Objective:To investigate the structural alterations of mitochondria and its role in neutrophil death induced by ONO-AE-248.Methods:Human neutrophils were cultured in vitro with ONO-AE-248(5?10-5 mol/L)and medium alone. Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) was used to detect the structural alterations of mitochondria and the level of mitochondria membrane potential by flow cytometry using mitocapture dying.Results:ONO-AE-248 resulted in extremely swollen mitochondria within 6 hours. Meanwhile, a rapid loss of mitochondrial membrane potential of neutrophils occurred, especially in 3 hours and 6 hours. There were obviously differences between spontaneous apoptosis and non-apoptosis programmed cell death induced by ONO-AE-248.Conclusion:The experiment results suggest that changes of mitochondrial structure and function be typically morphological, physiological and biochemical features in this unique form of neutrophil death, and that the mitochondrial pathway might play a more important role in ONO-AE-248-induced death of neutrophils.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of seasons, blood types and semen parameters on the cryosurvival rate of frozen-thawed spermatozoa from sperm donors.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the influence of seasons, blood types, abstinence period, semen volume, sperm morphology, and pre-freeze sperm motility and concentration on the cryosurvival rate of frozen-thawed sperm in 4 088 semen samples from Shaanxi Human Sperm Bank.

RESULTSThe cryosurvival rate of the post-thaw sperm was correlated negatively with the progressive motility of the pre-freeze sperm (r = -0.262, P < 0.01), but positively with pre-freeze sperm concentration (r = 0.247, P < 0.01), and it was significantly higher in the 6-day abstinence group ([70.2 +/- 5.4]%) than in the other abstinence groups (P < 0.01), so was it in the normal sperm morphology rate > 20% group ([71.4 +/- 5.1]%) than in the others (P < 0.01). The survival rate of the post-thaw sperm was not correlated with seasons, blood types, and semen volume (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSperm motility, concentration and morphology and the abstinence period of sperm donors may be valuable predictors of the cryosurvival rate of post-thaw sperm, but no correlation was found between the survival rate and seasons, blood types and semen volume.

Adult ; Cryopreservation ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Semen Preservation ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; Young Adult

This paper reported that the activation of oncogenes in human fetal esopha geal epithelium treated by alternariol (AOH). It was found that NIH/3T3 cells were transformed via transfeetion of DNA extracted from human fetal esophageal epithelium which was cultured and treated by 10?g/ml AOH in a short term in vitro. The efficiency of primary loci was 0.17 focus per ?g of DNA. In the secondary transfection, the efficiency was 0.58 focus per ?g of DNA (P

OBJECTIVETo explore the significance and the role of the p53 gene mutation in the exon 4 to 8 in keloid fibroblasts.

METHODSTissue samples from twelve patients with keloid and twelve hyperplastic scar respectively were harvested for in vitro culture of fibroblasts, and normal skin samples from the same patients were employed as the control. Polymerase chain reaction-based single-strained conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing were employed to detect p53 gene mutations of the fibroblasts.

RESULTSThe points and frameshift mutations in the exon 4, 5, 6, 7 of p53 gene were identified in 9 of the 12 keloid tissue samples. No p53 gene mutation was detected in all hyperplastic scar and normal skin samples.

CONCLUSIONp53 gene mutation might play an important role in the formation and development of keloids.

Female ; Fibroblasts ; metabolism ; Genes, p53 ; Humans ; Keloid ; genetics ; Male ; Mutation

OBJECTIVETo explore the regional anatomy of the rectum including the perirectal fasciae and spaces.

METHODSTwenty-one cadavers (15 males and 6 females) were embalmed and their vessels were visualized by injection with color dye. From the cadavers, 30 hemipelvis and 6 three-quarter pelvis were harvested. The perirectal fasciae and spaces and the pelvic autonomic nerves were dissected and examined.

RESULTSThree tissue layers were dissected from the inside to the periphery including the proper rectal fascia enveloping the mesorectum, the presacral fascia, and the piriformis fascia fused with the sacral periosteum. The mesorectum comprised 2 parts with the classical posterolateral fat covered by the proper rectal fascia posteriorly and the anterior fat covered by the posterior layer of Denonvilliers fascia anteriorly. Extending anteriorly to the anterior layer of Denonvilliers fascia, the presacral fascia bisected the space between the mesorectum and the piriformis fascia into the retrorectal space and the presacral space. The retrorectal space extended cranially to the left retrocolic space, anterior to the space between the 2 layers of Denonvilliers fascia(prerectal space).

CONCLUSIONSFrom the inside to the periphery, the proper rectal fascia, the presacral fascia, and the muscular fascia are distributed in an annular pattern around the mesorectum. The presacral fascia divides the perirectal space into 2 annular parts, the central retrorectal space and the peripheral presacral space. The retrorectal space is the ideal surgical plane for total mesorectal excision.

Adult ; Aged ; Cadaver ; Fascia ; anatomy & histology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mesocolon ; anatomy & histology ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Pelvis ; anatomy & histology ; Rectum ; anatomy & histology

OBJECTIVETo report the reduction mammaplasty with vertical incision and superior wide pedicle.

METHODSTypical Lejour mosque-dome design was performed. The inferior part of glandular tissue and skin were excised. The nipple-and-areola complex (NAC) was elevated to normal position with superior wide pedicle. The breast morphology was modified with vertical scar left.

RESULTS46 patients were treated. 4 patients had unilateral breast reduction. 14 breasts had wound dehiscence. 3 breasts received debridement, others were treated conservatively with dressings. No complete NAC necrosis occurred.

CONCLUSIONSThe reduction mammaplasty with vertical incision and superior wide pedicle is a safe and effective method with a low risk of NAC necrosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Mammaplasty ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate effects of low-dose cyclophosphamide and prednisone (CP) metronomic chemotherapy on microvessel density of bone marrow, serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB)in multiple myeloma (MM) patients.

METHODS54 refractory or relapsed MM patients were treated with CP metronomic chemotherapy consisted of oral cyclophosphamide (CTX, 50 mg/d) and prednisone (Pred, 15 mg/d). Bone marrow and peripheral blood of each patient were collected before and 2, 4, 6 months after treatment. Among the 37 assessable patients, 30 cases were responsive with the response rate of 81.08%. Another 17 cases were follow-uped less than 6 months or failure to obtain serum samples or lost to follow-up. Microvessel density of bone marrow was measured by immunohistochemistry and serum VEGF/PDGF-BB expression was analyzed by ELISA in the 37 assessable patients.

RESULTS2, 4, 6 months following CP metronomic chemotherapy, microvessel densities of bone marrow in the responders were 33.1 ± 4.8/HP, 24.8 ± 3.7/HP, 19.7 ± 2.1/HP respectively; the expressions of VEGF were (394 ± 57) ng/L, (268 ± 32) ng/L and (217 ± 20) ng/L respectively; the expressions of PDGF-BB were (304 ± 31) ng/L, (274 ± 31) ng/L and (196 ± 22) ng/L respectively. After CP metronomic chemotherapy, there were significantly lower of microvessel density, VEGF and PDGF-BB levels than pretreatment \[MVD 48.5 ± 5.9/HP, VEGF (517 ± 60) ng/L, PDGF-BB (484 ± 60) ng/L\]in the responders (P < 0.01). While in the non-responders, after treated by CP metronomic chemotherapy for 2 months, microvessel density, the expression of VEGF and the expression of PDGF-BB were 32.5 ± 4.7/HP, 512 ± 39 ng/L and (452 ± 39) ng/L respectively. There were no significant changes of MVD, VEGF and PDGF-BB levels compared with pretreatment \[MVD 33.2 ± 5.6/HP,VEGF (498 ± 55) ng/L, PDGF-BB (488 ± 44) ng/L\] (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSOur findings suggested that continuous low-dose CP metronomic chemotherapy could decrease microvessel density of bone marrow in MM patients. Furthermore, it down-regulated expression of serum VEGF and PDGF-BB to exert its anti-angiogenesis in MM.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; administration & dosage ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Cyclophosphamide ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microvessels ; drug effects ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma ; blood ; blood supply ; drug therapy ; Prednisone ; administration & dosage ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis ; blood ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; blood

OBJECTIVETo understand the pollution rates of vibrio cholera (V. cholera) in different seafood, aquatic products and their circulatory processes, so as to help making measures for cholera control and prevention.

METHODSDifferent seafood, aquatic products and breed water specimen collected from 12 provinces of China were tested from July to September in 2005.

RESULTA total of 12 104 samples of seafood and aquatic products were tested and the average pollution rate of vibrio cholera was 0.52%. The positive isolate rate of turtle sample (1.72%) was the highest among all samples. The second higher isolated rate was 1.14% in water specimen of turtle breed pool. The positive rate of bullfrog was 0.50%. The percentage of toxin strains was 47.54% and 79.31% of them were isolated from turtle and water samples of turtle breed pool. The important sector of the pollution of vibrio cholera was in turtle breed pool (2.38%).

CONCLUSIONThe average pollution rate of vibrio cholera in seafood and aquatic products in 12 provinces of China was low. It should be very necessary to supervise the sanitation in turtle breed for controlling and preventing the vibrio cholera.

Animals ; China ; Female ; Fishes ; microbiology ; Food Contamination ; analysis ; prevention & control ; statistics & numerical data ; Male ; Seafood ; microbiology ; Seawater ; analysis ; Turtles ; microbiology ; Vibrio cholerae ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the potentiality of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase transduced endothelial progenitor cells (EPC-TK) as angiogenesis-targeting vector in the glioma treatment in vitro and in vivo.

METHODSEPC-TK were mixed with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), U87 or U251 cells at various ratios for ganciclovir (GCV) treatment. The bystander effect was observed by counting the survival cells using MTT assay, and the apoptotic cells were determined by annexin-V and propidium iodide (PI) staining. EPC-TK, EPCs, or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) were injected into the nude mice model of glioma xenograft by tail vein, for the EPC-TK group, EPC group, and PBS group, respectively. And then the changes of tumor volume and tumor vasculature were observed.

RESULTSGCV killed most EPC-TK and reduced the number of other viable cells in a cell:cell ratio-dependent and time-dependent manner. EPC-TK obviously inhibited tumor growth. The tumor volumes on day 21 were 1741.20+/- 576.10 mm(3), 3275.52 +/- 710.86 mm(3) and 3033.09+/-1134.86 mm(3) in the EPC-TK, EPC and PBS group, respectively. EPC-TK also displayed a significant effect on the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis.

CONCLUSIONEPC-TK can exert a potent antiglioma effect via inhibiting angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; Bystander Effect ; Cell Transformation, Viral ; physiology ; Endothelial Cells ; virology ; Endothelium ; Genetic Vectors ; Glioma ; therapy ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Simplexvirus ; enzymology ; genetics ; Thymidine Kinase ; genetics ; Transduction, Genetic ; Transfection ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

AIMTo investigate the pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid (MPA), an active metabolite of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in Chinese adult liver transplant patients.

METHODSThirty-eight liver transplant patients (male 30, female 8) receiving MMF 1.0 g, twice daily in accordance with the recommended regimen were included in this study. Plasma MPA concentrations were measured by high performance liquid chromatography at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 h after the administration of a single dose. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated with 3P97 software.

RESULTSThe plasma MPA concentration-time curve was characterized with an early sharp peak reached at 0.5 - 6.0 h after oral administration. And in some patients there was a small second peak due to enterohepatic circulation of mycophenolic acid glucuronide (MPAG), which underwent deglucuronidation and re-absorption as MPA at 4 to 12 h postdose. The mean peak plasma concentration (C(max)) and area under concentration-time curve (AUC(0-12 h)) were (12 +/- 7) microg x mL(-1) and (44 +/- 16) microg x h x mL(-1), respectively. However, a large variability of pharmacokinetic parameters existed in these patients.

CONCLUSIONIn view of the inter-individual variability of MMF pharmacokinetics, plasma MPA concentration should be monitored routinely after MMF administration for individual patient.

Adult ; Aged ; Area Under Curve ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; pharmacokinetics ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycophenolic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics