Comet Assay

AIM:To investigate the expression and the significance of VEGF-C/D in rat cornea after alkali burning as well as the role of lymphangiogenesis in the high-risk corneal transplantation rejection.
●METHODS:The model of alkali burn corneal was made. Different times corneas were taken to electron microscope for vascularization, and examined the expression of VEGF-C/D and VEGFR-3 in l, 3, 5, 7, 14, 28d. The other rat cornea after alkali burn were divided into four parts to penetrate keratoplasty, containing only blood vessels in the cornea ( group A ) , angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis ( group B ) , lymphangiogenesis degenerating period ( group C ) , angiogenesis degenerating period ( group D ) . ln addition, there are also normal groups ( group N ) to compare the Rl values and survival time of corneal graft.
●RESULTS: Electron microscopy showed that, when the first 7d rat cornea appeared neovascularization after alkali burn, but not lymphangiogenesis. The occurrence of new blood vessels and lymphatic in 2wk. There were no obvious lymphangiogenesis in 5wk and the angiogenesis gradually subside in 8 wk. The expression of VEGF-C/D and VEGFR-3 in the corneas of rats were up-regulated in the third days after the injury, and reached its peaks at 5d. The average survival time of group N, A, B, C, D were (14.25±0.62)d, (9.35±1.02)d, (5.06±1.13)d, (8.71±0.83) d, (9. 44±1. 05)d after transplant cornea. Compared to the rest of the group, group B plant average survival time significantly shortened (P<0. 05), while compared with group B, the survival time of A, C, D groups were significantly longer (P<0. 05).
● CONCLUSION: VEGF - C/D and VEGFR - 3 are expressed significantly after corneal alkali burn. New lymphatic vessels can accelerate high - risk corneal transplantation immune rejection.

Adult ; Amniotic Fluid ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal

Adult ; Endocarditis, Bacterial ; complications ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; diagnosis ; etiology

ObjectiveTo analyze the relationship between clinical characteristic pathology and prognosis in infant with intra-abdominal solid tumor.MethodsFifty-two infants(less than 1 year old) with abdominal solid tumor from Apr.1998 to Feb.2007 in Shanghai Children's Medical Center and from Jan.2001 to Feb.2007 in Shanghai Xinhua Hospital were reviewed.The history of these children were reviewed.Features and clinical pathology of these children with their prognosis were analyzed and followed up by telephones and children return visit records from 5 months to 8 years.ResultsLess than 1 month,7 cases;1 month to 1 year old,45 cases.Teratoma 23 cases(44.23%),neuroblastoma 9 cases(17.31%),nephroblastoma 6 cases(11.54%),hepatoblastoma 5 cases(9.62%),epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the liver 3 cases(5.77%),congenital mesoblastic nephroma 3 cases(5.77%),fusiform cell epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of pancreas 1 case(1.92%),hamartoma of the liver 1 case(1.92%),retroperitoneal small cell malignant tumor 1 case(1.92%).Benign:malignant=1:1.Among the benign tumor,male:female=1:1.Among the malignant tumor,male:female=2.33:1.0.All children were treated with tumor resection,and combined with chemotherapy for those whose tumors were malignant.ConclusionsAmong infant abdominal solid tumors,teratoma and neuroblastoma are much more than other tumors.The cases of benign tumors are almost as much as the malignant tumors.The benign tumors did not have sex differences,and had good prognosis after surgical resection.However,in malignant tumors,the incidence rate of male is obviously higher than female.Completely resection of those malignant tumors with chemotherapy would get little incidence of recrudescence and low case fatality rate.Early diagnosis and early treatment play an important role in prognosis.

OBJECTIVETo determine whether oral statins can delay the progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

METHODSWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of 50-69-year-old males who came for physical examination in our hospital between January 2003 and December 2008. We designed the inclusion criteria, followed them up for 5 years, and investigated the relationship of oral statins with the clinical progression of BPH and LUTS.

RESULTSTotally, 653 men met the inclusion criteria and were included in this study, of whom 283 were treated with oral statins (group 1) while the other 370 with none (group 2). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in age and baseline IPSS, Qmax, and prostate volume (PV) (P > 0.05). During the follow-up, 24 cases in group 1 and 35 cases in group 2 were excluded for obvious dys-uria. A gradual increase was observed in IPSS in both groups 1 and 2 year by year from the baseline to the 5th year of follow-up, but significantly lower in the former group (4.27 +/- 1.16, 4.63 +/- 1.05, 5.27 +/- 0.96, 6.41 +/- 1.04, 7.21 +/- 1.21, and 7.93 +/-1.50) than in the latter (4.24 +/- 1.35, 5.26 +/- 1.23, 6.84 +/- 1.20, 8.75 +/- 1.84, 10.82 +/- 3.01, and 12.98 +/- 4.21) (P < 0.01); a gradual decrease was seen in Qmax, though markedly higher in group 1 ([26.56 +/- 2.09], [24.06 +/- 1.94], [21.33 +/- 1.66], [19.24 +/- 1.54], [17.44 +/- 1.53], and [16.27 +/- 1.37] ml/s) than in group 2 ([26.74 +/- 2.40], [23.62 +/- 2.01], [20.63 +/- 1.69], [17.72 +/- 1.48], [14.82 +/- 1.11], and [11.86 +/- 1.24] ml/s) (P < 0.01); and a gradual increase was found in PV, but remarkably smaller in the former group ([19.82 +/- 4.94], [22.60 +/- 4.99], [25.80 +/- 5.20], [27.92 +/- 5.05], [29.11 +/- 5.24], and [29.97 +/- 5.26] ml) than in the latter ([20.21 +/- 4.78], [24.30 +/- 4.98], [28.50 +/- 5.14], [32.84 +/- 4.77], [36.99 +/- 4.78], and [40.90 +/- 4.78] ml) (P < 0.01). Longer medication of statins was associated with better efficacy.

CONCLUSIONOral statins can significantly delay the clinical progression of BPH and LUTS.

Aged ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Longitudinal Studies ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; drug therapy ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of simvastatin on the proliferation and apoptosis of prostatic epithelial RWPE-1 cells.

METHODSRWPE-1 cells cultured in vitro were treated with simvastatin at 0, 10, 20, and 40 μmol/L for 24, 48, and 72 hours followed by determination of their proliferation by MTT assay, and their apoptosis by flow cytometry. The mRNA and protein expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, and Cx43 were detected by fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively.

RESULTSAfter 72 hours of treatment with simvastatin at 10, 20, and 40 μmol/L, the inhibition rates of the RWPE-1 cells were (21.07 ± 6.41)%, (34.87 ± 9.65)%, and (47.18 ± 10.88)%, respectively, significantly higher than (1.21 ± 0.54)% in the control group (P < 0.05) and in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05); the cell apoptosis rates were (0.066 ± 0.016)%, (0.126 ± 0.023)%, and (0.192 ± 0.025)%, respectively, remarkably higher than (0.015 ± 0.005)% in the control (P < 0.05) and also in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05); the mRNA and protein expressions of Bcl-2 were decreasing while those of Bax and Cx43 increasing with the increased concentration of simvastatin (P < 0.05). The expression of Cx43 was correlated negatively with that of Bcl-2 but positively with that of Bax.

CONCLUSIONSimvastatin inhibits the proliferation of prostate epithelial cells and induce their apoptosis by acting on the gap junctional intercellular communication.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; physiology ; Humans ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; pharmacology ; Male ; Prostate ; cytology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Simvastatin ; pharmacology ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

Objective To assesse the quality of life of patients after cardiac pacemaker implantation using the Chinese version of SF-36.Methods Ninety-eight patients with permanent cardiac pacemaker implantation were investigated before and after the operation in terms of quality of life by using the Chinese version SF-36.Results Successful surgery was performed on all the 98 patients.The previous symptoms of the patients were improved to vari- ous extend after the operation.The quality of life of the patients was significantly improved after operation as demon- strated by the significant difference of the scores in 9 domains of SF-36 when compared with those before the operation (P

Objective To analyze the relation between ~(99)Tc~m-DTPA renal dynamic imaging and pathological changes in patients with lupus nephritis (LN).Methods Ten normal control and 29 patients with LN underwent ~(99)Tc~m-DTPA renal dynamic imaging.The LN patients were divided into two groups:silent LN (SLN) group,18 patients;and obvious LN (OLN) group,11 patients.For each case,glomerular filtration rate (GFR),peak time (t_p),half excretion time (t_(1/2)) and the excretion rate at 20 min (R_(20)) were calculated.Assessment of renal function on the scintigraphic images was evaluated by nuclear medicine physicians.The t-test,Fisher'exact probability and R×C association were used for data analysis.Results There were significant differences between normal people and two goups of LN in tp(t=5.3,9.3,both P＜0.05),t_(1/2)(t=6.9,12.0,both P＜0.05)and R_(20)(t=10.1,12.1,both P＜0.05).As to GFR,there was significant decrease in OLN patients(t=4.1,P＜0.05),but not in SLN patients(t=1.7,P＞0.05).Diagnoses of renal function by renal dynamic imaging were compared with the renal pathological changes (r=0.2273,P＜0.05).Conclusions ~(99)Tc~m-DTPA renal dynamic imaging is useful for evaluation of the early stage renal function for LN patients and to diagnose LN patients with no symptom of renal impairment.It may help to assess the degree of renal parenchymal damage while obviating the need for renal biopsy in these patients.

Objective　To study the indication, contraindication and short-term clinical effects of stereotactic radiotherapy (X-knife) in lung cancer. Methods　A total of 56 cases (Treatment group) of lung cancer were treated with X-knife composing of the modern 3-D treatment planning system and the stereotactic body frame, and SL-75 accelerator. And another 53 cases only treated with routine external radiation served as the control. In treatment group, 42 cases received 50 Gy radiation, at 2 Gy per day, 5 d per week in the upper mediastinum, hilus of lung, below the primary focus first and then underwent X-knife for the primary focuses, and other 14 recurrent and metastatic cases received irradiation of 8-12 Gy per day, 5 d by X-knife alone. Results　The actually reexamination rate for 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after X-knife treatment in 78 focuses from 56 cases was 79.5% (62/78), 89.8% (70/78), 87.2% (68/78) and 78.2% (61/78) respectively. The focuses reappeared in 3 months after the treatment and the growth rates of focus in 3, 6, and 12 month after the treatment were 2.6% (2/78), 5.1% and 9% (7/78) respectively. There were 2 focuses received a second treatment with X-knife because no change after the first one. Both the 1-and 2-year survival rates of 36 cases of the primary lung cancer in the treatment group were higher than that of control group (89.1%, 53.9% and 77.4%, 39.6%). Conclusion　The stereotactic radiotherapy is of applicable and prospective in the treatment of lung cancer. The indications include: ①As a boost dose in case when primary focus is less than 5 cm after the first external radiotherapy may reduce the exposure of lung tissue to x-ray and the occurrence of radiation pneumonia; ②Treatment for the recurrence after radiotherapy and operation; ③Radical treatment for the metastatic focus less than 5 cm. Attention must be paid to when multiple treatment is carried on the volume of the focus, the Karnofsky scores and the general condition when stereotactic radiotherapy combined with X-knife for lung cancer.