Objective To investigate the biofilm formation,the alginate biosynthetic gene ex- pression and analyze the mucA gene sequence of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA17 and nonmu- cold Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01.Methods The modified plate culture method was used to estab lish the biofilm model in vitro.Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine the expression level of algD in planktonic condition and during the formation of biofilm.The mucA gene of PA17 and PA01 was amplified and the products were sequenced.Results PA17 biofilm was mature at 6th day, and PA01 biofilm was mature at 3rd day.The structures of the biofilms were both like pellicle.In planktonic condition,the algD expression of PAl7 was higher than PA01;in biofilm formation,the algD expression was maximal when the biofilm was mature.There was a 166～333 deletion mutation and 342A→G in mueA gene of PA17,the mucA gene of PA01 was the same with the sequence of Genbank.Conclusions The mucA gene mutation of PA17 was a new type,which maybe the reason for the little expression difference of algD between PA17 and PA01 during the biofilm formation than it in planctonic condition and the same structure of PA17 and PA01 biofilm.

Animals ; Aorta ; drug effects ; physiology ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Cadmium ; toxicity ; Female ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; drug effects ; physiology ; Rabbits ; Vasoconstriction ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo establish an HPLC fingerprint to evaluate the quality of Polygalae Radix, root xylem, and those collected in different growth ages or harvest time.

METHODSeparation was performed at 30 °C on a Kromasil C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm); the mobile phases was acetonitrile and 0.05% H3PO4 water in the gradient elution; the flow rate was set at 1.0 mL · min(-1) and the detection wavelength at 314 nm; the quality discriminant analyses were accomplished by means of similarity analysis, cluster analysis, principal component analysis and neural network model.

RESULTIn 26 batches of Polygalae Radix, 24 batches fingerprint similarities were above 0.8. In 5 different growth or harvest time batches, 4 batches were above 0.8; in 8 batches root xylem samples, the similarities were all above 0.875. The similarity analysis was in accord with the quality discriminant analysis of cluster analysis, principal component analysis and neural network model.

CONCLUSIONFingerprint combined with chemical pattern recognition technique can effectively evaluate the quality of Polygalae Radix. The active substance species are all similar in cultivated, wild, different growth or harvest time Polygalae Radix and polygala root xylem, but the chromatography peak areas are different. The effective material contents are similar between wild and cultivated Polygalae Radix, but each chromatographic peak area of the root xylem is much smaller than that of Polygalae Radix. The chemical substance accumulation mainly depends on harvest month, but little growth time in Polygalae Radix.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; classification ; Polygala ; chemistry ; classification ; Quality Control

Animals ; Hepatitis B virus ; physiology ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; virology ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors ; classification ; metabolism ; physiology ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Virus Replication

OBJECTIVETo determine the distribution of genotype IV among hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in Wuhan by sequencing the open reading frame (ORF) 3 gene of HEV clinical isolates.

METHODSSerum samples were collected from 103 individuals who tested positive for the anti-HEV IgM antibody, and total HEV RNA was extracted for targeted gene sequencing analysis. Reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify two fragments of the ORF3 gene (5020 to 5392 nt and 5347 to 5956 nt, EF570133). The two PCR products were sequenced and the sequences were stitched with the ContigExpress program and used to determine the HEV genotype.

RESULTSBoth ORF3 gene fragments were amplified in 18 out of the 103 anti-HEV IgM-positive serum samples. These 18 HEV isolates shared 92.5% to 99.4% identity with each other at the nucleotide level. Nucleotide sequence homology analysis of the HEV genotypes I, II, III, and IV indicated the highest homology was with genotype IV; specifically, homology with genotype I was 83.5% to 86.7%, with genotype II was 83.2% to 85.2%, with genotype III was 84.6% to 87.2%, and with genotype IV was 92.0% to 96.5%.

CONCLUSIONTargeted sequencing of the HEV ORF3 gene facilitated genotyping of clinical isolates. Using this method, it was determined that nearly 20% of HEV clinical isolates from Wuhan belong to genotype IV.

Base Sequence ; Genotype ; Hepatitis E ; epidemiology ; virology ; Hepatitis E virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Open Reading Frames ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid

OBJECTIVETo investigate changes in synaptic and extrasynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) during the development of cultured rat hippocampal neurons.

METHODSSynaptic and extrasynaptic NMDAR channel currents were recorded from 1-day-old rat hippocampal neurons cultured for 1 and 2 weeks with patch-clamp technique in whole-cell configuration and outside-out configuration, respectively.

RESULTSThe amplitude of NMDAR-mediated miniature excited postsynaptic current (Meps(CNMDA)) decreased in neurons cultured for 2 weeks as compared with that recorded in neurons cultured for 1 week, and the 2-week neurons showed also much lowered sensitivity to selective NR2B blocker ifenprodil. The amplitude and open probability of extrasynaptic NMDAR in the 2-week neurons were significantly higher than those in the 1-week neurons, but the neurons differred little in conduction and reverse potential. Ifenprodil decreased the high conductance and open probability in both neurons, but the effect was more potent in the 2-week ones.

CONCLUSIONSThere can be developmental changes in synaptic and extrasynaptic NMDAR channel currents in cultured rat hippocampal neurons, indicating that different NMDAR subtypes are expressed in the synaptic and extrasynaptic regions during the development of the hippocampal neurons. In 1-week neurons, NR2B are predominant both in synaptic and extrasynaptic regions, and at 2 weeks, synaptic NR2B are replaced by NR2A but NR2B still remains the predominant subtypes outside the synapses.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cells, Cultured ; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials ; drug effects ; physiology ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; Neurons ; cytology ; physiology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Piperidines ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; physiology ; Synapses ; physiology ; Synaptic Transmission ; physiology ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVESTo explore the effects of endotoxemia on gluconeogenesis in livers and kidneys during acute hepatic failure.

METHODTwenty-four healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups (6 rats in each group) and all of them were injected intraperitoneally with solutions: group I with normal saline, group II with 400 mg/kg of D-galactosamine (D-GaLN), group III with 400 mg/kg of D-GaLN plus 50 microg/kg lipopolysaccharide(LPS), and group IV with 400 mg/kg of D-GaLN plus 500 microg/kg LPS. At 6 hours after the administration of different solutions intraperitoneally, blood samples were collected to examine blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine. Realtime PCR was used to study the expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) in the livers and kidneys.

RESULTSNo endotoxemia developed in group I or group II but it was evident in group III and group IV. The level of endotoxemia in group IV was higher than in group III (8.05+/-0.43, 3.50+/-2.25, P<0.05). After 6 hours of administration of LPS in group IV, hypoglycemia appeared, and blood glucose was normal in the other three groups. BUN and serum creatinine were all normal in the four groups, except that blood urea nitrogen was elevated in group IV. The mRNA of PEPCK in livers decreased gradually in all the four groups (2.54+/-1.32 vs 1.87+/-0.15 vs 0.91+/-0.13 vs 0.44+/-0.42, P<0.05). In the kidneys there was no change in the expression of PEPCK in group I and group II (0.75+/-0.03 and 0.77+/-0.04, P>0.05), but it increased in group III (0.75+/-0.03 vs 1.63+/-0.86, P<0.05), and decreased in group IV (0.75+/-0.03 vs 0.13+/-0.07, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONDuring acute hepatic failure severe endotoxemia would damage the function of gluconeogenesis in livers and kidneys by inhibiting transcription of PEPCK and this can induce hypoglycemia.

Animals ; Endotoxemia ; metabolism ; Gluconeogenesis ; Kidney ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Failure, Acute ; metabolism ; Male ; Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (GTP) ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Activation of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor plays an important role in neuronal apoptosis induced by cerebral ischemia but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. The present study examined the neuroprotection of three chloride blockers in an in vitro cell model of cerebral ischemia established by treatment of cultured rat hippocampal neurons with NMDA. Hoechst 33258 staining and MTT assay were used to detect neuronal apoptosis and cell viability, respectively. The neuroprotective effects of chloride channel blockers on the cell viability and neuronal apoptosis were only observed when the blockers were applied before NMDA exposure. In comparison with DIDS, SITS showed more potent protective effect in a dose-dependent manner, whereas NPPB showed no significant neuroprotective effect. The results demonstrate that pretreatment with both SITS and DIDS have protective effect against neuronal apoptosis, which is achieved by blocking both NMDA receptor and chloride channel.
4,4'-Diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-Disulfonic Acid ; pharmacology ; 4-Acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic Acid ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bisbenzimidazole ; chemistry ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Chloride Channels ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; N-Methylaspartate ; pharmacology ; Neurons ; chemistry ; cytology ; drug effects ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Apoptosis ; Cell Line ; Endotoxins ; adverse effects ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Mitochondrial Proteins

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of adrenaline on the expression of TGFbeta1, bFGF and procollagen for human normal and hypertrophic scar dermal fibroblasts cultured in vitro.

METHODSHuman normal and hypertrophic scar dermal fibroblasts were propagated in a serum-free in vitro model with adrenaline for 24 hours. The human mRNA levels of bFGF, TGF-beta1 and I procollagen in fibroblasts were determined by RT-PCR. Levels of bFGF and TGF-beta1 in the supernatants of fibroblasts cultured in vitro were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSIn our study, adrenaline caused statistically significant increase in the peak levels of bFGF for normal and hypertrophic scar fibroblast cell lines (P < 0.01). It also caused statistically significant decrease in the level of TGF-beta1 for normal and hypertrophic scar fibroblast cell lines. Modulation of normal fibroblasts with 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 micromol/L adrenaline resulted in a statistically significant (P < 0.01) decrease in the expression of I procollagen mRNA. However, only 0.20 micromol/L adrenaline can decreased the mRNA expression of I procollagen in the hypertrophic scar fibroblasts.

CONCLUSIONSWe conclude from these results that adrenaline can increase the production of bFGF and decrease production of TGF-beta1 and I procollagen in human normal dermal and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts cultured in vitro.

Cells, Cultured ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; metabolism ; Collagen Type I ; metabolism ; Epinephrine ; pharmacology ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; metabolism ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Procollagen ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism