Regulation of melanocyte apoptosis by Stathmin 1 expression.

Undesirable hyperpigmentation that can arise from increased melanocyte activity may be alleviated by targeting active melanocytes for apoptosis. The role of Stathmin 1 as an important regulator of microtubule dynamics is well documented. The current study examined the potential of Stathmin 1-targeting strategies in eliminating active melanocytes.

Totally robotic resection of myxoma and atrial septal defect repair.

Resection of left atrial myxoma and large atrial septal defect repair were performed in 55 patients using the da Vinci S surgical system to evaluate device safety and efficacy. Fifty-five patients underwent resection of left atrial myxomas (n=10) or secundum-type ASD (n=45) repairs with three cases of concomitant tricuspid valve repairs, using the da Vinci S surgical system. Mean age of the patients was 38+/-12.

Rab8, a vesicular traffic regulator, is involved in dengue virus infection in HepG2 cells.

Objective: The pathogenesis of dengue virus (DV) has not been completely clarified. Rab8 regulates vesicular traffic from Golgi to plasma membrane where DV is matured and then delivered by exocytosis. In this study, involvement of Rab8 in DV serotype 2 (DV2) infection was investigated in HpeG2 cells.

Vimentin is required for dengue virus serotype 2 infection but microtubules are not necessary for this process.

The present study investigated the effect of microtubules (MTs) and vimentin during dengue virus serotype 2 (DV2) infection. Immunostaining showed that DV2 infection induced MT and vimentin reorganization. Colocalization of DV2 antigens with MTs or vimentin were often observed in ECV304 cells.

[Totally robotic internal mammary artery harvest and beating heart coronary artery bypass].

Objective: To summary the first 14 cases undergoing internal mammary artery (IMA) harvest using da Vinci S system and minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting (MIDCAB) on beating heart.

Methods: The average age of patients was (60.4 +/- 10.

[Mutation analysis in families with 21-hydroxylase deficiency].

Objective: To investigate the steroid 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21) mutations in families with 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD).

Methods: The CYP21 gene mutations were detected in four patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency and their relatives. The genomic DNA of the patients was isolated from whole blood.

Comparative studies on the increase of uterine weight and related mechanisms of cadmium and p-nonylphenol.

The research was designed to compare the effect of cadmium and p-nonylphenol on the increase of uterine weight and to study the related mechanisms. It provided basic evidence for us to understand the possible different mechanisms among different EEDs. In this study, both ovaries of 60 Wistar rats (28 days age) were ectomized, and after 21 days recovery, the rats were randomly assigned into six groups and exposed to cadmium (0.

Hepatic c-fos expression is independent of oxidative stress and inflammation induced by acute cadmium exposure in rats.

Aim: To investigate the relationships between c-fos expression and oxidative stress or inflammation in the liver induced by acute cadmium (Cd) exposure.

Methods: Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 groups, 10 rats in each group. They were intragastrically pretreated with distilled water, distilled water, vitamin E (50 mg/100 g body weight), 25, 50 and 75% Sagittaria sagittifolia (SS) extract (2 ml/100 g weight) once a day for 10 consecutive days.

Evaluation of amplitude-based sorting algorithm to reduce lung tumor blurring in PET images using 4D NCAT phantom.

Purpose: develop and validate a PET sorting algorithm based on the respiratory amplitude to correct for abnormal respiratory cycles.

Method And Materials: using the 4D NCAT phantom model, 3D PET images were simulated in lung and other structures at different times within a respiratory cycle and noise was added. To validate the amplitude binning algorithm, NCAT phantom was used to simulate one case of five different respiratory periods and another case of five respiratory periods alone with five respiratory amplitudes.

Up-regulated expression of beta3 integrin induced by dengue virus serotype 2 infection associated with virus entry into human dermal microvascular endothelial cells.

Permeability alteration of microvascular endothelia is a factor in the plasma leakage produced by dengue virus (DV) infection, and beta3 integrin plays central roles in maintaining capillary integrity and regulating vascular permeability. In this study, interaction between beta3 integrin and DV serotype 2 (DV2) was investigated using human dermal microvascular endothelial cell line-1 (HMEC-1). We reported that DV2 infection could induce high expression level of beta3 integrin, and the high fluorescence intensity of beta3 integrin antigen observed in HMEC-1 after infection showed high co-localization with DV antigen.

[Serum IL-12 level in mice infected with Trichinella spiralis].

Kunming mice were infected by feeding 150+/-5 larvae of Trichinella spiralis, established was also a normal control group. Blood was collected from the ophthalmic venous plexus respectively on 7 d, 21 d, 35 d and 49 d after infection and IL-12 in the serum was detected by ELISA. The level of IL-12 in serum decreased in groups of 7 d, 21 d, and 35 d, with a significant difference to the control (P<0.

Dengue-specific CD8+ T cells have both protective and pathogenic roles in dengue virus infection.

To analyze roles of memory T cells in the pathogenesis of dengue (DEN) virus infection, a DEN virus-specific CD8+ cell clone (2D42 cell) was employed to investigate its in vivo function after DEN virus infection using an animal model. HepG2 grafted severe combined immunodeficient (HepG2-grafted SCID) mice were divided into three groups--group A: HepG2-grafted SCID mice were inoculated intraperitoneally (ip) with 2D42 cells and then ip-infected with DEN virus type 2 (DEN-2); group B: HepG2-grafted SCID mice were inoculated with naive mouse thymocytes (NMT) and then ip-infected with DEN-2; group C: HepG2-grafted SCID mice were ip-infected with DEN-2 alone. Eighty percentage of group A mice died at average day 12.

[Clinical observation of electrocardiographic changes in response to taxotere combined with adriamycin treatment for breast cancer].

Objective: To study the effects of taxotere and adriamycin based chemotherapy on the electrocardiogram (ECG) of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Methods: Chemotherapy combining taxotere (75 mg/m(2)) and adriamycin (5 mg/m(2)) once every 3 weeks was performed in 250 patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Electrocardiograph was recorded before and after each treatment course for a total of 10 courses.

Identification of a biochemical link between energy intake and energy expenditure.

Obesity is the result of an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Using high-density DNA microarrays and Northern analyses, we demonstrated that the activation of a nutrient-sensing pathway, the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP), rapidly decreased the expression of a cluster of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes involved in skeletal muscle oxidative phosphorylation. Conversely, the expression of uncoupling protein-1 and of the same mitochondrial genes was increased in brown adipose tissue.