OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Chinese herbal compound (CHC) on the expression of hepatocyte cytochrome P450IIE1 in rat model of alcoholic fatty liver (AFL).

METHODSThe AFL rats models were established by administering the drinking water with 40%(v/v) ethanol, and the changes of pathology in liver and hepatocyte P450IIE1 expression, as well as the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), vitamin E (VitE) in liver were detected and compared with those in the control group.

RESULTSFatty degeneration in liver recovered normally in the CHC-treated group. Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization examination showed that CHC could inhibit the hepatocyte cytochrome P450IIE1 expression markedly, and restore the contents of MDA, SOD, GSH, VitE to nearly normal range.

CONCLUSIONCHC can prevent AFL through inhibiting the hepatocyte cytochrome P450IIE1 expression markedly

Animals ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fatty Liver, Alcoholic ; pathology ; Gene Expression ; Hepatocytes ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVEA reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay was developed for rapid visual detection of HIV-1.

METHODSRT-LAMP primers were designed according to conservative sequences of HIV-1 gag gene, and their sensitivity and specificity were evaluated by the established RT-LAMP protocol with the addition of the hydroxynaphthol blue (HNB) dye prior to amplification. The performance of RT-LAMP on clinical samples was compared with real-time reverse transcription PCR(qRT-PCR).

RESULTSThe RT-LAMP assay showed a high specificity, and its detection limit was 1000 copies RNA per tube. The sensitivity and specificity of this method using 43 clinical samples were 94.6% and 100%, respectively,in comparison with those of qRT-PCR.

CONCLUSIONRT-LAMP assay using hydroxynaphthol blue dye does not need expensive instruments, and offer an alternative for the rapid detection of HIV-1 with the potential to be applied in field diagnosis.

HIV-1 ; isolation & purification ; Naphthalenesulfonates ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; methods ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo explore the etiology of idiopathic talipes equinovarus (ITEV) in all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) induced clubfoot-like deformity in rat fetuses with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry (MS).

METHODSClubfoot-like deformity model in rat fetuses was induced with ATRA (135 mg/kg) in gestation day (GD10) pregnant Wistar rats. 2-DE was applied to separate the total proteins of ankle joint tissue, ankle joint bone and spinal cord of the animal models. The Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining gels were analyzed by 2-DE software PDQuest 7.1.0. Selected differential protein spots were identified with peptide mass fingerprinting based on matrix-assisted laser adsorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and database searching. xiap, tnnt1 and col2 alpha 1, three genes of the differential proteins, were identified furthermore. Apoptosis study was made in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end labeling.

RESULTSThere were many differential expressed proteins in the clubfoot-like deformity model. Out of the differentially expressed proteins,16 protein spots were identified to be differentially expressed in the clubfoot-like deformity model with MS. Three of the 16 protein spots, xiap, tnnt1 and col2 alpha 1 were confirmed to be significantly down-regulated by the RT-PCR, and Xiap was further confirmed to be significantly down-regulated with immunohistochemistry. Another randomly selected gene, ngfr, did not express differently in ATRA-induced clubfoot-like deformity in rat fetuses. The rates of the apoptosis in the spinal, bone of the clubfoot-like deformity fetuses was 5.4 and 10 times of those of the normal fetuses respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe results suggest that there are certain differently expressed proteins in ankle joint tissue, ankle joint bone and spinal cord of the ATRA-induced clubfoot-like deformity in rat fetuses, and Xiap, sTnT, and Col2 alpha 1 show a significant correlation with ITEV. Ngfr is not correlation with ITEV. Apoptosis plays a key role in the development of ITEV and related to the decreased expression of the Xiap.

Animals ; Ankle Joint ; metabolism ; Clubfoot ; chemically induced ; genetics ; metabolism ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Immunohistochemistry ; Proteomics ; methods ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Spinal Cord ; metabolism ; Tretinoin

OBJECTIVETo establish the reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) methods for on-site HIV-1 detection.

METHODSAs for the real-time fluorescent RT-LAMP, we firstly tested the specificity and sensitivity, then explored its quantitative determination, and finally applied the method to the detection of 35 HIV-1 positive samples. For colorimetric judgment, after choosing different ameliorates to modify Hydroxynaphthol blue (HNB), we tested their real effects on coloration, and then picked out the modified dyes with obvious color change to test the sensitivity and the detection of the 35 HIV-1-positive samples.

