Animals ; Female ; Injections, Intraventricular ; Male ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Toluene ; administration & dosage ; toxicity

Acupuncture Therapy ; Massage

Objective To explore the relationship between insulin resistance and other metabolic disorders in patients with essential hypertension (EH).Methods Glucose metabolism rate (GMR) was measured by euglycemic insulin clamp technique,and salt sensitivity was tested by increase in blood pressure after salt load and its decreases alter depletion of sodium in 26 healthy subjects and 84 patients with EH.Results GMR lowered significantly in patients with EH than that in healthy subjects,P

Objective To study the telomerase expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) in children with acute Kawasaki disease(KD) and its clinical significance.Methods The PBMCs of 64 children with acute KD [25 cases of them with coronary artery lesions(CAL),while the rest without] from 2 months to 6 years old admitted into Jiangxi Children's Hospital from Mar.2005 to Dec.2008 and those of 52 sex-age-matched healthy children (healthy control group) from 5 months to 7 years old were all assayed by Roche telomerase polymerase chain reaction enzymelinked immunosorbent assay(PCR ELISA).WBC,ESR and CRP were also detected.SPSS 11.0 software was used to analyze the data.Results The telomerase expression frequency of PBMCs in children with KD was 32.8%(21/64 cases),while that in healthy control group was only 15.4%(8/52 cases),the difference between the 2 groups was significant (?2= 4.65,P0.05).There were no significant difference of WBC,ESR and CRP between the telomerase of PBMCs positive group and negative group.Conclusions The higher frequency of telomerase expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes might be related to the development and progression of KD.

Background Retinal retinoic acid (RA) plays an important role in the formation of the lensinduced myopia.However,it is not clear how RA transfer the myopic signal to choroid throughout the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) barrier.Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) on the barrier of RPE in lens-induced myopic eye of guinea pig.Methods Thirty left eyes of 30 21-dayold clean guinea pigs were randomized into normal control group and the model group.The models of out of focus were induced by covering of-6.00 D concave lens on the left eyes for 15 days.Radius of corneal curvature was measured using corneal curvimeter,and diopeter of the guinea pig was examined by mydriatic optometry.The length of ocular axis was detected by A-sonography.The animals were sacrificed and the retinas of the left eyes were isolated for the culture and passage of RPE cells.The third generation of cells were incubated Millcell-PET microporous film,and atRA at the concentration of 1 × 10-6,1 × 10-7,1 × 10-8 and 1 × 10-9 mol/L was added to the micropore respectively for 12 hours,and the micropores with equal-solvent served as negative control group.Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT)colorimetric method was used to detect the survival rate of the cells.Subsequently,the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) of the monolayer cells was determined with CN10-EVOM2 resistance measuring meter.The vesicular transport change of RPE membrane in different groups was evaluated by FM1-43 fluorescence staining.Results The mean diopter was (-2.20±0.95) D in the models,and that in the controls was (+ 1.15 ±0.30) D,with a significant difference between them (t =14.57,P＜ 0.01).The axial length was (8.24 ± 0.09) mm in the models and it was significantly longer than (7.81±0.05) mm in the controls (t=17.20,P＜0.01).RPE cells grew well to form a monolayer in Millcell culture pool after one week.After 24 hours of the atRA treatment,the survival rate of RPE cells reduced gradually with the increase of atRA concentration with the highest rate in the 1 × 10-9 mol/L atRA group (93.3 ％) and followed by the 1 × 10-8 mol/L atRA group (88.2％).More than half of the cells dead in the 1 × 10-6mol/L and 1 × 10-7mol/L atRA groups (53.8％ and 47.1％).Significant differences in the TER value and fluorescence staining intensity of the cells were seen among the various groups (F =43.89,P =0.00 ; F =26.13,P =0.00),with the maximal values in the 1 × 10-8mol/L atRA group.The FM1-43 fluorescence located on the cellular membrane and cytoplasm.Conclusions AtRA can increase the functional state of tight junction and vesicular transport,which regulated the RPE cell barrier in the guinea pig.

Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of TGF beta1/smad3 signaling pathways on apoptosis in mouse pulmonary fibrosis.Methods Fifty-four healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups:normal control (n=18),pulmonary fibrosis model (n =18) and TGF-β1/smad3 inhibitor group (n=18).Six mice in each group were randomly killed on days 7,14 and 28.Hematoxyli~eosin and Masson staining were adopted to evaluate the severity of pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis.The content of hydroxyproline (Hyp) in the lung tissues was detected by alkaline hydrolysis technique.The apoptosis was observed by tunnel apoptosis assay kit.P-smad3 and caspase3 protein expressions were assessed via Western blot.Results Lung in model mice versus normal control showed alveolar inflammatory change in 7 days and significant pulmonary fibrosis in 28 days(P＜0.05).Meanwhile,apoptosis index,hydroxyproline content,caspase3,and phosphorylated Smad3 were obviously higher in model mice than in control group (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with model group,TGF-β1/smad3 inhibitor group showed that alveolitis and pulmonary fibrosis degree,hydroxyproline content,cell apoptosis index,the expressions of p-smad3 and caspase3 were decreased at same time point (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions TGF beta1/smad3 signaling pathways may participate the abnormal apoptosis during the development of pulmonary fibrosis,and TGF-β1/smad3 inhibitor SB431542 could inhibit this process.

CD36 Antigens ; metabolism ; Cell Aggregation ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Foam Cells ; pathology ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Nephritis ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nephritis, Hereditary ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology

Objective To explore the significance of nuclear factor-?B(NF-?B)activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)during acute Kawasaki disease(KD).Methods Peripheral blood was collected from children with acute KD(n=30)and healthy age-matched children(n=20).PBMC were cultured in vitro and divided into 3 groups:naturally cultured blank control group,protein kinase C(PKC)activator stimulated phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA)group and PMA plus NF-?B inhibitor treated PMA plus pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate(PDTC)group.Percentages of NF-?B activation were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results Under natural culturing,the percentage of cells with activated NF-?B was significantly higher in acute KD blank control group than that in healthy blank control group.The percentage of cells with activated NF-?B was significantly higher in acute KD PMA group than that in acute KD blank group and that in normal control PMA group,respectively(Pa0.05).Conclusions NF-?B activation in PBMC during acute KD is markedly increased,which suggests that NF-?B activation plays an important role in the formation of vasulitis and CAL in this disease.NF-?B activation in PBMCs in children with KD is regulated by the PKC signaling pathway and PDTC obviously inhibits the activation of NF-?B.J Appl Clin Pediatr,2009,24(1):35-37

Objective To determine the level of anxiety in on-the-job nurses self-studying for master degree, and provide useful information to nursing managers for promoting the psychological health level of the nurses. Methods Nurses self-studying for master degree were investigated with self-Rated Anxiety Scale (SAS).Results The anxiety level in the nurses showed higher than that of the normal group in China (P<0.01), which was related to bed number in ward, years of night duty, and number of night duty per month. Moreover, nurses who engaged in clinical work, junior nurses and nurses working in surgery departments showed higher level of anxiety.Conclusions Anxiety was prevalent among nurses self-studying for master degree. The nursing managers should pay close attention to the mental health of nurses engaged in after graduate education and take effective measures to improve their coping abilities.

When the glomerular mesangial cells of rats were cultured in vitro at high glucose concentration,the activity of extraeellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK),the expression of transforming growth factor-?_1(TGF-?_1)mRNA and the content of typeⅣcollagen in the supematant were higher than those at normal glucose concentration.These effects were inhibited by fluvastatin.The results showed that the activation of ERK signal transduction pathways appeared to play a role in the onset and progression of diabetic nephropathy. Furthermore,fluvastatin could protect the kidney by inhibiting ERK signal transduction pathway and TGF-?_1 expression.