OBJECTIVETo construct self-assembly fibrocartilage model of goat temporomandibular joint disc and observe the biological characteristics of the self-assembled fibrocartilage constructs, further to provide a basis for tissue engineering of the temporomandibular joint disc and other fibrocartilage.

METHODSCells from temporomandibular joint discs of goats were harvested and cultured. 5.5 x 10(6) cells were seeded in each agarose well with diameter 5 mm x depth 10 mm, daily replace of medium, cultured for 2 weeks.

RESULTSOne day after seeding, goat temporomandibular joint disc cells in agarose wells were gathered and began to self-assemble into a disc-shaped base, then gradually turned into a round shape. When cultured for 2 weeks, hematoxylin-eosin staining was conducted and observed that cells were round and wrapped around by the matrix. Positive Safranin-O/fast green staining for glycosaminoglycans was observed throughout the entire constructs, and picro-sirius red staining was examined and distribution of numerous type I collagen was found. Immunohistochemistry staining demonstrated brown yellow particles in cytoplasm and around extracellular matrix, which showed self-assembly construct can produce type I collagen as native temporomandibular joint disc tissue.

CONCLUSIONProduction of extracellular matrix in self-assembly construct as native temporomandibular joint disc tissue indicates that the use of agarose wells to construct engineered temporomandibular joint disc will be possible and practicable.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type I ; Fibrocartilage ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Goats ; Temporomandibular Joint Disc ; Tissue Engineering

Objective To study the effects on berberine hydrochloride on the mitochondria membrane potential and free intracellular calcium of HaCaT cells, and elucidate the mechanism of action of berberine on keratinocytes. Methods Rhodamine-123 fluorescence (very sensitive to mitochondria membrane potential) and Fluo-3/AM fluorescence (suitabe to detect free intracellular calcium in single HaCaT cell) were measured by laser scanning confocal technique. Results Fluo-3/AM fluorescence intensity of HaCaT cells was persistently increased after treating with berberine at concentrations of 5 ? 10-5M, 2.5 ? 10-5M and 1.25 ? 10-5M, and significant differences were observed as compared with the PBS control. The intensity of rhodamine-123 fluorescence in HaCaT cells was decreased immediately when exposed to berberine, with significant difference from that of the PBS control. Conclusions It is suggested that berberine could increase free intracellular calcium and decrease mitochondria membrane potential of HaCaT cells, induce overload of intracellular calcium, influence energy metabolism, and then inhibit the proliferation of keratinocytes.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the prognostic effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with local advanced gastric cancer.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed prognosis in 191 patients with advanced gastric cancer, of whom 71 were treated with NAC and 120 received surgery only between February 2007 and July 2013. Postoperative complication rate was recorded. Survival by clinicopathological features, pathological T and N stages, and histopathological tumor regression was retrospectively compared between the two groups.

RESULTSAccording to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, none of the 71 patients in the NAC followed by surgery group showed complete response, 36 showed partial response, 25 had stable disease, and 10 had progressive disease. The chemotherapy response rate was 50.7%; the disease control rate was 85.9%. Grade 3/4 adverse events were seen in less than 20% patients, with acceptable toxicities. No difference was found in the overall postoperative complication rates between the two groups (7 versus 22 cases, P=0.18). Median survival time was significantly different, at 54 months in the NAC combined with surgery group and 25 months in the surgery-only group (P=0.025).

CONCLUSIONIn patients with operable gastric adenocarcinomas, NAC can significantly improve overall survival without increasing surgical complications.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology

Objective To study the effects of tanshinone on the cultured immortalized human sebocytes and explore the mechanism of action of tanshinone in the treatment of acne. Methods MTT assay was applied to determine the effects of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone Ⅱ? at different concentrations on the proliferation of SZ95 sebocytes in 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after incubation. Lipid contents labeled with Nile red in SZ95 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry technique, and the expression of androgen receptor (AR) mRNA of SZ95 cells were detected by RT-PCR. Results Both cryptotanshinone and tanshinoneⅡ? inhibited the proliferation of SZ95 cells in a dose- and time-dependent mode, with the 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of 7.473 ?mol/L (in 48 h) and 2.146?mol/L (in 72 h) for cryptotanshinone and 6.021 ?mol/L (in 48 h) and 2.25 ?mol/L (in 72 h) for tanshinone Ⅱ?. Additionally, as compared with the control group, the lipid content of SZ95 cells exposed to tanshinone Ⅱ? at 0.125?mol/L was decreased in 48h (P

This retrospective analysis compared standard regimen of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) with the dose-dense ABVD regimen (ABVD-21) in terms of efficacy and toxicity. Patients who had early-stage unfavorable or advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) according to German Hodgkin Study Group criteria from March 1999 to February 2011 were analyzed for treatment response, long-term survival and hematological toxicity. There were 85 patients in the ABVD-21 group and 118 patients in the ABVD group respectively. The complete remission rates after completion of treatment were 92.9% and 90.7% for ABVD-21 and ABVD, respectively. During a median follow-up period of 62 months, no significant difference was found in projected 10-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates (84.7% and 94.1% respectively for ABVD-21; 81.4% and 91.5% for ABVD). Subgroup analyses showed that ABVD-21 was significantly better than ABVD for patients with IPS≥3 in terms of PFS and OS rates. Grade 3 to 4 leukopenia (51.8% vs. 28.8%, P=0.001) and neutropenia (57.6% vs. 39.0%, P=0.009) were more common with ABVD-21. We were led to conclude that dose-dense ABVD did not result in better tumor control and overall survival than did ABVD for early-stage unfavorable HL. However, patients at high risk, for example, with IPS≥3, may benefit from dose-dense ABVD.

