AIM: To investigate the effect of low intensity white light irradiation on the retinas of mice.
METHODS: Thirty C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into two groups. The number of the mice in each group was 15. The mice in experimental group received dark adaptation from 5:00p. m. to 6:00p. m. , and then exposed to LED white light from 6:00p. m. to 7:00p. m. everyday for a month. At 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30d after the beginning, we examed the histology of mice retinas, calculated the thickness of outer nuclear layer ( ONL ) , inner nuclear layer ( INL ) and analyzed electrophysiology of mice.
RESULTS:One month after experiment, compared to the control group, the latency of Rod-R a wave of the mice in experimental group significantly prolonged, the amplitude of Cone-R b wave of the mice in experimental group significantly decreased and the latency of b wave of the mice in experimental group significantly prolonged ( P<0. 05). There are no significant difference in the histology of retina, ONL and INL thicknesses.
CONCLUSION: 100lux low intensity white light could give rise to the impairment of the retinal functions in dark-adapted mice.

Birth Weight ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; etiology ; therapy ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male

Objective To investigate the relationship between the promoter of IL-12B gene polymorphism and the susceptibility and clinical features of chronic gastritis and duodenal ulcer with or without Helicobacter pylori(Hp) infection in children and adolescent.Methods Mucosal biopsies were obtained from 132 children and adolescent (patient group),including 100 children with chronic gastritis and 32 children with duodenal ulcer,undergoing an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for dyspeptic symptoms.Biopsy specimens were stained with hematoxilin and eosin (HE),and gastritis was graded according to the Sydney system.Serology,urease test and histology were taken to assess Hp status.Genomic DNA was obtained from peripheral blood or gastric biopsies of patients and 102 healthy children as normal control group.The promoter of IL-12B +1188A/G gene polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and sequencing.The genotype distributions and allele frequencies were compared between the study group and the normal control group,and the association of genotypes with clinicopathological features was studied.IL-12B mRNA level expressions in gastric mucosa were confirmed by reverse transcription PCR biopsy-based tests.Results The genotype distributions and allele frequencies of IL-12B +1188A/G gene polymorphisms were similar in gastric upper gastrointestinal diseases and healthy subjects.The IL-12B +1188A/G gene polymorphisms were not associated with Hp status.IL-12B+1188A/G gene polymorphisms did not affect IL-12B mRNA level expressions and were not associated with the degree of antrum chronic inflammation.Conclusions These data suggest that IL-12B+1188A/G gene polymorphisms are not associated with susceptibility to chronic gastritis and duodenal ulcer in children and adolescent.

14 strains were isolated from pits sludge by anaerobic cultivation,two Clostridium butyricum strains were identified by physiological and biochemical experiments and the sequence analysis of 16S rDNA.The physiological characteristics and security of Clostridium butyricum B1 were studied,in vitro research indicated it was tolerant against low pH,bile concentration and antibiotics and has antagonism effects against pathogens.

OBJECTIVETo investigate correlation of plasma level of fibrinogen with clinical stage, depth of invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer, and its diagnostic and prognostic significance.

METHODSThe present study included 229 patients suffering from colorectal cancer and 31 cases with benign colorectal diseases. For each patient, plasma fibrinogen was determined by COULTER ACL-200 automated coagulation analyzer. The tumor markers CEA, CA19-9 and CA72-4 were examined by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay on Roche Eleccsys 2010 analyzer. Tumor makers CA242 and TPS were tested by ELISA.

RESULTSThe fibrinogen level was increased in patients with colorectal cancer compared to that in patients with benign colorectal diseases. It increased with the clinical stage and depth of tumor invasion. The fibrinogen level was higher in patients with lymph node metastasis than those without. It was highest in patients with distant metastasis. There were positive correlations of fibrinogen level with tumor makers CEA, CA242 and TPS, but not with CA19-9 and CA72-4.

CONCLUSIONPlasma fibrinogen is significantly increased in colorectal carcinoma patients with progression of the disease.

Adenocarcinoma ; blood ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate ; blood ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; blood ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; Female ; Fibrinogen ; analysis ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Peptides ; blood

The aim of this study was to observe the difference in respect to the leukocyte reduction efficiency and quality of fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) from filtered whole blood between two types of in-line filters wherein only filter materials were surface modified by the two methods respectively. Whole blood was kept in refrigerator and filtered within 6 h of collection at ambient temperature. Samples were taken pre- and post filtration for analysis of WBC numbers, coagulation factors and complement activation (n = 8 for each type of filter). All filtered units contained < 2. 5 x 10(6) residual leucocytes. RBCs recovery was over 93%. No significant difference between group A and B was seen. But group B appeared to take longer time for filtration than did group A (9'29" vs. 8'01"). Neither group A nor group B showed statistically significant losses of total protein, album, IgG, IgM, fibrin, factors VIII, IX, vWF and C3 (P > 0.05). Factor V, XI and AT-III decreased significantly in two group filters. Group B showed more significant losses of IgA content and factor V activity than did group A, which appeared to be related to the difference in surface character between group A and group B filters. These two types of filters could remove leukocytes effectively, and no significant changes were observed in the quality of FFP from the filtered whole blood. It is presumed that the filter material with better bio-compatibility will give a high recovery of plasma protein and coagulation factors after filtration.
Blood Coagulation Factors ; metabolism ; Filtration ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukocyte Reduction Procedures ; instrumentation ; methods

In order to solve the problem of resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to multiple antibiotics, it is an effective way to find inhibitors of P. aeruginosa efflux pump. In this study, 15 new ornithine peptidomimetic derivatives were designed and synthesized by changing the side chain structure of natural amino acids with PAβN, a dipeptide efflux pump inhibitor, and their synergic activity with aztreonam, a monocyclic β-lactam antibiotic, against P. aeruginosa was evaluated. Among them, the representative compound 12b not only enhanced the antibacterial activity of β-lactam antibiotics aztreonam, ceftazidime and meropenem, but also significantly enhanced the antibacterial action of macrolide antibiotics clarithromycin, showing a broad-spectrum synergic sensitization effect. In addition, compound 12b also has a good safety. Preliminary mechanisms suggest that 12b works by directly targeting the efflux transporter MexB. These results provide a new lead compound for the development of a new class of efflux pump inhibitors against P. aeruginosa.

We examined the effect of endogenous and exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on protein kinase C (PKC) activity induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. The results are as follows. The activity of PKC was increased by Ang II (0.01-10 micromol/L) in a dose-dependent manner, but decreased by NO precursor L-arginine (L-Arg) (10 micromol/L-10 mmol/L) in a dose-dependent manner in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Pretreatment with L-Arg (100 micromol/L) decreased significantly Ang II -activated PKC activity and PKC activity induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) ( 10 micromol/L), a PKC activator. Pretreatment with N(G)-nitro-L-argingie methyl ester (L-NAME), a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) blocker, may inhibit significantly the role of L-Arg on Ang II - and PMA-activated PKC activity. The activity of PKC was also decreased by NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (10 micromol/L-1 mmol/L) in a dose-dependent manner in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Pretreatment with SNP (10 micromol/L) decreased significantly Ang II - and PMA-activated PKC activity. These results indicate that PKC was controlled by both NO and Ang II. PKC may be a cross talk between Ang II and NO in cardiomyocytes. NO abolished the activity of PKC and impaired PKC downstream signaling transduction pathway cascades.
Angiotensin II ; physiology ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Male ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; enzymology ; Nitric Oxide ; physiology ; Protein Kinase C ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To construct a specific small interfering double-stranded RNA(siRNA) expression vector of Caspase-12 and to evaluate inhibitory effect of this siRNA on caspase-12 mRNA activity.Methods Three groups of siRNA targeting different gene sites of caspase-12 were designed and synthesized chemically.Mouse hepatoma cell line,Hepa1-6,was transfected with the siRNA by 24 h.Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was performed to analyze the inhibi- tion of caspase-12.Then the most effective siRNA was selected and the two template sequences for the siRNA were inserted into pRNAT-H1.1Neo expression vector.The recombinant plasmid, referred to as pRNAT-casp12,was verified by PCR analysis and sequencing.The expression of caspase-12 at mRNA and protein level,after transfection with pRNAT-casp12 by 48 h and 72 h respectively,were analyzed by using real-time PCR and Western blotting.Results The chemically synthesized siRNA*1 and siRNA*3 could inhibit mouse hepatoma cell caspase-12 mRNA by 59.9% and 39.6%(P

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in cell cycle induced by cisplatin (DDP) and the effect of antisense oligonucleotide (AsODN) targeting Chk1/2 on DDP-induced apoptosis in lung cancer cell line A549 cells.

METHODSThe characteristics of cell cycle and apoptosis induced by DDP were detected by flow cytometry using SubG1 method. Chk1/2 mRNA and protein expression were assayed by RT-PCR and Western blot under best condition of transfection of AsODN targeting Chk1/2 by lipofection. Apoptosis of A549 cells induced by DDP was determined by flow cytometry using AnnexinV-FITC staining after transfection of Chk1/2 AsODN.

RESULTSAsynchronized A549 cells were treated with 10 micromol/L DDP, and significant S-phase arrest was observed at 12 h later. Transfection with antisense oligonucleotide targeting Chk1/2 inhibited the Chk1/2 expression at both mRNA and protein levels. Either Chk1 or Chk2-specific AsODN consistently enhanced DNA damage-induced apoptosis by 100% - 200%, compared with that in the sODN control (P < 0.05), but combined use of Chk1- and Chk2-specific AsODN did not show synergistic effects as compared with that induced by treatment with Chk1- or Chk2-specific AsODN alone (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONChk1 and Chk2 may be regarded as effective targets of chemotherapy for lung cancer. Silencing the key effector Chk1 and Chk2 genes may significantly increase the chemosensitivity of lung cancer cells.

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Checkpoint Kinase 1 ; Checkpoint Kinase 2 ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Gene Silencing ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Oligonucleotides, Antisense ; genetics ; Protein Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Transfection