Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Exercise Therapy ; Female ; Headache ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neck Pain ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Treatment Outcome

Objective Effectiveness of two kinds of thermochemotherapy infusion from intraarterial approach were studied in the grafted liver VX2 tumors of rabbit.Methods VX2 tumor model was established in 30 Newzland rabbit's livers.Percutaneous transfemoral hepatic arterial catheterization with fixation of the cathether tip inside the feeding vessel was carried out under DSA guidance.All 30 rabbits were divided into three groups(n=10 in each group),normal temperature 100 ml saline+Adriamycin(ADM)infusion(group 1),60℃100 ml saline+ADM continuous perfusion(group 2)and 60℃100 ml saline+ADM intermittent perfusion(group 3).After the perfusion,the lasting time periods of 43-45℃for tumor tissue of group 2 and 3 together with the concentrations of ADM within tumor's tissue were measured.Results Concentrations of ADM were shown as(12.013?2.237)?g/ml,(17.622?1.368)?g/ml,and(11.519?1.225)?g/ml for group 2, group 3 and group 1 respectively.60℃intermittent perfusion vs 60℃continuous perfusion showed P＜0.05, 60℃continuous pefusion vs normal temperature perfusion also showed P＞0.05. 43-45℃period lasting time (min)for 60℃continuous pefusion vs 60℃intermittent pefusion were(4.1?2.7)min and(11.3?3.3)min respectively,the latter was three times more than the former.There were no differences shown betwen the temperature,respiration and heart rate of group 2 and group 3.Conclusion Intermittent intraarterial perfusion thermochemotherapy is a more effective interventional management among all thermochemotherapies.

OBJECTIVETo construct and identification of a lentiviral vector for RNA interference (RNAi) targeting STUB1 gene.

METHODSA pair of complementary small hairpin RNA (shRNA) oligonucleotides targeting STUB1 gene was designed, synthesized and inserted into linearized pMagic 4.0 vector. The recombinant plasmid was identified by double restriction digestion with Age I/EcoR I and DNA sequencing.

RESULTPCR and DNA sequencing showed that the shRNA sequence was successfully inserted into pMagic 4.0 vector. The pMagic 4.0 vector was successfully packaged into lentivirus particles.

CONCLUSIONA lentiviral shRNA expression vector and particles targeting STUB1 gene has been successfully constructed for the further study of the STUB1 gene.

Gene Targeting ; Genetic Vectors ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the frequency of JAK2V617F mutation in Chinese patients with chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and to study the relationship between JAK2V617F mutation and clinical characteristics.

METHODSJAK2V617F mutation was screened by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR).

RESULTSJAK2V617F mutation was detected in 277 of the 412 patients with MPN. The frequency of JAK2V617F mutation was similar among essential thrombocythemia (ET), idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF) and chronic myeloproliferative disorders-unclassified (MPD-U) (P > 0.05), but it was significantly lower than that in polycythemia vera (PV) (P < 0.05). The presence of JAK2V617F was found to be significantly correlative with advanced age at diagnosis (P < 0.01) and with higher hemoglobin levels and higher leukocyte counts (P < 0.05). Significant difference was found in complication of vascular events between JAK2V617 positive and negative patients (P < 0.05). JAK2V617F positive MPD-U patients were more prone to progress into typical MPN compared with JAK2V617F negative MPD-U patients. The association between abnormal karyotype and JAK2V617F was not found in cytogenetical analysis of 301 patients.

CONCLUSIONThe presence of JAK2V617F in MPD-U is associated with the disease development. There is a correlation between JAK2V617F mutation in MPN and advanced age, higher leukocyte counts, hemoglobin level and vascular events.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemoglobins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Janus Kinase 2 ; genetics ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Myeloproliferative Disorders ; blood ; complications ; genetics ; Polycythemia Vera ; blood ; complications ; genetics ; Primary Myelofibrosis ; blood ; complications ; genetics ; Thrombocythemia, Essential ; blood ; complications ; genetics ; Thrombosis ; etiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the properties of screw-bone interface of expansive pedicle screw (EPS) in osteoporotic sheep by micro-CT and histological observation.

METHODSSix female sheep with bilateral ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis were employed in this experiment. After EPS insertion in each femoral condyle, the sheep were randomly divided into two groups: 3 sheep were bred for 3 months (Group A), while the other 3 were bred for 6 months (Group B). After the animals being killed, the femoral condyles with EPS were obtained, which were three-dimensionally-imaged and reconstructed by micro-CT. Histological evaluation was made thereafter.

RESULTSThe trabecular microstructure was denser at the screw-bone interface than in the distant parts in expansive section, especially within the spiral marking. In the non-expansive section, however, there was no significant difference between the interface and the distant parts. The regions of interest (ROI) adjacent to EPS were reconstructed and analyzed by micro-CT with the same thresholds. The three-dimensional (3-D) parameters, including tissue mineral density (TMD), bone volume fraction (BVF, BV/TV), bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV) ratio, trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), were significantly better in expansive sections than non-expansive sections (P less than 0.05). Histologically, newly-formed bony trabeculae crawled along the expansive fissures and into the center of EPS. The newly-formed bones, as well as the bones at the bone-screw interface, closely contacted with the EPS and constructed four compartments.

CONCLUSIONSThe findings of the current study, based on micro-CT and histological evaluation, suggest that EPS can significantly provide stabilization in osteoporotic cancellous bones.

Animals ; Bone Screws ; Bone and Bones ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Female ; Osteoporosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Sheep ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo investigate the properties of screw-bone interface of expansive pedicle screw (EPS) in osteoporotic sheep using micro-CT and histology.

METHODSSix female sheep with bilateral ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis were employed in this experiment and were randomly assigned into 2 groups: A and B. After EPS insertion in each femoral condyles, sheep in group A were bred for 3 months, while those in group B 6 months. Femoral condyles with EPS were 3D-imaged and reconstructed by micro-CT. Histology was evaluated thereafter.

RESULTSThe trabecular microstructure was denser at the screw-bone interface than in the distant parts in expansive section, especially within spiral marking. In the non-expansive section, however, there was no significant difference between the interface and the distant parts. The regions of interest (ROI) adjacent to EPS were reconstructed and analyzed by micro-CT using the same thresholds. The 3D-parameters generated, including tissue mineral density (TMD), bone volume fraction (BVF, BV/TV), bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV) ratio, trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), were significantly better in expansive than in non-expansive sections (P < 0.05). Histologically, newly formed bone trabeculae crawled along the expansive fissures and into the center of EPS. The newly formed bones, as well as the bone at the bone-screw interface, closely contacted the EPS and constructed four compartments.

CONCLUSIONSBased on micro-CT and histological evaluation, the study suggest that EPS can significantly provide stabilization in osteoporotic cancellous bone.

Animals ; Bone Density ; Bone Screws ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Femur ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; surgery ; Osteoporosis ; etiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Ovariectomy ; adverse effects ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sheep ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of aqueous abstract from eucommia ulmoides oliv on the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and alpha-actin expression in the penile tissues of rats with diabetes mellitus (DM) in vitro.

METHODSA diabetes model was established by administration of alloxun twice to Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Ten diabetic and 10 normal rats were randomly selected and the penile strips of each rat were divided into four equal shares and cultured in two groups, a eucommia ulmoides oliv coculture group (Group A, further dicided into 1 microg/ml, 10 microg/ml and 100 microg/ml subgroups) and a control group (Group B). Seven days later, the activity of SOD in the culture medium was detected by spectrophotometry, and the levels of micro-actin expression in the penile tissues were examined with the immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSCompared with Group B, the activity of SOD in the culture medium in athe 10 and 100 microg/ml subgroups was notably elevated (P < 0.01), and the numbers of immunoreactive positive cells of alpha-actin in the penile tissues remarkably increased (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe activity of SOD and alpha-actin expression in the penile tissues of diabetic rats in vitro can be increased by eucommia ulmioides oliv.

Actins ; biosynthesis ; Alloxan ; Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Eucommiaceae ; Male ; Penis ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; drug effects ; metabolism

Background:Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is frequently associated with paraneoplastic inflammatory syndrome (PIS). This study aimed at exploring the connections between the survival rate and specific gene alterations and the potential mechanism.

Methods:We retrospectively studied 69 surgical RCC cases from August 2014 to February 2016, including 18 cases of clear cell RCC (ccRCC) demonstrating elevated pretreatment serum C-reactive protein (CRP, Group A). Twelve of the 18 cases were symptomized with febrile episode. We also selected 49 cases of ccRCC with normal pretreatment CRP (Group B). Using 22 microsatellite markers, we compared the incidence of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) between Group A and Group B. All statistical tests are two-sided.

Results:The 3p LOH was common in both Group A (89%) and Group B (92%). The frequency of 14q LOH in Group A (16 of 18) was higher than Group B (4 of 49, χ= 40.97 P < 0.0001). The 3p and 14q LOH were the characteristics of ccRCC with elevated acute phase reactants, including PIS, regardless of the presence of metastasis. On the contrary, 14q LOH was a rare genomic alternation in advanced-staged ccRCC without PIS. The overall survival of patients with elevated CRP (33.3%) was lower than its counterparts (6.1%, hazard ratio=1.852, P < 0.0001) in Kaplan-Meier curve.

Conclusions:The results imply that the disruption of a 14q gene(s) might result in not only the inflammatory manifestations in the tumor host but also the poor survival rate as well. The isolation of the gene(s) on 14q might be a vital goal in the treatment of PIS-associated RCC.

Objective To investigate the epidemic factors of schistosomiasis in wetlands in Sichuan Province, so as to provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control of schistosomiasis in wetlands. Methods The artificial and natural wetlands were selected from Sichuan Province, and the relevant data regarding wetlands were collected. Routine snail survey, investigation on human morbidity due to schistosomiasis, snail diffusion experiments, questionnaire survey, determination of water infectivity and retrospective survey were conducted. Results In Sichuan Province, the mean densities of living snails were 0.003 snails/0.1 m² and 2.033 snails/0.1 m² in the upper and lower reaches of the Meiwan Reservoir wetlands, 0.08 snails/0.1 m² in the Jinyan Lake of Guanghan City, 0.21 snails/0.1 m² in Muhe River of Guanghan City, and 0.02 snails/0.1 m² prior to the construction of Qiong-hai wetland park in Xichang City in 2015. Artificial simulation experiments showed that the largest distance of snail diffusion in water was 2 000 m. There were 8.80% (41/466) of subjects that lived neighboring wetlands, worked in wetlands and visited wet-lands having infested water contact behaviors. A total of 690 sentinel mice were assigned, and no Schistosoma japonicum infection was detected in the 677 mice dissected. Retrospective survey showed that the construction of the Meiwan Reservoir caused the spread of schistosomiasis in Dailing County, and snails were found in the ditches entering the Jinyan Lake and in Jinyan Lake areas 5 years following the construction of the Jinyan Lake in Guanghan City, with S. japonicum -infected snails detected in the ditches entering the Jinyan Lake. Conclusions O. hupensis snails are found in some wetlands in Sichuan Province. Protection of wetlands and snail control with environmental improvements are recommended for the prevention of snail importation in natural wetlands, while in artificial wetlands, thorough snail control is recommended during the construction of the wetlands because of the likelihood of snail importation via water systems. In addition, both natural and artificial wetlands require long-term systematic surveillance of schistosomiasis.

This study aimed to characterize and identify the non-volatile components in Pogostemonis Herba by using ultra-perfor-mance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined with UNIFI and an in-house library. The chemical components in 50% methanol extract of Pogostemonis Herba were detected by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS in both positive and negative MS~E continuum modes. Then, the MS data were processed in UNIFI combined with an in-house library to automatically characterize the metabolites. Based on the multiple adduct ions, exact mass, diagnostic fragment ions, and peak intensity of compounds and the fragmentation pathways and retention behaviors of reference substances, the structures identified by UNIFI were further verified and those of the unidentified compounds were tentatively elucidated. A total of 120 compound structures were identified or tentatively identified, including flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, phenolic acids, terpenes, fatty acids, alkaloids, and phenylethanoid glycosides. Sixteen of them were accurately identified by comparison with reference substances, and 53 compounds were reported the first time for Pogostemonis Herba. This study systematically characterized and identified the non-volatile compounds in Pogostemonis Herba for the first time. The findings provide a scientific basis for revealing the pharmacodynamic material basis, establishing a quality control system, and developing products of Pogostemonis Herba.