Objective To investigate the early neurotoxicity of rotenone on dopaminergic neurons and explore an ideal tissue model. Methods A long-term midbrain slice culture system of SD pup was established according to the interface tissue culture method.After rotenone was added for some time,its toxic effects on the whole slices and the dopaminergic neurons were identified through the measurements of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) released into the medium from the slices and dopamine(DA) content from the cultured tissue,as well as the observations of immunohistochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase(TH). Results In those cultures exposed to rotenone for 24 h,the level of DA in tissue dramatically decreased with the concentrations rising.The processes of TH-positive neurons in slices demonstrated some morphological changes,such as appearance of string of beads,reduce of numbers and even disappearance.The content of dopamine in tissue was dominantly decreased with 5 nmol/L rotenone for 14 days,although its cellular morphology was not seen to change.Conclusion Long-time stable midbrain slice culture system has been set up successfully.The neurotoxicity of rotenone on the whole slices and dopaminergic neurons shows a dose-dependent manner.The functional damages on the neurons may be earlier than their morphological changes,of which the injury in the processes of neurons seems to be an early characteristic.

Objective:To establish the quality control for Yangxueyin oral liquids. Methods:TLC was applied to identify Angeli-cae Sinensis Radix and Fructus Ziziphi Jujubae. The content of astragaloside A in Yangxueyin oral liquids was determined by HPLC-ELSD. A Luna C18(250 mm ×4.6 mm,5 μm)column was used, the mobile phase was acetonitrile-water (38∶62)with the flow rate of 0. 8 ml·min-1 , and the column temperature was 40℃. The temperature of the drift tube was 85℃, and the flow rate of the carrier air was 2.0 L·min-1. Results: The linear range of astragaloside A was 0.522-4.176 μg(r =0.999 8). The average recovery was 97. 9% with RSD of 1. 03% (n=6). Conclusion:The method is convenient, sensitive and accurate, which can be used in the quality control of Yangxueyin oral liquids.

Objective To investigate the relationship between obesity parameters and obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in aircrew. Methods A questionnaire survey in aircrew members was performed. Outcome measurement included body height, body weight, neck circumference ( NC), waist circumference (WC), and body mass index (BMI). Those with snoring during sleep and/or Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS)score ≥ 9 were screened with pulse oxygen saturation test during overnight sleep. Those with oxygen saturation decrease index ≥ 10 times/h and suspected OSAHS were tested by polysomnography (PSG). The objects were then assigned to three groups: the OSAHS group,the snore group and the normal group. The relationship between obesity parameters and OSAHS was analyzed. Results There were 399 ( 37. 54% ) overweight, 36 ( 3. 39% ) obesity, 130 ( 12. 23% ) increased NC, and 354 (33.30%)increased WC in 1063 aircrew members (OSAHS group ＞ snore group ＞ normal group; P＜O. 05). The mean value of BMI, NC and WC in the three groups were dittos. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that overweight, obesity and increased WC were significantly associated with snoring (P ＜0.05) and snoring enlarged NC was significantly correlated with OSAHS (P＜ 0.05). Conclusion Increased BMI, NC and WC may be risk factors of OSAHS among aircrew. Effective prevention and treatment of OSAHS should be needed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Mycoses ; diagnosis ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: There are pressure sensors in carotid-sinus, which are very sensitive to blood pressure regulated by ions and play an important role in the regulation of blood pressure. But it is yet not very clear how different ions regulate the blood pressure through pressure sensors in carotidsinus.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of different ions at various concentrations outside the carotid-sinus.DESIGN: Self-control experiment.SETTING: Preclinical Experiment Center, Fourth Military Medical University of Chinese PLA.MATERIALS: The experiment was accomplished in the Preclinical Experiment Center, Fourth Military Medical University of Chinese PLA from December 2000 to June 2001. Totally 18 New Zealand pure strain rabbits were provided by the Aninal Experimenting Center of Fourth Military Medical University of Chinese PLA. They were standard grade Ⅱ, of either gender and body mass was (2.0±0.2) kg.METHODS: The rabbits were divided into Na+, K+ and Ca2+ groups according to random numbers, and each group consisted of 6 rabbits. After anaesthesia, tracheal intubatton was performed on the rabbit, and bilateral carotid arteries were separated with carotid-sinus separated on one side and vessel intubatton performed in the other side for blood pressure measurement. Then various concentrations of Na+, K+ and Ca2+ ions were added outside the carotid-sinus with the pipette to make the carotid-sinus completed immersed in the ion solutions. The basal blood pressure and the peak value after ions addition were recorded respectively.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The basal blood pressure and the peak value after ions addition.RESULTS: After Na+ (0.15, 1.5 mol/L) was added the blood pressure was(97±12), (83±17) mm Hg. It was decreased significantly compared with the basal value (106±14), (105±12) mm Hg (t=2.946, P ＜ 0.05). K+ (0.4 mol/L)decreased the blood pressure significantly [(106±12), (64±13) mm Hg, (t=13.496, P ＜ 0.01)], but other concentrations of K+ were not effective. Ca2+(0.07 mol/L) increased the blood pressure to (113±16) mm Hg compared with the basal value (103±12) mm Hg (t=-3.627, P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: Na+, K+ and Ca2+ regulate the blood pressure by acting on the carotid-sinus directly. High concentrations of Na+ and K+ possess the effect of decreasing the blood pressure, while high concentrations of Ca2+increases it, which may be an important mechanism of blood pressure regulation.

