Objective To investigate the correlation between drinking behavior combined with polymorphisms of extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) and aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) genes and pancreatic cancer.
Methods The genetic polymorphisms of EC-SOD and ALDH2 were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism in the peripheral blood leukocytes obtained from 680 pancreatic cancer cases and 680 non-cancer controls. Subsequently the frequency of genotype was compared between the pancreatic cancer patients and the healthy controls.The relationship of drinking with pancreatic cancer was analyzed.
Results The frequencies of EC-SOD (C/G) and ALDH2 variant genotypes were 37.35% and 68.82%respectively in the pancreatic cancer cases, and were significantly higher than those in the healthy controls (21.03% and 44.56%, all P<0.01). People who carried EC-SOD (C/G) (OR=2.24, 95% CI=1.81-4.03, P<0.01) or ALDH2 variant genotypes (OR=2.75, 95%CI=1.92-4.47, P<0.01) had a high risk to develop pancreatic cancer. Those who carried EC-SOD (C/G) genotype combined with ALDH2 variant genotype had a high risk for pancreatic cancer (29.56%vs. 6.76%, OR=7.69, 95%CI=3.58-10.51, P<0.01). The drinking rate of the pancreatic cancer group (64.12%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (40.15%; OR=2.66, 95% CI=1.30-4.42, P<0.01). An interaction between drinking and EC-SOD (C/G)/ALDH2 variant genotypes increased the risk of occurrence of pancreatic cancer (OR=25.00, 95%CI=11.87-35.64, P<0.01).
Conclusion EC-SOD (C/G), ALDH2 variant genotypes and drinking might be the risk factors of pancreatic cancer.

Objective To investigate baccalaureate nursing students'subjective well-being before clinical practice and discuss the influential factors in order to help students build a positive state of mind to participate in the clinical practice.Methods The convenience sample consisted of 144 baccalaureate nursing students who would take part in clinical practice and the General Self-efficacy Scale (GSES) and General Well-being Schedule (GWB) were adopted.Results The baccalaureate nursing students' subjective well-being was generally at a little higher level than the intermediate.Among the dimensions,the scores of life satisfaction,positive affect and negative affect were (4.69 ± 0.61 ),(4.12 ± 1.13 ) and (2.44 ± 0.89 ),respectively.Among the students,those who were the only child in the family or who were excellent in their study had higher subjective well-beings,with ( 24.98 ± 5.64 ) and ( 24.44 ± 4.40 ),respectively.The main influential factors included self-efficacy,self-esteem and the number of children in the family.Conclusions Nursing educators and psychologists should attach importance to baccalaureate nursing students' subjective well-being before clinical practice.Self-efficacy and self-esteem can obviously predict the change of subjective well-being.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Cardiac Catheterization ; economics ; methods ; Cardiac Surgical Procedures ; economics ; methods ; Cardiac Valve Annuloplasty ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; statistics & numerical data ; Male ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; Septal Occluder Device ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effect of Ligustrazine on IR after local cerebral ischemia of rat.

METHODModels of rat IR after local cerebral ischemia were prepared by electrocagulation of the middle cerebral artery, and changes of serum insulin, tomer necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were observed 2 weeks after the ischemia.

RESULTLigustrazine could significantly reduce serum insulin (P < 0.01), the content of plasma ET-1 (P < 0.01) and serum TNF-alpha (P < 0.01), the activity of brain tissue NO and NOS (P < 0.01). The drug also increased insulin sensitivity indexes (ISI).

CONCLUSIONThe protective effects of Ligustrazion on IR cerebral ischemia may be related to decreasing ET-1 content in plasma, TNF-alpha content in serum, NO content and NOS activities in tissue.

Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; blood ; etiology ; Endothelin-1 ; blood ; Female ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; complications ; Insulin ; blood ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

Transgenic tobacco plants expressing a stress responsive gene BoRS1, isolated from Brassica oleracea var. acephala, under the control of the 35S promoter of the Cauliflower mosaic virus were produced. Some plants were further used to test the effect of high level BoRS1 expression on drought stress resistance. The presence of transgene in putative transgenic plants was confirmed by PCR analysis. Thirty-six among 130 transformants showed amplification of predicted fragment of BoRS1 while no amplification was observed in the control. Some transgenic lines confirmed by PCR analysis were analyzed through semi-quantitative one-step RT-PCR for the expression of BoRS1 gene. Amplification of 1.4 kb cDNA product revealed transcription of BoRS1 gene. Meanwhile, differential intensity of the cDNA band indicated variable expression levels of the transgene among different transformed lines. The water loss of detached leaves from the transgenic plants was slower than that of the control. Transgenic tobaccos and the non-transgenic controls were used for further drought stress experiments by using different concentration of mannitol. The transformants showed higher tolerance to drought stress than non-transgenic plants and different transgenic lines exhibited different tolerance during drought stress. These results showed that the BoRS1 gene probably play role in enhancing the ability to drought stress.
Adaptation, Physiological ; genetics ; Agrobacterium tumefaciens ; genetics ; Brassica ; genetics ; Dehydration ; Genes, Plant ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plants, Genetically Modified ; genetics ; growth & development ; physiology ; Stress, Physiological ; Tobacco ; genetics ; growth & development ; physiology ; Transformation, Genetic ; Transgenes

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on the airway inflammation and its regulatory effect on Th17/Treg imbalance in asthmatic mice.

METHODSA total of 30 BALB/c mice were equally and randomly divided into three groups: control, asthma, and VIP. An acute asthmatic mouse model was established by sensitization and challenge with ovalbumin (OVA). The control group received normal saline instead of OVA. Before the challenge with OVA, the VIP group was administered VIP (20 μg/mL) by aerosol inhalation for 30 minutes. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the lung tissue were collected from mice. The pathological changes in the lung tissue were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The levels of Th17/Treg-related cytokines in BALF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of retinoid-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) and forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) were measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe histopathological results showed that the VIP group had milder symptoms of airway inflammation than the asthma group. The level of IL-17 in BALF in the asthma group was significantly higher than that in the control group and the VIP group (P<0.01), but the level of IL-17 in the control group was significantly lower than that in the VIP group (P<0.01). The level of IL-10 in BALF in the asthma group was significantly lower than that in the control group and the VIP group (P<0.01, but the level of IL-10 in the VIP group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). The asthma group showed significantly higher expression levels of RORγt mRNA and protein in the lung tissue and significantly lower expression levels of Foxp3 mRNA and protein than the control group (P<0.01). The VIP group had significantly lower expression levels of RORγt mRNA and protein in the lung tissue and significantly higher expression levels of Foxp3 mRNA and protein than the asthma group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe Th17/Treg imbalance may be closely related to the airway inflammation in asthmatic mice. VIP can improve airway inflammation by regulating the Th17/Treg imbalance in asthmatic mice.

Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; genetics ; Interleukin-10 ; analysis ; Interleukin-17 ; analysis ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 ; genetics ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; immunology ; Th17 Cells ; immunology ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo Compare the therapeutic effects of cryocareTM cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation(RFA), and and microwave coagulation (MCT) in rabbits with VX(2) liver cancer.

METHODSForty-five rabbits with VX(2) liver cancer were randomly and equally allocated into 5 groups to receive treatment with cryocare cryoablation (group A), radiofrequency ablation (group B), microwave coagulation (group C), surgical resection (group D) and control group (group E), respectively. The residual tumor tissues and metastasis (intrahepatic, lung, abdominal lymphoid node, and abdominal implantation) were observed after the treatments, with also detection of soluble interleukin-2 receptor ( sIL-2R) and recording of the survival time of the rabbits.

RESULTSSignificant differences were found in the occurrence of tumor residue (chi(2)=20.700, P=0.0000), intrahepatic metastasis (chi(2)=15.652, P=0.0004), and abdominal implantation tumor (chi(2)=13.894, P=0.0008) between the 5 groups, but not in lung and abdominal lymph node metastasis. sIL-2R levels differed significantly only after but not before the treatments (F=31.58, P=0.000) between groups A to D and group E (t=10.119, P=0.000). The treatments in groups A to D all resulted in prolonged survival of the rabbits as compared with the control (F=73.084, P=0.000), and cryocareTM cryoablation and surgical resection showed similarly better effect than RFA and MCT.

CONCLUSIONCryocare cryoablation can be more effective than RFA and MCT in reducing tumor residue and metastasis and prolonging the survival time of rabbits with VX(2) liver cancer, and RFA and MCT are comparable for their therapeutic effects.

Ablation Techniques ; methods ; Animals ; Cryosurgery ; Female ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; surgery ; Male ; Microwaves ; Rabbits ; Radio Waves ; Receptors, Interleukin-2 ; metabolism ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUNDRecent studies showed that aminoglycosides destroyed the cochlear cells and induced ototoxicity by producing reactive oxygen species, including free radicals in the mitochondria, damaging the membrane of mitochondria and resulting in apoptotic cell death. Bcl-x(L) is a well characterized anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family. The aim of this study was to determine the potential cochlear protective effect of Bcl-x(L) as a therapeutic agent in the murine model of aminoglycoside ototoxicity.

METHODSSerotype 2 of adeno-associated virus (AAV2) as a vector encoding the mouse Bcl-x(L) gene was injected into mice cochleae prior to injection of kanamycin. Bcl-x(L) expression in vitro and in vivo was examined with Western blotting and immunohistochemistry separately. Cochlear dissection and auditory steady state responses were checked to evaluate the cochlear structure and function.

RESULTSThe animals in the AAV2-Bcl-x(L)/kanamycin group displayed better auditory steady state responses hearing thresholds and cochlear structure than those in the artificial perilymph/kanamycin or AAV2-enhanced humanized green fluorescent protein/kanamycin control group at all tested frequencies. The auditory steady state responses hearing thresholds and cochlear structure in the inoculated side were better than that in the contralateral side.

CONCLUSIONSAAV2-Bcl-x(L) afforded significant preservation of the cochlear hair cells against ototoxic insults and protected the cochlear function. AAV2-mediated Bcl-x(L) might be an approach with respect to potential therapeutic application in the cochlear degeneration.

Aminoglycosides ; toxicity ; Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; toxicity ; Cochlea ; drug effects ; physiology ; Dependovirus ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Therapy ; Hearing Loss ; chemically induced ; Kanamycin ; toxicity ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; bcl-X Protein ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the epidemiological characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) in children, and to provide a basis for diagnosis and treatment.

METHODSThe serum level of Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibody IgM (MP-IgM) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for 3156 hospitalized children with confirmed community acquired pneumonia from February 2011 to January 2012. The antigens of seven respiratory viruses were detected in the nasopharyngeal secretions of children with MPP.

RESULTSMP-IgM was detected in 427 of the 3156 patients, with a positive rate of 13.53%. The infection rate in female patients was significantly higher than in male patients (16.30% vs 11.70%; P<0.01). The MP-IgM detection rates were 3.6%, 12.5%, 19.2%, and 24.4% in children aged under 1 year, 1-3 years, 3-6 years and 6-14 years respectively (P<0.01), and the total MP-IgM detection rate in children aged under 3 years was significantly lower than in children over 3 years (P<0.01). The MP-IgM detection rate varied with the seasons and was significantly higher in summer and autumn than in winter and spring (19.18% vs 9.61%; P<0.01). Of the 427 MP-IgM-positive children, 60 (14.1%) were infected with respiratory viruses, and the highest proportion of which was respiratory syncytial virus.

CONCLUSIONSMPP is sporadic throughout the whole year, with a higher incidence in summer and autumn. MPP occurs mostly in preschool and school-age children, and there is mixed infection of MP and respiratory viruses.

Adolescent ; Antibodies, Bacterial ; blood ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Infant ; Male ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; epidemiology ; Seasons

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects of mannitol and hypertonic saline (HS) in treatment of intracranial hypertension (ICH) of rabbits.

METHODSThe animal mode of ICH was established by perfusing artificial cerebrospinal fluids (aCSF) with controlled pressure into the cerebral ventricles of rabbits. The mean arterial pressure, respiratory rate, tidal volume, perfusion rate of aCSF and water content of cerebrum were investigated in rabbits with ICH after a single bolus of 20% mannitol (5 ml/kg), 7.5% HS (2.2 ml/kg) or 23.4% HS (2.2 ml/kg).

RESULTSAfter the intracranial pressure was elevated from 15 cmH₂O to 75 cmH₂O, the mean arterial pressure was increased and the tidal volume was decreased. After treatment by 20% mannitol, 7.5% HS or 23.4% HS, the increased percentage of mean arterial pressure and the decreased percentage of tidal volume were similar to the changes in control group. However, the perfusion rate of CSF was increased and water content of cerebrum was decreased after treatment by either 20% mannitol or 23.4% HS, but not by 7.5% HS. No different effects were found between 20% mannitol and 23.4% HS.

CONCLUSIONWith the similar osmotic burden, 20% mannitol is more effective in treating ICH than 7.5% HS. With higher osmotic load, the efficacy of HS is enhanced, and 23.4% HS may be used as an alternative to mannitol in treatment of ICH.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Intracranial Hypertension ; drug therapy ; Male ; Mannitol ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Rabbits ; Saline Solution, Hypertonic ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use