OBJECTIVETo explore the expressions and functions of the kisspeptin/kiss1r system and GnRH in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (HAN) and the influence of the kisspeptin/kiss1r system on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testis (HPT) axis in the rat models of diet-induced obesity.

METHODSNinety newborn SD male rats were randomly assigned to receive normal diet (n = 30) and high-fat diet (n = 60) for the establishment of obesity models. The model rats were again equally divided into a control group and an experimental group, the latter injected with kisspeptin via the lateral ventricle. Then the body mass index (BMI) and endocrine hormone levels of the rats were recorded, the protein expressions of LepR, kisspeptin, kiss1r, and GnRH in the HAN determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, and the levels of GnRH mRNA in the HAN measured by qRT-PCR.

RESULTSSignificantly increased BMI and hormone levels indicated the successful establishment of diet-induced obesity models. Compared with the normal rats, the protein expressions of LepR, kisspeptin, and GnRH in the HAN were markedly decreased in the controls, and that of GnRH and the levels of LH and T significantly increased, but the expressions of LepR and kiss1r showed no remarkable changes in the experimental rats.

CONCLUSIONLateral ventricular injection of kisspeptin can upregulate obesity-induced low expression of GnRH, correct the dysfunction of the HPT axis, and thus improve reproductive function in rats.

Animals ; Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Diet, High-Fat ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; metabolism ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ; Kisspeptins ; metabolism ; Male ; Obesity ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; metabolism ; Receptors, Kisspeptin-1 ; Receptors, Leptin ; metabolism

An investigation on the consumer and manufacturer of home medical device as well as doctors is carried out with an aim to analyze the current situation of home medical device in Beijing.Based on the method of market research,this issue is approached from such four aspects as popularity,demand,purchase,and usage respectively.The results reveal the distribution of different types of home medical devices and distinctive features represented in the process of purchasing among different age groups.Finally,some suggestions and speculation about the future development of home medical device in this area are proposed.

Objective To evaluate efficacy of routine cleaning and disinfection methods for incubators,and put forward a feasible improvement solution.Methods 30 incubators used in a neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital between Decem-ber 2013 and June 2014 were chosen and randomly divided into baseline,control,and trial groups(10 incubators in each group).Baseline group and control group were disinfected by routing disinfection method (wiping internal and external sur-faces of incubators with water and chlorine-containing disinfectant),trial group adopted intensified disinfection method (wi-ping internal surfaces of incubators with alcohol)on the basis of routine disinfection,disinfectant efficacy of three groups were compared.Results In baseline group,unqualified incubators were initially detected on the fourth day of monitoring, all incubators were contaminated in varying degrees on the seventh day of monitoring,the detection rate of unqualified spec-imens was 31.43% (88/280).The median time for the initial detection of unqualified incubators in control group and trial group were on the fifth day and seventh day respectively,there was significant difference between two groups(χ2 =12.38, P <0.05);The unqualified rate of trial group was significantly lower than control group (15.36%[43/280]vs 32.86%[92/280],χ2 =23.43,P <0.05 ).Conclusion Intensified disinfection with alcohol on the basis of routine disinfection method can effectively improve the disinfectant efficacy of the surface of incubators,it is convenient,inexpensive and safe, and worth to be popularized in primary hospitals.

Objective To understand the need on AIDS related knowledge and its awareness level on the part of migrants,a special group of people,in north Anhui where there is a high incidence of AIDS,so as to provide basis for making AIDS intervention measures aimed at the group.Methods In the two towns of Linquan County in Anhui,four villages comparatively far away from each other were extracted at random in the unit of village,totally 552 migrants,were surveyed with the self-designed questionnaires.Results Among the 552 research subjects,457 male migrants and 95 female migrants,the female were lower(P

Objective To investigate the differential MSCT diagnostic features and comparative study of subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Methods All of the renal cell carcinomas including 14 chromophobe RCCs (ChRCC), 10 papillary RCCs type 1(PRCC Ⅰ), 15 papillary RCCs type 2 (PRCC Ⅱ), 7 mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinomas (MTSCCs) were investigated except for clear cell RCC. Dynamic contrast-enhanced CT was conducted in each case after intravenous administration of contrast agent, and the data including all the CT manifestations and the enhancement features were analyzed and contrasted together. Results The indexes including enhancement homogeneity, border of the tumor, renal pelvis violation, blood vessel in tumor showed statistically significant difference between the 4 subtypes (P<0.05), but no difference in the calcification of the tumor. Only the enhancement degree of MTSCC was lower than the kidney medulla in all of the three enhancement scanning phases, while the other 3 tumors' enhancement degree was higher than the kidney medulla in the cortical phase. Peak contrast enhancement of ChRCC was located in the cortical phase, however, peak contrast enhancement of the others did in the nephrographic phase. Conclusions Enhancement characteristics combined CT features is of great help in differential diagnosis of 4 subtypes of RCC.

Objective To prepare monoclonal antibody(McAb) against human tissue kallikrein (HK) and develop an ELISA kit allows for the in vitro quantitative determination of human tissue kallikrein in urine. Methods To generate a monoclonal antibody specific for TK, the synthetic TK peptide consisting of 12 amine acids(12P), was fused to keyhole limpet hemocyanin(KLH) and used for immunization. Using hybridoma screening, monoclonal secreting cell lines were identified and used to generate ascites in BALB/c mouse. Antibody was purified by affinity column chromatography. 12% SDS-PAGE and Western blot were used to visualize the purified antibody. This kit employs indirect competitive ELISA technique and BiotinAvidin System. 12P was fused to bovine serum albumin(BSA) and has been pre-coated onto a microplate at first. Standards and samples were added to the appropriate microplate wells with a biotin-conjugated McAb croplate well. A TMB substrate solution is added to each well. The enzyme-substrate reaction is terminating by the addition of a sulphuric acid solution and the color change is measured spectrotometrically at a wavelength of 450 nm. The concentration of tissue kallikrein in the samples is then determined by comparing the O.D. of the samples to the standard curve. Results 8 hybridoma cell lines secreting mAbs special to HK,SDS-PAGE and Western blot demonstrated successful preparing and purification of McAb( 100% ). The linearity of this ELISA kit is demonstrated(r =0. 990). The range of detection of the assay is 0.008 μg/ml to 0. 5 μg/ml. The assay remained stable, with no change in the values measured, over five cycles of freezing and thawing. Conclusion 8 McAbs against HK have been prepared successfully and possess high titer and specificity. The development of an ELISA kit for detecting HK can meet the needs of detection of HK in urine samples.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of azathioprine (AZA) in the treatment of refractory ulcerative colitis (UC).Methods Retrospective analysis of the clinical improvement,endoscopic improvement and mucosal healing rate,inflammation marker improvement after AZA administration and its safety in 24 refractory UC patients were performed,who were recruited between January 2007 and December 2011 in West China Hospital,Sichuan University,China.Results Twenty-four patients were enrolled,with a median age of 36 years old and a median course of 4 years.Among them,14 cases were moderate UC and 10 cases were severe UC.The patients were treated with AZA in a dose of (1.23 ±0.34) mg· kg-1 · d-1 from 7 weeks to 42 months.Efficacy was judged by Mayo disease activity index.At 3 months,6 months and 1 year after treatment,the effective rates were 73.9％ ( 17/23),81.8％(18/22) and 14/16 respectively,and the remission rates were 17.4％ (4/23),54.5％ (12/22) and 12/16respectively.Both ESR and C reactive protein level after treatment for 6 months and 1 year were significantly lower than those before treatment [ (9.3 ±8.9) mrn/1h,(10.9 ±7.3) mm/1h vs (22.3 ± 10.7) mm/1h;2.5(1.0-22.3) mg/L,2.3(1.0-28.0) mg/L vs 18.4(3.6-137.0) mg/L; all P ＜0.05].Corticosteroid withdrawal rates at 3 months and 1 year after AZA treatment were 16/18 and 15/16,respectively.At 6 months and 1 year after AZA treatment,the endoscopic improvement rates were 85.7％ ( 18/21 ) and 13/15 respectively; the cndoscopic remission rates were 61.9％ ( 13/21 ) and 11/15 respectively; and the mucosal healing rates were 61.9％ ( 13/21 ) and 11/15 respectively.Adverse effects were occurred in 8 patients.Leukopenia was the most common adverse effect,followed by liver function injury,alopecia and epigastric discomfort.Conclusions AZA is effective in the treatment of refractory UC patients with a low dose of ( 1.23 ± 0.34) mg· kg - 1 · d - 1,especially in the steroid withdrawing,maintaining remission and mucosal healing without severe adverse effects.

Objective; To investigate the inhibitory effect of resveratrol on the pulmonary inflammation in the mice with neutrophilic asthma, and to elucidate its mechanism. Methods; A total of 18 female C57BL/6J mice were selected. The mouse models of neutrophilic asthma were established by sensitization with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and ovalbumin (OVA). The model mice were randomly divided into model group (LPS + OVA group), resveratrol group (Res group, intragastric administration of 30 mg. kg-1 resveratrol at 2 h before challenge) and N-acetylcysteine group (NAC group, intragastric administration of 3 mmol · kg-1 N-acetylcysteine at 2 h before challenge). Other 6 age-matched female C57BL/6J mice were choosen as normal control group (PBS group). The behavioral changes of mice in various groups were observed during the atomization with methacholine; the airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) of mice was analyzed with a lung function instrument, and the total number of cells and inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were observed with light microscope; the pathological changes of lung tissue were observe by HE staining; the levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) in the supernatant of BALF of the mice in various groups were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lung tissue was analyzed by specific fluorescent probe DCF-DA staining; the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in lung homogenate was measured by MDA kit. Results: Compared with PBS group, the Penh value, total number of cells, inflammatory cells, airway inflammation and scores of the mice in LPS+OVA group were significantly increased (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01); the IL-17 level in BALF supernatant was significantly increased (P<0. 01); the ROS fluorescence intensity in lung tissue was significantly increased, and the MDA level in lung homogenates was significantly increased (P<0. 01). Compared with LPS + OVA group, the Penh value, total number of cells, inflammatory cells, airway inflammation and scores in Res group and NAC group were significantly decreased (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01); the IL-17 levels in BALF supernatant were significantly decreased (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01); the ROS fluorescence intensities in lung tissue were decreased, and the MDA levels in lung homogenates were significantly decreased (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Resveratrol can effectively inhibit the inflammatory response of lung tissue in the mice with neutrophilic asthma, and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the oxidative stress reaction.

Influenza, caused by influenza virus, is a serious respiratory illness which poses a global public health threat. Vaccination is the primary strategy for the prevention and control of influenza. Although both inactivated vaccines and the live attenuated vaccines are effective in preventing influenza, the current vaccines have poor efficacy in the elderly and fail to provide protection against heterosubtype viruses. Development of a safer and more effective influenza vaccine that provides broad cross protection, overcoming the intrinsic limitation of the current vaccines, has been a scientific challenge. During the past decades, structural biology, reverse genetic and other virological technologies developed quickly and sped the progress of influenza vaccinology. Some new strategies for developing influenza vaccine have been generated, produced encouraging results, which showed great prospect as next-generation of influenza vaccines.
Disease Outbreaks ; prevention & control ; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus ; immunology ; Humans ; Influenza Vaccines ; biosynthesis ; immunology ; Influenza, Human ; immunology ; prevention & control ; virology ; Orthomyxoviridae ; immunology ; Vaccines, Attenuated ; immunology ; Vaccines, Inactivated ; immunology

Growth of animal is largely regulated by growth hormone (GH). In this study, the GH gene was isolated and cloned from the genomic DNA library from Rongjiang pig, a Chinese local swine, using polymerase chain reaction technique. The complete nucleotide sequence of a 1.903 kb genomic fragment containing Rongjiang swine GH gene has been determined. The GH gene contained five exons and four introns similar to the GH genes of other mammalians and exhibited 97%~99% identity to the GH genes of the four western meat-type breeds and nine Chinese local pigs. Polymorphism of GH genes was analyzed by using the restriction enzymes Dde I, Nar I and BsmN I in four western meat-type breeds and ten Chinese local pigs. Five polymorphic restriction sites, with Dde I at the base 622 (G/A) in exon 2 and 274 (T/C) in 5o-flank, with Nar I at 631 (G/A) in exon 2, and with BsmN I at the base 841 (T/C) in intron 2 and 1358 (A/G) in exon 4, were identified. The polymorphic restriction site at 1358 (A/G) leaded to the GH mature protein of Rongjiang pig differing from that of four western meat-type breeds and eight Chinese local breeds at the residue Val108 substituted by Ile108. According to the crystal structure of human GH mature protein, this Ile108 substitution might result in a lower affinity of GH for its receptor in Rongjiang breed.
Animals ; Breeding ; China ; Cloning, Molecular ; Exons ; Growth Hormone ; genetics ; physiology ; Introns ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Species Specificity ; Swine