CXCR7 is a new receptor of chemokine CXCL12 after CXCR4.The present study shows that CXCL12/CXCR7 biological axis has important influence to the development of a variety of tumors,similar to CXCL12/CXCR4 biological axis.CXCR7 is present in many kinds of tumor tissues and tumor cells widely,and plays an important role in tumor cells growth,proliferation,adhesion and migration.Restraining CXCR7 expression or blocking the CXCR7 signaling pathways may offer new strategies for the treatment of tumors.

To clarify the effects of zinc on the proliferation and apoptosis of cultured human retinal pigment epithelia (RPE) and the expression of caspase-3 in RPE cells. The effect of Zinc on the proliferation of RPE were examined with MTT method. TUNEL method was used to detect the apoptosis of RPE cells. Caspase-3 was detected by immunohistochemistry. A concentration of zinc higher than 0.001 microM could inhibit the proliferation of RPE. And the relationship between concentration of zinc higher than 10 microM and growth prohibition rate of RPE cells was dose-dependent. All concentrations of zinc including 0.001 microM enhanced the expression of caspase-3 of RPE. But only the concentration of zinc higher than 0.01 microM could induce apoptosis of RPE. It is concluded that zinc could enhance the expression of caspase-3 of RPE cells and induce apoptosis of RPE cells. Caution should be taken when using zinc supplements for the treatment of ARMD patients without deficiency of zinc.
Apoptosis/*drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; Caspases/metabolism ; Cell Division/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Pigment Epithelium of Eye/*cytology ; Zinc/*pharmacology

1.5 cm in diameter) are significant risk factors for the failure of stone clearance. Prophylactic cholecystectomy of an acalculous gallbladder is unnecessary.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; drug therapy

AIM: To investigate therapeutic effects of recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) on rat sepsis and its possible mechanisms. METHODS: Mean arterial pressure (MAP), levels of plasma TNF?,IL-1? and endotoxin,leukocyte count and survival rate within 1 week were determined after E. coli injection among control group,sepsis group and sepsis+rhGH group. RESULTS: (1)rhGH diminished the decrease of MAP, reduced plasma endotoxin and TNF? levels and increased neutrophil ratio in total leukocytes in sepsis rat. rhGH increased survival rate within 1 week on sepsis rat. (2)No changes were found in IL-1? level among the three groups. CONCLUSION: rhGH showed desirable beneficial effects on rat sepsis, which may attribute to: improving circulatory function; maintaining intestinal mucosa barrier, attenuating bacteria/endotoxin translocation and inhibiting the production and release of TNF?.

Objective To investigate the change of wave-front aberrations after Ortho-K contact lens(CL)by day and overnight wear.Design Retrospective case series.Participant 180 eyes of 92 myopic patients wearing Ortho-K CL.Method Wave-front aberra- tions of 180 eyes of 92 myopic patients wearing Ortho-K CL were analyzed.Patients were divided into by day wear and overnight wear groups.Wave-front aberrations were measured with WFA 1000B subjective aberrometer before and 1 month after Ortho-K CL wear. Wave-front aberrations at initial,after one month of CL fitting and without CL were measured in same condition,and RMS values for overall wave-front aberrations and each order of the Zernike aberrations were analyzed with Matlab software.Main Outcome Measures RMS value of Zernike coefficient of each order.Result Compared with initial aberration in wear by day group,total RMS and each or- der aberrations(except 2nd order)with lens fitting significantly increased(P0.05).Compared with initial aberration in overnight wear group,overall wavefront aberrations and the RMS(except 2nd,3rd and 6th order Zernike aberrations)with lens fitting significantly increased(P0.05).Conclusion The high order aberrations with lens fitting and without lens fit- ting increased in each group.The aberration with lens fitting in wear by day group was higher than that in overnight wear group,while the aberration without lens fitting in overnight wear group was higher than that in wear by day group.(Ophthalmol CHN,2007,16: 351-354)

Objective To observe the formation of biofilms on endotracheal tubes ,and to determine the effect of azithromycin on Haemophilus influenzae in biofilms .Methods One hundred and twenty Wistar rats were intubated with a silicone tube ,80 of them(40 rats were model group and 40 were medicine group) were infected by bacteria to establish the animal models of endotra-cheal tube infections the others were ues as control gruop .Formation of biofilms was detected by scanning electron microscope .Via-ble cells counting was carried out to evaluate the effect of azithromycin orally on biofilms on endotracheal tubes .Results Uneven biofilms were formed on the surface of endotracheal tubes ,and slim bodied of bacteria enclosed by a lot of extracellular matrix .Via-ble cells counting was reduced in medicine group compared with model group .Conclusion Haemophilus influenzae can form bio-films on endotracheal tubes .Azithromycin can exert inhibitory effect on haemophilus influenzae biofilms formed on endotracheal tubes .

Objective To explore the effect of mirror therapy in conjunction with task-oriented training on the upper extremity function of post-stroke patients and the possible mechanisms. Methods Twenty-one post-stroke patients were randomly assigned to a treatment group (10 patients) or a control group (ll patients).The patients in the treatment group were given conventional rehabilitation therapy and mirror therapy in conjunction with task-oriented training for 4 weeks.The control group was given only the same conventional rehabilitation treatment as the treatment group and upper extremity task-oriented training for 4 weeks.Both groups trained 1 h/d,5 d/week.Upper-extremity motor ability was assessed using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) and the Hong Kong version of the functional test for the hemiplegic upper extremity (FTHUE-HK).Ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) was assessed using the Barthel Index (BI) pre-treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. Results At the 2nd week and 4th week evaluations,the FMA,FTHUE-HK and BI scores in both groups had all significantly increased compared with pretreatment.The average FMA score in the treatment group increased significantly more than in the control group at week 2,but by the 4th week both FMA and FTHUE-HK scores in the treatment group significantly exceeded those in the control group.There was no significant difference between the two groups in the improvement of their average BI scores. Conclusions Implementing mirror therapy in conjunction with task-oriented training is efficacious.It may promote upper-extremity motor ability in patients with hemiparesis soon after stroke,but there is no definite improvement in ADL ability.

AIM To investigate the exact subtype of ryanodine receptor (RyR) in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell(PASMC) and the change of RyR expression from pulmonary hypertensive (PAH) rats. METHODS Rats pre treated with a single intraperitoneal injection of monocrotaline (MCT, 60 mg?kg -1 ) were used to produce PAH animal model and killed 21 d later. The subtype expression of RyR and the change of their mRNA were measured by RT PCR; protein expression of RyR was measured by Western blot in PASMC. RESULTS The PASMC of rats only expressed type ⅡRyR (RyR2). RT PCR showed the RyR2 mRNA concentration of PAH group was higher than that of control; Western blot demonstrated that the RyR2 protein level in PAH group was increased to (170 23?45 34)%. CONCLUSION PASMC only expressed RyR2 subtype and the increment of RyR2 expression may contribute to the pathological mechanism of PAH formation.

Objective To analyze the clinical and radiographic characterstics of ureteral polyps with hydronephrosis in children.Methods Thirteen patients with ureteral polyps and hydronephrosis were studied retrospectively.All patients underwent abdominal plain film,intravenous pyelogram(IVP)and ultrasound(US)examinations,contrast-enhanced CT scan was performed in 10 cases.Results Intermittent or recurrent abdominal pain with painless hematuria was presented in most cases.Hydronephrosis was demonstrated in radiographic images.IVP delineated the dilatation of the ureter and filling defects within the ureteral lumen in 5 cases.Computed tomography(CT)showed all abnormal changes of ureter and irregular intraluminal soft tissue masses in 6 cases.Moderate and low echoic structures were showed in ureters by US in 2 cases.Conclusion US and CT,as an important imaging modalities,can improve the diagnostic accuracy for ureteral polyps.