Animals ; Hypertension ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; genetics ; metabolism

AIM: The effects of Yigu capsule on tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) secretion and apoptosis in rat osteoclasts were investigated in order to further explore its mechanism of preventing and treating osteoporosis. METHODS: (1) Twenty-month-old Sprague-daweley rats were randomly divided into two groups(Yigu capsule group and saline group), and the drug-containing serum and control serum were prepared. (2) The newborn Sprague-daweley rat osteoclasts were cultured with different concentrations of Yigu capsule drug-containing serum. At different time point, TRAP activity was measured and the survival osteoclast was counted under reverse microscope.The percentage of osteoclast apoptosis was observed under fluorescence microscope after acridine orange staining. RESULTS: TRAP activity was lower and the percentage of osteoclast apoptosis was higher in drug-containing serum group than in control group at 24, 48 and 72 h( P

Genomics ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Objectives To investigate serum levels of B cell activating factor(BAFF)in Chinese patients with polymyositis(PM)or dermatomyositis(DM),and analyze the correlation of BAFF with autoantibodies and clinical phenotypes.Methods Serum BAFF levels of 28 PM patients and 30 DM patients(study group),and 25 matched healthy controls(control group)were measured by ELISA.Serum anti-Jo-1 antibody levels were also measured by ELISA in all the subjects.The results of the two groups were compared by unpaired t test and the relevance was analyzed by Pearson's correlation analysis.Results Serum levels of BAFF in PM/DM patients were significantly higher compared to healthy controls(P =0.000),but there was no statistically significant difference between the PM and DM patients(P ＞ 0.05).Patients with interstitial lung disease(ILD)had significantly higher serum BAFF level than the patients without ILD(P =0.000)or the controls(P =0.000).Serum BAFF levels of patients with positive antinuclear antibody(ANA)were significantly higher than those with negative ANA(P =0.003).For patients with anti-Jo-1 antibodies,the serum BAFF levels were correlated with the serum concentration of anti-Jo-1 antibodies(r =0.799,P =0.006).Conclusions Serum levels of BAFF are increased in Chinese PM/DM patients.These findings indicate that BAFF may be possibly enrolled in the pathogenesis of PM/DM.Detecting serum BAFF levels could have some implication for the diagnosis and treatment of PM/DM.

?-arbutin is biosynthesized by whole cell method with Xanthomona maltophilia BT-112.The conditions for cell biosynthesized ?-arbutin are investigated as follows:temperature,25℃;concentration of hydroquinone,30mmol/L;mol ratio of sucrose and hydroquinone,20∶1;time course of ?-arbutin biosynthesis,45 hours;rotational speed,160r/min;concentration of Xanthomona maltophilia BT-112,85g/L;concentration of K-2HPO-4-KH-2PO-4 buffer solution,25mmol/L;pH of K-2HPO-4-KH-2PO-4 buffer solution,8.0.Under the above optimal conditions,the maximum of molar conversion yield based on the amount of hydroquinone supplied reaches 86.7%.

Background and purpose:The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) Z0011 trial has been described as practice-changing of sentinel lymph node (SLN) positive breast cancers. The goal of this study was to determine the exportability of the criteria deifned by Z0011 trial for selecting patients who are eligible for avoiding axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) result in China.Methods:We collected 194 breast cancer patients with positive SLNs and classiifed them into two groups according to Z0011 criteria. One group was consisted of patients who were eligible for omitting ALND and with SLNB only. The other one was ALND group. Then the patients of SLNB group were compared with cohort included in the Z0011 trial and the ALND group of this study separately.Results:Seventy-seven patients were potentially eligible for omitting ALND and 117 patients were still needed to have ALND. Compared with Z0011 cohort, the SLNB group in this research had signiifcantly more T1 stage and ER positive tumors (P<0.05). More patients in SLNB group had positive LNs with the number less than 3 and negative NSLNs (P<0.05). The ALND group had more T2 and T3 stage tumors than the SLNB group but the difference was not signiifcantly. The number of positive LNs in ALND group was higher than the SLNB group signiifcantly (P<0.05). More patients in the ALND group had positive non-sentinel lymph node (NSLN) than the SLNB group and the difference was also signiifcantly (P<0.05).Conclusion:Applied to the SLN positive patients in this study, Z0011 criteria could make patients with better prognosis and lower risk than Z0011 cohort be selected and let these patients avoiding ALND more safely.

Sugarcane stem is an ideal organ for producing foreign pharmaceutical proteins and chemicals by genetic engineering.A perfect promoter driving foreign gene to express strongly and specifically in sugarcane stem is necessary for this purpose.In order to isolate a Sugarcane stem-specific promoter,a fragment of 1968bp nucleotide sequence(Ppst2a)upstream 5' of sugarcane pst2a gene,which was demonstrated to express specifically in sugarcane stem previously was isolated by using chromosomal walking.Bioinformatical analysis of this sequence shows that the sequence contains some typical elements of a promoter.To identify the stem-specific of this promoter,a construct was derived from pCAMBIA1301,which original CaMV 35S promoter was replaced by the 1968bp nucleotide sequence,and named as pCAMBIA1900.Transformations of pCAMBIA1900 and pCAMBIA1301 to leaves and stem pieces of sugarcane were carried out by using particle bombardment.The transient expression of gus showed that the gus expressed specifically in sugarcane with a little higher level compared with CaMV 35S.It is the first report that pst2a promoter is a potential stem-specific promoter which can further be used in transgenes into sugarcane.

Although current synthetic anti-gout drugs have significant therapeutic effects in reducing serum uric acid levels, they have serious side effects such as allergic reactions and liver and kidney damage. Natural products with a wide range of uric acid-lowering and high safety have played a critical role in anti-gout drug discovery and development. This paper reviews the natural products with uric acid-lowering or anti-gout pharmacological effects and the investigation on their mechanisms of action, to provide information for drug discovery and development.

AIM: To explore correlation,consistency and comfort between traditional tear film examination methods and Oculus Keratograph.METHODS: A retrospective study.Totally 101 cases (101 eyes) were diagnosed myopia and then accepted LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis).Non-invasive tear film break-up time(NIBUT),lower tear meniscus height(LTMH) were measured with Oculus Keratograph,fluorescein tear film break-up time(fl-BUT) and Schimer Ⅰ test (SⅠt) were performed on all cases.The correlations analysis between NIBUT and fl-BUT,LTMH and SⅠt were performed by Spearman rank correlation,consistency check between NIBUT and fl-BUT by Bland-Altman analysis.Visual analogue scale(VAS) was applied on evaluating the comfort of two kinds of examination methods.RESULTS: LTMH and SⅠt showed positive correlation (rs=0.346,P=0.001).NIBUT and fl-BUT showed positive correlation (rs=0.393,P=0.001),95% consistency limits range-9.62 to 14.18 in Bland-Altman Figure.There was significant difference between VAS of NIBUT and VAS of fl-BUT(z=-2.324,P=0.020).There was significant difference between VAS of LTMH and VAS of SⅠt (z=-8.845,P=0.001).CONCLUSION: Oculus Keratograph can objectively measure NIBUT and LTMH,and was more comfortable than traditional tear film examination methods.It can effectively assess tear film function before corneal refractive surgery.

Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; B7-2 Antigen ; analysis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Follow-Up Studies ; Histiocytic Disorders, Malignant ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Sarcoma ; chemistry ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Skin Neoplasms ; chemistry ; drug therapy ; pathology