0.05).Conclusions Serum NT-proBNP level is sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of pneumonia complicated with CHF and CHD complicated with CHF. There is an increasing tendency of NT-proBNP level companied increasing pulmonary pressure.

Cardiomyopathies ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Echocardiography ; Heart Ventricles ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of peimine on excision repair cross-complementation 1 (ERCC1) mRNA and lung resistant protein (LRP) expressions in A549/cisplatin (DDP) multidrug resistance (MDR) cell line.

METHODSLung cancer A549/DDP cells were cultured in vitro.Cells at logarithmic growth phase were divided into 4 groups, i.e., the blank control group, the DDP group, the ligustrazine group (DDP+ligustrazine), the peimine group (DDP + peimine). After 48-h drug action, ERCC1 mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR and LRP expression detected by cell immunofluorescence.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in expression levels of ERCC1 mRNA and LRP between the DDP group and the blank control group (P > 0.05). Compared with the DDP group, expression levels of ERCC1 mRNA and LRP obviously decreased in the ligustrazine group and the peimine group (P < 0.05). They were obviously lower in the peimine group than in the ligustrazine group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPeimine could reverse MDR of A549/DDP cell line. Its mechanism might be associated with down-regulating ERCC1 mRNA and LRP expression levels.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Cevanes ; pharmacology ; Cisplatin ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Down-Regulation ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; Endonucleases ; genetics ; Humans ; Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1 ; genetics ; Lung Neoplasms ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism

The antitussive activity assay for the root extraction of Disporum cantoniense was carried out with coughing mice induced by ammonia liquor. The results showed that the ethanol and water extractions of D. cantoniense possess strong antitussive activity, and the high dose of the former was better than positive control, and then the constituents of the ethanol extraction were separated and purified by various modern chromatographic techniques. Their structures were identified by physico-chemical properties and spectroscopic data. As a result, eight compounds were isolated and identified as stigmast-4-en-3-one(1), (22E, 24R)-ergosta-5, 7, 22-trien-3beta-ol(2), obtucarbamate A(3), obtucarbamate B(4), neotigogenin(5), azo-2, 2'-bis[Z-(2,3-dihydroxy-4-methyl-5-methoxy) phenyl ethylene] (6),dimethyl {[carbonylbis (azanediyl)] bis( 2-methyl-5, 1-phenylene) j dicarbamate (7) , and quercetin-3-O-pB-D-glucopyranoside(8). All compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time, and the result of bioactivity-directed isolation showed that compounds 3, 4, and 6 had obvious effect on antitussive activity, and compound 6 had the same level as positive control.
Animals ; Antitussive Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Ethanol ; chemistry ; Female ; Liliaceae ; chemistry ; Male ; Mice

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of miRNA-101 on the expression of the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EXH2) in human androgen-independent prostated cancer LNCaP cells.

METHODSWe divided LNCaP cells into a blank control, a negative control, and a miRNA-l01 transfection group, constructed the vector by transfecting synthetic miRNA-101 mimics into the LNCaP cells, and evaluated the efficiency of transfection by fluorescence microscopy. Then we determined the expression level of EZH2 mRNA by qRT-PCR in the three groups of cells and that of the EZH2 protein in the negative control and transfection groups by Western blot.

RESULTSGreen fluorescence signals were observed in over 70% of the LNCaP cells in the transfection group after 24 hours of transfection. At 72 hours, the expression of miRNA-101 was significantly upregulated in the transfected cells (P < 0.01), that of EZH2 mRNA was remarkably lower in the transfection group (0.01 ± 0.10) than in the blank control (0.95 ± 0.40) and negative control (0.86 ± 0.30) groups (both P < 0.01), and that of the EZH2 protein was increased in the negative control but decreased in the transfection group with the extension of culture time.

CONCLUSIONmiRNA-101, with its inhibitory effect on the expression of EZH2 in LNCaP cells, is a potential biotherapeutic for prostate cancer.

Androgens ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Male ; MicroRNAs ; physiology ; Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Transfection

Objective To explore the abilities and personal qualities that medical undergraduates need for their future clinical work, and develop their competency model. Methods The self-made ques-tionnaire survey on medical undergraduates' competencies was conducted among the 1326 medical under-graduates in a medical university by using the cluster sampling method, and the 1099 effective question-naires were collected with effective rates of 82.88%. The exploratory factor analysis was used to analyze the internal structure of competency item and to build the competency model. The rating method was used to calculate the weight of each competency item. Results The overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the competency questionnaire was 0.965, and the coefficient of each dimension was above 0.832. The KMO statistic value was 0.970, and the probability associated with Bartlett test statistic was P=0.000, showing that the questionnaire has high reliability and validity. The competency model of medical undergraduates covers six aspects, namely, craftsmanship, personal qualities, professional learning, interpersonal communication, psychological adaptation and the pursuit of excellence, which contain 49 factors. The cumulative variance contribution rate was 54.729%. The weights of these six aspects in the model were 0.204 4, 0.202 1, 0.175 3, 0.158 8, 0.137 6 and 0.121 8 respectively. Conclusion The competency model of undergraduate medi-cal students has a certain scientific and practical value, which can provide new evaluation methods and ideas for medical education objectives, quality assurance, teaching evaluation, medical personnel selection and training.

Objective To explore the role of CD 30 on CD4 + T lymphocyte and T lymphocyte subset activation in asthma pathogenesis.Methods Twenty seven asthma active attack patients,16 acute upper respiratory infection patients and 19 control children were randomly selected. Direct immunofluorescence flow cytometry was used to detect the CD 30 positive percentage on CD4 +cell; ELISA was used to detect the levels of interleukin(IL) 4 and IL 13 in culture supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) and plasma total immunoglobulin E(IgE) level.Results Compared with control group and acute upper respiratory infection group, in asthmatic children the CD4 +CD 30 + percentage on CD4 + cell was elevated significantly; 2.The levels of IL 4 and IL 13 in supernatants of cultured lymphocyte were increased significantly, the plasma total IgE level was increased significantly;3.There was a significant positive correlation of CD4 +CD 30 + cell percentage with the levels of IL 4 and IL 13 in culture supernatants and plasma total IgE.Conclusions The cell that could produce Th2 derived cytokine may consist of CD 30 +cell;When CD 30 L combined with CD 30 on CD4 + cells ,it might result in Th2 cell proliferation ,develop and release Th2 derived cytokine; IL 4 and IL 13 could induce B cell production and secrete more IgE. It is suggested that CD 30 and imbalance of Th2 subset may play an important role in asthma pathogenesis.

Glucocorticoids (GC) exert a broad effect on the body and have been extensively used clinically.It is well known now that GC can act via both genomic and nongenomic mechanisms.Genomic effects of GC have been well reviewed elsewhere.Here we focus on the current understanding of nongenomic effects and discuss their biologic significance as well as the remaining problems in this field.

Abdominal Pain/etiology* ; Acute Disease ; Appendicitis/diagnosis* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis/diagnosis* ; Diagnostic Errors/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Insulin

Objective To set up a quantity determination method of atomic fluorescence spectrometry for detecting four elements in Radix Cynanchi Auriculati, including arsenic (As), hydrargyrum (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and plumbum (Pb). Methods The atomic fluorospectrophotometry was used to determine the contents of As, Hg, Cd and Pb in Radix Cynanchi Auriculati, and the determination method was studied by methodology. Results The results showed that the correlative coefficient of calibration curve was as r>0.999 3, the recovery was 99.4%-102.3% and RSD<5%. The contents of the above four elements in Radix Cynanchi Auriculat accorded with the quantity limitation standard of the Pharmacopeia of the People's Republic of China (edition 2005). Conclusion The method is easy, quick, accurate with a higher sensitivity, which can be used in the quantitative determination of heavy metal elements in Radix Cynanchi Auriculat with a satisfactory result.