Background As one of the most common microvascular complication of diabetes in eyes,diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most important cause of blindness.Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is involved in the occurrence and development of the disease through the activation of a series of inflammatory cytokines.Objective The present study was to investigate the effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ) excitomotor,rosiglitazone,on NF-κB expression and apoptosis of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in the retina with diabetes mellitus. Methods Ninety SPF male Wistar rats were randomized into normal control group,diabetic control group and rosiglitazone group.Diabetes mellitus was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg streptozotocin(STZ).Then 3 mg/kg rosiglitazone was intragastricly administered once per day in the rosiglitazonegroup,and the same volume of saline solution was used at the same way in the normal control group and diabetic control group from 3 days after modeling.The rats were sacrificed and the eye cups specimen was made at 4,8 and 12 weeks after usage of drugs.Retinal histopathological examination was performed by hematine-eosin staining,and expression of NF-κB p65 protein in retina and apoptotic index(AI) of RGCs were detected by immunohistochemistry and TUNEL assay,respectively in different time points mentioned above.The use of the animals complied with the Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals by State and Technology Commission.Results The blood glucose level was significantly elevated at various time points in the diabetic control group and rosiglitazone group compared with normal control group (P＜0.01 ),and that of the rosiglitazone group was significantly declined in comparison to the diabetic control group (q =0.81,0.82,1.23,P＞ 0.05 ).Normal retinal structure was seen in the normal control group,and edema retinal cell and disorder of retinal layers were exhibited in the diabetic control group.Retinal structure was almost normal in the rosiglitazone group.The NF-κB p65 was expressed weakly in the retina of normal control group,but the expression of NF-κB p65 was significantly elevated in the diabetic control group and rosiglitazone group compared with the normal control group(P＜0.01 ).However,the expression of NF-κB p65(A value)was significantly decreased in the rosiglitazone group compared with diabetic control group at 8 weeks and 12 weeks( q=17.77,15.30,P＜0.01 ).There were a few apoptotic cells in rat retina of the normal control group.Compared with the normal control group,the AI of the diabetic control group and rosiglitazone group was significantly reduced(P＜0.01 ).However,the AI of RGCs in the rosiglitazone group was significantly lower than that of diabetic control group in various time points (q =19.28,27.39,49.92,P＜0.01 ). Conclusions As one of the PPAR-γexcitomotors,rosiglitazone can inhibit apoptosis of RGCs through downregulating the expression of NF-κB in rat retina with diabetes mellitus,indicating a protective effect of rosiglitazone on retina in diabetic rat.

Objective To investigate the effect of curcumin on apoptosis in hippocampal neurons and the expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3) and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) in hippocampus during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats with spontaneous hypertension (SH) .Methods One hundred and thirty-five male rats (homologous with WKY) with SH and 90 male normotensive WKY rats, weighing 275-325 g,were used in this study. The WKY rats were randomized into 2 groups ( n = 45 each) : sham operation group (WS group) and cerebral I/R group (W-I/R group) . The rats with SH were randomly divided into 3 groups ( n = 45each) : sham operation group (S-S group), cerebral I/R group (S-I/R group) and curcumin group (S-C group) .Global cerebral ischemia was produced by 4 vessel-occlusion method. The bilateral common carotid arteries were only exposed but not ligated in W-S and S-S groups. Intraperitoneal corn oil 10 ml/kg was injected at 30 min of reperfusion in W-I/R and S-I/R groups. Intraperitoneal curcumin 100 mg/kg was injected at 30 min of reperfusion in S-C group. Three animals in each group were sacrificed at 2 h, 6 h, 1 d, 3 d and 7 d of reperfusion and their brains were harvested for determination of apoptosis in hippocampal neurons and the expression of JNK3 and PSD95in hippocampus. Results The number of apoptotic neurons was significantly increased in S-S group compared with W-S group ( P < 0.05) . The number of apoptotic neurons was significantly increased and the expression of JNK3was up-regulated in S-I/R group compared with S-S group ( P < 0.05) . The number of apoptotic neurons was significantly decreased and the expression of JNK3 was down-regulated in S-C group compared with S-I/R group (P <0.05) . There was no significant difference in the expression of PSD95 among all the groups ( P > 0.05) . Conclusion Curcumin can inhibit apoptosis in hippocampal neurons and the mechanism is related to down-regulation of the expression of JNK3 in hippocampus. The mechanism by which curcumin down-regulates the expression of JNK3in hippocampus may not be related to PSD95 pathway.

OBJECTIVETo compare the effectiveness and accuracy of the use of vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) versus wire localization (WL) in the diagnosis of non-palpable breast lesions (NPBL).

METHODSNinety-seven consecutive women with NPBL were randomized into VAB group and WL group. All specimens were identified by mammography. The patients were requested to score the cosmetic appearance of their breast after operation, and a numerical rating scale was used to measure pain on the first postoperative day. Underestimation rates for atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were recorded if open surgical biopsy revealed DCIS and invasive cancer, respectively. Clear margins were also recorded in the two groups.

RESULTSVAB and WL located all the NPBL successfully. In the VAB group, the specimen volume was smaller than that of the WL group (2.3 cm(3) vs. 18.4 cm(3), P = 0.03). Underestimation rates of ADH and DCIS in the VAB group were 16.7% and 11.1%, respectively. The diagnostic accordance rate of VAB was 97.9%, the false negative rate was 2.1%, and there was no false positive case. The means of the numerical rating pain scale were different in both groups (1.7 for VAB vs. 2.5 for WL, P = 0.02). When cosmetic results were taken into account, 40 VAB patients had excellent outcomes and 8 good outcomes, compared with 25 excellent and 24 good for the WL group. There were better cosmetic outcomes with the VAB procedure (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONVAB is highly reliable and may avoid diagnostic open surgery in the majority of patients with benign lesions. However, because of the underestimation of histologic diagnosis and tumor margin involvement, VAB can not be used to completely substitute wire localization.

Adult ; Biopsy, Needle ; instrumentation ; methods ; Breast ; pathology ; Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Carcinoma in Situ ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Fibroadenoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Middle Aged ; Precancerous Conditions ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Stereotaxic Techniques ; instrumentation ; Vacuum

OBJECTIVETo investigate the spectrum of pathogens for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children, and to provide a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of CAP.

METHODSRespiratory secretions and venous blood samples were collected from 1560 children with CAP aged from one month to 9 years within 2 hours after admission, for detection of multiple pathogens. Respiratory virus antigens in nasopharyngeal swab specimens were detected by immunofluorescence. Sputum was used for bacterial culture. Levels of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP)-IgM and Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP)-IgM in venous blood were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSA total of 579 strains of bacteria were isolated from all respiratory secretions, including 213 (36.8%) Gram-positive strains and 366 (63.2%) Gram-negative strains. The five most common strains were Haemophilus influenzae (7.50%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (6.73%), Staphylococcus aureus (6.35%), Moraxella catarrhalis (5.19%), and Escherichia coli (3.46%), wherein the beta-lactamase-producing strains accounted for 3.3% of all strains. The non-bacterial pathogens mainly included respiratory syncytial virus (12.88%), MP (7.88%), and CP (8.91%). Mixed infection of pathogens was serious, and the mixed infection of respiratory syncytial virus with Haemophilus influenzae infections were the most common. For most pathogens, the infection rate was higher in children aged under one year than in those aged over one year.

CONCLUSIONSHaemophilus influenzae, respiratory syncytial virus, MP and CP are the main pathogens for children with CAP. For most pathogens, the infection rate is higher in children aged under one year than in those aged over one year. Mixed infection rate of pathogens is high.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Coinfection ; etiology ; microbiology ; Community-Acquired Infections ; etiology ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Pneumonia ; etiology ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo compare the impact of traditional and fast bowel preparation on the changes of gut flora in the patients following colorectal resection.

METHODSSixty patients undergoing colorectal resection from March 2010 to March 2011 in the Nanfang Hospital were randomly divided into the control group(n=27, 3 days of bowel preparation) and the experimental group(n=33, 1 day of bowel preparation). Fresh feces were collected before bowel preparation and on the first defecation after surgery. The postoperative changes in gut flora and septic complications were observed.

RESULTSGut flora disturbance was found in both groups. The postoperative population of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus decreased significantly(P<0.05), and the decrease was more significant in the experimental group compared to the control group(P<0.05), while E.coli and Staphylococcus were much higher than the preoperative level(P<0.05), which was more significant in the control group. The incidence of postoperative infection was 9.1%(3/33) in the experimental group, which was significantly lower than 29.6%(8/27) in the control group(P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONFast bowel preparation is effective in reducing gut flora disturbance and the incidence of postoperative infection.

Colorectal Neoplasms ; microbiology ; surgery ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; Enema ; methods ; Feces ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microbiota ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; Preoperative Care ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo study the influence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency on hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) induced by enterovirus 71 (EV71) , and possible mechanisms.

METHODSA total of 220 boys with HFMD induced by EV71 were classified into two groups based on disease severity: mild/moderate (n=145) and severe HFMD groups (n=75), and 132 healthy boys were selected as the control group. The activity of G6PD and levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and malonaldehyde (MDA) in blood were measured using the automatic biochemical analyzer.

RESULTSThe percentage of G6PD deficiency cases in the severe HFMD group was significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.0125). In the severe HFMD group, the durations of fever, mental abnormality, limb trembling and hospital stay were significantly longer in children with G6PD deficiency than in those with normal G6PD activity (P<0.05). In the acute and recovery stages, patients in the mild/moderate and severe HFMD groups had significantly lower GSH levels and G6PD activity and significantly higher MDA levels compared with those in the control group (P<0.05). In the acute stage, children in the mild/moderate and severe HFMD groups with G6PD deficiency had significantly lower GSH levels and significantly higher MDA levels compared with those with normal G6PD activity (P<0.01). In the acute and recovery stages, GSH level in children with HFMD was positively correlated with G6PD activity (r=0.61, P<0.01; r=0.58, P<0.01), and in the acute stage, MDA level was negatively correlated with G6PD activity (r=-0.29, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSG6PD deficiency is probably a predisposing factor for HFMD induced by EV71 and may aggravate the patient's condition. Its mechanism might be related to oxidative stress.

Child, Preschool ; Enterovirus A, Human ; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase ; blood ; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency ; complications ; Glutathione ; blood ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; etiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood

A quantitative real-time PCR assay was developed to measure the proviral load of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in peripheral blood. The technology utilizes special primers and Taqman MGB fluorescence probe to measure amplification products from the gag-pro-pol polyprotein gene of HTLV-I. HTLV-I copy number was normalized to the amount of cellular DNA by quantitation of the beta-actin gene, The amplification system was sensitive to detect 5 copy/microL. The standard curve had a good linearity when the quantity for the gene was between 10(3) and 10(7) copy/microL (R2 = 0.999). Good reproducibility was observed in each intra- and inter-assay. We also measured proviral load in peripheral blood in 12 HTLV-I seropositive former blood donors. Proviral load for HTLV-I infected donors ranged from 0.015 to 12.819 copy/cell in WBC with the mean of 3.116 copy/cell.
Gene Products, gag ; genetics ; Gene Products, pol ; genetics ; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Molecular Probes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Viral Proteins ; genetics

BACKGROUNDAccurate evaluation of coronary artery, aortic valve annulus diameter (AVAD), and cardiac function in patients with aortic valve disease is of great significance for surgical strategy. In this study, we explored the preoperative evaluation of low-dose sequence (MinDose sequence) scan of dual-source CT (DSCT) for those patients.

METHODSForty patients suspected for aortic valve disease (the experimental group) underwent MinDose sequence of DSCT to observe coronary artery, AVAD, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Another 33 subjects suspected for coronary artery disease (the control group) underwent conventional retrospective electrocardiographically-gated sequence of DSCT. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2D-TTE) and four-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (4D-TTE) were applied in the experimental group to measure AVAD and LVEF and compared with MinDose-DSCT.

RESULTSThere was a strong correlation between LVEFs measured by 2D-TTE and MinDose-DSCT (r = 0.87, P < 0.01), as well as between 4D-TTE and MinDose-DSCT (r = 0.90, P < 0.01). AVAD measured by MinDose-DSCT was in good agreement with corresponding measurements by 2D-TTE (r = 0.90, P < 0.01). The effective dose in the experimental group was 63.54% lower than that in the control group.

CONCLUSIONSMinDose sequence of DSCT with a low radiation dose serving as a one-stop preoperative evaluation makes effective assessment of the coronary artery, AVAD, and LVEF for patients with aortic valve disease.

Adult ; Aged ; Aortic Valve ; diagnostic imaging ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; diagnostic imaging ; Heart Valve Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The major capsid protein of lymphocystis disease virus isolated from Rachycentron canadum (LCDV-rc) was amplified and analysed. The 457bp DNA core fragment was amplified with the degenerate primers designed according to the conserved sequences of MCP gene of iridoviruses, then the flaking sequences adjacent to the core region were amplified by inverse PCR, and the complete sequence was obtained by combining all of them. The open reading frame of the gene is 1380bp in length, encoding a putative protein of 459 aa with molecular weight 51.12 kD and pI 6.87. Constructing the phylogenetic tree for comparing the MCP amino acid of iridoviruses, the results indicated that LCDV-rc is most homologous to the other Lymphocystis viruses and all of them constitute a branch. Accordingly LCDV-rc is identified as Lymphocystivirus.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Capsid Proteins ; genetics ; Iridoviridae ; classification ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Perciformes ; microbiology ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods

OBJECTIVETo study the risk factors for moderate and severe iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in infants aged 6-12 months, and to preliminarily investigate the effects of IDA on the neuromotor development and temperament characteristics of infants.

METHODSA total of 326 infants aged 6-12 months with IDA were classified into three groups: mild IDA (n=176), moderate IDA (n=111), and severe IDA (n=39) according to the severity of anemia. The risk factors for moderate or severe IDA were investigated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Three hundred and forty-six infants without IDA who showed matched age, sex, and other backgrounds were selected as the control group. The Gesell Development Diagnosis Scale was used to evaluate children's mental development. The Temperament Scale for infants was used for evaluating children's temperament.

RESULTSThe univariate analysis showed that the severity of IDA was associated with sex, birth weight, gestational age, multiple birth, maternal anemia during pregnancy, and mother's lack of knowledge about IDA (P<0.05). Setting the mild IDA group as control, the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that multiple birth, premature birth, low birth weight (<2500 g), maternal anemia during pregnancy, breast feeding, and mother's lack of knowledge about IDA were the risk factors for severe IDA (OR>1; P<0.05); premature birth, breast feeding, and mixed feeding were the risk factors for moderate IDA (OR>1; P<0.05). The IDA group had significantly lower scores in Gesell general development quotient, gross motor, adaptive behavior, and fine motor than the control group (P<0.05). The IDA group had higher percentages of children with difficulty and intermediate difficulty temperaments than the control group (P<0.05). The IDA group had significantly higher scores in activity level, rhythmicity, adaptability, and perseverance than the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe severity of IDA is associated with premature birth, multiple birth, low birth weight, feeding pattern, maternal anemia during pregnancy and mother's lack of knowledge about IDA in infants aged 6-12 months. Infants with IDA have delayed neuromotor development and most of them have negative temperaments. More attention should be paid to mental and behavior problems for the infants. It is necessary to provide guidance for their parents in feeding and education.

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; etiology ; Child Development ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Psychomotor Performance ; Risk Factors