Animals ; Antibodies ; chemistry ; genetics ; Genetic Engineering ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; genetics ; Immunohistochemistry ; Protein Engineering

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of beta-asarone on expression of immediately early gene c-fos in kindling epilepsy rat brain.

METHODThe rats were randomly divided in to beta-asarone groups (200, 100, 50 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), difetoin control group (36 mg x kg(-1)) and model group. The remedy was administered orally. The effects were observed in kindling epilepsy model induced by penicillin, then the expression of c-fos were determined by western blot (hippocampus) and immunohistochemical techniques (cortex).

RESULTBeta-asarone could significantly increase the expression of c-fos in kindling epilepsy rat brain, and show its quantity-effect relation. The expression of c-fos in hippocampus was (1139.45 +/- 155.56), (1109.56 +/- 134.03), (1103.73 +/- 235.82) CNT x mm2 in beta-asarone groups, 920.54 +/- 203.20 in model control group, and 1106.26 +/- 186.24 in difetoin group, respectively. The number of c-fos positive cell was 87.1 +/- 2.2, 76.3 +/- 1.3 and 59.9 +/- 1.3 in beta-asarone groups, 39.3 +/- 2.6 in model control group, and 95.2 +/- 1.1 in difetoin group, respectively.

CONCLUSIONBeta-asarone can obviously increase the expression of c-fos in epilepsy rat brain. It is one of important response to epilepsy.

Animals ; Anisoles ; pharmacology ; Blotting, Western ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Epilepsy ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo assess the molecular biological characteristics of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected blood donors in Shaoxing.

METHODS8692 blood donors were screened using ELISA. The occult HBV infection was determined by DNA analysis among the HBsAg negative subjects. DNA sequencing and mutational analysis were further performed in the HBV DNA positive samples. The overall situation of occult HBV infection was hereby evaluated and the possible underlying mechanisms discussed.

RESULTSAmong the 8644 HBsAg negative subjects out of 8692 blood donors, 8 were HBV DNA positive. The occult HBV infection rate was 0.92 per thousand (8/8692). Among the 8 samples, 6 were genotype C (75%) and 2 genotype B (25%). In addition, a specific mutation in "a" epitope was observed in 7 OBI virus strains by amino acid analysis.

CONCLUSIONThere were occult HBV infected among blood donors in Shaoxing, which is probably associated with the gene mutation of HBV virus.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Blood Donors ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B ; virology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; classification ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phylogeny

Objective:To explore value of 256-slice spiral CT pulmonary artery angiography (CTPA)evaluating right heart function in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE).Methods:According to death risk assessment of APE patients, a total of 67 APE patients were divided into high risk APE group (n=41)and non-high risk APE group (n=35).CTPA was used to analyze and compare CTPA obstructive index and right heart function indexes between two groups.Correlations among CTPA obstructive index and right heart function indexes were also analyzed.Results:Compared with non-high risk APE group,there were significant rise in CTPA constructive index [8.58% vs.24.69%],percentages of straight or left protruded ventricular septum (31.46% vs.73.17%)and bronchial artery dilation (5.71% vs.24.69%);Except the supe- rior vena cava diameter,the rest right heart function parameters had difference significance in two groups,P<0.05 or<0.01. Spearman correlation analysis indicated that CTPA obstructive index was significant positively correlated with right ventricular maximal short axis (RVMSA),RV:LV,diameters of main pulmonary artery,superior vena cava and azygos (r=0.684~0.954),and significant inversely correlated with LVMSA (r=-0.786),P<0.01 all.ROC curve analysis indicated that AUCs of CTPA RV:LV (0.949)was the biggest diagnosing APE severity.Conclusion:Right heart func- tion indexes measured by multi-detector CT are accurate and practical indexes evaluating APE severity,and it possesses im- portant significance.

