Objective To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture and Shenmai injection combined with conventional western therapy as treatments for the sudden deafness.Methods A total of 186 patients with sudden deafness were randomly divided into two groups. Each group included 93 patients. The control group was treated with the pipe-expanding and anti-inflammatory, but the treatment group was treated with electroacupuncture and Shenmai injection based on the control group. Both groups were treated for 11 days.Before and after treatments, the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was detected. The MADSEN was used to detect ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP), including N1-Pl amplitude, N 1-Pl incubation period, N1-Pl wave duration and extraction rate of oVEMP.Results The recovery rate of control group was 63.4% (59/93) and total effective rate was 90.3% (84/93), which was 88.6% (75/93) and 97.8% (91/93) in combined treatment group, and there was significant difference between the 2 groups (χ2=5.923,P<0.05). After 11 days of treatment, the Tinnitus (17.2%vs. 30.1%,χ2=7.152), vertigo and survival rate (15.1%vs. 21.5%, χ2=6.023) in combined treatment group showed significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The threshold (39.59 ± 5.36 dBHLvs. 45.85 ± 5.08 dBHL,t=2.903) in combined treatment group showed significantly lower than those in the control group (P=0.034). The N1 amplitude (10.62 ± 0.84μVvs. 7.14 ± 0.59μV;t=3.259,P=0.017), P1 amplitude (11.79 ± 0.91μVvs. 9.90 ± 0.82μV;t=2.871,P=0.037), extraction rate of oVEMP (95.7%vs. 81.7%;χ2=7.963,P=0.012) in combined treatment group showed significantly higher than those in the control group. The N1 incubation period (7.86 ± 0.82 msvs. 9.78 ± 1.24 ms;t=3.729,P=0.009) and Pl incubation period (6.57 ± 0.77 msvs. 9.39 ± 1.15 ms;t=3.064,P=0.025) in combined treatment group showed significantly lower than those in the control group.Conclusions The Electroacupuncture and Shenmai injection combined with conventional western therapy could improve blood circulation produce a synergistic therapeutic effect on damaged tissue, improve cochlear hair cells and vestibular nerve regeneration, and repaire the functions.

Objective To study the adhesive characters of Lactobacillus to enterocyte-like HT-29 cells.Methods A HT-29 cell culture was employed to investigate the adherent ability of Lactobacillus.Bacterial suspension and HT-29 cells were co-incubated at 37℃ for 1h.The cells with adherent bacteria were Gram-stained,and then examined microscopically under oil immersion.The pH of the medium,bacterial growth phase,co-incubation time,bacterial concentration,D-mannose and type of host cells,which were involved in the process of adherence of Lactobacillus to enterocyte-like HT-29 cells,were also investigated.Results The adherent level increased substantially for Lactobacillus reuteri JCM1081 as the pH decreased from 6.0 to 4.0.Maximum adherence occurred within 90min and remained stable until the end of incubation.The bacterial concentration exerted a certain influence on the adherence of Lactobacillus reuteri JCM1081 to HT-29 cells,and it seemed to be concentration dependent.Maximum adherence occurred in the concentration of 109cfu/ml and remained stable until the end of incubation.Lactobacillus strain that grew into stationary phase showed higher ability to adhere to HT-29 cells than that in logarithmic phase.The addition of D-mannose dramatically decreased the level of Lactobacillus adherence.The Lactobacillus strain adhered in higher levels to the enterocyte-like cells or gastric epithelium cells than other cell origins,and the adhesion of Lactobacillus showed host cells specificity.Conclusion The adhesive characters observed with Lactobacillus suggested that adhesive properties are species and host specific.The pH,bacterial growth phase,co-incubation time,bacterial concentration and D-mannose may influence the adhesion of Lactobacillus to enterocyte-like HT-29 cells.

Objective To observe the effect of carvedilol on cardiac function and heart rate variability(HRV) in patients with congestive heart failure(CHF) . Methods Sixty-three patients with CHF were randomly divided into two groups. 33 cases (carvedilol group) were given Carvedilol titrated from low dose to target dose in addition to standard therapy for CHF. The cardiac fuction and HRV of all patients were examined before and after 6 months therapy. Results After 6-month therapy, LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) and LV end-systolic dimension (LVESD) in carvedilol group were significantly lower than those in control group (P

Objective To investigate the effect of live Lactobacillus acidophilus on Caco-2 cells to release pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8.Methods Caco-2 cells were cultured for 2 h with live Lactobacillus acidophilus strain 1950103-12 and examined by reverse transcription-PCR for IL-6 and TNF-α induced IL-8 expression.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantitate secreted IL-6 and IL-8.Results Lactobacillus acidophilus strain 1950103-12 had no ecffect on the mRNA expression and production of IL-6 and IL-8 in the Caco-2 cells.A significant mRNA expression and production of IL-6 and IL-8 by the Caco-2 cells were detected after exposure to TNF-α.Lactobacillus acidophilus strain 1950103-12 down-regulated IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA expression and inhibited constitutive synthesis by Caco-2 cells of IL-6 and IL-8 that induced by TNF-α.Conclusion Lactobacillus acidophilus strain 1950103-12 has potent direct anti-inflammatory activity on human epithelial cells.

Cardiovascular System ; pathology ; China ; Humans

To study the resistant mechanism and clinical significance of pseudomonas aeruginosa to beta-lactam antibiotics, the outer membrane permeability rate of 30 P. aeruginosa strains to 5 beta-lactam antibiotics was measured and their production of beta-lactamase and the beta-lactamase genes they carried detected. Furthermore, the relationship between the permeability, beta-lactamase and the clinical effects of beta-lactam antibiotics was observed. By using 14C-penicillin and liquid-scintillant isotope assay, the affinity of penicillin binding proteins (PBPS) was measured and their roles in the resistant mechanism studied. It was revealed that the permeability rate was higher in sensitive strains than in resistant ones (P < 0.05). All strains harbored 1-4 beta-lactamase genes and produced beta-lactamase. Higher permeability rate and higher degree of stability to beta-lactamase indicated better clinical therapeutic effects. The affinity of PBPs changed little without regard to the permeability and beta-lactamase. These results suggested that the permeability of outer membrane and beta-lactamase, but not PBPs, played important roles in the resistant mechanism of P. aeruginosa to beta-lactam antibiotics and affected the clinical therapeutic effectiveness of some patients.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/metabolism ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Permeability ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa/*drug effects ; beta-Lactam Resistance/*genetics ; beta-Lactamases/metabolism ; beta-Lactams/*pharmacology

Objective: To determine whether EPA exert effectively immunosuppressive function by altering distribution of IL-2R in membrane subdomains. Method: The human Jurkat E6-1 T cells were cultured in EPA-supplemented medium and the cells treated with stearic acid served as control. The effect of EPA on CD25 (IL-2? receptor) expression on the surface of T cells was investigated by flow cytometry. The lipid rafts were isolated by discontinuous sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. The localization of IL-2R?, IL-2R?, and IL-2R?c in fractions isolated and the effect of EPA treatment were determined by immunoblot and chemiluminescence. Results: EPA suppressed CD25 expression on the surface of T cells. IL-2R?, IL-2R?, and IL-2R?c were associated with lipid rafts of T cells, and these subunits were partly displaced from lipid rafts of EPA-treated T cells. Conclusion: Lipid rafts are functional subdomains for IL-2R signaling. EPA enrichment modifies distribution of IL-2R?, IL-2R?, and IL-2R?c in lipid rafts and EPA plays immunosuppressive roles probably by partly removing IL-2R from lipid rafts.

Objective: To determine lipid rafts on the membrane of T cells is the functional microdomains for IL-2? receptor. Methods: Flow cytometric analysis was performed for expression of CD25(IL-2R?) on the surface of T cells. Lipid rafts were isolated by discontinuous sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. The localization of IL-2R? in fractions isolated from sucrose density gradients was determined by immunoblotting and detected by chemiluminescence. Results: cells were stimulated with IL-2 and expression of CD25(IL-2R?) on the surface of T cells was 37.08%. Immunoblot analysis of fractions from sucrose gradients revealed that a large proportion of IL-2R? was localized in lipid rafts. Conclusions: lipid rafts is the functional microdomains for IL-2? receptors.

Objective To clone and characterize Profilin encoding genes in Amaranthus spinosus and to analyze the contribution of different amino acids in isoallergens to allergen antigenicity and tertiary structure. Methods The primers were designed according to the core sequences which were obtained by bioinformatic analysis of the known Profilin amino acid sequences, followed by gene cloning from the Ama- ranthus spinosus cDNA pool and subsequent confirmation by double-digestion, colony PCR and DNA sequen- cing. Antigenicity evaluation and tertiary structural modeling of the encoded protein were accomplished by online software MULTIPRED and SWISS-MODEL, respectively. Results Two panallergenic genes, named as PRF7 and PRF23, were acquired from Amaranthus spinosus. Sequence and structure analysis demonstra- ted that there was some discrepancy in tertiary structures of the encoded proteins, besides distinct difference in their amino acid sequences. PRF7 exhibited high homology with panallergen Profilins Q64LH0, with the identities 98%, whereas the homology of PRF23 and Q9XF42 (apple allergen) was 81%. Q64LH0 and PRF23 were modeled as 3nulA (Q42449) and lg5uB (Q9LE18), respectively. PRF23 exhibited distinct0 three dimensional structural difference in certain fragments compared with Q64LH0 and other Profilins. Though the average values of antigenicity displayed no difference between Q64LH0 and PRF23 on whole se- quences, the antigenicity of PRF23 on certain fragments was obviously lower than that of Q64LHO because of the alteration of some amino acids with different characters, implying the cause of lower incidence of hay fe- ver in South China than in North China. Conclusion Based on sequence analysis, antigenicity evaluation and tertiary structural modeling for Q64LH0 and PRF23, we obtained lots of useful information about the contribution of different amino acids to antigenicity and protein structures, thus would facilitate allergen ge- netic improvement by amino acid replacement.

Objective To investigate the effects of arsenic trioxide plus thalidomide on immune function of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).Methods Fifty-seven MDS patients (Low risk,medium risk and high risk) and 30 healthy volunteers were selected as our subjects.Thirty-four cases with medium risk Ⅱ and high risk MDS patients were randomly divided into A and B groups.Seventeen MDS patients in A group were treated with arsenic trioxide plus thalidomide,and 17 MDS patients in B group were treated with low-dose cytarabine.Lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood were examined by flow cytometry (FCM).The adverse effect of arsenic trioxide and thalidomide were recorded.Results Compared with control group,the number of T lymphocytes(CD3 +),B lymphocytes (CD3-CD19 +) and NK cell (CD3-(CD16 CD56) +) of patients with MDS were significantly lower,and the differences were statistically significant (t =2.157,2.349,2.958 ; P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01).The helper CD3 + CD4 + T cell (Th) ratio decreased in MDS patients than that of control group (t =2.412,P ＜ 0.05).The inhibition CD3 + CD8 + T cells (Ts) ratio increased (t =2.749,P ＜ 0.01).Th/Ts ratio inversion was seen in MDS patients.As the progression of MDS increase,Ts cell expression gradually increased and NK cells ratio gradually decreased.However,there was no significant difference among three groups.Th cells and B lymphocytes in the risk group were lower than that in the low risk group,and the difference was statistically significant (F =4.896 and 4.516,P ＜0.05),but there was no significant difference in the terms of the number of T lymphocytes,Th cell,ratio of Th/Ts and B lymphocytes among MDS groups.Number of T lymphocytes,B lymphocytes and NK cell count in group A after treatment were increased than that before treatment (t =2.435,2.468,2.653,P ＜ 0.05).In group A,2 cases were complete remission,4 cases with partial remission,and 5 cases with hematologic improvement.The total effective rate was 64.71％ (11/17),and curative effect is obviously better than that of B group (x2 =4.253,P ＜ 0.05).Meanwhile adverse effect was mild.Conclusion The cellular and humoral immune function decreased in MDS patients.The treatment of arsenic trioxide plus thalidomide on MDS is proved safety and efficacy,which might work by improving immune function of MDS patients.