Abstract Objective:To investigate whether mRNA of prolactin(PRL) ,an important immunomodulatory hormone,is expressed in thyroidglands of patients with Graves'disease(GD) .Methods:The expression of PRL mRNA was examined by nonisotopic in situ hybridization in GDthyroid glands and the control ones( including multinodular goiters and samples of normal thyroid tissue adjacent to adenomas) as well as intra-thyroidal mononuclear cells isolated from GD thyroid glands and primary thyroid follicular cell(TFC) cultures derived from them.Results:PRL mRNA was expressed in GD thyroid glands, but not in the control ones. It was localized in infiltrating mononuclear cells and vascular endothelial cells adjacent to mononuclear cell infiltrates, but not in TFC .(9.8?.3)% (x ?s) of intrathyroidal mononuclear cells isolated from GD thy-roid were found containing PRL mRNA.It was absent in the primary TFC cultures. Conclusion:PRL mRNA is expressed in GD thyroid tissue. This indicates that PRL-like substance can be locally produced in GD thyroid tissue, which may play an important role in GD pathogenesis by autocrine and paracrine mechanisms.

Objective To establish a HPLC method for the assay of Dehydroandrographolide in Fufang Kumu Xiaoyan Pian. Methods Standard was Dehydroandrographolide, HPLC was used with Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 column (4.6 mm?150 mm, 5 ?m). The mobile phrase was consisted of acetonitrile-0.1% Ammonia slution (30∶70). The detection wavelength at 253 nm. The flow rate was 1 mL/min. Results The assay displayed good linearity. The linear range of ephedrine Hydrochloride was 0.049 92~4.992 ?g (r =0.999 9, n =7). The average recovery was 99.70% and RSD was 0.63% (n =9). Conclusion This method is simple, accurate and can be used for the quality control of Fufang Kumu Xiaoyan Pian.

Objectives To understand current status of the admission and treatment for the patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in central hospitals of Shanghai area,and to evaluate the severity of patients admitted to the hospital with CAP by the criteria set in the Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment for CAP developed by the Chinese Medical Association in 2006 and provide evidence for its popularization and application throughout the country.Methods Medical records of 137 patients with CAP admitted to the hospital from January 1,2005 to September 30,2006 were retrospectively studied and analyzed with SPSS 10.0 software.Chi-square test and ANOVA were used to evaluate the severity of the patients with CAP by the criteria set in the Guidelines and to correlate it with pneumonia severity index (PSI).Statistical analysis was performed for the difference between length of hospitalization,cost,length of intravenous use of antibiotics,the number of risk factors,and fatality during hospitalization between three groups of patients categorized based on the severity criteria in the Guidelines.Results There existed a good relationship between the criteria for severity of CAP by the Guidelines and PSI,with a Pearson's coefficient of correlation of 0.577,P

Objective To use peer education to guide community diabetic patients to adopt diet therapy using food exchange method in order to explore effective method for diet therapy of diabetes mellitus. Meth-ods 91 diabetic patients were selected using simple sampling method and randomly divided into the peer ed-ucation(45 cases) and the common education group(46 cases), the two groups adopted food exchange method for diet therapy for 1 year. The blood glucose, blood lipid, glycosylated hemoglobin and body weight index were compared between the two groups using t test. Results The blood glucose, blood lipid, glycosylated hemoglobin and body weight index all decreased in the two groups after intervention, but the the decreased de-gree in the peer education group was more obvious. The fasting blood glucose, 2 hour postprandial blood glu-cose, glycosylated hemoglobin, triglyceride, low-donordensity lipid protein and body weight index in the peer education were lower thanthose of the common education group, but HDL-C was higher. Conclusions Peer education is more effective in health education of food exchange method.

The immunoregulation effect to polysaccharides from Bifidobacterium spp. was investigated on the base of functional assessment standards of health food. Effects of the EPS on immunity were investigated by promoted the proliferation of spleen lymph cells, delayed type hypersensitivity reaction, the HC50 value and macrophage function assay in mice. Data showed that the EPS could obviously increase the ratio of swallowed chicken red blood cell by macrophage and the HC50 value in mice. However, no significant effect was found on the delayed type hypersensitive induced by sheep red blood cell, for only the low dose of 100 mg/(kg?d) EPS promoted the proliferation of spleen lymph cells. Bifidobacterium spp. EPS can certain immunomodulating function.

Objective To monitor the change of cardiac function in neonatal sepsis by using the ultrasonic cardiac output monitor(USCOM).Methods Thirty two cases of mild sepsis neonates and nineteen cases of severe sepsis neonates were enrolled and thirty three cases of healthy neonates were enrolled in the control group.The cardiac output indicators of three groups were monitored by USCOM.The differences of cardiac function among 3 groups and the changes of candiac function after treatment in septic neonates were investigated.Results Compared with control group,the heart rate,systemic vascular resistance of mild sepsis neonates group and severe sepsis neonates group were significantly higher,and the cardiac output,systolic volume,cardiac index,aortic peak velocity were significantly lower,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The cardiac index,cardiac output were significactly lower in severe sepsis neonates group than those in mild sepsis neonates group(P<0.05).After improving cardiac function treatment,all cardiac function indexes of sepsis neonates were improved than before treatment,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion There are significant cardiac function changes in sepsis neonates.The cardiac function and overall circulation state monitoring by USCOM is fast and convenient,and USCOM can provide the basis for treatment and evaluation of the neonatal sepsis.

AIM:To observe the neuritogenic actions of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A heavy chain ( BoNT/A HC) on cultured Neuro-2a cells and to investigate the related signaling mechanisms for the effect of BoNT /A HC. METHODS:Neuro-2a cells were treated with different doses of BoNT/A HC (0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 nmol/L), and then the cells were harvested at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h of BoNT/A HC exposure for detecting the neurite length and the percen-tage of the cells with neuronal processes by immunofluorescence staining .The most efficient dose of BoNT/A HC was cho-sen for exposure to Neuro-2a cells as the above.Whole cell protein was harvested at different time points for detecting the protein levels of phosphorylated ERK 1/2 ( p-ERK1/2 ) and phosphorylated Akt ( p-Akt ) by Western blot .RESULTS:Low doses of BoNT/A HC stimulated the neurite outgrowth , and increased the percentage of the cells with neurites com-pared with the negative controls (P<0.05), especially in the group with 1 nmol/L of BoNT/A HC treatment.Meanwhile, the phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 and Akt was increased after treated with BoNT/A HC.There was an increasing tendency for the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 after the exposure of the cells to BoNT/A HC.The obvious increase in p-ERK1/2 was seen from 60 min to 5 h with 1 nmol/L of BoNT/A HC treatment ( P<0.05 ) , and the increased protein level of p-Akt was mainly observed at 15 min and 60 min ( P<0.05 ) .CONCLUSION: BoNT/A HC stimulates the neuritogenesis .The neuritogenic mechanism of BoNT/A HC on Neuro-2a cells might be realized by activation of the phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 and Akt.

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells under certain conditions can differentiate into nerve cells. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem celltransplantation can rebuild nervous system function and improve functional disorders in patients. Glycosides of cistanche also have a protective effect against nerve cellinjury. Their combination has been less reported. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effectiveness of Cistanche deserticola and bone marrow mesenchymal stem celltransplantation on spinal cord injury in rats. METHODS:Fifty adult Wistar rats with spinal cord injury were randomly divided into four group:a Cistanche deserticola group (intragastric administration of 20 mL/kg Cistanche deserticola concentrated solution per day), a celltransplantation group (10μL of 1×108/L bone marrow mesenchymal stem cellsuspension), a combination group (10μL of 1×108/L bone marrow mesenchymal stem cellsuspension+intragastric administration of 20 mL/kg Cistanche deserticola concentrated solution per day) and a control group (intragastric administration of 20 mL/kg normal saline per day). The intragastric administration lasted for 30 days in each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After 30 days of treatment, the expression of Nestin was significantly higher in the combination group than the other groups. After 12 weeks, Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scores was significantly higher in the combination group than the other groups (P<0.05);somatosensory and motor evoked potential latencies were also improve significantly in the combination group compared with the other groups (P<0.05). These findings indicate that oral administration of Cistanche deserticola combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can significantly improve the motor and neurophysiological function of spinal cord injury rats. Cistanche deserticola can improve the survival of transplanted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in rats with spinal cord injury.

Objective To establish an HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of quercetin and kaempferol inKaempferia galanga L..Methods ODS2 C18 (5μm, 4.6 mm×150 mm) was used as chromatographic column; methanol-0.4% phosphate (47:53) was the mobile phase; the flow rate was 1 mL/min; column temperature was 30℃; the detection wavelength was 367 nm; the injection volume was 10μL.Results Quercetin showed good linear relationship in the range of 0.016 5–1.65μg (r=0.999 7). The average recovery rate was 96.8%, RSD=2.02%; kaempferol showed good linear relationship in the range of 0.014 6–1.46μg (r=0.999 5). The average recovery rate was 97.3%, RSD=1.77%.Conclusion The method is simple, accurate, and with good reproducibility, which can be used for content determination of quercetin and kaempferol inKaempferia galanga L..

AIM:To observe the effect of botulinum neurotoxin type A heavy chain ( BoNT/A HC) on the pat-tern of spinal protein expression by intrathecal injection after spinal cord injury in rats , and to explore the role of BoNT/A HC intervention in spinal protein expression and some of its mechanisms in nerve regeneration after injury .METHODS:The model of unilateral lumbar spinal cord injury was established .The effects of BoNT/A HC intervention at different doses (2 μg, 4 μg, 6 μg and 8 μg) on the general pattern of protein expression in the spinal cord tissues at the injury site and the cranial part adjacent to the injury site was measured and evaluated by SDS-PAGE and Coomassie brilliant blue staining first, and then by two-dimensional SDS-PAGE.RESULTS:The histological structure of the ipsilateral side of lumbar spi-nal cord showed obvious destruction and degradation , mainly affecting both gray and white matter of the left side of the cord.The result of SDS-PAGE with Coomassie brilliant blue staining from injured spinal cord tissue displayed that the ex-pression of some proteins after one-time BoNT/A HC treatment appeared obviously different from that without BoNT /A HC treatment.Moreover, the pattern of the protein expression affected by BoNT/A HC was similar to that of the normal spinal cord.The more detail information from two-dimensional SDS-PAGE indicated that more than 10 proteins with different mo-lecular weight and isoelectronic points were differentially expressed at day 2 and day 20 after local injection of 6μg BoNT/A HC.This altered expression actually appeared a tendency toward the pattern shown in normal group .CONCLUSION:The immediate application of BoNT/A HC at the injury site after unilateral lumbar spinal cord injury is able to affect the pattern of local protein expression .The altered protein expression by injury could be reversed back to normal or approxi -mately normal by local BoNT/A HC administration.