In the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN), reactive oxygen specie (ROS) over much in vivo leads to oxidative stress(OS)-related renal injuries, which are characterized by the structural and functional changes in glomerular and renal tubular cells in morphology. The regulative approaches of OS involve the several signaling pathways, in which, both p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway play the important roles as the target of anti-oxidants. The interventional actions of Chinese herbal compound prescriptions and the extracts of single Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) on OS in the kidney in DN include regulating the balance between ROS and antioxidants, reducing the production of AGEs, inhibiting the expression of growth factors and intervening the activity of signaling pathways.
Animals ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Zishen Jianpi Quyu Formula in treating patients with migraine without aura in the postmenstrual period of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type.Methods A total of 104 patients with migraine without aura of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type were randomly divided into the control group and the trial group,with 52 cases in each group.The control group was treated with Flunarizine Hydrochloride Capsules,and the trial group was treated with Zishen Jianpi Quyu Formula on the basis of treatment for the control group.One menstrual cycle constituted a course of treatment,and the treatment covered a total of two courses(eight weeks).The changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome score,migraine attack frequency,duration of migraine headaches,visual analogue scale(VAS)score of migraine headache intensity,Headache Impact Test-6(HIT-6)score and hemorheology indexes in the two groups before and after treatment were observed.Moreover,the efficacy for TCM syndrome and clinical safety in the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)After two courses of treatment,the total effective rate of the trial group was 90.38%(47/52),and that of the control group was 69.23%(36/52),the intergroup comparison(by chi-square test)showed that the efficacy for TCM syndrome in the trial group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores of the patients in both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the reduction of TCM syndrome score in the trial group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the migraine attack frequency,duration of migraine headaches,VAS scores of migraine headache intensity in the two groups of patients were significantly improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the improvement of migraine headache parameters in the trial group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the HIT-6 score in the two groups was decreased significantly compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of HIT-6 score in the trial group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(5)After treatment,hemorheology indexes(including plasma viscosity,whole blood high-shear viscosity,whole blood low-shear viscosity,fibrinogen,and hematocrit)in the two groups were improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the improvement of each of hemorheology indexes in the trial group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(6)During treatment,no serious adverse events occurred in the two groups,which was of high safety.Conclusion Zishen Jianpi Quyu Formula exerts remarkable clinical efficacy in treating patients of migraine without aura in the postmenstrual period of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type.The formula is effective on improving the TCM syndromes and migraine attacks of the patients,achieving the efficacy of milder headache,lower attack frequency and shorter duration,more stability hemorheology indexes and higher safety.

OBJECTIVETo obtain isolated human metapneumovirus (HMPV) strains from clinical specimens collected from infants and children in Beijing and to promote the investigation on this important respiratory pathogen.

METHODClinical specimens including throat swabs from outpatients and nasopharyngeal aspirates from hospitalized children were collected from infants and children visited the affiliated children's hospital for acute respiratory infections during May 2008 to April 2009. HMPV positive specimens identified by RT-PCR and/or direct immunofluorescent assay with monoclonal antibody against HMPV were inoculated to LLC-MK(2) cells and incubated at 37°C and 33°C, respectively. The replication of the virus in the cells was detected by direct immunofluorescent assay followed by RT-PCR. The genotypes of the isolated virus strains were identified by RT-PCR.

RESULTOut of 1092 clinical specimens, 81 were HMPV positive by RT-PCR, the positive rate was 7.4% (81/1092). Among these positive specimens, 33 were inoculated to LLC-MK(2) cells and the replication of HMPV was revealed by antigen detection and RT-PCR from 5 out of these 33 inoculates. These isolated viruses could be passed in LLC-MK(2) cells and were not cross-reacted with other common respiratory viruses, such as ADV, RSV and Parainfluenza viruses 1/2/3 by monoclonal antibodies against these viruses in direct immunofluorescent assay. The HMPV was more likely to be isolated from fresh specimens within 24 hours after the collection of specimens which were not frozen. Four of the 5 isolated strains were identified as genotype A and 1 as genotype B. Unlike other respiratory viruses, these isolated HMPV did not show specific CPE in cell culture and the replication of the virus was identified by antigen detection and RT-PCR.

CONCLUSIONHMPV of both genotypes were isolated from infants and children with acute respiratory infections in Beijing which will accelerate the investigation of this important virus.

Acute Disease ; Child ; China ; Genes, Viral ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infant ; Metapneumovirus ; isolation & purification ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; virology

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of budesonide aerosol inhalation on the expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB in asthmatic mice.

METHODSTwenty-four healthy male BALB/c mice aged 6 to 8 weeks were randomly divided into three groups (n=8 each): normal saline (control group), asthma model (asthma group) and budesonide-treated asthma (BUD group). Asthma was induced by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA) and aluminium hydroxide suspension and aerosol inhalation of OVA solution. Mice were sacrificed 24 hours after the last challenge. Eosinophil count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was determined. Pathological examination of the lung tissues was performed and the expression levels of GR and NF-κB were measured by immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTSEosinophil count in the BALF was significantly higher in the asthma and BUD groups than in the control group (P<0.05). BUD treatment decreased eosinophil count in the BALF compared with the asthma group (P<0.05). The lung tissues in the BUD group showed a less severe infiltration of eosinophils and lymphocytes compared with the asthma group. The percentage of GR-positive cells in the asthma group decreased significantly compared with the control group (P<0.05), and the percentage of GR-positive cells in the BUD group increased significantly compared with the asthma group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the percentage of NF-κB-positive cells increased significantly in the asthma group (P<0.05), and the percentage of NF-κB positive cells in the BUD group was significantly reduced compared with the asthma group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe action mechanism of budesonide in treating asthmatic mice may be related to the upregulation of GR expression and the inhibition of NF-κB activity.

Aerosols ; Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Budesonide ; administration & dosage ; Eosinophils ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; NF-kappa B ; analysis ; Receptors, Glucocorticoid ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical effect of Devine's technique with free skin grafting in the treatment of concealed penis with prepuce deficit.

METHODSThis study included 7 children with concealed penis, aged 6 - 15 (mean 8.6) years, 6 of them treated by circumcision previously. All the patients underwent Devine's operation to resect the inelasticity sarcolemma and lengthen the penis. The length of prepuce deficit ranged from 2 to 4 cm. Intermediate split thickness skin grafts of the corresponding length were taken from the femoribus internus to wrap up the tunica albuginea penis, followed by the procedures of saturation, encapsulation and fixation.

RESULTSSurgery time ranged from 70 to 120 minutes, averaging 90.5 minutes. The penis was prolonged about 2 - 4 cm after surgery. A 6-month follow-up revealed desirable penile appearance and normal penile erection.

CONCLUSIONDevine's technique with free skin grafting from the femoribus internus is an ideal treatment for concealed penis with prepuce deficit.

Adolescent ; Child ; Foreskin ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Penis ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Skin Transplantation ; Surgery, Plastic ; methods ; Surgical Flaps

Objective To investigate the clinical feature,treatment,and prognosis of hospitalized patients with jaw osteoradionecrosis. Methods A total of 93 cases with jaw osteoradionecrosis treated between 2000 and 2010 was reviewed.Of the 93 cases,79 cases were with mandible lesions,13 cases with maxillary lesions,and 1 case with both mandible and maxillary lesions.Sixty-six cases received one course of radiotherapy,with the radiation doses of 34 -90 Gy (mean 64.6 Gy).Twenty-two cases experienced tooth extraction or other operative procedures before exhibition of the clinical symptoms for osteoradionecrosis.The interval time between radiotherapy and the onset of osteoradioneerosis varied from 2 weeks to 32 years (mean 54 months).Results Of 93 cases,56 patients underwent radical resection of the pathologic bone and reconstruction with free tissue flaps,in whom 7 cases received the second surgery due to microvascular thrombosis in flap vessels,and flaps were survival by new vascular anastomosis in 3 cases,the failed flaps were removed and replaced successfully by non vascularized bone grafts in 2 cases,and the failed flaps removed and the defects were repaired with adjacent skin in other 2 cases.In the 56 cases,only one case was with disease recurrence and 53 cases with significant improvement in chewing and swallowing functions.Only 2 of 93 cases underwent resection of the pathologic bone and reconstruction with titanium plates,and thereafter they encountered titanium exposure.Scaling of osteoradionecrosis lesions was applied to 20 of 93 patients and 9 cases of them were with disease recurrence.Fifteen cases had resection of the effected mandible without reconstruction.Disease relapse was encountered in 2 of them,others had poor chewing and swallowing.Conclusions The mandible is more susceptible to osteoradionecrosis than maxilla.Radical resection with reconstruction by free tissue flap is recommended for the treatment of jaw osteoradionecrosis,and scaling and reconstruction only with titanium plate should be avoided because of high risks of titanium exposure and disease relapse.

Human interleukin 4 (IL-4) cDNA was optimized and synthesized according to E. coli preferred codon. A recombinant expression plasmid pET-30a (+)/rhIL-4 was constructed with the target cDNA inserted between Nde I and EcoR I sites, which can translate the mature IL-4 protein with an extra methionine residue at N-terminal. The expression vector was transformed into E. coli BL21 (DE3). The rhIL-4 protein was expressed in the inclusion body. By using the optimized fermentation conditions, the high expression level was achieved with the expression level as high as 35% of total protein obtained. A purification strategy has been designed which includes Q-Sepharose and SP-Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography and dialysis renaturation. The rhIL-4 was purified with the purity more than 98% and the yield of 40 mg per liter fermentation culture achieved. Western blot proved that the purified protein is IL-4. Amino acid sequencing revealed that N-terminal 16 residue sequence is identical to the theoretical sequence. Biological activity assay on TF-1 cells demonstrated that the rhIL-4 is active with an activity of 2.5 x 10(6) AU/mg. This study promises large scale production of rhIL-4.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Blotting, Western ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Interleukin-4 ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDReports on mood regulating circuit (MRC) indicated different activities between depressed patients and healthy controls. The functional networks based on MRC have not been described in major depression disorder (MDD). Both the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and thalamus are all the key regions of MRC. This study was to investigate the two functional networks related to ACC and thalamus in MDD.

METHODSSixteen patients with MDD on first episode which never got any medication and sixteen matched health controls were scanned by 3.0 T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during resting-state. The pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) was used as seed region to construct the functional network by cortex section. The thalamus was used as seed region to construct the functional network by limbic section. Paired-t tests between-groups were performed for the seed-target correlations based on the individual fisher z-transformed correlation maps by SPM2.

RESULTSDepressed subjects exhibited significantly great functional connectivity (FC) between pgACC and the parahippocampus gyrus in one cluster (size 923) including left parahippocampus gyrus (-21, -49, 7), left parietal lobe (-3, -46, 52) and left frontal lobe (-27, -46, 28). The one cluster (size 962) of increased FC on thalamus network overlapped the precuneus near to right parietal lobe (9, -52, 46) and right cingulate gyrus (15, -43, 43) in health controls.

CONCLUSIONSAbnormal functional networks exist in earlier manifestation of MDD related to MRC by both cortex and limbic sections. The increased functional connectivity of pgACC and decreased functional connectivity of thalamus is mainly involved in bias mood processing and cognition.

Adult ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; physiopathology ; Female ; Gyrus Cinguli ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Thalamus ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVEAdenovirus (ADV) is one of the most common causes of acute respiratory infections in infants and children. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of adenovirus infection among pediatric patients with acute respiratory infections in Beijing and the types of the adenoviruses circulating in Beijing on the molecular bases.

METHODClinical specimens including throat swabs from outpatients and nasopharyngeal aspirates from hospitalized patients were collected from patients with acute respiratory infections in a consecutive period of 6 years from Jan 2003 to Dec 2008. Adenoviruses were identified from the collected clinical specimens by tissue culture and/or immunofluorescence assay and typed by nested-PCR based on the sequence of the encoding gene of hexon. Primers were designed for PCR amplification using hexon gene of adenovirus as target. One primer pair was designed as universal primers for amplifying a 1278 bp gene fragment located at the hexon gene of adenovirus types 3, 7, 11 and 21. Four primer pairs with the sequences located within the region of this 1278 bp fragment were designed specifically for amplifying adenoviruses types 3, 7, 11 or 21, respectively, which were used for a multiplex nest-PCR in a single tube. The products from this multiplex nest-PCR were 502 bp (for type 3), 311 bp (for type 7), 880 bp (for type 11) and 237 bp (for type 21), respectively, and the type of the adenovirus tested can be determined after agarose electrophoresis analysis of the PCR products. For those strains which could not be typed by the multiplex nest-PCR, the gene fragment was amplified by a universal primer pair for all adenovirus types from group A to F and the PCR products were sequenced directly.

RESULTOut of 17 941 clinical specimens collected, including 4378 throat swabs from outpatients and 13 563 nasopharyngeal aspirates from hospitalized patients, 304 were adenovirus positive by tissue culture and/or immunofluorescence assay, the overall positive rate was 1.69% (304/179 41). Among these 304 adenovirus positive specimens, 184 were by virus isolation and 184 by immunofluorescence assay, among which 64 were positive by both methods. The types of the adenoviruses were tested for 285 patients including 174 viral isolates and 111 clinical specimens. By using the multiplex nest-PCR, 272 were typable, including 174 (61.1%, 174/285) for ADV3, 92 (32.3%, 92/285) for ADV7, 6 for ADV11 (2.1%, 6/285) and no adenovirus type 21 was detected. Sequence analysis for those 13 nontypable specimens by the multiplex nest-PCR showed that 9 were ADV2 (3.2%, 9/285), 2 were ADV6 (0.7%, 2/285), 1 was ADV1 (0.4%, 1/285) and 1 was ADV5 (0.4%, 1/285). Most of the patients positive for adenovirus were under 5 years of age and 64.4% were from patients with lower respiratory infections, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. All the 5 cases of severe pneumonia with pulmonary failure were caused by ADV7 infection.

CONCLUSIONAdenovirus is still an important pathogen for acute respiratory infection in infants and young children and most of the adenoviruses associated with acute respiratory infections in children in Beijing from 2003 to 2008 were ADV3 and ADV7. ADV7 could cause severe lower respiratory infections.

Acute Disease ; Adenoviridae ; classification ; isolation & purification ; Adenoviridae Infections ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Prevalence ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; virology