The connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression in cultured corneal fibroblasts and its effect on corneal fibroblasts proliferationin vitro were examined. Total RNA was extracted from early passaged rabbit corneal fibroblasts by guanidine isothiocyanate one-step method and mRNA was reversely transcripted into complementary DNA (cDNA). Specific CTGF primers were used in the PCR reaction and the products were analyzed by electrophoresis to determine the expression of mRNA for CTGF against DNA marker. House-keeping gene GAPDH was used as control. Different concentrations of CTGF (0.5, 5, 50, 500, 5 000, 50 000 ng/ml) were added into the third passaged corneal fibroblast culture system, and its effect on corneal fibroblast proliferation was measured by MTT method. The results showed that compared with a GAPDH 450 bp band, CTGF RT-PCR product showed a specific 120 bp band as expected. CTGF produced a dose-dependent increase in the proliferation of corneal fibroblasts but it inhibited fibroblast proliferation at higher concentrations (5000 and 50 000 ng/ml). It was concluded that proliferating corneal fibroblasts produce CTGF and CTGF helps to promote corneal fibroblast proliferation. The results indicated that CTGF might be involved in the corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy in which corneal fibroblasts are activated to proliferate and secrete growth factors that in turn promote corneal fibroblast proliferation.

To study the expression of placental isoferritin (PLF) in placental tissue of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and the relationship between the level of expression of PLF and the amount of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in serum, immunohistochemical technique was used to detect the expression of PLF in placenta tissue in 45 PIH patients (PIH group) and 15 normal pregnant women (normal group). High resolution pathological image analysis system (HPIAS-100) was employed to determine the quantity of PLF. The VCAM-1 in serum was examined by enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that the levels of PLF expressions in moderate and severe PIH patients were significantly lower than that of normal group (P<0.01). The serum VCAM-1 was significantly decreased in PIH group (1310±177 ρ/ng/ml) than that of normal group (609±72 ρ/ng/ml,P<0.01). The significant negative correlation existed between the expression of PLF in placental tissue and the serum VACM-1 (r=0.58,P<0.01). It was concluded that the level of PLF expression in PIH decreases and is negatively correlated with the mount of serum VCAM-1, indicating that these may be involved in the pathogenesis of PIH.

To explore a new method for the therapy of the avascular necrosis of the femoral head, the recombinant plasmid pCD-hVEGF₁₆₅ was mixed with collagen and was implanted in the necrotic femoral head. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was detected by RNA dot hybridization and immunohistochemical method. The repair of the femoral head was observed by histological method. The results showed that the expression of VEGF was detectable in the femoral head treated with VEGF gene. Angiogenesis in these femoral heads was more abundant than the control. Bone repairing was augmented in the femoral head treated with VEGF gene. The results suggest that angiogenesis in bone tissue could be augmented by gene transfection of VEGF and bone repairing would be accelerated accordingly.

To get formed of the status of research and application of the domestic behavior therapy and its development trend, the time distribution and the subject distribution were bibliometrically analyzed of the literature on behavior therapy from 1981 to 2000 in the CBMdisc. Our results showed that the number of literature of behavior therapy has been increasing in exponential manner over the past 20 years: the behavior modification, the biofeedback and the cognitive therapy are extensively used in China. In clinical practice, the behavior modification and the biofeedback have been applied in all departments of medical institutions, especially for treating the cardiovascular and the neurological conditions. The cognitive therapy has been employed mainly for the treatment of mental disorders (or dysphrenia), the aversive therapy mainly for material withdrawal, and the systematic desensitization for phobia. There was no report found on the clinical use of meditation. It is concluded that the study and application in behavior therapy in China is currently developing very fast.