Brain ; abnormalities ; Cerebral Cortex ; abnormalities ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Nervous System Malformations ; diagnosis ; Prognosis

AlM: To monitor long - term changes of matrix metalloproteinase-2 ( MMP-2 ) in human tears fluid after laser in situ keratomileusis ( LASlK) .
METHODS: Thirty - two myopia cases ( 64 eyes ) underwent uneventful LASlK were enrolled in the study. Tear fluid were collected and MMP-2 expression was analyzed by Western - bolt assay preoperatively and postoperatively on 15d, at 1, 3mo, and 1a.
RESULTS:LASlK increased the concentration of MMP-2 in human tear fluid. At 15d postoperatively, the magnitude of MMP-2 was 1. 4 times that of preoperative, thereafter subsided, but didn't return to preoperative level by 3mo ( P < 0. 05 ). Up to 1a after surgery, the concentration of MMP-2 almost recovered (P>0. 05).
CONCLUSlON: MMP- 2 is significantly expressed in human tear fluid after LASlK, then subsided with time, but didn't return to preoperative level by 3mo and almost recovered up to 1a, indicating wound healing of LASlK would continue up at least 3mo after surgery and almost recovered 1a postoperatively.

Objective To observe the effect of fructose(Fru),glucose (Glc)and exogenous nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside(SNP)on the germination of Psychotria rubra(Lour.)Poir. seeds under drought stress,and to explore the optimal concentration for clearing the drought stress. Methods We established the drought stress model of Psychotria rubra(Lour.)Poir. seeds with 15％(volume fraction)PEG6000 and 0.4 mol/L D-mannitol, measured the germination rate and germination index of Psychotria rubra (Lour.)Poir. seeds under drought stress combined treatment with different concentrations of Fru (0,300,500 μmol/L),Glc (0,300,500 μmol/L) and SNP(0 , 100 , 200 μmol/L). Results The germination process of Psychotria rubra(Lour .) Poir . seeds was significantly suppressed by drought stress. Fru,Glc and SNP could significantly promote the germination of Psychotria rubra (Lour.) Poir. seeds under drought stress. The optimal condition for clearing drought stress induced by 15％ PEG6000 was Fru 300 μmol/L, Glc 500 μmol/Land SNP 200 μmol/L, and the germination rate was 95％ under the optimal condition . The optimal condition for clearing drought stress induced by D-Mannitol was Fru 500 μmol/L, Glc 500 μmol/L and SNP 100 μmol/L, and the germination rate arrived to100％. Conclusion Fru,Glc and SNP can significantly alleviate the negative impact induced by drought stress for the Psychotria rubra(Lour.)Poir. seed germination,improve the drought-resistant ability of the seeds.

Objective To compare the pharmacognosy characteristics of aerial roots of Ficus microcarpa Linn.f. and Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem.. Methods Fresh aerial roots were harvested and were used as the experimental samples. Stereoscopy was used for the observation of macroscopic appearance of Ficus microcarpa Linn.f. and Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem.,and the microscope was used for the examination of their microscopic features of the velamen surface, cross section of root tip, cross section and longitudinal section of the posterior root, and powder. Results The appearance characteristics of the two species were as follows:the number of aerial roots of Ficus microcarpa Linn. f. was more,and the diameter was smaller than that of Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. The root tips of Ficus microcarpa Linn. f. aerial roots were light yellow turning to yellow-white, covered with gray or yellowish-white lenticels;the root tips of Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. aerial roots were light yellow or yellow, covered with gray lenticels. Microscopic identification results of the two plants were as follows:the primary xylems of transverse section of root tips and posterior roots of Ficus microcarpa Linn.f. and Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. were different,the former being five to seven heptarch,and the latter being six to eleven heptarch. Both of the two species had non-articulated unbranched laticifers in their longitudinal section of posterior root, and the diameter of Ficus. elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. was slightly larger than that of Ficus microcarpa Linn. f.. The powder of Ficus microcarpa Linn. f. was red brown,with spiral and pitted vessels;Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. was yellow brown,with single small and large pitted vessels,and the color of its fiber was shallow or nearly colorless or even transparent, with lines of cluster crystal. Conclusion The results will provide evidence for the identification , exploitation and utilization of Ficus microcarpa Linn . f . and Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem.

Based on the 2 x 2 contingency table, by using multi-species relevance (variance ratio, VR), chi2-test, Ochiai index, Dice index, Jaccard index, t-test of v/x and F-test of Morisita, s index, the interspecific relationships and the spatial distribution pattern between 20 dominants in Kangding Zheduo Mountain of Sichuan province were studied. The results indicated that the interspecific association between dominants of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum community in this area did not show significant association, which suggested that the S. hexandrum community was in mature stage, and showed stronger independency, among total 190 pairs in 20 dominant species, 2 species pairs exhibited extremely significantly positive association, 12 species pairs showed significantly positive association, 6 species pairs exhibited significantly negative association and there were no pairs showed extremely significantly negative association. S. hexandrum in community did not show significant association, which indicates they are independent in community, the spatial distribution pattern of S. hexandrum is characterized by random distribution.
Berberidaceae ; classification ; growth & development ; Biodiversity ; China ; Ecosystem ; Endangered Species ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; growth & development

AIMTo prepare TK-gene nanoparticles and investigate its expression.

METHODSBiodegradable and biocompatible polymer polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) was used to prepare recombinant plasmid pEGFP-AFP nanoparticles by double-emulsion evaporation technique. The characteristics of the nanopticicles including morphology, entrapment efficiency was investigated. The expression of TK gene was also investigated by MTT assay, which could determine the dying cells after the addition of gancyclovir (GCV). The enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expression in human hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7221 cells and human normal parenchymal Chang liver cells were assessed by flow cytometric analysis.

RESULTSThe resulting plasmid-nanoparticles had regular spherical surface and a narrow particle size with a mean diameter of (72 +/- 12) nm, The average entrapment efficiency was 91.25%, the enhanced transfection efficiency and ability protecting plasmid DNA from degraded by nuclease or sonication due to nanoparticles encapsulation.

CONCLUSIONDNA-nanoparticles need further study as gene delivery system.

Biocompatible Materials ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Ganciclovir ; pharmacology ; Genes, Reporter ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; Herpesvirus 1, Human ; enzymology ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; Liver ; cytology ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Luminescent Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nanotechnology ; Particle Size ; Plasmids ; Polyglycolic Acid ; Polymers ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; Thymidine Kinase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the regulatory effect of ligustrazine and Radix Astragalus (Chinese drugs for supplementing qi and activating blood circulation) on uterine mucosa stromal cyto-chemotactic factor RANTES and receptor CCR5 expression.

METHODSThe eutopic and ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EMSC) isolated and purified from 10 patients with ovarian endometrial cyst were selected as the experimental group, while those from 10 patients with benign lesion were selected as the control group. After they were intervened by different factors, including astragalus injection (AI), ligustrazine injection (LI), AI + LI, and Danazol, the expression levels of RANTES and CCR5 in the cells were detected by ELISA and RT-PCR.

RESULTSRANTES expressions in eutopic and ectopic EMSC were different insignificantly (P > 0.05). The ectopic EMSC RANTES expression was 13.602 +/- 3.358 ng/L and eutopic EMSC RANTES was 12.850 +/- 7.997 ng/L in the positive control group, which was significantly higher than that in the negative control group (both being 0.027 +/- 0.016 ng/L, P <0.05), and the ectopic EMSC expressions after intervened with Chinese drugs were significantly lower than that in the positive control group (P <0.05). CCR5 expression in ectopic EMSC was 0.759 +/- 0.039 ng/L, which was higher than that in eutopic EMSC (0.249 +/- 0.026 ng/L, P <0.05). Ectopic EMSC CCR5 expression was higher in the positive control group than that in the negative control group (0.759 +/- 0.039 ng/L vs 0.478 +/- 0.094 ng/L, P <0.05). Similar situation also was shown between the positive and negative control groups in terms of eutopic EMSC CCR5 expression (0.249 +/- 0.026 ng/L vs 0.131 +/- 0.021 ng/L, P < 0.01), and the expression was significantly lower in all the Chinese drugs treated EMSC groups as compared with that in the positive control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCCR5 expression was higher in ectopic EMSC than that in eutopic EMSC. Ligustrazine and Radix Astragalus could down-regulate the auto-secretion of RANTES and CCR5 in patients with endometriosis.

Adult ; Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Cells, Cultured ; Chemokine CCL5 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Endometriosis ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Endometrium ; cytology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; Receptors, CCR5 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Stromal Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism

A novel transferrin modified non-viral gene delivery system Tf-PLPD was developed and the related characteristics was investigated. Blank procationic liposomes were prepared by film dispersion-filteration method. PLPD was prepared as follows by first mixing the plasmid DNA and protamine together, then the resulted polyplexes were incubated for 10 min at room temperature, followed by addition of preformed blank procationic liposomes. Transferrin was adsorbed at the surface of PLPD via electrostatic interactions to form Tf-PLPD. Central composite design (CCD) was employed to optimize the formulation. The HepG2 cells were transfected using lacZ as reporter gene and characteristics such as the morphology, the mean particle size, the zeta potential and the transfection efficiency in HepG2 cells were further investigated by different methods. The resulting PLPD had a regular spherical surface with an average size of (228. 9 +/- 8. 0) nm (polydispersity index, PDI = 0. 122 +/- 0. 02, n = 3) , a zeta potential of ( - 25. 08 +/-2. 50) mV (n = 3) and a transfection efficiency of (12. 18 +/- 3. 80) mU x mg(-1) (protein). The Tf-PLPD had an average size of (240 +/- 12) nm (polydispersity index, PDI = 0. 150 +/- 0. 03, n = 3), a zeta potential of ( - 24. 10 +/- 2. 50) mV ( n = 3) and a transfection efficiency of (24. 26 +/- 2. 60) mU x mg(-1) (protein) , 20 times greater than that of the naked plasmid DNA. The presence of serum didn' t affect the tansfection activity of PLPD or Tf-PLPD. Compared to one kind of cationic liposomes (liposome-protamine-DNA, LPD), the PLPD and Tf-PLPD had much less cytotoxicity to three hepatic cell lines (including HepG2, SMMC7721 and Chang' s normal hepatocyte). The results indicated that the Tf-PLPD is a perspective non-viral vector for gene delivery systems.
Cations ; chemistry ; Cell Line ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; DNA ; chemistry ; genetics ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Particle Size ; Plasmids ; chemistry ; genetics ; Protamines ; chemistry ; Transfection ; methods ; Transferrin ; chemistry ; genetics

Objective To evaluate the value of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in transthoracic minimally invasive device closure of ventricular septal defect(VSD).Methods A total of 164 cases of VSD were recruited as candidates to receive transthoracic minimally invasive device closure between January 2007 and October 2010,including 138 perimembranous VSDs,3 muscular VSDs and 23 supracristal VSDs.Among these groups,85 male patients were included.Four-champer view,five-champer view,left ventricular long-axis view,short-axis view and right ventricular inflow view were detected to evaluate the availability of device closure.Results A total of 152 cases(92.7%)were successfully closed with a device.All the patients were followed up more than 3 months arranged with a standard protocol.No complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) or associated valvular complications were observed.Three of the five cases with traced residual shunt after device closure closed spontaneously.Conclusion TEE plays an important role in transthoracic minimally invasive device closure of ventricular septal defect,which has been proved by the good follow-up results without CAVB and associated valvular complications.

Objective To evaluate the causes of DR waste film rates in different characteristic cases,and provide basis for quality control.Methods DR waste film rates of 98 503 cases from PACS were analyzed.All cases were grouped according to gender,age,X ray projection direction and projection position.The differences of DR waste film rates between the groups were compared.Results DR waste film rate in 98 503 cases was 4.89％ and factors that caused waste film were incorrect position,foreign materials,motion artifacts,machine problems and inappropriate X ray dosage.DR waste film rate was affected by gender,age,X ray projection direction,but not affected by projection position.Conclusion Analysis of DR waste film rate in different characteristic cases could provide basis for the quality control to reduce the DR waste film rate.