Isocitrate lyase (ICL) which plays a pivotal role in the glyoxylate cycle of mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) could be a potential target against mycobacterium tuberculosis.Deoxyribozyme(DRz) is a small single-strand,enzymatic DNA molecule.Assistant by sketch of secondary structure,appropriate and not appropriate target sequences of MTB ICL mRNA were predicted.Two DRzs were designed targeting above sequences respectively.To affirm feasibility of this kind of prediction,in vitro cleavage of MTB ICL mRNA segment by DRz-ICLcf and DRz-ICLcj were performed.The results showed that sketch of secondary structure could indeed predict potential target of DRz.This research will provide basis for developing DRz as a novel antimicrobial agent against MTB.

Objective To investigate the relationship between trace elements and rachitis in children.Methods Three hundred and twelve patients with rachitis and 297 healthy children were selected for this study.Blood zinc(Zn),iron(Fe),plasma copper(Cu),calcium(Ca),magnesium(Mg),lead(Pb) and cadmium(Cd) were assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer.Results The levels of Zn,Fe,Cu of rachitis in blood were significantly lower than those of healthy children,while the levels of Mg,Pb were higher.There were significant differences between 2 groups(P

avian influenza virus (AIV) can not only infect avian and cause pandemics,but also result infection and initiate pandemics in humans and other mammal animals,crossing the species barrier.There have been some advance in research into the nonspecific species barrier of human respiratory tract against AIV infection and the mechanism of the infection of AIV in humans in recent years.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Dust ; Humans ; Iron ; Male ; Metallurgy ; Occupational Exposure ; Pneumoconiosis ; diagnostic imaging ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Radiography ; Risk Factors ; Steel ; Welding

Apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal projection plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Although the detailed mechanisms responsible for dopaminergic neuron loss are still under investigation, oxidative stress is identified as a major contributor for neuronal apoptosis. In the current study, we studied the effects of MPP(+), a substrate that mimics oxidative stress, on neuron-like PC12 cells and the underlying mechanisms. PC12 cells were cultured and treated by 100 μmol/L MPP(+) for 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 h, respectively. For drug pretreatment, the PC12 cells were incubated with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC, 5 mmol/L), an antioxidant, SP600125 (20 μmol/L) or PD98059 (100 μmol/L), two pharmacological inhibitors of JNK and ERK1/2, for 1 h before addition of MPP(+). Cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. The mRNA expression of Cu(2+)/Zn(2+)-SOD, GSH-Px, Bcl-2 and Bax was detected by RT-PCR. The protein expression of p-ERK1/2 and p-JNK was determined by Western blotting. Our results showed that MPP(+) exposure could induce substantial PC12 cell apoptosis. The pretreatment of SP600125 or PD98059 could effectively reduce the apoptosis rate by reducing the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA levels. MPP(+) exposure also induced high level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), marked by dramatic increase of Cu(2+)/Zn(2+)-SOD and GSH-Px mRNA levels. The elevated ROS was strongly associated with the activation of JNK and ERK1/2 signal pathways after MPP(+) exposure, since the pretreatment of NAC significantly reduced the upregulation of p-JNK and p-ERK1/2. Finally, the pretreatment of SP600125, but not PD98059, alleviated the increase of Cu(2+)/Zn(2+)-SOD and GSH-Px mRNAs induced by MPP(+), suggesting that the activation of the JNK signal pathway, but not the ERK1/2 signal pathway, could, in some degree, antagonize the generation of ROS induced by oxidative stress. In conclusion, our results suggest that JNK and ERK1/2 signal pathways, which are activated via ROS, play a crucial role in neuronal apoptosis induced by oxidative stress.

Objective To explore the effect of levels and ratios of matrix nephritis metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2), -9 and inhibitor of metalloproeinase-1(TIMP-1) in the pathogenesis of children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis(HSPN),and the correlation between them and urinary micro albumin(MA).Methods Serum levels of MMP-2, -9 and TIMP-1 were determined by double antibody enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),and urine MA was determined by immune rate nephelometry in 36 children with HSPN,16 children with simple purpura and 30 healthy controls.Results Levels of MMP-2, -9,TIMP-1 and ratios of MMP-2/ TIMP-1,MMP-9/TIMP-1 rose in acute phase of HSPN. The levels and ratios in HSPN group were higher than those in simple purpura group,and those in simple purpura group higher than those in controls (P

OBJECTIVETo explore the role of Compound Danshen Injection (CDI) in regulating the expression of aquaporin 3 (AQP3) in human amnion epithelium cells (hAECs), and to study the relation between c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signal pathway and AQP3.

METHODShAECs were isolated and primarily cultured from term pregnancy with normal amniotic fluid volume and from term pregnancy with oligohydramnios, and then hAECs were further divided into four groups, i.e., the blank control group (A), the SP600125 group (B), the CDI group (C), and the SP600125 +CDI group (D). The cell viability was measured by cell counting kit-8 assay (CCK-8). The expression of total JNK, phosphorylated JNK, and AQP3 were determined by Western blot.

RESULTS(1) In hAECs with normal AFV or with oligohydramnios: There was no statistical difference in the cell viability or the expression of total JNK among the 4 groups (P > 0.05). But there was statistical difference in the expression of p-JNK (P < 0.05). Compared with A group, the expression of p-JNK was obviously down-regulated in B group, but obviously up-regulated in C group (P < 0.05). The expression of p-JNK was significantly lower in D group than in C group, but higher than that in A group or B group (P < 0.05).The AQP3 expression in the hAECs with normal amniotic fluid volume of C group and D group were higher than that in the A group (P < 0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in the AQP3 expression between C group and D group (P > 0.05). In hAECs with oligohydramnios, the expression of AQP3 obviously decreased in B group, but up-regulated in C group (both P < 0.05). The expression of AQP3 was lower in D group than in C group, but higher than in B group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCDI could regulate the AQP3 expression in hAECs with oligohydramnios via activating the JNK signal pathway.

Amnion ; cytology ; drug effects ; Aquaporin 3 ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; physiology

A sensitive, rapid, simple and economical ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectro-metric method (UPLC–MS/MS) was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of imatinib, dasatinib and nilotinib in human plasma using gliquidone as internal standard (IS). Liquid-liquid extraction method with ethyl acetate was used for sample pre-treatment. The separation was performed on an Xtimate Phenyl column using isocratic mobile phase consisting of A (aqueous phase: 0.15% formic acid and 0.05% ammonium acetate)and B(organic phase:acetonitrile)(A:B=40:60,v/v).The flow rate was 0.25 mL/min and the total run time was 6 min. The multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions, m/z 494.5→394.5 for imatinib, 488.7→401.5 for dasatinib, 530.7→289.5 for nilotinib and 528.5→403.4 for IS, were chosen to achieve high selectivity in the simultaneous analyses. The method exhibited great improvement in sensitivity and good linearity over the concentration range of 2.6–5250.0 ng/mL for imatinib, 2.0–490.0 ng/mL for dasatinib,and 2.4–4700.0 ng/mL for nilotinib.The method showed acceptable results on sensitivity,specificity, recovery, precision, accuracy and stability tests. This UPLC–MS/MS assay was successfully used for human plasma samples analysis and no significant differences were found in imatinib steady-state trough concentra-tions among the SLC22A5?1889T>C or SLCO1B3 699G>A genotypes(P>0.05).This validated method can provide support for clinical therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic investigations of these three tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs).

Objective To study the expression of NKx2.5 on the heart of offspring during the development of embryo,whose mother is deficient of folic acid.Methods 1.Control group involving 18 rats and study group involving 18 rats were chosen from the total 36 adult female SD rats randomly copulate with the male normal rats after feeding different fodder for 2 weeks.The heart of the 13.5 days,17.5 days embryos and the newborns were obtained;2.the expression of NKx2.5mRNA by RT-PCR was observed;3.the expression of NKx2.5 protein by Western-blotting was investigated.Results 1.The expression of NKx2.5 mRNA of study group was weaker than control group in heart of the 13.5 days,17.5 days embryos and the newborns(P

Objective To investigate the effects of dietary consumption of monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) on the control of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods One hundred and eighty-five patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from a community in Shanghai were randomly divided into MUFA intervention group (MUFA group,n=125) and control group (n=60). The patients in MUFA group consumed tea oil enriched in MUFA for 3 months,while those in control group consumed normal oil. The serum glucose (fasting plasma glucose and 2-hour postprandial glucose),fasting insulin and blood lipid were examined before intervention and three months after intervention,and the parameters were compared within groups and between groups. Results The serum fasting glucose,fasting insulin,total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol 3 months after intervention were significantly lower than those before intervention in MUFA group (P0.05),while the serum fasting glucose,total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol in MUFA group were significantly lower than those in control group 3 months after intervention (P0.05). Conclusion Dietary consumption of MUFA can improve the glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.