For a long period of time, silk fibroin has been applied in biomedical areas. Along with the development of biotechnology, new functions of silk fibroin are being found and developed. From the suture of surgery to the therapeutic drug and the ordinary tissue engineering frame to high grade frame with drug buffer system, exploitation of silk fibroin is constantly introduced with something new from the old ones. In our review, we summarize the applications of silk fibroin in tissue engineering, drug buffer system and medical care.
Fibroins ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Tissue Engineering

Objective To evaluate male bulbourethral sling procedure for the treatment of post prostatectomy urinary incontinence. Methods 7 male patients with severe post prostatectomy incontinence underwent the male bulbourethral sling procedure,the patients being completely incontinent before treatment. Results The patients have been followed up for 14～26 months with a mean of 20.Ideal continence has been achieved in 6 and significantly improved in 1. Conclusions Bulbourethral sling procedure is effective for post radical prostatectomy and intrinsic sphincter deficiency urinary incontinence.

Objective:To investigate the features of gait disorders in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus(iNPH).Methods:Clinical data of 42 patients diagnosed with iNPH admitted to the neurological department of Aviation General Hospital from March 2017 to July 2020 were consecutively collected.The features of gait disturbance and activity of daily living were retrospectively studied.Results:Of the 42 patients, 29 cases(69%)were males, aged(73.0±8.3)years, and 13 cases were females, aged(73.0±8.3)years old.The mean course of disease was(3.5±3.0)years.There were 90.5% of patients(38/42)complained of gait disorders, and 61.9%(26/42)had fall histories.All patients had gait abnormalities.The time for 3m-Timed Up and Go(TUG)test were(27.8±17.0)seconds, and the proportion of patients with the time for 3m-TUG less than 10 seconds, 10~20 seconds and more than 20 seconds were 5.9%(2/34), 35.3%(12/34)and 58.8%(20/34), respectively.In the 10-meter walking test, 8 patients needed assistance.Of the 34 patients who could walk independently, 94.1%(32/34)had tandem walking disturbed and tendency toward falling, 76.5%(26/34)had turning disturbed, 44.1%(15/34)had wide based stride and small steps, 29.4%(10/34)had trunk balance disturbed, 23.5%(8/34)had reduced foot-floor clearance, and 8.8%(3/34)had start hesitation, 97.6%(41/42)had abnormal step counting and 90.5%(38/42)had abnormal time evaluation.The proportion of patients with activity of daily living(Barthel Index)scores of(mild dependence), moderate dependence and severe dependence were 71.4%(30/42), 28.6%(12/42)and 0%(0/42). Of the 30 patients with mild dependence, 56.7%(17/30)had fall histories.Conclusions:In our study, all patients have gait dysfunction, which causes some impact on activity of daily living and a higher risk of falls.Gait slowness, tandem walking disturbed, turning disturbed, tendency toward falling, wide based stride and small steps are the most involved gait characteristics.Early assessment of gait disorders is of great significance in early diagnosis and the prevention of falls and living ability decline.

Adult ; Dust ; Female ; Glass ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Skin Diseases ; epidemiology ; Young Adult

AIM: To investigate the crosstalk between angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ)-mediated and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-mediated signal transduction in vascular smooth muscle proliferation.METHODS: A model of renal hypertension was made by two kidney/one-clip operation. Level of PDGF receptor β subunit of aorta was measured by Western Blot analysis. The effect of Ang Ⅱ on PDGF receptor β subunit expression was investigated in culture rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC).RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure obviously increased at 8th week after operation, whereas the level of PDGF receptor β subunit of aorta significantly increased by 126.6% (P＜0.05) in 2K1C rats compared with control group. The expression of PDGF receptor β subunit in cultured VSMC stimulated by AngⅡ was higher than that of control by 192.74%(P＜0.01). The effect of AngⅡ was inhibited remarkably by pretreated with losartan, a kind of specific AngⅡ receptor 1 (AT1) subtype antagonist and U73122, a kind of phospholipase C inhibitor. The effect was partly blocked by PD98059, which inhibit the activity of mitogen-activated, ERK-activating kinase (MEK).CONCLUSION: AngⅡ-induced PDGF receptor β subunit expression is regulated by the AT1 and its downstream signal molecule-PLC and ERK, might participate in the intracellular signal transduction pathway.

Objective To investigate the influences of sodium salicylate on the auditory brainstem response (ABR)and expression of EphA4mRNA in rat inferior colliculus and its effects on salicylate ototoxicity.Methods A total of 30 healthy SPF rats were randomly divided into five groups:the control group (without any treatment),S7 (i.m.injection of sodium salicylate,175mg/kg,twice daily for 7 days),S14(the same method as S7,twice daily for 14 days),S14+R14(the same method as S14,twice daily for 14 days and recovered for 14 days),and S14+R28(the same method as S14,twice daily for 14 days and recovered for 28 days).After the ABR assessment,rats were sacri-ficed after deep anesthesia and the inferior colliculus tissues were dissected.Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of EphA4mRNA.Results Compared with the control group,ABR thresholds in the S7 group and S14 group were increased significantly (P<0.05),while there was no significant difference between the control group and the S14+R28 group (P>0.05).The inferior colliculus EphA4mRNA expression level of S7 group was signifi-cantly decreased than the control group (P<0.05).The EphA4mRNA expression level of S7 group was significant-ly decreased than the control group (P<0.05),while there was no significantly difference between the control group and the S14+R28 group (P>0.05).Conclusion Long term injection of sodium salicylate can cause changes in the inferior colliculus of EphA4mRNA which are related closely with synaptic plasticity.It may lead the alteration of the inferior colliculus synaptic plasticity,which is associated with the changes of the hearing failure and the tinni-tus behavior.This indicates that EphA4 which is considered as a related protein in the inferior colliculus may play an important role in the pathology of tinnitus.

AIM: To investigate the crosstalk between angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ)-mediated and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-mediated signal transduction in vascular smooth muscle proliferation.METHODS: A model of renal hypertension was made by two kidney/one-clip operation. Level of PDGF receptor ? subunit of aorta was measured by Western Blot analysis. The effect of Ang Ⅱ on PDGF receptor ? subunit expression was investigated in culture rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC).RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure obviously increased at 8th week after operation, whereas the level of PDGF receptor ? subunit of aorta significantly increased by 126.6% ( P

AIM: To investigate the changes of G?q/11 and phospholipase C(PLC) of the aorta and to evaluate the role of signal transduction pathway mediated by G?q/11 in the pathogenesis of spontaneous hypertension. METHODS: Blood pressure was measured by intubation of carotid, and the level of plasma angiotension Ⅱ was measured by radioimmunoassay. In addition, G?q/11 and PLC contents in aorta were determined by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Arterial blood pressure was not changed in 4-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR), but it was increased markedly in 12-week-old SHR. The G?q/11 expression of aorta in 4-week-old SHR was increased by 69 2%( P

AIM:To study the effect of transient receptor potential channel 1 ( TRPC1) on the survival of hip-pocampal neurons in mice.METHODS:TRPC1 knockout mice and the control mice (6 months old) were used in this study.Immunofluorescence staining of neuron-specific marker NeuN, Nissl staining and TUNEL staining were performed to measure the changes of the neurons in hippocampal CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG).Western blot analysis was used to detect the levels of pro-apoptotic protein C/EBP homologous protein ( CHOP) and cleaved caspase-3.RESULTS:Immuno-fluorescence staining and Nissl staining showed that the number of neuronal cells was significantly decreased in hippocampal CA1, CA3 and DG of TRPC1 knockout mice compared with the control mice.TUNEL staining showed that the apoptosis neuronal cell number of the above areas in TRPC1 knockout mice was significantly increased compared with the control mice.The results of Western blot revealed that the levels of CHOP and cleaved caspase-3 were significantly increased in the hippocampus of TRPC1 knockout mice relative to the control mice.CONCLUSION:The depletion of TRPC1 induces neu-ronal loss through a mechanism of TRPC1-mediated apoptosis.

Objective To probe into the social support, coping styles, and mental health status of medical staff in a tertiary hospital in Beijing, for identifying potential mental problems. Methods Such means as the Social Support Rating Sheet (SSRS), Simple Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), and demographic characteristics questionnaire were called into play, to study 2460 medical staff in five tertiary hospitals in Beijing. Results Differences were identified among medical staff of different demographic characteristics, in terms of positive coping style and support dimensions. Analysis of the survey data indicates that the total SCL scores, total symptom problem index, positive symptom pain level, total average score of the factors, are positively related to passive coping style, as P<0. 01; and are negatively related to subjective/objective support, support utilization, and total support scores, as P<0. 01. Conclusions Hospital administration is expected to implement focused intervention to such medical staff as those under 40 years old, women, widows or divorcees, those with education lower than university degree, those with junior academic title or lower, those without titles, those in emergency departments and emergency intensive care units, doctors and nurses, frequent night-shift workers, those of excessively low self evaluation, and medical staff with chronic diseases. The purpose of this practice is to alleviate their mental stress.