Atherosclerosis ; Humans ; Urotensins

AIM:To explore whether histamine can regulate the expression of early growth response factor-1 (Egr-1) in the cerebral cortex astrocytes.METHODS:Normal wild-type (WT) mice, histidine decarboxylase knockout ( HDC-KO) mice and histamine treated HDC-KO mice were sacrificed for extracting the total RNA of the cerebral cortex. Primary cultured rat cortical astrocytes were treated with histamine at concentrations of 10 -8 , 10 -7 , 10 -6 , 10 -5 or 10 -4 mol/L for 15, 30, 60, 120 or 240 min.H1 or H2 receptor antagonists were pretreated for 15 min before histamine treat-ment.After histamine treatment, the cell total RNA or protein was extracted.The expression of Egr-1 at mRNA and protein levels was determined by real-time PCR and Western blot.RESULTS:The mRNA level of Egr-1 in cerebral cortex of HDC-KO mice was significantly lower than that in WT mice, while exogenous histamine induced the mRNA expression of Egr-1 in HDC-KO mice.In cultured astrocytes, histamine induced the mRNA expression of Egr-1.The maximum increase in the mRNA level of Egr-1 was produced by histamine at concentration of 10 -5 mol/L.In addition, histamine-induced Egr-1 mRNA accumulation peaked at 30 min after commencing stimulation, while histamine significantly increased Egr-1 protein expression at 60 min.Furthermore, histamine-induced Egr-1 expression was inhibited by H1 receptor antagonist but not H2 receptor antagonist.CONCLUSION:Histamine up-regulates the Egr-1 expression in cerebral cortex and cultured astrocytes, which may attribute to H1 receptor activation.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Brugada Syndrome ; Cardiac Conduction System Disease ; Coma ; etiology ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Conduction System ; abnormalities ; Humans ; Organophosphate Poisoning ; complications ; diagnosis

Abstract:Objective - ToinvestigatetheeffectofchrysotileasbestosongeneexpressioninhumanbronchialepithelialBEAS 2B Methods - cells. BEAS 2B cells were randomly divided into two groups. The cells in the chrysotile malignant transformation- groupweretreatedwith 20μg/cm²chrysotiletoestablishthechrysotileinducedmalignanttransformationBEAS 2Bcellmodel, andthecellsinthecontrolgroupweretreatedwiththesamevolumeofphosphatesaltbuffersolution.ThetotalRNAinthecells--wasextractedandthecDNAwassynthesizedbyreversetranscription.Cy5dCTPandCy3dCTPfluoresceinwereusedtolabel the two groups to prepare probes for chip scanning. LuxScan 3.0 image analysis software was used to analyze the fluorescence signal of labeled DNA, and the differentially expressed genes were screened. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Results (KEGG) signaling pathway analysis and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis were carried out. There were 642 - - differentiallyexpressedgenes(193up regulatedand449down regulated)inchrysotilemalignanttransformationgroupcompared with the control group. The KEGG signaling pathway analysis and GO enrichment analysis showed that the differentially - expressed genes in the malignant transformed BEAS 2B cells induced by chrysotile asbestos were mainly involved in P53 - signaling pathway, histone H3 K9 methylation and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase deficiency pathway, phosphoinositide binding protein 3 activated protein kinase B signaling pathway, nucleoside phosphate metabolism process and the expression Conclusion inhibitionofhistocompatibilitycomplexⅡantigenpresentation. Chrysotileasbestoscaninducethechangeofgene - - expression profile in BEAS 2B cells. The P53 signaling pathway, histone H3 K9 methylation and other related pathways are

OBJECTIVETo observe the differential effect of joint ultrasound on the syndrome differentiation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by observing the high frequency ultrasound performances among inactive stage and different syndromes in active stage.

METHODSTotally 83 RA patients in the active stage were assigned to the dampness heat syndrome group (DHS, 59 cases)and the cold dampness syndrome group (CDS, 24 cases) according to Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome typing. Besides, 20 RA patients in the remission stage were recruited as the control group (abbreviated as the remission group). By using high frequency ultrasound and power Doppler ultrasound technology, a comparative observation of synovitis, tenosynovitis, synovial blood flow, and bone erosion in the 2nd-5th metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints, proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, wrist joints, knee joints, the second and the fifth metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints (a total of 24 joints) was performed in all patients. Correlation analyses were performed between the ultrasound performance, laboratory indices, and the disease activity. Ultrasound data of each RA patient were analyzed by their total scores. Χ2 test was used for enumeration data. The measurement data was expressed as x ± s. One-way ANOVA was used for data of normal distribution, while non- parametric test was used for data of non-normal distribution. Correlation analysis of two variables was performed for clinical indicators and ultrasound indicators. Its significance was detected using Pearson correlation.

RESULTSCompared with the remission group, the severity degree of synovitis, tenosynovitis, synovial blood flow, and bone erosion significantly increased in the DHS group (P < 0.01). There was statistical difference in ESR, CRP, anti-CCP, DAS28 score, and the positive rate of RF (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was statistical difference in the severity degree of synovitis and synovial blood flow, and DAS28 score in the CDS group (P < 0.05). Compared with the CDS group, there was statistical difference in the four ultrasound indices (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), ESR, CRP, anti-CCP, DAS28 score, and the positive rate of RF in the DHS group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference in G, IgG, IgA, or IgM among the three groups (P > 0.05). There existed positive correlation between ESR and the synovitis degree, synovial blood flow, and bone erosion in the DHS group (r = 0.444, 0.397, 0.486, P < 0.05).There existed positive correlation between ESR and the synovitis degree, bone erosion, and synovial blood flow in the DHS group (r = 0.378, 0.270, P < 0.05). There existed positive correlation between the DAS28 score and the synovitis degree and synovial blood flow in the DHS group (r = 0.304, 0.351, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe inflammation degree was the most severe in RA patients of DHS. High frequency ultrasound could provide better evidence for Chinese medical syndrome differentiation of RA patients.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Metacarpophalangeal Joint ; ultrastructure ; Syndrome ; Synovitis ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography

Increasing evidence has revealed that maternal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection may be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring.Potential relevance between the placental inflammation and CMV-related autism has been reported by clinical observation.Meanwhile,abnormal expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 in placenta of patients with chorioamnionitis was observed in multiple studies.IL-6 and IL-10 are two important maternal inflammatory mediators involved in neurodevelopmental disorders.To investigate whether murine CMV (MCMV) infection causes alterations in placental IL-6/10 and TLR2/4 levels,we analyzed the dynamic changes in gene expression of TLR2/4 and IL-6/10 in placentas following acute MCMV infection.Mouse model of acute MCMV infection during pregnancy was created,and pre-pregnant MCMV infected,lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated and uninfected mice were used as controls.At E13.5,E14.5 and E18.5,placentas and fetal brains were harvested and mRNA expression levels of placental TLR2/4 and IL-6/10 were analyzed.The results showed that after acute MCMV infection,the expression levels of placental TLR2/4 and IL-6 were elevated at E13.5,accompanied by obvious placental inflammation and reduction of placenta and fetal brain weights.However,LPS 50 μg/kg could decrease the IL-6 expression at E13.5 and E14.5.This suggests that acute MCMV infection during pregnancy could up-regulate the gene expression of TLR2/4 in placental trophoblasts and activate them to produce more proinflammatory cytokine IL-6.High dose of LPS stimulation (50 tg/kg) during pregnancy can lead to down-regulation of IL-6 levels in the late stage.Imbalance ofIL-6 expression in placenta might be associated with the neurodevelopmental disorders in progeny.

Hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, two important glycoproteins on the surface of influenza virus, play a considerable role in the entry and release stage of the viral life cycle, respectively. With in-depth investigation of influenza virus glycoproteins and the continuous innovation of drug discovery strategies, a new generation of glycoproteins inhibitors have been continuously discovered. From the point of view of medicinal chemistry, this review summarizes the current advances in seeking small-molecule inhibitors targeting influenza virus glycoproteins, hoping to provide valuable guidance for future development of novel antiviral drugs.

OBJECTIVETo establish a probabilistic model for evaluation of dietary exposure to lead and construct age-related exposure centiles for the residents in Jiangsu.

METHODSLead contamination data were obtained from the national food contamination monitoring program during 2001 - 2006 and 2791 samples from 232 food products in Jiangsu were included. Food consumption data were from the national diet and nutrition survey conducted in 2002, including 3938 subjects in Jiangsu. A non-parametric probabilistic model using Monte Carlo simulation was applied to derive the intake distribution. The intake data was then analyzed using the LMS method, which constructs exposure percentiles adjusted for the median (M), the coefficient of variation (S) and the skewness (L) of the intake distribution.

RESULTSThe median and P(99) of the lead exposure for the residents in Jiangsu were 1.02 µg×kg(-1)×d(-) and 9.29 µg×kg(-1)×d(-1), respectively.6.38% of the total population showed to have a lead intake exceeding the tolerable limit, which for the urban and rural population were 4.31% and 7.06%, respectively. The exceeding rate for children of 2 - 10 years old from the urban and rural areas were 13.17% and 17.70%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThere was a large variation in the lead exposure level of the population in Jiangsu; People in rural areas are in greater risk for higher lead exposure than urban people; The dietary exposure to lead for children and the high-end population was serious.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Environmental Exposure ; Food Contamination ; analysis ; Humans ; Lead ; analysis ; Risk Assessment

To understand the effectiveness of prokaryotic expression of fusion protein (F) of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and its application as antigen, F proteins from different genotypes of hMPV were expressed in prokaryotic expression system and purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography column. According to the hydrophobicity, antigen index and surface probability of F protein, the subunit 1 (F1) region of F protein was generated and expressed in E. Coil. BL21(DE3). The 6-His-F1 proteins with molecular weight of approximately 37 kD generated from hMPV of two genotypes were expressed efficiently mainly in inclusion body. The antigenicity and specificity of the expressed proteins were tested and confirmed by Western Blot using polyclonal antibody against hMPV and one serum specimen from a patient with confirmed hMPV acute infection,and polyclonal antibodies against human respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza virus 2 and 3. The results of preliminary use of the expressed proteins for detecting antibodies against hMPV in 457 serum specimens collected from different age groups in Beijing indicated that 66%-67% of sera in all age groups were positive. The positive rate of antibodies declined in children in age groups from birth to 2-year-old and then rose along with the increase in age, in which the lowest was in age group from 1 to 2-year-old and the highest in newborn and people older than 60 years. The data indicated the existence of maternal transferred antibodies against hMPV in infants and the risk of hMPV infections in children younger than 2 years old.
Adult ; Antibodies, Viral ; immunology ; Antigens, Viral ; genetics ; immunology ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; immunology ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Metapneumovirus ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Protein Engineering ; Protein Subunits ; genetics ; immunology ; Viral Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; immunology

To characterize the genomic sequence and arrangement of WU polyomavirus (WU virus) identified in clinical specimens collected from children with acute respiratory infections in Beijing, China, the sequences of capsid proteins VP1, VP2, and the large tumor antigen (LTAg), as well as the 5'-terminal sequence of WU virus, were amplified from the clinical specimen with ID number of BJF5276 which was determined as WU virus positive by PCR amplification. The PCR amplicons were sequenced, and genomic sequence analysis was performed by using the software DNAStar. In addition, VP2 coding-region sequences were amplified from other 21 clinical specimens identified as WU virus positive to investigate the gene diversity of WU virus. The genomic sequence of WU virus BJF5276 with accession number of HQ218321 in GenBank was 5,229 base pairs in length with 3 major coding domain sequences (CDS) sited on one strand coding for capsid proteins VP2, VP3 and VP1, and two CDS sited on the complementary strand coding for small tumor antigen (STAg) and LTAg; These 22 VP2 CDS sequences including 5 sequences submitted to GenBank were compared with 64 corresponding sequences downloaded from GenBank by MegAlign of DNAStar software, indicated that these sequences coming from children in Beijing shared high homology (over 98.8%) with those from GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis of these VP2 CDS by using Neighbor-joining (NJ) analyses with 2,000 bootstraps (Mega 4.0) showed that 20 sequences out of 22 belonged to clade Ia, and other 2 of them belonged to clade III, including 1 clustered in IIIa and 1 in a novel cluster proposed as IIIc. In conclusion, the genomic sequence of WU polyomavirus detected from clinical specimens from children in Beijing is closely related to other WU polyomaviruses in the feature of genomic coding region arrangement. Overall variation of VP2 CDS was very low, and there were different clades circulating in Beijing with a dominant clade Ia, which is different from dominated Ib circulating in other parts of the world reported previously, and a novel clade IIIc was proposed.
Acute Disease ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Female ; Genome, Viral ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Polyomavirus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; virology ; Viral Proteins ; genetics