Objective: To clone the full-length cDNA of the uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase (UGT) gene in Bupleurum chinense (BcUGT8), which may be involved with the saikosaponin biosynthesis, and to construct the prokaryotic expression vector. The work will provide the foundation for its further function verification by in vitro expression and activity analysis of the purified protein. Methods: RACE and LD-PCR were used to clone the full-length cDNA of BcUGT8, on the basis of its partial cDNA sequence obtained from our previous high-flux sequencing by Roche (454) GS FLX system. The open reading form (ORF) was PCR cloned using primers with corresponding restriction enzymes cutting sites. The PCR products were digested with corresponding restriction enzymes and then were inserted in expression vector pET-28a (+) to construct the recombinant expression vectors. Results: The full-length cDNA of UGT gene was cloned from B. chinense, and the prokaryotic expression vector was obtained. Conclusion: The full-length cDNA cloning, sequence analysis, and prokaryotic expression vector construction provide a substantial foundation for follow-up bio-function analysis of BcUGT8 through protein expression, purification, and activity analysis in vitro.

OBJECTIVE: To study the how's for pharmacists at inpatient pharmacy to provide pharmaceutical care for improved safe and effective use of drugs. METHODS: Pharmacists at inpatient pharmacy can provide pharmaceutical care as per specific clinical needs, and start from such details as preparing the booklet of commonly-used chemotherapy drugs, offering face-to-face advises on drug use for diabetics, and helping nurses to manage the medicine cabinets. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: Pharmacists at inpatient pharmacy should provide the right pharmaceutical care that can meet actual clinical needs.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of self-management to improve the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and life quality in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients.MethodsTwo hundred and twenty-two men were recruited to take αblockers for at least 3 months from March 2008 to September 2009. Participants were randomized to either attend a self-management program in addition to standard care or to standard care alone. Difference of scores of International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and BPH-specific quality of life scale between the two groups was analyzed during enrollment period, the 1st week, the 3rd month and 6th month of therapy.ResultsAll participants were followed up for 6 months.The IPSS scores of the SMI group were 20.5 and 20.5 and the QOL were 50.9 and 50.8 at the 1st week.While the numbers were 19.6 and 19.3 for IPSS and 51.1 and 51.1 for QOL in the control group. There was no statistic difference in the control group.Whereas during the 3rd and 6th month assessment, the scores of IPSS and quality of life of self-management interventional group were statistically significantly lower than those of the control group.ConclusionsSelf-management intervention could reduce the LUTS symptoms and improve quality of life in BPH patients who were taking medicines.

The tissue-specific and MeJA-induced transcriptional levels of BcUGT3 and BcUGT6 in Bupleurum chinense were analyzed in the present study. The transcriptional levels of BcUGT3 in root, leaf, flower and fruit were similar and they all were higher than those in stem. The transcriptional level of BcUGT6 was the highest in leaf and the lowest in flower among in all tested tissues. With non-treated adventitious roots as control, BcUGT6's transcriptional levels were elevated to nearly 2 folds for 2 h, 8 h, 24 h, 2 d and 4 d in MeJA-treated adventitious roots of B. chinense. It showed that the transcriptional level of BcUGT6 was slightly affected by MeJA. While, BcUGT3's transcriptional levels were gradually elevated, and till 4 d after MeJA treatment, the expression level was about 7 folds than that of non-treated control. Using pET-28a (+), the expressions of two genes was investigated. Induced by IPTG, the target proteins were expressed in E. coli and then purified. All the results obtained in the present study will be helpful for follow-up bio-function analysis of BcUGT3 and BcUGT6.
Acetates ; pharmacology ; Bupleurum ; cytology ; enzymology ; genetics ; Cell Membrane ; metabolism ; Cyclopentanes ; pharmacology ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; drug effects ; Hexosyltransferases ; chemistry ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Intracellular Space ; metabolism ; Oxylipins ; pharmacology ; Protein Sorting Signals ; Protein Structure, Secondary ; Protein Transport ; Sequence Analysis ; Transcription, Genetic ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo observe the long-term apparent and structural change of the neo-urethra inner wall reconstructed with different kinds of tissue. To compare the difference between normal and reconstructed urethra for urethra reconstruction with more appropriate materials.

