Adult ; Aged ; Brucellosis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; therapy

This study is to investigate the effect of the effective components group of Xiaoshuantongluo (XECG) on neuronal injury induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) in primary cortical cultures isolated from SD rat cortex at day 3 and the possible mechanism. Cells were divided into control group, OGD model group and XECG group (1, 3 and 10 mg x L(-1)). The cell viability was assessed with MTT assay and the LDH release rate was measured by enzyme label kit. The cell apoptosis was analyzed using Hoechst staining. RT-PCR was applied to detect the mRNA levels of JAK2 and STAT3. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 proteins. Results showed that XECG resulted in an obvious resistance to oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced cell apoptosis and decrement of cell viability, decrease the cell LDH release rate. XECG could adjust the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins and increase Bcl-2/Bax ratio, up-regulate the expression of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3. In conclusion, XECG could protect against the neuronal injury cells exposed to OGD, which may be relevant to the promotion of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, and impact the expression of Bax and Bcl-2.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cell Survival ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Glucose ; Janus Kinase 2 ; metabolism ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Oxygen ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Rats ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the immuno-effects of hepatitis B (HB) vaccination in adults.

METHODSFive groups were sampled by means of cluster sampling, and serum HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were tested in every group at people aged from 18 to 50. Recombinant HB vaccine was injected to the ones that HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were all negative. Concentration of anti-HBs in serum was tested after one year and three years of vaccination. Immuno-effects of recombinant HB vaccination in adults at different ages and between sexes, were then calculated.

RESULTSGood immuno-effects of recombinant HB vaccination in adults were noticed. After one year and three years of vaccination with 5 micro g recombinant HB vaccine, the anti-HBs positive rates were 82.76%, 70.77% while the serum concentrations of anti-HBs were 55.91 mIU/ml and 35.41 mIU/ml respectively. When 10 micro g was used, the concentrations were 83.74%, 72.22%, 56.89 mIU/ml and 30.29 mIU/ml respectively. The effects did not show significant differences between different doses on 10 micro g and of 5 micro g. Concentration of anti-HBs reduced when time went by. The factors such as age and sex influenced the effects of immunity on recombinant HB vaccination.

CONCLUSIONGood immunity could be obtained when recombinant hepatitis B was vaccinated in vulnerable population aged 18 to 50.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; prevention & control ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Vaccination ; Vaccines, Synthetic ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo design an artificial trachea which can totally heal with the native trachea.

METHODSUsing memory-alloy mesh as the skeleton to construct an artificial trachea by two-stage operation. After 2-year animal experiment we successfully performed the operation in a patient with recurrent carcinoid of the trachea, radically resected the tumor and primarily reconstructed the trachea.

RESULTSThe inner side of this "sandwich" artificial tracheal prosthesis was coated with skin and outside the memory-alloy mesh was muscle and vessel pedicle with good blood supply. The upper and lower anastomosis completely healed with recipient's trachea with a full recovery of trachea. Six-month follow-up showed that the patients resumed their normal life.

CONCLUSIONThe artificial trachea completely healed with the native trachea and became a part of the human trachea. The inner side of artificial trachea is coated with intact native skin tissue with ample blood supply, totally alive without rejection. Therefore, the pedicled artificial tracheal prosthesis is an real artificial trachea.

Alloys ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Prostheses and Implants ; Trachea ; surgery ; Tracheal Neoplasms ; surgery

Objective Studies are rarely reported on how to avoid complement system attack during the transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).We explored the effect of the overexpression of CD59 on complement membrane attack-induced damage to rat BMSCs (rBMSCs) during autologous transplantation.Methods BMSCs from SD rats were cultured and treated with CD59 overexpression plasmid or rBMSC empty vector or left untreated,followed by detection of the expression of CD59 in the rBMSCs by flow cytometry.Then the rBMSCs were incubated with autologous rat serum (ARS),inactivated ARS (iARS),CD59+ARS,or CD59+iARS or not incubated.The cytotoxicity of the serum complement on the rBMSCs was observed by PI staining and the apoptosis of the rBMSCs determined by flow cytometry.Results The expression of CD59 was significantly higher in the rBMSCs treated with CD59 than in those untreated (7,4.9％ vs 50.5％,P＜0.05).The apop tosis rate was remarkably lower in the rBMSCs not incubated ([8.4± 1.1] ％) and those incubated with CD59+ARS ([19.1 ±3.1] ％) than in those incubated with ARS ([40.3±4.3] ％) (P＜0.05).The deposition of the complement membrane attack complex was significantly decreased in the rBMSCs not incubated (50.1％) and those incubated with CD59+ARS (71.0％) as compared with those incubated with ARS (99.7％) (P＜0.05).The apoptosis rate of the rBMSCs treated with CD59 was markedly lower than that of those left untreated (P＜0.05).Conclusion The overexpression of CD59 inhibits the damage induced by complement to rBMSCs by reducing the formation of the complement membrane attack complex during autologous transplantation.

Objective To investigate the clinical presentation,diagnosis,treatment and outcome of patients with pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD).Methods Data from patients diagnosed as PVOD from May 2008 to May 2011 in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital,Tongji University were retrospectively reviewed.Results During this period,5 patients [ 4 female,aged from 12 to 42 (22 + 12 ) years old ] were diagnosed as PVOD.The durations from symptoms onset to PVOD diagnosis was 2 to 50 ( 16 ± 20)months and four of them were previously diagnosed as idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.All patients at the time of PVOD diagnosis had a severely impaired WHO pulmonary hypertension functional class (3 in class Ⅲ and 2 in class Ⅳ ).Furthermore,all patients characterized by a typical sign of centrilobular ground-glass opacities in high-resolution computed tomography,a markedly reduction of diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide [ (38 ± 12)％ of predicted value] in pulmonary functional test and severely compromised cardio-pulmonary hemodynamics identified by right heart catheterization.All patients received conventional and pulmonary arterial hypertension specific therapies,and then followed-up regularly.Up to now,4 out of 5 patients died due to refractory right heart failure.The durations from symptoms onset to death and from PVOD establish to death were 5 - 65 ( 27 + 26 ) months and 1 - 16 (9 ± 9 ) months,respectively.Conclusions PVOD is a rare and malignant cardio-pulmonary disorder that often be misdiagnosed as idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.Given the poor responses to modem pulmonary arterial hypertension specific therapies,lung transplantation remains the treatment of choice.

Objective To investigate the expressions of 12 cytokines(IL-1β,IL-2,IL-4,IL-5,IL-6,IL-8,IL-10,IL-12p70,IL-17,IFN-α,IFN-γ,TNF-α)and procalcitonin in patients with infective endocarditis(IE).Methods Ten IE patients admitted to our hospital from December 2021 to December 2022 were included into the IE group,10 patients with non-infectious and non-rheumatic valvular diseases who were admitted to our hospital at the same period were randomly selected as the control group,and blood sampling of all patients were conducted at admission.The expressions of 12 cytokines and blood routine indexes were detected by flow cytometry,and the level of procalcitonin was detected by ELISA.The correlations among the expression levels of cytokines in IE patients were analyzed by Pearson method and the correlations of IL-8 level and white blood cell count with procalcitonin in IE patients were analyzed by Spearman method.Results Compared with the control group,the levels of cytokines of IL-1β,IL-2,IL-6,IL-10,TNF-α,IFN-α,IFN-γ and IL-12p70 in the IE group were significantly increased(P<0.05),the white blood cell count,neutrophil percentage and procalcitonin were significantly increased(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the percentage of monocytes between the two groups(P>0.05).IFN-α of IE patients was positively correlated with IL-2,TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-12p70,IL-2 was positively correlated with TNF-α and IL-1β,IL-12p70 was positively correlated with IFN-γ,and procalcitonin was significantly positively correlated with IL-8 and white blood cell count,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Conclusion The levels of IL-1β,IL-2,IL-6,IL-10,TNF-α,IFN-α,IFN-γ,IL-12p70 and procalcitonin in IE patients are significantly higher than those in the normal population,and the detections of these indicators are of guiding significance for the early diagnosis of IE and the evaluation of the severity of the disease.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between birth defects and dietary nutrient intake in a high risk area of China.

METHODSA dietary survey was performed and serum folic acid was measured in women whose pregnancy was affected by neural tube defects (NTDs) or unaffected by any birth defects (BDs) in Zhongyang and Jiaokou Counties in Shanxi Province of China.

RESULTSThe local average consumption of foods including dark green vegetables, fruits, fat and meat, and nutrient intake (e.g., energy, protein, retinol, riboflavin, vitamin E, and selenium) were lower than the national average level. In women of childbearing age, these regions, the intake of nutrients was much lower than the recommended nutrient intake (9%-77%). The case-control dietary nutrition study of women whose pregnancy was affected by BDs (including NTDs and congenital heart defects) demonstrated that, in early pregnancy, adequate nutrition (i.e., eating meat, fresh vegetables, fruit more than once a week) was a protective factor, while eating germinated potatoes was a risk factor. The geometrical mean (p5-p95) of serum folic acid in women with NTD birth defects was 9.6 nmol/L (3.6, 23.03), which was significantly lower than that in normal women (14.03 nmol/L).

CONCLUSIONWomen of childbearing age in the two counties of Shanxi Province, China, have a marked insufficient intake of some nutrients, especially folic acid, zinc, vitamins A and B12. This nutrient deficiency may be an important risk factor for the high prevalence of birth defects in these regions. Therefore, adequate dietary nutrition in early pregnancy can prevent BDs.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Folic Acid ; blood ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Neural Tube Defects ; epidemiology ; Nutritional Status ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite with a broad range of intermediate hosts. Chickens as important food-producing animals can also serve as intermediate hosts. To date, experimental studies on the pathogenicity of T. gondii in broiler chickens were rarely reported. The objective of the present study was to compare the pathogenicity of 5 different T. gondii strains (RH, CN, JS, CAT2, and CAT3) from various host species origin in 10-day-old chickens. Each group of chickens was infected intraperitoneally with 5 x 10(8), 1 x 10(8), 1 x 10(7), and 1 x 10(6) tachyzoites of the 5 strains, respectively. The negative control group was mockly inoculated with PBS alone. After infection, clinical symptoms and rectal temperatures of all the chickens were checked daily. Dead chickens during acute phage of the infection were checked for T. gondii tachyzoites by microscope, while living cases were checked for T. gondii infection at day 53 post-inoculation (PI) by PCR method. Histopathological sections were used to observe the pathological changes in the dead chickens and the living animals at day 53 PI. No significant differences were found in survival periods, histopathological findings, and clinical symptoms among the chickens infected with the RH, CN, CAT2, and CAT3 strains. Histopathological findings and clinical symptoms of the JS (chicken origin) group were similar to the others. However, average survival times of infected chickens of the JS group inoculated with 5 x 10(8) and 1 x 10(8) tachyzoites were 30.0 and 188.4 hr, respectively, significantly shorter than those of the other 4 mammalian isolates. Chickens exposed to 10(8) of T. gondii tachyzoites and higher showed acute signs of toxoplasmosis, and the lesions were relatively more severe than those exposed to lower doses. The results indicated that the pathogenicity of JS strain was comparatively stronger to the chicken, and the pathogenicity was dose-dependent.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/blood ; Cat Diseases/parasitology ; Cats ; Chickens ; Poultry Diseases/blood/mortality/*parasitology/pathology ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/parasitology ; Toxoplasma/genetics/growth & development/*pathogenicity/physiology ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/blood/mortality/*parasitology/pathology ; Virulence

OBJECTIVES: To explore the sleep status and risk factors for sleep problems in infants and young children in Jilin Province. METHODS: A total of 1 080 healthy infants and young children aged 0-3 years from eight prefecture-level cities and one autonomous prefecture in Jilin Province were selected as subjects. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect the general information of the subjects, and the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire was used to understand the sleep status of the subjects. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for sleep problems. RESULTS: The total detection rate of sleep problems in the infants and young children was 38.24% (413/1 080). The total sleep time in the 4-11 month, 12-24 month, and 25-36 month age groups was higher than the recommended total sleep time (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that full-term birth, higher educational level of the main caregiver, and higher daytime activity intensity were protective factors for sleep problems in the infants and young children (P<0.05), while lower frequency of vitamin D supplementation, frequent night feeding, and maternal snoring were risk factors for sleep problems (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The total sleep time of infants and young children over 4 months old in Jilin Province is higher than the recommended total sleep time, but the prevalence rate of sleep problems is higher. The occurrence of sleep problems is related to various factors. Strengthening follow-up on preterm infants, providing education on infant sleep knowledge to primary caregivers, and regularly supplementing with vitamin D can be beneficial in reducing sleep problems in infants and young children.
Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Infant, Premature ; Risk Factors ; Sleep ; Sleep Wake Disorders/epidemiology*