Objective To study the macrophage colony-stimulating factor(M-CSF)expression levels of serum and synovial fluids from patients with spondyloarthropathy(SPA)and its contribution to the pathogen- esis of SpA.Methods Eleven SpA synovial tissue samples were compared to those from peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)of 10 normal subjects using a 1176 gene array.M-CSF was detected in both serum samples and synovial fluids by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Two groups of AS subjects were tested.The first group consisted of 41 ankylosing spondylitis(AS)patients who had not been treated with bio- logics.The second group consisted of 13 subjects whose serum samples were collected before and 14 weeks af- ter initiation of infliximab.These were compared to serum samples from 28 normal subjects,and synovial fluid samples from 15 SpA patients.Results Expression of M-CSF could be detected in both serum samples and synovial fluids.The concentration of M-CSF in the group of 41 AS patients not treated with biologics correlated with the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index(BASDAI)values(r=0.41,P=0.004).Treatment of infliximab in AS patients led to a significant decrease in the values of BASDAI(P=0.000 07),but no signif- icant change in the serum M-CSF values.Conclusion M-CSF is a promising candidate for research on the mechanisms of SpA and its signaling on pathway in SpA is different from tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-?,and it may provide new basis for developing new anti-biologics for SpA.

To optimize indices of molecular identification for authentication of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Panacis Quinquefolii Radix, four indices, including sequence similarity, specific positions, genetic distance and phylogenetic tree, were compared based on trnL-trnF sequences. Total DNA was extracted from Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Panacis Quinquefolii Radix, and trL-trnF sequences were amplified and sequenced. Sequence similarity was calculated by BLAST analysis. Specific positions were compared by DNAman software. Genetic distance and phylogenetic tree were analyzed by Mega software. The results showed that the inter-specific and intra-specific similarity of P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius respectively was 100% and 99. 6%. There were four specific positions at G153A, T463A, C732G and T818C. The inter-specific genetic distance (0) of trL-trnF sequences was lower than intra-specific genetic distance (0. 004). P. ginseng can be distinguished from P. quinquefolius based on the phylogenetic tree. It is concluded that Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Panacis Quinquefolii Radix can be authenticated by identification indices of sequence similarity, specific positions, genetic distance and phylogenetic tree. Index of specific positions based on trnL-trnF sequences is the most efficient index to authenticate Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Panacis Quinquefolii Radix.
Chloroplasts ; genetics ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; Panax ; classification ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; Rhizome ; classification ; genetics

ORF3 and partial ORF1 regions were amplified with RT-PCR f rom two patients (T1 and T11)infected with new genotype of hepatitis E Virus. Th e PCR products were cloned and sequenced. The results showed that G-C rich regi on in ORF3 was deleted when amplified with normal PCR reaction. However, PCR rea ction containing G-C melt solution can overcome this problem. The sequence anal ysis showed that T1 and T11 belong to a new genotype of HEV which differs from g enotype I,II and III reported.T1 and T11 have 79%～82%, 80%～81% and 83%～85% id entical to genotype I,II and III respectively.

Objective To investigate the regional left ventricular function after mitral valve replacement with and without chordal preservation by strain rate imaging. Methods A total of 55 patients undergoing mitral valve replacement were enrolled. Twenty underwent complete excision of the subvalvular apparatus (group A), 20 preserved the posterior chordopapillary apparatus only (group B) and the other 15 underwent total chordal preservation (group C). Systolic peak strain rate (SRs) were measured preoperatively, at 7-10 days and 3 months after operation. Results Before operation, SRs had no differences between different segments of the left ventricular in each group (F=0.37, 0.74, 0.90, all P>0.05). At 7-10 days after operation, SRs in the most segments of left ventricular were signiifcantly lower than those of before operation (F=3.91, 8.12, 7.57, all P<0.05). At 3 months after operation, SRs in some segments of left ventricular were signiifcantly higher than those of preoperation in each group (t=2.12, 3.19, 3.25, 2.08, 2.78, 4.79, 2.81, 2.58, 2.87, 1.60, 0.34, 1.04, 0.73, 0.70, 1.68, all P<0.05). SRs had no signiifcant differences between each segment of left ventricular in group C (F=1.76, P>0.05). By contrast, SRs in some segments of left ventricular were different from those of other segments in group A and group B (F=17.8, 8.52, both P<0.05). Conclusion Comparing to conventional mitral valve replacement and mitral valve replacement with preservation of posterior subvalvular apparatus, mitral valve replacement with preservation of total subvalvular apparatus makes the papiltary function preserved completely, which are beneifcial for the motor coordination of left ventricular wall and the recovery of regional left ventricular function.

Percutaneous sacroplasty is a safe and effective procedure for sacral insufficient fractures under CT or fluoroscopic guidance; although, few reports exist about sacral metastatic tumors. We designed a pilot study to treat intractable pain caused by a sacral metastatic tumor with sacroplasty. A 62-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman with medically intractable pain due to metastatic tumors of S1 from lymphoma and lung cancer, respectively, underwent percutaneous sacroplasty. Over the course of the follow-up period, the two patients experienced substantial and immediate pain relief that persisted over a 3-month and beyond. The woman had deposition of PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) in the needle track, but did not experience significant symptoms. No other peri-procedural complications were observed for either patient.
Adult ; Bone Cements/*therapeutic use ; Female ; *Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain, Intractable/etiology/*therapy ; Polymethyl Methacrylate/administration & dosage ; *Radiography, Interventional ; *Sacrum ; Spinal Neoplasms/complications/radiography/*secondary ; *Vertebroplasty/methods

OBJECTIVETO establish a RP-HPLC method for the determination of calycosin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside in Radix Astragali, and to analyse the calycosin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside content of ten samples of Radix Astragali, collected from different regions.

METHODA Polaris C18(250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microns) column was used and a mixture of methanol-water (30:70) was used as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL.min-1. The column temperature was 25 degrees C and the UV detection wavelength was 254 nm.

RESULTThe calibration curve was in good linearity over the range of 0.0106-2.12 micrograms with the regression equation Y = 3035. 97 X - 14.85(r = 0.9999). The average recovery was 95.8% (n = 5, RSD = 1.3%).

CONCLUSIONThe method is simple, quick, sensitive and reproducible. In all of the samples, the calycosin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside contents differ markedly.

Astragalus membranaceus ; chemistry ; classification ; China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Ecosystem ; Glucosides ; analysis ; Isoflavones ; analysis ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo observe the expression of p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in lung tissues of acute lung injury rat model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and to explore the protective effects of melatonin (MT) in lung tissues in rats.

METHODSSeventy-two rats was randomly assigned to three groups, control group, LPS group and LPS + MT group. Rat model of ALI was established by instilling LPS intratracheally. We used immunohistochemical SP and Western blot method to detect the expression of p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in lung tissues and used light microscope to observe morphological changes.

RESULTSThere were rare p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase positive cells scattered in alveolar and airway epithelial cells in control group (P < 0.01). The positive p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase cells in LPS group increased obviously than those in control group (P < 0.01), and were mainly distributed in infiltrative inflammatory cells, airway epithelial cells, alveolar epithelial cells and pleurames epithelial cells. In MT group, the p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase positive cells in airway and lung tissues were much less than those in the LPS group (P < 0.05). The Western blot results were consistent with those of immunohistochemical method.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase increases in alveolar and airway epithelial cells in acute lung injury rat models induced by LPS. The activation of p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase is found in most lung tissues, suggesting that p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase participates in the signal transduction in inflammatory and noninflammatory cells. MT is an effective antioxidant, which relieves the inflammation in acute lung injury rats, possibly through the inhibition of the pathway of p38 MAPK over activation.

Acute Lung Injury ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Animals ; Lipopolysaccharides ; adverse effects ; Lung ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Melatonin ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

The fruit of Lycium ruthenicum is a common folk medicine in China. Now it is popular for its antioxidative effect and other medical functions. The adulterants of the herb confuse consumers. In order to identify a new adulterant of L. ruthenicum, a research was performed based on NCBI Nucleotide Database ITS Sequence, combined analysis of the origin and morphology of the adulterant to traceable varieties. Total genomic DNA was isolated from the materials, and nuclear DNA ITS sequences were amplified and sequenced; DNA fragments were collated and matched by using ContingExpress. Similarity identification of BLAST analysis was performed. Besides, the distribution of plant origin and morphology were considered to further identification and verification. Families and genera were identified by molecular identification method. The adulterant was identified as plant belonging to Berberis. Origin analysis narrowed the range of sample identification. Seven different kinds of plants in Berberis were potential sources of the sample. Adulterants variety was traced by morphological analysis. The united molecular identification-origin-morphology research proves to be a preceding way to medical herbs traceability with time-saving and economic advantages and the results showed the new adulterant of L. ruthenicum was B. kaschgarica. The main differences between B. kaschgarica and L. ruthenicum are as follows: in terms of the traits, the surface of B. kaschgarica is smooth and crispy, and that of L. ruthenicum is shrinkage, solid and hard. In microscopic characteristics, epicarp cells of B. aschgarica thickening like a string of beads, stone cells as the rectangle, and the stone cell walls of L. ruthenicum is wavy, obvious grain layer. In molecular sequences, the length of ITS sequence of B. kaschgarica is 606 bp, L. ruthenicum is 654 bp, the similarity of the two sequences is 53.32%.
Berberis ; classification ; cytology ; genetics ; China ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; chemistry ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; chemistry ; genetics ; Drug Contamination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; standards ; Lycium ; classification ; cytology ; genetics ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo observe the expression of P-selectin (Ps), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) in lung tissues of acute lung injury (ALI) rat model induced by oleic acid (OA) and to explore the protective effects of melatonin (MT) in lung tissues in rats.

METHODSAll rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, OA group, MT + OA group and SB203580 + OA group. Rat model of ALI was established by intravenous injection of oleic acid (OA). Lung coefficient was measured, lung tissues were imbedded by paraffin to observe morphological changes and the expression of Ps, ICAM-1 and NF-kappaB in lung tissues by means of immunohistochemistry staining.

RESULTSCompared with control group, the lung coefficient increased significantly in OA group (P < 0.05). Alveolar septum thickened significantly in OA group, there had many infiltrated inflammatory cells and collapsed alveoli of lung; positive expression of Ps, ICAM-1 and NF-kappaB were very obvious (P < 0.05); the administration of MT and SB203580 mitigated above changes significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMT possesses obviously protective effect on lung tissues during ALI, its protective mechanism might be related to the inhibition of the expression of Ps, ICAM-1 and NF-kappaB.

Acute Lung Injury ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Animals ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Male ; Melatonin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Oleic Acid ; adverse effects ; P-Selectin ; metabolism ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Neuronal firing is crucial to the information processing in the nervous system. In order to make a further study of bifurcation scenarios, experiments were performed on neural pacemakers formed at the injured site of rat sciatic nerve subjected to chronic ligatures. We chose the conductance of voltage-dependent potassium ion channels as conditional parameter, and the extracellular calcium concentration as bifurcation parameter, to give a demonstration of how the firing pattern of neural pacemaker responses to dual parameter adjusting. Among 28 preparations observed, 21 were insensitive to dual parameter adjusting since no change of bifurcation scenario structure was detected. On the contrary, the residual 7 preparations showed dramatic bifurcation scenario shifting corresponding to different dual parameter configuration. Briefly, when concentration of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), a voltage-dependent potassium ion channels blocker, was kept at different level and extracellular Ca2+ concentration was decreased gradually, different bifurcation scenarios of firing patterns were exhibited in an identical neural pacemaker. The two-parameter bifurcation scenarios of experimental neural pacemaker with different parameter configuration were also different. The results show that neural firing pattern is different when the parameter configuration is different, and the bifurcation scenario is a fundamental framework to identify the transitions between firing patterns.
4-Aminopyridine ; pharmacology ; Action Potentials ; physiology ; Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Male ; Neurons ; physiology ; Periodicity ; Potassium Channels ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sciatic Nerve ; injuries ; physiopathology