AIM:To determine whether acellular porcine cornea stroma (APCS) could support the growth of the rabbit corneal cells in vitro.METHODS: APCS was prepared. The rabbit's corneal epithelium and stromal cells were cultured and seeded on, APCS in vitro.The observation of phase contrast photograph and histological examination were performed.RESULTS: Histological examination showed the epithe- lium grew on the scaffold of APCS in 2-3 layers at 10th day. The stromal cells adhered to the surface of the scaffold after 24 hours and invaded into the interlaminar of the material at 5th day.CONCLUSION: These results indicate that APCS can support the growth and proliferation of the corneal epithelium and stromal cells in vitro.

Objective To investigate the probability of assessment of hepatic fibrosis for liver transplantation using model for end-stage liver disease(MELD) by comparing the correlation of MELD score with Ishak pathological grading method. Methods Fifty-eight patients who underwent liver transplantation because of end-stage liver disease from February 2006 to September 2006 were performed quantitative hepatic fibrosis evaluation using computer-assisted digital image analysis. Pathological diagnosis according to the Ishak modified score was also performed. MELD scores were calculated using the original formula based on the clinical examination data collected on the admission days. The correlations among the image analysis method, Ishak grading and MELD scoring method were analyzed using the Spearman's rank correlation analysis. The linear relationship between the MELD scores and the degree of hepatic fibrosis shown from linear regression analysis was used to define the reference criterion. Results The hepatic fibrosis area ratios of the 58 patients were between 23.2 % and 88.4 % with average of 56.7% by computer-assisted digital image analysis. The MELD scores on the admission clays were between 11 and 38 with average of 22.85±9.32. The semi-quantitative Ishak classification showed that there were 0, 2, 7, 12, 18, 12, and 7 cases in each of the 7 grades respectively, the higher the grade the higher the hepatic fibrosis area ratio and the higher the MELD scores. Spearman rank correlation test indicated that there was significant correlation among these three methods(P ＜ 0.01). Linear regression analysis showed that there was a linear relationship between the MELD scores and the degree of hepatic fibrosis. Conclusions Computer-assisted digital image analysis can evaluate objectively the hepatic fibrosis degree and it is significantly correlated to the MELD system. Hepatic fibrosis degree can be evaluated by MELD scores.

Objective To explore the influence of different treatment time on the relapse and prognosis of patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy. Methods To prospectively studied the clinical characteristics of 155 patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy. Patients were separated into immediate ( n =84, seizures ≤3 times) or deferred (n =71, seizures ＞ 3 times) treatment groups according to number of seizures before treatment with appropriate antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The patients were followed up for at least one year (median, 29 months). Kaplan-Meier survival statistics was used to analyze time to first seizure or time to treatment failure (inadequate seizure control and (or) intolerable side-effects ). The proportions of patients with treatment failure and seizure free during follow up were also compared. Results There was no significant difference in time to first seizure or time to treatment failure between immediate ( 1484 days and 2992 days) and deferred treatment ( 1104 days and 1964 days; Log-Rank test x2 =0. 571 and 0. 018 respectively, P = 0. 450 and 0. 893 ). Subgroup analyses according to etiology ( primary and cryptogenic/symptomatic epilepsy) and age (children ≤ 16 years; adult ＞ 16 years) did not reveal any difference between immediate and deferred treatment. During follow up, there were 20 treatment failure patients ( 23. 8% ) in immediate treatment group and 16 ( 22.5% ) in deferred treatment group ( no statistical difference, x2 =0. 035 ,P =0. 852). There were 40 seizure free patients (47. 6% ) in immediate treatment group and 30 (42. 3% ) in deferred treatment group ( no statistical difference, x2 = 0. 447, P =0. 504 ). Conclusions For newly diagnosed epilepsy patients with a few seizures ( seizures ≤ 3 ), immediate AEDs treatment does not affect the relapse and prognosis.

