Objective:To prepare poly-L-lactic acid(PLLA)electrospun nanofibers carrying icariin(ICA)(ICA /PLLA)and to evaluate the effects of the ICA /PLLA on MC3T3-E1 cells.Methods:ICA solution was dispersed into PLLA solution,and electrospun fibers were fabricated by W/O emulsion method.The morphology of ICA /PLLA was observed by SEM.The in vitro release kinetics of ICA /PLLA was examined.The attachment of MC3T3-E1 cells on ICA /PLLA was examined by propidiumiodide(PI)labling and ob-served under fluorescent microscope.The proliferation of the cells was measured by MTT assay.The differentiation of the cells was ob-served by alkaline phosphatase (ALP)assay.Results:In vitro,ICA was effectively released from ICA /PLLA for 22 days,cells were attached well on the surface in all groups,ICA did not affect the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells(P >0.05),but increased the ALP activity(P <0.05)of the cells.Conclusion:ICA /PLLA can effectively control the release of ICA and promote the differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells.

OBJECTIVE:To provide reference for medical costs control in China. METHODS:Based on main characteristics of the United States health service system,information asymmetry,principal-agent theory and Freedman’s consumption theory were used to analyze the advantages of restrictive relationship among doctors,hospitals and health insurance institutions in control-ling medical costs and improving the quality of diagnosis and treatment. The growth rate of medical cost,the percentage of drug ex-penditure and other aspects were compared between China and the United States;the effect of restrictive relationship on medical cost control was demonstrated. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS:In the United States,there are hierarchical medical system and two-way referral system;for-profit hospitals and non-profit hospitals are mutually complementary;different natures of health insur-ance system,different payment methods and strict“commercial bribe”monitoring system are carried out;doctors,hospitals and health insurance restrict each other. Not only there are many advantages in theory,but also in practice the growth rate of medical cost and the percentage of drug expenditure are superior to our country. Finally it controls the rapid growth of medical cost to a cer-tain extent. Combined with our national conditions,learning from the United States experience,restrictive relationship among doc-tors,hospitals and health insurance institutions is established to control the increase of medical cost in China through reducing infor-mation asymmetry and standardizing payment audit;establishing a scientific pattern of mixed payment;strengthening the indirect impact of the health insurance institutions on doctors and hospitals,etc.

OBJECTIVE: Mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mtDNA) 8344 A>G (m.8344A>G) mutation is the common mutation associated with mitochondrial myoclonus epilepsy with ragged-red fibers (MERRF) syndrome. Herein we report a rare case with mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes/MERRF/Leigh (MELAS/MERRF/Leigh) overlap syndrome caused by m.8344A>G mutation. METHODS: The clinical and imaging data of the patient were collected and an open muscle biopsy was carried out. We further employed molecular genetic analyses to detect mtDNA mutation in the proband and his mother. And then a clinical and neuroimaging follow-up was performed. RESULTS: This patient was a 25-year-old male, who developed exercise intolerance since the age of 6. At age 10, he suffered from acute episodes of hemianopia, and cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed occipital stroke-like lesions and cranial magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) revealed a lactate peak corresponding to the lesion. After that the patient presented slowly progressive psychomotor decline. He had myoclonic seizures and cerebellar ataxia since the age of 12. At age 21, he was admitted to our hospital because of confusion and cranial MRI revealed symmetrical lesions in bilateral posterior putamen, thalami and midbrain. Then repeated MRI showed progression of original lesions and new frontal multiple stroke-like lesions. Symptomatic and rehabilitation treatment relieved his condition. Follow-up cranial MRI at age 24 showed the lesions in basal ganglia and thalami diminished, and the midbrain lesions even completely vanished. Muscle pathology indicated the presence of numerous scattered ragged-red fibers (RRF), suggestive of a mitochondrial disorder. Polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) detected the m.8344A>G mutation of the MT-TK gene encoding mitochondrial transfer RNA for lysine in the patient's blood. Next generation sequencing (NGS) of the whole mitochondrial genome identified that the proportion of m.8344A>G was 90%, and no other mtDNA mutation was detected. Sanger sequencing further identified this mutation both in the proband and his mother's blood, although the mutation load was much lower in his mother's blood with approximately 10% heteroplasmy. CONCLUSION The present study is the first to describe a patient with m.8344A>G mutation in association with the MELAS/MERRF/Leigh overlap syndrome, which expands the phenotypic spectrum of the m.8344A>G mutation.
Acidosis, Lactic ; Adult ; Child ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics* ; Humans ; Male ; Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathies ; Mutation ; Stroke ; Young Adult

Objective To define dynamic changes of viral loads and antibody responses in ICR mice naturally infected with hepatitis virus in an MHV contaminative facility .Method A total 50 ICR were housed by different “dirty bedding” exposure.Antigen and antibody was detected after 2,4,8,14,21,28,35,42,56 and 84 days.Result Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) was detected in lung after 2 days, and positive rate is 20% (1/5).MHV was detected in lung, liver, cecal and feces during 4 and 56 days.The positive rate was 0/5 in lung, liver, cecal and feces on 84 days after experiments.Antibody positive rates were 100%during 8 and 84 days.Conclusion Serological method can be used as the main method for the diagnosis of the daily supervision , and antigen detection method can only be applied to early diagnosis .

