Puerariae Lobatae Radix, also known as Gegen, is a root derived from Pueraria lobata. Based on field investigation and the developmental anatomy of root tuber, we have elucidated the relationship between the growth of root tuber and the anomalous structure. The results of analysis showed that the root system of P. lobata was developed from seed and adventitious root and there existed root tuber, adventitious root and conductive root according to morphology and function. The root tuber was developed from adventitious root, its secondary structure conformed to the secondary structure of dicotyledon's root. With the development of root, the secondary phloem of root tuber appeared abnormal vascular tissue, which was distributed like ring in the outside of secondary vascular tissue. The root tuber might have 4-6 concentric circular permutation abnormal vascular tissuelobate, and was formed by the internal development of abnormal vascular tissue. The xylem and phloem of abnormal vascular tissue were the main body of the root tuber. The results reveal the abnormal anatomical structure development of P. lobata, also provides the theoretical basis for reasonable harvest medicinal parts and promoting sustainable utilization of resources of P. lobata.
Plant Roots ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; Plant Tubers ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; Pueraria ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of keratin 8 (K8) in carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver injury of mice.

METHODSForty ICR mice were divided into four groups. CCl(4) 300 microl/kg body weight in olive oil was injected intraperitoneally for 0, 2, 4, 6 weeks in group A, B, C and D, respectively. Mice were sacrificed 3 d after the last injection and then the vital organs were collected and weighed. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry methods were used to analyze the expression of keratin 8 in the liver.

RESULTSThe ratios of liver and body weight were increased significantly after administration of CCl(4), which were 5.60 %, 6.87%, 7.83 % and 7.76% at 0, 2, 4 and 6 weeks after injection, respectively. The expression of K8 was increased at the 2 w, 4 w and 6 w after CL(4) administration.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of K8 is positively correlated with the liver injury induced by CCl(4). The accumulation of K8 may be involved in the mechanism of liver injury.

Animals ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; metabolism ; Female ; Keratin-8 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo perform a Meta-analysis on peginterferon with interferon in treatment of HIV patients coinfected with refractory genotype HCV.

METHODSA literature search of Medline was conducted to identify eligible randomized controlled trials. Meta analysis was conducted to evaluate peginterferon and interferon in treatment of coinfected HCV genotype 1 or 4 in HIV patients.

RESULTSix trials of 88 matched the selection criteria. Total 1,131 patients with coinfection of HCV genotype 1 or 4 and HIV were included. Sustain viral response was higher in patients treated with peginterferon plus ribavirin compared with that of interferon plus ribavirin (26 % compared with 8 %) or peginterferon alone (26 % compared with 13 %). Severe adverse effects and withdrawal rates were similar for patients treated with peginterferon and patients treated with interferon.

CONCLUSIONPeginterferon plus ribavirin in treatment of patients with coinfection of genotype 1 or 4 HCV and HIV can achieve higher sustain viral response and the likelihoods of serious adverse effects and withdrawal rates are similar to other therapies.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Genotype ; HIV Infections ; complications ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Hepacivirus ; classification ; genetics ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; complications ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Polyethylene Glycols ; administration & dosage ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Recombinant Proteins ; Ribavirin ; administration & dosage

OBJECTIVETo explore the dose-effect relationship between premature chromosome condensation induced by Calyculin A and irradiation dose.

METHODSThe human peripheral blood was irradiated by (137)Cs gamma radial. The irradiation dose included 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 Gy. The premature chromosome condensation induced by Calyculin A was observed, and dyed by centromeric banding.

RESULTSThere was the quadratic relation between the total aberration, fragment, dicentric+centric ring (dic+r) ration and irradiation dose.

CONCLUSIONPremature chromosome condensation induced by Calyculin A can be used as a biodosimetry.

Cell Line ; Chromosome Aberrations ; radiation effects ; Chromosome Banding ; Chromosomes ; radiation effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Female ; Gamma Rays ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; radiation effects ; Male ; Oxazoles ; pharmacology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of montelukast sodium combined with budesonide in children with cough variant asthma.

METHODSThe databases CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, PubMed, EMbase, and BioMed Central were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of montelukast sodium combined with budesonide in the treatment of children with cough variant asthma. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed for RCTs which met the inclusion criteria, and RevMan 5.3 software was used to perform quality assessment of the articles included and Meta analysis.

RESULTSA total of 11 RCTs involving 1 097 patients were included. The results of the Meta analysis showed that compared with the control group (inhalation of budesonide alone), the observation group (inhalation of montelukast sodium combined with budesonide) had significantly higher overall response rate and more improved pulmonary function parameters including forced expiratory volume in the first second, percentage of forced expiratory volume in the first second, and peak expiratory flow, as well as significantly lower recurrence rate (P<0.01). The incidence of adverse events showed no significant difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSInhalation of montelukast sodium combined with budesonide has a significant effect in children with cough variant asthma and does not increase the incidence of adverse events.

Acetates ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; Bronchodilator Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Budesonide ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Child ; Cough ; drug therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Quinolines ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects

Objective To investigate the effects of 3 different ventilation methods,including conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV),high frequency oscillatory ventilation(HFOV) and partial liquid ventilation (PLV),on the changes of inflammatory factors and pulmonary surfactant associated protein A (SP-A) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in newborn piglets with acute lung injury(ALI).Methods Twenty-four newborn piglets,no more than 3 days old,were enrolled.After ALI made with saline lavage(38 ℃,35 mL/kg),newborn piglets were randomly assigned to 4 groups:control group (n =6,no ventilation),CMV group(n =6),HFOV group(n =6),and PLV group(n =6).Piglets were sacrificed after being ventilated for 24 h.Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),interleukin-8 (IL-8),interleukin-1 (IL-1) and SP-A in BALF were measured quantitatively by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results In 3 groups using different ventilation methods,the population mean of TNF-o,IL-8,IL-1 and SP-A were statistically different (all P =0.000).SP-A in PLV group and HFOV group were higher than that in CMV group (all P ＜ 0.05),while IL-8,IL-1 and TNF-α in PLV group were lower than those in CMV group (all P ＜ 0.05),IL-8 and TNF-α in PLV group were lower than those in HFOV group (all P ＜ 0.05),IL-8 and TNF-α in HFOV group were lower than those in CMV group (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Pulmonary inflammatory reaction was different in 3 ventilation groups.Compared with CMV and HFOV,PLV attenuated inflammatory reaction,so it could increase the expression of SP-A and decrease the degradation of SP-A.

Our previous study demonstrates that hypoxia promotes human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) proliferation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the gene profile involved in this process by using cDNA microarray. Cultured hMSCs were treated with hypoxia (3% O(2)) for 4 h, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h, 48 h and 72 h, respectively. Then these cells were collected to prepare total RNA. Hypoxia-induced gene expression profile was examined and analyzed by GenePix Pro 4.0 software. Some of cDNA microarray results were confirmed by RT-PCR. Microarray analysis identified that 282 genes expressed differentially, of which most were involved in metabolism. The number of differentially expressed genes at different hypoxia time points was different, and most genes were regulated after 24-hour hypoxia. Among the 282 differentially expressed genes, 4 hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) targeted genes and 10 genes that changed at 3 continuous time points were found. The results obtained indicated that 4 HIF-1 targeted genes, i.e., transforming growth factor beta3 (TGFbeta3), phospho-glycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) and BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), displayed up-regulated pattern at 36 h under hypoxia. BNIP3 displayed a dynamically up-regulated pattern at 12, 36 and 72 h under hypoxia. However, TGFbeta3 and PGK1 were down-regulated at 72 h. In addition, the gene expressions of adenylate kinase 3-like 1 (HAC), neurofilament light polypeptide 68 kDa (NEFL), N-myc downstream regultated gene 1 (NDRG1), discoidin domain receptor family member 1 (DDR1), tribbles homolog 3 (TRIB3), nucleoprotein (AHNAK) and eukaryotic elongation factor selenocyteine-tRNA-specific (EESTS) were up-regulated. Moreover, the gene expressions of EESTS, NEFL were up-regulated at 5 different time points under hypoxia. Furthermore, it was found that the gene expressions of histone cluster 1 (HIS1) and transferring receptor (TFRC) were down-regulated. These results suggest that the proliferation of hMSCs induced by hypoxia is a complex process in which a number of genes may be involved.
Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; Transcriptome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the difference in the vulnerability of carotid atherosclerotic plaques in patients with unilateral and bilateral intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH).

METHODSA retrospective analysis was conducted among 44 patients with unilateral IPH (30 cases) or bilateral IPH (14 cases) in the carotid plaques detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in our hospital between December, 2009 and December, 2012. The age, maximum wall thickness and incidence of fibrous cap rupture were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSCompared with those with unilateral IPH, the patients with bilateral IPHs had a significantly younger age (66.6∓9.4 years vs 73.7∓9.0 years, P=0.027), a significantly greater maximum plaque thickness (6.3∓1.9 mm vs 5.0∓1.3 mm, P=0.035) and a higher incidence of ulcers (50% vs 13.3%, P=0.025). Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between bilateral IPHs and the occurrence of ulcer with an odd ratio (OR) of 6.5 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5-28.7, P=0.014). After adjustment for gender in Model 1, bilateral IPHs were still significantly associated with presence of ulcer (OR=5.7, 95%CI: 1.1-29.2, P=0.036). But after adjustment for age (P=0.131) or maximum plaque thickness (P=0.139) in model 2, no significant correlation was found between bilateral IPHs and the presence of ulcer.

CONCLUSIONCompared with patients with unilateral IPH, those with bilateral IPHs are at a younger age and have a greater plaque burden and a higher incidence of fibrous cap rupture, suggesting a greater vulnerability of the carotid plaques in patients with bilateral IPHs.

Aged ; Carotid Arteries ; diagnostic imaging ; Carotid Stenosis ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Fibrosis ; Hemorrhage ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; diagnostic imaging ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo monitor the 3-dimensional (3D) morphological changes of C6/36 cells during dengue virus (DENV) infection using a live-cell imaging technique based on digital holographic microscopy and provide clues for better understanding the mechanisms of DENV infection.

METHODSC6/36 cells were seeded in 6-well plates to determine the optimal imaging density under a holographic cell imager, and the morphological changes of the cells were recorded in response to a culture temperature change from 28 degrees celsius; to 37 degrees celsius; C6/36 cells were infected with 4 DENV strains with different serotypes at 28 degrees celsius; and incubated at 37 degrees celsius; for 24 h, and the 3D holograms and relevant morphological parameters were recorded at different time points using HoloMonitor M4 holographic cell imaging and analysis system.

RESULTSThe holograms of C6/36 cells inoculated at the optimal density for imaging (4×10per well) showed unified 3D morphologies of the single cells with minimal dispersions in the cell area, thickness and volume (P<0.05), which did not undergo obvious changes when the cells were incubated at 37 degrees celsius; for 24 h (P>0.05). The cell area and volume of the cells infected with the 4 DENV strains all increased and the cell thickness was reduced during incubation. Among the 4 strains, DENV-1 and DENV-2 caused reduced cell thickness while DENV-3 and DENV-4 increased the cell thickness, and the pattern and degree of such changes differ among the 4 strains.

CONCLUSIONSDigital holographic microscopy allows monitoring of the complex morphological changes of cells during DENV infection. The 4 DENV strains with different serotypes causes characteristic cell damages during infection.

OBJECTIVETo detect the expressions of heparanase and nuclear factor kappa B p65 (NF-kappaB p65) in pancreatic adenocarcinomas and analyze their relation to patients' prognosis and the regulatory mechanism of NF-kappaB on heparanase expression.

METHODSHeparanase and NF-kappaB p65 proteins in the tumor and adjacent tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry in 48 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and analyzed for their clinicopathological significance.

RESULTSHeparanase and NF-kappaB p65 proteins were found in 30 (62.5%) and 22 (45.9%) tumor specimens, respectively, a rate significantly higher than that in the adjacent tissues. High heparanase expression was closely related to advanced TNM stage (P=0.031), lymph node metastasis (P=0.003) and decreased 3-year postoperative survival (20.0% vs 0%, P=0.001). NF-kappaB p65 expression was associated with lymph node metastasis (P=0.017) and distant metastasis (P=0.031), but had a higher positive rate in heparanase-positive cases than in heparanase-negative cases (P=0.018). Multivariate analysis showed that neither heparanase nor NF-kappaB p65 was the independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONHeparanase is overexpressed in pancreatic adenocarcinomas in association with decreased postoperative survival. NF-kappaB may up-regulate heparanase expression and promote heparanase-dependent tumor invasion and metastasis.

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Glucuronidase ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Transcription Factor RelA ; metabolism