[Clinical analysis of 96 cases of congenital cystic lung lesions in children].

Objective: To summarize the diagnosis, clinical manifestations, treatment and prognosis of congenital cystic lung lesions. Methods: A retrospective study described the clinical course of 96 patients (46 female and 50 male) diagnosed with congenital cystic lung lesions treated at the Tianjin Children's Hospital from January 2010 to March 2019. The clinical findings, imaging examinations, pathological findings, treatment and follow-up were analyzed. Results: Totally 96 patients (aged from 4 days to 13 years) with congenital cystic lung lesions were included in this study. Eighty-six patients (90%) were diagnosed when they had cough and fever symptoms. Forty (42%) patients exhibited congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation, 30 underwent surgical excision, two were at emergency operations and one dead. There were 12 (13%) patients with pulmonary sequestration and four were surgical treated. Twelve (13%) patients with bronchogenic cyst were included and 4 were surgically treated. There were 3 (3%) patients with congenital lobar emphysema and one was surgically treated. Another patient with pneumothorax was operated in other hospital 2 months after discharge. Twenty-nine (30%) patients with unclassified congenital cystic lung lesions could not be definitively diagnosed by CT. Some of them were difficult to be distinguished from necrotizing pneumonia. Finally, 2 patients were diagnosed as necrotizing pneumonia after 6, 10 months follow-up. After operation 37 out of 39 patients recovered well. Conclusions: The diagnosis of congenital pulmonary cystic disease depend on imaging and pathological examination. Most patients are diagnosed when they have respiratory tract infection. The main clinical manifestations are cough and fever. The prognosis of operative management is good.

[The effects and mechanisms of berberine on proliferation of papillary thyroid cancer K1 cells induced by high glucose].

Objective: To study the effect and mechanisms of berberine (BBR) on the proliferation of papillary thyroid cancer K1 cells induced by high glucose. Methods: K1 cells were cultured under 5.5 mmol/L or 25 mmol/L glucose condition with or without different concentration of BBR (0, 10, 40 and 80 µmol/L) for 24 hours. The proliferations of K1 cells in each condition were detected by MTT. Western blot was used to measure the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt) and phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt). The distribution pattern of Nrf2 in K1 cells was determined using immunofluorescent staining. Results: Compared with 5.5 mmol/L condition, the proliferation rate [(126.64±5.41) % vs (87.31±3.67)%], expression levels of PI3K (0.425±0.019 vs 0.272±0.039), p-Akt/Akt (0.446±0.021 vs 0.168±0.035) and Nrf2 (0.597±0.014 vs 0.308±0.026), and Nrf2 distribution (93.0% vs 23.1%) in nuclear of K 1 cells under 25 mmol/L condition were significantly elevated, respectively (all P<0.01). Addition of BBR in 25 mmol/L condition dose dependently (10, 40, 80 µmol/L) lowered the proliferation rate of K1 cells [(111.76±4.10)%, (70.03±2.18)%, (32.41±3.76)% vs (126.64±5.41)%, all P<0.05], and suppressed the expression of PI3K, p-Akt/Akt, Nrf2, and Nrf2 nuclear distribution (P<0.05). Conclusions: BBR dose dependently inhibited the proliferation of high glucose-induced K1 cells. This effect was associated with the suppression on of PI3K/Akt signaling activation, Nrf2 expression and its nuclear translocation.

Effects of dietary neutral detergent fiber and starch ratio on rumen epithelial cell morphological structure and gene expression in dairy cows.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of dietary neutral detergent fiber to starch ratio on rumen epithelial morphological structure and gene expression. Eight primiparous dairy cows including 4 ruminally fistulated cows were assigned to 4 total mixed rations with neutral detergent fiber to starch ratios of 0.86, 1.18, 1.63, and 2.34 in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. The duration of each period was 21 d including 14 d for adaptation and 7 d for sampling. Rumen epithelial papillae were collected from the ruminally fistulated cows for morphological structure examination and mRNA expression analysis using quantitative real-time PCR of several genes related to volatile fatty acid absorption and metabolism, and cellular growth. Increasing dietary neutral detergent fiber to starch ratio resulted in a linear increase in the thickness of the stratum spinosum and basale. In contrast, expression of HMGCS2 (encoding the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of ketone bodies) decreased linearly, whereas the expression of MCT2 (encoding a transporter of volatile fatty acid) increased linearly with increasing dietary neutral detergent fiber to starch ratio. As dietary neutral detergent fiber to starch ratio increased, expression of IGFBP5 (a gene related to the growth of rumen epithelial papillae) decreased, whereas IGFBP6 expression increased. Both of these IGFBP genes are regulated by short-chain fatty acids. Overall, the data indicate that dietary neutral detergent fiber to starch ratio can alter the thickness of the rumen epithelial papillae partly through changes in expression of genes associated with regulating volatile fatty acid absorption, metabolism, and cell growth.