METHODSThe neo-urethra inner wall was observed during operation, through urography and urethroscope. The tissue section of neo-urethra inner wall was observed through light microscope and electron microscope.

RESULTSWith unchanged structure, the appearance of neo-urethra reconstructed with skin or mucosa could be close to normal urethra after a long time. Neo-urethra made of buccal mucosa possesses some of the most important basic structures for normal urethral microenvironment to form. The structure of neo-urethra made of bladder could be close to normal urethra after a long time.

CONCLUSIONSBuccal and bladder mucosa may be a better material than skin for urethra reconstruction.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Biocompatible Materials ; Child ; Female ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Hypospadias ; surgery ; Male ; Mouth Mucosa ; transplantation ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Surgical Flaps ; Tissue Culture Techniques ; Tissue Engineering ; Tissue Transplantation ; methods ; Urethra ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the feasibility of endoscopic modified agger nasi approach for the surgical treatment of frontal sinus diseases.

METHODSThe data of patients undergoing modified agger nasi approach for frontal diseases were prospectively collected since January 2009, including demographic data, findings at surgery, presence of postoperative symptoms, endoscopic appearance of the frontal recess and sinus, and complications.

RESULTSNineteen patients were enrolled from January 2009 to August 2010. Seventeen patients had chronic rhinosinusitis, in which 13 patients (76.5%) completely healed, 3 patients (17.6%) improved and 1 patient (5.9%) failed. Two patients had frontal sinus and anterior ethmoid sinus inverted papilloma, with no recurrence. The patients were followed up from 6 to 24 months, medium 16 months. No severe complication occurred. No frontal recess adhesion was found. Four sides of frontal recess showed stenosis caused by tissue hypertrophy.

CONCLUSIONThe modified agger nasi approach provides excellent access to frontal recess and frontal sinus, with good effect for preventing re-stenosis after surgery.

Adult ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Frontal Sinus ; surgery ; Frontal Sinusitis ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nose ; surgery ; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Prospective Studies ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo understand the projects completion and research progresses in pediatrics which were funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), and evaluate the accomplishment objectively and justly.

METHODSThe completion status of projects in pediatrics funded by department of clinical medicine II from 2002 to 2006 was analysed retrospectively, and important research achievement and outstanding development in some projects were reported.

RESULTSDuring the period between 2002 and 2006, 420 articles were published, and the average was 8.1 papers per project, which included 56 papers that were published in journals indexed by SCI (the average was 1.1 papers per project). The completion of general project was better than that of "the Young Researchers Fund" and small grant project. Ten post-doctors, 102 doctors and 109 masters were trained. Two projects were awarded with the first grade prize and another 2 with the second grade prize at the provincial and ministerial level, 4 items applied for patent and 1 was granted. These completed projects, which were mainly related to 7 of 12 subspecialties in the field of pediatrics, such as the respiratory disease, nephrology, neurology, cardiology, endocrinology, hematology, neonatology, are the major portion of the application projects and subsidized projects funded by NSFC, and achieved great research progresses.

CONCLUSIONDuring the period between 2002 and 2006, the 52 completed projects in pediatrics showed difference in the distribution and quality of accomplishment among subspecialties and among types of supported projects; there are some gaps between pediatrics and some other clinical basic subspecialties II, this situation released the research status and problems in development of pediatrics in China. The general projects completion was good, and many projects obtained research achievements, which reflect the leading function of NSFC in pediatric research.

Foundations ; Pediatrics ; Periodicals as Topic ; economics ; Research ; economics

OBJECTIVEThis study was focused on the clinical effects of topical steroid for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in Chinese adults.

METHODSThe CRS patients were randomly selected in the department of otorhinolaryngology, first affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen university between november 2010 and December 2011. Thirty-four CRS patients with polyps (CRSwNP) or CRS without polyps (CRSsNP), no prior surgeries were included. These patients were prescribed to use budesonide nasal spay for three months. Evaluation included visual analog score (VAS), sino-nasal outcome test-20(SNOT-20), CT scan (Lund-Mackay score). SPSS 16.0 software was used to analyze the data.

RESULTSFour patients were lost to follow up, while the other 30 patients finished the 3-months' follow up. Except for smelling disturbance which was not statistically changed (t = 0.902, P > 0.05), VAS for nasal blockage (baseline: 4.84 ± 3.15, after treatment: 2.26 ± 2.27), rhinorrhea (baseline: 6.03 ± 2.93, after treatment: 1.96 ± 2.23), headache (baseline: 1.68 ± 2.66, after treatment: 0.42 ± 0.95), facial pressure (baseline: 2.04 ± 2.97, after treatment: 0.58 ± 1.42) and general symptom (baseline: 6.00 ± 2.75, after treatment: 2.71 ± 1.90) were statistically decreased (t value was 4.386, 6.740, 2.445, 2.980, 6.989, respectively, all P < 0.05). VAS of nasal blockage, rhinorrhea and general symptom were statistically decreased after one-month's treatment (all P < 0.05), but no statistical improvements were observed between first, second and the third month (all P > 0.05). SNOT-20 was significantly decreased after treatment (t = 3.687, P < 0.01). 22.2% patients were cured on CT scan.

CONCLUSIONSTopical steroid improves objective symptoms and quality of life in CRS patients. Some of the patients can be cured in CT scores. The symptoms improvements begin from the first month, but do not change during the latter two months.

Administration, Intranasal ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sinusitis ; drug therapy ; Steroids ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the aerodynamics of the normal human nasal cavity under different ambient temperatures.

METHODSBased on CT scanning, a model of a healthy adult's nasal cavity was established using computational fluid dynamics software from Fluent. Airflow in this model was simulated and calculated at ambient temperatures of 0 °C, 24 °C, and 37 °C during periodic breathing.

RESULTSAmbient temperature only had an impact on the temperature in the nasal cavity during the inspiratory phase, and the temperature distribution was not symmetrical in the inspiratory acceleration and deceleration phases. The ambient temperature significantly affected airflow speed in main nasal passages during the inspiratory process, but had little impact on flow status (proportion and streamline of airflow in different nasal passages). Temperature differences increased the irregular air movement within sinuses. The anterior nasal segment, including the area between the valve and the head of the middle turbinate, was the most effective part of the nasal airway in heating the ambient air.

CONCLUSIONSOur findings describe the effects of ambient temperature on airflow parameters in the nasal cavity within a single respiratory cycle. This data is more comprehensively and accurately to determine the relationship between nasal cavity aerodynamics and physiological functions.

Adult ; Air Movements ; Female ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Nasal Cavity ; physiology ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo establish a method for the expression of glycogen synthase kinase 3β with high purity and biological activity.

METHODSE.coli expression system and baculovirus-insect cell expression system were used to produce the kinase, followed by purification using His-tag and GST-tag and determination of its purity and activity by SDS-PAGE and kinase reaction, respectively.

RESULTSGlycogen synthase kinase 3β produced from E.coli represented 54% of the total bacterial protein, as compared with 96% of the total protein from the insect cell system .Glycogen synthase kinase 3β produced from insect cell exhibited an one-fold higher biological activity than the protein obtained from E.coli.

CONCLUSIONSCompared with the protein from E.coli system, glycogen synthase kinase 3β from the insect cell expression system is endowed with a higher purity and bioactivity.

Animals ; Baculoviridae ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 ; biosynthesis ; isolation & purification ; Insecta ; cytology