Air Pollutants ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Particulate Matter

Objective: To observe the clinical effects of pediatric tuina plus Chinese medicine for exogenous fever in children. Methods: A total of 150 children withexogenous fever were randomly divided based on the random digital table into a control group (75 cases) and a treatment group (75 cases). The control group was treated with oral Xiao'er Chaigui Tuire Keli (<1 year old, 0.5 bag/time; 1-3 years old, 1 bag/time; 4-6 years old, 1.5 bags/time), 4 times/day. The treatment group was treated with pediatric tuina plus the intervention of the control group. The amount and usage of Chinese medicine were the same as those of the control group; tuina was conducted 1 time/day. The clinical effects and adverse reactions were observed after 3 d of treatment in both groups. The recurrence was observed within 7 d after the end of treatment. Results: The total effective rate was 92.0％ in the treatment group and 81.3％ in the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no obvious adverse reactions in the two groups after treatment. The recurrence rate was 1.5％ in the treatment group and 13.1％ in the control group. The difference in the recurrence rate between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Pediatric tuina plus Chinese medicine is effective in treating children with exogenous fever.

BACKGROUND: As the damage caused by protein glycation is one of the mechanisms of diabetes, it is helpful to treat diabetes related diseases with the understanding of the inhibition of berberine on protein glycation and the protection to the brain damage caused by protein glycation.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of berberine on glycated brain damages induced by D-galactose in model rats.DESIGN: Randomly grouping paralleled control study.SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Xiamen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.MATERIALS: The experiment was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy College of Jinan University from June to October 2005. Ninety SD rats (6 weeks old) were selected and divided into 6 groups: control group, model group, hydrochloride aminoguanidine group and high (300 mg/kg), middle (150 mg/kg) and low (75 mg/kg) doses berberine groups with 15 rats in each group. The glycated models were established by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose. The main drugs:berberine was from Guangzhou Wanji Drugs Limited Company; D-galactose was from Shanghai Yuanju Bioscience Technology Limited Company.METHODS: The rats in the control group were intraperitoneally injected the normal saline for 8 weeks; rats in other groups were injected 5%D-galactose (150 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. From the 3rd week, the hydrochloride aminoguanidine group was infused hydrochloride aminoganidine (150 mg/kg); the three doses berberine groups were given corresponding doses berberine; the control group and model group were given distilled water for 6 weeks with the volume of 10 mL/kg. At the end of the 8th week, the erythrocyte aldose reductase activity was determined by coomassie brilliant blue method; the level of plasma glycohemoglobin was measured by thio-barbituric acid colorimetry and the fructosamine in serum was measured by nitroblue tetrazolium colorimetry. The quantity of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in serum, and AGEs, malondialdehyde (MDA), and activity of superoxide edismutase (SOD) in brain tissue and calcium ion in neurons were also dertermined. Moreover, the changes of mitochondria in brain hippocampus cells were observed under electronic microscope.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① The AGEs, plasma glycohemoglobin, serum fructosamine and aldose reductase activity. ②AGEs in brain tissues. ③Calcium level in brain. ④MDA content and SOD activity in brain tissues. ⑤Changes of mitochondria in hippocampus neurons.RESULTS: All 90 animals were involved in the result analysis. ①Aldose reductase activity and glycated product content in serum: After the rats were treated with D-galactose for 8 weeks, the aldose reductase activity in red blood cells and the content of fructosamine in serum, glycohemoglobin,AGEs in the model group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group (P ＜ 0.01); After treated by high and middle doses berberine for 6 weeks, the activity of aldose reductase and content of fructosamine in serum (absorbancevalue of hemoglobin every 10 g), glycohemoglobin, and AGEs were obviously lower than those in the control group [(1.07±0.39), (1.22±0.47), (1.76±0.30) nkat/g, t=5.052, 5.484, P ＜ 0.01;(0.740±0.142), (0.862±0.131), (0.958±0.083) mmol/L, t=7.829, P ＜ 0.01,t=2.404, P ＜ 0.05; 58.434±12.135, 64.614±13.418, 83.747±7.990,t=4.922, 6.748, P ＜ 0.01; (3.104±0.814), (2.937±0.514), (4.156±0.860) U/mg,t=4.104, 3.440, P ＜ 0.05]; the aldose reductase activity of the low dose berberine group was lower than the model group (P ＜ 0.05), which had no obvious effect on glycated products. ②AGEs in brain tissues: The contents in the hydrochloride aminoganidine group, high and middle doses berberine groups were lower than the model group [(10.52±1.22), (10.95±1.75),(11.95±2.27), (14.26±3.51) U/mg, t=-3.892, -3.263, P ＜ 0.01, t=-2.139,P ＜ 0.05], and the low dose berberine had little effect (P ＞ 0.05). ③Calcium level in neurons: The levels in the hydrochloride aminoganidine group,and high dose berberine groups were lower than the model group.[(271.52±32.71), (293.84±31.58), (337.15±58.49) nmol/L, t=-3.421, P＜ 0.01, t=-2.275, P ＜ 0.05], the low dose berberine group had no obvious effect (P ＞ 0.05). ④MDA content and SOD activity in brain tissues: MDA contents in the hydrochloride aminoganidine group, high and middle doses berberine groups were lower than the model group, and the SOD activity was markedly higher than the model group [(2.09±0.16), (2.12±0.22),(2.41±0.12), (2.54±0.21) μmol/g, t=6.601, 5.348, P ＜ 0.01, t=2.082, P＜ 0.05; (8.79±1.09), (8.80±1.52), (7.90±1.48), (6.48±1.34) mkat/g, t=4.571,4.254, P ＜ 0.01, t=2.226, P ＜ 0.05]. ⑤Mitochondria structure in brain hippocampus cells: Under the electronic microscope, mitochondria in brain hippocampus cells of the model group appeared obvious swelling with broken crests and disorganized structure, even obvious big vacuoles were observed. In the hydrochloride aminoganidine, and high and middle doses berberine groups, no obvious swelling was observed with vacuoles only in a few mitochondria. Nevertheless, obvious swelling appeared in mitochondria of low dose berberine group with broken crest and disorganized structure,and vacuoles were observed.CONCLUSION: D-galactose-induced damage in mitochondria may be related to AGEs formation in brain tissue, maladjustment of calcium ions in neurons and oxidative stress in rat models. Berberine can inhibit glycation induced by D-galactose and protect rat brain tissues from glycated damage.

Air Pollution ; Atherosclerosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Particulate Matter

Objective To assess the impact of pigment epithelium-derived factor(PEDF)on the proliferation and apoptosis of the glioma cells by detecting expression of apoptosis related proteins.Methods U87 cells were treated with PEDF(1000μg/ml,U87PEDF),or without PEDF(U87com0),cell proliferation assays were performed by MTT assay to test the effect of PEDF on proliferation of glioma cells;Apoptosis assays were performed by flow-cytometric analysis;Western-blot Was used for evaluating the expression of p16 protein.Results The induced inhibitony rates of glioma cells by PEDF were(54.29±0.62)% Compaxed with the control(t=2.63,P<0.05).The apoptosis assay showed that(21.84±0.36)% of PI- negative/annexin V-positive Was present in the U87 PEDF cells.The appoptosis was associated with the incteases of p16 protein(0.82±0.09)compared with tlle control(0.43±0.03,P<0.05).Conciusion PEDF may play a significant role in apoptosis regulation and proliferation of glioma cell accompanied with the increase of the p16 protein.

Objective To assess the impact of pigment epithelium-derived factor(PEDF) on the migration of the glioma cells.Methods PEDF(100 ng/ml)was added to U87 cells(U87PFDF),and VEGF of 0.25μg/ml was added to U87PEDF+VEGF while U87 cells as control(U87con).The cell migratory assav was used tbr evaluating its inhibitory migration rate of PEDF.Real time RT-PCR was used for evaluating the expression of Laminin-8 gene.Results The number of migratory cells was higher than those with added PEDF,and the inhibitory rate of migratory was 38% even in the presence of VEGF.Real time RT-PCR revealed that the mRNA expression levels of α4,β1,γl were(1.043±0.090),(0.823±0.012).(0.762±0.05) copy/μl,which were higher than those treated by PEDF(0.633±0.004),(0.442±0.005).(0.424±0.002)copy/μl,respectively (P＜0.05).Conclusion PEDF could decrease the migmtory capacity of the glioma cells even in the presence of VEGF because of the regulation of Laminin-8 in part.

Point-of-care testing (POCT) of blood glucose has been widely used for continuous monitoring of glucose in clinic due to high sensitivity, convenience, accessibility and shorter TAT.It has been developed rapidly in recent years. But glucose POCT is often out of control and management from central laboratory and usually it was performed by non-laboratorians.It becomes the growing concerns that how to avoid the discrepancy between POCT results and central laboratory results, how to ensure POCT quality of each batch of blood glucose results, how to solve issues in the application and ensure that patients' results are accurate and reliable. The hospital should put the POCT management under the whole management system and improve the accuracy of POCT to achieve the complete quality assurance. This article introduced the management program experiences of glucose POCT in Huashan hospital according to the JCI accreditation and CAP-LAP.

Over the past several years, mass spectrometry technology has become the important method of choice for the discovery of new biomarkers.Because the features of mass spectrometry-based proteomics including sensitivity, high throughput, speed, combined with advanced bioinformatics allow for the rapid analysis of a bunch of proteins simultaneously.It has become a powerful laboratory tool in clinical study.However recent studies showed that critical comments were made on the poor reproducibility,statistical analysis of the data et al.This article focused on challenges of study design, mass spectrometry technology and biological relevance associated its application of mass spectrometry based proteomics in serum or plasma.

Objective To compare the effects of ouabain and digoxin on both the systolic blood pressure and sodium pump α-subunit isoforms gene expression in the aortic smooth muscle of rats. Methods Normal SpragueDawley rats were injected with ouabain (20μg·kg-1 ·d-1 ,i. p),digoxin (32 μg·kg-1 ·d-1,i. p)and normal saline once a day, respectively, and indirect systolic blood pressure was recorded once a week. Six weeks later,all the rats were killed and sodium pump α1-,α2-,and α3-subunit mRNA levels were detected in the aortic smooth muscle with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) method. Results The systolic blood pressure of rats infused with ouabain increased significantly at the end of week 6 [132. 6± 9. 0 mmHg (1 mmHg ＝ 0. 133 kPa)vs 115. 7±8.2mmHg, P ＜0. 01] ,while no difference of blood pressure was found between digoxin group and NS group (P＞0.05).The expression of sodium pump α-subunit isoforms in aortic smooth muscle was regulated by either ouabain or digoxin:both ouabain and digoxin increased α1- and α3-subunit expression, α2-subunit decreased in digoxin group but unchanged in ouabain group. Conclusion These results suggest that both ouabain and digoxin could regulate sodium pump α-subunit isoform expression, which might be related to the physiological roles of endogenous ouabain and might be responsible for the difference between the pharmacological and toxicological effects of ouabain and digoxin,including their effects on blood pressure.

ObjectiveTo determine whether aadA2 gene can be translated from the ATG triplet,which there was no plausible ribosome binding site preceding it,and synthetized a functional protein in class 1 integron.MethodsSite-specific mutagenesis was used to construct aadA2 gene cassette with different start codons,together with their upstreamed promoters of variable regions were cloned into plasmid pACYC184 respective.The constructed plasmids were then transfored into Escherichia coli JM109,Western blot was used to detect the translation products of aadA2 gene with different start codons.Broth microdilution method was used to detect the minimal inhibitory concentrations to streptomycin in Escherichia coli JM109 containing aadA2 gene with different start codons.ResultsaadA2 gene can initiate translation from both ATG and GTG triplets in aminoacyl -3-adenylyltransferase protein synthesis,though there was no plausible ribosome binding site preceding the ATG triplet.Besides GTG and ATG triplets,there was other start codon downstream of the GTG triplet in aadA2 gene.The translated products that initiated from the start codons that described above were all functional AAD(3) proteins that can be detected by anti- aminoacyl -3-adenylyltransferase polyclonal antisera in Western blot and conferred different resistance levels to streptomycin in E.coli.ConclusionWhen inserted as the first gene cassette in class 1 integron,aadA2 gene can initiate translation from ATG triplet and synthetized a functional protein,though there was no plausible ribosome binding site preceding it.This structural characterization of class 1 integron can initiate translation of the open reading frame harbored in gene cassette that integrated into class 1 integron,though there was no plausible RBS preceding the start codon.This make class 1 integron be more convenience to express the genes that capture from environment.