Objective To investigate the correlation of epidermal distribution of lamellar bodies and expression of ceramidase with skin barrier dysfunction in polymorphous light eruption.Methods Forty-seven patients with polymorphous light eruption and 40 healthy volunteers were recruited into this study.Noninvasive instruments were used to measure skin sebum content,transepidermal water loss(TEWL)and water content in stratum corneum in all of the subjects.Then,tissue specimens were obtained from the lesions at sunexposed sites in the patients and normal skin of the healthy volunteers.The ultrastructure and distribution of lamellar bodies were observed with transmission electron microscopy in five lesion and control specimens.Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of ceramidase in the tissue specimens.Results Compared with the normal skin from healthy volunteers,the lesions from patients showed decreased number of lamellar bodies in the granular layer and prick cell layer with a disorganized arrangement.Ceramidase was positively expressed in 20 lesion specimens and 36 normal control specimens,weakly expressed in 21 lesion specimens and 4 normal control specimens,and negative in 6 lesion specimens; there was a significant difference in the expression of ceramidase between the lesion specimens and normal control specimens(P ＜ 0.01).The lesions also showed high TEWL(34.2191 ± 12.70 vs.16.8350 ± 6.50,P ＜ 0.01),lower water content in stratum corneum(22.7319 ± 8.71 vs.29.4250 ± 5.08,P ＜ 0.01)and similar skin sebum content compared with the normal skin.Conclusions There is a disturbance in the synthesis of ceramide in patients with polymorphous light eruption,which may contribute to the impairment of skin barrier.

Objective To observe the effect of ultraviolet irradiation comparising 95％ ultraviolet A (UVA)and 5％ ultraviolet B(UVB)on the proliferation of human epidermal keratinocytes(HEKs),in hope to offer a basis for the construction of a photodamaged skin model induced by sunlight.Methods HEKs were isolated from foreskin tissue and cultured in vitro.After several passages,the HEKs were irradiated with different doses(0,2.5,5,10,20,30,40,60 J/cm2)of UV comprising 95％ UVA and 5％ UVB.Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT)assay was used to evaluate cell viability after 24 hours of additional culture.SPSS 17.0 software was used to calculate the median lethal dose(LD50)of ultraviolet radiation in HEKs.Results The proliferation of HEKs was inhibited by 0,1.03％,6.60％,17.28％,31.28％,49.59％,59.67％ and 70.99％ respectively after irradiation with UV of 0,2.5,5,10,20,30,40 and 60 J/cm2.A significant inhibition of cell proliferation was observed in HEKs irradiated with UV at a dose of no lower than 10 J/cm2 compared with unirradiated HEKs(F =62.11,P ＜ 0.05).The LD50 of UV in HEKs was 31.31 J/cm2.Conclusions Aas the dose of UV irradiation increases,the proliferative activity of HEKs decreases,with the LD50 of UV being 31.31 J/cm2.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of epidermal proteins and lamellar bodies on skin barrier in glucocorticoid-dependent dermatitis.MethodsTotally,60 patients with glucocorticoid-dependent dermatitis and 40 normal human controls were eligible for this study.A noninvasive method using TewameterTM was applied to determine transepidermal water loss (TEWL) value in these subjects.Tissue specimens were obtained from the lesions of 13 patients with glucocorticoid-dependent dermatitis and normal skin of 10 human controls.Subsequently,haematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining was performed to observe the histopathological changes,immunohistochemistry to detect the protein expressions of K6,K10,K14,K15,loricrin,filaggrin,involucrin in epidermis,and electron microscopy(EM) to estimate the density of lamellar bodies in tissue specimens.ResultsCompared with the normal controls,the patients displayed an elevated TEWL value (P ＜ 0.05),which suggested an impaired epidermal barrier.Histopathology of lesions revealed nonspecific inflammatorychanges withmarkeddifferencesbetweendifferentclinicaltypesofglucocorticoid-dependentdermatitis.Immunohistochemistry revealed an attenuated expression of K10,K14,loricrin,filaggrin,involucrin and abnormal expression of K15 in lesional epidermis compared with the normal epidermis (all P ＜ 0.05),hinting a suppression of epidermal differentiation and proliferation as well as an impairment of cornified envelope structure.The number and density of lamellar bodies were also reduced in lesional epidermis compared with the control epidermis.ConclusionsCompared with normal skin,the structure of skin barrier is impaired in lesions of glucocorticoid-dependent dermatitis,to restore skin barrier is essential for the treatment of this entity.

Melittin exhibits high antibacterial potency against drug-resistant bacteria. However, the clinical utility of melittin is limited by its serious hemolytic activity. Thus, the need for developing novel melittin analogues with high antimicrobial activity and low hemolytic activity has grown. We designed, synthesized, and evaluated 20 novel melittin analogues with varying hydrophobic, polar or positively charged amino acids. The results showed that 8 compounds had antimicrobial activity (MIC: 1-4 μg·mL^-1) against gram-positive pathogens equal to or better than that of melittin, and 16 compounds had low hemolytic activity (HC₅₀ ≥ 11.9 μg·mL^-1). Compounds 13 (MIC: 2-4 μg·mL^-1) and 15 (MIC: 1-2 μg·mL^-1) showed equal or better antimicrobial activity against both susceptible and resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium compared to melittin (MIC: 4 μg·mL^-1). Compound 13 (HC₅₀: 24.0 ± 4.3 μg·mL^-1) displayed noticeably decreased hemolytic activity compared to melittin (HC₅₀: 5.3 ± 0.4 μg·mL^-1). This work established a base for further study on the structure-activity relationships and structure-toxicity relationships of melittin.

The study on biological effects of SDF-1/CXCR4 axis composed of stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and its receptor CXCR4 is progressing rapidly in the recent years. The SDF-1/CXCR4 axis plays an important role in occurrence and development of tumors and closely correlate with angiogenesis of tumors. This review focuses the progress of study on SDF-1/CXCR4 axis and angiogenesis in leukemia including SDF-1/ and its receptor CXCR4, the expression of SDF-1/CXCR4 axis in leukemic cells, the mechanism of relation between SDF-1/CXCR4 axis and angiogenesis in leukemia, the application of inhibitors against SDF-1/CXCR4 in treatment of angiogenesis and so on.
Chemokine CXCL12 ; metabolism ; physiology ; Humans ; Leukemia ; metabolism ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Receptors, CXCR4 ; metabolism ; physiology

The occurrence and development of many tumors all relate with abnormal expression of the Notch receptor. The role of different Notch receptors may be different, even contrary in different tissues at different stages of tumor development, as well as in the same system tumors. Notch signaling pathway plays an important role in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and tumor angiogenesis, and is as a meeting point for many important cell signaling pathway. Angiogenesis is regulated by complex interactions of multiple activators and inhibitors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Notch signaling pathway are involved in such process. Many studies have confirmed that Notch signaling pathway plays a key role in the embryonic development and tumour angiogenesis. Recent studies have also revealed that Notch signaling pathway has many potential drug targets. Based on study of Notch signaling pathway and its molecular mechanism of leukemia, to design drugs effecting these targets to block and activate Notch signaling pathway for therapy of leukemia and angiogenesis diseases has a broad application prospects. This review summarises the components of Notch signaling pathway and the role of Notch signaling pathway in occurrence of leukemia and angiogenesis.
Animals ; Humans ; Leukemia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; metabolism ; pathology ; Receptors, Notch ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo determine the self-compatibility of Platycodon grandiflorum and the location of microspore germination on stigma.

METHODThe microspore germination of self-pollination, self-plant-pollination and cross-pollination and the pollination microspore germination in and outside of stigma were observed with fluorescence microscopy.

RESULTMost pollens of self-pollination, self-plant-pollination and cross-pollination can germinate on the stigma, and after 24 hours, pollen tube entered into the ovary successfully. Pollinated on the outer-surface of stigma, microspores could not germinate, but on the inner-surface of the stigma when it dehisced most microspores can germinate.

CONCLUSIONThe compatibility of self-plant-pollination of Platycodon grandiflorum is high. The microspore germination loci is on the inner-surface of the dehisced stigma.

Flowers ; growth & development ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; methods ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development ; Platycodon ; growth & development ; Pollen Tube ; growth & development ; Pollination ; physiology

Aim To assess the value of the administration of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) during sinus rhythm for noninvasive diagnosis of AV node dual pathways(AVNDP) and abolition or modification of the slow pathway (SP) after radiofrequency(RFCA) in patients with inducible sustained AVNRT. Methods Incremental doses of ATP were intravenously administrated during sinus rhythm to patients with spontaneous or inducible sustained AVNRT(study group, n=45)and to patients with no evidence of AVNDP or inducible AVNRT (control group, n=37) until ECG signs of AVNDP( 50 ms increase or decrease in P-R interval in two consecutive beats, or occurrence of AVNRT) or second-degree AV block were observed. Results Four patients (two in study patients and two in control patients) could not complete the trial and were excluded from analysis. AVNDP was observed by ATP in 36(84%) study patients, whereas it was diagnosed by electrophysiology criteria in 38(88%) patients. AVNDP was observed only in 1(3%) control patient. AVNDP by ATP test was disappeared in 18(90%) of 20 patients who underwent SP abolition and in 3(38%) of 8 patients who underwent SP modification. Conclusion ATP test during sinus rhythm enables noninvasive diagnosis of AVNDP in a high percentage of patients with inducible AVNRT and reliably confirms the results of RFCA of the SP.

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics of human bocavirus (HBoV) among children and to understand the association of HBoV with human diseases.

METHODTotally 148 nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA) samples were collect from hospitalized children with acute respiratory infection during Oct. 2005 to Feb. 2006. Two serum samples were obtained from HBoV positive patients. PCR was used to assay all these samples and PCR products were sequenced.

RESULTHBoV was positive in 11 of 148 NPA samples. The positive rate was 7.4 percent. The serum samples of HBoV infected patients showed that serum contained HBoV by PCR assay. All these HBoV positive patients had the clinical symptoms of bronchitis, bronchopneumonia and pneumonia. Some patients had diarrhea.

CONCLUSIONAll patients infected with HBoV had upper and lower respiratory tract infections. HBoV is a probable important pathogen of upper and lower respiratory tract infection. The HBoV could cause viremia. In addition, some HBoV patients had diarrhea. HBoV infection probably could also result in intestinal disease and other related symptoms.

Bocavirus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Parvoviridae Infections ; virology ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; virology

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the angiogenesis of bone marrow in leukemia patients. 51 patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia were taken as study objects, 18 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the control group. Bone marrow microvessel density (MVD) in bone marrow biopsy tissue section was determined with immunohistochemistry method, the vascular endothelial growth factor level in serum was detected with ELISA method and the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in bone marrow cells was assayed by flow cytometry. The results showed that the MVD, VEGF level, positive rate of COX-2 expression in leukemia group all obviously increased as compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The correlative coefficients of MVD, VEGF level and COX-2 expression rate were 0.614, 0.423 and 0.577 respectively (p < 0.05). In conclusion, as well as solid tumors, leukemia may be also a angiogenesis-dependent malignant tumor. Coordination of COX-2 with VEGF may promote angiogenesis in bone marrow.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Marrow Cells ; metabolism ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; metabolism ; pathology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism ; Young Adult