4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase is a key enzyme of phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway in higher plant and may regulate the biosynthesis of ferulic acid in Angelica sinensis. In this study, the homology-based cloning and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique were used to clone a full length cDNA encoding 4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase gene (4CL), and then qRT-PCR was taken for analyzing 4CL gene expression levels in the root, stem and root tissue at different growth stages of seedlings of A. sinensis. The results showed that a full-length 4CL cDNA (1,815 bp) was obtained (GenBank accession number: KT880508) which shares an open reading frame (ORF) of 1 632 bp, encodes 544 amino acid polypeptides. We found 4CL gene was expressed in all tissues including leaf, stem and root of seedlings of A. sinensis. The expressions in the leave and stem were increased significantly with the growth of seedlings of A. sinensis (P < 0.05), while it in the root showed little change. It indicates a time-space pattern of 4CL gene expression in seedlings of A. sinensis. These findings will be useful for establishing an experiment basis for studying the structure and function of 4CL gene and elucidating mechanism of ferulic acid biosynthesis and space-time regulation in A. sinensis.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Angelica sinensis ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Coenzyme A Ligases ; genetics ; DNA, Complementary ; chemistry ; Molecular Sequence Data

This study was aimed to observe and analyze the effectiveness of platelet transfusion. The platelet count of 1786 patients before transfusion and on 20-24 hours after transfusion was determined by using Auto-Hematology Analyzer, the percent platelet recovery (PPR) was calculated, the platelet transfusion efficiency (PTE) was evaluated by PPR and hemorrhage presentation after platelet transfusion, and the PTE was statistically analyzed according to disease cause, transfusion frequency, platelet type and once transfusion amount. The results showed that the total PTE of 1786 patients was 52.5%. The comparison of PTE among groups of disease cause showed that PTE in leukemia and aplastic anemia (AA) was lowest, as compared with that of other diseases (P < 0.05), while PTE in operation group was highest. The comparison of PTE among groups of transfusion frequency revealed also statistical difference (P < 0.01), meanwhile PTE decreased with increasing of transfusion frequency. The comparison of PTE among groups of platelet type (platelet phoresis or platelet concentrate) showed statistical difference (P < 0.01). The comparison of PTE among groups of platelet concentrate of once transfusion amount showed no statistical difference (P > 0.05). It is concluded that the PTE closely relates with disease cause of patients, moreover transfusion frequency also associates with PTE, the more frequency of transfusion, the higher possibility of transfusion refractoriness. The PTE of platelet pheresis is obviously superior to that of platelet concentrate, while PTE of platelet concentrate not significantly relates with once adequate or not.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anemia, Aplastic ; therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukemia ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Platelet Count ; Platelet Transfusion ; adverse effects ; methods ; Treatment Failure ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the access to the frontal recess by identifying the agger nasi cell and uncinate process.

METHODSForty-seven patients (85 sides) who underwent endoscopic frontal sinus surgery in our department constituted the study population. Computed tomographic (CT) scans of the sinuses were obtained in coronal and axial views. The frontal ostium was identified by using agger nasi cell approach or identifying the uncinate process.

RESULTSThe frontal sinus ostium was identified in 100% of patients (85 sides). After an average follow-up of 9 months, 41 sides of 49 sides (84%) had endoscopically healed sinuses by using agger nasi cell approach. And 21 sides of 36 sides (81%) had endoscopically healed sinuses by identifying the uncinate process.

CONCLUSIONSThe agger nasi cell approach to the frontal recess gives an access and allows identification of the frontal ostium. In addition, it provides direct visualization with a 0 degree endoscope into the frontal recess.

Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Female ; Frontal Sinus ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasal Cavity ; Nose ; surgery ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Sinusitis ; surgery

Objective To investigate the clinical outcome of patients receiving stereotacticcannula placement for hypertensive intracerebral hematoma drainage and the relationship between thedrainage cannula and the cerebral angioarchitecture. Methods Sixty-three patients with hypertensiveintracerebral hematoma underwent operations for stereotactic placement of a soft tube for hematomadrainage. CT angiography and CT venography were performed prior to cannula withdrawal after thepatients' condition was stabilized or complete hematoma drainage. The relationship between the drainagecarmula, cerebral angioarchitecture and the entry route of the cannula were observed. ResultsPostoperative CT angiography and CT venography showed that the entry route of the cannula allowedsafe passage of the cannula along the cerebral arteries and veins, and the position of the cannula wasaccurate in all the patients. Satisfactory hematoma drainage and good postoperative recovery wasachieved in all the patients, and no significant injuries to the adjacent cerebral arteries or veins occurredin these cases. Conclusion Stereotactic cannula placement with the minimally invasive technique forhemotoma drainage causes minimal injury and is safe, effective, cost-effective and convenient fortreatment of hypertensive intracerebral hematoma.

BACKGROUNDThe association between increased serum uric acid (SUA) levels and cardiovascular risk has been debated for decades. Several large studies have provided conflicting results regarding the clinical significance of elevated SUA levels in cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cerebrovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between SUA and CVD and all-cause mortality and their potential diagnostic value.

METHODSA total of 3570 in-patients ranging in age from 56 to 95 years (mean (67.36 +/- 11.36) years) were selected from 20 hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai. A carefully designed questionnaire was used to gather baseline data of each patient. All patients were divided into two main groups according to their SUA levels: high SUA and normal SUA groups. Serum indices and other important parameters were measured.

RESULTSCompared with normal SUA group, high SUA group had significant difference in systolic blood pressure (SBP), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), body mass index (BMI), and age (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). High SUA prevailed in female and patients with history of essential hypertension, while history of smoking and diabetes showed no significant difference between two groups. All-cause and CVD mortality occurred more frequently in high SUA group than in normal SUA group. In the accumulative survival analysis, high SUA group had lower survival rate than normal SUA group both in CVD and all-cause mortality. COX regression analysis indicated that the history of smoking, age and high SUA were independent risk factors for the development of CVD.

CONCLUSIONSThese preliminary observations suggest that patients with high SUA levels would face higher risk of mortality. SUA measurement may be applied as a routine predictor for clinical assessment.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; blood ; etiology ; mortality ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Uric Acid ; blood

OBJECTIVETo estimate the frequency of injections and proportion of unsafe injections and to analyses the critical determinants of poor injection practices in general population in China. Also, to study knowledge, attitudes, practice research in providers and general population.

METHODSA random sample consisting residents and health care providers in a rural county was elected and interview about the frequency of received injection, as well as knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding injections were studied.

RESULTSOverall, 1 004 village residents, and 94 providers were interviewed. Among residents, 145 persons (14.4%), with 457 times (0.46 times per person) had received at least one injection during the previous 3 months. The frequency of injection was 1.84 per year. The proportion of received injections on treatment and immunizations was significantly different among > 12 years age group and < or = 12 years age group. Ninety-four point four percent of disposable syringes/needles were used for injections. Knowledge among the population and providers regarding injection safety was limited.

CONCLUSIONInjections were moderately frequent in this rural area and the proportions of disposable syringes/needles used for injections was very high. Knowledge of safe injection and reasonable injection as well as consciousness of self-protection in the providers and residents need to be improved.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Disposable Equipment ; statistics & numerical data ; Equipment Reuse ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Infant ; Injections ; adverse effects ; statistics & numerical data ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Rural Health Services ; Safety ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Syringes

BACKGROUNDIncreased risk of atherosclerosis has been reported in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection since highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has come into use. However, there is no clear evidence of premature atherosclerosis in Chinese HIV-infected patients. Our study was designed to determine the relationship between HIV infection and atherosclerosis in Chinese HIV-infected patients.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-five patients were enrolled in this study. These included 82 HIV-infected patients (41 HAART-treated and 41 antiretroviral therapy (ART) naïve patients) and 43 HIV-negative control subjects. Data on traditional cardiovascular risk factors, HIV infection parameters, and treatment regimens were collected. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was determined using a pulse pressure analyzer to evaluate the function of the arterial wall as an indicator of atherosclerotic vascular damage.

RESULTSA higher PWV ((1358.3 ± 117.8) cm/s vs. (1270.2 ± 189.2) cm/s, P = 0.010) was found in ART naïve HIV-infected patients compared with control subjects. However, HAART treated patients had lower PWV compared to ART naïve patients ((1283.8 ± 181.4) cm/s vs. (1358.0 ± 117.8) cm/s, P = 0.033). Multiple regression analysis revealed that age (B = 5.218, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.420 - 9.016, P = 0.008), current smoking (B = -74.671, 95%CI -147.003 to -2.339, P = 0.043) and HAART (92.7% patients on a protease inhibitor-free regimen) (B = -169.169, 95%CI -272.508 to -65.831, P = 0.010) were associated with reduced PWV in HIV-infected patients.

CONCLUSIONSReduced PWV in HIV-infected Chinese patients indicates that they are more likely to develop arterial wall stiffness, possibly by atherosclerosis. A protease inhibitor-free regime may be protective for arterial wall of HIV infected patients.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; complications ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Adult ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Atherosclerosis ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulsatile Flow ; Regression Analysis ; Vascular Stiffness

BACKGROUNDMany treatment options for lower limb ischemia are difficult to apply for the patients with poor arterial outflow or with poor general conditions. The effect of medical treatment alone is far from ideal, especially in patients with diabetic foot. A high level amputation is inevitable in these patients. This study aimed to explore the effect of transplantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells on the treatment of lower limb ischemia and to compare the effect of intra-arterial transplantation with that of intra-muscular transplantation.

METHODSIn this clinical trial, 32 patients with lower limb ischemia were divided into two groups. Group 1 (16 patients with 18 affected limbs) received transplantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells by intra-muscular injection into the affected limbs; and group 2 (16 patients with 17 affected limbs) received transplantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells by intra-arterial injection into the affected limbs. Rest pain, coldness, ankle/brachial index (ABI), claudication, transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcPO(2)) and angiography (15 limbs of 14 patients) were evaluated before and after the mononuclear cell transplantation to determine the effect of the treatment.

RESULTSTwo patients died from heart failure. The improvement of rest pain was seen in 76.5% (13/17) of group 1 and 93.3% (14/15) of group 2. The improvement of coldness was 100% in both groups. The increase of ABI was 44.4% (8/18) in group 1 and 41.2% (7/17) in group 2. The value of tcPO(2) increased to 20 mmHg or more in 20 limbs. Nine of 15 limbs which underwent angiography showed rich collaterals. Limb salvage rate was 83.3% (15/18) in group 1 and 94.1% (16/17) in group 2. There was no statistically significant difference in the effectiveness of the treatment between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSTransplantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells is a simple, safe and effective method for the treatment of lower limb ischemia, and the two approaches for the implantation, intra-muscular injection and intra-arterial injection, show similar results.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Female ; Humans ; Ischemia ; therapy ; Leg ; blood supply ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Transplantation, Autologous

BACKGROUNDThe SYNergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXus and cardiac surgery Score II (SS-II) can well predict 4-year mortality in patients with complex coronary artery disease (CAD), and guide decision-making between coronary artery bypass graft surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, there is lack of data regarding the utility of the SS-II in patients with three-vessel CAD undergoing PCI treated with second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the ability of the SS-II to predict long-term mortality in patients with three-vessel CAD undergoing PCI with second-generation DES.

METHODSTotally, 573 consecutive patients with de novo three-vessel CAD who underwent PCI with second-generation DES were retrospectively studied. According to the tertiles of the SS-II, the patients were divided into three groups: The lowest SS-II tertile (SS-II ≤20), intermediate SS-II tertile (SS-II of 21-31), and the highest SS-II tertile (SS-II ≥32). The survival curves of the different groups were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between the SS-II and 5-year mortality. The performance of the SS-II with respect to predicting the rate of mortality was studied by calculating the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. The predictive ability of the SS-II for 5-year mortality was evaluated and compared with the SS alone.

RESULTSThe overall SS-II was 27.6 ± 9.0. Among patients in the lowest, intermediate and the highest SS-II tertiles, the 5-year rates of mortality were 1.6%, 3.2%, and 8.6%, respectively (P = 0.003); the cardiac mortality rates were 0.5%, 1.9%, and 5.2%, respectively (P = 0.014). By multivariable analysis, adjusting for the potential confounders, the SS-II was an independent predictor of 5-year mortality (hazard ratio: 2.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.38-4.36; P = 0.002). The SS-II demonstrated a higher predictive accuracy for 5-year mortality compared with the SS alone (the area under the ROC curve was 0.705 and 0.598, respectively).

CONCLUSIONThe SS-II is an independent predictor of 5-year mortality in patients with three-vessel CAD undergoing PCI treated with second-generation DES, and demonstrates a superior predictive ability over the SS alone.

Aged ; Coronary Disease ; mortality ; surgery ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; mortality ; Retrospective Studies

Attapulgite(ATP), as a fertilizer slow-release agent and soil conditioner, has shown remarkable effect in improving the utilization rate of fertilizer and the yield and quality of agricultural products and Chinese medicinal materials. This study aims to explore the effect of ATP on the growth and root quality of Angelica sinensis. To be specific, Mingui 1 was used, and through the pot(soil culture) experiment in the Dao-di producing area, the effects of conventional chemical fertilizer added with ATP on the morphology, photosynthesis, soil respiration, and content of ferulic acid and volatile oil in roots of Mingui 1 were detected. The underlying mechanism was discussed from the perspective of source-sink relationship. The results showed that ATP, via the fertilizer slow-release effect, could meet the needs of A. sinensis for nutrients at the root expansion stage, improve the net photosynthetic rate of leaves and aboveground biomass of plants, and promote the transfer and accumulation of nutrients from the aboveground part(source) to the underground root(sink) in advance during the dry matter accumulation period of roots, so as to improve the root weight per plant. ATP can increase the content of total ferulic acid(the sum of free ferulic acid and coniferyl ferulate), the main effective component of Angelicae Sinensis Radix, by promoting the synthesis of ferulic acid in the roots and the transformation to coniferyl ferulate. However, it had little effect on the content of volatile oil. ATP had certain influence on soil respiration, which needs to be further explored from root activity, rhizosphere microorganisms, and soil microorganisms. This study can lay a basis for soil remediation and improvement and ecological cultivation of A. sinensis.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Angelica sinensis/chemistry* ; Coumaric Acids ; Fertilizers/analysis* ; Magnesium Compounds ; Oils, Volatile/chemistry* ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Silicon Compounds ; Soil