Dengue virus (DENV) is a re-emerging disease transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes and has become a major public health problem in southern China. Currently, no antiviral drug or effective vaccine exist to control this disease. The chimeric DENV structural protein vaccine cannot elicit balanced levels of protective immunity to each of the four viral serotypes; therefore, non-structural protein components may be required to construct an effective DENV vaccine. The Dengue virus non-structural 1 (DENV NS1) protein plays a critical role in viral pathogenesis and protective immunity. Therefore, immunity to Dengue 1-4 NS1 subtypes may be crucial for the prevention of severe disease. This review attempts to provide an overview about the structure and function of DENV NS1.
Animals ; Dengue ; immunology ; prevention & control ; virology ; Dengue Vaccines ; chemistry ; genetics ; immunology ; Dengue Virus ; chemistry ; genetics ; immunology ; Humans ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; immunology

Wnt signals widely exist in live creatures,involved in many physical or pathological processes,including the cell prolif-eration, differentiation and apoptosis. Recent studies show that Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may play an important regula-tory role in the protective effects of neurovascular unit in ische-mic stroke. Some chemicals,such as sulindac and estradiol,and some compound traditional Chinese medicine which contains gly-coside( e. g. rhodiola rosea ) , volatile oil ( e. g. turmeric ) and compound prescription ( e. g. Dan Long Xing Nao Fang ) can protect the neurovascular unit by regulating the pathway. This aims to review the research progress of the protective effects of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway on the neurovascular unit in is-chemic stroke,with combination of chemicals and traditional Chi-nese medicine which can protect the neurovascular unit via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. It aims to provide the methodology basis for elucidating the mechanism of drugs,and also provide a new idea for researching the new drug which can reduce the dis-ability rate caused by sequela of stroke.

Objective To evaluate the positive effects of cisplatin on sensitivity of human glioma U251 to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand and to investigate the potential mechanism. Methods The expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) in U251 which was transfected with pAdxsi-GFP-TRAIL was observed by inverted fluorescent microscope ×400) and to ascertain the MOI. The proliferation inhibition was studied by MTT method. Morphological change was detected through inverted florescent microscope and the Hoechst33342 staining assay was used to verify whether cell apoptosis could be induced or not. The cell apoptosis was also analyzed by flow cvtometry with propidium iodide staining. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was introduced to detect the mRNA expression of apoptosis related gene.Results The expression of TRAIL mRN A was significantly upregulated after transfection. Compared with treatment group of cisplatin and TRAIL alone, the proliferation of U2S1 was significantly inhibited in the cisplatin sensitizing TRAIL group (P < 0.05 ). Nuclear shrinkage and pyknosis fragmentation were observed by Hoechst 33342 staining assay; Apoptotic peak was detected from the results of flow cvtometry and there were significant differences between the sensitizing group and the other two groups ( P < 0.05 ) ; Moreover, the relatively high expression of TRAIL, DR5, caspaseS and down - regulated survivin genes were also observed. There was no significant changes in DR4 expression. Conclusion Cisplatin could extremely enhance the sensitivity of U251 cells to TRAIL And the potential mechanism may related to the increase of TRAIL, DRS, caspaseS genes while the reduction of surivivin gene.

The DNA structures could be altered or even damaged by exogeous or endogenous factors during cell proliferation. Failure of effective and timely repair will lead to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. By taking the advantage of the quick proliferation of cancer cells, DNA damage induction, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis promotion have become important strategies for ant-cancer chemotherapy. Previous reports showed that an array of natural compounds inhibit cancer cell proliferation by inducing DNA damage, which have therapeutic potentials for anti-cancer drug research and development.
Animals ; Biological Products ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; DNA Damage ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy

In this article,we presented the rationale and calculation procedures of a propensity score weighting method,with its application in epidemiological studies.The rationale for propensity score weighting method is similar to those for traditional standardization methods.Propensity score is used to estimate the weight for each individual.As the propensity score serves the function of observed covariates,the propensity score weighting can balance the distribution of the observed covariates between the comparison groups.There are two weighting methods according to the target standard populations:the Inverse probability of treatment weighting(IPTW)and the Standardized mortality ratio weighting(SMRW).Results of the example show that the distribution of the covariates tended to be consistent after weighting,and the IPTW and SMRW methods showed similar effect estimates.Propensity score weighting method can effectively balance the distribution of the confounding factors between the compared groups in non-randomized controlled trials.

Objective To study the relationship among apoptosis,NF-KB activation and uPA expres- sion in human colon carcinoma cell line HCTll6 induced by 5-fluorouracil,and to observe the effect of in- hibiting activity of NF-KB by PDTC on apoptosis as well as expression of uPA.Methods Cell apoptosis was analysed by Annexin V-FITC.Fluctuation of NF-KB and uPA was detected by semi-quantitative immuno- histochemistry.Results 5-fluorouracil could induce apoptosis and activate NF-KB.PDTC could significantly increase the apoptosis and suppress the activation of NF-KB induced by 5-fluorouracil.There was a positive correlation between the changes of uPA and NF-KB.Conclusion 5-fluorouracil could induce apoptosis,ac- tivate NF-KB and up-regulate expression of uPA of HCT116 cells.The mechanism of enhanced apoptosis by PDTC may be related to suppressing activation of NF-?B and down-regulating expression of uPA.

The different components of crude mycelium of the predominant endophytic Colletotrichum gloeosporioides of Artemisa annua have been extracted by the methods of acid hydrolysate. We compared the effect of the isolated components on artemisin biosynthesis in hairy root cultures. Therefore, the oligosaccharide elicitor from C. gloeosporioides has been partially purified by column chromatography of Sephadex G25. The isolated oligosaccharide B II (elicitor, MW < 2500) has been revealed to promote the production of artemisinin in Artemisia annua hairy root cultures. When hairy roots of 23-day old cultures (later growth phase) were exposed to the elicitor at 0.4 mg/mL for 4 days, the maximum production of artemisinin reached to 13.51 mg/L, a 51.63% increase over the control. This is the first report on the stimulation of artemisinin production in hairy roots by the oligosaccharide elicitor from an endophytic fungus of A. annua.
Artemisia annua ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Artemisinins ; metabolism ; Bioreactors ; Colletotrichum ; chemistry ; Mycelium ; chemistry ; Oligosaccharides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate osthole effect on femoral tissue resorption activity of rat in vitro.

METHODSSix SD rats weighted (80 ± 5) g were used to isolate and culture femoral tissue (diaphyses and metaphysis) in vitro. The cultured tissue were devided into control group, estradiol group and osthole group. The femoral tissue was treated with final concentration of 1 x 10(-5) mol/L osthole and 1 x 10(-8) mol/L estradiol culture in vitro at 48 hours after cultured. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (StrACP) activity, glucose and Lactic acid content, StrACP, MCSF (Macrophage colony stimulating factor) and CTSK (Cathepsin K) mRNA was detected by Real-Time RT-PCR were detected.

RESULTSConcetration of Alkaline phosphatase activity were 2226 and 2498 in 1 x 10(-5) mol/L osthole and 1 x 10(-8) mol/L estradiol respectively. As compared with control group, the activity of StrACP of 1 x 10(-5) mol/L osthole and 1 x 10(-8) mol/L estradiol were inhibited at 6, 9, 12 days (P < 0.05); under treatment of in l x 10(-5) mol/L osthole, the content of Lactic acid were increased and the content of glucose were decreased at 3, 6, 9 days (P < 0.05); StrACP, MCSF and CTSK mRNA expression level were inhibited at 6, 9 days (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONOsthole can inhibit bone resorption and raise the level of nutrition metabolism of femurs tissue.

Acid Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Bone Resorption ; prevention & control ; Coumarins ; pharmacology ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; Femur ; drug effects ; Glucose ; analysis ; Lactic Acid ; analysis ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Alphavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; Chikungunya virus ; Humans

Objective To compare the diagnostic value of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and 64 multi-slice spiral CT (64-MSCT) for coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods Fifty-two patients with suspected or known CAD were included in the study. Each patient underwent both stress and rest MPI,MSCT as well as conventional coronary angiography (CAG) within 1 month. The stress and rest MPI were scored by a 5-grade criteria (0 ～ 4) based on 17 coronary artery segments. The difference between summed stress and rest scores ＞ 1 was defined as myocardial ischemia. Stenosis in one main vessel or one main branch of the main vessel ≥50% was defined as myocardial ischemia by MSCT. CAG was used as the reference for comparison. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 13. 0 software. Kappa value was used to test the accordance of MPI and MSCT results. X2 test was used to evaluate the difference between MPI and MSCT results. Results The patient-based sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy of MPI and MSCT for the diagnosis of CAD were 86.7% (26/30), 77.3% ( 17/22),83.9% (26/31), 81.0% ( 17/21), 82.7% (43/52) and 83.3% ( 25/30), 86.4% ( 19/22), 89.3%( 25/28), 79.2% ( 19/24), 84.6% (44/52), respectively. The vessel-based sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy of MPI and MSCT were 74.5% (38/51), 81.0% (85/105 ), 65.5% (38/58), 86.7% ( 85/98), 78.8% ( 123/156 ) and 90.2% (46/51 ), 88.6% ( 93/105 ),79.3 % (46/58), 94.9% (93/98), 89.1% ( 139/156), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between MPI and MSCT for either patient or lesion-based diagnosis (X2 =0.44, 0.21, both P ＞0.05 ). 96.0% (24/25) patients with both abnormal MPI and MSCT positive were valified by CAG while 83.3% (15/18) patients with both MPI and MSCT negative were excluded by CAG. Conclusions Both MPI and MSCT are reliable diagnostic modalities for CAD. They also provide complementary diagnostic value to each other.