Objective To investigate the effects and mechanisms of sulindac, a non-selective cyclooxygenase(COX)inhibitor, on the proliferation and apoptosis of colorectal cancer cell line HT-29.Methods HT-29 cells were treated with sulindac. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to measure the proliferation and apoptosis respectively. The laser scanning microscope(LSM)and the fluorescence microscope were used to observe apoptosis of the cells, and the flow cytometry (FCM)analysis was used to observe the cell apoptosis and cell cycle. Results Sulindac inhibited the cells proliferation and induced apoptosis in a dose-and time-dependent manner. With the TUNEL staining and fluorescence microscope, we found that the apoptosis cell became brown. After the Annexin V/PI staining, we observed that the membrane of apoptosis cells became green with LSM; the nucleosidase became red or crocus. FCM showed that sulindac promoted apoptosis of the cells, made the stage of G0/G1 ceils significantly reduced. Conclusions Our results showed that sulindac may inhibit the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of colon cancer cell HT-29,and the mechanism may probably be related to cell cycle arrest.

Objective To investigate neuroprotective function of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist, rosiglitazone against reperfusion injury after focal cerebral ischemia in mice model.Methods To establish cerebral isebemia-reperfusion injury mice model, adult male mice underwent 2 hours of middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 22 hours reperfusion (MCAO/R). One hour before MCAO/R, mice were treated with either vehicle (MCAO/R group) or rosiglitazone (6 mg/kg, rosiglitazone group). 2,3,5-triphenyhetrazolium chloride (TIC) staining was applied to determine the volume of cerebralinfarction.TheneurologicaldeficitwasscoredatZeaLonga 5-pointscale. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was measured in brain tissue as an index of neutrophil accumulation. RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and Western blot were performed to examine the mRNA and protein expression of pro-inflammatory mediators (ICAM-1, IL-1β and COX-2).Results (1) The volume of cerebral infarction in rosiglitazone group was significantly decreased from that of MCAO/R group ( 29. 1 ± 6. 6 vs 57.8 ± 9. 7 ,t = 5. 980, P < 0. 01 ), and rosiglitazone markedly improved neurological function in treated mice than MCAO/R mice(1.2 +0.4 vs 3.3 ±0.8, t =5.812, P<0.01). (2) Compared with MCAO/R group, MPO activity in the rosiglitazone-treated group was significantly lower ((0. 049 + 0. 005 ) U/g vs (0. 083 ±0. 008) U/g,t =5. 904, P <0. 01 ). (3) The mRNA and protein expression of pro-inflammatory mediators (ICAM-1, IL-1β and COX-2) in rosiglitazone group were also significantly decreased from those in MCAO/R group, as demonstrated by RT-PCR (0.313 ±0.024, 0.205 ±0.007, 0.359 ±0.060, t = 7.464, 19.656, 29.319, P <0.01, respectively) and Western blot (0.274±0.014, 0.205±0.025, 0. 146±0.015, t=79.909, 21.392, 95. 105, P<0.01, respectively). ConclusionThe present study suggests that PPARγ agonist, rosiglitazone, has neureprotective properties to cerebral ischemia-reperfusian injury and that the protection is partially mediated via anti-inflarmmatory actions.

Objective To determine the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary interstitial fibrosis (IPIF). Methods From December 2006 to January 2008, 24 consecutive patients with IPIF admitted to Beijing Chaoyang Hospital underwent 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring and esophageal manometry. Meanwhile, 23 patients with diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) (excluding IPIF) admired to the hospital in the same period served as a control group. Comparison of the prevalence of pathologic esophageal acid exposure GERD symptoms, and ineffective esophageal motility (IEM) between the two groups was made. In this study, nocturnal acid exposure is defined as acid reflux episodes occurring from 10pro to 6am. Results (1) 16 out of the 24 (66. 7%) patients with IPIF were demonstrated to have pathologic esophageal acid exposure; the prevalence of GERD in IPIF patients was significantly higher than that in other DPLD patients, whose prevalence was 26. 1% (P<0.05); (2) 87.5% patients with IPIF and GERD (GERD-IPIF) had nocturnal acid exposure episodes; (3) only 37.5% of the GERD-IPIF patients was found to have typical GERD symptoms such as heartburn and regurgitation; (4) The prevalence of IEM was similar in IPIF and other DPLD patients, being 42.9% and 39. 1% respectively (P >0. 05). Conclusions IPIF patients have higher prevalence of GERD and most of them usually do not show typical reflux symptoms. It is hereby suggested that IPIF patients should be screened with pH monitoring for GERD.

Objective: To detect estrogen receptor α and β(ER-α, ER-β)protein expression in different age of mouse thymus.Methods:Protein expression of ER-α and ER-β in thymus was analyzed via immunohistochemistry.Moreover,the relationship between ER-α and cytokeratin 18(epithelial cell marker)was further tested through fluorescence double-staining.Results: Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that both ER-α and β protein was found in nuclei of some thymocytes of 3 month mice.However,expression of ER-β was absence while ER-α was still positive in aged mice, such as 12 months and 16 months old.Double staining further confirmed that lots of ER-α/β positive cells were Foxp3 negative cells.Conclusion: Expression of ER-β is absent while ER-α is still positive in thymus of aged mice, which indicates ER-α is the critical estrogen receptor that involves in thymic involution.Moreover, ER-α/β do not participate in Treg development within thymus.