The union of anti-CD34 antibody can improve the performance of drug-eluting stents.

OBJECTIVES: The authors investigate whether the combination of anti-CD34 antibody with DES is win-win cooperation. BACKGROUND: DES may reduce the risk of restenosis compared to bare-metal stents (BMS), but they were found to inhibit the healing process of intima. METHODS: Fifteen BMS, 17 DES, and 16 combined anti-CD34 antibody and DES were randomly implanted in the coronary arteries of 22 minipigs. Ten minipigs were followed up to 2 weeks. The stenting coronary segments were examined by histological examination and scanning electron microscopy after in vivo coronary angiography and intracoronary optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations. The other 12 minipigs were followed up to 3 months. Coronary angiography and intracoronary OCT examination were performed in vivo and histological examination was performed on the stenting coronary segments. RESULTS: After 2 weeks, the neointimal covering level of the DES was lower than that in BMS, but the covering level of the combined stents was even better than the BMS. After 3 months, neointimal hyperplasia was significant in the BMS, but not in the other two types of stents. The in-stent late lumen loss of the combined stents even showed a decreasing tendency when compared with the DES. CONCLUSION: The combination of anti-CD34 antibody and DES can not only well offset the short-term inhibitory effect on re-endothelialization but also slightly enhance the long-term antiproliferative effect.

Blood coagulation dynamic testing sensor based on electromagnetic vibration.

Rapid detection techniques and methods of blood coagulation have attracted wide attention in academia and the business community in the presence of the increased demands for rapid assessment (point-of-care testing) of patients from surgery, intensive care unit, and other departments. The differential equation of vibration system composed of elastic support and electromagnetic induction devices was set up using the principle of damping vibration and establishing the dynamics model; meanwhile, the harmonic response analysis and vibration fatigue coupling analysis were carried out, the analysis results were optimized, and the experimental device of the electromagnetic induction testing sensor was established. In addition, the experimental device with blood coagulation reagent was assorted to establish the standard point-of-care testing rapid blood coagulation detection curve, and to compare the testing curve with that of the imported point-of-care testing blood coagulation instrument. The results showed that the first-order natural frequency of the designed sensor was 102.35 Hz, the correlation between the designed sensor and the imported equipment was 0.996, and the testing repeatability of the designed sensor could reach 0.002. Therefore, the designed blood coagulation testing sensor based on electromagnetic induction had the characteristics of favorable elasticity and anti-fatigue, which could meet the accuracy requirements of clinical detection. Taken together, this study could provide the core technology for developing the point-of-care testing instrument for blood coagulation dynamic testing.

[Monitoring early toxicity of heavy metals including Hg using a HSE-SEAP reporter gene].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a cellular assay based on heat shock signal pathway and secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) reporter gene for investigating/predicting the early toxicity of heavy metals on HeLa cells in Chinese traditional medicine (TCM). METHOD: The pHSE-SEAP plasmid was transfected into HeLa cells to build a HSE-SEAP-HeLa cell model. For validation of the model, the transfected cells were treated by either heating at 42 degrees C for 1 h or incubated with 5 mol x L(-1) CdCl2 for 4 h. Then the cells were covered in complete DMEM culture medium for 48 h and the activity of SEAP (reflecting the cellular level of heat shock protein) in cultural supernatants was measured; meanwhile, cell viability was determined by MTT assays. In addition, the cells were treated by four mercury compounds, HgCl2, merthilate sodium, HgS and cinnabar at the sub-lethal concentrations (determined by MTT assays). Then the heat shock response was detected likewise. RESULT: Significant level of secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) was found in pHSE-SEAP transfected HeLa cells treated either by heating (42 degrees C) or incubating with CdCl2. The heat shock protein was induced by CdCl2 before decrease of cell viability was observed. All four mercury compounds induced heat shock response in both time and concentration-dependant manner. However, there were big differences among the mercury compounds, suggesting potential differences for early-stage toxicity in vivo. CONCLUSION: The pHSE-SEAP transfected HeLa cells respond effectively to heat shock and metal stresses, and therefore provide a practical and repeatable assay for investigating/predicting the early toxicity of heavy metals and mineral-containing drugs in TCM.