Biomedical subjects

X Jiao

Publications and source records attributed to X Jiao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Alcohol consumption alters dopamine transporter sites in Wistar-Kyoto rat brain.

Even though animal and human studies show alterations in dopamine transporter (DAT) sites after alcohol withdrawal, the role of DAT in influencing either alcoholic or depressive behavior has not been examined extensively. Given that the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat is a putative animal model of depressive behavior, the present study examined the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on DAT sites in WKY versus Wistar (WIS) rats. Brains from both strains were sectioned for autoradiographic analysis of [3H]-GBR12935 binding to DAT sites after 24 days of alcohol exposure. The results indicated that WKY rats consumed a greater amount of alcohol (P < 0.001) than WIS rats did throughout the experiment. Autoradiographic analyses of discrete brain regions indicated that alcohol consumption increased DAT sites in a greater number of brain areas in WKY compared to WIS rats. In WKY rats, the binding of [3H]-GBR12935 to DAT sites was increased in the basolateral, central and lateral nuclei of the amygdala, lateral nucleus of the hypothalamus, olfactory tubercle, caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens and substantia nigra (P < 0.05) and decreased in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus and the CA1 region of the hippocampus. In WIS rats, alcohol consumption increased DAT sites in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, basolateral nucleus of the amygdala, ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra, and decreased DAT sites in the lateral and ventromedial hypothalamus and dentate gyrus. These results indicate a strain dependent alteration in DAT sites which may be related to altered dopamine neurotransmission in select brain regions following alcohol consumption.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed2004

DNA immunization encoding the secreted nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) of hepatitis C virus and enhancing the Th1 type immune response.

To induce a sustained and specific cellular immune response to hepatitis C virus (HCV), DNA immunization of mice was performed using plasmids containing the HCV nonstructural gene 3 (HCV/NS3). Plasmids were constructed such that the NS3 gene was expressed in a secreted form, a nonsecreted form or as a membrane-bound antigen. The plasmid encoding the secreted antigen induced the strongest humoral and cellular immunity and favoured the T-helper type 1 (Th1) pathway as shown by cytokine profiles and switching of antibody subclasses. Our study indicates that DNA immunization with a secreted form of HCV/NS3 is an effective means of inducing primary Th1 immune responses in the murine model.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Trimodality treatment versus surgery alone for esophageal cancer. A stratified analysis with minimally invasive pretreatment staging.

BACKGROUND: Accurate pretreatment staging of esophageal cancer (EC) is important in the evaluation and comparison of results of different treatment modalities. Few studies using minimally invasive staging techniques for this purpose have been reported. We previously demonstrated the usefulness of the thoracoscopic/laparoscopic (Ts/Ls) technique in pretreatment staging of EC. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of trimodality based on pretreatment Ts/Ls staging diagnosis on EC. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 2 groups of EC patients. Group A (44 patients) underwent pretreatment Ts/Ls staging and had trimodality treatment. Preoperative therapy consisted of concurrent chemotherapy (5-FU + cisplatinum) and radiotherapy. Group B (33 patients) underwent surgery alone. The study focused on stratified comparison of patterns of recurrence and survival in different pretreatment surgical T, N, and TNM stage categories. RESULTS: The 3-year disease free survival of Group A was 40.8% with a median survival of 32.0 months, it was 43.6% with a median survival of 23.6 months in Group B. The difference was not significant (p=0.87). There was no difference in recurrence pattern between the 2 groups. Patients with squamous cell carcinoma in Group A had no local recurrence during the follow-up period while those in Group B had a high local recurrence rate of 40% (p<0.005). When stratified by T factor, patients with locally advanced T stage (T3-4) in Group A had a lower distant recurrence rate than their counterpart patients in Group B (9.1 vs 38.5%, p=0.03), they had a better survival but the difference was not significant (3-year disease free survival: 41.7 vs 17.9%, p=0.14). There were no significant differences in recurrence pattern and survival in different N categories and TNM stages between 2 groups. Multivariate analysis showed that only pretreatment surgical N status was an independent prognostic factor for the whole group (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment Ts/Ls staging can provide accurate staging information for EC patients. Trimodality treatment was successful in local control for patients with squamous cell carcinoma. It was effective in reducing distant recurrence and might prolong survival in patients with advanced T stages. Pretreatment lymph node status was the most important prognosticator regardless of treatment modality. Pretreatment pathological staging should be included in the future clinical trials on multimodality treatments in EC patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2001

Immunohistochemical localization of interleukin-2 and its receptor subunits alpha, beta and gamma in the main olfactory bulb of the rat.

Endogenous interleukin-2 (IL-2) was found in the adult rat brain, however, it has not been reported whether this cytokine is present in the olfactory bulb. Immunohistochemical techniques were used to examine the cellular localization of IL-2 and its receptor subunits in the main olfactory bulb of the rat. Strong IL-2 immunoreactivity was localized in glial cells, specifically in the olfactory nerve layer, glomerular layer and external plexiform layer. IL-2 mRNA was detected in the olfactory bulb by RT-PCR. All three IL-2 receptor subunits also showed distinct laminar distributions. The IL-2Ralpha and IL-2Rbeta immunoreactivity was found both in neurons and glial cells, whereas IL-2Rgamma imunoreactivity was found in glial cells, and thus resembled IL-2 immunostaining. The present results demonstrated a wide distribution of IL-2 and its receptor subunits in the main olfactory bulb of the rat, suggesting that IL-2 might play a role in the olfactory function through autocrine or paracrine pathways. The exclusive high expression of IL-2 in glial cells in distinct laminar structures, where neuron-glia interactions are closely associated with olfactory nerve regeneration, imply that IL-2 might be involved in the process of nerve regeneration in the olfactory bulb.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Pretreatment surgical lymph node staging predicts results of trimodality therapy in esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Prediction of responders to induction therapy in esophageal cancer (EC) patients is important. In this study, we evaluated the role of thoracoscopic/laparoscopic (Ts/Ls) staging in prediction of treatment response and survival in EC patients with trimodality treatment. METHODS: Retrospective study of EC patients who had undergone Ts/Ls staging and received trimodality treatment at the University of Maryland Medical Center and the Baltimore Veterans Administration Hospitals from July, 1991 to December, 1999. Preoperative therapy consisted of concurrent chemotherapy (5-FU + cisplatinum) and radiotherapy. RESULTS: Forty-four EC patients who underwent pretreatment Ts/Ls staging during the study period were able to complete concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by surgical resection. There were 36 men and 8 women aged 40 to 77 (median age 62). Twenty-seven (61.4%) patients were found to have lymph node metastasis by surgical staging. Fourteen patients (31.8%) had a pathologic complete response. Patients with positive lymph nodes had a lower response rate than those with negative lymph nodes (14.8% vs. 58.8%, P=0.006). Other clinicopathologic features including gender, weight loss, clinical TNM stage, surgical T stage, and histology did not correlate with treatment response. Univariate analysis showed that weight loss and treatment response were important prognostic factors for disease-free survival (P=0.01 and P=0.02, respectively). Histology, surgical N stage and surgical TNM stage appeared to be associated with prognosis (P=0.067-0.097). Multivariate analysis revealed that only surgical N status and weight loss were significant prognostic factors (P=0.05, and P=0.006, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical Ts/Ls staging provides accurate evaluation of tumor spread in EC patients. Pretreatment N status was the single most important predictor of response to induction treatment as well as a reliable prognosticator of survival.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

The metabolism of fatty acids in human Bietti crystalline dystrophy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of abnormal lipid metabolism in Bietti crystalline dystrophy. METHODS: Cultured human lymphocytes and fibroblasts from patients with Bietti crystalline dystrophy (BCD) were incubated in the presence of [(14)C]18:3n-3 or [(14)C]18:2n-6. Incorporation into the cellular lipid pools and further metabolism by desaturation or elongation were monitored by thin-layer chromatography and HPLC. Results were compared with those in normal control subjects and patients with Wolman disease (WD). RESULTS: Pulse-chase experiments with labeled fatty acids in all groups showed that, after 1 hour, radioactivity was largely confined to the triacylglyceride (TG) and choline phosphoglyceride (CPG) pools. However, after several hours, radioactivity was transferred from the TG and CPG pools, some going to the serine and ethanolamine phosphoglyceride (SPG and EPG) pools. Fibroblasts from all groups showed direct transfer of fatty acids (FAs) into CPG and EPG. Incorporation of labeled FAs into the EPG pool paralleled extensive desaturation and elongation of 18:2n-6 to 22:5n-6 and 18:3n-3 to 22:6n-3. Fibroblasts from patients with WD (a lysosomal acid lipase deficiency characterized by excessive lipid accumulation), showed higher incorporation of 18:2n-6 into TGs than did normal or BCD fibroblasts. Conversely, fibroblasts from patients with BCD showed lower conversion of 18:3n-3, but not of 18:2n-6, into polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) than those of normal subjects or patients with WD. This was true for total FAs, CPGs, and EPGs. Similar results were found in both fibroblasts and lymphocytes; however, unlike fibroblasts, lymphocytes from normal subjects showed similar levels of incorporation of FAs into EPGs and CPGs. In contrast, incorporation of 18:3n-3 into EPGs was decreased in lymphocytes from patients with BCD. CONCLUSIONS: BCD is characterized by a lower than normal conversion of FA precursors into n-3 PUFA, whereas there is a higher than normal level of n-6 and n-3 FAs incorporation into TGs in cells from patients with WD. These findings raise the possibility that abnormal lipid metabolism associated with BCD is the result of deficient lipid binding, elongation, or desaturation in contrast to the lysosomal acid lipase deficiency found in Wolman disease.

Cells, Cultured↗

PubMed2001

[An experimental study on the construction of composite graft with epithelia and fibroblasts on collagen sponge].

OBJECTIVE: Primarily cultured human epithelia and fibroblasts were inoculated on collagen sponge to construct composite skin substitute. METHODS: Epithelia and fibroblast asts from human foreskin were primarily cultured. Fibroblasts (1 x 10(5)/cm(2)) were inoculated on collagen sponge after digestion and cultured for 3 days prior to inoculation of epithelial cells (2 x 10(5)/cm(2)) to construct composite skin grafting substitute, and it was then grafted onto full skin loss (FSL) wounds of nude mice. Collagen sponge membrane lacking cell inoculation was used as control. The wound healing was evaluated by measuring the residual wound area. Tissue samples were harvested and examined by means of histology, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Epithelia and fibroblasts could be cultured in vitro on the carrier collagen sponge. After being grafted onto the wound, the epithelia and fibroblasts wound further proliferated and differentiated. The composite skin could stick to the carrier fairly well. There exhibited less epidermal scar proliferation and satisfactory contour of the neoskin. Integral basal membrane of the skin could be identified by immunohistochemical staining. The quality and speed of wound healing with the composite skin substitute were superior to that with collagen sponge only. CONCLUSION: The composite grafts constructed by epithelia and fibroblasts on collagen sponge could be a potential neotype composite skin substitute for the repair of FSL.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Relationship between human parvovirus B19 infection and aplastic anemia.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between human parvovirus B19 (HPV B19) infection and aplastic anemia (AA) and to investigate the role of HPV B19 in the occurrence of AA. METHODS: The presence of HPV B19 DNA was detected in the peripheral blood samples of 60 patients with AA (children 38 and adults 22) by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, and 30 healthy persons were selected as control. RESULTS: Sixteen (26.7%) of 60 AA cases were HPV B19 DNA positive, while all the samples in the control group were negative for HPV B19 (P = 0.000914). Among the case group, the positive rates of HPV B19 DNA were 21.4% (6/28), 30.0% (3/10), 20.0% (1/5) and 35.3% (6/17) in children acute AA (AAA), children chronic AA (CAA), adults AAA and adults CAA patients respectively, which were significantly higher than that in the control group. Furthermore, there was no remarkable difference between children AA and adults AA in the 16 HPV B19 DNA positive patients; neither was there between AAA and CAA. CONCLUSION: HPV B19 infection is not only correlated with the occurrence of children AAA and CAA, but also with adults AAA and CAA, and might be an important viral cause for AA in humans.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2000

Genetic linkage of Bietti crystallin corneoretinal dystrophy to chromosome 4q35.

Bietti crystalline corneoretinal dystrophy (BCD) is an autosomal recessive retinal degeneration characterized by multiple glistening intraretinal dots scattered over the fundus, degeneration of the retina, and sclerosis of the choroidal vessels, ultimately resulting in progressive night blindness and constriction of the visual field. Although BCD has been associated with abnormalities in fatty-acid metabolism and absence of fatty-acid binding by two cytosolic proteins, the genetic basis of BCD is unknown. We report linkage of the BCD locus to D4S426 (maximum LOD score [Z(max)] 4.81; recombination fraction [straight theta] 0), D4S2688 (Zmax=3.97; straight theta=0), and D4S2299 (Zmax=5.31; straight theta=0), on chromosome 4q35-4qtel. Multipoint analysis confirmed linkage to the region telomeric of D4S1652 with a Z(max) of 5.3 located 4 cM telomeric of marker D4S2930.

China↗

PubMed2000

A new model of erythrocyte injury in rats with Xueyu syndrome and its application.

A new model of rats with Xueyu Syndrome which was characterized by erythrocyte injury was presented. Observation of morphology and functions of erythrocytes showed that this model could not only be used as a model in Xueyu Syndrome and Huoxuequyu treatment study, but also be used for screening of drugs with the effect of preventing and treating damage of red blood cells.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Pleural lavage cytology in esophageal cancer without pleural effusions: clinicopathologic analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The literature of pleural lavage cytology (PLC) is focused on lung cancer. We conducted this pilot study to determine the incidence of malignant pleural cytologies in patients without pleural effusions who undergo curative resection for esophageal cancer, and to evaluate the clinicopathologic significance of positive cytology. METHODS: Forty-eight patients underwent esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer in our unit from January 1998 to January 1999. After thoracotomy, pleural lavage was performed before any intrathoracic manipulation and cytologically evaluated. RESULTS: There was one patient with stage I, 27 patients with stage II, and 20 patients with stage III cancer of the thoracic esophagus. The mean age was 55 years (range 41-77 years). Fifteen cases (31.3%) were found to have positive lymph nodes (N1). Squamous cell carcinoma was the dominant histopathologic type (91.7%). Positive lavage cytology in the whole group was found in 18.8% (9/48). There was no significant correlation to gender, age, clinical symptoms, histology, T or N status, TNM stage, or tumor location. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of positive pleural lavage cytology in esophageal cancer is disconcertingly high. Positive cytology might suggest a more aggressive tumor biology. Future studies on its relation to survival and occult lymphatic metastasis are warranted.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic staging for esophageal cancer.

Accurate pretreatment staging for patients with esophageal cancer (EC) is becoming increasingly important in the evaluation and comparison of different treatment modalities. Noninvasive staging methods are imperfect in detecting lymph node metastasis in patients with EC. Surgical staging with the thoracoscopic/laparoscopic (Ts/Ls) technique may provide accurate staging information that is useful for evaluating and comparing the results of clinical trials of preoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It can be used to confirm or exclude suspicious distant metastasis found by other staging methods. Pretreatment (lymph node) biopsies obtained by Ts/Ls staging allow further molecular biologic analysis to detect occult lymph node metastasis for more accurate lymph node staging. Since 1992, we have used Ts/Ls staging for EC in 111 patients. We found that Ts/Ls is a promising method for staging lymph nodes in EC patients. A recent study showed that pretreatment surgical lymph node staging can predict response and survival for EC patients receiving trimodality treatment (ie, radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery). The information obtained with surgical staging now offers us the opportunity to optimize therapy to specific patient groups based on the extent of disease at the time of initial presentation. Nevertheless, unlike the practice of mediastinoscopy in lung cancer patients, Ts/Ls staging in EC patients remains an academic interest rather than a clinical practice. The concept of accurate pretreatment staging of EC remains to be realized and accepted in the clinical community.

Biopsy↗

PubMed2000

Use of minimally invasive surgery in staging esophageal cancer.

Noninvasive staging of esophageal cancer (EC) is often inaccurate, and this fact has compromised clinical trials of treatment for EC. Prognostic evaluation might allocate chemotherapy and radiation more appropriately. Thoracoscopy and laparoscopy has recently shown promising results, and molecular analysis of the recovered tissue may further improve staging accuracy.

Endosonography↗

PubMed2000

Thoracoscopic sympathectomy.

The objective was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) for treatment of a variety of sympathetic disorders, including hyperhidrosis, splanchnic pain, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, and Raynaud upper extremity ischemia. Sixty-three ETS procedures were performed in 34 patients at the University of Maryland Medical System between March 1992 and August 1999 (14 male patients, 20 female patients; mean age 22 years). The indications for surgery were hyperhidrosis in 26 patients, upper extremity ischemia in 3 patients, splanchnic pain and reflex sympathetic dystrophy in 2 patients each, and facial blushing in 1 patient. Preoperative symptoms resolved completely or improved significantly in 97.1% (33/34) of patients. One patient with left reflex sympathetic dystrophy had symptoms that recurred shortly after surgery. There were no major complications; one patient with hyperhidrosis reported significant compensatory hyperhidrosis. These findings suggest that ETS is a safe and effective procedure for treatment of a variety of sympathetic disorders. Its application for hyperhidrosis is very effective, and its treatment of splanchnic pain, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, and Raynaud syndrome are rewarding. With increasing experience, ETS should become established in the repertoire of the thoracic surgeon.

Abdominal Pain↗

PubMed2000

[Cloning and expression of Shiga-like toxin type II variant B gene of E. coli].

A structure sequence and a DNA fragment including the signal peptide sequence and structure sequence of Shiga-like toxin II variant B subunit gene were amplified from E. coli strain O138 by PCR. After digested with restriction endonuclease EcoRI and BamHI, the two genes were orientally inserted into the polycloning site of expression vector pYA3334 (asd+) respectively. Recombinant plasmids pB0 and pB1 were constructed and amplified in E. coli X6212 (asd-). pB0 and pB1 were then introduced into avirulent Salmonella typhimurium vaccine strain X4550 (asd-) by serial transformation through intermediate strain X3730 (asd-) to construct recombinant SLT-IIvB strain. Results of nucleotide sequencing of the cloned fragments in pB0 and pB1 revealed that they were in correct ORF of SLT-IIvB. The results of SDS-PAGE and Western-blot showed that 7.6 kD protein of SLT-IIvB antigen was expressed at pretty high level in recombinant strain X4550(pB0). The results of mice immunization indicated X4550(pB0) could initiate the host to produce specific antibodies to SLT-IIvB and LPS-O antigen of X4550. So the recombinant strain X4550 (pB0) is worth considering as a candidate vaccine strain against porcine edema disease and Salmonella typhimurium infections.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

[The relationship between operation on gastrointestinal cancer and single cells metastasis via portal vein].

OBJECTIVE: To confirm the effect of radical operation on single cells metastasis of gastrointestinal cancer. METHODS: One hundred and seventy two patients with gastrointestinal cancer were divided randomly into group I (111 cases, ordinary operation) and group II (61 cases, operation after ligation of drained vessels). Catheters were inserted into the portal vein during operation. Blood was aspirated and contrifugated. Anti-EMA monoclonal antibody marked the cancer cells, which were shown by ABC immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: In the examinate group, 72 cases of gastrointestinal cancer were found positive cells among 111 cases (positive rate 64.9%). In the control group, 61 cases were tested and 13 cases were found positive cells (positive rate 21.3%) with a highly significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Ligating the relative blood vessel before the radical operation can prevent single cancer cells from metastasis via portal vein.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Thermodynamic parameters for an expanded nearest-neighbor model for formation of RNA duplexes with Watson-Crick base pairs.

Improved thermodynamic parameters for prediction of RNA duplex formation are derived from optical melting studies of 90 oligoribonucleotide duplexes containing only Watson-Crick base pairs. To test end or base composition effects, new sets of duplexes are included that have identical nearest neighbors, but different base compositions and therefore different ends. Duplexes with terminal GC pairs are more stable than duplexes with the same nearest neighbors but terminal AU pairs. Penalizing terminal AU base pairs by 0.45 kcal/mol relative to terminal GC base pairs significantly improves predictions of DeltaG degrees37 from a nearest-neighbor model. A physical model is suggested in which the differential treatment of AU and GC ends accounts for the dependence of the total number of Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds on the base composition of a duplex. On average, the new parameters predict DeltaG degrees37, DeltaH degrees, DeltaS degrees, and TM within 3.2%, 6.0%, 6.8%, and 1.3 degreesC, respectively. These predictions are within the limit of the model, based on experimental results for duplexes predicted to have identical thermodynamic parameters.

Base Pairing↗

PubMed1998

Identification, isolation, and characterization of a 32-kDa fatty acid-binding protein missing from lymphocytes in humans with Bietti crystalline dystrophy (BCD).

Bietti crystalline dystrophy (BCD) is an autosomal recessive retinal degeneration characterized by intraretinal lipid inclusions with degeneration of the retina and sclerosis of the choroidal vessels, resulting clinically in progressive night blindness and constriction of the visual fields. Characterization of fatty acid metabolism in Bietti crystalline dystrophy suggested that BCD might result from abnormalities in lipid-binding proteins or one or more enzymes active in fatty acid elongation and desaturation. To further investigate the first possibility, the docosahexaenoic acid-binding proteins (DHABPs) of human lymphocytes from patients with Bietti crystalline dystrophy were studied and compared with those of normal controls. For fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) identification, lymphocyte cytosol was first subjected to Lipidex 1000 chromatography. FABPs were then cross-linked with [14C]22:6n-3 and identified by HPLC and SDS-PAGE. Ten major peaks corresponding to calculated molecular weights of 13, 14, 32, 43, 45, 50, 64, 96, 105, and 186 kDa exhibit high-affinity binding of fatty acids. Significantly, peaks corresponding to two fatty acid-binding proteins of 32 and 45 kDa present in age-matched controls are absent from lymphocytes of patients with BCD. The 32-kDa fatty acid-binding protein present in normal individuals but absent from patients with BCD was isolated from cultured control human lymphocytes, its fatty acid-binding properties were characterized, and its amino acid composition was analyzed. It shows specific binding of 3n-3 fatty acids, consistent with the pattern of abnormalities of lipid metabolism demonstrated in patients with BCD. These results suggest that the 32- and 43-kDa FABPs are reasonable candidates for causing BCD.

Amino Acids↗