Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are confirmed growth factors that can induce osteogenesis. They can bind to the surface receptors of target cells and activate a series of intracellular Smad proteins, which then transduct the signal into cell nuclear; and with the assistance of a series of cofactors, the osteogenic gene expression can be triggered. Endogenous Smurfl plays an inhibitory effect on the above process. This paper reviews the role of Smurf1 in bone morphogenetic protein-induced bone formation.

Based on the Bacillus sp., isolated from Lop Nur Desert, the technology of separation and purification and the antioxidant effect were studied. After centrifugation and vacuum filtration, the deproteinization of supernatant was operated with Sevag reagent. The crude exopolysaccharide (EPS) was obtained by precipitation with ethanol. The optimum conditions for the isolation were as follow: pH 7.0, temperature 4?C, time 1.5 h, and material to ethanol ratio 1: 4. Dissolved in water, the crude EPS was fractional separated on activated carbon column (1.5 cm ? 24 cm), eluted with distilled water, 60% ethanol, 95% ethanol, and the main fraction was collected. Then the EPS was purified on Sephadex G-100 gel column, eluted with NaCl (0.2 mol/L). Fractions (4 mL, each) were also combined according to total sugar by phenol-sulfuric acid method and protein content was determined by Coomassie brilliant blue. The results showed that EPS was relatively homogeneous glycoprotein. The data of antioxidation in vitro showed that the EPS had a high antioxidant activity, which could quench hydroxyl radical, superoxide radical and had antilipid peroxidation activity. All of these indicated that EPS was a good natural antioxidant.

Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; pathology ; surgery ; Risk Factors ; Synovectomy ; Synovial Membrane ; pathology

Andrology ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Physicians

Abstract: Objective - - To establish a pre column derivatization high performance liquid chromatography method for detecting Methods dimethyl sulfate (DMS) in workplace air. DMS in workplace air was collected with mercaptopyridine impregnated （ silicone tube. The derivative of DMS and mercaptopyridine was eluted by mobile phase phase A: water, phase B: acetonitrile, ∶ the volume ratio was 40 60) , and separated with a C18 column, then detected with diode array detector and quantitated by a Results - standard curve. The linear range of DMS was 0.17 40.00 mg/L, with the correlation coefficient of 0.999 95. The detection limit and the lower limit of quantitation were 0.05 and 0.17 mg/L respectively. The minimum detection concentration and minimum quantitation concentration were 0.02 and 0.04 mg/m³, respectively (air sample volume of 4.5 L, 1.0 mL sample - - - solution). The average desorption efficiency was 98.40% 102.00%. The within run and between run relative standard deviations - - were 0.61% 3.92% and 1.71% 6.00%, respectively. The samples could be stored at room temperature for at least 14 days. Conclusion This method can be used to detect DMS in workplace air.

Abstract: Nitrobenzene compounds (NBCs) are widely used in the world. It has 40 isomers such as nitrobenzene, dinitrobenzene and nitrotoluene, that are highly toxic and difficult to degrade and can cause harm to human health in different degrees. At pres⁃ ent, there is no unified standard method and occupational exposure limit for the detection of NBCs in the air. In terms of sampling medium, solid adsorption tube is mostly used for trapping vapor state NBCs, and filter membrane and solid adsorption tube are mostly used in series for sampling coexist NBCs in vapor state and aerosol state. In the detection methods, gas chromatography and liquid chromatography are common, and ultraviolet spectrophotometry, Raman spectroscopy, ion migration spectrometry and some other rapid response methods and technologies are also used in the detection of NBCs. In the detection of NBCs by gas chro⁃ matography, capillary column separation is commonly used, and the main detectors are flame ionization detector, electron capture detector and mass spectrometry detector. It is of practical significance to establish a method with high sensitivity, strong practica⁃ bility, convenient operation, and can simultaneously collect and detect a variety of NBCs in different states.

Background Permethrin is a commonly used pyrethroid insecticide and has been found to be potentially neurotoxic. Microglia are innate immune cells in the central nervous system and are involved in the development of a range of neurodegenerative diseases. Objective To observe possible toxic effects of permethrin on human microglia clone 3 (HMC3) in vitro and explore associated mechanism. Methods HMC3 were treated with 0, 10, 25, and 55 μmol·L⁻¹ permethrin for 72 h. Cell cycle and apoptosis were measured using flow cytometry. Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A), cyclin B2 (CCNB2), cellular tumor antigen p53 (p53), factor-related apoptosis (FAS), caspase 3 (CASP3), and H2A histone family member X (H2AX) were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The differential genes and enrichment pathways of HMC3 after 0 and 25 μmol·L⁻¹ permethrin treatment was analyzed by RNA sequencing. HMC3 was treated by 0, 10, 25, and 55 μmol· L⁻¹ permethrin for 72 h. The content of nitric oxide (NO) in the supernatant was detected using Griess reagent. The secretion level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA expression levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway (including MAPK1, MAPK8, and MAPK14), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) families (including MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, and MMP9) were detected by qPCR. The protein expressions of phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38), phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK), IL-1β, IL-6, and MMP1 were detected by Western blot. Results HMC3 was arrested in G2/M phase after 0, 10, 25, and 55 μmol·L⁻¹ permethrin treatment for 72 h, of which there was a statistically significant difference between the 55 μmol·L⁻¹ permethrin treatment group and the control group (P<0.01), and the mRNA expression of CDKN1A was up-regulated according to the qPCR (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the proportions of apoptosis between the groups (P＞0.05). The RNA sequencing showed that the differential genes were enriched in the MAPK pathway, and the mRNA expressions of MAPK1, MAPK8, and MAPK14 were up-regulated after the permethrin treatment at 55 μmol·L⁻¹ compared to the control group by qPCR (P<0.05). The Western blot revealed that, compared to the control group, the levels of p-p38 and p-ERK were increased after the 10 μmol·L⁻¹ permetrin treatment (P<0.05), the p-ERK level was increased after the 25 μmol·L⁻¹ permetrin treatment (P<0.05), and the p-p38 level was up-regulated after the 55 μmol·L⁻¹ permetrin treatment (P<0.05). The secretion of NO in the supernatant of HMC3 increased after permetrin treatment compared to the control group (P<0.05), the mRNA and protein expressions and the secretion of IL-6 showed an upward trend, the mRNA and protein expressions of IL-1β were up-regulated (P<0.05), and the mRNA and protein expressions of MMP1 were up-regulated in the 25 and 55 μmol·L⁻¹ permethrin groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Permethrin inhibits HMC3 cell proliferation in vitro, induces cell cycle arrest, activates MAPK pathway, and promotes the expression of inflammatory factors IL-1β and MMP1, which may be one of the mechanism of neurotoxicity induced by permethrin.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in displaying the parotid gland segments of the facial nerve.

METHODSSixteen volunteers (9 males and 7 females) and 132 surgically confirmed patients with parotid tumors locating in the deep or shallow lobe of the parotid gland (including 89 with benign and 43 with malignant tumors) underwent MRI using T1WI and T2WI. The transverse images were obtained with the plane tilted 35 degrees to the foot, and the coronal images were acquired using conventional scanning.

RESULTSOn transverse T1WI, the parotid gland segments of the facial nerve displayed low signal with arc-shaped curve in the cross-section, showing a symmetrical dot-like low signal in the coronal plane. The facial nerve in 63% of the patients with parotid tumors in the cross-section could be displayed, but in the coronal plane the proportion reached 83%. MRI could accurately reveal the position of the parotid tumors in the deep or shallow lobe of the parotid gland.

CONCLUSIONMRI can show the major portion of the parotid gland segments of the facial nerve and has important value in locating the parotid tumors and displaying the relationship between the tumor and facial nerve.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Facial Nerve ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parotid Gland ; innervation ; pathology ; Parotid Neoplasms ; pathology ; Young Adult

Hydantoinase can be widely used in enzymic production of various amino acids. In order to obtain the hydantoinase genes in Arthrobacter BT801, its chromatosomal DNA is isolated and partialy digested with Sau3A I to collect fragments of about 30kb. Then, this fragment is inserted into the Hpa I and Pst I site of cosmid pKC505. The genomic library was thus constructed by packing in vitro with lambda phage package protein and transfecting E. coli DH5alpha. A positive transformant was selected from the library using thin layer chromatography and other methods. A DNA fragment containing complete hydantoinase genes was sequenced by sub-cloning into pUC18. The gene can express active protein under control of its own promoter and T5 promoter in E. coli. The isolation of the gene established foundition for research and application of the hydantoinase.
Amidohydrolases ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Arthrobacter ; genetics ; Bacteriophage lambda ; genetics ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Cloning, Molecular ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Library ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the role of the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

METHODSThe human stromal cells of BPH were isolated and cultured. The proliferation of the stromal cells cultured in serum-free medium was detected by MTT method, the phenotype changes of smooth muscle cells detected by immunohistochemical method, and the effect of different concentrations of bFGF and TGF-beta1 on the cultured stromal cells of BPH observed.

RESULTSbFGF stimulated the cultured BPH stromal cell proliferation (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) and decreased the expression of smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype in higher concentration (10 microg/L). TGF-beta1 (> 1 microg/L) inhibited stromal cell proliferation and increased the expression of SMC phenotype (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). 5 microg/ml bFGF and TGF-beta1 (0.001 microg/L, 0.01 microg/L) promoted stromal cell proliferation (P < 0.01), while 5 microg/L bFGF and TGF-beta1 (0.1 microg/L, 1 microg/L, 10 microg/L) inhibited it, slightly in 0.1 microg/L (P > 0.05) and significantly in 1 microg/L and 10 microg/L (P < 0.01), and increased the expression of SMC phenotype in higher concentration (> 1 microg/L, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONbFGF stimulates the proliferation of the prostatic stromal cells of BPH in a time- and dose-dependent fashion and decreases the expression of SMC phenotype, TGF-beta1 inhibits the growth of stromal cells and induces the differentiation of stromal cells to SMC, both playing an important role in the mechanism of BPH.

Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; cytology ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; pathology ; Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; physiology