Metal sulfides are chemically attacked by Fe~ 3+ and H~+, resulting in the formation of elemental sulfur via polysulfides or thiosulfate pathway. Elemental sulfur may aggregate and even form a layer on the metal sulfide surface, which will inhibit leaching metals from the sulfides minerals. Elimination of inert elemental sulfur in a typical acidic environment can exclusively be by way of oxidation of acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, such a way includes the attachment, transport and oxidation process of elemental sulfur by acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. On the basis of analysis on the pertinent researches, the molecular mechanism of sulfur elimination by the acidophilic bacteria is far away from elucidated, and to attain that target, there are still much work to be done for elucidating the molecular mechanism on the attachment, transport and oxidation process of elemental sulfur by the acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.

Reverse transcriptase-PCR experiments suggest that the two clusters of genes potentially involved in the oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds are organized as operons in strain of the acidophilic, chemolithoautotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 23270, the two clusters of genes including such the ORF of putative sulfate-thiosulfate-molybdate binding proteins, the ORF of putative thiosulfate: quinone oxidoreductase and the ORF of the rhodanese-like protein (P21). Bioinformatic analyses have predicted the possible promoters sequences and the possible +1 start site of transcription for the doxDA operons.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the growth and development of nerve growth factor (NGF)-positive neurons in the cerebellum of midanaphase human fetus.

METHODSThe expression of the NGF-positive neurons in the cerebrum of human fetus was observed by immunohistochemical methods, and the integral absorbance (IA) was detected.

RESULTSBy the 3rd to 4th month of gestation, neurons was seen in the ependymal, central, and marginal plate of cerebellum; the nucleus was oval and the neurons had short and small processes. By the 5th to 7th month of gestation, the number of NGF-positive neurons increased, the expressions enhanced, the nucleus was round-, oval-, or fusiform-shaped, the neurons grew larger in size, and the Purkinje cells showed NGF-positive expression. By the 8th to 10th month of gestation, the NGF-positive expression was enhanced with deeper dying, the body of Purkinje cells grew larger gradually, and the number of NGF-positive neurons in the granular cell layer and molecular layer increased. IA of the cerebellar cortical neurons of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th month of gestation showed an increasing trend, and significant difference was observed (P < 0. 05).

CONCLUSIONNGF-positive neurons in the cerebellum play an important role for differentiation, proliferation, migration, and growth of neurons in the cerebellum.

Cerebellum ; cytology ; metabolism ; Fetus ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Nerve Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Neurons ; cytology ; metabolism ; Purkinje Cells ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influential factors for the prognosis in patients with paraquat poisoning.

METHODSRetrospective analysis was performed on 40 patients with acute paraquat poisoning to evaluate serum urea nitrogen, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase levels and organ injuries.

RESULTSAmong the patients, 21 had lung injury, 26 had kidney injury, 13 had multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and 12 died. The factors associated with lung injury were kidney injury and serum urea nitrogen and creatinine levels within 24 hours after paraquat poisoning.

CONCLUSIONThe renal function in early stage of paraquat poisoning is related to lung injury and thus can be used asa predictor for the incidence of lung injury.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alanine Transaminase ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Creatinine ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Injury ; diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Organ Failure ; diagnosis ; Paraquat ; poisoning ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

AIMTo propose a new simple and sensitive voltammetric method for determination of proteins.

METHODSProtein with sulfhydryl or disulfide bond in 0.5 mol x L(-1) NaOH, 1.5 x 10(-4) mol x L(-1) Pb2+ and 0.02% tetrabutylammonium iodide was heated in boiling water for 5 minutes. The reactive product gave a well defined reductive adsorption wave at -0.66 V (vs SCE) by means of single sweep polarography, and the height of derivative wave was proportional to the concentration of proteins.

RESULTSThe peak height was linearly proportional to bovine serum albumin (BSA) or human serum albumin (HSA) concentration in range of 7.5 x 10(-10) -3.0 x 10(-7) mol x L(-1) (r(BSA) = 0.9995, and r(HSA) = 0.9990). The detection limit of BSA or HSA was 3.0 x 10(-10) mol x L(-1). For lysozyme (Lyso), the concentration range was from 1.4 x 10(-8) to 1.3 x 10(-6) mol x L(-10 (r(Lyso) = 0.9997) and the detection limit was 7.0 x 10(-9) mol x L(-1).

CONCLUSIONThe method is simple, rapid, sensitive and applicable to the assay of diluted human serum albumin samples.

Adsorption ; Animals ; Humans ; Lead ; Muramidase ; analysis ; Polarography ; methods ; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds ; Serum Albumin ; analysis ; chemistry ; Serum Albumin, Bovine ; analysis ; chemistry ; Sodium Hydroxide

Ginseng is a traditional Chinese medicine which has been used in treating anemia for thousands of years. It is composed of a lot of components. The main component is total saponin of panax ginseng (TSPG), which contains more than 20 ginsenosides including Rg1, Rb1 and so on. Previous studies have reported that total saponin of panax ginseng could promote hematopoiesis by stimulating proliferation of human erythroid grogenitor cells CFU-E and BFU-E, however, it had different effects on CFU-GM reported by various laboratories. In this study, CFU-GM assay was adopted to observe the ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1's effects on the proliferation of human marrow grannulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells. The results showed that Rg1 and Rb1 had obvious promotive effect on the proliferation of CFU-GM, and the increasing rates of colony formation were up to (70.6 +/- 6.8)% and (65.1 +/- 6.3)%, respectively. There was no inhibiting effect on CFU-GM in high concentrations of Rg1 and Rb1. It is suggested that Rg1 and Rb1 can stimulate the proliferation of human granulocyte-macrophage progentors. The results of TSPG's various effects on CFU-GM might be caused by different contents of ginsenosides in TSPG used in different laboratories.

The study was purposed to investigate the effects of the panaxadiol saponin (PDS) from Ginseng on proliferation and differentiation of human CD34(+) cells from human bone marrow. Highly purified CD34(+) cells were isolated from human bone marrow by using the Dynal CD34 Cell Selection System (Dynal, Norway). The cells were exposed to PDS at various concentrations in both agar semi-solid culture of CFU-Mix and suspension culture of myeloid and erythroid cells in order to observe the effects of PDS on proliferation of CD34(+) cells. The cells were marked with 4 kinds of monoclonal antibody in related with their differentiation toward to myeloid and erythroid lineages, then examined by flow cytometry (FACS) after being incubated with PDS for 14 days. The results showed that the number of CD34(+) cells was 1.0 +/- 0.15% out of marrow nuclear cells after being purified by Dynal beads system. The enrichment of CD34(+) cells reached to 86.8 +/- 2.8%. The best efficiency in promoting proliferation of CD34(+) cells in vitro was obtained when the concentration of PDS was 25 mg/L, the formation of CFU-Mix colonies significantly increased by 56.3 +/- 3.5% over those of no-PDS control (p < 0.01). The results from suspension culture revealed that myeloid cells elevated in a dose-dependent manner with a peak increasing rate of 35.6 +/- 3.2%, and erythroid cells significantly increased by 22.3 +/- 2.1% over those of no-PDS control (all p < 0.01). After incubation with PDS for 14 days, number of CD33(+) cells increased in a dose-dependent manner with a peak increasing rate at 50 mg/L. CD71(+) cells reaching the peak were at 25 mg/L, while G-A(+) cells were increased by 7.2 +/- 1.3% (p < 0.01) at 10 mg/L, but the number of CD15(+) cells was not found to be changed before and after treating with PDS. It is concluded that PDS not only enhance the proliferation of CD34(+) cells, but also induce differentiation of CD34(+) cells toward to myeloid and erythroid lineages. PDS may play the roles as like hematopoietic growth factor, or provide synergistic effects on growth factor in the regulation of hematopoiesis.
Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Ginsenosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hematopoiesis ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Panax ; chemistry ; Saponins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

This study is to elucidate the metabolic pathway of 1,2-[bis (1,2-benzisoselenazolone-3 (2H)-ketone)]-ethane (BBSKE) in rats. Rats were administrated with a single dose of BBSKE 200 mg x kg(-1). The metabolites in rat urine, feces, bile and plasma were identified by LC-MSn analysis. The characterization of fragment ions from LC-MSn chromatography and mass spectrometry was applied to the investigation of structures of metabolites. Three phase I metabolites were detected in rat urine and feces. Two of them were also found in plasma and one existed in bile. These products were derived from oxidized, methylated and S-methylated BBSKE, separately. One phase II glucuronide of BBSKE was also found in bile. Therefore, it is possible that BBSKE was metabolized by oxidization, methylation and glucuronidation.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; blood ; metabolism ; urine ; Bile ; metabolism ; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic ; administration & dosage ; blood ; metabolism ; urine ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Feces ; chemistry ; Male ; Organoselenium Compounds ; administration & dosage ; blood ; metabolism ; urine ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

OBJECTIVETo investigate the development of nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-positive neurons in the frontal lobe of the cerebrum of human fetus in midanaphase.

METHODSThe positive expression of the NOS-positive neurons in the frontal lobe of cerebrum of human fetus was observed by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSBy the 7th to 8th month of gestation, NOS-positive neurons in the cortical plate of frontal lobe demonstrated themselves inequality of sizes and morphological difference in the deeper layers with interspersed distribution and increased NOS response, and the distribution of beaded nerve fiber was observed between neurons of cerebral tissues. By the 9th to 10th month of gestation, NOS-positive neurons in the deeper layers of cortical plate of frontal lobe developed slightly in size of the cell body with richer cytoplast, full shape and deeper dyeing and extrusive beaded nerve fibers, and the NOS-positive neurons scattered in the shallow layer of cortical plate presented with round or oval shape. The nucleus developed bigger but with sparse cytoplasm and clear nerve process.

CONCLUSIONNOS-positive neurons in the deeper layer of cortical plate of lobus frontal consist of largely network of neural system and produce micro-environment with higher concentration of NO, which favors the differentiation, proliferation, migration, and development of various neurons.

Cerebrum ; cytology ; embryology ; Female ; Fetus ; cytology ; enzymology ; Frontal Lobe ; cytology ; embryology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neurons ; cytology ; enzymology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; metabolism ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVETo compare the hemostatic effect of Flos Sophorae in crude, parched and carbonized forms and its extracts, including rutin, quercetin and tannin.

METHODSAll the testing samples were orally administered to the experimental animals for 5 days, then the bleeding time (BT), coagulation time (CT), platelet count and capillary permeability (CP) in the treated mice were tested, and the prothrombin time (PT), fibrinogen (FBG) content and platelet aggregation rate (PAR) in the treated rats were determined.

RESULTSAll the samples could lower the CP, BT and CT in mice and also decrease the plasma PT in rats. All three forms of Flos Sophorae could increase FBG in rats, while the three extracts of it could inhibit the PAR in rats obviously. In addition, rutin had the effect of raising the platelet count.

CONCLUSIONAll the three forms and three extracts of Flos Sophorae have hemostatic effect, the effect of parched and carbonized form is higher than that of crude drug. The mechanism of the hemostatic effect of the six kinds of sample might be various.

Animals ; Bleeding Time ; Blood Coagulation ; drug effects ; Capillary Permeability ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Female ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Hemostatics ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Quercetin ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Rutin ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Sophora ; chemistry ; Tannins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology