The transesterification reaction conditions of lard with methyl acetate with combined use of immobilized lipases as catalysts were conducted. Initially, according to single factorial experiments, the studies on Lipozyme TL IM and Novozym 435 respectively catalyzed transesterification of lard showed that the optimal parameters of transesterification reaction were: the molar ratio of methyl acetate to oil of 14∶1, 40% enzyme added based on oil weight, temperature 50℃. Combined use of Lipozyme TL IM and Novozym 435 was proposed further to improve the catalytic performance by the response surface method (RSM). Herein, a 5-level-3-factor central composite rotated design was employed to evaluate the effects of lipase loading, the proportion of the two lipases and amount of methyl acetate. The optimum conditions were as followings: 40% lipase loading based on oil weight, 50%/50% the proportion of lipases (Novozym 435/Lipozyme TL IM), and the molar ratio of methyl acetate to oil of 14∶1. And under the optimal conditions, the highest biodiesel yield of 97.6% could be attained, which was higher than the biodiesel yield with each single one of the two lipases. The results suggested that the technics of combined use of certain immobilized lipases catalyzed transesterification reaction of lard for biodiesel production with methyl acetate as the acyl acceptor could raise the FAME yield and save the production cost.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signal is one of the important ways in eukaryotic cell,which adjusts and controls the structure and function of the cell. MAPKs in eukaryotes include p38, ERK, JNK and ERK5, etc. With the deepening research,we found that the activation of p38, ERK, JNK signal pathways were closely related with osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage injury. MAPKs are the key signaling systems involved in the production of matrix metalloproteinases and the regulation of cartilage cell proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation. Expecially the matrix metalloproteinases can accelerate the degradation of articular cartilage. So it has been the new spot in pathogenesis of osteoarthritis study.
Animals ; Cartilage, Articular ; pathology ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Osteoarthritis ; etiology ; pathology

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Paranasal Sinuses ; surgery ; Turbinates ; surgery ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate prourodynamic study and somatosensory evoked potentials(SEPs)before and after operation of children with lipomyelomeningocele(LMMC)and its clinical significance.Methods Urodynamic study(UDS)and SEPs in 31 cases of LMMC who underwent microsurgical release within 1 week preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively were conducted.The 4 parameters used for UDS evaluation were bladder volume,compliance,detrusor activity and residual urine;parameters used for SEPs evaluation were latent period and amplitude.Results There was a statistics significant difference between operation and control group;the similar result was attented in the comparison of before and after operation,also in the comprison of the improved group and the group without improvement after operation.Conclusions UDS and SEPs investigation can provide guidance for the treatment of tethered cord syndrome(TCS)and evaluate clinical prognosis.These cases with the severity changing in UDS and somatosensory shall be avoided unnecessary action in operation.

BACKGROUNDHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranked the second among the causes of cancer mortality in China since the 1990s. Up to now, medication still plays an important role in the treatment of HCC. The therapies based on the allicin as a potential chemopreventive analog although is in its infancy at the present time, may have a significant role in the future management of HCC. Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) is a natural compound derived from garlic. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of hepatic targeted polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles of diallyl trisulfide (DATS-PBCA-NP) on orthotopic transplanted HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma in nude mice.

METHODSDATS-PBCA-NP were detected by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The orthotopic transplantation HCC models were established by implanting HCC HepG2 xenograft bits under the envelope of the mice liver. Successful models (n = 29) were divided into 4 groups: normal saline (NS), empty nanoparticles (EN), DATS and DATS-PBCA-NP were intravenously administered to the mice respectively for 2 weeks. In vivo antitumor efficacy was evaluated by the measurement of tumor volume. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and protein levels of apoptosis and cell proliferation proteins by immunoblotting in tumor tissues were performed to elucidate the possible mechanism.

RESULTSDATS-PBCA-NP possessed smooth and round appearance, dispersed well, and released in vitro in accord with double phase kinetics model. DATS-PBCA-NP changed the tissue/organ distribution of DATS in vivo. The successful rate of tumor implantation was 100%. Intravenous administration of DATS-PBCA-NP significantly retarded the growth of orthotopically transplanted hepatoma in BALB/c nude mice (compared with the other three groups, all P < 0.05) without causing weight loss (P > 0.05). TUNEL staining showed that the tumors from DATS-PBCA-NP treated mice exhibited a markedly higher apoptotic index compared with control tumors. Western blot analysis of tumor tissue revealed that the down-regulated expression of proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Bcl-2 proteins in DATS-PBCA-NP group, and there were no significant differences in the expression of Fas, FasL and Bax proteins among the four groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSDATS-PBCA-NP has good prolonged release effect in vivo and hepatic-targeted activity, and significant anti-tumor effect on the orthotopic transplantation HCC model in mice in association with the suppression of proliferation and the induction of apoptosis of tumor cells. These advantages are probably due to their liver targeting characteristics and consequently bring a higher anti-tumor activity.

Allyl Compounds ; administration & dosage ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Down-Regulation ; Enbucrilate ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; drug therapy ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Nanoparticles ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; analysis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; analysis ; Sulfides ; administration & dosage ; Transplantation, Heterologous

The applicator therapy is a unique method to treat infant diarrhea in traditional Chinese medicines and widely applied in clinical practice. Currently, many researchers have proved the rationality of the therapy based on the traditional Chinese medicine mechanism and on the data from clinical practice, but its action mechanism is uncertain at present. In this study, with the assistance of pediatric practitioners, the automated ribosomal intergenic-spacer analysis (ARISA) was adopted to study the effect of the adjuvant therapy with Dingguier umbilical paste on intestinal flora of diarrhea infants, in which Dingguier umbilical paste served as the adjuvant therapy in oral traditional Chinese medicines and fecal samples of infants with different diarrhea symptoms were collected and used as the study materials. The results showed that the adjuvant therapy had a significant effect on the shift of intestinal flora, which was associated with the decrease in the similarity difference to the normal control group and the increase in the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) shared with the normal control group. Additionally, adjuvant therapy with Dingguier umbilical paste also showed long action duration and increased OTUs number. These results indicated that Dingguier umbilical paste has the effect in restoring the micro-ecosystem of unbalanced intestinal bacteria. Intestinal flora may be one of major targets for the applicator therapy for the infant diarrhea, but not for the single oral traditional Chinese medicine for infant diarrhea.
Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic ; therapeutic use ; Diarrhea ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Feces ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Intestines ; drug effects ; microbiology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Ointments ; Treatment Outcome ; Umbilicus

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects and complications of subinguinal microscopic ligation, laparoscopic transperitoneal varicocelectomy, laparoscopic retroperitoneal varicocelectomy, open retroperitoneal high ligation, and interventional embolotherapy in the treatment of varicocele.

METHODSWe conducted a retrospective study that included 632 varicocele patients treated by subinguinal microscopic ligation (group A, n = 79), laparoscopic transperitoneal varicocelectomy (group B, n = 120), laparoscopic retroperitoneal varicocelectomy (group C, n =137), open retroperitoneal high ligation (group D, n = 283), and interventional embolotherapy (group E, n = 13). We compared the baseline and 3-month postoperative semen parameters, postoperative complications, and pregnancy rate among the five groups of patients.

RESULTSThe operation time was longer in groups A ([2.02 ± 1.25] h) and E ([2.17 ± 1.02] h) than in the other three groups, while the postoperative hospital stay was the shortest in group E ([1.1 ± 0.1] d). Intestinal injury or incision bleeding occurred intraoperatively in 2 cases in group B and 1 case in group E. Postoperative scrotal edema developed in 3.7, 17, 10, and 19% of the patients in groups A, B, C, and D, respectively, but not in group E. The rate of 1-year recurrence was the lowest in group A (1.6%) and highest in group E (22%). Sperm concentration and the percentages of progressively motile sperm and morphologically normal sperm were improved postoperatively in all the patients (P < 0. 05), but there were no statistically significant differences among the five groups either in the above three parameters or in the postoperative pregnancy rate (P > 0. 05).

CONCLUSIONIn the surgical treatment of varicocele, laparoscopic retroperitoneal approach involves short operation time and few complications, subinguinal microscopic ligation has the advantages of little injury, rapid recovery, and few complications but requires specialized microsurgical techniques, and interventional embolotherapy leaves no incision scar and needs only local anesthesia and 1-day postoperative hospital stay, which is uitable for those with a contraindication to anesthesia.

Embolization, Therapeutic ; adverse effects ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Length of Stay ; Ligation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Male ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Recurrence ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Retrospective Studies ; Sperm Count ; Urogenital Surgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; Varicocele ; surgery ; Vascular Surgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; methods

OBJECTIVEOver the last few decades, diabetic cardiomyopathy has been identified as a significant contributor in cardiac morbidity. However, the mechanisms of diabetic cardiomyopathy have not been clarified.

METHODSIn the present study, a diabetic rat model was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. The myocardial CD147 expression and extent of glycosylation, as well as thematrixmetalloproteinases(MMPs) expression and activity, were observed in the diabetic and synchronous rats.

RESULTSThe results showed that CD147 located on sarcolemma of cardiomyocytes. The myocardial CD147 expression and glycosylation were significantly increased in the diabetic rats as compared with the control. Expression of MMP-2 protein, MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity were also increased in left ventricular myocardium in the diabetic rats. Tamoxifen only inhibited the enhanced expression of myocardial CD147 in the diabetic rats, but not in synchronous control rats. Tamoxifen inhibited glycosylation of myocardial CD147 in both diabetic and control rats. The inhibition of tamoxifen on CD147 glycosylation was stronger than on the expression in the myocardium. The extent of myocardial CD147glycosylation was positively related toMMP-2 and MMP-9 activity. Tamoxifen induced an inhibition of myocardial MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity in the control and diabetic rats.

CONCLUSIONThese results indicate that myocardial CD147 expression, especially the extent of glycosylation, regulates MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity, then accelerates cardiac pathological remodeling inducing diabetic cardiomyopathy. Tamoxifen inhibits myocardial CD147 glycosylation and further depress the activity of MMPs. Therefore, tamoxifen may protect the diabetic rats against diabetic myocardium.

Animals ; Basigin ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; complications ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies ; drug therapy ; Glycosylation ; Heart ; drug effects ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; Rats ; Sarcolemma ; metabolism ; Tamoxifen ; pharmacology

In this paper, the RP-HPLC specific chromatography was adopted, with DIKMA-C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 µm) as the chromatographic column, with a gradient elution compose of acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acid at flow rate of 0.8 mL · min(-1), the detection wavelength was 220 nm. The difference of the HPLC specific chromatograms between the Lu Dangshen and other different base sources and different producing area of Codonopsis Radix was compared, involved in the similarities and differences of the number and the relative peak area of characteristic peaks in the HPLC specific chromatograms. The HPLC specific chromatograms of Lu Dangshen was established and the relative retention times of seven peaks was determined, and the peaks of codonopyrrolidium B, syringin, lobetyolin, tangshenoside I and atractylenoide III were identified; The HPLC specific chromatograms of Lu Dangshen provided a method for scientific evaluation and effective control the quality of Lu Dangshen from Shanxi famous-region.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Codonopsis ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Glucosides ; analysis ; Phenylpropionates ; analysis ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Quality Control

Background:Recent studies show that microRNA-145 (miRNA-145) might be an attractive tumor biomarker of considerable prognostic value,but little is known about their relationship with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).This study investigated the correlation between the level ofmiR-145 and AMI.Methods:One-hundred patients were divided into three groups:no coronary artery disease (CAD) group,non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction group,and ST segment elevation myocardial infarction group.The plasma levels of miR-145 were quantified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Logarithmic transformation of miRNA-145 levels (Ln_miRNA-145) was used for statistical analysis due to the skewed data distribution.Results:Plasma levels of miR-145 were significantly lower in patients with AMI compared to patients in the non-CAD group (-6.38 ± 0.11 vs.-4.47 ± 0.17,P ＜ 0.0001).Compared to those without heart failure,the levels of miR-145 were significantly lower in patients with heart failure (-6.91 ± 0.20 vs.-5.35 ± 0.13,P ＜ 0.0001).We also found that the lower plasma levels of miRNA-145 significantly correlated with increased serum levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (Spearman p =-0.60,P ＜ 0.0001),troponin T (Spearman p =-0.62,P ＜ 0.0001),and decreased ejection fraction (Spearman p =0.65,P ＜ 0.0001).In a multivariable linear regression analysis,AMI and heart failure were independently associated with lower Ln_miRNA-145 (estimate-0.99,standard error [SE] 0.28;P =0.001 and estimate-0.62,SE 0.21;P=0.004).Conclusions:Our results suggest that decreased plasma levels of miR-145 are associated with AMI.Circulating miR-145 may be useful in prognosticating cardiac function and the risk of developing heart failure.