Objective To investigate the effect of excessive all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) on mouse embryonic palatal fusion and the mechanism. Method Palatal shelves from embryonic D 13 embryonic mice were cultured in BGJb medium and treated with vehicle control only or 5 ?mol/L atRA for 72 h. Palatal fusion was examined by hemagglutinin esterase. Apoptosis and laminin were detected by TUNEL and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The level of Smad2 phosphorylation (pSmad2) was analyzed by Western blot. Results atRA led to failure of palatal fusion and inhibited the migration and apoptosis of medial edge epithelial cells (MEE) and degradation of basal lamina within, compared with control palatal shelves in cultures. Additionally, apoptosis was detected in mesenchyme of atRA-treated palatal shelves. Further experiment revealed that pSmad2 was abrogated by atRA. Conclusion atRA induced failure of palatal fusion through inhibition of apoptosis of the MEE cell and degradation of basal lamina within medial edge epithelial seam. Inhibition of pSmad2 may account for the failure of palatal fusion by atRA.

Objective To develop a teaching and examination system based on Delphi for the obstetric nurse. Methods The teaching materials were collected for the obstetric nurse, the teaching and examination mode was analyzed, and Delphi was used for programming and MySQL database was applied to teaching and examination data. Results The system had easy operation, high stability and rapid response to the database, and could meet the requirements for the teaching and examination of the trainee nurse. Conclusion The system realizes informatization and high expansibility of obstetric teaching and examination, and thus is worthy promoting practically.

BACKGROUNDMajority of the research on cardiac arrest (CA) have focused on post-CA brain injury and myocardial dysfunction, the renal dysfunction and acute kidney injury (AKI) in other critical illnesses after CA have not been well described. This study was designed to assess AKI with renal Doppler and novel AKI biomarkers in a swine model of ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest (VFCA).

METHODSThirty healthy piglets were divided into VFCA group (n = 22) and Sham group (n = 8) in a blinded manner. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output were recorded continuously. Cardiac arrest (CA) was induced by programmed electric stimulation in the VFCA group, and then cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed. Twenty piglets returned of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and received intensive care. Blood and urine samples were collected for AKI biomarkers testing, and Color Doppler flow imaging was performed at baseline, 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h, respectively after ROSC. At ROSC 24 h, the animals were sacrificed and a semi-quantitative evaluation of pathologic kidney injury was performed.

RESULTSIn the VFCA group, corrected resistive index (cRI) increased from 0.47 ± 0.03 to 0.64 ± 0.06, and pulsatility index (PI) decreased from 0.82 ± 0.03 to 0.68 ± 0.04 after ROSC. Cystatin C (CysC) in both serum and urine samples increased at ROSC 6 h, but neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in serum increased to 5.34 ± 1.68 ng/ml at ROSC 6 h, and then decreased to 3.16 ± 0.69 ng/ml at ROSC 24 h while CysC increasing constantly. According to the renal histopathology, 18 of 20 animals suffered from kidney injury. The grade of renal injury was highly correlated with RI, cRI, NGAL, and CysC. Linear regression equation was established: Grade of renal injury = 0.002 × serum CysC + 6.489 × PI + 4.544 × cRI - 8.358 (r2 = 0.698, F = 18.506, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSAKI is common in post-CA syndrome. Renal Doppler and novel AKI biomarkers in serum and urine are of significant importance as early predictors of post-CA AKI.

Acute Kidney Injury ; blood ; etiology ; Animals ; Biomarkers ; blood ; Cystatin C ; blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Heart Arrest ; blood ; complications ; Lipocalins ; blood ; Male ; Swine ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; methods ; Ventricular Fibrillation ; blood ; complications

OBJECTIVETo study the role of p21-activated kinase-4 (PAK4) in the occurrence, progression and metastasis of breast cancer.

