Adolescent ; Adult ; Dust ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Health ; statistics & numerical data ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Steel ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo study pharmacokinetic effect of Aikeqing Granule (AG) by different medication ways on zidovudine (AZT) in highly active antiretroviral therapy ( HAART) of rats.

METHODSTotally 36 rats were administered with corresponding medications by gastrogavage, group I [HAART: AZT 31.5 mg/kg +3TC 31.5 mg/kg + Efavirenz (EFV) 63.0 mg/kg], group II (HAART+AG525 mg/kg), group III (HAART and AG 525 mg/kg after a 2-h interval). Drug concentrations of AZT were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (HPLC-MS) before HAART, and at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 h after HAART, respectively. Pharmacokinetic parameters [such as t1/2, Tmax, Cmax, AUCo-t, plasma clearance rate (CL)] were calculated by DAS2.0 Software.

RESULTSThe-equation of linear regression of AZT was good, with the precision, coefficient of recovery, and stability definitely confirmed. AUC in group II and III was larger than that of group I. There was no statistical difference in t1/2, Tmax, Cmax, AUC0-12 h, or AUC0-∞ among groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAG combined HAART could enhance the Cmax of AZT.

Animals ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Benzoxazines ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Mass Spectrometry ; Rats ; Zidovudine ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology

In practice of forensic medicine, potential disease can be associated with fatal asphyxia in restraint position. Research has demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) are plentifully distributed in skeletal muscle, contributing to the regulation of contractile and relaxation. In the current study, respiratory functions, indices of diaphragmatic biomechanical functions ex vivo, as well as NO levels in serum, the expressions of diaphragmatic inducible NOS (iNOS) mRNA, and the effects of L-NNA on contractility of the diaphragm were observed in sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) under the condition of restraint position. The results showed that in the CLP12-18h rats, respiratory dysfunctions; indices of diaphragmatic biomechanical functions (Pt, +dT/dt(max), -dT/dt(max), CT, Po, force over the full range of the force-frequency relationship and fatigue resistance) declined progressively; the NO level in serum, and iNOS mRNA expression in the diaphragm increased progressively; force increased significantly at all stimulation frequencies after L-NNA pre-incubation. Restraint position 1 h in CLP12 h rats resulted in severe respiratory dysfunctions after relative stable respiratory functions, almost all the indices of diaphragmatic biomechanical functions declined further, whereas little change took place in NO level in serum and diaphragmatic iNOS mRNA expression; and the effects of L-NNA were lack of statistical significance compared with those of CLP12 h, but differed from CLP18 h group. These results suggest that restraint position and sepsis act together in a synergistic manner to aggravate the great reduction of diaphragmatic contractility via, at least in part, the negative modulation of NO, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of positional asphyxia.
Animals ; Asphyxia ; Diaphragm/physiology* ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Nitric Oxide/metabolism* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Rats ; Respiration Disorders ; Restraint, Physical ; Sepsis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of human leukocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR) expression in the monocytes of elderly patients with sepsis.

METHODSA total of 213 elderly patients were divided into 4 groups according to the criteria defined by the American College of Chest Physicians/ Society of Critical Care Medicine (ACCP/SCCM), namely the non-sepsis group (group A), sepsis group (group B), severe sepsis group (group C) and septic shock group (group D). Another 60 healthy subjects were recruited as the control group. HLA-DR expression in the monocytes from each subject was determined by flow cytometry, and the HLA-DR levels were compared between the groups.

RESULTSCompared with that of the healthy control, HLA-DR expression was significantly increased in group A and lowered in group D. No significant differences were found between the control group and groups B and C. HLA-DR expression was significantly different between groups A, B, C, and D (P<0.01), increasing in the order of group D (32.74-/+13.4)%, group C (61.9-/+14.29)%, group B (69.99-/+12.8)%, and group A (85.06-/+15.37)%.

CONCLUSIONSAlthough with multiple organ diseases and repeated or long-term hospitalization, the non-septic elderly patients do not show lowered expression of HLA-DR. In the elderly patients with sepsis and severe sepsis, HLA-DR expression is not a sensitive index, but obviously lowered HLA-DR expression may serve as a specific indicator in elderly patients with septic shock.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers ; analysis ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; HLA-DR Antigens ; analysis ; biosynthesis ; Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; immunology ; Male ; Sepsis ; immunology ; Shock, Septic ; immunology

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as a kind of rapid process analysis technology has been successfully applied in Chinese medicine pharmaceutical process. In this research, the technology was adopted to establish the rapid quantitative analysis models of main indicators from the Lonicera japonica and Artemisia annua alcohol precipitation process of Reduning injection. On-line NIR spectra of 142 samples from alcohol precipitation process were collected and the content of main indicators for each sample were detected through off-line HPLC. With eliminating outliers, determination of spectra pretreatment method and selecting optimal band, the NIR quantitative calibration model for each indicator was established using partial least squares (PLS). These models were used to predict the unknown samples from precipitation process of Reduning injection to achieve the goal of rapid detection. The results showed that the models were ideal. The correlation coefficients of models for neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid and secoxyloganin were 0.973 872, 0.985 449, 0.975 509 and 0.979 790, respectively and their relative standard errors of prediction (RSEP) were 2.922 49%, 2.341 37%, 2.930 40% and 2.184 60%, respectively. This study indicated that the NIR quantitative calibration model showed good stability and precision, and it can be used in rapid quantitative detection of main indicators of efficacy in order to on-line monitor the alcohol precipitation process of Reduning injection.
Chemical Precipitation ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Ethanol ; chemistry ; Lonicera ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; methods

0.05).Overall prevalence of UI was 15.93% in the students,20.45% in those of junior high school,10.44% in senior high school and 16.72% in university(P0.05),accounting for 63.90%,10.47% and 25.63% of the total students with UI.Conclusions Great importance should be attached to the higher prevalence of LUTS in young and adolescent females by gynecologists and urologists.More attention should also be paid to health education on LUTS and medical care for those with LUTS to alleviate and delay occurrence of UI symptoms.

Optimization of sensor array is a significant topic in the application of electronic nose (EN). Stepwise discriminant analysis and cluster analysis combining with screening of typical index were employed to optimize the original array in the classification of 100 samples from 10 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine based on alpha-FOX3000 EN. And the identification ability was evaluated by three algorithm including principle component analysis, Fisher discriminant analysis and random forest. The results showed that the identification ability of EN was improved since not only the effective information was maintained but also the redundant one was eliminated by the optimized array. The optimized method was eventually established, it was accurate and efficient. And the optimized array was built up, that is, S1, S2, S5, S6, S8, S12.
Algorithms ; Biosensing Techniques ; methods ; Cluster Analysis ; Discriminant Analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; classification ; isolation & purification ; Electronic Nose ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Principal Component Analysis ; Reproducibility of Results ; Smell

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and its receptor c-Met protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and CNE-2 NPC cell line, to correlate their expression level with clinicopathologic features and to study the effect of HGF/c-Met system on the invasive and metastatic potential of NPC.

METHODSForty-five biopsies were collected from pre-treatment NPC patients during the period from 1999 to 2003. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of HGF-alpha subunit and c-Met protein in NPC tissues. The association between expression of these proteins and clinicopathologic features was statistically analyzed. The expression of HGF and c-Met, as detected by flow cytometry, in CNE-2 NPC cell line (with or without exogenous HGF) was compared. Western blot analysis and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were also applied to evaluate the protein and mRNA expression of c-Met in CNE-2 cells.

RESULTSIn the 45 cases studied, the expression rate of c-Met was 91.1% (41/45). Only 1 case (2.2%, 1/45) showed positive signal for HGF in neoplastic cells. Instead, HGF was expressed in surrounding lymphocytes. The expression of c-Met positively correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.024). There was also a positive correlation between expression of c-Met by tumor cells and expression of HGF by surrounding lymphocytes (r(s) = 0.450, P = 0.002). Moreover, the expression of c-Met was higher if there was a higher expression of HGF by lymphocytes (P = 0.009). However, there was no association between expression of c-Met and clinicopathologic features, such as age, gender, histopathologic type and clinical stage. After treatment with HGF for 24 hours, the percentage of c-Met-positive cells was significantly increased in CNE-2 cell line, from (46.6 +/- 9.02)% to (85.8 +/- 6.05)% (P = 0.003). The c-Met protein expression and c-Met mRNA level were also enhanced in CNE-2 cells with HGF treatment. However, endogenous HGF was not detected in CNE-2 cells, regardless of HGF treatment.

CONCLUSIONSHGF may play an important role in the development of NPC metastasis by inducing the expression of c-Met in tumor cells via a paracrine, instead of an autocrine, pathway.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; secondary ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; biosynthesis ; physiology ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo compare the therapeutic effect of Compound Recipe Gengniankang ( GNK) with that of hormone replacement treatment (HRT) on climacteric female rats with osteoporosis, and to investigate the roles of estrogen and estrogen receptors in the mechanism of osteoporosis.

METHODSClimacteric female rats with osteoporosis were chosen and divided into three groups (GNK group, HRT group and control group). Apoptosis of ovarian granulose cells was measured by terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Serum level of estradiol (E(2)), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) were determined by the method of radioimmunoassay (RIA). Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCT) technology was used to evaluate the expression of estrogen receptor (ER) in bone. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by double energy X-ray absorption (DEXA).

RESULTSIn the climacteric rats, BMD, serum E(2), ER mRNA expression in bone decreased remarkably, and serum FSH, LH and apoptosis of ovarian granulose cells increased obviously. After treating with GNK, all the indexes were reversed except serum E(2). The increase of E(2) was not significant.

CONCLUSIONGNK is effective on climacteric osteoporosis female rats. Its role is performed not by increasing serum E(2) but by enhancing ER in the bone and inhibiting apoptosis of ovarian granulose cells. GNK can deter further exhaustion of ovarian function.

Age Factors ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Bone and Bones ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Climacteric ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Estradiol ; blood ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Hormones ; blood ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Osteoporosis ; metabolism ; Ovary ; drug effects ; physiology ; Rats ; Receptors, Estrogen ; biosynthesis

This study was aimed to develop and establish an efficient method for high through-put automatically extracting genomic DNA from EDTA-anticoagulated whole blood samples, and to utilize this method in routine rSSO HLA genotyping by luminex flow array assay, the genomic DNA was extracted automatically from 400 microl blood samples by using TECAN DNA workstation and 96-well plate with 2 ml volume per well. The yield and purity of each DNA sample was tested by UV-spectrophotometer, the integrity of these DNA samples were run electrophoresis on the agarose gel. Each DNA sample was subjected to PCR amplification and hybridization using One lambda rSSO HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 commercial kit, the fluorescent intensity for positive bead and negative bead hybridized with HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 PCR products were calculated and analyzed. The results showed that the mean yield and purity (A260/A280) of genomic DNA extracted from 400 microl whole blood samples were 3.217+/-0.715 microg and 1.710+/-0.103 respectively. The molecular weight was more than 15 kb in size and the fluorescent intensity for positive bead hybridized with HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 PCR products of each sample was >600 RFU, however, the fluorescent intensity for negative bead for each sample was <50 RFU. It is concluded that the highly qualified genomic DNA can be extracted automatically from blood samples of marrow-donors by using TECAN DNA workstation, and the extracted DNA samples are suitable for high through-put HLA genotyping by luminex flow array assay and other downstream transplant immunological and molecular biological experiments.
Biological Specimen Banks ; Bone Marrow ; DNA ; isolation & purification ; DNA Primers ; Genotype ; HLA Antigens ; genetics ; High-Throughput Screening Assays ; methods ; Humans ; Living Donors ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; methods ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; methods