Objective To establish a stable animal model for sequentially dynamic and direct monitoring of the skin wound infection. Methods The mice with full-thickness skin incisions were replicated. After immediate subcutaneous suture,the mice were randomly divided into four groups,ie,Group A was inoculated with 50 μl sterile PBS solution),Groups B,C and D were inoculated with 50 μl suspension containing 1 × 106,1 × 108 and 1 × 1010 colony forming unit (CFU)/ml bioluminescent methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) respectively.Then,the diet behavior of each group was observed and the mean weight and mortality of each group were also recorded at different time points.The bioluminescent intensity of fluoresce in the wounds was recorded at different time points by using the charge-coupled device (CCD) based imaging system.Local wound tissues were incised at 24 hours after inoculation for HE staining so as to observe wound inflammatory reaction in each group.Wound healing time of each group was also recorded. Results ( 1 ) Average weight:Groups A and B showed unobvious changes in weight; Group C lightened until day 3 after inoculation and then recovered gradually to the preinoculation level at day 14; Group D lightened gradually until death.(2)Mortality:Groups A and B had no death; Group C had 10％ deaths at day 14; Group D had 100％ deaths.(3) Bioluminescent intensity of wounds:Groups A and B showed a gradual weakened luminescence since the day of inoculation and had almost complete disappearance at days 5 and 7 respectively; there was no sign of obvious increase or decrease in Group C from the day of inoculation till day 14 ; Group D had a gradual increase since the day of inoculation and the luminous area expanded until the death.(4) HE staining at 24 hours after inoculation:all the four groups showed inflammatory cell infiltration,especially in Groups C and D.(5) Wound healing time:wound healed at days 5 and 7 after inoculation in Groups A and B; the wounds showed no healing even at day 14 in the Group C,but the wounds length and area did not show obvious enlargement or diminishment ; the wounds extended gradually until the death in the Group D,since the day of inoculation. Conclusions The inoculation of 50 μl suspension with 1 × 108 CFU/ml bioluminescent MRSA to full-thickness skin incision rats allows direct,real-time dynamic and continuous detection of the occurrence and development of the wound infections.The infection model is easy to make and has stability and high repeatability.

Objective To detect the impact of reactive oxygen species ( ROS) on mitochondrial morphology and distri-bution during mitosis.Methods A viral vector in which the fluorescence gene was specifically under the control of mito-chondrial promoter was constructed and confirmed through DNA sequencing and Western blotting.After transfecting HeLa s3 cell with packaged virus, the HeLa s3-COX4tp-EGFP cell line stably expressing the mitochondrial fluorescence signal was obtained.With immunofluorescent staining, the impact of ROS on the morphology and distribution of mitochondria dur-ing mitosis was inspected.Result The cell line constantly expressing mitochondrial fluorescence signals was successfully constructed.Meanwhile,it was found that H2 O2 treatment could significantly change the morphology and distribution of mi-tochondria during mitosis by confocal microscopy.Conclusion Our study demonstrates that ROS can affect the morphology and distribution of mitochondria during mitosis.This research help study the relationship between the mitochondrial function and the regulation of mitosis in the future.

OBJECTIVE: To establish an extraction method of hirudin by double aqueous phase combined with gel chromatography. METHODS: Anti-thrombin activity units (ATU) was adopted as the index. On the basis of optimizing the double aqueous phase extraction conditions, a new extraction technology of hirudin was established by employing double aqueous phase system combined with gel chromatography. The double aqueous phase was composed of polyethylene glycol and ammonium sulfate and took the digestive juice of Poecilobdella manillensis from Guangxi Province as the raw material. RESULTS: In the studied experimental range, the optimum technological conditions of double aqueous phase extraction of hirudin reference substantce were as follows: the contents of PEG 2000, (NH4)2SO4 and NaCl were 22%, 20% and 0.04%, respectively. The extraction temperature was 35°C, and pH was 6.0. The obtained extracts were further purified by gel chromatography. The recoveries of ATU reached 81.92%, 80.34% and 80.36% for hirudin reference substance, hirudin crude extracts and scale-up experiment, respectively. The specific activity of obtained products reached 3210.27 ATU · mg-1. The results of discontinuous polyacrylate gel electrophoresis and spectral scan for the extract were the same with for the reference substance. CONCLUSION: The double aqueous phase extraction combined with gel chromatography is good for hirudin. Copyright 2012 by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Objective To study the role of vagusism on diethytlnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats and to explore its mechanism.Methods The rat vagus nerve was labeled with 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,33 -tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) tracer.The rats were divided into three groups:cancer induced rat models (cancer-induced group,n =20),cancer-induced and vagal detachment models (combined group,n =20) and normal rats (negative group,n =20),HE staining was performed on the liver tissue biopsied from the three groups of rats.The pathological grading score was evaluated and statistically analyzed.Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staing was used to determine the expression of vagal neurotransmitters and related receptors in liver tissue.Results The optimal concentration (1 mg/ml) and fixation duration with formalin (4 days) of DiI tracer marker vagal nerve demonstrated superior distribution and density of vagus nerve in the liver tissue.The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly higher in the cancer-induced group (75％) than combined group (15％),the difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).IHC staining results of acetllcholine showed a significant difference between cancerinduced group (9.10) and combined group (2.30) or negative group (2.95),the difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).The M1 receptor expression was significantly higher in cancer-induced group (6.00) than combined group (2.30) and negative group (2.55),the differences were statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference of M2 receptor expression among the cancer-induced group (1.30),combined group (1.25) and negative group (1.35) (P ＞ 0.05).The M3 receptor expression detected with IHC staining shown there were statistical differences among cancer-induced group (8.95),combined group (6.30) and negative group (3.60) (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The vagus nerve may play an important role in the development of DEN-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats.

