Proteomics, which has been widely used in life science, is an emerging discipline following genomics. It can help to explore the pathogenic mechanism and early onset marker of Bacillus anthracis, playing an important part in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of B.anthracis. In this paper,the application of proteomics in the research of B.anthracis is reviewed.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Chronic Disease ; epidemiology ; Dyslipidemias ; epidemiology ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; epidemiology ; Smoking ; epidemiology

Objective To detect the mutations of ATP2C1 gene in patients with Hailey-Hailey dis- ease (HHD).Methods PCR and direct sequencing were performed in 17 patients and 120 healthy controls to screen the mutations in the exons of ATP2C1 gene.Results Eight mutations were identified in nine probands, including three deletion mutations (nt1464-1487 del/nt1462-1485del,1523delAT,2375delTTGT),three splice site mutations (360—2A→G,1415—2A→T,2243+2T→C) and two missence mutations (C920T and G1942T).None of the above mutations was found in the controls.Conclusion Eight specific novel mutations were identified in nine probands of HHD,which could be causative factors of the disease.

For diabetes mellitus, little research has been done on the tissue-based or cell-based drug screening model, which has advantages over traditional animal diabetic model in high specificity, high screening volume, low cost and simple manipulation. Considering that the maintenance of complete islet tissue structure is the prerequisite for islet cells to perform their functions normally, an in vitro islet-based drug screening model for diabetes mellitus was established and evaluated. Pancreatic islets were isolated from 3 weeks old mice of either sex by collagenase digestion and density gradient centrifugation as prescribed by Ramanadham S. The volume of 0.1% (W/V) collagenase IV, 0.1% (W/V) Hyaluroridase and 0.1% (W/V) DNase I were 4 times, 2 times and 1 times that of the islets to be digested. And a 2 hours' cold digestion at 4 degrees C was followed by a 10 minutes' warm digestion at 37 degrees C. Under the optimized digestion condition, the islet recovery could be increased by 10%. The isolated islets could survive 6 weeks in vitro and show stable insulin secretion in the first 10 days after inoculation. The obtained islets were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium at 37 degrees C with 5% CO2. Then a diabetic model was established by selecting streptozotocin (STZ) as the evocator and nitric oxide (NO) as the responding index. After 1 day's inoculation, islets culture was treated with STZ, whose concentration ranged from 0 to 5.0 mmol/L. NO was measured by a colorimetric assay at 540nm based on the Griess reaction for 10 min with 0.1 mL Griess reagent and 0.1 mL culture supernatants. Insulin secretion was assayed by RIA methods. Due to the islets-related inoculation variations, NO release and insulin content were both expressed as a percentage of the value recorded in basal experiment which was in the only presence of Krebs culture medium. It was testified that the amount of NO released from islet itself remained steady at 30-35 mmol/L regardless of the changes of STZ concentration from 0 to 5.0 mmol/L. However the NO content in the supernatants of islets culture had close relationship with STZ concentration. This indicated that in this STZ-induced islet diabetic model, NO mainly comes from STZ when it dissolves in water. On the other hand, when STZ changed from 0 to 5.0 mmol/L, the dose-dependent relationship between NO content and insulin secretion showed that the increase of NO came along with the decrease of insulin secretion, which is an important symbol of islet function. As a kind of oxidative free radical, NO is capable of impair islet cells. Thus, NO is a reliable responding index of the model. The optimal STZ concentration in the model is finally determined to be 5.0 mmol/L, under which condition the NO content and insulin secretion is 10.81 times and 0.43 times that in the medium before STZ is added. So if anything is effective in lowering the NO content in the culture, it could protect islets cells from the oxidative attacks of NO. Finally, as an application of the model, the scavenging effect of KOSCr on NO was studied. In a series of KOSCr with different chromium content, all had shown better NO scavenging effects than KOS itself, which could give us an enlightenment of the influence of chromium ion on oligosaccharide. And 1 g/mL KOSCr with 3.519% chromium content can significantly inhibit the NO formation. This has lain a theoretic basis for the research of KOSCr bioactivity and quality control. These results suggested that the STZ-induced diabetic islet model which is impaired by NO free radical can be used effectively, fast and conveniently when screening potential diabetes drugs.
Animals ; Chromium ; pharmacology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; In Vitro Techniques ; Insulin ; metabolism ; Islets of Langerhans ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Streptozocin ; pharmacology

Case-Control Studies ; Creatine ; urine ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; diagnosis ; urine ; Infant, Newborn ; Lactic Acid ; urine ; Male ; Predictive Value of Tests

The burned bone DNA test have became more and more important in identifying the individuals and paternity involved in the fire, explosion disasters as well as burn corpse crimes. As an important genetic marker system, STR has been widely used in forensic individual identification, paternity test and other fields. In this article, the influence of burned temperature and time to STR typing was reviewed, the choice of STR locus and DNA extraction methods were discussed about burned bones.
Bone and Bones/pathology* ; Burns/pathology* ; DNA/analysis* ; Disasters ; Fires ; Forensic Genetics ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Microsatellite Repeats/genetics* ; Paternity

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of urokinase and low molecular weight heparin in children with nephrotic syndrome complicated with intracranial venous thrombosis.

METHODSUrokinase and low molecular weight heparin were administered to the 5 patients intravenously. The initial dose of urokinase was 2000 - 4000 U/(kg.d), the initial pulse dose was 20 000 - 40 000 U given within 15 - 30 minutes, and the left was infused by using a pump, from the second day 2000 U/(kg.d) urokinase was infused daily for 3 to 7 days. During the treatment thrombin time (TT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were tested 3 times every week, with particular attention to bleeding. Low molecular weight heparin 100 - 120 AXaIU/kg, 1 or 2 times per day was hypodermally injected for a course of two weeks. Anti-platelet drugs: long-term oral administration of dipyridamole 3 - 5 mg/(kg.d) was applied 2 - 3 times every day for 3 months.

RESULTSThe clinical symptoms disappeared after one month of the combined therapy of urokinase, low molecular weight heparin and dipyridamole in 5 cases of nephrotic syndrome complicated with intracranial venous thrombosis in children, the plasma viscosity returned to normal in 1 month, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, fibrinogen degradation products returned to normal in 1 to 2 months, venous thrombosis disappeared after 1 to 3 months in head CT or MRI examination, showing the cerebral venous sinus thrombosis complete recanalization without relapse cases in follow-up.

CONCLUSIONThe early application of urokinase and low molecular heparin and anti-platelet coagulation drugs was effective. The early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of intracranial vein thrombosis in patients with nephrotic syndrome is important.

Adolescent ; Child ; Early Diagnosis ; Fibrinolytic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; complications ; Prognosis ; Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial ; complications ; Treatment Outcome ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the incidence of precore mutation in HBeAg negative HBV infected patients and the therapeutic effect of the immune therapy (levamisole + HBV vaccine + dipyridamole) on patients chronically infected by HBV with precore mutation.

METHODSThe precore region of HBV from the HBeAg (-) chronic hepatitis patients was sequenced and the patients suffered from HBV with precore mutation were treated with immune therapy.

RESULTSThe precore mutation rate was 10/12. The therapeutic effect of the immune therapy on the precore mutation patients (5/7) was better than that on the HBsAg(+), HBeAg(+) patients (2/11), P less than 0.05.

CONCLUSIONThe precore mutation rate was quite high in the HBsAg(+), HBeAg(-) patients we studied. The immune-therapy has some therapeutic effects on the patients with precore mutation. But the number of cases was too small, further study is needed.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Combined Modality Therapy ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Dipyridamole ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Levamisole ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Mutation

BACKGROUNDThe morphological and electrophysiological characteristics of cardiac cells in Koch triangle are still disputed. We studied the appearance and electrical properties of these diverse myocytes to elucidate their complex electrophysiological phenomena.

METHODSExperiments were conducted using cooled charge coupling device (CCD) system and whole cell, patch clamp technique to determine the morphology, action potential and sodium current density of single viable myocytes enzymatically isolated from the Koch triangle of rabbit hearts.

RESULTSMorphologically, cardiac cells in shape of spider, tiny spindle, slender spindle, rod and strip were observed in percentage of 3.0 +/- 0.3, 35.0 +/- 5.0, 15.0 +/- 2.0, 40.0 +/- 5.0 and 6.0 +/- 0.7 respectively. The cellular dimensions and capacitance gradually increased in the above order (all P < 0.05). Electrophysiologically, action potential configurations recorded from them were similar respectively to nodal (N), atrial nodal (AN), nodal Hisian (NH), atrial (A) and Hisian like potentials obtained from the intact atrioventricular nodal preparations. Diastolic depolarization appeared in all myocytes except for rod cells. Sodium current density increased in the order of tiny spindle, strip, rod, slender spindle cell (all P < 0.05), but could not be detected in spider-shaped cells. Linear regression analysis revealed that membrane capacitance was correlated negatively to the rate of diastolic depolarization r = -0.70, P < 0.001, but positively to maximum depolarization potential, amplitude of action potential, upstroke velocity and maximum peak value of sodium current density r = 0.84, 0.80, 0.87 and 0.75, respectively; all P < 0.001.

CONCLUSIONSThe results demonstrated that spider-shaped, spindle, rod and strip cells in Koch triangle might correspond to pacemaking, transitional, atrial and Purkinje like cells, respectively. Furthermore, tiny spindle and slender spindle cells were referred to transitional cell alpha (TCalpha) and beta (TCbeta) accordingly considering their distinctive electrical properties. Different myocytes with diverse electrical properties constituted the infrastructure of sophisticated electrophysiological phenomena in Koch triangle. In view of the prominent percentage and electrical properties, tiny spindle and slender spindle cells were presumed to play important roles.

Action Potentials ; Animals ; Atrioventricular Node ; cytology ; physiology ; Female ; Male ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; physiology ; Rabbits ; Sodium Channels ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the high-resolution and color Doppler ultrasonographic (US) characteristics of cervical lymphadenopathy in patients with infectious mononucleosis.

METHODSHigh-resolution and color Doppler US were performed in 30 patients aged 2 to 30 years with a total of 59 palpable enlarged cervical lymph nodes due to infectious mononucleosis. The US characteristics of the nodes including shape,echotexture,hilum,border,matting,cystic necrosis,calcification and vascular pattern were assessed. Three patients received cervical lymph nodes biopsies.

RESULTSThe common US findings of cervical lymphadenopathy due to infectious mononucleosis were round shape (69.5%),bilateral distribution (96.7%),matting (83.3%) [even bilateral matting (66.6%)],indistinct margin (79.7%),absence of hilum (66.1%),heterogeneous echotecture (61.0%),and central hilar vascular pattern(89.8%). In 2 patients with absence of the echoic hilum,lymph nodes biopsies showed histological features including marked effacement of the normal architecture in the medullary region accompanied by a mixed proliferation of lymphocytes and histiocytes. In all infectious mononucleosis nodes with a hilum,85.0% had heterogeneously hypo/iso-echoic hila and indistinct demarcation to the cortex. One of them underwent lymph node biopsy and histological findings showed obvious dilation of the sinus oidal lumen and proliferation of histiocytes.

CONCLUSIONAlthough several ultrasonographic characteristics frequently present in the nodes of infectious mononucleosis are not specific,the combination of ultrasound findings may be valuable in differential diagnosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Calcinosis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Infectious Mononucleosis ; Lymphatic Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; Neck ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult