Objective: To investigate the effect of berbamine (BBM) on the induction of apoptosis in human lung cancer cell A549 cells and the activity of TNF-α-JNK signaling pathway. Methods: After the A549 cells being treated with BBM at different concentration, the inhibitory effect of BBM on proliferation was detected by MTT assay. Cell morphological changes were detected by light microscope. Alteration of apoptosis rate of A549 cells was determined by Annexin V/PI double staining. Western blotting was used to detect the activity of apoptosis-related proteins, including Bcl-x, Caspase-3, and PAPR. The expressions of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p-JNK were determined by Western blotting. Changes of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were detected by fluorescent quantitative PCR and ELISA, respectively. Finally, the impacts of BBM on the proliferation and apoptosis of A549 cells were detected in the absence or presence of a JNK inhibitor. Results: BBM significantly inhibited the growth of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 of 24 h was 9.01 μmol/L. Cells treated with BBM showed the typically morphological characteristics of apoptotic cells. Annexin V/PI double staining test indicated that BBM could induce the apoptosis of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The early apoptotic population of cells treated with 10 μmol/L BBM was 13.8%, which was 5.6 times higher than that of the control. BBM decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-x and increased the activity of proapoptotic proteins of caspase-3 and PARP. The mRNA and the protein expression levels of TNF-α were significantly increased by BBM treatment. The p-JNK expression was also dramatically up-regulated after BBM treatment. The effects of BBM on the proliferation and apoptosis in A549 cells were significantly reduced when JNK pathway was blocked. Conclusion: BBM could inhibit the growth and induce the apoptosis of A549 cells, and its mechanism may be related to the activated TNF-α-JNK signaling pathway.

AIM: To explore the effect of lacrimal duct laser with lacrimal drainage tubes and stents implantation for complexity dacryagogatresia.
METHODS: There were 65 patients ( 82 eyes ) with compound tears nasolacrimal duct obstruction who received lacrimal drainage tubes and stents implantation after laser. The lacrimal duct stents were removed through nasal cavity after 1mo. Lacrimal drainage tubes were removed after 3-6mo. Follow-up periods were 6mo to 1a.
RESULTS: In the 65 patients (82 eyes), 71 eyes were cured, 5 eyes improved, the efficient rate was 93%; there were 6 eyes (7%) with epiphora.
CONCLUSION: Lacrimal duct laser with lacrimal drainage tubes and stents implantation was efficient for complexity dacryagogatresia.

AIM To establish the expermental model in vitro for the study of mechanism of antitumor drug resistance and the screening of antitumor drug. METHODS By continuously exposing cells to gradually increasing concentration of drug and agar cell colony forming technique, using dye exclusive method for determing cytotoxic effect, a murine leukemia L1210 cell subline were established,which exhibited 40 fold resistance to Cis diamminedichloro platinum(DDP). RESULTS The doubling times, plate efficiency, cell cycle, DNA index and cell morphology of DDP resistant L1210 subline were similarto those of its parant cell line. When the cell subline was stored with DDP at -196℃ for 6 months and then was recovered, its characterization of antitumor drug resistance was still maintained to a period of 5 months without DDP. DDP resistant L1210 subline was characterized with cross resistance to Carboplatin, Mitomycin, Thio Tepa, Methotrexate, Vincristin and Mustine Hydrochloride, but with no cross resistance to Harringtonine and Adriamycin. It was seemed more sensitive to Cytarabine and Fluorouracil. CONCLUSION DDP resistant L1210 subline is a good experimental model in vitro for the study of mechanism of antitumor drug resistance and the screening of antitumor drug.

Asphyxia Neonatorum ; blood ; drug therapy ; Creatine Kinase, MB Form ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Naltrexone ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; blood ; Peptide Fragments ; blood

Objective To investigate the mechanism of presynaptic protein (Munc18) antibody in inducing epilepsy on rat. Methods Munc18 antibody was continuously micro-injected into CA1 area of hippocampus in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat (the injection times were nine). The potential epileptic seizure was evaluated according to both electroencephalogram (EEG) and behaviors. HE, Nissle and TUNEL staining were applied on rat brain sections as to detecting the cell damage and apoptosis after tenth week. Results Ten of twelve rats produced epileptic EEG, five cases among these ten rats maintained abnormal EEG after the sixth week since injections. Nine of the above twelve rats had epileptic seizure according to Racine grade one to four, four cases among these nine rats kept seizure after the sixth week since injections. The number of neurons decreased (155?20,P

Azabicyclo Compounds ; blood ; Chromatography, Gas ; Humans ; Piperazines ; blood ; Serum ; chemistry

