Objective To investigate the effects of smoking intensity, duration and cessation on mRNA and protein expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-9 ( MMP-9) in tracheal epitheliumof rats, and the relationship between smoking or smoking cessation and airway remodeling in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD) . Methods Forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, ie. a normal control group, a long termheavy smoking group, a short termheavy smoking group, a long termlight smoking group,and a smoking cessation group which was exposed to room air for 10 weeks after long term heavy smoking.The expressions of MMP-9 mRNA and protein in tracheal epithelium of rats were detected by in situ hybridization and munohistochemistry respectively. Results ( 1) The pathological changes of emphysema were observed in the lung tissue of every smoking rat, and were most sever in the long term heavy smoking group. ( 2) Compared with the normal control group [ ( 0. 88 ±0. 88) PU, ( 2. 80 ±1. 66) PU] , the expressions of MMP-9 mRNA and proteins in tracheal epithelium were remarkable elevated in the long term heavy smoking group [ ( 22. 01 ±2. 86) PU, ( 20. 81 ±2. 46) PU] , the short term heavy smoking group [ ( 14. 94 ±3. 46) PU, ( 13. 68 ±2. 00) PU] , the long term light smoking group [ ( 6. 92 ±2. 71) PU,( 8. 84 ±1. 80) PU] and the smoking cessation group [ ( 19. 00 ±3. 36) PU, ( 14. 82 ±1. 74) PU] ( P lt;0. 01) . Compared with the long term heavy smoking group, the expressions of MMP-9 in tracheal epithelium were decreased in other three smoking groups ( P lt; 0. 05) . Conclusions Smoking could increase the expression of MMP-9 in tracheal epithelium and cause trachea damage and remodeling with intensity and duration in rats. Smoking cessation could decrease the MMP-9 expression and alleviate trachea remodeling,suggesting its role in the prevention of COPD.
Objective To evaluate the left ventricular remodeling after valve replacement for valvular heart disease with giant left ventricle. Methods The clinical material of 92 patients with valvular heart disease and giant left ventricle after valve replacement was retrospectively reviewed. The results of ultrosonic cardial gram（UCG） and the changes of cardiac function before and after operation were compared. Results There was no operative death. The value of left ventricular end-diastolic dimension （LVEDD）, left ventricular end-systolic dimension （LVESD）, left atrial dimension （LAD）, left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）, left ventricular fractional shortening （LVFS）, stroke volume （SV） and cardiothoracic ratio in 2 weeks and 2 months after operation were more decreased than those before operation（P〈0. 05）. The value of LVEDD and LAD in 2 months after operation were much more decreased than those in 2 weeks after operation （P〈0. 05）. The cardiac function in early stage after operation was more decreased than that before operation,but the cases of cardiac functional class Ⅱ （38 cases, 41.3% ） in 2 months after operation was significantly more than those before operation （5 cases, 5.4 % ）. Conclusions The early effect of left ventricular remodeling is significant for valvular heart disease with giant left ventricle after valve replacement. The diameter of left ventricle and left atrial are significantly decreased after operation. The protection for cardiac function should be carefully taken in order to prevent the occurrence of complication after operation.
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a low-cost, high-efficiency production method, which can reduce the current cost and increase the profitability of skin repair material industry nowadays, and develop products with better performance. The 3D printing technology commonly used in the preparation of skin repair materials includes fused deposition molding technology and 3D bioprinting technology. Fused deposition molding technology has the advantages of simple and light equipment, but insufficient material selection. 3D bioprinting technology has more materials to choose from, but the equipment is cumbersome and expensive. In recent years, research on both technologies has focused on the development and application of materials. This article details the principles of fused deposition modeling and 3D bioprinting, research advances in wound dressings and tissue engineering skin production, and future developments in 3D printing on skin tissue repair, including cosmetic restoration and biomimetic tissue engineering. Also, this review prospects the development of 3D printing technology in skin tissue repairment.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of azithromycin on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) vascular remodeling and its possible mechanism.MethodsEighteen male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (group A), model group (group B) and azithromycin intervention group (group C). In group B and group C, the COPD model was established by passive smoking and intratracheal injection of lipopolysaccharide. On the fifteenth day, group C was intragastricly administrated with azithromycin (50 mg/kg) one hour prior to smoking, while group A and group B were given equal amount of normal saline. All the rats were killed 6 weeks later. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe lung tissue pathological changes and victoria blue + Van Gieson staining was used to observe the pulmonary artery morphology changes. The serum osteopontin (OPN) was determined with ELISA. The protein expression of OPN was measured with immunohistochemistry and OPN mRNA was detected by RT-PCR.ResultsCompared with group A, the degree of pulmonary vascular inflammation and pulmonary vascular remodeling in groups B and C was more serious, but these changes in group C were lighter than those in group B. The serum OPN content, lung tissue OPN protein and OPN mRNA expression in groups B and C were higher than those in group A, while these parameters in group C were lower than those in group B. The content of serum OPN, the expression of OPN protein and OPN mRNA in lung tissue were positively correlated with the degree of pulmonary vascular inflammation and vascular remodeling.ConclusionAzithromycin can alleviate the pulmonary vascular inflammation and pulmonary vascular remodeling in COPD rats, and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the expression of OPN.
A method of ultrasonic simulation based on the FIELD II software platform for carotid artery plaque was proposed according to the analysis for geometrical shape, tissue characteristics and acoustic properties of carotid artery plaques in clinic, and then a simulation system was developed by using the MATLAB graphical user interface (GUI). In the simulation and development, a three-dimensional geometric model of blood vessel with plaques was set up by using the metaball implicit surface technique, and a tissue model was established based on the scatterers with spatial position of gamma random distribution. Comparison of the statistical and geometrical characteristics from simulated ultrasound B-mode images with those based on clinical ones and preset values, the results fully demonstrated the effectiveness of the simulation methods and system.
ObjectiveTo investigate the femoral bone remodeling and long-term effectiveness of total hip arthroplasty (THA) with anatomic medullary locking (AML) prosthesis.MethodsThe clinical data of 24 cases (26 hips) who were treated with THA with AML prosthesis between November 1997 and January 2003 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 12 males and 12 females with an age of 32-69 years (mean, 53.7 years). There were 5 cases (5 hips) of avascular necrosis of the femoral head, 6 cases (7 hips) of secondary osteoarthritis of the hip dysplasia, 6 cases (6 hips) of femoral neck fracture, 2 cases (2 hips) of primary osteoarthritis, 3 cases (3 hips) of revision surgery, 1 case (2 hips) of ankylosing spondylitis, 1 case (1 hip) of femoral head fracture. The patients were followed up at immediate, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and then every year after operation for imaging evaluation (X-ray film was taken immediately after operation to evaluate the femoral isthmus compression, Engh standard was used to evaluate the biological fixation of the femoral shaft prosthesis, and Brooker method was used to evaluate the occurrence of heterotopic ossification); bone reconstruction evaluation [reconstruction of prosthesis and bone interface (type of bone reaction, Gruen zone, incidence, and occurrence time were recorded), reconstruction of bone around prosthesis (proximal femur stress shielding bone absorption was evaluated according to Engh and Bobyn methods, and bone mineral density change rate was measured)]; clinical efficacy evaluation [Harris score for efficacy, visual analogue scale (VAS) score for thigh pain].ResultsAll patients were followed up 15 years and 2 months to 20 years and 4 months, with a median of 16 years and 6 months. At immediate after operation, 24 hips (92.3%) had good femoral isthums compression, 24 hips (92.3%) had good bone ingrowth. Heterotopic ossification occurred in 2 patients with degree 1, 2 patients with degree 2, and 1 patient with degree 3 at 3-6 months after operation. Hyperplastic bone reactions were more common in Gruen 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, and 12 zones, mainly occurring at 6-20 months after operation, with the incidence of 3.8%-69.2%, with the highest incidence of spot welding. All absorptive bone reactions were osteolysis, which was common in Gruen 1 and 7 zones, and mainly occurred at 8 years after operation, with an incidence of 42.3%. No clear line (area) or enlarged sign of medullary cavity was observed. Twenty-one hips (80.8%) had 1 degree stress shieding, and 5 hips (19.2%) had 2 degree stress shieding. It mainly occurred at 10-24 months after operation in Gruen 1 and 7 zones. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry showed that bone mineral density mainly decreased in Gruen 1, 2, 6, and 7 zones, mainly increased in Gruen 3, 4, and 5 zones. Bone mineral density loss progressed slowly after 2 years of operation, and it was stable in 5-8 years, but decreased rapidly in 8-9 years, and stabilized after 10 years. The Harris score increased from 51.1±6.2 before operation to 88.3±5.1 at last follow-up (t=–21.774, P=0.000). Mild thigh pain occurred in only 2 cases (7.7%) with the VAS score of 2. No aseptic loosening or revision of femoral prosthesis occurred during the follow-up.ConclusionThe application of AML prosthesis in THA has a good bone remodeling and a good long-term effectiveness.
Craniofacial malformation caused by premature fusion of cranial suture of infants has a serious impact on their growth. The purpose of skull remodeling surgery for infants with craniosynostosis is to expand the skull and allow the brain to grow properly. There are no standardized treatments for skull remodeling surgery at the present, and the postoperative effect can be hardly assessed reasonably. Children with sagittal craniosynostosis were selected as the research objects. By analyzing the morphological characteristics of the patients, the point cloud registration of the skull distortion region with the ideal skull model was performed, and a plan of skull cutting and remodeling surgery was generated. A finite element model of the infant skull was used to predict the growth trend after remodeling surgery. Finally, an experimental study of surgery simulation was carried out with a child with a typical sagittal craniosynostosis. The evaluation results showed that the repositioning and stitching of bone plates effectively improved the morphology of the abnormal parts of the skull and had a normal growth trend. The child’s preoperative cephalic index was 65.31%, and became 71.50% after 9 months’ growth simulation. The simulation of the skull remodeling provides a reference for surgical plan design. The skull remodeling approach significantly improves postoperative effect, and it could be extended to the generation of cutting and remodeling plans and postoperative evaluations for treatment on other types of craniosynostosis.
