AIMTo investigate effect of cerebellar fastigial nuclei (FN), one of three deep nuclei in cerebellum, on lymphocyte function, and possible central pathway involved in the effect.

METHODSKainic acid (KA) was microinjected into bilateral FN of rats. On the eighth day after the surgery, lymphocytes from the mesenteric lymph nodes were incubated to measure their proliferative reaction to concanavalin A (Con A) by means of colorimetric assay of methyl thiazole tetrazolium (MTT), and natural killer (NK) cells from the spleen were cultured to evaluate their cytotoxicity to YAC-1 cells with the aid of flow cytometric assay. Simultaneously, glutamate content in the hypothalamus was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). As control, 0.9% saline was microinjected into the bilateral FN of rats. When these experiments ended, cerebellar sections and Nissl stain for each rat were made to observe the location and extent of the lesions. If the lesion areas were not in the bilateral FN or not limited in the FN, the results were discarded.

RESULTSOn day 8 following the KA injection of FN, the Nissl-stained cerebellar sections showed the neuronal bodies in the FN were effectively damaged by KA. Simultaneously, the lymphocyte proliferation induced by Con A was significantly increased and the NK cell cytotoxicity to YAC-1 target cells was remarkably enhanced when compared with those of the control animals microinjected with saline in their bilateral FN. At the same time as these changes of lymphocyte functions occurred, glutamate content in the hypothalamus was markedly reduced relative to that in the control hypothalamus.

CONCLUSIONEffective lesions of cerebellar bilateral FN of rats can cause an enhancement of lymphocyte functions, including increase of proliferation of T cells and cytotoxicity of NK cells. The cerebello hypothalamic glutamatergic projections may be involved in the pathway of cerebellar FN immunomodulation.

Animals ; Cerebellar Nuclei ; immunology ; pathology ; Female ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effect of active fractions of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HJD) on primary cortical neuron injury after oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)/reperfusion (R) injury. Methods Using macroporous resin method, HJDFE30, HJDFE50, HJDFE75, and HJDFE95 with 30%, 50%, 75%, and 95% alcohol were respectively prepared. Then the content of active components in different HJD fractions was determined with reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The OGD/R injury model was induced by sodium dithionite on primary cortical neurons in neonate rats. MTT assay was used to observe the effect of four fractions (HJDFE30, HJDFE50, HJDFE75, and HJDFE95) and seven index components of HJD on the neuron viability.

RESULTSRP-HPLC showed active component(s) contained in HJDFE30 was geniposide; baicalin, palmatine, berberine, and wogonside contained in HJDFE50; baicalin, berberine, baicalein, and wogonin contained in HJDFE75. The neuron viability was decreased after OGD for 20 min and reperfusion for 1 h, (P <0. 01), and significantly increased after administered with HJD, HJDFE30, HJDFE50, and HJDFE75 (P <0. 05, P <0. 01). Geniposide, baicalin, baicalein, palmatine, wogonside, and wogonin could increase the cortical neuron viability (P <0. 05, P <0. 01).

CONCLUSIONSHJDFE30, HJDFE50, and HJDFE75, as active fractions of HJD, had protective effect on primary cortical neuron injury after OGD/R. Furthermore, geniposide, baicalin, and baicalein were main active components of HJD.

Animals ; Berberine ; Berberine Alkaloids ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Flavanones ; Flavonoids ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Iridoids ; Models, Animal ; Neurons ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; Rats ; Reperfusion Injury ; drug therapy

Objective To find out prevelence of thyroid goiter on school-aged children in excessive iodine region of Shandong Province.Methods By employing B-ultrasonography and palpation method,the thyroid volume were investigated and the thyroid goiter rate were calculated among 6415 children aged 8～10 years old in execssire iodine region.Results By employing B-ultrasonography method.The volumes of thyroid in goiter children aged 8,9,10 years were(5.67±1.49),(6.07±1.24),(7.30±2.01)ml,respectively.The goiter rates were 28.84%(683/2368),20.89%(448/2144),11.82%(225/1903).The volumes of thyroid in non-goiter children aged 8,9,10 years were(3.36±0.67),(3.64±0.77),(4.02±0.94)ml.When the normal value of thyroid volume in 8 and 9 year-groups lowered 0.5 ml,the goiter rate would be changed to 18.20%(430/2368)and 12.92%(277/2144) respectively.The thyroid volumes of boys and girls were(4.20±1.38),(4.18±1.73)ml,respectively.The goiter rates of boys and girls were 21.92%(732/3340)and 20.29%(624/3075)respectively.The rates of goiter detected by palpation in 8,9 and 10 year-groups were 10.05%(238/2368),10.31%(221/2144)and 14.45%(275/1903) respectively.Conclusions Along with the increasing age,the volume of thyroid in children aged 8～10 is increasing in excessive iodine region of Shandong Province.But the goiter rate is decreasing ahmg the increasing age.This phenomena may be caused by improper normal value of thyroid volume.Therefore,the normal value of thyroid volume should be revised urgently.

Objective To study the changes of oral flora in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis,in order to provide evidence for making oral nursing intervention and hygiene education. Methods 35 patients with diabetic ketoacidosis were named as group A,35 non-diabetic patients with chronic periodontitis (diagnostic criteria:periodontal pocket 14 mm) were named as group B,35 nonketotic patients with diabetes mellitus were named as group C,then all the patients were detected for the oral disease and the oral hygiene was evaluated. Results The gingival index,plaque index,tooth mobility,probing depth and hemorrhage after the detection of three groups had no significant differences. The detection rate of streptococcus oralis, lactobacillus,fusobacterium nucleatum,black-pigment bacteria,Capnocytophaga gingivalis,actinomycetes, escherichia coli,staphylococcus aureus and pseudomonas aeruginosa had no significant differences,there was a positive correlation between quantity of black-pigment bacteria, Capnocytophaga gingivalis and fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin of patients with diabetic ketoacidosis. Conclusions Diabetic ketoacidosis strengthened the bacterial invasion and oral colonization of patients.

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Paraffin Embedding ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; metabolism ; Quantum Dots ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; metabolism ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology

Measles and rubella virus cause fever rash diseases that are uneasy to differentiate clinically from each other. Specific primers and fluorescence-labeled probes were designed, and a multiplex Real-time RT-PCR with an internal control was developed to simultaneously identify the measles and rubella virus. The multiplex Real-time RT-PCR assay was specific and no false positive or false negative results were found. The sensitivity of the assay was 0.1TCID50/mL and 1TCID50/mL for measles and rubella virus respectively. Analysis with 0.1-10(3)TCID50/mL measles or rubella virus samples demonstrated high validity and reproducibility with the coefficient of variability(CV) of below 0.9% for both measles and rubella virus. Using ribonuclease P (RNase P) as internal false negative control, the developed multiplex Real-time RT-PCR assay is suitable for rapid clinical diagnosis of measles and rubella virus.
Fluorescent Dyes ; Humans ; Measles ; diagnosis ; virology ; Measles virus ; genetics ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Reproducibility of Results ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Ribonuclease P ; genetics ; Rubella ; diagnosis ; virology ; Rubella virus ; genetics ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between influenza epidemic and genetic characteristic on HA and NA regions of influenza virus subtype A3 isolates of Zhejiang province in the recent years.

METHODSRNA of 25 influenza virus subtype A3 isolates, circulated in Zhejiang province during 1998 to 2005, was extracted. HA1 and NA regions were amplified and sequenced. All the sequence data were analyzed using BioEdit.

RESULTSHA1 and NA regions of all the isolates belonged to 987nt and 1362nt, encoding protein of 329 and 454 amino acids respectively. Isolates shared amino acid homology of 90.9%-99.3% and 95.2%-99.5% on HA1 and NA regions, while divergence on HA1 was greater than that on NA region. During a period of 8 years, 30 amino acids on HA1 region were substituted and 14 of which refer to 4 antigenic determinant sites. Meanwhile,21 amino acids on NA region were substituted and 5 of which referred to 3 antigenic determinant sites. Significant divergences, both in HA1 and NA, were observed among isolates in 1998 and 2002, showing that they belonged to absolutely different branches. Additionally, influenza virus subtype A3 isolates identified in recent years, with 11 N-linked glyeosylation sites in HA1 region, had 5 sites more than early A/Aichi/2/68 strain. Since 1998,3 sites had been inserted in epidemic strains, indicating the accelerated trend of glyeosylation sites were increasing.

CONCLUSIONThere is a correlation between antigenic drift of influenza virus subtype A3 and the two epidemics in Zhejiang province in 1998 and 2002.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Antigens, Viral ; genetics ; China ; Epitopes ; genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Drift ; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Influenza A virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neuraminidase ; genetics ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

AIMTo explore the effect of cerebellar fastigial nuclei (FN)on lymphocyte function and the pathway mediating the effect.

METHODSKainic acid (KA) was microinjected into bilateral FN of rats to destroy neuronal bodies in the FN. On the eighth day after the surgery, lymphocyte percentage in the peripheral blood and level of sheep red blood cell(SRBC)-specific IgM antibody in the serum were measured by using blood corpuscle counter and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively.A technology of electrolytic lesion was used to destroy the projections of cerebellar FN neurons to hypothalamus in decussation of superior cerebellar peduncle(xscp).

RESULTSOn the eighth day after the microinjection of KA into the bilateral FN of rats, the Nissl-stained neuronal bodies in the FN disappeared and glia could proliferated within the damaged FN. In the nuclei close to FN, the interposed nuclei and the dentate nuclei, Nissl-stained neurons still could be seen. On the control cerebellar sections, in which FN was infused with saline, we could see the normal Nissl-stained neurons in the FN and the other two nuclei.On day 8 following the effective FN lesions, both the lymphocyte percentage in the peripheral blood and the level of anti-SRBC IgM antibody in the serum were significantly increased in comparison with those of control rats infused with saline in the FN. On the eighth day after electrolytic lesion of the fibres in xscp, the FN-hypothalamic projections were damaged and there were no visible BDA-positive endings in hypothalamus. Meanwhile, both the lymphocyte percentage in the peripheral blood and the level of anti-SRBC IgM antibody in the serum were remarkably enhanced relative to those of control rats with sham lesion of xscp.

CONCLUSIONThe electrolytic lesion of the FN-hypothalamic projections in xscp causes an enhancement of lymphocyte function similar to that of KA lesions of neuronal soma in the FN. These findings suggest that the cerebellohypothalamic projections participate in mediating the modulation of lymphocyte function by the cerebellum.

Animals ; Cerebellar Nuclei ; immunology ; injuries ; Female ; Hypothalamus ; immunology ; physiology ; Kainic Acid ; Lymphocyte Count ; Lymphocytes ; cytology ; immunology ; Male ; Neural Pathways ; immunology ; physiology ; Neuroimmunomodulation ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To investigate the process and mechanism of neointimal formation,the level of angiotensin Ⅱ and angiotensin ( 1-7 ),the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 ( ACE2 ),angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor (AT1R),extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) and the effects of valsartan on them after aortic balloon injury in rats.Methods Aortic endothelial denudation of rats was induced by 2F balloon catheter. Thirty-six rats were randomly allocated into three groups:Group 1 (n =12):controls; Group 2 (n =12):aortic balloon injury; Group 3 (n =12):valsartan (20 mg · kg 1 ·d-1 ) given from 1 day before injury to 14 and 28 days after aortic injury.The expression of ACE2 and AT1,the level of P-ERK,Ang Ⅱ,Ang ( 1-7 ) and intimal thickening were investigated by RT-PCR technique,immunohistochemistry. Western blot, radioimmunological method, enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and HE stain,respectively.Results (1)The proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and the intimal thickening were evidenced at day 14 and 28 after aortic balloon injury. (2) The mRNA and protein expressions of ACE2 decreased significantly,but AT1R mRNA and protein expression increased significantly at day 14 and 28 after balloon injury.(3) The level of Ang Ⅱ and p-ERK increased and Ang(1-7) reduced after balloon injury.(4)Valsartan not only attenuated the proliferation of VSMC and the intimal thickening but also upregulated the expression of ACE2 and the level of Ang (1 7) and downregulated the expression of AT1 R and the level of Ang Ⅱ,p-ERK in this model.Conclusion Intimal thickening after balloon injury is linked with reduced expression of ACE2.Valsartan can inhibit the intimal thickening possibly by upregulating ACE2 and Ang(1-7) and downregulating AT1 in this model.

OBJECTIVE To study the isolation and resistance tendency of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii to antimicrobial agents from 1998 to 2004 to provide valuable data for infection prevention and therapy. METHODS We reviewed the isolation rates,distribution in clinical specimens and wards,and the resistance rates of(A.calcoaceticus-baumannii)to 14 kinds of antimicrobial agents from 1998 to 2004. RESULTS There was an increasing tendency of isolation rates of A.calcoaceticus-baumannii every year,which was 0.18% in 1998 but 1.48% in 2004.In the seven years,there was the highest isolation rate of 70.58% in specimens from respiratory tract,the next was from the urine(9.42%),and blood(4.63%).Concerning the wards distribution,ICU had the highest rate of 47.28%.In 1998,A.calcoaceticus-baumannii had resistance rates more than 50% only to one kind of antimicrobial agents(aztreonam),but in 2004,it had increased to thirteen kinds(except cefoperazone/sulbactam).About the fourteen kinds of antimicrobial agents we inspected,that were increased in their resistance rate.The highest increasing of resistance rate was ceftazidime from 11.1% in 1998 to 88.9% in 2004,the imipenem was second for 0.0% to 64.8%,and the third was sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim form 0.0% to 64.0%,while there still was an increasing resistance tendency to them. CONCLUSIONS The clinical isolation rate of A.calcoaceticus-baumannii is increasing,and it has higher resistance rates to many antimicrobial agents as well as an increasing resistance tendency to relatively susceptive antimicrobial agents every year.So physicians should prescribe on the basis of antimicrobial agents susceptibility tests in vitro.