Snake antivenomimmunoglobulins are considered to be the most efficient drugs in snake envenomings. Most snake antivenomimmunoglobulins all over the world are still prepared by fragmentation of polyclonal antibodies isolated from hyper-immunized horse serum till now. In this review, we retrospect the history of snake antivenomimmunoglobulins, analysis the present situation and pay the close attention on the key technological links in the process of research and manufacturing, such as properties of IgG and its fragments, selection and preparation of immunogen, optimization of immunization schedule and protein isolation and purification, which can be available for the reference in the research and development of snake antivenom.
Animals ; Antivenins ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; pharmacology ; Snake Bites ; drug therapy ; Snakes

Objective: To explore the effects of 17 β-estrogen (E2) and 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME) on hypoxic induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) and alkane hydroxylase (AlkB) in experimental rats with ovariectomy and hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Methods: A total of 60 healthy female SD rats with castrated surgery were randomly divided into 6 groups:①Routine oxygen group,②Routine oxygen + E2 group, the rats received subcutaneous injection of E2 (20 μg/kg?d),③Routine oxygen + 2ME group, the rats received 2ME (240 μg/kg?d) and④Hypoxia group,⑤Hypoxia + E2 group,⑥Hypoxia + 2ME group.n=10 in each group and all animals were treated for 8 weeks to establish the hypoxic pulmonary hypertension model. The mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) was measured after bloodletting, right ventricle hypertrophy index (RVHI) was calculated and small pulmonary artery remodeling was observed by HE staining. The expression level of HIF-1α and AlkB were examined by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Results: Compared with Routine oxygen group, the rats in Hypoxia group had obviously thickened small pulmonary artery wall with narrowed lumen, increased mPAP and RVHI; the above changes in Hypoxia + E2 and Hypoxia + 2ME groups were relatively smaller, their mPAP and RVHI were higher than Routine oxygen group, while mPAP and RVHI were similar between Hypoxia + E2 and Hypoxia + 2ME groups. There were no real morphological changes in small pulmonary vessels in Routine oxygen + E2 and Routine oxygen + 2ME groups. The HIF-1α expression was obviously elevated in Hypoxia group than Routine oxygen group, while the elevation was less in Hypoxia + E2 and Hypoxia + 2ME groups. HIF-1α expression had no real changes in Routine oxygen+E2 and Routine oxygen + 2ME groups. The AlkB expression was obviously reduced in Hypoxia group than Routine oxygen group, while the reduction was less in Hypoxia + E2 and Hypoxia + 2ME groups. AlkB expression had no real changes in Routine oxygen + E2 and Routine oxygen + 2ME groups. Conclusion: Estradiol E2 and 2ME could remit pulmonary hypertension which might be via up-regulating AlkB expression and down-regulating HIF-1α expression in experimental rats with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

OBJECTIVETo examine the effect of ONO-AE3-208, an EP4 antagonist, on the formation of bone metastasis from prostate cancer in mice.

METHODSThirty-four 6-week old nude mice were divided into an experimental and a control group of equal number to be treated by intraperitoneal injection of ONO-AE3-208 and double distilled water, respectively. Then PC3/LUC cells were constructed by stably transfecting luciferin to prostate cancer PC3 cells and inoculated into the left ventricle of the mice to establish an animal model of systemic bone metastasis. The time of metastasis formation, photon tumor burdens, and changes of the survival curves after modeling were compared between the two groups of mice.

RESULTSAt 30 days after modeling, bioluminescence imaging analysis showed that the photon tumor burdens were significantly increased in a time-dependent manner in the control group in comparison with those in the experimental group (P < 0.01). The rate of metastasis formation was significantly higher in the former than in the latter (93.3% vs 33.3%, P < 0.001). The median time of metastasis formation was 29 d (95% CI 26.547 - 35.262) in the experimental animals as compared with 21 d (95% CI 17.213 -24.787) in the controls (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONEP4 antagonist ONO-AE3-208 can inhibit the formation of bone metastasis from prostate cancer in mice.

Animals ; Bone Neoplasms ; prevention & control ; secondary ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Naphthalenes ; pharmacology ; Neoplasms, Experimental ; prevention & control ; Phenylbutyrates ; pharmacology ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; pathology

Objective To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) with urolithiasis.Methods The clinical data of 9 PHPT patients who were evaluated with simple metabolic evaluation in 881 urolithiasis from 2000 to 2005 were summarized and the references were reviewed.Results The level of serum calcium was (2.96±0.48)mmol/L before operation, (1.94±0.42) mmol/L after operation.The level of parathyroid hormone(PTH) was(1133.53±788.21)pmol/L before op-eration,(74.52±49.17)pmol/L after operation.The level of serum calcium and PTH changed significantly after the parathyroidectomy (P<0.01).Follow-up for 14 months to 6 years.the ureteral stones fragments with lithotripsy were clear after 3 months and followed without recurrence,although the renal stones without lithotripsy were followed with no significant change.Conclusions Increase of serum calcium or increase of PTH above double with normal serum calcium may be helpful for diagnosis of PHPT with urolithiasis.Ureteral stone with PHPT should be treated together.Renal stone with PHPT may be followed up after the parathv-roidectomy,and be treated until the complications were occurred.It suggests that the maidend diagnosed pa-tient with urolithiasis should be added with simple metabolic evaluation,including serum calcium, phospho-nium and PTH.

Objective To investigate the effect of restraint stress on liver injury in mice induced by D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide (D+L).Methods Normal BALB/c (B/c) mice were randomly divided into normal control, stress control, D+L group, and D+L+stress group.The mice of normal control group were bred routinely.The stress group was giv-en stress regularly and quantitatively.Mice in the D+L group were injected intraperitoneally with mixed solution of D-galac-tosamine and lipopolysaccharide at final concentration of 30 mg/mL and 2μg/mL, respectively, once every two days.The D+L+stress group was given equal stress as stress group after injection of D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide mixed solution. Eight weeks later, blood samples were collected to test serum aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), liver tissue samples from all animals were collected to evaluate the degree of liver fibrosis by HE and Masson staining.Results At the 8th week, the ALT and AST values in the D+L+stress group were significantly reduced( P＜0.01) and AST/ALT value was significantly increased(P＜0.01)compared with that in the D+L group.For HE and Masson staining, disordered structure of hepatic lobules, nodular hyperplasia, and necrosis of epithelial cells were present in animals of the D+L group.However, no obvious pathological changes were observewd in the D+L+stress group.For fibrosis scores, the fibrosis grade in the D+L+stress group was significantly decreased than that of the D+L group (P＜0.05).Conclusions Constraint stress presents pro-tective effect on D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide induced liver injury in mice.

Animals ; Burns ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Interleukin-18 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Lactulose ; therapeutic use ; Lipopolysaccharides ; blood ; Liver ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Lung ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Multiple Organ Failure ; prevention & control ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo compare robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) in the treatment of prostate cancer and investigate the clinical application value of RLRP.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed 70 cases of prostate cancer treated by RALRP and another 32 cases treated by LRP. We compared the operation time, intraoperative blood loss and transfusion, catheter-indwelling time, postoperative hospital stay, incisal margin positive rate, biochemical recurrence, and normal postoperative urinary continence and penile erectile function between the two groups of patients.

RESULTSAll the operations were successfully accomplished. RALRP exhibited a significant superiority over LRP in intraoperative blood loss and transfusion, catheter-indwelling time, and postoperative hospital stay, urinary continence and erectile function (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONRobot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, with its advantages of few postoperative complications and well-preserved urinary continence and penile erectile function, is an effective, safe and minimally invasive surgical option for prostate cancer.

Blood Loss, Surgical ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Operative Time ; Penile Erection ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Prostatectomy ; methods ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; methods

Objective To explore the curative effect of two dressing change methods(I.E.Egg- membrane and routine dressing change methods)in the treatment of superficial skin damage caused by the operation.Methods Data was collected from 40 cases with superficial skin damage caused by the operation from 2006.09 to 2008.05.40 patients were divided into experimental group and control group randomly,which included 20 cases respectively.We changed dressing for experimental group with egg-membrane method and for control group by routine method.The pain extent,the therapy expense and the curative effect of two groups were analyzed.Results The total efficiency rate Was 90％in the treatment group and 45％in the contrast group The difference of two groups was statistical significance in the pain extent,the therapy expense and the curative effect (P<0.01).Conclusions The egg-membrane method can shorten healing time,reHeve the pain extent, decrease the therapy expense and cut down the Raise workload in practice.Therefore,it is all effective measure for preventing bedsore after operation.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the preventive effect of interleukin-18 (IL-18) gene modified mature dendritic cells (mDC) vaccine on airway inflammation in mouse asthma model.

METHODSThe asthma model was induced by injection of ovalbumin (OVA) in BALB/c mice. IL-18 gene modified mouse mature dendritic cells (mDC) were detected by flow cytometry and its capacity of inducing allogeneic T cell responses was examined by mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). The OVA-induced asthmatic mice were randomly divided into 6 groups: PBS group, DXM group, mDC group, Ad-LacZ-mDC group, Ad-IL-18-mDC group and control group. The pathological changes in lung tissues were assayed by HE and AB-PAS staining. The numbers of inflammatory cells and percentage of eosinophils (EOS) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were counted. The levels of IFN-γ IL-4 and IL-13 in culture supernatant of splenocytes were measured by ELISA method. The percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Treg was assessed by flow cytometry analysis.

RESULTThe vaccine was effective in decreasing the infiltration of EOS and accumulation of airway goblet cells in lung tissues, the numbers of inflammatory cells and percentage of EOS in BALF, and the levels of IL-4 and IL-13 in culture supernatant of splenocytes, and in increasing the levels of IFN-γ in culture supernatant of splenocytes and the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+)foxP3(+) reg.

CONCLUSIONIL-18 gene modified mDC vaccine has a preventive effect on airway inflammation in OVA-induced asthmatic mice.

Animals ; Asthma ; immunology ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Genetic Therapy ; Interleukin-18 ; genetics ; Lung ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Ovalbumin ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo summarize our experiences in the diagnosis and treatment of placenta accreta in the second trimester of pregnancy.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 31 patients were admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital with placenta accreta in the second trimester of pregnancy from January 2002 to January 2010.

RESULTSAmong 31 cases, one case (3.2%) was suspected to be with placenta accreta by ultrasound examination and 30 cases (96.8%) were normal before delivery. Placenta accreta was identified during follow-up in 12 cases (38.7%) after delivery. Fourteen patients underwent curettage again after delivery,which was effective in 6 patients (42.9%) and failed in 8 patients,in whom uterine artery embolization (UAE) was further applied. Thirteen patients underwent UAE without curettage. In total,21 cases underwent UAE, which was effective in 19 patients (90.5%); one patient with abnormal β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) 5 months after embolization underwent lesion resection and one case with slightly increased β-HCG were lost to follow-up. Hysteroscopy was effective in 3 patients,of whom two patients underwent lesion resection by hysteroscopy and one case who was suspected to be with trophoblastic disease by ultrasonography before surgery and confirmed to be placenta accreta during hysteroscopy examination underwent lesion resection. One case experienced hemorrhagic shock during vaginal delivery and underwent emergency laparotomy. Among all these 31 patients,massive hemorrhage occurred in 13 cases during delivery and hemorrhagic shock in 2 cases. Three cases had postpartum hemorrhage and stopped bleeding after UAE. None needed hysterectomy.

CONCLUSIONSPlacenta accreta in the second trimester of pregnancy is usually diagnosed after childbirth,which may be delayed in some cases. Therefore,special attention should be paid to this disease during follow-up. Conservative treatment was the main therapy of placenta accreta in the second trimester of pregnancy. UAE is effective in stopping bleeding.

Adult ; Dilatation and Curettage ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Placenta Accreta ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterine Artery Embolization ; Young Adult