OBJECTIVETo study the levels and roles of cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP).

METHODSThe levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 in BALF were measured using ELISA in children with MPP at acute stage (n=45) and at remission stage (n=30). Twenty children without lung lesions severed as the control group.

RESULTSThe TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 levels in BALF were higher in children with MPP at acute stage than those in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in BALF at remission stage were reduced to the levels similar to the control group and were significantly lower than those at the acute stage in children with MPP. However, the levels of IL-10 in BALF remained at higher levels at remission stage in children with MPP.

CONCLUSIONSThe levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 in BALF increase in children with MPP at acute stage, suggesting that the cytokines may be involved in the pathogenesis of MPP.

Adolescent ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; immunology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; analysis ; Interleukin-6 ; analysis ; Male ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; etiology ; immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; analysis

OBJECTIVE Based on the methods of microdialysis,HPLC-MS/MS and gene chip tech-nology,the mechanism of Baicalin and Geniposide(BC/GP)against excitatory amino acid toxicity in ce-rebral ischemia was studied. This will provide guidance for the clinical application of BC/GP and the study of excitatory amino acid toxicity in cerebral ischemia.METHODS (1)Microdialysis technique and HPLC-MS/MS was performed to study the pharmacodynamics of BC/GP against cerebral ischemia. ①18 SD rats with body weight of(280±20)g were randomly divided into control group,treatment groups with BC/CP at low dose,medium dose and high dose(equal to the dosage of crude drugs for 30 mg·kg-1, 45 mg·kg-1and 60 mg·kg-1respectively).Rats in each group were given intragastric administration for seven days to establish cerebral ischemia model. Then, microdialysis probe was applied to collect cerebrospinal fluid from hippocampus before and after cerebral ischemia. ② First, we established the HPLC-MS/MS method for measuring drugs and excitatory amino acids.Then we detected the microdi-alysis samples and observed their changes in animals.(2)The mechanism of BC/GP against excitatory toxicity of cerebral ischemia were observed at gene level by chip technique. ① 16 SD rats with body weight of 240±20 g were randomly divided into sham group, model group, treatment group of BC(60 mg·kg-1),treatment group of GP(60 mg·kg-1)and treatment group of BC/GP(7:3)(60 mg·kg-1).Rats in eachgroup were given intragastric administration for seven days to establish cerebral ischemia model. Then the rats were sacrificed,and the hippocampus were rapidly harvested and stored at-80℃for further detection. ②After the quality inspection of the hippocampal,the qualified samples were subjected to detect the levels of neurotransmitter receptor gene in the ischemic of rats by gene chip technology.Finally,the results were analyzed by the method of Δ ΔCt.RESULTS (1)Only three compounds includ-ed GP,glutamic acid and aspartic acid were detected in microdialysis samples by HPLC-MS/MS.The concentration of GP increased and lasted for 120 min with a significant dose-dependent after cerebral ischemia.Compared with low dose group,the AUC(0-t),MRT(0-∞),Cmaxand t1/2zin high-dose group showed significant difference(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the levels of glutamic acid and aspartic acid in the treatment groups decreased significantly,especially in the middle and high dose groups.(2) 89 genes in the neurotransmitter receptor gene signaling pathway were detected by gene chip technol-ogy. There were 22 genes with |Fold Regulation|>1.5 in the model group, compared with the sham group.Five of the 22 genes showed statistically significant differences,including Grin2c(2.9026),Chrna7 (-1.5877), and Tacr2 (-1.7695). Htr3a (-1.8172) and Grm6 (-2.3527). There were 5 genes with |Fold Regulation|>1.5 in the BC group, compared with the model group, Two of them exhibited statistically significant differences,including Brs3(1.797)and Grin2c(-1.7979).There were 14 genes with|Fold Reg-ulation|>1.5 in the GP group, compared with the model group. Three of them displayed statistically significant differences,including Hcrtr2 (-1.6584), Sctr (-3.8524) and Grin2c (-4.8408). Compared with model group, the genes of |Fold Regulation|>1.5 in BC/GP (7:3) group are 5, and only one of them showed a significant differences. CONCLUSION (1)After administration of BC and GP,GP can cross the blood-brain barrier and reduce the release of excitatory amino acids in the hippocampus. (2) BC/GP can inhibit the interaction between excitatory amino acids and excitatory amino acid receptors and attenuate the toxicity of excitatory amino acids by down-regulating the expression of glutamic acid receptor Grin2c gene.(3)BC/GP may exert their brain protection effect by reducing the release of excit-atory amino acids and inhibiting the expression of excitatory amino acid receptors.

Background and purpose:Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is the most common cancer in urinary system. Yes associated protein (YAP) gene is closely associated with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. The study was aimed to explore the effect of siRNA targeting the YAP gene on cell proliferation and migration of T24 cells. Methods:Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was transfected together with LipofectamineTM2000 in T24 human bladder cancer cells to block the YAP signal pathway. The effect of siRNA on cell proliferation and invasiveness was assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, Transwell migration assay and wound healing assay. Quantitative real time-Polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis were used to conifrm the successful suppression of YAP gene and protein by siRNA. Results:Expression of YAP gene and protein was successfully suppressed after transfected with siRNA which verified by qRT-PCR and Western blot(RNA:F=93.91, P<0.000 1; Protein: F=4.62, P<0.05). As CCK-8 test showed, the proliferation of T24 bladder cancer cells was successfully restrained by inhibition of YAP gene compared with blank control and negative control(12 h: F=6.00, P=0.037;24 h: F=41.72, P=0.000 3;36 h:F=462.8, P<0.000 1;48 h:F=236.6, P<0.000 1;72 h:F=140.5, P<0.000 1). Transwell and wound healing test were performed after YAP gene was interfered by siRNA. The result demonstrated that migration of T24 bladder cancer cells was signiifcantly inhibited (Transwell: F=43.55, P<0.05;Wound healing: F=43.55, P<0.05). Conclusion:This study suggested that YAP gene was an important enhancer for the proliferation and migration of bladder cancer cells.

To study the effect of steaming and baking process on contents of alkaloids in Aconite Lateralis Radix (Fuzi), 13 alkaloids were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS equipped with ESI ion source in MRM mode. In steaming process, the contents of diester-diterpenoid alkaloids decreased rapidly, the contents of monoester-diterpenoid alkaloids firstly increased, reached the peak at 40 min, and then deceased gradually. The contents of aconine alkaloids (mesaconine, aconine and hypaconine) increased all the time during processing, while the contents of fuziline, songorine, karacoline, salsolionl were stable or slightly decreased. In baking process, dynamic variations of alkaloids were different from that in the steaming process. Diester-diterpenoid alkaloids were degraded slightly slower than in steaming process. Monoester-diterpenoid alkaloids, aconine alkaloids and the total alkaloids had been destroyed at different degrees, their contents were significantly lower than the ones in steaming Fuzi at the same processing time. This experiment revealed the dynamic variations of alkaloids in the course of steaming and baking. Two processing methods which can both effectively remove the toxic ingredients and retain the active ingredients are simple and controllable, and are valuable for popularization and application.
Aconitine ; analogs & derivatives ; isolation & purification ; Aconitum ; chemistry ; Alkaloids ; isolation & purification ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drug Stability ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; Hot Temperature ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; Steam ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Time Factors

Objective To study the efficacy of late course accelerated fractionation(LCAF) radio- therapy in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).The end-po s were local control,radiation-in- duced complications,factors influencing survival.Methods From December 1995 to April 1998,178 NPC patients were admitted for radiation treatment.The radiation beam used was ~(60)Co?or 6 MV X-ray.For the first two-thirds of the treatment,two daily fractions of 1.2 Gy were given to the primary lesion ,with an interval of≥6 hours,5 days per week to a total dose of 48 Gy/40 fractions,over a period of 4 weeks.For the last one third of the treatment,i.e.beginning from the 5th week,an accelerated hyperfractionation schedule was carried out.The dose per fraction was increased to 1.5 Gy,2 fractions per day with an interval of≥6 hours,the total dose for this part of the protocol was 30 Gy/20 fractions over 2 weeks.Thus the total dose was 78 Gy in 60 fractions in 6 weeks.Results All patients completed the treatment.Acute mucosi- tis:none in 2 patients,Grade 1 in 43,Grade 2 in 78,Grade 3 in 52,and Grade 4 in 3 patients.Local control rate:the 5-year nasopharyngeal local control rate was 87.7%,and the cervical lymph node local control rate was 85.7%.The 5-year distant metastasis rate was 26.1%,and 5-year survivals was 67.9%. Sixteen patients had radiation-induced cranial nerve palsy.Conclusions With this treatment schedule, patient's tolerance is good,local control and 5 year survivals are better than control groups of conventional fractionation and hyperfractionation radiotherapy.Radiation-related late complication does not increase.Ran- domized clinical trials are being carried out to further confirm the efficacy of LCAF for nasopharyngeal carci- noma.

In this study, the rat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) model was established through tail vein injection with low dose of streptozotocin (STZ) and high fat diet for 8 weeks, and then treated with Jiaotai Pill. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), fasting serum insulin (FINS), free fatty acid(FFA) levels and blood lipid were assayed. HOMA-IR was calculated. Pancreatic pathology was performed. And pancreatic triglyceride (TG) content was examined by the lipid extraction method. Pancreatic islet cell apoptosis were detected by terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). According to the results, the model group showed abnormal OGTT, increased FINS, HOMA-IR, FFA, lipid disorder, obvious fat accumulation and significantly increased TG content in pancreatic tissues, and enhanced pancreatic islet cell apoptosis. Compared with the model group, the Jiaotai Pill group displayed improved OGTT, reduced FINS, HOMA-IR, FFA, recovered lipid disorder, decreased fat accumulation and significantly declined TG content in pancreatic tissues, and lowered pancreatic islet cell apoptosis. In summary, Jiaotai pill could effectively treat type 2 diabetes in rats. Its mechanism may be related to the reduction in pancreatic fat accumulation and islet cell apoptosis.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Fats ; metabolism ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Islets of Langerhans ; cytology ; drug effects ; Male ; Pancreas ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

The herbs used as the material for traditional Chinese medicine are mostly planted at mountain areas where there is appropriate weather condition. Due to the complex terrain condition in mountain area, the planting at such places is always associated with a scattered pattern, which inevitably bring difficulty to the work of accurate measurement for the planting area. Advanced research about monitoring the planting area for medicine-herb under complex environmental condition is so critical and meaningful for developing the medicine-herb planting to a large scale and an industry. Therefore, this research, taking the planting of Herpetospermum pedunculosum in Luding county as an example, utilizes RS&GIS: using the image data from TM and ETM datum as the remote sensing information source, integrating GPS data from quadrat survey on the spots, and analyzing on a GIS platform, to extract the planting area of H. pedunculosum in Luding county. The results indicate that: (1) the method and technology used to estimate the planting area of H. pedunculosum are feasible and can be applied to monitoring the planting area of medicine-herb at mountain area under complex environmental conditions: (2) the planting area of H. pedunculosum in Luding county is estimated to be 857. 246 acres by the methods utilized in this research, which is closed to the value from local statistical data with an error range less than 5%; (3) in consideration of those inevitable errorrs generating from the procedures such as remote sensing data acquisition, data preprocessing, data interpretation, and so on, and the fact that the classification of remote sensing data, which must be implemented by those above procedures, was used directly to extract the herb type, the accuracy of area estimation for the herb is significantly influenced by the accuracy of classification for herb type, and the estimated area is inevitably associated with some error.
China ; Cucurbitaceae ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Geographic Information Systems ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Remote Sensing Technology ; methods

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of mild moxibustion on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) visceral hyperalgesiamodel rats and its regulatory effect on P2X3 receptors in the spinal cord, anterior cingutate cortex (ACC) and thalamic ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPL). Methods: Thirty 8-day-old newborn rats were randomly divided into a normal group (n=6) and a modeling group (n=24) according to the completely random number table method. Rats in the normal group were bred routinely, and those in the modeling group were subjected to preparing IBS chronic visceral hyperalgesia model using colorectal distention (CRD) in stimulation method. Rats successfully modelled were re-divided into a model group, a mild moxibustion group, a P2X3 receptor antagonist group, and a normal saline group according to the completely random number table method with 6 rats in each group. Rats in each group received corresponding interventions from the 37-day old, once a day for 7 consecutive days. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot assays were used to detect P2X3 protein expressions in the spinal cord, ACC and VPL of rats. Results: Under different intensities of CRD stimulation, the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) scores of the model group were significantly increased versus the normal group (all P<0.05); the AWR scores of the mild moxibustion group and the P2X3 receptor antagonist group were significantly reduced versus the model group (all P<0.01). The P2X3 protein expressions in rat spinal cord, ACC and VPL tissues of the model group were significantly increased versus the normal group (all P<0.01); the P2X3 protein expressions in rat spinal cord, ACC and VPL tissues of the mild moxibustion group and the P2X3 receptor antagonist group were significantly reduced versus the model group (all P<0.01). Conclusion: Mild moxibustion can inhibit the P2X3 receptor expressions in the spinal cord, ACC, and VPL tissues of IBS visceral hyperalgesia model rats, which may be the mechanism of mild moxibustion in relieving the central sensitization of rats with IBS visceral hyperalgesia.

Objective To explore the association between total cholesterol and type 2 diabetes ( T2DM) ． Methods Non－diabetic people who aged 20 to 90 years at the baseline and who had physical examination more than 2 times were screened． Comparisons of the baseline characteristics were conducted with Student－t test or Pearson chi－square test． Generalized estimating equation ( GEE) was used to analyze the effect of total cholesterol of quantiles groups ( 2．10－ mmol /L，4．16－ mmol /L，4．76－ mmol /L and 5．42 －13．29 mmol /L) to type 2 diabetes． Results The cohort with an average age of 3．53 years per person in- cluded 12 928 subjects and 45 626 person－years． During the follow－up，447 cases of new－onset diabetes occurred and the incidence density was 9. 80‰． The high incidence of type 2 diabetes increased with the increase of total cholesterol． After adjusting the factors including age，high density lipoprotein，hypertension and obesity，based on the 2. 10－ mmol /L group，the relative risk ( RR) of the 4. 16－ mmol /L，4. 76－ mmol/L and 5. 42－13. 29 mmol /L group were 1. 24( 95% CI: 0. 83－1. 86) ，1. 75 ( 95% CI: 1. 19－2. 56) and 3. 60( 95% CI: 2. 51－5. 17) ，respectively． Conclusions Total cholesterol is associated with type 2 diabetes，and as the total cholesterol increases，the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases．

Tuberculous epididymitis is a rare urological disease difficult to diagnose. The conventional methods for diagnosis are often time-consuming and invasive. The combined use of scrotal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and urinary polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay for mycobacterial DNA (the latter because of its high sensitivity and specificity to demonstrate mycobacterial DNA) is a valuable method for rapid diagnosis of tuberculous epididymitis. We report a 79-year-old man who was admitted with the chief complaints of bilateral scrotal swelling and pain. The combined use of scrotal MRI and urinary PCR allowed prompt diagnosis of tuberculous epididymitis and adequate antituberculous therapy.
Aged ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; Epididymitis ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tuberculosis, Urogenital ; diagnosis ; microbiology