Objective To investigate the iodine nutrition level of the vulnerable population in the high risk region of iodine deficiency disorders for providing a scientific basis for the development of effective preventive measures in Qinghai province. Methods The non-iodized salt coverage rate ＞ 5％ of Delingha city, the coverage rate of iodized salt and the rate of qualified iodized salt ≤80％ of Jiuzhi, Wulan, Nangqian, Zaduo, Geermu,Yushu, Gande, Chengduo, and Dulan counties(cities), the median of urinary iodine ＜ 100 μg/L of Huangyuan county of 11 areas were chosen as monitoring area in 2009. Five townships(towns) were selected by their location of east, west, south, north and center in each county (city), and one school was selected in each township (town),and 60 household salt samples were collected in each school, and quantitatively determined by direct titration of iodine(GB/T 13025.7-1999). Three townships(towns) were selected in each county(city), and two schools were selected in each township(town). The content of urinary iodine of 40 children aged 8 - 10 and 20 women of childbearing age aged 18 - 40 was analyzed by As3+-Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry (WS/T 107-2006). ResultsThree thousand two hundred and sixty-one edible salt samples were tested. The coverage rate of iodized salt was 79.88％.The iodized salt qualification rate was 95.16％. The qualified iodized salt consumption rate was 76.02％. The noniodized salt coverage rate was 20.12％. In Nangqian, Zaduo, Yushu and Geermu counties(cities), the non-iodized salt coverage rate was 88.89％, 45.05％, 43.00％ and 12.67％, respectively. The median of urine iodine of 2536 children aged 8 - 10 was 155.8 μg/L, with ≤50 μg/L about 13.6％ (346/2536), ＞ 100 μg/L about 67.5％(1711/2536), and it was 75.1, 94.6 μg/L in Nangqian and Zaduo counties, respectively. The median of urine iodine of 665 women of childbearing age was 129.7 μg/L, with ≤50 μg/L about 22.7％(151/665), ＞ 100 μg/L about 59.2％(394/665), and it was 21.0, 54.7, 72.7 μg/L in Zaduo, Nangqian and Chengduo counties, respectively.Conclusions Insufficient intake of iodine exits in children and women of childbearing age in high risk region of iodine deficiency disorders in Qinghai province, which should be corrected as soon as possible.

This study is to investigate the protective effect of rosiglitazone (RSG) against learning and memory impairment of APP/PS1/tau transgenic mice. AD mice model was replicated by using 6-month APP/PS1/tau transgenic mice. The learning and memory ability of mice was evaluated by Morris water maze and Western blotting assays was applied to measure the phosphorylation and O-glycosylation of Tau and neurofilaments (NFs) protein. The results demonstrated that RSG could reverse the learning and memory deficits of 3 x Tg mice significantly. It was also found that RSG could suppress the hyperphosphorylation of Tau and NFs protein levels and increase the glycosylation expression of Tau and NFs proteins in 3 x Tg mice brain. Together, RSG ameliorates cognitive impairments of 3 x Tg mice via the alleviation of the hyperphosphorylated Tau and NFs proteins burden in the brain.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Glycosylation ; Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Memory Disorders ; drug therapy ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Neurofilament Proteins ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology ; tau Proteins ; metabolism

Objective To master iodine nutritional status of people after universal salt iodization in Xining that reached the stage goal of elimination iodine deficiency disorders. Methods In the 7 counties investigated of Xining in 2009, 5 towns were randomly selected in each county, and one school was randomly selected in each town, 80 children aged 8 to 10 were randomly selected in each school, and goiter were examined, urinary iodine and salt iodine were tested. Thyroid gland goiter of children was detected by thyroid palpation, children's urinary iodine was tested by As( Ⅲ )-Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry, and salt iodine was tested by direct titration. Results A total of 2919 children aged 8 to 10 were examined, 31 goiter was detected, goiter rate was 1.06%(31/2919).One thousand and seventy-eight urine samples were detected, urinary iodine median was 205.3 μg/L, that lower than 20 μg/L accounted for 1.9% (20/1078), lower than 50 μg/L accounted for 4.5%(48/1078). Two thousand and seventy-nine salt samples were detected, median of salt iodine was 32.80 mg/kg, the rate of non-iodized salt was 0.87%(18/2079), the coverage rate of iodized salt was 99.13%(2061/2079), the qualified rate of iodized salt was 98.64% (2033/2061), the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 97.79% (2033/2079). Conclusions Prevention and control of iodine deficiency disorders has achieved remarkable results in Xining city, all indicators have reached the national standard to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of desensitizer on shear bond strength of adhesive system.

METHODSTwenty specimens were made and divided randomly into an experiment group and a control group. In the experiment group, the dentin bonding surface was applied with Green Or and in the control, the dentin bonding surface was untreated. The IPS-Empress specimens were bonded to the dentin bonding specimens using Variolink II adhesive system. The shear bond strength of all testing samples was determined with Instron testing machine. The surfaces of the drawing sections were observed using the scanning electron microscope (SEM).

RESULTSThe shear bond strength of the experimental group and the control group was (5.53 +/- 0.96) MPa and (7.32 +/- 1.34) MPa respectively and there was statistically significant difference between two groups (P = 0.003). In the experimental group, adhesive failure was the most prevalent type of failure, while in the control group, cohesive failure was the most prevalent type.

CONCLUSIONSThe application of Green Or on the dentin bonding surface decreased the shear bond strength between dentin and IPS-Empress specimens when using Variolink II adhesive system.

Dental Bonding ; Dental Stress Analysis ; Dentin-Bonding Agents ; chemistry ; Materials Testing ; Resin Cements ; chemistry ; Surface Properties

Zuotai (gTso thal) is a typical representative of Tibetan medicines containing heavy metals, but there is still lack of modem safety evaluation data so far. In this study, acute toxicity test, sub-acute toxicity test, one-time administration mercury distribution experiment, long-term mercury accumulative toxicity experiment and preliminary study on clinical safety of Compound Dangzuo were conducted in the hope of obtain the medicinal safety data of Zuotai. In the acute toxicity test, half of KM mice given the lethal dose of Zuotai were not died or poisoned, and LD50 was not found. The maximum tolerated dose of Zuotai was 80 g x kg(-1). In the subacute toxicity test, Zuotai could reduce ALT, AST, Crea levels in serums under low dose (13.34 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and medium dose (53.36 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), with significant difference under low dose, and increase the levels of ALT, AST, MDA, Crea in serums under high dose (2 000 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)); besides, the levels of BUN and GSH in serums reduced with the increase in dose of Zuotai, indicating a significant dose-effect relationship. In the one-time administration distribution experiment, the content of mercury in rat kidney, liver and lung increased after the one-time administration with Zuotai, with a significant dose-dependent relationship in kidney. In the long-term mercury accumulative toxicity experiment, KM mice were administered with equivalent doses of Zuotai for 4.5 months and then stopped drug administration for 1.5 months. Since the 2.5th month, they showed significant mercury accumulation in kidney, which gradually reduced after drug withdrawal, without significant change in mercury content in liver, spleen and brain and ALT, AST, TBIL, BUN and Crea in serum. At the 4.5th month after drug administration, KM mice showed slight structural changes in kidney, liver and spleen tissues, and gradually recovered to normal after drug withdrawal. Besides, no significant difference in weight gain was found between the Zuotai group and the control group. According to the findings of the clinical safety study of Dangzuo, after subjects administered Dangzuo under clinical dose for one month, their serum biochemical indicators, blood routine indicators and urine routine indicators showed no significant adverse change. This study proved that traditional Tibetan medicine Zuotai was slightly toxic, with a better safety in clinical combined administration and no adverse effects on bodies under the clinical dose and clinical medication cycle. However, long-term high-dose administration of Zuotai may have a certain effect on kidney.
Adult ; Animals ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics ; toxicity ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; Liver ; drug effects ; Male ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Mice ; Middle Aged ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the significance of c-fos oncogene morphogenetic protein's locational expression, and the correlativity between nerve transmitters calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) expression and nerve root's functional change using the animal model of the chronic compressive injury in the nerve root.

