OBJECTIVETo establish discriminant functions of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) by studying it from quantitative diagnosis angle, hoping to reduce interference of subjective factors in diagnosing and differentially diagnosing Chinese medical syndromes of IBS-D.

METHODSA Chinese medical clinical epidemiological survey was carried out in 439 IBS-D patients using Clinical Information Collection Table of IBS. Initial syndromes were obtained by cluster analysis. They were analyzed using step-by-step discrimination by taking information of four Chinese medical diagnostic methods and serum brain-gut peptides (BGP) as variables.

RESULTSClustering results were Gan stagnation Pi deficiency syndrome (GSPDS), Pi-Wei weakness syndrome (PWWS), Gan stagnation qi stasis syndrome (GSQSS), Pi-Shen yang deficiency syndrome (PSYDS), Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome (PWDHS), cold-damp disturbing Pi syndrome (CDDPS). Of them, GSPDS was mostly often seen with effective percentage of 34. 2%, while CDDPS was the least often seen with effective percentage of 5.5%. A total of 5 discriminant functions for GSPDS, PWWS, GSQSS, PSYDS, and PWDHS were obtained by step-by-step dis- crimination method. The retrospective misjudgment rate was 4.1% (16/390), while the cross-validation misjudgment rate was 15.4% (60/390).

CONCLUSIONThe establishment of discriminant functions is of value in objectively diagnosing and differentially diagnosing Chinese medical syndromes of IBS-D.

Alarmins ; Brain ; Cluster Analysis ; Diarrhea ; classification ; diagnosis ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; classification ; diagnosis ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Qi ; Retrospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Yang Deficiency

Objective To investigate the effect of intra-articular carboxymethylated ehitosan(CM- CTS)injection on inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)expression in cartilage at the early stage of os- teoarthfitis(OA).Methods Thirty-two white rabbits were underwent unilateral anterior cruciate ligament transection(ACLT)and were randomly divided into 4 groups 5 weeks after transection.Rabbits of group A re- ceived 0.3 ml of 2% high molecular weight CMCTS(H-CMCTS)once every two weeks.Rabbits in group B were treated using 2% low molecular weight(L-CMCTS)CMCTS at:the same intervals.Group C rabbits were injected intra-articularly with 0.3 ml of 1% sodium hyaluronate(Na-HA)once a week.Animals of group D were not injected.At sacrifice,11 weeks following surgery,the expression of iNOS in cartilages was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)methods.Results Both immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR showed that the level of iNOS expression of cartilage in CMCTS in- jection groups was lower than that in Na-HA injection group and the untreated group.There was no significant difference in iNOS expression between the two different molecular weight CMCTS injection groups. No signifi- cant difference of iNOS expression in cartilage was found between Na-HA injection group and the untreated group.Conclusion CMCTS suppresses iNOS expression in cartilage during the early stage of OA.Na-HA treatment has no effect on iNOS expression in cartilage.

Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in the proliferation, growth, invasion, and metastasis of human cancers. Moreover, β-catenin/T-cell factor 4 (TCF4) interaction regulates the transcription of the key oncogenes in Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, β-catenin/TCF4 interaction would be a promising therapeutic target for the development of highly selective anticancer agents. At present, most ongoing small-molecule inhibitors targeting β-catenin/TCF4 interaction, including PKF222-815, iCRT3/5/14, LF3, and sanguinarine, have been developed in preclinical studies for human cancer therapeutics. In this review, we summarized the research advances of up-to date inhibitors targeting β-catenin/TCF4 interaction, including the molecular structure and cellular functions of β-catenin in canonical Wnt signaling pathway. This review holds a hopeful avenue for the development of novel and highly selective Wnt inhibitors targeting β-catenin/TCF4 interaction for future anticancer strategy.

Thirteen compounds from Dendrolobium triangulare (Retz.) Schindl. were isolated and purified by chromatography on silica gel, macroporous resin column and recrystallization method, and their structures were elucidated by chemical and spectral analyses as azo-2, 2'-bis [Z-(2, 3-dihydroxy-4-methyl-5-methoxy) phenyl ethylene] (1), beta-sitosterol (2), N-(2'-hydroxy-tetracosanoyl)-2-amino-1, 3, 4-trihydroxyoctadec-8E-ene (3), lupeol (4), cycloeucalenol (5), daucosterol (6), betulinc acid (7), betulin (8), glyceryl hexacosanoate (9), glyceryl 26-hydroxy hexacosanoate (10), methyl pheophorbide-a (11), acacetin-7-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (12) and robinin (13). To our knowledge, all compounds are obtained from Dendrolobium genus for the first time and compound 1 is a novel compound. Moreover, it is understood that compound 1 has better protection against PC12 cell damnification deduced by glutamate, than that of Vitamin E in 2 microg x mL(-1) concentration.
Animals ; Azo Compounds ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Fabaceae ; chemistry ; PC12 Cells ; Rats