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy as an adjunctive therapy for children with dyskinetic cerebral palsy. Methods Seventy-one children with dyskinetic cerebral palsy aged 6 mouths to 2 years were randomly assigned to a HBO group ( n = 35 ) or a control group ( n = 36).All children were given conventional rehabilitative treatment, but the children in the HBO group in addition received 40 sessions of HBO therapy. HBO was administered for 1 h with 85% ～ 90% oxygen at 1.4 atmospheres absolute pressure. All the treatments in both groups continued for 8 weeks. Gross motor function was evaluated with a gross motor function measure ( GMFM ), global motor performance was assessed with a psychomotor development index (PDI), and intelligence was assessed with a mental development index (MDI). Clinical assessments were done before and after treatment. At the same time, hearing impairment was measured using brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) in the HBO group. Results All outcomes in both groups improved significantly over the course of study. The average improvement in GMFM in the control group was significantly greater than in the HBO group but other differences were not statistically significant. Hearing impairment developed in 8 children treated with HBO.Conclusion There was no evidence that HBO therapy improved the condition of children with dyskinetic cerebral palsy, and there is a risk of side effects with HBO therapy.

Aged ; Female ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Spleen ; chemistry ; pathology ; surgery ; Splenectomy ; Splenic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Vimentin ; metabolism

In recent years, non-viral gene vectors have attracted great attention for efficient gene delivery due to the advantages, including low toxicity, low immunogenicity and simple preparation. Polyethylenimine (PEI) is one of the typical non-viral gene carriers that have been widely utilized for gene delivery owing to its superior capabilities in gene compression and buffering capacity. This article discusses the processes of gene delivery and the barriers of PEI-based carrier during the gene delivery, such as low biocompatibility, cytotoxicity, lack of specific targeting and insufficient gene release, etc. Therefore, we summarize the multiple approaches for the modifications of PEI in terms of improved biocompatibility, degradability, specific targeting and buffering capacity. Furthermore, we also review on the recent impressive progresses of smart stimuli-responsive PEI carriers, including endogenous stimuli (pH, reactive oxygen species, glutathione, biomolecular, etc), exogenous stimuli (light, temperature, magnetic field, etc) and dual-responsive strategies, which might provide guidance for the development of more efficient and safer non-viral gene vectors.

Objective To establish tissue biobank of osteoarthritis in Beijing Jishuitan Hospital to promote orthopedic research study in China.Methods Fresh tissue or blood samples were collected from patients who underwent surgical operation for osteoarthritis since July 2007.Clinical information of the patientswasalsocollected.MicrosoftAccessdatabasesystemwasusedforthemanagementof information.Results From July 2007 to November 2011,a total of 2605 medical records and15188 tissue or blood samples were collected.Among them,165 tissue samples and 2005 blood samples were provided for molecular biology or epidemiological research.Conclusion Human tissue biobank is important for research work.Present osteoarthritis tissue collection and storage is feasible and could supply quality samples for study.

Objective To observe the dynamic changes of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC)and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI)after percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention (PCI). Methods The level of VEGF before and after PCI in 50 cases with AMI were determined by fluorescence immunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbnent assay (ELISA),and the ratio of EPC in flood was checked by flow cytometry.Results The level of EPC was higher after PCI than before PCI [(4.15 ± 0.22)％ vs.(0.59 ±0.02) ％,P＜0.01],and there were positive correlations between EPC and number of coronary artery disease (r=0.45,P ＜ 0.05 ),coronary artery lesions ( r =0.76,P ＜ 0.01 ),left ventricular enddiastolic diameter (r=0.68,P＜0.01),ejection fraction (r=0.75,P＜0.01).The VEGF levels after PCI was increased [(506± 120)μg/L vs.(204±98)μg/L,P＜0.01],and its level was positively related with coronary lesions (r=0.66,P＜0.01),left ventricular ejection fraction(r=0.90,P＜0.01).There was association between rising rates of EPC and VEGF in a short time after PCI within 24 h period (r=0.56,P＜0.01). Conclusions The clinical efficacy and prognosis can be assessed by the changes of VEGF level and EPC ratio before and after PCI operation in AM1 patients.

Objective To track the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischernic brain damage (HIBD).MethodsA total of 126 healthy,seven-day-old SD rats were used to model the HIBD and then randomly divided into seven groups of 18:a sham group,a hypoxic-ischemic (HI) group,a 6 h HBO group,a 24 h HBO group,a 48 h HBO group,a 72 h HBO group and a 1 week HBO group.One hour of HBO treatment at 2 atmospheres absolute pressure was administered once daily for a week to the rats in the latter 5groups,starting at 6,24,48,72 hours and 1 week post the HIBD modeling,while no HBO was administered to the sham and HI groups.The effects were assessed in terms of histological changes ( the neuron density and the percentage of neuron apoptosis in the CA1 region of the hippocampus) and nitric oxide (NO),malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxygen dismustase (SOD) concentrations after 15 days.ResultsIn the 6 h HBO,24 h HBO,48 h HBO and 72 h HBO groups,average neuron density in the CA1 region was significantly higher than in the HI group.But in the 1 week HBO group the average density was not significantly different than in the HI group.In the 6 h HBO,24 h HBO,48 h HBO and 72 h HBO groups the average percentage of neuron cell apoptosis in the CA1 area of the hippocampus was significantly lower than in the HI group,but the 1 week HBO group again showed no significant difference.There were significant differences in average NO,MDA or SOD levels among the 6 h HBO,24 h HBO,48 h HBO,72 h HBO and HI groups,but the 1 week HBO group showed no significantly higher average levels than the HI group.ConclusionsThe optimal therapeutic window for using HBO to protect against HIBD is within the first week.The best effect can be obtained in the first 6 hours,but after 1 week HBO no longer has a significant effect.The earlier the HBO is administered,the better the effect obtained.