Eukaryotic expression plasmid pCI-neo-mdr1 which contains human multidrug resistance gene 1(mdr1),was constructed and transferred into human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells by use of liposome. G418 was used to screen the cells successfully with mdr1 and the selected cells was named HepG2/mdr1 Morphological and biological properties of HepG2/mdr1 cells were observed. The results show that the constructed HepG2/mdr1 cell line was high efficient and stationary in the expression of mdr1. The work was valuable and desirable for the establishment of multidrug resistant cell models,and for the study of MDR in human hepatoma. Furthermore,the work also provided a perfect model for the research of relationship between insulin resistance and MDR in hepatocarcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Liver inflammation is the main cause of severe liver diseases, including liver fibrosis, steatohepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Cell therapy topics are receiving increasingly more attention. The therapeutic applications of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have become one of the most discussed issues. While other stem cells have therapeutic effects, they have only one or two clinical applications. MSCs are responsible for repairing a variety of tissue injuries. Moreover, MSCs could be derived from several sources, including adipose tissue. MSCs are usually more abundant and easier to obtain compared to other stem cells. METHODS: To prove the concept that MSCs have homing ability to the injured tissue and assist in tissue repair, we examined the effects of intravenous injected adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) in a N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN)-induced liver injury rat model. RESULTS: The significant repairing ability of ADSCs was observed. The levels of fibrosis, apoptosis, and tumorigenesis in the DEN-injured liver tissues all decreased after ADSC treatment. Furthermore, to enhance the therapeutic effects of ADSCs, we pretreated them with L-theanine, which promotes the hepatocyte growth factor secretion of ADSC, and therefore improved the healing effects on injured liver tissue. CONCLUSION ADSCs, especially L-theanine-pretreated ADSCs, have anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis, and anti-tumorigenesis effects on the N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced liver injury rat model.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of hemoperfusion(HP) about the patients of methamidophos poisoning.

METHODSOn the basis of comprehensive treatment,15 cases of severe acute methamidophos poisoning patients were treated with HP, Blood samples were collected at 7 time points, before and 5, 15, 30, 45, 60mins following the beginning and the end of hemoperfusion. Blood samples were used for measuring the concentration of methamidophos and perfusion devices were used for measuring the volume of methamidophos adsorbed by the device after hemoperfusion.

RESULTS15 patients live in 12 cases, 3 cases of death. HP (former) blood Cholinesterase vigor were 662.60 + 632.05, HP (after) blood cholinesterase vigor were 2577.52 + 920.38 IU/L; The difference of blood Cholinesterase vigor between the before and after HP was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The patients' methamidophos concentration of blood when HP treated 45, 60, 120 min were respectively (851 + 672), (680 + 529), (587 + 520) microg /ml, there were significantly lower than that the patients' methamidophos concentration of blood who were before HP (1659 + 1105) microg/ml, a statistically significant difference (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONHP can be cut down obviously methamidophos poisoning patients serum concentrations of toxic, the experimental method directly prove the clinical application of carbon HP can really adsorption methamidophos.

Adult ; Cholinesterases ; metabolism ; Female ; Hemoperfusion ; methods ; Humans ; Insecticides ; poisoning ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; poisoning ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDThe role of epigenetics in gene expression regulation and development significantly enhances our understanding of carcinogenesis. All the tumor related genes may be the target of epigenetical or genetic regulation. We selected some epigenetically regulated genes for cDNA array analysis and observed variability in the expression of the DICER1 gene in distinct stages of gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between the expression of DICER1, an epigenetically regulated gene, and gastric cancer.

METHODSTo detect the expression of 506 tumor-associated genes, including DICER1, in the matched cancerous mucosa, pre-malignant lesion (adjacent mucosa), non-cancerous gastric mucosa and distant lymphocyte metastatic lesion in 3 cases of gastric cancers using cDNA array. DICER1 mRNA expression and DICER1 protein expression were further analyzed by Real-time PCR and Western blot in 32 cases of progressive gastric cancer. DICER1 protein expression was also detected in 33 early and 30 progressive gastric cancers by the immunohistochemistry (IHC) method.

RESULTSIn 3 cases of gastric cancer cDNA array showed dramatically decreased expression of DICER1 in pre-malignant lesion, cancerous mucosa and distant lymphocyte metastatic lesions compared with matched noncancerous gastric mucosa, pre-malignant lesion and cancerous mucosa. Real-time PCR results showed that the expression level of DICER1 mRNA in gastric cancer was significantly down-regulated compared to normal gastric tissue (P < 0.05). The IHC assay also showed that the expression of DICER1 was significantly decreased in progressive gastric cancer. Among the 63 cases of gastric cancers, 13/33 early (39.4%) and 19/30 (63.3%) progressive cancers showed negative expression of DICER1 (50.8%). The difference in expression of DICER1 between early and progressive gastric cancers was significant (P < 0.01). The result of Western blotting showed that DICER1 protein was down-regulated significantly in advanced gastric cancer (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSDICER1 expression is decreased during the progression of gastric cancer, especially in progressive gastric cancers, which indicating DICER1 may play an important role in the development of cancer and the epigenetical regulation involved.

Blotting, Western ; DEAD-box RNA Helicases ; analysis ; genetics ; physiology ; Endoribonucleases ; analysis ; genetics ; physiology ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Ribonuclease III ; Stomach Neoplasms ; chemistry ; etiology ; genetics

BACKGROUND: Yaotu Granules have been proved to protect human nucleus pulposus cells and delay their degeneration. Notably, Yaotu Granules for lumbar disc herniation has achieved good clinical results.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the herbal compound formula Yaotu Granules on the Fas/FasL expression in a rabbit model of lumbar disc degeneration, and further elucidate the underling mechanism of preventing and treating lumbar disc degeneration.METHODS: Twenty New Zealand white rabbits were enrolled and the models of lumbar disc degeneration were established by minimally invasive puncture and rotation cutting, followed by randomized into normal saline, low-, middle-,and high-dose groups (n=5 per group). 10 mL of normal saline, 10, 20, and 40 mL of water decoction of Yaotu Granules were administered intragastrically into the normal saline, low-, middle-, and high-dose drug groups for 21 days, twice daily, respectively. Subsequently, the expression level of Fas/FasL in the rabbit nucleus pulposus cells in each group was detected.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The signal intensity of the rabbit lumbar disc on MRI was decreased, and ruptured annulus and posterior herniated disc were visible at 12 weeks after modeling. Masson staining showed that the nucleus pulposus cells arranged in disorder, and even ruptured. Additionally, safranin O staining found that the number of nucleus pulposus cells was decreased obviously. The order of the relative expression levels of Fas and FasL mRNA in the nucleus pulposus cells was as follows: normal saline group > low-dose drug group > middle-dose drug group > high-dose drug group (P < 0.05). These results suggest that Yaotu Granules delay the rabbit lumbar disc degeneration by downregulating the expression level of Fas/FasL.

BACKGROUND: The age of patients with lumbar disc herniation tends to younger, and choosing which surgical method for young patients is a difficult in clinic. . OBJECTIVE: To investigate the curative efficacy and imaging characteristics of the dynamic stabilization using Bioflex System for young patients with single-level lumbar disc herniation. METHODS: Eighty patients diagnosed for single level lumbar disc herniation in Shenzhen Hospital of Chinese Medicine from October 2013 to November 2015 were randomly divided into experimental and control groups (n=40 per group). The patients in the experimental group underwent dynamic stabilization using Bioflex System, and the controls received percutaneous transthoracic discectomy. The Visual Analogue Scale and Japanese Orthopedic Association scores and Oswestry Disability Index were used to evaluate the clinical efficacy. The ventral and dorsal intervertebral disc height, distance between spinous processes, and the maximum height between intervertebral foramens were measured through digital radiography, CT and MRI examinations at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss and complications were compared between groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) At 12 months postoperatively, the restoration of the ventral and dorsal intervertebral disc height, distance between spinous processes, and the maximum height between intervertebral foramens in the experimental group were significantly superior to those in the control group (P < 0.05). (2) The Visual Analogue Scale and Japanese Orthopedic Association scores and Oswestry Disability Index scores were significantly improved in both groups (P < 0.05); all above scores did not differ significantly between two groups at 3 and 6 months postoperatively (P >0.05); and all above scores in the experimental group were significantly superior to those in the control group at 12 months postoperatively (P < 0.05). (3) The operation time and intraoperative blood loss in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). (4) There were no significant differences in the incidence of complications between two groups (P > 0.05). (5) These results show that although percutaneous transthoracic discectomy has advantages on the operation time and intraoperative blood loss; the two surgical methods show no significant differences in the early curative efficacy and complications. Besides, in terms of long-term efficacy, Bioflex System can significantly alleviate pain, restore intervertebral height, and prevent degeneration of the intervertebral disc and adjacent vertebrae.