BACKGROUNDAlveolar echinococcosis (AE) is caused by the metacestode stage of Echinococcus multilocularis (E. multilocularis) and is a rare but life-threatening disease. This disease commonly is characterized by an infiltrative, tumor-like growth of the E. multilocularis metacestode in the liver of human. Liver transplantation is an effective therapy for end-stage of hepatic AE, but the characteristics of host immunity associated with E. multilocularis infection with organ transplantation are poorly defined. We hereby aimed to study the immunological status and allograft heart survival in inbred rats with E. multilocularis infection.

METHODSRat models of AE were established by injecting the E. multilocularis suspension made from E. multilocularis infected tissues into the abdomen of Lewis (LEW) rats. Three months later, in the experimental group, allograft heart transplantation was performed from Brown-Norway (BN) rats to the E. multilocularis infected LEW rats. In the control group, we transplanted hearts from BN rats to healthy LEW rats. The influence of the disturbed immune system in E. multilocularis infected rats on the heart transplantation was assessed, including observation of allograft heart survival time, histopathological examination of grafts and immunohistochemical examination of infiltrating cells (CD4(+) T cells, CD8(+) T cells and eosinophile granulocytes), measurement of interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-γ in the serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and analysis of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells in peripheral blood by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) flow cytometric analysis.

RESULTSThe survival time of recipients in the experimental group was prolonged compared with those in the control group. The numbers of graft infiltrating CD8(+) T cells were decreased whereas the graft infiltrating eosinophil granulocytes (CD15(+)) were increased in grafts in the experimental group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the proportion of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood was 10.8% on average in the experimental group, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (6.1%). In addition, the level of serum IL-4 in E. multilocularis infected rats was higher than that in the control group rats, whereas the level of serum IFN-γ in experimental group was lower than that in the control group when graft rejection occurred (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThis study suggests that E. multilocularis infection could prolong the allograft survival time through the polarization of Th1/Th2-type cells and induction of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells. This strategy may provide a new idea for establishing transplantation tolerance.

Animals ; Echinococcosis ; blood ; immunology ; Echinococcus multilocularis ; immunology ; pathogenicity ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flow Cytometry ; Gerbillinae ; Heart Transplantation ; Immunohistochemistry ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Male ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of application of mandibular outer cortex as bone graft by comparing its bone absorption with cranial outer cortex.

METHODS8 minitype grown-up pigs at the age of 8 - 12 months underwent surgery of taking out the same size (2.5 cm x 1.0 cm) of outer cortex from mandible and craninium. The volume of the outer cortex was measured by volume-displacement method. Then the outer cortex of mandible and cranium were onlay grafted to the each side of the pig snout, respectively. 12 weeks later, 2 pigs were randomly selected for histological examination. The other 6 pigs were killed 24 weeks after surgery for measurement of the bone graft volume and histologic examination.

RESULTSThe bone graft absorption rate was (41 +/- 5)% for mandibular outer cortex and (46 +/- 12)% for cranial outer cortex, showing no significant difference between them (P = 0.51). The histologic examination results also had no marked difference in the bony healing and reforming between the two graft.

CONCLUSIONSMandibular outer cortex is a good donor site for onlay bone graft in craniofacial region.

Animals ; Bone Plates ; Bone Regeneration ; Bone Transplantation ; methods ; Female ; Male ; Mandible ; transplantation ; Skull ; transplantation ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature

OBJECTIVEAnalyze Naive and Mermory T cell subsets in HIV/AIDS patients and investigate their relationship with disease development.

METHODST cell subsets from 15 normal control subjects, 79 HIV/ AIDS patients were detected by FCM.

RESULTSWith diesase progression, CD4+ Naive cell counts and ratio was both decreased obviously (P < 0.001); CD4+ Tcm cell counts was significantly decreased (P < 0.001), CD4+ Tcm cell ratio was obviously higher (P = 0.002); CD4 TEM cell ratio was obviously increased( P < 0.001); CD8+ T Naive cell counts and ratio was also decreased obviously (P < 0.05); CD8+ T(CM), T(EM), T(EMRA) are not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONSThe peripheral lymphocyte subsets in HIV/AIDS patients changed obviously. The counts of naive T cell decreased, while the proportion of memory T cell increased significantly. It will help to understand pathogenesis of HIV.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; immunology ; virology ; Adult ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; HIV ; immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo study chemical constituents of Incarvillea arguta and their accelerating PC-12 cell differentiation.

METHODThe constituents were isolated and repeatedly purified on silica gel column chromatography, and were identified on the basis of physicochemical and spectroscopic analysis. The neurotrophic activity of different portion and all purified compounds from I. arguta was determined on the model of PC-12 cell.

RESULTFive compounds were isolated from BuOH portion of alcohol extraction of I. arguta. Their structures were identified as plantarenaloside (I), 5-hydroxy-4', 6 7-trimethoxy-flavone (II), 4', 5-dihydroxy-6, 7-dimethoxyflavone (III), 4', 5-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (IV), 5-dydroxy-4', 7-dimethoxyflavone (V).

CONCLUSIONCompound I is isolated from the plant for the first time and it has neurotrophic activity for PC-12 cell. Compounds II approximately V are isolated from the genus Incarvillea for the first time.

Animals ; Apigenin ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Bignoniaceae ; chemistry ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Flavones ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; PC12 Cells ; Rats

In this study, we prepared PLLA/bpV(pic) microspheres, a bpV(pic) controlled release system and examined their ability to protect nerve cells and promote axonal growth. PLLA microspheres were prepared by employing the o/w single emulsification-evaporation technique. Neural stem cells and dorsal root ganglia were divided into 3 groups in terms of the treatment they received: a routine medium group (cultured in DMEM), a PLLA microsphere group (DMEM containing PLLA microspheres alone) and a PLLA/bpV(pic) group [DMEM containing PLLA/bpV(pic) microspheres]. The effects of PLLA/bpV(pic) microspheres were evaluated by the live-dead test and measurement of axonal length. Our results showed that PLLA/bpV(pic) granulation rate was (88.2±5.6)%; particle size was (16.8±3.1)%, drug loading was (4.05±0.3)%; encapsulation efficiency was (48.5±1.8)%. The release time lasted for 30 days. In PLLA/bpV(pic) microsphere group, the cell survival rate was (95.2 ±4.77)%, and the length of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was 718±95 μm, which were all significantly greater than those in ordinary routine medium group and PLLA microsphere group. This preliminary test results showed the PLLA/bpV(pic) microspheres were successfully prepared and they could promote the survival and growth of neural cells in DRG.
Animals ; Axons ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Drug Compounding ; Female ; Ganglia, Spinal ; drug effects ; metabolism ; physiology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Microscopy, Electron ; Microspheres ; Neural Stem Cells ; drug effects ; physiology ; Neurofilament Proteins ; metabolism ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Organometallic Compounds ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Polyesters ; Polymers ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Pregnancy ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti hepatitis E virus (HEV) and HEV RNA in acute and convalescent sera of patients with NonA-E acute hepatitis.

METHODSThe serum samples were taken from 95 patients who were diagnosed as acute NonA-E hepatitis. Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was used for detecting anti-HEV Immunoglobulin G (IgG, Genolable and Wantai EIA anti-HEV kits). RT-PCR amplification of HEV RNA was based on the open reading frame 2 region of HEV and the PCR products were sequenced.

RESULTSSera from 95 patients who were negative for anti-HEV in acute phase were followed up for 11-35 days to detect the anti-HEV antibody in recovery phase, 16/95 (16.84%) were positive for anti-HEV (wantai EIA anti-HEV kits). Ten (62.50%) were positive for HEV RNA in acute phase. Sequence analysis showed that 4 were HEV genotype. 6 were HEV genotype; 12/95 (12.50%) were positive for anti-HEV (Genolable EIA anti-HEV kits). Seven were positive for HEV RNA; 4 belonged to HEV genotype, 3 were HEV genotype.

CONCLUSIONIt is significant and necessary to detect anti HEV antibody and HEV RNA in patients with HEV infection during acute phase and convalesent phase.

Acute Disease ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Convalescence ; Genotype ; Hepatitis Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis E ; genetics ; immunology ; virology ; Hepatitis E virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; RNA, Viral ; blood ; genetics ; Sequence Homology ; Viral Proteins ; genetics