Cordless-Microscope

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) inhibits the proliferation of tumors in early stages of cancers, whereas it promotes tumor growth and metastasis in later stages of cancers. To examine the effect of the TGF-β1 polymorphisms on gastric cancer risk, we studied the association between C–509T and T+29C (Leu10Pro) polymorphisms in TGF-β1 and gastric cancer risk in 414 cases and 414 controls in the Chinese population. When the overall gastric cancer cases were compared with the controls, no significant difference was found in genotype distributions for both the polymorphisms examined. However, when stratified by tumor stage, the –509T and +29C allele carriers had a 0.57-fold (95% CI = 0.36–0.90) and a 0.58-fold (95% CI = 0.36–0.91) decreased risk of TNM stage I+II gastric cancer, respectively, as compared with non-carriers. We conclude that TGF-β1–509T and +29C alleles may have a protective role in the development of stage I+II gastric cancer.

The development of digital oedema, adhesion formation, and resistance to digital motion at days 0, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 14 after primary flexor tendon repairs using 102 long toes of 51 Leghorn chickens was studied. Oedema presented as tissue swelling from days 3 to 7, which peaked at day 3. After day 7, oedema was manifest as hardening of subcutaneous tissue. The degree of digital swelling correlated with the resistance to tendon motion between days 3 and 7. At day 9, granulation tissues were observed around the tendon and loose adhesions were observed at day 14. Resistance to digital motion increased significantly from day 0 to day 3, but did not increase between days 3 and 9. The early postoperative changes appear to have three stages: initial (days 0–3, increasing resistance with development of oedema), delayed (days 4–7, higher resistance with continuing oedema) and late (after day 7–9, hardening of subcutaneous tissue with development of adhesions).

Low-virulent Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot) were successfully isolated from scrub typhus patients in Shandong, China, and the isolates were similar to the Kawasaki type identified by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To identify the morphological characterization of the low-virulent Ot, and elucidate the pathological changes on host cells, mouse spleen tissue infected with the Ot isolated from Shandong was used for the ultrastructural study. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the Ot parasitized in the spleen were different in size, shape and electron density and many significant changes occurred in cytoplasmic organelles of the inoculated mouse spleen cells. Swollen perinuclear cisterna was observed in the nuclear membranes of mononuclear cells and a multivesicular body was found in the intracytoplasm of the macrophage. In the phagosome of the macrophage, many Ot enveloped with an additional membrane were found to push the phagosomal membrane outward from inside. The results indicated that the low-virulent Ot and the spleen cells suffered various damages.