In order to explore reasonable artificial cultivation pattern of Thesium chinense, the biological characteristics and nutrients change in the process of winter dormancy of T. chinense was studied. The phenological period of T. chinense was observed by using fixed-point notation and the starch grains changes were determined dynamically by PAS-vanadium iron hematoxylin staixjing method. Soluble sugar and starch content were measured by anthrone-sulfuric acid method and amylase activity was determined by DN'S method. The results showed that the normal life cycle of T. chinense was two years. T. chinense was growing by seed in the first year, but growing by the root neck bud in the second year. During the process of dormancy, starch and soluble sugar could mutual transformation in different periods. T. chinense had sufficient carbohydrate to maintain growth and also a lot of small molecules to improve their ability to fight against adversity.
Plant Dormancy ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Santalaceae ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Seasons ; Starch ; analysis ; metabolism

BACKGROUND:Cryopreservation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel s has been a hot research issue currently, but the studies concerning their effects on expansion of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cel s after cryopreservation are seldom. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel s before and after cryopreservation as feeder layer on expansion of human bone marrow mononuclear cel s in vitro. METHODS:2.5g/L mitomycin C processed human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel s and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s at passage 3 were used as the feeder layer to expand adult al ogeneic bone marrow mononuclear cel s in culture. Up to day 35, methylcel ulose assay was used to detect hematopoietic stem/progenitor cel colony proliferation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:There were no differences in the morphology and size of colonies in the cryopreserved human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel group, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel group and non-cryopreserved human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel group. However, these parameter described above were significantly higher in these three groups than the blank control group (P<0.05). There were fewer colonies in the cryopreserved human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel group than the non-cryopreserved human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel group (P<0.05). These findings indicate that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel s before and after cryopreservation have the ability as feeder layer on expansion of bone marrow mononuclear cel s in vitro similar to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s. But this ability of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel s may decrease after cryopreservation.

The nitrite-reducing activity of aerobic denitrifying bacterial strain N6-1 was studied. It showed that the nitrite-reducing activity reached the highest at 30℃, 120 r/min, pH 8.5 and C/N ratio 12, using CH3COONa and NaNO2 as the sole carbon source and nitrogen source, respectively. When the initial NaNO2 concentration was 2 g/L, NO2--N was reduced completely after 20 hours cultivation with the reducing rate of 20.3 mg/L?h. There would be no effect on its nitrite-reducing activity in the present of 1.5% NaCl or 1% peptone. The cell concentration could reach 1.2?1011 CFU/mL after 24 hours cultivation in 10 L fermentor.

Objective To investigate the effects of saponins from Allium Macrostemon Bunge Bulbs (SMBB) on platelet aggregation and platelet-neutrophil-interactions. Methods The effects of SMBB on platelet aggregation in SD rats were observed in vivo and in vitro. The adhesion of platelets to neutrophils was measured by rosette test. The effect of SMBB on activated platelet calcium levels was detected. Results Platelet aggregation induced by platelet activating factor (PAF), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and arachidonic acid (AA) was significantly inhibited by SMBB in vitro concentration-dependent. Platelet aggregation induced by PAF, AA and ADP was significantly inhibited by 5 mg/kg of SMBB. SMBB could reduce the intracellular calcium concentration in the wash platelets. SMBB significantly reduced the adhesion between neutrophils and thrombin-activated platelets and inhibited neutrophil supernatant-induced platelet aggregation, with IC50of 2.7 μmol/L and 9.6 μmol/L, respectively. Conclusion SMBB can inhibit platelet aggregation in vitro and ex vivo, and inhibit the interactions between platelets and neutrophils.

AIMTo investigate the sweat regulation mechanism of human body.

METHODSArm muscular work was performed on bicycle ergometer by eight healthy male subjects on 20 W and 40 W work loads lasting 10 min or 20 min in 16 degrees C and 21 degrees C ambient temperature. Sweat, metabolic rate and corresponding skin and core temperature changes were measured during different periods.

RESULTSSweat varied directly with ambient temperature and there were the corresponding changes in mean skin temperature, rectal temperature and metabolic rate. And when the work load was elevated, the skin temperature at chest and metabolic rate increased as sweat increased. There were no differences in the physiological indices between 20 W 20 min and 20 W 10 min, but mean skin temperature and sweat rate during 40 W 20 min work were higher than 40 W 10 min while metabolic rate did not change. The time when chest temperature arrived at the threshold was in correspondence with obvious sweat onset. Both local skin temperature at chest and metabolic rate were significantly correlated with sweat, but the latter was stronger. The regression equation relating metabolic rate and sweat rate was compound function.

CONCLUSIONSkin temperature was important for sweat onset, and the sweat predicted model based on the metabolic rate or ambient temperature was more suitable and practical.

Adult ; Body Temperature Regulation ; physiology ; Energy Metabolism ; Environment ; Humans ; Male ; Sweating ; physiology ; Temperature

To separate and identify chemical signals which induce Thesium chinense haustorium formation, the components of T. chinense roots secretion collected with XAD-4 resin were detected by GC-MS. The effect of DMBQ as exogenous signals to induce haustorium formation in T. chinense was studied. Fifty-three compounds of 9 types had been detected, including hydrocarbons, esters, organic acids, ketones, alcohols, nitrogen containing compounds, phenolic acids, aldehyde and quinine. It is worth noting that the 2, 5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone has the core structure of 1,4-benzoquinone, which may play an important role in the parasitic relationship of Prunella vulgaris and T. chinense: DMBQ worked effectively on inducing haustoria, but induction effects vary widely in different concentrations. DMBQ with the concentration of 1 μmol x L(-1) showed the best effect of the inducing ability with a ratio of 110.52 when treated to induce haustoria.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Host-Parasite Interactions ; Magnoliopsida ; chemistry ; physiology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; physiology ; Prunella ; chemistry ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo identify the biomechanical feasibility of the thoracic extrapedicular approach to the placement of screws.

METHODSFive fresh adult cadaveric thoracic spine from T1 to T8 were harvested. The screw was inserted either by pedicular approach or extrapedicular approach. The result was observed and the pullout strength by pedicular screw approach and extrapedicular screw approach via sagittal axis of the vertebrale was measured and compared statistically.

RESULTSIn thoracic pedicular approach, the pullout strength of pedicle screw was 1001.23 N+/-220 N (288.2-1561.7 N)ls and that of thoracic extrapedicular screw approach was 827.01 N+/-260 N when screw was inserted into the vertebrae through transverse process, and 954.25 N+/-254 N when screw was inserted into the vertebrae through the lateral cortex of the pedicle. Compared with pedicular group, the pullout strength in extrapedicular group was decreased by 4.7% inserted through transverse process (P larger than 0.05) and by 17.3% inserted through the lateral cortex (P less than 0.05). The mean pullout strength by extrapedicular approach was decreased by 11.04% as compared with pedicular approach (P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIt is feasible biomechanically to use extrapedicular screw technique to insert pedicular screws in the thoracic spine when it is hard to insert by pedicular approach.

Adult ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; surgery

Adult ; Aged ; Budd-Chiari Syndrome ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; diagnostic imaging ; Liver Circulation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: The number of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) and the ratio between the number of metastatic LNs and the total number of retrieved LNs (the LN ratio [LNR]) have been proposed as risk factors for recurrence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, the significance of the number of LNs and the LNR in patients with clinically node negative PTC has not been clearly determined. The purpose of this study is to evaluate their significance. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 382 patients with PTC who had undergone total thyroidectomy with prophylactic central neck dissection (CND) between January 2000 and December 2010. We excluded patients with lobectomy, concurrent lateral compartment neck dissection, a follow-up period less than at least 2 years, number of harvested central LNs less than or equal to one, clinically positive LN, distant metastasis, recurrent cancer or other types of malignancy. The correlations between recurrence and various clinicopathologic characteristics including tumor size, extrathyroidal extension (ETE), stage, number of metastatic central LNs, and the LNR were investigated. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up period of 82.2±26.4 months, recurrence occurred in 14 patients (3.7%). Tumor size ≥20 mm, maximal ETE, presence of central LN metastasis, number of metastatic LNs ≥2, and LNR ≥0.31 correlated with recurrence in the univariate analysis. However, tumor size ≥20 mm, maximal ETE, number of metastatic LNs ≥2, and LNR ≥0.31 were significantly associated with recurrence in the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio=6.61, 7.17, 3.43, and 11.23, respectively). CONCLUSION: The LNR and the number of metastatic LNs are independent prognostic risk factors for recurrence in patients with clinically node negative PTC, and these factors can be used to guide postoperative adjuvant therapy and follow-up strategy after prophylactic CND.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neck Dissection ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy

Objective To identify G protein signal transduction pathway related genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and aneurysm tissues from intracranial aneurysm patients using oligo-microarrays. Methods Blood samples from 50 intracranial aneurysms and 10 healthy human donors were obtained after informed consent. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from blood using Ficoll method. And aneurysm tissue samples from 6 intracraniai aneurysms and 3 healthy human intracranial arteries were obtained. The cDNA were retrotranscribed from the extracted RNA and the biotin-labeled cRNA derived from the transcription of cDNA were fragmented as probes. Then, the probes were hybridized with Affymetrix Human Genome UI33A Array. GeneArmy Scanner was used to screen the signals of hybridization and Microarray Suite software 5.0 was applied to analyze the expression of genes. Results There were 325 genes differently expressed in PBMCs from intracranial aneurysm patients compared to healthy human. And 571 genes were differently expressed above 2-fold level in aneurysmal tissue from intracranial aneurysm patients compared to healthy human intracranial arteries. Function analysis was confirmed from upregulated genes and downregulated genes, and among these genes, there were several genes invovled in G protein signal transduction pathway. There were 3 genes directionally expressed (RA831 upregulated and ARHGAP8, CENTG2 downregulated) both in PBMCs and aneurysm tissues from intracranial aneurysm patients. Conclusions The methodologies of genechip will provide a new powerful approach to help identify the molecular mechanisms of intracranial aneurysm. G protein signal transduction pathway may be the possible mechanism for the pathogenesis of intracranial aneurysms in Chinese.