Diabetes mellitus has become one of the diseases which threaten the heath of human being in the 21st century.A goal of research in diabetes is to find a way to increase the number of functional insulin-producing cells. Islet transplantation has been considered to be the most effective approach to cure type Ⅰ and part of type Ⅱ diabetes mellitus.This approach, however, is severely limited by an inadequate supply of donor islets available for transplantation.Moreover, recent progress of stem cells research has shown that stem cells may act as a new source of islet transplantation in diabetes mellitus treatment. Recent evidence indicates that Glucagon-Like PeptideⅠ(GLP-1) plays a very important role in targeted differentiation of stem cells into Insulin-Producing Cells and pancreatic development. GLP-1 is an intestine-derived insulinotropic hormone that stimulates glucose dependent insulin production and secretion. GLP-1 can induce differentiation of stem cells into insulin-producing cells, which is achieved by up regulation of PDX-1 expression.PDX-1 is a transcription factor critical for pancreatic development and endocrine cell neogenesis and a marker for pancreatic stem cells. These new findings suggest an approach to create Insulin-Producing cells in vitro by expanding stem/progenitor cells and then to convert them into Insulin-Producing cells by treatment with GLP-1. Thus GLP-1 may be a means by which to create Insulin-Producing cells ex vivo for transplantation into patients with insulinopenic type Ⅰ diabetes and severe forms of type Ⅱ diabetes. This article reviews recent progress about GLP-1 and targeted differentiation of stem cells induced by GLP-1.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of a new compound methylamine irisolidone on cardiac function in rats with experiment myocardial infarction. METHODS: The male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: control group, ischemia model group, methylamine irisolidone preconditioning group, pretreated with different dosages of methylamine irisolidone (200,100,50 mg · kg-1, respectively) and 200 mg · kg-1 puerain(positive control). Coronary artery ligation was used to induce the acute myocardial ischemia model. After 30 d administration of methylamine irisolidone, the heart function parameters,including heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), maximal velocity of increase and decrease of left ventriclar pressure (dp/dtmax), were analyzed and myocardial histology was analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. RESULTS: Compared with model group, methylamine irisolidone could improve the heart function of rats in AMI injury, increased the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure, decreased the heart rate(P < 0.01). The myocardial ultrastructure injury was alleviate. CONCLUSION: Methylamine irisolidone had cardioprotective effects on acute myocardial ischemia. The mechanism may be related to slow down heart rate, prolong diastolic, so that an increase in the endocardial blood supply.

Objective To study the biological characteristics of arsenic resistance cell model chronic arsenic exposure human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (CAsE-hFBMSCs) and discuss the consequence of chronic arsenite exposure to human mesenchymal stem cells (hFBMSCs). Methods hFBMSCs cultivated under general conditions,hFBMSC cell survival rate was detected in 48 hours with arsenite toxicity test under different doses arsenic [0(control),0.25,0.50,1.00,2.00,4.00,8.00,20.00,40.00,80.00,120.00 μmol/L]of the fist 2-generation(P2). According to the test results,1.00 μmol/L sodium arsenite was chosen to stimulate hFBMSCs for 14 weeks as experimental group,simultaneous 0 μmol/L sodium arsenite as the control group. And then,the phenotype was detected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting,and the cell cycle by flow cytometry. Finally,the cell malignant transformation was detected by soft-agar assay. Results Arsenite low than 10 μmol/L promoted cell proliferation,but inhibited cell proliferation when exceeding 10 μmol/L. Half of the lethal dose (LC_(50)) in experimental and control groups were (89.42±0.64),(52.48±0.71)μmol/L. The difference between two groups was statistically significant(t = 123.89,P < 0.05). The phenotype of CAsE-hFBMSCs was CD29,CD90,CD166 positive and CD34,CD45 negative. The phenotype of CAsE-hFBMSCs was the same as the control. Comparing to control group[(8.44±0.45)%,(9.14μ0.14)%,(82.42±0.60)%],G2/M phage[(17.72±5.47)%]and S phage [(25.34±3.36)%]cell increased,G0/G1 phage[(56.96±8.83)%]cell decreased in P2 CAsE-hFBMSCs. The cell cycle became nearly the same as the control group after adaption. CAsE-hFBMSCs did not show clone formation in soft agar clone formation assay. Conclusion Long last and low level exposure to arsenite does not influence the biologic features of hFBMSCs.

Objective To reinvestigate the value of overnight low-dose dexamethasone suppression test in the diagnosis of Cushing syndrome.Methods Fifty-two patients with Cushing syndrome and 153 patients with simple obesity or essential hypertension in whom Cushing syndrome was excluded were studied retrospectively in order to compare the sensitivity and specificity of different serum cortisol cut-off levels in overnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test in the diagnosis of Cushing syndrome.Results The sensitivity of 50% of basal serum cortisol level at 8:00 and of the serum cortisol cut-off levels of 275,200,138,50 nmoL/L at 8:00 after the overnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test was 92.3%,92.3%,92.3%,92.3% and 100.0% respectively, and the specificity was 90.8%,98.7%,96.1%,91.5% and 78.4%,respectively.Conclusion The serum cortisol cut-off level of 50 nmol/L in the overnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test has very high sensitivity and can be used as a screening test for Cushing syndrome.

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy and safety of Danlong Oral Liquid (DOL) combined Western medicine (WM) in treating mild-to-moderate bronchial asthma patients (heat wheezing syndrome) at acute onset.

METHODSTotally 480 mild-to-moderate bronchial asthma patients (heat wheezing syndrome) at acute onset were randomly assigned to two groups in the ratio 3:1, the treatment group (360 cases) and the control group (120 cases). All patients received basic WM treatment. Patients in the treatment group took DOL, 10 mL each time, 3 times per day for 7 days in total, while those in the control group took Kechuanning Oral Liquid (KOL) , 10 mL each time, 3 times per day for 7 days in total. Efficacy for asthma symptoms, lung functions and scores of TCM syndrome and/or main symptoms were evaluated.

RESULTSThe percentage of clinical control and significant effectiveness of asthma symptoms in the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group (77.36% vs 56.07%, P < 0.01). The percentage of clinical control and significant effectiveness of lung functions in the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group (74.28% vs 50.00%, P < 0.01). The anterior-posterior difference in scores of TCM syndrome was significantly superior in the treatment group than in the control group (-11.26 ± 4.70 vs -9.21 ± 5.09, P < 0.01). The anterior-posterior difference in scores of main symptoms was significantly better in the treatment group than in the control group (-6.58 ± 3.08 vs -5.16 ± 3.45, P < 0.01). The incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group [1.73% (6/346 cases) vs 10.17% (12/118 cases) , P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONDOL combined WM was superior to KOL in treating mild-to-moderate bronchial asthma patients (heat wheezing syndrome) at acute onset.

Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; Biomedical Research ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Lung ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy ; Respiratory Sounds ; Syndrome

BACKGROUNDEvidences show that subclinical chronic inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between serum C-reactive protein (CRP), serum uric acid, and albuminuria in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients.

METHODSA total of 1162 type 2 diabetic patients were recruited. All participants had relevant clinical and laboratory measurements. CRP was measured using a particle enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay.

RESULTSIn the multiple linear regression model, natural log-transformed CRP (lnCRP) and uric acid were independent predictors of natural log-transformed urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (lnACR) (β = 0.18, 95% CI 0.10-0.27, P < 0.001 and β = 0.18, 95% CI 0.09-0.27, P < 0.001). The interaction of lnCRP with uric acid was also associated with lnACR (β = 0.04, 95% CI 0.02-0.06, P < 0.001). In the full-adjusted logistic regression model, the OR for albuminuria of the patients in the third tertile levels of CRP and uric acid was 3.94 compared with patients in the first tertile levels of CRP and uric acid (95% CI 1.73-8.94, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSElevated serum CRP and increased serum uric acid level were associated with albuminuria in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients. Moreover, CRP and uric acid had an interactive effect on albuminuria.

Albuminuria ; blood ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Creatinine ; blood ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Uric Acid ; blood

This study was purposed to explore the diagnostic role of flow cytometry in immunorelated pancytopenia (IRP). After 50 IRP patients were hospitalized, the concentration of serum ferritin, folic acid and vitamin B(12), immunologic test, platelet antibody, test of hepatitis A, B and C, haemolysis test and bone marrow smear examination were carried out, meanwhile the chromosome karyotype analysis and some routine examinations were performed. The 50 patients were divided into group A and group B. Group A consisted of 22 patients who were undefinedly diagnosed and intended to diagnosed as IRP, group B consisted of 28 definedly diagnosed patients with hematologic malignancies, including 7 cases of aplastic anemia, 2 of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, 10 of myelodysplastic syndrome, 9 of megaloblastic anemia. In addition, 30 normal people were used as normal control group (group C). For groups A and B, the binding autoantibodies of bone marrow stem/progenitor cells, erythroblasts and myelocytes were detected by flow cytometry, meantime the ratio of total B-(CD10(+)) and CD5(+) B-lymphocytes in peripheral blood was assayed. For control group, the ratios of CD19(+) and CD5(+) B lymphocytes in peripheral blood were determined alone. The results indicated that the detection of bone marrow autoantibodies in 20 patients of group A showed positive with 90.90%. The IgG type was found mostly in antibody binding types, next the IgM type, the IgA type was fewer. The detection of bone marrow autoantibodies of 2 patients in group B showed positive with 7.14%. The positive rate in group A was obviously higher than that in group B (p < 0.01). The ratios of CD19(+) and CD5(+) B lymphocyte in peripheral blood were significant higher in group A than that in group B and control group (p < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between groups B and control. It is concluded that the application of flow cytometry in detecting the autoantibodies of bone marrow cells and CD19(+) B-and CD5(+) B-lymphocyte in peripheral blood can provide reliable diagnostic evidence and detection measure for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of IRP, as well as may contribute to draw up more effective therapeutic strategy.
Adult ; Aged ; Autoantibodies ; immunology ; B-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancytopenia ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the bacterial culture results of expressed breast milk.

METHODSA total of 1178 expressed breast milk samples were collected for bacterial culture. The breast milk sampled from the mothers of preterm neonates (n=615) and term neonates (n=563) who were hospitalized between May 2014 and April 2015.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in bacterial counts between the preterm and term sample groups (P>0.05). Potential intestinal pathogens were found in 55 samples (4.63%) of the 1178 samples, with no significant difference between the preterm and term sample groups (P>0.05). The second expressed milk samples from 33 mothers were cultured. Only 10 samples (30%) were found to have the same bacteria as the first time. The detection rate of bacterial load of ≥ 10⁵ CFU/mL was higher in those samples with potential intestinal pathogens, as compared with those samples without potential intestinal pathogens (43.64% vs 14.87%; P<0.05). There was no correlation between the incidence of neonatal infections and potential intestinal pathogens in breast milk.

CONCLUSIONSBreast milk is not sterile. Bacterial loads and phylotypes are variable. Random breast milk cultures can neither describe bacterial colonies in breast milk, nor be a predictor of neonatal infection.

Bacterial Load ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Milk, Human ; microbiology ; Pilot Projects

Objective To investigate the correlation between plasma proteasome and endothelial dysfunction in patients with uremia. Methods Forty-five uremic patients who did not receive hemodialysis were defined as A group; seventy-five uremic patients who had received hemodialysis for 6 to 12 months were divided into sufficient hemodialysis group (44 cases,B group)and insufficient hemodialysis group (31 cases,C group).The primary disease of these patients was chronic glomerulonephritis.Fifteen healthy people were defined as healthy control group (D group).The diameter of radial artery lumen (DRL),intima-media thickness (IMT),intima-media area (IMA),endothelium-dependent or independent dilation (EDD or EID) of radial artery in right forearm were detected by diasonography.The levels of 20S proteasome,tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α),C-reaction protein (CRP) and transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF-β1) of plasma and supernatant of cultured human umbilical veins endothelium (HUVEC) were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).20S proteasome activity was analyzed by special substrate.Results Compared with D group,the level and activity of 20S proteasome,as well as TNF-α,CRP and TGF-β1 in A,B and C groups were significantly increased.Compared with A group,these plasma indices levels were significantly decreased in B group but strongly increased in C group.IMT and IMA were elevated,while DRL,EDD and EID were decreased significantly in A,B and C groups when compared with D group.These parameters were worse in C group than those in A and B groups.After co-culture of HUVEC with above mentioned human uremic serum,the level and activity of 20S proteasome and TNF-α were higher in A,B,C groups than that in D group.In A and C groups,there were negative correlations of EDD with the level or activity of 20S proteasome,TNF-α,CRP and TGF-β1,and there were positive correlations of 20S proteasome level or activity with TNF-α,CRP and TGF-β1. Conclusions 20S proteasome level and activity are significantly increased in uremic patients.There is a close correlation between 20S proteasome and endothelial dysfunction of radial artery.

Pannexin is a new member of gap junction families which was discovered in 2000 and was widely distributed in humans. Pannexin forms hemichannels and participates in transmission of small molecules and many other pathophysiological processes. Recent studies have found that the abnormal expression of pannexin is related to occurrence and development of tumors. This article reviews the relationship between pannexin and tumors,and aims to provide new i-deas for treatment of tumors.