Ultrastructures of the neurohypophysis in the rats have been studied by means of electron microscopy. Besides identifying the fact that the neurosecretory substances store in the nerve terminals and release into the blood, there are also axo-axonic synaptoid structures existed between neurosecretory terminals and neuro-glial synaptoid contacts between neurosecretory terminals and pituicytes. The characteristics of these contacts mentioned above are as follows: (1) the pre-and postsynaptic membranes are insignificantly thickened; (2) clustered microvesicles are close to and attach to the presynaptic membrane; (3) the synaptic cleft is about 20 nm wide and contains various amount of electron dense materials. The authors suggest that the two kinds of synaptoid structures and pituicytes are all involved in the regulation for the releasing of the neurosecretory substances.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of specific immunotherapy by the nasal spray and/or sublingual contain on the regulation the balance of serum Th1/Th2 cell ratio, and the expression of total IgE (tIgE) level in perennial allergic rhinitis patients. METHOD: Thirty-six cases of allergic rhinitis of perennial (PAR) patients with nasal specific immunotherapy (nasal spray group) were chosen as the object of study, 36 PAR patients with sublingual specific immunotherapy (sublingual group) were chosen for the efficacy comparison group, and 32 cases of healthy adults as control (normal control group). The levels of serum IL-2, IL-4, IL-8 and tIgE in PAR nasal spray group and sublingual group were examined by IRMA and double-antibody sandwich assay before and after the treatment of specific immunotherapy (SIT); The content of IFN-gamma was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; The infiltration and changes of eosinophilic granulocyte were observed by the smear of nasal secretions. RESULT: In nasal spray group and sublingual group, the contents of serum Th1 cytokines IL-2 and IFN-gamma were reduced levels significantly, while the contents of Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-8 and tIgE were significantly increased before the treatment of SIT. After the SIT to the maintenance dose, the levels of IL-2 and IFN-gamma in serum were significantly higher than that before treatment, while IL-4, IL-8 and tIgE content were significantly lower in AR patients (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). The clinical efficacy of nasal spray group and sublingual group were 97.22% and 94.44%, while the two groups was no statistical difference in efficacy (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION With the presence of Th1/Th2 cell ratio and cytokine imbalance, the AR patients manifested as Th2 cell function in accentuation. Nasal mucosa and/or sublingual in the local SIT can have changed no-balance Th1/Th2 cell of by regulating the balance of serum Th1/Th2 cell ratio, the expression level of cytokine expression and the level of tIgE.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Cytokines ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Immunotherapy ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; blood ; immunology ; therapy ; Th1 Cells ; cytology ; Th2 Cells ; cytology ; Young Adult

Ischemic-type biliary lesion (ITBL) refers to biliary tract injury caused by insufficient blood supply of hepatic artery, which is one of the main factors affecting the long-term survival and quality of life of liver transplant recipients. The incidence of ITBL is associated with cold and warm ischemia, acute and chronic rejection, cytomegalovirus infection and the bile effect, etc. The occurrence of ITBL is a complicated process involving with multiple factors and steps. The therapeutic option of ITBL is extremely limited. A large proportion of ITBL patients should undergo repeated liver transplantation. ITBL has become one of the most critical factors preventing further advancement of liver transplantation. Hence, it is of significance to strengthen prevention and explore more effective modalities. Recent studies have found that toxic injury of bile salts plays a central role in ITBL. Active regulation of bile components, regulation of bile acid-related receptor expression and blockage or activation of bile acid-related signaling pathways probably have potentials in the prevention and treatment of ITBL. In this article, the cytotoxicity of bile salts and the mechanism of bicarbonate umbrella in the incidence and progression of ITBL after liver transplantation were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for the diagnosis and treatment of ITBL.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the prevalent species and the seasonal drift law of airborne fungi and respiratory allergic disease in the city of Wuhan. METHOD: Airborne fungi was investigated by exposed sides from 2007 to 2008, and 1674 patients with respiratory allergic disease that were used to do allergens skin test simultaneously, in order to analyze the simultaneous. RESULT: Airborne fungi could be detected in air all over the year. In 2007, the exposed films collected 26 734 fungi spores, and 686 other fungi (hypha and not well known fungi), to the sum of 27420. Otherwise, in 2008, the exposed films collected 26 531 fungi spores, and 730 other fungi, to the sum of 27 261. In the survey, 17 types of species of the collected fungi spores were identified, and the predominant species were alternaria sp, ustilaginales, deightoniella sp, uredinales, and the quantity of Fungi alternaria was most of all . And the peak period mainly concentrated from April to June, and from September to October. Otherwise, the positive rate of fungi skin test in patients with respiratory allergic disease was 10.48% in 2007, but 10.07% in 2008. The main period of onset of respiratory allergic disease was from April to June, and from September to October, similar as the seasonal drift law of airborne fungi. CONCLUSION The period of onset of respiratory allergic disease was consistent with the seasonal drift law of airborne fungi.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Air Microbiology ; Allergens ; immunology ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Cities ; Colony Count, Microbial ; Female ; Fungi ; immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycoses ; epidemiology ; Respiratory Hypersensitivity ; epidemiology ; immunology ; microbiology ; Young Adult

To investigate the mechanism of lectin from Pinellia pedatisecta(PPL) on macrophage-induced inflammation and its association with inflammatory corpuscles NLRP3. Lectin from P. pedatisecta was isolated and purified by gel chromatography, and its purity was analyzed by using SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis. ELISA was used to investigate the effect of PPL on inflammatory cytokines released by macrophages, with IL-1β as indicators;and fluorescence probe DCFH-DA fluorometer was used to determine changes in active oxygen ROS of macrophages after application of lectin from P. pedatisecta.RAW264.7 cells were pre-treated with ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to investigate the effect on ROS and the release of inflammatory factor IL-1β from macrophages to research the relationship between them. The protein levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1 p20, ASC and TXNIP were determined by Western blot.The results showed that isolated and purified PPL could reach electrophoretic purity; PPL stimulated macrophages and induced the excessive release of ROS, leading to strong oxidative stress reaction, and the levels of intracellular inflammatory factorsIL-1β were significantly increased. NAC could inhibit PPL-induced ROS excessive production and significantly reduce the release of IL-1β. In addition, PPL could induce the increase in protein expression levels of Caspase-1 p20, NLRP3 and ASC, and significantly reduce TXNIP expression. The results showed that PPL could cause a strong oxidative stress response by stimulating macrophages, activate inflammatory corpuscles NLRP3, and result in large amount of IL-1β release. That is, PPL could lead to inflammatory cascade reaction by promoting the maturation and secretion of IL-1β through ROS-TXNIP-NLRP3-IL-1β signaling pathway.

Objective::To evaluate the intervention effect of Bushen Tongluo formula on zebrafish osteoporosis model and to clarify its regulation of autophagy mechanism on osteoclast differentiation. Method::The 260 young zebrafishes (3 dpf) were selected, the zebrafish osteoporosis model was established with 25 mmol·L^-1 prednisolone (Pred) for 3 days, confirming the successful model by calcein staining. The zebrafishes were divided into control group, Pred group (25 mmol·L^-1), etidronate disodium (ED) group (300 mg·L^-1), Bushen (BS) group (180 mg·L^-1), Tongluo (TL) group (30 mg·L^-1), and Bushen Tongluo (BSTL) group (210 mg·L^-1), 40 tails per group. After intervened with medicine for 4 days, the calcein staining was adopted to count the vertebral bone fluorescence area of zebrafish, Real-time PCR was adopted to detect the mRNA expression of akaline phosphatase (ALP), bone morphogenetic protein 2b (BMP-2b), runt-related protein 2 (Runx2) and cathepsin K (CTSK), phosphorus and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic-1 (NFATC-1). Divided RAW264.7 cells into control, Rankl induction (10 μg·L^-1), BS (180 mg·L^-1), TL (30 mg·L^-1), and BSTL group (210 mg·L^-1) after they were cultured to 80%-90% density. The expression of actin ring was detected by phalloidin cytoskeleton staining. The mRNA expression of TRAP, CTSK and autophagy-related genes 5 (ATG5), autophagy-related genes 7 (ATG7), and ubiquitin-binding protein p62 (p62) were detected by Real-time PCR. Result::Compared with the control group in vivo, the vertebral area and ALP, BMP-2b, and Runx2 expression of zebrafish in the Pred group were significantly decreased (P<0.01), and CTSK, TRAP, and NFATC-1 expression of zebrafish were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the Pred group, the vertebral area of the TL (P<0.05) and BSTL group (P<0.01) increased significantly. The expressions of ALP, BMP-2b, and Runx2 in the BS, TL, and BSTL group were significant increased (P<0.01). The expression of CTSK, TRAP, and NFATC-1 in BSTL group were significant decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the control group in vitro, the number of actin rings (P<0.01) and CTSK, TRAP, ATG5 (P<0.01) expression and ATG7, p62 (P<0.01) expression were significantly increased in the Rankl-induced group. Compared with the Rankl induction group, the number of actin rings and CTSK and TRAP expression were significantly decreased in the BS, TL, and BSTL group (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the expression of ATG5, ATG7, and p62 were significant decreased in the BSTL group (P<0.05). Conclusion::BSTL can significantly improve prednisolone-induced zebrafish osteoporosis and inhibit osteoclast differentiation by reducing autophagy-related gene expression.