Aim To investigate the glycosidic constituents in the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum Hance. Methods The isolation and purification of glycosides were done with column chromatography on macro porous resin, polyamides and Sephadex LH-20, whilst the structure elucidation was done by HRCI-MS and NMR (1D and 2D ) methods. Results A glycosidic ester identified as 4'-hydroxy-2'-methoxyphenol-β-D-{ 6-O-[ 4"-hydroxy-3", 5"-dimethoxy ( benzoate ) ] }-glucopyranoside ( I), along with a known compound n-butyl-β-D-fructopyranoside (II) , were isolated and characterized. Conclusion Ⅰ was found to be a new compound, named as alpinoside A, whilst Ⅱ was isolated from the genus Alpinia for the first time.

OBJECTIVE To understand the pathogenicity of Staphylococcus epidermidis causing urinary tract infection. METHODS Thirty five isolates were collected in the patients with urinary tract infection during 2003-2004 to test the minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC) to erythromycin,ampicillin,cefoxitin,ceftriaxone,teicoplanin,ciprofloxacin,tetracycline,trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and vancomycin.The genes of ermA,ermB,ermC,msrA,mecA,and icaA were amplified by PCR.The biofilm producing of the isolates was determined by the quantitative method.The pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) was used to discriminate the homology among the isolates. RESULTS Among the isolates,MRSE accounted for 71.4%.The antibiotic susceptibility to erythromycin,ampicillin,ceftriaxone,ciprofloxacin,tetracycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were 22.8%,6.34%,34.9%,26.9%,44.4% and 62.2%,respectively,whereas to teicoplanin and vancomycin were 99.2% and 100%.All the isolates resistant to cefoxitin carried mecA.ermC Was the predominant determinant among the erythromycin resistant isolates.Among the 14 icaA positive isolates,10 isolates were biofilm producing.All the isolates were classified into 18 types by PFGE. CONCLUSIONS The high and multiple antibiotic resistance of S.epidermidis isolates causing urinary tract infection were shown.The detection of icaA gene in clinical S.epidermidis isolates was a signal of their pathogenicity.

Objective To study the chemical constituents from the roots of Euphorbia sonngarica. Methods Compounds were isolated by Sephadex LH-20,MPLC,and silica gel column chromatographies. Their structures were identified by spectral methods together with physicochemical analysis.Results Eleven compounds were isolated from the roots of E.sonngarica.They were identified as cryptomeridiol (Ⅰ),betulin(Ⅱ),betulinic acid(Ⅲ),3?-hydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid(Ⅳ),7-oxo-?sitosterol (Ⅴ),erythrinasinate(Ⅵ),octaeosanoie acid(Ⅶ),1-octacosene(Ⅷ),24-methene-cycloartenol(Ⅸ),eu- phol(Ⅹ),?-sitosterol(Ⅺ).Conclusion CompoundsⅠ-Ⅷare isolated from this plant for the first time.

Objective To investigate the levels of serum interleukin(IL)-18 in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF)and its relationship with relevant indexes. Methods Sixty patients with CRF were divided into three groups: patients with CRF (CRF group, n = 18) ,patients with bemedialysis (HD group, n = 22) and patients with peritoneal dialysis (PD group,n = 20). 20 healthy subjects were taken as controls. The levels of serum IL-18, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were detected by means of ELISA. Serum albumin (ALB) ,total cholesterol (TC) ,triglyceride (TG) and serum creatinine (SCr) levels were detected by con-ventional means. The GFR was measured by using the abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study (MDRD) equation. Differences in continuous variables between the three groups were evaluated. Results The lev-els of serum IL-18 were significantly increased in CRF[(497.7 ± 120.7) ng/L], HD[(538.1 ± 113.2) ng/L] and PD[(565.7 ± 122.1) ng/L] patients than those in healthy subjects[(163.9±42.2) ng/L] (P <0.01). Further-more,serum IL-18 levels in HD patients were higher than these in CRF patients (P <0.05). Serum IL-18 levels in CRF were positively related to serum TNF-α,hs-CRP and SCr(r =0. 636,0.436,0.367,P <0.01) ,and negatively related to GFR(r = -0.515 ,P <0.05). Conclusion The levels of serum IL-18 are markedly increased in patients with CRF,HD and PD,and related to the levels of TNF-α,hs-CRP and GFR,so IL-18 might be an important marker of sub-clinical inflammation in patients with chronic renal failure.

OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between urinary tract infection(UTI) and urological surgical site infections(SSI).METHODS The surgical site infections of 115 patients underwent urological operations were observed.Patients were screened for the presence of UTI before the operation and subcutaneous swabs for culture were collected at the end of the operation by brushing with a sterile cotton-swab just before skin closure.The resistance and similarity of the isolates were analyzed by antimicrobial susceptibility test and pulsed field gel electrophoresis(PFGE).RESULTS Surgical site infection occurred in 14 of 115 patients.The isolates from infected surgical sites showed higher resistance to antimicrobial agents than those from non-infected surgical sites(P

Objective To construct a cDNA expression library from unfed female tick Haemaphysalis longicornis for screening and cloning potential antigenic genes.Methods Total RNA was isolated from unfed female ticks,mRNA was purified and a library of oligo(dT)-primed cDNA with added directional EcoR Ⅰ/Hind Ⅲ linkers was constructed from the purified mRNA.The constructed cDNA was ligated to the EcoRⅠ/HindⅢ arms of the ?SCREEN vector.Pure phage stocks were harvested by plaque purification and converted to plasmid subclones by plating phage on host strain BM25.8.Recombinant plasmids that were subcloned to E.coli BM25.8 were isolated and transformed into E.coli JM109.Recombinant plasmids abstracted from JM109 were identified by PCR and sequencing.Rusults The recombinant phage DNA was packaged by using phage-marker packaging extracts,resulting in a primary cDNA library with a size of 1.8?106 pfu.Data showed 100% of the library were recombinant and the titer of the amplified library was 2.4?109 pfu/ml.Forty-two clones of encoding immunodominant antigens were obtained from the cDNA library.Sequence analysis revealed 12 unique cDNA sequences and the encoded putative proteins showed similarities to H.longicornis tropomyosin mRNA,Rhipicephalus annulatus unknown larval protein mRNA,chromosome 2R of Drosophila melanogaster,mitochondrial DNA of H.flava,clones HqL09 unkown mRNA and Hq05 mRNA of H.qinghaiensis,and myosin alkali light chain protein mRNA.Conclusion The cDNA expression library from unfed female H.longicornis was successfully constructed and screening of protective genes may provide candidate antigens of the tick.

ObjectiveTo investigate the occurrence of new cretinism cases and the prevalence of endemic goiter in iodine deficiency disorders(IDD) high-risk areas of Fujian province,so as to put forward target prevention and control measures for these areas.Methods Twelve counties from Xiuyu,Xiangan,Pingtan,and Dongshan were chosen into the survey by simple random sampling,searching for new cretinism cases were carried out in children under 10 years old.Two schools were chosen in every county and the thyroid volume of forty children aged 8 - 10 were determined by B-ultrasonography methods and their urinary iodine(UI) was determined by As3--Ce4+catalytic spectrophotometry in each school.Twenty women of child-bearing age aged 18 - 40 were chosen for collecting edible salt and urine samples,and the salt iodine content was determined using self-quantitative kit and their UI was also determined by As3--Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry.Results In the 4 high-risk counties,no cretinism cases were found.The goiter rate of children aged 8 - 10 was 3.6％(37/1027),and that in Dongshan county was 5.4％(13/240),which was higher than the national standards for eliminating IDD( ＜ 5％).The median urinary iodine(MUI) of children aged 8 - 10 was 175.3 μg/L,and the MUI of women aged 18 -40 was 152.7 μg/L.The coverage rate of iodized salt was 82.7％(382/462).ConclusionsNew case or suspected new case of cretinism is not discovered in the high-risk areas of IDD of Fujian province,and median urinary iodine level of people is in the adequate range.

Objective To investigate the effects of inhaled low dose nitric oxide(NO)on lung ischemia-reperfusion injury during flush and delayed 10 min after reperfusion.Methods Sixty health a- dult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to the control and the NO group.Before the donor lung was harvested,the right hilus was clipped for 5 min(clipping test),then blood sample was collected from carotid artery for arterial blood gas analysis as baseline.Lung transplantation was per- formed in a“cuff-like”vessel anastomosis technique.Dynamic compliance(Cdyn)and resistance of airway(Raw)were monitored before operation(baseline)and after 2-h reperfusion.The graft's gas exchange and oxygenation were assessed by“clipping test”after 2-h reperfusion.The lung graft was harvested for measuring wet/dry weight ratio(W/D),the activity of myeloperoxidase(MPO)and in- ducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),the content of malonyldialdehyde(MDA),and the expression of iNOS gene and protein.Results After 2-h reperfusion,compared to the control group,PaO_2/FiO_2, OI,and Qs/Qt were improved significantly in the NO group(277?91 vs.157?47,P＜0.01;2.67?0.89 vs.4.72?1.48,P＜0.01;21.1?4.57 vs.27.1?2.37,P＜0.01,respectively).The activi- ties of MPO were significantly reduced in NO group(1.80?0.46 vs 3.08?0.65 U/g tissue,P＜0.01).The content of MDA in the lung tissue of NO group was significantly higher than that of the control group(34.8?7.9 vs.20.0?11.2 nmol/mg protein,P＜0.05).Inflammatory cell infiltration was also significantly reduced(P＜0.05).The expression of iNOS gene and protein in the lung tissue of NO group was significantly lower than that of the control group.The activities of iNOS were also significantly reduced in NO group(10.6?10.2 vs 97.8?82.2 nmol?g~(-1)?min~(-1),P＜0.05).The im- munohistochemical positive staining of iNOS was localized in the alveolar epithelial cells and the in- flammatory cells infiltrated in the alveolar spaces and mesenchymal tissue.But there were no signifi- cant differences between two groups in Cdyn,Raw and W/D ratio.Conclusion Inhaled low dose NO might mitigate the intrapulmonary shunt,prevent neutrophil sequestration,inhibit the expression of iNOS gene and protein in isograft,thereby ameliorate ischemia-reperfusion injury and improve the ox- ygenation of the graft.

Objective To evaluate the effect of combination treatment by psychological intervention and a new atypical antipsychotic Paliperidone extended-release tablets(paliperidone ER)on first-episode schizophrenic out-patients.Methods All 62 patients diagnosed as first-episode schizophrenia by DSM-Ⅳ were randomly allocated into,combination treatment group and control group,for a 12-month treatment study.The combination treatment group was treated by paliperidone ER once a day and psychological counseling once a month,while the control group was treated only by paliperidone ER.The efficacy and social function were assessed by Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS)and Personal and Social Performance Scale(PSP)individually at baseline,and following 1,3,6,9,12 months.The remission rate was calculated at the end of the 3rd,6th,9th month.The safety and tolerability were assessed using Barnes Akathisia Scale(BARS),extrapyramidal side effects scale(SAS)and involuntary movement scale(AIMS).Results Twenty-seven patients of combination treatment group and seventeen patients of the control group completed the trial with the discontinuation rate 12.9% and 45.2%,respectively.The difference between the above two groups was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The mean total score of PANSS and the PSP of the both groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05)after treatment.PANSS total score reduced more than 30% compared with baseline,and PSP total score increased more than 7.The remission rate of combination treatment group was 74.2%,51.6% and 67.7% at the end of 3rd,6th,and 9th month,which was better than the control group(45.2%,38.7% and 38.7%)(P＜0.05).Both incidence and types of adverse events were almost same between the two groups.The major adverse events were extrapyramidal symptoms,tachycardia,gastrointestinal discomfort and akathisia.Conclusion Paliperidone ER treatment combined with psychological intervention on first-episode schizophrenia out-patients can improve their treatment compliance by reducing the discontinuation rate.And this combination treatment can increase the remission rate and improve social functioning of the patients.

Background Ultraviolet irradiation promotes cellular apoptosis by affecting the mitochondrial transmembrane potential,including human lens epithelial cells (LECs).Gene associated with retinoid-interferoninduced mortality-19 (GRIM-19),a cell death regulatory protein,is essential for the assembly and function of mitochondrial complex Ⅰ.However,whether LECs apoptosis induced by ultraviolet irradiation is related to GRIM-19 is still unclear.Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the apoptosis of human LECs caused by ultraviolet with GRIM-19 expression in vitro.Methods Human LEC line(SRA01/04)was cultured in α-MEM containing 10％ fetal bovine serum.The cells were exposed to ultraviolet ray at doses of 0,30,60,90,120 or 150 mJ/cm2 when cell growth reached the logarithmic phase and 80％ confluency.The rate of apoptosis of the cells was assayed using flow cytometry,and the level of expression and relative amount of GRIM-19 protein (GRIM-19/β-actin) were detected by Western blot.The relationship between apoptosis and the GRIM-19/β-actin value among the different treatment groups was compared using One-way ANOVA,and the correlation of LECs apoptosis rate and GRIM-19 expression level was assessed by Pearson linear analysis.Results A significant difference was found in the apoptosis rate among the different treatment groups(F=149.32,P＜0.01).Compared with the 0 mJ/cm2 ultraviolet irradiation group,the apoptosis rate of LECs was significantly increased in the 60,90,120 and 150 mJ/cm2 ultraviolet irradiation groups (q =17.02,-25.20,-29.41,-8.61,P ＜ 0.01).The expression of the GRIM-19 protein in the LECs suspension was enhanced by ultraviolet irradiation at 60,90,120 and 150 mJ/cm2.The relative expression of the GRIM-19 protein (GRIM-19/β-actin) was significantly different among the various groups (F=6.87,P＜0.05),and the GRIM-19/β-actin values in the 60,90,120,150 mJ/cm2 ultraviolet irradiation groups were elevated in comparison with the un-irradiated group(2.01±0.76,2.98± 1.80,3.97± 1.61,2.42± 1.28 vs.0.56±0.23),which showed statistically significant differences (q =4.12,-5.04,-7.09,-3.85,P ＜ 0.01).In addition,a positive correlation was seen between the rate of apoptosis and the expression of the GRIM-19 protein(r=0.71,P＜0.01).Conclusions GRIM-19 is expressed in normal human LECs.The apoptosis of human LECs accompanies the up-regulation of GRIM-19.The expression of GRIM-19 in LECs increases with ultraviolet irradiation in a doseindependent manner.