AIM:To select an efficient way of promoting induced pluripotent stem cells ( iPSC) to differentiate into neural stem cells (NSC) by comparing 2 methods.METHODS:The culture system in method A contained SB431542 (5 mmol/L) and drosomophorin (5 mmol/L) with 100%initial cell density, while that in method B contained SB431542 (5 mmol/L) and drosomophorin (1 mmol/L) with 30%~50% initial cell density.For comparison and identification of the 2 methods, the growth state was observed under microscope , and the expression of Pax6, nestin, Sox1 and Sox2 was quantitatively detected by real-time PCR and flow cytometry .The related protein expression and the ability of spontaneous differentiation were determined by immunofluorescence analysis .RESULTS: The cells derived from method A with 5 mmol/L of SB431542 and drosomophorin and 100% initial cell density achieved the higher expression of Pax 6, nestin, Sox1 and Sox2.The growth state was better and the cells differentiated into neurons and astrocytes normally .CONCLU-SION:The method A was superior to method B , and we recommend the method A with 5 mmol/L of SB431542 and droso-mophorin and 100%initial cell density as the method for differentiating NSC .

Objective To compare the biomechanical properties of single-segment and two-segment fusion for Denis type B spinal fracture.Methods Two female patients with Denis type B L1 vertebral fracture were enrolled in this study.The 45-year-old patient (Frankel B) underwent posterior reduction and fixation with pedicle screw system plus anterior two-segment fusion and the 41-year-old patient (Frankel C) underwent posterior reduction and fixation with pedicle screw system plus anterior one-segment fusion.The intervertebral fusion was achieved in both patients 1 year after operation.CT data of the two patients at 1 year after surgery was collected,including data of 41-year-old patient before and after removal of pedicle screws and data of 45-year-old patient without removal of pedicle screws.These three sets of data were imported into the Mimics software to establish T11-L2 three dimensional models.After construction of the models,they were imported into ANSYS software.An axial load (260 N) and 10 Nm torque were loaded to simulate the flexion,extension,lateral bending and rotation of the spine,respectively.Meantime,under above 6 kinds of motion form,the average displacement of the spine and the average Von Mises stress of T11-12 intervertebral disc were recorded and compared.Results There was no significant difference in the average displacement of the spine between two-segment fusion patient and single-segment fusion patient without removal of pedicle screws.However,under all motion forms,the average displacement of the spine of single-segment fusion patient after removal of pedicle screws was significantly higher than that before removal of pedicle screws and that of two-segment fusion patient.The average Von Mises stress of T11-12 intervertebral discs of two-segment fusion patient was significantly higher than that of one-segment fusion patient.Moreover,the average Von Mises stress of T11-12 intervertebral discs of single-segment fusion patient before removal of pedicle screw was higher than that after removal of pedicle screw.Conclusion Under the premise of satisfactory interbody fusion,removal of pedicle screws after one-segment fusion can increase spinal motion,reduce the stress of the adjacent intervertebral discs and delay disc degeneration.

AIM:To develop a new identification and analyfical method for Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum . METHODS: Powder X ray diffraction Fourier fingerprint pattern was adopted. RESULTS: The reference X ray diffraction Fourier fingerprint pattern and characteristic diffraction peaks of Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum were obtained by three samples of Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum and one sample of Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum . CONCLUSION: This method can be used for identification of Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum .

Objective To investigate the left atrium (LA) function and structure changes in the paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) patients after catheter ablation using tissue Doppler imaging. Methods After complete pul-monary vein, radiofrequency ablation guided by Ensite NavX System, LA systolic function and LA diameter, volume, mean mitral gradient and mitral annulus early and advanced diastolic peak velocity were assessed in 32 cases of par-oxysmal AF patients,which were compared with age-matched controls before and after 24 hours, 1 week, 1 month) AF ablation. Results AF did not occur again in 32 AF paroxysmal patients after isolation. LA diameter and volume in AF groups before ablation were larger than controls(P<0.01), which were also larger 24 hours after ablation than before (P>0.05 ), but LA volume was larger than before (P<0.05), and decreased in I week after ablation (P< 0.05), but had no significant difference compared with controls in 1 month(P>0.05 ) ;mitral annulus advanced di-astolic peak velocity decreased in AF groups before ablation (P<0.01 )and was lower than that 24 hours after cathe-ter ablation (P<0.05 ), but increased after 1 week (P<0.05 or P <0.01 ), and had no significance after 1 month. Conclusion Catheter ablation is the effective way to manage AF because LA is distended and atrial systolic func-tion is reduced within 24 hours after procedure, then gradually increased in a week and will nearly recover to that be-fore procedure in a month, which may be correlated with LA repair, implicating that postprocedural thromboembollc risk and procedure injury should be taken into consideration.

0.10). Conclusions HLA-B51 might be a susceptible gene for BD, and there was a weak association between HLA-B51(HLA-B*5101) and BD patients with uveitis.

Objective To investigate the role of genistein (Gen) in the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) induced by parathyroid hormone (PTH) in human renal tubular epithelia cells. Methods Real-time PCR, Western blotting and reporter gene assay were employed to detect the role of Gen in PTH-induced CTGF expression in HK-2 cells. The activity of NF-κB was measured by EMSA to investigate the mechanism by which PTH induced CTGF expression in HK-2 cells. Inhibitors of NF-κB signaling pathway were used to ascertain which signal pathway was involved. Results HK-2 cells had basic amount of CTGF mRNA and protein, which, however, increased significantly after treatment with PTH, and the luciferase activity increased to a higher level as compared with control group after treatment with 10-10 mol/L PTH for 12 h (1.89±0.08 vs 0.99±0.03, P＜0.01). Gen decreased the expressions of CTGF mRNA and protein induced by PTH in dose-dependent manner. The NF-κB of nucleus was inactivation without PTH, while the activity of NF-κB significantly increased after exposed to PTH, with the maximal response of PTH at a concentration of 10-10 mol/L and the best stimulating time at 30 minute. The NF-κB inhibitor PDTC reduced the increase of CTGF transcript levels in response to PTH stimulation. Gen blunted PTH-mediated NF-κB activation. Conclusion Gen inhibits CTGF expression induced by PTH through bloking NF-κB signaling pathway in human renal tubular epithelial cells.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between prolactin (PRL) cleavage and the occurrence of hypertension, heart failure (HF) in post-menopausal female patients.
Methods: A total of 216 post-menopausal female subjects were enrolled in our study and they were divided into 3 groups: Hypertension group,n=80 patients with essential hypertension, Hypertension + HF group,n=76 and Control group,n=60 post-menopausal women form regular physical examination. The full length (23 kD PRL), 16 kD PRL fragment, lipid peroxide (LPO), total antioxidant status (TAS), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), NT-proBNP, creatinine, uric acid, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and BMI were examined and compared among different groups.
Results:①There were no real differences in age, creatinine, uric acid, FBG and BMI among groups,P>0.05.②Compared with Control group, Hypertension group had increased LPO and decreased TAS; compared with Control group and Hypertension group, Hypertension + HF group had increased LPO and decreased TAS.③Compared with Control group, Hypertension + HF group showed lower level of 23KD PRL, higher level of 16KD PRL and the higher ratio of 16KD PRL/23KD PRL,P<0.05-0.01.④Pearson correlation analysis indicated that LPO was negatively related to 23KD PRL (r=-0.784,P<0.01), positively related to 16KD PRL (r=0.807, P<0.01); TAS was positively related to 23KD PRL (r=0.768, P<0.01), negatively related to 16KD PRL (r=-0.777P<0.01); 23KD PRL was positively related to LVEF (r=0.852, P<0.01), negatively related to NT-proBNP (r=-0.832P<0.01); 16KD PRL was negatively related to LVEF (r=-0.850,P<0.01), positively related to NT-proBNP (r=0.814,P<0.01).
Conclusion: PRL cleavage was highly related to the occurrence of hypertension and HF in post-menopausal female patients.

