OBJECTIVEWe aimed to construct a recombinant adenovirus Ad-APN-EGFP and to evaluate the transfection efficiency and effect of the adenovirus promoting osteogenesis around implants.

METHODSRecombinant adenovirus Ad-APN-EGFP containing adiponectin (APN) was constructed by DNA sequencing and restriction enzyme digestion. Rat bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) were transfected in vitro. Transfection efficiency and APN mRNA expression were tested. Animal models of rat femoral epiphysis and hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated implants were established. The Ad-APN-EGFP adenovirus at 10 μL was injected into the defect around HA-coated implants in the experimental group, whereas the same volume of phosphate-buffered saline was injected into the defect in the control group. Osteogenesis around implants was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining four weeks after implantation.

RESULTSAd-APN-EGFP was successfully constructed by DNA sequencing and restriction enzyme digestion. The transfection efficiency of Ad-APN-EGFP to BMSCs was up to ≥ 90%. APN mRNA expression of BMSCs transfected with Ad-APN-EGFP was higher than that of the control group. Osteogenesis in the experimental group was more evident than that in the control group in vivo.

CONCLUSIONAd-APN-EGFP could be transfected into BMSCs and express APN mRNA at a high level. Ad-APN-EGFP could improve osteogenesis around implants in vivo.

Adenoviridae ; Animals ; Dental Implants ; Durapatite ; Osteogenesis ; Rats ; Transfection

First with the qualified rate of granules as the evaluation index, significant influencing factors were firstly screened by Plackett-Burman design. Then, with the qualified rate and moisture content as the evaluation indexes, significant factors that affect one-step pelletization technology were further optimized by Box-Behnken design; experimental data were imitated by multiple regression and second-order polynomial equation; and response surface method was used for predictive analysis of optimal technology. The best conditions were as follows: inlet air temperature of 85 degrees C, sample introduction speed of 33 r x min(-1), density of concrete 1. 10. One-step pelletization technology of Biqiu granules by Plackett-Burman design and Box-Behnken response surface methodology was stable and feasible with good predictability, which provided reliable basis for the industrialized production of Biqiu granules.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Temperature

With inlet temperature, specific gravity, feeding speed as independent variables, the comprehensive evaluating indexes of content of schisandrin and arctiin as dependent variable, the experimental data were fitted to a second order polynomial equation. Based on establishing the mathematical relationship between the comprehensive evaluating indexes and respective variables, Box-Benhnken central composite test and response surface analysis method was employed to optimize the spray drying technology of Biqiu granules ethanol extract. The optimal drying parameter was as follows: the inlet temperature was 175 degrees C, the specific gravity was 1.10, feeding speed was 32 r x min(-1). Under these conditions, the comprehensive evaluating indexes of spraying dry processes was 92.68, which was close to the model prediction. The spraying dry technology of Biqiu granules ethanol extract optimized by response surface methodology was accurate and feasible, which provided theoretical experiment basis for the industrialization production.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Ethanol

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical symptom and effect of arthroscopic treatment of symptomatic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) cysts of the knee.

METHODSClinical data from 12 symptomatic ACL cysts patients from January 2005 to December 2010 were retrospectively analyzed,including 8 males and 4 females,with an average age of (33.7±9.5) years old (ranged, 19 to 53 years old). The locations were the left knee in 5 cases and the right knee in 7 cases. The disease duration ranged from 3 to 48 months,with a mean of (15.8±13.2) months. All cysts were arthroscopically resected. Range of motion was measured preoperatively and postoperatively, and Lysholm scoring system was used to evaluate the knee function.

RESULTSAll the incisions healed by first intention, and no complications occurred. Twelve patients were followed up for an average of (32.3±6.6) months(ranged, 24 to 48 months). The symptoms of arthralgia,swelling and interlocking of the affected knees disappeared. There was no recurrence during the follow-up. There were significant differences in the range of motion and Lysholm score between pre-operation and post-operation.

CONCLUSIONArthroscopic surgery, showing its advantages of minimal invasion and rapid recovery,is an effective measure in the treatment of ACL cysts.

Adult ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Arthroscopy ; methods ; Cysts ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Range of Motion, Articular

AIMThe changes of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-4 (TIMP-4) expression in mouse ovary during pregnant and postpartum period were studied to investigate the role of TIMP-4 in corpus luteum (CL).

METHODSRT-PCR was used to deter mine the change of TIMP-4 mRNA and indirect immunofluorescence was used to observe the change of TIMP-4 protein. The expression of TIMP-4 mRNA was observed in various periods throughout the stage of pregnancy and postpartum day 1.

RESULTSThe expression of TIMP-4 was gradually enhanced from day 1 to day 8, reached a maximal expression at day 8, while decreased at day 11 and to the lowest level at postpartum day 1. Indirect immunofluorescence results further indicated that TIMP-4 protein was localized to CL and theca-intera cells in various periods throughout the pregnancy and postpartum day 1. In addition, the change pattern of TIMP-4 protein agreed with that of the TIMP-4 mRNA in pregnancy CL.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of TIMP-4 in mouse ovary during pregnancy and postpartum is in spatio-temporal pattern and it may be involved in the formation and function maintain of CL during pregnancy in mice.

Animals ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Ovary ; metabolism ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVESince continuous blood purification (CBP) has the effects of eliminating inflammatory mediators and improving organs function, CBP had been applied to treat non-renal diseases for nearly 10 years, but few studies have been conducted in children with sepsis and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS), especially in China. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical effect of CBP in treatment of children with severe sepsis and MODS.

METHODSTwenty-two children with severe sepsis and MODS admitted to our PICU from Aug. 2003 to Aug. 2005 were treated with continuous veno-venous hemodialysis filtration. Their heart rate, arterial blood pressure, doses of vasoactive agents, spontaneous respiratory rate, PO2/FiO2 and prognosis were investigated.

RESULTSCatheterization and CBP were carried out in all the 22 children. Continuous vein-vein hemodialysis filtration (CVVHDF) and pre-dilution were chosen. The duration of CBP was (64.4 +/- 34.5) h. All the children had tachycardia before CBP and the heart rate fell gradually to 45 +/- 13 bpm 4 h after CBP. Blood pressure (BP) was stable in 7 children without shock during CBP. Ten children with early shock could maintain normal BP during CBP, but the doses of vasoactive agents were tapered 1 to 5 h after beginning of CBP and use of these agents was discontinued at 2 to 8 h. BP was elevated by (25.2 +/- 10.7) mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) in 5 refractorily shocked children 4 h after CBP and returned to normal level 8 h later. The doses of the vasoactive drugs were reduced at 2 to 8 h and ended 4 to 16 h later, which was longer than that of children with early stage shock. The accelerated spontaneous respiratory rate was slowed down by 7 +/- 4 per minute 4 h later, PO2/FiO2 rose from (177.7 +/- 53.1) mmHg before CBP to (341.0 +/- 60.2) mmHg 4 h after CBP in children with respiratory failure and reached the normal value (5.3 +/- 2.1) h later. FiO2 declined to less than 50%. Pediatric critical illness score was 62.2 +/- 7.4 on admission and elevated to (86.6 +/- 9.0) 24 h later, which was a significant elevation as compared to that of children with sepsis who were not treated with CBP seen between Aug. 2001 and July 2003. The survival rate was 72.7% after CBP and the effective rate of the treatment was 90.9%, but was 36% in children who were not treated with CVVHDF.

CONCLUSIONCBP can effectively improve the vital organ's function of children with sepsis and MODS and raise their survival rate. Replacement fluid of modified Ports formula was useful for stability of serum potassium and sodium, but resulted in elevation of serum glucose, calcium, and osmolarity. The application of CBP in children with sepsis can lead to slight drop of blood pressure at the beginning and to bleeding during CBP.

Adolescent ; Blood Pressure ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Hemofiltration ; methods ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric ; Male ; Multiple Organ Failure ; etiology ; mortality ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Sepsis ; complications ; mortality ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effect of acellular dermal matrix allograft in repairing the defect of oral mucosa.

METHODSForty-two cases of large superficial defects in oral cavity were repaired by acellular dermal matrix. Defect areas included vestibule, tongue, the floor of mouth, buccal mucosa, palate, gingival and lip. Defect size was between 2.25 cm(2) and 12 cm(2). The basement membrane side of acellular dermal matrix was exposed to oral cavity, and another side was attached to the surgical wound surface. It was fixed by suture, reverse strapping and prepared template to overlaid large superficial defect of oral mucosa. The patients were followed up from 3 months to 1 year after operation.

RESULTSThe wounds were completely healed in 40 cases, partially healed in 2 cases. There was no failure case. The healing was divided into two types: epithelialization healing pattern in 12 cases, attached healing pattern in 30 cases. Contraction of grafts occurred at 2 - 4 weeks. The contraction rate was 3.7% +/- 1.1% at fourth week. Scarring did not appear.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical result of acellular dermal matrix allograft in repair the defect of oral mucosa is good. Acellular dermal matrix can be taken as a substitute to autograft of skin.

Adult ; Aged ; Dermis ; cytology ; transplantation ; Extracellular Matrix ; transplantation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Mucosa ; pathology ; surgery ; Transplantation, Homologous

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility of mandibular "V-Line" osteotomy combined with mandibular outer cortex osteotomy for correction of low angle-square jaw.

METHODSFrom Jul. 2005 to Nov. 2007, 31 patients with low angle-square jaw were corrected with mandibular "V-Line" osteotomy combined with mandibular outer cortex osteotomy. The patients were followed up for 6-24 months. Pre- and Post-operative standard images and X-ray cephalometric examination were used to assess the therapeutic effect.

RESULTSThe wounds were healed primarily in all the 31 cases with no severe complication. The lower labial numbness was happened in 13 cases, which was recovered within 4 months. All the patients achieved esthetic improvement at the frontal and lateral view. The mandibular angle and the mandibular plane angle reached 110 degrees - 120 degrees and 25 degrees - 30 degrees after operation. The distance between the angles was decreased.

CONCLUSIONSThe low angle-square jaw can be corrected satisfactorily with mandibular "V-Line" osteotomy combined with mandibular outer cortex osteotomy.

Adult ; Feasibility Studies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Jaw Abnormalities ; surgery ; Mandible ; surgery ; Osteotomy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the methylation status of CpG islands in the promoter region and the protein expression of ASPP1 and ASPP2 genes in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their relationship with cellular apoptosis and p53 gene expression.

METHODSThe 5'CpG island methylation patterns of ASPP1 and ASPP2 were evaluated by methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) followed by confirmation of sequencing. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of ASPP1, ASPP2 and p53 in lung carcinoma tissue samples (n = 90) and adjacent non-neoplastic lung tissue samples (n = 25). TUNEL assay was used to detect the apoptotic activity.

RESULTSThe presence of ASPP1 methylation was significantly higher in NSCLC than that in the adjacent non-neoplastic lung tissue [42.2% (38/90) vs. 16.0% (4/25), P = 0.019]. ASPP1 promoter methylation had a close relationship with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.031, P = 0.030), but was not related to the age, sex, histological types and the grades of tumor differentiation (P = 0.389, P = 0.278, P = 0.570, and P = 0.103). Tumors with ASPP1 promoter methylation demonstrated a lower expression of ASPP1 as compared with those without the methylation (P = 0.002). ASPP1 expression was associated with a higher apoptotic index (AI) (P = 0.022) and a decreased p53 expression (r = -0.259, P < 0.01). Methylation in the promoter region of ASPP2 gene was not detected in lung cancer (n = 90) or adjacent non-neoplastic lung tissue (n = 25). Expression of ASPP2 protein did not correlate with AI (P = 0.282) and p53 status in NSCLC.

CONCLUSIONSHigh methylation of ASPP1 gene promoter regions is one of the important mechanisms that down-regulate its protein expression in NSCLC. ASPP1 promoter methylation may be associated with the malignant progression of the tumor, and ASPP1 expression promotes cellular apoptosis.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; genetics ; metabolism ; Adult ; Aged ; Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; DNA Methylation ; Down-Regulation ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the intervention of liuwei dihuang pill (LDP) on therapeutic effectiveness and adverse reaction of hormonotherapy in treating nephrotic syndrome.

METHODSPatients allocated in two groups were medicated with initial dose of prednisone 1 mg/kg once a day at 8 am in the morning. After being medicated for 8 to 12 weeks, the dose of prednisone was decreased by 5.0 mg every 2 weeks till 0.5 mg/kg per day. Then the medication was changed to that two days' dosage orally take once a day with the daily dose reduced by 5.0 mg/kg every 2 to 3 weeks, and maintained at 0.4 mg/kg once every two days. At same time, necessary symptomatic treatment was given. To the treated group oral administration of LDP 8 capsules was given additionally, 3 times per day until prednisone decreased to maintenance dose.

RESULTSTherapeutic effect in the treated group was significant better than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Urinary protein, plasma albumin, triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) in both groups were obviously improved (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). However, as compared with the control group, the improvement was better, and the recurrent rate was lower (P < 0.05) in the treated group. Scores of Yin-deficiency caused excessive Fire syndrome and incidence rate of adverse reaction in the treated group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONLDP can markedly improve the therapeutic effectiveness and counteract the adverse reaction of hormonotherapy in treating nephrotic syndrome, and reduce the recurrence of the disease.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; drug therapy ; Obesity ; chemically induced ; prevention & control ; Phytotherapy ; Prednisone ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Yin Deficiency ; chemically induced ; prevention & control