Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of thymosin alpha -1 with glucocorticoid in treat-ment of HBV -related hepatic failure.Methods 130 cases were randomly divided into two groups,they were all giv-en antiviral therapy,protect liver,anti -inflammatory,yellow suit the back support,etc.comprehensive treatment;and patients in treatment group were given thymosin alpha -1 with methyl -prednisone intravenously at the early stage of treating process,and then observed the clinic situation and cure rate of those sufferers,The biochemiccal indicator, PTA and blood serum HBV DNA capacity ending with the period of 4 weeks were tested.Results In both groups,the TBil,TC in serum had apparently improved compared with the baseline after the medication,the difference was signifi-cant (t =3.12,P <0.05 and t =3.05,P <0.05).The time of gastrointestinal symptoms improvement and bilirubin subsided time in treatment group were significantly shorter than those of the control group(t =3.34,P <0.01 and t =4.52,P <0.01 ).During the treatment,there was no significant adverse reaction,and there were no differences between two groups in Alt,PTA,HBV DNA,infection,gastrointestinal bleeding,hepatic encephalopathy and hepatore-nal syndrome.The effective rate of treatment group was 75.2%,which was higher than 50.3% of the control group (χ2 =11.02,P <0.01).Conclusion Patients with HBV -related hepatic failure of short -term application of thy-mosin alpha -1 with glucocorticoid treatment,can quickly improve symptoms,greatly improve the efficiency of survival rate,shortem hospitalization period,reduce side effects and enhance security.

The relationship of nutrients and microorganisms in soils with polyphenols and total flavonoids of Houttuynia cordata were investigated by measuring nutrients, enzyme activity, pH, concentrations of microbe phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) in soils, and determining concentrations of polyphenols and total flavonoids of H. cordata. The research is aimed to understand characteristics of the planting soils and improve the quality of cultivated H. cordata. The soils at different sample sites varied greatly in nutrients, enzyme activity, pH, microbic PLFAs and polyphenols and all flavonoids. The content of total PLFAs in sample sites was following: bacteria > fungi > actinomyces > nematode. The content of bacteria PLFAs was 37.5%-65.0% at different sample sites. Activities of polyphenol oxidease, concentrations of available P and content of PLFAs of bacteria, actinomyces and total microorganisms in soils were significantly and positively related to the concentrations of polyphenols and total flavonoids of H. cordata, respectively (P < 0.05) . The Content of fungi PLFAs in soils was significantly and negatively related to concentrations of polyphenols and total flavonoids of H. cordata, respectively (P < 0.05). This study provides evidence that effectiveness of the soil nutrient, which may be improved due to transformation of soil microorganisms and enzymes to N and P in the soils, was beneficial to adaptation of H. cordata adapted to different soil conditions, and significantly affects metabolic accumulation of polyphenols and flavonoids of H. cordata.
Bacteria ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; metabolism ; Fatty Acids ; metabolism ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; metabolism ; Fungi ; metabolism ; Houttuynia ; chemistry ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Phospholipids ; metabolism ; Polyphenols ; analysis ; metabolism ; Soil ; chemistry ; Soil Microbiology

OBJECTIVETo compare the nutritional status between pancreaticojejunostomy(PJ) and pancreaticogastrostomy(PG) following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

METHODSA retrospective clinical analysis was performed on 37 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD) for duodenal carcinoma and pancreatic non-epithelial tumor with PG(n=19) and PJ(n=18) in the First Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from April 2006 to December 2010. All the patients had a needle catheter jejunostomy inserted at the conclusion of laparotomy. Postoperative early enteral nutrition and parenteral nutrition was performed for all the patients. Nutritional status of two groups was compared in body mass index (BMI), serum nutritional parameters such as albumin, transferrin and prealbumin before surgery and on 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences between PG and PJ groups in operative time, blood loss, pancreatic fistula, perioperative death, or postoperative length of hospital stay. One month after surgery, there were no significant differences in BMI [(17.1±7.0) vs. (19.0±4.8) kg/m(2), P>0.05], albumin [(30.1±0.5) vs. (32.1±1.3) g/L, P>0.05], transferrin [(1.89±0.57) vs. (2.01±0.61) g/L, P>0.05] and prealbumin[(0.18±0.05) vs. (0.18±0.09) g/L, P>0.05]. These parameters were decreased at 1 month after surgery, and gradually recovered to baseline or higher than the preoperative levels at 6 months after surgery. However, the differences were still not statistically significant between two groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe influence of PJ and PG on the postoperative nutritional status are comparable.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Gastrostomy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutritional Status ; Pancreas ; surgery ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; Pancreaticojejunostomy ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To determine effects of T-2 toxin and selenium on expression of aggrecanase in human chondrocyte.Methods Human chondrocytes were treated with T-2 toxin(0,1,10,20 μg/L),and/or sodium selenite(final concentration of selenium 0,0.1 mg/L) for 5 days.Aggrecan expression was determined by Western blotting,aggrecanase-1 and aggrecanase-2 mRNA levels were measured by RT-PCR.ResultsSelenium and T-2 toxin had effects on both aggrecan protein levels and its aggrecanases(include aggrecanase-1 and aggrecanase-2 ) mRNA levels(F =0.294,27.71 for aggrecan,F =107.45,362.25 for aggrecanase-l,F =34.68,22.26 for aggrecanase-2,respectively,all P ＜ 0.05),and there was interaction between selenium and T-2 toxin on aggrecan,aggrecanase-1 and aggrecanase-2 expression(F =79.99,230.76,388.33,all P ＜ 0.05).Furthermore,selenium presented significant antagonism to T-2 toxin on aggrecan,aggrecanase-1 and aggrecanase-2 expression.Aggrecan expression levels(0.278 ± 0.015,0.235 ± 0.029,0.195 ± 0.028,0.399 ± 0.028,0.299 ± 0.020,0.263 ±0.019) induced by both 1,10,20 μg/L T-2 toxin and 0,0.1 mg/L selenium were significantly decreased than the levels(0.472 ± 0.0358,0.197 ± 0.018,all P ＜ 0.05) in control group(0 mg/L toxin).Selenium partially blocked the effects induced by 1,10,and 20 μg/L T-2 toxin(all P＜ 0.05).One,10,20 μg/L T-2 toxin and 0,0.1 mg/L selenium increased both aggrecanase-1 mRNA levels(0.535 ± 0.033,1.071 ± 0.043,1.454 ± 0.058,1.057 ±0.048,0.555 ± 0.036,0.902 ± 0.045) and aggrecanase-2 mRNA levels(0.596 ± 0.038,0.656 ± 0.033,0.949 ±0.049,0.600 ± 0.040,0.453 ± 0.031,0.164 ± 0.011),when compared with control(0.481 ± 0.023,0.346 ±0.020 for aggrecanase-1 and 0.387 ± 0.020,1.021 ± 0.046 for aggrecanase-2,respectively,all P ＜ 0.05).Selenium partially blocked 10,20 μg/L T-2 toxins induced upregulation of aggrecanase-1 (all P ＜ 0.05) and aggrecanase-2 (all P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusions These data suggest a possible molecular mechanism that T-2 toxin could induce cartilage matrix degradation through the upregulation of aggrecanases expression and enzyme activities.Trace element selenium has some protective effect on cartilage proteoglycan degradation induced by T-2 toxins.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the distribution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype B subgenotype in China.

METHODSA cohort of 511 patients with chronic HBV genotype B infection, collected from 7 centers across China, were analyzed by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) or nucleotide sequencing.

RESULTSFor the 511 patients, only subgenotype Ba was identified and subgenotype Bj was not found.

CONCLUSIONIn China, subgenotype Ba was the most prevalent HBV strains, while subgenotype Bj was very rarely found.

China ; DNA, Viral ; genetics ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B ; virology ; Hepatitis B virus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

To investigate the role and mechanism of ceramide (Cer) regulation in alcohol-induced neuronal proliferation and the newborn neurons formation, we used sphingomyelin synthase 2 (predominant enzyme of Cer metabolism) knockout (SMS2(-/-)) and wild type (WT) female mice to establish the model of prenatal alcohol exposure. In 24 h after being given birth (postnatal day 0, P0), the offspring of model mice received blood sphingomyelin (SM) measurement with enzymatic method. On P0, P7, P14 and P30, the proliferation of granule cells in the dentate gyrus and newborn neurons were investigated with immunofluorescent labeling. The expression of protein kinase Cα (PKCα) in the hippocampus was tested with Western blot analysis. The results showed that the SM level of blood in SMS2(-/-) pups was significantly lower than that in WT pups. No matter in SMS2(-/-) or WT mice, the prenatal alcohol exposure down-regulated the SM levels in pups with dose-dependency. In both SMS2(-/-) and WT pups, the number of proliferative neurons and newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus gradually decreased with the growing age. Compared with the WT pups, SMS2(-/-) pups showed significantly more proliferative neurons and newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus. Notably, prenatal alcohol exposure dose-dependently increased proliferative neurons and newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus in both WT and SMS2(-/-) pups. The hippocampal expression of PKCα protein in SMS2(-/-) mice was lower than that in WT mice, and prenatal alcohol exposure could up-regulate the PKCα protein expression in both WT and SMS2(-/-) mice with dose dependency. These results suggest that alcohol exposure during pregnancy can induce the compensatory neural cell proliferation and the production of newborn neurons in offspring, and the Cer-ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) pathway is involved in alcohol-induced neural cell proliferation. The activation of PKCα may be a key step to start the Cer-C1P pathway and up-regulate the alcohol-induced neural cell proliferation and the newborn neurons formation.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Ceramides ; metabolism ; Dentate Gyrus ; cytology ; Ethanol ; toxicity ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Neurons ; cytology ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; physiopathology ; Protein Kinase C-alpha ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the characteristics of the virology background of HLA-A2 restricted HBcAg(18-27) epitope mutations in HBV infected patients in China.

METHOD30 HBV sequences with different genotypes from Genbank were analyzed by bioinformatics and the mismatched primers were designed for constructing a PCR-RFLP method to screen HBcAg(18-27)V/I in China. The distributions of HBcAg(18-27)V/I of 160 samples with HBV genotype B/C infection from 8 areas in China were screened and analyzed by PCR-RFLP and sequencing. The affinity of HBcAg(18-27)V/I to HLA-A0201 was analyzed through referencing the bioinformatics websites.

RESULTSWe successfully constructed a PCR-RFLP method for screening HBcAg(18-27)V/I from genotype B/C, and only 3 samples with HBcAg(18-27)V sequence were found in the 160 samples (3/160, 1.88%). The affinity of HBcAg(18-27)I to HLA-A 0201 was lower than the one of HBcAg(18-27)V through bioinformatic analysis (HLA ligand score was 123 vs 156, and the SYFPEITHI score was 22 vs 24).

CONCLUSIONThe last amino acid of most HBcAg(18-27) sequences of epidemic HBV strains in China is isoleucine, and not valine. Therefore HBcAg(18-27) sequence background in different HBV genotypes should be thoroughly considered when using it as a reference or control in immunological research about HBV.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Computational Biology ; DNA, Viral ; genetics ; Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte ; immunology ; Female ; Genotype ; HLA-A Antigens ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B virus ; classification ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; epidemiology ; immunology ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology

OBJECTIVEThe aim was to build a PCR-RFLP method for detecting rtN236T mutants and to observe their kinetics in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

METHODSSeven CHB patients who had suboptimal viral response or viral breakthrough under adefovir mono-therapy were studied. Part of the HBV reverse transcriptional gene from serial sera samples was sequenced with PCR products or cloned HBV DNA; mutations at rt236 were simultaneously analyzed by a PCR-RFLP assay. Genetic diversity of HBV was observed by calculating Hamming distance within domains B, C and D of RT.

RESULTSThree patients had viral breakthrough and one with suboptimal viral response had adefovir-resistance mutants, one had rtA181V mutation and three had rtN236T mutation. A novel PCR-RFLP assay based on restriction enzyme HpaI or DraI for on the detection of rtN236T mutant was established, which detected 10% minor strains with 100% specificity. Mutants (rtA181V or rtN236T) appeared 0-8 months earlier than the viral breakthrough, then afterwards became the dominant ones. In one patient after stopping the adefovir therapy, 3 months later a wild type virus re-took again the mutant one (rtN236T); in one patient who developed a rt236T mutant after 132 weeks of adefovir treatment, a novel mutant (rtN236V) appeared and then became the dominant one while adefovir treatment continued.

CONCLUSIONSA rapid and easy method was established to detect rtN236T mutants. Mutants for adefovir-resistance accumulated rapidly then became dominant, but they could be taken over again by a wild type or novel mutant HBV.

Adenine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; DNA, Viral ; genetics ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; drug effects ; genetics ; Hepatitis B ; virology ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Organophosphonates ; pharmacology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

Objective To investigate homografting vascular endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs)for preventing restenosis formation of carotid artery in New Zealand white rabbit models.Methods EPCs of New Zealand white rabbits were isolated,confirmed and expanded though the injured carotid arterial endothelium of rabbit model induced by dilatation with a 2.5 F balloon;and then EPCs were transplanted into the injured endothelium of the cells transplantation group(n=13,3 of them were transplanted with fluorencently-labeled- EPCs),while equal volume of saline without EPCs was injected into the injured endothelium in the control group(n=8).Histopathology was performed at 4 days after transplantation for the 2 rabbits,with fluorencently-labeled-EPCs.All of the rest remained rabbits were killed 4 weeks later for histological examinations.Results The histopathological slides showed that the fluorescence-positive expression existed in the injured endothelium 4 days after transplantation.At 4 weeks after the EPCs transplantation,there were less restenosis and less vascular wall thickening in the rabbits of cells transplantation group than those of the control group(P＜0.01).Conclusion The local interventional homografting heterogeneous endothelial progenitor cells can prevent restenosis after the carotid artery angioplasty in New Zealand White rabbit model. (J Intervent Radiol,2007,16:95-98)

In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of SYT-1, a new compound of tetrahydroisoquino-line, on tumor cell proliferation and underlying mechanisms. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method was used to detect cell proliferation; clone formation experiment was used to detect cell clone formation ability; JC-1 probe was used to detect cell mitochondrial membrane potential; 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) probe was used to detect intracellular reactive oxygen species; Annexin V-FITC/PI (fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium) counterstaining method was used to detect apoptosis; Western blot assay was used to detect the expression level of related proteins. The experimental results show that SYT-1 has a significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation of six human-derived cancer cells. Among them, the inhibitory effect on breast cancer MCF-7 cells is the strongest, the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of SYT-1 of 48 h administration on MCF-7 cells is 5.87 μmol·L^-1, which is better than that of cisplatin (8.92 μmol·L^-1). Further studies have shown that SYT-1 can dose-dependently inhibit the monoclonal formation ability of MCF-7 cells, and can cause the mitochondrial membrane potential of the cells to decrease and the level of reactive oxygen species to increase. In addition, SYT-1 can significantly inhibit the activation of PI3K-Akt (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B) signaling pathway and induce apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. The above research results show that, as a new type of tetrahydroisoquinoline compound, SYT-1 has the potential to inhibit tumor cell proliferation.