Objective To study the mutagenic action of antiepileptic drugs(AEDs), and find an effective way to prevent the mutagenesis induced by AEDs,by observing the effects of AEDs on serum folic acid(FA) level and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency in epileptic children.Methods Ninty epileptic children were divided into different groups on the basis of the different drugs they had taken, then detected the two indexes at different time points.Results The serum FA level and SCE frequency of the patients significantly decreased and increased after they took carbamazepine (CBZ) and valproic acid (VPA)respectively. The two indexes went back respectively when supplied with FA.Conclusions Both CBZ and VPA possess mutagenic action, yet nitrazepam does not.FA may help repair the chromosome damage and reduce the mutagenesis effects.

Objective To investigate whether there is prethrombotic state in acute viral encephalitis.Methods Von willebrand factors (VWF),granule membrane protein-140(GMP-140) and D-dimer were measured in 60 children,30 cases of them had mild acute viral encephalitis, and other 30 cases of them had severe acute viral encephalitis.Results The figures mentioned above had marked difference in children with mild acute viral encephalitis during acute and recovery stage compared with controls.Conclusions Testing the expressive rate of GMP-140 on platelet surface,plasma VWF and D-dimer can find the prethrombotic state immediately. GMP-140,VWF and D-dimer in estimating the severe extent of disease and the prognosis play a major role. J Appl Clin Pediatr,2004,19(6):501-503

Objective Explore an approach with which stem cell can be used to cure traumatic spinal cord. Methods To better repair spinal cord injury, adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat MSCs was isolated and induced to differentiate into neuron-like cells with a Chinese medicine, Musk's polypeptide named Musk-1 in vitro and be seeded into microsurgical transectional model of adult rat spinal cord with cell differentiation and transplantation techniques. Results After cell transplantation, animals seeded with the rMSCs-derived neuron-like cells promoted significant improvement in function after spinal cord (P＜0.05,effective observation for 90 days ) when compared to the lesion-control group. Histology and immunocytochemical analysis confirmed a large number of rMSCs-derived neuron-like cells survived well in the transplantation zoon and numerous cells migrated within the host adjacent tissues as far as 6millimeters above and below the border of the lesion. Fluorescence gold retrograde tract tracing analysis revealed the positive motor neuron of fluorescence gold mark was found in the head side of rat spinal marrow ,corpus rubrum ofmesencephalic and corticospinal tract fibers. This suggested that corticospinal tract fibers of spinal cord area got regeneration and passed through the lession to reach the tail of spinal marrow.Conclusion These findings demonstrated that "pre-programmed" rMSCs can survive, migrate, integrate as well as restore spinal function and behavior in the microsurgical transectional model of rat spinal cord, and may serve as a suitable approach to traumatic spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of shikonin on the proliferation, expression of CXCR4 and the migratory responses to CXCL12 in colorectal carcinoma cell line SW480.

METHODSThe proliferation of SW480 cells was assessed by MTT assay. Cell surface expression of CXCR4 was determined by flow cytometry. The migratory ability was determined by Transwell.

RESULTSShikonin inhibited the proliferation of SW480 cells in time- and concentration-dependent manner. The expression rate of CXCR4 in SW480 cells was 99.1%. After application of shikonin 0.01 micromol/L, 0.1 micromol/L and 1.0 micromol/L for 24 h, the expression rate of CXCR4 decreased to 76.0%, 59.1% and 35.5% respectively (F=1098.041, P <0.001), and the CXCL12-induced SW480 cell migratory inhibition rate was 25.2%, 38.5% and 55.7% respectively (F=48.970, P <0.001).

CONCLUSIONBesides having inhibiting tumor cell proliferation effect, Shikonin may also play a role in anti-metastasis via down-regulating the expression of CXCR4 and reducing the CXCL12-induced migratory response in colorectal carcinoma cell.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Chemokine CXCL12 ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Humans ; Naphthoquinones ; pharmacology ; Receptors, CXCR4 ; metabolism

Adult ; Arthroscopy ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Scapula ; surgery ; Shoulder Joint ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in rat cardiac function and myocardium ultrastructure in response to ouabain treatment.

METHODSTwenty-four male SD rats were randomized into two equal groups to receive daily intraperitoneal injection of ouabain or saline for 4 consecutive weeks, and their systolic blood pressure (SBP) was recorded weekly. After 4 weeks of injection, echocardiography was performed and the hemodynamic parameters were measured by invasive cardiac catheterization, and the changes in myocardium ultrastructure observed using transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTSAfter 4 weeks of ouabain injection, no significant changes in the mean SBP occurred in comparison with the saline group, but echocardiographic examination showed significant increases in the left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters, septum thickness, posterior wall thickness, left ventricular mass and isovolumetric relaxation time but significantly lowered E/A ratio, ejection fraction and fractional shortening after ouabain treatment (P<0.05). Invasive monitoring revealed significant attenuation of the left ventricular developed pressure, rate of pressure development (+dp/dt) and rate of pressure decay (-dp/dt), and increment of the left ventricular end diastolic pressure. Myofibrillar fragmentation, swelling of the cardiac myocytes, absence of the Z line, increases of the mitochondria and collagen fibers were found in ouabain group by transmission electron microscopy.

CONCLUSIONOuabain can induce left ventricular enlargement, cardiac wall thickening, myocardial ultrastructural alterations, systolic and diastolic dysfunction in rats before blood pressure elevation is detected, indicating that ouabain can directly cause cardiac damage in rats.

Animals ; Echocardiography ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Myocardium ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Ouabain ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo clone human PD-1 gene, construct a prokaryotic expression plasmid and express in E. coli.

METHODSThe human PD-1 cDNA was cloned by RT-PCR from the total RNA, which was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocyte cell of the patient with chronic hepatitis B. Recombinant PD-1 protein was been expressed and purified after the prokaryotic expression plasmid had been constructed. It was identified by SDS-PAGE, DNA sequencing and amino acid sequencing.

RESULTSThe PD-1 gene was cloned and confirmed by DNA sequencing. The recombinant protein was expressed in E. coli. The purified protein was obtained, then been confirmed by amino acid sequencing.

CONCLUSIONThe human PD-1 gene was successfully cloned and expressed in E. coli, which lays the foundation for further study on the function and application of PD-1.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Antigens, CD ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Cloning, Molecular ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor ; Prokaryotic Cells ; metabolism ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhuEPO) on p-Akt and caspase-9 expressions in the hippocampus of rats with status epilepticus (SE) and explore the neuroprotective mechanism of rhuEPO.

METHODSAdult male SD rats were randomized into control, PTZ, rHuEPO, LY294002 group, and DMSO groups and treated with normal saline (NS), PTZ, PTZ+rHuEPO, PTZ+LY294002+rHuEPO, and PTZ+DMSO+rHuEPO, respectively. The behavioral and electroencephalogram (EEG) changes of the rats were recorded, and the expressions of p-Akt and caspase-9 were detected using immunohistochemistry. The hippocampal expression of caspase-9 mRNA was detected using RT-PCR, and the expressions of Akt and p-Akt proteins were determined with Western blotting.

RESULTSThe p-Akt-positive cell and p-Akt protein expression increased significantly while the caspase-9-positive cell and caspase-9 mRNA expression decreased in rHuEPO group as compared with those in PTZ group (P<0.05). LY294002 treatment prior to rHuEPO injection significantly abolished the effects of rHuEPO on caspase-9 and p-Akt immunohistochemical positivity and caspase-9 mRNA and p-Akt protein expressions (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAdministration of rHuEPO activates the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in SE rats and increases the expression of p-Akt protein to regulate the expression of caspase-9, a regulatory factor of the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway, and therefore provides anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective effects.

Animals ; Caspase 9 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Erythropoietin ; therapeutic use ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Neuroprotective Agents ; therapeutic use ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recombinant Proteins ; Status Epilepticus ; drug therapy ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo identify the susceptibility genes of type 2 diabetes in Chinese Han population.

METHODSSingle nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery, genotyping and haplotype construction were performed in 30 candidate genes. Case-control study were carried out in a population-based sample and confirmed by the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) analysis in 77 trio pedigrees. The effects of the SNP rs5210 on gene expression were studied by reporter gene technique.

RESULTSThe case-control studies showed that several SNPs on KCNJ11 gene was associated with type 2 diabetes in Chinese Han population, in which the allele frequency of SNP rs5219, the genotype frequency of rs5210, rs2285676 and rs5219, and the frequency of haplotype GA combined of the rs5219 and rs5215 showed significant difference between these two groups (P < 0.05). In addition, TDT test also showed statistical significance on this haplotype GA (P < 0. 05). The reporter gene assay showed that the effect on gene expression was significantly different between two alleles of rs5210 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONKCNJII gene is one of the susceptibility genes of type 2 diabetes in Chinese Han population.

Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genetic Testing ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

BACKGROUNDUric acid (UA) is suspected to play a neuro-protective role in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to evaluate whether the serum UA level was associated with the disease progression of PD in a relatively large population of Chinese patients.

METHODSSerum UA levels were measured from 411 Chinese PD patients and 396 age-matched controls; following the uric acid colorimetric method, the serum creatinine (Scr) levels were also measured to reduce the bias caused by possible differences in renal excretion function. The disease progression was scored by Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) scales and disease durations; PD group was divided into 3 subgroups according to H&Y scales. Independent-samples t test was performed to analyze the differences between PD group and control group. Multiple analysis of covariance was performed to analyze the differences between PD subgroups. Spearman rank-correlation was performed to evaluate the associations between serum UA or Scr level and disease progression.

RESULTSPD patients were found to have significantly lower levels of serum UA than controls ((243.38 ± 78.91) vs. (282.97 ± 90.80) µmol/L, P < 0.01). As the disease progression, the serum UA levels were gradually reduced. There was a significantly inverse correlation of UA levels with H&Y scales (Rs = -0.429, P < 0.01) and disease duration (Rs = -0.284, P < 0.01) in PD patients of both females and males. No significant difference of the Scr level between PD patients and controls was found ((70.01 ± 14.70) vs. (69.84 ± 16.46) µmol/L), and the Scr level was not involved in disease progression.

CONCLUSIONLower serum UA levels may possess a higher risk of PD, which may be a potential useful biomarker to indicate the progression of PD.

Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease ; blood ; pathology ; Uric Acid ; blood