AIM: Studying the mechanism of protective role of metallothionein (MT) in hypoxic preconditioning(HPC) of cultivated rat cardiomyocytes. METHODS: Using the model of hypoxia/reoxygenation of cultivated rat cardiomyocytes. Determing the contents of MT, malonyldialdehyde (MDA) - metabolism product of lipid peroxidation and the activities of Na+ - K+ ATPase, Ca2+ - Mg2+ ATPase of cardiomyocytes 24 h after HPC, the determining the relevant changes after using MT antibody. RESULTS: After 24 h in HPC, the contents of MT and activities of Na+ - K+ ATPase, Ca2+ - Mg2+ ATPase were obviously higher than those in the control and hypoxia/reoxygenation(P＜ 0. 05 ), and the contents of MDA were decreased remarkedly (P ＜ 0.01 ). Then after using MT antibody, the activities of two enzyme were progressively decreased and the contents of MDA were significanily higher than those in the control and MT antibody - free groups(P ＜ 0.01 ). CONCLUSION: HPC may induce excessive synthesis of MT, and MT can protect myocardial reoxygenation injury by eliminating lipid peroxidation and rising the activities of Na+ - K+ ATPase and Ca2+ - Mg2+ ATPase.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value and significance of myocardial injury markers in neonates.Methods A retrospective analysis of 838 cases of myocardial injury markers in neonates,the total positive rate of hs -cTnI and the positive rates of hs -cTnI(hypersensitivity cardiac troponin I)in different kinds of neonatal disease were calculated,the levels of abnormalities consistent rate in hs -cTnI and CK -MBmass(creatine kinase MB mass)were compared with hs -cTnI and MYO(Myoglobin).Results The total positive rate of hs -cTnI was 40.33% in the 838 neonates.The highest incidence of myocardial injury was neonatal sepsis (57.14%),followed by neonatal pulmonary hemorrhage (55.56%)and neonatal convulsions (54.55%).The abnormalities consistent rate of hs -cTnI and CK -MBmass was better than hs -cTnI and MYO (85.50% vs 28.11%,χ2 =226.9,P <0.05). Conclusion Neonatal hospitalized children often complicated by myocardial injury;As a biochemical myocardial injury marker,the hs -cTnI detection is important for early detection of myocardial injury,it should be recommend as routine test items;CK -MBmass has better correlation with hs -cTnI than MYO,which can provide guide for doctors to interpret the data of myocardial injury markers.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1(PD-L1) in peripheral T-lymphocytes from patients with chronic periodontitis and its significance and to clarify its role in the development of chronic periodontitis.

METHODSA total of 73 subjects were included in the study and divided into three groups, chronic periodontitis(30 cases), chronic gingivitis(25 cases) and 18 healthy controls. The peripheral blood was collected and PD-1/PD-L1 expression in the surface of CD(+)4 T lymphocytes and CD(+)8 T lymphocytes was examined by flow cytometry. Blood samples from 16 chronic periodontitis patients were collected at week 0 and 6 after initial therapy for 6 weeks and PD-1 and PD-L1 expression in the surface of CD(+)4 and CD(+)8 T lymphocytes was also determined by flow cytometry. The data were statistically analyzed.

RESULTSThe percentage of PD-1 expression in CD(+)4 and CD(+)8 T lymphocytes of chronic periodontitis group[(16.7 ± 5.5)%,(20.8 ± 5.1)%]and chronic gingivitis group[(14.2 ± 6.1)%,(14.5 ± 4.3)%]were higher than that of healthy controls[(9.5 ± 2.1)%, (8.1 ± 1.9)%](P < 0.05). The percentage of PD-L1 expression in CD(+)4 and CD(+)8 T lymphocytes of chronic periodontitis group[(24.2 ± 7.1)%,(15.3 ± 6.8)%]and chronic gingivitis group[(12.4 ± 6.0)%,(11.2 ± 5.5)%]were higher than that of healthy controls[(4.7 ± 1.2)%, (3.2 ± 2.3)%] (P < 0.05). The percentage of PD-1/PD-L1 expression in CD(+)4 T lymphocytes and CD(+)8 T lymphocytes of the chronic periodontitis group were significantly decreased after initial therapy(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in peripheral CD(+)4 T lymphocytes and CD(+)8 T lymphocyte of chronic periodontitis patients was up-regulated and was associated with periodontal condition. The initial therapy reduced the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1.

B7-H1 Antigen ; biosynthesis ; Case-Control Studies ; Chronic Periodontitis ; immunology ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor ; biosynthesis ; T-Lymphocytes ; Up-Regulation

A rich diversity of wild medicinal plant resources is distributed in China, but the breeding of new plant varieties of Chinese medicinal plants started late and the breeding level is relatively weak. Chinese medicinal plant resources are the foundation for new varieties breeding, and the plant variety rights(PVP) are of great significance for the protection and development of germplasm resources. However, most Chinese medicinal plants do not have a distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing guideline. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has put 191 plant species(genera) on protection lists, of which only 30 are medicinal species(genera). At the same time, only 29 of 293 species(genera) plants in the Protection List of New Plant Varieties of the People's Republic of China(Forest and Grass) belong to Chinese medicinal plants. The number of PVP applications and authorization of Chinese medicinal plants is rare, and the composition of variety is unreasonable. Up to now, 29 species(genera) of DUS test guidelines for Chinese medicinal plants have been developed. Some basic problems in the breeding of new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants have appeared, such as the small number of new varieties and insufficient utilization of Chinese medicinal plant resources. This paper reviewed the current situation of breeding of new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants and the research progress of DUS test guidelines in China and discussed the application of biotechnology in the field of Chinese medicinal plant breeding and the existing problems in DUS testing. This paper guides the further application of DUS to protect and utilize the germplasm resources of Chinese medicinal plants.
Agriculture ; Biotechnology ; Plant Breeding ; Plants, Medicinal/genetics*

BACKGROUND: Red-cell transfusion is critical for surgery during the peri-operative period; however, the transfusion threshold remains controversial mainly owing to the diversity among patients. The patient's medical status should be evaluated before making a transfusion decision. Herein, we developed an individualized transfusion strategy using the West-China-Liu's Score based on the physiology of oxygen delivery/consumption balance and designed an open-label, multicenter, randomized clinical trial to verify whether it reduced red cell requirement as compared with that associated with restrictive and liberal strategies safely and effectively, providing valid evidence for peri-operative transfusion. METHODS: Patients aged >14 years undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery with estimated blood loss > 1000 mL or 20% blood volume and hemoglobin concentration <10 g/dL were randomly assigned to an individualized strategy, a restrictive strategy following China's guideline or a liberal strategy with a transfusion threshold of hemoglobin concentration <9.5 g/dL. We evaluated two primary outcomes: the proportion of patients who received red blood cells (superiority test) and a composite of in-hospital complications and all-cause mortality by day 30 (non-inferiority test). RESULTS: We enrolled 1182 patients: 379, 419, and 384 received individualized, restrictive, and liberal strategies, respectively. Approximately 30.6% (116/379) of patients in the individualized strategy received a red-cell transfusion, less than 62.5% (262/419) in the restrictive strategy (absolute risk difference, 31.92%; 97.5% confidence interval [CI]: 24.42-39.42%; odds ratio, 3.78%; 97.5% CI: 2.70-5.30%; P <0.001), and 89.8% (345/384) in the liberal strategy (absolute risk difference, 59.24%; 97.5% CI: 52.91-65.57%; odds ratio, 20.06; 97.5% CI: 12.74-31.57; P <0.001). No statistically significant differences were found in the composite of in-hospital complications and mortality by day 30 among the three strategies. CONCLUSION: The individualized red-cell transfusion strategy using the West-China-Liu's Score reduced red-cell transfusion without increasing in-hospital complications and mortality by day 30 when compared with restrictive and liberal strategies in elective non-cardiac surgeries. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01597232.
Humans ; Adult ; Postoperative Complications ; Erythrocyte Transfusion/adverse effects* ; Blood Transfusion ; Hospitals ; Hemoglobins/analysis*