Objective To observe the protective effect of Erigeron Breviscapus(Vant.)Hand-Mazz(EBHM) on retinal ganglion cells(RGCs) and optic nerve in rabbits with elevated intraocular pressure(IOP). Methods Twenty rabbits with chronic elevated IOP were divided into two groups randomly: EBHM treated group(the ocular hypertension with EBHM treated subgroup and the normal IOP with EBHM treated subgroup) and untreated group(the simple ocular hypertension subgroup and the simple normal IOP subgroup). EBHM was irrigated into the stomachs to the treated group after IOP elevated continuously for 7 d.For light and electron microscopy studies,the rabbits' eyes were made into eyeball samples and optic nerve samples after 60 d.The density of RGCs,thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL),and optic nerve axons were observed and quantitated by computer image analysis system.The ultra-microstructure changes of RGCs and optic nerve axons were observed by electron microscope.Results(①The RNFL) thickness,RGCs density and number of axons of the two ocular hypertension subgroups were decreased,compared with those of the two normal IOP subgroups(P

Objective To investigate the role of serum in children with Kawasaki disease(KD)in acute stage and ?-globulin role in monocyte cell-produced leukotriene B4(LTB4).Meanwhile,to investigate the effects of the monocyte cell conditioned media(MCM)on the expression of leukotriene B4 receptor 2(BLT2)in endothelial.In order to understand whether LTB4-BLT2 pathway gets involved in vascular damage in KD and the mechanism of ?-globulin in the lessening vascular damage of KD.Methods The concentration of LTB4 in cell culture after the stimulation by serum of healthy children,serum of acute KD and serum of acute KD with ?-globulin were observed,respectively.The expression of BLT2 in the endothelial was determined by flow cytometry.Results 1.The serum of children with KD increased the concentration of LTB4 in MCM(P

Objective:To determine berberine and palmatine in Phellodendron chinense Schneid.and its granules.Methods: The reversed-phase ion pair high performance liquid chromatography(RP-HPLC) was used and the validation of the method was tested.The chromatography condition was with Lichrospher C18 column(4.6 mm?250 mm,5 ?m), mobile phase was ACN∶25 mmol/L NaH 2PO 4∶25 mmol/L SDS(2∶1∶1),flow speed was 1.0 ml/min,detection wavelength was 345 nm,and temperature of column was 25℃,Phellodendron chinense Schneid.and its granules were extracted with methanol solution of hydrochloric acid.Results: The theoretical plate number of berberine and palmatine were 14 906 and 14 847,the resolution were 2.33 and 2.86,the tailing factor were 1.09 and 1.06,respectively; all the parameters were suitable for determination.The calibration curves were linear in the range of 40-500 ng,Y=698 278X-3 846,r=1.000(berberine) and 20-250 ng, Y= 536 632X- 7 738, r=0.999 9,r=0.999 4(palmatine).The intra-day and inter-day precision(RSD) at low,middle and high injection amount was all less than 2.5%(berberine) and 1.5%(palmatine).The stability(RSD) was 0.66%(berberine) and 0.70% (palmatine) in 48 h.The recurrence(RSD,n=5) was 0.11%(berberine) and 0.12%(palmatine).The limits of detection was 2.0 ng(berberine) and 1.0 ng(palmatine).The recoveries were 100.4% (RSD=0.12%,n=3) for berberine and 99.80%(RSD=0.22%,n=3) for palmatine.The contents of berberine and palmatine in 3 batch of Phellodendron chinense Schneid.and 5 batch of its granules were determined.Conclusion: Our method can be used for determination of berberine and palmatine in Phellodendron chinense Schneid.and its granules, which is simple and reliable.

The contents of schisandrin, schizandrin A, B and C were determined by HPLC, and the effects of the climate factors and altitude on lignin contents were analyzed in order to select the optimal cultivation area of S. chinensis. The lignin contents were analyzed by HPLC using a ZORBAX SB-C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm). The column temperature and detection wave length were set at 35 degrees C and 254 nm, respectively. Methanol-water was used as the mobile phase in gradient elution mode and the flow-rate was 1.0 mL min(-1). The method had a good repeatability, stability and accuracy. The correlation of climate factors and lignins contents was analyzed by SPSS software. The results showed that the schizandrin A content in S. chinensis fruits were higher than 0.4% in Ji'an, Liuhe, Antu and Fusong in Jilin province, which met the quality requirement. It had significant linear negative correlation relationship between schisandrin, schizandrin A, B and altitude, the contents decreased with the increase of altitude. The significant negative linear fitting coefficient was 0.844 1 between schisandrin and altitude; but it had not significant correlation between schizandrin C and altitude. A significant positive correlation of climate factors and the contents of S. chinensis lignins were mainly the temperature factors (the average annual temperature, the highest temperature in July, the average temperature in July, the highest temperature in January, the average temperature in January) and precipitation factor (average annual precipitation), which reveals that higher temperature and precipitation were helpful to the formation and accumulation of lignins of S. chinensis. So the cultivation area of S. chinensis should be in the low elevations region with warm and rainy climate.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Ecological and Environmental Phenomena ; Geography ; Lignin ; metabolism ; Schisandra ; metabolism

Objective To analyze nucleic acid sequence homology of the 6 kb(pYC) plasmid of Yersina. pestis (Y. pestis) isolated from Yurman by searching GenBank. Method The search of sequence similarity was accomplished with BLAST. Results The pYC plasmid sequence had high homology with some genes in nueleotide sequence, such as: 97.1% homology with Shigella sonnei pKYM, 92.1% homology with Haemophilus influenzae(H. influenzae) gene, Salmonella typhi (S. typhi) gene LT2 and plMVSI with 88.2% and 87.2% of homology respectively, Escherichia coli(E, coli) O157:H7 and K-12, ECOR31 with 81.4%, 81.4% and 84.7% of homology respectively. This plasmid ORFs could code for some proteins which were similar with others in GenBank, such as: ORFi and H. paragallinarum replication protein B(47.2%), ORF4 and E. coli hypothetical protein(52.7%), ORF5 and Y. pseudotuberculosis Tile (48.3%), ORF6 and E. coil Pilx5/VirB5-1ike protein (42.3%), Y. enterocolitica TriD protein(38.5%), ORFIO and S. typhimurium LT2, E. coli O157:H7 hypothetical protein(83.1% and 81.9%, respectively), ORF11 and E. coli, damage-inducible protein J(81.4%). Conclusions The pYC plasmid sequence has high homology with a few bacterial genes of Enterobacteriaceac. This plasmid may code for some proteins that are similar with hypothetical protein, damnge-indncible protein, TriD and TilE protein, Pilx5/VirB5-hke protein of Escherichia or Yersinia.

short peptide AS1 screened from the phage random peptide library of 12 amino acids has antigenicity and can react with sera of AS patients. These findings indicate that AS1 could be one of candidate molecules of AS-specific serum markers.

Background Bulbar conjunctiva tissue appears to be thinning,elasticity declined,tension reduced and fascia atrophied in conjunctivochalasis.Histopathological examination of conjunctivochalasis shows decrease of elastic fibers and melt of collagen fibers.But there are fewer studies on the ultrastructure of conjunctiva of conjunctivochalasis up to now.Objective This study was to investigate the ultrastructure change of conjunctiva tissue in conjunctivochalasis.Methods Five loose conjunctiva samples of conjunctivochalasis and 5 normal conjunctival tissue samples were collected and ultra-microstructure changes of these samples were observed under the transmission electron microscope.Results The number of fibroblasts in conjunctivochalasis lamina was progressively decreased.The shape of fibroblasts was long and fusiform.Somatic synapse was slim.Nucleus-cytoplasm ratio was increased.Disorder,scattered and broken of the collagen fibril were seen,and some areas were dissolved or lacunae.Normal conjunctival fibroblasts were oval or polygonal,with wieners and long somatic synapse,and intercellular matrix was full of collagen fibril and dense arranged fibers.Fibroblasts in fascia of eonjunctivochalasis were linear,and collagen fibril was seriously defected.Fascia fibroblasts of normal bulbar conjunctiva were spindleshaped and bigger than conjunctivochalasis fibroblasts.There were full of collagen fibrils in intercellular matrix.Conclusions The collagen fibril is decreased and fibroblast cells are degenerated in lamina and fascia of conjunctivochalasis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of zinc finger E-box binding homebox 1 (ZEB1) in the prepuce of hypospadias children and its relationship to the incidence of hypospadias.

METHODSPrepuce tissues were collected from 37 children aged 6-15 months undergoing hypospadias repair and 11 age-matched controls receiving circumcision. Based on the position of the urethral meatus, the hypospadias cases were classified as severe (n = 13) and mild-moderate (n = 24). The mRNA and protein expressions of ZEB1 were determined by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe expression of the ZEB1 protein was remarkably higher in the severe (100% [13/13]) and mild-moderate hypospadias patients (75.0% [18/24]) than in the controls (9.1% [1/11]), with statistically significant differences between any two groups (P < 0.05). RT-PCR showed the integrated density value (IDV) of the ZEB1 mRNA expression to be (0.67 ± 0.21), (0.81 ± 0.24), and (1.55 ± 0.29) in the control, mild-moderate, and severe hypospadias patients, respectively, significantly higher in the severe hypospadias than in the control and mild-moderate hypospadias groups (P < 0.05), but with no significant difference between the latter two (P = 0.64).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of ZEB1 is significantly increased in hypospadias patients, and its upregulation is positively correlated with the severity of hypospadias, which suggests that the overexpression of ZEB1 may contribute to the development of hypospadias.

Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Circumcision, Male ; Foreskin ; metabolism ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hypospadias ; classification ; etiology ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Infant ; Male ; Penis ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Up-Regulation ; Urethra ; Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1

?ig-h_3 was first identified as a transforming growth factor-beta1-inducible gene in human lung adenocarcinoma cell line. It encodes for a secreted extracellular matrix (ECM) protein, which is thought to act on cell attachment and ECM composition. Previous study showed that ?ig-h_3 were highly expressed in human hepatoma cell lines and lowly expressed in human normal hepatic cells. The present study aimed to transfect ?ig-h_3 into 7721 cells to investigate its effect on secretion of MMPs in the transfected human hepatoma cells. Full-length ?ig-h_3 gene,cloned by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-C_2. The recombinant plasmid was transfected into 7721 cells with Lipofectamine2000 and Gelatin-Zymography were adopted to detect the production of MMPs in the transfected cells. Results showed that ?ig-h_3/pEGFP-C_2 recombinant expression plasmid was successfully constructed and achieved high transfection efficiency. MMPs expression of the transfected cells was promoted significantly. These results suggest that overexpression of ?ig-h_3 promoted the production of MMPs, indicating that ?ig-h_3 may play roles in the invasive and metastatic processes of hepatoma.

ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy and results of cervical double door laminoplasty for the treatment of cervical spinal cord injury without radiographic spinal fracture and dislocation.Methods24 patients (all men) with cervical spinal cord injury without radiographic spinal fracture and dislocation were treated with operation of cervical double door laminoplasty. The follow up period ranged from 3 months to 21 months. ASIA scores of motion and sensation before and after operation were compared.Results After surgical treatment, ASIA scores of motion and sensation of patients were improved from 35.2±7.1 and 72.4±13.1 to 59.3±6.8 and 122.2±15.2 respectively and having a significant difference compared with that before operation (P<0.01).Conclusion Cervical double door laminoplasty, which is characterized by thorough decompression of spinal cord and preserving the posterior supporting tissue as much as possible to maintain the stabilization of cervical spine after operation, is an ideal optional method for cervical spinal cord injury without radiographic spinal fracture and dislocation.