Objective To study the changes of motor cortex in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS)while executing sequential finger tapping movement by using blood oxygenation level dependent(BOLD)functional MRI.Methods Fifteen patients with definite or probable ALS and 15 age and gender matched normal controls were enrolled in the BOLD study,and all the subjects were right-handed with no other diseases or any recent medication history.A 3.0 T MR scanner was employed and gradient echo EPI(GRE-EPI)sequence was used to acquire the functional images.Subjects executed sequential finger tapping movement at a frequency of 1-2 Hz during a block design task.fMRI data were analyzed by using statistical parametric mapping(SPM)2.Volume of activated brain areas was compared with the use of a Student's t-test.Results Bilateral primary sensorimotor cortex(PSM),bilateral posterior aspect of premotor area(PA),bilateral supplementary motor area(SMA),contralateral inferior lateral premotor area (ILPA),bilateral parietal region(PAR),and ipsilateral cerebellum showed activation in both ALS patients and normal controls when executing the same motor task.The activation areas in bilateral PSM and bilateral posterior aspect of PA(right hand ipsilateral activation:ALS(924.5±141.1)mm3,control(829.9±98.4)mm3,P=0.05;right hand contralateral activation:ALS(9143.8±702.8)mm3,control(8638.8±506.4)mm3,P＜0.05;left hand ipsilateral activation:ALS(1162.5±357.4)mm3,control(902.5±184.2)mm3,P＜0.05;left hand contralateral activation:ALS(8255.2±870.2)mm3,control (5934.6±616.4)mm3,P＜0.05),bilateral SMA(right hand bilateral activation:ALS(6564.3±720.6)mm3,control(4710.7±416.3)mm3,P＜0.05;left hand bilateral activation:ALS(6970.5±961.8)mm3,control(3688.9±672.3)mm3,P＜0.05),and ipsilateral cerebellum(right hand ipsilateral activation:ALS(2720.0±1154.2)mm3,control(254.3±84.4)mm3,P＜0.05;left hand ipsilateral activation:ALS(4794.4±1237.0)mm3,control(1689.0±719.6)mm3,P＜0.05)were significantly larger in ALS patients than in normal controls.Extra activation areas including ipsilateral ILPA,contralateral cerebellum and bilateral posterior limb of internal capsule were only detected in ALS patients.Conclusions Similar activation areas were seen in both groups while executing the same motor task,but the activated areas were more prominent in ALS group.The increased activation areas in ALS patients may represent neural reorganization.while the extra activation areas in ALS patients may indicate functional compensation.

Aim To investigate the effects of dioscin ( Dio) on rat myocardial contractility. Methods Left ventricular contractile function was measured using the Langendorff non-recirculating mode of isolated rat heart perfusion. Effects of low, middle and high concentra-tion of Dio were investigated by measuring left ventricu-lar systolic pressure ( LVSP ) and left ventricular end diastolic pressure ( LVEDP) . Also, peak rates of rise/fall of left ventricular pressure ( ± dp/dtmax ) of isolated rat heart were calculated. Effects of Dio on intracellu-lar free calcium concentration in rat H9 c2 cells were measured by using the confocal microscopy. Mitochon-drial membrane potential was detected with multifunc-tional microplate reader. Results With 0. 1, 1 μmol · L-1 Dio, LVSP were significantly enhanced from (11. 55 ± 0. 52), (10. 53 ± 0. 28) kPa to (13. 08 ± 0. 72), (12. 53 ±0. 64) kPa(P<0. 01); +dp/dtmax were dramatically increased from ( 0. 38 ± 0. 10 ) , (0. 40 ± 0. 07) kPa·ms-1 to (0. 42 ± 0. 11), (0. 43 ± 0. 02) kPa·ms-1(P<0. 05). With the 10μmol· L-1 Dio, LVSP and + dp/dtmax were both decreased from (12. 13 ± 0. 33) kPa and (0. 42 ± 0. 04) kPa· ms-1 to ( 9. 46 ± 0. 77 ) kPa and ( 0. 24 ± 0. 04 ) kPa ·ms-1 (P <0. 01). With 0. 1, 1, 10 μmol·L-1 Dio, the relative fluorescence intensity of intracellular free calcium concentrations was increased significantly from (16. 62 ± 0. 89) to (21. 48 ± 0. 80), (25. 68 ± 0. 69) and (19. 84 ± 0. 66)(P <0. 01)respectively. 0. 1, 1μmol·L-1 Dio showed no significant effects on the mitochondrial membrane potential of rat H9 c2 cells, while with effects of 10 μmol·L-1 Dio, the ra-tio of JC-1 monomer and J-aggregates was changed from (1. 14 ± 0. 03) to (1. 35 ± 0. 06)(P<0. 01), indica-ting a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane poten-tial. Conclusion Low and middle concentrations of Dio show a positive inotropic effect on isolated rat heart, as the LVSP and + dp/dtmax are enhanced, which may concern with the increase of the intracellu-lar concentration of Ca2+. It will not cause the calcium overload while the intracellular concentration of Ca2+ is increased by low and middle concentration of Dio in the myocytes except high concentration of Dio.

