[Differences of apoptotic-regulating gene expression in the hippocampus in rats with different ages after status convulsion].

Objective: To explore the molecular mechanism of brain protection against convulsive brain damage in premature brains by observing the changes of apoptotic-regulating genes of bcl-2 and c-Jun expression in the hippocampus in Wistar rats with different ages after status convulsion (SC).

Methods: SC was induced in infant Wistar rats (IRs) and adult Wistar rats (ARs) by intraperitoneal injection of lithium-pilocarpine. The rats were sacrificed at 3 hrs, 6 hrs, 12 hrs, 1 day, 3 days and 7 days after SC (n=8).

Hypoxia induces osteogenesis-related activities and expression of core binding factor α1 in mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem sells (MSCs) have received much attention in the field of bone tissue engineering due to their biological capability to differentiate into osteogenic lineage cells. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1α) plays an important role in the MSC-related bone regeneration during hypoxia, while core binding factor alpha 1 (Cbfα1) is a transcription regulator that is involved in the chondrocyte differentiation and ossification. In the present study, we investigated the effects of hypoxia on biological capability of MSCs.

Transcriptional Regulation of TMP21 by NFAT.

Background: TMP21 is a member of the p24 cargo protein family, which is involved in protein transport between the Golgi apparatus and ER. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder leading to dementia and deposition of amyloid β protein (Aβ) is the pathological feature of AD pathogenesis. Knockdown of TMP21 expression by siRNA causes a sharp increase in Aβ production; however the underlying mechanism by which TMP21 regulates Aβ generation is unknown, and human TMP21 gene expression regulation has not yet been studied.

Changes of serum omentin levels and relationship between omentin and adiponectin concentrations in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Omentin has recently been characterized as a potent insulin-sensitizing adipokine, but its pathophysiologic roles in humans remain largely unknown.

Objective: To investigate the change of fasting serum omentin levels and evaluate the relationship of omentin with adiponectin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Design: 35 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2DM), 35 patients with impaired glucose regulation (IGT) and 35 patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) participated in this study.

High-intensity focused ultrasound tumor ablation: review of ten years of clinical experience.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a technique to destroy tissue at depth within the body, selectively and without harming overlying and adjacent structures within the path of the beam because the ultrasonic intensity at the beam focus is much higher than that outside of the focus. Diagnostic ultrasound is the first imaging modality used for guiding HIFU ablation. In 1997, a patient with osteosarcoma was first successfully treated with ultrasound imaging-guided HIFU in Chongqing, China.

[Study on relation between Sp110 gene polymorphism and tuberculosis genetic susceptibility of Chongqing Han People].

Objective: To investigate the association of Sp110 gene SNP with tuberculosis occurrence of Chongqing Han people.

Methods: Design Use the case-control study design, and collect risk factors of tuberculosis by questionnaires. Use multiple methods to detect rs1135791C/T, rs722555A/G, 5'-UTR rs11679983A/G, rs28930679C/T, rs9061A/G, rs1063154G/T, rs1047254A/G, rs3948464C/T points SNP polymorphism.

Experimental research on wild-type p53 plasmid transfected into retinoblastoma cells and tissues using an ultrasound microbubble intensifier.

The transfection efficiency of wild-type p53 (wtp53) was investigated in retinoblastoma (RB) Y79 cells using an ultrasound microbubble technique. A human RB nude mouse xenograft tumour model was also used to investigate whether this technique could deliver wtp53 into solid tumours. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) demonstrated that wtp53 was successfully transfected into Y79 cells in the plasmid with microbubbles and ultrasound group and in the plasmid with liposomes group, but not in the plasmid with ultrasound group or in the untreated control group.

Construction of luciferase reporter gene vector for human MUC5AC gene promoter and analysis of its transcriptional activity.

Objective: To clone the human mucin (MUC) 5AC gene promoter and construct its luciferase reporter vector for human MUC5AC gene and analyze its transcriptional activity.

Methods: The 1 348 bp DNA sequence at the human MUC5AC gene 5 end was analyzed by the Vector NTI software. After the target sequence from human A549 cells genomic DNA was amplified by PCR method, and the product of PCR was sequenced.

The T helper type 17/regulatory T cell imbalance in patients with acute Kawasaki disease.

The study is designed to investigate the changes and roles of T helper type 17/regulatory T cells (Th17/T(reg) ) in the immunological pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD). In addition, we explore the alteration and significance of Th17 cells in patients with intravenous immune globulin-resistant KD. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to evaluate the mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-17A/F, retinoic acid-related orphan receptor (ROR)-γt and forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) in CD4-positive cells.

A multicenter, randomized controlled clinical study on biapenem and imipenem/cilastatin injection in the treatment of respiratory and urinary tract infections.

Background: Biapenem is an injectable carbapenem antibiotic. A clinical study was designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the treatment of respiratory and urinary infections compared to imipenem/cilastatin.

Methods: A total of 216 patients with respiratory or urinary tract infections were enrolled into this multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled clinical study.

db-Cyclic adenosine monophosphate promotes axon regeneration and motor function recovery in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats.

Background: There is no effective axon regeneration in adult mammalians.

Objective: To investigate the effects of dual-acid cyclic adenosine monophosphate (db-cAMP) on the axon regeneration, motor function recovery and RhoA signal pathway in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats, and to explore the possible clinical application and mechanism.

Materials And Methods: Middle cerebral artery ischemia-reperfusion model was established by nylon monofilament occlusion method in 105 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.

[Hath1 gene transfer inhibits the proliferation of colonic cancer cells in vitro].

Objective: To study the effect of Hath1 gene transfer on the proliferation of colonic cancer cells in vitro.

Methods: The recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)-Hath1 was transfected into HT29 colonic cancer cells, and 3 positive cell clones were randomly selected to test the levels of Hath1 mRNA, Muc2 mRNA, Hath1, Muc2, cyclin D1 and p27 by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting.

[No correlation between the sensitivity to 5-aza-dC and the global DNA methylation level in hepatocellular carcinoma cells].

Objective: To compare the sensitivity of different hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines (HepG2, QGY7701, HepG2.2.15) and the normal liver cell line L02 to 5-aza-dC, an DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, and to explore the relationship between global DNA methylation level and the sensitivity to 5-aza-dC.

Regulatory T cells/T-helper cell 17 functional imbalance in uraemic patients on maintenance haemodialysis: a pivotal link between microinflammation and adverse cardiovascular events.

Aim: Adverse cardiovascular events resulting from accelerated atherosclerosis are the leading cause of mortality in uraemic patients on maintenance haemodialysis (MHD). Chronic inflammation due to antigen-specific responses is an important factor in the acceleration of atherosclerosis. The balance between CD4(+) CD25(+) forkhead/winged helix transcription factor (Foxp3)(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) and T helper (Th)17 cells has been reported to play an important role in the development of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Genome-wide screening for risk loci of idiopathic recurrent miscarriage in a Han Chinese population: a pilot study.

The etiology of recurrent miscarriage (RM) is extremely heterogeneous, including genetic, immunologic, anatomic, endocrinological, and infectious anomalies. About 50% of RM is unexplained or poorly understood, which is called idiopathic recurrent miscarriage (IRM). The primary aim of this study was to identify the genetic loci that might be susceptible to IRM.

[The early post-operative wound healing mode study of the rabbit cornea after flap-free epiploic laser in-situ keratomileusis].

Objective: To evaluate the wound healing mode of rabbit corneal epithelium after Epi-LASIK(epiplolic laser in-situ keratomileusis) and Flap-free Epi-LASIK(Flap-free epiploic laser in-situ keratomileusis).

Methods: Twenty-four New Zealand white rabbits (48 eyes) were randomly divided into four groups. There were six rabbits in every group, which were randomly treated with Epi-LASIK in one eye and Flap-free Epi-LASIK in the other by VISX20/20 excimer laser.

Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin treated human cord blood monocyte-derived dendritic cells polarize naïve T cells into a tolerogenic phenotype in newborns.

Background: As one of the first infectious challenges of life, the impact of neonatal Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination on the polarization of neonatal T helper subset has not been well defined.

Methods: We investigated the effect of BCG-treated cord blood (CB) dendritic cells (DCs) on naïve CD4+ T cells polarization compared with that of adult blood DCs.

Results: BCG-treated CB DCs had significantly lower expression of CD83 and a higher ratio of CD47/Fas than BCG-treated adult blood DCs.

Single-photon atomic force microscopy.

In the last few years, an array of novel technologies, especially the big family of scanning probe microscopy, now often integrated with other powerful imaging tools such as laser confocal microscopy and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, have been widely applied in the investigation of biomolecular interactions and dynamics. But it is still a great challenge to directly monitor the dynamics of biomolecular interactions with high spatial and temporal resolution in living cells. An innovative method termed "single-photon atomic force microscopy" (SP-AFM), superior to existing techniques in tracing biomolecular interactions and dynamics in vivo, was proposed on the basis of the combination of atomic force microscopy with the technologies of carbon nanotubes and single-photon detection.

Ultrasound-mediated microbubble delivery of pigment epithelium-derived factor gene into retina inhibits choroidal neovascularization.

Background: Many studies have suggested that the imbalance of angiogenic factor and anti-angiogenic factor expression contributes significantly to the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV), and ultrasound microbubble combination system can increase the gene transfection efficiency successfully. This study was designed to investigate whether ultrasound-mediated microbubble destruction could effectively deliver therapeutic plasmid into the retina of rat, and whether gene transfer of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) could inhibit CNV.

Methods: Human retinal pigment epithelial cells were isolated and treated either with ultrasound or plasmid alone, or with a combination of plasmid, ultrasound and microbubbles to approach feasibility of microbubble-enhanced ultrasound enhance PEDF gene expression; For in vivo animal studies, CNV was induced by argon lasgon laser in rats.

[Role of Ang-2 in the rats model of LPS-induced acute lung injury].

Aim: To investigate the potential role of angiopoietin-2 in the rats model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI).

Methods: Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups(n=10): control group; in LPS groups, rats were divided into three subgroups, treated with different dosage of LPS (2 mg/kg, 4 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg). ALI model was established by intravenous injection with LPS, while control group was with NS.

[Analysis on theory of meridians and acupuncture manipulation based on ancient Shushu].

The theories of Shushu in the literature of Qin and Han periods are reorganized and related expositions of foreign scholars are consulted, and Shushu theory is compared with the recordation in ancient medical books so as to probe into the relationship between Shushu and theory of meridians together with acupuncture manipulation. It is found that the eleven meridians system is the mathematical foundation of Five Shu Poits, Yuan-primary acupoints and the acupoints of all over the body, and which plays an important role in the theories of TCM. The exterior-interior relationship between viscera and meridians and circulation of ying-qi can be executed on the establishments of twelve meridians system.

The treatment of liver fibrosis induced by hepatocyte growth factor-directed, ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction in rats.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of using ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction to treat liver fibrosis induced by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF).

Methods: Forty Wistar rats were divided into five groups after the models of liver fibrosis were prepared: (1) HGF, ultrasound, and microbubbles (HGF+US/MB); (2) HGF and ultrasound (HGF+US); (3) HGF and microbubbles (HGF+MB); (4) HGF (HGF); and (5) model alone (MA). All rats were killed after being transfected for 14 days.

[Antitumor drug delivery system: the progress of researches on block copolymer micelle and its compositive materials].

In antitumor drug delivery system, the block copolymer micelle is a sort of new colloidal state drug carrier in recent years, and it has lots of remarkable properties such as high stability in vitro and in vivo, favourable biocompatibility, controlling of drug release, and targeting to tumor tissue. At present, a great deal of researches have been madeon its compositive materials. Except commonly used micelle materials, the new developmental intelligent micelle materials have been becoming the hotspots of researches on block copolymer micelle.

Identification of a novel negative regulatory element on the hepatitis B virus S-(+)-strand.

In this study, we scanned the whole hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome for the identification of potential regulatory elements located on the S-(+)-strand. With pCDNA3.1-HBV1.