METHODPAK4 expression was detected in 35 cases of normal breast, 22 breast cystic hyperplasia, 28 breast adenofibroma, 37 breast cancer (including 7 non-invasive cancer, 9 early invasive cancer and 21 invasive cancer) and 13 metastatic breast cancer tissues using immunohistochemistry for a comparison of PAK4 expression and distribution.

RESULTSPAK4 was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm of the cancer cells, occasionally in the cell nuclei, and virtually not expressed in the matrix surrounding the breast cells. PAK4 positivity rates increased in the order of normal breast tissues, benign changes (including breast cystic hyperplasea and breast adenoma), breast cancer and metastatic cancer tissues; in the cancer tissues, the positivity rates increased in the order of non-invasive breast tumor, early invasive tumor and invasive tumor tissues.

CONCLUSIONPAK4 is closely correlated to the progression and metastasis of breast cancer and may become a new diagnostic and therapeutic target of breast cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Young Adult ; p21-Activated Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the inhibiting action of transforming growth factor-beta type R II receptor(TGF-beta R II) antibody to fibroblasts.

METHODSFour groups of cultured skin fibroblasts were treated with different dosages of TGF-beta R II antibody. Examinations were performed with HYP, MTT, microscope, and flow cytometry techniques.

RESULTSTGF-beta R II antibody resulted in significant inhibition of fibroblasts(P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONTGF-beta R II antibody has inhibiting effects on the proliferation of skin fibroblasts and with a dose-dependent manner.

Adolescent ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; pharmacology ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Child ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; ultrastructure ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Microscopy, Electron ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta ; analysis ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo observe osteoclasts on the resorbing surface of human deciduous teeth.

METHODSAfter fixing the collected deciduous teeth, we prepared the tooth slices without decalcification, treated them with HE and TRAP dyestuff, and observed the osteoclasts under light and scanning electron microscope.

RESULTSThere were large quantity of various forms of overlapping and huge osteoclasts with many nuclei and silk-like protuberances on the resorbing surface of deciduous teeth. The multinucleated osteoclasts align on the surface of coarse dentin.

CONCLUSIONOn the resorbing surface of human deciduous teeth there are large amount of osteoclasts which can be used as a source of studying human osteoclast.

Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Osteoclasts ; cytology ; Tooth Resorption ; Tooth Root ; cytology ; Tooth, Deciduous ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between the E-cadherin catenin complex and invasiveness of pituitary adenoma.

METHODSThe expression of E-cadherin catenin complex was determined by immunohistochemistry in 78 cases of human pituitary adenomas including invasive adenoma 44 cases, noninvasive adenoma 34 cases and the relativity of their expressions with hormone-producing, pituitary apoplexy and necrosis or cystoid change, tumor diameter were analyzed.

RESULTSThe invasive group had a significantly lower expression of E-cad and alpha-cat than that of noninvasive group (chi-squared = 13.969, P < 0.01). There was no statistical significance for beta-cat expression between the invasive group and noninvasive group (chi-squared = 0.430, P > 0.05). Moreover, the expressions of beta-cad and alpha-cat were significantly lower in macro-adenoma group than that in micro-adenoma group (chi-squared = 5.038, P < 0.05). The expression of E-cad was significantly lower in endocrine inactive group than that in endocrine active group (chi-squared = 4.614, P < 0.05). The expression of beta-cat was significantly lower in the group with apoplexy and necrosis than that in the group without apoplexy and necrosis (chi-squared = 6.701, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe reduction of E-cad catenin complex is related to invasiveness and clinical pathological characteristics.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Young Adult ; alpha Catenin ; metabolism ; beta Catenin ; metabolism

Study on features of acupoints with resistance test in the past half century is reviewed in this article. Mechanism and technology of the method are introduced as well as its shortcomings. The determination method of signal transmission along meridians with the combination of electrical network theories and practice is advanced. And the result of a series experiments on one meridian at the superficial part of the body are given as well. Thus, it is concluded that the signals of the point-in/point-out and the signals along a non-meridian path with the same distance are significantly different, which gives a verification of the feasibility of the method by using electrical network theories to set out characteristics of signal transmission along meridians dynamically.
Acupuncture Points ; Electrophysiological Phenomena ; Electrophysiology ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Meridians ; Signal Transduction

