Objective To evaluate the predictive value of plasma levels of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1(VEGFR-1,also known as sFlt-1) in second-trimester for preeclampsia.Methods One hundred and forty-six pregnant women with normal blood pressure previously were prospectively included in the study.Peripheral venous blood samples were obtained between 20 and 26 gestational weeks.Plasma levels of sFh-1 were measured by an enzyme-linked immunoassay.Results (1) Among 146 previously normotensive women,12 developed preeclampsia (preeclampsia group), 134 remained normal pregnant till the end (normal group).(2) The plasma levels of sFh-1 in preeclampsia group [(4135?699)ng/L] was significantly higher than that in normal group[(1490?1033)ng/L](P

Objective To study the correlation between cognitive dysfunction and cholinergic neuron changes in basal forebrain(BFB)and brainstem reticular formation(BSRF)areas after brain con- cussion(BC)in rats.Methods Eighty-four Spragne-Dawley rats weighing 250-310g were used.The BC rat models were reproduced by a self-made simple pendulum impact device,then the rats were ran- domized into one control group and six experimental groups(1 day,2 day,4 day,8 day,16 day,and 24 day groups;n=12 in each group).A Morris Water Maze(MWM)test was used to assess learning and memory function of the rats.Cholinergic neurons in the BFB and BSRF were identified with choline acetyltransferase(CHAT)antibody and quantitated.Results Compared with the control group,the la- tency to find the platform in MWM was much longer on days 1-3 after BC,but there was no statistical difference on days 4-21 after BC.The cell number and the ChAT expression activity of cholinergic neu- rons in the BFB were obviously decreased after BC,and reached the lowest level at 8 days after BC,then increased gradually and nearly reached the normal level at 24 days.The ChAT expression activity in BSRF declined on the first 2 days after BC,then went up gradually,and reached the peak at the 24th day.Conclusion The spatial cognition deficit of BC rats can be detected by MWM in the early period (1-3 days after BC).There are significant changes in the number and ChAT expression activity in BFB and BSRF after BC.The change of cholinergic neurons may be correlated with cognitive deficits in BC rats.

OBJECTIVE: To set up a classification standard of mild and moderate traumatic brain injury, for the purpose of reliable data comparison derived from different laboratories. METHODS: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats was prepared by using a metallic pendulum-striker device. After injury, five variable parameters including the time of apnea and the areflexia, time of corneal reflex, external auditory canal stung reaction, body-righting reflex and needling reaction were determined and scored by using rat coma criterion. These data were judged and classified into mild and moderate head injury by brain patho-anatomy changes. Then the data were used to set up a multivariate discriminate equation. RESULTS: The distinguished probability of mild and moderate TBI according to actual direct measured value and the criterion were 88.9% and 91.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION This method is able to classify mild and moderate TBI in rats.
Animals ; Brain Injuries/pathology* ; Coma/etiology* ; Forensic Medicine ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the factors related to the outcome of patients with chronic severe hepatitis B and effectiveness of antivirus therapy.

METHODSThe effects of the factors including age, prothrombin activity (PTA), serum HBeAg, Anti-HBe, HBV-DNA load, with or without complication, antivirus therapy and so on, on outcome of 330 patients with chronic severe hepatitis B were analyzed in this retrospective study.

RESULTSThe mortality of patients with chronic severe hepatitis B was significantly higher among patients at higher age, with lower PTA, and with more complications. The mortality of patients with HBV-DNA more than 1x10(5) copies/ml (52.3 percent) was higher than that of patients whose HBV-DNA was less than 1x10(5) copies/ml (32.9 percent). There was no correlation between serum HBeAg or anti-HBe and the mortality. The mortality of patients with HBV-DNA higher than 1x10(5) copies/ml (30.38 percent) who were treated with lamivudine in 2005 was lower than that of patients whose HBV-DNA was less than 1x10(5) copies/ml (54.64 percent) who were not treated with any antiviral therapy in 2001.

CONCLUSIONThe higher serum virus load is the key factors of the mortality in addition to the other factors such as older age, lower PTA, more complication in the patients with chronic severe hepatitis B. The usage of antivirus therapy may be associated with lower mortality.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; genetics ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; mortality ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prothrombin ; metabolism ; Treatment Outcome ; Viral Load

Osteoarthritis (Osteoarthritis, OA) is a common clinical degenerative joint disease with increased incidence rate in recent years. Animal experiment is one of the important ways to explore pathogenesis and treatment of OA, while induced animal model is the most important part in animal experiment. Intra-articular injection of drugs is a classical method for establishing animal model of OA. Choose of animal should follows the principle of correlation, appropriateness and practicability, injections should perform in accordance with experimental purposes and subject, detections means and evaluation methods also should corresponding to experimental reality. The gold standard of OA animal model and intra-articular injections has not build, need further study.
Animals ; Cytokines ; analysis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Injections, Intra-Articular ; Mice ; Osteoarthritis ; diagnosis ; etiology ; immunology ; Rabbits ; Rats

BACKGROUNDTo study the effect of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 E6/E7 and TPA (12-O-tetradecanog-1-phorbol-13-acetate) on malignant transformation of human embryo oral tissue.

METHODSRecombinant plasmid with HPV 16 E6/E7 was constructed and transfected into human embryo oral tissue. The oral tissue with HPV 16 E6/E7 gene or without the gene was inoculated into the hypophloeodal of right shoulder in scid mice, respectively. The study was conducted in four groups: the first group was the oral tissue transfected plasmid with HPV 16 E6/E7 plus TPA, which were inoculated into 8 scid mice; the second group was only oral tissue transfected with plasmid with HPV 16 E6/E7 into 6 scid mice; the third group was normal oral tissue plus TPA inoculated into 6 scid mice, and the final group was only normal oral tissue inoculated into 5 scid mice. Three days after inoculation, TPA was injected at the left shoulder of the mice once a week. Twelve weeks after inoculation, tumor was found in 7 scid mice from the first group. HPV 16 E6/E7 gene in tumor tissues was analyzed by PCR.

RESULTSThe rate of tumor formation was 7/8 in the first group; no tumor was found in the other groups. Pathological diagnosis of the tumor was fibrohistiocytoma. HPV 16 E6/E7 gene was detected by PCR in tumor tissues.

CONCLUSIONWith the cooperating action of TPA, human oral tissue containing HPV 16 E6/E7 gene could cause malignant transformation in scid mice.

Animals ; Carcinogens ; pharmacology ; Carcinoma ; pathology ; virology ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, SCID ; Mouth Neoplasms ; pathology ; virology ; Oncogene Proteins, Viral ; genetics ; metabolism ; Papillomavirus E7 Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Papillomavirus Infections ; pathology ; virology ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate ; pharmacology

AIM:To explore whether there is synergistic effect of recombinant human endostatin ( rh-Endo ) and paclitaxel (Pac) in the time window of vascular normalization and the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in early assessment of chemotherapy by observing the response of human triple -negative breast cancer ( TNBC) to Pac after vascular normalization in nude mice .METHODS:The human TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells were planted in the subcutaneous region of right lower abdomen of BALB/c-nu female nude mice .These nude mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=7).rh-Endo was given for 17 consecutive days in rh-Endo group and rh-Endo+Pac group.Pac was given on the 6th and 12th days in Pac group and rh-Endo+Pac group.The dosage of both drugs was 10 mg· kg-1· d-1(ip).On the day before the treatment and the 5th, 11th and 17th days after treatment, all the transplanted tumors were examined by MRI . All the mice were killed by cervical dislocation and their transplanted tumors were taken down for examinations after the last MRI on the 17th day.The changes of pathology, immunohistochemisty, microvessel density (MVD) and Ki67 expression were measured.RESULTS:On the 17th day, the volume of transplanted tumor in rh-Endo+Pac group was smaller than that in model group and rh-Endo group ( P<0.05 ) , and no difference between rh-Endo+Pac group and Pac group was found.On the 17th day, the tumor inhibitory rates in rh-Endo group, Pac group and rh-Endo+Pac group were 14.61%, 39.08%and 54.79%, respectively.The slow diffusion coefficient in Pac group was increased compared with model group , while it was decreased compared with rh-Endo+Pac group (P<0.05).No distant metastatic lesion in the tumor-bearing mice was observed .The necrotic rates in rh-Endo+Pac group and Pac group were higher than those in model group and rh-Endo group.The MVD in model group was higher than that in the other 3 groups.The MVD in rh-Endo+Pac group was decreased compared with Pac group and rh-Endo group .The Ki67 level in rh-Endo+Pac group was decreased compared with rh-Endo group , and no difference between rh-Endo+Pac group and Pac group was detected .CONCLUSION:In the time window of vascular normalization , the combination of Pac and rh-Endo has a significant antitumor effect on TNBC , but this study did not observe a significant synergistic effect of the 2 drugs.The change of slow diffusion coefficient can predict the therapeutic effect in advance .

To study the effects of sodium valproate (VPA) on human myelodysplastic syndrome cell line MUTZ-1. The cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay, apoptotic morphological features were observed by light microscopy and transmission electronmicroscopy, cell apoptosis and cell cycle shift were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The results showed that VPA could inhibit the growth of MUTZ-1 cells in dose-and time-dependent manners. The typical apoptotic morphological features appeared in MUTZ-1 cells treated with 4 mmol/L VPA for 72 hours. Pyknosis of cells and nuclei, disintegration of nuclear chromatin and apoptotic body could be observed by light microscopy. Aggregation and margination of nuclear chromatin, concentration of plasm, increment of density and chromatin mass of irregular size could be observed by transmission electronmicroscope. The flow cytometric analysis indicated that the VPA could induce cell apoptosis, apoptosis rate increased in dose-dependent manner, ratio of cells at G(0)/G(1) phase increased and ratio of cells at S phase decreased in dose-dependent manner, the cells were arrested at G(0)/G(1) phase. It is concluded that the VPA can induce apotosis and inhibite proliferation of MUTZ-1 cells via arresting cells at G(0)/G(1) phase.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; pathology ; Valproic Acid ; pharmacology

To investigate the purging effect of CD3AK/iNOS on primary leukemic cells from chronic myeloid leukemia patients in vitro, amphotropic packaging cell line PA317 transfected with the whole length of iNOS gene was cultivated, amplified and screened by G418. The viral titer was determined by the NIH3T3 cells. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and activated by anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody in vitro. CD3AK cells were incubated with viral supernatant and selected by G418. Resistant clones were assayed for iNOS gene expression by RT-RCR. The content of nitric oxide and the activity of iNOS in the culture supernatant of CD3AK/iNOS were evaluated by the method of Griess. After BMMNC or PBMNC from CML patients were co-cultured with CD3AK/iNOS, CD3AK/Neo and CD3AK/iNOS respectively, the expression of bcr/abl fusion gene was detected by serial dilution semi-quantitative net RT-PCR assay. The results showed that anti-G418 positive packaging cell line PA317 transfected with the whole length of iNOS gene clones could stably synthesize and excrete recombinant retroviral vectors. The titer of recombinant retroviral vectors was 1.0 x 10(5) CFU/ml. After being transfected by recombinant retroviral supernatant, the iNOS cDNA was expressed in CD3AK/iNOS. The content of NO and activity of iNOS that synthesized and excreted by CD3AK/iNOS were notably increased, compared with those of CD3AK. There were statistically significant differences in NO content and iNOS activity between two groups. After BMMNC or PBMNC from CML patients were co-cultured with CD3AK/iNOS, CD3AK/Neo and CD3AK/iNOS respectively, the expression of bcr/abl fusion gene in all of them was down-regulated by serial dilution semi-quantitative RT-PCR assay. It is concluded that construction of CD3AK/iNOS can markedly increase the content of NO and the activity of iNOS, which can be more efficient in in vitro purging leukemia cells for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; CD3 Complex ; immunology ; Cell Line ; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic ; Female ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; genetics ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; genetics ; immunology ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Middle Aged ; NIH 3T3 Cells ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

BACKGROUNDMany patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) develop recurrent angina (RA) during hospitalization. The aim of this non-randomized, prospective study was to investigate the predictive factors of RA in unselected patients with ACS enrolled in the global registry acute coronary events (GRACE) during hospitalization in China.

METHODSBetween March 2001 and October 2004, enrolled were 1433 patients with ACS, including ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (662, 46.2%), non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (239, 16.7%) and unstable angina (532, 37.1%). The demographic distribution, medical history and clinical data were collected to investigate the predictive factors of RA by Logistic regression.

RESULTSDuring hospitalization 275 (19.2%) patients were documented with RA including unstable angina (53.2%), non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (27.5%), ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (19.3%). A comorbidity of dyslipidemia, prior angina, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 6 months was more common in patients with RA, P < 0.05. In the patients with RA, a significantly higher proportion of patients with acute pulmonary edema was observed, 23 (8.4%) versus 43 (3.7%), P = 0.001. Acute renal failure was present in 8 (2.9%) of patients with RA versus 19 (1.6%) of patients without RA, P = 0.165. Hemorrhagic events were present in 6 (2.2%) of patients with RA versus 8 (0.7%) of patients without RA, ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation events in 12 patients (4.3%) versus 22 patients (1.9%), congestive heart failure in 69 patients (25.0%) versus 94 patients (8.1%), myocardial re-infarction in 28 patients (10.1%) versus 15 patients (1.3%), P < 0.05, respectively. A lower proportion of patients with RA underwent in-hospital PCI, 687 (59.3%) versus 114 (41.5%), P = 0.000. A higher proportion of patients with RA received heparin, 260 (94.5%) versus 1035 (89.4%), P = 0.006; and beta-blockers 176 (64.0%) versus 864 (74.5%), P = 0.000. Multivarible regression analysis showed that RA was associated with prior angina (OR 2.086, 95% CI 1.466 - 2.967), in-hospital PCI (OR 0.579, 95% CI 0.431 - 0.778), in-hospital congestive heart failure (OR 2.410, 95% CI 1.634 - 3.555), myocardial re-infarction (OR 7.695, 95% CI 3.701 - 15.999), beta-blocker (OR 0.626, 95% CI 0.458 - 0.855), and heparin (OR 3.411, 95% CI 1.604 - 7.382).

CONCLUSIONSIn-hospital congestive heart failure, myocardial re-infarction, prior angina history and use of heparin are stronger independent predictors of RA; beta-blockers and PCI are also important predictive factors for RA.

Acute Coronary Syndrome ; epidemiology ; Adult ; Aged ; Angina Pectoris ; etiology ; therapy ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Recurrence ; Registries