Objective To generate a comD gene knock-out mutant of Streptococcus pneumoniae,and determine the correlation of comD gene and the bacterial resistance against β-lactam antibiotics and understand the effect of closantel down-regulating comD, comE and comC mRNA levels. Methods A suicide plasmid pEVP3comD was constructed for comD gene knock-out and a comD gene knock-out mutant (comD-)was generated through homologous recombination and insertion inactivation. PCR and immunofluorescence method were used to identify the comD- mutant and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was applied to detect the changes of comD, comE and comC mRNA levels before and after closantel treatment in comD-mutant and wild-type strain. Double agar dilution method was performed to determine the sensitivity of comD- mutant and wild-type strain to penicillin G and cefotaxime. Results The comD gene in genome DNA of the generated comD- mutant was inactivated by sequencing and immunofluorescence detection. 50 μ mol/L or 100 μmol/L closantel had a function to down-regulate the comD, comE and comC mRNA levels ( P ＜ 0. 05) whereas 25 μmol/L closantel did not. Both the MIC values of penicillin G and cefotaxime inhibiting comD- mutant were 32 μg/ml which was significantly higher than that of wild-type strain (0.06 μg/ml and 1 μg/ml). Conclusion In this study a comD gene knock-out mutant of S. pneumoniae was successfully generated. There is a close correlation between comD gene and β-lactam antibiotics resistance of S. pneumoniae. Closantel has a function to inhibit the competence formation of S. pneumoniae through down-regulating the transcription levels of comD, comE and comC genes.

The precise measurement in lens thickness in vivo, provides great application value for intraocular accommodation and ametropia development mechanism research.And it has great clinical significance for the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and cataract.Currently, many ultrasonic methods and optical methods are used in measuring lens thickness.The measurement principles, advantages, disadvantages and the accuracy of the instruments are summarized in this paper.Among these methods, Orbscan II, Pentacam, Lenstar and AS-OCT can be used to measure lens thickness instead of A-scan.More important is the fact that UL-OCT can dynamically monitor the change of the lens thickness with intraocular accommodation.Choosing an instrument with higher measuring accuracy to examine the lens thickness, can provide more accurate and convincing lens thickness data for clinical and scientific research.

ObjectiveTo analyze the long term efficacy and prognosis of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) combined immunosuppressive therapy in primary biliary cirrhosis-autoimmune hepatitis overlap syndrome (PBC-AIH). Methods A total of 44 PBC-AIH cases were selected from 387 autoimmune liver diseases cases in The General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from January 2001 to January 2011,and the medical data,treatments and efficacies were retrospective analyzed.ResultsThe serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT),aspartate aminotransferase (AST),alkaline phosphatase (ALP),γ glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and total bilirubin (TBil) increased in different degrees in 44 PBC-AIH patients.Globulin or immunoglobulin G(IgG) increased in 84.09％(37/44) patients,immunoglobulin M(IgM) increased in 38.63％ (17/44) patients.The positive rate of antinuclear anti-body (ANA), anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA)and anti-smooth muscle antibodies (SMA) was 97.73％,90.91％ and 11.36％,respectively. Pathological features were interface hepatitis and different degrees of intrahepatic bile ducl injuries. After UDCA combined immunosuppressant treatment,the remission rate was 61.36 ％ (27/44),the incomplete response rate was 29.55％ (13/44) and the treatment failure rate was 9.09％ (4/44).Six cases with remission withdrawal medicine,and the recurrence rate was 5/6.By the end of follow-up,the levels of ALT,AST,ALP,GGT and TBil significantly decreased in PBC-AIH patients compared with those before treatment.ALP,GGT,ALT and AST levels significantly decreased in the first 6 months while ALP and GGT showed slight upward trend at the end of follow up. The disease progression rate was 25.33％ in PBC-AIH patients (13/44) during the follow-up,and the 10 year survival rate was 93.33％ (28/30).ConclusionUDCA combined immunosuppressive therapy in PBC AIH treatment can significantly improve patients' blood biochemical indexes,delay disease progression,improve survival rate,and the remission rate is also high.However the recurrence rate is high after withdrawal of medicine.

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that there is a certain correlation between blood lipid levels and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, but their correlation in men is an open question, which has been less reported. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the relationship between blood lipid levels and bone mineral density in Han and Uygur men with hypertension in Urumqi of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as wel as correlation of blood lipid levels with osteoporosis and osteopenia and difference between ethnics. METHODS: A total of 193 male patients with hypertension were categorized into Uygur (n=73) and Han (n=120) groups. Each group was subdivided into osteoporosis or osteopenia group and non-osteoporosis group. Bone mineral density and blood lipid level were analyzed and compared between groups. The correlation between osteoporosis and risk factors was analyzed using logistic regression method. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In Uygur hypertension men with osteoporosis or osteopenia, total cholesterol level was positively correlated with the bone mineral density of the femoral neck (r=0.43,P=0.01) and Ward's area (r=0.42, P=0.01); while there were no relationships between blood lipid levels and bone mineral density in Han hypertension men. When a Logistic regression analysis was performed, only total cholesterol level was found to be associated with the presence of osteoporosis or osteopenia after adjustment for body mass index, age and ethnics (OR=1.48,P=0.03). The blood lipid level is associated with bone mineral density in Han and Uygur men with hypertension from Urumqi of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which can affect the presence of osteoporosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Health ; Pneumoconiosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; methods ; Young Adult

Child, Preschool ; Heart Diseases ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Iliac Vein ; physiopathology ; Leukemia, Lymphoid ; complications ; Male ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; complications ; Thrombosis ; etiology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Zhenqing Recipe (ZQR) on non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), and the expression of hepatic salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) and sterol-regulatory element binding protein-ic (SREBP-lc) in type 2 diabetes rats.

METHODSA rat model of type 2 diabetes was established by high fat/sucrose diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of small dose streptozotocin (STZ) . Modeled rats were randomly divided into the model group, the ZQR group, and the metformin group, 8 in each group. Eight rats were recruited as a normal control group. ZQR at the daily dose of 12 g crude drugs/kg was administered to rats in the ZQR group by gastrogavage. Metformin suspension at the daily dose of 150 mg/kg was administered to rats in the metformin group by gastrogavage. Equal volume of distilled water was administered to rats in the normal control group and the model group. All medication lasted for 12 weeks. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), free fatty acid (FFA), serum triglyceride (TG), serum total cholesterol (TC), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were detected. The body weight and wet liver weight were weighed, and the liver weight index calculated. The liver TG content was measured. The pathological changes of liver and the expression of SIK1 were observed by HE staining and immunohistochemistry. The mRNA and protein expression of SIK1 and SREBP-1c were detected using RT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, FBG, FFA, TG, TC, ALT, AST, liver weight index, and liver TG contents significantly increased (P < 0.01); liver steatosis was severe, the mRNA and protein expression of SIK1 obviously decreased (P < 0.01); mRNA and protein expression of SREBP-1c increased (P < 0.01). After drug therapy, compared with the model group, FBG, FFA, TG, TC, ALT, AST, and liver weight index significantly decreased, liver TG contents significantly decreased, the mRNA and protein expression of SIK1 obviously increased, while mRNA and protein expression of SREBP-1c obviously decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in the ZQR group and the metformin group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); and the pathological changes were also improved. All the indices were improved more in the ZQR group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn this experiment, we found that the expression of SIK1 decreased in NAFL rats with type 2 diabetes. ZQR could alleviate lesion of NAFL type 2 diabetes rats possibly by up-regulating hepatic SIK1 expression at mRNA and protein levels.

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Fatty Liver ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 ; metabolism

Objective To determine the modality of Leptospira interrogans invading human and murine mononuclear-macrophages and diversity of leptospiral phagocytotic vesicle formation. Methods Transmission electron microscopy was applied to observe the invasion of L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Lai strain Lai into murine mononuclear-macrophage-like cell line J774A. 1 and PMA-activated human monocyte line THP-1 and the formation of leptospiral phagocytotic vesicles. By using immunofluorescence plus either laser confocal microscopy or fluorescence spectrophotometry, the changes of intracellular leptospiral numbers in J774A. 1 and PMA-activated THP-1 cells before and after block with endocytosis inhibitors monodansylcadaverin (MDC), phenylarsine oxide (PAO) and clathrin antibody were investigated. Results The leptospires in J774A. 1 cells were located in phagocytotic vesicles while the leptospires in THP-1 cells had no package with phagocytotic vesicle membrane. Both MDC and PAO presented the effect inhibiting endocytosis of L. interrogans into J774A. 1 and THP-1 cells in dose-dependent manner. The numbers of leptospires in J774A. 1 and THP-1 cells that pre-blocked with 10 μmol/L or above MDC and 1 μmol/L or above PAO were significantly less than that in the two cells untreated with MDC and PAO (P＜0.05＝. After J774A. 1 and THP-1 cells were blocked with clathrin antibody, the numbers of intracellular leptospires were also remarkbly decreased ( P<0.05 ).Conclusion Leptospira interrogans can invade into both human and murine mononuclear-macrophages through the way of clathrin-dependent endocytosis. There is an opposite diversity of leptospiral phagocytotic vesicle formations in human and murine mononuclear-macrophages, which may result in the difference of pathogenesis in human and mice after infected with L. interrogans.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia, Myeloid ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male

Objective To determine the effects of Che A and CheY proteins of Campylobacter jejuni regulating the bacterial chemotaxis in vitro and colonization in vivo. Methods By using pET42a plasmid and E. coli BL21DE3 as expression vector and expression strain, respectively, prokaryotic expression systems of cheA and cheY genes of C. jejuni strain NCTC11168 was constructed. Rabbits were immunized with the target recombinant expression proteins, rCheA and rCheY, to prepare the antisera. rCheA-IgG and rCheY-IgG in the antisera were separated using DEAE-52 ion exchange column. pBluescript- II -SK was applied to construct suicide plasmid which used to generate cheA gene knock-out mutant (cheA-). A chemotaxis model in vitro of C. jejuni based on DOC-HAP, the chemotactic ability of cheA' mutant as well as the effect of rCheA-IgG and closantel inhibiting the bacterial chemotaxis were demonstrated. The phosphorylation levels of CheA and CheY after DOC treatment were examined by using either rCheA-IgG or CheY-IgG capture method. The difference of colonization ability between cheA- mutant and wild-type of C. jejuni in mice were checked and then compared. Results The constructed prokaryotic expression systems could efficiently express rCheA and rCheY. The data from PCR and sequencing confirmed the cheA gene knock out from cheA- mutant chromosome. cheA- mutant lost its chemotactic ability towards DOC. Both the rCheA-IgG and closantel could inhibit the chemotaxis of wild-type of C. jejuni (P < 0.05 ). When treatment of DOC, the phosphorylation levels of CheA and CheY in wild-type of C. jejuni rapidly decreased (P < 0. 05 ). The colonization ability in murine jejunum of cheA- mutant was also lower than that of the wild-type ( P<0.05 ) . Conclusion Chemotaxis-associated two-component signaling system (Che-TCSS) of C. jejuni are composed of CheA and CheY, and the two proteins are activated by dephosphorylation. CheA in the Che-TCSS play a critical role in chemotaxis in vitro and colonization in vivo of C. jejuni, and this protein can be used as a target for developing novel anti- C. jejuni drugs.