Objective To observe the effects of astaxanthin (AST) on the airway inflammation and remodeling in the asthmatic rats. Methods Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (n=10 for each group): saline-sensitized and-saline-challenged group (the control group), bronchial asthma group (the asthma group), bronchial asthma+astaxanthin 5 mg/kg gavage treatment group (the AST 5 mg/kg group), bronchial asthma+10 mg/kg gavage treatment group (the AST 10 mg/kg group), and bronchial asthma+50 mg/kg gavage treatment group (the AST 50 mg/kg group). The level of interleukin-5(IL-5), interleukin-13(IL-13), interferon-γ(IFN-γ), tansforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the total IgE level in the serum were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The infiltration of airway inflammatory cells and the degree of airway epithelial cells detachment, the extent of goblet cell hyperplasia and the severity of subepithelial collagen deposition were evaluated on the hematoxylin eosin (HE), periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and Masson trichrome stained lung sections. reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure the expression of mucin 5A and C (MUC5AC) messenger ribonucleic acid(mRNA) in lung tissue; Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the expression of MUC5AC protein in the rat airway epithelium. Results The level of IL-5, IL-13, TGF-β, MDA and the total IgE in the serum respectively [(36.73±2.29), (53.99±2.70), (60.89±2.54)ng/mL,(18.65±0.76)umol/L, (54.50±2.91)ng/mL], the extent of inflammatory cells infiltration (46.24 ± 4.26), the extent of eosinophils infiltration (2.09± 0.13), the extent of epithelial cells detachment [(6.09±0.45)%], the extent of goblet cell hyperplasia [(13.65±1.90)%], the extent of subepithelial collagen deposition [(17.58±2.14)%], the MUC5AC mRNA expression level, and the lung tissue MUC5AC protein expression IOD value (187±12) in the asthma group were all higher than those in the control group (P<0.01 or P<0.001), the level of IFN-γ and SOD in the BALF[(26.38±1.70) ng/mL], [(16.37±1.22) U/L], was lower than that in the control group (P<0.001); The level of IL-5, IL-13, total IgE, TGF-β, MDA, the inflammatory cells infiltration in the airway epithelial, the degree of epithelial cell damage and detachment, the degree of goblet cell hyperplasia, the degree of subepithelial collagen deposition, the MUC5AC mRNA expression in lung tissue,and the MUC5AC protein expression in airway epithelial cells in the AST treated groups were all lower than those in the asthma group (P<0.05 or P<0.01 or P<0.001),the level of IFN-γ, SOD in the BALF was higher than that in the asthma group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion Astaxanthin can inhibit airway inflammation, downregulate airway MUC5AC expression, inhibit goblet cell proliferation, and alleviate airway remodeling in rats with bronchial asthma.
The Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) is often used to calculate the radiation dose during computed tomography (CT) scans. However, the physical calculation process of the model is complicated, the input file structure of the program is complex, and the three-dimensional (3D) display of the geometric model is not supported, so that the researchers cannot establish an accurate CT radiation system model, which affects the accuracy of the dose calculation results. Aiming at these two problems, this study designed a software that visualized CT modeling and automatically generated input files. In terms of model calculation, the theoretical basis was based on the integration of CT modeling improvement schemes of major researchers. For 3D model visualization, LabVIEW was used as the new development platform, constructive solid geometry (CSG) was used as the algorithm principle, and the introduction of editing of MCNP input files was used to visualize CT geometry modeling. Compared with a CT model established by a recent study, the root mean square error between the results simulated by this visual CT modeling software and the actual measurement was smaller. In conclusion, the proposed CT visualization modeling software can not only help researchers to obtain an accurate CT radiation system model, but also provide a new research idea for the geometric modeling visualization method of MCNP.
【Abstract】 Objective To discuss the role of leukocyte activation and inflammatory processes in the disease of chronic venous insufficiency （CVI）. Methods The relevant literatures about the role of leukocyte activation and inflammatory reaction in CVI were reviewed. Results The role of inflammatory reaction in occurrence and development of venous diseases has been studied a lot in recent years. It was found that the leukocyte activation and inflammatory reaction are involved in the structural remodeling of venous valves and walls, leading to valvular incompetence and formation of varicose veins. Conclusion Leukocyte activation and inflammatory processes take important roles in the occurrence and progression of CVI.