Fluoroquinolone Resistance Mechanisms in Shigella Isolates in Shanghai, China, Between 2010 and 2015.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility of Shigella isolated in Shanghai, China and to determine the genetic basis of its resistance to fluoroquinolones.

Materials And Methods: A total of 402 strains of Shigella, including 145 Shigella flexneri and 257 Shigella sonnei isolates, were analyzed. The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used to determine the susceptibility of the strains to 13 antimicrobials.

Sperm DNA fragmentation index, as measured by sperm chromatin dispersion, might not predict assisted reproductive outcome.

Objective: Routine semen parameters have limited clinical diagnostic value for predicting male infertility. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and semen quality, and between DFI and clinical pregnancy rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Methods And Materials: A total of 390 couples undergoing sperm fragmentation prior to receiving conventional IVF (n = 238) or ICSI (n = 152) were evaluated.

In vitro reprogramming of rat bmMSCs into pancreatic endocrine-like cells.

Islet transplantation provides curative treatments to patients with type 1 diabetes, but donor shortage restricts the broad use of this therapy. Thus, generation of alternative transplantable cell sources is intensively investigated worldwide. We previously showed that bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (bmMSCs) can be reprogrammed to pancreatic-like cells through simultaneously forced suppression of Rest/Nrsf (repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor/neuronal restrictive silencing factor) and Shh (sonic hedgehog) and activation of Pdx1 (pancreas and duodenal transcription factor 1).

Effect of anesthesia on cognitive status and MMP-2 expression in rats.

Objective: To investigate the effect of anesthesia on the cognitive status damage and MMP-2 expression in rats.

Methods: A total of 120 healthy rats were selected and randomly divided into the control group, CF3-CH(OCH2F)-CF3 (Sevoflurane) group and CF3-CH2-O-CHF-CF3 group (Sevoflurane) (n=40). After training for 3 d by the Morris water maze, the control group were injected with fentanyl for analgesia, the CF3-CH(OCH2F)-CF3 group and the CF3-CH2-O-CHF-CF3 group were anesthesia with CF3-CH (OCH2F)-CF3 and CF3-CH2-O-CHF-CF3 on the basis of fentanyl, then rats in three groups underwent open surgery and suture conventional incision.

[Characterization of phenotype and molecular characteristics on Vibrio cholerae strains isolated in Shanghai, 1962-2011].

Objective: To describe the phenotype and molecular characteristics of Vibrio (V.) cholerae strains isolated in Shanghai, from 1962 to 2011.

Methods: K-B test was used to investigate the antibiotic resistance of V.

In vitro reprogramming of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into insulin-producing cells by genetically manipulating negative and positive regulators.

Islet cell replacement therapy represents the most promising approach for the cure of type 1 diabetes if autoimmunity to β cells is under control. However, this potential is limited by a shortage of pancreas donors. To address the donor shortage problem, we determined whether bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (bmMSCs) can be directly reprogrammed to islet lineages by simultaneously forced suppression and over-expression of key regulator genes that play critical roles during pancreas development.

[Construction and identification of the lentiviral vector of repressor element-1/neuron-restrictive silencer element double-stranded RNA].

Objective: To construct a lentiviral vector of repressor element-1/neuron-restrictive silencer element (RE-1/NRSE) double-stranded RNA (dsRNA).

Methods: The RE-1/NRSE cDNA containing both sense and antisense oligo DNA fragments of the targeting sequence was synthesized and cloned into the pGC-LV vector. The obtained lentiviral vector containing RE-1/NRSE dsRNA was confirmed by PCR and sequencing.

[Relationship between neuronal restricted silencing factor and induced differentiation from rat mesenchymal stem cells to neurons].

Objective: To analyze the change of the neuronal restricted silencing factor (NRSF) gene as well as the NRSF regulation genes in beta-mercaptoethanol induction of the marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to neurons, and to discuss the function of NRSF in neural induction of the MSCs and the mechanism of the differentiation from MSCs to neurons.

Method: We used beta-mercaptoethanol, serum-free DMEM, and dimethyl sulfoxide to induce rat MSCs to differentiate to neurons, and then analyzed the changes of the expressions of NRSF gene and NRSF-regulated genes through real-time PCR.

Results: The rat MSCs were successfully induced to differentiate into neuron-like cells.