Performance of peanut mutants and their offspring generated from mixed high-energy particle field radiation and tissue culture.

To develop new ways to breed peanut, we irradiated seeds of the Luhua 11 cultivar with a mixed high-energy particle field at different doses. The embryonic leaflets were extracted as explants and incubated on somatic embryo induction medium and then on somatic embryo germination and regeneration medium. After being grafted, the M1-generation plants were transplanted, and seeds from each M1-generation plant were harvested. In the following year, the M2-generation seeds were planted separately. Some M2-generation plants showed distinct character segregation relative to the mutagenic parent in terms of vigor, fertility, plant height, branch number, and pod size and shape. M2-generation plants that had a high pod weight per plant tended to produce M3-generation offspring that also had a high pod weight per plant, much higher than that of the mutagenic parent, Luhua 11. M4-generation seeds varied greatly in quality, and 35 individuals with an increased fat content (>55%) were obtained. Overall, the results indicate that the combination of mutagenesis via mixed high-energy particle field exposure and tissue culture is promising for peanut breeding.

Intrahepatic IFN-alpha expression in liver specimens from HBV-infected patients with different outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Interferon-alpha (IFN-α), an active cytokine, plays an important role in antiviral host responses, including protection against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study was designed to investigate the correlation between intrahepatic IFN-α expression levels and disease severity using liver biopsy specimens from HBV-infected patients with different outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to detect intrahepatic IFN-α expression in liver biopsy specimens obtained from 69 HBV-infected patients with different outcomes (including 23 cases with chronic hepatitis B [CHB], 18 cases with severe hepatitis B [SHB], and 28 cases with liver cirrhosis [LC]). In situ hybridization (ISH) was carried out to measure the levels of HBV DNA in liver samples. In addition, the liver specimens of 33 healthy liver transplant donors without detectable liver diseases comprised a normal control (NC) group. RESULTS: The intrahepatic expression levels of IFN-α were higher in the HBV-infected patients than the NC group (p = 0.001). Intrahepatic IFN-α expression was also significantly higher in the SHB and CHB groups compared to the NC group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively), while the intrahepatic HBV DNA levels of the SHB patients were higher than those of LC patients (p = 0.013). Furthermore, intrahepatic IFN-α expression was positively correlated with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in CHB patients; no significant correlations were discovered between intrahepatic IFN-α expression and intrahepatic HBV DNA levels in all other sub-groups. CONCLUSIONS: Intrahepatic IFN-α expression may correlate with liver inflammation after hepatitis B virus infection, and IFN-α may play a vital role in the occurrence of SHB.

Association between plasma osteoprotegerin concentrations and urinary albumin excretion in Type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a recently identified inhibitor of bone resorption. Recent studies indicate that OPG is also associated with endothelial dysfunction in Type 2 diabetes. The aim was to investigate the relationship between plasma OPG levels and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in Type 2 diabetic patients. METHODS: This study included 154 newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetic patients and 46 healthy subjects. Plasma OPG and 24-h UAE were measured. High-resolution ultrasound was used to measure flow-mediated (endothelium-dependent arterial) dilation (FMD). RESULTS: Compared with the normoalbuminuric subgroup, OPG levels in the microalbuminuric subgroup were significantly higher, and OPG levels in macroalbuminuria subgroup were significantly higher than those in the normoalbuminuria and albuminuria subgroups. Multiple regression analysis showed that only FMD (r = -0.26), C-reactive protein (r = 0.23), fasting blood glucose (r = 0.25), 2-h blood glucose (r = 0.21), HbA(1c) (r = 0.28), UAE (r = 0.27) and retinopathy (r = 0.27) were significant factors associated with OPG. Pearson's correlation analyses showed a positive correlation between OPG and logUAE (r = 0.440) and negative correlations between OPG and FMD (r = -0.284), and between FMD and logUAE (r = -0.602). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma OPG levels are significantly associated with UAE in Type 2 diabetic patients.

Interracial comparative study of prostate cancer in the United States, China, and Japan.

The interracial differences of prostate cancer progression have long been documented; however, underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain obscure. This study focuses on the histopathologic, immunohistochemical, biochemical, and molecular characterization of prostate cancer tissues unselectively obtained from US, Chinese, and Japanese men. Histopathologic analyses indicate that 74.5% of the prostate cancers in Chinese patients were poorly differentiated, compared with 28.6 and 32.8% of the prostate cancers in US and Japanese men, respectively. These differences cannot be attributed to patient age, clinical stage of disease, or methods of tissue sampling. Furthermore, the high proportion of poorly differentiated prostate cancer tissues in the Chinese group was not related to the patients' access to medical service or their geographic origins within China. We found significantly higher levels of tumor angiogenesis (2- to 4-fold), serotonin (2- to 20-fold), and bombesin (7- to 16-fold), but not chromogranin A, in tissue specimens obtained from Chinese prostate cancer patients compared with those from US and Japanese patients. We also found marked differences in p53 protein accumulation among various ethnic groups. The p53 protein was frequently detected in prostate cancer tissue specimens from Chinese (90.2%), but less frequently in US black (3.7%), US white (17.4%), and Japanese (7.1%) men. Further analysis of 31 prostate cancer tissues from Chinese men indicated that mutational changes in the p53 gene occurred between exons 5 and 8.

Comparative studies of prostate cancers among United States, Chinese, and Japanese patients: characterization of histopathology, tumor angiogenesis, neuroendocrine factors, and p53 protein accumulations.

Although interracial differences of prostate cancer progression are well recognized, their underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain obscure. We compared the histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular characteristics of unselected prostate cancer tissues obtained from U.S., Chinese, and Japanese men. Histopathologic analyses indicated that 74.4% of the prostate cancers in Chinese men were poorly differentiated, compared with 28.6% and 32.8% of the prostate cancers in U.S. and Japanese men, respectively. These differences cannot be attributed to patient age, clinical stage of disease, or methods of tissue sampling. The high proportion of poorly differentiated prostate cancer tissues in the Chinese group was not related to the patients' access to medical service or to geographic background within China. Significantly higher levels of tumor angiogenesis (2- to 4-fold), serotonin (2- to 20-fold), and bombesin (7- to 16-fold), but not chromogranin A, were found in the tissue specimens obtained from Chinese prostate cancer patients compared with those from U.S. and Japanese patients. We also observed marked interracial differences in p53 protein accumulation. The protein was present in 90.2% of Chinese specimens; 17.4% of specimens from U.S. whites; 7.1% of specimens from Japanese men; and 3.7% of specimens from U.S. blacks. Results from multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that p53 protein accumulation, angiogenesis, and serotonin expression in the normal stroma area correlate independently with Chinese versus non-Chinese patient populations.

Blockade of ATP-sensitive potassium channels by 5-hydroxydecanoate suppresses monophasic action potential shortening during regional myocardial ischemia.

We tested 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD), a specific blocker of ATP-sensitive potassium channels (IK.ATP), to determine if mitigates electrophysiologic changes produced by regional myocardial ischemia in vivo. A sequence of 5-minute occlusion of the distal LAD and 30-minute reperfusion was repeated while recording the monophasic action potential (MAP) and bipolar electrogram (EG) from the epicardial center of the ischemic myocardium in anesthetized dogs. 5-HD (30 mg/kg, i.v.) or glibenclamide (0.15 or 0.3 mg/kg, i.v.) was administered before the third occlusion, and the data were compared to the second occlusion data. 5-HD did not affect baseline MAP duration at 90% and 50% repolarization (APD90, APD50) before LAD occlusion but suppressed occlusion-induced shortening of APD90 (16 +/- 2% during the second occlusion vs. 5 +/- 3% during the third occlusion, n = 8, p < 0.01) and APD50 (16 +/- 3% vs. 10 +/- 3%, n = 8, p < 0.05). Pretreatment with glibenclamide also suppressed occlusion-induced MAP shortening and eliminated an additional effect of 5-HD (n = 3). 5-HD did not affect the occlusion-induced increase in duration and activation time of EG. 5-HD, as well as glibenclamide, suppressed regional ischemia-induced MAP shortening, probably by blocking activation of IK.ATP, without affecting conduction delay. These differential effects of 5-HD on repolarization and conduction during the early phase of regional ischemia might have the potential to suppress reentrant ventricular arrhythmias.

Biomarkers associated with prostate cancer progression.

In search of biomarkers that predict of human prostate cancer progression, we hypothesized that these markers must be expressed in prostatic epithelial cells during multi-step prostate carcinogenesis. Since both genetic and epigenetic factors have been implicated in human prostate cancer development, two osseous-metastatic experimental models were developed in our laboratory, one based on gene transfection and the other on stromal-epithelial interaction studies. In the genetic model, PC-3 cells transfected with point-mutated c-erbB-2/neu oncogene subsequently acquired the potential to metastasize from the prostate to soft tissues and the skeleton. In the epigenetic model, sublines derived from the parental androgen-dependent LNCaP cell line metastasized from the primary tumor to the lymph node and bone. Cells with known lineage relationships were cloned from both the primary and the metastatic tumors and were characterized extensively using cellular, biochemical, immunohistochemical, and molecular techniques. Relevant stage-specific biomarkers associated with prostate cancer progression in these two models were defined and used to evaluate human prostate tissues obtained from the clinic. In this communication, we focused our discussion on the potential importance of c-erbB-2/neu oncogene, vimentin, hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor and its receptor, c-met oncogene, tumor angiogenesis and neuroendocrine factors as biomarkers for human prostate cancer progression.

[Comparative study on clinical staging and histological grading of prostatic adenocarcinoma between Chinese and Japanese].

A comparative study on prostatic adenocarcinomas in 111 cases of Chinese and in 460 cases of Japanese was conducted. The results revealed that the average age of patients was 65.5 years in the Chinese group with a peak age between 65-69 years; while in the Japanese group, the average age was 71.7 years with a peak age between 70-74 years. 79.3% of the Chinese patients were at B and C stages according to clinical staging during the primary operation, while in the Japanese patients, 52.0% were at D stage (P less than 0.001). Histological grading in the Chinese patients revealed that 61.3% of the tumors were poorly differentiated, while in the Japanese group, 51.1% of the tumors were moderately differentiated (P less than 0.001). The reasons of this difference are discussed.

[Clinical investigation of prostate carcinoma in the Third Teaching Hospital of Norman Bethune University of Medical Sciences].

Clinical and statistical investigations were performed on 157 patients with prostate carcinoma in the Third Teaching Hospital, Normal Bethune University experienced between January, 1950 and June, 1986. The number of patients with prostate carcinoma among other hospitalized patients showed a recent gradual increase. The patient's age at the time the disease was first diagnosed was most frequently between 60 and 69 years old with an average age of 63.3 years. Dysuria was the most prominent symptom, followed by frequency, retention and macroscopic hematuria. Duration between initial symptom and diagnosis was one to two years in most patients. The prostatic abnormality could be detected by rectal examination in all patients. Elevation of serum acid phosphatase was found in 24.4%. Such elevation was evident in 52.2% of the patients with metastatic lesions, compared to 14.4% of those without metastasis. Fourteen patients had metastasis to bone (8.9%), 13 to lymph nodes, 2 to lung and one to liver. According to the staging diagnosis, 19 patients (12.1%) had stage A, 78 patients (49.7%) had stage B, 20 patients (12.7%) had stage C and 40 patients (25.5%) had stage D carcinoma. Histological findings in 57 patients indicated adenocarcinomas; 39 cases (68.4%) were poorly differentiated, 12 cases (21.2%) were moderately differentiated and 6 cases (10.5%) were well differentiated. Modality of treatment was total prostatectomy in 2 cases (1.3%), antiandrogen therapy (orchiectomy and/or Stilbestrol) in 122 cases (77.7%), subcapsular prostatectomy in 7 cases (4.5%), symptomatic treatment in 5 cases and no treatment in 23 cases (14.6%).

Impact of cell culture sensitivity and virus concentration on rapid detection of herpes simplex virus by cytopathic effects and immunoperoxidase staining.

Tremendous interest has been generated in the commercial kits now available that incorporate herpes simplex virus isolation in cell culture with immunoperoxidase staining for viral antigen detection. Most studies comparing commercial kits with conventional cell culture techniques have found the kits to be less sensitive. However, different cell cultures were used for the two methods. In this study, mink lung, rabbit kidney, MRC-5, and Vero cells were compared for reisolation of herpes simplex virus from clinical specimens in which viral infectivity titers were concurrently determined. When specimens contained high titers of infectious virus, the cell system used made little difference and all specimens were detected by immunoperoxidase staining at 48 h postinoculation. However, when specimens contained low concentrations of virus, the differences in sensitivity between cell systems became apparent in rapidity of detection and overall isolation rate. Mink lung and rabbit kidney cells were both more sensitive than MRC-5 cells; Vero cells were significantly less sensitive than the other cells tested. The application of immunoperoxidase staining shortened the time to virus detection and lessened, but did not eliminate, the differences between the cell systems. Cytopathic effects alone in the most sensitive cell system equaled or exceeded immunoperoxidase staining applied in less-sensitive cell cultures.