Many studies show that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) can suppress tumor by inhibiting proliferation and dedifferentiation of cells and promoting cell apoptosis at early stage.But during the progression of tumor,its tumor-promoting action will be more and more obvious with the variation of TGF-β itself and its signal path.TGF-β signal path inhibitors have anti-tumor activity,but the clinical effects and side effects still need to be observed.

Humans ; Occupational Health ; Workplace ; statistics & numerical data

AIMTo isolate and purify the brain microvessels without intact neural cells used for cloning specific gene at the blood-brain-barrier.

METHODSMagnetic beads ranging from 200-500 nm were synthesized and infused into cerebral spheres through carotid arteries. The brain tissues were dissected by mechanic and enzymatic methods, and sieved to discharge tissues and large blood vessels. The brain microvessels labelled by magnetic beads were sorted in magnetic fields, and identified by morphology, molecular biology and biologic activity.

RESULTSScanning electric micrograph of the obtained brain microvessels showed the vessels grossly free of adjoining neural cells except an occasional nerve ending. RT-PCR products of microtube-associated protein 2a, glutamine synthetase and CD31 from brain tissue had positive lanes, but only CD31 had positive lanes from isolated microvessels. The endothelial cells from isolated microvessels had more fluorescence than that from cultured endothelial cells.

CONCLUSIONHighly purified microvessels without intact neural cells can be obtained by this method.

Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; anatomy & histology ; Brain ; blood supply ; Microvessels ; anatomy & histology ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Yixintai Granule (YG) on mRNA and protein expression levels of AQP2 in renal medulla of chronic heart failure (CHF) rabbits.

METHODSCHF rat model was established by ear marginal vein injection of adriamycin. Successfully modeled rabbits were divided into the model group, the high (8.4 g/kg), middle (4.2 g/kg), and low dose (2.1 g/kg) YG group, and the Furosemide group (2 mg/kg). Besides, a normal control group was set up. Equal volume of physiological saline was administered to rabbits of the model group and the normal control group by gastrogavage. YG at different doses was administered to rabbits of the 3 YG groups by gastrogavage. The intervention lasted for 4 weeks, once per day. After treatment the urine volume and pathomorphological changes of renal medulla tissue were observed. mRNA and its protein expression levels of AQP2 were detected.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, the urine volume decreased significantly, mRNA and protein expression levels of renal medulla AQP2 increased significantly in the model group (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the urine volume increased significantly, and mRNA and protein expression levels of renal medulla AQP2 decreased significantly in all medicated groups (all P < 0.01). Compared with the low dose YG group, the urine volume significantly increased and the mRNA expression level of renal medulla AQP2 significantly decreased in the middle and high dose YG groups (all P < 0.01). The expression level of AQP2 protein significantly decreased in the high dose YG group (P < 0.01). Pathological changes of the renal medulla was the most obviously seen in the model group. But they were alleviated to various degrees in all medicated groups. They were more obviously attenuated in the middle and high dose YG groups.

CONCLUSIONYG could improve CHF possibly through down-regulating mRNA and protein expression levels of AQP2 in renal medulla, and elevating the urine volume.

Animals ; Aquaporin 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Chronic Disease ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To investigate the effects of rigid gas permeable contact lens (RGPCL) wearing 3 years on ocular surface in keratoconus.Design Retrospective case series.Participants 73 patients with keratoconus.Methods From July 2001 to July 2004,73 patients (142 eyes) wearing RGPCL for more than 3 years were collected in Peking University Optometry & Ophthalmology Center.Be- fore and at 1 year,2 years and 3 years of RGPCL wearing,density and morphologic changes of corneal endothelium were examined with non-contact specular microscope.Eye axial length,central and peripheral thickness of cornea were measured with A-scan pachymeter. All eyes were examined with slit-lamp microscope periodically.Main Outcome Measures Corneal endothelial density and morphology, corneal thickness,eye axial length,ocular surface changes.Results Before and at 1 year,2 years and 3 years of RGPCL wearing,aver- age corneal endothelial density was 2901.92?445.20,2862.78?497.13,2854.71?526.80,3015.61?421.22 (cells/mm~2)without significant difference statistically (F=1.571,P=0.20).Morphologic changes were not significant during 3 years.Eye axial length was 25.15?1.50, 24.93?1.36,24.78?1.25,25.39?1.31 (mm) without significant difference statistically (F=2.218,P=0.10).Corneal central thickness was 489.09?59.64,484.02?60.80,496.61?59.74,487.44?54.25(?m)without significant difference statistically (F=0.991,P=0.40).Peripheral thickness changes were also not significant statistically during 3 years.69 eyes with mild conjunctival congestion,12 eyes with corneal fluorescence stain and 6 eyes with corneal epithelial rough were found with slit-lamp microscope during follow-up.Conclusions For the patients with keratoconus,long term of RGPCL wear will not lead to significant ocular changes or severe ocular complications.

Objective To develop a clinically useful assay for detecting the mutations of HBV pre-C/BCP based on the pyrosequencing and accuracy, reproducibility and reliability of this assay was evaluated. Methods The pyrosequencing primers for HBV pre-C/BCP mutation were designed through the cluster analysis among one hundred HBV gene sequences. After the amplification of the fragment of pre-C/BCP with the template of pre-C/BCP mutation plasmids, the pyrosequencing method for pre-C/BCP detection was initially set up with this standard sample. The accuracy, reliability and reproducibility of the pre-C/BCP pyrosequencing were confirmed through the pre-C/BCP plasmids as a standard sample when compared with Sanger/genechip sequencing method pre-C/BCP pyrosequencing assay was applied for detecting pre-C/BCP mutation types of 60 chnical serum samples in HBV patients. Results The pre-C/BCP mutation detection assay based on pyrosequencing has been established in our study. The coincidence rate between pyrosequencing and Sanger squencing was 100%. The coincidence rate between the result of pyrosequencing and of genechip method was 91.7%. The reproducibility of this assay was 97. 8%. It indicates the pre-C/BCP pyrosequencing is a high-accurate method with, good-reproducibility and high-reliability. And multi-site detection can be achieved by pyrosequencing one time. A rare mutation T1758C was also detected. Conclusion Pyrosequencing for pre-C/BCP mutations assay is high-throughout method for simultaneous detection of multi-site mutation.

Aneurysm ; complications ; therapy ; Cardiac Catheterization ; instrumentation ; Child ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; complications ; therapy ; Humans ; Septal Occluder Device

OBJECTIVETo make clear the burden of injury in residents living in countryside of Dongying, Shandong Province.

METHODSA retrospective questionnaire survey was conducted among 15,276 residents in 20 villages of Dongying Municipality of Shandong Province with a multiphase cluster randomly sampling on cases of injury from March 1, 2002 to February 28, 2003. The injury was decided with three principles which had been carried out through the nation. The standardized incidence and mortality rates were calculated on base of the population data of Shandong Province in 2000. The burden of injury was evaluated by incidence rate, mortality rate, years of potential life lost (YPLL) system, disability adjusted life year (DALY), direct and indirect economic costs, et al.

RESULTSTotally 902 were injured cases in which the crude incidence rate was 5.90%, and the standardized incidence rate was 5.93%. It was shown higher in men (7.79%) than in women (4.03%). The crude death rate was 12.438 per million. And the standardized death rate was 11.257 per million. 27 cases were crippled. The years, the working years and the valued years of the potential life lost were 24, 19.6 and 8.7 years respectively for each death case. Disability adjusted life years was 566.61 years. Direct economic cost for medical expenses of all cases was 816.3 thousand RMB Yuan and 200.1 thousand RMB Yuan for else costs. Indirect economic cost was 5,492.9 thousand RMB Yuan according to DALY.

CONCLUSIONInjury was common incidence in rural residents in Dongying which caused a heavy burden on them. Prevention and control of injuries would be enhanced.

Accidents, Traffic ; economics ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Cost of Illness ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rural Population ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Wounds and Injuries ; economics ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference of effects on hearing injury between punching machine noise and steady state noise.

METHODSThe subjects of present study were 100 workers, included 38 workers exposed to punching machine noise from forging shops and 62 workers exposed to steady state noise from drawbench or abrasive dust workshops. The individual noise dosimetries were used to detect noise that workers exposed, and cumulative noise exposure (CNE) was then calculated. On the basis of GBZ 49-2007, the worker hearing was tested, and the results were assessed.

RESULTSThere were no differences of CNE between group exposed to punching machine noise and group exposed to steady state noise. The hearing loss rate (55.3%) at high frequency in workers exposed to punching machine noise was significantly higher than that (32.3%) in workers exposed to steady state noise (P < 0.01). CNE and the hearing loss rate at high frequency showed dose-response relationship (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONwhen the exposure levels of workers were similar, the hearing injury induced by punching machine noise may be significantly higher than that induced by steady state noise.

Adult ; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced ; Humans ; Male ; Noise, Occupational ; adverse effects ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Surveys and Questionnaires