0.08, 95% CI=-0.11, -0.04). In addition, the effect of family functioning on general well-being was moderated byexercise (Index=-0.092, SE=0.033, 95% CI=-0.159, -0.029). Conclusion The prevalence of psychological distress among ESRD patients was high. Family functioning, general well-being and exercisewere associated with psychological distress. Family functioning could affect psychological distress partially by affecting general wellbeing.Furthermore, exercise had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between family functioning and general well-being.Psychiatry Investig 2020;17(4):356-365

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness and feasibility of carrier detection for Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) by using digital PCR assay. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 214 pregnant women who were routinely screened for SMA carriers, of which 204 were randomly selected samples and 10 were samples with known copy numbers of SMN1 exons 7 and 8. Samples with known copy numbers of SMN1 exons 7 and 8 were randomly mixed into the experiment to validate the performance of the digital PCR assay. RESULTS: The copy numbers of SMN1 exons 7 and 8 and SMN2 exons 7 and 8 in peripheral blood samples were detected by digital PCR assay. The results of SMN1 exons 7 and 8 were compared with those of the quantitative PCR method to assess the reliability and clinical performance of the digital PCR assay. Among the 204 random samples, digital PCR has detected five samples with simultaneous heterozygous deletion of SMN1 exons 7 and 8, three samples with heterozygous deletion of SMN1 exon 8 only, and 196 samples with no deletion of SMN1 exons 7 and 8. Ten samples with known SMN1 exons 7 and 8 copy numbers were detected with the expected values. The digital PCR test results were fully consistent with that of the quantitative PCR. CONCLUSION The results of digital PCR for the detection of copy number variation of SMN1 exons 7 and 8 were consistent with qPCR. Digital PCR assay was able to clearly distinguish the copy number of the target genes, therefore can be used for SMA carrier screening. Moreover, it can also detect copy number of SMN2 exons 7 and 8, which can provide more information for genetic counseling.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Reproducibility of Results ; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/genetics* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein/genetics*

Objective Though HCV genotyping , liver ultrasound and liver function indicators were used to assess the relationship between HCV genotyping, viral RNA copy number and liver damage related indicators in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods A total of 105 Uyghur hepatitis C patients in Aksu, Xinjiang were recruited in our hospital. All patients were carried out a test of HCV RNA copy number. HCV genotyping was performed by fluorescence quantitative PCR method. Fully automatic biochemical analyzer was used for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), direct bilirubin (DIBL) and total bilirubin (TIBL) by commercial kits. Color doppler ultrasound system was used for liver ultrasound. Results The genotyping results of 105 Uyghur hepatitis C patients showed that type 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b and 6a were 46, 41, 8, 8 and 2, respectively. Type 1b was the main type of HCV virus. The proportion of RNA copy number, AST and ALT levels, and liver cirrhosis were higher in patients with type 1b. Statistical analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between different HCV virus types and HCV RNA copy number (P = 0.032). In terms of AST and ALT levels, there were significant differences between type 1b, type 2a and other genotypes (type 3b and type 3a and type 6a) (P < 0.01). In addition, patients with normal liver, enlarged liver spots, fatty liver and cirrhosis have significant differences among type 1b, type 2a and other genotypes (P < 0.01). Conclusion There are regional differences in HCV genotyping among Uygur people in Aksu, Xinjiang. HCV RNA copy number and degree of liver damage are correlated with different HCV genotypes, which is of great significance to guide the clinical diagnosis and treatment of HCV in local populations.