Pseudomonas sp. M18 is one of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria capable of producing two kinds of anti-fungal agents: phenazine-1-carboxilic acid (PCA) and pyoluteorin (Plt). The pqsR gene, which encodes a LysR family member PqsR, was amplified from chromosomal genome of strain M18. Using the homologous recombination technique, a chromosomal pqsR inactivated mutant strain M18PRG was constructed in Pseudomonas sp. M18. To study the effect of pqsR gene on Plt biosynthesis, the dynamic curves of Plt production by strains M18 and M18PRG was measured in KMB media. As a result, Plt production of the pqsR mutant was three to four folds higher than that of its parent strain M18. The Plt production was restored to the wild-type level when strain M18PRG was complemented with pqsR gene in trans. The regulation of pqsR gene on Plt production was further confirmed by the pltA′-′lacZ translational fusion analysis. These results indicate that pqsR gene negatively controls the Plt biosynthesis. Additionally, by analyzing the growth curves of wild type strain M18 and pqsR mutant, wecan readily find that PqsR has a negative influence on cell growth. It was also shown that the production of red pigments in strain M18 required the expression of pqsR gene. In conclusion, the data presented in this study clearly demonstrate that PqsR acts as a global regulator involved in many physiological activities in Pseudomonas sp. M18.

Objective To study the clinical feature,treatment,and prognosis of the cytomegalovirus (CMV)pneumonia patients treated with immunosuppressor against kidney disease.Mlethod The patients received immunosuppressor against kidney disease in The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June 1999 to December 2006.CMV antigen of leucocyte in the peripheral blood and/or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of these patients were detected with immunocytochemical methods,and 21 patients were found suffering from CMV pneumonia.The 21 patients were introvenously injected with ganciclovir 5～10 mg/(kg?d),and the immunosuppressive agent treatment suspended.Their clinical feature and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. Results The 21 patients received corticosteroids before CMV pneumonia contracted,of them,13 patients had been intensively treated with Methyllprednisolone with mean total dose(3.2?0.6)g.Of them,15 had been treated with cyclophosphamide with mean total dose(3.8?1.3)g.The median time from the beginning of using immunosuppressor to the onset of CMV pneumonia was 25(13～92)days.All patients had fever,cough, shortness of breath and X-ray showed interstitial pneumonia,of them,19 patients developed hypoxemia,and 11 patients' CMV antigen was positive in the leucocyte from bronchial lavage fluid.The result showed 9 patients survived and 12 died.The average duration of treatment with ganciclovir was(26.2?6.3)days. CMV pneumonia is a serious complication in patients who were treated with immunosuppressor against kidney disease.The mortality is high.Ganciclovir is a medicine of choice to treat CMV pneumonia.

Objective To compare the effects and complications between neuroendoscope-assisted and conventional shunt methods in patients with hydrocephalus,Methods The data of 299 patients with hydrocephalus admitted to our hospital from June 2002 and June 2009 were analyzed.Among these patients,98 adopted neuroendscope:78 were performed ventriculoperitoneal shunt(EVPS)combined with endoscopic third ventriculostomy(ETV)and the other 20 with obstructive hydrocephalus were performed ETV only.The other 201 patients adopt conventional operation:VPS was employed in 196 and ventriculoatrial shunt was performed in 5.We compared shunt effectiveness by calculating the pre-and post-operative ventricular indexes,shunt failure rates and complication rates during the follow-up between the 2 groups.Results No difference in etiology of hydrocephalus or clinical characteristics between the 2 groups was found.Compared with the conventional shunt group,neuroendscope-assisted group enjoyed a longer operative time,a higher surgery cost,a lower clogging incidence rote and a higher precision rote of putting the tube(P<0.05).Conclusion Applying of neuroendoscope is a very good option in treating patients with various kinds of hydrocephalus with good long-term follow-up results.

OBJECTIVETo establish and evaluate a protein microarray method for combined measurement of serum ferritin (SF) and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR).

METHODSMicroarrayer was used to print both anti-SF antibodies I and anti-sTfR antibodies I on each protein microarray. Anti-SF antibodies II and anti-sTfR antibodies II were used as detection antibodies and goat antibodies coupled to Cy3 were used as antibodies III. The detection conditions of the quantitative analysis method for simultaneous measurement of SF and sTfR with protein microarray were optimized and evaluated. The protein microarray was compared with commercially available traditional tests with 26 serum samples.

RESULTSBy comparison experiment, mouse monoclonal antibodies were chosen as the probes and contact printing was chosen as the printing method. The concentrations of SF and sTfR probes were 0.5 mg/mL and 0.5 mg/mL respectively, while those of SF and sTfR detection antibodies were 5 μg/mL and 0.36 μg/mL respectively. Intra- and inter-assay variability was between 3.26% and 18.38% for all tests. The regression coefficients comparing protein microarray with traditional test assays were better than 0.81 for SF and sTfR.

CONCLUSIONThe present study has established a protein microarray method for combined measurement of SF and sTfR.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; analysis ; Ferritins ; blood ; Mice ; Protein Array Analysis ; methods ; Rabbits ; Receptors, Transferrin ; blood

OBJECTIVETo evaluate perioperative occult blood loss following total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

METHODSA retrospective analysis of 40 patients undergoing TKA was conducted to calculate the mean blood loss and occult blood loss according to Gross formula.

RESULTSThe mean total blood loss was 1538 ml in these cases with occult blood loss of 791 ml. In patients with autologous blood transfusion, the mean total blood loss was 1650 ml with occult blood loss of 786 ml. In patients without autologous blood transfusion, the mean total blood loss was 1370 ml with occult loss of 798 ml.

CONCLUSIONTKA often results in large volume of occult blood loss in the perioperative period which can not be fully compensated by autologous blood transfusion, and additional blood supply is needed for maintenance of the circulating volume.

Aged ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; adverse effects ; methods ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; statistics & numerical data ; Blood Transfusion, Autologous ; Female ; Hemoglobins ; analysis ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; blood ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo study the value of high-frequency electrocautery combined with high-pressure balloon expansion in the treatment of benign airway obstruction.

METHODSTwelve patients with complete airway obstruction received treatment with high-frequency electrocautery and high-pressure balloon expansion, and 6 months of follow-up was performed.

RESULTSAfter the initial treatment, the rate of airway obstruction relief exceeded 50% in 8 patients, who showed lung recruitment and an increased dyspnea index, suggesting total effectiveness; one patient showed mild improvement with airway stenosis relief by less than 50% (the upper-left lobe remained obstructed). Stents were implanted eventually in 7 patients for airway maintenance. Two patients showed relief of the airway obstruction by over 50% after the initial treatment, but lung recruitment or dyspnea relief failed to be achieved, suggesting non-response to the treatment. The airway failed to be found in 1 case (who received 5 previous operations of ablation and dilatation), which was considered a non-response case.

CONCLUSIONHigh-frequency electrocautery combined with high pressure balloon expansion is clinically effective with few complications in some cases of benign complete airway stenosis. The possibility of airway stenosis and even obstruction should be considered in patients with tuberculosis during the treatment.

Adult ; Airway Obstruction ; surgery ; therapy ; Bronchoscopy ; methods ; Catheterization ; methods ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Electrocoagulation ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult

The most appropriate time to introduce androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer remains controversial. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of early versus delayed surgical castration on prostate cancer progression and survival in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model. TRAMP mice were randomly divided into three groups: the early castration group (on which castration was performed at the age of 4 weeks), the delayed castration group (on which castration was performed when abdominal tumours could be palpated), and the sham-castrated group. Mice were monitored daily throughout their lives until cancer-related death or the development of an obviously moribund appearance, at which time the individual mouse was killed. Androgen receptor expression in prostate tumours was also evaluated. The results shows that the average lifespan in early castration, delayed castration and sham-castrated groups were 54.1 weeks, 59.9 weeks and 39.1 weeks, respectively. Both early castration and delayed castration conferred a statistically significant survival advantage when compared with the sham-castrated group (P<0.001). However, the difference in lifespan between the early castration group and the delayed castration group was not statistically significant (P=0.85). The increase in lifespan in the TRAMP mice that received either early or delayed castration correlated with lower G/B value (genitourinary tract weight/body weight) at death than the sham-castrated mice. In conclusion, early and delayed castrations in TRAMP mice prolonged survival to a similar extent. This finding may provide a guide for clinical practice in prostate cancer therapy.
Adenocarcinoma ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Disease Models, Animal ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Transgenic ; Orchiectomy ; Organ Size ; Prostate ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Receptors, Androgen ; metabolism ; Time Factors ; Transgenes ; genetics

AIMTo study the effect of chimonin on chronic hypoxia and hypercapnic pulmonary hypertension and to explore its mechanism.

METHODSSD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (A), hypoxic hypercapnic group(B), hypoxic hypercapnia + chimonin group (C). HO-1 and HO-1 mRNA was observed in pulmonary arterioles of rats by the technique of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.

RESULTS(1) mPAP was significantly higher in rats of B group than that of A and C group. Differences of mCAP were not significant in three groups. (2) Blood CO concentration was significantly higher in rats of B group than that of A group, it was significantly higher in rats of C group than that of B group. (3) Light microscopy showed that WA/TA (vessel wall area/total area), SMC (the density of medial smooth muscle cell) and PAMT (the thickness of medial smooth cell layer) were significantly higher in rats of B group than those of A and C group. (4) Electron microscopy showed proliferation of medial smooth muscle cells and collagenous fibers of pulmonary arterioles in rats of B group, and chimonin could reverse the changes mentioned above. (5) HO-1 and HO-1 mRNA in pulmonary arterioles was significantly higher in rats of B group than that of A group, they were significantly higher in rats of C group than that of B group.

CONCLUSIONChimonin can inhibit hypoxic hypercapnia pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vessel remodeling by further increasing the expression of HO-1 mRNA.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; metabolism ; Hypercapnia ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

20?10~9/L.The proteinuria decreased or disappeared.The antinuclear antibody decreased or became negative.The level of complement was increased.The following complications were ob- served:septicemia in 2 patients,cytomegalovirus infection in 2 patients,renal toxicity in 1 patient,acute left heart failure in 3 patients and cardiac arrhythmia in 3 patients.There was no transplantation related mortality. Conclusion APBSCT may improve the disease activity and the immunological markers in SLE.It is a valid therapy for refractory SLE,but the long-term effects need to be observed.