Objective: To explore the effect of hirudin on hyperuricemia rats and its mechanism. Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, allopurinol (30 mg/kg) group, hirudin low-, middle- and high-dose (0.2, 0.4, 0.8 g/kg) group. Rats were ig potassium oxonate (0.75 g/kg) to induce hyperglycemia model, once a day for five weeks. And all administration groups were respectively ig corresponding doses of drugs. The level of uric acid in serum and urine of rats were measured by biochemical method; The level of organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1) in kidney was measured by immunohistochemistry; The protein expressions of glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9), OAT1 and urate transporter 1 (URAT1) in kidney were measured by western blotting; The expression levels of GLUT9, OAT1 and URAT1 mRNA in kidney were detected by qRT-PCR. Results: Compared with control group, the level of uric acid in serum and urine of rats in model group was significantly increased (P < 0.01), the expressions of GLUT9, URAT1 mRNA and protein were significantly increased (P < 0.01), the expressions of OAT1 mRNA and protein were significantly decreased (P < 0.01). Compared with model group, the level of uric acid in serum and urine of rats in hirudin group were significantly decreased (P < 0.01), the expressions of GLUT9, URAT1 mRNA and protein were significantly reduced (P < 0.01), the expressions of OAT1 mRNA and protein were significantly increased (P < 0.01). Conclusion Hirudin can reduce the uric acid by regulating the expressions of renal urate transporters OAT1, URAT1 and GLUT9 in hyperuricemia rats.

BACKGROUND: Pilose antler polypeptides (PAP) have been proved to promote the proliferation of condrocytes cultured in vitro and expressions of glycosaminoglycan (GAG), type Ⅱ collagen and Aggrecan protein in the extracellular matrix.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of chondrogenic phenotype differentiation of rabbit bone marrow-derived mensenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in a defined medium and then to study the effect of PAP on chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro.METHODS: The third passage BMSCs from rabbits were randomly divided into control group cultured in ordinary medium, induced group cultured in defined medium, and PAP group cultured in defined medium containing 10 mg/L PAP. An equal volume of articular chondrocytes were selected from rabbits as articular cartilage group. The cellular morphological and functional characteristics were observed after 1, 2, 3 weeks in centrifuge tubes by histological, biochemical and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Cell masses in the control group gradually crumbled after 2 weeks, and hematoxylin-eosin staining could not be done. Cell masses in the induced and PAP groups were semitransparent, but slightly contracted. A part of these cells were round or oval with a high density distribution at the surface. The content of GAG and mRNA expression of type Ⅱ collagen in the induced and PAP groups were increased with culture time, and higher than those in the control group at different time points (P < 0.05). The content of GAG and mRNA expression of type Ⅱ collagen in the PAP group were higher than those in the induced group, but lower than those in the articular cartilage group (P < 0.05). The results indicated that BMSCs can differentiate into chondrogenic phenotype in the defined medium, and PAP can significantly enhance chondrogenic phenotype differentiation of BMSCs. But the quality of cultured cartilage tissue is poorer than that of the articular cartilage.

Bibliometrics ; Biochemistry ; Biotechnology ; China ; Journal Impact Factor ; Periodicals as Topic ; statistics & numerical data ; Science

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of negative emotions on serum levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and neuropeptide Y (NYP) in hepatitis B liver cirrhosis (HBLC) patients.

METHODSTotally 617 HBLC patients were assigned to the negative emotion group (415 cases) and the non-negative emotion group (202 cases) judged by negative emotions. Case numbers of various grading Child-Pugh were recorded in the two groups. Their liver functions were compared between the two groups. Serum levels of ACTH and NPY were detected using double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the two groups.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in Child-Pugh grading between the two groups (χ2 = 0.65, P = 0.72). Compared with the non-negative emotional group, serum ACTH levels decreased significantly in the negative emotion group with statistical difference (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in serum ACTH levels between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe negative emotion of HBLC patients was not related to the serum ACTH level, but to relatively lower-concentration serum NPY levels.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Emotions ; Hepatitis B ; blood ; psychology ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; psychology ; Neuropeptide Y ; Serum

NDV strain ZJ1 strain , a highly virulent NDV strain, has been prevalent among the waterfowls in China mainland in the past years. Multi-basic amino acid sequence distribute in the protease cleavage site of F protein of this strain. Recombinant expressing plasmid pCI-FT, was generated by converting multi-basic amino acid sequence of 112, 115, 117 of the protease cleavage site of F_ 0 protein, to the non-basic amino acid sequence characteristic of avirulent NDV strain. The result from co-expression of mutant or parental F protein with homologous HN protein in COS-1 cells revealed that both mutant and parental F protein had fusion activity. The result from co-expression of mutant or parental F protein with homologous HN protein in CEF cells showed that the cleavage activity of mutant F protein was significantly reduced. The study built a foundation for mutagenesis of amino acid sequence of the protease cleavage site of F_ 0 protein at the full-length cDNA clone level, study on factors contributing to virulence and construction of candidate vaccine strain, and so on.

Jin's three-needle technique is named after Professor JIN Rui. The connotation of Jin's three-needle technique is summarized by his followers through long-term teaching and clinical practice. His principle and method of point combination are based on syndrome differentiation of acupuncture. And his unique needling technique and treating principle of mental tranquilization also play an important role in his clinical practice.
Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Needles

Objective To investigate the clinical and mammographic features of plasma cell mastitis.Methods Twenty-five patients(28 lesions)with histologically confirmed plasma cell mastitis, aged from 26 to 70 years(mean age 41 years),were examined with X-ray mammography.The clinical manifestations and imaging features were retrospectively reviewed.Results No case was in lactation.The painful irregular masses,ranged from 1.3 to 8cm in size,were found in 22 patients,while 3 patients with acute episode.Recurrent episodes of breast masses were noted in 4 patients.Based on the mammographic appearances,the plasma cell mastitis were classified as the following four types:inflammation-like type (2/28),ductal ectasia type(3/28),focal infiltration type(10/28)and nodular type(13/28).The valuable radiogyaphic signs:(1)An asymmetrically increased density along the lactiferous duct with a flame-like appearance,inhomogeneous low density tubular structures and scattered stick-shape calcifications.(2) Architectural distortion and oil cysts formation in adjacent area,(3)Subareolar ductal ectasia.Conclusions The clinical and mammographic characteristics of plasma cell mastitis are critical to avoiding unnecessary surgery.Histopathological result is needed for the diagnosis in patients highly suspected of malignancy.

By reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), an open reading frame of pathogenesis-related protein 1 (PR1) was isolated from Panax notoginseng and named as PnPR1. Molecular and bioinformatic analyses of PnPR1 revealed that an open reading frame of 501 bp was predicted to encode a 166-amino acid protein with a deduced molecular mass of 18.1 kD. Homology analysis showed that the deduced amino acid sequence of PR1 protein of Panax notoginseng had a high similarity with other higher plants had the same conservative structure domain of cysteine-rich secretory protein (CAP). The recombinant expressed plasmid pET28a(+)-PnPR1 was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. The expression conditions were optimized by induction at different times, different temperatures, different IPTG concentrations and different giving times. The optimum expression condition was 0.4 mmol.L-1 IPTG at 28 degrees C for 20 h. The successful expression of PnPR1 provides some basis for protein purification and preparation of the monoclonal antibody.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Molecular Weight ; Open Reading Frames ; genetics ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Alignment

AIMTo establish a fluorospectrophotometric assay for the measurement of nitrite in blood.

METHODSInterference from hemoglobin and other blood ingredients was removed through sulfuric acid and phosphotungstic acid pretreatment. Fluorescence of 1-[H]-naphthotriazole from the reaction of 2,3-diaminonaphthalene with nitrite was determined with fluorospectrophotometry.

RESULTSThe following conditions were proper: Serum or plasma was treated with sulfuric acid and phosphotungstic acid pretreatment for two times, 2,3-diaminonaphthalene of 0.63 mmol x (L(-1)) was used, reaction solution pH and final pH were about 1.60 and 1.70 respectively, solution containing 2,3-diaminonaphthalene and supernatant after pretreatment was water-bathed at 20 degrees C for 15 minutes. The lower limit of detection was 24.27 nmol x L(-1). Nitrite determined in peripheral blood of healthy people was (10.91 +/- 2.38) micromol x L(-1), and its 95% distribution range was (6.24-15.57) micromol x L(-1).

CONCLUSIONIt's a relatively sensitive, specific, simple method. It's of some value to the study of nitric oxide.

Fluorophotometry ; Humans ; Limit of Detection ; Nitrites ; blood

Eight fragments were amplified and cloned into pCR2.1 vector with the designed primers.The fragments,amplified with primer Ⅰ to Ⅶ,were subcloned into transcription vector to construct the plasmid pNDVZJI which contained the full-length cDNA of NDV ZJI strain.The eukaryotic expression vector pCI-L was constructed by subcloning the fragments,amplified with the primer Ⅴ,Ⅵ and Ⅷ,into the expression vector pCI-neo.The full-length cDNA clone,pNDVZJI,with three helper plasmids,pCI-NP、pCI-P and pCI-L,were cotranfected into BSR-T7/5 cell expressing T7 RNA polymerase.After inoculation of transfected cell culture into embryonated chicken eggs from specific pathogen free(SPF)flock,The NDV of ZJI strain was rescued successfully,which laid a good foundation for the further related research.