Objective To determine the value of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (sTREM-1) in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (sCOPD). Methods From 2015 January to 2015 August, 101 patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 81 healthy controls were en-rolled. All subjects underwent pulmonary function test to record FEV1%pred and FEV1%FVC and their serum sTREM-1 levels were determined. Arterial blood gas analyses and COPD assessment tests were also conducted in stable COPD patients. Results Serum sTREM-1 levels were significantly higher in stable COPD patients than healthy controls (113.2 ± 31.5 pg/mL and 83.8 ± 17.9 pg/mL respectively, P=0.000). sTREM-1 levels were posi-tively correlated with CAT score (r=0.507, P=0.000), whereas negatively correlated with FEV1%pred and PaO2 (r = 0.507, P = 0.000; r = 0.439, P = 0.000). Conclusion sTREM-1 is a promising biomarker to evaluate sCOPD in the future.

Objectives To explore the correlation of level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D with pulmonary function in adult with asthma. Methods Patients were divided into Asthmatic group(n=62)and Control group (n=28). The Asthmatic group was further divided into Mild Group (n=6), Moderate Group (n=13) and Severe Group (n=43). Serum levels of 25-hy?droxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], denoted as 25(OH) Vit D was detected by ELISA. Pulmonary function indicators,including FVC (forced vital capacity) , FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) , FEV1%predicted , and FEV1/FVC%were deter?mined by a pulmonary function testing device. General profiles such as medical history, age and height as well as serum VitD levels were compared between subgroups of the asthmatic groups and between two genders. Serum levels of 25 (OH) VitD were compared between asthmatic group and control group while its correlation with FEV1%predicted were calculated in all three sub asthmatic groups. Results There was no significant difference in medical history, age, height and the 25(OH) VitD levels between male and female participants. Serum 25(OH) Vit D level was significantly lower in the asthmatic patient group [(29.69±20.45) nmol/L] compared to that in control group [(75.16±4.06) nmol/L] (P<0.05). It was significantly lower in severe sub group than those in the mild and moderate sub groups. The differences were both statistically significant ( P<0.05). There were positive correlations between serum 25(OH) Vit D levels and FEV1%predicted ( P<0.05) in all sub asth?matic groups. Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in asthmatic patients, and there is a strong correlation between 25(OH) Vit D asthma severity as well as between lung function.

ObjectiveGeneration of human induced pluripotent stem cells from human skin fibroblasts.MethodsSox2, Klf4, Oct4, c-Myc were transfected into HSF cells with retrovirus, and then HSF cells was reprogrammed to iPS cells.Detecting cells endogenous and exogenous gene, analyzing karyotype,cells alkaline phosphatase staining and immunofluorescence staining, differentiating into teratomas in vivo and embryoid bodies in vitro were performed.ResultsiPS cell morphology was similar to embryonic stem cells (ES).The expression of Nanog, Oct4, Rex1, Sox2 in iPS cells were higher than HSF cells, and Sox2, Klf4, Oct4, c-Myc were silenced for the iPS cells.Exogenous genes were inserted into the nucleus of iPS cells, which was confirmed by 1％ agarose gel electrophoresis.iPS cell karyotype was normal, alkaline phosphatase activity increased, ES cell-specific protein expressed.iPS cells were differentiated into a teratoma in vivo and embryoid bodies in vitro.ConclusionsiPS cells were similar to ES cells, which have pluripotency.

Objective To generate of human induced pluripotent stem cells from umbilical cord matrix cells(UMC).Methods Sox2 and Klf4 and Oct4 and c-Myc were transfected into UMC cells with retrovirus,and thcn UMC cells was reprogrammed to iPS cells.Gene expression was confirmed with RT -PCR and the integration was confirmed with cell karyotype.iPS cells were further validatcd with cell alkaline phosphatase detection and immunofluorescence staining,differentiating into teratomas in vivo and embryoid bodies in vitro.Results iPS cells were similar to embryonic stem cells (ES).The expression of Nanog,Oct4,Rex1 and Sox2 in iPS cells were higher than UMC cells,and Sox2,Klf4,Oct4,c-Myc silenced in iPS cells.Exogenous genes were inserted into the nucleus of iPS cells,which was confirmed by 1％ agarose gel electrophoresis.iPS ccll karyotype was normal,alkaline phosphatase activity increased,ES cell-specific proteins,including SSEA3,SSEA4,TRA-1-60,TRA-1-81 and Nanog,were expressed.iPS cells were differentiated into a teratoma in vivo and embryoid bodies in vitro.Conclusions iPS cells were similar to ES cells,which had pluripotency.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; metabolism ; pathology ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Mitochondria ; pathology ; Podocytes ; cytology

To confirm the hypothesis that the high frequency sequences of high throughput sequencing are the terminal sequences of the bacteriophage genome. An adaptor of specific sequence was linked to the end of the bacteriophage T3 genomic DNA, which was then subject to high throughput sequencing; as a control, the same T3 genomic DNA without adaptor was also analyzed by high throughput sequencing. The sequencing results were examined with bioinformatics software. Similar high throughput sequencing technique was applied to analyze the genomic sequence of N4-like bacteriophage IME11. Bioinformatics study showed that the sequences tagged with adaptors were consistent with the high frequency sequences without adaptor labeling. Our analysis also indicated that the end of the T4-like phage genome had specific sequences instead of random sequences, disagreeing with the previous assertion. Evidences were provided that N4-like bacteriophage had a particular terminal sequence: the left end of the genome was unique while the right end was permuted. The high throughput sequencing technique was convenient and practical to be used to simultaneously detect the terminal sequence and the complete sequence of bacteriophage genome.
Caudovirales ; genetics ; Computational Biology ; Genome, Viral ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate effects of cigarette, alcohol consumption and sauna on sperm morphology.

METHODS602 cases of male infertility were selected from our case database, who were divided into three subgroups: smoking (243) , drinking(224), sauna(135) and those without any of the above habits were taken as the corresponding controls. The sperm morphology were analyzed by automated sperm morphology analyzer(ASMA). A questionnaire was voluntarily filled out by patients in order to investigate cigarette, alcohol consumption and sauna frequency.

RESULTSThe normal morphologic sperm rates in cigarette, alcohol consumption and sauna groups were lower than those in the corresponding control groups, respectively(P <0.05, P <0.001). Percentages of irregularity head sperm were higher than those in normal controls, respectively(P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONCigarette, alcohol consumption and sauna could affect sperm morphology, especially caused increasing of irregularity head sperm.

Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; cytology ; Steam Bath ; adverse effects ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUNDAlthough flunarizine has been widely used for migraine prophylaxis with clear success, the mechanisms of its actions in migraine prophylaxis are not completely understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of flunarizine on tetrodotoxin-resistant Na(+) channels and high-voltage activated Ca(2+) channels of acutely isolated mouse trigeminal ganglion neurons.

METHODSSodium currents and calcium currents in trigeminal ganglion neurons were monitored using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Paired Student's t test was used as appropriate to evaluate the statistical significance of differences between two group means.

RESULTSBoth tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium currents and high-voltage activated calcium currents were blocked by flunarizine in a concentration-dependent manner with the concentration producing half-maximal current block values of 2.89 µmol/L and 2.73 µmol/L, respectively. The steady-state inactivation curves of tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium currents and high-voltage activated calcium currents were shifted towards more hyperpolarizing potentials after exposure to flunarizine. Furthermore, the actions of flunarizine in blocking tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium currents and high-voltage activated calcium currents were use-dependent, with effects enhanced at higher rates of channel activation.

CONCLUSIONBlockades of these currents might help explain the peripheral mechanism underlying the preventive effect of flunarizine on migraine attacks.

Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Flunarizine ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Sodium ; metabolism ; Trigeminal Ganglion ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism

0.05).Moreover,the growth curves of the two kinds of cells were similar.Con- clusions The cell growth properties of cultured transplanted rabbit SMG are similar to that of normal SMG,the cytobiological charac- teristic of transplanted autologous free rabbit SMG are not changed evidently.

Toll like receptor ( TLRs) is a highly conserved transmembrane protein expressed in epithelial cells and immune cells,which is a kind of important receptor to identify the damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). TLRs and DAMP produced by tumor cells after chemotherapy combine to produce the corresponding biological effects via MyD88 dependent and independent path-ways. At present,the research application of TLRs identifying DAMP clinically is mainly focused on promoting the release of the DAMP and enhancing the expression of TLRs to strengthen the immune effect of chemotherapy drugs.