Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; POEMS Syndrome ; complications

Objective To investigate the curative effect of Candesartan on chronic systolic heart failure in Tibetan pla?teau. Methods A total of 526 patients with chronic systolic heart failure were divided into two groups randomly (Treatment group N=252;Control group N=274). Regular medicines, such as cardiac, diuretic and vasodilator drugs , are given to pa?tients in both groups according to their primary underlined diseases. Additionally, enalapril is added in control group, while candesartan is added in treatment group. Improvement of cardiac function, LVEF, LVEDD and blood pressure were compared between these two groups after 8 weeks. Results There was no significant difference in effective rate (i.e., 45.2%in treat?ment group and 44.9% in control group, respectively), efficiency rate (i.e. 54.8% in treatment group and 55.1% in control group, respectively) and inefficiency rate (i.e. 2.0%in treatment group and 2.2%in control group, respectively) between treat?ment and control groups . After treatment, LVEF in the two groups are all improved, while LVEDD and blood pressure both de?creased with statistical significance. However, the difference between the two groups is not significant. Conclusion No sta?tistical difference was found in curative effect on chronic systolic heart failure in Tibetan Plateau between two groups.

Visfatin was recently reported as an adipokine and was found to exert insulin-mimicking effects.The results showed that the expression of visfatin parallelled with obesity and insulin resistance in long term high fat chow-fed rats.The expression of visfatin mRNA was decreased and the insulin resistance improved after rennin-angiotensin system was blocked.Visfatin may play an important role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance.

Neurotensin receptor-1 (NTR1), which can stimulate the intracellular cascade signal pathway, belongs to the large superfamily of G-protein coupled receptors. NTR1 is related to the occurrence and development of several kinds of diseases. In order to screen the inhibitors for the cancers associated with NTR1 protein, we established a CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cell line in which human neurotensin receptor-1 was highly expressed. The method is to construct the recombinant plasmid which was lysed with the hNTR1 gene and transfect it into CHO cells. After selected with G418, the cell line was evaluated by Western blotting analysis and calcium flux assays. Through the calcium flux assays on FlexStation 3, we got the EC50 value of neurotensin peptide which is the natural NTR1 agonist, and the IC 50 value of SR48692 which is the known NTR1 antagonist. The established human CHO/NTR1 cell line can be used to study the profile of NTR1 biological activity and further screen of NTR1 antagonists and agonists.
Animals ; CHO Cells ; Calcium Signaling ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Humans ; Pyrazoles ; pharmacology ; Quinolines ; pharmacology ; Receptors, Neurotensin ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection

A research combined trickling filter system and active sludge aeration system was applied in the treatment of industrial wastewater from gas-generating with heavy oil. The wastewater contained both high contents of NH+4-N and mixed hydrocarbons including various PAHs. Its BOD5/COD ratio was less than 0.3 and belongs to recalcitrant, toxic wastewater. The results showed a touch-growth biofilms system was formed on the porous packing material and it played a key role in the decrease of toxicity of the influent. It could also improve the biodegradability of the wastewater.

OBJECTIVETo observe morphological changes of enteric nervous system (ENS)-interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC)-smooth muscle cell (SMC) structure injury in deep muscle nerve plexus offunctional dyspepsia (FD) rats, and the repair of Shuwei Decoction (SD) on it, and to explore its effecton FD.

METHODSTotally 72 rats were randomly divided into the control group, the model group, the lowdose SD group, the medium dose SD group, and the high dose SD group, the Mosapride group, 12 ineach group. Rats in the low dose SD group, the medium dose SD group, and the high dose SD group were intragastrically fed with SD at 0.767, 1.534, 3.068 g/mL, respectively. Rats in the Mosapride group were intragastrically fed with Mosapride (1.37 mg/kg). FD rat model with Gan depression Pi deficiency syndrome (GDPDS) was established using complex pathogenic factors. Corresponding liquors were respectively administered to rats in corresponding groups from the 3rd day after modeling. Distilled water(10 mL/kg) was administered to rats in the control group and the model group, once per day for 14 successive days. Rats were sacrificed and small intestine tissues collected for observing ENS-ICC-SMC structure injury using immunofluorescence double labeling, laser scanning confocal microscope, and transmission electron microscope at day 15. Repair of SD on it was also observed.

RESULTSENS-ICC SMC structure was incomplete, with obvious injury in mutual link of ICC, ICC, SMC, and connecting structure. ENS-ICC-SMC structure was more complete in high, medium, and low dose SD groups, with close link of ICC and SMO. Their connecting structures were in good conditions.

CONCLUSIONSD could keep the integrity of ENS-ICC-SMC structure by promoting regeneration and morphology of ICC, thereby, improving gastrointestinal movement disorder and showing therapeutic effect on FD.

Animals ; Benzamides ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Dyspepsia ; drug therapy ; Enteric Nervous System ; drug effects ; Interstitial Cells of Cajal ; drug effects ; Morpholines ; pharmacology ; Muscle, Smooth ; drug effects ; Random Allocation ; Rats

Viruses (e.g. Human immunodeficiency virus, Human simplex virus and Prototype foamy virus) are obligate intracellular parasites and therefore depend on the cellular machinery for cellular trafficking. Bovine foamy virus (BFV) is a member of the Spumaretrovirinae subfamily of Retroviruses, however, details of its cellular trafficking remain unknown. In this study, we cloned the BFV gag gene into prokaryotic expression vector pET28a and purified the denaturalized Gag protein. The protein was used to immunize BALB/c mouse to produce antiserum, which could specifically recognize the BFV Gag protein in BFV-infected cells through western blot assay. Additionally, these results demonstrated that both the optimal and suboptimal cleavage of Gag protein occur in BFV-infected cells. Subsequently, the Gag antiserum was used to investigate subcellular localization of BFV. In immunofluorescence microscopy assays, colocalization microtubules (MTs) and assembling viral particles were clearly observed, which implied that BFV may transport along cellular MTs in host cells. Furthermore, MTs-depolymerizing assay indicated MTs were required for the efficient replication of BFV. In conclusion, our study suggests that BFV has evolved the mechanism to hijack the cellular cytoskeleton for its replication.

Objective To detect the expression of SALL4 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and analyze its potential clinical significance. Methods Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (FQ-RT-PCR) was used to examine SALLA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 68 cases of AML including 36 cases in acute phase and 32 cases in remission phase, 30 healthy controls, Kasumi-1 cells and THP-1 cells. Then, flow cytometry, bone marrow smear and automated hematology analyzer were used to analyze the relationship between the SALL4 expression and blast cell counts in the bone marrow, peripheral white blood cell (WBC) counts, peripheral large unstained cell (LUC), CD34 in blast cells. Further, the change of SALL4 level during pre-chemotherapy, chemotherapy (2nd w to 3rd w) and remission were investigated in 5 AML cases. Results The level of SALL4 expression in patients with AML in acute phase [69.01 (17.20-120.28)] was 26-fold and 61-fold high compared with that in remission phase [2.64(1.35-5.41)] and in healthy control [1.14(0.50-1.62)] (Z=-6.48,-6.83,P<0.01). The level of SALL4 expression in remission phase was 2.3-fold high compared with that in healthy control (Z=-3.61 ,P<0.01). The expression level of SALL4 was decreased along with efficient chemotherapy in 5 AML cases in which SALL4 expression level was 79.74 (33.76-89.09), 7.19 (5.97-20.21) and 3.40 (1.44-15.53) during pre-chemotherapy, chemotherapy (2nd w to 3rd w) and remission, respectively. In groups of abnormal increased counts of blast cell, peripheral LUC% and CD34%, expression of SALL4 [33.82 (16.00-144.01), 30.70(23.75-72.50) and 56.25(23.79-153.81), respectively] were higher than that in groups of normal counts [2.74 (1.59-5.13), 5.71 (2.52-22.40) and 20.82 (14.03-55.12), respectively ] (Z=-4.64,-2.18,-3.66,P<0.01 or P<0.05). The expression of SALL4 in the group of increased WBC counts [89.26(23.75-154.34)] was higher than that in the group of normal WBC counts [3.86(2.03-6.01)] and the group of decreased WBC counts [6.66(2.51-17.06)] (Z=-4.91,-4.21,P<0.01). The level of SALL4 expression was positively correlated with blast cell counts in bone marrow and peripheral WBC counts (r=0.45,0.40,P<0.01). Conclusions FQ-RT-PCR method can be used successfully to detect the expression of SALL4,and the expression of SALLA may be useful to predict disease progression of AML.

Objective To explore the influence of erythropoietin (EPO) on infection induced neonatal rat brain injury at different starting time and its related mechanism.Methods Postnatal day 2 (P2) newborn SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:control group (group A),lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group (group B),the early EPO group(group C)and the later EPO group(group D).Pups in group A,B and C were injected different drugs intraperitoneally(group A for saline,group B for 0.6 mg/kg of LPS,and group C for 0.6 mg/kg of LPS and 5 000 U/kg of EPO) once a day for consecutive 5 days(P2-P6).LPS in group D were injected 0.6 mg/kg of LPS intraperitoneally once a day for consecutive 5 days(P2 P6),and with 5 000 U/kg of EPO once a day for consecutive 5 days(P7-P1 1).Rats in each group were given different drugs starting at corresponding time by intraperitoneal injection for 5 consecutive days.Every 10 newborn rats in group A and B were selected randomly on P2(6 h after intraperitoneal injection of drugs for the first time),P7 and P12,the brains were divided into the left and the right hemispheres marked by sagittal suture,using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method to evaluate the erythropoietin receptor(EPOR) protein level with the right cerebral hemisphere and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was used to investigate EPOR mRNA level of the left cerebral hemisphere.Immunohistochemical method was adopted to evaluate the expression of myelin basic protein(MBP),glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) and EPOR at specified time point,and HE dyeing for the pathological changes of brain damage in different groups.Results HE staining of the group A presented the normal structure in the neonatal rat brain.Reduced numbers of hippocampal pyramidal cells,expansion of the lateral ventricles and periventricular leukomalacia were found in group B.No leukomalacia or lateral ventricles's expansion in EPO administrated groups and it was more obvious in group C.The EPOR protein and mRNA of group B was increased compared with the group A.The EPOR protein and mRNA levels had a tendency to decline with the increase of age.The MBP expression of group B(107.46 ±3.65)was significantly reduced compared with the group A(146.78 ± 3.13) (P ＜ 0.05),and the expression of EPO groups increased in contrast to the group B,moreover,the group C (126.25 ± 4.42) increased more obviously than that of group D(117.35 ± 3.42) (P ＜ 0.05).The GFAP expression of group B(141.46 ± 11.92 at P7 and 149.48 ± 13.59 at P12) increased significantly than group A(120.63 ± 13.32 at P7 and 119.74 ± 12.48 at P12) (P ＜0.05),the EPO group expressed lower than group B at the P12,and the group C (134.59 ± 12.19) decreased than the group D(137.27 ± 13.87) (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions EPO shows a protective effect on the cerebral white matter injury caused by postpartum infection,it is superior to administer EPO at early time than later time.The mechanism of the protective effect may be connected with the fact that the infection can induce the expression of brain EPOR and the EPOR expression level has a tendency to decline with the increase of age.

Objective To study the correlation between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1 c) in middle-aged and aged population.Methods A total of 4 127 inservice workers and retirees aged 45 years old or above from one petrochemical enterprise in Ningbo were enrolled in our study.The waistline,body mass index,blood pressure,fasting blood-glucose,blood lipid profile,glutamyltranspeptidase,HbA1c and epigastrium B ultrasound were investigated.According to the quartile of HbA1c level,participants were divided into four groups,namely,Q1 group ≤5.2％,Q2 group ＞ 5.2％-5.4％,Q3 ＞ 5.4％-5.6％ and Q4 group ＞ 5.6％.The prevalence of NAFLD and clinical characteristics of each group were analyzed.Logistic regression was used to predict independent risk factors of NAFLD.Results The morbidity of NAFLD was 27.2％ with 31.9％ in male and 21％ in female,which was significantly higher in men.In Q1,Q2,Q3 and Q4 group,the prevalence of NAFLD were 18.5％ (178/961),22.8％ (185/812),25.6％ (280/1 095),38.1％ (480/1 259) respectively.With the increase of HbA1 c level,the morbidity of NAFLD increased synchronously.The age,systolic pressure,total cholesterol,low densitylipoprotein cholesterin and fasting blood-glucose were all elevated according to the increase of HbA1 c in 1 123 NAFLD patients.Multi-factor logistic regression analysis indicated that high HbAlc level was the risk factor of NAFLD (OR =1.67,95％ CI 1.15-2.43,P =0.007).Conclusion HbA1c is an independent risk factor of NAFLD and both of these are closely related to blood lipid metabolism disorder.