Objective: To observe the effect of different moxibustion durations on rats with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to evaluate the relationship between moxibustion amount and moxibustion efficacy.Methods: Eight rats were randomly selected as a normal group from the 40 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, and the other 32 rats were used to establish typeⅡ collagen-induced RA models. After successful modeling, the 32 rats were randomly divided into a model group, a moxibustion for 20 min group, a moxibustion for 40 min group and a moxibustion for 60 min group, with 8 rats in each group. Rats in the normal group did not receive modeling and moxibustion intervention; rats in the model group did not receive moxibustion after modeling; rats in the moxibustion for 20 min group, the moxibustion for 40 min group and the moxibustion for 60 min group were treated with moxibustion at Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) for 20 min, 40 min and 60 min, respectively. Six days were a course of treatment, with a total of 3-course treatments and a 1-day rest between the courses of treatment. After treatment, the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, arthritis index (AI) scores, toe volumes and pathological score of synovitis were evaluated in the rats.Results: Compared with the normal group, the serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels, and the toe volumes in the model group were increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01), before the treatment. Compared with the model group, the serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels, toe volumes and arthritis index (AI) scores were significantly decreased in the moxibustion for 20 min group, the moxibustion for 40 min group and the moxibustion for 60 min group (P<0.05 orP<0.01 ). Compared with the moxibustion for 20 min group and the moxibustion for 60 min group, serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels, toe volumes and AI scores were decreased more significantly in moxibustion for 40 min group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05 orP<0.01). There were no significant differences in serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels, AI scores and toe volumes between the moxibustion for 20 min group and the moxibustion for 60 min group (allP>0.05). The synovial histopathological improvement was the most obvious in the moxibustion for 40 min group, when the synovial histopathological changes were compared among the moxibustion for 20 min group, moxibustion for 40 min group and moxibustion for 60 min group.Conclusion: The therapeutic efficacy of moxibustion for 40 min in RA rats was more significant than that of moxibustion for 20 min and moxibustion for 60 min, indicating that the duration of moxibustion is the main factor affecting its therapeutic efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Moxibustion can improve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and reduce inflammation, but there are no uniform operation standards. The moxibustiondistance becomes one of factor influencing the therapeutic efficacy.OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of different moxibustion distances on rheumatoid arthritis, and to explore the optimal distance.METHODS: The 8 of 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomlyselected as controls. The other 32 were used to make animal modes of collagen type Ⅱ-induced ankle arthritis, and then given moxibustion at Shenshu (BL23) and Zusanli (ST36) at an interval of 1, 2 and 3 cm, respectively, once daily, 10 minutes at each point, 6 days per course for three courses, with a course interval of 1 day. Model rats with no treatment acted as model group.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the control group, the toe volume, arthritis index and serum levels ofinterleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α except the body mass were significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.01).After moxibustion treatment, these indexes were significantly decreased in the three treatment groups (P < 0.01), especially in the 1 and 2 cm groups (P < 0.01). Narrowed articular cavity, intra-articular inflammation and pannus formation were observed in the model group, while only moderate inflammatorycell infiltration and few pannus formation were found in the 1,2, 3 cm groups. These results indicate that moxibustion improvesjoint functions and regulates immune reaction by downregulating the levels of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosisfactor-α, as well as reducing synovial hyperplasia. In addition,the optimal distance for moxibustion is 1 or 2 cm, which is amomentous proposition to improve therapeutic efficacy.

Based on reservoir condition and fluid characteristics, the oil-degrading bacterial strain NX-2 was screened from Ma-2 fault block of Huabei oil field. Bacterial metabolism and the capability of improving oil property were evaluated on oxygen-deficient condition. At 87℃ which reservoir temperature is, artificial homogeneous core displacement experiment indicated the enhanced oil recovery of microbe was 7.1% higher than that of waterflooding. In experiment on individual well Ma-410, additional oil production of 669 tons was gained, and decreased water production of this trial well reached more than 3000 tons. These results demonstrated NX-2 could adapt to stratum conditions, enhance oil recovery and improve oil property as well.

The paper analyzes the difficulties in reading promotion of libraries of medical colleges,states the countermeasures,and indicates that libraries of medical colleges shall perfect the reading promotion system,improve the reading promotion mechanism,set up the reading promotion department,innovate the reading promotion activity mode,enrich featured medical reading promotion activities,and construct the reading culture for medical students.

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.

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of unsaponifiable matter from the seed oil of Momordica cochinchinensis.

METHODThe fatty oil from the seeds of M. cochinchinensis was extracted with petroleum ether, and the saponification was carried out with potassium hydroxide. The unsaponifiable matter was isolated and purified by silica gel column chromatography, and the structures of their constituents were elucidated by means of IR, MS, 1H-NMR, and authentic chemicals.

RESULTKarounidiol (1), isokarounidiol (2), 5-dehydrokarounidiol (3), 7-oxodihydrokarounidiol (4), beta-sitosterol (5), stigmast-7-en-3beta-ol (6), and stigmast-7,22-dien-3beta-ol (7) were elucidated.

CONCLUSIONThese compounds were found in this plant for the first time.

Molecular Structure ; Momordica ; chemistry ; Oleanolic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Oils ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

BACKGROUNDAllergic asthma is associated with airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness caused by dysregulated production of cytokines secreted by allergen-specific helper T-type 2 (Th2) cells. The linker for activation of T cells (LAT) is a membrane-associated adaptor protein, which has been shown to take part in regulating T cell receptor (TCR) signaling and T cell homeostasis. In this study, we established an asthmatic mouse model to examine the changes in LAT levels during allergic airway disease and the effects of LAT transgenic expression on airway inflammation.

METHODST cells from mouse lung tissues were isolated from allergen challenged (ovalbumin (OVA)) and control mice, and the purity of these isolated T cells was examined by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of the LAT gene and LAT protein, respectively. After an intranasally administered mixture of pCMV-HA-LAT plasmid and Lipofectamine 2000, 24 hours before and 72 hours after allergen challenge, the BALF cell count and the differential cytologies were studied. In addition, IL-4 and IFN-γ levels in the BALF were determined by ELISA, and pathological changes in lung tissues were observed.

RESULTSLAT protein and mRNA expression were decreased in lung T cells in a mouse model of allergen-induced airway disease. After intranasal administration of pCMV-HA-LAT, histopathological examination of the lungs showed that intervention with LAT overexpression prevented mice from developing airway inflammation, and the number of total cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, and lymphocytes in the BALF was reduced significantly compared with the OVA sensitized and challenged group. In addition, the Th2 cytokine IL-4 decreased, while the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ increased compared to the OVA sensitized and challenged group or the OVA sensitized group plus pCMV-HA treatment.

CONCLUSIONThis study demonstrates that LAT might effectively diminish Th2 cytokine responses, lung histopathological changes and lung inflammation to allergen challenge in a model of experimentally induced asthma.

Animals ; Asthma ; immunology ; metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; immunology ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Female ; Inflammation ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; metabolism

OBJECTIVESTo learn the use of fund investment and actual expenditure cost among men who have sex with man (MSM) intervention in the city, in order to provide related evidences for carrying out the intervention effectively MSM.

METHODSFinancial records were used to collect the information about the fund source and allocation of the resource invested for the MSM intervention between 2006 and 2009. Key staff was interviewed to get related information. The activity-based costing method was adopted to analyze the actual expenditure of MSM intervention in different sites, and the allocation of the total cost to each activity, the intervention times in different sites and the unit cost in actual HIV testing person-times promoted by MSM intervention was then calculated.

RESULTSInterventions through internet and in bar and bathhouse were conducted in the certain city. Total funds for MSM intervention between 2006 and 2009 were 4.441 million, 56.7% (¥2.530 million) of which were from international cooperation programs, whose direct cost covered 50.5% (¥2.243 million) of the total cost. The actual expenditure in interventions through Internet was ¥750 656 (16.9%), including direct expenditure ¥317 088 and indirect expenditure ¥433 568. The actual expenditure in interventions in bar was ¥2 061 846 (46.4%), including direct expenditure ¥1 114 423 and indirect expenditure ¥947 423. The actual expenditure in interventions in bathhouse was ¥1 628 751 (36.7%), including direct expenditure ¥811 474 and indirect expenditure ¥817 277. The person-times of receiving MSM intervention and the unit cost for promoting HIV test through the above 3 access all decreased. The average cost for one person-time intervention through internet and in bar and bathhouse decreased from ¥68.7 (1011 person-times), ¥67.3 (3282 person-times), ¥67.9 (3140 person-times) in 2006 to ¥40.9 (25 523 person-times), ¥30.2 (28 121 person-times), ¥17.5 (28 381 person-times) in 2009 respectively, and the cost for promoting one person-time HIV test decreased from ¥1789.2 (58 person-times), ¥1175.6 (188 person-times), ¥574.2 (312 person-times)per person time to ¥676.9 (394 person-times), ¥556.5 (1637 person-times), ¥316.5 (2237 person-times) respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe unit cost of MSM intervention through internet and in bar and bathhouse decreased, as well as the cost for HIV test promotion per person-time in the city. Meanwhile, the intervention covered more and more people annually.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; economics ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; China ; epidemiology ; Costs and Cost Analysis ; Health Expenditures ; Homosexuality, Male ; Humans ; Male

The aims of this study were to analyze the composition of umbilical cord blood cells (UCBC), to examine the characteristics of dendritic cells (DC) before and after culture, to search the method of differentiation and increase of DC in vitro and to appraise surface antigen from UCBC. Twelve units of umbilical cord blood were collected from May 2002 to September 2002. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 9 cases were collected from healthy adult donors. The nature of UCBC was freshly determined and then UCBC were cultured for 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks with granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin 3 (IL-3), recombinant human stem cell factor (SCF) and EPO. Method of flow cytometry was used to determine the number of DC and cell surface antigens before and after culture by using monoclonal antibodies. The monoclonal antibodies included CD4, CD8, CD19, CD34, CD38, CD83, CD1a, CD11c and CDw123. The results showed that amounts of CD34+ progenitors in peripheral blood cells were 0.02 x 10(5)/ml, and amounts of CD34+ progenitors in human UCBC were 0.22 x 10(5)/ml. UCBC cultured for 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks with GM-CSF, IL-3, EPO and SCF were shown to differentiate into CD1a+ CD11c+ CD83+ CDw123+ DC. Numbers of DC from UCBC remarkably generated in 2-4 weeks and then decreased in number. By culture with cytokines DC increased up to (10.6 - 28.2) x 10(5)/ml in actual numbers. It is concluded that the mononuclear cells of UCB are able to differentiate into CD1a+, CD83+, CD11c+ and CDw123+ DC when UCBC are cultured with proper cytokines of GM-CSF, SCF, EPO and IL-3 for 2-4 weeks. These DCs as antigen presenting cells are possibly effective in cancer immunotherapy.
Antigens, CD1 ; blood ; Antigens, CD34 ; blood ; Blood Cell Count ; Cell Differentiation ; Cytokines ; pharmacology ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn

BACKGROUND: Mechanisms undelying diagnosis and treatment of arthritis can be analyzed by metabonomics to study the metabolites. The combination of metabonomics and bibliometrics can systematically clarify the research status of osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To analyze and summarize the research status of metabonimics in arthritis, and to prospect the future tendency. METHODS: CNKI, VIP, WanFang, CBM, PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science and Elsevier databases were searched for the articles addressing the metabonimics in arthritis published before May 2017. The keywords were "metabolomics and arthritis" in English and Chinese, respectively. Initially 201 articles were retrieved, and finally 59 articles were included based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria for basic information and result analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Literature of metabonomics on arthritis began to be reported from 2007, and the number of literature increased with time. (2) The first author's affiliations were concentrated in universities 37(63%), hospitals 15 (25%) and institutes 7 (12%). (3) The articles included 44 articles from journals (75%), 12 dissertation (19%), 4 conference papers (7%), and the 44 papers were published in 38 kinds of journals. (4) Totally 36 articles were funded, 29 articles (49%) funded by the National Natural Science Foundation, 18 (31%) funded by department-level foundation, 10 (17%) funded by provincial foundation, 5 (8%) foreign foundation and 5 (8%) funded by school foundation. (5) The types of arthritis were mainly rheumatoid arthritis 40 (68%), osteoarthritis 7 (12%), gouty arthritis 6 (10%) and others 6 (10%). (6) The main research directions were metabonomis on treatment effectiveness 30 (51%), pathogenesis of arthritis 17 (29%), Chinese medicine syndromes 6 (10%) and research progress 6 (10%). (7) Metabolomics samples in the literature included the body fluid samples 53 (90%) and tissue samples 6 (10%). (8) Metabonomics analysis techniques included liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry 33 (56%), nuclear magnetic resonance technology 15 (25%), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry 10 (17%), NMR combined with GC-MS 1 (2%). In summary, metabonomics has been extensively applied in arthritis and has been an issue of concern. Understanding the side events in Chinese medicines for arthritis based on metabonomics can provide reference for the following prospective study and clinical application.