Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Mucus ; Pulmonary Eosinophilia ; metabolism ; pathology

This study was designed to explore the RNA interference technique in inhibition of the expression of the mouse fibrinogen like protein 2 (mfgl2), which has been reported to be involved in the development a variety of diseases including fulminant viral hepatitis. A plasmid named p-mfgl2shRNA,complementary to the sequence of mfgl2 was constructed, while another short hairpin RNA (shRNA)which was a mutated form of the mfgl2shRNA sequences was used as a control. A plasmid named pEGFP-mfgl2 expressing the mfgl2-EGFP fusion protein was also constructed for the screening of the effect of p-mfgl2shRNA on mfgl2 expression. By cotransfection of p-mfgl2shRNA and pEGFP-mfgl2 or pcDNA3.1-mfgl2 expression construct into CHO cells or HeLa cells, the inhibition of mfgl2 expression by mfgl2shRNA was analyzed by direct observation through fluorescent microscopy, FACS, RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry staining. The experiments showed the significant inhibitory effect of p-mfgl2shRNA on mfgl2 expression at 48h post-transfection in both CHO and Hela cell lines with the inhibitory efficiency as high as 80.1%. The study demonstrated that the construct of p-mfgl2shRNA successfully interfered with the mfgl2 expression in vitro.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalent area where the nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) initially would develop most frequently in the nasopharynx.

METHODSFrom March, 1994 to June, 2003, the data of original micro-focus of 32 pathologically confirmed NPC were retrospectively reviewed, All cases were shown by CT to have stages T(0) or T(1) lesions.

RESULTSOn clinical examination, only 3 cases (9.4%) were found to have original micro-tumor in the recess, the other 29 cases (90.6%) had developed from the other regions including 20 (69.0%) from the roof and 9 cases (31.0%) from the posterior wall, all with the mucosa in the recess smooth and symmetrical. However, CT images showed that membrane of all the nasopharyngeal walls, including the recess, were normal in 24 cases (75.0%); except the micro-foci were observed on one side of the posterior wall in 5 cases (15.6%) but still with the recess normal, One lateral wall and/or the recess were involved with abnormal appearance in 3 cases (9.4%) who were clinically found to have NPC focus originated from the recess.

CONCLUSIONOur data suggest that the roof of nasopharyngeal cavity may be the area likely to develop the original NPC micro-focus, followed in frequency by the posterior wall, with the recess the least likely. The recess involvement observed in advanced lesions may be the extension of the NPC focus from the original site on the roof or the posterior wall of nasopharynx.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Nasopharynx ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the osteogenic ability of the three-dimensional interconnected porous titanium(TDIPT) coated with bonelike apatite, by the test of the culture of osteoblast in vitro.

METHODSThe pure TDIPT was prepared by the high temperature insostatic pressing (HIP) and was divided into two groups. One group of TDIPT was dipped into the 1.5 simulated body fluid (1.5 SBF) and developed the TDIPT coated with bone-like apatite (The test group). Another group was control group (pure TDIPT). The porous titanium of the two groups were all made into standard parts (5 mm x 5 mm x 4 mm) and placed into the 24-hole plates. The osteoblasts were extracted from SD rat. After the primary culture and subculture of the osteoblast in vitro, the osteoblasts were inoculated into the samples in the 24-pole plate and cultured continually. MTT Cell Proliferation Assay was done on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th day respectively after inoculating. The ALP activity was tested on the 7th, 14th and 21st day, respectively. The collected data were analyzed by use of the student t test.

RESULTSThe MTT value and the ALP activity increased with the increasing of the culture time in the two group, but those of the test group was more significant than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the osteoblast tachyauxesis and stable adhesion were observed in test group by SEM at the 7th day after culturing.

CONCLUSIONThe bioactivity of the TDIPT improves significantly after coating with the bone-like apatite onto the surface of the TDIPT.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Osteoblasts ; physiology ; ultrastructure ; Osteogenesis ; Porosity ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Titanium ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo examine the distribution and trends of hospitalization rates for coronary heart disease (CHD) from 2007 to 2009 in Beijing.

METHODSWe calculated hospitalization rates for CHD using data from Beijing Hospital Discharge Information System. Information of census registered population in Beijing was obtained from Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics. CHD includes acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina and other forms of CHD. Age-standardized hospitalization rates for CHD per 100 000 population aged 25 years or more were calculated.

RESULTSDuring 2007 - 2009, a total of 248 049 patients aged 25 years or more hospitalized in Beijing with the primary discharge diagnosis of CHD were enrolled, of whom 73.7% were permanent registered Beijing citizens. The average hospitalization rate for CHD in 2007 - 2009 was 651.2/100 000 for the permanent residences in Beijing (741.2/100 000 in men, 560.9/100 000 in women). The highest average hospitalization rate (671.9/100 000) was seen in exurban area compared to other areas in Beijing. The average hospitalization rate for acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and other CHD was 126.4/100 000, 226.4/100 000 and 298.4/100 000, respectively. The hospitalization rate for CHD increased 18.1% from 2007 to 2009 (from 598.1/100 000 to 706.5/100 000). The same trend was seen in women (20.2%) and men (16.6%). The hospitalization rates of CHD in the urban, suburban, and exurban areas of Beijing all increased in the three years, and the greatest increase (36.6%) was found in exurban area. Hospitalization rates of acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina increased 24.5% and 55.3%, respectively, in the three years, while hospitalization rates of other CHD decreased 5.7%.

CONCLUSIONSThe hospitalization rate of CHD is higher in men than in women in Beijing. The hospitalization rates for CHD increased from the observation period, especially in those living in exurban area. Awareness of the magnitudes and trends of CHD hospitalization rates is of great importance in evaluating the burden of cardiovascular disease, allocating and utilizing health care resources, and estimating the health insurance for Beijing.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angina, Unstable ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Coronary Artery Disease ; epidemiology ; Coronary Disease ; epidemiology ; Female ; Hospitalization ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; epidemiology

To study the molecular epidemiological characteristics of norovirus gastroenteritis outbreaks in Guangdong, we collected fecal and anal swabs specimens from 24 outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis from 2005 to 2008 to detect norovirus. Specimens were detected by RT-PCR and then sequenced. The descriptive data were also collected. According to our research, 19 of 24 outbreaks of gastroenteritis were positive for norovirus. The occurrence time was from October to next February mainly. The strains in 2005 belonged to G II-3 genotype and all outbreaks occurred in kindergarten and school. But from autumn of 2006, the outbreaks were all caused by G II-4/2006b variant and occurred in universities and community. The number of outbreaks in 2007 increased greatly and covered all over province. The nucleotide sequences of Guangdong strains in some sites showed high regional identity. Our results showed that with the shift of genotype from G II-3 to G II-4, occurrence of norovirus outbreaks increased greatly. The outbreaks of norovirus caused by G II-4/2006b variant spreaded widely and the involved population covered children and adult, indicating the strong invasiveness of this variant.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Base Sequence ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ; genetics ; Disease Outbreaks ; Gastroenteritis ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Norovirus ; classification ; enzymology ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Young Adult

Our previous study has shown berberine prevents damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier during early phase of sepsis in rat through mechanisms independent of the NOD-like receptors signaling pathway. In this study, we explored the regulatory effects of berberine on Toll-like receptors during the intestinal mucosal damaging process in rats. Male Sprague-Dawlay (SD) rats were treated with berberine for 5 d before undergoing cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to induce polymicrobial sepsis. The expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR 2), TLR 4, TLR 9, the activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB), the levels of selected cytokines and chemokines, percentage of cell death in intestinal epithelial cells, and mucosal permeability were investigated at 0, 2, 6, 12 and 24 h after CLP. Results showed that the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha ) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) level were significantly lower in berberine-treated rats compared to the control animals. Conversely, the expression level of tight junction proteins, percentage of cell death in intestinal epithelial cells and the mucosal permeability were significantly higher in berberine-treated rats. The mRNA expression of TLR 2, TLR 4, and TLR 9 were significantly affected by berberine treatment. Our results indicate that pretreatment with berberine attenuates tissue injury and protects the intestinal mucosal barrier in early phase of sepsis and this may possibly have been mediated through the TLRs pathway.
Animals ; Berberine* ; Cell Death ; Chemokines ; Cytokines ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; Intraabdominal Infections ; Ligation ; Male ; Permeability ; Punctures ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Sepsis* ; Tight Junction Proteins ; Toll-Like Receptor 2 ; Toll-Like Receptors* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

OBJECTIVETo survey the incidence of acute coronary events and its trend in three years, and explore the distribution of the incidence across Beijing residents aged 25 years and more from 2007 to 2009.

METHODSThe present study incorporated and linked the routinely collected data from the Hospital Discharge Information System and Cause of Death Register System in Beijing, estimated the incidence of acute coronary events, and analyzed the distribution of the incidence across gender, age groups and regions. Acute coronary event was defined as non-fatal myocardial infarction and death from coronary heart disease. Numbers of residents by age, gender and area were obtained from the Beijing Statistics Bureau.

RESULTSA total of 68 390 acute coronary events were identified among permanent residents of Beijing aged 25 years and more from 2007 to 2009. The age-standardized incidence was 166.4 per 100 000 people in overall population, with 218.5 in males and 115.2 in females. The age-standardized incidence was 144.3, 154.7, and 195.8 per 100 000 people in urban, suburban, and exurban area, respectively. The incidence was the highest in Huairou district (263.8 per 100 000), while was the lowest in Haidian district (121.5 per 100 000). The age-standardized incidence was 158.4, 169.4, and 171.2 per 100 000 in 2007, 2008, and 2009, respectively. The age-standardized incidence increased by 8.1% in 2009 compared to 2007, increase in men (11.1%) was greater than in women (2.5%). The incidence increased significantly with age in each year. The incidence raised by 30.3% in 2009 compared to 2007 for men aged 35 - 44 years. In 2009, the incidence was 146.7, 155.9, and 207.4 per 100 000 people in urban, suburban, and exurban area, respectively. The rates increased by 3.2% in both urban and suburban areas, and 16.4% in exurban areas in 2009 compared to 2007.

CONCLUSIONThe incidence of acute coronary events increased from 2007 to 2009 among the permanent residents of Beijing aged 25 years and over, especially in young men, and people living in the exurban areas.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; epidemiology ; Coronary Disease ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; epidemiology

MicroRNA-494 (miR-494) is a small non-coding RNA located in chromosome 14q32.31 and regulates post-transcriptional gene expression by promoting the degradation of its target mRNAs via binding to the 3' untranslated regions (3'UTR). It has been reported that miR-494 plays an important role in the occurrence, development and prognosis of various diseases. Several signaling pathways modulated by miR-494 including the PTEN/PI3K/AKT, nuclear factor κ-B (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/SMAD, and Wnt/β-catenin are associated with physiological regulation and pathological process in many diseases. The stably expression of miR-494 in the blood stream suggests its potential as a biological marker for disease diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Based on recent research, we summarize the role and molecular mechanism of miR-494 in disease development and progression. We also discuss its potential as a marker for clinical diagnosis and prognosis of various diseases.
MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism*

This study was designed to investigate the inhibitory effects of sciadopitysin on the catalytic activities of human 12 kinds of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) in vitro. The risk of drug-drug interactions (DDI) is predicted by in vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IV-IVE). Methods A panel of recombinant human UGT isoforms and human liver microsome (HLM) as well as a series substrates including 4-methyl umbelliferone (4-MU), trifluoperazine (TFP) and N-3-carboxypropyl-4-hydroxy-1, 8-naphthalimide (NCHN) (UGT1A1 specific fluorescent probe substrates) were used to characterize the inhibitory effects of sciadopitysin on human UGTs in vitro. The half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) and the constant of inhibition kinetics (K_i) were obtained by nonlinear regression using GraphPad Prism 6.0 software. The potential risk of DDI induced by UGT1A1 was predicted based on in vitro parameters. The results demonstrated that sciadopitysin had strong inhibitory effects on UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A8 and UGT1A10, with the remaining activity being below 30% at a final concentration of 10 μmol·L^-1. For UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A8 and UGT1A10, the IC₅₀ was 0.20 μmol·L^-1 to 1.34 μmol·L^-1, the inhibition kinetic constant K_i was 0.07 μmol·L^-1 to 2.12 μmol·L^-1. The AUC ratio of UGT1A1 can be increased by 19% to 147% at the oral dose of 240 mg·d^-1. The sciadopitysin competitively inhibited the formation of 4-MU-O-glucuronide by UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A8, and UGT1A10. At the same time, the inhibition of NCHN-O-glucuronidation by UGT1A1 was consistent with the competitive inhibition. The strong inhibition of sciadopitysin on UGT1A1 led to reduction of the metabolism of UGT1A1 substrates, and increased the risk of DDI. When co-administrated with other drugs, special attentions should be given to the DDI from inhibition of drug metabolism enzymes to prevent serious clinical consequences.