Diabetic Neuropathies ; blood ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Phytotherapy

Objective To observe the effects of human retinal pigment epithelium conditioned medium(HRPE-CM) on the biological characteristics of human retinal stem cells(HRSCs). Methods HRSCs were exposed to HRPE-CM and cultivated in three different cultures,including the control,epidermal growth factor(EGF) + basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) and HRPE-CM.Cell counting was performed to explore the effects of different culture media on the proliferation of HRSCs,and their properties as neural stem cells were further identified. Results Compared with control group,HRPE-CM significantly promoted the proliferation of HRSCs(P

Background Apurinic apyrimidinic endonuclease/redox effector factor 1 (APE1/Ref-1) is an important enzyme in the repair of reactive oxygen species-induced DNA damage,and its expression/activation can be induced by reactive oxygen species.The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between multiple-organ injuries and expression of Ref-1 in the early period after liver transplantation.Methods One hundred and fifty adult male Wistar rats were divided randomly into three groups:liver transplantation,sham surgery,and untreated control.After liver transplantation,animals were sacrificed at different time points.Hepatic and renal functions were analyzed by serology.Histology,apoptotic levels,and Ref-1 expression were examined by immunohistochemistry in the liver,kidneys,intestines,and lungs.Results Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase peaked 6 hours after liver transplantation and decreased appreciably after 12 hours in the transplantation group,suggesting that the degree of liver injury in the early period after transplantation peaked at 6 hours and then decreased.Pathological analyses showed that hepatic tissues were more severely injured in the transplantation group than in the sham and untreated groups.A considerable number of infiltrating inflammatory cells was observed around the portal vein in the transplantation group.Injuries to the kidneys,intestines,and lungs were milder after liver transplantation.Apoptotic levels increased after liver transplantation in all four organs examined.Ref-1 expression was higher in the transplantation group in the early period after liver transplantation than in the sham surgery and untreated control groups.Conclusion Ref-1 expression induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury may have a critical role in repairing multiple-organ injuries after liver transplantation.

Objective To compare the efficacy of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration(US-FNA)biopsy in diagnosing solid and complex thyroid nodules with different size. Methods One hundred and seventy-five thyroid FNA biopsies were prospectively performed on 168 patients ranging from 4 to 75 years of age. Sixty-three nodules were surgically excised and the others were clinically followed-up. The cytology diagnoses were categorized into four groups: benign, malignant, suspicious and unsatisfactory. Results There was no significant complication in the all 115 solid and 60 complex thyroid lesions and there were 36and 3 malignant nodules respectively in solid and complex thyroid nodules. The nondiagnostic rates of solid and complex nodules were 7％ and 8％. The accuracy of US-FNA in diagnosing complex thyroid nodules was comparatively equal to that of in solid thyroid nodules. In solid thyroid nodules, the sensitivity and accuracy in ≤1 cm group were similar to that of in ＞1 cm group. Conclusions US-FNA was an accurate and reliable method to diagnose thyroid solid and complex lesions.

AIMTo assess whether exposure to computers harms the semen quality of healthy young men.

METHODSA total of 178 subjects were recruited from two maternity and children healthcare centers in Shanghai, 91 with a history of exposure to computers (i.e., exposure for 20 h or more per week in the last 2 years) and 87 persons to act as control (no or little exposure to computers). Data on the history of exposure to computers and other characteristics were obtained by means of a structured questionnaire interview. Semen samples were collected by masturbation in the place where the semen samples were analyzed.

RESULTSNo differences in the distribution of the semen parameters (semen volume, sperm density, percentage of progressive sperm, sperm viability and percentage of normal form sperm) were found between the exposed group and the control group. Exposure to computers was not found to be a risk factor for inferior semen quality after adjusting for potential confounders, including abstinence days, testicle size, occupation, history of exposure to toxic substances.

CONCLUSIONThe present study did not find that healthy men exposed to computers had inferior semen quality.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; Computers ; Electromagnetic Fields ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Semen ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The study established a UPLC-MS/MS method that is used for simultaneous determination nine major bioactive compounds of Dachengqi Tang in rat plasma. Using Aglient C18 column (2.1 mm x 50 mm,1.7 microm) was chromatographed, using methanol-5 mmol x L(-1) ammonium formate mobile phase gradient, elution 0.3 mL x min(-1). In the plasma pre-treatment process, not only the method of methanol and acetonitrile protein precipitation was investigated, and different factors extraction solvent, the type of the scroll time, the number and the type of extraction solvent, the extraction volume of the extraction solution of liquid-liquid extraction is investigated. Finally, with ibuprofen as an internal standard, using ethyl acetate liquid-liquid extraction method pretreatment blood, N2 dry reconstituted supernatant after centrifugation UPLC-MS/MS analysis, in electrospray ionization (ESI) negative mode, using multiple reaction monitoring mode for testing. The linear range of emodin, rhein, aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, magnolol, honokiol, hesperidin and hesperitin is 0.33-660, 0.40-792, 0.41-827, 0.34-680, 0.45-907, 0.46-927, 0.43-867, 0.34-683, 0.39-787 microg x L(-1) respectively, good linear relationship; and extraction recovery were greater than 69.39%, days after the day of the RSD is less than 15%. This method can be used to study the rat gastric large bearing gas after Dachengqi Tang, the simultaneous determination of nine components in plasma for its pharmacokinetics and efficacy material base to provide a theoretical basis.
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Female ; Male ; Plasma ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods

BACKGROUNDThe heme oxygenase/carbon monoxide (HO/CO) system plays an important role in the development of hepatic fibrosis. The level of the HO/CO can be directly obtained by determining the carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level. The aims of this study were to reveal the significance of COHb in patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis (HBC) complicated by hepatic encephalopathy (HE), and to further investigate the influence of the HO/CO pathway on the end-stage cirrhosis, hoping to find a reliable indicator to evaluate the course of HBC.

METHODSAccording to the diagnostic criteria, 63 HBC inpatients with HE were enrolled in group H. Patients regaining awareness with current therapies were categorized into group P-H. Comparisons were made with a control group (group N) consisting of 20 health volunteers. The levels of COHb, partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and oxygen saturation (SaO2) were determined by arterial blood gas analysis method. The incidences of hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), upper gastrointestinal bleeding, esophagogastric varices and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in group H were recorded. COHb levels in different groups were compared, and the correlations of COHb levels with HE grades (I, II, III, and IV), PaO2, SaO2 and hypoxemia were analyzed.

RESULTSThe COHb level in group P-H ((1.672 ± 0.761)%) was significantly higher than that in group N ((0.983 ± 0.231)%) (P < 0.01), and the level in group H ((2.102 ± 1.021)%) was significantly higher than groups P-H and N (P < 0.01). A positive correlation was observed between the COHb concentration and the grade of HE (r(s) = 0.357, P = 0.004). There were no significant differences of COHb levels between HE patients with and without complications such as esophagogastric varices ((2.302 ± 1.072)% vs. (1.802 ± 1.041)%, P > 0.05) or the occurrence of SBP ((2.960 ± 0.561)% vs. (2.030 ± 1.021)%, P > 0.05). Compared with HE patients with HRS, the level of COHb was significantly higher in HE patients without HRS ((2.502 ± 1.073)% vs. (1.981 ± 1.020)%, P = 0.029). The COHb level had a negative correlation with PaO2 (r = -0.335, P = 0.007) while no statistically significant relationship was found with SaO2 (r = -0.071, P > 0.05). However, when the above two parameters met the diagnostic criteria of hypoxemia, the COHb concentration increased ((2.621 ± 0.880)% vs. (1.910 ± 0.931)%, P = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONSCOHb is a potential candidate to estimate the severity and therapeutic effect of HE. The levels of COHb may be tissue-specific in cirrhotic patients with different complications.

Adult ; Aged ; Carboxyhemoglobin ; metabolism ; Female ; Fibrosis ; complications ; virology ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; metabolism ; Hepatitis B virus ; pathogenicity ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUNDDiagnosis and appropriate treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remain major challenges. We sought to elucidate that persons who share a household with drug resistance tuberculosis patients are at high risk for primary drug resistance tuberculosis and how to prevent these outbreaks.

METHODSWe used 12-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit and 7-locus variable-number tandem repeat to identify household transmission of extensively drug resistant and multiple drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in three families admitted in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital affiliated with Tongji University. Drug susceptibility tests were done by the modified proportion method in the MGIT 960 system in the same time. Clinical data were also obtained from the subjects' medical records.

RESULTSAll of the six strains were defined as Beijing genotype by the deletion-targeted multiplex PCR (DTM-PCR) identification on the genomic deletion RD105. Strains from family-1 had the same minisatellite interspersed repetitive unit (MIRU) pattern (232225172531) and the same MIRU pattern (3677235). Strains from family-2 had the same MIRU pattern (2212261553323) and the same MIRU pattern (3685134). Strains from family-3 did not have the same MIRU pattern and they differed at only one locus (223326173533, 223325173533), and did not have the same VNTR pattern with two locus differed (3667233, 3677234).

CONCLUSIONSHousehold transmission exists in the three families. A clear chain of tuberculosis transmission within family exists. Tuberculosis susceptibility should be considered when there is more than one tuberculosis patients in a family. Household tuberculosis transmission could be prevented with adequate treatment of source patients.

Adult ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; classification ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Radiography ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant ; diagnostic imaging ; transmission ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo prepare cryptotanshinone (CT)-cyclodextrin inclusion compound and improve dissolution of CT.

METHODInclusion ratio was determined by plotting the phase solubility curve of CT versus hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD). CT-cyclodextrin inclusion compound was made by wet grinding method. Properties of the inclusion compound was investigated by in vitro dissolution test, DTA and IR spectrum.

RESULTInclusion ratio of CT versus HPCD was 1:1. Dissolution of CT-HPCD inclusion compound at 45 min was 21.6 times of material drug.

CONCLUSIONDissolution of CT was improved remarkably in CT-HPCD inclusion compound. The complexation force of the inclusion compound was hydrogen bond formed by carbonyl group of CT and hydroxyl group of HPCD.

2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin ; Biological Availability ; Drug Carriers ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Phenanthrenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; Solubility ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Time Factors ; beta-Cyclodextrins ; chemistry

OBJECTIVESTo analyze the relationship between oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL), angiogenesis and stabilization of atherosclerotic plaques in human coronary arteries; and to investigate the role of oxLDL in creating vulnerable sites in atherosclerotic plaques.

METHODSSamples of coronary arteries were obtained at autopsies of 42 patients with acute coronary syndrome. Eighty randomly selected blocks were studied by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against oxLDL and endothelial cells (factor VIII). Computer-aided planimeter was used for quantitative analysis.

RESULTSIn unstable plaques, percentage of immunoreactive areas for oxLDL was significantly higher than that in stable plaques. Most of the oxLDL were located in shoulder region of these plaques, as compared to the fibrous cap and basal regions. The details of distribution of oxLDL were as follows: shoulder region (20.43 +/- 3.12 for unstable plaques and 17.65 +/- 4.22 for stable plaques), fibrous cap (4.77 +/- 2.03 for unstable plaque and 2.80 +/- 0.22 for stable plaques) and basal region (5.65 +/- 1.65 for unstable plaques and 3.22 +/- 1.02 for unstable plaques). OxLDL was also a main component in the lipid core. In the shoulder region, there was a significant positive correlation between neovascularization and oxLDL (r = 0.8247, P = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONSThe amount of oxLDL is significantly higher in unstable atherosclerotic plaques, especially over the shoulder region. OxLDL in coronary atherosclerotic plaques is thus an important factor in determining stabilization of the plaques. OxLDL may induce influx of inflammatory cells which subsequently leads to decreased plaque stabilization.

Angina, Unstable ; metabolism ; pathology ; Coronary Artery Disease ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; metabolism ; Myocardial Infarction ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; metabolism ; pathology