To improve the comprehensive and creative ability of medical undergraduates,students were organized to do scientific research in the Capital Medical University during the basic teaching stage.Through this activity students understood the main course and way of medical scientific research and had basic ability of scientific research.

Objective To investigate the effect of the examination mode which focuses on students' comprehensive skill and capability, and then provide some references for the consummation of the examination evaluation system of the course of pathogenic biology and immunology experiments. Methods Students of five-year class of stomatology of Grade 2009 were selected to sit the innovating examination. The evaluation of the effect was analysed by the way of a questionnaire. Results Many students set higher values on the innovating course arrangement and examination mode which improved their capacity of experimental design, operational technique, writing of laboratory reports, innovative ability and so on. Conclusion The innovating course arrangement and examination mode are superior compared to the old one and can improve students comprehensive ability.

Clinical immunology should display the advanced and applied characteristics of immunology,and show the speciality of clinical practice.This course is a bridge between fundamental immunology and clinical teaching so that the medicos should get better foundation for the future learning.

AIM: To observe the effects of dexamethasone on the expression of toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)and the activation of NF-?B of dendritic cells(DC),and investigate the mechanism of dexamethasone suppressing differentiation,maturation,and function of DC.METHODS: DC generated from C57BL/6 murine bone marrow cells were induced by GM-CSF and IL-4.Dexamethasone was added in the DC's culture system,the cells were analyzed by flow cytometry(FCM) to determine the expression of TLR4 & CD11c,and by electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA) to verify the activation of transcription factor NF-?B of DC.RESULTS: Dexamethasone could suppress the expression of CD11c and the activation of NF-?B with a dose-effect relationship in DC,but it could not suppress the expression of TLR4 of DC.CONCLUSION: The mechanism of dexamethasone involved in inhibition of differentiation,maturation,and function of DC is perhaps related to suppression of NF-?B activation.

The examination mode which focuses on comprehensive and designing experiments is established for the course of pathogenic biology and immunology experiments. The test of experiment modules and the identification of pathogenic morphology are utilized to assess students'skill objectively. This item is expected to be beneficial to improving students'innovating spirit and enhancing their ability to analyse and resolve problems.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of oral administration of type II collagen (CII) on adjuvant arthritis (AA) in rats and its mechanisms, and to compare the effects of CII with those of the Chinese traditional medicine Tripterygium Polyglycoside administered similarly.

METHODSArthritis was induced in rats by immunization using Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). After feeding rats either soluble CII or Tripterygium Polyglycoside, changes in degree of articular swelling and articular histological findings were observed in AA rats. Some correlative immunological indexes were measured, including delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction, anti-collagen and anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) antibody in serum, and levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in articular steep in rats.

RESULTSOral administration of CII was able to alleviate both distinctly articular and general symptoms in AA rats, suppress synovium hyperplasia and inflammatory cells infiltration in arthrosis capsule. The effects brought about by CII were stronger than those by Tripterygium Polyglycoside. Oral administration of CII inhibited antigen-specific immune response, such as DTH and antibody reaction to CII. In addition, the expression of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in joints were locally downregulated.

CONCLUSIONSThe therapeutic effect of oral administration of CII is obvious on adjuvant arthritis in rats. Its remedial mechanisms are likely related to the downregulation of both IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, and the suppression of cell immunity.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Antibodies ; blood ; Arthritis, Experimental ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Collagen Type II ; therapeutic use ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; prevention & control ; Immune Tolerance ; Interferon-gamma ; biosynthesis ; Male ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; immunology ; Phytotherapy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synovial Membrane ; pathology ; Tripterygium ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; biosynthesis