Objective　To investigate the role of β-endorphin (β-EP) in conA-induced spleen cell proliferation after traumatic hemorrhagic shock. Methods　①Wistar rats with traumatic hemorrhagic shock were used and killed 0, 1, 3, 6,12 and 24 h after traumatic hemorrhagic shock. Plasma specimens were collected and β-EP levels in plasma were detected. Rats with sham-operation served as the control. ②Spleen cells isolated from normal rats were cultured in shock plasma (group Ⅰ), inactivated shock plasma (group Ⅱ) and shock plasma+β-EP antiserum (group Ⅲ) respectively. Con A-induced spleen cell proliferation was observed. Results　①The plasma β-EP level was elevated significantly immediately after shock, and reached the peak 1 h later, then showed a deceasing tendency and restored to the level as before shock at 24 h. ②Shock plasma remarkedly suppressed spleen cell response to the mitogen conA (P<0.01) compared with control; ConA-induced spleen cell proliferative function in group Ⅱ was significantly increased than that in group Ⅰ (P<0.01), so did in group Ⅲ, which still lower than in control. Conclusion　The significantly elevated β-EP in the plasma after hemorrhagic shock might play an important role in inhibiting the proliferation of spleen cells.

OBJECTIVETo determine the plasma level of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) DNA in children with EBV associated diseases, and to investigate the dynamic changes of EBV DNA level after initial infection as well as the relationship between EBV DNA level and the diseases severity.

METHODSThe subjects consisted of 73 children with primary EBV infection (infectious mononucleosis, pneumonia,etc.) and 18 children with severe EBV-associated diseases (chronic active EBV infection, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, etc.). The plasma EBV DNA level was detected by a real-time PCR assay.

RESULTSThe plasma EBV DNA level decreased with the infection time in children with primary EBV infection. Two weeks after infection, plasma EBV DNA was almost undetectable. The positive rate of plasma EBV DNA in children with severe EBV associated diseases increased significantly when compared with that in children with primary EBV infection (89% vs 16%; p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe level of EBV replication may be reduced with the infection time. Dynamic determination of blood EBV DNA is useful for the evaluation of disease severity in children with EBV infection.

DNA, Viral ; blood ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; virology ; Humans ; Infectious Mononucleosis ; virology ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic ; virology ; Virus Replication

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of nitric oxide-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK(Ca)) channel alpha subunit on vascular hyporesponsiveness in rats.

METHODSA total of 46 Wistar rats of either sex, weighing 250 g +/- 20 g, were used in this study. Models of vascular hyporesponsiveness induced by hemorrhagic shock (30 mm Hg for 2 hours) in vivo and by L-arginine in vitro were established respectively. The vascular responsiveness of isolated superior mesenteric arteries to norepinephrine was observed. Tyrosine phosphorylation of BK(Ca) alpha subunit was evaluated with methods of immunoprecipitation and Western blotting.

RESULTSIn the smooth muscle cells of the superior mesenteric arteries, the expression of BK(Ca) alpha subunit tyrosine phosphorylation increased following hemorrhagic shock, and L-arginine could induce BK(Ca )channel alpha subunit tyrosine phosphorylation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. L-NAME (Nomega-nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester), a nitric oxide synthetase inhibitor, could partly restore the decreased vasoresponsiveness of the superior mesenteric arteries after hemorrhagic shock in rats. Down-regulating the protein tyrosine phosphorylation with genistein, a widely-used special protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, could partly improve the decreased vasoresponsiveness of the superior mesenteric arteries induced by L-arginine in vitro, while up-regulating the protein tyrosine phosphorylation with Na(3)VO(4), a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, could further decrease the nitric oxide-induced vascular hyporesponsiveness, which could be partly ameliorated by 0.1 mmol/L tetrabutylammonium chloride (TEA), a selective BK(Ca )inhibitor at this concentration.

CONCLUSIONSNitric oxide can induce the tyrosine phosphorylation of BK(Ca) alpha subunit, which influences the vascular hyporesponsiveness in hemorrhagic shock rats or induced by L-arginine in vitro.

Animals ; Arginine ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Male ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Nitric Oxide ; physiology ; Phosphorylation ; Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated ; metabolism ; Protein Subunits ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; metabolism ; Tetraethylammonium Compounds ; pharmacology ; Tyrosine ; metabolism ; Vasoconstriction ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo study the sub-health status in college students in relation to health-related risk behaviors.

METHODSUsing convenient sampling method, 6176 college students (3285 male and 2891 female students) were surveyed with questionnaires for general demographical data, sub-health state and health-risk behaviors.

RESULTSThe reported rate of sub-health state was 10.2%. The reported rate of physical sub-health was 11.7%, and the rate was 21.7%, 13.9% and 15.0% for inadequate physical activities, poor physical function and poor immunity, respectively. The reported rate of psychological sub-health was 10.5%, with a rate of 14.7%, 22.6% and 7.3% for emotional problems, behavioral problems and social adaptation difficulties, respectively. The risk factors for college students included insufficient sleeping, inadequate sport activities, missing breakfast, partial dietary, smoking and drinking (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe reported rate of sub-health is rather high. Early intervention for health-related risk behaviors should be conducted to prevent the incidence of sub-health among college students.

Adult ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Status ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Risk Reduction Behavior ; Students ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Universities ; Young Adult

AIMTo investigate the toxic response in auditory cortex of guinea pigs caused by cis-platinum (DDP), and the protective role of melatonin in this effect.

METHODSCis-platinum and melatonin were injected peritoneally. LDH, MDA, NO in the auditory cortex were detected by spectrophotometeR.

RESULTSThe body weight of the guinea pigs was diminished by peritoneal injection of Cis-platinum for 7 days (P < 0.01). Peritoneal injection of Cis-platinum induced the increased leakage of LDH (P < 0.05 vs injection of normal saline). This effect was reduced by injection of MT (P < 0.05). The content of MDA in the auditory cortex was also increased because of injection of Cis-platinumv for 7 days (P < 0.01) and MT reduced this effect (P < 0.05). The change of NO in the auditory cortex was not statistically significant after injection of Cis-platinum or Cis-platinum with MT.

CONCLUSIONPeritoneal injection of Cis-platinum could destroy neurons in the auditory cortex. This effect could be reduced by melatonin by an anti-free radials mechanism.

Animals ; Auditory Cortex ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cisplatin ; antagonists & inhibitors ; toxicity ; Female ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Guinea Pigs ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Melatonin ; pharmacology ; Neurons ; drug effects ; pathology ; Random Allocation

BACKGROUND: Acetabular defect is one of the typical characteristics of adult developmental dysplasia of the hip. The acetabular defect caused an insufficient coverage to the femoral head, which means the contact area between them decreased and the pressure increased. Stress concentration could quicken hip wear and lead to arthritis or dislocation of the hip. Till now, there is no accepted objective criterion about what degree defect could lead to biomechanics changes in the hip. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the influence of different degrees of acetabular defect on the stress distribution of hip joint by using three-dimensional finite element method, and provide theoretical guidance for clinical treatment of hip dysplasia. METHODS: CT thin layer scanning data of normal adult hip were selected. Hip dysplasia models with varying degrees of bone defect were built by using Mimics15.0 and Hypermesh software. Von Mises stress distribution on the subchondral bone of the hip was analyzed by using Ansys10.0 software in the case of single foot touchdown. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Each model result was consistent with the actual situation. The maximum Von Mises stress value appeared at the top of the acetabulum dome and medial posterior femoral neck. When simulating one leg standing, the smaller the CE angle, the greater the maximum Von Mises stress on femoral head was; and acetabulum increased from 2.768 MPa and 3.029 MPa with 30° CE angle to 11.075 MPa and 15.322 MPa with 5° CE angle. This change was more obvious when CE angle was less than 15°. These findings confirmed that acetabular defect increases the peak stress of the hip joint, and the greater the defect, the greater the stress was. It is suggested that clinical intervention should be done as early as possible in patients with acetabular defect.

OBJECTIVESTo isolate cells of interest from heterogeneous tissue blocks to obtain accurate representations of molecular alterations acquired by neoplastic cells so as to meet the demands of further study on gene expression patterns of the esophageal carcinoma (EC) evolution.

METHODSBlocks of EC were stored at -70 degrees C as close as possible to the time of surgical resection. The tissue block was embedded in OCT and frozen sections of 35 microns in thickness were cut in a cryostat under strict RNAse-free conditions. Individual frozen sections were mounted on plain glass slides and 30-gauge needle attached to a 1 ml syringe was used to microdissect defined cells in the sections. The procured cells were used for total RNA extraction.

RESULTSAn optimized protocol of manual microdissection was developed successfully whereby regions with an area as small as 1/25 mm2 could be accurately dissected. The RNA recovered from procured cells was of high quality suitable for subsequent applications of molecular analysis as assessed of 18S and 28S rRNAs by electrophoresis on agarose gel.

CONCLUSIONSIt is believed that manual microdissection is capable to procure defined cell populations from complex primary tissues, thus allowing investigation of tissue-, cell-, and function-specific gene expression patterns. The technique is simple, easy to perform, versatile, and of particular usefulness when laser capture microdissection (LCM) is practically unavailable.

Cell Separation ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Genetic Techniques ; Microdissection ; methods ; Neoplasm Staging ; RNA, Neoplasm ; analysis ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence of Moraxella catarrhalis in the nasopharyngeal region of children with respiratory infection and the sensitivity of Moraxella catarrhalis isolates to common antimicrobial drugs.

METHODSNasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 1 082 children with respiratory infection, and Moraxella catarrhalis strains were isolated. The E-test method and disc diffusion test were used to determine the sensitivity of these strains to 11 common antimicrobial drugs. The test results were interpreted with reference to the standards of European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST), Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), and British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC). The nitrocefin disc method was used to detect whether the isolated strains produced β-lactamase.

RESULTSAmong the 1 082 children with respiratory infection, 77 (77/1 082, 7.12%) carried Moraxella catarrhalis in the nasopharyngeal region. All the strains produced β-lactamase. With reference to all the three standards, all the strains were sensitive to amoxycillin-clavulanate and had a susceptibility rate of >95% towards ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. According to the EUCAST and CLSI standards, the susceptibility rate of the strains towards sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim was as high as 98.7%, and more than 80% of all strains were sensitive to the three cephalosporins detected; however, with reference to the BSAC standard, only 2.6% of the strains were sensitive to cefuroxime, with an intermediate rate of 44.2% and a drug resistance rate of 53.2%. The rate of resistance to ampicillin was 81.8%. According to the CLSI standard, the non-susceptibility rate of the strains to erythromycin was 79.2%, and according to the EUCAST or BSAC standards, their non-susceptibility rate reached 90.9%; more than one third of the strains (27/77, 35.1%) had a minimal inhibitory concentration of >256 mg/L.

CONCLUSIONSAll of the Moraxella catarrhalis isolates in the nasopharyngeal region of children with respiratory infection produce β-lactamase and are sensitive to amoxycillin-clavulanate. These isolates have high susceptibility rates to the third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, but most of the isolates are resistant to ampicillin, cefuroxime, and erythromycin.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Nasopharynx ; microbiology ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) on the apoptosis and P-glyco-protein (P-gp) expression of multidrug-resistant human leukemia K562/ADM cells, and the combined effects of As(2)O(3) with conventional chemotherapeutic agents.

METHODSMultidrug-resistant human leukemia cell line K562/ADM that overexpresses mdr-1 gene was used as the target cells. The cell proliferating activity was assessed with a MTT assay. Cell morphology was examined by light microscopy, confocal microscopy and electron-microscopy. P-gp expression, cell-cycle status were determined by flow cytometry.

RESULTSK562/ADM cells were highly resistant to adriamycin, and cross-resistant to daunorubicin and etoposide. As(2)O(3) at concentrations of 0.5 to 20 micromol/L inhibited the proliferation of K562/ADM cells, and K562/ADM cells were more sensitive to As(2)O(3) than their parent K562 cells did. As(2)O(3) induced marked apoptosis of K562/ADM cells showed by typical apoptotic morphological changes and the appearance of high sub-G(1) cell population. As(2)O(3) significantly inhibited the P-gp expression in K562/ADM cells, and exerted a synergistic effect on the enhancement of the cell sensitivity to adriamycin, daunorubicin and etoposide.

CONCLUSIONAs(2)O(3) induces growth-inhibition and apoptosis of multidrug-resistant K562/ADM cells, and augments synergistically the sensitivity of the cells to conventional chemotherapeutic agents via down-regulation of P-gp expression.

ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family B, Member 1 ; biosynthesis ; drug effects ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Arsenicals ; pharmacology ; Daunorubicin ; pharmacology ; Doxorubicin ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Drug Synergism ; Etoposide ; pharmacology ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Oxides ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo establish an advanced purification techniques of the essential oils obtained from Pogostemon cablin.

METHODMolecular distillation (MD) was applied.

RESULTFour distillates were obtained, chemical constituents of which were analyzed with GC-MS. Compared with those in original oils, the contents of active compounds (patchouli alcohol and pogostone) rose by 27%-47% in the distillates II and III.

CONCLUSIONMolecular distillation (MD) effectively raises the contents of patchouli alcohol and pogostone. The work is of great economic and scientific significance for the industrialization of P. cablin and the discovery of new drugs.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Lamiaceae ; chemistry ; Oils, Volatile ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sesquiterpenes ; isolation & purification ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods