Objective To investigate the association of prognosis with clinical features,tumor imaging,and pathological grading and staging in small renal cell carcinoma(SRCC). Methods The clinical data of 76 cases of SRCC (no more than 3 cm in diameter) were analyzed retrospectively.According to the clinical symptoms,they were divided into two groups,symptomatic (hematuria and lumbago) group (n=17,accounting for 22.4%) and asymptomatic group (n=59,77.6%).All the 76 cases underwent CT scan,with the diagnosis rate of 94.7%;69 cases underwent B-ultrasound examination with the diagnosis rate of 84.1%. Results All the 76 cases underwent radical nephrectomy through oblique incision in the lumbus.The excised tumors were pathologically confirmed to be clear cell carcinoma.The patients were followed up for 32 to 87 months(mean,62.7 months).The 1-,3-,and 5-year cancer-free survival rates of the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups were 100% and 53.3%,33.3% and 100%,90.6% and 77.4%,respectively.There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in the 3- and 5-year cancer-free survival rates (P

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Interleukin-1 ; pharmacology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 ; secretion ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Rabbits

Objective To investigate the relationship between CIDE-B change and apoptosis by detecting expression of CIDE-B gene and protein under various injuring conditions(firearm injury and in- cision injury)and comparing neuronal apoptosis.Methods A total of 108 New Zealand rabbits were randomized into firearm injury group,incision injury group and control group.Samples were harvested at different time points after injury for measuring CIDE-B mRNA expression level by RT-PCR,demonstrating morphological distribution of CIDE-B mRNA by in situ hybridization and determining CIDE-B protein level by Western blot.Results Following nerve injury,CIDE-B mRNA expression in spinal cord was en- hanced markedly in the firearm injury group,increased from at day 1,reached peak at day 7,lasted for two weeks and declined after four weeks.CIDE-B mRNA expression was increased late,with small range in the incision injury group.The changes in CIDE-B protein level accorded with those in CIDE-B mRNA level.There was slight CIDE-B mRNA expression,distributing in spinal cord neuronal cytoplasma,in spinal cord tissues in the control group.Conclusions Following peripheral nerve injury,expressions of CIDE-B mRNA and protein are enhanced in spinal cord neurons and distributed in the grey matter of spi- nal cord.Such enhancement is more marked after firearm injury than incision injury.

Animals ; Cyclic GMP ; metabolism ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide ; biosynthesis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Over the last decade,a growing body of evidence has indicated that vitamin D is not only crucial in maintaining calcium-phosphorus homeostasis and bone density,but also implicated in the regulation of immune system and the maintenance of the normal function of central nervous system.A variety of neuropsychiatric disorders such as multiple sclerosis,Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,schizophrenia,and depression are suggested to be associated with vitamin D deficiency and immune activation.In this review,we summarize the recent key findings concerning the effect of vitamin D on neuroimmmune modulation and its potential role in those neuropsychiatric disorders.

BACKGROUND: Researches on the hand allograft have been transited from laboratory aspects to clinical application.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of serial monitoring of co-stimulating signals in double hand transplantation.DESIGN: Case controlled observation.SETTING: Department of Traumatic Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital,Southern Medical University.PARTICIPANTS: From September 2001 to December 2001, a patient who was proposed to have double hand transplantation in the Department of Traumatic Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University was taken as the subject of the experiment, meanwhile 15healthy adult man were enrolled as controls.METHODS: Before operation, blood sample was collected from the patient once before given immunodepressant and twice after given immunodepressant; blood sample was also collected before arteriovenous connection during operation, as well as once a day during the first week after operation, once every other day on the second week, twice a week on the third and fourth week, followed by once a week for total two month. The first week after operation was taken as inducing period with the remainder as maintaining period. 2 mL peripheral venous blood was collected from healthy adult and anti-coagulated by EDTA of mass scores of 20 g/L.Flowcytometry was used to carry out a serial monitoring of T cell surface co-stimulating moleculars (CD28, CD54, CD11a).MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The change of co-stimulatingmolecules on the surface of T lymphocyte before and after transplantation.RESULTS:The changes of the three co-stimulating molecules were consistent with each other after double hand transplantation (CD28,CD54,CD11a),displaying decrement during inducing period comparing to pre-operation [(9.84±5.28)%, (55.50±3.62)%; (71.03±5.33)%, (95.10±1.26)%;(9.40±9.17)%, (29.70±3.23)%] and keeping at lower level at maintaining period [ (22.54±6.56) %, (91.28±8.12 ) %, ( 11.22±4.08 ) %].CONCLUSION:The serial monitoring of the co-stimulating signals in the peripheral blood of patients with linb allograft is beneficial to the observation of the posopertaive immunologic reaction, providing important guidance for the application of immunosuppression medicine, as well as the prediction and diagnosis of postoperative immune rejection. Meanwhile, costimulating signal induced immunological tolerance is proved promising for the application of hand transplantation.

Objective To investigate the MRI features of intracranial solitary fibrous tumors/hemangiopericytomas (SFT/HPC),and to compare these findings with those of intracranial meningiomas.Methods The clinical features and MRI findings in 28 patients of intracranial SFT/HPC (SFT/HPC group)and 68 patients of meningiomas (meningiomas group) confirmed by operation and pathology were retrospectively analyzed.The indicators of two groups were compared.Results Shape of tumor,signal homogeneous,signal voids of vessel in tumor,hypointense signal nodules on T2WI and enhanded,cystic or necrosis in tumor,meningeal tail sign,changes of the nearby bone,sex,Ki-67％ level,blood lose in surgery had significant differences between SFT/HPC group and meningiomas group (all P＜0.05).Conclusion There are some differences between intracranial SFT/HPC and meningiomas.It is helpful in diagnosis and differential diagnosis through the comparative analysis of the imaging signs.

The pancreatic enzyme-II type collagenase digestion method was adopted for primary culture of osteoblasts, inoculation and passage. They were identified by alkaline phosphatase dye-liquor. N-butanol extract fractions from different processed products of Cibotium barometz were prepared. The above osteoblasts were jointly cultured with protocatechuic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, kojic acid and the mixed control liquid of the above three substances, and their proliferation was detected by CCK-8. Various n-butanol extract fractions from different processed products of C. barometz showed a significant proliferative effect on osteoblasts in the order of the wined > the heated > the salted > the sand-heated and wined system > the alcohol-processed > the steamed > the crude. The q test showed no significant difference among sand-heated, alcohol-processed and steamed C. barometz, no significant difference between heated and salted C. barometz. Various control substances also showed a certain proliferative effect on osteoblasts in the order of the mixed control > protocatechuic aldehyde > protocatechuic acid > kojic acid. The q test showed no significant difference between protocatechuic aldehyde and protocatechuic acid. All of n-butanol extract fractions from different processed products of C. barometz showed a significant effect on osteoblast proliferation, of which wined C. barometz showed the best effect. All of phenolic compounds such as protocatechuic aldehyde, protocatechuic acid and kojic acid showed a significant proliferative effect on osteoblasts.
Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drug Compounding ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; Pteridophyta ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective CD44, a cell surface glycoprotein, plays an important role in tumor growth and glycolysis.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of neutralizing CD44 antibodies on the growth and glycolytic metabolism of B16 cells in melanoma in vitro.Methods B16 cells were treated with control antibodies (50 μg/mL) or different concentrations of CD44 antibodies (2, 10, and 50 μg/mL) for 24 hours, followed by examination of the activation of the AKT pathway in the B16 cells by Western blot.Then the tumor cells were also treated with control antibodies (50 μg/mL) or CD44 antibodies (50μg/mL) after pretreated with API-2 (4 μmol/L) in a parallel test.After 48 hours of treatment, the expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) in the B16 cells and the level of lactate in the culture supernatant were detected by immunofluorescence and colorimetry, respectively.Lastly, the B16 cells were treated with control antibodies (50μg/mL), API-2 (4 μmol/L), CD44 antibodies (50μg/mL), or API-2 + CD44 antibodies for 96 hours, followed by measurement of the proliferation of the cells by MTT and their apoptosis by AO/EB and AnnexinV staining.Results In comparison with the control antibody group, the level of AKT phosphorylation (p-AKT) in the B16 cells showed a concentration-dependent increase in the 2, 10, and 50 μg/mL CD44 antibody groups (1.00±0.25 vs 2.51±0.32, 3.89±0.46, and 4.07±0.42, P<0.01), and the expression of LDHA was increased by (2.13±0.24) times, with the lactate level in the culture supernatant significantly elevated from (35.32±3.24) to (56.34±8.19) mmol/L (P<0.01) after 96 hours of treatment with 50 μg/mL CD44 antibodies.Treatment with API-2+CD44 antibodies, however, suppressed the increase in the LDHA expression and reduced the level of lactate.Compared with the control antibody group, the proliferation rate of the B16 cells was markedly decreased in the API-2, CD44 antibody, and API-2+CD44 antibody groups ([103±12.91] vs [84.87±19.35], [71.35±16.23], and [41.16±9.15]%, P<0.05), while the apoptosis rate remarkably increased ([5.23±0.96] vs [13.65±4.27], [19.21±3.53], and [43.21±7.87]%, P<0.01).Conclusion Neutralizing the function of CD44 in the B16 cells in vitro can inhibit the growth of the cells and promote AKT-mediated glycolytic metabolism, while suppressing the AKT pathway may enhance the antitumor activity of the CD44 antibody.

Objective To explore the effects of lamotrigine on the cognitive function and the quality of life in epilepsy patients.Methods This was a prospective study and 91 newly diagnosed epilepsy patients were enrolled.The neuropsychological tests score and the quality of life in epilepsy inventory(QOLIE-31) were obtained before and after the treatment with lamotrigine.A battery of neuropsychological tests comprised the auditory verbal learning test(AVLT), the logical memory test(LMT), the digital symbol test(DST), the stroop color word test(SCWT), the trail making test(TMT), the verbal fluency test(VFT), the WAIS block design test(WBDT), the WAIS digital span test(WDST)and the Boston naming test(BNT). Results The repeated assessments in the patients taking lamotrigine were associated with significant improvements in many domains.The greatest changes were observed in the immediate and delayed recall of AVLT, DST, the time consuming of SCWT card C and TMT test A and B, the immediate and delayed recall of LMT, VFT, WBDT and BNT.For the quality of life, significant improvements were recorded in the fields of the seizure worry(38.81?16.06 vs 45.68?15.18), the overall quality of life(59.12?13.50 vs 64.99?13.33), the social function(64.59?25.14 vs 69.41?22.70)and the self-health evaluation (71.18?13.73 vs 76.75?11.30).Conclusion Improvements of the cognitive function and the quality of life can be observed in the initial period of medication with lamotrigine in epilepsy patients.