Objective To investigate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP)in-308 loci of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)gene promoter region and chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Methods Genotypes of-308 loci of the TNF-αpromoter were examined by the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP)in 142 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB group)and 150 healthy controls (HC group).The indexes for evalua-ting the curative effect were the ALT,AST,HBeAg,HBV-DNA and the viral load weight,HBV-LP and HBV-PreS1,mean-while,the correlations between related indexes and SNP in TNF-α308 loci were explored as well.Results There was no sta-tistical significance in frequency distribution difference of the genotypes and alleles of-308 loci between CHC and HC groups (P>0.05),the protective factors of TNF-α308 allele A may be not associated with CHB (OR=1.529,OR95%CI:0.872~2.684).There was no association between TNF-αgene promoter-308G/A polymorphism and the positive rates of AST, ALT,HBV-LP and HBV-PreS1 (P>0.05),however,TNF-α-308G/A polymorphism associates with the positive rates of HBeAg and HBV-DNA,and A-allele of 308 loci may increase the risk of HBeAg and HBV-DNA positive expression (HBeAg:OR=3.256,OR95%CI=1.105~9.594;HBV-DNA:OR=2.847,OR95%CI=1.059~7.655).Furthermore,A-allele compared with Gallele,statistically significant differences were observed in the certain HBVDNA viral load range of104~107 copies/ml (P <005).Conclusion TNFαgene promoter308G/A polymorphism would not be associated withCHB,but the TNFα308 gene G mutation of Aallele,which was associated with HBVDNA viral load,may be the susceptible factors of HBV infection.

Objective To observe the dynamic changes of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in the patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage during different phases and study the relationships between the VEGF levels and the volume of hemorrhage or stroke severity. Methods Fifty-six patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage were divided into three groups by the volume of hemorrhage:group A(＜ 20 ml,23 caees),group B(20-30 ml, 18 cases),group C(＞ 30 ml, 15 cases) and light group (1-15 scores,22 cases),midrange group (16-30 scores,20 cases),severe group (31-45 scores, 14 cases)by China stroke scale (CSS) score in 24 hours of hospitalization. The serum VEGF level was determined at 24 h,48 h,72 h,7 d and 14 d after the onset of disease by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results The serum levels of VEGF during different phases (within 24 h,48 h,72 h,7 d,14 d) had statistical differences between group A and group C (P ＜0.01). Within 24 h,48 h,72 h,7 d,there was statistical difference between group B and group C (P ＜0.01).Within 48 h,72 h,7 d,14 d,there was statistical significance between group A and group B (P＜ 0.05). The serum levels of VEGF during different phases(24 h,48 h,72 h,7 d, 14 d) were higher in severe group than those in light group(P＜ 0.01). Within24 h,48 h,72 h,7 d,there was statistical difference between severe group and midrange group (P＜ 0.01).Within 48 h, 72 h, 7 d, 14 d, there was significant difference between midrange group and light group (P ＜0.05). The volume of hemorrhage had positive correlation with the CSS scores of neurologic impairment on admission (r = 0.916, P ＜ 0.05). Conclusion The serum VEGF levels might be related to the volume of hemorrhage and the severity of the disease.

Objective To observe the correlation of MRI findings with treatment outcome of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in the acute phase of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF).Methods A total of 101 patients with single-segment OVCF undergone PKP in the acute phase were included in the study.There were 19 males and 82 females, at age range of 61 to 89 years (mean, 69.3 years).According to the T2WI signal intensity, the patients were divided into low signal group (Group A), low-medium signal group (Group B), medium signal group (Group C), and mediumhigh signal group (Group D).visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluating the pain relief.Correlations of MRI signal with vertebral height, vertebral compression ratio, Cobb's angle change in each group were determined.Results All MRI images were shown as low signal in T1WI and high signal in FS-T2WI.On the T2WI images, the signal was medium-high in 14 vertebrae, medium in 18 vertebrae, low-medium in 31 vertebrae, and low in 38 vertebrae.Among four groups, the VAS score, vertebral body height, vertebral compression ratio and Cobb's angle changes before operation showed no statistical difference compared with those after operation (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions MRI findings are primarily low or medium signal on T2WI images in the acute phase of OVCF, which shows insignificant correlation with effect of PKP.However, PKP is effective in the treatment of OVCF.

