ObjectiveTo compare the levels of sFas in the sera among Kawasaki disease (KD),incomplete Kawasaki disease (IKD),and normal control groups,and to analyze the relationship of sFas with IKD children.MethodsA total of 32 cases of acute KD and acute IKD children,and 20 cases of the control children were selected,respectively.The levels of serum sFas among three groups were measured using ELISA kits.Each child among the three groups was examined by echocardiography.Results(1)The levels of serum sFas among the three groups were[ (0.54±0.20)ng/L in KD,(0.55±0.16)ng/L in IKD,and (0.24 ± 0.04) ng/L] in control group,respectively.The overall means of sFas in the KD and IKD groups were higher than the control group,and the differences were statistically significant( F=29.276,P＜0.05 ).(2)The levels of serum sFas among echocardiography abnormal and normal groups were[ (0.65±0.19) ng/L and (0.49±0.10)ng/L],respectively; and the difference between two groups were statistically significant ( t=3.139,P ＜ 0.05 ).ConclusionsThe expression levels of sFas in the peripheral serum of IKD children were increased,and there was a close association of overexpression of sFas with the cardiovascular damage in IKD children.

Objective To investigate the clinical features and treatments of pituitary abscess.Method The clinical data of 6 patients with pituitary abscess were examed along with a review of the literature.Results Of 6 patients,headache was presented in 5 patients,hypopituitarism in 4 patients,visual disturbance and/or bitemporal hemianopsia in 4 patients and fever in 1 patient.MRI and CT images showed a cystic sellar lesion with ring enhancement in 5 patients.Preoperative diagnosis of pituitary abscess was made in 2 patients,pituitary adenomas in 3 patients and craniopharyngiomas in 1 patient.All cases were treated surgically by transsphenoidal approach in 5 patients and transscranial in 1 patient.Followed with postoperative antibiotics therapy for 3 weeks,the symptoms were improved postoperatively in all cases.Followed up 8 months to 10 years,1 patient who underwent craniotomy recurred and wag cured by via transsphenoidal surgery.Conclusions The pituitary abscess is easily misdiagnosed.The cystic pituitary lesion should be considered the possibility of pituitary abscess.Transsphenoidal surgery and proper perioperative antibiotics therapy are the keys to the treatment of pituitary abscess.

This article gives a profound exploration on the theoretical origin, prohibitions and mechanisms of moxibustion for heat syndrome. Based upon the ancient and modem literature, this article also gives a classified summarization on diseases of moxibustion for heat syndrome, in order to obtain a thorough understanding about the theory and clinical application of moxibustion for heat syndrome, hence to further perfect the theory of moxibustion and guide the clinical practice.

Objective To explore the effects of thiamine and riboflavin on H2O2-induced DNA oxidative damage in human umbilical vein endothelial cell line ECV304.Methods ECV304 cells were incubated with 10,100,500,1000 mg/L of thiamine or 20,100,300,500 nmol/L of riboflavin for 24 h,and then oxidative damage of cells were induced by 25 mol/L H2O2 for 30 min.DNA damage was detected with single cell gel electrophoresis(SCGE)assay.ECV304 cells incubated without H2O2,thiamine and riboflavin were served as negative controls,and those incubated with H2O2 and without thiamine and riboflavin were served as positive controls.Results H2O2 induced DNA damage,and the indices of percent of DNA damage cells,percent of tail DNA,tail length and Olive tail moment were increased.The indices of cells pretreated with 10,100,500 mg/L of thiamine or 20,100,300 nmol/L riboflavin were significantly decreased(P0.05).Conclusion Proper supplementation of thiamine and riboflavin may decrease H2O2-induced DNA oxidative damage,while excess thiamine and riboflavin supplementation may be harmful to DNA and enhance the susceptibility to H2O2 potentially.

A bacterial strain which could grow well on the substrate of PAEs as the sole source of carbon and energy was isolated from contaminated sludge in the river of WeiFang in ShangDong province and it was designated as JDC-3. Based on the morphology,biophysical and biochemical properties as well as molecular characteristics,this isolate was preliminarily identified as Delftia sp.. A fragment of phthalate dioxygenase gene was successfully amplified from the genus of Delftia for the first time using a set of degenerate primers. Meanwhile,the degradation capability of JDC-3 was determined by HPLC using DMP as test substrate. The results showed that the optimal pH and temperature were at 7.0～8.0 and 30?C～35?C respectively. The degradation kinetics of JDC-3 was studied in different initial DMP concentration under optimal conditions. The results indicated that the degradation dynamic equation was ln C =-0.06837 t + A when DMP concentration was lower than 300 mg/L,with half life of 12.48 h. The degradation rate decreased and half life of JDC-3 prolonged as the initial concentration kept on increasing.

Objective To investigate the causes,clinical manifestations and treatments of cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)leakage following the treatment of prolactinomas with bromocriptine.Methods The data of 2 patients with prolactinomas and CSF leakage following bromocriptine treatment,were retrospectively analyzed and the associated literatures were reviewed.Results Two patients with massive invasive prolactinomas eroding the skull base developed CSF leakage within 1 month after commencing bromocriptine treatment.Bromocriptine treatment was stopped and external ventficular drainage was performed in 1.Bromocriptine treatment was stopped and transsphenoidal surgery in debulking the tumor and sealing the leakage with fibrin glue was performed in the other patient.The bromocriptine treatment was resumed with a lower dose in both patients and the CSF leakage never recurred in the follow-up of 9-36 months;the serum prolactin decreased and the tumor shrank gradually.Conclusions CSF leakage may develop in bromocriptine-treated patients with invasive prolactinoma eroding skull base.Surgical repair of the fistula,withdrawal of bromoeriptine and additional external CSF drainage are the effective ways in treating CSF leakage.Resuming bromocriptine treatment with a lower dose can induce gradual decrease of the serum prolactin and shrink of the tumor.

OBJECTIVETo study the primary effects of Niuhuang Qingwei wan on the gastrointestinal function in aninmal for justifying its efficacies in clinic.

METHODMice were twice administered with Niuhuang Qingwei wan (0.83, 1.67, 3.33 g x kg(-1), ig) and rats were twice administered with Niuhuang Qingwei wan (0.59, 1.18, 2.36 g x kg(-1), ig). The effects on the stomach function were evaluated by the gastric emptying test in mice and the gastric analysis in rats. The effect on the intestinal function were evaluated by the propulsive motility of the total gastrointestinal tract test in mice by recording the time and frequency of excreting carbo medicinalis. Its analgesia was explored by using the abdominal constriction test induced by acetic acid.

RESULTNiuhuang Qingwei wan decreased the activity and secretion of pepsin in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), the gastric juice volume at middle and high doses (P <0.01, P <0.05), and the gastric acid volume at high dose (P <0.05); However, it had no significant effects on the gastric emptying in normal mice and the acidity in gastric juice. It shortened the excreting time of feces and increased the frequency of defecation (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). It also inhibited abdominal constriction responses at high dose, and the inhibition rate was 40.0% (P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONNiuhuang Qingwei wan can promote gastrointestinal motility, decrease gastric acid volume and activity of pepsin and show certain analgesia effect. Those findings are consistent with its treating stomach heat in clinic.

Animals ; Defecation ; drug effects ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Gastric Acid ; metabolism ; Gastric Emptying ; drug effects ; Gastric Juice ; metabolism ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; drug effects ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Pepsin A ; secretion ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stomach ; drug effects ; metabolism ; physiology

The work is intended to achieve optimum culture conditions of alpha-galactosidase production by a mutant strain Aspergillus foetidus ZU-G1 in solid-state fermentation (SSF). Certain fermentation parameters involving moisture content, incubation temperature, cultivation period of seed, inoculum volume, initial pH value, layers of pledget, load size of medium and period of cultivation were investigated separately. The optimal cultivating conditions of alpha-galactosidase production in SSF were 60% initial moisture of medium, 28 degrees C incubation temperature, 18 h cultivation period of seed, 10% inoculum volume, 5.0 approximately 6.0 initial pH of medium, 6 layers of pledget and 10 g dry matter loadage. Under the optimized cultivation conditions, the maximum alpha-galactosidase production was 2 037.51 U/g dry matter near the 144th hour of fermentation.
Aspergillus ; classification ; enzymology ; growth & development ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Enzyme Activation ; Enzyme Stability ; Fermentation ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Species Specificity ; Temperature ; alpha-Galactosidase ; biosynthesis ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Mycobacterium tuberculosis on apoptosis of mouse dendritic cells (DC 2. 4) and the activation of caspase-3, caspase-8.

METHODSMycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain was co-cultured with DC 2. 4 cells. The morphological changes of DC 2. 4 cells were observed with fluorescence microscope after DAPI staining and transmission electron microscope. The apoptosis of DC 2. 4 cells were examined by DNA agarose gel electrophoresis. The activities of caspase-3 and caspase-8 were detected by colorimetric assay.

RESULTSBacterial invasion was observed while DC 2. 4 cells and H37Rv were co-cultured for 2 h; and the rates of invasion were (16.1 ± 4.3)%, (35.8 ± 5.1)%, (50.2 ± 5.7)%, (58.3 ± 6.2)% and(65.9 ± 6.9)% at 4, 6, 8,10, 12 h, respectively. The phenomenon of nuclear condensation and marginalization were shown by DAPI staining and transmission electron microscope in DC 2. 4 cells at 6 h of co-cultivation with H37Rv. The characteristic bands of apoptosis by DNA electrophoresis were detected. The activities of caspase-3 and caspase-8 were increased in a time-dependent manner. The rates of DC 2. 4 cell apoptosis were (6.4 ± 2.5)%, (11.8 ± 5.3)% and (31.1 ± 8.7)% at 6 h,12 h and 24 h after co-cultivation with H37Rv, respectively. The maximal activities of intracellular caspase-3 and caspase-8 at 10 h and 6 h were (2.01 ± 0.09) U/μg and (2.40 ± 0.07)U/μg, respectively, which was significantly different compared with the control groups(P<0.05). The activation of caspase-8 was earlier than that of caspase-3.

CONCLUSIONMycobacterium tuberculosis can induce the apoptosis of DC 2. 4 cells, which is associated with the activation of intracellular caspase-3 and caspase-8.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; physiology ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Caspase 8 ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Dendritic Cells ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical characteristics and the prevalence of mitochondrial gene A3243G mutation in diabetic pedigrees.

METHODSNineteen suspected mitochondrial DNA diabetic family members from three families were recruited. The gene fragment was amplified by PCR, and mutation was detected by direct sequencing.

RESULTSIn three pedigrees, the three probands and their mothers were found carrying the most common nt3243A>G mutation. Most of diabetic patients in these families were deaf and diabetes was developed at early age, characterized by impaired beta cell function and low body mass index (BMI).

CONCLUSIONThe mitochondrial gene A3243G mutation may cause diabetes mellitus and deaf.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Base Sequence ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Deafness ; complications ; genetics ; Diabetes Complications ; genetics ; Diabetes Mellitus ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; RNA, Transfer, Leu ; genetics