In order to explore the therapeutic effects and preliminary mechanism of gypenosides (GP) on hypercholesterolemia, as well as the protective effect on liver injury induced by high-dose simvastatin and high cholesterol diet (HCD), the hypercholesterolemia model of golden hamster was established by high cholesterol diet. The experimental animals were divided into blank group, model group, GP low and high dose groups (60 mg/kg, 120 mg/kg), simvastatin group (10 mg/kg), and GP high dose combined with simvastatin group (120 mg/kg + 10 mg/kg).The efficacy was investigated through dynamic monitoring serum cholesterol and liver function related indexes after drug treatment of 14 and 23 days. The results showed that GP could significantly reduce the levels of serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), increase the level of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and reduce the secretion of PCSK9. It is suggested that GP has a good therapeutic effect on HCD diet-induced hypercholesterolemia hamsters, which may be related to its inhibition of PCSK9 secretion. In addition, GP can significantly ameliorate liver damage caused by HCD diet and high-dose simvastatin. These findings provide a scientific basis and useful reference for the combination of GP and statins to reduce toxicity and increase efficacy.

Objective To investigate the immunological effects of thymoglobulin (RATG) on human CD4+and CD8+cells for costimulatory molecule gene expression and the production ofimmune-regulatory cytokines. Methods CD4+and CI8+T cells were isolated and purified fromnormal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) followed by incubation with RATG at37℃. Cells and culture supematants were collected at 24, 48, and 72 h after incubation, and analyzedby real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for CTLA-4, CD154, forkhead box P3(Foxp3), OX40, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-10 and CD25 gene expression, and multiplex cytokine detectionassay for IFN-y, IL-2, IL-10, and IL-4 production. Untreated and rabbit isotype Ig-treated cells wereused as negative controls. Results RT-PCR demonstrated that RATG pre-treated CI+and CD8+cells upregulated the expression of CTLA-4, OX40, Foxp3, CD25, IFN-γ, IL-10 and IL-2 genes, anda dramatic increase of supernatant IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-2 and IL-4 was revealed 24 h after treatment asdetermined by multiplex cytokine detection assay when compared with negative controls. Theupre gulation of CTLA-4, Foxp3, OX40, IL-10 and CD25 was reduced, and a down-regulation ofCD154 and IL-2 gene expression was revealed 48 h after treatment. Cells, treated with RATG for 72h, demonstrated up-regulation of CTLA-4, Foxp3, OX40, IFN-y and CD25 gene expression, and theexpression of IL-2 and IL-10 genes was down-regulated. Additionally, supernatant IFN-γ, IL-2,IL-10 and IL-4 levels were decreased. Conclusion RATG stimulates CI4/CD8 T cells to up-regulatecostimulatory molecules and release immune regulation associated cytokines IF'N-γ, IL-2, IL-10in vitro. These results suggest that the unique effect of RATG on CD4+CD8+T cells may be animportant mechanism for its action in inducing immunoregulation, immunosuppression and transplanttolerance.

Objective To explore the expression and the role of monocyte-derived costimulatory molecuels during xenogeneic immune responses. Methods Porcine endothelial cells (PEC) were isolated from aorta, and subcultures were performed. CD4+ cells and monocytes were purified from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). PBMC-PEC co-cultures were established, and the cells were collected followed by staining with florescent-labeled monoclonal antibodies and analyzing by FACS. In selected experiments, monoclonal antibodies specific for CD154, CD80 and CD86 were added into PBMC-PEC co-cultures, and the effects of co-stimulatory molecule blockade in inhibiting lymphocyte proliferation in response to PEC were determined by 3H-thymidine up-take. The proliferation of CD4+ cells induced by PEC-conditioned monocytes with or without co-stimulation blockade was evaluated. Results PBMC-PEC co-incubation demonstrated dramatic lymphocyte proliferation as determined by 3H-thymidine up-take. FACS found that resting monocytes expressed only CD86 but not CD40 and CD80. CD14+ monocytes from PEC-stimulated PBMC demonstrated up-regulation of CD80 and CD40 expression. The up-regulation of CD86 was revealed. PEC-activated monocytes induced CD4+ cell proliferation while resting monocytes did not and this proliferation was inhibited by anti-CD154, anti-CD80 or anti-CD86 antibodies. Conclusions CD14+ monocytes play an important role during xenogeneie immune responses in indirect antigen presentation and co-stimulation- The interaction between monocyte-derived co-stimulatory molecules and CD4+ cell-derived CD154 and CD28 delivers secondary signal and induces CD4+ proliferation, and the co-stimulation blockade inhibits xe-nogeneic cell-mediated immune responses.