BACKGROUND:More than 10 kinds of lipid metabolism-related genes have been found, and endocrine dysfunction mediated by these genes is an important pathological basis for the occurrence and development of insulin resistance. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of metformin on serum lipid profiles and the expression levels of various genes associated with insulin resistance, as well as the histopathological changes of the liver and pancreas in rats with type 2 diabetes melitus. METHODS:A type 2 diabetes mellitus rat model was established by feeding a high-fat diet to the rats for 4 weeks, combined with the intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg). In the meanwhile, metformin was administered orally (400 mg/kg?d) (model group) or nothing (control group). Semi-quantitative RT-PCR, histopathological and biochemical examinations were then performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Metformin improved the symptoms of insulin resistance by normalizing the serum lipid profiles in the diabetic rats. Furthermore, metformin upregulated the expression levels of insulin receptors and genes associated with lipid metabolism, including acyl-CoA oxidase, carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-α. In addition, metformin downregulated the expression levels of fetuin-A and retinol binding protein-4, and improved the expression of perilipin that had been reduced in the type 2 diabetes mellitus rats. Metformin was shown to induce positive signaling for insulin and the regeneration of pancreaticβcells in the pancreas. These results suggest that metformin ameliorates the insulin resistance induced by type 2 diabetes mellitus via regulating the expression levels of fetuin-A, retinol binding protein-4, perilipin and various genes associated with lipid metabolism.

Some problems were settled in making permanent slide for predacious nematode fungi by slide cultivation and cotton blue stain. Method of small-hole culture covered with slides could obtain high quality images, which solved the problem that trapping device couldn't be observed with high-power microscopes and oil-immersion microscopes. Scraping slide technique improved the method of making temporary slides.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Neural Conduction ; physiology ; Paraplegia ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Sural Nerve ; physiopathology

Objective To investigate the expression of Oct-4 as a stem cell marker in gastric carcinoma tissues and its clinical significance. Methods From June 1996 to March 2006, 63 paraffin samples of gastric carcinoma tissues were obtained, and the expression of Oct-4 was examined by immunohistochemical staining. Another 58 normal tissues adjacent to gastric carcinoma and 10 normal gastric mucosa tissues were served as controls. The clinieopathologieal data of 63 patients with gastric carcinoma were retrospectively analysed, and their relationship with the expression of Oct-4 was analysed. Fifty of these 63 patients were followed up for 8 years, Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank teat were employed to explore the correlation between Oct-4 expression and survival, and Cox Regression analysis was performed to evaluate the possibility of Oct-4 expression as an independent prognostic factor for gastric carcinoma. Results The positive expression rate of Oct-4 in gastric carcinoma tissues was 80.95% (51/63), significantly higher than that of normal tissues adjacent to gastric carcinoma (5.2%, 3/58) and normal gastric mucosa tissues (0) (P < 0.01). The expression of Oct-4 was positively correlated to the clinical stage of gastric carcinoma(P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the expression of Oct-4 among patients with different differentiation, age, and gender (P>0.05). Patients with higher expression of Oct-4 had significantly shorter survival time (P<0.05). The expression of Oct-4 was not significantly correlated with the prognosis of gastric carcinoma(RR, 0.554; 95% CI, 0.209-1.466). Conclusion The expression of Oct-4 is correlated with the clinical stage and survival time of patients with gastric carcinoma, however, it is not an independent prognostic factor for gastric carcinoma.

In the present study, the genomic sequence characteristics of HN-JY40 strains of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) isolated from pigs in Henan Province, China, were analyzed and the evolutionary relationship between HN-JY40 and other sequenced strains examined. The whole genome of HN-JY40 was sequenced and analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (3' RACE) and 5' RACE. Bioinformatic analyses were carried out with Megalign, Expasy, clustal x, and MEGA 4 software. The genome of HN-JY40 was 7 223 bp in size upon removal of polyA sequences. Sizes were 9 bp and 69 bp at 5' and 3' noncoding regions, respectively. The genome of HN-JY40 was predicted to contain three open reading frames (ORFs): ORF1 (5 124 bp) encoding 1 707 amino acids; ORF2 (2 025 bp) encoding 674 amino acids; ORF3 (345 bp) encoding 114 amino acids. Phylogenetic-tree analyses indicated that HN-JY40 is a typical type-IV virus that belongs to a new subgenotype of HEV genotype 4. We sequenced and analyzed the whole genome of HN-JY40. This strategy elicited the genomic characteristics of the HEV isolated from pigs in Henan Province as well as the evolutionary relationships between HN- JY40 and other HEV isolates from pigs. We revealed that the ORF1 of HN-JY40 (153-432 nt) and human HK 104-2004 had high similarity, which offers molecular evidence for uncovering the interspecies transmission of the HEV.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; China ; Cloning, Molecular ; Genome, Viral ; Hepatitis E ; veterinary ; virology ; Hepatitis E virus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Swine ; Swine Diseases ; virology

Adult ; Empyema, Pleural ; complications ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Neck Injuries ; complications ; Tracheoesophageal Fistula ; complications ; etiology

Burns, Chemical ; Eye Burns ; Humans ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; Male ; Occupational Injuries

Female ; Humans ; Mercury Poisoning ; therapy ; Young Adult

Objective To compare the effect of freeze-thaw tumor cells and the supernatant from tumor cell culture on the activation of lymphocytes. Methods Malignant melanoma B16 cells were prepared as tumor cell vaccine and the supernatant from tumor cell culture was collected at different time point.Transwell method was used to determine the chemotaxis of lymphocyte attracted by freeze-thaw tumor cells and the supernatant from tumnor cell culture. The cytotoxic activity of lymphocyte was detected by CCK-8 method. Results Freeze-thaw tumor cells and the supernatant from more than 2 h of tumor cell culture were found to show chemotaxis of lymphocyte. The chemotaxis of tumor cell culture more than 4 h was stronger than freeze-thaw tumor cells. Each group of chemotactic lymphocytes demonstrated to have the activity of killing tumor cells. The ability of killing tumor cells induced by the tumor cell culture more than 4 h was stronger than that induced by freeze-thaw tumor cells.In a certain range,the ability of lymphocyte chemotaxis and activation were enhanced over time. Conclusion The chemotaxis and cytotoxic activation of lymphocyte induced by the supernatant from tumor cell culture for a certain time are stronger than those by freeze-thaw tumor cells. The supernatant from tumor cell culture can be used as tumor antigen to get better immune activation instead of the freeze-thaw tumor cells.