This work was carried out to investigate the effects of clonidine on some electrophysiological properties of the neurons of guinea-pig celiac ganglia in vitro, using the technique of intracellula.r recording. 54 neurons were examined, among which 18 neurons were found to be sensitive to clonidine. There were 3 reaction types in the sensitive cells, depolarization with decrease of membrane resistance, hyperpolarization with increase of membrane resistance and biphasic reaction ( depolarization followed by hyperpolarization ) . Clonidine depolarization was not blocked by low Ca^/high Mg2+ solution, pro-pranolol and yohimbine. However, it was reversibly blocked by prazo-sin. The experimental results show that clonidine has some! effects on the membrane potential and membrane resistance of the neurons of guinea-pig celiac ganglia,

AIM: To investigate the role of HGF/c-Met signaling pathway in crizotinib-induced apoptosis of different lung carcinoma cell lines and to analyze its potential regulatory mechanisms .METHODS: EML4-ALK positive cell line H2228, c-Met proliferation cell line H1993 and control cell line A549 were treated with crizotinib at different doses for different time periods .The viability of the cell lines was measured by MTT assay .The apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry with PI staining.The protein levels of MET and phosphorylated MET (p-MET) of HGF/c-Met signaling pathway as well as its down-stream key proteins AKT , ERK, p-AKT and p-ERK in the cell lines before and after crizotinib treatment were examined by Western blot .RESULTS:The growth of H1993, H2228 and A549 cell lines was inhibited after crizoti-nib treatment for 72 h in a dose-dependent manner .Apoptotic rates of H1993 cells and H2228 cells were increased with the crizotinib concentration and exposure time .Down-regulation of p-MET, p-AKT and p-ERK at protein levels in H1993 cells and H2228 cells after exposure to crizotinib for 72 h was confirmed by Western blot .No obvious change of the related-pro-teins of HGF/c-Met signaling pathway was found in A 549 cell line.CONCLUSION: HGF/c-Met signaling pathway may contribute to crizotinib-induced apoptosis of H1993 cells and H2228 cells, which provides the experimental basis for MET-targeting treatment of lung cancer .

Objective: To investigate the effect of oat?-glucan on colon flora and its function in mice. Method:126 Kunming mice(23-25g)were divided into seven groups (18 mice in each). The group 1 and 2, 3 and 4 ,5 and 6 were respectively administered oat?-glucan (OG2600 , OG340 and OG5) at dose of 0.25 and 0.5g/(kg bw?d)daily for 28 d. The control group received the equal volume of normal saline. Bifidobacterium , Lactobacillus and Enterobacillus were monitored in colon after oral administration of oat ?-glucan at 14 d, 28 d and 35 d (after terminating oat?-glucan admimistration for 1 w) . The contents of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in colon were analyzed by GC and cell proliferation in colonic mucosa epithelium by FCM in each group. ResuIts:The numbers of Bifidobacterium , Lactobacillus compared with the control were significantly increased and Enterobacillus strains were decreased in experimental groups. Oat ?-glucan had the function of regulating intestinal flora and the effect was related to molecular weight and dosage. The contents of acetate, propionate, butyrate were higher in the group 2, 4 and 6 compared with the control (P

Objective:To identify the epitope of mAb15A11 which is specific against RA associated autoantigen cartilage oligomeric matrix protein ( COMP ).Methods: A filamentous phage library displaying random linear dodecapeptides was used to mapping the epitope of mAb15A11.After three rounds of screenings,40 phage clones were selected at random and sequenced.The specificity of phages was confirmed by enzyme immunoassays.Homology search by ClustalW2 and structure analysis by PyMol to identified the epitope amino acid sequence.Western blot analysis of COMP and ELISA analysis of COMP-derived peptides were used to confirm epitope′s characterization.Results: After repeated screenings using bio-panning method, 2 clones were identified, which interacted specifically with mAb 15A11.Homology search did not find succession consensus sequence within COMP molecular,which indicated that the epitope was not linear.PyMol Structure analysis identified the rationality of conformational epitope.Western blot analysis and ELISA of EDTA-treated COMP further prove an conformational structure of the epitope recognized by mAb 15A11.ELISA analysis of COMP-derived peptides demonstrated both disulfide bonds between 229 C-243 C and 237 C-253 C and every epitope amino acid of 232 G,238 H,240 H,241 A,244 V,247 R and 251 R were essential to the binding of mAb 15A11 with COMP.Conclusion: In this study, the potential B cell antigentic epitopes of mAb 15A11 was identified by phage display library.The epitope amino acids sequence and char-acterization were also recognized.It may have important theoretical value for the study of reaction mechanism of COMP antibody and antigen and may also show application significance in the detection of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of Percu Twist (PT) tracheostomy comparing with that of operative tracheostomy(OT)in intensive care unit(ICU). Methods Related data were retrieved from CBM,CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP,PubMed,EMBASE,CENTRAL,and Web of Science from the time of their establishment to May 15th 2014,and the data of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)concerning PT and OT were selected. The risk of bias assessment and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. Meta analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.2 software. Results A total of 12 RCTs were identified,and 893 patients in ICU were involved. The results of Meta-analysis showed that PT could significantly shorten the operation time〔mean difference (MD)=-15.11,95% confidence interval(95%CI)=-17.14 to -13.07,P<0.000 01〕,reduce the volume of blood loss(MD=-17.59,95%CI=-21.90 to-13.28,P<0.000 01),reduce the size of incision(MD=-2.20, 95%CI=-2.57 to -1.82,P<0.000 01),shor ten the time of healing(MD=-3.60,95%CI=-4.15 to -3.05, P<0.000 01),and reduce complications such as infection of the wound〔odds ratio(OR)=0.20,95%CI=0.10-0.44,P<0.000 1〕and cutaneous emphysema/mediastinal emphysema(OR=0.22,95%CI=0.10-0.47,P<0.000 1)compared with OT group. The funnel plot suggested that publication bias might be found among 12 researches. Conclusions PT was shown to be more effective than OT in ICU with lower incidence of complications. As number of RCT cases is still small with unsatis factory quality,further clinical use is warranted for a better assessment.

The impact of prenatal exposure to a mixture of heavy metals on birth weight in newborns has been a topic of ongoing interest. In this study, 258 mothers and infants from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (NHBCS) were selected as the study subjects, and the concentrations of seven heavy metals in the placenta, including Aluminum (Al), Cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Plumbum (Pb), Selenium (Se) and Arsenic (As) were collected. And the birth weight of newborns, the relevant covariates of mothers and newborns were collected. Three analytical methods, Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression, Quantile g-computation (QGC) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were employed. After adjusting for maternal gestational age, pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking status, education level, parity, gestational age and newborn gender, the combined three methods showed that the total effect of mixed exposure of seven heavy metals on birth weight was negative. Specifically, the WQS analysis revealed that Se had the greatest impact on birth weight, followed by Al. The QGC results showed that the heavy metal associated with the reduction of birth weight was mainly Se and Al in female and male infants, respectively. The BKMR analysis demonstrated a negative combined effect of the seven heavy metals on birth weight in both male and female infants, with Se having the highest posterior inclusion probabilities (PIPs) for female infants (0.45), and Al having the highest PIPs for male infants (0.64) after stratification by gender. In summary, mixed exposure to heavy metals during pregnancy was associated with a decrease in newborn birth weight. Furthermore, there are gender effects with Se and Al associated with decreased birth weight in female and male infants, respectively. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the development of public health policies aimed at preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes and improving the health of newborns.

The impact of prenatal exposure to a mixture of heavy metals on birth weight in newborns has been a topic of ongoing interest. In this study, 258 mothers and infants from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (NHBCS) were selected as the study subjects, and the concentrations of seven heavy metals in the placenta, including Aluminum (Al), Cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Plumbum (Pb), Selenium (Se) and Arsenic (As) were collected. And the birth weight of newborns, the relevant covariates of mothers and newborns were collected. Three analytical methods, Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression, Quantile g-computation (QGC) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were employed. After adjusting for maternal gestational age, pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking status, education level, parity, gestational age and newborn gender, the combined three methods showed that the total effect of mixed exposure of seven heavy metals on birth weight was negative. Specifically, the WQS analysis revealed that Se had the greatest impact on birth weight, followed by Al. The QGC results showed that the heavy metal associated with the reduction of birth weight was mainly Se and Al in female and male infants, respectively. The BKMR analysis demonstrated a negative combined effect of the seven heavy metals on birth weight in both male and female infants, with Se having the highest posterior inclusion probabilities (PIPs) for female infants (0.45), and Al having the highest PIPs for male infants (0.64) after stratification by gender. In summary, mixed exposure to heavy metals during pregnancy was associated with a decrease in newborn birth weight. Furthermore, there are gender effects with Se and Al associated with decreased birth weight in female and male infants, respectively. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the development of public health policies aimed at preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes and improving the health of newborns.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a subset of myeloid malignancies defined by clonality of immature hematopoietic stem cells that leads to faulty blood cell development. These syndromes can lead to an increased risk of infection and may transform into acute myeloid leukemia, making it critical to determine effective treatments for the condition. While hypomethylating agents such as azacitidine and decitabine, as well as stem cell transplants, have been delineated as favored treatments for MDS, not all patients are physiologically receptive to these treatments. However, black raspberries (BRBs) have been shown to exert hypomethylating effects in various malignancies, with minimal adverse effects and thus a broader range of potential candidacies. This study aimed to investigate the potential of BRBs to exert such effects on MDS using Addition of Sex Combs Like/Tet Methylcytosine Dioxygenase 2 (Asxl1/Tet2) double knockout mice (Vav-cre Asxl1fl/fl Tet2fl/fl ), which typically manifest symptoms around 25 weeks of age, mirroring genetic mutations found in humans with MDS. Following a 12-week dietary supplementation of Vav-cre Asxl1fl/fl Tet2fl/fl mice with 5% BRBs, we observed both hyper- and hypomethylation at multiple transcription start sites and intragenic locations linked to critical pathways, including hematopoiesis. This methylation profile may have implications for delaying the onset of MDS, prompting a need for in-depth investigation. Our results emphasize the importance of exploring whether an extended BRB intervention can effectively alter MDS risk and elucidate the relationship between BRB-induced methylation changes, thus further unlocking the potential benefits of BRBs for MDS patients.

BACKGROUNDUnhygienic blood collection in the early 1990s led to blood-borne infections in Central China. This study aimed to estimate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection with hepatitis C and B viruses (HCV and HBV) and their risk factors in a rural area of Shanxi Province with a history of commercial blood donation.

METHODSA cross-sectional study was conducted in 2004. All adult residents in the target area were invited to participate in the study. Face-to-face interviews were completed and blood specimens were tested for HIV, HCV, and HBV surface antigen (HBsAg).

RESULTSPrevalence rates of HIV, HCV, and HBsAg were 1.3% (40/3 062), 12.7% (389/3 062), and 3.5% (103/2982), respectively. Of the 40 HIV-positive specimens, 85% were HCV positive and 2.5% were HBsAg positive. The history of commercial blood donation was positively associated with HIV, HCV, and HIV/HCV co-infections, but was negatively associated with HBsAg seropositivity. Migration for employment in the last 5 years was positively related to HIV, HBsAg, and HIV/HCV co-infections. Univariate logistic analysis showed that illegal drug use, number of sex partners, extramarital sex behavior, commercial sex behavior, and condom use rate were not related to anti-HIV, anti-HCV, HBsAg seropositivity or their co-infections.

CONCLUSIONThe history of commercial blood donation was the main risk factor for HIV, HCV, and HIV/HCV co-infections in this former commercial blood donation area. HIV and HCV prevention and treatment interventions are important in this area.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Blood Donors ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; HIV Infections ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Hepatitis B ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Hepatitis C ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Transfusion Reaction ; Young Adult

Objective To summarize the diagnosis and treatment experience of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency after kidney transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 1 patient with adenine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency after kidney transplantation were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency were summarized by literature review. Results Renal biopsy showed that salt crystallization was found in most renal tubule lumen and positive results were observed under polarized light microscopy. After allopurinol, hemodialysis and anti-crystallization treatment, the graft function was gradually recovered. After postoperative 1-year follow-up, the patient's renal function was properly recovered. Conclusions Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency after kidney transplantation may lead to delayed graft function or graft dysfunction. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment may delay disease progression and improve renal function.