[ ABSTRACT] AIM:To investigate the effect of adipolin/CTRP12 in LPS-induced acute respiratory distress syn-drome (ARDS) and its potential regulation on alveolar epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) in mice.METHODS:C57BL/6J mice (n=40) were randomly divided into control group, LPS group, adipolin group and wortmannin (PI3K inhibitor) group with 10 mice in each group using random number table.The pathological changes of the lung tissues were evaluated by HE staining.The alveolar fluid clearance ( AFC) was measured by Evans blue-marked albumin, and the concentrations of total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid ( BALF) were assessed by bicinchoninic acid ( BCA) method.In BALF, the levels of IL-1βand TNF-αwere determined by ELISA, and the activity of myeloperoxidase ( MPO) was detected by an MPO assay kit.The total cell counts and polymorphonuclear neutrophil ( PMN) counts in the BALF were analyzed by Gi-emsa staining.The mRNA levels of α-ENaC were assessed by qPCR, while the protein levels of α-ENaC and p-Akt were determined by Western blot.RESULTS: Compared with control group, the classic ARDS pathological changes were ob-served in the mice in LPS group, manifesting by severe pathological lung injury (P<0.05), increases in W/D weight rati-o, total protein levels, cell counts, MPO activitiy, and IL-1βand TNF-αlevels in the BALF, and decrease in AFC ( P<
0.05), accompanied by down-regulated levels of α-ENaC and p-Akt in the lung tissues (P<0.05).The deteriorating effects triggered by LPS were significantly reversed by administration of adipolin.However, PI3K inhibitor wortmannin can-celed the beneficial effects of adipolin on LPS-induced ARDS, as evidenced by aggravated lung injury, increased levels of W/D weight ratio, protein levels, cell counts, MPO activity, and IL-1βand TNF-αlevels in the BALF (P<0.05), and decreased levels of AFC,α-ENaC and p-Akt in the lung tissues.CONCLUSION:Adipolin protects against LPS-induced ARDS in the mice by up-regulatingα-ENaC and enhancing AFC via PI3K/Akt signal pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect of resveratrol on alveolar epithelial sodium channel in acute lung injury mice and the potential mechanism.Methods Twenty-four C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, LPS group, RES group and PP242(mTORC inhibitor) group with 6 mice in each group.The pathological changes in lung tissue were evaluated by HE staining;the concentrations of total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were assessed by BCA (bicinchoninic acid).The levels of inflammatory cytokines in BALF were determined by ELISA.The proportions of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) in BALF were detected by Flow Cytometry.The transcription levels of α-ENaC mRNA were assessed by qPCR while the protein levels of α-ENaC and p-GSK1 were measured by Western blot.Results 1)Compared with mice in control group, severe pathological lung injury changes were observed in mice of LPS group, with increased total protein levels, PMN proportions,levels of inflammatory cytokines in BALF (P<0.05), accompanied by down-regulated level of α-ENaC and p-SGK1 in lung tissues (P<0.05).2)Compared with mice in LPS group, resveratrol significantly reversed lung injury triggered by LPS, decreased total protein levels, PMN proportions, levels of inflammatory cytokines in BALF (P<0.05), with down-regulated levels of α-ENaC and p-SGK1 in lung tissues (P<0.05).3)However, PP242 prevented beneficial effects of RES on ALI.Conclusions Up-regulation of α-ENaC expression via activation of SGK1 takes part in the protective effects of RES on LPS-induced ALI in mice.

Objective To summerize the experience in diagnosis and surgical treatment for hilar cholangiocarcinoma in recent years.Methods 86 consecutive cases of hilar cholangiocarcinoma were surgically treated in this hospital from Jan. 1992 to Oct. 1998. Results The tumor resection rate was 37%(32/86) in this series. The postoperative morbidity and mortality rate were 47% and 7% respectively. The median survival time in palliative resection group was 16 months and the 1-year, 3- year, 5-year survival rate was 63%,21%,15% respectively. For curative resection,the median survival time was 19 months and the 1-year, 3- year, 5-year survival rate was 80%,35%,25% respectively( P =0 038). For drainage group, the median survival time was 5 months and the 1-year, 3- year, 5-year survival rate was 28%,8 4%,5% respectively.Conclusion Early diagnosis, improvement of patients′ general preoperative condition and the surgical expertise may help in increasing the curative resection rate and reducing postoperative morbidity and mortality rate, which are keys to prolong patients′ survival.

The comorbidity of pain and depression is common. Both disorders might share common neuroanatomical and molecu-lar mechanisms. Recent studies have found that the brain-de-rived neurotrophic factor( BDNF) ,which plays an important role in the process of pain-depression comorbidity, has gradually be-come a hot topic and target of treatment. The article mainly sum-marizes the mechanism underlying comorbid pain and depres-sion,as well as the significance of blood BDNF in diagnosis and treatment of pain and depression.

Medical biochemistry is a very important basic curricular in medicine teaching.But its theory is abstract,so it is difficult for teachers to teach.On the other hand,the students feel it hard to learn too,because they don't know how these theories are applied.We have applied case-based teaching in medical biochemistry teaching.These methods effectively improve students' enthusiasm to study and to train their scientific thinking in preliminary.Following this way we have explored a new way to elevate teaching qualities and search new teaching model and to further reform present medical biochemistry teaching model.

Objective To evaluate the application of 64-slice computed tomography (CT) and software-assisted image analysis in preoperative evaluation and surgical planning of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Methods The clinical data of six patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June to December, 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. All six patients underwent 64-slice CT scanning before the operation, and then three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the liver, tumor, blood vessels and bile ducts was achieved with the assistance of Myrian (R) XP-Hepatic software. The relationships of the tumor, blood vessels and bile ducts were illustrated in the 3D model. Virtual liver resection was carried out for surgical planning. Results The 3D models of the liver, tumor, blood vessels and bile ducts were successfully constructed . The 3D models were able to be rotated and magnified as necessary. Preoperative evaluation and surgical planning were in accordance with actual surgery. The relative accuracy of the software-assisted image analysis system for calculating the hepatic volume to be resected was 5%. Patients recovered well without occurrence of hepatic failure. Conclusion Sixty-four-slice CT scanning and software-assisted image analysis are important for preoperative evaluation and surgical planning of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Huperzine A is a promising drug to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). To date, its biosynthetic pathway is still unknown. Lysine decarboxylase (LDC) has been proposed to catalyze the first-step of the biosynthesis of huperzine A. To identify and characterize LDCs from Huperzia serrata, we isolated two LDC fragments (LDC1 and LDC2) from leaves of H. serrata by RT-PCR and then cloned them into pMD 19-T vector. Sequence analysis showed that LDC1 and LDC2 genes shared 95.3% identity and encoded the protein of 212 and 202 amino acid residues respectively. Thus, we ligated LDC genes into pET-32a(+) to obtain recombinant expressing vectors pET-32a(+)/LDC1 and pET-32a(+)/LDC2 respectively. We further introduced two expression vectors into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and cultured positive colonies of E. coli in liquid LB medium. After inducing for 4 hours with 260 μg/mL IPTG at 30 degrees C, soluble recombinant Trx-LDC1 and Trx-LDC2 were obtained and isolated for purification using a Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. We incubated purified recombinant proteins with L-lysine in the enzyme reaction buffer at 37 degrees C and then derived the reaction products using dansyl chloride. It was found that both Trx-LDC1 and Trx-LDC2 had decarboxylase activity, could convert L-lysine into cadaverine by way of thin layer chromatography assay. Further, bioinformatics analysis indicated that deduced LDC1 and LDC2 had different physicochemical properties, but similar secondary and three-dimensional structures.
Carboxy-Lyases ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; Huperzia ; enzymology ; genetics ; Lysine ; metabolism ; Plant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; analysis ; Animals ; Frontal Lobe ; drug effects ; physiology ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; physiology ; Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sodium Azide ; pharmacology ; Space Perception

Animals ; Electric Stimulation ; Neurons ; pathology ; physiology ; Pain Threshold ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Red Nucleus ; pathology ; physiology

Adult ; Altitude ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Janus Kinase 2 ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Polycythemia ; diagnosis ; ethnology ; genetics