Aim The purpose of this study was to compare the differential expression of 15-lipoxygenase isoenzymes in the pulmonary arteries between normoxia and hypoxia and to explore their roles in the formation of hypoxic pulmomary vasoconstriction. Method Eighteen SD rats were randomly divided into two groups(n=9):the normoxic control group breathing fresh gas and the hypoxic group breeding in animal hypoxic incubator.Immunohistochemical method,in situ hybridization and Western blot were employed to determine certain 15-lipoxygenase isoenzymes which involved in the process of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction.Results ①In normoxic control group,the expression of 15-LO-1 protein was detected in the pulmonary arteries;but the expression of 15-LO-2 protein wasn’t detected.②The expression of 15-LO-1 protein in hypoxic group was much stronger than that in normoxic group (P

Serum cortisol and plasma ACTH were determined in 10 patients with severe sepsis and 12 with septic shock on day 1,3,5 after diagnosis were made,and the data were compared with 12 control patients. To evaluate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA)axis function in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock,1?g ACTH stimulation test was applied after hormone concentrations were obtained on day 1.Compared with the control patients,ACTH level was significantly higher in patients with severe sepsis and lower in septic shock(P

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) blood stasis syndrome (BSS) serum on vascular endothelial cell injury and to study the regulation of Taohong Siwu Decoction (TSD) on it.

METHODSUmbilical vein endothelial cell culture system was established. The serum endothelial cell injury model with ASO BSS was prepared. Low, medium, and high concentrations TSD containing serums were respectively added. The endothelial cell proliferation activity was observed by MTT method. Ultrastructures of endothelial cells were observed under transmission electron microscope. Changes of intracellular calcium ion concentration and the cytoskeleton were observed under laser confocal microscope. Contents of ET, NO, and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) in endothelial cell culture supernatant were detected by ELISA.

RESULTSIn ASO BSS serum group endothelial cell proliferation activities decreased, the cell structure was obviously destroyed, calcium ion concentration increased, contents of ET, NO and TGF-beta1 increased significantly (P < 0.01), and ET/NO ratio was imbalanced. After incubating with TSD drug containing serum, endothelial cell proliferation activities and injured cell structures were obviously improved; ET, NO and TGF-beta1 levels decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), ET/NO ratios approximated to the normal level.

CONCLUSIONThe main mechanism of TSD for treating ASO ASS lied in improving injured vascular endothelial cells and endocrine disorder.

Arteriosclerosis Obliterans ; Cell Proliferation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Serum ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism ; Umbilical Veins

OBJECTIVEIn order to improve the irrigation for Panax notginseng growing seedlings, different mulching ways were carried out to investigate the effects of double mulching.

METHODField experiment was applied to study soil moisture, soil temperature and bulk density of different mulching ways while the germination rate and seedlings growth also were investigated.

RESULTCompared with the traditional single mulching with pine leaves or straw, double mulching using plastic film combined with pine leaves or straw could reduce 2/3 volumes of irrigation at the early seedling time Double mulching treatments didn't need to irrigate for 40 days from seeding to germination, and kept soil moisture and temperature steady at whole seedling time about 30% and 9.0-16.6 degrees C, respectively. The steady soil moisture and temperature benefited to resist late spring cold and germinate earlier while kept germination regularly, higher rate and seedlings quality. In contrast, single mulching using pine leaves or straw had poor soil moisture and temperature preserving, needed to irrigate every 12-day, meanwhile dropped the germination and booming time 14 days and 24-26 days, respectively, reduced germination rate about 11.3%-8.7%. However, single pine leaves mulching was better than straw mulching. In addition, though better effects of soil moisture and temperature preserving as well as earlier and higher rate of germination with single plastic films mulching had, some disadvantages had also been observed, such as daily soil temperature changed greatly, seedling bed soil hardened easily, more moss and weeds resulted difficulty in later management.

CONCLUSIONTo the purpose of saving water and labor as well as getting higher germination rate and seedlings quality, double mulching using plastic films combined pine leaves at the early time and single mulching removing plastic films at the later time is suggested to apply in the growing seedlings of P. notoginseng.

Agriculture ; methods ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Fertilizers ; analysis ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Quality Control ; Seedlings ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Soil ; chemistry

This paper describes, in detail, the basic principles, composition and specifications of JH-2000 heamodialyzer.
Equipment Design ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; therapy ; Renal Dialysis ; instrumentation ; Therapy, Computer-Assisted

Flavonol synthase (FLS) is one of the key enzymes in flavonoids metabolic pathways. In this study, middle sequence was obtained from Carthamus tinctorius transcriptome sequencing results. Full-length cDNAs of FLS was cloned from petals of C. tinctorius to FLS by using RT-PCR and RACE technology. Its full-length cDNA was 1,201 bp, with an open reading frame of 1,101 bp and 336 encoded amino acids. The phylogenetic analysis showed that, FLS gene encoded amino acids in C. tinctorius were highly homologous with amino acids in congeneric Compositae species, especially Rudbeckia laciniata. The pBASTA-FLS plant expression vector was successfully built by the molecular biology method, which lays a foundation for further studying biology functions of the gene and biosynthesis mechanism of flavonoids.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Carthamus tinctorius ; classification ; enzymology ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames ; Oxidoreductases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To study the suspected autosomal STR loci mutation cases. METHODS: A total of 227 suspected autosomal STR loci mutation cases were selected from Center of Forensic Sciences, Beijing Genomics Institute. The allelic mutation cases were screened and the number of mutation of each STR loci was statistically analyzed. The CPI value was calculated in order to study the characteristics and rules of the mutations. RESULTS: In the 227 suspected mutation cases, 3 cases were excluded paternity, and 228 mutations were observed at 18 STR loci in the rest of the cases. The average number of STR mutation loci was 1-2. The maximum of mutation step was 4. After using 20A amplification kit, the CPI values in 3 non-parentage cases were all less than 10(4). After using 20A and 10G amplification kits, the CPI values were all larger than 10(4) in all standard parents-child triplet cases and in 99.45% of diad cases. CONCLUSION The allelic mutation of STR loci is relatively common in forensic cases. By increasing the number of the required STR loci and supplementing the samples of the triplet, the identification errors could be decreased to a great extent when suspected autosomal STR loci mutation occurs.
DNA Fingerprinting ; Female ; Forensic Medicine ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Loci ; Humans ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Mutation ; Paternity ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Retrospective Studies

Objective Using olfactory event related potentials(OERP) and magnetic resonance to evaluate olfactory function in patients with posttraumatic anosmia. Methods Twenty four patients with posttraumatic anosmia were reviewed retrospectively. A thorough medical history,physical examination,nasal endoscopy,T&T olfactory testing,olfactory event-related potentials,brain computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance image of olfactory pathway were performed in all patients. Results Subjective olfactory testing indicated 20 of 24 patients were birhinal anosmia. 2 with right nostril anosmia and left impairment,2 with left anosmia and right normal. No OERP were obtained in 24(20 were birhinal,4 was monorhinal),except 4 cases with single nostril. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed the injures to the olfactory bulbs(100%),rectus gyrus(91.7%),orbital gyrus(67%),olfactory tracts(8%) and temporal lobes(8%). Conclusions OERP can objectively evaluate posttraumatic olfactory function,and magnetic resonance of olfactory pathway can precisely identify the location and extent of injures.

OBJECTIVEImprovement in lung function was reported after acupuncture treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Because an immune response imbalance could be seen in COPD, we hypothesize that electroacupuncture (EA) may play a role in regulating inflammatory cytokines and contribute to lung protection in a rat model of smoke-induced COPD.

METHODSA COPD model using male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to cigarette smoke was established. The rats were randomly divided into four groups (control, sham, COPD, and COPD plus EA), and COPD model was evaluated by measuring pulmonary pathological changes and lung function. EA was applied to the acupuncture point Zusanli (ST36) for 30 min/d for 14 d in sham and COPD rats. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was used to measure levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and malonaldehyde (MDA).

RESULTSCompared with the control rats, COPD rats had significant changes in lung resistance (RL) and lung compliance (CL) (both P<0.01), bronchi and bronchiole airway obstruction (P<0.01), and levels of MDA, TNF-α, and IL-1β (P<0.01). There were no significant differences between the control and the sham groups. Compared with the COPD rats, the COPD plus EA rats had decreased RL and increased CL (both P<0.05), and reduced bronchi and bronchiole airway obstruction (P<0.05, P<0.01, respectively), while levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and MDA in BALF were lowered (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). However, TNF-α and IL-1β levels of the EA group rats remained higher than those of the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA at ST36 can reduce lung injury in a COPD rat model, and beneficial effects may be related to down-regulation of inflammatory cytokines. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects may prolong the clinical benefit of EA.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; immunology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta ; immunology ; Male ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; etiology ; immunology ; therapy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; immunology