OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effect of the method by using an expanded post-auricular skin flap combined with autologous rib cartilage framework for correction of concha-type microtia.

METHODSThe operation were performed in three stages. The expander was implanted under post-auricular skin at the first stage and expanded skin flap was formed. At the second stage, the expander was taken out and the expanded skin flap was transferred with autologous rib cartilage framework and skin graft for correction of microtia. At the third stage, the reconstructed ear was revised and new concha was formed.

RESULTSFrom August 2008 to August 2011, 108 cases with 113 concha-type microtia were corrected by this method. All patients healed primarily and were followed up for 6 months to 3 years. The reconstructed ears had a good appearance and position, and were symmetric to ear on the healthy sides.

CONCLUSIONSUsing expanded post-auricular skin flap combined with autologous rib cartilage framework is a reliable method for concha-type microtia.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Cartilage ; transplantation ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Ear, External ; abnormalities ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Ribs ; Skin Transplantation ; methods ; Surgical Flaps ; Tissue Expansion ; methods ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the incidence, degree, and pattern of rib cartilage calcification in congenital microtia patients, in order to provide reference for harvesting the rib cartilage, sculpturing cartilage framework.

METHODSFrom Jun. 2013 to Nov. 2014, 383 patients (age range, 6-45 years) underwent CT scans of the chest. 11 patients with bony diseases or traumatic history were excluded. The remaining 372 patients were divided by age into four groups as 6-15, 16-25, 26-35, 36-45 years old. Twenty patients (10 male and 10 female) were selected by the order of patient identification number in each age group, thus selecting a total of 80 patients (40 male and 40 female). Retrospective study of CT scans of the chest in 80 patients and the incidence, degree, and pattern of cartilage calcification of the sixth to eighth ribs were noted. A chi-square test is conducted to test whether there are significant difference between the variables through the SPSS 19.0 software.

RESULTSOverall, 40.4% (194/480) cartilage was calcified; female patients (47.50%, 114/240) showed higher frequency of calcification than male patients (33.33%, 80/240, P = 0. 025). Calcification rates of all age groups are 1.7% (2/120), 46.7% (56/ 120), 49.2% (59/120), 64.2% (77/120). Calcification rate of 6-15 years group is lowest in all groups (P < 0.05) while other three groups have no statistical significance (P > 0.05). Calcification rates of the sixth and sevent rib cartilage were higher than those of the eighth rib cartilage in all age groups except 6-15 years group, who had a similar rate of all three ribs. Calcification rate of all three rib cartilage was significantly increased with age. Calcification rates of the amle's rib cartilage and the female's in all age groups are 3.3% (2/60) and 0.0% (0/60) (6-15 years): 33.3% (20/60) and 60.0% (36/60) (16-25 years): 40.0% (24/60) and 58.3% (35/60) (26-35 years), 56.7% (34/60) and 71.2% (43/60) (36-45 years). In 6-15 years group calcification rates of male and female had a similar rate, while female's rates were higher than male's rates in other three groups. Male and females mainly had the granular type of calcification [70.0% (56/80), 63.2% (72/114)].

CONCLUSIONSFemales who are over 16 years old should pay more attention to the possibility of middle-severe calcification before harvesting rib cartilage. These patients should take CT examination if necessary. In addition, the patients who had previous operation, or traumatic history, rib deformity, or spine deformity should select the CT examination.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Calcinosis ; diagnostic imaging ; epidemiology ; Cartilage Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; epidemiology ; Child ; Congenital Microtia ; Costal Cartilage ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Factors ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective To evaluate the relationship between aberrant crypt foci(ACF) and colon cancer by observing the sequential development of ACF in cancer models of rats. Methods The colon cancer models in 60 Wistar rats were established by subcutaneously injection of dimethylhydrasine (DMH) once a week for 18 weeks. The rats were sacrificed and the colon tissues stained by methylene blue were observed with a stereomicroscope. Results There were two types of ACF, named cACF and dACF. The microscopic findings in dACF were similar with that in early colon cancer, while those in cACF were not. The expression of β-catenin in cACF and dACF were 4. 84% and 100% (P =0. 000) , respectively, and the expression of MMP-7 were 7. 87% and 81.82% (P =0. 000), respectively. There was no significant difference in expression of β-catenin and MMP-7 between dACF and colon cancer ( P ＞ 0. 05 ). Conclusion The microscopic and molecular changes in dACF is similar with that in colon cancer, and dACF may progress to cancer through Wnt pathway.

Bronchi ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonectomy ; Pulmonary Sclerosing Hemangioma ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo assess the DNA damage of copper 8-quinolinolate (CuQ) and to elucidate the plausible mechanisms.METHODSHepG2 cells were treated with CuQ0-4 μmol·L-1 for different time,DNA damage was measured by Comet assay.Catalase (CAT) activity,glutathione(GSH) level and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured.NF-κB was examined using Western blotting.8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was measured by immunoperoxidase staining analysis.RESULTSCuQ 0.5 -4 μmol·L-1 caused significant increase of DNA migration in HepG2 cells.CuQ significantly decreased levels of GSH and activity of CAT in HepG2 cells (P ＜0.05).Moreover,CuQ significantly increased accumulation of the p65 subunit of NF-κB into nucleus,levels of lipid peroxidation product TBARS and the formation of 8-OHdG (P ＜0.05).The intracellular GSH level was modulated by pre-treatment with buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO),depletion of GSH in HepG2 cells pre-treated with BSO dramatically increased susceptibility of HepG2 cells to CuQ-induced DNA damage.CONCLUSIONCuQ exerts DNA damage by oxidative stress and increases accumulation of p65 subunit of NF-κB into nucleus in HepG2 cells.

Objective To investigate the effects of mesenchymul stem cells(MSCs) transfected with human home oxygenase- 1 gene on the inflammatory cytokines and the ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction in rats.Method MSCs were acquired from the hone marrow of adults rats.They were isolated,purified cultured,and transfected with Adv-HO-1,or Adv-GFP in vitro before transplantation.At 1 hours after left coronary artery ligation,Adv-HO-1-MSCs or Adv-GFP-MSCs marked with DAPI were directly injected into the horder of cardiac infarction in rats.At 4 days after transplantation,western blot analysis was used to measure HO-1 protein expression in the the horder of cardiac infarction.The levels of VEGF,bFGF,HGF protein expression were measured by ELISA,and the levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,IL-10 mRNA expression were measured by RT-PCR.The rat heart function was measured by echocardiography.At 4 weeks after transplantation,ventricular remodeling and pathological changes were measured by HE and Masson staining.Results The Adv-HO-1-MSCa treated group showed marked increase of HO-1 rotein (P<0.05),and displayed significant increase of montioned cytokines above,P <0.05,compared with other groups.The Adv-HO-1-MSCs treated group displayed significant reduction of mRNAs expreesion of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,and significant increase in IL-10 mRNA expression,with P<0.05,compared with others.Conclusions HO-1-MSCs could secrete multiple cytokines in infarction hearts,and had beneficial effects on inflammatory cytokines,remodeling processes and cardiac function.

BACKGROUND:Human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cels can be induced through the co-culture to differentiate into other cels, but how to get more seed cels for tissue engineering is one of the most difficult problems. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of the different concentrations of thyroxine in chondrogenic differentiation of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cels by co-culture with rabbit chondrocytes. METHODS:Human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cels were co-cultured with rabbit chondrocytes at 2:1, and stimulated by medium containing different concentrations of thyroxine (0, 0.01, 0.1 and 1, 10 μmol/L). Co-cultured cels with no thyroxine served as control group. After 14 days of co-culture, the cel RNA and protein were extracted, mRNA expressions of aggrecan and colagen type II were detected by real-time PCR, and protein expression of aggrecan and colagen type II were detected by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After intervention with 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 μmol/L thyroxine, the mRNA and protein expressions of aggrecan and colagen type II were enhanced with the increase of thyroxine concentration, which were significantly different from those in the control group (P < 0.05). Experimental findings indicate that high levels of thyroxine can enhance the chondrogenic ability of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cels co-cultured with rabbit chondrocytes.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the characteristics and incidence of the thoracic deformities in patients with microtia.

METHODSIn Plastic Surgery Hospital, we conducted a retrospective study of the clinical and radiographical data of 300 patients with microtia from March 2013 to October 2014. Pearson χ2 test was used to analyze the relationship among deformities of ribs and spine, as well as microtia.

RESULTSA total of 78 (26.0%) patients were documented with rib deformities, 26 patients (8.7%) had spinal deformities, and 17 patients (5.7% )had both. The incidence of rib deformities in microtia I, II, and III was 7.1% (2/28), 26.7% (62/232) and 35.0% (14/40) respectively. The incidence of spinal deformities in microtia I, II, and III was 3.6% (1/28), 6.5% (15/232) and 25.0% (10/40 respectively. The patients with microtia III were found to have a higher incidence of ribs and spinal deformities than those with microtia II, patients with microtia II were found to have a higher incidence of ribs and spinal deformities than those with microtia I (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe incidence of ribs and spinal deformities is high in patients with microtia. The poorer one auricle developed, the higher the incidence of thoracic deformities.

Biomedical Research ; Congenital Microtia ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Retrospective Studies ; Ribs ; abnormalities ; Spine ; abnormalities

Objective To observe the efficacy of underwater partial body-weight-supported treadmill training in repairing spinal cord injury (SCI) and its relationship with spinal nerve plasticity. Methods A total of 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: a sham model group, a model control group, an underwater training group, a partial body-weight-supported treadmill training (PBWSTT) group and an underwater PBWSTT group. A rat model of SCI was induced by contusion of the T10 segment with a Multicenter Animal Spinal Cord Injury Study (MASCIS) impactor. One week post-operation, different rehabilitation strategies, such as free exercise in water, BWSTT and underwater PBWSTT, were administered to the rats in the underwater training groups for 8 weeks.Those in the sham model group and model control group were given no training. The Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale and a climbing test were used to evaluate the recovery of hindlimb locomotor function.The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in the spinal cords was detected with immunohistochemical methods. Results Nine weeks post-operation, hindlimb locomotor function had improved significantly more in the underwater PBWSTT group than in underwater training group or the BWSTT group.The expression of BDNF in the 3 training groups was significantly higher than in the model control group, though there was no significant difference among the 3 training groups. The expression of NT-3 in the underwater PBWSTT group increased more significantly than in the BWSTT group, however there was no significant difference between the underwater PBWSTT group and the underwater training group. Conclusion Underwater PBWSTT can promote the recovery of hindlimb locomotor function in rats after SCI, probably through increasing the expression of BDNF and NT-3 and thus promoting neural plasticity in the spinal cord.

Cell Line ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Microglia ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology