Animals ; Guanylate Cyclase ; metabolism ; Hypercapnia ; metabolism ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; Lung ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear ; metabolism ; Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase

Objective: To study the dietary habits and serum leptin levels of obese children and its possible association to lipids and glucose metabolism, serum lipids and C peptide (CP) in children with different body weight. Methods: 52 obese children were inquired about their favorite foods and food intake. 145 healthy children (85 boys, 60 girls), aged 6-13, with a wide range of body mass index (BMI) 14 to 30 kg/m 2, were measured for fasting serum leptin, CP, glucose, lipids (TG, TC, LDL C,HDL C), height and weight. The children were classified into three groups by BMI, i.e. normal weight group (A group), overweight and slight obese group (B group). moderate and severe obese group (C group). Results: 65% of obese children liked meat best. 38.46% of them ate most in supper. The serum leptin, CP, TG in obese children were higher than that in normal children. Leptin concentration of girls were higher than that in boys in A and B groups (P

Objective To investigate the existence of neglect and explore the relationship between spacial attentional deficits and hemisphere in patients with schizophrenia. Methods 51 schizophrenic patients and 55 healthy controls were measured with line bisection test and number bisection test、 Results In the Line Bisection Test,shcizophrenic patients group showed a negative deviation, in which the 2cm line( -0.03 ± 0. 74 )% and mean ( - 0. 02 ± 0. 03 ) % deviation rates were more significantly leftward than that of the normals ( ( 0. 00 ±0.02 ) %, ( - 0.00 ± - 0.01 ) %, P ＜ 0. 05 ) respectively. The mean deviation rates of the patients (P ＜ 0. 01 ) and control groups (P ＜ 0. 05 ) were also significantly leftward compared with zero value. In the number bisection test,schizophrenic patients group showed a negative deviation and a significant leftward bias on the interval 5 ( - 0.07 ±0.18)% ,7( -0.08 ±0.22)% and 9( -0.09 ±0.28)% ) than that of the normals(( -0.01 ±0.05)% ,(0.01± 0. 08 ) % and (0.00 ± 0.14 ) %, P ＜ 0.05 respectively). Conclusion Schizophrenic patients have a right-neglect, suggesting that spacial attentional deficits exist, and it may be related to the left cerebral hemisphere dysfunction.

A novel unsaturated polyphosphoester (UPPE) was devised in our previous research, which is a kind of promising scaffold for improving bone regeneration. However, the polymerization process of UPPE scaffolds was unfavorable, which may adversely affect the bioactivity of osteoinductive molecules added if necessary, such as recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP2). The purpose of this study was to build a kind of optimal scaffold named UPPE-PLGA-rhBMP2 (UPB) and to investigate the bioactivity of rhBMP2 in this scaffold. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of UPB scaffold was assessed in vitro. A W1/O/W2 method was used to fabricate PLGA-rhBMP2 microspheres, and then the microspheres were added to UPPE for synthesizing UPB scaffold. The morphological characters of PLGA-rhBMP2 microspheres and UPB scaffolds were observed under the scanning electron microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy. The cumulative release of UPB scaffolds was detected by using ELISA. The cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of UPB scaffolds were evaluated through examining the adsorption and apoptosis of bone marrow stromal cells (bMSCs) seeded on the surface of UPB scaffolds. The bioactivity of rhBMP2 in UPB scaffolds was assessed through measuring the alkaline phosphates (ALP) activity in bMSCs seeded. The results showed that UPB scaffolds sequentially exhibited burst and sustained release of rhBMP2. The cytotoxicity was greatly reduced when the scaffolds were immersed in buffer solution for 2 h. bMSCs attached and grew on the surface of soaked UPB scaffolds, exerting well biocompatibility. The ALP activity of bMSCs seeded was significantly enhanced, indicating that the bioactivity of rhBMP2 remained and still took effect after the unfavorable polymerization process of scaffolds. It was concluded that UPB scaffolds have low cytotoxicity, good biocompatibility and preserve bioactivity of rhBMP2. UPB scaffolds are promising in improving bone regeneration.

The effects of dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum on growth performance and humoral immune response in Miichthys miiuy were evaluated. One hundred and fifty Miichthys miiuy weighing approximately 200-260 g were divided into five groups and reared in 15 tanks with closed circuiting culture system. The animals were fed 5 diets: basal diet only (control) or supplemented of the basal diet with C. butyricum at doses of 10(3) (CB1), 10(5) (CB2), 10(7) (CB3) or 10(9) (CB4) CFU/g. Compared with the control, the serum phenoloxidase activity was significantly increased by the supplementation (P<0.05), acid phosphatases activity was increased significantly (P<0.05) at the doses of 10(9) CFU/g. Serum lysozyme activity peaked at dose of 10(7) CFU/g and in the skin mucus at dose of 10(9) CFU/g. Immunoglobulin M level in the serum and skin mucus was increased except at dose of 10(3) CFU/g (P<0.05). The growth at the dose of 10(9) CFU/g was higher than that of the control (P<0.05). It is concluded that supplementation of C. butyricum can mediate the humoral immune responses and improve the growth performance in Miichthys miiuy.
Animal Feed ; microbiology ; Animals ; Antibody Formation ; physiology ; Clostridium butyricum ; immunology ; Dietary Supplements ; microbiology ; Fishes ; growth & development ; immunology ; Probiotics ; administration & dosage

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effect of the sacrococcygeal space injection for the treatment of failed back surgery syndrome.

METHODSFrom July 1998 to October 2012,47 patients with failed back surgery syndrome were treated and included 39 males and 8 females with an average age of 61.5 years old ranging from 35 to 89 years old. Among them,41 patients experienced one time of operation, 6 patients with twice of operation. Forty-one patients underwent single,bilateral fenestration or central laminectomy decompression, discectomy. Six patients underwent total laminectomy discectomy and inter body fusion and pedicle screw fixation. All patients were examined by X-ray plain film, CT or MRI before treatment. The anticoagulation was discontinuation before treatment. The needle was put into the sacrococcygeal gap at prone position in the sense of frustration,suction without cerebrospinal fluid and blood,with injection of Mailuoning (Chinese characters: see text) 15 ml. The pain was assessed by VAS before and after treatment. The Oswestry low back pain disability index and survival quality interference degree were evaluated.

RESULTSAt 1 month after treatment,the pain VAS decreased from 59.24 +/- 17.35 before treatment to 19.19 +/- 11.19 after treatment (P < 0.05); The Oswestry low back pain disability index decreased from (41.35 +/- 9.87)% before treatment to (23.17 +/- 17.56)% after treatment (P < 0.05); The survival quality interference degree decreased from 6.5 +/- 2.2 before treatment to 2.6 +/- 1.4 after treatment (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe sacrococcygeal gap injection for treatment of failed back surgery syndrome has advantages of simple, safe, fewer complications, and low treatment cost.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Failed Back Surgery Syndrome ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Sacrococcygeal Region ; diagnostic imaging

Purpose To investigate the relationship between maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 18F-FDG PET/CT and clinical features of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC),in order to provide better PET/CT results for clinical guide.Materials and Methods Fifty-two patients with pathologically confirmed TSCC who accepting PET/CT examination before surgery were retrospectively analyzed.Single-factor analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted on possible factors influencing primary tumor SUVmax,including gender,age,smoking history,tumor location,tumor size,TNM stage,T stage and N stage.Results Single-analysis showed that SUVmax was correlated with gender,tumor location,tumor size,TNM stage,T stage and N stage (P＜0.05),and was not correlated with tumor differentiation,smoking history and age (P＞0.05).Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that gender,tumor location,tumor size,T stage and N stage were independent influencing factors of primary tumor SUVmax (P＜0.05).Primary tumor SUVmax had predictive value for lymph node metastasis.When the cutoff value was 6.57,the diagnostic efficiency was the highest,the sensitivity was 79.2％ and the specificity was 85.7％.Conclusion TSCC 18F-FDG PET/CT SUVmax is higher among male patients with tongue base tumor location,larger tumor size and lymph node metastasis.Primary tumor SUVmax is of important significance in predicting lymph node metastasis.

