Objective To study the anti-duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) action of limax polysaccharide. Methods 1-day old Beijing ducklings with congenital infection of DHBV were used as the animal model and were days. The expression of DHBV-DNA was detected by dot-blot hybridization test before treatment, five days and ten days after treatment. Results After medicated with Limax polysaccharide for five days and for ten days. The optic density value(OD value) of DHBV-DNA in ducklings serum were obviusly lower than that before treatment. There was significant difference between them. The inhibition rote of limax polysacchatide compared with the model group is markedly improved. Conclusion Limax polysaccharide can protect duck liver against inflammation by the inhibition of DHBV.

Objective To investigate the dynamic change of serum Hcy level in patients with non-small lung cancer when under-going chemotherapy,and to study the value of monitoring serum Hcy for chemotherapy efficieney in non-small-cell carcinoma.Meth-ods In our study,we enrolled 62 patients with non-small-cell carcinoma when undergoing chemotherapy.The concentrations of ho-mocysteine,carcino-embryonic antigen and cytokeratin 1 9 fragments were detected,and then these results were analyzed by statisti-cal methods.Results Compared with before treatment,the serum homocysteine,carcino-embryonic antigen and cytokeratin 1 9 frag-ments levels in patients who had effective response decreased.After 2 courses of chemotherapy,the levels of the three markers were significantly lower than those detected before chemotherapy (P <0.05).But at the end of the first course,the serum hcy level was significantly lower than that detected before chemotherapy.There was no significant difference in the levels of the serum three markers in non-responders between before and after chemotherapy (P >0.05).The positive rates of the three markers were statisti-cally significant between single lung squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the non-small-cell carcinoma.Conclusion The detection of the dynamic changes of serum Hcy in patients with non-small-cell carcinoma when undergoing chemotherapy is useful in evaluating the effect of chemotherapy and tumor activity.

In 2012, a new SARS-like coronavirus emerged in the Middle East, namely the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). It has caused outbreaks with high mortality. During infection of target cell, MERS-CoV S protein S1 subunit binds to the cellular receptor (DPP4), and its S2 subunit HR1 and HR2 regions intact with each other to form a stable six-helix bundle to mediate the fusion between virus and target cell membranes. Hence, blocking the process of six-helix bundle formation can effectively inhibit MERS-CoV entry into the target cells. This review focuses on the recent advance in the development of peptidic entry inhibitors targeting the MERS-CoV S2 subunit.

OBJECTIVETo explore the working mechanism and age-related change of the conflict processing system of the frontal cortex.

METHODSFifteen normal elderly people and 15 youth were performed a modified Eriksen flanker paradigm, while event-related potential (ERPs), which include 32 systerm electroencephalography, reaction time and correct rate were recorded.

RESULTSThe elderly group showed a distinct effect of reaction time and effect of conflict in the respond level compared with the youth group. The elderly group had a longer time window of N380 and same amplitude as the youth group. Low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) showed the bilateral temporal lobe and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (especially right) were activated in the youth group, while the left temporal lobe, the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left medial frontal gyrus were activated in the elderly group.

CONCLUSIONWhen conflict stimuli existed in the response level, old people showed frontal interference control hypofunction. N380 reflected the activation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the left temporal lobe during response selection and executive control processing in older people.

Adolescent ; Aged ; Aging ; Electroencephalography ; Evoked Potentials ; Frontal Lobe ; physiology ; Humans ; Prefrontal Cortex ; physiology ; Reaction Time ; Temporal Lobe ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Zuogui pill, Yougui pill and the relative compositions on the differentiation towards germ cells of stem cells.

METHODThe rat drug sera for Zuogui pill, Yougui pill and the common composition of Zuogui pill and Yougui pill were prepared respectively as the experimental drugs; the mouse embryonic stem cell 1B10 (MESC-1B10) was used as the representative of stem cells; the above rat drug sera were used to intervene MESC-1B10 and the process was traced by microscopy imaging; after 72 h of the intervention, the RNAs were extracted from the different intervened MESC-1B10, cDNAs were synthesized immediately and finally the Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to measure the expression patterns of the 10 reproductive-differentiation-related genes for each intervention.

RESULTThe rat drug serum of Zuogui pill (ZGW-RS) significantly up-regulated Oct-4 and SCP3 and significantly down-regulated GDF-9 and Stra8; the rat drug serum of Yougui pill (ZGW-RS) significantly up-regulated Oct-4, GDF-9, Mvh and SCP3 and significantly down-regulated Stra8, Itga6 and Itgb1; the rat drug sera for the common composition of Zuogui pill and Yougui pill (ZGWYGW-RS) significantly up-regulated Oct-4, SCP3 and ZP3 and significantly down-regulated GDF-9, Stra8, Itga6 and Itgb1.

CONCLUSIONZGW-RS can initiate the change towards meiosis, but can not start the reproductive differentiation of MESC-1B10; YGW-RS can initiate the change towards meiosis, and can also start the reproductive differentiation of MESC-1B10 towards female germ cells; ZGWYGW-RS can initiate the change towards meiosis, and can lightly start the reproductive differentiation of MESC-1B10 towards female germ cells but the inductive effect is smaller than YGW-RS. The experimental results, on one hand, strengthen the knowledge about the influence of the relative compositions of Zuogui pill and Yougui pill on the reproductive differentiation of stem cells, on the other hand, help to explain the mechanism of the treatment of the infertility by Zuogui pill and Yougui pill.

Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Female ; Germ Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Infertility ; drug therapy ; Male ; Mice ; NIH 3T3 Cells ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Achalasia is an esophageal motility disorder involving the smooth muscle layer of the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter. It is characterized by difficulty swallowing, regurgitation, and sometimes chest pain. Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) was developed by Inoue to provide a less invasive permanent treatment for esophageal achalasia. We applied this method to cure successfully a 47-year-old female with achalasia. The procedure was as follows: after creating submucosal tunnel, endoscopic myotomy of circular muscle bundles was carried out at approximately 16 cm in total length ( 15 cm in distal esophagus and 1 cm in cardia). Smooth passing of endoscope through gastroesophageal junction was confirmed at the end of the procedure. The third day after POEM, the barium meal examination revealed the barium smoothly passed though the cardia. The short-term outcome of POEM for achalasia was excellent, and further studies on long-term efficacy and on comparison of POEM with other interventional therapies are awaited.

Objective To investigate the effects of subthalamic nucleus (STN)-deep brain stimulation (DBS) on expression of dopamine and adenosine 3'5'-monophosphate-regulated phosphor-protein(DARPP-32) and its phosphorylated proteins in corpus striatum of rat models with levodopa-induced dyskinesia. Methods The rat models of levodopa-induced dyskinesia were set up and were given STN-DBS (stimulation group). The expression of DARPP-32 and its phosphorylated proteins in corpus striatum (damage side and normal side) were detected and compared with sham-stimulation group and sham-operation group. Results There was no significant difference in the expression of DARPP-32 total protein in corpus striatum of rats with dyskinesia among three groups (P>0.05). The expression of Phosphor-Thr34-DARPP-32 protein in the damage side of corpus striatum in stimulation group was significantly lower than that in sham-stimulation group and sham-operation group (P<0.05), while the expression of Phosphor-Thr75-DARPP-32 protein in the damage side of corpus striatum in stimulation group was significantly higher than that in sham-stimulation group and sham-operation group (P<0.05). Conclusion DARPP-32 and its phosphorylated proteins play an important role in the pathogenesis of levodopa-induced dyskinesia.

Background Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is an immune related receptor.It plays an important role in inducing inflammation response.The inflammatory response secondary to optic nerve crush will results in serious retinal damage.It is worthy of studying the expression and effect of TLR4 in retina after optic nerve crush.Objective This experimental study was to explore the role of TLR4 in the loss of retinal ganglion cells(RGCs) after optic nerve crush.Methods Twenty-four SPF adult health Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used in the study and radomized into two groups based to the experimental time.The optical nerve crush models were established by crushing the optical nerve in the right eyes of the rats,and the left normal eyes served as controls.The rats were sacrificed by over anesthesia and retinas were isolated 3 days and 7 days after operation.Expression of TLR4 in the retinas was detected using immunofluorescence method.Reverse trancription PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blot were applied respectively for the detection of TLR4 mRNA and protein in the retinas.The apoptosis of RGCs was evaluated using TUNEL staining.The use and care of experimental animals followed theGuide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of NIH.This study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center.Results The expression of TLR4 in rat retinas presented with green fluorescence mainly in the inner layer of retinas.The fluorescence was enhanced in the model 3 days group and the model 7 days group compared with the corresponding control groups.The relative expressing values of TLR4 mRNA in the retinas were 2.92±0.06and 3.92±0.12 in the model 3 days and 7 days groups,respectively,which were significantly higher than 2.87±0.12and 3.44±0.17 in the control 3 days and 7 days group (t3d =-12.888,P＜0.001 ;t7d =-4.669,P=0.010).In the model 3 days group and model 7 days group,the grey values of TLR4 protein were 1.14±0.05 and 1.49±0.03,and those in the control 3 days and 7 days groups were 0.99 ± 0.09 and 1.38 ± 0.07,showing significant differences between them(t3d =-11.324,P＜0.001 ;t7d =-5.638,P=0.005).Apoptotic RGCs were obviously increased in the optic nerve damage group in comparison with the control group.Conclusions The TLR4 is over-expressed in the inner layer of retina after optic nerve crush,which suggestes that TLR4 is probably involved in the loss of RGCs after optic nerve crush.

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of inhaling magnesium sulfate on infants with acute bronc-hiolitis. Methods Ninty infants with bronchiolitis were divided into 3 groups randomly and received either magnesium sulfate infusion inhalation or intravenous injection or normal saline inhalation respectively. The change of parameters of each group were observed and compared. Results Magnesium sulfate inhalation group and intravenous injection group were superior to control group in terms of the improvement of blood gas, clinical scores, continuous time of symptoms,signs, hospital days and clinical total efficiency(P

A novel high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the determination of 4-O- methylhonokiol in rabbit plasma and was applied to its pharmacokinetic investigation. Plasma samples were treated by one-fold volume of methanol and acetonitrile to remove the interference proteins. A reverse phase column of SHIM- PACK VP-ODS （150 mm ×4.6 mm, 5.0 μm） was used to separate 4-O-methylhonokiol in the plasma samples. The detection limit of 4-O-methylhonokiol was 0.2 μg/L and the linear range was 0. 012 - 1. 536 mg/L. The good extraction recoveries were obtained for the spiked samples （84.7%, 89.3% and 87.7% for low, middle and high concentrations of added standards, respectively）. The relative standard deviation of intra-day and inter-day precisions was in the range from 0.6% to 13.5%. The pharmacokinetic study of 4-O-methylhonokiol was made and the results from the plasmaconcentration curve of 4-0-methylhonokiol showed a two-apartment open model. This work developed a sensitive, stable and rapid HPLC method for the determination of 4-O-methylhonokiol and the developed method has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of 4-O-methylhonokiol.