Objective To detect the levels of transforming growth factor-?_1(TGF-?_1) in plasma,serum and urinary of children with Immunoglobulin A glomerulonephritis(IgAGN) and mesangial proliferate glomerulonephritis(MsPGN) and explore the different effects of TGF-?_1 in the two diseases.Methods The plasma,serum and urinary TGF-?_1 levels were measured in 24 children with IgAGN,and 30 children with MsPGN and 30 healthy controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results The TGF-?_1 levels in plasma,serum and urinary samples of IgAGN group were increased.The TGF-?_1 levels of IgAGN were significantly higher than those of MsPGN and heathy controls(P(0.05)).Conclusion It is showed that TGF-?_1 plays a diffenent role in IgAGN and MsPGN.

Seven meroterpenoids and five small-molecular precursors were isolated from Penicillium sp., an endophytic fungus from Dysosma versipellis. The structures of new compounds, 11beta-acetoxyisoaustinone (1) and isoberkedienolactone (2) were elucidated based on analysis of the spectral data, and the absolute configuration of 2 was established by TDDFT ECD calculation with satisfactory match to its experimental ECD data. Meroterpenoids originated tetraketide and pentaketide precursors, resepectively, were found to be simultaneously produced in specific fungus of Penicillium species. These compounds showed weak cytotoxicity in vitro against HCT-116, HepG2, BGC-823, NCI-H1650, and A2780 cell lines with IC 50 > 10 micromol x L(-1).
Berberidaceae ; microbiology ; Cell Line ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Lactones ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Monoterpenes ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Penicillium ; chemistry

Reduced radiosensitivity of lung cancer cells represents a pivotal obstacle in clinical oncology. The hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α plays a crucial role in radiosensitivity, but the detailed mechanisms remain elusive. A relationship has been suggested to exist between hypoxia and autophagy recently. In the current study, we studied the effect of hypoxia-induced autophagy on radioresistance in lung cancer cell lines. A549 and H1299 cells were cultured under normoxia or hypoxia, followed by irradiation at dosage ranging from 0 to 8 Gy. Clonogenic assay was performed to calculate surviving fraction. EGFP-LC3 plasmid was stably transfected into cells to monitor autophagic processes. Western blotting was used to evaluate the protein expression levels of HIF-1α, c-Jun, phosphorylated c-Jun, Beclin 1, LC3 and p62. The mRNA levels of Beclin 1 were detected by qRT-PCR. We found that under hypoxia, both A549 and H1299 cells were radio-resistant compared with normoxia. Hypoxia-induced elevated HIF-1α protein expression preferentially triggered autophagy, accompanied by LC3 induction, EGFP-LC3 puncta and p62 degradation. In the meantime, HIF-1α increased downstream c-Jun phosphorylation, which in turn upregulated Beclin 1 mRNA and protein expression. The upregulation of Beclin 1 expression, instead of HIF-1α, could be blocked by SP600125 (a specific inhibitor of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase), followed by suppression of autophagy. Under hypoxia, combined treatment of irradiation and chloroquine (a potent autophagy inhibitor) significantly decreased the survival potential of lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, hypoxia-induced autophagy through evaluating Beclin1 expression may be considered as a target to reverse the radioresistance in cancer cells.

Objective To study the value of DSA for hepatic vascular anatomy,and to evaluate the efficacy of portal vein occlusion in rabbits with hepatic VX2 tumor.Methods Twenty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups with 10 in each group,including test group A and positive control group B of ham operation.For the test group A,portal branch ligation(PBL)was performed for the left external branch after 3 weeks of the tumor implantation to the left external lobe.Two weeks later,the DSA of hepatic artery and portal vein were performed in all of the rabbits.Results The total displaying effectiveness of the branches of hepatic artery by DSA was better than that by vascular perfusion.There was hypovascular blood supply to hepatic artery implantation of the tumor in the test group A,comparing with that of the group B.Conclusion DSA can clearly display spacial details of the hepatic vascular anatomy in rabbits,and play an important role in post-procedual evaluation of the portal vein occlusion in rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: To establish standardized methods and parameters of the isolated heart coronary angiography through the experiment of in vitro porcine heart by MSCT. METHODS: Based on different perfusion volume (50, 60 and 70 mL) and different perfusion-imaging time (5, 10 and 20 min), the in vitro porcine coronary artery was injected liposoluble and water-soluble contrast agents using remodel angiography equipment and scanned by MSCT. And the 3D image results were compared. The images were recorded and evaluated by 2 radiologists and analyzed by statistical software. RESULTS: Liposoluble contrast agent affected the images by damaging and infiltrating the fats around the coronary artery, while the water-soluble contrast agent didn't affect the images. The groups with 60 mL or 70 mL perfusion and 5 min perfusion-imaging time had the best images. CONCLUSION The suitable parameters of the angiography lay the foundation of postmortem coronary angiography.
Animals ; Coronary Angiography/veterinary* ; Coronary Vessels/diagnostic imaging* ; Heart ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Multidetector Computed Tomography/veterinary* ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Software ; Software Validation ; Swine

BACKGROUNDPhotodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is an emerging technique for the treatment of genital human papillomavirus (HPV)-induced benign and premalignant lesions. We report here in a case series of condyloma acuminata (CA) in pregnancy successfully treated with ALA-PDT.

METHODSFive pregnant patients with CA received three to four times treatment respectively. Patients were followed up for 6 - 23 months after treatment.

RESULTSThe clearance rate of genital warts was 100%. No recurrence was found during the follow-up period. Major adverse events reported were mild erosion, pain, and local edema. All pregnancies resulted in healthy live births without delivery complications.

CONCLUSIONSPDT with topical ALA seems to be safe and effective in the treatment of CA in pregnancy. It demonstrated high clearance rate of warts, was well-tolerated by patients, and showed no adverse effects on mothers or fetuses. ALA-PDT may be an ideal strategy of treatment for pregnant women with CA.

Adult ; Aminolevulinic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Condylomata Acuminata ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Photochemotherapy ; methods ; Pregnancy

This study was aimed to investigate the T cell (helper T cells) immune status in ITP patients and its relation with therapeutic response. 20 de novo ITP patients were enrolled (8 males, 12 females) with a median age of 41 (20 to 81). Real-time RT-PCR method was used to measure the gene expression of Th cells including T-bet, IFN-γ, GATA-3, TGF-β, Foxp3, IL-2, IL-4 in PBMNC of ITP patients before and after conventional dose of prednisone therapy [1 mg/(kg·d)] and in PBMNC of 20 normal controls. The results showed that T-bet, IFN-γ and IL-2 were significantly over-expressed in PBMNC of ITP patients before treatment compared with that in normal controls (p < 0.01), and compared with that before treatment, T-bet, IFN-γ, and IL-2 were markedly down-regulated in ITP patients after treatment. Before treatment, the expressions of Foxp3, TGF-β, GATA3 and IL-4 in ITP patients did not show difference from normal controls, while after treatment Foxp3 were more up-regulated than that before treatment (p < 0.05). After treatment, TGF-β expression showed a different pattern between old and young patients. TGF-β expression was down-regulated (p < 0.05) among ITP patients younger than 60, while up-regulated in older patients. It is concluded that there is an imbalance of Th1/Th2/Treg cytokines in ITP patients, which can be reversed by glucocorticoid treatment. The conventional dose of glucocorticoid may be regarded as effective therapy for de novo ITP patients, it may correlate with improvement of imbalance between Th1/The2/Treg cytokines.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Glucocorticoids ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; Interleukin-2 ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; T-Box Domain Proteins ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among younger adults and to explore the possible mechanisms of early myocardial infarction, combined with the newly discovered risk factors of coronary heart disease.

METHODSData on comparative analysis to the exposure rates of the risk factors and inducing factors of non-CAD patients with two groups of AMI patients including younger adults group (< or =40 years old) and aged adults group (> or =50 years old). Coronary angiography was applied.

RESULTSThere were differences noticed between the frequencies of risk factors of the two AMI groups. In younger adults group the exposure rates of smoking, hyperlipidemia, positive family history, C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen were markedly higher, while in elderly group the exposure rates of hypertension, smoking, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, CRP, fibrinogen and homocysteine (HCY) were markedly higher (P < 0.05). Although the clustering status of risk factors of the younger adult group was not higher than that of the elderly group. There were obvious inducing factors before the patients were attacked by AMI and the inducing factors inclined to cluster, which had obvious dose-reaction relationships with the occurrence of AMI in young people.

CONCLUSIONEarly AMI of younger adults might relate to the clustering status of inducing factors. The coexistence of several kinds of inducing factors was resulted in the occurrence of AMI of the atherosclerosis (As) and non-As patients by means of myocardial ischemia accumulation effect.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Atherosclerosis ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Coronary Angiography ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Myocardial Ischemia ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors

Objective To study mental characteristics of children with light lead poisoning. Methods Eighty - six children with light lead poisioning and 33 control children were evaluated with WISC - R and social adaptive capacity(SAB). Results 1. Intelligence quotient( IQ)and SAB of children with light lead poisoning were lower than normal children. 2. There was also deficiency of perception factor and memory/ concentration factor among children with lead poisioning and the blood lead level had negative association with perception factor. Conclusion Light lead poisioning may affect children's IQ, especially in the perception factor and memory /concentration factor.