OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Tetramethyl pyrazine (TMP) on the cytokines and inflammatory mediators in the serum and the synovial fluid of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA)rats, and further to investigate its possible mechanisms for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSType II CIA rat model was established. Rats in the TMP group were administered with TMP at 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, once daily. Dexamethasone at 2.0 mg/kg was intramuscularly injected to those in the Dexamethasone treated group, once daily. Normal saline at 2 mL/kg was given to those in the normal control group and the model group, once daily. All medication was started from the 7th day, lasting to the 35th day. CIA rats' foot swelling degree was observed. Contents of serum IL-1, IL-6, IL-2, NO and PGE2in the synovial fluid were detected by radioimmunoassay and nitrate reduction method.

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, the foot swelling obviously increased, contents of NO and PGE2 in the synovial fluid were obviously elevated in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the foot swelling could be obviously inhibited by 100 mg/kg TMP and Dexamethasone; serum levels of IL-1 and IL-6 obviously decreased, serum IL-2 level obviously increased, contents of NO and PGE, decreased (P < 0.01). TMP 50 mg/kg could obviously inhibit the foot swelling of CIA rats (P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference in other indices (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTMP at 100 mg/kg showed obvious inhibition on CIA rats. Its inhibitory effect might be correlated to inhibiting activities of endogenous cytokines and the generation of inflammatory mediators in inflammation local regions, improving contents of anti-inflammation cytokines, and inducing the balance of the inflammatory cytokine network.

Animals ; Arthritis, Experimental ; blood ; metabolism ; Dinoprostone ; metabolism ; Female ; Interleukin-1beta ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synovial Fluid ; metabolism

Echinococcosis ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; diagnosis ; Spine ; pathology

This paper is in order to discussion with the composition and characteristics of Tibetan medicine plant resources, and promote the reasonable protection and utilization of the resources of Tibetan materia medica. Statistical analysis of species, distributions, and others of Chinese endemic seed plant from Tibetan medicine plants and usually used in the clinic of Tibetan medicine. The results showed that there are 523 species (25%) of Chinese endemic seed plant, belonging to 65 families and 162 genera, in about 2 000 varieties of Tibetan medicine plants recorded in relevant literatures. There are 180 Chinese endemic seed plant species (28%) belonging to 42 families and 72 genera from 625 medicine plants usually used in the clinic of Tibetan medicine. Specifically, the most of these Chinese endemic seed plant species are characteristic crude drug used in Tibetan medicine, and mainly or only distributed in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. And a few species of them were intersected with traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and other ethnic medicines. In addition, about 10% are listed in China Species Red List. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the most abundant areas of Areal-types of the Chinese endemic seed plant. This is the biological and ecological reason formation the characteristics of Tibetan medicine plant resources. Therefore, strengthen the research of Chinese endemic seed plants used in Tibetan medicine is great significance for the reasonable protection and utilization of Tibetan medicine plant resources.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; growth & development ; Seeds ; chemistry ; classification ; Tibet

BACKGROUNDPulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis (PCH) is a rare disease and no Chinese case has been reported yet. The disease is often misdiagnosed and its clinical characteristics are incompletely described. The aim of this study was to describe two Chinese cases and to clarify the clinical and radiographic parameters of patients with PCH.

METHODSTwo PCH cases were presented and other cases were searched from the English literature. All available clinical and radiographic data were collected from 62 literature reported PCH cases. A pooled analysis of total 64 cases was made.

RESULTSDyspnea and hemoptysis were the most common clinical symptoms of PCH. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was found in 78% of the reported cases. PCH typically showed characteristic diffuse or patchy ground-glass opacities (GGOs) and/or multiple ill-defined centrilobular nodules in the computed tomography.

CONCLUSIONSThe diagnosis of PCH requires a high clinical suspicion. However, both clinical presentations and radiographic studies often provide clues to the diagnosis, which may prompt early lung biopsy for a definite diagnosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; complications ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; complications ; diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo study the role of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in the development of glomerulosclerosis by experimental alteration of fibronectin (FN) and Type IV collagen (Col IV) expression in cultured rat mesangial cells (MsC).

METHODSCTGF expression vector was transfected into MsC by Lipofectimine method. Protein and mRNA expression levels of CTGF, FN and Col IV were studied by Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) respectively.

RESULTSTwo of MsC clones (MCT-1 and MCT-2) with CTGF overexpression were successfully established and found to have significant increases of FN and Col IV at both protein and mRNA levels. Compared with the controls, the expression of FN protein and mRNA in the two clones were 3.2 times (P < 0.05) and 2.9 times (P < 0.05) higher respectively. The expression of Col IV protein and mRNA was 3.8 times (P < 0.01) and 2.4 times (P < 0.01) higher respectively.

CONCLUSIONCTGF up-regulates FN and Col IV expression in MsC and may play an important role in the development of glomerulosclerosis.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type IV ; genetics ; metabolism ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fibronectins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Mesangial Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo study the changes of fibronectin (FN) and type IV collagen (ColIV) expression in cultured rat mesangial cells (MsC) transfected with Smad 2 vector and to investigate the molecular mechanism of glomerular extracellular matrix accumulation in glomerulosclerosis via transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)/Smad signal pathway.

METHODSSmad 2 vector was transfected into MsC by calcium phosphate. Western blot analysis was used to detect Smad 2 protein. The expression of FN and ColIV proteins and their mRNAs was determined by Western blot and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction respectively.

RESULTSFour MsC clones (T-12, T-31, T-35, T-40) with Smad 2 overexpression were established. The expression of FN and ColIV was significantly increased at mRNA and protein levels in two (T-12, T-31). Compared with controls, the expression of FN proteins and mRNAs in these two clones was 2.4 times (P < 0.05) and 2.7 times (P < 0.05) higher respectively. The expression of ColIV proteins and mRNAs was 2.9 times (P < 0.01) and 3.3 times (P < 0.01) higher respectively.

CONCLUSIONSIt is postulated that Smad 2 in TGF-beta/Smad signal pathway is important in promoting the accumulation of FN and ColIV in sclerotic glomeruli of diseased kidneys.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type IV ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Fibronectins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Mesangial Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Smad2 Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the effect of cyclosporine blood level at first year after kidney transplantation on patients with a survival time over 10 years. Methods 380 patients with functional allograft, a survival time over 10 years and long-term administration of cyclosporine A (CsA) were studied, and received CsA-based treatments. According to the blood CsA level at the first year after kidney transplantation, patients were divided into five groups: group 1, blood CsA level was above 0. 208 μmol/L (1 μmol/L = 1201.9 μg/L), group 2, blood CsA level between 0. 166-0. 208μmol/L; group 3, blood CsA blood level between 0. 125-0. 166 μmol/L; group 4, blood CsA blood level between 0. 083-0. 125 μmol/L; group 5, blood CsA level less than 0. 083 μmol/L. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), serum creatinine(SCr), uric acid (UA), cholesterol (CH), triglyceride (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), direct bilirubin (DBil) and total bilibubin (TBil), albumin (Alb), hemoglobin (Hb), count of white blood cells and positive rate of proteinuria in 5 groups at the 1st, 5th and 10th year after kidney transplantation were analyzed. Results At the 5th year SBP in groups 1 and 2 was higher than in groups 3, 4 and 5. UA level in group 5 was lower than other groups, and Alb level in group 5 was higher than other 4 groups. Proteinuria positive rate in groups 4 and group was lower than other groups. At the 10th year after kidney transplantation,indexes among 5 groups had no statistically significant difference, except for SBP, DBP, DBil and CH in some groups. There was also no significant difference in SCr level among 5 groups at the 5th or 10th year after transplantation. Conclusion Blood CsA levels at the first year after kidney transplantation has no significant effect on long-term allograft function. But higher level of CsA (＞0. 166μmol/L) at the first year maybe predict high rate of hypertension, high blood UA and proteinuria at the 5th and 10th year after transplantation.

Objective The present study demonstrates a novel,simple and cost-effective method for detecting known SNP genotyping by using ShineRoar probes.Methods The SNP of target genes detected by using the ShineRoar probes and melting curve analysis.Tumor necrosis factor receptor Ⅱ (TNFR Ⅱ) and apolipoprotein M (apoM) had been employed as target genes to describe the method in details.The PCR products of TNFR Ⅱ and apoM were collected and sequenced.Results The melting temperatures (TM) were significantly different between mutated genotypes and wild-type genotype.A biallelic SNP marker (T/ G) at position 196 in exon 6 of TNFR Ⅱ gene showed two melting valleys with the appropriate TMs at (52.84?0.75)℃ and (58.38?0.61)℃,respectively.For apoM T-778C,TMs of homozygous T genotype and C genotype were (42.55?0.73)℃ and (49.19?0.57)℃,respectively.Moreover,this genotyping method was validated by the DNA sequence analyses (Kappa=1,P=0.000).Conclusion It is concluded that this novel method is simple and economical and it is suitable for a large-scale genotyping screening.

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy and safety of vitamin D as an adjuvant therapy for childhood pneumonia through a systematic review. METHODS: Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and Weipu Data were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of vitamin D as the adjuvant therapy for childhood pneumonia published up to August 2019. Literature screening, quality assessment, and data extraction were performed based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Revman 5.3 was used to perform the Meta analysis of outcome indicators. RESULTS: A total of 7 RCTs with 1 527 children were included, with 762 children in the vitamin D adjuvant therapy group and 765 children in the control group. The results of the Meta analysis showed that vitamin D adjuvant therapy had no effect on recovery time (P=0.67), length of hospital stay (P=0.73), and time to relief of fever (P=0.43). Furthermore, it did not reduce the recurrence rate (P=0.14), rate of adverse events (P=0.20), and mortality rate (P=0.98) of childhood pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS Current evidence shows that vitamin D adjuvant therapy has no marked efficacy in the treatment of childhood pneumonia.