Objective: To establish a carotid arteriosclerosis model with New Zealand white rabbit by intravenous infusion of Helicobacter pylori (Hp), so as to lay a foundation for further investigating the relationship between Hp and carotid arteriosclerosis. Methods: Eighteen New Zealand white rabbits were fed with high fat diet for six weeks; six of them were randomly chosen and sacrificed; the other twelve were evenly randomized into control group and experimental group. Animals in the experimental group were injected with 0.5 ml Sydney Strain 1(4x108 CFU) into the ear vein once a day for three days, and animals in the control group received normal saline in the same manner. All the animals were sacrificed on the eighth week. The blood lipid, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and plaque formation were observed before and 6,8 weeks after the intervention. The animals were sacrificed by air embolism and the carotid specimens were collected. The morphology of the blood vessels and the presence of plaque were observed with naked eye. HE staining was used to observe the blood vessel diseases and intima thickness. Results: All the animals survived, and hyperlipidemia rabbit models were successfully established after 6-week feeding with high fat diet. The blood lipid level, carotid IMT, and blood vessel intima thickness were significantly increased in the experimental group compared with those in the control group at the eighth week(P< 0.05). More prominent atherosclerosis was noted in the experimental group compared with the control group on the eighth week. Conclusion: Carotid arteriosclerosis model can be successfully established by intravenous injection of Hp in rabbits with hyperlipidemia.

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of Yangxue Tongluo Recipe (YTR) combined with immunosuppressive agents in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSTotally 88 RA patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group [47 cases, YTR combined Methotrexate (MTX) + Leflunomide (LEF) treatment] and the control group (41 cases, MTX + LEF therapy). All patients received 12-week treatment. Clinical symptoms and signs, laboratory tests [erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), and C reactive protein (CRP)], and adverse reactions were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 91.5% (43/47 cases) in the treatment group, and the total effective rate was 75.6% (31/41 cases) in the control group. There was statistical difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The morning stiffness, the rest pain, the number of tender joints, the number of swollen joints, tender joint index, swollen joint index, ESR, RF, and CRP were significantly improved in the two groups after treatment (P < 0.01). Besides, clinical symptoms and signs, ESR, RF, and CRP were more improved in the treatment group after treatment, when compared with those in the control group (P < 0.05). Gastrointestinal discomfort was the main adverse reaction in the two groups, but the occurrence was lower in the treatment group than in the control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe clinical efficacy of YTR combined MTX + LEF in the treatment of RA was better than using Western medicine alone. It was more safe with less adverse reactions.

Adult ; Antirheumatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Methotrexate ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Treatment Outcome

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Objective: To study the correlations between galectin-3, soluble ST2 (sST2) levels and chronic heart failure (CHF) classiifcation, traditional HF indicator and short-term death in relevant patients. Methods: This research included 2 groups: CHF group, containing 142 relevant patients treated in our hospital from 2014-02 to 2015-10 and Control group, containing 85 normal subjects from physical examination at the same period of time. Based on NYHA criterion, the patients were classiifed in NYHA grade II, III and IV respectively. Blood levels of N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP), high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) and ultrasonic morphology were examined upon admission; protein expressions of galectin-3 and sST2 were assessed by ELISA. Results: The patients with NYHA grade III and IV had increased levels of galectin-3 and soluble sST2; galectin-3, sST2 were positively related to NT-ProBNP, hs-CRP and LVEDD, while negatively related to LVEF. Logistic regression analysis indicated that galectin-3 and sST2 were related to short-term death in CHF patients,P<0.05. Area under ROC curve of galectin-3 and sST2 for diagnosing CHF were 0.738 and 0.771,P<0.01. Conclusion: Galectin-3 and sST2 levels were related to traditional HF indicator and could be used for CHF diagnosis in relevant patients.

Objective To observe the effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on osteogenic differentiation abili?ty and cell proliferation of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), and to explore the role of bFGF on the process of osteogenic differencitiaion in vitro. Methods HGFs were cultured in vitro until the 3rd passage when they were divided into four groups:normal medium as group 1, normal medium with 10μg/L bFGF as group 2, osteogenic medium as group 3 and osteo?genic medium with 10μg/L bFGF as group 4. MTT assay was used to evaluate the proliferation of HGFs. Alkaline phospha?tase (ALP) staining and Alizarin red staining were applied to investigate osteogenic potential of HGFs under different culture conditions. Results bFGF at concentration of 10 μg/L could increase HGFs proliferation in both normal and osteogenic medium (P<0.01). HGFs could be induced towards osteogenic differentiation and form mineralized nodule in osteogenic me?dium. However, 10μg/L bFGF had no effects on ALP activity and mineralized nodule formation of HGFs during osteogenic differentiation. Conclusion bFGF could promote the proliferation of HGFs but show no effects on osteogenic differentiation of HGFs at concentration of 10μg/L.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucin-5B ; biosynthesis ; Nasal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Sinusitis ; metabolism ; Young Adult

Background Epithelial-mesenchymaltransition (EMT)isamajorcontributortothe pathogenesis of posterior capsular opacification(PCO).Kruppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) is a zinc finger protein,which can be stimulated by high glucose in proximal tubule cells and involved in transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)induced EMT of diabetic nephropathy.ObjectiveThis study was designed to investigate the effect of high glucose on the expression of KLF6 and its target genes( TGFB1,TGFBR1,COLIA1,HSP47) in human lens epithelial cells (LECs).MethodsHuman LECs(SRA01/04) were cultured and exposed to different concentration of glucose.The expressions of KLF6 mRNA and protein were analyzed by real time polymerase chain reaction( real time PCR) and western blot after treatment with high glucose.The expressions of KLF6 target genes were analyzed by real time PCR to evaluate the EMT of SRA01/04 cells.ResultsCompared with the control group(5.5 mmol/L),the relative mRNA levels of t-KLF6 and wt-KLF6 in SRA01/04 treated with high glucose(22.2,44.4,66.6 mmol/L) increased obviously (F =72.53,42.02,P＜0.01 ).Then,the concentration of 22.2 mmol/L was used in the next experiments.The relative mRNA levels of t-KLF6 and wt-KLF6 increased to the peaks after treatment with high glucose for 12 h,and began to decrease after 24 h until lower levels after 48 h ( F =100.12,125.52,P ＜ 0.01 ).Western blot showed that the expression of KLF6 protein was also upregulated by high glucose treatment.With the promotion of the expression of KLF6 gene,the relative mRNA levels of TGFB1,TGFBR1,COLlAl and HSP47 of treated cells also respectively increased after treatment for 12 h,and began to decrease after 24 h until nearly at the levels of the control groups after 48 h( F=6.73,162.35,64.39,12.05,P＜0.05 ).ConclusionsIt was concluded that high glucose induced the expression of KLF6 in human LECs,and KLF6 transiently stimulated the expression of target genes TGFB1,TGFBRl,COLlAl and HSP47 which were mainly involved in the mechanism of EMT.

AIM: To study the effects of neuregulin-1β (NRG-1β) on the nervous behavioral function, cerebral infarction volume, brain water content (BWC), neuroal apoptosis and aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) expression in astrocytes after cerebral ischemic reperfusion in mice. METHODS: Intraluminal thread methods were applied to establish the middle cerebral artery occlusion reperfusion (MCAO/R) model in mice. Neuregulin-1β (2 μg/kg) was injected into the internal carotid artery for treatment. The nervous behavioral function was evaluated by Bedersons test. The cerebral infarction volume was observed with tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. The BWC was measured by calculating the dry-wet weight ratio. The apoptotic positive cells were counted by immunofluorescence assay. The expression of AQP-4 was determined by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: Nervous behavioral malfunction appeared in all the mice with left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and/or reperfusion. The infarction focus showed in the ischemic hemisphere following the injury. The BWC, the numbers of neuroal apoptotic cells and AQP-4 expression in astrocytes were higher than those in sham control group. In MCAO/R+NRG-1β treatment group, the nervous behavioral function at ischemia 24 h significantly improved, the numbers of apoptotic positive cells reduced and the infarction volume decreased significantly than those in MCAO/R group (P<0.05). The BWC and AQP-4 expression in astrocytes showed no significant difference compared with MCAO/R group (P>0.05). In the reperfusion 22 h, 46 h and 70 h groups, the five indexes mentioned above were significantly different from those in the corresponding MCAO/R groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: NRG-1β might reduce cerebral edema and infarction volume, and improve the nervous behavioral function via down-regulating the expression of AQP-4 in astrocytes and inhibiting the neuronal apoptosis induced by ischemia reperfusion injury.

The pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia is extremely complicated.In vitro models have better controllability.They have important significance for the study of the pathogenesis.This article reviews the commonly used In vitro models and provides references for the future study of the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia.

Adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy are the important therapeutic methods for rectal cancer.Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy play a crutial role in rectal cancer treatment.New chemotherapy drugs and targeted therapy drugs could further improve the therapeutic effect of rectal cancer.