Purpose To investigate the application value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis and staging of tongue cancer,in order to improve the accuracy of preoperative staging.Materials and Methods The 18F-FDG PET/CT findings of 52 patients with pathologically confirmed tongue cancer were retrospectively analyzed.The tumor location,size,FDG metabolic characteristics and tumor staging were observed,and compared with postoperative pathology.Results PET/CT showed that most patients were at middle or late stage when initially diagnosed (28/52).The lesions were mostly located on middle or middle-back region of tongues,and the average SUVmax was 6.81 ± 3.81.The sensitivity of PET/CT diagnosing tongue cancer was 94.2％.There was no significant difference in SUVmax between high,medium-high and medium differentiated tongue cancer primary lesions (P＞0.05).The SUVmax of tongue cancer at stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ was obviously higher than that at stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ,and the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.008).The diagnose and staging of tongue cancer using preoperative PET/CT and postoperative pathology were in excellent consistence (Kappa=0.859,P＜0.01).The staging accuracy reached 90.4％ (47/52).Conclusion Higher SUVmax value indicates worse tongue cancer staging,but it is of little significance in predicting differentiation.PET/CT can provide an objective imaging basis for preoperative diagnosis and accurate staging of tongue cancer.

Objective To investigate the pathologic features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) in urinary bladder. Methods It was retrospectively reviewed for the characters of pathologic features and immunohistochemistry type in 3 patients diagnosed IMT in urinary bladder. Results 3 patients including 1 female and 2 male were 15, 36 and 60 years old (mean age 37),respectively. All patients underwent partial cystectomy. All cases presented single or multiple, polypoid or nodular mass(es), ranging in size from 1.8 to 5.5 cm. Microscopically, the tumor cell grew in invasive pattern, and were spindled with prominent nucleoli. The lesions varied from highly myxoid to highly cellular lesions. The mitotic rates were invisible. AE1/AE3, CK18 and ALK were positive in IMT. Follow-up was available for 3 patients (2, 18 and 18 months, respectively). None developed recurrences or metastasis. Conclusion IMT in urinary bladder are rare tumors. IMT grows in invasive pattern, and are spindled with prominent nucleoli.The main differential diagnosis of IMT includes embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in juvenile, sarcomatoid urothelial carcinoma and leiomyosarcoma in adult.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is frequently observed in patients treated with excessive corticosteroids. However, the pathogenesis of corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway in steroid-induced femoral head osteonecrosis in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intramuscularly with 20 mg/kg methylprednisolone (MP) for 8 weeks, twice per week. The animals were sacrificed at 2, 4 and 8 weeks after the last MP injection, respectively, and then allocated to the 2-, 4- and 8-week model groups (n=24 each). Rats in the control group (n=12) were not given any treatment. Histopathological analysis was performed and the concentration of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) in plasma was determined. The activation of osteoclasts in the femoral head was assessed by TRAP staining. The expression of TLR4, MyD88, TRAF6 and NF-κB p65 that are involved in TLR4 signaling, and MCP-1 production were detected by using real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. The results showed that the osteonecrosis in the femoral head was clearly observed and the concentration of TRAP in the plasma was increased in the model rats. The femoral head tissues in MP-treated rats were positive for TRAP and the intensity of TRAP staining was greater in MP-treated rats than in control rats. As compared with the control group, the mRNA expression of TLR4 signaling-related factors was enhanced significantly at 4 and 8 weeks, and the protein levels of these factors increased significantly with time. It was concluded that MP could induce the femoral head osteonecrosis in rats, which was associated with osteoclast activation via the TLR4 signaling pathway. These findings suggest that TLR4 signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of steroid-induced osteonecrosis.