Objective To investigate the percentage of Th17 cells and regulatory T cells in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and observe the effects of methylprednisolone infusion on these cells.Methods The circulating Th17 cells and CD4+ CD25highT cells of 66 MG patients and 35 healthy controls were detected using four colour cytometry. The relationship between these cells and MGFA score in 18 MG patients and in 8 MG patients after methylprednisolone was infusion were also analyzed in this study. Results There was significant difference in the percentage of circulating Th17 cells between MG patients (2. 61% ±0. 28% ) and the healthy controls (0. 94% ± 0. 12%, Z = 4. 059, P = 0. 0001 ). Methylprednisolone therapy significantly reduced the percentage of circulating Th17 cells from 4. 72% ± 1.21% to 1.81% ± 0. 69%(Z = 1. 995,P = 0. 0460). In addition, the percentage of Th17 cells showed a positive correlation with MGFA score(r =0. 5359, P =0. 0219). Conclusions Circulating Th17 cells are elevated in MG patients.Methylprednisolone therapy can reduce such elevation, and this may be important in mediating symptomatic improvement in MG patients.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; therapeutic use ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; physiology ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 ; genetics ; Mutation ; Rett Syndrome ; drug therapy ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of ethyl acetate fraction of Blumea balsamifera (BBE) residue on treating rats of adjuvant arthritis (AA) and its mechanism.

METHODThe rats were immunized with the Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). After modeling, 28 days' treatment with BBE was performed. During the experimental process, rat mass, toe girth, arthritic index (AI), proliferation of immune organs and pathological section were measured. After treatment, blood samples were collected through fossa orbitalis vein for detection of serum SOD, MDA, GSH, NO, OH*, ALP, AST, ALT, NAG and SA content using colorimetric method and IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α content using ELISA method.

RESULTAdministration with BBE (high dose) could significantly ameliorate joint swelling and arthritis index, effectively inhibit synovial hyperplasia, down-regulate the levels of MDA, NO, OH*, ALP, AST, ALT, NAG, SA, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α and up-regulate the SOD and GSH levels in serum.

CONCLUSIONThe results suggested BBE possesses substantial anti-arthritis and antioxidant activities.

Acetates ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Arthritis, Experimental ; blood ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Asteraceae ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Interleukin-1 ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Salsola collina is widely distributed in droughty and semi-droughty area, which is used as a kind of folk remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of hypertension. The study is on the chemical constituents of this herb from its aerial parts to obtain its active constituents. Dried and crushed aerial parts of this herb were extracted three times with 95% EtOH at reflux. The ethanol extracts were combined and concentrated under reduced pressure at 70 ℃ to yield residue, which was suspended in water and successively partitioned with light petroleum, chloroform and n-butanol. The chloroform and n-butanol fractions were treated by various chromatographic techniques, such as silica gel, C18 reversed-phase silica gel and macroporous resin column chromatography. Compounds were elucidated by their physicochemical properties and spectroscopic analysis. In the course of our study on searching biological active components from this herb, a new alkaloid together with three known alkaloids were isolated and identified as N-transferuloyl-3-methyldopamine (1), 3-[4-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-3- methoxyphenyl]-N-[2-(4-hydroxyl-3-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-propenamide (2), salsoline A (3), salsoline B (4). Compound 4 is a new compound and named as salsoline B, while compound 2 was obtained in Salsola collina for the first time.

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; methods ; Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography ; methods ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Multimodal Imaging ; methods ; Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; radiotherapy ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiotherapy, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

0.05). The 5-year survival rates were 77.4% in LS group and 75.7% in OS group for stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ (P=0.626), and 71.8% in LS group and 65.6% in OS group for stage Ⅲ(P=0.517), respectively. Conclusion: Long-term effect of laparoscopic resection is similar to that of open resection for colon cancer, but laparoscopic surgery has less long-term complications.

A Staphylococcus aureus JH strain which can produce lipase was obtained from environment.According to polysequence comparision of prokaryote’s lipase gene published on NCBI,its sequence is very conservative. Lipase gene was obtained by PCR from genome DNA of Staphylococcus aureus JH,and then it was incorporated into plasmid pC194 and transformed into B.subtilisH11 .The recombinant lipase precipitated by(NH4)2SO4, purified by ion exchange chromatography and was identified by SDS-PAGE.It was revealed that the molecular mass of the recombinant lipase is 32kDa;the recombinant lipase show maximum activity at 41℃,pH8.0;the values of Km and Vm were found to be 0.34mmol/L and 308?mol/mg.min;The lipase can be activated by the metal ions Ca2+,K+ and Mg2+ and be inhibited by Fe2+,Cu2+,and Co2+.

The carotene content of 63 kinds of plant materials including vegetables, grasses, wild plants and tree leaves were determined by the column chromatography method. Alfalfa, shepherd purse and carrot had the highest carotene content among the tested plants.Four methods were tried for the preparation of carotene concentrates. It was found that percolation with ethyl ether after grinding in ethanol showed the highest yield at low cost.The carotene content of the above mentioned concentrates was almost completely destroyed after 4 months when stored at room temperature and exposed to light. There was appreciable loss of the vitamin after 5 months' storage in the dark at low temperature (below 6℃), however, the loss was much smaller than that stored at room temperature. The loss of carotene was greatly reduced when the carotene concentrates were stored under nitrogen either at low temperature or at room temperature compared with those stored in the air. The addition of heated soy-bean meal to the carotene concentrate also considerably reduced the carotene loss during storage at room temperature.

Aim To evaluate the antianginal efficacy of trimetazidine in combination with other regular anti-ischemic drugs in the treatment of stable angina. Methods Twenty-two male cases with stable,effort-induced angina and positive exercise ECG test were treated with trimetazidine for 12 weeks.Exercise ECG test was examined again in the end of the study. Results There were obviously increased in exercise tolerance,total exercise workload after treatment(P

0.05)between the images from the two groups.Conclusion When scanning the heart with volume CT(VCT),the application of ECG modulated mA can effectively reduce the exposure dosage without sacrificing the image quality.