OBJECTIVE: To investigate the taste-masking effect of montelukast sodium orally disintegrating tablets using electronic tongue technology and human sensory evaluation and determine the optimum formulation. METHODS: Orally disintegrating tablets were prepared with five different concentrations of flavoring agents or without flavoring agent.The tastes of those tablets were determined by electronic tongue, and principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used to evaluate differences of different formulations. The taste-masking effect of the tablets was investigated combined with electronic tongue analysis and sensory evaluation of subjects. RESULTS: The taste of orally disintegrating tablet was the best when the total amount of flavoring agent was 1.6 mg, and the ratio of sweetening agent to aromatic agent was 5∶3. CONCLUSION: The combination of electronic tongue and human sensory assess can evaluate the taste-masking effect of orally disintegrating tablets and provide the basis for determining the optimum formulation.

OBJECTIVE: To prepare montelukast sodium orally disintegrating tablets and investigate the bioequivalence in Beagle dogs. METHODS: The orally disintegrating tablets were prepared by direct compression method,and the optimal formulation was screened by orthogonal test.HPLC-fluorescence method was developed for determination of montelukast sodium plasma concentration in Beagle dogs. RESULTS: The optimized formulation(1 000 tablets) was montelukast sodium 10.4 g, microcrystalline cellulose 60 g, cross linked povidone 30 g, mannitol 15 g, magnesium stearate 2 g, aerosil 1 g, aspartame 1 g, flavor 0.6 g. CONCLUSION: Montelukast sodium orally disintegrating tablets made of the optimized formulation could disintegrate rapidly. Relatively bioavailability of montelukast sodium orally disintegrating tablets is 90.7%.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of foodborne disease outbreaks in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, from 2012 to 2022, so as to provide the evidence for improving the foodborne disease control strategy. Methods: Foodborne disease outbreaks in Shaoxing City from 2012 to 2022 were collected from National Foodborne Disease Outbreak Monitoring System in China, including populations, places of outbreak, pathogenic factors and suspected foods. The temporal distribution, regional distribution, distribution of outbreak places and pathogenic factors of foodborne disease outbreaks were descriptively analyzed. Results: A total of 89 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported in Shaoxing City from 2012 to 2022, covering totally 699 patients, with an average annual attack rate of 6.35%. The outbreak peaked during the period between June and October (73 outbreaks, 82.02%), and family was the predominant place of outbreak (41 outbreaks, 46.07%). There were 83 outbreaks with known pathogenic factors, including 51 outbreaks caused by microbial factors, with Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella and norovirus as predominant pathogens, and 29 outbreaks caused by fungi and their toxins, which were all poisonous mushrooms poisoning, resulting in 2 deaths. In addition, there were 3 outbreaks caused by chemical factors. Conclusions The outbreak of foodborne diseases predominantly occurred in summer and autumn in Shaoxing City from 2012 to 2022. Family was the predominant place of outbreak, and toxic mushroom poisoning was the most lethal pathogenic factor.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Tiancan Zhuangyang Powder (TCZYP) on the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (stAR protein) expression of Leydig cells in model rats with partial androgen deficiency of aging male (PADAM).

METHODSPADAM rat model was prepared by cyclophosphamide induced reproductive system damage. Rats were randomly divided into four groups, i. e. the normal control group, the model group, the testosterone propionate group, and the TCZYP group. The general condition, body weight, tail suspension experiment and exhaustion swimming test, and the testicular index, etc. were observed to assess the state of rats. The serum total testosterone (TT), and free testosterone (FT) levels were detected by radioimmunoassay before and after treatment. The stAR protein expression level of Leydig cells were determined using immunohistochemical assay. Statistic analyses were performed.

RESULTSBy modeling with cyclophosphamide, serum TT and FT levels decreased (P<0.01), behavior changes were basically similar to PADAM (by tail suspension test), indicating a successful modeling. After treatment serum rTT and FT levels in the testosterone propionate group and the TCZYP group significantly increased when compared with before treatment and with the model group after treatment (P<0.01). There was no statistical difference between the TCZYP group and the testosterone propionate group (P>0.05). The immobility time in the tail suspension test were significantly shortened in the testosterone propionate group and the TCZYP group (P<0.05). The exhausted swimming time was more significantly prolongated than that of the model group (P<0.05). The stAR protein gray value significantly decreased (P<0. 01).

CONCLUSIONTCZYP could prevent serum TT and FT levels from decrease, improve stAR protein activities, and attenuate the depression state and muscular tension in PADAM rats. Its action was equivalent to that of testosterone propionate.

Androgens ; deficiency ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Leydig Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Phosphoproteins ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testis ; drug effects ; metabolism

Adolescent ; Brachiocephalic Veins ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Subclavian Vein ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVEWith the objective of discovering novel putative chromosomal regions and special genes involved in the carcinogenesis, progression and metastasis of laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC).

METHODSDNA copy profile of LSCC were obtained and analyzed by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and a computerized digital image analysis system. cDNA microarray of LSCC was performed and the profile was analyzed by Hierarchical clustering.

RESULTSCGH analysis showed average-12.9 gains and losses of chromosomes in LSCC. Relatively high frequencies of gains were found at 3q15-21 (14/18), 5p12-13 (11/18), 8q22-24 (6/18), 11q12-13 (8/18), 15q21-23 (7/18) and 18p11 (8/18), while those of losses at 1p13-21 (8/18), 3p21-23 (14/18), 5q21-22 (14/18), 9p12-pter (11/18) and 13q21-31 (8/18). Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were segregated into three groups. Three genes differentially expressed in process I (normal tissue to cancer) and process II (cancer to lymph node metastasis), and the Cy5/Cy3 ratios of twelve genes were either higher than 5.0 or lower than 0.2 in process I or process II. The fifteen special genes were first reported possibly to be the relationships with LSCC. In particular, 4 genes of them, which were cytochrome C oxidase Va, PPBP, EPHX2 and PON1, were first reported to correlate with tumorigenesis. SH3GL2, which was one of the 15 special genes, was located at one of the special chromosome regions, 9p12-pter.

CONCLUSIONThe important genes and special chromosomal aberrances might provide us a clue for further investigation of carcinogenesis, progression and metastasis in LSCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; pathology ; Chromosome Aberrations ; DNA, Neoplasm ; analysis ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis

The Rana grylio virus (RGV) is a member of the genus Ranavirus. It belongs to the family Iridoviridae, and contains the gene 67R encoding dUTPase. In order to investigate the function of 67R in the replication and infection of RGV, we constructed Δ67R-RGV, a recombinant virus with deletion of 67R. First, we constructed the plasmid pGL3-67RL-p50-EGFP-67RR which carried an enhanced green fluorescence gene (EGFP) as a selectable marker. After homologous recombination between pGL3-67RL-p50-EG- FP-67RR and the RGV genome, Epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cells were infected with the resulting mixture. Through ten successive rounds of plaque isolation via EGFP selection, all plaques emitted green fluorescence, and finally Δ67R-RGV was generated. Total DNA of Δ67R-RGV infected cells was extracted for PCR analyses. Simulateously, mock infected and wild-type RGV (wt-RGV) infected cells were used as a comparison. Results showed that 67R could be detected in wt-RGV infected cells, but that only the EGFP gene was detected in Δ67R-RGV infected cells. Furthermore, one-step growth curves of wt-RGV and Δ67R-RGV were similar. Therefore, 67R and its encoding product dUTPase might not be essential for the growth of RGV. These results suggest that, homologous recombination and recombinant rana- virus could be used to study the gene function of viruses in aquatic animals.
Genes, Viral ; physiology ; Genome, Viral ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pyrophosphatases ; genetics ; Ranavirus ; genetics ; Recombination, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo examine the relationship between reduction of serum fetuin A and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in patients starting hemodialysis.

METHODSTwenty-nine patients on chronic hemodialysis (duration of hemodialysis less than 6 months) were enrolled in this study. Serum fetuin A and such potential CAC-related risk factors as C-reactive protein (CRP), Ca, P, iPTH, body mass index (BMI) were examined. CAC was detected by multislice spiral CT scan (MSCT) and quantified by the modified Agaston's scoring system. All the 29 patients were followed up for 18 months to appraise the cardiovascular events defined as cardiac failure, angina pectoris or myocardial infarction.

RESULTSEleven patients (78.57%) were found to have CAC as detected by MSCT in low serum fetuin A (below the average serum concentration of 0.71 g/L) group, a rate significantly higher than that in high serum fetuin A group (7 patients, 46.67%, P<0.05). Serum fetuin A in these 29 patients was related with CAC score (Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.734, P=0.001) and stepwise regression analysis indicated that serum fetuin A (standardized beta=-0.568, P=0.003) and age (standardized beta=0.416, P=0.019) were independently correlated to CAC. Such factors as CRP, Ca, P, iPTH, Chol, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, BMI and blood pressure were excluded from the regression equation. Reduction of serum fetuin A was associated with cardiovascular events (Spearman's rho -0.758, P<0.01). No significant difference was found between low and high serum fetuin A groups by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (P=0.065).

CONCLUSIONReduced serum fetuin A may be a potential risk factor of coronary artery calcification, and can contribute to cardiovascular events in patients starting hemodialysis.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Proteins ; metabolism ; Calcinosis ; blood ; etiology ; Coronary Vessels ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Renal Dialysis ; adverse effects ; Risk Factors ; alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein

Objective To observe the injury of high intensity focused ultrasound combined with radiotherapy (RT) to the pancreas,the unintended abdominal tissues and organs of swine in vivo.MethodsAccording to the criterion to grade the gross and histological injury of the pancreas and the unintended tissue,the scores of injury between the groups to get the data of safety and feasibility of high intensity focused ultrasound(HIFU)combined with RT were compared.Results There was a better tolerance in each group and no fatal complication was observed.For the pancreas there was significant difference for the combined group compared with the other groups.For the unintended target tissue there was no significance difference except the control group with the other groups.Conclusion HIFU combined with RT can increase the injury to the pancreas of the swine compared with HIFU alone; while there was no increase for the injury to the unintended target tissue.The main toxicity of combination treatment is the toxicity of RT and can be tolerated by the animals.If the HIFU treatment is strictly controlled,the combination of HIFU and RT is safe and feasible.

Objective The clinical features,bacteriological changes,the characteristics of auxiliary examination and the timing of treatment in patients with infective endocarditis (IE) were discussed in the study retrospectively.The characteristics of the patients with infective endocarditis in our hospital in the last 8 years were summarized in order to improve the level of diagnosis and treatment.Methods From Jan.2010 to Dec.2017,39 cases of IE were admitted from the department of infectious medicine,cardiology and heart surgery in our hospital.The basic causes,clinical symptoms,signs,auxiliary examination and treatment outcome were summarized through retrospective case analysis.The results were recorded by Excel 2010 and analysed by SPSS 20.0 software.Results The total mortality rate was 7.69％ (3/39),all of which were ill treated in internal medicine.After surgery,there was no death in patients,the positive rate of blood culture was 41.03 ％ (16/39),and the rate of valvular neoplasm was 82.05 ％ (32/39) by echocardiography.Conclusions At present,the main cause of infective endocarditis is congenital heart disease,and the endocarditis caused by rheumatic heart disease is becoming less.Early diagnosis and rational selection of antibiotics and the time of operation are very critical.The significance of clinical echocardiography is greater than that of blood culture.Since the positive rate of blood culture is not satisfactory,and the strain of the bacteria has changed slightly compared with the previous reports in most foreign countries.And there is a mutual influence between the primary disease and the renal function,so it is necessary to monitor the renal function.