Objective To study the influence of high-fluoride on thyroid function and brain damage. Methods Thirty-six Wistar rats were randondy divided, according to weight and gender into 3 groups(12 rats each), i.e. control group, high fluoride group, and high fluoride plus thyroid tablet treatment group. The rats were fed with normal tap water containing no more than 5 mg/L NaF and the tap water added 100,100 mg/L NaF, respectively. After 7 months of experiment, the rats in high fluoride plus thyroid tablet treatment group were given with 0.04% thyroid tablet( 1.8 ml·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) by gastric perfusion for three weeks. The contents of TT_3 and TT_4 in serum were detected by radio-immunological assay; the histomorphology in thyroids and brains were observed under microscopy; and the protein level of NMDAR2B subunit of glutamate receptor in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 was measured by immunohistochemistry. Results As compared to the values of TT_3 and TT_4 in serum of rats in control group[ (0.97 ± 0.15), (84.03 ± 12.45)nmol/L], TT_3 and TT_4 in high fluoride group were obviously lower [(0.24 ± 0.07), (15.16 ± 2.08)nmol/L, all P < 0.01]; while no changes in TT_3 and TT_4 were detected in high fluoride plus thyroid tablet treatment group[ (1.02 ± 0.19), (85.63 ± 9.55)nmol/L, all P < 0.05] as compared to controls, but higher than those in high fluoride group(all P < 0.01 ). The pathological changes including partial hyperplasy, arrangement disorder, atrophy, and decreased colloid of the thyroid follicular epithelial cells in high fluoride group were observed under microscopy. In high fluoride plus thyroid tablet treatment group, the degree of the thyroid cellular hyperplasy was relatively slight as compared to high fluoride group. The swelling and disarrangement of neurons in the hippocampus were observed in high fluoride group, whereas the changes of the neurons were not so obvious in high fluoride plus thyroid tablet treatment group. The grey values of NMDAR2B positive cells in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 in high fluoride group(167.05 ± 7.31 ) were significantly increased as compared to controls (92.53 ± 9.67 ) or high fluoride plus thyroid tablet treatment group( 101.66 ± 12.21, all P < 0.01 ). Conclusions High fluoride can induce the decreased function and changed histomorphology in thyroid and result in pathological damages in the brains of rats. However, treated with thyroid tablet to those having damages induced by high fluoride, the thyroid function and morphology can be normal, and the brain damages can be alleviated. The results indicate that hypothyroidism caused by high fluoride might be an important participating factor in brain damages caused by fluorosis.

Benzene ; DNA Damage ; Humans ; Research

Carcinogenesis ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Humans

Compared with C3 plant,C4 plant had evident growth advantage,higher rates of water and nutrition using,and higher bio-yield than C3 plant,Sugarcane was one of the typical C4 plants.DNA was extracted from sugarcane leaves,primers were designed by the cDNA sequence of PPDK gene from GenBank.Then DNA was amplified by LA-PCR(Long Acute PCR) method,ligated into pMD18-T vectors,and transformed into E.coli.JM109.Full-length PPDK gene sequence of sugarcane was obtained,the sequence was 13.5kb in length.For convenient of the next experiment,two digest sites(XhoI and NotI) were introduced into primers,the full-length PPDK gene was splitted to two parts,and was ligated into pMD18-T simple vectors,respectively.Whole PPDK gene clone of sugarcane was finished.The strains were storaged in the lab.

To optimize the growth condition for the established gene engineer bacteria express cardiac troponin-I(cTnI) and to obtain purified cTnI as an antigen to produce clinical assay kits used in acute myocardial injury(AMI) diagnosis.Plackett Burman Design(PBD) was applied to select the factors which effect the expression of cTnI in Escherichial coli(E.coli) mostly.Induction time,pH and KCl were proved influenced expression of cTnI notably.Afterward,Response Surface Methodology(RSM) as second step to optimize the selected three factors,an equation was deduced to predict the percent of cTnI.In the most optimized condition,the percent of cTnI can reach to 26% of total cell protein.The procedures of purification included ammonium sulfate deposition and DEAE Cellulose ion exchange chromatography.SDS-PAGE shows that purified cTnI contain one band.cTnI could be used to immune animals as an antigen to produce monoclonal antibodies with high affinity and specificity.It maybe as calibrators to harmony the difference assays of cTnI measurement in clinical.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil(MMF)on children with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome(SDNS).Methods Sixteen children with SDNS,diagnosed at onset,included 12 males and 4 females,aged(5.0?1.6) years,were administrated with MMF[25 mg/(kg?d)] and low-dose prednisone[0.5-1.0 mg/(kg?d),average 0.67 mg/(kg?d)].MMF was reduced to half of initial dosage after 6 months and maintained for 3 months,while dosage of prednisone was tapered gradually based on patients disease profile.Twenty-four hours urinary protein excretion,serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen,liver function were conducted regularly,respectively.The clinical efficacy and safety were assessed after 3 months treatment.Results Thirteen of 16 patients treated with MMF and prednisone remained in complete remission.Three children remained remission partly.Difference markedly was observed in 24 hours urinary protein excretion and serum albumin before and after treatment.Conclusions MMF is an effective and safe immunosuppressive agent for children with SDNS.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effective approach for the treatment of detrusor underactivity. Methods98 patients with detrusor underactivity were randomly divided into electrotherapy group (electroacupuncture, interference current stimulation, n=32), medicine group (n=32) and electrotherapy-medicine group (n=34). The patients were assessed with examination of urodynamics and clinical parameters before and after treatment. ResultsThe detrusor strength were stronger after treatment in all the 3 groups (P<0.001), but electrotherapy-medicine group was more stronger than the other 2 groups (P<0.01). The cure rate in the 3 groups were 68.75%, 59.38% and 88.23% respectively, the patients in electrotherapy-medicine group gained significantly better results than the other 2 groups (x2=9.976, P<0.01). The difference of cure rate between the electrotherapy group and the medicine group was not significant (P>0.05). ConclusionElectric stimulation therapy combined with medicine is an effective intervention for treatment of detrusor underactivity and is better than electric stimulation therapy or drugs only.

Aging ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Testis ; drug effects ; metabolism

Objective: To investigate the value of the trigeminocervical response (TCR) for revealing bulbar involvement in patients with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). Methods: Thirty patients with SBMA and 30 healthy male controls were included in this study. In all of the normal controls, stimulation of the infraorbital nerve on one side produced bilateral short latency waves consisting of a positive/negative wave, p19/n31, the mean latency of which was measured. The mean square root of the ratio between the amplitude of p19/n31 and the mean rectifi ed surface electromyography (EMG) activity preceding the stimulus, the A value, was estimated. The parameters of the TCR were compared between the two groups. Results: Among the patients with SBMA, 21 (70.0%) had delayed latencies of p19/n31 (P < 0.01) and all (100%) had reduced A values (P < 0.01) relative to the normal controls. Conclusions: All parameters of the TCR were signifi cantly different between the patients with SBMA and the normal controls. T

Objective To investigate the importance of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance in the development of quinolone resistance in clinical isolates of gram-negative bacteria.Methods A total of 541 consecutive clinical isolates of gram-negative ba- cilli resistant or intermediate to ciprofloxacin were screened for the qnrA gene by PCR.Conjugation experiments were carried out with azide-resistant E.coli J53 as a recipient.The aac(6')-Ib-cr gene was detected.The mutations in the quinolone-resist- ance-determining region (QRDR) of the gyrA and parC genes were identified in qnrA positive strains.Results qnrA was identi- fied in 7 of the 541 strains.Among the qnrA positive strains,5 were Enterobacter cloacae.No qnrA was detected in nonfer- menters.Quinolone resistance was transferred in 4 of 7 qnrA positive strains.Transconjugants had 12-to 125-fold increases in MIC of ciprofloxacin relative to that of the recipient.Seven strains contained qnrA with a nucleotide sequence identical to that originally reported.Two transconjugants with higher ciprofloxacin MICs contained aac(6')-Ib-cr gene.Mutations occurred in the QRDR of the gyrA and parC genes in 5 PCR-positive clinical strains.Conclusions Transferable plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance associated with qnrA is highly prevalent in clinical strains of Enterobacter spp.aac(6')-Ib-cr gene and mutations in the quinolone targets may co-exist with qnrA,which may contribute to the further increase of resistance to quinolones.