Objective To study the changes and significance of serum beta 2-microglobulin(?2-MG),cytocine interleukin-2(IL-2) in the clinical progress of childhood idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura(ITP).Methods One hundred and ten patients of childhood ITP were chosen for the test group(70 cases of primary ITP and 40 cases of recurrent ITP),and 110 normal children for the control group.Levels of serum ?2-MG and IL-2 were determined by radioimmunoassay kit and analysed with two sample t-test.Results Among the patients,the serum IL-2 levels were significantly lower and serum ?2-MG levels were significantly higher than those in control group(P0.05).Conclusion Determining serum IL-2 and ?2-MG levels has important significance to reflect the progress of disease and direct treatment.

Objective:To summarize the clinical features and gene mutation characteristics of a child with mitochondrial enoyl-CoA hydratase short chain 1 deficiency (ECHS1D) caused by enoyl-CoA hydratase short chain 1 ( ECHS1) gene mutation. Methods:The clinical characteristics and genetic test results of a child with ECHS1D who visited the Department of Neurology of Xuzhou Children′s Hospital in January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and the clinical features of the disease were also reviewed by searching relevant domestic and foreign literature.Results:The child was a 6 months and 4 days old male, with acute onset, the main clinical manifestation being limb movement disorder after admission. The child had slow motor development, his head was still upright and cannot turn over, the child also cannot sit alone, follow up and make a laugh, and the muscle tension of limbs was increased. The child′s blood lactate was increased to 6.2 mmol/L, which suggested metabolic acidosis, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head showed abnormal signals in the basal ganglia on both sides, abnormal enhancement of the meninges of the left cerebral hemisphere. Whole exome sequencing revealed that the child had compound heterozygous mutations in ECHS1 gene, c.563C>T (p.A188V) and c.5C>T (p.A2V), respectively. The child′s father carried c.563C>T mutation, the mother carried c.5C>T mutation, all of which were missense mutations. Conclusions:ECHS1 gene mainly has missense mutations, most of which are compound heterozygous mutations, and a few are homozygous mutations. The ECHS1D caused by ECHS1 gene mutation often affects infants and young children. MRI suggests abnormal signals in the basal ganglia; for cases with the above clinical manifestations and abnormal signals in the basal ganglia on MRI, genetic testing should be considered to confirm the diagnosis.

Objective To evaluate the effect of orthodontic light force on the expression of Asporin,bone morphogenetic proteins-2 (BMP-2) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) after auto-transplantation.Methods Thirty-two maxillary and mandibular incisors in four 13 month-old male Beagle dogs were auto-transplanted to the other side of the same jaw.The teeth were all endodontically treated and divided into four groups,control (group 1) and three experimental groups (groups 2,3 and 4).In control group,the teeth were unloaded.In the other three experimental groups,continuous force was applied in the 1st week (group 2),2nd week (group 3) and 4th week (group 4) after auto-transplantation,respectively.The dogs were sacrificed in the 8th week.The mRNA expressions of Asporin,BMP-2 and ALP were examined by real time PCR.The expression of periodontal ligament associated protein-1 (PLAP-1) was examined by Western blotting.The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 17.0 and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results In group 3,the expression of Asporin mRNA (2.047 ± 0.281) was higher than that in the other three groups,while the expression of BMP-2(1.358 ± 0.095) was lower than that in group 2 and control group(P ＜ 0.05).The expression of PLAP-1 (1.054 ± 0.113) in group 3 was higher than other groups,while significant difference was found between any two groups.Conclusions Orthodontic force could stimulate the expression of Asporin and PLAP-1.The orthodontic force applied in the 2nd week after the tooth auto-transplantation,the expression of Asporin and PLAP-1 reached the highest level.

To construct PTEN/PLGA-(HE)10-MAP nanoparticles, which encapsulated PTEN plasmid DNA and combined with the pH-responsive cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), and to investigate their effects of gene delivery and anti-tumor targets in vitro. Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles loaded with PTEN plasmid DNA were prepared by double emulsification-solvent evaporation method. PTEN/PLGA-(HE)10-MAP nanoparticles were prepared by coupling the histidine-glutamic acid-model amphipathic peptide nanocomplex [(HE)10-MAP] to the surface through amide condensation reaction. Particle size, Zeta potential, encapsulation rate and drug loading were tested to characterize the nanoparticles. By analyzing the cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, targeted transfection of eukaryotic expression plasmids and anti-tumor cell proliferation, the feasibility as a targeted gene delivery system were evaluated. The particle size of PTEN/PLGA-(HE)10-MAP nanoparticles was (266.5 ± 2.86) nm, with the encapsulation efficiency (80.6 ± 6.11)%. Zeta potentials were -(6.7 ± 0.26) mV, +(0.7 ± 0.22) mV and +(37.5 ± 0.85) mV at pH 7.4, 7.0 and 6.5, respectively. In the cytotoxicity test, the cell survival rates of tumor and normal cells were above 80%.Non-loading PLGA-(HE)10-MAP nanoparticles showed no obvious cytotoxicity. The results of cellular uptake experiments showed that PTEN/PLGA-(HE)10-MAP nanoparticles were more readily taken up by cells.The results of CCK-8 showed that the nanoparticles could pH-specifically inhibit proliferation of tumor cell in vitro.And PTEN/PLGA-(HE)10-MAP nanoparticles may be applied in tumor gene therapy.

Under the limitation of cross-sectional studies, more researchers are turning their attention to maternal and child cohort studies. However, some problems do exist in the traditional maternal and child cohort studies, if data is only gathered from the hospitals. The limitation would include the contents of research and the high rate of loss to follow-up. With the integration of different medical traits and the progress in big data, the development of maternal and child related cohorts, with characteristics of dynamic follow-up and data sharing, through combining the information and health service systems of different institutions, seem in urgent need. This paper aims to provide some basic achievements in conducting maternal and child cohorts that can serve the related health problems through full-life cycle, and provide new references on conducting cohort studies, aiming at special population or diseases.

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and treatment strategies of pituicytoma. Methods: Twenty-one cases of pituicytoma were collected at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, China from 2009 to 2020. The clinical data of 21 pituicytoma patients was retrospectively analyzed, and the relevant literature was reviewed. Results: Twenty-one patients aged 4 to 68 years, including 8 males and 13 females. All patients underwent surgical treatment. Histologically, the tumor was consisted almost entirely of elongate, bipolar spindle cells arranged in a fascicular or storiform pattern. Mitotic figures were rare. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were diffusely positive for S-100 protein (21/21), vimentin (15/15) and TTF1 (14/14), while they were weakly or focally positive for GFAP (13/16) and EMA (6/12). CKpan was negative in all cases and Ki-67 proliferation index was low (<5%). Among the 18 patients with follow-up, all survived and 2 relapsed after surgery. Conclusions: Pituicytoma is a rare low-grade glioma of the sellar area. It is easily confused with other sellar tumors. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult. It needs to be confirmed by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Microsurgery is the main treatment method at present.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Craniopharyngioma ; Female ; Glioma/pathology* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pituitary Neoplasms/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect and mechanism of action of irisin on hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in neonatal rats. METHODS: A total of 248 7-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a model group, and low- and high-dose irisin intervention groups (n=62 each). The rats in the model and irisin intervention groups were given hypoxic treatment after right common carotid artery ligation to establish a model of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage. Those in the sham-operation group were given the separation of the right common carotid artery without ligation or hypoxic treatment. The rats in the high- and low-dose irisin intervention groups were given intracerebroventricular injection of recombinant irisin polypeptide at a dose of 0.30 µg and 0.15 µg respectively. Those in the model and sham-operation groups were given the injection of an equal volume of PBS. The water maze test was used to compare neurological behaviors between groups. TTC staining, hematoxylin-eosin staining and TUNEL staining were used to observe histopathological changes of the brain. Western blot was used to measure the expression of the apoptosis-related molecules cleaved-caspase-3 (CC3), BCL-2 and BAX. RESULTS: Compared with the sham-operation group, the model group had a significant increase in latency time and a significant reduction in the number of platform crossings (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the high-dose irisin intervention group had a significant reduction in latency time and a significant increase in the number of platform crossings (P<0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, the model group had massive infarction in the right hemisphere, with significant increases in karyopyknosis and karyorrhexis. Compared with the model group, the high-dose irisin intervention group had a smaller infarct area of the right hemisphere, with reductions in karyopyknosis and karyorrhexis. The model group had a significantly higher apoptosis rate of cells in the right cerebral cortex and the hippocampus than the sham-operation group. The high-dose irisin intervention group had a significantly lower apoptosis rate than the model group (P<0.05). At 24 and 48 hours after modeling, the sham-operation group had a significantly lower level of CC3 than the model group (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the high-dose irisin intervention group had a significantly lower level of CC3 and a significantly higher BCL-2/BAX ratio (P<0.05). The low-dose irisin intervention group had similar laboratory markers and histopathological changes of the brain to the model group. CONCLUSIONS Irisin can alleviate hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in neonatal rats in a dose-dependent manner, possibly by reducing cell apoptosis in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis ; Brain ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Aim To explore the improvement effect of Bazi Bushen capsule on thymic degeneration in SAMP6 mice and the possible mechanism.Methods Twenty 12 week old male SAMP6 mice were randomly divided into the model group(SAMP6)and the Bazi Busheng capsule treatment group(SAMP6+BZBS).Ten SAMR1 mice were assigned to a homologous control group(SAMR1).The SAMP6+BZBS group was oral-ly administered Bazi Bushen capsule suspension(2.8 g·kg-1)daily,while the other two groups were orally administered an equal amount of distilled water.After nine weeks of administration,the morphology of the thymus in each group was observed and the thymus in-dex was calculated;HE staining was used to observe the structural changes of thymus tissue;SA-β-gal stai-ning was used to detect thymic aging;flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of thymic CD3+T cells in each group;Western blot was used to detect the levels of p16,Bax,Bcl-2,and cleaved caspase-3 proteins in thymus;immunofluorescence was applied to detect the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells in each group;ELISA was employed to detect IL-7 lev-els in thymus.Results Compared with the SAMP6 group,the thymic index of the SAMP6+BZBS group significantly increased(P＜0.05);the disordered thy-mic structure was significantly improved;the positive proportion of SA-β-gal staining significantly decreased(P＜0.01);the proportion of CD3+T cells apparently increased(P＜0.05);the level of p16 protein signifi-cantly decreased(P＜0.05);the level of Bcl-2 pro-tein significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the lev-el of cleaved caspase-3 protein markedly decreased(P＜0.05);the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells evidently increased;the level of IL-7 significantly increased(P＜0.01).Conclusions Bazi Bushen capsule can delay thymic degeneration,inhibit cell ap-optosis in thymus and promote thymic cell development in SAMP6 mice,which may be related to increasing the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells and promoting IL-7 secretion.

BackgroundDandelion is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine with several active compounds found in extracts. It has a variety of pharmacological effects, such as a reduction in swelling and inflammation, and detoxification. The mechanism by which dandelion extract inhibits the inflammatory response in skeletal muscle cells remains unknown; therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dandelion extract root on the proliferation of skeletal muscle cells and the alleviation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in vitro.

MethodsRat skeletal muscle cells were isolated from Sprague-Dawley rat and cultured in vitro which were cultured in basal medium, or medium containing LPS or dandelion extract. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) was employed to measure cell proliferation; meanwhile, the optimal concentration of dandelion extract and treatment time were selected. Crystal violet staining was used to detect the proliferation of muscle cells. Western blotting analysis was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors, myogenic factor, and p-AKT protein expression.

ResultsThe optimal concentration and treatment time of dandelion extract for the following study were 5 mg/ml and 4 days, respectively. Dandelion extract was found to increase proliferation of rat skeletal muscle cells (t = 3.145, P < 0.05), with the highest effect observed at 5 mg/ml. LPS was found to decrease proliferation of skeletal muscle cells (t = -131.959, P < 0.001), and dandelion extract could against this affection (t = 19.466, P < 0.01). LPS could induce expression of inflammatory factors, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (IL-1β: t = 9.118, P < 0.01; IL-6: t = 4.346, P < 0.05; TNF-α: t = 15.806, P < 0.05), and dandelion extract was shown to reduce LPS-induced expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α (IL-1β: t = -2.823, P < 0.05; IL-6: t = -3.348, P < 0.01; and TNF-α: t = -3.710, P < 0.01). Furthermore, LPS was also shown to decrease expression of myogenic factor, including myod1 and myogenin (MyoD1: t = 4.039, P < 0.05 and myogenin: t = 3.300, P < 0.01), but dandelion extract was shown to against this effect of LPS (MyoD1: t = -3.160, P < 0.05 and myogenin: t = -3.207, P < 0.01). And then, LPS was found to increase expression of p-AKT protein (p-AKT/AKT: t = 4.432, P < 0.05). Moreover, expression of p-AKT protein was found to decrease, with 5 mg/ml of dandelion extract (p-AKT/AKT: t = -3.618, P < 0.05).

ConclusionsThe findings indicate that dandelion extract plays an important role in skeletal muscle cells viability regulation, promote cells proliferation by increasing level of p-AKT protein expression, and reduce LPS-induced expression of inflammatory factors, inhibiting the inflammatory response of rat skeletal muscle cells.

OBJECTIVES: To study the association of β2-drenergic receptor ( METHODS: A total of 143 children with asthma who attended the hospital from October 2016 to October 2020 were enrolled as the asthma group, among whom 61 children had mild symptoms (mild group) and 82 children had moderate-to-severe symptoms (moderate-to-severe group). A total of 137 healthy children were enrolled as the control group. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from the two groups. The SNaPshot SNP technique was used to analyze the SNP and haplotypes of the RESULTS: Polymorphisms were observed in the CONCLUSIONS SNP/haplotype of the
Asthma/genetics* ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2/genetics* ; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid