Chlamydial infection in human urogenital tract induces inflammation and causes tissue damage and scarring. It is thought that cytokine production by the Chlamydia-infected cells plays a key role in chlamydial disease processes. Although many cytokines have been detected during chlamydial infection, little is known about the molecular mechanisms on how Chlamydia triggers and sustains the inflammatory cytokine cascades. In the current study, chlamydial infection of the human cervical epithelial cell line HeLa cells can induce the production of IL-8, IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-6. Using inhibitors for probing intracellular kinase signaling pathways required for the Chlamydia-induced cytokines, it was found that the Chlamydia-activated MAPK / P38 pathway is required for the chlamydial induction of IL-1α and IL-6 while both the Chlamydia-activated MAPK/ERK and MAPK/P38 pathways contribute to the production of IL-8.

The feasibility of using cord blood mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (CB-MSPCs) to regenerate cardiomyocytes and the optimal inducing conditions were investigated. The CB mononuclear cells were cultured in low serum DMEM medium to produce an adherent layer. After expansion, the adherent cells were added into cardiomyocyte inducing medium supplemented with 5-azacytidine. Cardiogenic specific contractile protein troponin T staining was performed to identify the cardiomyocyte-like cells. The results showed that the frequency of CB-MSPCs clones in CB mononuclear cells was 0.5 x 10(-6) and about 1.3 x 10(7)-fold expansion was achieved within 20 sub-cultivation. After cardiogenic induction, 70% CB-MSPCs was differentiated into cardiomyocyte-like cells. It was indicated that low serum culture could expand CB-MSPCs extensively and the expanded CB-MSPCs could be induced to differentiate into cardiomyocyte-like cells in high efficiency.
Azacitidine/pharmacology ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Fetal Blood/*cytology ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/*cytology ; Myocytes, Cardiac/*cytology ; Troponin T

Adult ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; pathology ; DNA Sequence, Unstable ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases ; genetics ; Neoplasm Invasiveness

OBJECTIVETo explore the action mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Shenmen" (HT 7) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) on insomnia.

METHODSThirty SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group and an EA group, 10 cases in each group. The insomnia model was made by immobilization method in the model group and EA group. After model establishment, rats in the blank group and model group were treated with fixation and no treatment was given. Rats in the EA group were treated with EA at "Shenmen" (HT 7) and "San-yinjiao" (SP 6) for 15 min, once a day for 4 days. After treatment, the level of daytime and nighttime activity, open-arm entry percentage and open-arm time percentage of elevated plus-maze test were measured; the content of noradrenaline (NE), dopamine (DA) and epinephrine (EPI) in plasma and NE, DA in thalamus and brainstem were detected by using euzymelinked immunosorbent assay method.

RESULTSCompared with the blank group, the daytime activity was increased and nighttime activity was reduced in the model group (both P<0. 05); the open-arm entry percentage and open-arm time percentage of elevated plus-maze test were both reduced in the model group (both P<0. 05); the contents of NE, DA, EPI in the plasma and NE, DA in thalamus and brainstem were increased in the model group (all P<0. 05). Compared with the model group, the daytime activity was reduced and nighttime activity was increased in the EA group (both P<0. 05); the open-arm entry percentage and open-arm time percentage of elevated plus-maze test were both increased in the EA group (both P<0. 05); the contents of NE, DA, EPI in the plasma and NE, DA in thalamus and brainstem were reduced in the EA group (all P< 0. 05).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture at "Shenmen" (HT 7) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) can restrain the over-activity of the sympathetic-adrenal medullary system to treat the insomnia.

Acupuncture Points ; Adrenal Medulla ; metabolism ; Animals ; Anxiety ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dopamine ; metabolism ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Norepinephrine ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; psychology ; therapy ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; physiopathology

Objective To explore the relationship between 5, 10-methylenetrahydrofolate reeducates gene polymorphism of the parents and the susceptibility to their offspring having neural tube defects. To forecast and evaluate the onset risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) on the basis of 5, 10-methylenetrahydrofolate reeducates (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism on parents of the patients.Methods Electronic search strategy was carried out among the five databases from home and abroad to collect qualified research papers, according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Case-control studies on association between MTHFR polymorphism and susceptibility to NTDs were collected and divided into two groups as mothers and fathers. The combined OR values and their 95% CI were calculated with Review Manager 5.0. Results 33 eligible studies were included. Statistics of the combined data showed a significant difference between the mothers with NTDs offspring carrying TT/CC, CT/CC of MTHFR gene C677T and controls. The pooled OR (95%CI) were 1.68 (1.32-2.14)and 1.20 (1.07-1.35) respectively. These was a significant difference between the fathers of the offspring with NTDs that carrying of TT/CC, CT/CC of MTHFR gene C677T and controls. The pooled ORs (95%CI) were 1.38 (1.08-1.76) and 1.32 (1.13-1.55) respectively. Conclusion The results suggested that the paternal and maternal MTHFR gene C677T polymorphism were risk factors to NTDs.

Objective To explore the therapeutic effects of statin in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in stable period. Methods 83 patients with COPD in stable period were recruited and randomly divided into two groups, treatment group (n = 41) and control group (n = 42).The control group received conventional routine therapy, and treatment group was given rosuvastatin calcium 20 mg once per day on the basis of routine treatment. The levels of sera C-reactive protein (CRP), pulmonary function (FEV1、FEVl%pred), and COPD assessment test (CAT) were observed at the time points of 0 week and 12th week, 24th week and 48th week were compared between two groups. Results At 12th week after the treatment, sera CRP levels, FEV1, FEV1%pred and CAT scores in either control group or treatment group showed some extent of improvements as compared to those at the time point of 0 week, and there was statistical difference of sera CRP levels and CAT scores between two groups (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference of FEV1, FEV1%pred between two groups (P > 0.05) .24th week and 48th week after the treatment; sera CRP levels, FEV, FEV1%pred and CAT scores in two groups all significantly improved and were statistical different between two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion Statin can alleviate inflammatory reaction, improve pulmonary function and life quality of patients with COPD.

Polymerase chain reaction was employed to amplify the whole HBV CP region from the serum of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection, and then the PCR products were subcloned into pGEM Teasy vectors. Clones were randomly selected to be sequenced and the selected clones were compared to look for the difference.The sequencing results suggested that each sequence of selected clones was different and there were HBV quasispecies groups in patients. There were hot deletion region and point mutation near the TATA like box of CP gene. To address whether the mutations were responsible for the transcriptional activity, the wild type(wt) and the mutants of HBV CP genes were subcloned into pcDNA3 1( ) vectors, respectively. The reverse oriented clones were digested with KpnI and XhoI, and cloned into the KpnI and XhoI sites of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) expressing vector (pCAT3 basic).The recombinant CAT plasmids were transfected into HepG2 cells using lipofectamine PLUS reagent, and the CAT expression which indirectly represented the transcriptional activity of HBV CP lying upstream of CAT gene was detected with a CAT ELISA kit. The restriction enzyme digesting results indicated that the recombinant CAT plasmids were successfully constructed, and the transfection tests indicated that the transcriptional activity of the mutants with deletion or substitute point mutation of TATA like box were reduced in comparison with that of CPwt. The HBV CP gene heterogeneity downregulated the transcriptional activity to some extent.

Objective To discuss the clinical significance of postoperative application of gastrointestinal decompression after anastomosis of lower digestive tract. Methods Three hundred and sixty-eight patients undergoing excision and anastomosis of lower digestive tract were divided into two groups: the group with postoperative gastrointestinal decompression and the group without it. The clinical therapeutic outcomes and incidences of complications were compared between the two groups. Results The volume of gastric juice in the decompression group was about 200 ml every day after operation. Both groups had a smaller abdomenal circumference before operation than after operation ( P