Objective: To study the alleviation of curcumin analog WZ35 on type 1 diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods: Mice were treated with a single ip injection of streptozocin (STZ) to induce type 1 diabetes, while the control animals received the same volume of citrate buffer. The curcumin and its analog WZ35 (20 mg/kg) were ig administration for 9 weeks after the diabete obtained. The body weight and blood glucose were monitored every 7 d. Biochemistry analyzer was used to analyze the creatinine (Cr) and urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in serum. The histopathology of kidney tissue was detected by HE staining. RT-qPCR assay was used to evaluate the gene levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. CD68 staining was used to evaluate the macrophages infiltration in kidney tissue. Results: Compared with negative control, the mice in diabetic group showed the reduced body weight, increased blood glucose, high Cr and BUN levels in serum, renal pathological damage, and increased inflammatory gene, and macrophages infiltration in kidney. While the administration with curcumin and its analog WZ35 could obviously attenuate the DN through inhibiting Cr and BUN in serum while had no effect on the body weight and blood glucose. Compared with curcumin, WZ35 could inhibit the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines as well as infiltration of macrophages. Conclusion: The curcumin analog could attenuate DN through inhibiting inflammatory response.

AIM: Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, such as simvastatin, have been shown to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular morbidity and mortality by mechanisms unrelated to its lipid-lowering effect. Several studies have shown that simvastatin induces apoptosis in a varieties of cell lines including vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). The aim of this study was to investigate the signal pathways involved in apoptosis induced by simvastatin. METHODS: Cultured VSMC were treated with simvastatin. Calpain activity was determined by measuring Ca 2+ ionophore-specific calpain substrate (suc-LLVY-AMC), caspase-3 activation was detected by Western blot, and apoptotic changes were distinguished by annexin Ⅴ binding and DNA laddering. RESULTS: After incubated with 30 ?mol/L simvastatin for 8 h, calpain activity had a marked increase ( P

Objective To evaluate the safety and feasibility of hepatic resection for huge primary liver carcinoma (PLC). Methods 216 cases of huge PLCs(mean diameter of 14.2cm) were resected. The hepatectomies were performed under intermittent occlusion of hepatic inflow. Results All 216 cases were successfully resected. The mean time of occlusion of hepatic inflow was 19min, the mean blood loss was 743 ml. No serious complications occurred, and only seven patients died of hepatic failure and upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage postoperatively in this series. Conclusions Although resection of huge PLC is quite difficult, but if suitable surgical techique and perioperative management are adopted ,it is safe and feasible .

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of combined electroacupuncture and nerve growth factor (NGF) injection at acupoints in the treatment of common fibular nerve paralysis and provide evidences for integrative Chinese & western medicine against diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Methods: Forty subjects were randomized into two groups and NGF injection; and control group was given herbal suffocation, oral Dibazol and compound vitamin B and Mecobalamin Injection. The clinical symptoms and nerve conduction velocity were observed and compared. Results: The cure rate was higher in treatment group than in control group (P<0.05); after treatment, the nerve conduction velocity was improved in both groups (P<0.01), with a significant improvement in treatment group than in control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: Combined electro-acupuncture and NGF injection at acupoints is quite effective in the treatment of common fibular nerve paralysis.

BACKGROUND: Paraquat (PQ) is a world-wide used herbicide and also a type of common poison for suicide and accidental poisoning. Numerous studies have proved that the concentration of serum PQ plays an important role in prognosis. Spectrophotometry, including common spectrophotometry and second-derivative spectrophotometry, is commonly used for PQ detection in primary hospitals. So far, lack of systematic research on the reliability of the method and the correlation between clinical features of patients with PQ poisoning and the test results has restricted the clinical use of spectrophotometry. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and value of spectrophotometry in detecting the concentration of serum PQ. METHODS: The wavelengths for detecting the concentration of serum PQ by common and second-derivative spectrophotometry were determined. Second-derivative spectrophotometry was applied to detect the concentration of serum PQ. The linear range and precision for detection of PQ concentration by this method were confirmed. The concentration of serum PQ shown by second-derivative spectrophotometry and HPLC were compared in 8 patients with PQ poisoning. Altogether 21 patients with acute poisoning 4 hours after PQ ingestion treated in the period of October 2008 to September 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into higher and lower than 1.8 μg/mL groups based on their concentrations of serum PQ measured by second-derivative spectrophotometry on admission. The severity of clinical manifestations between the two groups were analyzed with Student's t test or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The absorption peak of 257 nm could not be found when common spectrophotometry was used to detect the PQ concentration in serum. The calibration curve in the 0.4–8.0 μg/mL range for PQ concentration shown by second-derivative spectrophotometry obeyed Beer's law with r=0.996. The average recovery rates of PQ were within a range of 95.0％ to 99.5％, relative standard deviation (RSD) was within 1.35％ to 5.41％ (n=6), and the lower detection limit was 0.05 μg/mL. The PQ concentrations in serum of 8 patients with PQ poisoning shown by second-derivative spectrophotometry were consistent with the quantitative determinations by HPLC (r=0.995, P<0.0001). The survival rate was 22.2％ in patients whose PQ concentration in serum was more than 1.8 μg/mL, and the incidences of acidosis, oliguria and pneumomediastinum in these patients were 55.6％, 55.6％and 77.8％, respectively. These clinical manifestations were different significantly from those of the patients whose PQ concentration in serum was less than 1.8 μg/mL (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For common spectrophotometry, the wavelength at 257 nm was not suitable for detecting serum PQ as no absorbance was shown. Second-derivative spectrophotometry was reliable for detecting serum paraquat concentration. Serum PQ concentration detected by second-derivative spectrophotometry could be used to predict the severity of clinical manifestations of patients with PQ poisoning, and PQ content higher than 1.8 μg/mL 4 hours after ingestion could be an important predictive factor for poor prognosis.

pH, affects of different alkaline materials KOH, K 2CO 3, NaOH, Na 2CO 3 on the growth, and NaCl, KCl tolerance of 29 isolates from the saline and alkaline soils in Xinjiang and Qinghai Provinces of China and 1 type strain were studied. Results showed that only a few alkaliphilic actinomycetes were Na +-obligately dependent, and K +-sensitive. Some alkaliphilic actinomycetes were CO 3 2- -sensitive, and NaCl, KCl could inhibit their growth. 4 kinds of alkaline materials had no affect on growth of alkaliphilic Nocardiopsis, and these strains showed high tolerance to NaCl, KCl. So it was presumed that only K + and CO 3 2- obligately dependent alkaliphilic Actinomycetes maybe exist in alkaline environments.

Objective To establish real-time PCR with SYBR Green Ⅰ for quantification the gene of survivin.Methods The components and conditions of PCR system were optimally determined by fluorescence intensity,cycle threshold(Ct),melting curve,coefficiency and slope of the standard curve.The means to eliminate the contaminating fluorescence of primer-dimers and the mode for Ct value determination were also optimized.Using the developed PCR system,we quantificated the survivin gene in 43 patients with gastric carcinoma.Results The optimized condition for PCR amplification of survivin were 2 mmol/L of MgCl_2,2.5 U/100 ?l of Taq DNA polymerase,0.2 ?mol/L of primers,and the optimized annealing temperatures for PCR were 58℃.The influence of primer dimmer can be eliminated by setting the fluorescence collecting temperature below the Tm of the specific amplicon by 2℃.The second derivative maximum mode,instead of fit point mode,was a feasible method to determine the Ct value for quantification.The sensitivity of this method was 10 copies/?l,and a good linearity was found from 10~1 to 10~4 copies/?l(r = 0.999 7).The inter-experimental coefficient of variation was 1.13%-1.91%,whereas the coefficient of variation between runs was 3.31%-4.50%.Using the optimized PCR system,we quantificated the gene of survivin,the result indicated that survivin gene was amplified in 13.9% of gastric carcinomas.Conclusions The optimal real-time PCR with SYBR Green Ⅰ,as a cost-effective and feasible DNA quantitative method,is fit for quantification of the survivin with satisfactory repeatability and high sensitivity.

A strain named as WJ44 with capability of producing branched-chain aminotransferase was isolated from the soil, the enzyme activity is especially high when used leucine as a substrate. According to the physiological characteristics, biochemical characteristics and 16S rRNA sequence of WJ44, the strain was identified as Bacillus cereus. The optimal carbon source and nitrogen source were also determined as 20 g/L glucose, 15 g/L tryptone and 5 g/L beef extract, respectively. The optimal proportion of other component in the medium is corn steep liquor 15 g/L, KH2PO4 3 g/L, MgSO4?7H2O 0.5 g/L. The optimum original pH value is 7.0, the cultural temperature is 37℃, liquid volume is 20 mL/250 mL, the shaker’s rotating speed is 200 r/min. The highest leucine transferase activity of 45.787 U/mL was achieved after 10 h under the opti- mal condition, and the dry weight of cell is 8.643 g/L, increased by 54% and 10% respectively. This result shows that WJ44 is a branched-chain aminotransferase-production strain with fine capability.

Objective To explore genes expression of adiponectin receptors during differentiation of SW872 preadipocytes. Met-(hods) SW872 preadipocytes were cultured in vitro and induced to differentiate by 0.6 mmol/L oleic acid. During the progress of diffe-(rentiation), the morphological changes of SW872 cells were observed and the differentiation rate was assayed by oil-red O staining. Adiponectin receptors mRNA was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction during differentiation of SW872 preadipocytes. Results 1.After stimulated by 0.6 mmol/L oleic acid for 72 hours, almost all SW872 cells were differentiated,and there were lots of fat droplets in the cells.2.There were adiponectin receptors genes expressions in SW872 preadipocytes.After 72 hours,and the levels of adiponectin receptor(AdipoR) 1 mRNA and AdipoR 2 mRNA were markedly increased up to 2.54 and 4.09 times,respectively. Conclusion There are AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 genes expressions in fat cells and the expressions are differentiation-dependent.

Objective To study the effect of oleic acid on the differentiation of SW872 preadipocytes.Methods SW872 prea-(dipocytes) were cultured and induced to differentiate by 0.6 mmol/L oleic acid in vitro.After 24 h,48 h and 72 h of differentiation,the morphological changes of SW872 preadipocytes were observed and the differentiation rate was assayed by oil-red O staining.In addition,triglyceride(TG) mass was detected by chemical colorimetry methods.During the differentiation of SW872 preadipocytes,transcription factors including peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-?_2(PPAR-?_2) and CAAT/enhancer binding protein-?(C/EBP-?)(mRNA) were also measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results 1.SW872 preadipocytes were fibroblastic and had no obvious fat droplet in cytoplasm.However,when stimulated for 72 hby 0.6 mmol/L oleic acid,SW872 preadipocytes became more bigger and rounder and differentiated into mature adipocytes with lots of fat droplets in the cells.2.Compared with that of predifferentiation,the concentration of TG mass increased by 14 folds after 72-hour differentiation(P