The influences of the calmodulin antagonist chlorpromazine (CPZ), and calcium chanmel blocker nimodipine (NLMO) and their combination on cadmium (Cd) poisoning of mice were studied.A series of biochemical parameters including urinary enzyme activities, blood and urine Cd levels, metallothionein (MT) contents in liver and kidney, hepatic ultrastructure and Ca2+ -Mg2- AT Pase activitv in erythrocyte membrane were determined. Animal models for Cd poisoning were established by peritoneal injection of 1/5 LD50 CdCl2. The experimental groups were protected by administration of CPZ, NIMO and CPZ and NIMO in combination I h before the injection of CdCl2. Five days later, samples were collected for analysis. The data showed that CPZ could protect kidney tissue against Cd-induced damage, as the urinary y-glutamyl-traspeptidase (γ-GT) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activities were reduced significantly. There was neither evidence of the protective effect of NIMO on kidney tissue nor an indication of a synergistic effecf of CPZ and NIMO.Both CPZ and NIMO showed a considerable protective effect against the decrease in Ca2+ -Mg2+ AT-Pase activity, and a synergistic action was observed. Cd content in blood was reduced significantly by CPZ or the combination of CPZ and NIMO, but elevated by NIMO. Both CPZ and NIMO considerably increased MT contents in livers and kidneys and ameliorated damaged to the hepatic ultrastructures caused by Cd. The results indicated that these inhibitors could protect mice against the toxic effects of Cd in liver and kidney tissues, while CPZ was more efficient than NIMO. The combination of CPZ and NIMO excrted a synergistic action. The protective action of these two drugs might be relevent to the function of MT.

OBJECTIVETo study the condition of economic burden of disease in the countryside and to explore the related factors.

METHODSHuman capital method and two-step method were used in the calculation of economic burden of disease.

RESULTSThe total economic burden of disease among 3359 persons was 3072 225 Yuan. Noncommunicable conditions were accounted for 62.95%, while communicable disease, maternal and perinatal conditions accounted for 24.25%, and injury accounted for 9.83% respectively. The direct economic burden of disease was 1,559,619 Yuan and the indirect economic burden of disease was 1,472,606 Yuan. The economic burden of disease for each person was 914 Yuan. The equal burden of disease among patients with disability and without disability were 3070 Yuan and 680 Yuan respectively (P < 0.001). There was significant difference among different age groups. The influencing factors were found to include having noncommunicable disease, age, disability and the condition of marriage.

CONCLUSIONCorresponding policy to cope with conditions of different age groups needs to be developed to reduce the economic burden of disease in the countryside.

Absenteeism ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; economics ; epidemiology ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; economics ; epidemiology ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Chronic Disease ; economics ; epidemiology ; Communicable Diseases ; economics ; epidemiology ; Cost of Illness ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rural Health

In order to ensure the safety of the vaccine cold chain to the greatest extent, the newly regulations still require daily manual recording of temperature data and operation conditions based on the configuration of the automatic temperature measurement and alarm system.Therefore, on the basis of Shanghai Vaccine Cold-chain Monitoring System, Shanghai has introduced an electronic signature technology to implement a new model of remotely checking the temperature by mobile-phone and keeping records of the electronic signature as certificates.This technology reduces the on-site workload of cold chain management personnel.It also guarantees the authority, legitimacy, and non-tampering of recorded information through blockchain certificate storage technology.The application of the electronic signature technology is compatible with technical defense and civil defense methods, and is worthy of further promotion and use.

Objective To treat simple malocclusions preliminarily using Chinese-made invisible orthodontic aligners and discuss the indications, problems existed and future development. Methods Forty-one cases with different malocclusions were selected, including crowding, spaces and spaces due to periodontal problems. Invisible aligners were made and worn by patients and they were changed every 2-3 weeks. Results Acceptable treatment results were obtained in all cases, with nice alignments and good overbite and overjet. Treatment time ranged from 6-25 months. Conclusions Indications of this technique were still limited and the technique needed to be further developed in the future.

OBJECTIVETo construct a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) vector of the hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha), determine its inhibitory effect on the expression of the HIF-1alpha gene in PC-3M cells, and investigate its application prospects in the treatment of prostate cancer.

METHODSWe designed and synthesized the shRNA template sequence specific against HIF-lalpha, inserted it into the vector psilencer 2.1-U6 to generate the plasmid psilencer-HIF, transfected the recombinant plasmid into prostate cancer cell line PC-3M cells and detected the transfection efficiency by cotransfection with the pEGFP vector as well as the expression of HIF-1alpha by RT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSThe DNA sequencing analysis showed a complete consistency of the recombinant plasmid psilencer-HIF with the design. Twenty-four hours after the transfection, the rate of transfected plasmid was about (89.26 +/- 4.72)% and the vector-mediated shRNA induced RNA interference (RNAi), while 48 hours transfection reduced the HIF-1alpha mRNA and protein levels by 82.09% and 81.61% respectively (P < 0.01) in PC-3M cells.

CONCLUSIONThe shRNA vector was successfully constructed, which can effectively suppress the expression of HIF-1alpha in prostate cancer cells.

Base Sequence ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; genetics ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo compare the asbestos-induced DNA damage and repair capacities of DNA damage between 104 asbestos-exposed workers and 101 control workers in Qingdao City of China and to investigate the possible association between polymorphisms in codon 399 of XRCC1 and susceptibility to asbestosis.

METHODSDNA damage levels in peripheral blood lymphocytes were determined by comet assay, and XRCC1 genetic polymorphisms of DNA samples from 51 asbestosis cases and 53 non-asbestosis workers with a similar asbestos exposure history were analyzed by PCR/RFLP.

RESULTSThe basal comet scores (3.95 +/- 2.95) were significantly higher in asbestos-exposed workers than in control workers (0.10 +/- 0.28). After 1 h H2O2 stimulation, DNA damage of lymphocytes exhibited different increases. After a 4 h repair period, the comet scores were 50.98 +/- 19.53 in asbestos-exposed workers and 18.32 +/- 12.04 in controls. The residual DNA damage (RD) was significantly greater (P<0.01) in asbestos-exposed workers (35.62%) than in controls (27.75%). XRCC1 genetic polymorphism in 104 asbestos-exposed workers was not associated with increased risk of asbestosis. But compared with polymorphisms in the DNA repair gene XRCC1 (polymorphisms in codon 399) and the DNA damage induced by asbestos, the comet scores in asbestosis cases with Gln/Gln, Gln/Arg, and Arg/Arg were 40.26 +/- 18.94, 38.03 +/- 28.22, and 32.01 +/- 11.65, respectively, which were higher than those in non-asbestosis workers with the same genotypes (25.58 +/- 11.08, 37.08 +/- 14.74, and 29.38 +/- 10.15). There were significant differences in the comet scores between asbestosis cases and non-asbestosis workers with Gln/Gln by Student's t-test (P<0.05 or 0.01). The comet scores were higher in asbestosis workers with Gln/Gln than in those with Arg/Arg and in non-asbestosis workers exposed to asbestos, but without statistically significant difference.

CONCLUSIONSExposure to asbestos may be related to DNA damage or the capacity of cells to repair H2O2-induced DNA damage. DNA repair gene XRCC1 codon 399 may be responsible for the inter-individual susceptibility in DNA damage and repair capacities.

Adult ; Aged ; Amino Acid Substitution ; Arginine ; blood ; Asbestos ; toxicity ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; genetics ; DNA Repair ; drug effects ; genetics ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Genotype ; Glutamine ; blood ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; toxicity ; Lung Neoplasms ; chemically induced ; genetics ; Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; drug effects ; physiology ; X-ray Repair Cross Complementing Protein 1

Chinese medical syndrome efficacy, as a second efficacy indicator, has been widely used in clinical trials of treating dementia by Chinese herbal medicine. The syndrome assessment tool is a key point in assessing the efficacy of Chinese medical syndrome. The syndrome assessment tool for dementia used nowadays needs to be optimized in content, reliability, and validity. In this paper, the authors reviewed some problems correlated with the design of Chinese medical assessment questionnaire on the basis of Chinese medical theories by combining the common requirements for questionnaire development.
Alzheimer Disease ; drug therapy ; Dementia ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Phytotherapy ; methods ; Treatment Outcome