Objective To know social and demographic characteristics,behavioral characteristics,as well as knowledge-attitude-belief-practice(KABP) and its influential factors of rural community chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases(COPD) patients. Methods Cluster sampling all COPD patients of fangcun and mape township of tongshan county in 2007. A face-to-face interview was performed to investigate the COPD patients in their home,and t test,one-way analysis of variance and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the behavioral characteristics and K.ABE Results The main Patients were old person aged 60-80,with mean of(63 ± 15)years old. The active and passive smoking rate were 49.5% and 35.9%,respectively,and very significance between male and female Patients (X2 = 101. 365,P＜ 0. 05). 62. 9%abstained from smoking mainly owing to having COPD. About 31.9% of the patients had used the firewood and coal to cook for longer than 30 years. 24. 2% often built their body by exercise; however,only 8. 9%participated in convalescence. The mean KABP score of Patients was (38 ± 8). The Patients have lower knowledge to COPD, but give much more concerns to their own diseases. Univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that the main influential factors of COPD patients KABP were education, family attitude, income,sex and the distance between their homes and health stations. Conclusions Community COPD patients have high smoking rate,long firewood and coal cooking history,so active interventions should be took to those risk factors. KABP level of the COPD patients was not good, more health instructions including prevention,treatment and convalescing of COPD need to be gave to COPD patients.

Objective To evaluate perception and awareness of disease knowledge in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in rural area of Xuzhou City. Methods Perception and awareness of COPD, including its nature, control, medication use, impact on their quality of life, experience of its acute exacerbation, and so on, in 392 patients with COPD were evaluated with self-designed ad hoc questionnaire. Proportion and percentage were used in statistical analysis. Results According to the GLOD standards, 58 of 392 patients with COPD could be classified as stage Ⅰ (14. 8%), 164 as stage Ⅱ (41.8%), 103 as stage Ⅲ (26.3%) and 67 as stage Ⅳ (17.1%), respectively. Only 14 patients (3.6%) had heard COPD, but all of them did not know the definition of COPD and its acute exacerbation. Lung function tests and health education had never been performed for all these patients. One hundred and twenty-six patients (32. 1%) did not understand that smoking is a risk factor for COPD, 343 patients (87. 5%) had never heard that COPD could be prevented and controlled. Only 95 patients (24. 2%) did regular physical exercises. Seventy-six patients (19. 4%) in stable stage did not take theophylline regularly, and none of them took inhalers or nebulizer drugs regularly or temporally, or oxygen therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation at home. During acute exacerbation, 261 patients (66.6%) could take theophyUine or analogous drugs and antibiotics. One hundred and five patients (26. 8%) were admitted to hospital during the past year due to respiratory symptoms. Physical activities were restrained in 224 patients (57.1%), 91 patients (23. 2%) had a little bit feeling of depression sometimes and social communication was impacted in 232 patients (59. 2%). Conclusions Patients with COPD in rural Xuzhan, Jiangsu province were poor in knowledge of COPD, and their treatment during stable stage and acute exacerbation did not meet the standards. COPD had significant impact on their daily life, and education and management for the patients should be strengthened.

OBJECTIVETo study correlations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DIOXIN, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) with thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) in children, and assess the impact on children's health.

METHODSThree hundred and sixty nine children aged from 6 to 8, including 195 from Luqiao, the computer E-waste recycling area, and 174 from Longyou, the control area, were selected for this investigation to elucidate the correlation of PCBs, DIOXIN, and PBDE with TSH in children's blood samples. The children had a physical examination and their blood levels of PCBs, DIOXIN, PBDE, and TSH were detected after sample collection.

RESULTSIn the E-waste recycling area, the contents of PCBs, PBDE, DIOXIN, and TSH in the blood samples of children were 484.00 ± 84.86 ng·g(-1) lipid weight, 664.28 ± 262.38 ng·g(-1) lipid weight, 26.00 ± 19.58 ng·g(-1) lipid weight and 1.88 ± 0.42 μIU/mL (serum) respectively, while in the control area, the PCBs, PBDE, DIOXIN, and TSH contents were 255.38 ± 95 ng·g(-1) lipid weight, 375.81 ± 262.43 ng·g(-1) lipid weight, 39.64 ± 31.86 ng·g(-1) lipid weight, and 3.31±1.04 μIU/mL respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe health status of children in the control area are better than that in the contaminated area. Among children who are exposed to persistent organic pollutants, the pollutant content increases significantly in their serum, and the distribution of TSH levels in their bodies are also affected.

Child ; China ; Dioxins ; blood ; chemistry ; Electronic Waste ; Environmental Pollutants ; blood ; chemistry ; Female ; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers ; blood ; chemistry ; Humans ; Male ; Polychlorinated Biphenyls ; blood ; chemistry ; Recycling ; Refuse Disposal ; methods ; Thyrotropin ; blood

OBJECTIVETo learn the normal values of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) in children.

METHODSchool children in Beijing from 11 to 18 years of age were included in the study. All the students were assigned into two groups: normal group and abnormal group (with allergic disease) according to the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood questionnaires. eNO, peak expiratory flow rate and sensitization were measured.

RESULTTotally 395 students were screened out as normal subject (male: 177, female: 218). The eNO level was not significantly different between genders (P > 0.05), but was associated positively with age in both male and female group (P = 0.008 and P = 0.05 respectively) and associated with height in male students (P = 0.02). The geometric mean value of eNO was 11.22 ppb (parts per billion, ppb = 10(9)) in children aged from 11 to 14 years and 14.13 ppb in children aged from 14 to 18 years, with 95% confidence interval 4.17 - 30.20, 5.50 - 36.31 ppb. The eNO level was significantly increased in children who "ever had asthma or wheezing" (n = 68), and children who "ever had rhinitis" (n = 96) compared with normal subjects (P = 0.001 and P = 0.008). The geometric mean value of eNO was 16.98 ppb in children with positive skin prick test and was significantly increased as compared with children with negative skin prick test with eNO level at 11.75 ppb (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONeNO level varied between 10.72 ppb and 13.80 ppb in normal children 11 - 18 years of age, and was positively associated with age and height, but not with gender. eNO level increased significantly in children with wheezing and atopy.

Adolescent ; Asthma ; physiopathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; China ; Exhalation ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; analysis ; physiology

Osteoporosis development is closely associated with oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Taurine has potential antioxidant effects, but its role in osteoblasts is not clearly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the protective effects and mechanisms of actions of taurine on hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative stress in osteoblast cells. UMR-106 cells were treated with taurine prior to H₂O₂ exposure. After treatment, cell viability, apoptosis, intracellular ROS production, malondialdehyde content, and alkaline phosphate (ALP) activity were measured. We also investigated the protein levels of β-catenin, ERK, CHOP and NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) along with the mRNA levels of Nrf2 downstream antioxidants. The results showed that pretreatment of taurine could reverse the inhibition of cell viability and suppress the induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner: taurine significantly reduced H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage and expression of CHOP, while it induced protein expression of Nrf2 and β-catenin and activated ERK phosphorylation. DKK1, a Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor, significantly suppressed the taurine-induced Nrf2 signaling pathway and increased CHOP. Activation of ERK signaling mediated by taurine in the presence of H₂O₂ was significantly inhibited by DKK1. These data demonstrated that taurine protects osteoblast cells against oxidative damage via Wnt/β-catenin-mediated activation of the ERK signaling pathway.
Antioxidants ; Apoptosis ; Cell Survival ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Hydrogen* ; Malondialdehyde ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoporosis ; Oxidative Stress* ; Phosphorylation ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; RNA, Messenger ; Taurine*

OBJECTIVETo analyse the WT1 expression and its DNA methylation status of its promoter domain.

METHODThe expression of WT1 gene and its DNA methylation status were assayed in leukemia cell lines and normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) by RT-PCR and MS-PCR.

RESULTSWT1 was overexpressed in HL60, K562 and KG1 leukemia cell lines, but not in U937 and PBMNC. Methylation of WT1 promoter was not observed in HL60 cells.

CONCLUSIONDNA methylation of WT1 gene promotor did not inhibit its expression. Other mechanisms may appear to regulate the WT1 expression.

Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA Methylation ; Genes, Wilms Tumor ; Humans ; Leukemia ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Promoter Regions, Genetic

LRP16 is a novel gene which was found in our laboratory by using methylation-sensitive restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) technique. In order to clone the full-length cDNA of this leukemia relapse associated gene, the method of rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) was employed. By optimizing some procedures of RACE method, the 5'- and 3'-untranslated region of LRP16 cDNA was successfully sequenced. Then, the full length of LRP16 cDNA and open reading frame (ORF) was constructed and was registered in GenBank. The above-mentioned procedure demonstrated RACE technique is a rapid and sensitive method for cloning unknown gene. Especially, it is very useful to cloning the 5'- and 3'-untranslated region of a novel gene.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Tangshenkang Granule (TG) containing serum on renal mesangial cells' (RMCs) proliferation and TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway in the high glucose condition.

METHODSTwelve SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, i.e., the low dose TG group, the middle dose TG group, the high dose TG group, and the blank control group, 3 in each group. After 7-day gastrogavage via portal vein blood, rats were sacrificed and their serum samples were collected. RMCs were cultured in common rat serum and TG containing serum respectively. The proliferation of mesangial cells was determined by methly thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay to determine the optimal TG containing serum concentration. Expression levels of TGF-β1 mRNA and protein were determined by real time quantitative PCR and ELISA. Smad2/3 protein expression and phosphorylation were determined by Western blot and immunofluorescence.

RESULTSTG containing serum at different doses could inhibit high glucose induced RMC cells' proliferation, TGF-β1 over-expression and Smad2/3 phosphorylation.

CONCLUSIONTG containing serum could inhibit high glucose induced RMC cells' proliferation, and its mechanism might be possibly associated with inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway.

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Glucose ; Mesangial Cells ; Phosphorylation ; RNA, Messenger ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serum ; Signal Transduction ; Smad2 Protein ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism