Animals ; Birds ; Disease Outbreaks ; prevention & control ; Hong Kong ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Influenza in Birds ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Poultry ; Public Health ; Public Health Administration

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) on regulation of intestinal inflammatory reaction in rats with acute pancreatitis.

METHODSFifty-four SD rats were randomly divided into a severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group, an electroacupuncture (EA) group and a sham-operation (SO) group, 18 cases in each group. 3.5% sodium cholate was used to made SAP model by retrograde injecting in cholangiopancreatic duct. After the success of model making, the EA group was treated with EA at bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) for 30 min. The SO group and the SAP group were fixed at the same time for 30 min without treatment. All the rats were killed at 3 h, 6 h and 12 h after modeling in batches. The pathological changes of pancreatic tissue and intestinal epithelium were observed, and the expression of small intestinal occludin protein and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kappaB) were detected by immunohistochemical SP method.

RESULTSThe pathologic score and the expression of small intestinal NF-kappaB p65 at 3 h, 6 h and 12 h after modeling in the EA group and the SO group were significantly lower than those in the SAP group (all P < 0.05), and the expression of small intestinal occludin protein in the EA group and the SO group were significantly higher than that in the SAP group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) can alleviate pancreatic injury by reducing the expression of NF-kappaB p65 and enhancing the expression of occludin protein in the intestinal epithelium in the SAP model rats.

Acupuncture Points ; Acute Disease ; therapy ; Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Intestine, Small ; metabolism ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; metabolism ; Occludin ; genetics ; metabolism ; Pancreatitis ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of SKy bone expander system in percutaneous kyphoplasty for treat- ment of osteoporotie verterbral compression fracture.Methods:Twenty-two patients(aged 62-90 years,32 vertebrae)under- went percutaneous kyphoplasty using SKy bone expander system.The bone cement was injected into the collapsed vertebrae. The vasual analogue scale(VAS)and complications were recorded during follow up.Results:The operations were successful in all patients via unilateral or bilateral approach.The operation time ranged from 30 to 120 min.The mean volume of cement in- jected into each vertebra body was(4.8?1.1)ml,ranged from 3.1 to 6.8 ml.Extravertebral leakage of bone cement was ob- served in two vertebrae with no symptoms.All patients had their pain relieved;the VAS was 7.6?0.8 before operation,3.5?0.5 one day after operation,2.8?0.6 one week after operation,and 2.4?0.6 one month after operation,with significant difference found between preoperation and postoperation(P

AIM:To study the feasibility of recombinant adeno-associated virus(rAAV)as a vector to transfer the green fluorescent protein(GFP)gene as a target gene into rabbit retina.METHODS:Intravitreal injection of rAAV-gfp was performed in either eye for each rabbit with the other eye taken as control.At the 3rd,7th,and 14th day after injection,the eyeballs were removed,and the retinas were flat-mounted on glass slides to inspect the retinal fluorescence,respectively.RESULTS:After intravitreal injection of rAAV-gfp,the presence of fluorescent spots in the cytoplasm of retinal cells indicated that GFP gene was efficiently transferred and expressed in the rabbit retina.CONCLUSION:Recombinant adeno-associated virus is a reliable and simple vector for transferring target gene,e.g.,GFP gene,to the retina.

Objective To assess the value of ultrasound examination in transvaginal diagnosis of normal fetal heart with 11-14 weeks of gestation.Methods Totally 158 cases of normal fetal heart with high risk pregnancy and nuchal translucency thickness were examined by two ultrasoud approaches:transvaginal(TVS) and tranabdomina(TAS) in 11-14 weeks of gestation.Results The group of TVS was obviously clearer than TAS by displaying the normal fetal cardiac structural in 12 week of gestation and 13-14 weeks of gestation with significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05),respectively.No significant difference between the two groups in 11 week of gestation was observed.Conclusion The transvaginal echocardiogram is of clinical value in the high risk gravida during the late first and the early second trimester.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the mechanism of ethanol-induced calcium overload in hepatocytes and the related role of store-operated calcium channels (SOCs).

METHODSHepG2 cells were treated an ethanol concentration gradient with or without intervention treatment with the extracellular calcium chelator EGTA or the SOCs inhibitor 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB). Effects on cell viability were assessed by the CCK8 assay. Effects on leakage of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were determined by automatic biochemical analyzer measurements of the culture supernatants. Effects on cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) were accessed by detecting fluorescence intensity of the calcium indicator Fluo-3/AM with a flow cytometer. Effects on mRNA and protein expression levels of SOCs, stromal interacting factor 1 (STIM1), and calcium release-activated calcium channel protein 1 (Orai1) were evaluated by qPCR and western blotting.

RESULTSThe ethanol treatment produced dose-dependent reduction in cell viability (r = -0.985, P less than 0.01) and increases in leakage of ALT (F = 15.286, P less than 0.01) and AST (F = 39.674, P less than 0.01). Compared to untreated controls, the ethanol treatments of 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mM induced significant increases in [Ca2+]i level (1.25+/-0.36, 1.31+/-0.15, 1.41+/-0.18, 2.29+/-0.25, 2.58+/-0.19; F = 15.286, P less than 0.01). Both intervention treatments, EGTA and 2-APB, significantly reduced the 200 mM ethanol treatment-induced [Ca2+]i increase (2.32+/-0.08 reduced to 1.79+/-0.15 (t = 7.201, P less than 0.01) and 1.86+/-0.09 (t = 8.183, P less than 0.01) respectively). EGTA and 2-APB also increased the ethanol-treated cells' viability and reduced the ALT and AST leakage. The 200 mM ethanol treatment stimulated both gene and protein expression of STIM1 and Orai1, and the up-regulation effect lasted at least 72 h after treatment.

CONCLUSIONEthanol-induced dysregulation of SOCs may be an important molecular mechanism of ethanol-induced [Ca2+]i rise in hepatocytes and the related liver cell injury.

Calcium ; metabolism ; Calcium Channels ; metabolism ; Ethanol ; adverse effects ; Hep G2 Cells ; Hepatocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Danshen injection (DSI) on early stage of renal transplantation.

METHODSOne hundred and twelve patients in early stage after renal transplantation were allocated in the treated group, they were treated by conventional treatment with DSI 60 ml given additionally once a day for 10 days. And 109 patients who received conventional treatment alone after renal transplantation at the corresponding period were allocated in the control group. Indexes in the two groups, including volume of urine, serum creatinine (SCr), endogenous creatinine clearance rate, incidence of delayed graft function and acute rejection reaction, blood viscosity (BV), platelet aggregation rate (PAR) as well as the blood flow resistance in graft measured by color Doppler ultrasonography.

RESULTSThe urinary volume and endogenous creatinine clearance rate in the treated group were significantly higher, but levels of SCr, incidence of renal function recovery retardation, BV, PAR and blood flow resistance in graft were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The difference of incidence of acute rejection reaction between the two groups was insignificant (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDSI can improve blood microcirculation, decrease the incidence of renal function recovery retardation, these effects are helpful for recovery of renal function after renal transplantation.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Graft Rejection ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Kidney ; physiopathology ; Kidney Function Tests ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Postoperative Period ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; Transplantation, Homologous

BACKGROUNDOur previous study had cloned two glioma cell lines SWOZ1 and SWOZ2 isolated from parental glioma cell line SWO38. The 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) resistance of SWOZ1 was higher than that of SWOZ2. Since O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) was thought to be closely related to BCNU resistance in glioma, this study aimed to explore the function of MGMT in glioma resistant to BCNU.

METHODSA BCNU resistant glioma cell line SWOZ2-BCNU was established. The expression of MGMT was detected in SWOZ1, SWOZ2 and SWOZ2-BCNU. Small interferencing RNA targeting MGMT was used to silence the expression of MGMT in resistant cell lines SWOZ1 and SWOZ2-BCNU. The cytotoxicity of BCNU to these cells was measured using the cell counting kit-8 assay. Statistical analysis was carried out by one-way analysis of variance in statistical package SPSS 13.0.

RESULTSThe resistance of SWOZ1 and SWOZ2-BCNU against BCNU was 4.9-fold and 5.3-fold higher than that of SWOZ2. The results of quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting confirmed that MGMT was both significantly increased in SWOZ1 and SWOZ2-BCNU compared to SOWZ2. After transfection with small interferencing RNA targeting MGMT, a decreased level of MGMT mRNA expression in SWOZ1 and SWOZ2-BCNU for more than 75% compared to negative control was found and confirmed by Western blotting. As a result, the resistance against BCNU was reversed for about 50% both in the BCNU-resistant cell lines SWOZ1 and SWOZ2-BCNU.

CONCLUSIONSSilencing MGMT with specific small interferencing RNA can reverse the BCNU resistant phenotype in these glioma cell lines. MGMT may play an important role both in intrinsic and acquired BCNU-resistance in glioma.

Blotting, Western ; Carmustine ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; genetics ; Glioma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sincalide ; metabolism

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of telomerase inhibitors combined with X-irradiation on bone marrow hematopoiesis in tumor-carrying mice. With an orthogonal experiment design, the telomerase inhibitors [azidothymidine, AZT 300 mg/(kg.day) and lamivudine 150 mg/(kg x day), per os, bid, x 2 weeks] and X-irradiation [total dose 10 Gy (2 Gy x 5) in 1 week] were used to treat BALB/c mice carrying breast cancer MA(782) for evaluating the influence on peripheral blood cells, bone marrow nucleated cells and telomerase activity. Telomerase activity was detected by a PCR-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) coupled with ELISA. The results showed that the number of marrow nucleated cells (x 10(7)/femur) was 2.1875 in untreated group, and 1.7375, 1.7500 and 1.3475 in irradiated, lamivudine and AZT groups, respectively, these suggested that AZT and irradiation could obviously decrease the number of marrow nucleated cells (P< 0.01 or P < 0.05). The peripheral WBC increased 3.7% in untreated mice, and irradiation, lamivudine and AZT reduced 18.09%, 16.19% and 41.00% of WBC, respectively (P < 0.05). Irradiation, lamivudine and AZT showed no obvious effect on RBC and platelet counts (P > 0.05). The telomerase activity (A(450) nm) of marrow cells was 1.498, 1.483, 0.816 and 0.727 in untreated, irradiation, lamivudine and AZT groups, respectively. It is concluded that AZT and lamivudine combined with X-irradiation inhibit bone marrow nucleate cells and the peripheral WBC, manifest inhibitory effect on telomerase activity in murine bone marrow, but have no effect on the peripheral RBC and platelet.
Animals ; Bone Marrow ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Female ; Hematopoiesis ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Lamivudine ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Telomerase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; X-Rays ; Zidovudine ; pharmacology