OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of astragalus (As) on calcium accumulation and SERCA2a gene expression in left ventricular tissues in rats with pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

METHODcardiac hypertrophy was induced by clipping the abdominal aorta in rats. Male SD rats were allocated to six groups: sham-operrated (Sham), aortic stenosis (Model), model +As-L (5 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)), model+As-M (10 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)), model+As-H (20 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and model + captopril (0.05 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), a positive control). The drugs were administered orally from the 13 th week after surgery. Rats were examined after 12 week treatment with drugs. The cardiac hypertrophy was evaluated by left ventricular mass index (LVMI, left ventricular weight/ body weight). The calcium content in left ventricular tissue was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. SERCA2a mRNA and protein expressions in left ventricular tissues were determined by half-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot normalized to abundance of GAPDH mRNA and protein, respectively.

RESULTThe increase of LVMI was dose-dependently lessened by As (P < 0.01, P < 0.001). The effect of As-H was similar to that of Captopril. As markedly attenuated calcium accumulation in myocardial tissure (P < 0.01). RT-PCR and Western blot results demonstrated that SERCA2a gene expressions were downregulated (P < 0.05) significantly in model group compared with sham group. As-H upregulated SERCA2a gene expressions (P < 0.05), whereas Captopril had no effect on that.

CONCLUSIONThe inhibition of As on left ventricular hypertrophy induced by pressure overload in rats may partly contribute to its attenuation of calcium accumulation and up-regulation of SERCA2a gene expressions in left ventricular tissues.

Animals ; Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Blotting, Western ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Heart ; drug effects ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases ; genetics ; metabolism

To study the optimal examination method of CD62P and CD63 and investigate platelet activation in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), whole blood labeled directly with monoclonal antibodies CD62P and CD63 and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the positive percentages and the mean fluorescence intensity of CD62P and CD63. The specimens of peripheral blood obtained from 10 healthy adults were divided into two groups. In the unfixing group, the positive percentages of CD62P and CD63 at the periods of 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after staining were (7.57 +/- 2.33)%, (20.50 +/- 5.70)%, (28.70 +/- 5.67)% and (36.52 +/- 6.13)%, and, (0.89 +/- 0.36)%, (1.11 +/- 0.84)%, (2.35 +/- 2.02)% and (5.43 +/- 3.66)% respectively, their respective MFI were 1.57 +/- 0.13, 1.88 +/- 0.08, 2.00 +/- 0.09 and 2.38 +/- 0.22 and 3.91 +/- 0.11, 4.07 +/- 0.16, 4.38 +/- 0.14 and 4.44 +/- 0.19. However, in fixing group with 1% paraformaldehyde, the results had not any obvious change and almost were same. Besides it, the positive percentages of CD62P and CD63 in 37 adult patients with DM were (14.11 +/- 6.68)% and (2.71 +/- 1.74)%, significantly higher than that in the normal controls. It is concluded that the CD62P and CD63 on platelet membrane were very sensitive and would be easily activated in vitro, all manipulations that includes labeling with antibody, incubation and detection using flow cytometry should be finished within 30 minutes after samples collected. While fixing by using 1% paraformaldehyde can steady the labeling compounds and effectively prevent the artificial activation of platelet, and keep the stable results within two hours after the samples labeled. In adult patients with DM, the relationship between the cardiovascular complication of diabetes and platelet activation might be existed.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the antimicrobial resistance of invasive and non-invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) strains in children and to provide a basis for proper use of antimicrobial drugs in the treatment of SP infection.

METHODSSeventy children who were diagnosed with invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) between January 2009 and December 2013 were enrolled, and 164 children with lower respiratory tract infection caused by SP were randomly selected as the control group. The samples from sterile sites (blood, cerebrospinal fluid, etc) of children with IPD, as well as the sputum samples of children in the control group, were collected for bacterial culture, and the drug susceptibility tests for isolated SP strains were conducted.

RESULTSA total of 82 invasive strains of SP were isolated from sterile sites of 70 children with IPD; 49 strains (60%) were isolated from blood, and 19 strains (23%) from cerebrospinal fluid. The detection rate of invasive SP strains decreased from 2009 to 2013 (P<0.01). The total detection rates of penicillin-nonsusceptible SP from the invasive and non-invasive strains were 27% and 17% respectively (P>0.05). Among invasive strains, the penicillin-nonsusceptible SP strains had significantly higher rates of insusceptibility to cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, and cefepime than the penicillin-susceptible SP (P<0.01). There were significant differences in the rates of insusceptibility to cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, and meropenem between the sensitive and non-sensitive SP strains (P<0.05). The multidrug resistance rates of the invasive and non-invasive SP strains were 89% and 93% respectively (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSInvasive SP can easily invade the blood in children, but the total detection rate has decreased year by year. The results of drug sensitivity tests have guiding significance for proper use of antimicrobial drugs for different SP infections.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the mRNA and protein expressions of peroxiredoxin II (PrxII) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their significance.

METHODSHCC was induced by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in 6 tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis). The expression levels of PrxII mRNA and protein were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot on HCC tissues and on their surrounding liver tissues (para-HCC). Biopsied liver tissues were taken before the HCC induction (pre-HCC) from the same animals and from a group of blank controlled animals that served as controls. Liver biopsy specimens from 18 cases of human HCC and from 17 healthy human volunteers were studied using the same methods.

RESULTSThe mRNA and protein expressions of PrxII in tree shrew HCC tissues were significantly higher than those in para-HCC and pre-HCC tissues, and also higher than those in the liver tissues from the control animals (all P < 0.05). The expression levels of PrxII mRNA and protein in human HCC tissues were also significantly higher than those in their para-HCC tissues and in the human normal liver tissues (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPrxII might play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis and might be used as a molecular target for HCC prevention and treatment.

Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peroxiredoxins ; genetics ; Tupaiidae

This study was aimed to investigate the occurrence and clinical significance of the SET-NUP214 fusion gene in patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), analyse clinical and biological characteristics in this disease. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of SET-NUP214 fusion gene in 58 T-ALL cases. Interphase FISH and Array-CGH were used to detect the deletion of 9q34. Direct sequencing was applied to detect mutations of PHF6 and NOTCH1. The results showed that 6 out of 58 T-ALL cases (10.3%) were detected to have the SET-NUP214 fusion gene by RT-PCR. Besides T-lineage antigens, expression of CD13 and(or) CD33 were detected in all the 6 cases. Deletions of 9q34 were detected in 4 out of the 6 patients by FISH. Array-CGH results of 3 SET-NUP214 positive T-ALL patients confirmed that this fusion gene was resulted from a cryptic deletion of 9q34.11q34.13. PHF6 and NOTCH1 gene mutations were found in 4 and 5 out of 6 SET-NUP214 positive T-ALL patients, respectively. It is concluded that SET-NUP214 fusion gene is often resulted from del(9)(q34). PHF6 and NOTCH1 mutations may be potential leukemogenic event in SET-NUP214 fusion gene.
Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; Histone Chaperones ; genetics ; Humans ; Mutation ; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins ; genetics ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; genetics ; Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; genetics ; Receptor, Notch1 ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transcription Factors ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the dynamics of peripheral blood B lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

METHODSThe absolute numbers of peripheral blood B lymphocytes and NK cells in 602 serial samples from 240 patients with SARS were counted, using flow cytometry, and compared with that of normal population.

RESULTSThe absolute numbers of peripheral blood B lymphocytes and NK cells in SARS patients were significantly lower than that of the normal population (P < 0.001) and were much lower in SARS patients with severe or extremely severe types, as compared with that of moderate or mild type cases (P < 0.001). The amount of B lymphocytes in recovery SARS patients increased at the 2nd week after onset, and gradually becoming normal at the 5th week of the disease onset. The number of NK cells was in the low level at onset, and keep decreasing at the 2nd week. However, it was increasing with the recovery of the disease, but did not reach to normal level at the 5th week after onset.

CONCLUSIONThe absolute numbers of peripheral blood B lymphocytes and NK cells were associated with the severity of the disease, and detection of these two kinds of cells was useful for predicting the prognosis of SARS.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; B-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology ; B-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; blood ; immunology ; Severity of Illness Index

[Objective]To investigate the safety and efficacy of phosphorylcholine oligomer grafted graphene oxide as a drug carrier for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in the treatment of liver cancer.[Methods]Doxorubicin loaded folic acid labeled phosphorylcholine oligomer grafted graphene oxide(DOX@GO-PCn-FA)was prepared. Graphene ox-ide(GO)and DOX@GO-PCn-FA were injected intravenously via marginal ear vein in New Zealand white rabbits respec-tively to assess their safety and biodistribution for intravenous administration.Ten male New Zealand rabbits were used to establishe the VX2 liver cancer model and the tumor characteristics were confirmed by dynamic contrast enhanced CT scan.Catheter was inserted via femoral artery and advanced into hepatic lobar or segmental artery.Digital subtraction angi-ography(DSA)was performed to validate the tumor feeding vessels.DOX@GO-PCn-FA was injected through the cathe-ter to carry out selective transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE). Dynamic enhanced CT scan and pathological examinations of major tissues and organs were implemented 7 days post TACE to evaluate the efficacy of embolization effect of DOX@GO-PCn-FA against liver tumor as well as the biodistribution and safety.[Results]Intravenous injection of GO resulted in significant thrombosis and pulmonary embolism whereas DOX@GO-PCn-FA of same dosage did not. DOX@GO-PCn-FA was capable of effectively diminishing the blood supply of liver tumors when applied in TACE. Pathologic exploration revealed that DOX@ GO-PCn-FA mainly deposited in the tumor,and no obvious complications were observed.[Conclusions]GO-PCn presented superior biocompatibility and exerted effective chemoembolization against liver cancer.

OBJECTIVETo observe the protection of Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiocyte injury and its mechanism.

METHODSCardiocyte was isolated from SD neonate rat and cultured in vitro, and was divided into control group (normal culture), LPS group (with stimulation of 30 micromoL/L LPS for 1 hour), LPS + Hemin group (with same treatment to LPS group after stimulation of 5 micromoL/L Hemin for 1 hour), and LPS + ZnPP group (with same treatment to LPS group after stimulation of 3 micromoL/L ZnPP for 1 hour). The level of lactic-dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured by thio-barbituric acid and xanthine oxidase techniques. The cell heart rhythm, survival rate and apoptosis rate were examined. The expressions of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), HO-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured with Western blotting. The HO-1 mRNA was examined by RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe level of LDH and MDA in LPS, LPS + Hemin, and LPS + ZnPP groups were (113 +/- 15), (79 +/- 13), (154 +/- 22) U/L, and (1.88 +/- 0.36), (1.16 +/- 0.32), (2.84 +/- 0.44) mmoL/L respectively, which were all obviously higher than those in control group [(69 +/- 10) U/L, (0.87 +/- 0.25) mmol/L, P < 0.05]. The level of SOD in LPS, PS + Hemin, and LPS + ZnPP groups (17.8 +/- 1.8, 22.5 +/- 2.4, 13.4 +/- 1.5 U/mL, respectively) was all obviously lower than that in control group (24.3 +/- 3.6 U/mL, P < 0.05). The apoptosis rate and heart rhythm were obviously higher and survival rate significantly lower in LPS, LPS + Hemin, and LPS + ZnPP groups than those in control group (P < 0.05). The level of HO-1mRNA in LPS, LPS + Hemin, and LPS + ZnPP groups was higher than that in control group (P < 0.01), among which LPS + Hemin group was the highest. The level of HO-1, TNF-alpha and NF-kappaB in LPS, LPS + Hemin, and LPS + ZnPP groups was higher than those in control group (P < 0.05), among which the level of HO-1 protein in LPS + Hemin group was the highest, the level of TNF-alpha and NF-kappaB in LPS + ZnPP group was highest.

CONCLUSIONLPS can induce cardiocyte injury, which can be inhibited through the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-apoptosis functions by HO-1.

Animals ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; metabolism ; Hemin ; pharmacology ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; metabolism ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

Objective To explore associations between levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and incidence of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes in populations. Methods Baseline investigations on stroke-related risk factors and physical examinations were performed in 10 093 ( > 35 years) stroke-free urban community residents from 5 cities in China during May to July in 1987, follow-up investigations on stroke events were made during 1998 to 2000. The hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of iachemic and hemorrhagic strokes in middle, high tertiles of baseline TC or TG levels were compared with low baseline tertile residents using the Cox regression model. Results There were 491 first strokes during the 8-years cohort follow-up. Compared with the low tertile, risk of ischemic stroke in the middle and high tertiles of TC level was increased by 61% ( HR: 1.61,95% CI: 1.14 -2. 27) and 58% (HR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.12 -2. 22) after adjustments for DBP, age, sex and other variables in the Cox proportional hazards model. Compared with the low tertile, risk of ischeroic stroke in the high tertile of TG level was increased by 43% (HR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.02 -2.00). However, risk of hemorrhagic stroke in the middle and high tertiles of TC level decreased by 12% (HR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.64-1.22) and 33% (HR: 0.67, 95% CI:0. 48 - 0. 95) compared with the low tertile. Conclusions Elevated serum TC and TG are independent risk factors for risk of ischemie stroke. However, low TC was related with increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

This is the first reported case of a female with monkeypox infection in Kunming City,Yunnan Province.An epi-demiological investigation was conducted to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of monkeypox epidemics in China,especially for early detection in females in accordance with the"Monkeypox prevention and control program(2023 ver-sion)".Diagnosis was performed as described in the"Monkeypox Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines(2022 version)".Speci-mens were collected for laboratory testing.The epidemiological investigation determined that the female patient had sexual in-tercourse with her newly married husband once before disease onset and the husband hid his history of male homosexual sex.The laboratory test results of the woman and her husband were positive for the nucleic acid of the monkeypox virus.Both had typical clinical symptoms,including rash.The epidemiological investigation,clinical symptoms,laboratory test results,and previous epidemic data of monkeypox in Yunnan province confirmed the woman as the first female infected with monkeypox in Yunnan Province and her husband was the presumed source of infection.