Objective To observe the effect of Zhuyun Capsule(Pregnant-promoting Capsule)on serum sex hormone and expres- sion of ovarian cytokine of polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)rats.Methods Progestogen plus human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG)was adopted to make PCOS rat models.Totally 40 SD rats were randomized into control group,PCOS model group,Zhuyun Capsule group,and clomiphene citrate group with 10 in each.Radioimmune assay(RIA)was used to measure the sex hormone and immunohistochemical test was done to measure the expression of tumor necrosis factor-?(TNF-?)of ovarian tissue,insulin-like growth factors-1(IGF-1),and leukemia inhibitory factor(LIF)to analyze the relations among these factors.Results Zhuyun Capsule could reduce greatly serum testosterone(T)and luteinizing hormone(LH),decrease expression of TNF-?and IGF-1,but increase expres- sion of LIF.Conclusion Zhuyun Capsule could regulate endocrine function and expression of ovarian cytokine to improve gonad func- tions of PCOS rats and to promote the maturation of follicle and ovulation.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of SPIO in known liver lesions.Methods:30 patients with known liver lesion were underwent MRI.The contrast noise rate(CNR)of lesion to liver and the relative enhancement rate(RE)of liver were measured at 10、30、45、70 min and 16 hour after SPIO was injected.The dynamic curve of signal-noise were made and analysed.Results:The study shown that the hepatic parenchyma had a significantly negative enhancement in T 2 weight of SE and GRE sequence.However,the signal intensity showed few changes in hepatic metastases and only a little positive or negative enhancement in angioma、HCC and FNH.Conclusion:SPIO,as a negative contrast media for liver,has a significantly efficacy to show liver lesions,and as liver lesion-specific contrast MR agent,is worth being explored. [

Objective To explore the non-bacteria etiology of pneumonia in children under 12 years old in southwest Shanghai,and investigate clinical characteristic of pneumonia caused by different pathogens.Methods The serum of 187 children with pneumonia from July 2002 to December 2004 in hospital were investigated for respiratory syncytial virus(RSV),adenovirus 3 influenza viruses(IFV) A and B,parainfluenza viruses(PIV)type 1,2,3,4 and coxsackievirus A 1.7,echovirus 7 by employing the indirect immunofluorescence assay(IFA)for the identification of nearly 8 different viruses,and 3 different enteroviruses.Based on the principle that sensitized particles were agglutinated by the pressence of antibodies to mycoplasma pneumonia in human serum.Results Examination for 8 kinds of conventional respiratory virus infected,a total of 90 positive results in 187 cases(48.13%),Firstly was RSV(19.79%),(secondly) was IFV B(16.58%).Out of these 1084 children,154 cases(14.21%)showed positive in anti-mycoplasma pneumonia.Conclusions RSV is still the leading cause of pneumonia in children during winter and spring in southwest in Shanghai.Mycoplasma pneumonia is having been the major pathogens of the school-aged children with pneumonia.

BACKGROUNDStatins are one of the most common agents prescribed for ischemic stroke patients, but their side effects on the liver are worrisome to both physicians and patients. This study aimed to analyze the features and related factors of the hepatic side effects of statins in patients with ischemic stroke.

METHODSFour hundred and eighty-one patients with ischemic stroke who had been treated with statins at our department from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 were investigated retrospectively. Liver function, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), within 6 months after they began to use statins and related factors were analyzed.

RESULTSThe incidence of mild ALT and AST elevation, less than three times the upper limit of normal, and the incidence of moderate elevation, ALT and AST levels 3-10 times the upper limit of normal, in ischemic stroke patients who had been treated with statins were 2.3% and 2.1%, respectively. These incidences were higher than in patients with common hyperlipidemia or coronary heart disease. The relatively high incidence was associated with older age (≥ 65 years) and chronic liver diseases, and was not related to the type of stroke, gender, and reduction of low-density lipoprotein. The levels of ALT and AST normalized after withdrawal of statins or lowering the dosage. None of the patients developed hepatic failure.

CONCLUSIONSAsymptomatic elevation of ALT and AST after administration of statins is more likely to occur in ischemic stroke patients than in others, and the elevation is related to age and chronic liver diseases. However, statins are still safe for ischemic stroke patients.

Age Distribution ; Aged ; Alanine Transaminase ; metabolism ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke ; drug therapy

Microalgae biodiesel can solve these problems currently of plants materials,such as:shortage of arable land,impact of climate change for production and to lead high crop prices and so on.Constructing "engineered microalgae" through transgenic technology,the microalgae have capacity of high growth,shorter periods of growth and several times higher oil production than terrestrial plants.Furthermore,sea water can be as its natural medium for industrial production.The advantages of microalgae biodiesel,current status and progress of researches on engineered microalgae as well as product technologies of microalgal biodiesel was introduced.

The reconstruction of tactile function during the repair of skin damage caused by factors including burns is inseparable from the functional regeneration of tactile receptor Merkel cells. Merkel cells mainly exist in the basal layer of the epidermis and are closely connected with nerves to form Merkel cell-nerve complexes, which play an important role in biological organisms. A large number of studies have shown that Merkel cells conduct precise transmission of mechanical force stimuli through the mechanically gated ion channels PIEZO2, and perform the function of tactile receptors. In this paper, we discussed the characteristics of Merkel cells and analyzed the different subgroups that may possibly exist in this type of cells and their functions, at the same time, we investigated the animal model research of touch-related diseases and the clinical diseases related to touch, revealing the importance of Merkel cell function research.
Animals ; Ion Channels/metabolism* ; Mechanotransduction, Cellular/physiology* ; Merkel Cells/physiology* ; Skin/metabolism* ; Touch/physiology*

OBJECTIVETo establish a 16S rDNA multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for simultaneously detecting P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans and T. denticola in clinical specimens of chronic periodontitis and to study the correlation between different modes of infection and severity of the disease.

METHODSPeriodontal pocket specimens from 152 patients with mild, moderate or advanced chronic periodontitis and gingival sulcus specimens from 30 periodontally healthy individuals were collected and placed in 200 microl lysis buffer. The specimens were incubated in 100 degrees C for 10 min and 10 microl of the supernatant was directly used as PCR template. DNAs from P. gingivalis strain ATCC33277, A. actinomycetemcomitans strain Y4, T. denticola strain FM and E. coli strain DH5alpha were used as positive and negative controls in PCR with all of which were prepared by routing phenol-chloroform method. A multiplex PCR assay, using three sets of primers specific to 16S rDNA genes of the three anaerobes, was developed to detect the specimens. The target amplification fragments from 3 cases of PCR products positive for all the three anaerobes were sequenced after T-A cloning. Chi-square test was applied to analyze the correlation between different coinfection of the three anaerobes and severity of the disease.

RESULTSThe established 16S rDNA multiplex PCR assay was able to detect P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans and T. denticola at a minimum of 10, 20 and 20 cells, respectively. In comparison with the reported corresponding sequences, similarities of the nucleotide sequences from the three anaerobes 16S rDNA amplification fragments were as high as 99.45%, 97.08% and 96.59%, respectively. Of the 30 periodontally healthy gingival sulcus specimens, only one (3.3%) positive for P. gingivalis and two (6.7%) for A. actinomycetemcomitans could be identified but all of the rest were negative. In the 152 CP periodontal pocket specimens, 147 cases (96.7%) were positive for P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans and/or T. denticola, respectively, and 5 cases (3.3%) were negative for all the three anaerobes. The positive rate of P. gingivalis detection (91.5%, 139/152) was significantly higher than those of A. actinomycetemcomitans (72.4%, 110/152) and T. denticola (80.9%, 123/152) (chi(2) = 7.07, 18.67; P < 0.01). 89.8% of the specimens from patients showed coinfections with two (26.5%) or three anaerobes (63.3%), and the coinfection rates in the specimens from moderate and advanced CP were remarkably higher than that from mild CP (chi(2) = 10.43, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe 16S rDNA multiplex PCR established in this study showed high sensitivity and specificity, which could be used to detect P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans and T. denticola in clinical specimens. CP was an disease caused by multiple pathogenic microbes while the synergistic pathopoiesis of the three microbes was closely related to the severity of the disease.

Actinobacillus Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans ; isolation & purification ; Bacteroidaceae Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Periodontitis ; microbiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Porphyromonas gingivalis ; isolation & purification ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Treponema denticola ; isolation & purification ; Treponemal Infections ; microbiology

Based on the deletion information of high virulent PRRSV genome, 3 oligonucleotide primer were designed and synthesized. Specific and sensitive reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays were de-veloped for the detection of high virulent PRRSV. The sensitivity and specificity of RT-PCR assays were evaluated, the results showing that the detection limit of the assay was found to be 0.265 pg of tissue total RNA, and the protocol have no cross-reaction with classical swine fever virus, porcine circovirus type 2,pseudorabies virus, streptococcus, haemophilus parasuis and Escherichia coli. Then 36 cell cultures, two PRRSV live vaccine strains and 184 clinical specimens from 52 farms were tested. Five PRRSV field iso-lates were the high virulent PRRSV; two PRRSV live vaccine strains from normal PRRSV, and 123 speci-mens from 42 farmer were positive (only 1 specimen was normal PRRSV). This RT-PCR method proved to be accurate differential diagnosis of the high virulent PRRSV and normal PRRSV with the characteristics of rapidity, sensitivity and specificity, and has a strong clinical relevance.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the inhibitory activities of caffeoyl glucopyranoses purified from Balanophora japonica Makino on HIV entry and their mechanism.

METHODSHIV-1 Env pseudovirus was used to evaluate the anti-HIV-1 activity of those compounds. ELISA and molecular docking were used to study the mechanism of the actions of the active compounds.

RESULTSWe used the HIV-1 Env pseudovirus to test the anti-HIV-1 activity of the six phenolic compounds (final concentration 25 microg/ml), and found that only 1,2,6-Tri-O-caffeoyl-beta-D-glucopyranose (TCGP) and 1,3-Di-O-caffeoyl-4-O-galloyl-beta-D- glucopyranose (DCGGP) could effectively inhibit the entry of HIV-1 Env pseudovirus into the target cells in a dose-dependent manner, with IC(50) values of 5.5-/+0.2 and 5.3-/+0.1 microg/ml, respectively. These two compounds could also blocked the gp41 six-helix bundle formation. Molecular docking analysis suggested that they might bind to the hydrophobic cavity of the gp41 N-trimeric coiled-coil.

CONCLUSIONTCGP and DCGGP are potent HIV-1 entry inhibitors targeting gp41 and can serve as lead compounds for developing novel anti-HIV-1 microbicides for prevention of sexual HIV-1 transmission.

Anti-HIV Agents ; pharmacology ; Balanophoraceae ; chemistry ; Cell Line ; Gallic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Glucose ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; HIV-1 ; drug effects ; Humans ; Hydrolyzable Tannins ; pharmacology ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology

BACKGROUNDThe gender difference on long-term outcome in unselected patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not yet been fully investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the gender difference on five-year outcomes following EXCEL biodegradable polymer-coated sirolimus-eluting stenting in patients with coronary disease.

METHODSA total of 2077 "all comers", consisting of 1528 (73.6%) men and 549 (26.4%) women, who were exclusively treated with EXCEL coronary stents were enrolled in the prospective CREATE study at 59 centers from four countries. After propensity score matching, the baseline characteristics of the two groups were well matched. Recommended antiplatelet regimen was clopidogrel and aspirin for six months followed by chronic aspirin therapy. The primary outcome that was the rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiac mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) and target lesion revascularization (TLR), and stent thrombosis (ST) at five years were compared between the two gender groups.

RESULTSIn the two groups, women had higher proportions of clinical risk factors, such as being elderly, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, compared to men. Besides, the mean target vessel number per patient was higher and the mean reference vessel diameter smaller for women. Men had higher risks of cardiac death (3.7% vs. 1.6%, P = 0.021) and MACE (8.4% vs. 4.7%, P = 0.004) at five years compared with women. However, the cumulative hazards of non-fatal MI and TLR were similar between men and women. The incidence of Academic Research Consortium (ARC) definite or probable stent thrombosis was similar between the two groups (1.3% vs. 1.0%, P = 0.639). Prolonged clopidogrel therapy (>6 months) did not reduce the cumulative hazards of ST from six months to five years in both men (χ(2) = 0.098, log rank P = 0.754) and women (χ(2) = 2.043, log rank P = 0.153) patients.

CONCLUSIONSWomen had a lower MACE and cardiac death rate than men after biodegradable polymer-coated sirolimus-eluting stenting in long term follow-up. Effects of prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in preventing stent thrombosis was similar with six-month DAPT after EXCEL stent implantation in both men and women groups.

Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; methods ; Coronary Angiography ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Prospective Studies ; Sex Factors ; Sirolimus ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome