Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; genetics ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo study immunomodulating activity of Lonicera Japonica flavone by investigating immune enzymatic activity of serum and antoxidized activity of lymphoid organs in mice.

METHODSFifty KM mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, low dose group, middle dose group and high dose group(n = 10), respectively. And low dose group, middle dose group and high dose group were given Lonicera Japonica flavone with 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg every day, respectively, while control group and model group were administered with NS. After continuously giving drug 7 weeks, other groups were injected with Dexamethasome (Dex: 25 mg /kg) for 3 days by subcutaneous injection, but the control group were treated with NS. And after giving Lonicera Japonica flavone 1 week simultaneously, organ indexes , the activity of acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and lysozyme (LSZ) in serum , and the content of monoamine oxidase (MAO), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in lymphoid organs in mice were tested, respectively.

RESULTSLonicera Japonica flavone could significantly improve the organ indexes, and significantly improve the activity of ACP, AKP and LSZ in serum, and significantly improve the contents of T-AOC and SOD, but reduce that of MAO and MDA in lymphoid organs in immunosuppressed mice.

CONCLUSIONIonicera Japonica flavone can significantly improve the activity of immune enzyme in serum and the antioxidized activity of lymphoid organs in mice. It suggests that Ionicera Japonica flavone has a good immunomodulatory effects.

Acid Phosphatase ; blood ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; blood ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Flavones ; pharmacology ; Immunomodulation ; Lonicera ; chemistry ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mice ; Monoamine Oxidase ; metabolism ; Muramidase ; blood ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

To explore the new method of discriminating Cistanche deserticola, Cynomorium songaricum and Orobanche pycnostachya by using PCR amplification of specific alleles. 30 samples of the different C. deserticola, 21 samples of C. songaricum and O. pycnostachya were collected. The total DNA of the samples were extracted, the ITS sequences from C. deserticola, C. songaricum and O. pycnostachya were amplified by PCR and sequenced unidirectionally. These sequences were aligned by using ClustulW. Specific primer was designed according to the ITS sequences of specific alleles, and PCR reaction system was optimized. Additionally, compare with the identification of specific PCR method and DNA sequence analysis method. The result showed that the 331 bp identification band for C. deserticola and the adulterants not amplified bands by a single PCR reaction, which showed good identification ability to the three species. PCR amplification of specific alleles can be used to identify C. deserticola, C. songaricum and O. pycnostachya successfully.
Alleles ; Cistanche ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Primers ; genetics ; DNA, Intergenic ; genetics ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods

AIMTo study the effects of hydrocortisone sodium succinate on sodium current in human atrial myocytes and in guinea pig ventricular myocytes.

METHODSSingle cardiac myocytes were isolated by enzyme. The effects of hydrocortisone sodium succinate on sodium current (INa) were assessed by applying whole-cell patch clamp techniques.

RESULTSHydrocortisone sodium succinate (1, 3, 10 micromol x L(-1)) was shown to inhibit INa of both human atrial myocytes and guinea pig ventricular myocytes in concentration dependent manner and the IC50 were 6.97 and 8.74 micromol x L(-1), respectively. The inhibition effects acted quickly (1-3 min) and the maximal activating voltage of INa was not changed in both human and guinea pig cardiac myocytes.

CONCLUSIONHydrocortisone sodium succinate can exhibit inhibitory effects on INa in both human and guinea pig cardiac myocytes, and its inhibitory effects act rapidly, which are not consistent with genomic effects, so there may be nongenomic effects.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Cell Separation ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Guinea Pigs ; Heart Atria ; pathology ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; pathology ; Heart Ventricles ; cytology ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; physiology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Sodium Channels ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence and drug resistant patterns of community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in children.

METHODSSamples of sputum, blood, liquor puris/secretion of skin or stool in Beijing Children's Hospital between January, 2002 and March, 2005 were cultured. The characteristics of community-acquired MRSA infection were analyzed and compared with hospital-acquired MRSA infection.

RESULTSA total of 25 strains of MRSA were found during the study period and they accounted for 4.7% in 512 strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Of the 25 strains of MRSA, 20 strains were community-acquired but only 5 were hospital-acquired. The prevalence of MRSA infection in Staphyloccus aureus has kept rising over last two years, 3.1% in 2003, 5.4% in 2004 and 7.2% in the first season of 2005. There were no statistical differences in the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multi-resistance testing between the groups of community-acquired and hospital-acquired MRSA. In both groups, all isolates were susceptible to vancomycin. The percentage of the patients with underlying disease in the hospital-acquired infection group was significantly higher than in community-acquired infection group (P < 0.05), but the onset age was not different.

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of community-acquired MRSA infection tends to increase in children. The drug resistant patterns of community-acquired MRSA were not significantly different from the hospital-acquired MRSA in children.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Community-Acquired Infections ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Methicillin Resistance ; Staphylococcal Infections ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of melanoma differentiation associated gene-7/interleukin 24 (MDA/IL-24) on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines HepG2, MHCC97L and Hep3B and normal liver cell line L02 with a different p53 state.

METHODSThe MDA-7/IL-24 gene was transfected into human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines HepG2, MHCC97L and Hep3B and hepatocyte line L02 with a replication-incompetent adenovirus vector. The mRNA expression of MDA7/IL-24 in HepG2, MHCC97L, Hep3B and L02 cells was confirmed using RT-PCR. Protein expression was confirmed using ELISA assay. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to study tumor cell proliferation and cell cycle in vitro. Hoechst and flow cytometry assay after annexin-V and PI staining were performed to indicate the apoptosis effect.

RESULTSExogenous MDA-7/IL-24 gene was expressed in HepG2, MHCC97L, Hep3B and L02 cells. The protein product of MDA-7/IL-24 was confirmed in the supernatant. MTT assay and apoptosis test indicated MDA-7/IL-24 could induce growth suppression and apoptosis of HepG2, MHCC97L and Hep3B but could not in L02. Cell cycle test revealed MDA-7/IL-24 could block those cancer cells in G2/M but not in the normal cell L02.

CONCLUSIONMDA-7/IL-24 selectively induces growth suppression and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma lines HepG2, MHCC97L and Hep3B in vitro independent of the state of p53 gene but not in normal liver cell L02. This indicates MDA-7/IL-24 can be a perfect gene for gene therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Adenoviruses, Human ; genetics ; Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Interleukins ; genetics ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

OBJECTIVETo characterize the biologic featrues of hepatic oval cells and their protein expression profiles during induced differentiation in vitro.

METHODSRat hepatic oval cells were treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in vitro, followed by morphological and molecular marker assessment by electromicroscopy, immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR and protein expression chip technology.

RESULTSTen weeks after induction, the levels of GST-P mRNA and M2-PK mRNA were significantly reduced, whereas those of ALB and CK18 were elevated. Significant variations of expression was seen in 8 protein species during the course of the induced differentiation.

CONCLUSIONCombined EGF and HGF treatment in vitro induces cell differentiation of hepatic oval cells, a process in which 8 protein species may play some regulatory roles.

Albumins ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Glutathione Transferase ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratin-18 ; metabolism ; Protein Array Analysis ; Pyruvate Kinase ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo study clinical effects of one-hole microplate internal fixation for the treatment of collateral ligament injuries of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb combined with fracture.

METHODSTwenty-two patients (16 males, 6 females) with collateral ligament injuries of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb combined fracture were treated with one-hole microplate internal fixation. The age of the patients ranged from 18 to 53 years old with a mean age of 28.5 years old. The duration from injury to surgery ranged from 2 hours to 2 months, and the mean time was 6 days. All the patients had collateral ligament injuries combined with fracture of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb. Thirteen patients had injuries in the right hand and 9 patients had injuries in the left hand. There were 18 cases of closed wound and 4 cases of open wound. Eighteen patients had fresh injuries (< 2 weeks) and 4 had old injuries (> 2 weeks). Sixteen patients had injuries in the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb combined with fracture, 6 patients had radial collateral ligament injuries of the thumb combined with fracture, 4 cases of which were complicated with injuries of abductor pollicis brevis and the end of the flexor pollicis brevis tender. The size of the avulsed fragment was about 3.0 mm x 4.0 mm to 6.0 mm x 7.0 mm.

RESULTSThe incisions of 22 patients healed by first intention. The follow-up periods ranged from 6 months to 5 years old,with an average of 2.5 years old. The thumb function was evaluated by Saetta and other evaluation criteria, and 20 patients got an excellent result and 2 good.

CONCLUSIONThe application of one-hole microplate internal fixation in treating collateral ligament injuries with fracture of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb is an effective method.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Bone Plates ; Collateral Ligaments ; injuries ; surgery ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Metacarpophalangeal Joint ; injuries ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Thumb ; injuries ; surgery ; Young Adult

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

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the distribution of DIAGNOdent value according to varying clinical caries severity.

METHODSA total of 541 deciduous molar teeth in children aged from 5 to 6 were examined using DIAGNOdent by one trained dentist. The most severity site in every tooth was recorded. The same sites were examined visually by another dentist. The distribution regular of DIAGNOdent value was analyzed according to the clinical severity score by Ekstrand index.

RESULTSThe higher the visual score, the higher the mean DIAGNOdent value. The variation of values in each visual category was larger than that of values recommended by manufacturers. When clinical severity score was 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4, the median of DIAGNOdent value was 0, 5, 19, 49 and 99 respectively. The mean value for sound surfaces was lower in primary teeth than the cut-off points recommended by manufacturers, but the value of DIAGNOdent was increased obviously when the transparency change of enamel was detected visually.

CONCLUSIONDIAGNOdent is useful in detecting occlusal caries in deciduous teeth, but the cut-off levels is not coinciding perfectly with manufacturer suggesting.

Child ; Dental Caries ; Dental Enamel ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Lasers ; Molar ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tooth, Deciduous