OBJECTIVETo study pharmacokinetic effect of Aikeqing Granule (AG) by different medication ways on zidovudine (AZT) in highly active antiretroviral therapy ( HAART) of rats.

METHODSTotally 36 rats were administered with corresponding medications by gastrogavage, group I [HAART: AZT 31.5 mg/kg +3TC 31.5 mg/kg + Efavirenz (EFV) 63.0 mg/kg], group II (HAART+AG525 mg/kg), group III (HAART and AG 525 mg/kg after a 2-h interval). Drug concentrations of AZT were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (HPLC-MS) before HAART, and at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 h after HAART, respectively. Pharmacokinetic parameters [such as t1/2, Tmax, Cmax, AUCo-t, plasma clearance rate (CL)] were calculated by DAS2.0 Software.

RESULTSThe-equation of linear regression of AZT was good, with the precision, coefficient of recovery, and stability definitely confirmed. AUC in group II and III was larger than that of group I. There was no statistical difference in t1/2, Tmax, Cmax, AUC0-12 h, or AUC0-∞ among groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAG combined HAART could enhance the Cmax of AZT.

Animals ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Benzoxazines ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Mass Spectrometry ; Rats ; Zidovudine ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology

Objective: To evaluate the outcome and postoperative reaction of dural substitute (Neuropatch) applying in the treatment of Chiari I malformation(CMI) associated with syringomyelia(SM). Methods:Forty patients of CMI associated with SM were operated in our department from Jul. 2002 to Jul. 2004. All patients underwent posterior cranial fossa decompression and duraplasty. They were divided into two groups, 20 patients being repaired with Neuropatch (Neuropatch group), and the others with autologous fascia lata (fascia group). There were 6 males and 14 females in Neuropatch group and 10 males and 10 females in fascia group. The operations were performed under general anesthesia via suboccipital approach and the extent of posterior cranial fossa decompression ranged from 20 cm2 (5 cm×4 cm) to 35 cm2 (5 cm×7 cm). The removal of posterior arch of atlas depended on the extent of tonsillar herniation, and the dura was opened in Y shape. The Neuropatch was cut into triangular shape, and the same sized autologous fascia lata was used in fascia group. The patches were sutured tightly to the dura matter in each group. The incision was closed layer by layer and drainage was used, if necessary. Antibiotics and hormone were routinely used. The duration of operation, postoperative fever were evaluated, the outcome of the operation was evaluated by Tator scale, and the data were analyzed with statistic software SPSS 10.0. Results: There were12 patients (60%) who suffered from postoperative fever in the Neuropatch group, and 9 patients (45%) in the fascia group(χ2=0.902,P=0.342). Seventeen patients in each group were improved postoperatively. The duration of operation, postoperative fever and antibiotics used were compared between the two groups. No significant difference was found, but the duration of postoperative fever and the time of hormone used were different. There were no postoperative infections that occurred after the follow up for 1 to 2 years, except for one patient in fascia group who developed infective granuloma and recovered later by treatment. Conclusion: Neuropatch is a useful dural substitute for the repair of dural defects in the treatment of CMI associated with syringomyelia.

Studying effects of 50 Hz sinusoidal electromagnetic fields (SEMFs) with different intensities on peak bone mass (PBM) of rats may provide a theoretical basis for application of electromagnetic clinical field. 30 female SD rats, 6 weeks of age, were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, 0.1 mT electromagnetic field group (EMFs) and 0.6 mT EMFs. The EMFs groups were treated for 3 h/day. After 8 weeks, we examined their bone mineral densities (BMD) , measured their bone biomechanical properties, and made serum levels of osteocalcin (OC), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP 5b), and histomorphometry. It was found that the BMD (P < 0.01), maximum mechanical load (P < 0.01) in the 0.1 mT group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and Yield strength (P < 0.05), the analyses of serum bone turnover markers and histomorphometric parameters were better than those in the control group (P < 0.05). However, the 0.6 mT group did not have significantly difference comparing with that in the control group. This study proved that 50 Hz 0.1 mT SEMFs can increased BMD, bone strength, and bone tissue microstructure. Therefore, 50 Hz 0.1 mT SEMFs can improve peak bone mass of rats.
Acid Phosphatase ; blood ; Animals ; Bone Density ; Bone and Bones ; physiology ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Female ; Isoenzymes ; blood ; Osteocalcin ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase

50?mol/L induced markedly oncotic cell death,but no apoptosis was observed.TEM examination indicated that a form of cell death accompanied by cellular swelling,organelle swelling and vacuolization,mitochondrial swelling and cristae membrane loss,and nucleus swelling, chromatin scattering or karyolysis,which characterized as oncosis.When treated with 50,200?mol/L of ART for 5 h, the intracellular ROS level of Panc-1 cells markedly increased to 1.60 and 4.49 fold compared with that of untreated cells,respectively.Pretreatment with TCEP effectively attenuated ART-induced intracellular ROS level and decrease the oncosis in Panc-1 cells.Conclusions:ART exerts profound cytotoxic effects on Panc-1 cells and induces an oncosis- like cell death,which is quite different from apoptosis.The cellular generation of ROS and its peroxidation damage may be one of the mechanisms for its anti-tumor effect on pancreatic cancer.

This study aims to analyse the value of CODEHOP RT-PCR in the detection of Flavivirus. According to the amino acid sequences of polyproteins of different flaviviruses published in GenBank, a pair of primers was designed using the CODEHOP method. One-step RT-PCR was used to detect Japanese encephalitis virus strain JEV1201, Dengue virus strain JKD001, and yellow fever virus vaccine YV6161. BLAST analysis and phylogenetic analysis were performed after the RT-PCR products of nucleocapsid genes were sequenced. The results showed that this method could amplify Flavivirus specifically, and the size and sequence of the target fragment accorded with the anticipated result. JEV1201 had the highest homology to Japanese encephalitis virus strain YL2009-4/YC2009-3, belonging to the branch of the phylogenetic tree of Japanese encephalitis virus strains. JKD001 had the highest homology to Dengue virus strain DENV-2/ID/1022DN/1975, belonging to the branch of the phylogenetic tree of Dengue virus strains. YV6161 had the highest homology to Yellow fever virus strain 17D, belonging to the branch of the phylogenetic tree of Yellow fever virus strains. In conclusion, the method of CODEHOP RT-PCR can be effectively used to detect, identify, and phylogenetically analyse Flavivirus.
DNA Primers ; genetics ; Flavivirus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Flavivirus Infections ; virology ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins ; genetics

This study was aimed to construct a pEGFP-N1 vector of von Willebrand factor cleaving protease (ADAMTS13, a disintegrin and metalloprotease with a thrombospondin type 1 motifs 13) so as to pave the way for further studying its synthesis and secretion. Human full-length cDNA sequence of ADAMTS13 was acquired by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with Phusion(®) High-Fidelity (NEB), then the PCR product was double digested with EcoRI and XhoI. After digestion, the ADAMTS13 cDNA sequence was purified and recombined with the pEGFP-N1 vector. The DNA sequence analysis showed that ADAMTS13 was ligated to the pEGFP-N1 vector correctly. After transient expression in HeLa cells, the expression of EGFP could be detected by fluorescent microscopy, and the expression of ADAMTS13 protein could be detected by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. It is concluded that the ADAMTS13-pEGFP-N1 vector is successfully constructed, and it can be widely used in further research on the mechanism of the synthesis and secretion of ADAMTS13.
ADAM Proteins ; genetics ; ADAMTS13 Protein ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Vectors ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Transfection

AIM:To evaluate the recovery about the visual cortex function of stereopsis in anisometropic amblyopia after regular amblyopia treatment 6, 12 and 18mo with blood oxygenation level dependent - function magnetic resonance imaging techniques ( BOLD-fMRI) .
METHODS: In this study, self-controlled study before and after treatment was used, and blocks-designed fMRI was performed on 11 children which was the first phase of research for amblyopic treatment. Functional MRI data were processed by using SPM8 which based on the Matlab 7. 12. 0. 635. Through the hypothesis drive method, the differences range of activated area in each group were compared by before and after amblyopia treatment matched t-test.
RESULTS: The functional area that was left occipital lobe (BA18), middle occipital gyrus (BA19), limbic lobe (BA19), lingualis gyrus of the right occipital lobe (BA17) and the bilateral parietal lobe ( BA7 ) expanded after amblyopia treatment 6, 12mo, compared those treatment phase, mean t value was 1. 5762, 1. 6856 respectively (P<0. 001). However, the difference of activated intensity was lower after 18mo, mean t value was 1. 1473 (0. 001 CONCLUSION: In children anisometropic amblyopia, the speed of function reconstruction about visual cortical functional mediating stereopsis increase slowly after amblyopia treatment 1a.

OBJECTIVETo compare the ability of osthole (OST) and genistein (GEN) in enhancing bone peak bone mass of rats to prevent osteoporosis.

METHODSThirty-six female one-month-old SD rats of (125 +/- 3) g body weight were randomly divided into three groups, 12 rats in each group, one group was orally administered osthole at 9 mg x kg(-1) d(-1), one group was given genistein at 10 mg x kg(-1) d(-1) and another was given equal quantity of distilled water as the control. The body weight was monitored weekly and the bone mineral density (BMD) of total body was measured every month. All rats were sacrificed after three months, the femoral bone mineral density, the serum levels of osteocalcin (OC) and anti-tartaric acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP 5b) were measured by Elisa. The bone microarchitectures were analyzed with micro-CT and the bone biomechanics properties were tested with universal material machine.

RESULTSNo significant differences were observed between O-treated or GEN group and the control for the food-intake and body weight during three months. However, the rats treated with OST had significant higher BMD for both total body and femur than the control and GEN group. The O-treated rats also had higher level of serum OC and lower level of TRACP 5b. Besides, they owned bigger bone volume/tissue volume, trabecular thickness, trabecular number but smaller trabecular spacing. In the three point bending tests of femurs,they were found to have larger maximum load, the young's modulus and structural model index (SMI).

CONCLUSIONOrally administered osthole could efficiently increase the peak bone mass of rats,which provide new ideas for preventing osteoporosis.

Acid Phosphatase ; blood ; Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Coumarins ; pharmacology ; Female ; Femur ; diagnostic imaging ; drug effects ; pathology ; Genistein ; pharmacology ; Isoenzymes ; blood ; Osteocalcin ; blood ; Radiography ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase

OBJECTIVETo establish an adolescent violence crime prediction model, and to assess the value of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene polymorphism for the assessment and prediction of violent crime.

METHODSInvestigative tools were used to analyze the difference in personality dimensions, social support, coping styles, aggressiveness, impulsivity, and family condition scale between 223 adolescents with violence behavior and 148 adolescents without violence behavior. The distribution of 5-HTT gene polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR and 5-HTTVNTR) was compared between the two groups. The role of 5-HTT gene polymorphism on adolescent personality, impulsion and aggression scale also was also analyzed. Stepwise logistic regression was used to establish a predictive model for adolescent violent crime.

RESULTSSignificant difference was found between the violence group and the control group on multiple dimensions of psychology and environment scales. However, no statistical difference was found with regard to the 5-HTT genotypes and alleles between adolescents with violent behaviors and normal controls. The rate of prediction accuracy was not significantly improved when 5-HTT gene polymorphism was taken into the model.

CONCLUSIONThe violent crime of adolescents was closely related with social and environmental factors. No association was found between 5-HTT polymorphisms and adolescent violence criminal behavior.

Adolescent ; Adolescent Behavior ; psychology ; Crime ; psychology ; Humans ; Male ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins ; genetics ; Violence ; psychology

Actins ; analysis ; Antigens, CD34 ; analysis ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; classification ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratin-19 ; analysis ; Keratin-20 ; analysis ; Muscle, Smooth ; chemistry ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; classification ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; analysis ; Receptors, Estrogen ; analysis ; Receptors, Progesterone ; analysis