AIMTo research the spontaneous firing activities during different-frequency stimulation of subthalamic nucleus and microelectrophoresis GABA, Glu and their antagons respectively, approaching the mechanism of DBS in the treatment of Parkinson's disease further.

METHODSUsing extracellular recording to investigate the effect of different-frequency stimulation of STN and microelectrophoresis several drugs on the spontaneous firing activities of the SNr neurons.

RESULTSFor STN stimulation at low frequency, there was no difference on the spontaneous firing activities of SNr neurons between pro-stimulation and meta-stimulation (P > 0.05). With the increasing of stimulation frequency, most of the SNr neurons were inhibited. While during the STN stimulation frequency at high-frequency, the firing rates of inhibited SNr neurons were changed (P < 0.05). Glu had catatonic excitement effect on the SNr neurons, whereas GABA had tonic inhibition effect. 80% of SNr neurons which were inhibited by STN-HFS were not inhibited by STN-HFS on the basis of excitatory effect of BIC.

CONCLUSIONTo treat the motor symptoms of PD, when SIN is selected as the target nucleus, the electrical stimulation with high-frequency should be chosen. It is possible that SIN-HFS modulate the activity of SNr by inhibitory effect of GABA predominantly.

Action Potentials ; physiology ; Animals ; Electric Stimulation ; Electrophoresis ; methods ; Glutamic Acid ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Male ; Neurons ; physiology ; Parkinson Disease ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Substantia Nigra ; physiology ; Subthalamic Nucleus ; physiology ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology

AIMTo investigate the effect of pretreatment with taurine on liver injury changes and the change of tumor necrosis factor alpha and NFkappaB expression following rats limbs ischemia/reperfusion.

METHODSThe model of limbs ischemia/reperfusion injury on rats was adopted in the experiment. Wistar rats were randomized into 4 groups (n = 10): Control group, T group, I/R group and TR group. Levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and MDA in the plasma, MDA, MPO, calcium in liver tissues were measured by colorimetric method. The content of TNF-alpha in plasma and liver tissues was determined by radioimmunoassay. The morphologic changes were observed with HE staining. The expressions of NF-kappaBp65 in liver tissues were tested by immuno-histochemistry method.

RESULTSIt was found that against the control group, the test values of ALT, AST, et al. and expressions of TNF-alpha, NF-kappaB increased in I/R group and TR group, but values of those in TR group were lower than in I/R group.

CONCLUSIONTaurine can decrease the levels of TNF-alpha and NF-kappaB. It can mitigate the liver injury after limb ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.

Animals ; Extremities ; blood supply ; Ischemia ; physiopathology ; Liver ; blood supply ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; metabolism ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Taurine ; pharmacology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective: To elucidate the possible mechanism responsible for the improved protection of terminal warm blood cardioplegia (TWBC) after hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) through analysis of tubulin (TB) components changes in myocardial cells exposed to TWBC. Methods: Stable animal models of CPB were established in cats, which were then randomly divided into 2 groups. Group Ⅰ was subjected to intermittent cold blood cardioplegia (ICBC) whereas group Ⅱ to ICBC followed by TWBC before uncross-clamping. Left ventricular performance was then monitored and evaluated by LVSP, LVEDP, ±dp/dtmax and t-dp/dtmax in both groups and semi-quantitive analysis was conducted with Western blot method as to the content and constitution of TB in myocardial cells at 15 min, 120 min after aortic crossclamping (ACC) and 5 min,15 min, 60 min,120 min after reperfusion. Results: Within 120 min after reperfusion, systolic and diastolic functions decreased significantly in group Ⅰ as compared with group Ⅱ(P<0.05). At 115 min after ACC and 15 min after reperfusion, the content of free and polymerized TB in both groups had no difference (P>0.05). At 120 min after ACC and 5 minutes after reperfusion, there was a significant difference between groupⅠ andⅡ (P<0.01). Conclusion: TWBC accelerates the repolymerization of myocardial TB during hypothermic CPB, which may mediate the improved cardiac performance in the early stage of myocardial reperfusion.

Animals ; Extremities ; blood supply ; Heparin ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mesentery ; blood supply ; Microcirculation ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; Splanchnic Circulation ; drug effects

BACKGROUNDFew reports have evaluated the efficacy of re-operation for relapse after initial surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct thrombosis (BDT). The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of initial surgery and subsequent re-operation for HCC with BDT, and their effects on prognosis.

METHODSThe clinical data of 880 patients with HCC, including 28 patients with BDT, who underwent radical hepatectomy between 1998 and 2008 in our hospital, were reviewed. The effects of BDT and re-operation on prognosis were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSThe 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 89.3%, 46.4% and 21.4%, respectively, in 28 patients with BDT versus 91.4%, 52.9% and 20.9% in 852 patients without BDT (P>0.05). Six patients with BDT underwent re-operation after disease relapse, and their survival time was significantly longer than those who did not undergo re-operation (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that portal vein invasion and tumor size were independently associated with tumor relapse and prognosis (P<0.05). Univariate analysis and multivariate analyses showed that obstructive jaundice was not significantly correlated with tumor relapse or prognosis (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHepatectomy plus BDT removal is an effective treatment option for HCC with BDT. Obstructive jaundice is not a contraindication for surgery. Re-operation after relapse can provide good outcomes if the cases are appropriately selected.

Adult ; Bile Ducts ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Female ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Thrombosis ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultrasonography

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important industrial microorganism used in the production and preservation of food-stuffs. Recently, considerable advances have been made in the genetics and molecular biology of LAB. These have resulted in the construction of food-grade gene expression systems for these bacteria. This paper aims to review the essential features for food-grade systems, food-grade selection markers, food-grade controlled gene expression and food-grade inducible signaling molecule, and recent developments on food-grade cloning and expression systems for LAB. These gene expression systems have great potential for studies on gene expression and regulation in LAB and a variety of bioprocessing application in industrial fermentations.
Food Industry ; methods ; standards ; Food Microbiology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ; Lactococcus lactis ; genetics ; growth & development

According to the knowledge gained from engineering of nisinZ, using plasmid pHJ201 DNA as template, NisinZ was mutated by site-directed mutagenesis, NisinZ mutant T8S contains Serine at position 8 instead of Threonine, NisinZ mutant N27K/H31K contains Lysine at position 27 and 31, respectively, instead of Asparagine and Histidine and NisinZ mutant T2S/ H31K contains dehydrobutyrine and Lysine at position 2 and 31 instead of dehydroalanine and Histidine. They are cloned into pMG36e and expressed in L. Lactis NZ9800, the expression products of these mutants purified by Sephadex CM-25 and Sephadex G-25 chromatography, some properties of NisinZ mutants (T8S, T2S/H31K and N27K/H31K) were studied. The results showed that the spectrum of antimicrobial activity and solubility of these mutants had not been changed, their antimicrobial activities were found to be slightly lower than that of the wild-type NisinZ. but mutants T8S and T2S/H31K showed higher stability, which were significantly more stable than wild-type NisinZ at 55 approximately 100 degrees C and pH7 approximately 9.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Bacteria ; drug effects ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; methods ; Nisin ; analogs & derivatives ; genetics ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Protein Stability ; Solubility ; Temperature

AIMTo study the effect of ischemic preconditioning on lung injury following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in the hind limbs of rats.

METHODSWistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=8): control group,limbs ischemia/reperfusion (LI/R) group, ischemia preconditioning (IPC) group and L-NAME group. At the end of the experiment, blood/gas analysis and the contents of serum MDA, NO, ET and lung tissue MDA, NO, ET, MPO were measured. Meanwhile, lung index and W/D) of lung were measured.

RESULTSAfter the rats' hind limbs suffered ischemia/reperfusion, the level of PaO2 decreased and the values of W/D, LI, MPO of the lung issure and MDA, NO, ET of plasma and lung all increased significantly in the LI/R group; but the ratio of NO/ET decreased. Compared with LI/R group, the contents of NO and ratio of NO/ET increased but other parameters decreased in the IPC group. Compared with IPC group, the contents of NO and ratio of NO/ET decreased, but other parameters increased in the L-NAME group.

CONCLUSIONThe IPC can attenuate lung injury following IR in the hind limbs of rats, which may correlated with the increase of NO.

Acute Lung Injury ; prevention & control ; Animals ; Extremities ; blood supply ; Ischemia ; physiopathology ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; methods ; Lung ; blood supply ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; prevention & control

AIMTo probe into the affection and significance of NO on the expression of P-selectin in renal injury following hind limb ischemia/reperfusion in rats.

METHODSIn accordance with the conventional approaches of our department, the model rats were prepared after they were made to undergo 4 hours or ischemia followed by 4 hours of reperfusion of hind limbs. The Wistar rats were divided into four groups randomly: Control group, LI/R group, L-Arg group and L-NAME group. And then in those four groups of Wistar rats, a series of values of measurement were determined such as: Plasma concentrations of nitric oxide (NO), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr). Furthermore, biochemically there came to the assessment of the values including myeloperoxidase (MPO), NO, total nitric oxide synthase (tNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS) and constitutive NOS (cNOS) of renal tissue in different groups. By the methods of electrophoresis and biochemistry, the urine protein was mensurated. The immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of P-selectin protein. The morphologic changes were observed with a microscope.

RESULTSAfter hind limbs had suffered from ischemia/reperfusion for 4 hours, there was the occurrence of a series of results such as in the following which were based on the comparison between plasm of LI/R group and control group. The values of NO, BUN and Cr increased significantly, and the trend of indexes such as NO in renal tissue was similar to that in plasma. The values of MPO, tNOS and iNOS in renal tissue all increased significantly after reperfusion, while cNOS decreased distinctly. The urine protein appeared, especially large molecular weight protein. Renal pathology revealed that after LI/R there were edema and infiltration of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN). Immunohistochemically, the expression of P-selectin was upregulated significantly. Compared with LI/R rats, all injury changes were alleviated in L-Arg group. Morphologic changes were mild. Both the content of urine protein and the percentage of apoptosis cell decreased. The expression of P-selectin was downregulated. In L-NAME group, all injury changes got worse. Immunohistochemical results showed strong positive staining of P-selectin.

CONCLUSIONThe renal injury after LI/R may relate to the strong expression of P-selectin. NO may have protective affection by decreasing the expression of P-selectin and alleviating the adhesion, aggregation and infiltration of neutrophils.

Animals ; Kidney ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; adverse effects ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; P-Selectin ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the surgical technique of "Kou mode of hepatic hilar anastomosis" in the treatment for type III or IV hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

METHODSThe clinical data of 89 patients with type III or IV hilar cholangiocarcinoma surgically treated in our department between Jan. 1990 and Jan. 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. Since January 2000, "Kou mode of hepatic hilar anastomosis" was performed for some patients with advanced hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The patients were divided into two groups: group A treated between 1990 and 1999, group B between 2000 and 2008. The rate of resection, therapeutic efficacy and complications in these two groups were compared, respectively.

RESULTSOf the 37 cases with hilar cholangiocarcinoma in group A, 4 were surgically treated (10.8%), with 1 (2.7%) radical resection and 3 (8.1%) palliative resection. Among the 52 cases with hilar cholangiocarcinoma in the group B, 35 (67.3%) received surgical resection, of them 15 (28.8%) underwent radical resection and 20 (38.5%) had palliative resection. Twenty-eight of these 35 cases underwent the "Kou mode of hepatic hilar anastomosis". The resection rate of advanced hilar cholangiocarcinoma in the group B was significantly higher than that in group A (P < 0.05). The complications in the 89 cases included ascites (3 cases), hemobilia (1 case), heart failure (1 case), and wound infection (2 cases). All the patients who were treated with the "Kou mode of hepatic hilar anastomosis" developed bile leakage to a varying degree and recovered after drainage and symptomatic treatment.

CONCLUSIONThe resection rate of type III or IV advanced hilar cholangiocarcinoma can be remarkably improved by using a novel alternative surgical technique called "Kou mode of hepatic hilar anastomosis". However, the long-term outcome still needs to be determined by close follow-up and further observation.

Aged ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; adverse effects ; methods ; Ascites ; etiology ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; surgery ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Hemobilia ; etiology ; Hepatectomy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Retrospective Studies