Cerebellar Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Medulloblastoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery

Hepatitis B, Chronic ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; genetics ; Renin ; genetics

Collagen Type I ; analysis ; Collagen Type III ; analysis ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; Liver ; chemistry ; Microscopy, Confocal

The morphological index of the seedlings including the plants height, the ground diameter, the leaf amounts, the fresh weight of the whole plant and the ratio of height to diameter was measured and the principal components were analyzed so as to determine the grading index, and stepwise cluster analysis was applied for clustering analysis. Pot experiments were used to measure the indicators of plant growth and development, the yield and the quality. The results showed that the height and ground diameter were determined as the quality indicators of the seedlings grading and the standard quality grading of seedlings of Anoectochilus roxburghii was initially set up, different seeding plants influenced the plants growth and the yield. The ground diameter of the class I was larger than that of the class II and III, so as the yield. The seedling grading had no obvious effect on the internal quality of medicinal materials. The results of the study provide the basis for standard cultivation of A. roxburghii.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Orchidaceae ; chemistry ; classification ; growth & development ; Quality Control ; Seedlings ; chemistry ; classification ; growth & development

Nine morphologic traits, plant height, ground diameter, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area of plant, leaf fresh weight, blades, length/width ratio, plant fresh weight of Anoectochilus roxburghii from 13 different areas were determined for correlation analysis, path analysis and principal components analysis. Different source of morphological trait variation coefficient of A. roxburghii was 2.96% -12.59%, plant fresh weight was significant positively correlated with ground diameter, plant height and leaf number, and positively correlated with leaf fresh weight. Path analysis showed that plant height had the largest positive direct effect on plant fresh weight, the leaf fresh weight and blades number had indirect effects on the plant fresh weight. Through principal component analysis, morphological traits of A. roxburghii can be divided into "Determinants of high-yielding morphology" and "Determinants of leaf production". In the actual process of production and breeding of A. roxburghii, we should pay attention to plant height, leaf fresh weight, blades numbers and other traits.
China ; Orchidaceae ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; classification ; growth & development ; Phenotype ; Plant Leaves ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; growth & development

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) to the proliferation of 5-HT induced pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs).

METHODSThe PASMCs proliferation experiment was performed to detect the effort on PASMCs of 5-HT or ASODN TERT (antisense oligoribonucleotides TERT designed according to the rat TERT mRNA sequence of gene bank). The immunohistochemistry staining experiment and the in situ hybridization experiment were to detect the TERT protein and mRNA expression with 5-HT or ASODN TERT. FITC marked ASODN TERT experiment was done to research the distribution of ASODN TERT in PASMCs.

RESULTS5-HT promoted PASMCs proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (10(-9) - 10(-5) mol/L). 5-HT also significantly increased TERT expression at protein and mRNA levels as shown by immunohistochemistry staining and the in situ hybridization studies. This effect could be blocked by ASODN TERT in a time and dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONSOur experiments show TERT is one of the key factors in the procession of 5-HT induced PASMCs proliferation. ASODN TERT might be a potential therapy agent for pulmonary hypertension.

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; Pulmonary Artery ; cytology ; RNA Replicase ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Serotonin ; pharmacology ; Telomerase ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVEInsulin-like grouth factor-1 (IGF-1) is polypetide hormone that has demonstrated effects on neural cells. Up to now, there is few reports about the relation between serum IGF-1 and brain damage in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. This study explored the potential role of serum IGF-1 in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

METHODSSerum levels of IGF-1 were measured using ECLIA in 57 term neonates with hyperbilirubinemia and 25 normal term neonates. Meanwhile, total serum bilirubin (TSB), unconjugated bilirubin (USB) and serum albumin (ALB) contents were measured by the automatic biochemistry analyzer and the ratio of USB/ALB (B/A) was calculated. The hyperbilirubinemia group was classified into three subgroups based on serum TSB levels: mild (221-256 micromol/L), moderate (257-342 micromol/L) and severe (>342 micromol/L). Serum TSB levels in the 25 normal neonates were less than 85 micromol/L (control group). NBNA was performed on the day of serum sample collection.

RESULTSSerum IGF-1 levels in the mild, moderate and severe hyperbilirubinemia groups (39.38+/- 8.42, 30.77+/- 4.65 and 26.34+/- 2.05 ng/L, respectively) were obviously lower than those in the control group (50.16+/- 15.73 ng/L) (P< 0.01). There were significant differences among the three hyperbilirubinemia subgroups in serum IGF-1 levels (P< 0.01). Mean NBNA scores in the mild, moderate and severe hyperbilirubinemia groups (35.01+/- 2.26, 32.45+/- 2.74 and 26.77+/- 5.02, respectively) were significantly lower than those in the control group (38.24+/- 0.78) (P< 0.01). Significant differences in the NBNA scores were noted among the three hyperbilirubinemia subgroups (P< 0.01). Serum IGF-1 levels were positively correlated to NBNA scores (r=0.603, P< 0.01) and negatively correlated to the ratio of B/A (r=-0.483, P< 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSSerum IGF-1 levels decreased obviously in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia and correlated to the severity of disease. IGF-1 might be associated with bilirubin-induced brain damage.

Bilirubin ; blood ; Brain ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal ; blood ; complications ; Infant Behavior ; Infant, Newborn ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; analysis ; Male

Objective To evaluate the techniques and clinical effect of minimally invasive transfrontal puncture drainage using soft drainage tubes in the treatment of hypertensive basal ganglia hemorrhage. Methods Seventy-six patients with hypertensive basal ganglia hematomas received minimally invasive puncture drainage of the hematomas using soft drainage tubes. The puncture site was located in the frontal region on the hemorrhage side at 7-9 cm from the glabella and 3.5-4.5 cm adjacent to the midline. The puncture direction and depth was estimated according to the head CT data. Results The indwelling time of the drainage tubes ranged from 36 to 120 h (mean 70±5.6 h) after the operation. Three patients (3.95%) had recurrent hemorrhage after the operation, but intracranial infection or pneumocephalus occurred in none of the cases. Of tbe 76 patients, 11 had basic clinical cures, 35 showed marked improvements, and 16 showed improvements, with a total effective rate of 81.6%. Four patients failed to show improvements or had exacerbations, and 10 died after the operation, with a mortality rate of 13.2%. Conclusion Minimally invasive transfrontal puncture drainage using soft drainage tubes is effective for treatment of hypertensive basal ganglia hematomas. With simple surgical procedures, this approach can effectively reduce the occurrence of complications and improve the prognosis of the patients.

BACKGROUNDBioactive proteins, such as cytokines and chemokines, have not been systematically evaluated in healthy and preeclamptic pregnancies. We aimed to investigate the difference of these proteins between healthy and preeclamptic pregnancies in order to help clarify their potential roles in the pathogenesis of hypertension and proteinuria in preeclampsia.

METHODSSamples of amniotic fluid and maternal/umbilical cord blood were collected from normal pregnancies and women with preeclampsia for examination of bioactive proteins. Fifty-three pregnant women were enrolled in this study. Of them, 30 pregnant women were recruited as healthy controls, and 23 pregnant women were diagnosed with preeclampsia. An antibody array was used to screen for higher levels of cytokines and related proteins in amniotic fluid than in the blood samples, and these proteins were then selected for quantification by immunoassay.

RESULTSInterleukin-1 receptor 4, hepatocyte growth factor, and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor were significantly elevated in the blood of preeclampsia patients. In particular, interleukin-1 receptor 4 was 8-fold higher in preeclampsia patients than in the healthy pregnancies. Moreover, in cord blood samples hepatocyte growth factor and interleukin-8 were significantly higher in preeclampsia patients.

CONCLUSIONSBecause of the biologic activities, Interleukin-1 receptor 4, hepatocyte growth factor, urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and interleukin-8 in maternal and/or cord blood could play a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension and proteinuria in preeclampsia.

Adult ; Amniotic Fluid ; metabolism ; Chemokines ; analysis ; physiology ; Cytokines ; analysis ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; etiology ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; blood ; Pre-Eclampsia ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Proteinuria ; etiology

OBJECTIVETo perform the functional analysis of a novel H436Y mutation of GATA-4 gene identified in Han Chinese patients with congenital cardiac septal defects.

METHODSUsing bioinformatics to predict if the H436Y mutation in the GATA-4 gene affects its protein function. H436Y mutation in the GATA-4 gene was generated by Quick Change Lightning site-directed mutagenesis kit and verified by DNA sequencing. GATA-4-wt or GATA-4-mut DNA was cotransfected into Hela cells with DNA for the luciferase reporter gene atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), and luciferase activity was measured by an LKB luminometer 48 h after transient transfection.

RESULTSAlignment of the GATA-4 amino acid sequence indicated that the histidine residue at position 436 was conserved, and H436Y mutation in the GATA-4 gene is expected to affect its protein function. The H436Y mutation significantly reduced the transcriptional activation of downstream reporter ANF when compared to wild-type GATA-4 (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe mutation c.1306C-->T of the GATA-4 gene impaired the activation of the downstream target, suggesting that the H436Y mutation in the C-terminal region of the GATA-4 gene might prevent its biological function.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; GATA4 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; Heart Septal Defects ; genetics ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Young Adult