Oncomelania hupensis is the only intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum. The elimination of Oncomelania snails is the key technique step for schistosomiasis control. This paper summarizes the progress of the techniques of snail control，including the methods of ecology engineering，biology，molluscicides and the study on novel molluscicides，and reviews their features. In addition，this paper explores the appropriate approach to control the snails.

Parkinson's disease(PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder and ?-synuclein plays an important role in its development.Using the genetically tractable Saccharomyces cere-visiae as a model system,the phenotypic repercussions and potential mechanisms of ?-synuclein-induced cytotoxicity are characterized through modulating its expression level and other cellular factors.Aggrega-tion-induced toxicity is more dramatic upon elevated expression of ?-synuclein than that induced at moder-ate levels of expression.The induced toxicity is also enhanced by reagents such as dimethyl sulfoxide,which increase intracellular levels of phospholipid and membrane,as well as ferrous ions and hydrogen peroxide,both of which cause oxidative stresses in yeast cells.In contrast,over-expression of yeast homologue of hu-man chaperone DJ-1,YDR533C,markedly alleviate the inhibition of growth afflicted by exogenous expres-sion of ?-synuclein.Taken together,the data presented suggest a role for protein folding machinery together with quality control system in dealing with the aggregation of ?-synuclein.

Objective To explore the chronic effects of mild and moderate iodine excess and iodine restriction on apoptosis of thyrocytes. Methods Wistar rats were exposed to 4 different doses of iodine: 4 μg/d (control), 6 μg/d (1.5 fold iodine excess), 12 μg/d (3 fold iodine excess), and 24 μg/d (6 fold iodine excess) for 1, 2, 4 and 8 months. Some rats treated for 8 months were fed with 4 μg/d iodine for another 3 months. Urinary iodine concentration was monitored by arscnic/cerium catalyzing spectrophotography. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry after Annexin V-FTTC staining and uhrastructure assessment under electronic microscope. Cell cycle kinetics was analyzed by flow eytometry after propidium iodine staining. Fluorescent measurement by DCFH-DA probe was used to determine the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Expressions of apoptic proteins were analyzed by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Results Apoptotosis rate and ROS production in thyrocytes were significantly increased in 3 and 6 fold iodine excess groups after 4 months and 8 months (all P < 0.05), which was reversed with iodine restriction. 6 fold iodine exposure was proved to cause a reduction of cells in GOG1-phase (64% and 67% vs 80%, both P < 0. 05) and a concomitant accumulation in S-phase (5% and 6% vs 3%, both P <0.05) after 4 months and 8 months. Expressions of Fas, FasL and TRAIL proteins in 3 and 6 fold iodine excess groups after 8 months were increased by 2 to 4 times compared with control group and did not return to normal after iodine restriction. Bcl-2 and Bax remained constant. Positive correlations were observed among iodine amount, apoptosis rate and ROS level in 6 fold iodine excess group after 8 months (r = 0. 637-0.790, P < 0.01). Conclusion Chronic iodine excess results in thyrocyte apoptosis due probably to generation of ROS.

Objective To explore the risk factors of skeletal related events (SREs) in non small cell lung cancer with bone metastases and its effect on the prognosis .Methods Totally 223 cases of NSCLC patients with bone metastasis were retrospective studied from January 2010 to December 2012 in our hospital .The clinical features ,predictive factors for SREs were analysed by sin‐gle factor and multifactor analysis .Results Among 223 cases of NSCLC patients with bone metastasis ,119 cases occured with SREs(53 .4% ) .Univariate analysis showed that the occurrence of SREs in female ,no smoker ,adenocarcinoma ,solitary bone metas‐tasis lesions were less than the male ,smoker non‐adenocarcinoma ,and multiple bone metastases (P<0 .05) ,but the rost without statistically significant(P>0 .05) .The multivariate analysis revealed only multiple bone metastases was an independent risk factor for SREs .The median survival time of the NSCLC patients with bone metastasis was 15 .3 months .Moreover ,survival analysis showed that SREs had no statistical significance on the prognosis of bone metastasis in NSCLC patients (P>0 .05) .Conclusion The female ,adenocarcinoma ,smoking history ,solitary bone metastasis lesions occurred in patients with lower risk SREs .Multiple bone metastasis is an independent risk factor for SREs ,attention should be paid to monitoring and prevention .

The goal of this study is to investigate the population pharmacokinetics of oral tacrolimus in Chinese renal transplant patients and to identify possible relationship between covariates and population parameters. Details of drug dosage history, sampling time and concentration of 802 data points in 58 patients were collected retrospectively. Before analysis, the 58 patients were randomly allocated to either the model building group (n=41) or the validation group (n=17). Population pharmacokinetic data analysis was performed using the nonlinear mixed-effects model (NONMEM) program on the model building group. The pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus was best described by a one compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination. Typical values of apparent clearance (CL/F), apparent volume of distribution (V/F) were estimated. A number of covariates including demographic index, clinical index and coadministration of other drugs were evaluated statistically for their influence on these parameters. The final population model related clearance with POD (post operative days), HCT (haematocrit), AST (aspartate aminotransferase) and coadministration of nicardipine and diltiazem. Predictive performance of the final model evaluated with the validation group showed insignificant bias between observed and model predicted concentrations. Typical value of CL/F and V/F was 21.7 L x h(-1) and 241 L, inter-patient variability (RSD) in CL/F and V/F was 41.6% and 49.7%, respectively. The residual variability (SD) between observed and model-predicted concentrations was 2.19 microg x L(-1). The population pharmacokinetic model of tacrolimus in Chinese renal transplant patients was established and significant covariates on the tacrolimus model were identified.
Administration, Oral ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Metabolic Clearance Rate ; Middle Aged ; Models, Statistical ; Nonlinear Dynamics ; Retrospective Studies ; Tacrolimus ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Young Adult

As a novel and effective approach, response surface model is used in the study of drug-drug interactions. When two drugs are used simultaneously, this model can be applied to estimate the key characters of the response surface, to find the desired response region by optimal drugs combination, to explore the mechanism of drug-drug interactions, and thus to guide sound clinical application and reduce the risk and cost. In this article, the model's basic mathematical and pharmacological concepts are introduced, and its research progresses are reviewed.
Alfentanil ; pharmacology ; Anesthetics ; pharmacology ; Computer Simulation ; Drug Interactions ; Drug Synergism ; Humans ; Midazolam ; pharmacology ; Models, Statistical ; Propofol ; pharmacology

This study is to develop a therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) network server of tacrolimus for Chinese renal transplant patients, which can facilitate doctor to manage patients' information and provide three levels of predictions. Database management system MySQL was employed to build and manage the database of patients and doctors' information, and hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and Java server pages (JSP) technology were employed to construct network server for database management. Based on the population pharmacokinetic model of tacrolimus for Chinese renal transplant patients, above program languages were used to construct the population prediction and subpopulation prediction modules. Based on Bayesian principle and maximization of the posterior probability function, an objective function was established, and minimized by an optimization algorithm to estimate patient's individual pharmacokinetic parameters. It is proved that the network server has the basic functions for database management and three levels of prediction to aid doctor to optimize the regimen of tacrolimus for Chinese renal transplant patients.
Algorithms ; Bayes Theorem ; Database Management Systems ; Drug Monitoring ; methods ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Kidney Transplantation ; Models, Biological ; Tacrolimus ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the distribution of mononucleotide polymorphism of five regulation regions of alpha-IFN among HLA-DRB1*11 gene episodes and the therapeutic effects of alpha-IFN treatment in chronic hepatitis B patients.

METHODSOne hundred seven chronic hepatitis patients from Nanjing Second Hospital who were treated by alpha-IFN for 12 months and then followed at least six months without the treatment were randomly selected for this regressive analysis. They were grouped into a continuous responsive group and a non-continuous responsive group. Hepatitis B virus X interacting protein gene locus was searched in NCBI. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) gene locus was detected based on a pooling sequencing method. Primer and TaqMan-MGB probes referring to different mononucleotide loci were designed respectively to detect SNP in five regulation regions of alpha-IFN. Then gene sequencing differences between the two groups were analyzed.

RESULTSAmong the 107 cases there were 30 cases (28.0%) in the continuous responsive group and 77 cases (71.9%) in the non-continuous responsive group. CT occupation rate in five regulation regions of IFN reached 18.0% in the continuous responsive group and 23.8% in the non-continuous responsive group. AG occupation rate reached 10.8% in the former group and 15.8% in the latter group. The differences in CT and AG between the two groups were significant.

CONCLUSIONSThe distribution of mononucleotide polymorphism of five regulation regions of alpha-IFN among HLA-DRB1*11 gene episodes affects the IFN anti-virus treatment. Detecting the gene distribution of mononucleotide in five regulation regions of alpha-IFN helps in predicting the therapeutic effects of alpha-IFN.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; Genotype ; HLA-DR Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-DRB1 Chains ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Regression Analysis ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

The aim of this study was to investigate the gene expression profiles of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cell line NB4 treated with arsenic trioxide (As2O3) by using cDNA microarray. cDNA probes were prepared through reverse transcription from mRNA of NB4 cells treated with or without arsenic trioxide. The probes were labeled with Cy3 and Cy5 fluorescence dyes individually, hybridized with cDNA microarray representing 201 different human genes, and their fluorescent intensities were scanned. The genes were screened through the analysis of the difference in the gene expression profile. The results showed that after the treatment of arsenic trioxide (2 micromol/L), 6 genes were up-regulated, and 12 genes related to apoptosis and signal transduction were down-regulated. The p21, survivin, cdc2 and Wee1Hu genes may be related to the differentiation and/or apoptosis of NB4 cells induced by As2O3. It is concluded that p21, survivin, cdc2 and Wee1Hu may play an important role in the mechanism underling arsenic trioxide-mediated NB4 cell apoptosis.
Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; genetics ; Arsenicals ; pharmacology ; CDC2 Protein Kinase ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclin B ; metabolism ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 ; metabolism ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinases ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; pathology ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Oxides ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo analyze the role of resistin in insulin resistance (IR) through investigating the variation of plasma resistin levels and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in resistin gene 5' flanking region in stroke patients.

METHODSIn 103 atherothrombotic cerebral infarction (ACI) patients, 85 lacunar infarction (LI) patients, 70 intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients, and 86 healthy controls, plasma resistin and insulin levels were measured by ELISA, SNPs in resistin gene 5' flanking region were detected by PCR and direct DNA sequencing. The subjects' body height and weight, the body mass index, quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), blood pressure, and the concentration of fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, creatinine, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein were also determined.

RESULTSQUICKI was significantly lower in the ACI and ICH patients (0.316 +/- 0.037 and 0.309 +/- 0.032, respectively) than that in the controls (0.342 +/- 0.043, P < 0.001), while plasma resistin level was significantly higher in the ACI and ICH patients (6.36 +/- 3.79 and 7.15 +/- 4.27 ng/mL, respectively) than that in the controls (5.28 +/- 2.56 ng/mL, P < 0.05), but such difference was not observed in the LI patients compared with controls. There was a statistically negative correlation between plasma resistin level with QUICKI (r = -0.228, P < 0.001). The distributions of allele and genotype frequencies of resistin gene - 420C > G and - 537A > C SNPs were not significantly different among the different groups, and those SNPs were not correlated with other clinical and biochemical parameters.

CONCLUSIONSPlasma resistin is associated with stroke by participating in the development of IR. The SNPs in resistin gene 5' flanking region has no impact on the plasma resistin level.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Cerebral Infarction ; blood ; genetics ; Creatinine ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin ; blood ; Insulin Resistance ; physiology ; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis ; blood ; genetics ; Lipoproteins ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Resistin ; blood ; genetics ; Stroke ; blood ; genetics ; Triglycerides ; blood