The yeast Sacchromyces cerevisiae is most widely used for producing bioethanol in alcoholic industry due to its higher ethanol yield and fermentation rate. However, the toxic effect of accumulated ethanol is one of the main factors, which limit high ethanol production. Thus, investigating the mechanisms of yeast ethanol tolerance will provide the basis for solving the industrial problem. This article reviewed the mechanisms of Sacchromyces cerevisiae ethanol tolerance focusing on its cell physiological behaviors, structure and biochemical composition, as well as its genetic basis.

'Three-acupoint and Five-needle Method' is a summary of Prof. Shao Jing-ming's clinical experience in the treatment of asthma for years. It is used to alleviate asthma during seizure and to improve the pulmonary functions, strengthen the body constitution and prevent recurrence in the remission stage. This article introduces the theoretic source and basic principle, and concrete operating method, i.e. puncturing bilateral Feishu (BL 13), Dazhui (GV 14) and bilateral Fengmen (BL 12), and adding acupoints based upon pattern identification, in combination of moxibustion and cupping therapy for promoting the clinical application of this method.

OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to investigate the feature of D(L)CO (Diffusion Lung Capacity for Carbon Monoxide) in CHF (left ventricular heart failure) patients, underlying pathophysiological mechanism and clinical significance.

METHODSWe retrospectively studied the D(L)CO, pulmonary ventilation function, cardiopulmonary exercise testing and related clinical information in severer HF patients.

RESULTSPeak VO2 severely decreased to 34 ± 7 percentage of predicted(%pred) and anaerobic threshold to 48 ± 11%pred in all patients. D(L)CO moderately decreased to 63 ± 12%pred and there were 25 patients lower than 80%pred. FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC and TLC were 75 ± 14%pred, 71 ± 17%pred, 97 ± 11%pred, and 79 ± 13%pred, which indicated borderline or mild restrictive ventilatory dysfunction. The decrease of D(L)CO was more severe than those of TLC, FEV1 and FVC.

CONCLUSIONFor patients with severe CHF, cardiopulmonary exercise function is extremely limited, D(L)CO generally moderately declines and ventilation function is merely mildly limited. D(L)CO is the parameter for cardiopulmonary coupling, reflecting limitation of the cardiovascular dysfunction while without ventilatory limit.

Blood Gas Analysis ; Heart Failure ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo observe the uptake of tiliani in Caco-2 Cell.

METHODA human intestinal epithelial cell model Caco-2 cell in vitro cultured was applied to study the kinetics of uptake, transport and efflux kinetics of tiliani at small intestine. The effect of time, pH, drug concentration and inhibitors on the uptake of tiliani were investigated. The determination of tiliani was performed by HPLC.

RESULTTiliani in Caco-2 cell uptake was time-dependent. Tiliani in Caco-2 cell uptake was concentration-dependent at 4-16 mg x L(-1) consistent with passive diffusion process. The acid condition was good for the uptake of tiliani at pH 5-8. Compared with the control group, tiliani cell uptake was significantly higher after additional treatmeant with verapamil (1.545 +/- 0.010) mg x g(-1), (P < 0.05), and tiliani cell uptake was significantly lower after additional treatmeanet with sodium azide (0.994 +/- 0.003) mg x g(-1) (P < 0.05), with 2,4-dinitrophenol (1.174 +/- 0.030) mg x g(-1) (P < 0.05), and with phloridzin (1.098 +/- 0.021) mg x g(-1) (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, tiliani cell uptake was not significantly after additional treatmeant with lactose (1.470 +/- 0.025) mg x g(-1), Papp of Basolateral to Apical was much more than that of Apical to Basolateral (1.10 Fold).

CONCLUSIONP-glycoproteins and SGLT1 participate in the conveying process of tiliani in Caco-2 cells. The uptake of tiliani has no relationship to LPH. passive transport and carrier-mediated transport participate in the uptake process of tiliani in Caco-2 cells.

Biological Transport ; drug effects ; Caco-2 Cells ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Flavonoids ; pharmacokinetics ; Glycosides ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Intestinal Absorption ; Kinetics ; Verapamil ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the role of microfilament polymerization in menchanotransduction by human periodontal ligament fibroblast (hPDLFs).

METHODSIn tension-force group, hPDLFs were treated by tension-force values of 18% for 8 h, 16 h, 24 h. In tension-force and inhibitor group, the sample was treated with 5 microg/mL cytochalasin B before using tension-forece. Each sample was collected and the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 was measured by using immunohistoche staining.

RESULTSIn tension-force group, the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 enhanced with the extension of loading time. In tension-force and inhibitor group, cyclooxygenase-2 expression was depressed and had no relation with loading time.

CONCLUSIONTension-force induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression is mediated by microfilament, disruption of the microfilament polymerization will destroy mechanotransduction in hPDLFs.

Actin Cytoskeleton ; Cells, Cultured ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Mechanotransduction, Cellular ; Periodontal Ligament ; Stress, Mechanical

The chemical investigation on Ganoderma philippii led to the isolation of sixteen compounds by silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. On the basis of spectroscopic data analyses, their structures were elucidated as 2, 5-dihydroxyacetophenone (1), methyl gentisate (2), (S) -dimethyl malate (3), muurola-4, 10 (14) -dien-11beta-ol (4), dihydroepicubenol (5), 5-hydroxymethylfuran carboxaldehyde (6), ergosta-7, 22E-dien-3beta-ol (7), ergosta-7, 22E-dien-3-one (8), ergosta-7, 22E-diene-2beta, 3alpha, 9alpha-triol (9), 6/beta-methoxyergo-sta-7, 22E-dien-3beta, 5alpha-diol (10), ergosta-4, 6, 8(14), 22E-tetraen-3-one (11), ergosta4, 6, 8-(14), 22E-etetraen-3beta-ol (12), 5alpha, 8alpha-epidioxy-ergosta-6, 22E-dien-3beta-ol (13), 7alpha-methoxy-5alpha, 6alpha-epoxyergosta-8-(14), 22E-dien-3beta-ol (14), ergosta-8, 22E-diene-3beta, 5alpha, 6beta, 7alpha-tetraol (15), and ergosta-5, 23-dien-3beta-ol, acetate (16). All the compounds were obtained from this fungus for the first time, and compounds 4 and 5 were isolated from the Ganoderma genus for the first time.
Ganoderma ; chemistry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Organic Chemicals ; analysis ; isolation & purification

BACKGROUND:The effects of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on osteoclast-induced bone resorption is controversial and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Most of the studies indicate that AGEs can enhance bone resorption, while some othersshowthe opposite effects.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of AGEs on osteoclast-induced inorganicmatrixdissolution and organic componentdegradation and the underlying mechanisms.
METHODS:RAW 264.7 cels were induced to generate osteoclasts,and AGEs (50-400 μg/mL) or control-bovine serum albumin (100 μg/mL) was added since the beginning of the induction. The effect of AGEs on bone resorption was evaluated by analyzing the area of resorption pits on the Osteo Assay Surface plates and the expression of cathepsin K. Furthermore, the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinucleated cels, nuclei per osteoclasts and the expression of integrinανβ3were detected.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The area of resorption pits and expression of cathepsin K in AGEs groups were significantly decreased compared withthecontrol group, and this inhibiting effect became more obvious with the increase of AGEs concentration. TRAP staining also showed that number of TRAP-positivemultinucleated celsand nuclei per osteoclast were significantly reduced in an AGE dose-dependent manner. Quantitative PCR revealed that the expression of integrin ανβ3decreased significantly with the extension of AGEs incubation time. These data indicate that AGEs can exert inhibitory effects on organic and inorganicmatrixdegradation induced by osteoclasts. The underlying mechanism may be involved in the inhibitory effects of AGEs on directed differentiation and cel fusion of osteoclast precursor cels, and migration and adhension of osteoclasts.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the relation between degree of body impairment and that of thoracolumbar spinal injuries resulting from road traffic accidents, and sum up the experiences in body impairment assessment and its regularity. METHODS: For comprehensive body impairment assessment, 477 cases of thoracolumbar spinal injuries in road accidents have been sorted out, reassessed and rediagnosed. In addition, analyses have been undertaken about their treatment, the assessment of the degree of their thoracolumbar dysfunction,nerve dysfunction and the relations between injuries and sequelaes. RESULTS: The analyses show that the degree of thoracolumbar dysfunction and that of the post-injury nerve dysfunction don't necessarily depend on the quantity and degree of spinal injuries. However, the position suffering from the thoracolumbar spinal injuries has an immense impact on the thoracolumbar dysfunction, and the nerve impairment result mainly from the T1-1L spinal injuries. The research also shows that there has been a high misdiagnosis rate in hospital about the spinal injuries. CONCLUSION In body impairment assessment, the cause and effect relations between the injury and degree of injury extent should be analyzed, the injury extent should be employed as principal evidence, and the degree of spinal dysfunction should be taken into greater consideration.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Disability Evaluation ; Female ; Humans ; Injury Severity Score ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiology* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nervous System/physiopathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Injuries/physiopathology* ; Thoracic Vertebrae/physiology* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To discuss forensic identification of floating shoulder injury (FSI). METHODS: To analyze fifteen cases of FSI which were accepted from Jan. 1993 to Jan. 2006, including 15 shoulder neck fracture, 13 clavide stem fracture and 2 distal end clavide fracture, the function of shoulder joint was evaluated six months after injure considering the following three aspects: result of forensic examination such as X-ray photograph, CT and MRI, the injurers' symptom, objective sign and joint function, shoulder joint territory, degree of pain and local muscle power. RESULTS: Basing on the curative effect standard of Herscovic, all cases were divided into good. Modest, worst, which included 2, 4, 9 cases respectively; referring the standard of GA35-92, GB18667-2002, all cases were divided into six, seven, eight, nine and ten degree, which included 2,9,2,1,1 cases respectively. CONCLUSION As a special powerful injure, FSI always companied with concurrent and multiple injure, and characterized by missed, incorrect and delayed diagnosis and infelicitous treatment, which lead to the high frequency and degree of injure. To prevent missed and incorrect forensic identification, we should have a full realization of the particularity of FSI, and evaluate the function of shoulder all-sidely, objectively and synseticaly.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Clavicle/surgery* ; Female ; Forensic Dentistry/methods* ; Fractures, Bone/surgery* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain/pathology* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Scapula/surgery* ; Shoulder Injuries ; Shoulder Joint/physiopathology* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Wounds and Injuries/surgery* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes of brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) in patients with brain concussion. METHODS: Nineteen patients with brain concussion were studied with BAEP examination. The data was compared to the healthy persons reported in literatures. RESULTS: The abnormal rate of BAEP for patients with brain concussion was 89.5%. There was a statistically significant difference between the abnormal rate of patients and that of healthy persons (P<0.05). The abnormal rate of BAEP in the brainstem pathway for patients with brain concussion was 73.7%, indicating dysfunction of the brainstem in those patients. CONCLUSION BAEP might be helpful in forensic diagnosis of brain concussion.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Brain Concussion/physiopathology* ; Child ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Female ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult