Background Reasearches showed that α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) inhibits inflammation and ameliorates the ocular surface abnormalities in a scopolamine-induced dry eye rat model,and the managing effect of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) on dry eyes also has been determined.However,whether α-MSH can enhance the therapeutic effects of CMC remains to be investigated.Objective This study was to investigate the protective effects of α-MSH combined with CMC on ocular surface in a scopolamine-induced dry eye rat model.Methods Sixty clean female Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group,model control group,NaCl group,CMC group,α-MSH group and α-MSH+CMC group,and 10 rats for each group.The dry eye models were established by subcutaneous injection of scopolamine hydrobromide at 9:00,12:00,15:00 and 18:00 per day for 28 days.0.9％ NaCl solution,1×10 3 mg/ml α-MSH solution,0.5％ CMC eye drop,and 1 ×10-3 mg/ml α-MSH+0.5％ CMC solution were topically administered twice a day (8:00,17:00) since the initial day of modeling according to grouping.Shirmer Ⅰ test (S Ⅰ t),breakup time of tear film (BUT) and corneal fluorescence staining were performed before and 7,14,21,28 days after the application of drugs.At 28 days following the administration of drugs,the eyeballs of the rats were collected.Hemotoxylin and eosin staining was employed to examine the morphology of corneas,and periodic acid schiff (PAS) staining was used to count the conjunctival goblet cells.This study protocol was approved by Experimental Animal Ethic Committee of Tianjin Medical University (SYXK 2009-0001),and the use and care of the rats complied with ARVO Statement.Results The S Ⅰ t and BUT values were significantly reduced,and the corneal fluorescence staining scores were significantly increased over time following modeling in the model control group (all at P＜0.01).No significant differences were found in the S Ⅰ t,BUT and corneal fluorescence staining scores between model control group and NaCl group at various time points (all at P＞0.05).At 7,14 and 21 days after intervention,the S Ⅰ t values were (4.800±0.789),(4.100±0.516) and (4.300±0.856) mm in the α-MSH+CMC group,which were considerably higher than (2.875 ±0.719),(2.375 ±0.619) and (2.532±0.957)mm in the NaCl group (all at P＜0.01).At 7 days after intervention,the BUT values were (4.938± 1.843) seconds and (5.000±1.491) seconds in the α-MSH group and α-MSH+CMC group,which were significantly higher than (3.250±1.000) seconds in the NaCl group (both at P＜0.01).The corneal fluorescence staining scores in the CMC group,α-MSH group and α-MSH+CMC group were significantly lower than that in the NaCl group,with the lowest score in the α-MSH +CMC group (all at P＜0.05).The thickening of corneal epithelial layer,corneal edema and arrangement disorder of corneal stroma were found in the model control group and NaCl group;while slight corneal edema and epithelial cell proliferation were exhibited in the α-MSH+CMC group by hemotoxylin and eosin staining.PAS staining showed that the number of goblet cells was much more in the CMC group,α-MSH group and α-MSH+ CMC group than that in the model control group and NaCl group (all at P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions The sole application of α-MSH or CMC alleviates ocular surface damage and morphological abnormality to certain extent,and the combination of α-MSH and CMC generates more effective protection in comparison with sole administration of α-MSH or CMC.The early application of the drugs plays an improvement role in tear secretion and tear film stability in dry eyes.

Adenocarcinoma ; blood supply ; metabolism ; mortality ; secondary ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Microcirculation ; Middle Aged ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; metabolism ; pathology ; Prognosis ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator ; Stomach Neoplasms ; blood supply ; metabolism ; mortality ; pathology ; Survival Rate ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

To clone the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate cytidylyltransferase (TwMCT) full length cDNA from Tripterygium wilfordii, the specific primers were designed according to the transcriptome data and the LCPCR were carried out. After a series of bioinformatics analysis on the TwMCT, the MeJA induced expression content were investigated by real-time fluorescence quantification polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The result showed that the full of TwMCTcDNA was 1 318 bp nucleotides encoding 311 amino acids. The molecular weight of the deduced TwMCT protein was about 34.14 kDa and the theoretical isoelectric point was 8.65. Result of the RT-qPCR analysis indicated that the content of TwMCT mRNA expression in T. wilfordii suspension cell was rising after treating with MeJA and reached the maximum in 24 h. Cloning and analyzing TwMCT gene from T. wilfordii provided gene element for studying the function and expression regulation of secondary metabolites.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Erythritol ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nucleotidyltransferases ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Protein Structure, Secondary ; Sequence Alignment ; Sugar Phosphates ; metabolism ; Tripterygium ; chemistry ; enzymology ; genetics

Objective: To analyze the relationship between thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor ( TAFI ) and coronary heart disease ( CHD ), and to provide evidence for the prevention of CHD. Methods: The patients with CHD in Fushun Central Hospital in Liaoning Province were selected as the case group, the patients without CHD in the same hospital and period were selected as the control group. The demographic information and clinical examination results ( serum TAFI, lipid, glucose, etc. ) were collected to analyze the association between TAFI and CHD by logistic regression models.The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between TAFI and CHD. Results: There were 222 cases, including 100 cases of stable angina, 44 cases of unstable angina and 78 cases of acute myocardial infarction, and 222 controls. The median ages of cases and controls were 62 and 57 years old. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum TAFI>22.88 μg/mL ( P75 of controls ) was associated with the risk of CHD ( OR=1.619, 95%CI: 1.011-2.593 ), unstable angina ( OR=2.917, 95%CI: 1.433-5.939 ) and acute myocardial infarction ( OR=2.626, 95%CI: 1.007-6.847 ). Conclusion The high level of TAFI is related to CHD, unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction.

Objective To investigate the vitamin D (VD) level and determinants among young children aged 6 to 23 months in 4 poverty-stricken ethnic minority areas of Yunnan Province. Methods Multistage stratified cluster sampling method was used. 1 255 young children aged 6-23 months from 3 to 4 towns of Jianchuan County, Yiliang County, Mojiang County and Lushui County. Questionnaires on caregivers, physical and serum 25(OH)D measure were achieved. VD level and influencing factors were described and analyzed. Results Overall VD level was 20.6(16.3,25.4) ng/ml. The proportion of VD deficiency, VD insufficiency and VD sufficiency were 7.1%, 39.2% and 53.7% respectively. The risk of VD insufficiency elevated with children’age increasing or no VD supplement (P<0.05). Hani minority can decrease the risk of VD deficiency and insufficiency (all P<0.05). Thus, the risk of VD deficiency and insufficiency in children of female, Lisu or Bai minority, or in children who had no nutritional package supplement would increase (all P<0.05). Conclusions The VD level of children aged 6-23 months in poverty-stricken ethnic minority areas of Yunnan Province was low. VD insufficiency was dominating. The intervention of VD deficiency and insufficiency may focus on the children of female, Lisu minority, Bai minority or older than 18 months. This study highlight that enhancing caregivers’ knowledge of VD nutrition, adding VD and nutritional package supplement actively are beneficial to improve VD nutrition of young children in minority poverty areas of Yunnan.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate causes and clinical management of postoperative pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

METHODSFrom January 2004 to June 2009, 41 patients (44 knees) with knee pain post TKA were treated. There were 9 male and 32 female patients aging from 51 to 84 years with a mean of 63.5 years. The diagnosis followed to Brown diagnostic system. One case of extraarticular pain was complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS-1) and underwent conservative treatment, the remaining 5 cases were treated by surgery. Three cases of joint instability, 1 case of patellar baja, 2 cases of soft tissue impingement caused by overhang of the prosthesis, 1 case of popliteal tendon impact underwent conservative treatment, the other 27 cases underwent surgical intervention. The patients were followed up and the Knee Society Score (KSS) knee score, pain visual analog scale (VAS) score were recorded.

RESULTSForty-one cases were followed up for 1 to 6 years. At the last time of follow-up, the 5 cases received surgical treatment to extra-articular pain showed VAS score as 2.5 ± 0.2, KSS clinical and functional score as 92.8 ± 2.6 and 89.0 ± 3.4. There was significantly difference compared with preoperative (P < 0.05). One case of CRPS-1 performed conservative treatment, the therapy was effective. In the infected 12 cases of intra-articular pain, 1 case received amputation, 3 cases received antibiotic bone cement insert, 8 cases received two stage revision. All infections were cured, and VAS score was 3.8 ± 0.2, KSS clinical score was 88.3 ± 4.6, function score was 85.0 ± 4.6 postoperatively, with significantly difference compared with preoperative (P < 0.05). In the 8 cases received conservative treatment in non-infected group, at the last time of follow-up, VAS score was 4.5 ± 0.4, KSS clinical and functional score was 85.4 ± 4.2 and 84.2 ± 2.3, with significantly difference compared with preoperative (P < 0.05). Fifteen cases underwent surgical treatment, at the last time of follow-up, VAS score was 3.4 ± 0.1, KSS clinical and functional score was 86.6 ± 5.4 and 87.1 ± 2.4, with significantly difference compared with preoperative (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPatients with knee pain post TKA need systematic assessment to identify the causes. Appropriate treatment due to the positive diagnosis generally lead to satisfactory results, surgical intervention with indefinite causes is strictly prohibited.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; adverse effects ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain, Postoperative ; etiology ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies

Background Given the increasing number of patients who require dual antiplatelet (DAP) therapy and electrophysiological device (EPD) placement, perioperative antiplatelet management is a current challenge. In this study, we investigated the incidence of pocket hema-toma formation after EPD placement in patients undergoing DAP therapy or an alternative low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) regimen. Methods This clinical observational study was performed from July 2010 to July 2012. In total, 171 patients were enrolled in the analysis after meeting the inclusion criteria. These patients were divided into two groups: 86 patients were treated with DAP therapy at the time of device implantation, and the DAP therapy was discontinued for 5 to 7 days and replaced with enoxaparin before device implantation in the other 85 patients. Adenosine phosphate (ADP)-mediated platelet aggregation and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation were tested preoperatively. We compared the incidence of pocket hematoma between the two groups and the association of pocket hematoma develop-ment with ADP-mediated platelet aggregation and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation.Results The incidence of pocket hema-toma in the patients who continued DAP was lower than that in the patients who replaced the dual antiplatelet regimen with LMWH (3.49%vs. 16.47%, respectively;X2 = 6.66,P < 0.01). Among the patients who continued DAP therapies, the rate of ADP-mediated platelet aggre-gation inhibition in patients with pocket hematomas was higher than that in patients without pocket hematomas. None of the patients under-going DAP or enoxaparin therapy developed pocket infection, thromboembolic events, or other serious complications. Multiple logistic re-gression analysis revealed that LMWH therapy was an independent risk factor for the development of pocket hematoma (RR = 0.054, 95%CI = 0.012-0.251). Furthermore, patients undergoing LMWH therapy were 5.1-fold more likely to develop pocket hematomas than were DAP-treated individuals.Conclusion Continuance of DAP therapy does not increase the risk of pocket hematoma formation after EPD placement.

A full-length cDNA of GGPPS gene from Tripterygium wilfordii suspension cells was obtained by use of RACE strategy (GeneBank: KM978333), and then analyzed by bioinformatics approaches. TwGGPPS cDNA has 1857 nucleotides and an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein of 514 amino acid residues. The deduced protein has isoelectric point (pI) of 7.85, a calculated molecular weight about 57.13 kD, 5 conserved domains and 2 functional domains. PSORT Prediction showed it was located at plasma membrane. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that TwGGPPS1 was similar to GGPPS from other species of plants. For the first time the cloning of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase gene from T. wilfordii was reported, it lays the foundation for further research of diterpenoids biosynthetic pathway.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Farnesyltranstransferase ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Tripterygium ; chemistry ; enzymology ; genetics

4-(Cytidine-5-diphospho) -2-C-methyl-D-erythritol kinase is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis pathway of terpenoids. According to the transcriptome database, the specific primers were designed and used in PCR. The bioinformatic analysis of the sequenced TwCMK gene was performed in several bioinformatics software. The Real-time fluorescence quantification polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to detect the expression levels of TwCMK from T. wilfordii after elicitor MeJA supplied. The results showed that the full length of TwCMK cDNA was 1 732 bp encoding 387 amino acids. The theoretical isoelectric point of the putative TwCMK protein was 5.79 and the molecular weight was about 42.85 kDa. MeJA stimulated the rising of TwCMK expression in suspension cell and signally impacted at 24 h. The research provides a basis for further study on the regulation of terpenoid secondary metabolism and biological synthesis.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Computational Biology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Models, Molecular ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Sequence Alignment ; Tripterygium ; chemistry ; enzymology ; genetics

Objective:To examine the distribution of syphilis antibody in pregnant women and newborns and to explore how to optimize the existing syphilis screening process by setting the diagnostic gray area.Methods:The results of syphilis testing obtained from 119 531 pregnant women and 21 275 newborns from 2015 to 2018 by automatic chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) and the re-examination results determined by Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) and the rapid plasma reagin test (RPR) were retrospective analyzed. Data analysis was performed by Chi-square, Fisher′s exact test and Chi-square test for trend. Results:The positive rates of Syphilis specific antibody (TPAb) in clinical specimens from pregnant women and newborns were 0.69% (825/119 531) and 1.24%(264/21 275). The total re-examination positive rates were 0.32% (380/119 531) and 0.90%(191/21 275), and the suspicious syphilis prevalence rates in these specimens were 0.13% (161/119 531) and 0.31%(67/21 275), respectively. The suspicious syphilis prevalence rates in specimens of pregnant women from 2015 to 2018 and newborns increased year by year (χ 2=9.860, P=0.002; χ 2=5.311, P=0.021). With the elevation of the optical density value of samples to cut-off ratio (S/CO) value, positive coincidence rate of TPPA and TPAb in pregnant women and newborns increased significantly (χ 2=614.833, P<0.001; P<0.001). When the S/CO value in newborns exceeded 7.00 or the S/CO value in pregnant women exceeded 15.00, the effectiveness of TPAb results is equivalent to TPPA. The prevalence of suspected syphilis in pregnant women and newborns also increased with the increase of S/CO value (χ 2=323.059, P<0.001; P<0.001). When the S/CO value in newborns bellowed 3.00 or the S/CO value in pregnant women bellowed 5.00, the prevalence rate of suspected syphilis was 0%, which could preliminarily exclude syphilis infection. Conclusions:The prevalence rates of suspected syphilis in pregnant women was increasing during the recent years. It is necessary to further strengthen syphilis screening and intervention treatment in early pregnancy to improve the rate of eugenics. Being a primary screening method for syphilis in pregnant women and newborns, CLIA has high false positive rate. According to the gray area established in this study, the syphilis screening process can be optimized to prevent missed detection, which may reduce the false positive rate and avoid clinical misdiagnosis.