BACKGROUND: Methylene blue is used as a developer to identify intervertebral disc degeneration in the transforaminal endoscopic surgery. However, many scholars have indicated that methylene blue can accelerate the degeneration process, whilst foreign researches have reported that it may play therapeutic effect on degenerative intervertebral discs under acidic conditions due to its acidophily. Therefore, whether methylene blue holds toxic effect on the disc remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether methylene blue exerts toxic effect on nucleus pulposus cells by cell counting-kit 8 (CCK-8) assay. METHODS: The discarded nucleus pulposus from two patients with intervertebral disc herniation were selected. After digestion, nucleus pulposus cells were extracted and cultured until proliferated to 80% of the medium. Then, the cells were digested to make cell suspensions, divided into six groups and inoculated into the 96-well plates: blank control (only the medium, CCK-8 solution), control group (only medium, cells and CCK-8 solution), and the other groups were cultured with 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% methylene blue, respectively. The absorbance values were measured by CCK-8 assay at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after incubation to calculate the cell viability, and the color change was observed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The color in the control group was the deepest, and the color became lighter with the concentration of methylene blue increasing. The cell viability was the highest in the control group, and it was decreased with the concentration of methylene blue increasing. Thus, methylene blue may exert toxic effect on human nucleus pulposus cells.

BACKGROUND: Our preliminary study has shown that methylene blue exerts toxic effect on human nucleus pulposus cells in a concentration-dependent manner, but the toxic range remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To determine the critical range of the cytotoxicity of methylene blue to nucleus pulposus cells by cell counting-kit 8 (CCK-8) assay. METHODS: The nucleus pulposus was from a patient with intervertebral disc herniation. The nucleus pulposus cells were extracted and cultured. Passage 1 cells mere used to make cell suspensions. The cells were divided into nine groups for culture: blank control (only the medium, CCK-8 solution), control (only medium, cells and CCK-8 solution), and methylene blue groups (1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, 0.01% and 0.005% of methylene blue). The absorbance values were measured by CCK-8 assay at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after incubation. The cell viability was calculated, and the color was observed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The color in the control group was the darkest, and the color in the methylene blue groups became lighter with the concentration of methylene blue increasing, and the 0.05%, 0.01%, 0.005% and 0.001% methylene blue groups showed darker color similar to the control group. The absorbance values in the 0.1% methylene blue group were significantly less than those in the control group (P＜ 0.05). There were no significant differences in the absorbance values and cell viability between 1% and 0.5% methylene blue groups (P ＞0.05). The absorbance values and cell viability in the 0.1% methylene blue group were significantly higher than those in the 0.5% methylene blue group, but were significantly less than those in the 0.05% methylene blue group (P ＜ 0.05). Thus, methylene blue exerts cytotoxicity to human nucleus pulposus cells, and the critical value of toxicity is between 0.1% and 0.05% and close to 0.05%. However, the exact value needs a further investigation.

Hyperpolarized (HP) carbon-13 ( 13C) MRI represents an innovative approach for noninvasive, real-time assessment of dynamic metabolic flux, with potential integration into routine clinical MRI. The use of [1- 13C]pyruvate as a probe and its conversion to [1- 13C]lactate constitute an extensively explored metabolic pathway. This review comprehensively outlines the establishment of HP 13C-MRI, covering multidisciplinary team collaboration, hardware prerequisites, probe preparation, hyperpolarization techniques, imaging acquisition, and data analysis. This article discusses the clinical applications of HP 13C-MRI across various anatomical domains, including the brain, heart, skeletal muscle, breast, liver, kidney, pancreas, andprostate. Each section highlights the specific applications and findings pertinent to these regions, emphasizing the potential versatility of HP 13C-MRI in diverse clinical contexts. This review serves as a comprehensive update, bridging technical aspects with clinical applications and offering insights into the ongoing advancements in HP 13C-MRI.