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

OBJECTIVETo learn about the pathogen spectrum and genetic characterization of HFMD with encephalitis in Yantai city.

METHODSStool samples and cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) collected from HFMD with encephalitis cases in Yantai. Virus were isolated from stool samples and identified by fluorescence reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The VPl region was amplified and sequenced from positive specimens. Genetic characterization was identified by sequence analysis.

RESULTSGetting 3 virus strains from 10 stool specimens and all of them belong to EV71. The nucleotide and amino acid homogeneity with the representative isolates of C4a were 98%-99% and 98.90%-99.45% respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe pathogen of HFMD with encephalitis in Yantai city were mainly EV71 wich belong to subgenogroup C4 cluster C4a.

Capsid Proteins ; genetics ; Encephalitis, Viral ; virology ; Enterovirus A, Human ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; complications ; virology ; Humans ; Phylogeny

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.

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of the dried roots of Zanthoxylum dimorphophyllumr. spinifolium and to find out the active constituents of the plant.

METHODModern chromatography was used to purify chemical constituents, and their structures were identified by various spectral methods.

RESULTFour compounds were isolated and identified as isopimpinellin (I), xanthoxyletin (II), 6-(2', 3'-dihydroxy-3'-methyl-butyl)-7-hydroxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (III), 6-(2'-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy, 3'-dihydroxy-3'-methybutyl)-7-hydroxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (IV).

CONCLUSIONAll of the above compounds were isolated from the above mentioned plant for the first time.

Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Furocoumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Zanthoxylum ; chemistry

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

The megakaryocyte and platelet lineage may be one of the major sites of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. However, whether HCMV aggravates apoptosis in normal megakaryocytes was not well investigated. Megakaryocytic cell line CHRF-288-11 and HCMV AD 169 strain were co-cultured in this study. PCR was used to detect the direct infection of the cells by HCMV IEA expression. The apoptotic cells were analyzed by morphologic observation, DNA ladder formation, annexin V/PI and PI assay with flow cytometry. The results showed that HCMV significantly inhibited the growth of CHRF cells in three different concentrations of viral infection groups (10(-3), 10(-2), 10(-1)). The viability levels in each infection groups were 77%, 73% and 68% respectively after incubation for 7 days, compared with 98% in the control group. Using annexin V/PI with flow cytometry, it was shown that the percentages of apoptotic cells viral infection in groups (10(-3), 10(-2), 10(-1)) were (21.3 +/- 2.49)%, (25.8 +/- 3.65)% and (31.4 +/- 3.91)% at 7 days after infection, while the control was (3.68 +/- 1.47)%. The apoptotic cells were further confirmed by morphologic observation and DNA ladder formation. Furthermore, PCR detection also showed the direct infection by identification of HCMV IEA expression in CHRF cells. This study suggested that HCMV could directly infect megakaryocytes and aggravated apoptosis in HCMV-infected megakaryocytes.
Apoptosis ; Cell Survival ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytomegalovirus ; pathogenicity ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Humans ; Megakaryocytes ; cytology ; virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

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

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

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