The isolation and culture of pathogenic free-living amoebae are useful in the diagnosis and research. This review focuses on the methods of isolation and cultivation of pathogenic free-living amoebae, including sample treatment, culture conditions, passage culture, pathogen detection, and maintenance.

Objective To observe the induction of tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCs) by curcumin (Cur) and its mechanism.Methods After immature DCs from bone marrow cells of Wistar rats were treated with different concentrations of Cur (0,10,20 and 30?mol/L) respectively,and then the DCs were tested by flow cytometry for the surface molecules expression.After the immature DCs were treated by 30?mol/L Cur with or without stimulation of LPS,endocytosis of DCs to dextran was tested by flow cytometry.The production of IL-12 in DC culture supernatant was determined by ELISA.The levels of NF-?B p65 and RelB translocation to the nucleus were investigated by Western- blot.The activity of NF-?B was detected by NF-?B-binding ELISA and luciferase reporter gene analy- sis.The ability of DCs to stimulate the proliferation of T cells from Lewis rats were analyzed by mixed leukocyte reactions (MLR).Results Cur suppressed LPS-indueed cell-surface expression of costimu- latory molecules (CD80,CD86 and CD40) in a dose-dependent manner.When Cur was used at a con- centration of 30?mol/L,there was no marked difference in the surface molecules expression of LPS- inducing DCs as compared with immature DCs.After DCs were induced by LPS (LPS group),the positive rate of FITC-Dextran uptake was (36.6?7.2)%,and the secretory amounts of IL-12 were (415.9?42.7) pg/ml.In DCs of LPS group,the intranuclear RelB and p65 were highly expressed and their DNA binding activity was 0.65?0.08 and 0.74?0.07 respectively.The luciferase activity of reporter gene in LPS group DCs was remarkably increased to 435% as compared with that in the controls.DCs in LPS group showed strong capacity to stimulate T cells proliferation.When DCs were treated with 30?mol/L Cur followed by induction with LPS (Cur+LPS group),the positive rate of Dextran uptake was (78.6?14.2)% and remarkably higher than in LPS group (P

Objective To analyze the surgical treatment and pathological manifestations in patients with hyperparathyroidism. Methods The clinical data of 368 patients undergoing parathyroidectomy with hyperparathyroidism in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between Oct 1974 and Jan 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Results 368 cases underwent parathyroidectomy. There were 249 women (67.7%) and 119 men (32. 3% ). Parathyroid lesions were located in normal positions in 318 cases (86. 4% ), and in ectopic positions in 50 cases (13.6%). The pathology of 264 cases (71.7%) was adenoma, 91cases (24.7%) was hyperplasia, 11 cases (3.0%) was carcinoma, and two cases was parathyroid cyst. Postoperatively 257 cases (68.0%) presented with hypocalcaemia, and 159 cases (66. 0% ) recovered within 7 days. Conclusions The main pathological diagnosis was adenoma. It is common for a ectopic parathyroid gland in which a parathyroid lesion is located.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Sleep Arousal Disorders ; diagnosis ; physiopathology

Animals ; Humans ; Reference Standards ; Tissue Banks ; standards ; trends

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of the three iodide transporters in thyroid diseases. Methods Literatures about the Na+/I-symporter (NIS), pendrin and human apical iodide transporter (hAIT) in recent years were reviewed and their expressions in different thyroid diseases were also analyzed. Results NIS proteins express at the basolateral membrane of thyrocytes in normal thyroid tissue, while pendrin and hAIT proteins are limited to the apical membrane of thyrocytes lining in the follicular lumen. In the tissues of thyroid carcinomas, it was found that the NIS proteins expressed in the cytoplasm and their expressions decreased; The mutation of NIS gene may be one of the main causes of congenital hypothyroidism. The expression of prendrin protein may be related to the function of follicles: its expression level increased significantly both in Graves diseases and toxic adenomas, but significantly decreased in differentiated thyroid carcinoma. However, the correlation between the decrease and the degrees of differentiation of carcinoma cell line are still disputable. The expression of hAIT protein does not significantly altered in hyperfunctioning tissues. It only slightly decreased occasionally in hypofunctioning adenomas, but it decreased significantly in thyroid carcinomas. Conclusion The abnormal expressions of the three iodide transporters may be related closely with the type of thyroid diseases. However, their pathogenic mechanisms and the causes of their abnormal expression are still unknown, which need to be studied further.

OBJECTIVE:To observe therapeutic efficacy and safety of Milrinone injection in the treatment of hypertensive heart disease complicated with heart failure. METHODS:A total of 120 patients with hypertensive heart disease complicated with chronic heart failure were randomized into control group and observation group according to random number table,with 60 cases in each group. Control group received routine therapy,including blood pressure controlling,anti-heart failure and other symptomatic treatment;observation group was additionally given Milrinone injection 0.3 mg/kg,continuous pump,qd. A treatment course lasted for 5 d. Both groups received one course of treatment each month for consecutive 6 months. Both groups were followed up for one year. 6 min walking distance(6MWD),BNP,LVEF,CI,LVEDD,heart rate,sitting systolic blood pressure(SiSBP)and sitting diastolic blood pressure(SiDBP),re-hospitalization rate and cardiovascular mortality were observed in 2 groups before treatment, after 3,6 months and 1 year of treatment;therapeutic efficacy of heart function and the incidence of ADR were compared between 2 groups. RESULTS:Before treatment,there was no statistical significance in 6MWD,BNP,LVEF,CI,heart rate,SiSBP and SiDBP between 2 groups;after 3 months,6 months and 1 year of treatment,6MWD,LVEF and CI of 2 groups were increased significantly,while BNP,LVEDD,resting heart rate,SiSBP and SiDBP were decreased significantly;the observation group was significantly better than the control group,with statistical significance(P<0.05). Total response rate of heart function was 90.00%in observation group,which was significantly higher than 63.33% in control group,with statistical significance(P<0.05). After 1 year of follow-up,re-hospitalization rate of observation group was significantly lower than that of control group,with statistical sig-nificance (P<0.05);there was no statistical significance in cardiovascular mortality (P>0.05). There were no statistical signifi-cance in the incidence of ADR between 2 groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Milrinone injection shows good efficacy in the treatment of hypertensive heart disease complicated with heart failure,can significantly reduce BNP and re-hospitalization rate as well as improve prognosis with good safety.

Deseription was given of the effect of electric acupuncture of Neiguan point on the flexion reflex potential (FRP) of the hindlimbs and the dorsal root potential (DRP). On the intact and awake rats, the graded train stimulation (three pulses, 5ms interval, 0.5ms duration) was given to the sural nerve (a pure cutancous n(?), the C-FRP and C-DRP with their proper amplitudes (70～80% maximum) were obtained on the hamstring nerve (a group of nerves innervating the hindlimb flexors) and L5 dorsal root respectively. Then the electric acupuncture with low freqency and low intensity (4Hz, 1～3V)and low freqency and high intensity ( 4Hz, 20～40V), lasting 5 minutes, was given to the ipsilateral Neiguan point. After acupuncture, the amplitudes of both C-FRP and C-DRP decreased without change of their latebcues. The former one declined heavier and recovered slower than the latter one did. The A-FRP and A-DRP were not affected. Te result of the experiment suggests that the ipsilatcral Neiguan point cletric acupuncture can induce hindlimb's analgesia, the presynaptic inhibition might be involved in the mechanism of such analgesia.

The effects of spindle afferents activated by stretching gastrocnemius on the nociceptive responses of WDR neurons were recorded extracellularly with microelectrode and observed in paralyzed rats. The results indicated that in 51/80, the spindle afferent activity activated by stretching can inhibit nociceptive responses of neurons. 16 out of 80 neurons no effects can be observed, in 13/80 the effects of spindle afferent activity can excite the nociceptive responses of WDR neurons. Among 51 units, which have inhibitory effects induced by stretching muscle, the inhibitory effects induced by instance and bilateral stretching are stronger than that induced by continuous and unilateral stretching. These results suggested that spindle afferent activity is possesaed of analgesic effects.

On the intact and awake rat, the flexion reflex potential (FRP)and dorsal root potential (DRP) induced by stimulation of the cutaneous nerve with graded intensity stimulations to the sural nerve (a pure cutaneous nerve) were observed, there appeared A-FRP and C-FRP one after the other on the hamstring nerve (a group of nerves innervating the hindlimb flexors), and A-DRP and C-DRP on the L_5 dorsal root at the same time. The threshold and the latencices of A-FRP and A-DRP had no differences, and had significant positive correlations. The amplitudes of A-FRP and A-DRP increased simultaneously with the increase of the stimulating intensity in certain range. The threshold and latency of C-FRP are larger than those of C-DRP. The threshold and the latency of the C-FRP and C-DRP showed significant positive correlation. The amplitudes of C-FRP and C-DRP increased simultaniously with the increase of the stimulating intensity in certain range. The train stimuli (three pulses, 5ms interval, 0. 5ms duration) induced larger FRP and DRP than those induced by single stimulus. Thus, FRP and DRP both have the property of temporal summation.