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.

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

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.

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

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

To study the effect of different levels intermittent hypoxia on inflammatory cytokines and adipokines in a rat model. 160 male Wistar rats were divided into five groups, three groups with intermittent hypoxia (5% O2:IH-1 group;7. 5% O2: IH-2 group;10% O2: IH-3 group), continuous hypoxia group (10% O2, CH group);and the intermittent normal oxygen control group(IN). Before the exposure and at the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth week after the exposure, eight rats in each group were selected randomly with blood samples collected. Blood glucose was measured by glucose oxidase-peroxidase ( GOD-POD ) reagents, double sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA) was used to detect serum concentration of insulin, tumor necrosis factor alpha( TNF)-α, interleukin ( IL)-6, leptin, and adiponectin and adipocyte nuclear factor kappa B ( NF-κB) levels. In IH-1, IH-2, and IH-3 group, blood glucose, insulin, TNF-α, IL-6, leptin, and nuclear NF-κB in rats showed consecutive increment after exposure to intermittent hypoxia, and those findings in IH-1 group were higher than those in IH-2 and IH-3 group (P<0. 05), but the level of TNF-α dropped slightly on the 8th week. The level of adiponectin showed consecutive decrease from the outset and its level in IH-1 group was significantly lower than that in IH-2 and IH-3 group(P<0. 05). Cytoplasmic NF-κB levels did not have obvious difference in all these groups(P>0. 05). These results demonstrate that intermittent hypoxia could activate NF-κB and result in extensive changes of proinflammatory cytokines and adipokines in the serum of rats. The release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and adipokines keeps pace with the degree of intermittent hypoxia.

Objective To measure total hemoglobin concentration (THC) of breast lesion using US-guided diffused optical tomography(DOT) and to investigate the THC optimal threshold value in different size breast lesions.Methods DOT was performed on 500 breast lesions and surgical pathology was as the gold standard.The optimal diagnostic threshold and the efficacy were figured out.Results There were 265 benign and 235 malignant lesions.In malignant lesions,THC of ≥2 cm lesion group was higher than that of ＜2 cm lesion group(P =0.000).In benign lesions,there was no statistical difference between ≥2 cm group and ＜2 cm group (P =0.13).As for ＜2 cm breast lesions,when a THC threshold value of 146.9 μmol/L and 102.2 μmol/L were used,the sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value and accuracy were 74.2％,70.0％,71.7％,62.9％,79.9％ and 86.7％,44.4％,61.6％,51.6％,83％,respectively.As for ≥2 cm breast lesions,when a THC threshold value of 210.4 μmol/L were used,the sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value and accuracy were 74.0％,86.7％,79.1％,89.2％,69.2％.Conclusions THC of breast cancer increased with the increasing size of lesions.The different diagnostic threshold value should be used according to different size lesions so as to enhance sensitivity,specificity and accuracy.

Chronic kidney disease(CKD)is a major public health problem worldwide. Understanding by doctors and laboratorians of the importance of reliable serum creatinine measurement in GFR estimation and of factors that may affect creatinine measurement is critical to ongoing public health efforts to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with CKD.We present an overview of the commonly used methods,their performances and limitations and the required performance criteria for the measurement of serum creatinine.Available resources for standardization of serum creatinine measurements and recommendations for creatinine measurement and GFR estimations are introduced.