Objective To investigate the changes of plasma adrenodullin(ADM) and C-type natriuretic peptide(CNP) level in children with chronic heart failure(CHF) and its clinical implications.Methods Forty-two children with CHF were collected.The patients suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy,congenital heart defects,and other heart diseases.According to a modified scoring system described by Ross and Reithman,16 patients were classified as class Ⅱ,14 as class Ⅲ,and 12 as class Ⅳ.Plasma levels of ADM and CNP were measured by radioimmunoassay assay in these patients and 11 healthy children.Echocardiography was performed to measure left ventricular function and the ratio of E/A.Results Plasma ADM and CNP levels of CHF patients were significantly elevated as compared with those of the control subjects [(218.27?106.53) ng/L vs(74.39?53.99) ng/L,P=0;(190.27?108.38) ng/L vs(92.59?(59.46) ng/L),P0.05).ADM levels were elevated with the advancing severity of CHF determined by a modified scoring system described by Ross.However,the plasma CNP levels in the normal state wasn′t significantly different from those observed in class Ⅱ.Likewise,the plasma CNP level in the class Ⅲ was not significantly different from that observed in class Ⅱ.Conclusions ADM and CNP might play a compensatory and defensive roles in the pathophysiology of the pediatric CHF.ADM may be a biochemical marker for evaluation the severity of the chronic heart failure in children,but also a new prognostic indicator of this syndrome.

Plant expression cassette for TaDREB from wheat was constructed into plasmid pBIR1.Aloe stems were used as explants for the transformation mediated by Agrobaterium.Infected tissues were selected using G418 to generate transformants.In total,58 resistant plantlets to the antibiotics were obtained from the infected explants.The designed primers according to the selective gene npt II and the target gene TaDREB were used to analyze all of the G418 resistant plantlets.PCR results demonstrated that TaDREB were successful transferred into aloe genomic with the transformation efficiency of 0.5%.The transgenic aloe plants were treated under 4℃ for two weeks and then at-20℃ for 30min.The treatment showed that the leaves of negative plants appeared severe evidence of freeze injury with brown,withered and translucent,while the positive plants appeared good growing condition.The activities of enzymes such as peroxidase(POD)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)of transgenic plants which were stressed for 14 days under low temperature were analyzed.The results indicated that the trend of SOD and POD activities in transgenic plants was down-up-up-up,and that in non-transgenic plants was down-up-down-down.The average value of relative electrical conductivity in the positive plants was 0.456 which was lower than 0.685 in the negative plants.It is supposed that transformation of the kind of gene could improve the resistant ability of aloe to low temperature.

Antimony ; blood ; Humans ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; methods

Administration, Rectal ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Endometriosis ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy

Objective To study protective immunity effects of co-immunization with P30 DNA vaccine and protein vaccine. Methods Forty-eight 5-6 weeks old BALB/c female mice were divided into four groups (A,B,C,D), 12 mice of each group. In group A (control group) each mouse was immunized with 100 ?g pcDNA3.1 plasmid DNA by intramuscular (i.m.) for three times at week 0,2 and 4; in group B (P30 protein group) each mouse was immunized (i.m.) with 50 ?g rP30+50 ?g CFA for three times at week 0, 2 and 4; in group C (pcDNA3.1-P30 group) each mouse was immunized with 100 ?g pcDNA3.1-P30 plasmid DNA (i.m.) for three times at week 0, 2 and 4; in group D (P30 DNA+rP30 co-immunization group) each mouse was immunized with 100 ?g pcDNA3.1-P30 plasmid DNA (i.m.) for two times at week 0, 2 and immunized by subcutaneous with 50 ?g rP30+50 ?g CFA at week 4. Each mouse was infected with 100 tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii RH strain four weeks later after last immunization. The anti-P30 antibodies were detected with ELISA before the challenge. Results The P30 DNA vaccine was successfully constructed. High titers of anti-P30 antibodies were induced in each mouse immunized with DNA vaccine. The protective trial proved that there was no significant difference between control group and experimental group though the survival time of mouse from experimental group had been prolonged. Conclusion The P30 DNA vaccine could induced high titers of anti- P30 antibodies in immunized mice, and it may be a potential DNA vaccine candidate.

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation for refractory glaucoma after sequential failed trabeculectomy.
METHODS: Thirty - six patients (36 eyes) with prior failed sequential trabeculectomy who underwent Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation were included. The intraocular pressure ( IOP), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and complications were ovserved and all the patients were followed up at least for 12mo.
RESULTS: Mean preoperative IOP was 35. 20±7. 28mmHg and reduced to 10. 15±3. 34, 11. 23±3. 56, 15. 63±5. 72, 17. 17±5. 47, 17. 73±6. 23,19. 76±5. 43mmHg at 1, 2wk, 1, 3, 6 and 12mo after surgery, which was significant different from the preoperative level (t = 12. 643, 11. 837, 10. 324, 8. 839, 8. 462, 8. 046, all P < 0. 05 ). Visual acuity was not significantly different between pre - operation and 12mo post- operation ( Z = - 0. 420, P > 0. 05). At 12mo after operation, the complete success rate reached 78% and the conditional success rate reached 92%. There were 5 eyes complicated with shallow anterior chamber, 3 eye complicated with anterior chamber hemorrhage, which all recovered after additional treatments. Late complications included valve exposure and encapsulated cystic blebs around the plate. Severe corneal endothelium loss occurred in 1 patient.
CONCLUSION: Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation is effective in reducing IOP at 1-year follow-up in refractory glaucoma patients with prior sequential failed trabeculectomy, but we should fully understand and attach great importance to all kinds of complications that may occur.

A biosurfactant-producing strain(S_6)was isolated from oil-containing wastewater in oxidation ditch and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa based on physiological and biochemical experiments and 16S rDNA sequence analysis.Infrared spectrum analysis revealed that S_6 produced glucolipid in the process of metabolism.It was observed that S_6 decreased the surface tension of water from 72 mN/m to 33.9 mN/m with the critical micelle concentration(CMC)of 50mg/L.The measurement of oil displacement and surface tension demonstrated that the fermented liquid had stable surface activity at varying range of salinity,pH,amount of dissolved oxygen.The optimal culture condition was obtained through orthogonal experiment:glucose 10g/L,urea 5g/L,KH_2PO_4 1g/L,liquor of microelement 2mL,pH 8.0,water 1000mL;and the biosurfactant production under optimal culture condition was 0.173g/L.

A new experiment curriculum system of environmental microbiology was established centering on applied microbiology in environmental protection field and emphasizing on design and research experi- ments to motivate the students’ interests for the course, which helped them to improve their ability of think- ing independently and creatively as well as their practicing ability.

Objective To observe the effects of comprehensive measures of changing grain,selenium supplementation,off-site education and resettlement on prevention of children's Kashin-Beck disease in Aba state.Methods Fifty eight villages in Aba Kashin-Beck disease areas were chosen as intervention points in Aba state Sichuan province from 2007 to 2011.Based on the implementation of prevention and control measures,the villages were divided into off-site education + changing grain + selenium supplementation group and resettlement + off-site education + changing grain + selenium supplementation group,Geletuo town of Seda county,Ganzi state was selected as a control point,and right-hand anteroposterior X-ray examination(including the wrist) was carried out on children aged 6-13 from 2007 to 2011 annually.Clinical and X-ray diagnosis of Kashin-Beck disease was made in accordance with the Diagnostic Criteria of Kaschin-Beck Disease(GB 16003-1995).The effects of prevention and control measures were evaluated by comparing the child X-ray detection rate before and after the implementation of the measures.Results The average X-ray positive detectable rate of children in the intervention points was 2.07％(66/3181),2.72％ (69/2540),1.16％ (35/3017),0.56％ (19/3397) and 0.56％ (24/4273),respectively from 2007 to 2011,with a downward trend (x2trend =66.74,P ＜ 0.01).There was a downward trend in the average X-ray positive detectable rate of children in off-site education + changing grain + selenium supplementation group [1.60％(29/1809),2.63％ (39/1484),1.29％ (25/1941),0.64％ (15/2332),0.42％ (10/2379)] and resettlement + off-site education + changing grain + selenium supplementation group [2.70％ (37/1372),2.84％ (30/1056),0.93％(10/1076),0.38％ (4/1065),0.74％(14/1894)] (x2trend=30.97,35.19,all P ＜ 0.01).The average X-ray positive detectable rate of children in the intervention group was 0 from 2007 to 2010,and was 1.61％ (1/62) in 2011.The difference of X-ray positive detectable rate was not statistically significant in the control group in the 5 years from 2007 to 2011.The difference of children's X-ray positive detectable rate was not statistically significant between control group and intervention group.Conclusions The effect of taking changing grain,selenium supplementation,off-site education and resettlement comprehensive measures to prevent children's Kashin-Beck disease is not significant in those places where the state of Kaschin-Beck disease is not active.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common, malignant, and lethal primary brain tumor in adults.Up to now,there is no effective drug for GBM.Withaferin A(WFA)is mainly derived from Indian Winter cherry.It has been traditionally used in ayurvedic medicine.WFA has wide range of pharmaco-logical activities including cardioprotective,anti-inflammatory,immuno-modulatory properties.Recently, WFA was reported to inhibit the growth of many cancer cells; however, the precise molecular mecha-nisms of its anti-cancer activities in GBM remain unclear. Here, we found that treatment of WFA in U251 and U87-MG glioma cells inhibited the cell proliferation,released the cellular LDH,decreased the DNA synthesis, and inhibited the migration, invasion, and colony formation of cells. WFA also in-creased the apoptotic rate of cells, decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential, arrested cell cy-cle at G2/M,inhibited the activity of caspase 3/7,and increased the protein expression of cleaved-cas-pase 3,cleaved PARP in U251 and U87-MG cells.In addition,cell apoptosis induced by WFA was as-sociated with increasing level of Bim,Bad,P21,P53 and decreasing the level of p-CDK1,cyclin A and B. It was also shown that cell apoptosis induced by WFA was associated with P38 signal pathway. These results demonstrated that WFA induced mitochondrial dependent apoptosis in glioblastoma cells which was associated with arresting the cell cycle at G2/M phase by P38 pathway.Taken together,our findings suggest that WFA might be a promising chemotherapy drug in the treatment of GBM.