Child ; Crush Syndrome ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pulmonary Edema ; complications

The purpose of this study is to identify the electrical activity of neuron, the existence of the transition from bursting pattern to spiking pattern and the ion mechanism of the bursting pattern. The intracellular electrical activity patterns of single neurons in the stomatogastric ganglion (STG) of crayfish were recorded when the extracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](o)) or calcium-dependent potassium channel blocker tetraethylammonium concentration ([TEA](o)) were changed, using intracellular recording method. These single neurons were also functionally isolated from the ganglion by application of atropine and picrotoxin which could block the inhibitory acetylcholine synapses and glutamatergic synapses respectively. When [Ca(2+)](o) was decreased by increasing EGTA, the membrane potential of the neuron was increased, and the electrical activity patterns were changed from the resting state with lower potential value (resting state of polarization) to the bursting pattern firstly, and then to the spiking pattern, at last to the resting state with higher potential value (resting state of depolarization). When [TEA](o) was increased, the membrane potential of the neuron was increased, and the electrical activity pattern was changed from the resting state with lower potential value (resting state of polarization) to the bursting pattern firstly, and then to the spiking pattern. The duration of the burst of the bursting pattern was increased. When [Ca(2+)](o) was increased or [TEA](o) was decreased, an inverse procedure of the electrical activity pattern was exhibited. On one hand, the results indicate that a single neuron can generate various electrical activity patterns corresponding to different physiological conditions, and the regularity of the transitions between different electrical activity patterns. On the other hand, the results identify that the initiation and termination of the burst in bursting pattern are determined by calcium-activated potassium conductance, which is adjusted by intracellular calcium concentration influenced by inward calcium current. It may be the ionic mechanism of generation of the bursting pattern in a single neuron.
Action Potentials ; physiology ; Animals ; Astacoidea ; physiology ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Calcium Channels ; metabolism ; Ganglia, Invertebrate ; physiology ; Neurons ; physiology ; Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo assess the response in THP-1 treated with Rv3671c protein in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tuberculosis).

METHODSThe gene encoding Rv3671c protein of M.tuberculosis was cloned into pET-28a vector and then expressed in Escherichia coli. The Rv3671c was purified with Ni-NTA affinity and ion exchange chromatography. The detection of protein concentration was by Lowry method.THP-1 cell was stimulated with Rv3671c protein and cells were analyzed by Hochest staining under fluorescence microscopy to assay cell death (apoptosis and necrosis). TNF-α and IL-1β were detected by ELISA at each stimulating time.

RESULTSThe Rv3671c protein of M.tuberculosis was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. The purity of recombinant Rv3671c protein was 95%, and the protein concentration was up to 0.4 mg/ml. The nucleus of THP-1 was isolated and necrosis-like under fluorescence when cells were stimulated by Rv3671c protein. The levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in supernatant were 19 000 and 16 500 pg/ml respectively, and were significantly higher than control cells with the levels of 2100 and 3800 pg/ml separately.

CONCLUSIONThe necrosis of THP-1 cells could be stimulated by Rv3671c protein of M.tuberculosis and it was probably associated with high cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β levels.

Bacterial Proteins ; pharmacology ; Cell Death ; Cell Line ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta ; metabolism ; Macrophages ; cytology ; metabolism ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; genetics ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the changes of cognitive attention-related brain function in the heroin addicts before and after electro-acupuncture (EA) intervention for exploring the concerned neuro-mechanism of addictive relapse and the central action role of EA intervention.

METHODSAdopting event-related potential (ERP) technique, the ERP at 64 electrode spots in 10 heroin addicts (test group) were recorded before and after EA intervention with dot-probe experimental form during implementing cognitive task on positive emotional clue (PEC), negative emotional clues (NEC), and heroin-related clue (HRC). The P200 amplitude components on the selected observation points (Fz, Cz, and Pz) were analyzed and compared with those obtained from 10 healthy subjects as the control.

RESULTSBefore EA, the ERP of attention on HRC in the test group was higher than that on PEC and NEC (P<0.05) and significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); after EA, the P200 amplitude of attention on HRC at Cz and Pz was significantly lowered (P<0.05) and that on PEC at Fz was significantly elevated (P<0.05). After EA, the P200 amplitude at Pz was ranked as NEC > PEC > HRC, but in the control group, it showed PEC > HRC at all three observation points and PEC > NEC at Pz.

CONCLUSIONHeroin addicts show attention bias to HRC, which could be significantly reduced by EA intervention, illustrating that EA could effectively inhibit the attention bias to heroin and so might have potential for lowering the relapse rate.

Adult ; Attention ; Case-Control Studies ; Cognition ; Electroacupuncture ; Evoked Potentials ; Heroin Dependence ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; physiopathology ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of post-treatment PSA kinetics on the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 114 cases of locally advanced PCa treated by maximal androgen blockade (MAB) combined with brachytherapy, and analyzed the association of the changes in PSA kinetics with the prognosis of the patients.

RESULTSThe median survival time of the patients was 81 (15 - 144) months, with 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of 91. 23%, 78.07% and 68.42% , respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that the baseline PSA level, PSA nadir, the time of PSA decreasing to nadir, PSA doubling time, and the extent of PSA declining were all predictive factors for the survival time of the PCa patients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that PSA nadir, the time of PSA decreasing to nadir, and the extent of PSA declining were three independent prognostic factors, which prolonged the long-term survival of the patients by 1.7, 3.2 and 6.8 times, respectively.

CONCLUSIONFor locally advanced PCa treated by MAB combined with brachytherapy, PSA nadir <1 micro g/L, the time to nadir <3 months, and the extent of PSA declining >96% are independent prognostic factors.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Androgens ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Brachytherapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies

AIMTo explore the effect of rat myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury on leptin levels in serum and myocardium, and discuss the role of leptin in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.

METHODSA myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury model of rats was established, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and leptin levels were detected, and histopathological changes and leptin expressions in myocardium were investigated by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

RESULTSSerum LDH of ischemia and reperfusion groups increased significantly (P < 0.05), suggesting the model was successfully established and a certain degree of local myocardial injury was induced. Serum leptin of ischemia group (6.34 +/- 2.49) ng/ml was significantly lower than control group (7.50 +/- 2.93 ng/ml, P <0.05). Leptin levels recovered gradually after reperfusion, reached (8.32 +/- 1.74)ng/ml at 2 h after reperfusion, which recovered to the level before injury (8.38 +/- 2.56) ng/ml, and showed a trend to increase as reperfusion time was elongated. Immunohistochemistry results showed that as compared with sham-operation group, myocardial leptin protein expressions of the other four groups were all significantly lower (P < 0.01), and decreased in order by 45 min ischemia/1 h reperfusion, 45 min ischemia/3 h reperfusion, 45 min ischemia and 45 min ischemia/2 h reperfusion.

CONCLUSIONLeptin level in the blood decreases significantly at the early 45 min after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, and its expression in myocardium also decreases significantly. There may be a certain relationship between the pathological injury of myocardium and the changes of leptin.

Animals ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Leptin ; blood ; metabolism ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo identify antigens which may help evaluate the therapeutic effect of angiostrongyliasis from adult worm antigen of Angiostrongylus cantonensis.

METHODSThe adult worm antigens of A. cantonensis were analyzed by Western blotting with the sera of rats infected with A. cantonensis before and after treatment. The sera of rats were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSThe antigens with relative molecular mass between 38,000 and 78,000 reacted not only with the sera of rats before treatment, but also with that after treatment. The antigens with M(r) between 190,000 and 17,000 reacted with the sera of rats before treatment but not with that after treatment; those with M(r) between 32,000 and 24,000 antigens strongly reacted with the former, but the reaction became much weakened with the latter. The AC32-IgG antibody appeared earlier than the AC-IgG, and disappeared rapidly after treatment. Six of the 10 treated rats became negative for AC-IgG as found by ELISA.

CONCLUSIONThe antigens of adult worm antigen of A. cantonensis with M(r) of 190,000, 32,000, 24,000, 17,000 and 16,000 may serve as candidate antigens for therapeutic effect evaluation of angiostrongyliasis.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth ; blood ; Antigens, Helminth ; blood ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Blotting, Western ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Strongylida Infections ; diagnosis ; immunology ; parasitology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the synergistical killing effect of docetaxel combined with ABT-737 on human prostate cancer cell line PC-3 by inducing apoptosis and further to determine the mechanism underlying such effect.

METHODSPC-3 cells were treated with various concentrations of docetaxel or (and) ABT-737. Cell viability was determined using MTT assay. Apoptosis was assessed by fluorescence microscopy analysis of cells with condensed and segmented nuclei following staining with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Cellular DNA was stained with propidium iodide and flow cytometric analysis was performed to analyze the cell cycle distribution. Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 protein changes were detected by Western blot. The activity of caspase-3 was measured using a colorimetric assay.

RESULTSDocetaxel (20 nmol/L) combination with ABT-737 (400 nmol/L) for 48 hours, the cell viability was decreased to 19.7% ± 3.2% to compare with 44.2% ± 4.4% (t = 4.45) of docetaxel and 93.2% ± 1.8% of ABT-737 separately and there was a synergistic effect between the two drugs (CI = 0.8). Apoptosis rate of the combination group was higher than other two drugs. Docetaxel increased the cell number arrested in G(2)/M phase compared with control group (P < 0.05), but the combination treatment resulted in a significant arrest in the G(0)/G(1) phase. The combination treatment could significantly reduced the Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 expression (F = 369.53, 57.89 and 32.77, all P < 0.05) and enhanced the activity of caspase-3 (419.7% ± 15.6%) (F = 207.33, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe combination of ABT-737 with docetaxel can synergistically inhibit the proliferation of PC-3 cells through inducing apoptosis, which may be associated with cell cycle arrest, down-regulation of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 expression and activation of caspase-3.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Biphenyl Compounds ; pharmacology ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drug Synergism ; Humans ; Male ; Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein ; metabolism ; Nitrophenols ; pharmacology ; Piperazines ; pharmacology ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Sulfonamides ; pharmacology ; Taxoids ; pharmacology ; bcl-X Protein ; metabolism

Adolescent ; Adult ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Hemangioma ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Skin Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Syndrome ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury on leptin and orexin-A levels in peripheral blood and central secretory tissues, and investigate the roles of leptin and orexin-A in acute inflammatory responses.

METHODSAn intestinal I/R injury rat model was established, and the rats were grouped according to duration of the reperfusion time following a 60-min ischemia. Radioimmunoassay was used to examine the protein levels of leptin in the serum and adipose tissue, and the protein levels of orexin-A in the plasma and hypothalamus. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was also performed to detect the mRNA expressions of adipose leptin and hypothalamus orexin-A.

RESULTSCompared with that before injury, serum leptin level of 60-min ischemia with 30-min reperfusion (I60'R30') group decreased significantly and that of I60'R360' increased significantly. Compared with the sham-operation group (sham) after injury, serum leptin level of I60'R360' group increased significantly, and adipose leptin protein levels of I60'R30' and I60'R90' groups decreased significantly, whereas that of I60'R360' group increased obviously. Compared with sham group after injury, adipose leptin mRNA expressions of I60'R30', I60'R240' and I60'R360' groups all increased significantly, while that of I60'R150' showed significant decrease. No significant changes were noted in the protein levels of orexin-A either in the plasma or hypothalamus after I/R injury. In comparison with sham group after injury, hypothalamus orexin-A mRNA expressions of I60'R30' and I60'R90' groups showed gradual but significant decrease, and till 150 min of reperfusion, the expression reached its lowest, followed then by slow recovery at 240 and 360 min, though still remaining significantly lower than that of sham group.

CONCLUSIONLeptin and orexin-A have a time-dependent response to intestinal I/R injury, but the former appears to exhibit a faster response, and they may play a certain role in the metabolic disorders of acute inflammation.

Animals ; Female ; Inflammation ; blood ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Intestine, Small ; blood supply ; metabolism ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; blood ; genetics ; Leptin ; blood ; genetics ; Male ; Neuropeptides ; blood ; genetics ; Orexins ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rabbits ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; blood ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction