Altitude ; Animals ; Arvicolinae ; Gene Expression ; Hypoxia ; Rats ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics

The mesencephalic auditory nuclei,the nuc leus mesencephalicus lateralis,pars dorsalis (MLd) and nucleus intercollicularis (ICo),were investigated in the adult songbird (Lonchura striata) for met -e nkaphalin (ENK) immunoreactivity and neuronal connectivity. It was found that th e ENK labeled fibers and neurons were distributed in the MLd margin and ICo, but were nearly absent in the central MLd. After a neural tracer biotionylated dext ran amine (BDA) was injected into the MLd margin, the labeled fibers and neurons were found in the brain nuclei or areas from telencephalon to medulla. There we re five nuclei or areas project to MLd margin:the cup of n. robustus archistriat alis (RA) of telencephalon, the n. preopticus anterior (POA) of hypothalamus, th e n. parabrachialis ventrolateralis (PBv1) of pons ,the n. rostral ventrolatera l medulla (RVL) and the n.infraolivaris superior (IOS) of medulla. The MLd margi n projected to two diencephalic areas, the shell of n. ovoidalis (Ov shell) and the lateral hypothalamus (LHy). The projections from MLd margin to PBv1 and hypo thalamus suggest that the MLd margin in the songbird may play an important role in the integration of anditory-vocalization, endocrine and other physiological activities.

Dextrocardia is a rare anomaly where the heart is located on the right side of the chest instead of the normal left side. Ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) with such an inverted anatomy may be challenging for the manipulation of the catheters. Here we report a case of dextrocardia who underwent ablation for persistent AF guided by image integration system.
Atrial Fibrillation ; therapy ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Dextrocardia ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Dextrocardia is a rare anomaly where the heart is located on the right side of the chest instead of the normal left side.Ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) with such an inverted anatomy may be challenging for the manipulation of the catheters.Here we report a case of dextrocardia who underwent ablation for persistent AF guided by image integration system.

This study aims to analyze the molecular epidemiological characteristics of HIV-1 strains prevailing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Beijing, China. The pol gene fragments from 250 newly diagnosed HIV-1-infected MSM individuals during 2006-2010 in Beijing were amplified by RT-nested PCR, sequenced, and phylogenetically analyzed. HIV-1 pol gene from 189 individuals were amplified and analyzed; 81 (42. 9%), 3 (1. 6%), 2 (1.0%), 88 (46. 6%), and 15 (7.9%) individuals were infected with HIV-1 subtypes B, B', C, CRF01_AE, and CRF07_BC, respectively. The subtypes B and CRF01_AE could both be grouped into two clusters, and CRFO7_BC strains shared high homology and were presumed to originate from a common ancestor. The HIV-1 circulating in MSM in Beijing had a lower genetic diversity than in heterosexuals. The HIV-1 epidemic (2006-2010) in MSM in Beijing was actually a rapid spread of HIV-1 CRF01 AE and B, or rather native strains of the two viruses.
Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Epidemics ; Genetic Variation ; HIV Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; virology ; HIV-1 ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Homosexuality, Male ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Young Adult

Acetaldehyde ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; physiology ; Rats

Antigens, Viral ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cell Phone ; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral ; radiation effects ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; physiology ; radiation effects ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Viral Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the loss of heterozygosity(LOH) at 14 microsatellites in esophageal cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

METHODSHPV-16,18 DNA was examined in 112 tumor specimens using fluorescence quantitative PCR. 112 tumor specimens and their matched blood DNAs were analyzed for LOH at 14 microsatellites by PCR and fluorescence-based DNA sequencing technology. The frequencies of LOH at 14 microsatellites were compared between HPV positive and negative specimens.

RESULTSHigh frequency of LOH was observed among chromosome arms 3p, 9p, 13q, 17p and 17q. The frequency of LOH was significantly higher at loci D13S260 and D6S497 in HPV positive specimens, comparing with HPV negative ones.

