Objective To investigate the possibility of differentiation of multipotent adult progenitor cells from human bone marrow(hMAPCs) into hepatocytes with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and fibroblast growth factor-4 (FGF-4) in vitro to find a new cell source for liver tissue engineering. Methods (1) Harvest of the hMAPCs: The bone marrow mononuclear cells were obtained from bone marrow obtained from volunteers by gradient centrifuging. The adherent mononuclear cells were cultured. The mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) were isolated and collected by magnetic activated cell sorting(MACS) through depletion selection by the use of CD45 and GlyA microbeads. (2) The hMAPCs were induced to differentiate with HGF(20ng/ml) +FGF-4(10ng/ml). L-02 human hepatocytes (cell lines) were used as the control, with undifferentiated hMAPCs serving as the contrast. (3)The expression of albumin (ALB), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), cytokeratin-18(CK-18), cytokeratin-19(CK-19) was detected with immunocytochemistry to identify the characters of the differentiated cells at different time, and to determine the ratio of positive cells. (4) ALB expression of the differentiated cells at different time was detected by Western blot on day 21 and 25. Results (1) The result of immunocytochemistry: The differentiated hMAPCs expressed the late markers (ALB, CK-18) of hepatocyte at all the time but did not express CK-19. The differentiated hMAPCs expressed AFP on day 7. (2) The result of Western blot assay: the differentiated cells expressed the late markers (ALB) of hepatocyte on day 21 and 35. Conclusions hMAPCs can differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells under specific inducing conditions.

AIM: To investigate the mechanism of the AP-1 signal transduction pathway inhibited by JIP in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. METHODS: AP-1 activity was triggered by Dox-induced LMP1 expression in Tet-on-LMP1-HNE 2 cells (L7). The retention of phospho-JNK in the cytoplasm caused by JIP was examined with immunofluroscence assay. RESULTS: 24 h after transfection of L7 cells with the JIP expression plasmid, the translocation of activated JNK was inhibited, which resulted in the retention of phospho-JNK in the cytoplasm and down-regulation of the AP-1 activity. CONCLUSION: JIP down-regulates the activity of AP-1 through the inhibition of the translocation of JNK.

Human tissue kallikrein-binding protein (Kallistatin, KAL), a secretory protein that participates in the regulation of multiple signaling pathways by binding to the extracellular receptor, however, at present has not been reported about the intracellular activity, and whether it has the similar biological activity with extracellular activity. Here we constructed no signal peptide KAL (NSK) into the adeno-associated virus vector to explore the intracellular activity of KAL. Both the endothelial cell and lung cancer cells could express KAL, but not secreted after rAAV2-NSK transfection. The proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were inhibited, but the apoptosis rate was not affected. The proliferation rates, mobility and tubule formation of all the three tested lung cancer cells, such as NCI-H446, NCI-H460 and A549, were inhibited to different extents. This cellular study not only confirmed the intracellular activity, but also suggested it may serve as a kind of "balance factor" in multi-targeted controlling, which may provide a new train of thoughts to explain the regulatory contradiction in PI3K-Akt signaling pathways by KAL.
Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation ; Dependovirus ; Genetic Vectors ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Serpins ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Transfection

China ; epidemiology ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B ; epidemiology ; virology ; Hepatitis B virus ; classification ; genetics ; Humans ; Mutation ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

Objective To study the efficacy and safety of tacalcitol combined with monochromatic excimer light (MEL) 308 nm vs MEL 308 nm monotherapy in treating vitiligo.Methods Thirty-eight pa- tients with vitiligo were enrolled in the single-blind clinical trial,using plabebo-treated lesions in the same patient as controls.Contralateral or nearby lesions were randomly selected to be treated by either tacalcitol or placebo.All lesions were treated weekly with MEL 308 nm,for a total of 12 sessions.Patients were ex- amined at monthly intervals.The mean number of sessions and the cumulative dosage for initial and excel- lent repigrnentation were calculated.Results Thirty-five patients were evaluated.The mean?SEM cumu- lative dose and number of MEL exposures for initial repigmentation,respectively,were 4.27?3.59 J/cm~2 and 4.89?3.16 on tacalcitol-treated site,5.36?4.12 J/cm~2 and 5.69?3.29 on placebo-treated site,re- spectively (both P＜0.05).For excellent repigrnentation,the cumulative dose and number of exposures were 7.72?5.64 J/cm~2 and 7.79?4.70 respectively on tacalcitol-treated site,and 8.18?4.87 J/cm~2 and 8.4?3.92 respectively on placebo-treated site (both P＞0.05).Treatment with tacalcitol resulted in a sig- nificantly higher percentage (71.4% vs 54.3%) of repigmentation than that with placebo.Conclusions Our results show that MEL 308 nm is safe and effective for the treatment of vitiligo.Additionally,concur- rent topical tacalcitol potentiates the efficacy of MEL 308 nm in the treatment of vitiligo;this combination achieves more rapid pigmentation with a lower total MEL dosage.

The strain of DG7 isolated from the oilwater sample in DAGANG oilfield could produce surfactant ?acids and gas in the culture medium in which the diesel was sole carbon source .The strain was Gram-negative, motive, rod and growed facultatively in the 0 to 18.5% NaCl. Based on its characters, the strain was identified as a member of the genus Aeromonas, but there were some differences between this strain and the described species of this genus in some biochemical features, suggesting that it could be a new species of the genus.

Objective To observe the clinical effect of neonatal respiratory failure therapy with mechanical ventilation. Methods Forty - eight cases of neonatal respiratory failure were applied endotracheal intubation through mouth. At first, ventilation was given via the intermittent positive - pressure ventilation + peak end - expiratory pressure( IPPV + PEEP) way. Later, the breath parameters were regulated and transited to the intermittent mandatory ventilation( IMV) way according to original illness. When frac - tional concentration of in-spired gas(FiO2)

OBJECTIVE: To test the technical parameters of GlobalFiler® PCR Amplification Kit for its application to forensic application value and to investigate the genetic polymorphisms. METHODS: The validation was conducted in sensitivity, mixed samples, species specificity, adaptability, survivability, consistency, peak height balance and stability. The amplification and detection of the genomic DNA from 373 unrelated individuals from Beijing Han nationality were extracted by automation workstation. RESULTS: Global-Filer® PCR Amplification Kit was adaptive to some mixed, degraded and inhibited samples. The power of sensitivity and adaptability and peak height balance showed well. The distributions of genotype frequencies for 21 STR loci in the population were all in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05). The PIC value of the 21 STR loci was among 0.536 to 0.940; the H value was among 0.558 to 0.933; the DP value was among 0.783 to 0.992; the PE value was among 0.243 to 0.874. CONCLUSION GlobalFiler® PCR Amplification Kit is suitable for criminal cases and DNA database in forensic practice. And 21 STR loci in Beijing Han nationality have high polymorphism, which have application value in forensic practice and population genetics.
Asian People/genetics* ; Beijing ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Ethnicity ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Loci/genetics* ; Genetics, Population ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/standards* ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Reproducibility of Results ; Species Specificity

BACKGROUNDWe investigated the impact of eliminating the impingement between extensor mechanism and tibial insert on patellar tracking and patellar ligament tension in high knee flexion.

METHODSSix cadaveric specimens were tested on an Oxford-type testing rig. The Genesis II knee system was implanted into each specimen knee with the traditional tibial insert and high-flex insert successively. Compared to traditional insert, the high-flex insert was characterized with a chambered anterior post and a chambered anterior lip which eliminates patella-post and patellar ligament-anterior lip impingements. The patella was tracked with an NDI Optotrak Certus system. The patellar ligament tension was measured using a NKB S-type tension transducer.

RESULTSThere was a decrease of resultant patellar translation relative to the femur with statistically significant (P<0.05) at 90 degrees to 150 degrees of knee flexion and a decrease of patellar ligament tension with statistical significance (P<0.05) at 100 degrees, 120 degrees, 130 degrees, and 140 degrees of flexion using high-flex insert compared to traditional insert.

CONCLUSIONSEliminating the impingement between extensor mechanism and implant in high knee flexion altered patellar tracking and reduced patellar ligament tension, which would facilitate high knee flexion.

Biomechanical Phenomena ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Knee Joint ; physiology ; Ligaments, Articular ; physiology ; Patellar Ligament ; physiology ; Range of Motion, Articular ; physiology

Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Hepatitis B ; blood ; drug therapy ; virology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; physiology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Kinetics ; Lamivudine ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Models, Statistical ; Viral Load