Ginseng saponins are a type of important active substances in the ginseng genus plants. They have notable pharmacological activities of antineoplastic, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective activities, which have been drawn more attention to obtain minor ginsenosides by all kinds of methods. In this review, we discussed the latest progress for enrichment of minor ginsenosides by biological transformation of major ginsenosides. At the same time, we have a brief outlook of the research at bioconversion of ginseng saponins.
Bacteria ; metabolism ; Biotransformation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Ginsenosides ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Panax ; chemistry ; metabolism

Objective To optimize the enamel electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectral processing by using the EPR spectral simulation method to improve the accuracy of enamel EPR dosimetry and reduce artificial error.Methods The multi-component superimposed EPR powder spectral simulation software was developed to simulate EPR spectrum models of the background signal(BS) and the radiation- induced signal (RS) of irradiated enamel respectively.RS was extracted from the multi-component superimposed spectrum of irradiated enamel and its amplitude was calculated.The dose-response curve was then established for calculating the doses of a group of enamel samples.The result of estimated dose was compared with that calculated by traditional method.Results BS was simulated as a powder spectrum of gaussian line shape with the following spectrum parameters:g =2.00 35 and Hpp =0.65 - 1.1 mT,RS signal was also simulated as a powder spectrum but with axi-symmetric spectrum characteristics.The spectrum parameters of RS were:g(1) =2.0018,g (11) =1.996 5,Hpp =0.335 - 0.4 mT.The amplitude of RS had a linear response to radiation dose with the regression equation as y =240.74x + 76 724 ( R2 =0.9947 ).The expectation of relative error of dose estimation was 0.13.Conclusions EPR simulation method has improved somehow the accuracy and reliability of enamel EPR dose estimation.

Objective Background and objective The Cox maze Ⅲ procedure has been considered the gold standard for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) and the modified Cox maze use bipolar radiofrequency ablation instead of the cut-and-sew technique,while also reducing the connecting lines in left atrium.This study was to understand whether completely isolation the posterior left atrium by increasing left atrium ablation lines can enhance the survival after modified Cox maze procedure.Methods From Jan 2009 to Dec 2009,all the patients underwent the Cox maze procedure,following the same examination,were divided into two groups (case-control): box lesion group (n =60),which is means the right and lefi pulmonary vein lesions were connected inferiorly by adding ablation lines,thereby completely isolating the posterior left atrium and the non-box lesion group (n =60).Similar interventions were given during the perioperative periods.Comparing the risk factors before surgeries,then follow-up was 100％ complete,and the mean follow-up was 9 ± 8.4 months.Results Except the box lesion had long time of extracorporeal circulation,the characteristics of the 2 groups were similar because there were no differences in age,AF duration,left atrial diameter,left ventricular ejection fraction or homochronous operation between the groups and there was no operative death.No patient was lost to follow-up.In the mean follow-up duration,a patient was died of intracerebral hemorrhage at 2 months postoperationly in the box lesion group and a patient suffered from stroke at 12 months postoperationly in the non-box lesion.The overall freedom from AF recurrence was higher in the box lesion group at 1 (70％ vs 51.2％,P =0.039) and 3 (78.3％ vs 60％,P =0.030) months.While it was 80％ vs 71.7％ (P =0.286) at 6 months.Eight patients wrere readmitted because of the recurrence of AF,4 and 2 patients underwent catheter ablation in box and non-box group respectively,one patient in each group underwent electrical conversion.After treatment,all of the patients were recovered to sinus rhythm and continued to take cordarone.Conclusion Compared to the single connecting between right and left pulmonary vein,isolating the entire posterior left atrium by creating a box lesion showed higher freedom from AF in the earlier months (1-3months).However,half a year after the surgery,there were no significant differences between the two groups.

60 Candida strains were analyzed with randomly amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD) from HIV-infected patients' oral cavity.The results showed that RAPD-PCR fingerprinting appeared from zero to five bands whose size rang from 300 bp to 2 kb with P2 primer,Candida albicans have three characteristic bands of 300 bp,400 bp and 600 bp in size,non-Candida albicans have the similar bands.They can be clas-sified five genetic clusters and 14 genotypes by Cluster Analysis,two Candida albicans(P385&P403) with fluorocytosine-resistance were classified into C1 genotype for "Squared Euclidean Distance" being 0.115,one Candida albicans(P321) and one Candida glabrata(P522) who were resistant against Amphotericin B were classified into D1 genotype for "Squared Euclidean Distance" being 0.221.So,an abundant genetic polymorphism appeared in Candida species related HIV,RAPD could be as a reference for genotype of Candida albicans;different Candida speices had some special bands,different Candida strains had similar bands in the same species;it is perhaps that some genotypes were relevant to drug resistance.

Objective To establish a soluble expression of recombinant survivin in E. coli, and evaluate the role of anti-survivin in tumor diagnosis. Methods The recombinant survivin was screened by ampicillin resistance, identified by PCR and double digestion of endonucleases. The sequenced DNA of survivin was analyzed by BLAST. The survivin/Trx fusion protein expressed in E.coli BL21 (DE3) was induced with IPTG, identified by Western blot and purified with Ni-NTA agarose respectively. The anti-survivin antibodies in serum were detected with an indirect ELISA. By the methods above, 144 serum samples from cancer patients and 300 serum samples from normal subjects were analyzed. Meanwhile, the joint detection of anti-survivin, AFP, CEA, CA199, CA125 in blood sera from cancer patients was detected. Results After PCR and double digestion with endonucleases, the survivin gene was inserted into the prokaryotic expression vector PET 32a(+). After DNA sequencing, the constructed expression plasmid was transformed into competent cells E.coli BL21(DE3). Western blot identified that the recombinant survivin/Trx fusion protein was specific against survivin antibody. The purity of the protein was over 96% after purified by Ni-NTA agarose. Anti-survivin was expressed in the sera of different cancer patients, but the positive rate varied. Conclusion Prokaryotic expression plasmid PET 32a(+)/survivin was successfully constructed and highly purified survivin/Trx fusion protein was obtained. The detection results of anti-survivin, AFP, CEA, CA199, CA125 in blood serum show in the diagnosis of tumors, the joint detection can overcome the shortfall of each gene and enhance the diagnostic rate.

Objective To develop a promising type of radiation dosimeter based on doped hydroxyapatite,and to study the stability of dosimetric characteristics indepth.Methods The samples prepared by stereotyping techniques were stored under different temperatures,humidity and illumination conditions after 60Co γ-ray irradiation.Electron spin resonance (ESR) technique was used to quantitatively measure the radiation-induced free radical signal.Results The signal change was less than 3% when the dosimeter was preserved at 4℃ or room temperature within 3 months in the experiment.At 40℃,the signal changed by about 13%,but at room temperature with the humidity less than 36%,the signal changed less than 2%.The change rose to about 8% when humidity was 76%.However,no significant decay of signal strength occurred at relatively high temperatures and under high humidity conditions.When the samples were stored under average illumination of 1600 lux or in a light-resistant container,the signal changes were less than 3.8% or 3.4% respectively.Long-term stability inspection at room temperature suggested a signal change within 4.8%.Conclusion The dosimetric properties of the material don't change significantly below room temperature in a natural environment and exhibit good stability over long-term storage.The free radical signal is not influenced drastically by relatively strong light exposure.However,a high temperature or a highly humid environment may have some effect on the measurement process,which should be taken into consideration in further applications.

Apoptosis of PK-15 cells induced by Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) in vitro was reported in this paper. Typical cell apoptosis was detected by use of Hoechst 33258 fluorescence probe, agarose gel electrophoresis and in situ end-labeling (TUNEL). After PK-15 cells were infected by titration of 4.8 lg TCID50/mL FMDV for 32 h, apoptosis characteristics of nuclear condensation, fragmentation, accompanied by apoptotic bodies formation (Hoechst 33258 staining), 180-200 integer-fold sized pieces DNA Ladders (agarose gel electrophoresis) and strong green fluorescence dots (TUNEL) were all exhibited, and cell apoptosis was approximately 20%. In addition, the quantitative analysis of apoptosis in PK-15 cells induced by FMDV showed that apoptosis was correlated with infection of virus, and it was also time-dependent. Results indicate that FMDV can induce apoptosis of host cells and apoptosis plays an important role in the cytopathogencity effect of FMDV.

Objective To validate of the Chinese system for cardiac operative risk evaluation (SinoSCORE) in Cantonese surgery patients. Methods Data from Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute in the period January 2004 through December 2008 were analyzed on 2462 Cantonese heart surgery patients. First, compared risk factors of this series and database of SinoSCORE, and then calculated the additive score of each patients and evaluate the discrimination and calibration of sinoSCORE in Cantonese patients. Results There were some differences between the risk factors of patients from two groups. The gender,smoking, diabetes, hyperlipemia, hypertension, chronic pulmonary diseases, stroke, cardiovascular surgery history, left main disease, atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter, pulmonary arterial hypertension, concomitant coronary surgery and concomitant valve surgery in Cantonese patients were different between two groups. However, The SinoSCORE was able to predict the in-hospital mortality of senior patients with good discrimination ( Hosmer-Lemeshow test, P = 0. 34 ) and calibration ( the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.84, P ＜ 0.01 ). Conclusion SinoSCORE was able to predict the in-hospital mortality of Cantonese heart surgery patients.

Human lymphocyte antigen (HLA) is the most complicated human dominant polymorphic genetic system. Accurate HLA genotyping is clinically important for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation, also important for research on many human diseases. Polymerase chain reaction-sequence based typing (PCR-SBT) provides the highest resolution level and defines new alleles, so it is widely used for HLA typing. One great disadvantage of PCR-SBT method is the fact that it cannot resolve sequences of heterozygous samples in diploid genomes, leading to ambiguous typing results which make much trouble to the accurate definition of HLA genotype. This article reviewed the occurring reasons and solution method of ambiguous allele combinations in the HLA high resolution genotyping as well as the research prospect in this field.
Genotype ; HLA Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans

Objective To evaluate the quality of the portal images acquired by computed radiography(CR)system and conventional screen-film system,respectively.Methods imaging plates (IP)and X-ray films of a home-devised lead phantom with a leakage of 6.45% were acquired,and modulation transfer function(MTF)curves of the both images were measured using edge method.Portal images of 40 nasopharyngeal cancer patients were acquired by IP and screen-film system respectively.Two doctors with similar experience evaluated the damage degree of petrosa] bone,the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of CR images and general images were drawn according to two doctors evaluation results.Results The identification frequency of CR system and screen-film system were 1.159 and 0.806 Lp/mm respectively.For doctor one,the area under ROC curve of CR images and general images were 0.802 and 0.742 respectively.For doctor two,the area under ROC curve of CR images and general images were 0.751 and 0.600 respectively.The MTF curve and ROC curve of CR are both better than those of screen-film system.Conclusion The image quality of CR portal imaging is much better than that of screen-film system.The utility of CR in linear accelerator for portal imaging is promising in clinic.