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Biomedical subjects

G Mai

Publications and source records attributed to G Mai.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Characterization of endothelial-like cells derived from human mesenchymal stem cells.

BACKGROUND: Blood-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) have been used to treat ischemic disease. However, the number of EPC that can be obtained from adult blood is limited. OBJECTIVE: To characterize endothelial-like cells obtained from human bone marrow and determine their ability to stimulate new blood vessel formation in vivo. METHODS: Mononuclear cells (MNC) were isolated from human bone marrow or umbilical cord blood and cultured in endothelial growth medium (EGM-2). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were isolated from bone marrow and induced to differentiate into endothelial-like cells (MSCE), or adipocytes or osteocytes by growth in EGM-2, adipogenic or osteogenic medium. RESULTS: Cells obtained by culturing bone marrow MNC in EGM-2 formed cord- or tube-like structures when grown on Matrigel(TM) and expressed several endothelial marker proteins. However, cell morphology and the profile of endothelial marker protein expression were different from those of cord blood-derived EPC (cbEPC). Cells with a similar phenotype were obtained by differentiation of MSC into MSCE, which was accompanied by an increase of endothelial marker proteins and a diminished capacity to differentiate into adipocytes. Subcutaneous implantation of MSCE in collagen plugs in non-obese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficient (NOD-SCID) mice resulted in formation of functional blood vessels that had incorporated the MSCE. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that MSCE and cbEPC are different cell types. The formation of functional blood vessels by MSCE, combined with high yields and a reduced capacity to differentiate into other cell types compared with MSC, makes these cells potentially useful for autologous therapy of ischemic disease.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed2006

Assessment of 18F-FDG-leukocyte imaging to monitor rejection after pancreatic islet transplantation.

AIM: We sought to investigate the feasibility of 18F-FDG-leukocyte imaging to detect islet rejection. METHODS: Two thousand Sprague-Dawley (SD, syngeneic group) or Lewis (allogeneic group) islet equivalents were intraportally injected into SD rat recipients. Four and 7 days after transplantation, 10(8) 18F-FDG-labeled splenocytes were injected into the jugular vein. Splenocytes were harvested from naïve or sensitized (12 days after intraportal transplantation of 2000 Lewis IEQ) SD rats. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging was started 5 minutes after splenocyte infusion and performed hourly for 4 hours. RESULTS: One hour after splenocyte injection, FDG was mainly detected in the heart and lungs. It was then further distributed to other organs, and from the second hour, the highest tracer concentration was located in the abdomen. Liver FDG uptake was similar between syngeneic, allogeneic, and sensitized allogeneic groups at 4 and 7 days after islet transplantation. DISCUSSION: No islet rejection was detected by 18F-FDG-leukocyte imaging. The amount of transplanted tissue was only few millilitres and the additional related inflammation in case of rejection is small and difficult to detect. The liver showed a relatively high spontaneous tracer uptake; the related background prevented detection of a potential increase in tracer uptake in cases of islet rejection.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Retransplantation of discordant xenogeneic islets with costimulatory blockade.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to analyze the possibility of xenogeneic islet retransplantation using costimulatory blockade. METHODS: Streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice were transplanted under the kidney capsule with human islets. Mice were nephrectomized and retransplanted with 1000 human islets under the contralateral kidney capsule 14 days later. Four groups were performed group I, first and second Tx without MR1; group II, first Tx without MR1, second Tx with MR1; group III, first Tx with MR1, second Tx without MR1; group IV, first and second Tx with MR1. A control group was transplanted only once without MR1 with human islets. After second Tx, cross-matches between recipient, serum and human lymphocyte were done for detection of antidonor antibodies. RESULTS: In the control group, mean graft survival was 13 (+/-7) days. In group I, mean graft survival was 5 +/- 3 days. In group II, mean graft survival was 16 +/- 13 days. In group III, mean graft survival was 81 +/- 22 days. In group IV, no rejection were recorded and all graft survived more than 120 days. Pretransplant cross-matches were negative. In groups I and II all cross-matches were positive, while none were positive in group IV. CONCLUSION: Retransplantation of xenogeneic islets was associated with accelerated rejection. After presensitization, MR1 was unable to induce tolerance to a second Tx. MR1 given at the first Tx only allowed prolonged survival of the second Tx, but rejection still occurred. MR1 given at first and second Tx allowed long-term survival of retransplanted xenoislets and prevented occurrence of antidonor antibodies.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

[Effects of polymorphism of apolipoprotein E gene on body mass index and plasma lipid levels in obese children].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and plasma lipid levels in obese children with different apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotypes. METHODS: BMI, ApoE genotype and plasma level of lipid were measured in 324 obese children. Genotype of ApoE was performed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Distribution of genotypes was E3/3 in 198(61.1%), E3/4 in 36(11.1%), E2/3 in 54 (16.7%) and E4/4 in 36(11.1%). In the ApoE3 group, BMI correlated significantly with all indices of blood lipid (P < 0.05). However, with the exception of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), correlation between other indices of blood lipid and BMI varied in the ApoE genotypes. In the ApoE2 group, BMI correlated significantly with TG (P < 0.05), but not with ApoA I or high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C). In the ApoE4 group, BMI correlated significant with HDL-C and ApoA I (P < 0.05), but not with TG. CONCLUSION: Polymorphism of the ApoE gene could play a role in association of BMI with plasma level of lipid.

Apolipoprotein A-I↗
PubMed2001

[A case report of idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy].

PURPOSE: To report a case of idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (IPCV) and its angiographic characteristics. METHODS: General ophthalmic check up, analyses of fundus picture, funds fluorescein angiography (FFA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) as well as literature review. RESULTS: The lack of typical choroidal neovascularization (CNV) on FFA and characteristic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy on ICGA as well as its unsymmetrical manifestation and discrepancy with age-related macular degeneratio (AMD) on the fundus picture are typical signs for the diagnosis of IPCV. CONCLUSION: The angiographic features on FFA and ICGA are specific for the diagnosis of IPCV. Differentiating IPCV and AMD has clinical significance in prognosing the visual acuity, progress and management of the diseases.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Multidisciplinary approach to palliation of obstructive jaundice caused by a central hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Obstructive jaundice due to intraductal tumour growth is a rare symptom in association with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We report a 65-year-old white male who was admitted to our department with a 2-week history of progressive jaundice. At laparotomy, the liver showed advanced cirrhosis due to long-standing biliary obstruction. Cholangiography confirmed total obstruction of the main bifurcation of the hepatic duct by intraductal tumour growth. Combination treatment with surgical segment III drainage, transcatheter arterial embolization and radioembolization with yttrium-90 resin particles and endoscopic stenting was performed. This form of treatment has never been reported before. RESULTS: With these combined procedures, relief of jaundice and a survival time of 32 months could be achieved. CONCLUSION: The combination of palliative methods may relieve jaundice, ensure a good quality of life and possibly prolong survival in patients with mechanical tumour obstruction of the biliary tree by HCC.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Corneal topographical changes following strabismus surgery.

PURPOSE: To study corneal topographical changes after strabismus surgery. METHODS: Computer-aided corneal topography was used in 43 strabismus patients (45 eyes) one or two days prior to and six or seven days after strabismus surgery. The spherical and cylindrical equivalents were calculated based on the simulated keratometry. RESULTS: After the surgery, only the changes at 3 mm in the inferior quadrant were statistically significant. The changes at 3 mm in the rest quadrants and the changes at 7 mm were not significant. Significant changes in spherical equivalent were found post-operatively. Neither the horizontal nor the vertical meridional equivalent showed significant changes after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The results of corneal topographical changes following strabismus surgery in our preliminary study indicated the little effect of strabismus surgery on corneal curvature and corneal astigmatism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Effect of levodopa on visual evoked potential in amblyopia].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of levodpa treatment for amblyopia. METHODS: The patients with amblyopin were given a single dose of levodopa, and the normal control group was established with the other normal eye in unilateral amblyopia. Their pattern visual evoked potential(PVEP) were tested before and after taking levodopa. RESULTS: After taking a single dose of levodopa, the PVEP in the normal eyes showed that the N1P1 amplitudes evoked by middle spatial frequency stimuli and the P1N2 amplitudes evoked by high spatial frequency stimuli increased, however, in the amblyopic eyes showed that the N1 latency evoked by low spatial frequency stimuli and P1 latency evoked by middle spatial frequency decreased. CONCLUSION: A single dose of levodopa administration can induce improvement of PVEP in the amblyopic eyes, and levodopa may be efficacious in the amblyopic therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Preservation and observation of anterior ciliary vessels in rectus muscles during strabismus surgery.

PURPOSE: To observe the form and number of the anterior ciliary vessels (ACV) in rectus muscles. To train technician in preservation and observation of ACV, so preservation can be done in cases with a risk of anterior segment ischemia (ASI). METHODS: Curved foreign knife, iris hook, plastic rubber band and standard operating loupes (3x.) or microscope were used in the surgery on 34 cases of comitant strabismus and 18 cases of paralytic strabismus. RESULTS: The ACVs per muscle in medial, lateral, superior, inferior rectus were 3.08, 3.26, 3.50 and 3.50 respectively in 89 muscles of 52 surgical strabismus cases. All ACVs in 16 rectus muscles and 90 out of 220 ACVs in 73 rectus muscles were too small or too short to be dissected. The success rate of ACV preservation was 91.5% (119/130). 105 out of 130 vessels were saved using loupe magnification and 14 pit pf 130 vessels were saved under operating microscope. CONCLUSIONS: The number of ACV in rectus muscles are more than 2 in our observation cases. The ACV preservation has the clinical value of allowing us to perform muscle surgery on three or more rectus muscles simultaneously and get final surgical results more earlier after ACV in each muscle are dissected and preserved otherwise staged surgery are needed. The each strabismus surgeon must know this technique.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[Observation of compensatory head posture in superior oblique muscle paralysis].

PURPOSE: Superior oblique muscle paralysis is the most common disease in clinic. We analysed the cause, machanism and regularity of compensatory head posture in superior oblique muscle paralysis. METHODS: All of 27 cases with superior oblique muscle paralysis aere examined regularly, and special muscle, binocular single vision function with synoptophore examined. Bielschowsky test was made. RESULTS: In our cases, the incidence rate of compensatory head posture was 40.7%, which had relations with age when a patient had disease, period and function of binocular single vision. CONCLUSION: The existance of binocular single vision function is the physiological bases leading to compensatory head posture, and the patients whose ages are older than 3 years and the course is less than 10 years may present the compensatory head posture. So we should pay attention to early diagnosis and training to restore the binocular single vision function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Relationship between corneal dellen and tearfilm breakup time.

The BUT of 51 strabismus patients were measured before and after operation. The average pre-op BUT was 28.75 seconds (10.96"-91.80"). The post-op BUT in all operated eyes were reduced significantly, no matter what procedures had been performed and whether dellen appeared or not (P < 0.01). The BUT in the group complicated dellen reduced from 23.22" (pre-op) to 8.61" (post-op). The incidence of dellen was 22.54% in this study. The incidence of dellen after rectus resection procedure (47.75%) was much higher than that after rectus recession (5.13%) (P < 0.01). This study showed that dellen was closely related to the BUT and occurred more often in the eyes on which resection procedure was performed. It is considered that excessive lacrimation and elevation of the bulbar conjunctiva near the limbus may disturb the stability of the precornea tearfilm and cause the tearfilm break up earlier. Local corneal dehydration and dellen formation may be caused by reduced BUT. The incidence of dellen after operation may be higher if the cornea was carefully observed.

Corneal Diseases↗
PubMed1991

[Intermittent exotropia associated with accommodative esotropia].

Intermittent exotropia associated with accommodative esotropia is a rare particular type of strabismus. 8 cases of XT-ET were presented here. The clinical features of them were summarized as follows: 1. The age of onset was early. 2. The initial symptom was esotropia, exotropia was observed by doctor. 3. The most patients (6/8) associated high or medium hyperopia. 4. The AC/A rate were normal or lower than normal. 5. The angle of deviation varied with the examination, exotropia 30 degrees-15 degrees<-->orthophoria<-->esotropia 15 degrees-30 degrees. 6. The esotropia can be corrected with spectacles. The visual-vestibular interaction examination for eye movement were examined in 3 cases, but have no regular expression yet. Finally, the incidence (0.4%, 8/21 58) and treatment for this disease were discussed.

Accommodation, Ocular↗