Objective To explore the clinical significance of urinary leukotriene E4(LTE4) in children with respiratory syncytial virus(RSV) bronchiolitis.Methods Forty infants with bronchiolitis were enrolled for the identification of RSV-Ag from the nasopharyngeal secretions.Forty cases who were found to be positive of RSV were put into RSV bronchiolitis group.According to the severity of illness,the infants in RSV bronchiolitis group were separated into 2 subgroups:mild illness group (24 cases) and moderate illness group (16 cases).Thirty healthy children were chosen as healthy control group.Urine of the patients in RSV bronchiolitis group was collected in acute phase (on the 1st day) and recovery phase (on the 7th day after the admission).Urine of children in control group was collected .Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to assay the level of urinary LTE4.Results The levels of LTE4 in healthy control group (M,Q) were 1.28 pmol?mmol-1,1.72 pmol?mmol-1,while the levels of LTE4 in acute phase in RSV bronchiolitis group (M,Q were 30.52 pmol?mmol-1,23.56 pmol?mmol-1,and the levels of LTE4 in recovery phase in RSV bronchiolitis group (M,Q) were 3.98 pmol?mmol-1,3.43 pmol?mmol-1.Urinary LTE4 levels in acute phase in RSV bronchiolitis group were significantly higher than those in healthy control group (P

Objective To study the changes and significance of Bid gene expression in hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in neonatal rats.Methods The animal models of HIBD were made. Total RNA from ipsilateral cerebral hemisph ere was extracted.RT-PCR was used to evaluate the levels of Bid gene expression at different time points after hypoxic-ischemic. Results The levels of Bid mRNA were higher in HIBD rats than those in normal rats.The ex pression of Bid mRNA in ipsilateral hemiphere following cerebral hypoxic-ischem ic began to increase at 6 h, increased to the highest level at 24 h, and then gr adually returned.Conclusion The upregulation of Bid mRNA can play a role in the induction of apoptosis fol lowing cerebral hypoxic-ischemic. J Appl Clin Pediatr,2005,20(2):121-122

AIM To establish an HPLC method for the simultaneous content determination of chlorogenic acid,caffeic acid,luteoloside,baicalein,luteolin and rutin in Yinhuang Granules (Lonicerae japonicae Flos and Scutellariae Radix extracts).METHODS The analysis of 80％ methanol extract of this drug was performed on a 30 ℃ thermostatic SunFire-C1scolumn (250 mm × 4.6 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile0.4％ phosphoric acid flowing at 1.0 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the detection wavelength was set at 239 nm.RESULTS All the six constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges (r =0.999 9),whose average recoveries were 94.56％-98.38％ with the RSDs of 0.49％-2.89％.Among fourteen batches of samples,the luteoloside content was found to be of little difference,while the other five constituents' contents were of relatively great differences.CONCLUSION The qualities of Yinhuang Granules and Lonicerae japonicae Flos extracts from different manufacturers are uneven,so supervision should be strengthened.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the reliability and clinical value for detecting paraquat (PQ)concentration in serum by spectrometry. MethodsThe determinations of wave length for detecting serum PQ concentration by ordinary spectrometry and second-derivative spectrometry were carried out. When the second-derivative spectrometry was used for detecting PQ in serum, the linear range and precision for PQ concentration were well defined. The results of serum PQ concentration determined by second-derivative spectrometry and by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) were compared in 8 patient with PQ poisoning. A total of 21 patients with acute poisoning after PQ ingestion over 4 hours admitted from October 2008 through September 2010 were retrospectively studied. Patients were divided into two groups as per the serum concentrations more than 1.8 μg/mL or less than that by second-derivative spectrometry on the day of admission. The severity of clinical manifestations between two groups was analyzed with t-test or Fisher's exact probabilities analysis. Results ( 1 ) The absorption peak of 257 nm could not be found by using ordinary spectrometry to detect the PQ concentration in serum. (2) The calibration curve in the 0. 4 ～ 8.0μg/mL range for detecting PQ concentration by second-derivative spectrometry observed the Beer's law (r =0. 996) . The average retrieval rate of PQ was within the range of 95.0％～ 99. 5％ with relative standard deviation (RSD) within 1.35％～ 5.41％ ( n = 6), and the lowest detection limit was 0. 05μg/mL. (3) The results of PQ concentrations from 8 patients with PQ poisoning detected by second-derivative spectrometry were consistent with those of the quantitative determinations by HPLC ( r = 0. 995,P＜0. 01 ) . (4) The survival rate of patients with serum PQ concentration more than 1.8 μg/mL was 22. 2％ ,and the incidences of acidosis, oligouria and pneumomediastium in these patients were 55.6％,55. 6％ and 77.8％, respectively. These clinical manifestations were significantly different from those in patients with serum PQ concentration less than 1.8 μg/mL ( P ＜ 0. 05 ) . Conclusions ( 1 ) It was inappropriate to take 257 nm as the determination wave length for detecting serum PQ concentration by ordinary spectrometry. (2) The method of second-derivative spectrometry was reliable for detecting serum PQ concentration. (3) Serum PQ concentration detected by second derivative spectrometry could be used to predict the severity of clinical manifestations of patients with PQ poisoning and was an important predictive factor for poor prognosis if the serum PQ concentration more than 1.8 μg/mL after PQ ingestion over 4 hours.

Objective To investigate the bid gene expression and cell death in brain after cerebral hypoxia-ischemia in neonatal rats and the effects of dexamethasone(DEX)on bid gene expression,so as to elucidate the possible mechanism of the neuroprotective effect of DEX pretreatment on rats following cerebral hypoxia-ischemia.Methods Twenty-four SD neonatal rats were divided randomly into hypoxia-ischemia brain damage(HIBD),normal,dexamethasone-pretreated and 9 g/L NaCl(NS)control group.The animal models of HIBD were made.Total RNA from ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere was extracted.Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was used to evaluate the level of bid gene expression after hypoxia-ischemia.Cerebral apoptosis was determined by terminal-deoxynucleotidy transferase mediated d-UTP nick end labeling(TUNEL).Results The levels of bid mRNA were higher in HIBD rats than those in normal rats.The number of positive apoptosis cells significantly increased in HIBD group(P

Objective To explore the cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1(cIAP1)gene expression and Caspase-3 activity in brain after cerebral hypoxia-ischemia in neonatal rats and the influence of dexamethasone(DEX)on cIAP1 gene expression and Caspase-3 activity,so as to elucidate the possible mechanism of the neuro-protective effect of DEX pretreatment on rats following cerebral hypoxia-ischemia.Methods Twenty-four SD neonatal rats were divided randomly into hypoxic-ischemic brain damage group(HIBD group),normal group(NS group),dexamethasone-pretreated group(DEX group)and 9 g/L NaCl control group(NS group).The animal models of HIBD were made.Total RNA from ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere was extracted.Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was used to evaluate the level of cIAP1 gene expression after hypoxia-ischemia.Caspase-3 relative activity of brain tissue was determined by colorimetric assay.Results The levels of cIAP1 mRNA were lower in HIBD group than those in NS group.Caspase-3 relative activity significantly increased in HIBD group(P

Objective To study the gene expression profile in mice kidney with acute paraquat (PQ) poisoning and identify key genes related to renal injury.Methods A total of 20 mice (C57BL/6) were randomly (random number) divided into four groups, namely control group (group A, n =5) and poisoned groups (groups B, C, D, n =5/group).In group A, mice were administrated with distilled water (0.01 mL/g weight) while in groups B, C, D were administered with equivalent volume of PQ solution (diluted from 20％ to 0.05％ with distilled water) dissolved in distilled water via a gastric tube.Mice of group A were sacrificed immediately and mice of groups B and C at 6 h and 24 h after administration of PQ.The gene expression profile changes of kidney tissue were measured by cDNA Arraychip technology.Mice of group D were observed for mortality rate 48 h later.Results The body weights of mice decreased significantly after administration of PQ.The mortality in group D at 48 h after PQ poisoning was 100％.Compared with the control group, totally 1 792 genes with differential expression variations were identified in 6 h group and 24 h group.There were 8 key genes selected through bioinformatics analysis and they were arranged in real-time PCR: Nlrc5 , Serpinb9 , Cd40 , Rnf135 , Dhx58 , Spl 10 , Fcgrl , and Arhgef12.And then, Nlrc5 , Serpinb9 and Rnf135 were under Western blot investigation.The results of PCR and Western blot showed no significant difference to those from bioinformatics genetic analysis.Conclusions The investigation based on genome wide chip in researching related genes of PQ kidney has offered a novel idea in studying pathogenesis of acute PQ intoxication.

Objective To explore the relationship between sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) of gestational diabetes mellitus ( GDM ) pregnant women with well-controlled glucose and pregnancy outcomes. Methods Two hundred and fifty-one GDM pregnant women of 24 - 28 weeks in Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University were recruited from Mar. 2005 to Mar. 2010. Two hundred and sixteen cases of GDM with well-controlled glucose were defined as glycemic satisfied group, and they were treated by diet therapy ( 169 cases) or insulin therapy (47 cases) . Thirty-five cases with unsatisfied glucose were defined as glycemic unsatisfied group. One hundred and ninety-two healthy pregnant women of 24 - 28 weeks were defined as healthy control group. Serum SHBG and homeostasis model analysis of insulin resistance ( HOMA-IR) at 24 - 28 weeks and above 36 weeks were measured. GDM was diagnosed bytwo-step method according to the National Diabetes Data Group ( NDDG) criteria. The pregnancy outcomes and complications of the three groups were recorded. Results ( 1 ) Comparison of pregnancy outcomes and complications: glycemic satisfied group was less likely to develop hypertensive disorders in pregnancy ( 10. 6% ) , premature birth(8. 3% ) ,large for gestational age ( LGA) (8. 8% ) , neonatal asphyxia(3. 7% ) and neonatal hypoglycemia ( 2. 3% ) compared to glycemic unsatisfied group ( 42. 9% , 34. 3% , 31. 4% , 22. 9% and 11. 4% ,respectively). And the difference was statistically significant (P ＜0. 05 or P ＜0. 01). There was no significant difference for incidence of polyhydramnios, pueperal infection, postpartum hemorrhage, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia between the two groups ( P＞ 0. 05 ) . When compared to healthy control group(7. 3% ,2. 1% ,4. 2% ,2. 1% and 1. 6% ) ,no significant difference was found for incidence of premature birth( 8. 3% ) , pueperal infection ( 3. 2% ) , postpartum hemorrhage (5. 1% ) , neonatal asphyxia (3. 7% )and neonatal hypoglycemia(2. 3% ,P ＞0. 05). (2) Comparison of results of 24 - 28 weeks and above 36 weeks: serum SHBG of glycemic satisfied group [( 384 ± 88 ) , (457 ± 48 ) nmol/L]was significantly higher than that of glycemic unsatisfied group[(313 ±45) ,(401 ±73) nmol/L];HOMA-IR of glycemic satisfied group (5. 3 ±1.1,5.5 ±1.1) was significantly lower than that of glycemic unsatisfied group (7. 0 ± 1. 3 ,7. 6 ± 1. 7 ; P ＜ 0. 01). Serum SHBG of glycemic satisfied group was significantly lower than that of healthy control group [( 492 ± 95 ) , (565 ± 40 ) nmol/L]; and HOMA-IR of glycemic satisfied group(5. 3 ± 1. 1,5. 5 ± 1. 1) was significantly higher than that of healthy control group (3. 6 ±0. 6,3. 9 ± 0. 5 ;P ＜ 0. 01 ) . FPG of glycemic satisfied group [( 5. 84 ± 0. 28 ) , ( 5. 16 ± 0. 13 ) mmol/L]was significantly lower than that of glycemic unsatisfied group [(6. 13 ± 0. 16 ) , ( 5. 68 ± 1. 14) mmol/L; P ＜ 0. 01]. FINS of glycemic satisfied group [( 20. 4 ± 2. 1 ) , ( 24. 1 ± 4. 2 ) mmol/L]was significantly lower than that of glycemic unsatisfied group [(24. 7 ± 4. 5 ) , ( 29. 9 ± 2. 7 ) mmol/L; P ＜ 0. 01]. ( 3 ) Correlation analysis. Between 24 - 28 weeks, SHBG was negatively correlated with HOMA-IR in the three groups ( r = -0. 952, P ＜0. 01) ; and SHBG was negatively correlated with HOMA-IR in glycemic satisfied group ( r = -0. 903, P ＜0. 01). Conclusions Well-controlled glucose can not completely improve maternal and fetal outcomes of GDM pregnant women. High insulin resistance and low serum SHBG can influence pregnancy outcomes.

In this study, we investigated the effect of Cigu Xiaozhi formula on HSC-T6 activity in hypoxic microenvironment based on network pharmacology and computer-aided drug design, and predicted and verified its possible targets and related signaling pathways. The potential active components and targets of Cigu Xiaozhi formula were screened by searching Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), Encyclopaedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ETCM) and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM) databases, and the liver fibrosis related targets retrieved from Gene Cards and Pharm GK database were integrated to obtain the potential targets of Cigu Xiaozhi formula in the treatment of liver fibrosis. GO enrichment analysis and KEGG signaling pathway enrichment analysis were performed on Omic Share platform, and Cytoscape software was used to construct the "potential active ingredient-key target-pathway" network. The active components and target proteins were subjected to molecular docking analysis by Auto Dock software. According to the results of molecular dynamics simulation and binding free energy calculation, the top 5 active components with degree were scored. The active components stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were subjected to molecular docking. CoCl₂ was used to induce HSC-T6 cells to construct hypoxia model in vitro. The cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay, and the optimal time and concentration of hypoxia model of HSC-T6 cells was determined to be 100 µmol·L^-1 CoCl₂ for 24 h. Under hypoxia condition, HSC-T6 cells were activated, the wound healing rate was significantly increased, and the fluorescence signal of activation marker protein α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was significantly enhanced. However, 6% drug-containing serum could inhibit the activation of HSC-T6 cells, and the wound healing rate was significantly decreased, and the fluorescence signal of α-SMA was significantly weakened. Further studies showed that the expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), α-SMA and key proteins of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway in HSC-T6 cells were up-regulated under hypoxia, while the expressions of HIF-1α, α-SMA, Patched-1 (Ptch-1) and glioma related oncogene homology-1 (Gli-1) were down-regulated in 6% drug-containing serum group, the YC-1 group and the cyclopamine group. These results indicated that HIF-1α and Hh signaling pathways were involved in the activation of HSC-T6 cells, and the traditional Chinese medicine Cigu Xiaozhi formula could inhibit the activation of HSC-T6 cells, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of HIF-1α expression and the blocking of Hh signaling pathway. In conclusion, Cigu Xiaozhi formula can inhibit the activation of HSC-T6 cells by directly acting on HIF-1α and Hh signaling pathway, and exert an anti-hepatic fibrosis effect. The animal experimental protocol has been reviewed and approved by Laboratory Animal Ethics Committee of Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, in compliance with the Institutional Animal Care Guidelines.

Objective To investigate the role of ?7nAChR in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease(AD)through exploring the relationship between ?7nAChR and A?_(1-42) in AD brains.Methods The accumulation of ?7nAChR and the possible relationship between ?7nAChR and A?_(1-42) were observed in 3 clinically and pathologically confirmed AD brains by immunohistochemistry. 3 normal brains were set as controls.Results Respective staining of anti-?7nAChR and anti-A?_(1-42) showed that the abnormal accumulation of ?7nAChR existed in AD brains. The main location was at hippocampus and temporal cortex which was just in accordance with senile plaque consisted mainly of A?_(1-42). The major part of ?7nAChR was located extra-cellular and within senile plaque from the view of morphology. No accumulation of ?7nAChR existed in normal brains. Co-staining of anti-?7nAChR and anti-A?_(1-42) further showed that ?7nAChR and A?_(1-42) could accumulate together in senile plaque of AD brain. The average rate of positive co-staining in hippocampus, temporal lobe and frontal lobe is 57.8%, 51.0% and 21.8% respectively. The accumulation of ?7nAChR in hippocampus and temporal lobe seems much than that in the frontal lobe. Conclusion ?7nAChR may combine with A?_(1-42) in AD brains. It is suggested that the combination should destroy the ?7nAChR receptor, block the receptor or mediate the injury of cholinergic neurons with the result of recognition and memory impairment and that ?7nAChR might play an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.