Objective: To examine the expression of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and the melanin in different kinds of human skin autografts and in the normal skins, so as to elucidate the role of α-MSH in hyperpigmentation in the skin autografts. Methods: Immunohistochemical technique was employed to detect the expression and distribution of α-MSH in skin autografts (including the full thickness skin autografts, medium thickness skin autografts, razor-thin skin autografts, and normal skins adjacent to the donor site and the recipient site). Masson-Fontana staining technique was used to detect the melanin contents in all the above skin specimens. Results: The location of α-MSH expression was at the cytoplasm of melanocytes and keratinocytes in epiderm; α-MSH was positive in most skin autografts and its expression was higher in the thinner skin autografts. The expression of α-MSH in all types of skin autografts was significantly different from that in normal skin (P<0.01); α-MS expression was also significantly different between all the skin autografts (P<0.01); α-MSH expression in normal skin around donor site and recipient site had no statistical difference. The contents of melanin in skin autografts was obvious increased compared with that in normal skin(P<0.01); the contents of melanin between all the skin autografts were also significantly different (P<0.01). The melanin contents increased with the decrease of skin autografts thickness. The expression of α-MSH was positively correlated with the contents of melanin in epidermis. Conclusion: The expression of α-MSH in skin autografts is positively correlated with the contents of melanin in skin autografts. Overexpression of α-MSH may play an important role in hyperpigmentation process of skin autografts.

Objective: To study the influence of agouti signal protein (ASIP) on melanocyte function in skin autograft, so as to understand the cause of hyperpigmentation in skin autograft. Methods: Guinea pigs were used to establish a skin autograft hyperpigmentation model. The skin autografts in model animals were injected with ASIP or normal saline (control). RT-PCR technique was used to detect the tyrosinase mRNA expression in melanocytes of skin autografts and Masson-Fontana staining technique was used to detect the melanin contents in skin autografts in ASIP treatment group; and the results were compared with those of control group (n=13) and normal guinea pigs (n=5). Results: The expression of tyrosinase mRNA and the melanin content in skin autografts in ASIP treatment group were both lower than those of control group and normal guinea pigs (P<0.01). Conclusion: The results indicate that ASIP can antagonize the melanogenic effect of α-MSH, resulting in reduced pigmentation in skin autografts. It is also indicated that overexpression of α-MSH in epidermal cells after skin grafting is an important cause of hyperpigmentation in skin autografts.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of fluoxetine (FLX) on the expressions of BDNF and Bcl-2 in the hippocampus, the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex of conditioned fear (CF) model mice. Forty eight mice were randomly divided into three groups, normal control group, CF stress group and FLX-pretreated CF group. The FLX-pretreated CF group was given FLX (10 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) for 7 days before CF stress. After CF stress model was established, all mice were given behavioral experiments to test whether FLX impaired or improved the auditory and contextual fear conditioning. Then mice were sacrificed. The expressions of BDNF and Bcl-2 were detected by Western blotting. The results showed that the freezing time of FLX-pretreated CF group was significantly lower than that of CF group; FLX pretreatment up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 in the hippocampus at 1 d after CF stress (P < 0.001), but no significant differences was observed at 7 d; BDNF significantly increased in the hippocampus at 7 d (P < 0.001), but no differences at 1 d; the expressions of BDNF and Bcl-2 in the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex were of no obvious differences between CF group and FLX-pretreated CF group at 1 d or 7 d after CF stress. Parallel to these changes, pretreatment with FLX could affect histopathologic changes induced by CF stress. Furthermore, the results indicated that FLX pretreatment could protect against CF stress-induced neurological damage via the activation of BDNF and Bcl-2 in hippocampus.
Amygdala ; metabolism ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; metabolism ; Fear ; drug effects ; Fluoxetine ; pharmacology ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Memory ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Prefrontal Cortex ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Stress, Psychological ; metabolism

Objective To study and assess clinical application of two Nickel-Titanium(NiTi)rotary instru- ments,namely ProTaper and Hero 642,in preparation of root canals.Methods 125 teeth were divided into three groups and respectively instrumented by stainless K-files,ProTaper or Hero 642 rotary instruments.All teeth were obturated with lateral condensation method.The efficiency of preparation and obturation was analyzed with radio- graphs.Results NiTi rotary instruments were better in keeping the curvature and flow of curved canals than stain- less K files.There was no transportation,apical blockage and ledge in NiTi groups.The operative time was shorter and endodontic flare-up seldom occurred in NiTi groups.Conclusion The NiTi rotary instrumentation technique could be used to prepare curved root canals effectively and quickly.The future use of NiTi engine-driven rotary in- strument appeared to be promising.

Objective To investigate the effects of ketamine on anoxia-reoxygenation(A/R)induced glutamate release from cerebral cortex neurons.Methods Primary cultured neurons obtained from cerebral cortex of fetal Wistar rats(16-18 d)were randomly divided into 3 groups:Ⅰcontrol group;ⅡA/R group andⅢketamine pretreatment+I/R group.The control group was not subjected to A/R while A/R group was exposed to anoxic air(95% N_2+5% CO_2)for 5 h followed by 24 h reoxygenation.In groupⅢdifferent doses of ketamine were added to the culture media before anoxia and the final ketamine concentrations were 1,20 and 100?mol?L~(-1) respectively.The extracellular glutamate concentration was detected at the end of 24 h reoxygenation.Results The extracellular glutamate concentration was significantly higher after 24 h reoxygenation in A/R group than in control group.Ketamine 20 and 100?mol?L~(-1) significantly inhibited glutamate release from the neurons induced by A/R in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion Ketamine can inhibit glutamate release from neurons induced by A/R in a dose-dependent manner.

Chronic prostatitis is a common male disease, and its pathogenesis is not yet clear. Most scholars believe that oxidative stress and immune imbalance are the keys to the occurrence and progression of chronic prostatitis. Currently immunotherapy of chronic prostatitis remains in the exploratory stage. This article relates the active ingredients of 5 Chinese medicinal herbs (total glucosides of paeony, tripterigium wilfordii polglycosidium, curcumin, geniposide, and quercetin) for the treatment of chronic prostatitis and their possible action mechanisms as follows: 1) inhibiting the immune response and activation and proliferation of T-cells, and adjusting the proportion of Th1/Th2 cells; 2) upregulating the expression of Treg and enhancing the patient's tolerability; 3) suppressing the activation of the NF-kB factor, reducing the release of iNOS, and further decreasing the release of NO, IL-2 and other inflammatory cytokines, which contribute to the suppression of the immune response; 4) inhibiting the production of such chemokines as MCP-1 and MIP-1α in order to reduce their induction of inflammatory response. Studies on the immune mechanisms of Chinese medicinal herbs in the treatment of chronic prostatitis are clinically valuable for the development of new drugs for this disease.
Chemokines ; immunology ; Cytokines ; immunology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Immune System ; drug effects ; Male ; NF-kappa B p50 Subunit ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; Prostatitis ; drug therapy ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; drug effects ; Th1-Th2 Balance

Objective To investigate the effect of sevoflurane postconditioning on oxidative stress responses during focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats.Methods Twenty-four male Wistar rats,weighing 240-280 g,were randomly assigned into 3 groups:sham operation group (group S),focal cerebral I/R group (group I/R) and sevoflurane postconditioning group (group SP).The animals were anesthetized with intraperitoneal 10％ chloral hydrate 350 mg/kg.Focal cerebral I/R was produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion.In group SP,3.9％ sevoflurane (1.5 MAC) was inhaled starting from 20 min before reperfusion until 10 min after reperfusion.While 100％ O2 and air were given instead of sevoflurane in groups I/R and S,respectively.Six rats chosen from each group at 24 h of reperfusion were sacrificed and brains were removed for determination of malondialdehyde (MDA),glutathione (GSH),superoxide dismutase (SOD),catalase (CAT),glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione reductase (GR) levels and for microscopic examination.The cerebral infarct size was measured by TTC staining.Results Compared with group S,MDA level and cerebral infarct size were significantly increased in groups I/R and SP,and GSH,SOD,CAT,GSH-Px and GR levels were decreased in group I/R,and GSH-Px level was decreased in group SP (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group I/R,cerebral infarct size and MDA level were decreased,and GSH,SOD,CAT,GSH-Px and GR levels were decreased in group SP (P ＜ 0.05).The pathological changes were significantly attenuated in group SP compared with group I/R.Conclusion The mechanism by which sevoflurane postconditioning mitigates focal cerebral I/R injury in rats is related to enhanced antioxidase activity and inhibition of oxidative stress responses.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the reliability and validity of the Fatigue Self-assessment Scale (FSAS).

METHODSThe scale was applied among the participants assigned to 4 groups, the differences in types, degrees and characteristics of fatigue of them were compared, and the reliability and constitutional validity of ESAS were assessed by internal consistency analysis, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis using the statistical software of SPSS and LISREL.

RESULTSStatistical differences of types, degrees and characteristics of fatigue presented in the participants of the 4 groups. The Cronbach's alpha of various factors in the scale were 0.772-0.908; the indexes for the section of assessing type, and degree of fatigue were RMSEA=0.065, NNFI=0.95, CFI=0.96; and those for the section of assessing characteristics of fatigue were: RMSEA=0.10, NNFI=0.93, CFI=0.96.

CONCLUSIONThe FSAS has good differentiability, reliability and constitutional validity for assessing the type, degree and characteristics of fatigue in various populations. In order to explore the relationship of TCM syndrome patterns with the type, degree and characteristics of fatigue, its future application for evaluation of fatigue and intervention effect of anti-fatigue should be combined with TCM syndrome differentiation.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Fatigue ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Statistical ; Self-Examination ; Software ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the effect of recombinant adenovirus mediatied human endostatin (rAD-GFP-ES)on rats with collagen typeⅡinduced arthritis(CIA),and explore the mechanism of inflamma- tion and cytokines inhibition on rats CIA.Methods The rAD-GFP-ES was amplified and purified.The model of rat CIA was induced by intradermal injection of typeⅡcollagen combined with complete Freund's adjuvant(CFA). On the second day after the injection,the therapeutic administration of rAD-GFP-ES(1?10~(11)pfu?kg~(-1)?week~(-1)?4 weeks)were performed to the rats.The mean arthritis index(AI)was scored every week since then.The relative concentrations of ES,IL-I?,TNF-?in sera collected at the fourth week were evaluated by western blotting. Results①The titer of the purified rAD-GFP-ES and rAD-GFP was 6.6?10~(12)pfu/ml and 4.8?10~(12)pfu/ml,re- spectively(A_(260nm)/A_(280nm)＞1.3).②The concentration of ES in sera of the group treated with rAD-GFP-ES was 2.4-lold higher compared to the normal group.③The mean arthritis index of the group treated with rAD-GFP- ES was much lower than that of the model group.The administration of rAD-GFP-ES could significantly de- creas the production of IL-1?and TNF-?in sera.Conclusions①The rAD-GFP-ES is efficiently expressed in vivo.②The rAD-GFP-ES has an inhibitory effect on the arthritis index of rat CIA.③IL-1?and TNF-?are involved in the pathogenesis of RA.The rAD-GFP-ES has an inhibitory effect on the expression of IL-1?and TNF-?in rat CIA.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Erythema ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Fatal Outcome ; Female ; Fever ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Transplantation, Homologous