Objective To investigate the protective effects of angiotensin Ⅱ receptor antagonist losartan on diabetic nephropathy (DN).Methods 37 DN cases complicated by renal insufficiency were divided into two groups which were treated with losartan and enalapril,respectively.Blood pressure,plasma creatinine,blood urea nitrogen (BUN),uricemia,urinary protein and albumin were measured before and at 2,4,8,12 weeks after treatment.Results Losartan and enalapril lowered blood pressure remarkably (P0.05).Losartan decreased uricemia remarkably (P

BACKGROUND: The large surfaces of the skin are often initial site of contact between microorganism and human. The skin are coated with epidermis and epithelial cells can recognize microorganism and mount a fast defense through the production of various inducible antibiotic peptides. This leads to chracteristic broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Recent studies introduce us new peptides with antimicrobial activity such as P,-defensins and cathelicidins. They are expressed on the epithelia and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, which are first lines of defence from various invasive environments. Futhermore, they are considered very interesting and important endogenous antibiotics. Our previous study has shown that the expression of human defensin(hBD-2) mRNA, which is potent antibiotic peptide against Gram-negative bacteria(P. aeruginosa), was upregulated with ultraviolet(UV) irradiation, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and lipopolysaccharide(LPS) in HaCaT cells. A novel hBD-3, 5-kDa, nonhemolytic antimicrobial peptide, was demonstrated a salt-insensitive broad spectrum of potent antimicrobial activity against many potentially pathogenic microbes in especially, multiresistant S. aureus. We have analyzed the expression patterns of hBD-3 in HaCaT cell lines. OBJECTIVE: This research have done in order to evaluate the expression and regulation of hBD-3 mRNA in human keratinocyte cell lines. METHODS: HaCaT cell lines were used to all culture experiments. Cultured human keratinocytes were stimulated with UV irradiation or TNF-α or LPS to determine whether hBD-3 mRNA production occurred. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was per-formed to amplify hBD-3 cDNA from stimulated keratinocytes in a time dependant manner, and densitometry was used to verify the specificity of RT-PCR amplication products. RESULTS: Expression of hBD-3 was upregulated with UV irradiation, TNF-α and LPS in Ha-CaT cells compared to control CONCLUSIONS: Human keratinocytes are capable to induce hBD-3 mRNA, as well as hBD-2, in response to UV irradiation, TNF-α and LPS. suggesting that these cells could play an important role against the bacterial infection and UV light damage in human skin.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Infections ; Cathelicidins ; Cell Line* ; Densitometry ; DNA, Complementary ; Epidermis ; Epithelial Cells ; Fungi ; Humans* ; Keratinocytes ; Necrosis ; Neutrophils ; Peptides ; RNA, Messenger ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin ; Ultraviolet Rays

Objective To prepare recombinant human prothrombin-2 expressed in Pichia pastoris, and assay the enzymatic and clotting activities of prothrombin-2 activated by prothrombin activator ecarin.Methods Human prothrombin-2 gene and Echis carinatus ecarin gene were synthesized separately on the basis of the cDNA sequences published in GenBank.The gene of prothrombin-2 was cloned into the expression vector pPICZαA.The expression vector pPICZαA/prothrombin-2 was transformed into glycoengineered P.pastoris, and then prothrombin-2 engineered P.pastoris was screened.The expression products were induced by methanol, purified by two-step chromatography and identified by diges-tion by PNGase F and analysis of pepetide fingerprint.The ecarin gene was cloned into the expression vector pcDNA3.1. The expression vector pcDNA3.1/Ecarin was transformed into HEK 293T cells and the culture supernatant of HEK 293T/Ecarin was collected.The reaction product of HEK 293T/Ecarin cell culture supernatant and purified prothrombin-2 was analyzed by S-2238,which was the chromogenic substrate for thrombin.Fibrinogen was used to measure blood clotting time. Results The purified protein of P.pastoris expressed prothrombin-2 culture supernatant was 37 ×103 .The relative molecular mass(Mr) of the purified protein was reduced to 35 ×103, which was consistent with the theoretical Mr of prothrombin-2 molecular weight.The purified protein was proved to be prothrombin-2 by peptide fingerprint identification. The purified prothrombin-2 processed by HEK 293T/Ecarin culture supernatant could hydrolyze S-2238 to produce yellow pNA, and D405 of pNA increased with the volume of the processed prothrombin-2 that could promote the plasma coagulation.The blood clotting time was close to that of the thrombin kit.Conclusion Prothrombin-2 is prepared by P.pastoris and activated toα-thrombin by ecarin.This technique may replace the method of extraction of prothrombin from plasma and can be used for the treatment of war wounds or for future clinical research.

Objective:To investigate frequencies of microsatellite instability(MSI)and loss of heterozygosity(LOH)in renal ceil carcinoma(RCC),and to discuss the relationship of clinicopathological characteristics of RCC with MSI and LOH. Methods:Twelve microsatellite markers located at chromosomes 3p,9p and 14q were selected to investigate microsatellite alterations(MSI and LOH)in 31 RCC specimens and their paired metastasis specimens by polymerase chain reaction- polyacrylamide gel elect rophoresis-ethylene dibromide(PCR-PAGE-EB)staining and sequencing.Results:The frequency of MSI could reached 61.3% and that of LOH could reach 54.8%.The highest frequency of MSI was at locus of D9S168(32.3%);the highest frequency of LOH was at locus of D3S1289(21.4%).No correlation was found between MSI or LOH and the patients' age,sex,pathology type and metastastis,except that MSI was correlated with TNM stage of RCC(P

No abstract available.
Reye Syndrome*

Aged ; Coal Mining ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications ; physiopathology ; Tachycardia ; etiology

OBJECTIVETo compare the early clinical effects of Activ C cervical disc replacement (ACDR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in treating single-level cervical spondylosis.

METHODSThe clinical data of 76 patients with single-level cervical spondylosis underwent surgery from July 2009 to September 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 28 patients were treated with ACDR (ACDR group), including 18 males and 10 females, aged from 32 to 62 years old with an average of (45.2±6.2) years; and 48 patients were treated with ACDF (ACDF group), including 28 males and 20 females, aged from 33 to 60 years old with an average of (45.8±6.4) years. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Japanese Orthopedics Association (JOA) score, Short Form-36 (SF-36), imaging data were used to assess the clinical effects after operation.

RESULTSA total of 76 patients were followed up from 6 to 24 months with an average of 13.2 months. VAS of neck pain and brachialgia were improved in all patients after operation (P<0.05), there was no significant difference between two group (P>0.05). Somato-score and psycho-score of SF-36 of two groups were obviously increased (P<0.05), ACDR group was better than that of ACDF group (P<0.05). In ACDR group, there was no significant difference in the range of motion of surgical segments and adjacent segments between preoperative and postoperative (P>0.05); heterotopic ossification around the edge of vertebral body occurred in 1 case on the 6th month after operation, no fusion was found on the 1st year after operation. In ACDF group, the adjacent vertebral disease occurred in 1 case and the patient underwent the reoperation.

CONCLUSIONActiv C cervical disc replacement can reduce the degeneration of adjacent segments and its early outcomes for the treatment of single-level cervical spondylosis are satisfactory, but the long-term effects still need study.

Adult ; Cervical Vertebrae ; surgery ; Diskectomy ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Spondylosis ; surgery ; Total Disc Replacement ; methods

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most frequent pattern of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy with poor prognosis and high mortality.Studies in recent years found that non-coding small RNA molecules (miRNA) were closely related to the clinical course of DCM.The present article made a review on the expression pattern of miRNA and development of DCM study.

To explore the epidemiological character of Methicillin-resistant Stapkylococcus aureus (MRSA) by the phenotyping and genotyping motheds and to investgate the source, transmission, and the spread of nosocomial MRSA infection, consequently, reducing the nosocomial infection of MRSA. In this study, 19 MRSA strains were isolated from patients and environment in a hospital in two months. Patterns of resistantce against 16 antimicrobial agents and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis ( PFGE) of these strains were analyzed to find the relationship among those isolates Clustering analysis was made from the patterns. Some isolates with high homology was found in 19 MRSA, 11 of them belong to type A, and 8 of them belong to the same subtype A1. They were endemic in burn ward, oncological ward and ICU. In addition, 4 isolates were clustered into group B, all found in the same ward of burn unit Thus, our results indicated a outbreak of MRSA ( A type) in this hospital and the potential prevalence of MRSA (B type) , which might be mediated by health care stuff. It is essential to enhance the infection control implementation and to utilize the PFGE genotyping system for the real-time surveillance of MRSA.

Objective To investigate whether the vohage-gated chloride channel CLC-2 gene— CLCN2 is associated with idiopathic generalized tonie-clonic seizures(often called a grand mal seizure, GME)of Jinuo people and Han people from Yunnan province.Methods Three regions,including Intron 2, Exon 5 and Exon 19(Intron 18),of CLCN2 were selected to conduct sequence analysis.The case-control study design was used to detect association between gene polymorphism and idiopathic generalized tonic- clonic seizures of Jinuo people and Han people from Yunnan province.Results No previously reported susceptible mutations were found in Intron 2,Exon 5 and Exon 19 in Jinuo people and Han people from Yunnan province.However we found a single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)at site 146 of Intron 18. Case-control study were carried out,using this SNP.Distribution of the 3 genotypes(TT,TC,CC)has a significant difference between the IGTCS patients of Han people and the normal controls of Han people(9, 3,29 cases and 22,9,26,respectively,x~2=16.079,P