Although autoallergic neural transplantation Is a gold standard to repair neurologic defect, nerve tissue engineering becomes an ideal replacement due to a limited collection of nerve. Nerve tissue-engineering release-controlled system promotes axonal regeneration via a scaffold to slowly release nerve growth factor and to create a suitable microenvironment for nerve growth. There are various materials and methods for creating nerve tissue-engineering release-controlled system; therefore, choosing a good material and a good method to control nerve growth factor and to cause excellent repairing effect are hot topics for researching nerve tissue-engineering release-controlled system. The aim of this review is to introduce the new methods and technologies applied in the delivery system of nerve growth factors in recent years. This review also attempts to classify the strategies of drug delivery of nerve growth factor in a new way.

Objective To investigate the factors relevant to the vascular calcification in uiemic patients.Methods Eighty-five uiemic patients were enrolled in this study.The levels of fetuin-A,serum calcium,serum phosphorus,C-reactive protein and other parameters related to calcification were examined.B-ultrasound was used to detect carotid plaques.Results The Fetuin-A levels in patients with vascular calcification were significantly lower than those with non-vascular calcification[(2.34±0.95) μg/L vs (3.79±1.19) μg/L,t=5.94,P＜0.01],but serum calcium,serum phosphorus and C-reactive protein were higher than those non-vascular calcification [serum phosphorus (1.97±0.23) mmol/L vs (1.80±0.33) mmol/L,t=2.05,P＜0.05;calcium and phosphorus product (50.04±6.61) mg~2/dl~2 vs (44.84±9.75) mg~2/dl~2,t=2.05,P＜0.05;C-reactive protein (33.45±25.11)mmol/L vs (20.65±13.43) mmol/L,t=2.03,P＜0.05].Linear correlation analysis indicated that low fetuin-A level was correlated with C-reactive protein (r=-0.43,P＜0.01),calcium-phosphorus product (r=-0.32,P＜0.01),serum albumin concentration (r=0.37,P＜0.05) and phosphorus level (r=-0.36,P＜0.05).Conclusions The risk factors relevant to the vascular calcification are high serum phosphorus,calcium and phosphorus product and the micro-inflammatory status in uiemic patients.Vascular calcification is also correlated with low fetuinA level,adding exogenous Fetuin-A may become an effective means in preventing vascular calcification.

Scaffold is one of the key elements required for tissue engineering. Porous scaffolds have several special advantages for muscle tissue engineering, and they are beneficial to cell survival, myogenic differentiation, and vascular ingrowth. The performance of porous scaffolds is closely related to the property of the biomaterials used. Additionally, the pore size and porosity may affect cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. This review focuses on the application of porous scaffolds in muscle tissue engineering, including their categories, application, and advantages.
Biocompatible Materials ; Cell Adhesion ; Humans ; Muscles ; physiology ; Porosity ; Tissue Engineering ; Tissue Scaffolds

ObjectiveTo summarize the experience of right mini-thoracotomy in the treatment of congenital cardiac defects.MethodsA total o f 1258 patients with congenital cardiac defects received right thoracotomy approach correction u nder cardiopulmonary bypass between October 1994 and March 2003. The cardiac def ects included 293 cases of atrial septal defect, 604 cases of ventricular septal defect, 98 cases of atrial septal defects associated with ventricular septal de fects, 177 cases of Fallot's Tetralogy, 29 cases of partial endocardial cushion defects, and 57 cases of other defects. Complicating anomalies were as follows: patent ductus arteriosus, left superior vena cava, mitral insufficiency, anomalo us pulmonary venous connection, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, etc .ResultsAmong the 9 fatal cases (0.7%) in the study, 5 succu mbed to low card iac output, 2 to severe pulmonary infection, 1 to perfusive lung injury, and 1 t o pulmonary hypertension crisis. Postoperative complications occurred in 36 case s (2 9%). The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (60 3?32 1) min (range, 15 min ～359 min), the aortic crossclamping time was (37 7?24 6) min (range, 3 min～ 205 min ), the duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation was (19 7?34 4) hours ( range, 1 5 hours～401 hours), and the postoperative hospital stay was (8 0?12 1) days (range, 5 days～300 days).ConclusionsRight mini-thorac otomy is minimall y invasive, without impairing the integrity of the bony thorax. It gives excelle nt cosmetic results and prevents patients from postoperative pigeon chest.

Objective To review the experience of one stage surgical repair of pulmonary atresia with homologous monocuspid valve patch. Methods From October 1996 to May 2002,twenty-eight patients,4 months to 20 years of age (mean 35.3 months),received surgical repair wih homologous monocuspid valve patch in right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction. 17 patients had ventricular septal defect,others had intact ventricular septum. ResultsTwo patients died of low cardiac output syndrome with a hospital mortality of 7.14%. The leading complications were atelectasis,infection,anoxic encephalopathy,capillary leakage syndrome,residual shunt. Conclusion The repair with homologous monocuspid valve patch for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in pulmonary atresia provided good early results and minimizes pulmonary insufficiency. Surgical technique emphasized.

Objective To construct a subtractive cDNA library of genes differentially expressed in human lymphoma cell line Jurkat cells treated with glycyrrhizin (GL), and to clone genes associated with its immunological regulation, and to further elucidate the molecular immune mechanism of GL. Methods The mRNA was isolated from Jurkat cells treated with either GL or 0.9 percent sodium chloride as a control, then cDNA was synthesized. Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method was employed to analyze the differentially expressed DNA sequence between the two groups. The cDNA was sequenced and analyzed in GenBank with Blast search after the amplification of the subtractive library by PCR. Results The amplified library contained 28 positive clones. Colony PCR analysis showed that there were 22 clones containing 200-1 000 bp inserts. Sequence analysis was performed, and the full length sequences were obtained with bioinformatics method. Altogether 11 kinds of encoding sequences were achieved, including interleukin-12, interleukin-18, and thymosin ?1, etc. Conclusions A subtractive cDNA library of genes differentially expressed in Jurkat cells treated with GL using SSH technique was constructed successfully, and it might give some new clues for the study of the immune regulation mechanism of GL.

Objective To clone amastin coding genes from different strains of Leishmania parasites. Methods Using amastin cDNA sequence as the reference, dbEST data base established by National Center Biotechnology Information (NCBI), USA, was searched by BLAST tool. A 309 bp DNA fragment of Leishmania major was found and used as the probe for the screening of a DNA library. The amastin gene of Leishmania major Abdou was cloned and sequenced. Specific primers were designed and amastin genes for Leishmania mexicana WR972, Leishmania brizeliensis and Leishmania amazonensis joseph were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Results The amastin genes from 4 strains of Leishmania parasites were cloned and sequenced. It was found that all 4 amastin genes contained unique open reading frame of 552 bp and encoded amastin protein of 183 amino acid residues. Conclusion The amastin genes of 4 strains of Leishmania parasites were successfully cloned.

To construct a cDNA subtractive library of genes transactivated by hepatitis C virus core protein with suppression subtractive hybridization technique. mRNA was isolated from HepG2 cells transfected with pcDNA3 1(-)-core and pcDNA3 1(-) empty vector,respectively, then cDNA was synthesized. After restriction enzyme RsaI digestion, small sized cDNA were obtained. Then tester cDNA was divided into two groups and ligated to the specific adaptor 1 and adaptor 2, respectively. After tester cDNA was hybridized with driver cDNA twice and underwent two times of nested PCR, and then it was subcloned into T/A plasmid vectors to set up the subtractive library. Amplification of the library was carried out with E.coli strain JM109. The cDNA were sequenced and analyzed in GenBank with Blast search after PCR. The subtractive library of genes transactivated by HCV core protein was constructed successfully. The amplified library contained 233 positive clones. Colony PCR product showed that 213 clones contained 100~ 1 000 bp inserts. Sequence analysis was performed in 63 clones. Six of the sequences were unknown genes before. The full length sequences were obtained with bioinformatics method,which had been accepted by GenBank. It suggested that six novel cDNA sequences might be target genes transactivated by HCV core protein.

Objective To construct a cDNA subtractive library of genes transactivated by c-terminally truncated middle surface protein of hepatitis B virus(MHBs t) with suppression subtractive hybridization technique for cloning genes associated with transactivation. Methods The mRNA was isolated from HepG2 cells transfected with pcDNA3.1(-)-Mt167 and pcDNA3.1(-) empty vectors, respectively, then cDNA was synthesized. After restriction enzyme Rsa I digestion, small-size cDNAs were obtained. Then tester cDNA was divided into two groups and ligated to the specific adaptor 1 and adaptor 2, respectively. After tester cDNA was hybridized with driver cDNA twice and underwent two times of nested PCR and then was subcloned into T/A plasmid vectors to set up the subtractive library. Amplification of the library was carried out with E. coli strain JM109. The cDNA was sequenced and analyzed in GenBank with Blast search after PCR. Results The subtractive library of genes transactivated by MHBs t was constructed successfully. The amplified library contained 94 positive clones. Colony PCR showed that these clones contained 200-800bp inserts. Sequence analysis was performed in 50 clones,and the full length sequences were obtained with bioinformatics method. 23 coding sequences were obtained in total, which consisted of 19 known and 4 unknown ones.Conclusions The obtained sequences may be target genes transactivated by MHBs t, among which some genes coding proteins may involve in cell cycle regulation, immune response and tumour genesis.

In order to screen genes transregulated by core protein of hepatitis C virus, cDNA microarray technology was employed to detect the gene expression change between HepG2 cells transfected with pcDNA3 1(-) core and the empty vector, respectively. Among 1152 genes, there were 95 genes with different expressions, of which 45 genes were upregulated and 50 genes were downregulated in HepG2 cells transfected with core protein expression plasmid. These genes transregulated by HCV core protein included human genes encoding proteins involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, signal transduction and immune regulation. Therefore, the results provided some new clues for further clarifying the molecular biology mechanism of pathogenesis and tumorigenesis of HCV core protein