OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of losartan against angiotensin II (AngII)-induced beta cell (RIN-m) impairment and explore its mechanism.

METHODSIn vitro cultured RIN-m cells were divided into control group, 100 nmol/L AngII group and losartan pretreatment group. After cell incubation with the corresponding agents for 24 h, the amount of basal (3.3 mmol/L) and glucose-stimulated (16.7 mmol/L) insulin secretion (GSIS) was detected by radioimmunoassay, and the cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assayed by flow cytometry with DCFH-DA staining; the mRNA and protein expressions of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively.

RESULTSThe basal insulin secretion showed no significant differences between the 3 groups (P>0.05). The GSIS in 100 nmol/L AngII group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.001), but losartan pretreatment markedly restored the insulin secretion function to a level comparable to that of the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, 100 nmol/L AngII significantly increased the cellular ROS level and the mRNA and protein expressions of UCP2 (P<0.05), and these changes were eliminated by losartan pretreatment.

CONCLUSIONSLosartan pretreatment offers protective effect against AngII-induced impairment of the GSIS of beta cells possibly by antagonizing the effects of AngII that causes increased ROS level and UCP2 expressions in beta-cells.

Angiotensin II ; adverse effects ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; drug effects ; physiology ; Insulinoma ; pathology ; Ion Channels ; genetics ; metabolism ; Losartan ; pharmacology ; Mitochondrial Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Uncoupling Protein 2

OBJECTIVETo study on the chemical stability of Salvia miltirrhiza hairy root.

METHODThe rolA gene was detected by PCR in DNA and the chemical contituent variances were detected by HPLC.

RESULTThe rolA gene was found in all the 10 batches of the culfured hairy root. The similarities of the chromatographic fingerprints of the 10 batches are higher than 0. 95.

CONCLUSIONThere are no significant differences of the chemical constituents in 10 hairy root samples.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Genes, Plant ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reproducibility of Results ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; genetics ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Objective To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in synovium of rats with adjuvant arthritis and the relationship between the histopathologic score and the expression of VEGF.Methods Adjuvant arthritis was established in Wistar rats by inoculating complete Freund's adjuvant(CFA). We calculated the arthropathologic score and the expression of VEGF mRNA and protein at different stages after CFA inoculation.Results In model group the arthropathologic score and expression of VEGF protein in synovium increased significantly all the time (P

A combinatorial human Fab library to the rabies virus was constructed using antibody genes derived from the blood of vaccinated donors. The library were panned and selected on purified rabies virus particles of aG or CTN strain with phage display. Eleven unique human Fab antibodies specific for the rabies virus glycoprotein were obtained by ELISA, IFA and DNA sequences analysis of these antibodies. Among these Fab antibodies, five human Fab antibodies were converted to full-length human IgG antibodies with recombinant baculovirus system. The five full-length human IgG antibodies were tested in vitro for rabies virus neutralization, resulting in all specificities to neutralize the virus. The obtained human anti-rabies antibodies lay the basis for the production of cocktail of anti-rabies monoclonal antibody with chinese intellectual property.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; immunology ; Antibodies, Viral ; immunology ; Cell Line ; Cricetinae ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments ; genetics ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin G ; genetics ; immunology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neutralization Tests ; Rabies ; immunology ; virology ; Rabies virus ; genetics ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore the hantavirus infection and their genotype in rodents in Hunan.

METHODSHantavirus antigens in the rat lungs from Hunan province were detected by immunofluorescence assay. Partial S and M segment in antigen-positive samples were amplified by RT-PCR, and then sequenced. The phyologenetic trees were constructed for the analysis of genetic characters of hantavirus.

RESULTSA total of 344 rats were trapped in the main epidemic area of Hunan province, and hantavirus antigens were found in 6 of the 344 rats( 1.74% ).The phylogenetic trees constructed by partial S segment( nt 620-990) or partial G2 segment (nt 2001- 2301) showed that the hantaviruses carried by Rattus norvegicus, R . flabipectus and R. rattoides from Xiangxiang district were genetic subtype SEOV4. The virus carried by R. norvegicus in Ningyuan district was phylogenetically different from the known SEOV. The hantavirus carried by Mus musculus from Shimen district was genetic subtype HTNV4.

CONCLUSIONThe hantaviruses in the main epidemic areas in Hunan province mainly belonged to SEOV, and R. flabipectus and R. rattoides carried the same genotype of SEOV as R. norvegicus.

Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Disease Reservoirs ; virology ; Hantavirus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hantavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; virology ; Mice ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Rats ; Rodentia ; virology

OBJECTIVEBased on analyzing the characteristics of a case with human avian influenza and the effects of field epidemiological study.

METHODSAn emergency-response-system was started up to follow the probable human Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza case initially detected by the "Undefined Pneumonia Surveillance System of Shenzhen". Public health professionals administered several epidemiologic investigations and giving all the contacts of the patient with a 7-day-long medical observation for temporally related influenza-like illness. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers for H5 and N1 was applied to test respiratory tract samples and/or throat swabs of the patient and all his contacts specific for the hemagglutinin gene of influenza A H5N1. Activities and strategies such as media response,notification in the public, communications with multiple related sectors, social participation and information exchange with Hong Kong were involved in field control and management.

RESULTSThe patient was a male, 31 years old,with an occupation as a truck driver in a factory,and had been residing in Shenzhen for 7 years. Started with an influenza-like syndrome, the patient received treatment on the 4th day of the onset, from a clinic and on the 6th day from a regular hospital. On the 8th day of the disease course, he was confirmed by Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention as human avian flu case and was then transferred to Intensive Care Unit (ICU). On the 83rd day of commence, the patients was healed and released from the hospital. The patient had no significant exposure to sick poultry or poultry that died from the illness before the onset of the disease. The patient and five family members lived together, but no family member was affected and no contact showed positive results for H5N1. A small food market with live poultry, which was under formal supervision and before illness the patient once visited, located near his apartment. Totally, 35 swabs from live birds and bird's coops in the market for H5 nucleic acid were tested and all were negative. The influenza H5N1 virus isolated for the case was named as A/Guangdong/02/2006 (H5N1) or GD/2/06. Phylogenetic relationships and molecular characterization analysis revealed that all the segments of the H5N1 virus named GD/2/06 still belonged to avian segments. Investigation process and control measures were released to the general public through the media. Soon after the laboratory confirmation, information was released to the society, as well as Hong Kong Center for Health Protection. Local Departments of Agriculture, Industries & Business, and Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau together with the Public Health Department put up combined actions. A computer-based telephone survey was initiated to investigate attitudes and knowledge of residents in town, revealing that positive atmosphere dominated and no panic existed.

CONCLUSIONRapid laboratory diagnosis of the virus was the key for successful treatment and survival result of the case. Still, the pathogen was from birds resources. No human-to-human transmission was observed, however, source of infection was unclear. Field epidemiological study could offer special methods for the responses of emergency public health problems.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Contact Tracing ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; virology ; Male

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Zhenqi Buxue Oral Liquid (ZQ), progesterone capsules, and their combination in treating oligomenorrhea and hypomenorrhea with qi-blood and Kidney (Shen) essence deficiency. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, multi-center controlled trial between June 2022 to December 2022. Ninety-six oligomenorrhea and hypomenorrhea patients with qi-blood and Shen essence deficiency were randomly assigned to receive ZQ (ZQ group, 29 cases), progesterone capsules (PG group, 32 cases), or the combined Chinese and Western medicine (COM group, 31 cases) at a ratio of 1:1:1. Patients in the ZQ or PG group took daily 10 mL twice a day of ZQ or 200 mg once a day of progesterone capsules for 10 consecutive days on day 15 of the menstrual cycle respectively, and patients in the COM group received the same ZQ combined with progesterone capsules. The treatment course lasted for 3 months and follow-up was performed at 1 and 3 months after the end of treatment. Primary endpoint was the menstrual Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Scale (TCMSS) scores. Secondary endpoints included pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBAC) scores, clinical efficacy rate, 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores, sex hormones and thickness of endometrium. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded. RESULTS: TCMSS scores after 1- and 3-month treatment in all groups were significantly lower than those at baseline (P<0.05). Only TCMSS scores after 3-month treatment in the ZQ and COM groups continuously decreased compared with those after 1-month treatment in the same group (P<0.01). TCMSS scores after 3-month treatment in the ZQ and COM groups were significantly lower than those in the PG group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with baseline, PBAC scores in the ZQ and COM groups after 3 months of treatment were also significantly higher (both P<0.01). The total effective rates of TCM syndrome of 3-month treatment were significantly improved in all groups compared with that after 1 month of treatment (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the COM group was the highest in the 3rd month of treatment and significantly higher than that of PG group alone (P<0.05). Compared with baseline, only the SF-36 scores of COM group were significantly improved after 3 months of treatment (P<0.05). No serious adverse reactions were observed after treatment. CONCLUSIONS The combination of ZQ and PG, or ZQ only had better effects on reducing TCMSS scores compared with PG, and COM showed the higher total effective rate compared with monotherapy. Besides, COM could effectively improve menstrual blood loss and quality of life. ZQ combined with PG may be an effective and safe option for oligomenorrhea and hypomenorrhea patients with qi-blood and Shen essence deficiency.
Female ; Humans ; Progesterone/therapeutic use* ; Qi ; Oligomenorrhea/drug therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Prospective Studies ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Capsules ; Kidney