AIMTo prepare the micelles of stearic acid-grafted chitosan oligosaccharide and investigate the drug release from micelles.

METHODSMediated by a 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC), stearic acid (SA) was covalently attached to chitosan oligosaccharide (CSO), and the graft polymer (CSO-SA) was obtained. The critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of the CSO-SA was determined by measuring the fluorescence intensity of pyrene as a fluorescent probe. The effect of various pH dispersed media and concentration of tripolyphosphate sodium (TPP) on the micellar size distribution and zeta-potential measured by light scattering and electrophoretic mobility, was investigated. In buffers of different pH, the release profiles of methotrexate (MTX) from micelles were evaluated.

RESULTSThe CAC value of CSO-SA in deionized water was 0.05 g x L(-1). The mean diameter of CSO-SA micelles was 26.7 nm and the zeta potential was (55.9 +/- 0.1) mV. With the increase of TPP concentration, the size and MTX encapsulation of CSO-SA micelles increased, while the zeta-potential decreased. With the decrease of pH value of dispersed media, the size and zeta-potential of CSO-SA micelles increased, and the MTX encapsulation in CSO-SA micelles decreased. While the enhancement of drug release from the micelles was observed.

CONCLUSIONThe graft polymer of CSO-SA provides polymeric micelles, which possessed a low CAC value in aqueous media. The drug release in vitro from CSO-SA micelles was affected by the pH of delivery media.

Chitosan ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Methotrexate ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Micelles ; Oligosaccharides ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Polymers ; Polyphosphates ; Solubility ; Stearic Acids ; administration & dosage ; chemistry

AIMTo study the cellular uptake of chitosan oligosaccharide nanoparticles by A549 cells and evaluate the possibility of chitosan oligosaccharide nanoparticles used as a potential drug carrier.

METHODSChitosan oligosaccharide (CSO) was obtained by ultrafiltration separation after regulation of the condition of chitosanase degradation. The molecular weight of CSO was determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Chitosan oligosaccharide nanoparticles (CSO-NPs) were prepared by a novel solvent diffusion method in an oil system after the carrier material grafted fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and the particle size distribution and zeta potential were determined by light scattering and electrophoretic mobility. The cytotoxicity and uptake of FITC-labeled CSO-NPs in A549 cells following various incubation periods were studied by the MTT method and fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometric analysis, respectively.

RESULTSThe molecular weight (MW) of CSO was 18,678 u and the particles sizes of CSO-NPs were 133.3 nm (number average) and 368.2 nm (volume average), respectively. The IC50 of CSO and CSO-NPs were 944.36 and 643.16 mg x L(-1), respectively, and the result showed low cytotoxicity. Cellular uptake of CSO and CSO-NPs were relative to the concentration and the incubation time. Internalization of CSO-NPs increased 0.49 - 13.9 times more than that of the CSO with the same incubation time.

CONCLUSIONCSO and CSO-NPs have low cytotoxicity. CSO-NPs can significantly improved the uptake of CSO-NPs by A549 cells compared to the same molecular weight of CSO.

Adenocarcinoma ; pathology ; Chitin ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; toxicity ; Chitosan ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Carriers ; metabolism ; toxicity ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; Nanotechnology ; Oligosaccharides ; metabolism ; toxicity ; Particle Size ; Time Factors ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Objective To investigate the relationship between carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and pulse pressure index (PPI) in elderly hypertensive patients.PPI was defined as 24 h mean pulse pressure(PP)/24 h mean SBP.Methods One hundred and three elderly hypertensive patients were categorized by PPI level:group A (PPI

Objective:To systematically evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of tuina therapy for primary insomnia.Methods:Nine Chinese and English databases were searched from the inception to May 2017 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) studying tuina therapy for insomnia.The enrolled articles were all RCTs with tuina as the monotherapy or major therapy in the experiment group,with clear diagnostic criteria for primary insomnia well recognized worldwide or in China,and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQ I) as one of the outcome measures.Two researchers evaluated the risk of bias and quality of the enrolled studies by following Cochrane Handbook version 5.1.0.The meta-analysis was performed by RevMan version 5.3.Results:Eleven studies were included with a total of 1 076 participants.The Western medication adopted in the control groups were benzodiazepine receptor agonists.The studies were all assessed as high risk of bias for blinding since blinding method was unable to be performed due to the specificity of tuina therapy;no study reported the support of fund or potential interest conflict,so they were all rated unclear for selective reporting.The meta-analysis showed that compared with other traditional Chinese medicine therapies,tuina worked more effectively in reducing the PSQI score (MD=-4.11＜0,95％ confidence interval (CI)-6.01 to-2.22,P＜0.0001);compared with oral administration of Western medication,tuina showed more significant efficacy in reducing the PSQI score (MD=-3.42＜0,95％CI-5.19 to-1.66,P＜0.0001).Subgroup analysis showed that head tuina alone showed no significant difference compared with oral administration of Western medication regarding the change of PSQI score (MD=-4.19＜0,95％CI-8.87 to 0.50,P＞0.05);a combination of head and back tuina could more effectively reduce the PSQI score compared with oral administration of Western medication (MD=-2.08＜0,95％CI-3.09 to-1.06,P＜0.0001).Conclusion:Tuina can produce more significant efficacy in treating primary insomnia compared with other traditional Chinese medicine therapies and oral administration of Western medication,especially the combination of head and back tuina.

After brief introduction of FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization),it was discussed of the FISH's application status in research on biological nitrogen removal in recent years. Base on the FISH technology,Characterization of the community in biological reactor could be showed exactly,but more research should be carried out for the study on the effluence on microbial community composition,which was caused by changing operating parameter of biological reactors on the microbial community composition,such as SRT,DO and C/N ratio.The combination of FISH and other methods such as PCR-DGGE and 16S rRNA/rDNA will led to the identification of the microbial community which response for the nitrogen-removal in wastewater treatment plant.

AlM:To discuss the protective effect ofα-mangostin on retinal light damage in mice.METHODS:Totally 30 Balb/c mice, aged 6~8wk, were randomly divided into the control group, light-exposure group and α-mangostin group. Every group contained 10 mice. Mice of α-mangostin group were treated with alpha-mangostin at the dose of 30mg/( kg · d ) body weight by intragastric administration daily for 7d, and then exposed to white light at the 5th d. The light-exposure group and α-mangostin group were exposed to 5 000 ± 200lx white light-emmiting diodes (LEDs) for continuously 1h to establish the mice model of retinal light damage. Flash -electroretinograme was recorded 72h after light exposure. The changes in retinal morphology of mice were observed by light microscopy. Retinas were extracted to detect the malondialdhyde ( MDA ) content change of the retinal homogenate.RESULTS: Flash-electroretinogram ( F-ERG ) showed that retinal dysfunction was less severe in α-mangostin group than in light-exposure group ( P<0. 05 ). Light microscopy test showed that retina structural damage was less severe in α-mangostin group than in light-exposure group (P<0. 05). The level of MDA in retinal tissue of α-mangostin group was significantly lower when compared with light-exposure group (P<0. 05).CONCLUSlON: α-mangostin inhibits lipid peroxidation induced by light damage and protect retina against light damage.

Spleen kidney Yang deficiency (SKYD) diarrhea is a common syndrome in tranditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Until now, there is not an ideal SKYD diarrhea rat model for the research. In this study, we compared single factor way (method I, injecting hydrocortisone and gavaging Sennae Folium) with compound factors way(method II, gavaging adenine, improper diet, exhaustion, and gavaging Sennae Folium) on establishing SKYD diarrhea rat model. After modelling, diarrhea index, D-xylose excretory rate, NOS/cGMP signal transduction system, organ index and histopathology examination were used to evaluate the two ways. The results showed that, compared with health group, all the assessment criterias of method I and method II had significant differences (P < 0.01, 0.05). In addition, the index such as diarrhea index, NOS/cGMP signal transduction system, organ index (kidney, testis and thymus) and histopathology examination had significant differences (P < 0.01, 0.05) between method I and method II. In conclusion, the compound factors modelling method better conforms to the symptom of diarrhoea model caused by SKYD. This new modelling method provides a basis for studying on TCM astringents warming and tonifying the spleen and kidney, relieving diarrhea.
Animals ; Diarrhea ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Kidney ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spleen ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Xylose ; metabolism ; Yang Deficiency ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology