Objective To determine the efficacy of berberine in the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis ( NASH) , and to investigate the regulating effect on macrophage phenotype transformation in hepatic tissue on methionine -choline deficiency (MCD) diet induced NASH mice.Methods Fourty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (10 mice per group): the normal group (fed with normal diet), the NASH model group (fed with MCD diet), rosiglitazone treatment group (30mg/kg) and berberine treatment group (150mg/kg).Drugs were adopted in the preventive intervention method for 2 weeks.The hepatic histopathological method was adopted to evaluate the drug therapeutic effect.The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin(IL)-6, and IL-10 were examined with ELISA method.M1 and M2 phenotype were detected by flow cytometry .Results The results showed berberine improved the degree of hepatic histopathology .Berberine not only reduced the level of TNF-α, but also increased the level of IL-10 in serum on NASH mice significantly ( P <0.05 ) . Flow cytometry data indicated that berberine decreased M 1 type macrophages and increased M 2 type macrophages in liver tissue .The ratio of M1/M2 was significantly decreased in berberine and rosiglitazone treated group ( P <0.01 ) .Conclusion Berberine may improve the hepatic pathological process in MCD diet induced NASH model possibly through modulating macrophage phenotype transformation , i.e.The ratio of M2 type is more than M1 type in hepatic tissue , and increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines .

Objective: To investigate the clinic-pathological features and prognostic risk factors of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) with hypertension (HTN). Methods: Primary IgAN patients diagnosed with biopsy from January 2016 to December 2017 were recruited. Patients were divided into IgAN with normal blood pressure (IgAN-NTN) group and IgAN with hypertension (IgAN-HTN) group based on the pressure value when performing the kidney biopsy. The clinical and pathological data were collected and compared between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier method was conducted for renal results, whereas the Cox regression model was exploited to analyze the prognostic factors in the progression of IgAN-HTN patients. Results: The total number of enrolled patients was 275 cases, 170 (61.82%) of which had normal pressure and 105 individuals (38.18%) resulted in hypertension. The IgAN-HTN group in terms of male proportion, age, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, serum urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, serum uric acid, 24 h urinary protein, triacylglycerol, complement C4 and so on were higher than those in the IgAN-NTN group (all P<0.05). The incidence of gross hematuria and the level of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were significantly lower than those in the NTN group (all P<0.001). For the aspect of light microscope pathological manifestations, IgAN-HTN group exhibited more severe histological lesions including glomerular sclerosis, renal tubular atrophy or renal interstitial fibrosis, interstitial vascular injury than IgAN-NTN group (all P<0.05). Immunofluorescence examination results showed that the deposition ratio of C1q in IgAN-HTN group was higher than that in IgAN-NTN group (P=0.015). By employing Kaplan-Meier method, the cumulative renal survival rate in the HTN group was much lower than that in the NTN group (Log-rank test: χ²=6.456, P=0.011). For the patients in IgAN-HTN group, the cumulative renal survival rate in the dyslipidemia group was much lower than that in the ortholiposis group (Log-rank test: χ²=5.093, P=0.024). There was no significant difference in the cumulative renal survival rate between the blood pressure control group and the unqualified group (Log-rank test: χ²=1.036, P=0.309). As a result of univariate and multivariable Cox regression analysis, total cholesterol, eGFR and 24 h urinary protein were risk factors for renal progression of IgAN patients with hypertension. Conclusions The clinical manifestations and renal pathological changes in patients with IgAN-HTN are more serious than those in IgAN-NTN patients, which result in worse prognosis. IgAN-HTN patients should be paid more attention to the management of serum lipid level during treatment and follow-up.

Objective To explore the relationship between the peripheral dose and radioactive counts of 125I seeds detected by SPECT/CT.Methods Six 125I seeds(1.48×107 Bq, 1.85×107 Bq, 2.22×107 Bq, 2.59×107 Bq, 2.96×107 Bq, 3.33×107 Bq) were put into the solid water phantoms respectively. SPECT/CT was applied to scan the seeds. The radioactive counts (x) at the distance of 1-15 mm from the center of seeds were recorded respectively, while the corresponding doses (y, cGy) were calculated. SPSS 18.0 was used to analyze the relationship between the radioactive counts and peripheral dose. Results There was an exponential relationship between the peripheral dose of 125I seeds and the radioactive counts. The formula was as follow: y=507.849×1.004x. Conclusion SPECT/CT can visualize the peripheral dose of 125I seed, which may provide a method for dosimetric verification after brachytherapy.

To construct the ss/HBsAg protein gene-engineering vaccine for developing the diagnosis and cure tumors in clinical medicine and promoting the growth in animal husbandry production. A pair of primers were designed according separately to the sequence of Somatostatin gene(S14) and HBsAg gene. Their gene fragments were separately amplified by using PCR and cloned, following sequencing, the DNA fragments were inserted into pBluescript vector. Then the ss/HBsAg chimera was constructed and was cloned into pPICZaA plasmid, and transformed into electroporated Pichia pastoris. High yield protein expression was obtained. Expressed protein was proved with high specificity and it's molecular weigh was about 28 KD identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blot.
Artificial Gene Fusion ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Vectors ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; genetics ; Pichia ; metabolism ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Somatostatin ; genetics

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of 125I seeds implantation in treating cancer-induced pain and motor dysfunction caused by brachial plexus compression through neurophysiological monitoring. Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 8 patients (4 males, 4 females; age 58-63 years) who underwent 125I seeds therapy for cancer-induced brachial plexus injury at Hebei Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2021 to August 2023. Pain severity was assessed by using the numerical rating scale (NRS) and motor function was evaluated by using the Fugl-Meyer (F-M) assessment. Electrophysiological monitoring was used to assess changes in sensory and motor branch conduction velocity (CV) of the musculocutaneous nerve, axillary nerve, median nerve, ulnar nerve, and radial nerve before and 3 months after treatment. Paired t-test was used for data analysis. Results:All 8 patients had moderate to severe pain (6 had motor dysfunction). The preoperative and postoperative NRS scores was 5.9±1.0 and 3.3±1.7, respectively ( t=4.93, P=0.002), while F-M scores was 44.8±7.6 and 54.8±5.7, respectively ( t=-3.52, P=0.017). Electrophysiological results showed that 7 patients had lesion involvement in the lower trunk of the brachial plexus, and 1 patient had involvement in the upper trunk. The preoperative and postoperative motor branch CV of the ulnar nerve was (47.2±2.6) and (59.7±8.2) m/s, respectively ( t=-3.17, P=0.034), while the sensory branch CV was (41.8±1.2) and (56.0±5.7) m/s, respectively ( t=-5.82, P=0.001). The nerve CV increased compared to the preoperative ones. Conclusions:125I seeds implantation has good clinical efficacy in treating cancer-related pain and motor dysfunction caused by brachial plexus compression. Changes in electrophysiology can quantitatively monitor the recovery of sensory and motor functions of the brachial plexus.

OBJECTIVETo discuss the surgical skill, treatment effect and indications for reconstruction of vertebral lamina with skull titanium plate and autograft in the treatment of thoracolumbar vertebrae fracture.

METHODSFrom March 1999 to April 2007, 33 patients with thoracolumbar vertebrae fracture combined nerve injury were treated by reconstruction of vertebral lamina with skull titanium plate and autograft including 30 males and 3 females with an average age of 41 years ranging from 21 to 66. The fracture involved 3 cases in T11, 9 in T12, 16 in L1, 3 in L2 and 2 in L3. There were 12 cases with flexion fracture, 8 with extension fracture, and 13 with burst fracture. Five cases performed emergency operation and in the others the time from injury to operation was 5 to 12 days. GSS fixation was applied in 25 cases and AF in 8. The volume of vertebral canal, the stability of the spine, the height of vertebrae, and the nerve function were observed before and after operation.

RESULTSThese 33 patients were followed up for 1 to 3 years (means 25 months). The height of anterior column of the involved vertebrae changed from 58% to 96%, the cobb angle return from average of 26 degree to 2 degree, the volume of vertebral canal extended from 43% to 92%, respectively, when compared between preoperatively and postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONReconstruction of vertebral lamina with skull titanium plate and autograft which is a simple and safe treatment for thoracolumbar vertebrae fracture can increase the stability of spine and avoid second canal stenosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; injuries ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Spinal Fractures ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; injuries ; Titanium ; pharmacology ; Transplantation, Autologous ; methods ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the dosimetric effect of same activity and same number of 125I seeds arranged in axial train but with different spacing.Methods A total of 27 film dosimeters were randomly and equally divided into group A,B and C.Each film was irradiated by three 125I seeds (activity of 1.48×107 Bq).The seeds were arranged in line,and their axial spacing was 1 mm,5 mm and 10 mm respectively.Image analysis software was used to draw iso-gray contour curves of 20,25,30 and 40 gray value on the films,and to calculate the areas contained by each curve.Results Multi-sample mean comparison variance analysis showed that the differences in area contained by 20 and 25 iso-gray contour curves were statistically significant between each other among the three groups (P＜0.001).The difference in area contained by 30 iso-gray contour curve between group A and group B was not statistically significant (P＞ 0.05),while the difference in area contained by 30 iso-gray contour curve between group A and group C as well as between group B and group C was statistically significant (P＜0.001).No statistically significant difference in area contained by 40 iso-gray contour curve existed between each other among the three groups (P=0.99).Conclusion Different spacing arrangement of same activity and same number of 125I seeds can directly influence the peripheral dose distribution.In specific dose range,seed-spacing of 1 mm arrangement may obtain better dose distribution than seed-spacing of 5 mm or 10 mm arrangement can do.

The experiment was conducted to prepare chitosan nanoparticles (CNP), to entrap VRMIL-2 with CNP, the eukaryotic VR1020 expression plasmid containing murine IL-2 gene (mlL-2), and to investigate the expression in vivo and the regulatory effect of mIL-2 on immune-response and immuno-protection in mice inoculated muscularly with CNP entrapped VMIL-2 at 21 days old. The results showed that IgG, IgM and IgA contents increased to different degrees in the sera from the inoculated mice, which were remarkably higher than those of the controls inoculated VR1020 packed with CNP (P<0.05); so were the IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6 contents in the sera of the immunized mice. The number of white blood cells and lymphocytes significantly increased respectively in the vaccinated mice, compared with those of controls. These mice were orally challenged with virulent E. coli 35 days post-inoculation, and all the immune responses were significantly higher than those of the control except the number of neutrophils. The mice inoculated with VRMIL-2 survived healthily, while the mice of control group were ill with the evident lesions. Although there are no remarkable differences between the cellular and humoral immune indexes of mice inoculated with CNP-VRMIL-2 and nude VRMIL-2 (P>0.05), the dosage of CNP-VRMIL-2 is only one fifth of the VRMIL-2. These indicated that entrapment of mIL-2 gene with chitosan nanoparticles could remarkably enhance the expression of mIL-2 in vivo, and significantly raise the levels of cellular and humoral immune, and increase the resistance of mice against E. coli infection. The results suggested that chitosan nanoparticles and IL-2 gene could be used as an effective immunoenhancer to increase the immunity of animals against infection.
Adjuvants, Immunologic ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Chitosan ; pharmacology ; Escherichia coli Infections ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Female ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Nanostructures

Objective:To explore the influence of chronic rhinitis on depressive symptoms of college freshmen and the mediating effect of avoidant personality.Methods:A cluster sampling method was used to survey 8 079 college freshmen from April 2018 to October 2018 using the Beck depression inventory and the avoidant personality diagnosis questionnaire based on DSM-Ⅳ.SPSS 25.0 software was used for descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation analysis, and the macro program PROCESS version 3.3 was used for the mediating effect.Results:(1) The detection rates of chronic rhinitis, avoidant personality and depressive symptoms were 22.90% (1 850/8 079), 19.22% (1 553/8 079) and 6.28% (507/8 079). The scores for avoidant personality disorder and depressive symptoms were 1.00 (0, 3.00) and 1.00 (0, 4.00), respectively. (2) The chronic rhinitis, avoidant personality and depressive symptoms were positively correlated ( rchronic rhinitis-avoidant personality=0.094, rchronic rhinitis-depressive symptoms=0.095, ravoidant personality-depressive symptoms=0.416, all P<0.001). (3) Chronic rhinitis could positively predict depressive symptoms ( β=1.113, P<0.001). (4) Avoidant personality played a mediating role between chronic rhinitis and depressive symptoms ( β=1.094, P<0.001), and accounted for 44.92%(0.500/1.113) of the total effect. Conclusion:Chronic rhinitis directly affect the depressive symptoms of college freshmen, and indirectly affect the depressive symptoms of college freshmen through the mediating role of avoidant personality.

Objective:To understand the negative experiences of male master of nursing students during their studies.Methods:In this qualitative study, totally 11 male master of nursing students from China Medical University and Wuhan University were selected by purposive sampling in March 2023 for semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed using the KJ method.Results:Four themes were extracted: research pressure, pressure of time and finances, confusion about the future and development, and lack of identification with the nursing profession.Conclusions:Male master of nursing students experience negative emotions during their studies. Nursing educators and administrators should pay attention to the emotional management of male master of nursing students and gradually improve the training methods for nursing graduate students.