In order to clarify the chemical constituents of Si-Wu Decoction rapidly and holistically, we analyzed the ethanol extract of Si-Wu Decoction by UPLC/Q-TOF-MSE and UNIFI which based on traditional Chinese medicine database, the probable structures of 113 compounds were identified. The results show that this method can rapidly and effectively characterize the chemical compounds of Si-Wu Decoction and provide a new solution for identification of components from complex TCM extract.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Databases, Pharmaceutical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Adult ; Foreign Bodies ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Radiography ; Stents ; adverse effects ; Ureter

OBJECTIVEThe effects of Jing'an capsule on the quality of rat sperm were studied to supply data for its safe clinical use.

METHODSEighty SD male rats were evenly and randomly divided into three test groups and one control group. Then the test groups were continuously given Jing'an capsule at different dosages: 557.1 mg/kg, 5,571 mg/kg or 11,420 mg/kg and the control group was given starch (20 g/L). Sixty days later, one of the epididymides, the sperm density was made and the sperm motility and morphology were investigated. The data obtained were analyzed by ANOVA, chi 2 test and Kruskal-Wallis test.

RESULTSThe sperm density, motility and morphology were variable at different dosages. Compared with the control, the sperm density increased significantly at the dosage of 557.1 mg/kg(P < 0.05), and a significant decrease was observed in the sperm density and motility (P < 0.05) at the dosage of 11,420 mg/kg. Although the rate of abnormal sperm morphology decreased at the dosage of 557.1 mg/kg and increased at the dosage of 5,571 mg/kg or 11,420 mg/kg compared with the control, there was no statistic significance(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSA low dosage of Jing'an capsule might ameliorate the quality of sperm, while a high dosage could do damage to sperm.

Animals ; Arginine ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Combinations ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; drug effects ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; Zinc Sulfate ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the role of MEKK2 on the production of IL-2 in Jurkat cells stimulated by PHA/anti-CD28 antibody.

METHODSThe MEKK2 and JNK kinase activities were measured in both dominant negative MEKK2 Jurkat (dnMEKK2 Jurkat) cells and parental Jurkat cells. The AP(1) and IL-2 promotor activities were measured by luciferase activity assay. The IL-2 mRNA and protein were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSAfter stimulation by PHA/anti-CD28, JNK was activated in parental Jurkat cells but not in dnMEKK2 Jurkat cells. The luciferase report gene activities of AP1 and IL-2 promotors were increased by 4- and 5-folds in parental cells whereas only by 1 fold in dnMEKK2 Jurkat cells. The level of IL-2 mRNA and IL-2 protein were increased in parental Jurkat cells but not in dnMEKK2 Jurkat cells.

CONCLUSIONMEKK2 plays an important role on the production of IL-2 in Jurkat cell stimulated with PHA/anti-CD28 antibody. It is a potential drug target for the treatment of GVHD and autoimmune disease.

Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Jurkat Cells ; MAP Kinase Kinase 4 ; metabolism ; MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 2 ; metabolism ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo detect and identify the potential specific serum biomarkers for diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer.

METHODSSamples of 35 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma, 40 patients with benign thyroid nodule and 34 healthy individuals were analyzed using the SELDI-TOF ProteinChip System and bioinfomation technology to find the differential peaks which were separated by HPLC and then further analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The protein sequences were analyzed by SEQUEST software and searched in Bioworks database.

RESULTSThe top six mass-to-charge ratio (M/Z) peaks with the smallest P value were 6651, 6452, 7653, 7932, 15 106 and 15 848 Da, respectively. The 6651 and 6452 Da proteins were weakly expressed in papillary thyroid carcinoma but highly expressed in benign thyroid nodules and healthy individuals. The differences had statistical significance (P < 0.01). The 7653, 7932, 15 106, 15 848 Da proteins were highly expressed in papillary thyroid carcinoma but weakly expressed in benign thyroid nodules and healthy individuals. The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Combination of these six proteins, using the method of leave-one-out to make crossing detection, the specificity of discriminating papillary thyroid carcinoma and non-cancer was 88.0%, and its sensitivity was 92.5%. The 6651 and 6452 Da proteins were identified as apolipoprotein C-I and apolipoprotein C-III, respectively. The 7653 and 15 106 Da proteins were identified as the same protein-alpha-globin, and the 7932 and 15,848 Da proteins were identified as the same protein-beta-globin.

CONCLUSIONThe detection of differentially expressed apolipoprotein C-I, apolipoprotein C-III, alpha-globin, and beta-globin may have utility for diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma and are worthy of further investigation.

Adult ; Apolipoprotein C-I ; blood ; Apolipoprotein C-III ; blood ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; blood ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Protein Array Analysis ; Proteomics ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; blood ; diagnosis ; alpha-Globins ; metabolism ; beta-Globins ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the value of multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization (M-FISH) in combination with whole chromosome painting (WCP) in the detection of complex chromosomal aberrations (CCAs) in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

METHODSM-FISH was used in seven MDS patients with R-banding CCAs to refine the complex chromosomal rearrangements, and to identify cryptic translocations and characterization of marker chromosomes. Dual-color WCP procedures were further performed in 7 cases to confirm some rearrangements detected by M-FISH.

RESULTSM-FISH confirmed all results of R-banding. The composition and origin of 6 kinds of marker chromosomes, 9 kinds of chromosomes with additional material undetermined and 5 kinds of derivative chromosomes undefined by conventional cytogenetics (CC) were defined after M-FISH analysis; four kinds of cryptic translocations overlooked by CC were found on derivative chromosomes and previously normal appearing chromosomes. In addition, M-FISH revealed some nonrandom aberrations: aberrations involving chromosome 17 and -5/5q- were the two most frequent aberrations. Some misclassified and missed chromosomal aberrations by M-FISH were corrected by WCP.

CONCLUSIONM-FISH is a powerful molecular cytogenetic tool in clarification of CCAs. Complementary WCP helps us to identify misclassified and missed chromosomal aberrations by M-FISH. CC in combination with molecular cytogenetic techniques, such as M-FISH and WCP, can unravel complex chromosomal aberrations more precisely.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosome Banding ; methods ; Chromosome Painting ; methods ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; methods ; Karyotyping ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; genetics ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate how smoking was affecting the prevalence of sleep apnea/ hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) among adults aged over 30 years in Chengde city of Hebei province.

METHODS1168 subjects, over 30 years of age were derived from a random sample from a community-based population in Shuangqiao district of Chengde city. All subjects responded to a questionnaire at their own houses regarding their habits of snoring and smoking. 1168 subjects (95.2%) answered the questions satisfactorily.

RESULTS(1) Among the smoking groups, the prevalence of snoring was 69.09%, higher than that in the nonsmoking groups 45.07% (P = 0.000). (2) In males, the smoking group had a higher prevalence (69.72%) of snoring than in the nonsmoking group (60.80%, P = 0.033). (3) Females in the smoking group had a higher prevalence of snoring (61.80%) than in the nonsmoking group (39.70%, P = 0.011). (4) The prevalence of snoring in males (60.80%) was significantly higher than that in females (39.70%, P = 0.000). (5) The prevalence (69.72%) of snoring in smoking males was similar to that in smoking females (61.80%, P = 0.336). (6) Data from logistic regression analysis indicated that smoking was one of the factors affecting snoring. (7) According to the degree of snoring, 127 moderate and severe snorers were measured by portable PSG for a whole night and the prevalence of SAHS was estimated. According to the AHI > or = 5 and the ESS > or = 9 cutoff-points, the prevalence rates of SAHS in smoking groups were both significantly higher than that in nonsmoking groups (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSmoking and snoring among adults aged over 30 years had correlation in our city.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polysomnography ; Prevalence ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; epidemiology ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Snoring ; epidemiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan zoonotic protozoan parasite that infects most species of warm-blooded animals, including humans. The heavy incidence and severe or lethal damage caused by T. gondii infection clearly indicate a need for the development of an effective vaccine. T. gondii GRA8 is a member of the dense granules protein family and is used as a marker of acute infection. In the present study, we evaluated the protective immunity induced by DNA vaccination based on a recombinant eukaryotic plasmid, pDsRed2-GRA8, against acute toxoplasmosis in mice. BALB/c mice were intramuscularly immunized with the pDsRed2-GRA8 plasmid and then challenged by infection with the highly virulent GFP-RH strain of T. gondii. The specific immune responses and protective efficacy against T. gondii of this vaccine were analyzed by measuring cytokine and serum antibody titers, splenocyte proliferation assays, and the survival times of mice after challenge. Our results showed that mice immunized with pDsRed2-GRA8 demonstrated specific humoral and cellular responses, induced higher IgG antibody titers with predominant IgG2a production; increased levels of IL-10, IL-12 (p70), IFN-γ, TNF-α, and splenocyte proliferation; and prolonged survival times compared to those of control mice. The present study showed that DNA immunization with pDsRed2-GRA8 induced humoral and cellular immune responses, and all immunized mice showed greater Th1-type immune responses and longer survival times than those of control mice. These results indicated that T. gondii GRA8 DNA immunization induces a partial protective effect against acute toxoplasmosis.
Animals ; DNA ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunization ; Immunoglobulin G ; Incidence ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-12 ; Mice ; Parasites ; Plasmids ; Toxoplasma ; Toxoplasmosis ; Vaccination

OBJECTIVE Only limited number of drugs are currently available for treating ischemic stroke. Therapeu?tic angiogenesis has recently emerged as one of the most promising therapies for cerebral ischemic injury. Isopropyl-β-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-α-hydroxypropanoate (IDHP) is a metabolite derived from the botanical formulation for Dantonic?. Here, we investigated the angiogenic efficacy of IDHP in cerebral ischemia. METHODS The in vivo effects of IDHP were evaluated in the C57BL/6 mouse Matrigel plug and rat transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) models. Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) were used to explore the effects of IDHP on stimulating proliferation, migration and tube formation in vitro. ELISA and Western blotting were used to quantitate the release and expression of relevant target molecules and signaling path?ways. RESULTS IDHP reduced infarct volume and improved sensorimotor function in rats subjected to tMCAO by pro?moting angiogenesis, and promoted Matrigel neovascularization in mice. Moreover, IDHP produced a biphasic modula?tion on proliferation and migration both in HUVEC and HBMEC. It also induced tube formation in a 12-day HUVEC-HDF co-culture model and in Matrigel assays. IDHP-induced angiogenesis was accompanied by increased levels of p-AMPKα (Thr172) and p-eNOS (Ser1177) both in vitro and in vivo, and the decreased level of VEGF in rat brains on day 1 whereas enhanced level of VEGF on day 3 and 7 after tMCAO. Mechanistically, AMPK knockdown or pharmacologi?cally inhibiting AMPK and its upstream kinases (CaMKKβ) inhibited the eNOS phosphorylation induced by IDHP in HUVEC. Furthermore, selective eNOS inhibitor (L-NIO), selective CaMKKβ inhibitor (STO) and AMPKa inhibitor (Com?pound C) blocked the capillary-like tube formation in the co-culture model induced by IDHP (10 nmol · L-1). CONCLU?SION Collectively, these findings showed that IDHP protected rats from cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by promot?ing angiogenesis via activating CaMKKβ/AMPK(Thr172)/eNOS(Ser1177) signaling, and suggest it to be a promising new drug candidate for the prevention and/or treatment of cerebral ischemia and other vascular occlusive diseases.

PURPOSE: The measuring Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA is an important predictor of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study evaluated the predictive value of pretreatment serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) comparing with EBV DNA in patients with NPC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In an observational study of 419 non-metastatic NPC patients, we prospectively evaluated the prognostic effects of pretreatment SAA, CRP, and EBV DNA on survival. The primary end-point was progress-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: The median level of SAA and CRP was 4.28 mg/L and 1.88 mg/L, respectively. For the high-SAA group (> 4.28 mg/L) versus the low-SAA (≤ 4.28 mg/L) group and the high-CRP group (> 1.88 mg/L) versus the low-CRP (≤ 1.88 mg/L) group, the 5-year PFS was 64.5% versus 73.1% (p=0.013) and 65.2% versus 73.3% (p=0.064), respectively. EBV DNA detection showed a superior predictive result, the 5-year PFS in the EBV DNA ≥ 1,500 copies/mL group was obviously different than the EBV DNA < 1,500 copies/mL group (62.2% versus 77.8%, p < 0.001). Multifactorial Cox regression analysis confirmed that in the PFS, the independent prognostic factors were including EBV DNA (hazard ratio [HR], 1.788; p=0.009), tumour stage (HR, 1.903; p=0.021), and node stage (HR, 1.498; p=0.049), but the SAA and CRP were not included in the independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: The results of SAA and CRP had a certain relationship with the prognosis of NPC, and the prognosis of patients with high level of SAA and CRP were poor. However, the predictive ability of SAA and CRP was lower than that of EBV DNA.
C-Reactive Protein* ; DNA* ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Humans ; Observational Study ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies* ; Serum Amyloid A Protein* ; Survival Analysis