RESULTSThe real-time fluorescent RT-LAMP showed great specificity of HIV-1, and the sensitivity to detect HIV-1 RNA was between 10 and 100 copies per reaction. On testing 35 HIV-1-positive samples, the method could reach 100 percent detection rate. However, for the quantitative determination, the quantitative relation was not observed regarding the HIV-1 RNA of below 10(3) copies per reaction. Three modified HNB dyes with clear color variation between the reaction tubes of the negative and the positive were got in the study, and their sensitivities equaled to the level of agarose gel electrophoresis. Similarly, 100% (35/35) detection rate was reached when the colorimetric RT-LAMP with the modified dyes was applied to detect 35 HIV-1-positive samples.

CONCLUSIONThe established real-time fluorescence method and the modified color judgment of RT-LAMP could be helpful for truly achieving rapid, accurate, and sensitive on-site detection of HIV-1.

HIV-1 ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; methods ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Wearable devices are used in the new design of the maternal health care system to detect electrocardiogram and oxygen saturation signal while smart terminals are used to achieve assessments and input maternal clinical information. All the results combined with biochemical analysis from hospital are uploaded to cloud server by mobile Internet. Machine learning algorithms are used for data mining of all information of subjects. This system can achieve the assessment and care of maternal physical health as well as mental health. Moreover, the system can send the results and health guidance to smart terminals.
Algorithms ; Clothing ; Electrocardiography ; Equipment Design ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; Machine Learning ; Maternal Health ; Monitoring, Ambulatory ; instrumentation ; Telemedicine ; instrumentation

The qualitative and quantitative analysis on traditional Chinese medicine and formula components can be made by chemical and instrumental analysis methods. Of both, the instrumental analysis methods play a dominant role, including HPLC, HPLC-MS, HPLC-NMR, GC, GC-MS, biochemical and biological effect. But because traditional Chinese medicines and formula have complicated components, chemical methods are so unspecific that they shall be used less or with caution. While instrumental analysis methods are so specific that they are appropriate for analyzing complicated single component. The analysis techniques for multiple components of traditional Chinese medicines and formula focus on fingerprints, but all of these analysis techniques are limited by the pre-requisite of separation and the lack of general-purpose detectors and therefore being hard to realize the determination of all components of traditional Chinese medicines and formula. In the natural world, however, organisms identify native and alien components through specificity and non-specificity of clusters decided by antigens and antibodies. For example, components of traditional Chinese medicines are directly or indirectly synthesized into antigens and injected into animals, in order to generate specific antibodies and then collect cross reaction information of these components to specific antibodies. As for components without cross reaction, their contents shall be directly read out on the basis of the inhibition rate curve of competitive reaction for specificity of antigens and antibodies. Besides, a cross inhibition rate matrix shall be established first, and them a multiple regression linear equation between cross component concentration or concentration logarithm and inhibition rate by labeling the immunity competitive reaction between antibodies and haptens of traditional Chinese medicine and compound components, and then solved to obtain concentration of each component. The two results are combined to establish the synthetic immunity chip method for traditional Chinese medicine and formula components.
Animals ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; High-Throughput Screening Assays ; methods ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; methods ; Vaccines, Synthetic ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the antiestrogenic effect of environment teratogen on the gene expression of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) family in osteoblast cells during rat skeleton development.

METHODSThe fetal rat models with congenital skeleton malformation were constructed by treating 20 female Wistar rats with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on pregnant day 10. The MC-3T3-E1 cells were cultured with estrogen, TCDD, or a combination of the two chemicals for 24 hours. The IGF-II and IGFBP-6 mRNA levels in rat calvaria bone tissue and MC-3T3-E1 cells were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Flow cytometer was used to determine the cell proliferation.

RESULTSTCDD at the concentration of 5-15 microg/kg induced developmental skeleton defect of fetal rat, and the effect was dose-dependent. The expression of IGF-II mRNA gene was enhanced by estrogen in rat calvaria bone tissue and MC-3T3-E1 cells, whereas IGFBP-6 mRNA was decreased. Estrogen increased the cell proliferation in MC-3T3-E1 cells. TCDD, however, inhibited the effect of estrogen on regulation of IGF-II gene and IGFBP-6 gene as well as MC-3T3-E1 cell proliferation.

CONCLUSIONThese findings provide the evidence that TCDD can induce congenital fetal skeleton malformation under the condition of high estrogen level in pregnant Wistar rats. TCDD has antiestrogenic effect and hence exerts negative influence on the osteoblast cells through target IGF-II and IGFBP-6 of IGFs family.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced ; etiology ; Animals ; Bone and Bones ; abnormalities ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Estrogen Receptor Modulators ; toxicity ; Female ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 6 ; genetics ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; genetics ; Osteoblasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins ; toxicity ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Injections for traditional Chinese medicine have over 60 years of history of development and application. In recent years, however, their adverse reactions have been reported one after another. Consequently, studies on screening sensitinogens (sensibiligens) from injections for traditional Chinese medicine have drawn people's attention and become a tough problem all over the world. This essay analyzes the current state of studies on screening techniques of sensitinogens in injections for traditional Chinese medicine according their mechanism of immunotoxicity, and then proposes to adopt the synthetic immunoassay combining immunity bottle chip, immunity cover chip and immunity chromatographic fingerprint to screen sensitinogens from injections for traditional Chinese medicine, in order to build a safety evaluation barrier for development and clinical application of injections for traditional Chinese medicine.
Drug Hypersensitivity ; immunology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic value of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) histogram analysis in hepatic fibrosis staging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six rats were divided into carbon tetrachloride-induced fibrosis groups (6 rats per group for 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks) and a control group (n = 12). MRI was performed using a 3T scanner. Histograms of DKI were obtained for corrected apparent diffusion (D), kurtosis (K) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Mean, median, skewness, kurtosis and 25th and 75th percentiles were generated and compared according to the fibrosis stage and inflammatory activity. RESULTS: A total of 35 rats were included, and 12, 5, 5, 6, and 7 rats were diagnosed as F0–F4. The mean, median, 25th and 75th percentiles, kurtosis of D map, median, 25th percentile, skewness of K map, and 75th percentile of ADC map demonstrated significant correlation with fibrosis stage (r = −0.767 to 0.339, p < 0.001 to p = 0.039). The fibrosis score was the independent variable associated with histogram parameters compared with inflammatory activity grade (p < 0.001 to p = 0.041), except the median of K map (p = 0.185). Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of D were larger than K and ADC maps in fibrosis staging, although no significant differences existed in pairwise comparisons (p = 0.0512 to p = 0.847). CONCLUSION: Corrected apparent diffusion of DKI histogram analysis provides added value and better diagnostic performance to detect various liver fibrosis stages compared with ADC.
Animals ; Carbon ; Diagnosis* ; Diffusion* ; Fibrosis* ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Rats ; ROC Curve

Objective To investigate the risk factors and countermeasures for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) related duodenal papilla hemorrhage. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 890 patients who underwent ERCP. According to whether the patients with ERCP related duodenal papilla hemorrhage, they were divided into the hemorrhage group and the non hemorrhage group. And the risk factors of duodenal papilla hemorrhage and their countermeasures were investigated. Results 51 patients had ERCP related duodenal papilla hemorrhage, and the overall incidence rate was 5.7%. Compared with the non hemorrhage group, the patients proportion of common bile duct stones was lower, but the cholangiocarcinoma and pancreatic head cancer were higher in the hemorrhage group (P < 0.05). The incidence of hypertension and duodenal diverticulum in the hemorrhage group were significantly higher than that in the non hemorrhage group (P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that patients with stone diameter >2 cm, stone incarceration and the duodenal papilla into diverticulum in the hemorrhage group were significantly higher than that in the non hemorrhage group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Common bile duct stone diameter >2 cm, stone incarceration, malignant biliary and pancreatic cancer, hypertension and duodenal papilla into diverticulum were objective risk factors of ERCP related duodenal papilla hemorrhage, focus on prevention of bleeding. Endoscopic hemostasis was safe and effective.