Objective To observe the effect of pidotimod to enhance the immune response and protective immunity induced by the epitope vaccines from new gene wx2b4a of Toxoplasma gondii in mice.Methods Mice were divided into four groups,each group was inoculated intramuscularly three times with pcDNA3-W2b4a,pcDNA3-W2b4a and pidotimod,pcDNA3,natural saline (NS),respectively.The induced immune responses were tested by ELISA detecting IgG,and flow cytometry sorting the subsets of T lymphocyte.All mice were challenged with highly virulent RH tachyzoites to observe the survival time.Results After the immunization,the level of IgG in sera of mice inoculated with wx2b4a and pidotimod,wx2b4a were significantly higher than those control group(all P＜0.05).CD4+ and CD8+T cell counts in immunized groups were higher than those control group(P＜0.05).After the immunization,CD4+T cell counts and CD4+/CD8+T cell proportion in wx2b4a and pidotimod groups were higher than those in wx2b4a group (all P＜0.05).After challenged with highly virulent tachyzoites,the mean survival time of wx2b4a and pidotimod groups was significantly longer than control group and wx2b4a group (all P＜0.05).Conclusion Pidotimod can increase protective immunity of epitope vaccines from new gene wx2b4a of Toxoplasma gondii in mice.

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in the general population including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.Autocrine regulation of vitamin D modulates important immune response.Vitamin D deficiency may be involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases including RA.Vitamin D regulates both the innate and adaptive immune responses.Vitamin D's effects on the innate immune system are mainly through the toll-like receptor and on the adaptive immune system through T cell differentiation,particularly the Helper T cell (Th) 17 response.As Thl7 cells are critical in the pathogenesis in RA,what effect will vitamin D deficiency lead to on the RA? Many data have indicated the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and RA disease activities,but not all the results are consistent.Here,we review the immune-modulatory roles of vitamin D and its effects on disease activity,osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease risk in RA.

Objective To compare the characteristics of connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF). Methods Patients with a diagnosis of ILD from June 2014 to December 2015 were selected in this study and patients with known other causes of ILD were excluded. The clinical manifestation, autoantibody, high resolution chest computed tomography (CT) and blood gas analysis were retrospectively analyzed. Results Six hundred and twenty-eight patients were included in this study. The prevalence of CTD-ILD and IPF were 459 (73.09%) and 169(26.91%) respectively. The age in IPF group was higher than that in CTD-ILD group:(67.10 ± 13.13) years vs. (52.10 ± 14.23) years, and there was significant difference (t =-10.092, P =0.000). The rate of male in IPF group was higher than that in CTD-ILD group: 75.15%(127/169) vs. 28.32%(130/459), and there was significant difference (P=0.000). Autoantibodies were commonly seen in CTD-ILD group and only antinuclear antibody, and anti-SSA antibody and anti-Ro-52 antibody were seen in IPF group. The most common chest images were honeycombing, bullae of lung and pneumonectasis in CTD-ILD group, while the presence of consolidation and small nodular shadow were more common in IPF group. The concurrence of respiratory failure was higher in IPF group compared with that in CTD-ILD group:49.11%(83/169) vs. 13.07%(60/459), and there was significant difference (P<0.01). Conclusions Patients with CTD-ILD and IPF possess distinct characteristics. Overall assessment of clinical manifestation, autoantibody serology, high resolution chest CT and other indicator will be conducive to the differential diagnosis and treatment of ILD.

Objective:To observe the effect of Pidotimod and Thalidomid to enhance the immune response and protective immunity induced by the epitope Vaccines From W2b2a of Toxoplasma gondii in mice.Methods:Mice were immunized intramuscularly with Pidotimod and pcDNA3-W2b2a,thalidomide and pcDNA3-W2b2a,respectively,then the immune response and the survival time of mouse attacked by Toxoplasma gondii were observed.Results:After the immunization,the level of IFN-γin sera of mice inculated with pcDNA3-W2b2a and Pidotimod,pcDNA3-W2b2a and Freund adjuvant,pcDNA3-W2b2a and Thalidomid were significantly higher than pcDNA3-W2b2a (all P<0.05).After the immunization,IgG,CD4+/CD8+T cell ratio ,proliferation of T cell induced by pcDNA3-W2b2a and Pidotimod,pcDNA3-W2b2a and Freund adjuvant were higher than pcDNA3-W2b2a,pcDNA3-W2b2a and thalidomid ( all P<0.05).After challenged with highly virulent tachyzoites,the mean survival time in immunized groups were significantly longer than control group (all P<0.05).Conclusion:Pidotimod ,Thalidomid adjuvant can increase protective immunity of epitope Vaccines From W2b2a of Toxoplasma gondii in mice.

OBJECTIVE:To establish a method for simultaneous determination of sodium valproate(VPA)and its metabo-lite 2-propyl-2-pentenoic acid (2-ene-VPA) in human plasma. METHODS:Plasma sample was extracted with cyclohexane and experienced derivatization with 2,4′-dibromoacetophenone using n-octanoic acid as an internal standard. RP-HPLC method was adopted. The determination was performed on Zorbax SB-C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-water(65∶35,V/V)at the flow rate of 1 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 35 ℃,and UV dectection wavelenth was set at 258 nm. The sample size was 20 μL. RESULTS:The linear range of VPA and 2-ene-VPA were 5.0-200.0,0.5-20.0 μg/mL(r=0.999 9, n=5). The limits of quantification were 5.0,0.5 μg/mL. RSDs of inter-day and intra-day were all lower than 5%. Method recov-eries were 95.99%-98.80%and 97.40%-98.17%,and extraction recoveries were 80.46%-86.23%and 80.45%-85.61%. The plas-ma concentrations of VPA in 10 epileptic children were 27.4-93.2 μg/mL,and those of 2-ene-VPA were 0.85-3.94 μg/mL,respec-tively. CONCLUSIONS:The method is simple,specific and suitable for plasma concentration determination and pharmacokinet-ic study of VPA.

Objective To provide basis for choosing a proper processed method of Polygonum multiflorum.Methods To compare and analyze main active component changes in the processed products of P.multiflorum by being steamed without any adjuvants and with soya-bean milk of different concentrations.Results There was no marked difference for variously processed products in the main active components,anthraquinone and stilbene glucoside in P.multiflorum.Conclusion It is feasible to replace the steamed with soya-bean milk by the steamed without any adjuvants.

AIM:This study was performed to investigate the feasibility and efficiency of exogenous mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) transplantation on post-infarction ventricular remodeling and heart function in rats and compare the effects between adult rat MSCs and neonate rat MSCs transplantation.METHODS:1-2 hours after left coronary artery ligation,MSCs cultured in ex vivo,marked with BrdU,were injected directly into the border of infarcts in exogenous rats.6 weeks after transplantation,rat' heart function,ventricular remodeling and pathological results were measured.RESULTS:MSCs transplantation decreased LV end-diastolic diameter and end-systolic diameter,limited LV chamber dilatation and reduced collagen content significantly.The numbers of blood vessels and cardiomyocytes were increased.BrdU-labelled MSCs with oval nucleus were widely distributed.There were no significant difference between adult rat MSCs and neonate rat MSCs transplanted groups.CONCLUSION:MSCs can survive and home in exogenous host infarct hearts without addition of any immunosuppressant.MSCs transplantation has benificial effects on remodeling processes and contributes to improvement of cardiac function,which may be related with the reduction of the amount of the collagen,promotion of myogenesis and angiogenesis.

This study was aimed to examine the effect of TREK-1 silencing on the function of astrocytes. Three 21-nucleotide small interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes (siT1, siT2, siT3) targeting TREK-1 were constructed. Cy3-labeled dsRNA oligmers were used to determine the transfection efficiency in cultured astrocytes. TREK-1-specific siRNA duplexes (siT1, siT2, siT3) at the optimal concentration were transfected into cultured astrocytes, and the most efficient siRNA was identified by the method of immunocytochemical staining and Western blotting. The proliferation of astrocytes tranfected with TREK-1-targeting siRNA under hypoxia condition was measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The results showed that TREK-1 was expressed in cultured astrocytes. The dsRNA oligmers targeting TREK-1 could be transfected efficiently in cultured astrocytes and down-regulate the expression of TREK-1 in astrocytes. Moreover, the down-regulation of TREK-1 in astrocytes contributed to the proliferation of astrocytes under hypoxia condition as determined by cell cycle analysis. It was concluded that siRNA is a powerful technique that can be used to knockdown the expression of TREK-1 in astrocytes, which helps further investigate the function of TREK-1 channel in astrocytes under physicological and pathological condition.