Objective: To establish a determination of bacterial endotoxin in Xiangdan Injection by kinetic-turbidimetric technique. Methods: The sample diluted times without interference was found out by adding bacterial endotoxin into sample and determining recovery ratio. Results: When the sample was diluted 40-times, the interference of sample to limulus test was eliminated efficiently. Conclusion: The method can be applied to determine the bacterial endotoxin quantitatively in Xiangdan Injection.

Objective Alterations in vascular structure and function and impairment of associated endothelial cells with aging are one of the independent risk factors in the process of atherosclerotic vascular diseases.The study of age-related endothelial dysfunction plays a critical role in preventing as well as treating heart and cerebral vascular diseases in the elderly.Methods The healthy male rats were divided into the young group (3-month-old),the adult group (9-month-old) and the middle-aged group (15-monthold).The indicators associated with vascular endothelial function,including plasma NO,eNOS,iNOS,ET-1 and aortic NO,eNOS,iNOS,were quantified to evaluate the endothelium-dependent and non-endothelium-dependent vasodilating function of isolated aortic rings.These morphological changes of rat aorta helped to find out the group in which endothelial function changed in the early stage.Results Plasma NO,eNOS,iNOS and aortic NOS activity in the young group,the adult group and the middle-aged group gradually decreased with increasing age (P ＜ 0.05).NO,eNOS and iNOS respectively displayed a negative correlation to age.ET-1 gradually increased with aging (P ＜ 0.05) and showed a predominantly positive correlation to age.Acetylcholine-induced greatest vasodilation of aortic rings lessened with increasing age (P ＜ 0.05).Vasodilation in each group reacted generally consistently with nitroprusside sodium (P ＞0.05).Aortic morphology,including intima media thickness (T),diameter (D) and intima media thickness / inner diameter (T / D),gradually enhanced with aging (P ＜ 0.05).T,D was positively correlated with age.NO,eNOS,iNOS,ET-1 of the adult group showed maximum slope (P ＜0.05 respectively) according to group regression analysis,suggesting that vascular endothelial function changed in this group.Meanwhile,T and D of the middle-aged group showed maximum slope (P ＜ 0.05 respectively),suggesting that age-related vascular structural changes predominantly occurred in this period and vascular function changed earlier than the structure.Conclusion Our study demonstrated vascular endothelial dysfunction with aging.Early evident changes of endothelial function occurred in the adult group,which impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilating function.Vascular function changed earlier than the structure.

Objective To evaluate the dose distributions with different dose rates, and approach a reference to the dose rate for radiation. Methods Three classic static intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans of prostate cancer, lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma were chosen for the study. For each plan, the dose verification of three different dose rates (100, 300 and 600 MU/min) was performed with the Varian 600CD linear accelarator by using the 2-DICA of I'mRT Matrixx. With the Pinncale planning system, each segment was used as a beam to form another IMRT plan. The OmniPro-I'mRT V1.6 was applied to compare the segments in the two IMRT plans, and then the actual weights were obtained. The simulated plans at different dose rate were designed when setting the weights back into the planning system. Results With the increase of dose rate, the passing ratio of the verification decreased and the D_(max), D_(min), D_(mean) and D_(95) of the planning tumor volume increased. The high dose area expanded significantly in target regions, and the 95% isodose line extended. At the dose rate of 600 MU/min, The D_(95) of GTV_(nd) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma increased by 5.33% than the original plan with the V_(110) up to 19. 38%. The irradiation dose of the organs at risk (OARs) increased. For the case of lymphoma, the V_(20) of the lungs in the original plan and the three simulated plans were 31.77%, 32. 11%, 32.60% and 33.26%, respectively. For the case of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the V_(30) of the right parotid were 48.75%, 49. 56%, 51.65% and 53.91%, respectively. Conclusions With the increase of dose rate in static IMRT , the actual dose distribution deviates the original plan , and the high dose area and the OARs dose increases. The higher dose rate is suboptimal when the dose of the OARs is proximate to the tolerance limit.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the portal hemodynamics or the indices of liver fibrosis and the liver function score in patients with different traditional Chinese medical syndromes of liver cirrhosis. METHODS: One hundred and forty-seven cases of liver cirrhosis with different syndromes were included in the study. Diameters and blood flow velocities of the portal vein and splenic vein were tested by color Doppler sonarography. The indices of liver function (TBIL, ALT, AST, Alb, Glb, PTA) and the indices of hepatic fibrosis (HA, PC-III, LN, VI-C) were tested. RESULTS: The diameters of portal vein in liver cirrhosis patients with different syndromes (internal accumulation of of damp-heat, stagnation of liver-qi, superabundance of dampness due to spleen-asthenia, asthenia of liver and kidney yin, asthenia of spleen and kidney yang, blood stasis) were not significantly different. The blood flow velocities and flow volumes of portal vein in patients with the blood stasis syndrome and the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome were significantly different (P < 0.05). The diameter of splenic vein in patients with the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome was significantly different to that of the asthenia of liver and kidney yin syndrome, or the blood stasis syndrome, or the asthenia of spleen and kidney yang syndrome, respectively (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The blood flow velocity of splenic vein in patients with the blood stasis syndrome or the asthenia of spleen and kidney yang syndrome was significantly different to that of the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome, or the stagnation of liver-qi syndrome, or the asthenia of liver and kidney yin syndrome, respectively (P < 0.01). The blood flow volume of splenic vein in patients with the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome was significantly different to that of the asthenia of liver and kidney yin syndrome, or the asthenia of spleen and kidney yang syndrome, or the blood stasis syndrome, respectively (P < 0.01). The liver cirrhosis indices HA and PC-III in patients with the asthenia of liver and kidney yin syndrome were significantly different to those of the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome (P < 0.05). In Child-Pugh classification, the incidence of Child-Pugh C was the highest in the asthenia of spleen and kidney yang syndrome, while the incidence of Child-Pugh A was the highest in the stagnation of liver qi syndrome. CONCLUSION: The changes of portal vein dynamics in liver cirrhosis patients with the asthenia of liver and kidney yin syndrome, or the asthenia of spleen and kidney yang syndrome, or the blood stasis syndrome are significantly different to those of the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome and the stagnation of liver-qi syndrome.

Objective To analyze the causes of death for 89 HIV/AIDS patients,and the association of CD4+ T lymphocyte counts with the mortality.Methods Data were collected from 89 deceasedpatients who were admitted to Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center from Jan 1996 to Sep 2007,and wereretrospectively analyzed with t-test.Results Heterosexual,blood transfusion and blood products were themajor transmission routs for 89 deceased HIV/AIDS patients.The primary causes of death varied with different levels of CD4+ T lymphocyte counts.With higher CD4+T lymphocyte counts,patients were more likelyto die from non-AIDS-related opportunistic infections such as upper digestive tract hemorrhage.Serious pulmonary infection induced by various etiologies was the primary cause of death.Co-infections of multiple etiologics were often seen in these death cases.Conclusion Opportunistic infection is the primary cause of death for HIV/AIDS patients.Appropriate therapies should be based on CD4+ T lymphocyte counts and patients' specific conditions to reduce the mortality.

Objective To determine the relationship between the level of plasma homocysteine and coronary calcification in patients with different blood glucose levels. Methods By measuring plasma homocysteine and coronary calcification in 30 cases of diagnosed diabetes (T2D) ,29 cases of diagnosed impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in patients and 27 cases with normal, we compared the level of plasma homocysteine and coronary calcification in patients with different blood glucose levels. Results We found significant diffieronces among three groups of the level of plasms homocysteine and coronary calcification (P ＜ 0.01). The plasma homocysteine levels were(19.31 ±3.17) μmol/L, (13.85 ± 1.62) μmol/L, (9.80 ± 1.78) μmol/L in the T2D,IGT and normal groups,respectively. The coronary calcification scores were 207.80 ± 154.10,63.24 ± 10.46,14.47 ± 5.16 in the T2D, IGT and normal groups, respectively. The plasma homocysteine level and coronary calcification score increased with the glycosylated hemoglobin rise in the normal,IGT and T2D groups((4.51 ±0.48)%, (6.13 ±0.31)% and (7.69 ±0.81)%, respectively). Conclusions The plasma homocysteine level is a strong independent predictor of type 2 diabetes and also an important factor of coronary artery event occurrence and develepment.

Objective To observe the correlation between P-selectin and troponin-T in aged people.Meth-ods P-selectin and troponin-T were detected in 80 patients,who were divided into two groups according to the level of troponin-T:group A(normal level of tropenin-T)and group B (abnormal level of troponin-T).The relationship of P-selectin and tropenin-T were compared in the two groups.Results P-selectin in group B was increased remark-ably than that in group A(P<0.01).P-selectin had positive correlation with tropenin-T by single factor analysis(r=0.824.P<0.01).Conclusion Cardiac sensitivity and specificity of P-selectin is lower than that of troponin-T,but both P-selectin and troponin-T offer simple and convenient methods of indirect judgment of the degree and prog-nosis of coronary artery disease and myocardial damage.

Objectives Occult HBV infection is defined by positive HBV DNA in individuals with undetectable levels of HBsAg.The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of occult HBV infection in HIV-infected patients.Methods Serum samples were obtained from 105 HBs Ag-negative HIV patients who were hospitalized and were not giyen anti-virus treatment at Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center.Microparticle enzyme immunoassay(MEIA)was used to detect HBV serologic markers(HBsAg,anti-HBs,HBeAg,anti-Hbe and anti-HBc).EUSA was used to detect HCV antibody.CD4+ T cell count was examined with flow cytometry.Nested PCR was used to amplify surface protein region of HBV.Results 32(30.5%)patients(27 men,5 women)were HBV DNA positive in the 105 HBsAg-negative HIV-infected patients(92 men and 13 women).22 patients(including 5 patients with HBV DNA+)were in 16-30 years group,44 patients(including 15 patients with HBV DNA+)were in 31-49 years group and 39 patients(including 12 patients with HBV DNA+)were in 50-75 years group.5 patients were negative for all HBV serologic markers and 27 patients detected with at least one of anti-HBc.anti.Hbe or anti-HBs.14 patients (29.8%)with HBV DNA+in 47 HIV-infected patients were coinfected with HCV,18 patients(31.0%)were HBV DNA+in 58 HIV-monoinfected patients.The median absolute CD4+T eell count was 145.1cells/μ1(4-623 cells/μ1),26 patients(34.7%)were HBV DNA+in 75 AIDS patients with CD4+T cell＜200 cells/μ1 and 6 patients(20.0%)HBV DNA+in 30 HIV-infected patients with CD4+ T cell＞200cells/μ1.No statistical significant association could be established between the above factors.Conclusions It is found tIlatoccult HBV did occur in HIV-infected patients.No statistical significant association could be established between occult HBV infection and gender,age,HBV serologic markers,coinfected HCV and CD4+T cell count.

Purpose: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are naturally resistant to chemotherapy, explaining why tumorrelapse frequently occurs after initial regression upon administration of chemotherapeuticagents in most cases. A CSC population characterized by CD13 expression has been identifiedin hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the current study, we aimed to clarify the molecularmechanism by which it escapes conventional therapies. Materials and Methods: Here, we used flow cytometry to examine the percentage of CD13+ CSCs in HepG2 andHuH7 cells after chemotherapy. Using in vitro isotope labeling technique, we comparedmetabolic pathways between CD13+ and CD13– subpopulations. Using co-immunoprecipitationand western blotting, we determined the target expressions in protein levels underdifferent conditions. We also performed immunohistochemistry to detect the target proteinsunder different conditions. Animal models were constructed to verify the potential role oftyrosine metabolism in post-chemotherapeutic relapse in vivo. Results: We observed that quiescent CD13+ CSCs are enriched after chemotherapy in HCCs, andserve as a reservoir for recurrence. Mechanistically, CD13+ CSCs were dependent on aerobicmetabolism of tyrosine rather than glucose as energy source. Tyrosine metabolism alsogenerated nuclear acetyl-CoA to acetylate and stabilize Foxd3, thereby allowing CD13+ CSCscells to sustain quiescence and resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Conclusion These findings encourage further exploration of eliminating CD13+ cells by targeting specificmetabolic pathways to prevent recurrence in HCCs.