In October 2003, a new bacterial disease with symptoms similar to those caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. poinsettiicola was observed on poinsettia leaves at a flower nursery in Zhejiang Province of China. Three Xanthomonas strains were isolated from infected plants and classified as X. axonopodis. They were differentiated from the pathotype strain LMG849 of X. axonopodis pv. poinsettiicola causing bacterial leaf spot of poinsettia by comparison of pathogenicity, substrate utilization and BOX-PCR genomic fingerprints.
Cell Differentiation ; China ; Euphorbia ; microbiology ; Plant Diseases ; microbiology ; Plant Leaves ; microbiology ; Species Specificity ; Xanthomonas ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; pathogenicity

Objective To explore the possible role and mechanism of the Kupffer cells (KCs) in liver allo-geneic transplantation at the early stage. Methods In vitro cell contact coculture system was established. Culture supernatants were collected respectively on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th d after cocul-ture and the KCs and PBMCs were harvested on the 6th day after culture. The expression of HLA-G on the membrane of the KCs and PBMCs was detected with immunochemistry. Nitrate reduction test was used to determine the concentration of nitric oxide. IFN-γ, IL-10, TGF-β1 cytokine levels in the supernatants were also measured with ELISA. The proliferation of lymphocytes was evaluated with MTT. Results six days later, no HLA-G molecules were detected on the membrane of the KCs and PBMCs. In the experimental group containing KCs, the levels of NO, IL-10 and TGF-β1 was signifi-cantly increased(P<0. 05), while the levels of IFN-γ was relatively lower(P<0. 05) as compared to the experimental group without KCs. No IL-10 and IFN-γ were detected in the control group, and on-ly few NO and TGF-β1 was found in the control group with KCs. MTT test showed that the value of optical density was lower in the experimental group with KCs than that in any other group(P<0. 05).Conclusion No HLA-G is expressed on the membrane of KCs and PBMCs after contact coculture.KCs may participate in regulating production of NO and Th2/Th3-like cytokines and suppressing the proliferation of lymphocytes, through which KCs probably take part in inducing immunotolerance of liver transplantation in early stage.

Four rhizobacteria selected out of over 500 isolates from rhizosphere of the vegetables in China were further studied for suppression of the root-knot nematode and soil-borne fungal pathogens in laboratory and greenhouse in Belgium. They were identified as Brevibacillus brevis or Bacillus subtilis by Biolog test and partial 16s rDNA sequence comparison. They not only inhibited the radial growth of the root-infecting fungi Rhizoctonia solani SX-6, Pythium aphanidermatum ZJP-1 and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cucumerinum ZJF-2 in vitro, but also exhibited strong nematicidal activity by killing the second stage larvae of Meloidogyne javanica to varying degrees in the greenhouse. The toxic principles of bacterium B7 that showed the highest juvenile mortality were partially characterized. The active factors were heat stability and resistance to extreme pH values. B7 used either as seed dressing or soil drench significantly reduced the nematode populations in the rhizosphere and enhanced the growth of mungbean plants over the controls in the presence or absence of R. solani.
Alphaproteobacteria ; physiology ; Animals ; Pest Control, Biological ; methods ; Phaseolus ; microbiology ; parasitology ; Seeds ; microbiology ; parasitology ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate ; Symbiosis ; physiology ; Tylenchoidea ; microbiology ; pathogenicity

To explore novel non-opioid analgesic agents, 16 compounds were synthesized and their structures were confirmed by 1H NMR and HR-MS. YX0611-1 was treated as the leading compound. The results of mice writhing model and hot plate model showed that compounds 2, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 15 had obvious analgesic activities in vivo. The test of affinity to mu, delta, kappa receptor displayed that active compounds didn't act on opioid receptor. The results of preliminary toxicity and pharmacokinetic tests showed that compound 7 had better safety and pharmacokinetic properties than that of YX0611-1, and it deserved further development.

Objective:To study the causes of misdiagnosis of patients with POEMS syndrome and to discuss the clues for its early diagnosis.Methods:The clinical and laboratory data of 26 inpatients with POEMS syndrome,who were treated in Changhai hospital over the last decade,were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The misdiagnosis rate of our group was 100%. The misdiagnosis was made in(3.31?0.97)hospitals and in(3.31?0.93)clinical departments;the misdiagnosis period was (19.42?10.86)months and it had been misdiagnosed as 18 other diseases.The initial symptoms included polyneuropathy in 21 (80.8%)cases,edema of lower extremity in 22(84.6%)cases,and body weight loss in 8(30.8%)cases.The typical clinical symptoms included polyneuropathy in 26(100%)cases and organomegaly in 24(92.3%).Two cases had newly-identified uterine hypertrophy,one had adrenal gland hypertrophy,and one had gastric wall thickening mimicking advanced gastric cancer.Hypothyroidism,impotence,skin pigmentation and sclerosis occurred in 76.9%(20/26),60%(6/10),92.3%(24/ 26)and 65.4%(17/26)cases,respectively.Monoclonal plasma cell proliferation was documented in 18(81.8%);M proteins were positive in 14(63.6%)cases by serum immunofixation,and only 2(9.1%)cases also positive by serum protein electrophoresis.One patient was positive of M protein by urine immunofixation and one had abnormal infiltration of plasma cells in the gastric wall.Lymph node biopsy were performed in 8 patients and 3 were found to have Castleman disease;the other 5 cases had lymphocyte infiltration,with 3 complicated with plasma cell proliferation.Nerve biopsy in 4 cases all revealed axonal degeneration and one patient complicated with demyelination.Bone marrow biopsy in 5 cases revealed plasmacytosis in 2 cases and myeloma in one.Excessive radioactivity resorption was found in 10 of the 16 cases(62.5%)and abnormal plasma cells were detected in 2 cases by bone aspiration guided by radioisotope bone scan.Conclusion:Misdiagnosis of POEMS syndrome is very common.Polyneuropathy,edema of lower extremity and body weight loss are the common early symptoms of POEMS syndrome. Early diagnosis can be made by having an intimate knowledge of the progression of the disease and by detecting M protein through various approaches.

Adult ; Benzene ; poisoning ; Chronic Disease ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukopenia ; chemically induced ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo trace the embryonic stem (ES) cells transplanted into rat brain by labeling the cells with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and by mouse neuronal specific antibody Thy-1 and compare their features.

METHODSFor GFP labeling,transfect pEGFP-N1 plasmid containing GFP and anti-neomycin sequences into embryonic stem cell and add neomycin for more than 10 passages. To test the GFP expression in vivo, the GFP-ES was transplanted into healthy rat brain, and the frozen sectioned slides were observed under fluorescence microscope and laser con-focal microscope 21 days later. For the antibody labeling,embryonic stem cells were directly transplanted into the rat brain. The specific mouse thy-1 antibody was used in immunostaining of transplanted cells. For both of the two labeling method, the slides were also examined by double labeling with the antibodies,neuronal nuclei (NeuN) or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) to identify the differentiation of transplanted cells.

RESULTSBoth single ES cell and cell pellets expressed bright green fluorescence the day after plasmid transfection, and more than 30% ES cells were labeled. The GFP-labeled cells could still be found gathered around the infusion channel at least 21 days later, but the GFP fluorescent could not be overlapped with NeuN or GFAP staining. On the contrary, Thy-1 antibody overlapped well with NeuN or GFAP staining.

CONCLUSIONSLiposome-helped plasmid GPF transfection is effective in labeling mouse embryonic stem cell in vivo,but is not effective in showing the differentiated cells. On the contrary, Thy-1 antibody can not only show the transplanted cells, but also trace the transplanted cells after their differentiation.

Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; physiology ; transplantation ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Staining and Labeling ; methods

Aged ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; therapeutic use ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Methylprednisolone ; therapeutic use ; POEMS Syndrome ; complications ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Plasma Cells ; pathology ; gamma-Globulins ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo study the frequency of a 9 bp deletion polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in ethnic Miao, Buyi and Dong populations from Guizhou province.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PCR-PAGE) was used to detect the 9 bp deletion. The result was verified with DNA sequencing.

RESULTSTwo polymorphisms, including a standard pattern and a short pattern (the 9 bp deletion), were found among the three ethnic groups. The frequency of short pattern in 304 males was 23.0%. Respectively, those of Miao, Buyi and Dong ethnics were 28.6%, 26.8% and 13.7%. A statistically significant difference was detected among the three groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe frequencies of the 9 bp polymorphism were relatively high among ethnic Miao, Buyi and Dong populations from Guizhou, and there was a significant difference between the three.

Base Sequence ; China ; ethnology ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Gene Deletion ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

AIM: To investigate whether Toll-like receptor 4 ( TLR4 ) and Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome were involved in contrast medium (CM)-induced inflammation and injury in renal tubular epithe-lial cells.METHODS: Iopromide was used to injure NRK-52E cells in the study.The cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay.The protein levels of TLR4, NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speckle-like protein (ASC), caspase-1 and cleaved caspase-3 were determined by Western blot .The releases of interleukin ( IL )-1βand IL-18 were detected by ELISA .The apoptotic rate was evaluated by Hoechst staining , and mitochondrial membrane potential ( MMP) was analyzed by JC-1 staining.siRNA was transfected into the NRK-52E cells to silence NLRP3 expression.RESULTS:CM decreased the viability of NRK-52E cells (P<0.05).CM also elevated the protein levels of cleaved caspase-3, TLR4, NLRP3, IL-1βand IL-18 (P<0.05).Silencing NLRP3 attenuated CM-induced releases of inflammatory cytokines .Moreover, treat-ment with TLR4 inhibitor TAK-242 or knockdown of NLRP3 by siRNA transfection both attenuated cell apoptosis and loss of MMP caused by CM .CONCLUSION:TLR4/NLRP3 inflammasome takes part in the pathogenesis of CM-induced acute kidney injury , and mediates CM-induced injury and inflammation in renal tubular epithelial cells .