Adult ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; diagnosis ; epidemiology

AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of low dose mitomycin C (MMC) to prevent haze in trans photorefractive keratectomy (TransPRK) with moderate and high myopia, and to observe the changes of corneal density.METHODS: Sixty-one patients underwent TransPRK with moderate and high myopia.Eyes were divided into research group (0.1g/L MMC for 40s) and control group(0.2g/L MMC for 40s) randomly.There were 21 patients in research group and 40 patients in control group.Cornea epithelial healing time, pain score, visual acuity, manifest refraction, haze and cornea density were analyzed.RESULTS: The epithelial healing time (0.1g/L group: 3.86±1.11d, 0.2g/L group: 4.23±1.27d) and pain score (0.1g/L group: 2.01±0.58, 0.2g/L group: 1.79±0.7) were no significant difference between two groups(P=0.667, P=0.582).It was similar in spherical equivalent at 1mo and 3mo post-operation(0.1g/L group: 0.28±0.25, 0.05±0.23D;0.2g/L group:-0.13±0.17, 0.07±0.22D;P=0.178, P=0.490).The BCVA of control group decreased at 1mo and improved to the same level as pre-operation at 3mo(F=15.847, P<0.001);0.1g/L group showed the same trend, but the changes were no significant difference(F=3.038, P=0.093).There were also no significant difference in Haze between two groups post-operation(z=-0.709, P=0.479;z=-0.478, P=0.633).The change of cornea density was matched with the BCVA (0.1g/L group F=27.399, P=0.001;0.2g/L group F=8.313, P=0.001)and it was similar between two groups.CONCLUSION: The using of low dose MMC to prevent haze in TransPRK with moderate and high myopia is safe and effective.It is therapeutic equivalence to regular dose (0.2g/L).Besides the slit lamp, we can use the corneal density to measure the corneal transparency.

Objective To explore the use of antiviral drugs in treating the hospitalized patients of novel influence A(H1N1)in Suzhou city during the 2009-2010 influenza pandemic,so as to make the proper use of antiviral drugs during influenza epidemics.Methods We selected 3municipal hospitals and reviewed the medieal records of hospimlized patients suffered from novel influence A(H1N1)during June 2009 to March 2010,to gather antiviral use and other related information.Results 98%(222/226)of the hospitalized patients received antiviral treatment.Among them,92%(205/222)were given the neuraminidase inhibitor oseitamivir.However,only 18% of the patients who received oseltamivir were given the treatment within 2 days after the onset of the illness.Amantadine and rimantadinc were not used for any of the hospitalized patients.Through interview on the physicians,we identified that delay in seeing care,misdiagnosis,delay in laboratory diagnosis were factors affecting the timely use of oseltamivir.Conclusion The majority of the hospitalized patients suffered from novel influence A(H1N1)in the three municipal hospitals received oseltamivir treatment.However,in most occasions the drug was not used timely.Techniques of rapid detection and diagnosis for novel influenza A(H1N1)virus should be developed,and the diagnostic capabilities of the physicians improved,to increase the effectiveness of these antiviral drugs.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the risk factors of fungal rhinosinusitis.

METHODSThe preoperative clinical data of 57 patients with a diagnosis of fungal rhinosinusitis confirmed pathologically using Gomori methenamine silver staining were analyzed statistically against the data of 57 age- and gender-matched control patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

RESULTSCompared with chronic rhinosinusitis, fungal rhinosinusitis was characterized by a significantly shorter mean disease course (37.31 months vs 130.84 months, t = 5.59, P = 0.000). The factors related to fungal rhinosinusitis included nasal mucus, purulent nasal discharge, unilateral/bilateral sinus lesion and calcified plaque in CT scan , with odds ratios of 0.17 (0.04-0.62), 0.35 (0.15-0.80), 41 (12.50-100.00) and 91 (24.01-344.95), respectively. Conditional logistic regression identified calcified plaque in CT scan as the high-risk factor of fungal rhinosinusitis.

CONCLUSIONThe presence of calcified plaque in CT scan indicates high risk of fungal rhinosinusitis and may serve as an important evidence for diagnosis of this disease.

Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Fungi ; Humans ; Male ; Mycoses ; epidemiology ; Rhinitis ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Risk Factors ; Sinusitis ; epidemiology ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the alkaloids from the stem of Artabotrys hainanensis.

METHODCompounds in plant extracts were separated by silica gel and sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Chemical structures were elucidated by chemical and spectral analyses including UV, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, ESIMS and ESI-MS-MS.

RESULTEight alkaloids were isolated and identified as spinosine (1), 3-hydroxynornuciferine (2), juzirine (3), artabotrine (4), liridine (5), assimilobine (6), isococlaurine (7), N-demethylarmepavine (8).

CONCLUSIONAll alkaloids were isolated from this plant for the first time and compounds 1, 3, 7 and 8 were isolated from genus Artabotrys for the first time.

Alkaloids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Annonaceae ; chemistry ; Berberine Alkaloids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Isoquinolines ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Objective To establish the standard operating procedures on multiple locus variable number tandem repeat analysis and to evaluate the values in identification of Brucella(B.) melitensis and epidemiological trace-back.Methods Sixteen B.melitensis,22 B.abortus,21 B.suis and 10 B.cnais were investigated by Brucella MLVA-16 genotyping scheme.All data were analyzed using BioNumerics version 5.1 software (AppliedMaths,Belgium).Clustering analysis was based on the categorical coefficient and unweighted pair group method using arithmetic averages(UPGMA) method.Polymorphism at each locus was quantified using Nei's diversity index.Resultant genotypes were compared using the web-based Brucella 2010 MLVA database.Results MLVA methods were successfully established and some strains can be clustered.Bruce06,bruce08,bruce11,bruce12,bruce42,bruce43,bruce45 and bruce55 were useful for species identification of Brucella isolates.Bruce04,bruce07,bruce09,bruce16 and bruce 30 afforded a higher discriminatory power for investigation of strain relatedness in regions of endemicity.Conclusions TheMLVAmethod has proved to be highly discriminatory and epidemiological concordance and is easy for Brucellosis surveillance in province-level lab.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protein expression of caveolin-1 in type II alveolar epithelial cells (A549) exposed to carbon black nanoparticles (CB NPs) and the role of caveolin in the endocytosis of CB NPs.

METHODSA549 cells were exposed to 0, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 µg/ml CB NPs for 24 h; then, trypan blue assay was applied to determine the cell viability. A549 cells were also exposed to 0, 25, 50, and 100 µg/ml CB NPs for 24 h, then, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and flow cytometry were applied to observe the morphological change of cells and cellular side scatter (SSC), and Western blot was used to analyze the effect of CB NPs on the protein expression of caveolin-1. A549 cells were co-exposed to1 µg/ml filipin and 100 µg/ml CB NPs for 24 h, then, the cellular SSC was observed.

RESULTSCompared with controls, the A549 cells exposed to 200 and 400 µg/ml CB NPs had the cell viability decreased by 38.2% and 46.6%, respectively (P < 0.05), while those exposed to 25, 50, and 100 µg/ml CB NPs showed no significant decrease in cell vitality (P > 0.05). The protein expression of caveolin-1 was significantly higher in the cells exposed to 50 and 100 µg/ml CB NPs than in controls (P < 0.05). The TEM showed that plasmalemmal vesicles containing black particles were found in the cytoplasm of the cells exposed to 50 and 100 µg/ml CB NPs. The flow cytometry showed that the cellular SSC ratio increased from 1.007 to 1.331 as the dose of CB NPs rose within 0 ∼ 100 µg/ml and fell to 1.25 after the cells were co-exposed to1 µg/ml filipin and 100 µg/ml CB NPs.

CONCLUSIONCarbon black nanoparticles can be transferred into A549 cells by endocytosis, but caveolin-mediated endocytic pathway plays a minor role in this process.

Caveolin 1 ; physiology ; Cell Line ; Endocytosis ; Humans ; Nanoparticles ; Soot ; pharmacokinetics

Adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) participates in the regulation of numerous cellular functions, including the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase (sodium pump). Ouabain, used in the treatment of several heart diseases, is known to increase cAMP levels but its effects on the atrium are not understood. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of ouabain on the regulation of atrial cAMP production and its roles in atrial endothelin-1 (ET-1) secretion in isolated perfused beating rabbit atria. Our results showed that ouabain (3.0 micromol/L) significantly increased atrial dynamics and cAMP levels during recovery period. The ouabain-increased atrial dynamics was blocked by KB-R7943 (3.0 micromol/L), an inhibitor for reverse mode of Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchangers (NCX), but did not by L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine (1.0 micromol/L) or protein kinase A (PKA) selective inhibitor H-89 (3.0 micromol/L). Ouabain also enhanced atrial intracellular cAMP production in response to forskolin and theophyline (100.0 micromol/L), an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase, potentiated the ouabain-induced increase in cAMP. Ouabain and 8-Bromo-cAMP (0.5 micromol/L) markedly increased atrial ET-1 secretion, which was blocked by H-89 and by PD98059 (30 micromol/L), an inhibitor of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) without changing ouabain-induced atrial dynamics. Our results demonstrated that ouabain increases atrial cAMP levels and promotes atrial ET-1 secretion via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK signaling pathway. These findings may explain the development of cardiac hypertrophy in response to digitalis-like compounds.
8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate ; Adenosine ; Cardiomegaly ; Colforsin ; Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases ; Endothelin-1* ; Heart Diseases ; Nifedipine ; Ouabain* ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Kinases

BACKGROUNDCervical keratinocytes are recovered at a low numbers and frequently associated with contaminating human fibroblasts which rapidly overgrow the epithelial cells in culture with medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). However, it is difficult to initiate keratinocyte cultures with serum-free keratinocyte growth medium alone because cell attachment can be poor. Therefore, the culture of these cells is extremely difficult. In this study, we described a modified culture medium and coated culture plastics for growing normal human cervical epithelial cells in vitro.

METHODSNormal cervical epithelial tissue pieces were obtained and digested with type I collagenase to dissociate the cells and a single cell suspension produced. The cells were cultured on plastic tissue culture substrate alone or substrate coated with collagen type I from rat tail, with modified keratinocyte serum-free medium (K-SFM) supplemented with 5% FBS. After attachment, the medium were replaced with K-SFM without FBS. The expression of basal keratins of the ectocervical epithelium, K5, K14 and K19 were assayed by immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies to identify the cell purity.

RESULTSOur results indicate that cells attached to the culture plastic more quickly in K-SFM supplemented with 5% FBS than in K-SFM alone, as well as to tissue culture plastic coated with collagen type I than plastic alone. The modified medium composed of K-SFM and 5% FBS combined with a specific tissue culture plastic coated with collagen type I from rat tail was the best method for culture of normal cervical epithelial cells. K5, K14 and K19 were assayed and keratinocyte purity was nearly 100%.

CONCLUSIONA novel, simple and effective method can be used to rapidly obtain highly purified keratinocytes from normal human cervical epithelium.

Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cervix Uteri ; cytology ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Female ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; cytology

AIM To analyze the component composition of Xeriga-4 Powder,and to determine the contents of phellodendrine,chlorogenic acid,gardenoside,berberine,rutin and curcumin.METHODS The high performance liquid chromatography-Q-exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry(HPLC-Q-Exactive-MS)qualitative analysis was performed on a 35℃thermostatic Agilent ZORBAX SB-Aq column(4.6 mm×150 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of methanol-0.1%formic acid flowing at 0.35 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and electron spray ionization source was adopted in positive and negative ion scanning.High performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS)quantitative analysis was performed on a 35℃thermostatic Shim-pack GIST-HP C18 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,3 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of methanol-0.1%formic acid flowing at 0.25 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and electron spray ionization source was adopted in positive and negative ion scanning with multiple reaction monitoring mode.RESULTS Total 65 constituents were identified,containing 19 alkaloids,13 organic acids,13 flavonoids,7 curcumins,6 iridoids,4 fatty acids,2 aldehydes,and 1 amino acid.Six constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r≥0.999 1),whose average recoveries were 96.44%-102.37%with the RSDs of 2.05%-3.74%.CONCLUSION This study can provide a reference for the quality control for Xieriga-4 Powder.