Objective To elucidate the influence of fetal genotype in both non-diabetic gravidas and pregnant women on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) through analysis of the genotype discrepancy between maternal and fetal Pro12A1a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 (PPARG2) genes.Methods Pregnant women,who delivered in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from October 2005 to February 2007,and their newborn babies were selected,and were divided into GDM and control group.The GDM group consisted of 55 gravidas with GDM and 40 newborns born to the GDM mothers,and the control group consisted of 173 healthy gravidas and their 50 neonates.Polymerase chain reaction-denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography was applied to detect the distribution of PPARG2 Pro12Ala alleles in all subjects.The concentrations of plasma fasting blood sugar (FBS) and several bio-markers of lipids,including total cholesterol,triglyceride,apoprotein A,high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein,were also tested for the mothers.Results (1) No significant difference was found in the frequencies of Pro/Pro genotype between the GDM mothers and control mothers (94.6% vs 90.8%,P > 0.05),nor between the GDM offspring and control offspring (95.0% vs 94.0%,P >0.05) or between the GDM mothers and GDM offspring (P > 0.05).The same was shown in the frequencies of Pro/Ala genotype both between the GDM mothers and control mothers (5.5% vs 9.2%,P >0.05) and between the GDM offspring and control offspring (2.5% vs 3.0%,P > 0.05).(2) Within both GDM and control group,the maternal FBS and various lipids concentrations of Pro/ Pro genotype gravidas showed no significant difference compared to those of Pro/Ala genotype mothers (P > 0.05).(3) Based on the four possible PPARG2 genotype pairs between the mothers and fetuses,Pro/Pro mother and her Pro/Pro fetus,Pro/Ala mother and her Pro/Ala fetus,Pro/Ala mother and her Pro/Pro fetus,and Pro/Pro mother and her Pro/Ala fetus,less Pro/Pro pairs and more Pro/Ala pairs were found in the GDM group than in the control (72.5% vs 92.0%,P=0.014; 27.5% vs 6.0%,P< 0.05).Conclusions Neither the maternal nor the offspring's Pro/Ala genotypes is associated with the genesis of GDM.However,the discrepancy of PPARG2 Prol2Ala polymorphism between mother and her fetus implies a possible cause of GDM.

Based on reservoir condition and fluid characteristics, the oil-degrading bacterial strain NX-2 was screened from Ma-2 fault block of Huabei oil field. Bacterial metabolism and the capability of improving oil property were evaluated on oxygen-deficient condition. At 87℃ which reservoir temperature is, artificial homogeneous core displacement experiment indicated the enhanced oil recovery of microbe was 7.1% higher than that of waterflooding. In experiment on individual well Ma-410, additional oil production of 669 tons was gained, and decreased water production of this trial well reached more than 3000 tons. These results demonstrated NX-2 could adapt to stratum conditions, enhance oil recovery and improve oil property as well.

Background Previous experimental and clinical studies have proved that elevated serum uric acid increased risk for developing hypertension.Whereas,there are a paucity of information on the relationship between serum uric acid and prehypertension.Objective The purpose of this research is to evaluate the association between the serum uric acid and prehypertension.Method A cohort of seven thousand eight hundred thirty-nine subjects without hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases were recruited from a cross sectional study in urban and rural place in 9 provinces during 2005-2006.Based on serum uric acid(324 ?mol/L for overall population,366 ?mol/L for male,285 ?mol/L for female),people were categorized into quartiles.The odds ratio for prehypertension was calculat ed with the lowest quartile as the reference.Results The prevalence of prehypertension increased with increasing uric acid in total population(P324 ?mol/L)to lowest quartile 1(

Objective To identify the differential serum proteins in patients with hepatic injury resulting from coal-burning type of arsenism. Methods Six serum samples were collected from patients with liver injury resulting from coal-burning type of arsenism and healthy subjects(control gruop) in endemic arsenism area. Twodimensional gel electrophoresis(2-DE) was performed to separate serum proteins, after silver staining, the differential expression of proteins were analyzed and then identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF-MS). Results The 2-DE map of serum protein patterns of patients and normal control were established successfully. The results showed that there were an average of (824 ± 31 ) spots and (782 ± 42) spots on 2-DE matching of the patients and control groups and the matching rate was 94.9%(782/824). From these two groups 49 differential protein spots were identified, of which over 3 times the difference in the expression of 30 protein spots were singled out and MALDI-TOF-MS analysis was carried out. Ten proteins were identified. Upregulated expression was observed in alpha-2-macroglobulin, B-cell receptor-associated protein, keratin 1,apolipoprotein A-I, and down-regulated expression was observed in haptoglobin, α2-heremans-schimid-glycoprotein,mitogen-activated protein kinase 4, zinc finger protein 323, ZAP-70 and SP40 in the patient group. Conclusions The well-resolved and reproducible 2-DE serum patterns of patients are established and some differentially expressed proteins are characterized. Whether these proteins of differential expression are serum markers for liver injury resulting from coal-burning type of arsenism need to be further verified.