Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Brain ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Brain Edema ; etiology ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; chemically induced ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Collagenases ; Electroacupuncture ; Heparin ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To explore the role of interleukin-15(Il-15)in pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease(KD)and its potential cli-nical value.Methods Thirty patients with KD were selected in Xinhua hospital from Oct.2004 to Jan.2006.The serum concentration of IL-15 was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)in acute stage and convalescent stage of KD,and 30 children with low respiratory inflection and 20 healthy children were studied as controls.Results Serum IL-15 level in acute KD was significantly higher than that in normal control,and the two sides were remarkably different in statistics(q=25.64 P

Adult male Kunming mice were divided into normal control group,propylthiouracil(PTU) treated group and PTU+T_4 treated group.Neurogranin(Ng)protein expression in the hippocampus after 8 weeks was assayed by Western blotting and immunohistochemical method.Results showed that Ng protein was decreased in the hippocampus of male mice with adult-onset hypothyroidism,suggesting that decreased Ng,which is correctable by T_4,is involved in cognitive dysfunction in adult-onset hypothyroid male mice.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of rectangle titanium cage (SynCage-C) in the anterior cervical spine fusion.

METHODSNineteen patients underwent anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion using SynCage-C with average follow-up of 9 months.

RESULTSAll cases had cervical spondylosis with 13 cases of myelopathy and 6 cases of radiculopathy. One level fusion were 16 cases and two levels were 3 cases. The mean operation time was 40 minutes per level with average bleeding 60 ml. Patients were asked to wear a hard collar for average 8.5 weeks after the operation. The fusion was solid on lateral view X-ray films three months post-operation. Only 1 case had neck stiffness due to prolonged collar protection and another case had short term pain on bone dorner site. There were no other complications such as cage subsidence, displacement, milaligment and kyphosis of cervical spine.

CONCLUSIONThe SynCage-C can resort and maintain the intervertebral space effectively with the advantage of immediate stability, satisfactory fusion and easy to use.

Adult ; Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae ; surgery ; Equipment and Supplies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Orthopedic Procedures ; instrumentation ; methods ; Spinal Diseases ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Titanium ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDCervical arthroplasty is indicated to preserve cervical motion and prevent accelerated adjacent segment degeneration. Whether accelerated adjacent segment degeneration is prevented in the long term is unclear. This trial compared adjacent segment degeneration in Bryan disc arthroplasty with that in anterior cervical decompression and fusion five years after the surgery.

METHODSWe studied patients with single level degenerative cervical disc disease. The extent of adjacent segment degeneration was estimated from lateral X-rays.

RESULTSTwenty-six patients underwent single level Bryan disc arthroplasty and twenty-four patients underwent single level anterior cervical decompression and fusion. All patients were followed up for an average of sixty months. In the Bryan arthroplasty group, nine (17.6%) segments developed adjacent segment degeneration, which was significantly lower than that (60.4%) in the anterior cervical decompression and fusion group. Eleven segments in the Bryan arthroplasty group developed heterotopic ossification according to McAfee's classification and two segments had range of motion less than 2°. In the heterotopic ossification group, four (19.5%) segments developed adjacent segment degeneration, similar to the number in the non-heterotopic ossification group (16.7%). Adjacent segment degeneration rate was 50% in grade IV group but 11.8% in grade II to III.

CONCLUSIONSAdjacent segment degeneration was accelerated after anterior cervical decompression and fusion. However, Bryan disc arthroplasty avoided accelerated adjacent segment degeneration by preserving motion. Patients with grade IV heterotopic ossification lost motion, and the rate of adjacent segment degeneration was higher than that in patients without heterotopic ossification.

Adult ; Arthroplasty ; adverse effects ; Case-Control Studies ; Cervical Vertebrae ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; adverse effects ; Young Adult

To study xanthones from the barks of Garcinia xanthochymus, the constituents were isolated by normal-phase and reverse-phase silica gel column chromatography from the EtOAc extract. Their structures were elucidated by spectral analysis. Three new xanthones were purified and identified as 1,2,5-trihydroxy-6-methoxyxanthone (1), 1,4,6-trihydroxy-5-methoxyxanthone (2), 1,2,7-trihydroxy-4-(1,1-dimethylallyl) xanthone (3).
Garcinia ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Bark ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Xanthones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the significance of the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in prostate cancer (PCa) and its clinical association.

METHODSFifty one cases of PCa and 10 cases of BPH were studied by immunohistochemical method using monoclonal antibodies to MMP2 and MMP9.

RESULTSThere was significant correlation between MMP2 or MMP9 and pathological grade, Gleason score and PCa metastasis.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of MMP2 and MMP9 may play an important role in the development and metastasis of PCa.

Aged ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; biosynthesis ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; biosynthesis ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology

AIMTo determine the protective effect of ONO-1078, a leukotriene receptor antagonist, on focal cerebral ischemia induced by endothelin-1 in rats.

METHODSSlow microinjection of endothelin-1 (120 pmol in 6 microL, for > 6 min) into the region near the middle cerebral artery was used to induce focal cerebral ischemia. ONO-1078 (0.1 mg.kg-1) was i.p. injected 1 h before endothelin-1 injection. Neurological symptoms, brain edema, brain infarction size, and the survival neurons in cortex and striatum were observed 24 h after ischemia.

RESULTSIntracerebral microinjection of endothelin-1 induced remarkable neurological symptoms, brain infarction, brain edema, and decrease of survival neurons in the cortex and striatum. In rats pretreated with ONO-1078, endothelin-1-induced brain edema and brain infarction size were decreased. The numbers of survival neurons in striatum and cortex were increased significantly. The neurological symptoms were improved but not significantly.

CONCLUSIONONO-1078 possesses neuroprotective effect against cerebral ischemic injury induced by endothelin-1, therefore, leukotrienes may play a role in the injury of cerebral ischemia.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Brain Edema ; pathology ; Brain Ischemia ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Cerebral Cortex ; pathology ; Cerebral Infarction ; pathology ; Chromones ; pharmacology ; Corpus Striatum ; pathology ; Endothelin-1 ; Leukotriene Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Male ; Neurons ; drug effects ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Based on the principle of the pathway engineering, a novel pathway of producing glycerol was built in E. coli. The gpd1 gene encoding glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and the hor2 gene encoding glycerol 3-phosphatase were cloned from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively. The two genes were inserted into expression vector pSE380 together. A recombinant plasmid pSE-gpd1-hor2 containing polycistron was constructed under the control of the strong trc promoter. Then it was transformed into E. coli BL21. The result showed the recombinant microorganism GxB-gh could convert glucose to glycerol directly. And the recombinant microorganism GxB-gh was incubated to produce glycerol from D-glucose in the fermentor. The maximal concentration of glycerol was 46.67g/L at 26h. Conversion rate of glucose was 42.87%. The study is about "green" producing glycerol by recombinant microorganism and is also useful for further working in recombining microorganism of producing 1,3-propanediol.
Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Fungal Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Genetic Engineering ; Glycerol ; metabolism ; Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; enzymology ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of metoprolol on electrophysiology of ischemic and anoxic myocardium in diabetic rats.

METHODSForty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into 4 groups: diabetes group; diabetes and ablation of left sympathetic nerve group; diabetes and metoprolol group and sham group. The diabetes model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg/kg). The ventricular diastolic effective threshold (DET), effective refractive period (ERP), and Ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) were measured. The serum concentration of nerve growth factor (NGF) was measured.

RESULTSMetoprolol increased DET of ischemic and anoxic myocardium in diabetic rats. The ablation of the left sympathetic nerve increased VFT of diabetic rats. VFT in metoprolo group was significantly increased compared to diabetes group after ischemia. The concentrations of NGF in diabetic group and metoprolol group were higher than those in sham group. There were no difference in NGF levels between ablation of left sympathetic nerve group and sham group.

CONCLUSIONThe remodeling of sympathetic nerve affects the electrophysiology of ischemic myocardium of diabetic rats. Metoprolol can increase the VFT and decrease the excitation threshold of the ischemic myocardium in diabetic rats.

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; physiopathology ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Male ; Metoprolol ; pharmacology ; Myocardial Ischemia ; physiopathology ; Nerve Growth Factor ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sympathectomy