ve To investigate the effects of selenium and zinc on the absorption, excretion and accumu-lation of fluoride in rats. Methods The contents of fluoride in serum, excrement, urine and bone were determined in Wistar rats drinking distilled water containing 100 mg/L NaF and orally perfused jointly with 0.1 mg/(kg? d) Na2SeO3 and/or 14.8 mg/(kg?d) ZnSO4 one time per two days continuously for 90 days. Results Na2SeO3 and/or ZnSO4 could increase the concentration of fluoride in urine, decrease the concentration of fluoride in serum and the content of fluoride in bone of rats. Exposure to ZnSO4 and joint exposure to Na2SeO3 and ZnSO4 could increase the content of fluoride in excrement. Conclusion ZnSO4 could inhibit the absorption of fluoride in intestine, Na2SeO3 and /or ZnSO4 could promote the excretion of urine fluoride and restrain the accumulation of fluoride in bone of rats.

Peptide cyclization, a pivotal approach to modifying linear precursors of proteins and pepticles, has been used to enhance their biological activities and serum stabilities. Recently, sortase A (SrtA) from Staphyloccus aureus becomes a promising new technology for efficiently incorporating site specific modifications into proteins, conjugating the cell surface and cyclizing the linear peptides. In this study, we constructed two recombinant expression systems, one with chitin binding domain and the other with six-histidine tag and chitin binding domain on the N-terminal of SrtA, separately. The results of enzymatic kinetics indicate that the two recombinant tags do not impair the transpeptidase activity of SrtA compared with the standard reaction reported under the same reaction condition. The two synthesized peptides with N-ternimal three glycines and C-terminal penta-amino acid motif, LPETG, were cyclized using immobilized and recycled SrtA. The SrtA-based cyclization promises to represent a simple method for easy and efficient enzymatic synthesis of large cyclic peptides.
Aminoacyltransferases ; metabolism ; Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; Cyclization ; Cysteine Endopeptidases ; metabolism ; Enzymes, Immobilized ; metabolism ; Kinetics ; Peptides ; metabolism ; Peptides, Cyclic ; biosynthesis ; Staphylococcus aureus ; enzymology

Using sustained release tablets of gardenia extract as model drug and DPPH radical scavenging capacity as antioxidant index, the feasibility of using pharmacodynamics index was explored to evaluate sustained release tablets. Applying the established quantifiable method of DPPH radical scavenging to the dissolved liquid of model drug, release profiles and biological effects profiles were drawn, and their correlation was discussed. A good correlation was observed by linear regression and f2 actor, suggesting that the indicator could be used to evaluate sustained release tabletsofextracts of gardenia in which iridoids were mainly involved.
Antioxidants ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Biphenyl Compounds ; metabolism ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; metabolism ; pharmacokinetics ; Free Radicals ; metabolism ; Gardenia ; chemistry ; Kinetics ; Linear Models ; Oxidation-Reduction ; drug effects ; Picrates ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; metabolism ; pharmacokinetics ; Tablets

OBJECTIVETo compare therapeutic effects between surgical and conservative treatment for postoperative lumbar discitis.

METHODSFrom January 2004 to January 2009, 41 patients (17 males and 24 females ranging the age from 37 to 68 years with an average of 53.6 years) with postoperative lumbar discitis were retrospectively studied and divided into two groups. There were 19 patients in operation group, 22 patients in conservative group. Clinical data and features,image data, laboratory examinations, antibiotics utilization, hospital stays and sequelae were recorded and analyzed. Visual analogue scales system (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were applied to evaluate therapeutic effects.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up over 2 years. Imaging revealed good bone fusion and no occurrence of discitis. VAS score and ODI at 1 month, 1 year and 2 years were significantly improved after treatment (P < 0.01). While VAS and ODI in operation group at 1 month were improved more than that of conservative group (P < 0.01), and there was no significant difference between two groups at 1 year and 2 years (P > 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSurgical and conservative treatment for postoperative lumbar discitis is effective. Surgical treatment is superior to conservative treatment in a short time, while conservative treatment can achieve long-term satisfactory curative effects.

Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Discitis ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; drug effects ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the Human papillomavirus(HPV)infection in different age groups of women in Shenyang, and explore its correlation with cervical biopsy diagnosis.Methods 7 311 women aged 13-85 did HPV test and thin-cytologic test (TCT)in the hospital.Some of them had biopsy detection under electronic colposcopy,and the pathological diagnosis was the golden standard for the diagnosis of cervical lesions.SPSS18.0 statistical software was used for all statistical analysis.Results The infection rate of <30 years old women was significantly higher than that of 30 - <40,40 - <50,≥50 years old women (P <0.05).The most prevalent high-risk HPV genotype in Shenyang were subtype 16,52,58,53,33,31 and 18,and the most prevalent low-risk HPV subtypes were 81,11 and 6.The former 4 subtypes of high-risk HPV infection accounted for 67.3% of all high-risk infection.As to the 4 subtypes with higher infection rate,the infection rate of ≥40 years old women was higher than that of <40 years old(χ2 =20.29,P =0.00).The top two low-risk HPV subtypes accounted for 74.8% of the infections.The mean age of the ICC patients were 48.3,which was statistically different from the other groups(P <0.05).Cervical lesions occured mostly in 40-49 years old,which accounted for 37.1% and was higher than the other agees(P <0.01).HPV16 infection rate increased with the severity of cervical lesions.Conclusion HPV DNA genotyping is a necessary methord for cervical cancer screen,an effective com-plement for precancerous lesions diagnosis which was missed in cytology test,and also an indispensable test for CIN treatment and follow-up after operation.

Transformed hairy roots of Polygonium multiflorum Thunb. were obtained by the transformation of Agrobacterium rhizogenes LBA9402. It was clearly demonstrated that T-DNA of A. Rhizogenes Ri plasmid was integrated into the cells of hairy roots by the experiments of PCR and Southern hybridization. Through the screen of basic medium and the research of growth curve of hairy roots, the optimum inoculum time was selected in 30 days or so in the optimum condition-MS medium. On the condition, the content of rhein was 2.85 folds higher in hairy roots than that of natural plants by means of HPLC.
Anthraquinones ; analysis ; metabolism ; Emodin ; analysis ; Organ Culture Techniques ; methods ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; genetics ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Polygonaceae ; chemistry ; cytology ; Rhizobium ; genetics ; Transformation, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (tadalafil) on the testis following testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

METHODSEighty-four healthy adult male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into groups A (sham operation), B (testicular torsion + low-dose tadalafil), C (testicular torsion + high-dose tadalafil), and D (testicular torsion + placebo). Models were established in the latter three groups by 7200 torsion of the right testis for 2 hours. The animals in groups A and B were treated by gavage with tadalafil at the dose of 0. 5 mg per kg per day, those in group C at 2 mg per kg per day, and those in group D with saline at the same dose. After 3, 7, and 14 days of treatment, the torsioned testes were harvested for evaluation of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the testis tissue. The pathological changes in the testis were observed under the light microscope.

RESULTSAt 3, 7, and 14 days, the SOD activity was (254.46 +/- 7.43), (278.49 +/- 8.33), and (317.99 +/- 3.31) nU/mg prot in group B, and (277.12 +/- 8.80), (309.40 +/- 2.14), and (320.39 +/- 4.72) nU/mg prot in group C, all obviously higher than in D ([223.21 +/- 4.65], [231.45 +/- 4.16] and [248.28 +/- 5.74] nU/mg prot), while the MDA content was lower in the former two groups than in the latter. At 3 and 7 days, the SOD activity was significantly higher and the MDA level significantly lower in group C than in B (both P < 0.01) , while at 14 days, neither showed any remarkable differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). No obvious histopathological change was observed in the testis tissue of group A. At 3 and 7 days, pathological examination of the testis tissue revealed significant differences in the number of seminiferous epithelial layers, testicular histological score, and seminiferous tubule diameter in group B (P < 0.01), but the three indexes at 14 days in group B and at 7 days in group C exhibited no remarkable differences from those at 14 days in group A.

CONCLUSIONTadalafil can alleviate testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury following testis torsion/detorsion in a time- and dose-dependent manner.

Animals ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Carbolines ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Seminiferous Tubules ; pathology ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; complications ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Tadalafil ; Testis ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Time Factors

Three cyclotides were isolated from the whole plant of Viola yedoensis in this study. The two, vary peptide E and cycloviolacin Y5, were previously reported, and a novel cycloviolacin VY1 was characterized according to the interpretation of MS/MS fragmentation of peptides which were produced from the reduced and alkylated parent peptide with the digestion of Endo Lys-C, trypsin and chymotrypsin, separately. The stability of remarkable resistance to proteolytic degradation by trypsin and chymotrypsin, and that of thermal denaturation was confirmed again. Besides, the IC50 value of cycloviolacin VY1 against influenza A H1N1 virus was (2.27 +/- 0.20) microg x mL(-1). It is the first cyclotide reported with anti-influenza A H1N1 virus activity in vitro assay.
Antiviral Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cyclotides ; pharmacology ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; drug effects ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Viola ; chemistry

Taxol is one of the most potent chemotherapeutic agents known, showing excellent activity against a range of cancers. In addition to anticancer, taxol has the effect of preventing graft arteriosclerosis, antiscaring formation and inhibiting angiogenesis. There are five possible routes to industrialize taxol production: isolation from the bark of the yew species, total synthesis, semisynthesis, tissue or cell culture, endophytic fungal fermentation and metabolism engineering. There are at least 14 genes related to the taxol biosynthesis had been cloned from yews and functionally expressed in different hosts. The combinational expression system of taxol makes progress as the clarification of biosynthetic pathway of taxol.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; biosynthesis ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Arteriosclerosis ; prevention & control ; Genes, Plant ; Genetic Engineering ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Paclitaxel ; biosynthesis ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Taxoids ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Taxus ; chemistry ; genetics

According to previous studies of SARS-CoV (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus), a variety of novel accessory genes have been identified in SARS-CoV genome, which were interspersed the structural genes of SARS-CoV and considered to be unique to the SARS-CoV genome. The predicted unknown proteins (PUPs) encoded by the accessory genes might play important roles in the SARS-CoV infection. Three of those genes, called X4, X5 and ORF10, were synthesized and introduced into E. coli to induce expression. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting revealed that the three genes have been expressed in E. coli. The induction of SARS PUPs genes expression in different temperatures, induction times, IPTG concentrations and A values of E. coli cells were performed. The optimal induction condition of SARS-CoV PUPs genes was characterized according to the orthorgonal analysis. The ratio of recombinant proteins of PUPs to total proteins is as follows: X4, 20%; X5, 27.8%; ORF10, 68.5% under the optimum conditions.
Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral ; Genes, Viral ; Genetic Vectors ; Genome, Viral ; Open Reading Frames ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; Temperature ; Time ; Viral Matrix Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Viral Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism