Objective To investigate the association between the polymorphisms of apolipoprotein M gene (ApoM) and the risk for cerebral infarction in Han population in northern China.Methods The polymorphisms of ApoM gene were identified by PCR-DNA sequencing analysis and were subsequently detected by PCR-RFLP in 560 patients with cerebral infarction and 550 control subjects in northern China. Statistic analysis was conducted using the SPSS 10.0 program. The linkage disequilibrium (LD) was analyzed by EH and SHEsis softwares. Results Three single nucleotide polymorphisms were found in intron 1 and intron 5 of ApoM gene. The frequencies of GA+AA genotype and A allele of rs805264, GT +TT genotype and T allele of rs707922, CA+AA genotype and A allel of rs707921 were significantly higher in the patients (33.8% and 17.9%, 34.5% and 18.3%, 33.4% and 17.8%, respectively) than in controls (21.1% and 11.2%, 21.8 % and 11.5%, 20.9% and 11.1%, respectively). The LD was found in rs805264, rs707922 and rs707921 of ApoM gene (χ2=2595.03, P<0.01). There was strong LD between each pair of the three markers (D′=0.972 to 0.992). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the A-T-A haplotype of the ApoM gene was an independent risk factor for cerebral infarction (OR=1.780;95%CI=1.333-2.376, P<0.01). Conclusions GA genotype and A allele of rs805264, GT genotype and T allele of rs707922, CA genotype and A allele of rs707921 may be genetic risk factors for cerebral infarction. A-T-A haplotype of ApoM gene may be a susceptible genotype of cerebral infarction.

AIM: To compare the quality of Liuwei Dihuang Pill among the pharmaceutical companies by determining the content and the dissolution of paeonol of Liuwei Dihuang Pill. METHODS: A method of determining paeonol and the dissolution from Liuwei Dihuang Pill was establishod. HPLC was used with methanol-water (70 ∶30) as a mobile phase and detection wavelength was at 274 nm. The flow rate was 1.0 mLmin, injection volume was 20 ?L. The percentage of dissolution was determined in the 30% methanol- 0.1 mol1 HCL solution. RESULTS: A good linearity was over the weight range of 1.4 ?g-140 ?g, the average recovery was 97.38% , the RSD for reproducibility was 1.44% (n=6). The parameter of Tianjin’s production was T_ 50 = 156.77 , T_d= 256.55 ,M= 0.734 and the parameter of Beijing’s production was T_ 50 = 110.66 , T_d= 197.19 , M= 0.583 . CONCLUSION: The method is simple, and can be used to determine the content and the percentage of dissolution of paeonol in Liuwei Dihuang Pill. The experiment indicates that the percentage of dissolution has no obvious distinction in products from different manufactures; but has obvious distinction in the batches of same manufacture.

0.05). Conclusion Clopidogrel resistance may influence long-term prognosis in patients implanted with DES, and it may contribute to recurrence of ischemic events.

ObjectiveTo construct and identify a DNA vaccine of Schistosoma japonicum (Chinese strain) thioredoxin. MethodsAccording to a cDNA sequence of S.japonicum (Philippine strain) thioredoxin, a couple of primers was designed with the BamH I restriction endonuclease site introduced in forward primer with ATG as start condon and EcoR I in reverse primer with TCA as termination codon. The gene encoding S.japonicum (Chinese strain) thioredoxin (SjcTrx) was amplified by RT-PCR using total RNA of schistosome as the template. The PCR products and the pcDNA3 plasmids were digested by restriction endonucleases BamH I and EcoR I. The target DNA fragment were purified and cloned properly into the eukaryotic expression vector of pcDNA3. The recombinant plasmids were then transformed into competent E.coli JM109 and identified by endonucleases digestion, PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis and sequencing. ResultsThe RT-PCR product was around 334 bp judged by agarose gel electrophoresis. The same fragments were obtained by restriction enzyme digestion from the recombinant plasmid and PCR with the plasmid DNA as a template. The recombinant plasmid, designated pcDNA3-SjcTrx, was sequenced and shown to be 97% and 43% identical in deduced amino acid sequences to that of S.japonicum (Philippine strain) and S.mansoni thioredoxin, respectively. ConclusionThe S.japonicum thioredoxin DNA vaccine had been constructed successfully, and further studies will be made in different animal models for its immunogenicity.

Objective To investigate the effects of ?-aescin on the germ cell apoptosis and expression of bcl-2 and Bax proteins in bilateral testes following ipsilateral testicular torsion and detorsion. Methods Thirty adolescent male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group (C group), model group of testicular torsion and detorsion (M group) and ?-aescin treatment group (T group), each group containing 10 animals. In M and T groups, rats underwent a clockwise 720? ipsilateral testicular torsion for 2 h followed by detorsion, and the rats in T group were intraperitoneally injected with ?-aescin 15 min before detorsion. 48h after operation, bilateral testes were collected, and used to detect cell apoptosis and expressions of bcl-2 and Bax by TUNEL technique and immunohistochemical method, respectively. Results In M group, the apoptotic index of the germ cells and Bax expression of bilateral testes significantly increased compared with C group (P

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been widely used in the treatment of Sjogren's syndrome. However, there remains no systematic review to assess the effectiveness and safety of CHM.

Background: The conventional therapy for chronic hepatitis C is the combination of interferon-alpha and ribavirin. However, it has some adverse effects and does not response to some patients, and it is also very expensive. Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicinal herbs for chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Search strategy: Electronic and manual searches were conducted and the search ended in July 2009. Inclusion criteria: We included randomized clinical trials testing Chinese herbal medicine vs placebo, non-specific treatment, antiviral treatment, or Chinese herbal medicine combined with antiviral treatment vs antiviral treatment alone. Data extraction and analysis: Selection of trials for inclusion, assessment of methodological quality, data extraction and data syntheses were conducted according to the protocol of a Cochrane systematic review by the authors. Results: Fifty-one randomized trials (involving 3 678 patients) with various methodological quality were included. The studies published in English had good quality, while studies published in Chinese were of poor quality. The pooled results showed that Chinese herbal medicine alone or in combination with antiviral treatment was generally better than non-specific treatment or antiviral treatment alone, and herbal medicine appeared equal to antiviral treatment regarding comprehensive clinical effect in terms of symptoms, liver function and virological response. Regarding virological response including loss of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and anti-HCV antibodies, herbal medicine was better than non-specific treatment, equal to antiviral treatment, and the combination of herbs and antiviral treatment was better than antiviral treatment alone. Similar positive findings were found for liver function improvement. Adverse effects were observed among herbal injections and interferon treatment, and few cases had severe adverse effects. Conclusion: Herbal medicines included in this review have effects in improving symptoms, liver function, and loss of HCV markers in patients with chronic hepatitis C. However, for majority of the included trials were published in Chinese and had low quality, the promising effects from some herbs need to be confirmed in rigorous clinical trials, and the design and reporting of trials should follow international standards. Systematic review registration: http://www.cochrane.org, 380700081611301089.

CT findings of hepatic abscesses in 80 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The results showed that most of hepatic abscesses tended to be round or oval (62/80, 77.5%) because of higher osmotic pressure within the cavities. All intrahepatic foci appeared as the hypodense area on CT scans, and their CT attenuation values varied with the amount of fibrin, fatty degenerated leukocytes and necrolic sequesters. The enhanced CT scans showed the lesions more clearly than the unenhanced. Rim enhancement in the wall of abscess was the typical finding (62/80, 77.5%). The detection of “target sign” is highly suggestive of abscess formation and diagnosis of abscess is more valid if there is the gas within the cavities. But some of abscesses were hetrogenerous in density and appeared as “cluster sign” which was composed of the numberous small abscesses and may evolule the larger cavities with multisepta. The chest findings companicd with hepatic abscesses are much common (72/80, 90%). It is difficult to diagnose hepatic abscesses when the margin of lesions is poorly defined and not enhanced after contrast. In (general, CT is an effective, tool in diangosis of abscesses(74/80,accuracy 92.5%).

In order to elucidate the mechanism of liver damage due to acute biliary sepsis,the changes of hepatocyte mitochondria were observed during biliary sepsis in the rat.The accompanied liver function changes were also studied.Mitochondrial calcium content,and lysosome fragility of the hepatocytes,lipid peroxide (LPO) level of liver tissue,ornithine carbamoytransferase (OCT),mitochondrial glulamicoxloacetic transaminase (m-GOT),and hepa-toplastin were determined.It was found that there were overloading of calcium in mitochondria,increase of lysosome fragility,and accumulation of LPO in the liver.These events would result in adverse effects on mitochondrial function.The activity of serum OCT and m-GOT was significantly increased,which suggests that mitochondria are seriously damaged since the 2 enzymes mainly come from hepatocyte mitochondria.And the liver reserving function declined progressively.Our study indicates that mitochondrial damage does exist during acute biliary sepsis,which might play an important role in liver damage.