The results of RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry showed that the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor ( flk-1 ) in the renal cortex of insulin-resistant rats during the phase of normal blood glucose were significantly increased, which were decreased by telmisartan. The result suggests that telmisartan may ease kidney damage via decreasing VEGF and flk-1 expressions.

In this paper, the chloroplast psbK-psbI intergenic spacers of 18 species of Dendrobium and their adulterants were amplified and sequenced, and then the sequence characteristics were analyzed. The sequence lengths of chloroplast psbK-psbI regions of Dendrobium ranged from 474 to 513 bp and the GC contents were 25.4%-27.6%. The variable sites were 71 while the informative sites were 46. The inter-specific genetic distances calculated by Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) of Dendrobium were 0.006 1-0.058 1, with an average of 0.028 4. The K2P genetic distances between Dendrobium species and Bulbophyllum odoratissimum were 0.093 2-0.120 4. The NJ tree showed that the Dendrobium species can be easily differentiated from each other and 6 samples of the inspected Dendrobium species were identified successfully through sequencing the psbK-psbI intergenic spacer. Therefore, the chloroplast psbK-psbI intergenic spacer can be used as a candidate marker to identify Dendrobium species and its adulterants.
Chloroplasts ; DNA, Chloroplast ; genetics ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Dendrobium ; classification ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics

[ ABSTRACT] AIM: To investigate the protective effect of autophagy on oxidized low density lipoprotein ( ox-LDL)-induced macrophage apoptosis and the underlying molecular mechanisms .METHODS:The RAW264.7 macropha-ges were pretreated with 3 mmol/L 3-methyladenine (3-MA), 1 μmol/L rapamycin (Rap) or 4 mmol/L 4-phenylbutyric acid ( PBA) respectively for 1 h and then treated with ox-LDL (100 mg/L) for 12 h.The cell viability and apoptosis were determined by MTT assay and flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, respectively.The activities of lactate de-hydrogenase ( LDH) in the medium and caspase-3 in the cells were determined by detection kits .The protein levels of bec-lin-1 (a molecular marker of autophagy ), glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78, an endoplasmic reticulum stress marker) and C/EBP homologous protein ( CHOP, a key-signaling component of endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis ) were examined by Western blot .Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3, another molecular marker of autoph-agy) was observed under laser scanning confocal microscope .RESULTS: Treatment of the RAW264.7 macrophages with ox-LDL at 100 mg/L for 12 h resulted in significant decrease in cell viability , and dramatic elevation in LDH leakage , cell apoptosis and caspase-3 activity, which were promoted by 3-MA (an autophagy inhibitor) and inhibited by Rap (an autoph-agy inducer ) .ox-LDL induced autophagy in the macrophages as assessed by beclin-1 upregulation and frequent granulation of LC3, which were inhibited by 3-MA and promoted by Rap.Interestingly, 3-MA enhanced, while Rap blocked, the CHOP upregulation induced by ox-LDL.Moreover , PBA ( endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitor ) significantly inhibited ox-LDL-induced GRP78 upregulation and autophagy as determined by the attenuation of beclin-1 upregulation and frequent granula-tion of LC3.CONCLUSION: Endoplasmic reticulum stress mediates ox-LDL-induced autophagy in macrophages , and moderates activation of autophagy may protect macrophages from ox-LDL-induced apoptosis by inhibiting CHOP expression .

OBJECTIVETo describe the clinical features, treatments and prognosis of very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs) requring mechanical ventilation, to assess the risk factors associated with the mortality of VLBWIs, and to evaluate the significance of the scoring system based on clinical risk index for babies (CRIB) and the score for neonatal acute physiology-perinatal extension II (SNAPPE-II) for predicting mortality risk for premature infants in China.

METHODSPerinatal data were collected from 127 VLBWIs requring mechanical ventilation who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from January 2010 to October 2011.

RESULTSThe enrolled infants had a mean gestational age of 31±2 weeks, a mean birth weight of 1290±170 g, a male/female ratio of 1.23∶1, and extremely low birth weight infant accounting for 6.3%. Of the 127 cases, 48.0% were administered with pulmonary surfactant (PS), and 49.6% received endotracheal intubation ventilation. The overall in-hospital mortality was 41.7%. Multivariate logistic regression revealed the following independent risk factors for mortality: low birth weight, multiple birth, cesarean section, and low PaO2/FiO2 ratio (OR = 1.611, 7.572, 4.062, and 0.133 respectively; P<0.05). SNAPPE-II and CRIB showed good performance in predicting prognosis, with areas under the ROC curve of 0.806 and 0.777 respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThe overall mortality rate of VLBWIs is still relatively high. The high-risk factors for VLBWI mortality include low birth weight, multiple birth, cesarean section, and low PaO2/FiO2 ratio. The neonatal illness severity scoring system (using SNAPPE-II and CRIB) can be used to quantify illness severity in premature infants.

Adult ; Female ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Respiration, Artificial ; Risk Factors

Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Nocturnal Enuresis/diagnostic imaging*

To investigate E6 and E7 gene variations of human papillomavirus type 16 in Yunnan Province, DNA was extracted from 2000 gynecological outpatient samples. For Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping, the genomic DNA was first amplified by the consensus MY09/MY11 primer pair followed by nested PCR with GP5+/GP6+ primers, then the PCR products were subjected to direct DNA sequencing. A total of 20 HPV-16 viral DNAs were identified. E6 and E7 genes of HPV-16 viral DNA were then amplified using E6 and E7 specific primers, the PCR products were purified and sequenced. The results showed that mutations were found at nucleotide position 178 of HPV-16 E6 gene in 10 cases,the mutation rate was 50%; For HPV-16 E7 gene, the mutations were found at nucleotide position 647 in 10 cases; the mutation rate was 50%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Asian (As) variants of HPV-16 were predominated in Yunnan, China. None of African-1, African-2 variants of HPV-16 was found in this region.
Adult ; Base Sequence ; China ; Female ; Genetic Variation ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; Oncogene Proteins, Viral ; genetics ; Papillomavirus E7 Proteins ; genetics ; Papillomavirus Infections ; virology ; Phylogeny ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents from Delphinium honanense var. piliteram.

METHODThe constituents were isolated and purified with chromatographic methods, identified by NMR, MS and IR.

RESULTSix compounds were isolated and elucidated as siwanine E (1), isoatisine (2), 12-epi-napelline (3), acontine (4), ajadelphinine (5) and beta-sitosterol (6).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-6 are all isolated from the plant for the first time.

Delphinium ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Graft vs Host Disease ; etiology ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the water intake sources of adults in the four cities of China in summer.

METHODSA total of 64 adults aged 18 - 60 yrs from the four cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou) were selected using convenient sampling method. The information on amounts and types of daily drinking water was recorded by subjects for three consecutive days using a quantitative measurement. The food samples were collected by using duplicate portion method and the water content of food samples were determined.

RESULTSThe median of daily total water intake of 63 subjects was 3045 ml, while daily total drinking water was 1600 ml, the median ratio of which accounting for 55.8% of total water intake. Water from food was 1157 ml, the median ratio of which accounting for 41.4% of total water intake. The median of daily total water intake (3566 ml) and the ratio of water from food (55.3%) of subjects in Chengdu was significantly higher than subjects in Guangzhou (2929 ml, 45.4%), Shanghai (2748 ml, 33.1%) and Beijing (2743 ml, 31.3%) (daily total water intake: χ² = 10.42, P = 0.015;the proportion of water: χ² = 28.48, P < 0.01). Daily total water intake in men (3302 ml) was significantly higher than that in women (2900 ml) (Z = 2.35, P = 0.019).

CONCLUSIONDaily total water intake of subjects in summer was more than the current Chinese recommended total water intake (2200 ml), with the main part of drinking water and water from food.

Adolescent ; Adult ; China ; Drinking ; Drinking Water ; Female ; Food ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Seasons ; Urban Population ; Young Adult