OBJECTIVETo investigate the regulation of Cha Gan Beng Ga on the activity of biomarker PGC-1α in vivo and in vitro, and lay the foundation for studying the efficacy result of Cha Gan Beng Ga on xenograft tumor model and extracting active constituents.

METHOD(1) The coarse powder of Cha Gan Beng Ga was extracted with 70% ethanol solution through heating and refluxing, and finally was used to freeze dry powder. (2) 50 mg x kg(-1) of freeze-dried power was orally administrated to KM and C57BL/6J mice once daily, lasting for 5 consecutive days; different concentrations of extracted materials was given to non-small cell lung cells A549. (3) The expression level of PGC-1α mRNA was quantitatively determined in lung tissue of mice and non-small cell lung cells A549.

RESULTThe expression levels of PGC-1α in lung tissue of different mice strains had an increasing tendency. Furthermore, the expression levels of PGC-1α in non-small cell lung cells A549 also had an increasing tendency, showing dose and time-dependent relationships.

CONCLUSIONMongolian Medicine Cha Gan Beng Ga could induce the over-expression of PGC-1α mRNA in lung tissue of mice and in non-small cell lung cells A549. The present results will lay foundation for studying the efficacy result of antitumor and active constitutes in future.

Aconitum ; chemistry ; Animals ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; genetics ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; genetics ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Humans ; Lung ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Medicine, Mongolian Traditional ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Time Factors ; Transcription Factors ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo establish and evaluate a new method for measurement of dental plaque by using cellular neural network-based image segmentation.

METHODSA total of 195 subjects were selected from community population. After dental plaque staining, oral digital picture of anterior teeth area was taken by an Olympus digital camera (C-7070 Wide Zoom). At the same time, the Turesky dental plaque indices of anterior teeth were evaluated. The image analysis was conducted by cellular neural network-based image segmentation.

RESULTSThe image cutting errors between two operators were very small. The Kappa value is 0.935. Pearson's correlation coefficient is 0.988 (P < 0.001). There was high correlative consistency between traditional dental plaque index and plaque percentage obtained by using image analysis. Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.853 (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSCellular neural network-based image segmentation is a new method feasible for evaluating dental plaque.

Dental Plaque ; diagnosis ; Dental Plaque Index ; Female ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Male ; Neural Networks (Computer) ; Photography, Dental

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of C21 steroidal glycoside (CSG) from the root of Cynanchum auriculatum from Jiangsu on D-galactose (D-gal) induced aging model mice.

METHODD-gal aging mouse model was established by cervicodorsal region subcutaneous injection with D-gal once a day for eight successive weeks. The mice in the normal control group (NCG, non-modeled) and the model control group (MCG, modeled but untreated) were treated with 1% CMC-Na. The model mice in the low, middle and high-dose CSG and Vitamin E treated groups were treated with a dose of (10, 20, 40, 100 mg x kg(-1) per day, respectively. The SOD activity, MDA content and telomerase activity in serum, heart, liver and brain tissues of mice were measured.

RESULTCSG could obviously increase the SOD activity and decrease the MDA level in serum, heart, liver and brain tissues in D-gal aging mice (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between three CSG treated groups and Vitamin E treated groups. In comparison of telomerase activity between MCG and the treated groups, it was shown that there was a significant increase in serum in middle and high dose group, and in heart tissues in CSG and Vit E treated groups, but was not in liver and brain tissue.

CONCLUSIONThis study demonstrates that CSG can antagonize free radical injury, increase the SOD activity and decrease the MDA content of serum, heart, liver and brain in D-gal aging mice, and increase the telomerase activity in serum and heart tissues but not in liver and brain tissue.

Aging ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cynanchum ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Galactose ; toxicity ; Glycosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Steroids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; metabolism ; Telomerase ; metabolism

Objective: To assess fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) vascular hyper-intensity (FVH) and explore its relationship with CT perfusion (CTP) penumbral/infarct core mismatch ratio and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) final infarct volume in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Methods: The CTP and MRI images of 38 AIS patients with MCAO were reviewed. The FVH score (longitudinal direction) [FVH score (L)] and FVH score (transverse direction) [FVH score (T)] were quantified on the FLAIR images. The FVH score (L) (range, 0-16) was based on a rostrocaudal extension of FVH and the FVH score (T) (range, 0-3) was based on FVH supply of the occluded MCA territory. The mismatch ratio was calculated from the ratio of the [mean transit time - cerebral blood volume (CBV)] lesion/CBV lesion on the CTP images. The DWI infarct volume was measured on the DWI images. Results: The mismatch ratio was larger for the group of FVH score (L)=7~8 than those of FVH score (L)=5~6 and FVH score (L)=3~4 (p=0.03), whereas the DWI infarct volume was smaller (p=0.04). Similarly, the mismatch ratio of FVH score (T)=2~3 group was larger than FVH score (T)=1 group (p=0.01), whereas the DWI infarct volume was smaller (p=0.02). Both FVH score (L) and FVH score (T) correlated positively with mismatch ratio (P=0.02, P=0.001, respectively), but negatively with DWI infarct volume (P=0.03, P=0.004, respectively). Conclusions: Higher FVH score is associated with larger mismatch ratio and smaller DWI infarct volume in AIS patients with MCAO. FLAIR vascular hyperintensity may represent collateral arterial circulation, and may play a role in protecting the ischemic penumbra.
Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery

OBJECTIVETo study the prevalence rates of birth defects in high and low risk areas in China.

METHODSA population-based surveillance system on birth defects was used to obtain the prevalence rates of 24 kinds of major external birth defects from > or = 20 weeks of gestation to 7 days of life in selected areas in Shanxi and Jiangsu provinces.

RESULTSThe birth prevalence of birth defects (232.4 per 10,000 births) and neural tube defects (NTDs) (138.7 per 10,000 births) in four counties of Shanxi province were significantly higher than that in Taiyuan city (75.3 and 28.2 per 10,000 births, respectively). There was no significant difference for all selected birth defects between Wuxi city and Xishan counties in low risk areas. There was a 6.1-fold of higher prevalence for NTDs in Taiyuan city compared with that in Wuxi areas (4.6 per 10,000 births). In four counties of Shanxi province, the prevalence rates of anencephaly, spina bifida, hydrocephaly, cleft palate alone and polydactyly were significantly higher than in Wuxi areas. The NTDs prevalence rate in four counties of Shanxi was 30.2 times higher than in Wuxi areas. When compared with previous surveillance data, the NTDs prevalence rate did not present obvious declining trend in high risk areas. The birth prevalence rate had a 31.8% decrease when births were calculated after 28 gestational weeks and compared with those from 20 gestational weeks.

CONCLUSIONNTDs remained to be the most common birth defect seen in Shanxi province. The birth prevalence rate of NTDs in some areas of Shanxi province was among the highest that ever reported in the world in comparison with data from other countries and regions. The current prevalence rate in high risk areas in Shanxi province did not clearly show a declining trend. Programs on surveillance and prenatal diagnosis were proved to have made big impact on the rates of major external birth defects.

China ; epidemiology ; Congenital Abnormalities ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neural Tube Defects ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the effects of water storage treatment and thermal cycling on the shear bond strength (SBS) of three self-adhesive dual-cure resin cements. METHODS: Six cubic zirconia specimens with side length of 2 cm were obtained by cutting and sintering. Three self-adhering dual-cure resin cements (i.e., Clearfil SAC, RelyX U200, and Multilink Speed) were selected. According to their bonding modes, they were divided into three groups: direct bonding group (direct coating with resin cement), adhesive group (applying universal adhesives and then coating with resin cement), and primer group (applying Z-Prime Plus and then coating with resin cement). According to experimental conditions, each group was divided into two subgroups: subgroup a (water storage at 37 ℃ for 24 h) and subgroup b (thermalcycling for 5 000 times). SBS data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA by using SPSS 19.0 software (P<0.05). The fractured zirconia surface was observed under a stereomicroscope. RESULTS: After water storage for 24 h, the SBS of the adhesive group and the primer group of the three resin cements was higher than that of the direct adhesive group (P<0.05), but the difference in SBS between the adhesive group and the primer group was not significant (P>0.05). After thermalcycling, the SBS of the three types of resin cements decreased (P<0.05); the SBS of the adhesive group was higher than that of the direct adhesive group and the primer group (P<0.05). Fracture mode analysis revealed that the type Ⅲ fracture mode evidently increased after the thermalcycling treatment compared with the water storage treatment. CONCLUSIONS The universal adhesives and the primer can improve the SBS of self-adhesive dual-cure resin cement in water storage at 37 ℃ for 24 h. The universal adhesives had a better bonding durability than the zirconia primer.
Ceramics ; Dental Bonding ; Dental Cements ; Dental Stress Analysis ; Materials Testing ; Resin Cements ; Shear Strength ; Surface Properties ; Zirconium

Objective To prepare a protein chip for the detection of serum antibodies against several peach allergen components, and to provide a rapid and reliable method for clinical diagnosis of peach allergic disease .Methods The coding sequences of six key peach components Pru p 1, Pru p 2, Pru p 3, Pru p 4, Pru p 7 and Pru p G were inserted into pGAPZαA yeast expression vector.Then the vectors were digested by endonuclease Avr Ⅱ and electroporated into yeast SMD1168 for protein expression.After peach proteins were purified, the protein chip was prepared and used to detect the antibodies against peach allergen components in serum samples from 41 suspected patients.The sensitivity and specificity of the protein chip were verified by comparison with ImmunoCAP method .Res ults The protein chip was prepared with these proteins for detecting IgE antibodies in serum samples against these four peach allergen components.The results showed that the sensitivity of the protein chip to Pru p 1, Pru p 3 and Pru p 4 was 40%, 100%and 100%, and the specificity was 100%, 50%and 100%respectively.The total sensitivity and specificity was 86%and 96%respectively.Six serum samples from peach allergy patients were identified Pru p7 antibody positive by the protein chip.Co nclusions The sensitivity and specificity of the protein chip is comparable to ImmunoCAP.It needs less serum and so to be a potential method for the clinical diagnosis of peach allergenic disease after optimization.

There are some limitations in the localization of epileptogenic zone commonly used by human eyes to identify abnormal discharges of intracranial electroencephalography in epilepsy. However, at present, the accuracy of the localization of epileptogenic zone by extracting intracranial electroencephalography features needs to be further improved. As a new method using dynamic network model, neural fragility has potential application value in the localization of epileptogenic zone. In this paper, the neural fragility analysis method was used to analyze the stereoelectroencephalography signals of 35 seizures in 20 patients, and then the epileptogenic zone electrodes were classified using the random forest model, and the classification results were compared with the time-frequency characteristics of six different frequency bands extracted by short-time Fourier transform. The results showed that the area under curve (AUC) of epileptic focus electrodes based on time-frequency analysis was 0.870 (delta) to 0.956 (high gamma), and its classification accuracy increased with the increase of frequency band, while the AUC by using neural fragility could reach 0.957. After fusing the neural fragility and the time-frequency characteristics of the γ and high γ band, the AUC could be further increased to 0.969, which was improved on the original basis. This paper verifies the effectiveness of neural fragility in identifying epileptogenic zone, and provides a theoretical reference for its further clinical application.
Humans ; Electroencephalography/methods* ; Epilepsy/diagnosis* ; Seizures ; Stereotaxic Techniques

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at Fenglong (ST40) on inflammatory factors in macrophages of hyperlipemia (HLP) rats, and to explore the role of EA in treating HLP.

METHODSTotally 50 adult male SD rats were selected. After one-week adaptative feeding, they were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the blank control group (Group A), the model group (Group B), the diet control group (Group C), the EA group (Group D), the diet control + EA group (Group E), 10 in each group. By the end of treatment, all rats were sacrificed to get blood from the carotid artery. The contents of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were determined. Peritoneal macrophages were isolated. Contents of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were detected using flow cytometry (FCM) after adding the fluorescein-labeled molecule antibodies of inflammatory factors.

RESULTSCompared with Group A, the serum contents of TC and LDL-C obviously increased and HDL-C significantly decreased in Group B (all P < 0.01). There was no obvious change in the content of TG between Group A and Group B (P > 0.05). Compared with Group B, the contents of TC and LDL-C significantly decreased in Group C, D, and E (P < 0.01). Compared with Group C, serum contents of TC and LDL-C obviously decreased in Group D and E (P < 0.01). Compared with Group B, the content of macrophages significantly increased in Group A (P < 0.01). Compared with Group B, the content of macrophages significantly decreased in Group D and E (P < 0.01), more obviously in Group E (P < 0.01). Compared with Group C, the content of macrophages significantly decreased in Group E (P < 0.05). Compared with Group A, levels of ICAM-1, MCP-1, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 in the peritoneal macrophages significantly increased in Group B (P < 0.01). Compared with Group B, levels of ICAM-1, MCP-1, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 significantly decreased in Group C, D, and E, but more obviously in Group E (P < 0.01). Compared with Group C, levels of ICAM-1, MCP-1, TNF-alpha (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and IL-6 (P < 0.05) significantly decreased in Group E.

CONCLUSIONEA at Fenglong (ST40) could obviously downregulate the serum levels of TC and LDL-C in HLP rats, reduce the contents of macrophages, ICAM-1, MCP-1, TNF-alpha, and IL-6, thus arriving at the therapeutic effect in treating HLP.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Chemokine CCL2 ; metabolism ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Electroacupuncture ; Hyperlipidemias ; metabolism ; therapy ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Macrophages ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDAliskiren is an oral renin inhibitor, which inhibits the first rate limiting step in the renin angiotensin aldosterone system. In this study, sympathetic nerve sprouting and the inducibility of ventricular fibrillation after aliskiren treatment in myocardial infarction were investigated.

METHODSMale Sprague Dawley rats after coronary artery ligation were randomly allocated to four groups: angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril, angiotensin receptor blocker valsartan, β adrenergic receptor blocker carvedilol and rennin inhibitor aliskiren treatment for six weeks. Electrophysiological study, histological examination and Western blotting were performed.

RESULTSThe plasma norepinephrine level and sympathetic nerve innervation significantly increased in treated infarcted rats compared to untreated rats. Aliskiren treatment reduced the sympathetic nerve innervations after myocardial infarction. There is no significant difference in sympathetic nerve innervations after myocardial infarction among the enalapril, valsartan, carvediloand or aliskiren treated groups. Programmed electrical stimulation study showed that inducible ventricular arrhythmia was reduced, ventricular fibrillation threshold was increased and ventricular effective refractory period was prolonged in enalapril, valsartan, carvedilol and aliskiren treated infarcted rats compared to untreated infarcted rats. Cardiomyocytic apoptosis in infarcted region was significantly decreased in enalapril, valsartan, carvedilol and aliskiren treated infarcted rats.

CONCLUSIONSAliskiren ameliorated cardiomyocytic apoptosis, attenuated the sympathetic nerve innervations and reduced the vulnerability of ventricular arrhythmias after myocardial infarction. Enalapril, valsartan and carvedilol have similar effects as aliskiren on cardiomyocytic apoptosis, sympathetic nerve innervations and vulnerability of ventricular arrhythmias after myocardial infarction.

Amides ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Fumarates ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; blood ; drug therapy ; Norepinephrine ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Renin ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; drug effects ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; prevention & control