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Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) on diabetic retinopathy (DR) in diabetic rats, and to study the mechanism of hUCMSCs in treating diabetic retinopathy by tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) regulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.Methods: The diabetic rat model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). The experimental animals were divided into six groups: Normal, diabetes mellitus (DM), hUCMSCs, tBHQ, combined tBHQ-hUCMSCs, and all-trans-retinoid acid (ATRA)-hUCMSCs combined group. Visual function experiments and histological analyses were performed eight weeks post intravitreal injection. Biochemical and molecular analyses were used to assess the hUCMSCs composition and its biological effects.Results: Improvements in systemic oxidative stress and inflammation were found in the tBHQ group. Although hUCMSCs had no significant effect on oxidative stress, retinal structure was improved, visual defects reduced and expression of local retinal inflammatory factors were inhibited following its application. The effect of combined therapy was better than that of single therapy. Inhibition of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway can promote the expression of systemic inflammatory factors and inhibit the therapeutic effect of hUCMSCs in the retina.Conclusions: Intravitreal administration of hUCMSCs triggers an effective cytoprotective microenvironment in the retina of diabetic mice. Alone, however, it may not significantly improve the systemic inflammatory response of diabetes. In combination with tBHQ it may promote Nrf2expression, systemic antioxidant stress and therapeutic effects of hUCMSCs.

Objective: To analyze the effect of Zishenjianpihuayu prescription combined with retinal photocoagulation therapy on visual field defect, amino acid metabolism and serum cytokines in patient with NPDR. Methods: A total of 80 cases of NPDR patients treated in our hospital from August 2012 to August 2015 were included in the study and divided into observation group and control group (n=40) according to the random number table. Control group received retinal photocoagulation treatment alone, observation group received Zishenjianpihuayu prescription combined with retinal photocoagulation treatment, and then the differences in visual field defect, amino acid metabolism and serum levels of cytokines were compared between two groups. Results: MD and CPSD values of observation group after treatment were lower than those of control group, and MS value was higher than that of control group; serum glutamic acid, arginine, tyrosine, valine, isoleucine and leucine values of observation group after treatment were lower than those of control group; serum sVCAM-1, sICAM-1, VEGF, Ang-2 and SDF-1 values of observation group after treatment were lower than those of control group, and APN value was higher than that of control group. Conclusion: Zishenjianpihuayu prescription combined with retinal photocoagulation therapy can reduce the visual field defect in patients with NPDR, and plays a positive role in optimizing the disease and balancing the body metabolism.

This study observed the immune response induced by a HSP65 DNA vaccine fused with UbGR against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. BALB/c mice were inoculated with HSP65 DNA vaccine, UbGR-fused HSP65 DNA vaccine (Ub-GR-HSP65) and blank vector respectively. HSP65 DNA vaccine elicited a Thl-polarized immune response. The Thl-type cytokine (IFN-γ) and proliferative T cell responses from spleen were improved significantly in UbGR-HSP65 group, compared with those in HSP65 DNA vaccine group. Furthermore, this fusion DNA vaccine also led to an increased ratio of IgG2ato IgGl and the cytotoxicity of T cells. IFN-γ intracellular staining of splenocytes indicated that UbGR-HSP65 fusion DNA vaccine could activate CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, with much higher CD8+ T cells. Thus, this study demonstrated that the UbGR fusion could improve HSP65-specific cellular immune responses, which is helpful to protect against TB infection.

Wei Zhao, Jing Gao, Jing Wu, Qiu-hong Liu, Zhi-gang Wang, Hui-ling Li, Li-hua Xing The Third Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China Background: Lung cancer poses a severe threat to human life. Biomarkers of cancers are helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancers. Biomarkers of lung cancers are rare, and thus deserve further research.Objective: The objective of the present study was to explore the expression of Fascin-1 in human lung cancer and paracarcinoma tissue, its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics in patients with lung cancer, and study the possible relationship between Fascin-1 expression and clinical–biological behavior of lung cancer.Method: This study used the MaxVision two-step immunohistochemical detection method to detect Fascin-1 expression in 84 of lung cancer and paracarcinoma tissues. This study set the expression of Fascin-1 in vascular endothelial cells as the positive control, and used phosphate buffered saline (replacing the primary antibodies) as negative control.Result: Of all the 84 lung cancer tissues and paracarcinoma tissues, positive expression of the Fascin-1 protein were detected in 78 cases (92.9%) and 27 cases (32.1%), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P0.05). The survival times of the patients with different Fascin-1 protein-positive expressions in lung cancer tissues were statistically significant (P0.05).Conclusion: In lung cancer, Fascin-1 expression was closely related to tumor invasion and metastasis, and the difference in expression of Fascin-1 had a significant effect on the survival time of the lung cancer patients. Therefore, Fascin-1 might be expected to serve as a possible potential biomarker of lung cancer. Keywords: pulmonary carcinoma, Fascin-1 protein, immunohistochemistry, survival time

BACKGROUND:Herba Rhodiolae is a traditional Chinese medicine used by the Tibetan people for treating hypoxia related diseases such as anxiety. Based on the previous work, we developed and patented an anti-anxiety herbal formula Fu Fang Jin Jing Oral Liquid (FJJOL) with Herba Rhodiolae as a chief ingredient. In this study, the anti-hypoxia and anti-anxiety effects of FJJOL in a high altitude forced-swimming mouse model with anxiety symptoms will be elucidated by NMR-based metabolomics. METHODS:In our experiments, the mice were divided randomly into four groups as flatland group, high altitude saline-treated group, high altitude FJJOL-treated group, and high altitude diazepam-treated group. To cause anxiety effects and hypoxic defects, a combination use of oxygen level decreasing (hypobaric cabin) and oxygen consumption increasing (exhaustive swimming) were applied to mice. After a three-day experimental handling, aqueous metabolites of mouse brain tissues were extracted and then subjected to NMR analysis. The therapeutic effects of FJJOL on the hypobaric hypoxia mice with anxiety symptoms were verified. RESULTS:Upon hypoxic exposure, both energy metabolism defects and disorders of functional metabolites in brain tissues of mice were observed. PCA, PLS-DA and OPLS-DA scatter plots revealed a clear group clustering for metabolic profiles in the hypoxia versus normoxia samples. After a three-day treatment with FJJOL, significant rescue effects on energy metabolism were detected, and levels of ATP, fumarate, malate and lactate in brain tissues of hypoxic mice recovered. Meanwhile, FJJOL also up-regulated the neurotransmitter GABA, and the improvement of anxiety symptoms was highly related to this effect. CONCLUSIONS:FJJOL ameliorated hypobaric hypoxia effects by regulating energy metabolism, choline metabolism, and improving the symptoms of anxiety. The anti-anxiety therapeutic effects of FJJOL were comparable to the conventional anti-anxiety drug diazepam on the hypobaric hypoxia mice. FJJOL might serve as an alternative therapy for the hypoxia and anxiety disorders.