This study was aimed to investigate the changes of cytokine contents in single donor platelets (SDPs) collected by using MCS(+), Trima, Amicus blood cell separators during storage. 18 portions of SDPs were collected by MCS(+), Trima, Amicus blood cell separators, were preserved in standard condition of blood bank, the levels of cytokines such as IL-8, RANTES, CD154, TGF-beta(1) and VEGF were detected by ELISA at 1, 3, 5, 7 days during storage. The results showed that the levels of IL-8, RANTES, CD154, TGF-beta(1) and VEGF in SDPs collected by blood cell separators MCS(+), Trima, and Amicus gradually increased with prolonging of time during storage, but the increase of IL-8 level in SDPs collected by MCS(+) separator was significant difference from SDPs collected by Trime and Amicus separators (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the all collected SDPs mentioned above express IL-8, RANTES, CD154, TGF-beta(1) and VEGF during storage, and their cytokine levels show a tendency to increase with prolonging of time during storage, apheresis platelets with less leukocytes express IL-8 lower.
Blood Platelets ; metabolism ; CD40 Ligand ; blood ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Chemokine CCL5 ; blood ; Cytokines ; blood ; Humans ; Interleukin-8 ; blood ; Platelet Count ; Specimen Handling ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; blood ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; blood

BACKGROUNDDespite low morbidity, acute or subacute spinal epidural hematoma may develop quickly with a high tendency to paralysis. The delay of diagnosis and therapy often leads to serious consequences. In this study we evaluated the effects of a series of methods for the diagnosis and treatment of the hematoma in 11 patients seen in our hospital.

METHODSOf the 11 patients (8 males and 3 females), 2 had the hematoma involving cervical segments, 2 cervico-thoracic, 4 thoracic, 1 thoraco-lumbar, and 2 lumbar. Three patients had quadriplegia, including one with central cord syndrome; another had Brown-Sequard's syndrome; and the other seven had paraplegia. Five patients were diagnosed at our hospitals within 3 - 48 hours after appearance of symptoms, and 6 patients were transferred from community hospitals within 21 - 106 hours after development of symptoms. Key dermal points, key muscles and the rectal sphincter were determined according to the American Spinal Injury Society Impairment Scales as scale A in two patients, B in 5 and C in 4. Emergency MRI in each patient confirmed that the dura mater was compressed in the spinal canal, with equal intensity or hyperintensity on T(1) weighted image and mixed hyperintensity on T(2) weighted image. Preventive and curative measures were taken preoperatively and emergency operation was performed in all patients. Open laminoplasty was done at the cervical and cervico-thoracic segments, laminectomy at the thoracic segments, laminectomy with pedicle screw fixation at the thoraco-lumbar and lumbar segments involving multiple levels, and double-sided laminectomy with the integrity of articular processes at the lumbar segments involving only a single level. During the operation, special attention was given to hematoma evacuation, hemostasis and drainage tube placement.

RESULTSNeither uncontrollable hemorrhage nor postoperative complications occurred. All patients were followed up for 1 - 6 years. A marked difference was noted between postoperative and preoperative scales (u = 3.66, P < 0.01). Most patients recovered after therapy, but the recovery of patients treated at our hospitals was superior to that of those transferred from community hospitals (t = 2.95, P < 0.05). Of the patients treated at our hospitals, 4 were cured and 1 was upgraded with scale from A to D, whereas none of those transferred from community hospitals recovered completely, even one remained scale C.

CONCLUSIONSPhysical examination plus MRI is essential to early diagnosis of acute or subacute spinal epidural hematoma. Preventive and curative measures including emergency operation are helpful to the recovery of patients' nerve function.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged