Objective To investigate the clinical utility of dual-energy virtual non-contrast CT(VNCT)of dual source CT in the di-agnosis and differential diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodule(SPN).Methods Thirty-six patients with suspected SPN underwent chest plain single energy CT and dual-phase contrast enhanced CT (DECT)(25 and 90 s).The images of dual energy were sent to a commercial workstation for VNC image generation.CT values of SPN on VNC and true non-contrast(TNC),as well as signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)were compared.The accuracy of calcification detection was compared according to the diameter and density of the calcification.The TNC images were used as the reference.Results CT values,SNR and CNR of VNC had no statistical difference among TNC and VNC at 25 s and 90 s(P >0.05).DECT VNC(5mm slice)could accurate detected calci-fication(diameter>2 mm,CT value>1 50 HU)in SPN.The 2 mm slice performed significantly better than 5 mm slice VNC images. Conclusion The VNC could provide consistent diagnostic information with TNC.The thin slice DECT VNC images can be used in clinical practice to replace TNC without losing small calcification in SPN,which has potential to reduce the patient radiation dose.

Animals ; Aorta ; metabolism ; pathology ; Atherosclerosis ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cholesterol, Dietary ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation

Integrative Medicine ; education

Purpose To investigate the role of S3I-201 on tubular interstitial lesion in lupus nephritis.Methods MRt/MpJ mice were designated as the control group.MRL/lpr nice were randomly divided into LN group,S3I-201 group and DMSO group.The serum and 24 h-urine were collected to detect the serum creatinine,blood urea nitrogen and urine protein.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of FN.Western blotting analysis was used to determine the expression of E-cadherin,α-SMA,MCP-1,ICAM1,STAT3 and p-STAT3.Results Compared with the expression level in control group,the protein level of α-SMA,MCP-1,ICAM1 and FN were increased in renal tissue of MRL/lpr mice,while the expression of E-cadherin was markedly decreased.And the STAT3 was activated in renal tissue of MRL/lpr mice.The administration of S3I-201 could inhibite the activation of STAT3 and ameliorate the expression of E-cadherin,α-SMA,MCP-1,ICAM-1 and FN.Conclusion S3I-201 can relieve the tubular interstitial leison,which maybe concerned with the phosphorylation of STAT3.

BACKGROUND:The anti-inflammation and protective effects of lipoxin have been verified in several immunity-related disease models. Preliminary studies of our research group have shown that, lipoxin receptor agonist BML-111 has negative regulation effects on the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-induced immunological injury. However, the effect of BML-111 on the HCMV replication remains unclear.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the influence of lipoxin receptor agonist BML-111 on HCMV replication and proliferation in THP-1 macrophages and human embryonic lung fibroblasts.
METHODS:THP-1 macrophages were infected by HCMV AD169 strain, and were divided into three groups:mock infection, HCMV infection, HCMV+BML-111. The final concentration of BML-111 was 100 nmol/L. cells in each group were col ected at 0, 1, 2, 4, 12, 36, 48 hours, the mRNA levels of IE86 and pp65 in the THP-1 macrophages were tested by RT-PCR method. Human embryonic lung fibroblasts were infected with HCMV (MOI=0.1), and were divided into two groups:HCMV infection and HCMV+BML-111. The patho-morphous changes of human embryonic lung fibroblasts were observed under light microscope, and the cellnumber was measured. The infective virus titer changes in human embryonic lung fibroblasts were examined by plaque assay.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After the macrophages were infected by HCMV, compared with the mock infection group, the mRNA levels of IE86 and pp65 in the HCMV group and HCMV+BML-111 group were increased significantly;compared with the HCMV infection group, the mRNA levels of IE86 and pp65 in the HCMV+BML-111 group were increased significantly in the early stage (within 4 hours) after infection, but the pp65 mRNA levels were decreased significantly in the medium and late stages (24-72 hours) after infection. After human embryonic lung fibroblasts were infected by HCMV, the degree of the patho-morphous in the HCMV+BML-111 group reached 100%2 days earlier than the of HCMV infection group. The infective virus titer reached the peak 2 days earlier than the HCMV infection group, but no significant difference was found between the two groups. BML-111 accelerates the replication of HCMV in the early stage of infection, but inhibits the expression of pp65 gene in the late stage. BML-111 has no impact on the proliferation of the infective HCMV titer in vitro.

Objective To analyze the adult hemophagocytic syndrome' s pathogeny,clinical features,prognostic factors and therapeutic options.Methods 18 cases of adult hemophagocytic syndrome were analyzed,the Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to investigate the total survival rate,and 17 clinical pathological factors and clinical treatment methods which may influence survival were analyzed by Log-rank test in the univariate analysis.Results In this group of patients,EBV infection and malignant lymphoma were the most common initiating diseases.The most common clinical features were peripheral cytopenia in two or three lineages (100 ％),fever (83 ％),splenomegaly (78 ％),swollen lymph nodes (56 ％).The mortality rates as high as 66.7 ％.The median survival time was 7.4 weeks.One-way ANOVA results showed that the initial symptoms as fever (P =0.039),age ＞ 30 years old (P =0.031),enlargement of the liver (P =0.041),Hb ＜ 100 g/L and Ph ＜ 50 g/L (P =0.039) were relevant prognostic factors.Conclusion Adult hemophagocytic syndrome patients with fever as the initial symptoms,age ＞ 30 years old,liver enlargement,Hb ＜ 100 g/L,Plt ＜ 50 g/L indicates poor prognosis,thus these patients having HPS risk factors should be given active chemotherapy and supportive therapy.

Objectives To investigate the effects of lipoxin receptor agonist BML-111 on IFN-βand IE86 mRNA expression of macrophages infected by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Methods Macrophages were infected with HCMV (MOI=0.5), and the cultured cells were randomly divided into control group, HCMV group, HCMV+BML-111 group, and HCMV+MP group. The cells were collected at 0,1,2,4,8 and 12 h after infection, and the levels of IFN-βand IE86 mRNA were tested by real-time PCR. Results Compared with HCMV group, the levels of IFN-βmRNA in HCMV+BML-111 group increased significantly (P < 0.05), while the levels of IFN-βmRNA in HCMV+MP group decreased significantly (P < 0.05); Compared with HCMV group, there were no significant differences of the levels of IE86 mRNA in HCMV+BML-111 group (P>0.05), while the levels of IE86 mRNA in HCMV+MP group increased significantly (P < 0.05). Conclusion BML-111 exerts antiviral activity by promoting the expression of IFN-βmRNA at the early stage of HCMV infection.

Objective To investigate whether the protein kinase C inhibitor can promote the apopto- sis of multidrug resistance tumor cell lines which are induced by chemotherapy drugs.Methods Choose the KB/S(oral squamous cancer cell line)and KB/VCR(its multidrug resistant cell line)to compare the Adri- amycin-induced apoptosis with or without staurospolin(protein kinase C inhibitor).The apoptosis is stained with acridine orange,tested by flow cytometry,and approved by electron microscope.Results 36 hours after the treatment with 0.04 ?g/ml adriamycin,apoptotic cells of KB/S are 96.68%,and after 48 hours,the apop- totic cells of KB/VCR are 64.99%.When the concentration of adriamycin are augmented to 0.4?g/ml and 2.0?g/ml,the apoptotic cells of KB/VCR are 69.74% and 37.18% respectively.When treated with stau- rospolin together,the apoptotic cells of KB/VCR increased to 72.58%(?~2=4.5,P0.05)respectively.These results were testified by electron microscope and acridine orange-stain.Conclu- sion The resistance to apoptosis may be one of the mechanisms of multidrug resistance and the protein ki- nase C inhibitor may reverse this resistance by promoting the apoptosis of multidrug resistance tumor cells.

Objective To investigate the biological function of M122 in pathogenesis of MCMV in developmental brain disorders and brain damage, screening for mouse brain cDNA library interacting with M122 was performed by a yeast two-hybrid system. Methods The reconstructed bait plasmid pGBKT7-M122 was transformed into yeast cells AH109 and screened on the nutrient deficiency medium SD/-Trp. After express of the bait protein in AH109 yeast strains was detected by Western blot analysis, yeast-two hybrid screening was performed by mating AH109 with Y187 containing mouse brain cDNA library plasmid. The diploid yeast cells were plated on the nutrient deficiency medium SD/-Trp/-Leu/-His/-Ade. The second screening was performed with SD/-Trp/-Leu/-His/-Ade containing X-α-gal. The plasmids in positive colonies were extracted and transformed into E. coli JM109 cells. After plasmid DNA in JM109 cells were extracted form positive colonies and sequenced, the results were analyzed by bioinformatic methods. The interactions between M122 protein and the protein obtained from positive colonies were further confirmed by repeating yeast-two hybrid. Then, autoactivations of the proteins obtained from positive colonies were detected.Results The reconstructed bait plasmid was transformed into yeast cells AH109 successfully. The bait protein expressed in the yeast cells AH109 stably. 24 proteins interacting with MCMV M122 were screened, including syntaxin 8 ( Stx8 ), phosphoglucomutase 2 ( Pgm2 ), potassium voltage-gated channel, shaker-related subfamily, beta member 1 ( Kcnab1 ), collagen, type ⅪⅩ, alpha 1 ( Col19a1 ), archain 1 ( Arcn1 ), cytidylate kinase( Cmpk), DnaJ(Hsp40) homolog, subfamily A, member 1 (Dnaja1), ATPase, Na+/K + transporting, beta 3 polypeptide( Atp1b3 ), SH3-domain GRB2-like ( endophilin ) interacting protein 1 ( Sgip1 ),ankyrin repeat domain 17 (Ankrd17), Smg-7 homolog, nonsense mediated mRNA decay factor(Smg7),sperm associated antigen 9 ( Spag9 ), FK506 binding protein 1a ( Fkbp1a), MYST histone acetyltransferase monocytic leukemia 4 ( Myst4), hyaluronan and proteoglycan link protein 1 ( Hapln1), autophagy-related 3 (Atg3), splicing factor, arginine/serine-rich 5 ( Sfrs5 ), zinc finger, C3HC-type containing 1 ( Zc3hc1 ),thioredoxin-related transmembrane protein 1 ( Txndc1 ), adaptor protein complex AP-1, gamma 1 subunit (Ap1g1), Cullin 1 ( Cul1 ), and so on. Three of them were formerly unknown proteins. M122 protein could interact with the proteins obtained from positive colonies in the yeast cells AH109. Ap1g1 and Cul1 were proved to have autoactivation. Conclusion A class of proteins in brain interacting with M122 has been obtained. It is presumed that these proteins are correlated with neuropathogenesis of the brain disorders caused by CMV, but the candidates still need further confirmation for the interaction.

Suitable pretreatment of biological samples can truly reflect the role of law of the measured components played in the body and will provide experimental evidence for the studies on metabolic process, material basis of efficacy, mechanism of action, pharmacology, toxicology and the others. Biological samples include blood, urine, hair, tears, etc. There are also many samples processing methods, such as the direct protein precipitation, liquid-liquid extraction and solid phase extraction and so on. These methods could be used alone or combined.
Animals ; Body Fluids ; chemistry ; Chemical Precipitation ; Chemistry Techniques, Analytical ; methods ; Humans ; Liquid-Liquid Extraction ; Proteins ; isolation & purification ; Solid Phase Extraction