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical results of surgical treatment for old pelvic fractures with reconstruction plate.

METHODSFrom February 2000 to February 2011, 24 patients with old pelvic fractures were treated with internal fixation with reconstruction plates. There were 10 males and 14 females, with an average age of 42 years (ranged, 20 to 62 years). The time from injury to operation was from 23 to 64 days with an average of 35 days. X-rays and CT scanning were performed in all patients. According to classification of Tile, Tile C was in 11 cases and Tile B was in 13 cases.

RESULTSEighteen patients were followed up for 6 to 48 months with an average of 24 months. According to Majeed criteria, 9 cases obtained excellent results, 5 good, 4 fair, with average score of (84.4 +/- 11.5).

CONCLUSIONPositively operative treatment, exactly preoperative evaluation, correctly reduction and fixation can obtain satisfactory results in treating old pelvic fractures.

Adult ; Bone Plates ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pelvic Bones ; injuries ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Central Venous Pressure ; physiology ; Heart Function Tests ; Hemodynamics ; physiology ; Respiration, Artificial ; Shock, Septic ; pathology ; Swine ; physiology ; Venae Cavae ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo determine the effects of Chinese herbal monomers such as baicalin, berberine, and matrine on the androgen receptor (AR) mRNA expression in SZ95 sebocytes in vitro and to explore the possible mechanism of using traditional Chinese medicines to treat acne.

METHODSSZ95 sebocytes were cultured and then treated with berberine, baicalin, matrine, and 13-cis-retinoic acid for 24 hours. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was applied to detect the changes of AR.

RESULTAR mRNA was downregulated by 13-cis-retinoic acid of 1 x 10(-5) mol/L and 1 x 10(-6) mol/L, and by baicalin of 1 x 10(-4) mol/L (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION13-cis-retinoic acid and baicalin may exert antiandrogenitic action by inhibiting AR mRNA expression in human sebocytes.

Androgen Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Down-Regulation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Humans ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; Receptors, Androgen ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Skin ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo understand the current situation of maternal health care and the association between maternal health care and relevant factors.

METHODSAccording to a cross sectional study design, 1512 mothers having children under 3 years old were drawn under stratified random sampling method and interviewed at their households in 15 counties, Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

RESULTS77.6% of the pregnant women received at least one antenatal checkup with an average of 3.89 times while the rate of antenatal checkup over 5 times was 26.3%. The hospital delivery rate was 40.4% in this area. 83.9% of the women received education under the health care program during pregnancy and 66.2% of them were visited by health workers after delivery. Major factors of the antenatal checkups would include the resource of income, living in nomadic area, personal sanitation, antenatal health care education, mobilization of delivery at hospital, knowledge of antenatal health care etc.

CONCLUSIONSThere had been great improvement in women's health care in this area as compared with the status in 1999, but the frequency of receiving antenatal checkup was still not enough and the rate of hospital delivery was also low as compared with 46 counties in western areas of China. Poor knowledge of health care during pregnancy seemed to be the major factor that limited the utilization of antenatal health care. Knowledge on health and common sense of health care should be disseminated to improve the antenatal care and to enhance the hospital delivery rate.

Agriculture ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Health Education ; statistics & numerical data ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Health Services Accessibility ; Healthcare Disparities ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Maternal Health Services ; statistics & numerical data ; Pregnancy ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Tibet ; Transients and Migrants

OBJECTIVETo construct a single-chain human anti-EGFR antibody (scFv) and truncated protamine (tP) fusion protein, ScFv/tP, carrying small interfering (si)RNA directed against the heat shock protein Hsp47, a collagen-binding glycoprotein, in order to evaluate the role Hsp47 in apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells.

METHODSA single chain of the human variable fragment was obtained by phage display and fused with the tP gene and with or without (negative control) the Hsp47 siRNA sequences. Following expression and purification of the scFv/tP fusion protein and the scFv/tPHsp47 siRNA fusion protein, internalization capabilities were tested in isolated human hepatic stellate cells and the QSG-7701 human hepatocyte cells with visualization by immunofluorescent staining. The DNA binding ability of the fusion proteins were verified by gel shift assay.Following ScFv/tP-Hsp47 siRNA fusion protein transfection into the human hepatic stellate cells, the levels of Hsp47 mRNA and protein expression were tested by RT-PCR and Western blotting; in addition, effects of siRNA-mediated silencing of Hsp47 on cell proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed by the cell counting kit (CCK)-8, flow cytometry and Western blot detection of the apoptosis marker poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP).

RESULTSIndirect immunofluorescence revealed that the ScFv/tP fusion proteins were internalized into human hepatic stellate cells but not into the QSG-7701 cells.The ScFv/tP-Hsp47 siRNA fusion protein caused reduced expression of Hsp47 mRNA and protein expression in the human hepatic stellate cells, as well as increased the cells' apoptosis remarkably.

CONCLUSIONThe ScFv/tP fusion protein can be used as a transfection reagent to deliver Hsp47 siRNA into hepatic stellate cells and to mediate apoptosis via blockade of Hsp47 expression.

Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation ; HSP47 Heat-Shock Proteins ; genetics ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Protamines ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; immunology ; Single-Chain Antibodies ; Transfection