Objective To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and exercise capacity in patients with chronic systolic heart failure.Methods The elderly patients with chronic systolic heart failure were consecutively recruited from 2008 to 2011 in cardiovascular clinic of Zhejiang Hospital.All the participants underwent height and weight measurements and BMI was calculated with these two parameters.Cardiopulmonary exercise test were performed to achieve peak oxygen uptake (PVO2),oxygen uptake to body mass ratio (PKVO2),oxygen uptake to heart ratio (VO2/HR) and ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VO2/VCO2).Results A total of the 273 patients with chronic systolic heart failure included 6 underweight patients (BMI ＜ 18.5 kg/m2),113 normal weight patients (BMI 18.5-＜ 24.0 kg/m2),116 overweight patients (BMI 24.0-＜ 28.0 kg/m2),and 38 obese patients (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2).In both NYHA Ⅱ and Ⅲ/Ⅳ patients,unadjusted correlation analyses showed that BMI was positively related to PVO2 and VO2/HR,and was inversely related to PKVO2 and VE/VCO2 (P ＜ 0.05),respectively.Multiple stepwise regression analyses showed age,sex,BMI (P ＜ 0.05) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were independent determinants of PKVO2,and age and BMI (P ＜ 0.05) were independent determinants of VE/VCO2.Conclusions BMI is significantly associated with exercise capacity in patients with chronic systolic heart failure,and also independent determinant for the PKVO2 and VE/VCO2,respectively.

Objective:To explore the effect of the virulence factor OatA during Staphylococcus aureus infection.Methods: In vitro,wild type of Staphylococcus aureus USA300,OatA gene deletion strain or OatA gene complemented strain were used to infect mice bone marrow divided macrophages (BMDMs).Subsequently BMDMs were separated and the case of cell death were detected.In vivo,mice pulmonary infection model was constructed with nasal inhalation of Staphylococcus aureus.Alveolar macrophages were isolated and the case of cell death were detected.Results: In contrast to wild type and OatA gene complemented strain,OatA gene deletion strain induced severer macrophage death both in vitro and in vivo.Conclusion: The virulence factor OatA inhibits Staphylococcus aureus infection-induced macrophage death.

Aptamers are a group of artificial oligonucleotides identified by exponential enrichment system evolution technology (Selective expansion of ligands by exponential enrichment, SELEX). Aptamers have been widely used in basic research, clinical diagnostics, and nano-technology. In this article we will introduce the technology of aptamer and summarize its applications in medical microbiology.
Aptamers, Nucleotide ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Microbiological Techniques ; methods ; Microbiology ; SELEX Aptamer Technique ; methods ; trends

OBJECTIVETo detect the estrogenic activity of genistein and apigenin with ER-positive cell line MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.

METHODMTT method was adopted to study the impact of genistein and apigenin on MCF-7 proliferation in vitro. Real-time RT-PCR method was used to detect their impact on ERalpha, ERbeta, PR and PS2 mRNA expression levels.

RESULTGenistein and apigenin promoted the proliferation of MCF-7. Genistein 1 x 10(-10) mol x L(-1) group showed a significant increase in the expression of ERa mRNA levels or a 17. 76 times more than the control group and a 1.75 times more than the E2 group. Apigenin notably promoted the PR mRNA expression or a 4. 57 times more than the control group and a 1.11 times more than the E2 group. Both of them had different effect in promoting ERalpha, ERbeta, PR or PS2 mRNA.

CONCLUSIONBoth genistein and apigenin have a strong estrogen-like effect. Although they have different effect in promoting estrogenic response genes (such as ERa, ERbeta, PR and PS2 mRNA), genistein shows a stronger activity than apigenin. It also suggests that the signaling pathways of phytoestrogens showing estrogen-like effect are not completely identical with estrogen pathways. The B-cycle position of flavonoids is one of the key sites to estrogen-like activity, and isoflavones (cycle B on site 3) show stronger estrogen-like activity than flavones (B-cycle lies in site 2).

Apigenin ; pharmacology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; genetics ; metabolism ; Estrogen Receptor beta ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Genistein ; pharmacology ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Phytoestrogens ; pharmacology ; Presenilin-2 ; genetics ; metabolism

【Objective】 To discuss the effect of temperature on the quality of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) prepared manually. 【Methods】 A total of 120 peripheral blood samples (60 mL/ person) were collected from healthy voluntary blood donors in the Blood Center of General Hospital of Southern Theater Command from May 10, 2010 to September 10, 2010. Each whole blood sample (60mL/ person) was randomly divided into 3 aliquots(20 mL each), totaling 360 aliquots, then divided into 9 groups (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, and C3), with 40 aliquots in each group. In group A: the ambient temperature for PRP preparation was set to (4±2)℃, and the temperature for PRP preparation and centrifugal bin was (4±2)℃, (24±2)℃ and (30±2)℃ for group A1, A2, and A3, respectively. In group B: the ambient temperature for PRP preparation was set to (24±2)℃, and the temperature for PRP preparation and centrifugal bin was (4±2)℃, (24±2)℃ and (30±2)℃ for group B1, B2 and B3 respectively. In group C: the ambient temperature for PRP preparation was set to (30±2)℃, and the temperature for PRP preparation and centrifugal bin was (4±2)℃, (24±2)℃ and (30±2)℃ for group C1, C2 and C3 respectively. Platelet concentrates were separated and prepared by rich slurry method, and the platelet recovery rate was calculated for each group, the platelet morphology was observed under the microscope, and the concentrations of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB), transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were quantitatively determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). 【Results】 The platelet count and platelet recovery rate were compared as follows: among group A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2 and C3, the results of A3, B3 and C3were (489.2±21.47) × 10⁹/L vs (495.7±23.2) ×10⁹/L vs (489.4±17.1) ×10⁹/L and (57.4±2.3)% vs (54.9±1.3)% vs (50.7±2.3)%, respectively, all showed platelet aggregation, and the differences, relative to A1 and A2, B1 and B2, and C1 and C2, were statistically significant (P<0.05). Microscopic observation was as follows: in the PRPs collected from group A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2, the platelet cells were uniform in size and without aggregation; in the PRPs collected from group A3, B3 and C3, some platelets showed aggregation. Determination of growth factor content was as follows: the content of TGF-β(ng/L) and PDGF-BB(ng/L) was 375.0±119.1 vs 183.67±106.2 and 933.0±273.0 vs 656±113.0 in the non-aggregation group and the aggregation group, respectively (P<0.05), while the content of VEGF(ng/L) was 217.5±93.5 vs 155.3±103.4 (P>0.05), with no statistically difference. 【Conclusion】 The ambient temperature had little effect on the preparation of PRP, and the temperature of the centrifuge bin was better to be maintained at (24±2)℃.