Objective To study the effect of capsule deficient strains CAP64 on apoptosis of mice microglia cell line (N9) cell in vitro . Methods N9 cells were co cultured with CAP64, the flow cytometry was employed to detect the N9 cellular apoptosis on different phase. Results The average apoptotic index of N9 after cultured for 2、4、8、16、24 hours with CAP64 were 9 33%、12 93%、15 37%、16 30% and 20 5%, respectively. There were significant differences between experimental group and control group. Conclusion Capsule deficient strains CAP64 can induce microglia cell line (N9) apoptosis

AIM To observe the expression of inducible nitric ox ide synthase (iNOS) in the rats' hippocampus of kainic acid (KA) induced-seizur es and the effect of L-arginine(L-Arg) or L-nitroarginine(L- NNA) chronic intervention before KA. METHODS The expression of iN OS mRNA by RT-PCR and behaviour were observed after administration of convulsan t dose of KA (10 mg?kg -1 ) and pretreatment with NO predecessor (L-Ar g, 40 mg?kg -1 ) or a inhibitor of NOS(L-NNA, 50 mg?kg -1 ) befo re KA. RESULTS The time-dependent seizures were induced on rats after giving KA, and were improved and serious in the animals with L-NNA pr etreatment, but they were alleviated by L-Arg pretreatment before KA. Compa red with control, iNOS mRNA expression was feebly at KA 3 h, continuative improv ement accompanying KA time prolonged, and it was markedly enhanced at KA 24 h. I t couldn't be examined at KA 2 d or 3 d, and was obviously improved at KA 7 d a gain. iNOS mRNA appeared weak in the rats hippocampus with L-Arg pretreatme nt after KA 1 h, whereas it wasn't found in L-NNA pretreatment animals. CONCLUSION iNOS mRNA expression appeared in the hippocampus of seizu re rats at a few time after KA, and L-Arg chronic intervention before KA ha s a little effect on it.

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the relationship between the quantity of peripheral dendritic cell (DC) and of serum HBV DNA and the inflammatory level in chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODSThe myeloid DC (DC1) and plasmacytoid DC (DC2) in fresh peripheral blood were enumerated by using three-color flow cytometry in chronic hepatitis B patients and healthy donors. The hepatic inflammatory levels were evaluated by percutaneous liver biopsy. The serum HBV DNA levels were determined by real-time PCR.

RESULTSCHB patients with serum HBV DNA < or = 10(6) copies/ml exhibited a significant increase in the percentage of circulating DC2 in comparison with those of CHB patients with serum HBV DNA > or = 10(6) and with healthy donors (P < 0.05). The two latter groups showed no significant differences between each other. There was also no significant difference in the relative quantity of peripheral blood DC1 among the three groups mentioned above (P = 0.162). No evidence was found to support that the relative quantity of peripheral blood DC2 was associated with the clinical severity of the disease or the inflammatory level in the liver (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe relative quantity of peripheral blood DC2 is associated with HBV DNA level. It is suggested that DC2 may play a pivotal role in inhibiting HBV replication in CHB patients. There was no relationship found between relative quantities of DCs and the inflammatory level in the liver.

DNA, Viral ; blood ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; Female ; Hepatitis B virus ; physiology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; immunology ; pathology ; virology ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Male ; Virus Replication