BACKGROUND: Cardiospecific proteins of the troponin-tropomyosin complex in the contractile system of the cardiomyocytes have challenged creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB) as the "gold standard" for the early biochemical detection of acute myocardial injury.OBJECTIVE: To investigate cardiac troponin Ⅰ messager RNA (cTnI-mRNA) in peripheral blood and its clinical values in diagnosis of patients with myocardial injury.DESIGN: A basic and observational study for set up a method to analyze cTnI-mRNA.SETTING: Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hospital, Nantong University.MATERIALS: The project was accomplished from May 2003 to May 2005 in Research Center of Clinical Molecular Biology, and Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital, Nantong University. The cTnI-mRNA was detected from blood by a nested PCR assay, and its clinical values as a sensitive myocardial diagnostic marker were confirmed in patients with myocardial injury.METHODS: Pathologic features and microstructure of cardiac myocytes were examined by H&E staining or electron microscopy. The cTnI-mRNA was extracted from blood and synthesized to cDNA through random primers and reverse transcriptase, and amplified by a nested PCR assay, and its clinical values as a myocardial diagnostic marker were investigated in patients with myocardial injury.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Microstructure of cardiomyocytes, sensitivity of analysis method and diagnostic values.RESULTS: Microstructure of cardiomyocytes with mitochondria swell,rupture, vacancy-like denaturation, nucleus abnormality, and chromatin condensed were observed by electron microscopy. The cTnI-mRNA fragments from heart and blood were successfully amplified and the sensitivity was 2 pg/μL. The product sequences from tissues or blood were confirmed by sequencing. The cTnI-mRNA from cardiac myocytes was found that it present in blood plasma and not in circulating nucleus cell. The incidence of blood cTnI-mRNA of chronic cardiomyopathy was significantly higher (P ＜ 0.05) than that of serum enzymatic patterns or cTnI quality,respectively.CONCLUSION: The analysis of blood cTnI-mRNA is a sensitive marker for diagnosis and monitoring of myocardial injury.

Objective: Fungal keratitis is one of the most common diseases leading to blindness.It has a high incidence in China,and its early diagnosis and treatment are of vital importance.We aimed to investigate the value of laser confocal corneal microscopy in the clinical diagnosis of fungal keratitis.Methods: We conducted laser confocal corneal microscopy on 37 patients suspected of fungal keratitis,and compared the results with those obtained from the corneal tissue smears and fungal cultivation.Results: The fungus-infected corneas histologically exhibited defected epithelial cells,damaged subepithelial nerves and disordered stroma with reduced transparence.The hyphae showed bright,disordered,interlaced thread-or short rod-like structures.The positive rates of smear examination,fungus cultivation and laser confocal corneal microscopy were 48.65,62.16 and 78.39% for the 37 eyes,75.00,87.50 and100% for the 16 untreated eyes,and 28.57,42.85 and 61.90% for the other 21 pretreated eyes.Conclusion: Confocal laser corneal microscopy,rapid,effective and noninvasive,can be used as an important new alternative in the diagnosis of fungal keratitis

Objective:Acute retinal necrosis syndrome(ARNS) is a rare disease with high blinding rate.The surgery of vitrectomy,endolaser photocoagulation and silicone oil injection is considered an effective treatment of ARNS.The study investigated the effect of vitrectomy,endolaser photocoagulation and silicone oil injection treating ARNS.Methods:A consecutive 16 eyes of 16 patients with ARNS were treated with vitrectomy,endolaser photocoagulation and silicone oil injection.The 5 eyes without retinal detachment were photocoagulated from the posterior border of necrosis to the ora serrata.The 11 eyes with retinal detachment were treated with subtotal retinal photocoagulation,air/fluid exchange and silicone oil injection.The follow-up time were 6 months at least,16 months in average.Results:The final best-correcting visual acuity was counting fingers in 3 eyes(18.8%),0.02-0.3 in 7 eyes(43.8%),0.4-0.6 in 5 eyes(31.3%),0.7 in 1 eye(6.3%).The silicone oil was uneventfully removed in 14 patients(87.5%) from 3 to 12 months.No one had a recurrent retinal detachment.Conclusion:There is a favorable effect in ARNS with the treatment of vitrectomy,endolaser photocoagulation and silicone oil injection.

Cardiac toxicity is found in frequently used chemotherapeutic agents.There are many factors related to the cardiac toxicity caused by chemotherapeutic agents.The common cardiovascular complications include heart failure,ischemia,hypertension,hypotension,edema,QT prolongation,pleural effusion,pericardial effusion,bradyarrhythmia and thromboembolism.It is necessary to monitor the left ventricular function before and after chemotherapy and take effective measures to protect myocardium.

From an ethanol extract of Euphorbia micractina roots, seven steroids fifteen aromatic derivatives were isolated by a combination of various chromatographic techniques, including column chromatography over macroporous resin, silica gel, and Sephadex LH-20 and reversed-phase HPLC. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis as stigamast-5-ene-3beta, 7alpha-diol(1), stigamast-5-ene-3beta,7beta-diol(2), stigmast-5-en-3beta-ol-7-one(3), stigmast-4-en-6beta-ol-3-one(4), stigmast-1, 4-dien-3-one(5), stigmast-3,6-dione(6), beta-sitosterol(7), scopoletin(8), aesculetin(9), 6-hydroxy-5,7-dimethoxycoumarin(10), quercetin(11), 3,3', 4'-tri-O-methylellagic acid(12), p-hydroxyphenylethyl anisate(13), m-hydroxyphenylethyl alcohol(14), (E)-cinnamic acid(15), (E)-ferulic acid(16), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid(17), vanillic acid(18), p-hydroxybenzoic acid(19), ethyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (20), ethyl gallate(21), and methyl gallate(22). These compounds were obtained from this plant for the first time.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Euphorbia ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Steroids ; chemistry

The systematic position of Fritillaria hupehensis has been in dispute. Phylogentic analyses were conducted on sequences of ITS, rpl16, matK sequences for species of F. hupehensis and allies. Lilium davidii was designed as outgroup. The analyses were performed using MP and ML methods. Conclusions could be achieved as follow. The topologies of MP and ML are consistent. The samples of F. hepehensis from different places form a supported clade with a strong bootstrap. And then form a strongly supported clade with F. anhuiensis, F. monantha. The results suggests that although F. hupehensis has a closet relation with the two ones, it exists some difference.
DNA, Plant ; chemistry ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Endoribonucleases ; genetics ; Fritillaria ; classification ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nucleotidyltransferases ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Plant Leaves ; genetics ; Ribosomal Proteins ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Species Specificity

Objective · To detect the vitamin D2 and D3 levels in the patients with moderate and severe depression. Methods · Eighty-five patientswho met the criteria for major depressive disorder were recruited (53 patients with moderate depression, 32 patients with severe depression). Fifty agematchedhealthy volunteers were recruited as controls. Serum 25 (OH) D2, 25 (OH) D3 and total 25 (OH) D2/D3 levels were detected by using liquidchromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The risk factors which might influence the severity of depression were screened by Logisticregression analysis. Results · The serum 25 (OH) D2, 25 (OH) D3 and total 25 (OH) D2/D3 levels in the case group was lower than those in the controlgroup (P=0.012, P=0.000, P=0.000). The patients with moderate depression presented significantly lower serum 25 (OH) D3 and total 25 (OH) D2/D3 levelsthan the controls did (P=0.000), although no significant difference in serum 25 (OH) D2 levels was found between these two groups. As well, the serum 25 (OH) D2, 25 (OH) D3 and total 25 (OH) D2/D3 levels in patients with severe depression were significantly lower than those in patients with moderate depression and controls (P<0.05). The body mass index of severe depression group was much higher than that of moderate depression group and control group (P=0.002). Both overweight/obesity and the concentration of vitamin D may be the major influencing factors of depression severity (P=0.034, P=0.011). Conclusion · Vitamin D2 and D3 deficiency in depressive patients, particularly in those patients with severe depression, was shown in the present study. In addition, overweight/obesity as well as the concentration of vitamin D may exert the significant influence on the severity of depression. Vitamin D supplementation and weight control may be needed to be considered in making therapeutic strategies of major depressive disorder.

Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mastectomy ; methods ; Metaplasia ; pathology ; Papilloma, Intraductal ; pathology ; surgery ; Sebaceous Glands ; pathology

In order to cultivate the students’ abilities of thinking and practicing and enhance their comprehensive abilities in microbiology experiment, the authors try to search for some new teaching ways and assessment methods in microbiology experimental teaching and also attempt to make some improvement in the textbook and adjustment in teaching schedule so as to develop the students into specialized talents.

Aim To investigate the effects of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1(SOCS-1)on advanced glycation end products(AGEs)induced-renal tubular epithelial-myofibroblast transdifferentiation and activation of JAK/STAT in cultured human renal tubular epithelial cells(HKC).Methods Stable transfections of HKC with pCR3.1 vector and pCR3.1/SOCS-1 were performed with Lipofectamine 2000,and cells were selected with geneticin.Cells were stimulated with BSA and AGEs. The protein expressions of SOCS-1,α-SMA,E-cadherin,Col I,signal transducer and activatior of transcription 1,3(STAT1,STAT3),p-STAT1 and p-STAT3 were observed by Western blot.The protein synthesis of TGF-β_1 in the supernatants of the HKC was detected by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay(ELISA).α-SMA and E-cadherin mRNA were measured by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results Compared with control group,the expression levels of α-SMA protein and mRNA and Col I were significantly increased in HKC with AGEs stimulation and there was a higher concentrations of TGF-β_1 in the supernatants.However,the expression of E-cadherin protein and mRNA were decreased with AGEs stimulation.Overexpression of SOCS-1 inhibited AGEs-induced activation of STAT1 and STAT3 and high expression of α-SMA protein and mRNA and Col I,and reversed the expression of E-cadherin protein and mRNA induced by AGEs.Meanwhile,overexpression of SOCS-1 reduced the concentration of TGF-β_1 in the supernatants of HKC with AGEs stimulation.Conclusion Overexpression of SOCS-1 inhibits AGEs-induced renal tubular epithelial-myofibroblast transdifferentiation maybe partly through blocking activation of JAK/STAT.