OBJECTIVE: The STR genotypping of trace oral epithelial cells which are microdissected by laser capture microdissection system (LCM) is explored. METHODS: The oral epithelial cells are microdissected using a low-power infrared laser by VERITAS Microdissection Instrument. STR loci of Profiler Plus are detected by multiplex PCR procesures. RESULTS: DNA genotyping of 7-8 oral epithelial cells are succeeded, and DNA genotyping of 3-4 oral epithelial cells are failed. CONCLUSION It is viable in genotyping of trace oral epithelial cells by Laser Capture Microdissection as a new technology of seperating single cell.
Cell Separation/methods* ; DNA/genetics* ; Epithelial Cells ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lasers ; Microdissection/methods* ; Mouth/cytology* ; Tandem Repeat Sequences

OBJECTIVE: To investigate effects of antioxidant stress protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) of rat hepatocytes. METHODS: The BRL cells (rat hepatocyte cell line) were cultured. The hepatocytes were treated with LPS, LPS+HO-1 siRNA, HO-1 siRNA and PBS solution, respectively. The cell viability was measured by trypan blue exclusion test. The apoptosis cells were detected by the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33258. Expressions of GRP78, CHOP, caspase-12 and HO-1 were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: LPS caused an increase of HO-1 protein expression of rat hepatocytes in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, a up-regulation of GRP78, CHOP and caspase-12, a decrease in cell viability, and an increase in apoptosis rate of hepatocytes. Pretreatment of HO-1 siRNA inhibited the up-regulation of LPS-induced HO-1, however, aggravated ERS and cellular injury. CONCLUSION HO-1 inhibites ERS-mediated cellular injury of rat hepatocytes induced by LPS.
Animals ; Apoptosis/physiology* ; Endoplasmic Reticulum/metabolism* ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/physiology* ; Heme Oxygenase-1/pharmacology* ; Hepatocytes/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Rats

BACKGROUNDLeft ventricular aneurysm (LVA) is one of the serious complications after acute myocardial infarction. We attempted to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of LVA repair combined with epicardial radiofrequency ablation for ventricular arrhythmia during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB).

METHODSFrom June 2009 to April 2011, 31 patients with LVA had angina symptoms and ventricular arrhythmia. In all patients, circular and cross-shaped radiofrequency epicardial ablations were performed using unipolar ablation pen along the border between the aneurysm wall and normal cardiac tissue and in the central zone of the aneurysms, followed by a linear placation of ventricular aneurysms on beating heart.

RESULTSAll the patients showed complete recovery. The average number of grafted vessels was 2.7 ± 1.3. Intraoperative examinations revealed that the ventricular arrhythmia was effectively controlled by radiofrequency ablation. All cases had been followed up for one year. Holter monitoring revealed a significant reduction in ventricular arrhythmias (P < 0.05). Echocardiography showed significant increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (P < 0.05) and decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSFor patients with ventricular aneurysm and preoperative malignant arrhythmia, aneurysm repair plus epicardial radiofrequency ablation in OPCAB was found to be an effective and feasible therapeutic technique. However, medium- to long-term therapeutic efficacy of this method remains to be determined by future studies and observations.

Aged ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump ; Female ; Heart Aneurysm ; complications ; Heart Ventricles ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pericardium ; surgery

BACKGROUNDOff-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) has been widely applied in recent years as a less invasive method of myocardial revascularization. This study evaluated the sequential bilateral internal mammary artery grafting combined with selective arterialization of the coronary venous system during OPCAB.

METHODSFrom April 2004 to August 2010, patients with diffuse right coronary lesions were studied retrospectively and divided into two groups. Group 1 included seventeen patients who underwent this surgery while group 2 included twenty-one patients without right coronary artery surgical therapy. All patients presented with symptoms of angina. Blood flow of bridged vessels was measured. The perioperative ventricular parameters including left ventricular ejection fraction and end diastolic diameter were compared. During follow-up, myocardial nuclide imaging and coronary angiography were carried out.

RESULTSOff-pump coronary artery bypass was performed with an average of 3.6 grafts per patient. Hospital mortality was zero. At the time of follow-up, the patients in group 1 recovered better than in group 2 (P < 0.05). In both groups, the mean New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and ejection fraction increased significantly (P < 0.001) and the mean left ventricular end-diastolic diameter decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Myocardial blood supply of inferior wall in group 1 was obviously improved by myocardial nuclide imaging. Coronary angiography for eight patients in group 1 verified that there was blood flow to myocardium in the arterialized vein.

CONCLUSIONSSequential bilateral internal mammary artery grafting combined with selective arterialization of the coronary venous system can be performed during OPCAB. A postoperative improvement in the cardiac functions and the quality of life was documented, increasing our expectation for extensive application.

Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump ; methods ; Coronary Vessels ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mammary Arteries ; transplantation ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the impact of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs (GnRHa) on body mass index (BMI) in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP).

METHODSOne hundred and thirty-four girls with ICPP were enrolled. Fifty-seven out of the 134 girls were treated with GnRHa for 1.69±0.43 years. The height, weight, bone age and BMI were measured before treatment, at the end of the treatment and after reaching near adult height and compared with those in the untreated 77 girls.

RESULTSThe adult predicted height standard deviation score (SDS) at the end of treatment was significantly higher than that before treatment (P<0.01) and was similar to the target height SDS in the GnRHa treatment group (P>0.05). With GnRHa treatment, the near-adult height SDS was higher than the target height SDS (P<0.01). At the end of treatment, the BMI SDS slightly increased compared with pretreatment level (P>0.05). A significant reduction in the BMI was observed when reaching the near-adult height in the GnRHa treatment group compared to the level of pretreatment and the untreated group (P<0.01). However, the BMI in the GnRHa treatment group before treatment, at the end of the treatment and after reaching near adult height remained in the normal range (±1 SD).

CONCLUSIONSGnRHa may improve the final height in girls with ICPP. The alterations of BMI after GnRHa therapy fluctuate in a normal range.

Body Height ; drug effects ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Puberty, Precocious ; drug therapy ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of androgen receptor (AR) and hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and analyze the relationship between AR and HBx expressions.

METHODSTumor tissues and peritumoral tissues of 83 HBV-associated HCC cases were investigated in this study. Fourteen cases of HBV-negative HCC and 13 cases of hemangioma peritumoral tissues were considered as control. AR and HBx mRNA levels were determined by quantitative fluorescence real-time RT-PCR and their protein levels were assayed by Western blot. The expression of AR and HBx proteins in tissues were examined with EnVision immunohistochemical staining. The methylation status of AR promoter was determined using methylation-specific PCR (MSP).

RESULTSBoth expression levels of AR mRNA and protein of the peritumoral tissues were significantly higher (0.17) than that of tumor tissues (0.09) in HBV-associated HCC (P < 0.01), but such a difference was not found in HBV-negative HCC (0.06 vs. 0.07, P > 0.05). The level of AR expression in peritumoral tissues was associated with tumor differentiation in HBV-associated HCC. AR mRNA and protein levels of peritumoral tissues in HBV-associated HCC were significantly higher than that in HBV-negative HCC and hemangioma (all P < 0.05). In the tumor tissues, HBV-associated HCC had significantly higher AR expression than HBV-negative HCC at mRNA level (P < 0.05), but not at protein level. Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the AR mRNA or AR protein levels were positively correlated with HBx in both tumor and peritumoral tissues in HBV-associated HCC, but the expressions of AR and HBx were not associated with AR promoter methylation status. The relative expression levels of AR mRNA and protein in the HBV-associated peritumoral tissues were negatively correlated with tumor differentiation (r = -0.213, P < 0.05; r = -0.313, P < 0.05), the higher the AR expression, the poorer differentiation. But this correlation of AR mRNA and protein was not shown in the hepatocellular carcinoma tissues.

CONCLUSIONSHBx may enhance AR expression in HBV-associated HCC, but AR promoter demethylation maybe not been involved in its main mechanism. An increased AR expression is probably an early event during the development and progression of HBV-associated HCC, and AR expression in the peritumoral tissue is correlated with HBV-associated HCC differentiation. AR may play different roles in HBV-associated HCC and HBV-negative HCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology ; Cell Differentiation ; DNA Methylation ; Female ; Hemangioma ; metabolism ; Hepatitis B virus ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Androgen ; genetics ; metabolism ; Trans-Activators ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of occupational stress on ambulatory blood pressure.

METHODS30 male healthy workers from the refrigerator assembly line in Henan province in China were investigated. Psychosocial work conditions were measured by using the Job Demand-control Model, the Effort-reward Imbalance Model questionnaires and Occupational Stress Measurement Scale. Ambulatory blood pressure(ABP) was measured by using mobile ABP monitor. The t test was utilized to analyze the difference of parameters of ABP monitoring between different groups of occupational stress and other variables scores. The stepwise regression analysis was used to analyse the effect of occupational stress factors on parameters of ABP.

RESULTS(1) As to stressors, systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV), mean arterial blood pressure variability (MABPV) and heart rate at 30 minute after work in workers with high role conflict score were significantly higher than those in workers with low score (P < 0.05). Workers with high skill utilization score had significantly lower mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) at 30 minute after work than workers with low score (P < 0.05). Diastolic blood pressure variability (DBPV) and heart rate variability (HRV) in workers with high decision latitude score were significantly higher than those in workers with low score (P < 0.05). Workers with high job psychological demands score had significantly higher SBPV, DBPV and MABPV than workers with low score (P < 0.05). Heart rate-pressure product(RPP) and SBPV in workers with high effort score were significantly higher than those in workers with low score (P < 0.05). Workers with low rewards score had higher mean heart rate and heart rate at 30 minute after work than workers with high score (P < 0.05). (2) For personalities, workers with high work locus of control score had significantly higher mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) than workers with low score (P < 0.05). Workers with high patience score had significantly lower mean SBP at 30 minute after work than workers with low score (P < 0.05). Heart rate at 30 minute after work in workers with high organization commitment score was significantly lower than that in workers with low score (P < 0.05). (3) Concerning buffer factors, HRV in workers with high control strategies score were significantly lower than that in workers with low score (P < 0.05). Workers with low supervisor support score had higher RPP and MABPV than workers with high score (P < 0.05). (4) In the multiple stepwise regression, daily life stress affected SBPV (R2 = 0.12) and MABPV (R2 = 0.05), depression was related to DBPV at 30 minute after work (R2 = 0.15) and SBPV (R = 0.03), mental health was predictor of MABPV (R2 = 0.07) and negative affection was predictor of heart rate at 30 minute after work (R2 = 0.24).

CONCLUSIONSOccupational stressors, personality and social support have effect on parameters of ABP. Parameters of ABP monitoring could be used to evaluate occupational stress in the field research.

Adult ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Burnout, Professional ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Regression Analysis ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the expression changes of the hydrogen sulfide synthases cystathionineγ-lyase (CSE), cystathionineβ-synthase (CBS), and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MST), after optic nerve crush (ONC) in rat the retina.Methods The rat model of ONC was established.Rats were divided into normal control, ONC, and sham control groups.Histopathologic changes in retina, the number of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) and retinal thickness of inner part (RTIP) were measured.The changes of CSE, CBS and 3-MST mRNA expression were detected with quantitative real-time PCR.Results The retinal histostructure was normal in normal controls and with minor changes in sham controls, respectively.Compared with sham group, significant retina damages were found in the ONC group:a time-dependent reduction of RGC number and RTIP.Expressions of CSE, CBS and 3-MST mRNA in rat retina were detected in normal control.Compared with normal controls, the expressions of CSE, CBS and 3-MST mRNA did not show any significant changes in the sham controls.Compared with sham controls, CBS mRNA expressions showed a time-dependent increase at 3 d, 7 d and 14 d after crush in the ONC group;CSE mRNA expressions increased to the peak at 3 d and then slightly reduced at 14 d after crush;3-MST mRNA expressions showed the trend of increase at 3 d and 7 d and then enhanced remarkably at 14 d after crush.Conclusion Hydrogen sulfide synthases CSE, CBS and3-MST expressions were up-regulated in rat retina following ONC, which may cause an increase in local endogenous hydrogen sulfide production in the retina and a compensatory protective effect.

Objective:To investigate the mechanism of oxidative stress injury and possible pathways in glutaryl CoA dehydrogenase deficient (GCDH -/-) rats with high lysine diet (Lys). Methods:Four-week-old rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: wild type+standard diet group (WT, n=6), GCDH -/-+standard diet group (GCDH -/-, n=11), WT+Lys group ( n=8), GCDH -/-+Lys group ( n=13), WT+Lys+vitamin (V) E group ( n=7), and GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group ( n=12); rats in the WT group and GCDH -/- group were given standard diet, and rats in the WT+Lys group, GCDH -/-+Lys group, WT+Lys+VE group and GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group were given high lysine diet (4.7% Lys); rats in the WT+Lys+VE and GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group were given VE (100 mg/[kg·d]) by intragastric administration once per d, and rats in other groups were given normal saline by intragastric administration once per d. The body mass and survival of rats in each group were observed. Twenty-eight d after intervention, rats were injected intraperitoneally with 10% chloral hydrate and anesthetized; their brains were severed to obtain hippocampal tissues; and pathomorphological changes were observed by HE staining; the content/activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the hippocampus were detected by ELISA; the protein expressions of P38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extra-celluar regulated protein kinase (ERK) in the hippocampus were detected by Western blotting. Results:(1) The survival ratio of rats in the GCDH -/-+Lys group was 9/13, and that in the GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group was 11/12. From the 7 th d of intervention, the body mass of rats in the GCDH -/-+Lys group and GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group was significantly lower than that in the WT group ( P<0.05). (2) As compared with that in the WT group, MDA content in hippocampal tissues of rats in the GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group and GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group was significantly increased ( P<0.05). As compared with WT group, GCDH -/-+Lys group had significantly decreased GPx activity, CAT activity and SOD activity, and statistically decreased GSH content ( P<0.05). As compared with those in the GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group, the GPx activity, CAT activity, SOD activity, and GSH content in the GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group were significantly increased ( P<0.05). (3) Western blotting showed that as compared with that in the WT group, the P38 protein expression in the hippocampus of rats in GCDH -/-+Lys group and GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group was significantly increased ( P<0.05); as compared with GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group, the P38 protein expression in the GCDH -/-+Lys+VE group was statistically decreased ( P<0.05). Conclusion:There is oxidative stress injury in the hippocampus of GCDH -/- rats with Lys, whose possible mechanism is to activate P38 and initiate MAPK signaling pathway; VE protects GCDH -/- hippocampal cells from oxidative stress by decreasing P38 expression.

Coronary Artery Disease ; surgery ; Humans ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; surgery