METHODSThe animal model of chronic compressive injury of the nerve root was established by transplanting autogenous cancellous bone into the intervertebral foramen. During different injury phase (1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 weeks after operation), the functional status of the nerve root was determined under the monitoring of evoked potential, and the expression changes of c-fos oncogene morphogenetic protein and nerve transmitter CGRP were detected using in situ hybridization technique and their expression intensity was determined using automatic image analytic instrument respectively.

RESULTSOne week after operation, the c-fos expression strengthened in both anterior and posterior root fiber obviously. Two to four weeks after operation, the expression of the posterior root fiber weakened than the anterior root fiber. After 12 weeks, the anterior root fiber expression turned down obviously, however the posterior root fiber expression backed up slightly compared with that of the 8 weeks. By the time of 24 weeks after operation, the expression enhancement in all roots disappeared. CGRP expression increased obviously at the site of compressive axon of both anterior and posterior root. The expression of the posterior root axon and ganglion cell was higher than that of the anterior root axon. CGRP expression was diminished in the second week than the first week, and that was especially obvious in the posterior root and ganglion cell. But 4 weeks after operation, the expression enhanced once more, and that was more obvious inside the anterior root axon. Eight weeks after operation, the expression intensity attained the high peak. Twelve weeks after operation, the expression started the slow-moving descent.

CONCLUSIONSThe expression of c-fos gene protein is beneficial to localize the damaged part of certain nerve. During chronic injury, the degeneration of posterior root sensory fiber is earlier than the anterior root motor fiber. The expression of CGRP strengthened when the nerve fiber degenerated by the harmful stimulation, and the expression intensity is positively related with pain. That suggests when the nervous tissue is hurt, the information of warning and regulation should be sent out to our body.

Animals ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; metabolism ; Cats ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; In Situ Hybridization ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; metabolism ; Radiculopathy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Spinal Nerve Roots ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo establish a duplex nested PCR assay system which is capable for detecting O1 and O139 groups of Vibrio cholerae simultaneously, and is applicable to environmental specimens from routine cholera surveillance.

METHODSBased on nucleic acid sequences available in GenBank, six sets of primers were designed by PrimerSelect program of DNAStar, targeting the rfb gene that encodes the O antigens of O1 and O139 V. cholerae, respectively. The specificity of several primer combinations was tested. A duplex nested PCR assay system for simultaneously detecting O1 and O139 V. cholerae was established, subsequently, its sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility and field evaluation were tested. The sensitivity of this assay was evaluated by comparing detection limits of nested PCR and conventional PCR. Its reproducibility was tested by 32 positive samples (11 samples positive for O1, 21 samples positive for O139) from environmental surveillance. In addition, the selected amplicons from positive samples were sequenced and analyzed with relevant sequences.

RESULTSThis newly-established duplex nested PCR assay might distinguish O1 V. cholerae from O139 V. cholerae, based on fragment lengths of amplicons, with reliable reproducibility, and no specific amplification was observed as compared with other vibrio species. The sensitivity of this nested PCR was (15 000) higher than conventional PCR, and there was no interference observed with multiple primers and complicated templates in the same vial. In its field evaluation, 32 positive DNA samples were detected and be further confirmed with double or triple tests, implying reliable reproducibility and consistency of this system. These results indicated that this assay had reliable reproducibility. No amplification was observed in all negative specimens and also suggested the acceptable specificity of this assay. Sequence analysis of the selected amplification products revealed 100% homogeneous with relevant genes from V.cholerae, indicating that these amplicons were originated from V. cholerae.

CONCLUSIONThis duplex nested PCR assay system should be rapid, sensitive and especially applicable to small laboratories, and be suitable for dynamic environmental surveillance.

DNA, Bacterial ; Environmental Monitoring ; methods ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Vibrio cholerae O1 ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Vibrio cholerae O139 ; genetics ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of the leaves of Isatis indigotica.

METHODThe leaves of I. indigotica were extracted with 80% ethanol. The EtOH extract was dispersed in H20 and extracted with petroleum, EtOAc and BuOH successively. The EtOAc fraction was isolated and purified by column chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH -20 and Rp-8, Rp-18. All the compounds were identified on the basis of spectral analyses (including MS, 1H-NMR, 13 C-NMR) , RESULT: Eleven compounds were isolated from the leaves of I. indigotica, and structures were characterized as 10H-indolo [3, 2-b] quinoline (1), indirubin (2), 4 (3H)-quinazo-linone (3), (E)-3-(3', 5'-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxybenzylidene) -2-indolinone (4), 2, 3-dihydropyrrolo [2, 1-b] quinazolin-9(1H) -one (5) , benzoic acid (6) , o-droxy-benzoic acid (7), ( - ) -lariciresinol (8) , ( + ) -isolariciresinol (9), isovitexin (10), 6-f-D-glucopyranosyldiosmetin (11).

CONCLUSION1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11 were obtained from the leaves of I. indigotica for the first time.

Furans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Indole Alkaloids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Isatis ; chemistry ; Lignans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Lignin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Naphthols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quinolines ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVEThrough systematic monitoring of the number and strain types of O1 and O139 Vibrio cholerae in the Pearl River estuary waters to analyze it's relevance with the temperature of environment, and the relevance between strains in water and isolates during outbreaks and epidemics as well as to estimate the methods used for environmental water detection and the potential role in cholera surveillance program.

METHODSTwenty-four stations along the Pearl River were selected and the water samples were collected monthly from March 2006 to February 2007. V. cholerae O1 and O139 strains were isolated from the samples. Real-time PCR established in our laboratory was used to detect V. cholerae O1 and O139. Air temperature and water temperature were collected during sampling. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was applied in molecular typing of the isolates.

RESULTS862 water samples were collected during the study period. A total number of 77 O1 and O139 V. cholerae were isolated in 67 water samples and the positive rates were 7.77% for isolation and 26.33% for real-time PCR. Seasonal trend of positive rates by month were approximately coincident with the change of water temperature. The positive rates in the stations in urban area were higher than those in other areas. Toxigenic O139 strains were found in one station located in downstream of a marine market. Most of the O1 and O139 isolates were non-toxigenic. No trend of seasonal variation of the strains was noticed. Within these 75 isolates, 49 PFGE patterns were identified and the patterns differed widely with the similarity of 57.4% - 100%.

CONCLUSIONV. cholerae existed as the natural habitat in estuary water of the Pearl River and showed obvious genetic diversity. Data from monitoring waters might show the separation of strains with certain seasonal association. But the crowd did not show the relationship between the infections. Results from water surveillance program might provide indicators on the appearance of cholera pathogen which might be used in assessing the environmental risk of cholera epidemics as well as the alert of cholera.

Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Environmental Monitoring ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Seasons ; Temperature ; Vibrio cholerae O1 ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Vibrio cholerae O139 ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVESalt-sensitivity plays an important role in essential hypertension and is associated with more severe target organ injury and higher mortality in patients with essential hypertension. However, the pathologic mechanism of salt-sensitivity is poorly understood and endothelial dysfunction might be involved in salt-sensitive hypertension. We, therefore, observed the endothelial function changes by measuring plasma and urine nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in salt-sensitive (SS) normotensive and mild hypertensive subjects underwent various salt loading protocols and the effects of potassium supplement.

METHODSThirty-nine normotensive and mild hypertensive subjects (< 160/100 mm Hg), aged 16-60, were enrolled and the study protocol is as follows: 3 days baseline investigation, 1 week low-salt loading (3 g/day), 1 week. high-salt loading (18 g/day) and 1 week high-salt loading plus potassium chloride (4.5 g/day).

RESULTSPlasma and urine NO levels were significantly lower in SS (n = 8) subjects at baseline, low-salt and high-salt loading phases compared with salt-resistant subjects (SR, n = 31) and oral potassium supplement to SS subjects with high salt loading significantly increased plasma and urine NO levels.

CONCLUSIONEndothelial function is impaired in normotensive and mild hypertensive SS subjects. Oral potassium supplement could improve endothelial function in normotensive and mild hypertensive SS subjects.

Adult ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Blood Pressure ; Endothelium ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; urine ; Potassium, Dietary ; administration & dosage