BACKGROUND: The effect of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) during traumatic brain injury (TBI) and whether it can modulate secondary injury has not been reported previously. The present study evaluated the potential protective effects of ventricular infusion of PACAP in a rat model of TBI. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups (n=6, each): sham-operated, vehicle (normal saline)+TBI, and PACAP+TBI. Normal saline or PACAP (1g/5L) was administered intracerebroventricularly 20 minutes before TBI. Right parietal cortical contusion was produced via a weight-dropping method. Brains were extracted 24 hours after trauma. Histological changes in brains were examined by HE staining. The numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in blood and the spleen were detected via flow cytometry. RESULTS: In injured brain regions, edema, hemorrhage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and swollen and degenerated neurons were observed under a light microscope, and the neurons were disorderly arrayed in the hippocampi. Compared to the sham group, average CD4+ CD8– lymphocyte counts in blood and the spleen were significantly decreased in rats that received TBI+vehicle, and CD4– CD8+ were increased. In rats administered PACAP prior to TBI, damage was attenuated as evidenced by significantly increased CD4+, and decreased CD8+, T lymphocytes in blood and the spleen. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with PACAP may protect against TBI by influencing periphery T cellular immune function.

Strict regulation of HIV-1 PR function is critical for efficient production of mature viral particles. During viral protein expression and viral assembly, HIV-1 PR located within Gag-Pol precursor must be inactive to prevent premature cytoplasmic processing of the viral Gag and Gag-Pol precursors. Premature activation of HIV-1 precursors leads to major defects in viral assembly and production of viral particles. A cell-level premature activation of HIV-1 precursors assay using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) was established. Three thousand compounds were screened to evaluate this assay. The results showed that the assay is sensitive, specific and stable (Z' factor is 0.905).

The HIV-1 Rev protein facilitates nuclear export of unspliced and singly spliced viral transcripts containing RRE RNA through the CRM1 export pathway. Inhibition of Rev-mediated RNA nuclear export can arrest HIV-1 transcriptional process, which clearly, reveals a target for anti-HIV drug development. In this work, a cell-based assay has been established for screening anti-HIV compounds targeting the Rev-mediated RNA nuclear export. This assay utilized a codon-optimized green fluorescent protein (GFP) as reporter gene, which expression is in a Rev-dependent manner. Any compound that inhibits the Rev-mediated RNA nuclear export is identified by reducing emission of GFP. The Z' score of this model is 0.8220. Three thousands compounds were screened and the positive rate was 9.3% with a cutoff at 50% inhibition. IMB7C7, one of the positive compounds, efficiently inhibits viral production from HIV-1 infected cells.

Objective To study the expression level and clinical significance of bcl-XL gene in childhood medulloblastoma.Methods The expression of Bcl-XL protein and bcl-XL mRNA were determined by immunohistochemical staining and in situ hybridization in 41 samples of medulloblastoma tissues,as well as 20 normal brain tissues.Results The positive rate of Bcl-XL protein(90.2%) and bclXL mRNA(95.1%) in medulloblastoma group were significantly higher than those in normal human brain tissues(all P

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging derived quantitative metrics and serum soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) level in an embolic canine stroke model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A middle cerebral artery occlusion model was established in 24 beagle dogs. Experimental dogs were divided into low- and high-sCD40L group according to serum sCD40L level at 4.5 hours after establishing the model. IVIM imaging was scanned at 4.5 hours after model establishment using 10 b values ranging from 0 to 900 s/mm². Quantitative metrics diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) of ischemic lesions were calculated. Quantitative metrics of ischemic lesions were normalized by contralateral hemisphere using the following formula: normalized D = D(stroke) / D(contralateral). Differences in IVIM metrics between the low- and high-sCD40L groups were compared using t test. Pearson's correlation analyses were performed to determine the relationship between IVIM metrics and serum sCD40L level. RESULTS: The high-sCD40L group showed significantly lower f and normalized f values than the low-sCD40L group (f, p < 0.001; normalized f, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in D*, normalized D*, D, or normalized D value between the two groups (All p > 0.05). Both f and normalized f values were negatively correlated with serum sCD40L level (f, r = −0.789, p < 0.001; normalized f, r = −0.823, p < 0.001). However, serum sCD40L level had no significant correlation with D*, normalized D*, D, or normalized D (All p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The f value derived from IVIM imaging was negatively correlated with serum sCD40L level. f value might serve as a potential imaging biomarker to assess the formation of microvascular thrombosis in hyperacute period of ischemic stroke.
Animals ; CD40 Ligand* ; Diffusion ; Dogs ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Perfusion ; Stroke* ; Thrombosis

Objective:To observe the effect of An-pressing manipulation on biceps brachii with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in healthy male volunteers.Methods:A total of 30 male college student volunteers were randomly divided into a blank group,a model group and a treatment group,10 cases in each group.Subjects in the blank group did not receive any intervention;subjects in the model group received active weight-bearing eccentric exercise on the non-favored side of the upper limb to establish the models,while not receiving any treatment;subjects in the treatment group received both the same modeling and An-pressing manipulation treatment.The subjective rating of perceived exertion (RPE),subjective soreness sensation threshold and soreness grade were evaluated before modeling,immediately after modeling,and 24,48,72,96 and 120 h after modeling.Serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was measured before modeling,immediately after modeling,and 24,48 and 72 h after modeling.Serum creatine kinase MM isoenzyme (CK-MM) was measured before modeling and 24,48 and 72 h after modeling.Results:At 24,48,72 and 120 h after treatment,the soreness grades of the treatment group were lower than those of the model group (all P＜0.05).The RPE scores of the treatment group were lower than those of the model group (all P＜0.05) immediately after modeling,at 24,48,72,96 and 120 h after modeling.The subjective soreness sensation threshold of the treatment group was higher than that of the model group immediately after modeling,at 24,48,72 and 96 h after modeling (all P＜0.05).Immediately after modeling,T-AOC value in the treatment group was higher than that in the model group and blank group (both P＜0.05).CK-MM of the treatment group was lower than that of the model group at 48 h and 72 h after modeling (P＜0.05).Conclusion:An-pressing manipulation shows a certain therapeutic effect on biceps brachii with DOMS by strengthening the body's antioxidant and anti-damage abilities,which can effectively reduce the pain and accelerate the recovery from fatigue damage.

Objective:To observe the influence of pressing force and time on the thermal effect of An-pressing manipulation.Methods:Eight healthy volunteers were recruited to receive An-pressing manipulation at Xinshu (BL 15) on the right side.The pressing force and time were both divided into five levels:the force described as extremely mild,mild,moderate,strong and extremely strong and time given by 2.5 min,5.0 min,7.5 min,10.0 min and 15.0 min.The real-time change in local acupoint temperature as well as the change during 1.0-15.0 min after the manipulation were observed.Results:Compared with the baseline data,the real-time changes in the temperature after An-pressing Xinshu (BL 15) on the right side with different levels of force (from mild to strong) were respectively (1.88t0.64) ℃,(2.05±0.68) ℃,(2.25±0.59) ℃,(2.35±0.61) ℃ and (2.32±0.69) ℃;the changes in 15.0 min after the manipulation were respectively (-0.11±0.11) ℃,(0.03±0.14) ℃,(0.59±0.58) ℃,(1.38±0.70) ℃ and (2.09±0.98) ℃.The real-time temperature changes after the manipulation for different durations (from short to long) were respectively (1.94±0.37) ℃,(2.33±0.29) ℃,(2.49±0.31) ℃,(2.51±0.39) ℃ and (2.41±0.55) ℃;the changes in 15.0 min after the manipulation were respectively (0.53±0.49) ℃,(0.33±0.30) ℃,(0.52±0.33) ℃,(0.55±0.38) ℃ and (0.76±0.36) ℃.Conclusion:The thermal effect presented an increasing tendency with the extension of pressing time,and the temperature reached the top at 7.5 min;the thermal effect showed an increasing tendency with the rise of pressing force,and the temperature reached the top upon a moderate level of force.The pressing time can produce a greater influence on the real-time temperature than the pressing force;the pressing force can produce a greater influence on maintaining the temperature than the pressing time.

With the emergence of drug resistant tuberculosis, it is very urgent to find novel anti-tuberculosis drugs, especially novel anti-drug-resistant tuberculosis drugs. Because of the slow growth and the need to work in a biosafty environment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the development of evaluation of drug effect is severely impeded. In order to solve these issues, non-pathogenic fast-growing Mycobacterium smegmatis is introduced as test organism. The inhA is one of a target of isoniazid (INH) overexpression or mutation of this gene in Mycobacterium tuberculosis conferring resistant to INH. A recombinant plasmid bearing inhA was constructed and electroporated into Mycobacterium smegmatis, using shuttle expression vector pMV261. Transformants were induced to express a protein of inhA, identified by SDS-PAGE. Results show that Mycobacterium smegmatis containing inhA plasmids exhibited 100-fold or greater increased resistance to INH, but it conferred no increased resistance to others first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs. Resazurin microtiter assay plate testing of Mycobacterium smegmatis susceptibility to drugs is a rapid, simple, and inexpensive method and could decrease color background of drugs by detecting fluorescence. It will be benefit for high-throughout screening of drugs of anti-isoniazid-resistant Mycobacteria.

Objective To study the value and effectiveness of surgical management and mapping in supratentorial tumoral complicated with epilepsy and to study the correlations between tumor and the epileptogenic focus.Methods The clinical data of 121 patients with supratentorial cerebral tumor but epilepsy as initial symptom were retrospectively analyzed for the incidence of pre-and postoperative epileptic seizures,including grade Ⅰ glioma in 1 5 cases and grade Ⅱ glioma in 35 cases,grade Ⅲ-Ⅳglioma in 12 cases,menigoma in 32 cases,metastases in 10 cases,cavernous angiomas in 15 cases,and ependymomas in 2 cases.Results Surgery based on CT/MRI,seizure type and EEG changes was conducted.There was no death in operation.The highest incidence was in frontal lobe and the lowest in occipital lobe.Correlations between localization of tumor and the epileptogenic focus:there were 50 cases in the same location,near or beside tumors in 28 cases,far separate apart(＞2 cm)from tumors in 25 cases,no relationship was found in 18 cases.103 patients were followed up for one to nine years.31 patients had a few seizures in the early postoperative period.Epileptic seizures were cured without anti-epilepsy drugs in 83 cases.Conclusion There are some differences between tumors'location and epileptogenic focus in supratentorial tumoral epilepsy.The location and size of epileptogenic zone should be detected before and during operation.The resection of the tumor combined with the resection of the epileptogenic zone"epilepsy surgery"can provide good results.

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L ) and lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2 ) in the assessment of coronary artery severity and risk classification in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS).Methods Of the 9 6 patients with coronary heart disease diagnosed by coronary angiography,2 8 patients had stable angina pectoris (SAP),38 patients unstable angina pectoris (UAP)and 30 patients acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).Another 30 patients with non-coronary heart disease (NC)served as controls.The sCD40L and Lp-PLA2 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA)method.The Gensini score was used to assess the severity of coronary artery and analyze the correlation with sCD40L and Lp-PLA2.The correlation of sCD40L and Lp-PLA2 with GRACE risk score was analyzed too.Results ① sCD40L was significantly higher in NSTEMI and UAP groups than in SAP and NC groups (P<0 .0 5 ),but there was no significant difference between NSTEMI and UAP groups (P>0 .0 5 )or SAP and NC groups (P>0 .0 5 ).Lp-PLA2 was significantly higher in NSTEMI group than in UAP,SAP and NC groups (P<0.05).Lp-PLA2 was significantly higher in UAP group than in SAP and NC groups (P<0.05).② We found that sCD40L had obvious correlation with Lp-PLA2 (r=0.284, P<0.01),Gensini score (r=0.213,P<0.05),and GRACE (r=0.224,P<0.05).Lp-PLA2 was significantly correlated with Gensini score (r=0.270,P<0.05),and GRACE (r=0.323,P<0.01).③ Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Lp-PLA2 was independently associated with NSTE-ACS (P<0.05).Conclusion The sCD40L and Lp-PLA2 which were significantly elevated in NSTE-ACS are correlated with the severity of coronary artery disease.The two indexes indicate the instability of atherosclerotic plaque;thus they can be used as predictors of risk assessment in coronary heart disease.