OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of purgation and detoxification therapy on gastrointestinal dysfunction of critically ill patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

METHODSTotally 56 inpatients with severe gastrointestinal dysfunction after abdominal surgery at ICU of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 28 in each group. All patients received routine Western medical treatment. Patients in the treatment group additionally took Modified Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (MHJD) and received electroacupuncture (EA) for 7 days. The first exhaust time, defecation time, scores for gastrointestinal dysfunction, mechanical ventilation time, ICU hospitalization time, and 28-day fatality rate were observed. Furthermore, serum levels of diamine oxidase (DAO) and D-lactic acid were detected at day 1, 3, and 7 after treatment.

RESULTSThe first exhaust time and the first defecation time in the treatment group were ahead of schedule, when compared with those of the control group (P <0. 05). Scores for gastrointestinal dysfunction, mechanical ventilation time, serum levels of DAO obviously decreased in the treatment group (P <0. 05). There was no statistical difference in serum levels of D-lactic acid, ICU stay time, the incidence of pulmonary infection, and 28-day mortality between the two groups (P >0. 05). Results of Logistic analysis showed that scores for gastrointestinal dysfunction were related with the incidence of pulmonary infection (P <0. 05).

CONCLUSIONMHJD combined EA could promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function in critically ill patients after abdominal surgery via improving intestinal barrier function, which was benefit for shortening mechanical ventilation time.

Critical Illness ; Defecation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Electroacupuncture ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Objectives:To explore the relationship between cyber bullying incident and psychological status of college students,and the effects of online social support and psychological resilience.Methods:Totally 608 college students (aged 17-25 years) were selected.They were investigated with the Cyberbullying Inventory (CI,including cyber bullying and cyber bullied),Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90),College Students' Online Social Support Scale (CSOSSS) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RSIC).Results:Online social support partly mediated the relationship between cyber bullying dimension or cyber bullied dimension and psychological status,and the ratios of the mediating effects to total effects were 24.1％ and 22.0％ separately.Psychological resilience didn't moderate the relationship between cyber bullying dimension and psychological status (β =0.01,P ＞ 0.05),but moderated the relationship between cyber bullied and psychological status (β =-0.08,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion:The cyber bullying and cyber bullied may be not only related to psychological status directly,but also related to social support indirectly through online.Psychological resilience could buffer the effect of cyber bullied on psychological status.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the phenotypes and functions of cord blood dendritic cells of fetuses whose mothers are patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODSPeripheral blood and cord blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from whole blood by density gradient centrifugation with Ficoll-Hypaque. The adherent cells were cultured in AIM-V medium containing recombinant human IL-4, TNF-alpha and GM-CSF. On day 9, mature DCs (mDC) were harvested and used for phenotype analysis. The amounts of IL-12 which dendritic cells produced were measured. The dendritic cells that were studied and compared were from cord blood of fetuses of both CHB positive and negative mothers and from CHC adult peripheral blood.

RESULTSThe expression rate of CD80 and CD83 of chronic hepatitis B mother cord blood dendritic cells was low compared with that of the healthy cord blood, healthy adult peripheral blood, and chronic hepatitis B adult peripheral blood, P < 0.05. The amount of IL-12 produced by chronic hepatitis B mother cord blood dendritic cells was lower than that of healthy cord blood, healthy adult peripheral blood, chronic hepatitis B adult peripheral blood (P < 0.05). The T lymphocyte proliferation inducing ability of dendritic cells of healthy adult peripheral blood was higher in inducing cord blood T lymphocytes proliferation, which was greater than that of the healthy adult peripheral blood in inducing adult T lymphocytes and was greater than that of the healthy cord blood dendritic cells in inducing cord blood T lymphocytes, which was greater than that of the healthy cord blood in inducing adult T lymphocytes, which was greater than that of chronic hepatitis B mothers in inducing cord blood T lymphocytes, which was greater than that of chronic hepatitis B mother cord blood in inducing adult T lymphocytes.

CONCLUSIONThe maturation and functioning of CHB mother cord blood dendritic cells were lower than those of healthy cord blood, healthy adult peripheral blood and CHB adult peripheral blood.

Adult ; Cells, Cultured ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; immunology ; Humans ; Phenotype ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of protein tyrosine phosphatase-SHP2 and dual-specificity MAPK phosphatase-MKP5 on the activation of MAPKs and cell invasion induced by P2Y purinergic receptor in human prostate cancer cell lines with different metastatic potentials.

METHODSThe wide type (-wt) SHP2, mutant type (-cs) SHP2 and wide type (-wt) MKP5 cDNA expression vectors were constructed and stably transfected into 1E8 cells (highly metastatic) and/or 2B4 cells (non-metastatic). The tyrosine phosphorylation of SHP2 was examined by immunoprecipitation. The activation of ERK1/2 and p38 induced by P2Y receptor agonist ATP was analyzed by Western blot with phospho-specific antibodies against the dually phosphorylated, active forms of ERK1/2 and p38. The in-vitro invasive ability through Matrigel was measured by boyden-chamber assay.

RESULTSATP induced significant SHP2 phosphorylation, which was stronger and lasted longer in 1E8 than in 2B4. SHP2-wt enhanced the ERK1/2 activation induced by ATP in 2B4 cells, while SHP2-cs delayed and decreased this effect in 1E8 cells. Both SHP2-wt and SHP2-cs had no obvious influence on p38 activation. ATP stimulated cell invasion of both 1E8 and 2B4, while transfection of SHP2-wt into 2B4 cells further increased the invasive-stimulating ability of ATP (18.7% increase compared with ATP treatment alone). Transfection of SHP2-cs into 1E8 cells, however, antagonized the invasive-stimulating ability of ATP (40.9% decrease compared with ATP treated group). Up-regulation of MKP5-wt inhibited phosphorylation of p38 by ATP and reduced cell invasion stimulated by ATP (22.4% and 28.7% decrease compared with ATP treated group of 1E8 and 2B4, respectively).

CONCLUSIONSBoth SHP2 and MKP5 play some roles in P2Y receptor-mediated activation of MEK/ERK, p38 signaling pathways and prostate cancer invasion. SHP2 positively regulates ERK activation and prostate cancer invasion, whereas MKP5 inhibits the invasion by suppressing p38 activation.

Adenosine Triphosphate ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Dual-Specificity Phosphatases ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 ; metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 ; metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatases ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Phosphorylation ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 11 ; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptors, Purinergic P2 ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; Transfection ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Objective To investigate expressions and correlations of TLR2,TLR4,TLR7 and TLR9 in eosinophil-enriched cell populations from patients with allergic rhinitis (AR),and elucidate their roles in AR. Methods Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from healthy controls (HCs)and AR patients,and then incubated with crude extracts of Artemisia pollen,dust mite,and Platanus pollen,respectively.Levels of TLR2 , TLR4,TLR7 and TLR9 in blood eosinophil-enriched cells were detected by flow cytometry.Correlations between TLR2+,TLR4+,TLR7+and TLR9+eosinophils were analyzed by SPSS.Results Levels of TLR2+eosinophils from patients with AR were reduced by 4%,mean fluorescence intensity (MFI)of TLR4+eosinophil was elevated by 20%,and TLR7+eosinophils increased up to 4.8 folds compared with HCs when cultured with medium only (P＜0.05).Artemisia pollen extracts induced approximately 7 .8 % of increase in TLR2+eosinophils from AR patients.In addition,correlations between TLR2+and TLR4+eosinophils,TLR2+and TLR7+eosinophils,and TLR7+and TLR9+eosinophils were -0.670 (P＜0.01),-0.430 (P＜0.05)and 0.446 (P＜0.05),respectively. However,allergens had few effects on TLR2,TLR4,TLR7 and TLR9 expressions in HCs.Conclusion Eosinophil-derived TLR2 ,TLR4 and TLR7 are likely to play a key role in AR.TLR2 ,TLR4 and TLR7 might become the potential targets for AR treatment.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of metformin on high glucose-induced lipolysis and further elucidate the underlying mechanisms,for better understanding of metformin.Methods Adipocytes were isolated from epididymal fat pads of Sprague-Dawley rats.After isolation and digestion,packed adipocytes were divided into four groups according to the glucose and metformin in the media,control A group containing 5 mmol · L-1 glucose,control B group containing 25 mmol · L-1 glucose,test A group containing 500 μmol · L-1 metformin with 5 mmol · L-1 glucose and test B group containing 25 mmol · L-1 glucose with 500 μmol · L-1 metformin or at the concentrations as planned.After incubation,glycerol accumulated or released into the media in 30 minutes was determined by the use of a colorimetric assay and served as an index of lipolysis.The expressions of phosphorylated and total perilipin as well as adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) were examined by Western Blot.Adipose lipases activity was assayed by using an enzymatic method.Results The glycerol release in the control B and test B groups were (1.61 ± 0.08) and (0.50 ± 0.06) μmol · mL-1 packed cell volume,respectively,suggesting that metformin significantly inhibited the lipolytic action of high glucose (P ＜0.001).Such an inhibitory effect lasted from 16 h to 24 h after incubation.The adipose lipases activity in the control B and test B groups were (344.28 ± 65.98) and (200.44 ± 64.25)μmol glycerol · mg protein-1 · h-1,respectively,and thus metformin caused a 41.78％ (P ＜0.05) reduction of adipose lipases activity elevated by high glucose.Compared with control B group,metformin in test B group significantly attenuated the phosphorylation of perilipin induced by high glucose (P ＜ 0.01).However,the protein amount of total ATGL was not changed in control B group by high glucose or in test group (A and B) by metformin compared with that of control A group (all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Metformin inhibits high glucose-induced lipolysis through eliminating perilipin phosphorylation and suppressing lipolytic lipases activity.We suggest that such antilipolytic effect of metformin in hyperglycemia could be a molecular basis by which metformin reduces the release of free fatty acids from adipose tissue to bloodstream and thus ameliorates insulin resistance in diabetes.

BACKGROUNDCancer stem cells (CSCs) are the cause of cancer recurrence because they are resistant to conventional therapy and contribute to cancer growth and metastasis. Endocrinotherapy is the most common breast cancer therapy and acquired tamoxifen (TAM) resistance is the main reason for endocrinotherapy failure during such therapy. Although acquired resistance to endocrine treatment has been extensively studied, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We hypothesized that breast CSCs played an important role in TAM-induced resistance during breast cancer therapy. Therefore, we investigated the biological characteristics of TAM-resistant (TAM-R) breast cancer cells.

METHODSMammosphere formation and tumorigenicity of wild-type (WT) and TAM-R MCF7 cells were tested by a mammosphere assay and mouse tumor xenografts respectively. Stem-cell markers (SOX-2, OCT-4, and CD133) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were tested by quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR. Morphological observation was performed to characterize EMT.

RESULTSAfter induction of TAM resistance, TAM-R MCF7 cells exhibited increased proliferation in the presence of TAM compared to that of WT MCF7 cells (P < 0.05), indicating enhanced TAM resistance of TAM-R MCF7 cells compared to that of WT MCF7 cells. TAM-R MCF7 cells showed enhanced mammosphere formation and tumorigenicity in nude mice compared to that of WT MCF7 cells (P < 0.01), demonstrating the elevated CSC properties of TAM-R MCF7 cells. Consistently, qRT-PCR revealed that TAM-R MCF7 cells expressed increased mRNA levels of stem cell markers including SOX-2, OCT-4, and CD133, compared to those of WT MCF7 cells (P < 0.05). Morphologically, TAM-R MCF7 cells showed a fibroblastic phenotype, but WT MCF7 cells were epithelial-like. After induction of TAM resistance, qRT-PCR indicated that MCF7 cells expressed increased mRNA levels of Snail, vimentin, and N-cadherin and decreased levels of E-cadherin, which are considered as EMT characteristics (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTAM-R MCF7 cells possess CSC characteristics and may be responsible for TAM resistance during breast cancer therapy.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal ; pharmacology ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Female ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Mice ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; drug effects ; Tamoxifen ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVESTo understand the epidemiological characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreaks in some areas of Guangdong province and to provide scientific basis for prevention and control measures against it.

METHODSStandardized questionnaire was used on individual cases. Data on the epidemiological characteristics as time, place, persons and aggregation status of SARS cases, development of the epidemics, were analyzed with software EPI 6.0.

RESULTSThe incidence of SARS in Guangdong province was 1.72/100,000 with case fatality rate as 3.64%. Most cases of SARS occurred between the last ten days of January and the first ten days of February with the peak (61.88% of the patients) occurred in the first ten days of February. As to the distribution of place, Pearl river delta region-economically developed with great number of mobile population-was heavily affected areas (account for 96.66% of the total patients). The majority of patients were young adults and medical staff seemed to be the most affected subgroup (account for 24.9% of the patients in total). Family and hospital aggregation of patients comprised the another two important characteristics of SARS (account for 37.1% of the total patients).

CONCLUSIONCurrent knowledge on SARS suggested that it was an air-borne infectious disease with human beings served as the source of infection. The incubation period of the disease was from 1 to 12 days with a median of 4 days. Respiratory secretions and close contact contributed to person-to-person transmission. Most cases were distributed in Pearl river delta region, an area famous for its economic development and heavy flow of mobile population.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; epidemiology ; Contact Tracing ; Disease Outbreaks ; Family Health ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective To investigate epidemic characteristics of a family aggregation COVID-19, and to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of family aggregation epidemic. Methods] Field epidemiological methods were used to investigate the cases and close contacts of a family aggregation COVID-19 in Y County, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province. Descriptive statistical analysis was used on epidemiological data . The 2019-nCoV nucleic acid was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR. Results It was found that Ms. Deng was infected with COVID-19 and became the infectious source of the family aggregation epidemic , who had lived in Wuhan Hubei Province. Her boyfriend Mr. Cao became a second-generation case of COVID-19..Another two asymptomatic but infected persons were family members living with Ms.Deng . Conclusion COVID-19 easily spreads within families. The awareness of family members' protection, the education of new coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control in key groups should be strengthened to avoid the occurrence and spread of family aggregation epidemic.