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in the clinical efficacy on cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type (CSA) treated with thermosensitive moxibustion at different dosages.

METHODSSixty cases of CSA were randomized into a saturated moxa dosage group and a regular moxa dosage group, 30 cases in each one. The thermosensitive moxibustion was adopted in the two groups. The mild suspended moxibustion was applied at two acupoints with the strongest thermosensitization. In the saturated moxa dosage group, the moxibustion time was determined by the disappearance of thermosensitization. In the regular moxa dosage group, 15 min was required on each acupoint. The treatment was given twice a day for first 4 days in the two groups. Since the 5th day, the treatment was given once a day, continuously for 10 times, and totally 14 days were required. The score of symptoms and function and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups before and after treatment as well as 6-month follow-up after treatment.

RESULTSThe curative and effective rate was 56.7% (17/30) after treatment and 60.0% (18/30) in 6-month follow-up after treatment in the saturated moxa dosage group, which were superior to 26.7% (8/30) and 30.0% (9/30) in the regular moxa dosage group respectively (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The scores of clinical symptoms and function after treatment and in follow-up were improved apparently as compared with those before treatment in both groups (all P < 0.01). The scores of clinical symptoms and function after treatment and in follow-up in the saturated moxa dosage group were increased much more apparently than those in the regular moxa dosage group (after treatment: 22.32 +/- 4.64 vs 17.43 +/- 3.21; in follow-up: 23.01 +/- 4.76 vs 18.32 +/- 2.13, both P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe thermosensitization moxibustion of saturated dosage achieves the superior short-term and long-term efficacies in the treatment of CSA as compared with the regular moxibustion dosage.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; instrumentation ; Spondylosis ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Vertebral Artery ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of biological clock protein on circadian disorders in hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) by examining levels of CLOCK and BMAL1 proteins in the pineal gland of neonatal rats.

METHODSSeventy-two 7-day-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into sham-operated and HIBD groups. HIBD model was prepared according to the modified Levine method. Western blot analysis was used to measure the levels of CLOCK and BMAL1 in the pineal gland at 0, 2, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours after operation.

RESULTSBoth CLOCK and BMAL levels in the pineal gland increased significantly 48 hours after HIBD compared with the sham-operated group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in levels of CLOCK and BMAL proteins between the two groups at 0, 2, 12, 24 and 36 hours after operation (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSLevels of CLOCK and BMAL1 proteins in the pineal gland of rats increase significantly 48 hours after HIBD, suggesting that both CLOCK and BMAL1 may be involved the regulatory mechanism of circadian disorders in rats with HIBD.

ARNTL Transcription Factors ; analysis ; physiology ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; CLOCK Proteins ; analysis ; physiology ; Chronobiology Disorders ; etiology ; Female ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; metabolism ; Male ; Pineal Gland ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Time Factors