AlM: To evaluate the effectiveness of Spot Vision Screener on vision screening of children without cycloplegia.METHODS:A total of 87 children (174 eyes) aged from 2~9 years old were examined with Spot Vision Screener and optometrist before cycloplegia.RESULTS: Statistical analysis demonstrated that the cylinder diopter and axis, the equivalent spherical diopter in both eyes, and the spherical diaopter in left eye had no significant change ( P>0. 05 ). However, the spherical diaopter in right eye had statistical significance. CONCLUSlON: Spot Vision Screener is a suitable instrument in vision screening of children without cycloplegia.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the resistant effect of houttuyfonate sodium (SH) combined with imipenem (IMP) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) biofilms.

METHODThe two-fold dilution method was used to examine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the tested drug. The crystal violet staining was applied to detect the effect of the combination of 1/2MIC, 1MIC, 2MIC of SH, single IMP, 1/2MIC of SH and IMP of various concentrations on the clearance rate of adherent bacteria, growth of biofilms and alginate production. Fluorescein diacetate (FDA)-propidium iodide (PI) doubling staining assay was employed to observe the bacterial viability and morphological changes after membrane dispersion of each drug group.

RESULTSodium houttuyfonate could enhance the effect of IMP against pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Particularly, the combination group with the concentration of 2MIC showed the highest effect, with P < 0.001 compared with the negative control group. The above results were proved by the bacterial viability and biofilm morphology under fluorescence microscope.

CONCLUSIONAfter being combined with imipenem, sodium houttuyfonate shows a higher effect against biofilms. It is expected that the combination of the two drugs could improve the clinical efficacy of associated infections.

Alkanes ; pharmacology ; Biofilms ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Drug Synergism ; Imipenem ; pharmacology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Microbial Viability ; drug effects ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; drug effects ; physiology ; Sulfites ; pharmacology

Ion channelopathies are the mainly etiopathogenisis of inherited arrhythmia. Those arrhythmia syndromes are commonly caused by ion channel gene mutation, which can be classified as sodium,potassium and calcium ion channel mutation.Changes in the genes encoding for cardiac ion channel subunits produce modification in the function of the channels, and cause the dysfunctions of cardiac electrical activity; and the clinical manifestation is malignant arrhythmia.
Animals ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Channelopathies ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Ion Channels ; genetics ; physiology ; Mutation

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of recombinant human erythropoietin(rhEPO)on brain mitochondrial energy metabolism and mitachondrial respiratory functionin after brain injury in rats.Method A total of 63 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into three groups:the rhEPO treated group(n =28),the control group(n=28),the shanl group(n=7).The models of contusion of brain caused by freefalling were set up in rhEPO treated group(n=28).The recombinant human erythropoietin was intraperitoneally injected in dose of 10 U/g immediately after brain injury and it was repeated every 10 hours in rhEPO group treated.The same models of contused brain were made without rhEPO treatment as control group(n=28).In control group,the same volume of normal saline was used in replacemem of rhEPO.Aburr hole was made on the skull of the sham group(n=7),but the brain tissue was not wounded.The mitochondria were isolated at 6 h,12 h,24h,48 h after trealment,respectively.The activity of ATPase and SOD,the content MDA and brain mitochondrial respiratory function were measured by biochemical technique.The data were analyzed with the F-test and t-test.Results The activity of ATPase(P＜0.05),SOD(P＜0.01)and brain mitochondrial respiratory function(P ＜0.05)were increased.and the levd of MDA in brain mitochondria was reduced markedly in rats treated with rhEPO.Conclusions Treatment with rhEPO can alleviates the secondary brain injury by affecting mitochondrial function.

OBJECTIVETo study the expressions changes of gastric mucosal hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and downstream molecules [such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)] of verrucous gastritis (VG) patients of different Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome types and their clinical significance.

METHODSTotally 94 VG patients were assigned to Gan-Wei disharmony group (GWDG, 28 cases), the damp-heat in Pi-Wei group (DHPWG, 17 cases), the blood stasis in Wei-collateral group (BSWCG, 20 cases), and the insufficiency of Pi-yang group (IPYG, 29 cases). Another 30 patients with chronic mild non-active superficial gastritis patients accompanied with negative Hp infection were recruited as the control group. The Hp infection was detected using 14C-labeled urea breath test. The expressions of HIF-1alpha, VEGF, and COX-2 in the gastric mucosal tissue were detected using immunohistochemical EnVision two-step test.

RESULTSThe positive Hp infection rate in VG patients was 37.23% (35/94 cases). The positive Hp infection rate in patients of DHPWG (76. 47%) was significantly higher than the other three groups (32.14% in GWDG, 31.03% in IPYG, and 20.00% in BSWCG, P < 0.01). The expressions of HIF-1alpha and COX-2 in VG patients of different syndrome types were obviously higher than those of the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Of them, the expression of HIF-1alpha was the highest in BSWCG and the expression of COX-2 was the highest in DHPWG. The expression of VEGF was higher in DHPWG and IPYG than in the control group and the GWDG (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe expressions of HIF-1alpha, VEGF, COX-2, and Hp infection showed certain changes in VG patients of different syndrome types. The expression of HIF-1alpha was the strongest in BSWCG. The expressions of VEGF and COX-2 as well as Hp infection were the highest in DHPWG. All showed the specificity of CM syndromes.

Adult ; Aged ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; metabolism ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gastritis ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Helicobacter Infections ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism ; Young Adult

In the areas of prevention and life skills counseling for breast cancer, risk assessment and prediction can assist clinicians to decide if chemoprevention or prophylactic surgery is needed or suggestions on improving the quality of life for their clients. Several mathematical models, namely Gail Model, Claus Model, BRCAPRO Model and Cuzick-Tyrer Model etc. have been developed to make predictions, clinically. This paper has reviewed the development, operation, advantage versus disadvantage and areas of application for the four models. Having family history of breast cancer, one subject was calculated on the risks by the four models and different results were found. Up to 45 years old, the accumulative risks from the four models and population risk were 1.9%, 11.8%, 2.5%, 5.0% and i.6%, respectively. To 75 years old, they were 20.2%,32.5%, 13.1%, 25.0% and 8.5%, respectively. The subject had a relatively high breast cancer risk during her lifetime. A new model is supposed to include a variety of important risk factors and to be validated by large scale of case-control samples. Incidence of breast cancer in China had significantly increased during the last ten years, but the research on developing assessment methods of breast cancer risk had never been reported, suggesting that the development of models for Chinese population is necessary.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the characteristics of the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene mutations in patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) in Henan province, China, in order for providing basic information for clinical genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis.

METHODSAll the exons and partial flanking introns of the PAH gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bi-directional sequencing in 34 patients with PKU from Henan province.

RESULTSA total of 23 different disease-causing mutations were identified which corresponded to 92.65% (63/68) of the PAH alleles, including 12 missense mutations, 4 nonsense mutations, 4 splicing junction mutations, and 3 deletion mutations. Among them, A156P and P69_S70delinsP(delCTT) were novel mutations; IVS2+ 5G to C, G332E, IVS10-14C to G and L367 to Wfs were reported in Chinese population for the first time according to the PAH database (www.pahdb.mcgill.ca). Among all the 13 exons, exon 7 harbored the most type of mutations, exon 11 and exon 5 the second. The most common mutations included R243Q (17.65%, 12/68), V399V (11.76%, 8/68), IVS4-1G to A (8.82%, 6/68), R400T(7.35%, 5/68), Y166X(5.88%,4/68) and G247R(5.88%, 4/68). In addition, 9 other gene variations were found in this study.

CONCLUSIONThe mutation spectrum and frequency of the PAH gene of patients with phenylketonuria in Henan province were slightly different from those from other parts of China.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Genetic Counseling ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; genetics ; Phenylalanine Hydroxylase ; genetics ; Phenylketonurias ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Prenatal Diagnosis

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to understand the molecular epidemiology of integron-associated gene cassettes in Acinetobacter baumannii across four hospitals in northern Taiwan and to clarify the relationship between the presence of integrons and antibiotic-resistant phenotypes. METHODS: Sixty-five A. baumannii isolates, collected from the patients of four regional hospitals in northern Taiwan in 2009, were tested for the presence of integrons and their associated gene cassettes. The susceptibility difference between integron-positive and integron-negative A. baumannii strains was analyzed. Antibiotic-resistant phenotypes among A. baumannii with different types of gene cassette array combinations were also compared. RESULTS: Around 72% of the A. baumannii isolates carried class 1 integrase genes. Despite this, only three gene cassette arrays were found in the integrons. Integron-positive strains were significantly more resistant to all the tested antibiotics than the integrase-negative strains. All the four types of A. baumannii with different gene cassette array combinations were multidrug-resistant in nature. Gene cassette array aacA4-catB8-aadA1 existed in all the integron-positive A. baumannii isolates. Repetitive-sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) results revealed the prevalence of one major cluster of imipenem-resistant A. baumannii strains (84%) in the four regional hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of integrons with associated antimicrobial resistance gene cassettes can be used as a representative marker of multidrug resistance in A. baumannii. Some prevalent gene cassette arrays may exist among epidemiologically unrelated A. baumannii strains.
Acinetobacter Infections/epidemiology/*microbiology ; Acinetobacter baumannii/drug effects/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; DNA, Bacterial/analysis ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Humans ; Imipenem/pharmacology ; Integrases/genetics ; Integrons/*genetics ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Taiwan/epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo study the proportion and mechanism of relieving asthma of drug partnership comprising herbal Ephedrae & Pheretima.

METHODTo study relaxant effect on 10 micromol x L(-1) carbachol (CCh) and 10 micromol x L(-1) histamine (His) precontracted isolated tracheal rings and lowering effect on short-circuit current (Isc) increase induced by 10 micromol x L(-1) CCh with 3 proportions of 1:1, 1:3, 1:9 extract.

RESULT1:3 proportions dose-dependently relaxed CCh-precontracted isolated tracheal rings, IC50 of 1:1, 1:3 is 7.5, 15 mg x mL(-1) respectively, 1:9 could not produce 50% inhibition effect on CCh-evoked contraction; 3 proportions also dose-dependently relaxed His-precontracted isolated tracheal rings, IC50 of 1:9, 1:3 and 1:1 is 0.19, 0.61, 1.8 mg x mL(-1) respectively. On the other hand,the orders potency of the decrease effect on CCh-evoked short circuit current increase is 1:3 > 1:1 > 1:9. The difference is not significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHerbal Ephedrae & Pheretima had tracheal muscle relaxant and epithelium ion secretion inhibition effect, its mechanism of relieving asthma involved anti-CCh and anti-His effect 1:3 was the most appropriate dosage ratio in the anti-asthmatic drug partnership.

Animals ; Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Asthma ; physiopathology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Ephedra sinica ; chemistry ; Guinea Pigs ; Histamine Antagonists ; pharmacology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Materia Medica ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Muscle Relaxation ; drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth ; drug effects ; Oligochaeta ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo observe effect and mechanism of n-Butanol lysate of alcohol extracts from Actinidia rufa root (monomer of R6,R8).

METHODTunel, Wright's stain with Giemsa's stain dyeing, and Hoechst 33258-PI double dyeing assay were used to detect the apoptosis of SGC7901 tumor cells treated with R6, R8. The SGC7901 tumor cells were randomly divided into control group and two treatment groups administered 0.05 g x L(-1) R6, R8, respectively, for 72 h). FCM assay was used to detect the apoptosis. Agarose electrophoresis assay was used to detect DNA strand break of tumor cells and reveal anti-tumor action mechanism.

RESULTThe apoptosis percentage of the tumor cell in 24 h, 48 h, 72 h was (17.08 +/- 2.78)% , (29.68 +/- 2.96)%, (52.46 +/- 3.81)%; (14.75 +/- 2.14)%, (27.35 +/- 3.79)%, (45.64 +/- 5.24)%, respectively, for the treatment group, significantly higher than that in the control group (1.94 +/- 1.55)%, (2.78 +/- 1.84)%, (11.8 +/- 2.79)% (P < 0.01) by tunnel assay. Wright's stain with Giemsa's stain dyeing assay, Hoechst 33258-PI and FCM double dyeing assay showed same action. R6 and R8 had the effect of inducing the DNA histogram of tumor cells (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe anti-tumor mechanisms may be associated with inducing the injury of DNA and stimulating apoptosis.

Actinidia ; chemistry ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry