OBJECTIVETo study the clinical efficacy of Fuzheng Jiedu Granule (FJG) in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients in long term contact with nickel (Ni) and its effect on electrocardiogram (ECG) and cardial enzymes.

METHODSSixty cases were randomly assigned to two groups with 30 cases in each group, the treatment group treated with FJG plus Western medicine and the control group given Western medicine alone. The therapeutic course in both groups was 4 weeks. Another 15 healthy subjects from the same region were taken as the healthy control. Changes of clinical symptoms and ECG were observed, and the serum levels of creatine kinase (CK), lactic acid (LD), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), Na+-K+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase and Ni were detected before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe ameliorative effects on symptoms, signs and ECG in the treatment group were superior to those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with healthy subjects, the serum levels of CK, LD, LDH and Ni were higher and the serum levels of Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase were lower in patients before treatment; after treatment, the decrease of serum CK, LD, LDH and Ni levels and increase of serum Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase were more significant in the treatment group than those in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONFJG can decrease the serum Ni level, recover the activity of myocardial enzymes, thus to improve symptoms and abnormal ECG figures in CHD patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antihypertensive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Coronary Disease ; drug therapy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nickel ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Phytotherapy ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) can improve the clinical outcomes of the male patients with 100% teratozoospermia.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 152 couples undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET), including 75 cycles of IVF and 77 cycles of ICSI. We compared the rates of normal fertilization, high-quality embryos, transferrable embryos, implantation, clinical pregnancy, and abortion between the two groups.

RESULTSIn the 100% teratozoospermia patients the number of transferrable embryos was significantly lower in the IVF than in the ICSI group (78.91% vs 84.92%, P < 0.05), while the rates of normal fertilization and implantation were higher in the former than in the latter (60.26% vs 57.87% and 48.00% vs 39.55%, both P > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the female age, Gn days, Gn dose, BMI, infertility duration, endometrial thickness, and basal serum FSH and E2.

CONCLUSIONICSI cannot improve the clinical outcomes of the male patients with 100% teratozoospermia.

Abortion, Spontaneous ; Azoospermia ; Embryo Implantation ; Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; statistics & numerical data

Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Lymphatic Vessels ; physiopathology ; Male ; Norepinephrine ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; metabolism ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect and safety of autologous cultured skin fibroblasts transplantation for treating depressed facial skin defects.

METHODSA total of 19 patients were treated from Jan, 2010 to Oct, 2010. Autologous skin fibroblasts were separated from postauricular skin biopsy or resected skin tissue in other surgeries such as blepharoplasty. They were cultured and expanded with exclusive method. Cells (2 x 10(7)/ml) within three passages were injected intradermally at the site of skin depression three times at one-month interval. Adverse events were observed and recorded. Clinical effects were evaluated and graded by two unrelated physicians before and 6 months after the first injection.

RESULTSCells from 16 patients were successfully cultured at the first time. The other 3 patients underwent a second harvest. A total amount of 6 x 10(8) cells could be reached within three passages in 45 days. 16 out of 19 patients accomplished the whole course of this study. Minor adverse events were observed in two patients including small ulcer caused by over injection in one patient and slightly redness and swelling in the other. The redness disappeared after a week without any treatment. No serious complications were observed. Significant difference was noticed between the scores obtained before and after the treatment.

CONCLUSIONSFrom this study, neither serious complications nor excessive cell proliferation or scar formation was found after cell injection. The effect of using autologous fibroblast transplantation was obvious and long-lasting, which provides a new choice for the treatment of depressed facial skin defects.

Adult ; Cells, Cultured ; Cicatrix ; therapy ; Face ; abnormalities ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; transplantation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; cytology ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Adult rats chronic unpredictable stress model of depression (CUS) was adopted to elucidate the antidepressant pharmacological activity and related neurogenesis protective effect of the total flavonoids extract (licorice flavonoids, LF) from the Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. cultivated locally in Ningxia. The rats were exposed to 9 kinds of unpredictable sequence of stressors and were given flavonoids (300 mg x kg(-1), 100 mg x kg(-1) and 30 mg x kg(-1)) for 28 days. The antidepressant effect was elucidated by open field test, forced swimming test and tail suspension test. The level of serum corticosterone was detected by radioimmunoassay. 5'-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling experiments was employed to study the neurogenesis protective activities. The flavonoids can increase the sum of line crosses and number of rears, and decrease the number of fecal boli produced in the open field test of the CUS rats. Also the flavonoids can decrease the immobility time in forced swim test as well as in the tail suspension test. In addition, the flavonoids (300 mg x kg(-1)) can decrease the serum corticosterone level of the CUS rats, and increase the number of the new born BrdU positive progenitor cells at the subgranular zone (SGZ) of dentate gyrus (DG) region in hippocampus. The results demonstrated that the total flavonoids extract from the cultivated Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. could produce the anti-depressive effect on chronic unpredictable stress of depression model rats and its mechanism may be associated with its neurogenesis protective effect.
Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; metabolism ; Corticosterone ; metabolism ; Depression ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Flavonoids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; Hindlimb Suspension ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; metabolism ; Male ; Neurogenesis ; drug effects ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Psychological ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Swimming

AIMTo study the protective effect of sodium pyruvate on ischemia/reperfusion injury following hemorrhagic shock.

METHODSRat models of hemorrhagic shock were built up. When the shed blood was infused, the rats were also randomly provided by one of normal saline, glutathione and sodium pyruvate. Rats were killed 3 hours after the reperfusion, the activity of plasma lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), the level of tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) were detected. Biopsy specimens were obtained to investigate morphological changes of the myocardial, hepatic, lung and renal tissue.

RESULTSThe activity of plasma LDH and GOT, the level of MDA of hepatic, lung and renal tissue and the activity of MPO of myocardial, lung and renal tissue decreased remarkably in group given sodium pyruvate compared with group given normal saline, and the effect of group given sodium pyruvate was more remarkable than group given glutathione.

CONCLUSIONThese data support the view that sodium pyruvate shows protective effect on ischemia/reperfusion injury following hemorrhagic shock. It is possibly relevant to scavenging of oxygen free radicals, reduction of neutrophil, and anti-inflammatory response.

Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Kidney ; metabolism ; pathology ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; blood ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lung ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Peroxidase ; analysis ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Pyruvic Acid ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; blood ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; blood ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo study the potential effects of exogenous WT1 gene isoform on the differentiation of leukemia cell line NB4 and its possible molecular mechanisms.

METHODSThe recombinant eukaryotic expression vector (pCB6 + /WTA) containing full-length human WT1 isoform (WTA: -17AA/ -KTS) cDNA and the blank pCB6 + vector were transfected into leukemia cell line NB4 by electroporation. The WTA mRNA and protein in cells were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. Cell morphology, NBT reduction and CD11b antigen expression in NB4 cells were assayed to evaluate cell differentiation. Expression of PML/RARalpha, p21 and c-myc genes was determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR after transfection.

RESULTSCompared with NB4/WTA cells, NB4 and NB4/CMV (NB4 cells transfected with pCB6 + vector) cells had higher morphological differentiation rates and higher CD11b expression levels after exposure to ATRA for 48 hours. The percentage of NBT reduction in NB4/WTA cells was lower than that in control groups. The difference in NBT reduction rate between NB4/WTA and control cells was gradually increased after treated with ATRA for three days. The expression levels of PML/RARalpha, p21 and c-myc genes in NB4/WTA cells were notably increased.

CONCLUSIONOverexpression of exogenous WTA gene could partially inhibit the differentiation of NB4 cells by up-regulating the expression of PML/RARalpha, p21 and c-myc genes.

Cell Cycle ; Cell Differentiation ; genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Transfection ; WT1 Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the DNA methylation status of WT1 gene promoter region in hematologic malignancy cell lines and its correlation with WT1 gene expression.

METHODS1. RT-PCR and methylation-specific PCR were performed for detecting WT1 gene expression and DNA methylation status in its promoter region in 8226, HL-60, Jurkat, K562, KG-1, NB4, Raji, SHI-1, U266 and U937 cell lines. 2. Treatment of U937 cells with 5-aza-CdR, a demethylation inducing agent and the changes in WT1 gene expression level and its promoter region methylation status were determined.

RESULTS1. HL-60, K562, KG-1, NB4 and SHI-1 cells showed higher levels while 8226, Jurkat, Raji, U266 and U937 cells showed extremely low levels of WT1 expression. DNA hypermethylation in WT1 gene promoter region was identified in 8226, Jurkat, Raji, U266 and U937 cells. 2. The WT1 gene expression in U937 was enhanced after treatment with 5-aza-CdR accompanied with the decrease of methylated and the increase of unmethylated levels in its promoter region.

CONCLUSIONModulation of the DNA methylation status in WT1 promoter region is one of the epigenetic mechanisms for regulating its expression.

Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA Methylation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; genetics ; Humans ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; WT1 Proteins ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate retinoblastoma (Rb) associated protein 46 (RbAp46) gene expression levels in bone marrow (BM) cells of leukemia patients.

METHODSReal-time quantitative reverse polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) method was used for detecting RbAp46 expression levels in BM cells of 140 patients with acute leukemia (AL), 13 with chronic myelogenous leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP), 7 with CML in blast crisis (CML-BC) and 32 with non-leukemic disorders.

RESULTSThe M-Estimators of RbAp46 were higher in 98 newly diagnosed ALs and 5 relapsed ALs than in 28 ALs in complete remission (CR) and 32 non-leukemic controls (178.23 and 213.65 vs 85.89 and 88.08, respectively). No statistic difference was found between the CR group and control group, or between the newly diagnosed group and relapsed group. The M-Estimators of RbAp46 in patients with CML-CP was 58.27, similar to that in control, but much lower than that in CML-BC (173.24). Among 98 newly diagnosed ALs, the M-Estimators of RbAp46 in M(3) and M(4) were the lowest in all of the subtypes. Furthermore, the RbAp46 expression levels were not correlated with the expression of the fusion genes of bcr/abl, PML-RARalpha, and multidrug resistant gene (mdr1), but were positively correlated with Wilms' tumor gene (WT1) expression levels and negatively with AML1/ETO fusion gene expression.

CONCLUSIONRbAp46 expression levels in ALs and CML-BC were strikingly higher than that in non-leukemias and CML-CP, and might participate in leukemogenesis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Child ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Leukemia ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 7 ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical effects of surgery reduction and internal fixation through posteromedial knee approaches in the treatment of posteromedial condylar split fracture of tibial plateau.

METHODSFrom January 2006 to July 2009,21 patients with posteromedial condylar split fracture of tibial plateau were treated by posteromedial knee approaches. Among the patients, 14 cases were males and 7 cases were females,ranging from 28 to 68 years old with an average of 36.9 years old. For traumatic causes, 14 cases were injured by traffic accident and 7 cases by fall. Compound injury, 15 cases combined with anterior cruciate ligament injury and tibia insertion avulsion fracture; 14 cases combined with posterolateral de-pressed tibial plateau fracture. Rasmussen assessment criteria was used to evaluate the therapeutic effects.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up,from 12 to 30 months with an average of 17.3 months. All patients didn't undergo infection,looseness and rupture of fixation,nonunion of fracture,inversion and eversion of the knee or displacement of fracture. All cases attained anatomical reduction after operation,only 1 patient felt numbness of posterior lower part of the calf. According to Rasmussen assessment criteria, 12 cases got an excellent result, 7 good and 2 fair.

CONCLUSIONIt is beneficial for the postermedial knee approaches to be used in the reduction and fixation of posteromedial condylar split fracture of tibial plateau. It has advantages of clearly exposure, convenient placement of the internal fixation, less trauma and good therapeutic effects.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Nails ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Fractures, Closed ; surgery ; Humans ; Knee Injuries ; surgery ; Knee Joint ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery