Objective To search for the changes of T cells subpopulations and immunoglobulin and their relation-ship in children patients with simple nephrotic syndrome. Design Case-control research. Patients aud Participants 39 patients with simple nephrotic syndrome were divided into two groups:the incipient group and relapse group (6 cases were determined at the incipient and relapse time) .Thereare 28 patients in incipient group, 19 males and 9 females, at the age of 2 to 10 years old. There are20 patients in relapse group, 12 males and 8 females, at the age of 3 to 13 years old. There are 35health children in control group, 21 males and 14 females, 2～13 years old. Interventions T cells subpopulations were determined by indirect immunofluorescence of OKT linesmonoclonal antibodies. The serum IgG was determined by routine simple agar immunodiffusion tests. Results and Conclusions The CD_3~+ and CD_4~+ cells are of no change in the children patients withsimple nephrotic syndrome, and the CD_8~+ and CD_(10)~+ cells are obviously increased, the Values of CD_4~+/CD_8~+ are obviously lower than those in the control qroup, there are no difference between the incipientand relapse groups. The levels of serum IgG were decreased in the 85.3% children patients, IgM were inc-reased in 29.4% of that. The values of CD_4~+/CD_8~+ have positive correlation and negative correlationwith the levels of serum IgG and IgM respectively.

Objective To analyze the effects of core material and design on the fracture mechanism of veneered all-ceramic crowns. Methods The fracture process of 6 veneered alumina or zirconia crowns with different core design (well-distributed core, not well distributed core, and core with cervical ring) under load was analyzed by RFPA'2D finite element analysis software. Results All the six tested crowns fractured due to tension failure, and the crack started at the porcelain in the cusp and spread along the interface between core and porcelain. Under the conditions of this test, the break was only related to the porcelain and not the core, and the crack of porcelain took place earlier in zirconia crowns than in alumina crowns. Minimum stress distribution in cervical ring core design crown and maximum stress distribution in not well distributed core design crown could be seen at the neck area. Conclusions Zircania crowns presented greater stress at the interface between core and porcelain than alumina crowns. The not well distributed core design did not increase the rise of break. The neck area was the weak area with tensile stress concentration in the cervical ring core design.

Proteomics is an emerging discipline and has been widely used in a variety of fields despite of having very short history in comparison with other disciplines. In Chongqing Medical Univer-sity, the course contents were adjusted to fulfill the most effective integration of proteomics research with postgraduate training program for medical university. Diverse teaching was advocated here and af-ter-school communications were greatly encouraged in teaching. Traditional multimedia teaching plat-form remained the main teaching way and students were organized to visit the research platform as supplementing teaching way. The overall quality and effectiveness of teaching were effectively improved by successful implementation of the above initiatives.

AIMTo investigate the effect of acetylcholine (ACh) on the cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells and to explore the receptor mechanisms involved in the effect.

METHODSThe effector cells (i. e. NK cells) from the spleens of rats were collected and cultured with the target cells (Yac-1 cells). The various concentrations of ACh, cholinergic receptor agonists or antagonists were added to the cultures, respectively according to distinct experimental purposes. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay was used to evaluate NK cell cytotoxicity.

RESULTSNK-cell-mediated lysis of Yac-1 lymphoma cells was reduced by 10(-10) - 10(-6) mol/L ACh. The inhibitory effect of ACh on NK cell cytotoxicity was mimicked by pilocarpine, an agonist of muscarinic receptor, and by nicotine, an agonist of nicotinic receptor, at all applied concentrations (10(-10) - 10(-6) mol/L). Muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine blocked the inhibitory effect of ACh on the cytotoxicity of NK cells. Nevertheless, tubocurarine, an antagonist of nicotinic receptor, had no blocking effect on the suppression of NK cell cytotoxicity by ACh.

CONCLUSIONACh results in an inhibition of the cytotoxicity of NK cells, and this inhibition is realized mainly through M and N1 cholinergic receptor.

Acetylcholine ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Killer Cells, Natural ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology ; Male ; Rats ; Receptors, Natural Killer Cell ; drug effects

Objective To investigate the genetic etiologies in the 0 -3 years old infants with hearing loss and to analyze the interaction between genetics and environmental factors. Methods Total of 130 infants were performed detailed audiological evaluation as well as the detection of the popular deafness gene mutations in GJB2 gene, SLC26A4 and mtDNAI2SrRNA. Of them, 84 cases were performed the computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging examinations. Results Of the 130 cases, 54 infants were diagnosed as large vestibular aqueduct syndrome, while seven of 130 were as auditory neuropathy and the others were diagnosed as sensorineural hearing loss. Considering of the risks of etiologies for hearing loss, 85 of them had the experiences of the high risk factors at birth(65.4% ,85/130), while 23 of them had the exposure of aminoglycoside antibiotics, and 13 had the family history background as well as two eases were from the consanguineous families. In the causative genes screening, 42 infants were caused by the mutations of SLC26A4 gene (32.3%), but 14 infants found the mutations in GJB2 gene (4.6%), and no infants carried the mutation in mtDNA 12SrRNA 1555G and 1494T points in our studies. Conclusions In our studies, about 36. 9% infants hearing loss cases can be found the mutations in SLC26A4 and GJB2 genes. It is essential to put the idea into the hearing evaluation combined with genetic testing for the diagnoses of heating loss. It is also helpful for exploring the etiologies of hearing loss and performing the target genetic consulting for decreasing the prevalence of deafness in the future.

2 in some patients with the loss of high and medium sized vWF multimers in plasma.Eight patients with vWD were identified, wherein two were characterized as type 1,4 as type 2A and 2 as type 3 respectively.Conclusion The panel of tests is suitable for diagnosis and classification of vWD.

AIMTo study the effects of ginkgolides (Gin) on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (H1F-1alpha) in primary cultured cortical neurons treated with CoCl2 and the relationship with ERK signal pathway.

METHODSWe observed the effects of Gin (37.5 mg/L) on morphology and viability on primary cultured cortical neurons with treatment of CoCl2 (125 micromol/L). The expression of HIF-1alpha and p-ERK of neurons induced by CoCl2 pretreated with Gin were assessed by Western-blot. We analyzed the relationship between HIF-1alpha expression activated by Gin and ERK signal pathway with treatment of PD98059 (100 micromol/L), a selective inhibitor of ERK.

RESULTSIt was shown that Gin had protective effects on CoCl2 damaged neurons by raising the neuronal viability. Some basic expression of HIF-1alpha and p-ERK were observed in normal cultured cortical neurons. The expression of HIF-1alpha and p-ERK increased strikingly when treated with CoCl2 for 4 h. The levels of HIF-1alpha and p-ERK increased even more in the neurons pretreated with Gin for 24 h before CoCl2. The levels of HIF-1alpha and p-ERK were notably inhibited with pretreatment of PD98059, while Gin could prevent this inhibition.

CONCLUSIONGin has protective effects on neurons damaged by CoCl2 which might be related to the increase of the level of HIF-1alpha and the activation of ERK signal pathway.

Animals ; Cell Hypoxia ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Ginkgolides ; pharmacology ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the friction and wear behavior of different human enamels.

METHODS24 enamel samples selected from aged, young permanent and faded deciduous teeth were classified into 3 groups and slid against artificial porcelain teeth in the presence of artificial saliva on an oscillating friction and wear test rig. The wear volume loss, microhardness and toughness of each group of the enamel specimens were measured, the wear scars were observed with a scanning electron microscope, and the elemental compositions of Ca, P, and Si of the wear scar and wear debris were determined with an energy dispersion spectrometer.

RESULTSThe wear volume losses of aged, young permanent and deciduous tooth enamels are (2.40 +/- 1.10) x 10(-12) m(3), (3.50 +/- 1.83) x 10(-12) m(3) and (4.86 +/- 2.49) x 10(-12) m(3). The data of aged tooth enamels are statistically greater than that of deciduous tooth enamels (P < 0.05). There is no significant difference between the wear volume loss of aged and young permanent tooth enamels or between the young permanent and deciduous tooth enamels (P > 0.05). However, the friction and wear behavior of each group of enamel specimens is different from each other.

CONCLUSIONSIn the present testing condition, the wear scars of each kind of enamel specimens is characterized by ploughing and cracking. The different wear resistance of the three kinds of enamels is attributed to the different microstructure of the enamel, while the hardness and toughness of the enamels are not correlated with the wear resistance.

Adolescent ; Age Factors ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dental Enamel ; pathology ; Dentition, Permanent ; Female ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tooth Abrasion ; pathology ; Tooth, Deciduous

It has been well known that catecholamines (CAs) in the body, including norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E) and dopamine (DA), are synthesized and secreted by neurons and endocrine cells and mainly modulate visceral activities such as cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive functions. The studies over the past nearly 30 years have shown that CAs can also regulate immune function. The immunomodulation of CAs is generally considered as a role mediating the regulation of nervous and endocrine systems. However, recent studies reveal that immune cells can also synthesize CAs, which is an update of traditional concept. A classical metabolic pathway of CAs shared by the nervous and endocrine systems is present in the immune cells, i.e., the immunocytes have the enzymes for synthesis of CAs [e.g. tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)] and the enzymes for degradation of CAs [e.g. monoamine oxidase (MAO) and catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT)]. The endogenous CAs synthesized by immune cells can regulate many immune functions, including cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and cytokine production. These roles of the endogenous CAs may be mediated by an autocrine/paracrine pathway via relevant receptors on the immunocytes and intracellular cAMP. Intracellular oxidative mechanism may also be involved in immunoregulation of endogenous CAs in immune cells. In addition, some metabolic abnormalities of CAs in the immune cells probably induce some autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis. These findings not only provide evidence for the new concept that the immune system is possible to become the third CA system other than the nervous and endocrine systems, but also extend our comprehension on functional significance of the endogenous CAs synthesized by immune cells.
Animals ; Autoimmune Diseases ; immunology ; Catecholamines ; physiology ; Humans ; Immune System ; physiology ; Lymphocytes ; immunology ; metabolism ; Monoamine Oxidase ; physiology ; Neuroimmunomodulation ; physiology ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; physiology

AIMTo provide further evidence for the synthesis of catecholamines (CAs) in lymphocytes and to investigate the effect of the endogenous CAs synthesized by lymphocytes on function of the lymphocytes themselves and the receptor mechanisms involved in the effect.

METHODSRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of TH mRNA in the lymphocytes from the mesenteric lymph nodes of rats. Different concentrations of pargyline, an inhibitor of monoamine oxydase, and antagonists of alpha1-, alpha2-, beta1-, and beta2-adrenergic receptor (AR) were added to the lymphocyte cultures, and then proliferative response of the lymphocytes to mitogen concanavalin A (Con A) were measured via methyl-thiazole-tetrazolium (MTT) assay.

RESULTSThe lymphocytes could express TH mRNA, and the expression of TH mRNA was significantly higher in the Con A-activated lymphocytes than in the resting ones. The treatment of pargyline of 10(-6) and 10(-5) mol/L (not 10(-7) mol/L) notably attenuated Con A-induced lymphocyte proliferation. Beta2-AR antagonist ICI118551 (10(-7) and 10(-6) mol/L) completely blocked, but alpha1-AR antagonist corynanthine and alpha2-AR antagonist yohimbine (10(-7) and 10(-6) mol/L) partly blocked the suppressive effect of pargyline on the Con A-induced lymphocyte proliferation. Nevertheless, atenolol, an antagonist of beta1-AR, had no blocking effect on pargyline inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation.

CONCLUSIONLymphocytes have the ability to synthesize CAs and the ability is enhanced in the activated lymphocytes. The endogenous CAs synthesized by lymphocytes can inhibit T cell proliferation and the inhibition of T cells by the CAs is mediated predominantly by beta2-AR on the lymphocytes.

Animals ; Catecholamines ; biosynthesis ; physiology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Concanavalin A ; pharmacology ; Female ; Lymphocyte Activation ; Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; Male ; Neuroimmunomodulation ; physiology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta ; physiology ; T-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; immunology ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; genetics ; metabolism