CONCLUSIONThe findings regarding loci with allele loss indicated that widespread chromosome instability might have existed in esophageal cancer. HPV positive specimens with higher frequency of LOH than negative ones at locus D13S260 and D6S497 suggesting that the target of HPV in esophageal cancer might serve as candidate genes at these two loci. In addition,this result also indicated that HPV might be a high-risk factor for esophageal cancer in Sichuan area with a high incidence of this cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Chromosomal Instability ; genetics ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; etiology ; genetics ; virology ; Female ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Loss of Heterozygosity ; genetics ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Papillomavirus Infections ; physiopathology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo employ reverse first dorsal metatarsal artery island flap to recover the donor site of great toe after free lateral pulp flap transfer, and decrease the morbidity of microsurgical donor site.

METHODSFrom February 2000 to June 2004, 12 cases of soft tissue defect in thumb and finger were treated by free lateral pulp flap of great toe transplantation, and that the secondary defect of great toes were repaired by reverse first dorsal metatarsal artery flap according to the anatomical communicating between first dorsal metatarsal artery and plantar metatarsal artery. The donor exposure of dorsal pedis were straightly sutured.

RESULTSAll the lateral pulp flaps of great toe and the reversed first dorsal metatarsal flaps survived uneventfully with desirable appearance and sensation. In thumb and finger defect reconstructed with lateral pulp flaps of the great toe, there was in mean static two-point discrimination of 6 mm at 10 month follow-up, that was 10 mm in reverse flaps.

CONCLUSIONSIt is an instructive and practical creation to adopt the reverse first dorsal metatarsal artery flap to recover the raw surface in the lateral aspect of the great toe, which minimizes the morbidity at the donor site and gains the twin-win results.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Arteries ; transplantation ; Female ; Finger Injuries ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Metatarsus ; blood supply ; Middle Aged ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; surgery ; Surgical Flaps ; pathology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the expression and clinical significance of Semaphorin4D (Sema4D) mRNA in peripheral blood lymphocyte, Sema4D on platelet surface, soluble Sema4D (sSema4D) in plasma in patients with cerebral infarction.

METHODSTaking 299 patients with cerebral infarction as the case group while 195 healthy adults as the control group. The mRNA expression of Sema4D was detected by Real-time PCR, and Sema4D expression on platelet by flow cytometry, sSema4D by ELISA. Then, the expression of Sema4D on platelet surface and the concentration of sSema4D in plasma of the 195 selected patients following 2 weeks' treatment were tested.

RESULTSThe expression of Sema4D mRNA significantly increased in the case group \[(2.23, 2.66)×10(4) IU/ml\] than in the control group \[(0.49, 0.53)×10(4)IU/ml\] (P < 0.01). The level of Sema4D on platelet surface in the case group (191.62 ± 46.56) significantly decreased than in the control group (303.33 ± 112.66) (P < 0.01). But the concentration of sSema4D in plasma in the case group \[(1.34 ± 0.56) µg/L\] was obviously higher than in the control group \[(0.61 ± 0.31) µg/L\] (P < 0.01). The expression of Sema4D on platelet was obviously relevant with the concentration of sSema4D in plasma in the case group with the correlation coefficient as 0.328 (P < 0.01). The expression of Sema4D on platelet obviously peaked up following 2 weeks' routine therapy in the case group, which was close to that in the control group. Meanwhile the concentration of sSema4D in plasma was downward corrected to the normal in the case group.

CONCLUSIONThe increased expressions and plasma levels, and reduced expressions on platelet of Sema4D in acute period, which returned to normal 2 weeks after treatment in the case group may be related to the occurrence of acute cerebral infarction, reflecting the development process of cerebral infarction.

Aged ; Antigens, CD ; blood ; metabolism ; Blood Platelets ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Cerebral Infarction ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Semaphorins ; blood ; metabolism