Objective To investigate the expression and the effects of X-chromosome linked inhibi- tor of apoptosis (XIAP) associated factor 1 (XAF1) on apoptosis and cell proliferation in SMMC7721 hepatocellur carcinoma (HCC) cell line.Methods The expression of XAF1 mRNA and protein in hu- man SMMC7721 cell line were detected by semi-quantitative,RT-PCR and Western blot.Plasmid con- structs expressing sense and antisense XAF1 were generated and transfected into SMMC7721 cell line to establish stable transfectants.Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by MTT,flow cytometry and TUNEL.Results XAF1 mRNA and protein were detectable in SMMC7721 cell line but lower than that in normal liver cell.Stable expression of XAF1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and increased spontaneous apoptosis in SMMC7721 cell (P＜0.05).Over-expression of XAF1 in stable transfactants increased the sensitivity of SMMC7721 cell to chemotherapeutic drugs such as 5-fluorouracial and hydroxycamptothecin.Conclusions Over-expression of XAF1 induces apoptosis and inhibits SMMC7721 cell growth.XAF1 may be a promising candidate for HCC gene therapy.

Objective To observe the dynamic change of cerebral blood flow of newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE).Methods Cerebral blood flow of middle cerebral artery and pulsatility index(PI) on 75 newborns with HIE and 50 normal infants were examined with transcranial doppler sonography at different time points,and the relations between cerebral blood flow and clinic indexes were analyzed.Results The blood velocity of normal infants increased gradually, and PI decreased from 2 to 5 days.The velocities were lower than that of normal infants,and PI was higher at 12th hour and 1st day, but during 2-5 days,the velocities got higher and PI got lower, in which the decrease of velocities correlated positively with Apgar scores and the increase of velocities were negatively correlative to Apgar scores.Compared with the neonates who had poor prognosis retrospectively with those had good prognosis, the velocity changes were found to be more significant.Conclusion The change of cerebral blood flow can show the pathophysiology of HIE and prognosticate the prognosis of neonates with HIE.

Objective To explore the effect of sodium arsenite (iAs3+) and sodium hydrogen arseuate (iAs5+) exposure on rat multidrug resistance protein 2 (MRP2) expression,and the correlation of liver arsenic and its methylation products,and to provide a basis for further elucidating the mechanism of arsenic toxicity.Methods Seventy wistar rats were randomly divided into seven groups,10 rats in each group.Control group was administrated with deionized water.Sodiun arsenite high-dose group,middle-dose group,low-dose group were administrated with different concentrations of sodium arsenite:20.0,6.7 and 2.2 mg/kg BW every day,respectively.Animals were sacrificed 90 days later by cervical dislocation to collect liver,the expression of MRP2 in the membrane of hepatocyte was determined by Western blotting.HPLC-HGAFS was employed to determine the content or level of arsenic and its methylation products.Correlation between expression of MRP2 and arsenic methylation products was analyzed using Pearson's linear correlation method.Results The MRP2 protein levels of control group,iAs3+ and iAs5+ high-,middle-,low-dose groups were 1.21 ± 0.13,1.85 + 0.09,1.65 + 0.19,1.61 + 0.18,1.69 + 0.04,1.42 + 0.19,1.27 ± 0.10.Compared to control group,MRP2 protein levels of iAs3+ high-,middle-,low-dose group and iAs5+ high-dose group were increased (P ＜ 0.05); Compared with the low-dose group,MRP2 protein levels of iAs3+ and iAs5+ high dose groups were increased(P ＜ 0.05); Comparing the matched doses group of iAs5+ and iAs3+,MRP2 protein levels of iAs3+ high-,middle-,low-dose group were higher than iAs5+(P ＜ 0.05).Meanwhile,there was a significant positive relationship between the expression of MRP2 and the content of iAs3+,MMA and DMA in iAs3+ exposed group(r =0.575,0.678,0.395,all P ＜ 0.05).There was also a significant correlation between the expression of MRP2 and MMA and IMA in iAs5+ exposed group(r =0.593,0.643,all P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant relationship between the expression of MRP2 and the content of iAs5+in iAs5+ exposed group.Conclusions The expression of MRP2 is increased with increasing dose of arsenic exposure,thus resulting in compensatory changes on MRP2 expression in the liver cell membrane.MRP2 efflux may play an important role in the metabolic pathways of iAs3+.The level or load of arsenic methylation in liver is closely related with MRP2 expression.

Abnormalities, Multiple ; pathology ; Adolescent ; Alopecia ; pathology ; Bone Diseases, Developmental ; pathology ; Diarrhea ; pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity ; pathology ; Syndrome

Molecular methods and fluoroscopic techniques suggest that rich microbial diversity exist in the marine environment, but less than 1% of these microbes can be cultured in the laboratory conditions, and that the cultivable dominant species were even less. This limitation has long been a barrier to the development of environmental microbiology and the utilization of marine resources. In the past decade, novel methods for culture and detection of these uncultured marine microbes have successfully applied to obtain several conventionally-uncultured microbes including those from extreme environments. Those progresses have inspired researchers greatly. Developments in the research of marine microbial resources are an important basis for the study of the micro-world and deserve increasing scientific attention.

Objective To explore the safer and more reasonable time of withdrawing nucleoside analogues antiviral therapy in women with chronic HBV infection during immune tolerance period. Methods The patients included in this study were 343 pregnant women with chronic HBV infection who received nucleoside antiviral therapy in Obstetrics and Gynecology Center of 302 Military Hospital of China. According to the time of withdrawing antiviral therapy after delivery, the patients were assigned to P0 group, i.e., withdrawal immediately after delivery, and the patients who stopped the drug 6 weeks after delivery were assigned to P6w group. The patients were compared between these two groups in terms of prevalence of ALT abnormality during pregnancy and postpartum, the peak value and occurrence time of postpartum ALT, and mother-to-child vertical transmission. Results The prevalence of postpartum ALT abnormality was 30.2％ in P0 group and 20.7％ in P6w group (χ2=4.129, P=0.046). Specifically, for the patients with abnormal liver function during pregnancy, the prevalence of postpartum ALT abnormality was 88.0％ and 39.4％ in the two groups respectively (χ2=14.043, P=0.001). While for the patients with normal liver function during pregnancy, the prevalence of postpartum ALT abnormality was 19.4％ and 16.6％ respectively (χ2=0.392, P=0.531). Mother-to-infant HBV transmission was blocked successfully in all the patients in spite of the time of withdrawing antiviral therapy. Conclusions For the pregnant women with chronic HBV infection who received oral nucleoside analogue antiviral agents to interrupt motherto-child transmission, the time of withdrawing antiviral agents did not show significant effect on the prevalence of postpartum liver function abnormality and rate of successful blocking mother-toinfant HBV transmission. However, for the patients with abnormal ALT during pregnancy, it is appropriate to continue the nucleoside analogue antiviral therapy after delivery.

Objectives To study the level and development of serum specific antibody against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARS-CoV)of different populations in SARS pestilence district after SARS outbreak in a general hospital.Discuss SARS sub-clinical infection and protective action of the IgG antibody.Methods Seroepidemiology method,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)and indirect immunfluorescence assay(IFA)were employed to investigate the changing level of serum antibody to SARS-associated coronavirus in non-SARS population in SARS pestilence district during and after SARS outbreak.The development of IgM and IgG antibody in patients with SARS in 6 weeks after the onset of SARS was studied qualitatively.The level changing of IgG antibody in con- valescent patients with SARS in 82 weeks after the onset was observed dynamically.Results The ELISA test outcome of IgG antibody was negative in 200 non-SARS people who were random samples of normal mass in SARS pestilence district and common community.The positive rate was 0.41% in 487 SARS high risk population tested by ELISA,but showed negative when retested by IFA.The A value level of IgG antibody existed significant difference in non SARS mass during and after SARS outbreak and the later's was higher them the former's(P

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effect of alcohol extract of Plumula Nelumbini (AEPN) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatic fibrosis rats and to explore its possible mechanism.

METHODSTotally 32 male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, i.e., the normal control group, the model group, the high dose AEPN group, and the low dose AEPN group, 8 in each group. 1,000 mg/kg AEPN was given to rats in the high dose AEPN group by gastrogavage at 10 mL/kg, once daily, while 500 mg/kg AEPN was given to rats in the low dose AEPN group by gastrogavage at 10 mL/kg, once daily. Hepatic fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of CCl4. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and albumin (ALB) were examined using automatic biochemical analyzer. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydroxyproline (Hyp) in the hepatic tissue were determined using colorimetry. The degree of liver fibrosis was observed by HE staining and Masson staining. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was detected using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS(1) Compared with the normal control group, serum levels of ALT and AST obviously increased and the serum ALB level obviously decreased in the model group (all P < 0.05). After treated by AEPN, serum levels of ALT and AST were lowered. and the serum ALB level was higher (all P < 0.05). (2) Compared with the normal control group, collagen deposition was obviously seen in rats' livers of the model group, and pseudolobule had formed; inflammatory activities and fibrosis degrees were serious; contents of Hyp also increased (P < 0.05).After treated by AEPN, collagen deposition was obviously reduced with no obvious pseudolobule; inflammatory activities and fibrosis degrees were alleviated; contents of Hyp were also lowered (P < 0.05). (3) Compared with the normal control group, contents of MDA in the liver tissue obviously increased, while activities of SOD obviously decreased (P < 0.05) in the model group. After treated by AEPN, contents of MDA in the liver tissue decreased and the serum SOD level significantly increased (all P < 0.05). (4) Compared with the normal control group, the expression of α-SMA was obviously elevated in the model group (P < 0.05). After treated by AEPN, its expression was obviously lowered (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAEPN could fight against CCl4 induced liver fibrosis in rats. Fighting against lipid peroxidation and inhibi- ting activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells might be possibly main mechanism.

Alanine Transaminase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Collagen ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Ethanol ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; Hydroxyproline ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; drug therapy ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Rats ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Objective To observe the expression of matrix metalloproteinases(MMP)-1,MMP-3 and iNOS in cartilage of experimental rabbit osteoarthritis at different time intervals after anterior cruciate ligament transection(ACLT)operation.The aim of this study is to provide the theoritical evidence for using ACLT rabbit model in Osteoarthritis(OA)research.Methods Unilateral ACLT was performed on 27 randomly selected while rabbits and underwent unilateral arthrotomy was performed on the other 9 white rabbits as the control group.Nine randomly selected white rabbits in experimental group were killed and 3 white rabbits in the control group at 4th,8th and 12th week respectively.Cartilage degradation of femoral condyles was evaluated macr-oscopically,mRNA expression level and protein expression level of MMP-1,MMP-3 and iNOS was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)and immunohistochemistry respectively.Results Forepart OA cartilage degradation was observed at the 4th week and became more severe at the 8th week after ACLF.Afterpart cartilage degradation was evident at the 12th week after ACLT while cartilage still remained normal in the control group,mRNA expression level and protein expression level of MMP-1.MMP-3 and iNOS were increased at the 4th week and became higher gradually at the 8th,12th week after ACLT compared with the control group.Expression distribution of MMP-1,MMP-3 and iNOS bad different patterns respectively.Conclusion It is suggested that the process of OA cartilage degradation can be simulated by ACLT model and MMP-1,MMP-3 and iNOS may be good markers in therapeutical research of OA.