BACKGROUND: Silver-matrix composite is usually used as a kind of electrical conductive matedal, which has excellent properties in electrical and heat conducting. MoS2, which used as a common solid lubricating material, has unique anti-frictional and lubricating properties in the process of wearing. Ag-MoS2 composites using in the area of electrical sliding wear were fabricated by adding MoS2 to the silver-matrix. OBJECTIVE: Ag-MoS2 composites with different content of MoS2 were produced to gain the mixture ratio for best properties by the experiments of mechanical and wear test. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The controlled experiment was performed at the Department of Matedal Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology from April to May 2008. MATERIALS: Silver powder (Bengbu Gold and Silver Article Factory, China) and MoS2 powder (Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd., China) were used in this study. METHODS: Ag-MoS2 composites for five different contents were fabricated by powder metallurgy method, which included the processes of powder mixture, drying, initial pressure, sintering, and second pressure. MoS2 contents were the MoS2 composite of 12.0%, 13.5%, 15.0%, 16.5%, 18.0% silver- MoS2. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Flexural strength was measured by versatility mechanical testing machine. The microstructures of the composites after sintering were observed by an optical microscope. The electrical sliding friction and wear properties were tested by the electrical wear test machine. The worn surfaces of the samples were observed by a scanning electron microscope. RESULTS: With the increase in MoS2, the flexural strength decreased, the resistivity increased, and the wear loss decreased first, and then increased, which comes the lowest point when the MoS2 content was 15%. CONCLUSION: When the content of MoS2 is 15%, the average properties was the best.

K21. The mean t1/2(?) was (2.7?0.4) h, Vd was about 11.18 L?kg-1.The C-T profile conformed to two compartment open model. The plasma Dau concentration-time curves showed a double-peak phenomenon in all dosages of all dogswhen dauricine was given by intragastric was.The tpeak(1) was (0.8?0.6) ～(1.2?0.5) h,tpeak(2) was (5.2?3.2) ～(6.5?1.9)h,Cmax(2) 0.05) and the AUC was increased in proportion.The drug is eliminated non-linearly when the dosage is above 50 mg?kg-1, the parameters t1/2(el),CL, AUC/X0 shows great difference (P

Aim The relative bioavailability of domestic ibudilast sustained release capsules in healthy volunteers was observed.Methods A single oral dose of 20 mg of imported and domestic ibudilast sustained release capsules and 10 mg of ibudilast raw material was separately given to 12 healthy volunteers in a randomized crossover study. Ibudilast concentration in plasma was determined by HPLC method.Results The Cmax were (54.9?9.7),(60.7?9.1) and (62.2?11.5) ?g?L-1; the tmax were (3.8?0.8),(3.9?0.8) and (1.8?0.3) h;the t1/2(ke) were (1.5?1.4),(12.1?1.0) and (3.5?0.5) h,and the AUC(0～t) were (618.1?57.7),(588.1?66.6) and (233.0?46.4) ?g?h?L-1 in imported capsule group, domestic capsule group and raw material group respectively. The relative bioavailability of domestic sustained release capsules of ibudilast is (95.6?11.0)%. Conclusion The results of statistical analysis demonstrate that the imported and domestic sustained capsules have significant character of significantly sustained release and are bioequivalent.

Objective To investigate the relationship between C-reactive protein (CRP) + 1444C/T, CRP + 1059G/C polymorphisms and chronic periodontitis ( CP ) in a Han Chinese population. Methods Clinical periodontal parameters[ attachment loss( AL) probing depth(PD) and bleeding on probing(BOP) ] , and serum CRP levels were examined in CP patients (re = 126) and healthy subjects ( n = 113). Results The mean serum CRP level [ (1. 74 ± 1. 67) mg/L] was significantly higher in the CP group than in the control group [ (0. 57 ± 0. 39) mg/L] , P < 0. 001. In the control group, serum CRP levels were significantly lower in subjects with the CRP + 1059 GC and CC genotypes than those with the CRP +1059 GG genotype (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between genotypes in the CP group. In CP and the control groups, serum CRP levels were significantly higher in subjects with the CRP + 1444 CT and TT genotypes compared to those with the CRP + 1444 CC genotype (P <0. 5). The percentage of CRP + 1059 C allele was 6. 7% (17/252) in the CP group and 4. 9% (11/226) in the control group. The percentage of CRP + 1444 T allele was 6. 3% (16/252) in the CP group and 5. 3% (12/226) in the control group (P > 0. 5). There was no significant difference between groups in both allele frequencies (P > 0. 5 ). The association of CRP + 1059G/C, CRP + 1444 C/T polymorphisms with CP was not found in a regression model ( P > 0. 5). Conclusions The presence of a CRP + 1059C-allele was associated with lower serum CRP levels and the presence of a CRP + 1444T-allele was associated with higher serum CRP levels. However, the data suggested that CRP + 1059G/C, CRP + 1444 C/T polymorphisms were not significantly associated with serum CRP levels of chronic periodontitis patients in ethnic Han Chinese.

Childhood polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a rare systemic vasculitis and the delayed diagnosis and treatment will cause high incidence of sequelae and high mortality. This article reports a girl with childhood PAN due to posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). The girl aged ten years was admitted to the hospital due to hypertension and convulsions for one month. She had complaints of headache, vomiting, and blurred vision before convulsions. At six months before admission, a mass was observed in the neck. The physical examination showed that she had hypertension and no abnormal findings in the central nervous system. The brain magnetic resonance imaging manifested long T1 and T2 signals, high signal intensities on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images, and iso-signal intensity on diffusion-weighted imaging in the white matter of the left occipital lobe. Therefore, the cause of convulsions was considered as PRES. Mass biopsy suggested PAN and no findings supported tuberculosis. The right kidney atrophy was observed by ultrasound examination. Emission computed tomography of the kidney showed multiple vascular stenosis and no blood perfusion in the right kidney, so PAN was confirmed. These findings suggest that PAN should be considered in patients with vasculitis who had involvements of multiple systems after excluding common vasculitis, such as Kawasaki disease and Henoch-Schönlein purpura. Biopsy and angiography should be performed as early as possible for timely diagnosis and treatment.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; etiology ; Polyarteritis Nodosa ; diagnosis ; Seizures ; etiology

OBJECTIVETo observe different effects of moxibustion on extracellular potassium ion in acupoint under physiological and pathological status and provide experimental evidence for exploring action mechanism of moxibustion on acupoint local.

METHODSForty female SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a blank-moxibustion group, a model group and a model-moxibustion group, 10 cases in each one. The complete Freund's adjuvant(CFA) was adopted to establish model of adjuvant arthritis (AA) in the model group and model-moxibustion group. No treatment was given in the blank group and model group while moxibustion was applied at "Zusan-li" (ST 36) for 30 min in the blank-moxibustion group and model-moxibustion group. The tissue fluid in "Zusanli" (ST 36) was collected with microdialysis and real-time analyzed by electrolytic analyzer. The change of concentration of potassium ion in "Zusanli" (ST 36) was observed.

RESULTS(1) Under physiological status, the concentration of extracellular potassium ion in the blank group was not changed within 150 min (P > 0.05); before the moxibustion, the concentration of extracellular potassium ion in the blank-moxibustion group was (1.21 +/- 0.31) mmol/L, and after treatment it was gradually increased and reached its peak at (2.38 +/- 0.42) mmol/L after 60 min (P < 0.05), then it was reduced. 150 min after the treatment, concentration of potassium ion was slightly higher than that before moxibustion as well as that in the blank group. The concentration in the blank-moxibustion group at 60 min was statistically significant compared with that in the blank group (P < 0.05). (2) Under pathological status, the concentration of extracellular potassium ion in the model group was not changed within 150 min, differences of which at each time point was not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). Before the moxibustion, the concentration of extracellular potassium ion was (1.09 +/- 0.12) mmol/L in the model-moxibustion group, and it was immediately increased to (1.96 +/- 0.18) mmol/L after moxibustion. 60 min and 90 min after the moxibustion, it still maintained a higher level, which was (1.87 +/- 0.29) mmol/L and (1.59 +/- 0.16) mmol/L respectively (both P < 0.05). The differences of each time point after moxibustion in the model-moxibustion group were statistically significant compared with those in the model group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe moxibustion could increase the concentration of potassium ion in rat's acupoint local under physiological status but time of effect is short; with moxibustion at "Zusanli" (ST 36) under pathological status, the concentration of local potassium ion is obviously increased and maintains for a long time.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Arthritis, Experimental ; metabolism ; therapy ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Potassium ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVE: To develop a rapid screening method for xenoestrogens and to screen the estrogenicity of some environmental chemicals. METHODS: The E-SCREEN test was developed based on proliferation of human breast cancer cells (MCF-7), and the estrogenicity of diethylstilbestrol, 4-hydrotamoxifen and endosulfan was assessed. RESULTS: The E-SCREEN detected estradiol at very low concentration as 1x10(-13) mol/L. It was found that diethylstilbestrol was a full agonist of estrogen receptor, endosulfan was a partial agonist, while 4 hydrotamoxifen lacked estrogenic effects at this assay. CONCLUSION: The E-SCREEN test is sensitive, rapid, easy to perform and, therefore, suitable for large scale screening for estrogenicity of environmental chemicals.

BACKGROUNDIt has been reported that osteopontin has an important role in cardiac fibrosis and remodeling. However, its direct mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of angiotensin and aldosterone blockades in cardiac osteopontin expression associated with cardiac remodeling in myocardial infarcted (MI) rats.

METHODSFifty SD rats that survived 24 hours after ligating left anterior descending coronary artery were randomly divided into three groups: MI-saline group (n = 15, 5 ml/d), MI-perindopril group (n = 18, perindopril 2 mgxkg(-1)d(-1)) and MI-spironolacton (n = 17, spironolacton 20 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1)). A sham operation group (n = 15) was selected as non-infarcted control. At 6 weeks after treatment, hemodynamic pararmeters and left ventricular function were measured with catheterization, interstitial fibrosis infiltration and cardiomyocyte diameters were evaluated histologically. Myocardium osteopontin protein expression level in the non-infarcted myocardium was detected by Western blotting.

RESULTSNo osteopontin protein was detected in the myocardium of sham-operation rats. High levels of osteopontin protein expression were detected in the MI-saline rats, but the levels were suppressed in the MI-perindopril and MI-spironolacton rats at 6 weeks following MI (P < 0.01, respectively). Compared with the sham operation group, all rats in the MI group showed marked interstitial fibrosis infiltration in the non-infarction area, higher ventricular weight/body weight ratio, significantly increased cardiomyocyte diameter (P < 0.01, respectively), and developed significant systolic and diastolic dysfunction as indicated by decreased left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and +/-dp/dt, as well as increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) (P < 0.01, respectively). Angiotensin and aldosterone blockades partly prevented cardiac fibrosis and systolic and diastolic dysfunction (P < 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONTreatment with angiotensin and aldosterone blockades inhibits expression of osteopontin in the non-infarcted myocardium and prevents cardiac remodeling following MI.

Angiotensins ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Animals ; Fibrosis ; Hemodynamics ; Male ; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Myocardial Infarction ; drug therapy ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Myocardium ; chemistry ; pathology ; Osteopontin ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

The effects of femoral nerve electrostimulation (FNES) on ischemia-reperfused myocardium were examined in the urethane- anesthetized rats to determine whether FNES may provide cardioprotection and to observe the possible mechanism. The area at risk (AR) and infarct area (IA) were determined using Evans blue and nitro-blue tetrazolium staining, respectively. Infarct size (IS) was defined as 100xIA/AR (%). The results are as follows: (1) During 30 min myocardial ischemia and subsequent 120 min reperfusion, the myocardial infarct size occupied (54.96+/-0.82)% of the area at risk. (2) FNES of high frequency (10 V, 100 Hz, 1 ms) significantly reduced myocardial infarct size to (36.94+/-1.34)% (P<0.01), indicating the cardioprotective effect FNES of high frequency on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion, while FNES of low frequency (10 V, 10 Hz, 1 ms) had no effect on myocardial infarct size. (3) Pretreatment with either naloxone (5 mg /kg, i.v), a nonselective opioid receptor antagonist, or glibenclamide (5 mg /kg, i.v), a K(ATP) channel antagonist, completely abolished the cardioprotection of FNES (100 Hz) from myocardial ischemia-reperfusion. It is suggested that FNES of high frequency can protect myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion injury. The possible mechanism is that FNES of high frequency may induce the release of opioids from the central nervous system, and the activation of opioid receptors in the heart results in an opening of myocardial K(ATP) channels which can protect myocardium.
Animals ; Electric Stimulation ; methods ; Femoral Nerve ; physiopathology ; Glyburide ; pharmacology ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; pathology ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Naloxone ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Opioid ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of 'erythroblast island (EI)' formation in the bone marrow of patients with immun-related hemocytopenia (IRP).

METHODSThe category of BM-auto antibody (au Ab) in 48 patients with IRP was detected with FCM. The BM-au Ab in the 'EI' of these cases were explored with immuonhistofluorescence (IF). Clinical and laboratory characteristics of these cases were also analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSIgG could be detected in the 'EI' on the BM smear of 14 cases (29.17%), BM-au Ab mainly deposited at the edge/membranes between macrophage and erythroblasts rather than cyto plasm. Positive reaction were seen in all the cases with GlycoAIgG. The red blood cell count [(1.8 ± 0.5) × 10(12)/L] and hemoglobin level [(59.6 ± 16.2)g/L] were significantly lower than that in the IF(-) group [(2.5 ± 0.9) × 10(12)/L and (83.4 ± 25.0) g/L] (P < 0.05). The percentage of reticulocyte [(2.0 ± 0.8)%], serum level of IBIL [(9.4 ± 4.7) µmol/L], percentage of erythroblats in sternum BM (0.441 ± 0.139) and response rate to therapy (85.7%) in IF(+) group were significantly higher than that in IF(-)group [(1.3 ± 1.0)%, (6.6 ± 6.7)µmol/L, 0.298 ± 0.082, 61.3%, respectively] (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMacrophage was connected with erythroblasts through autologous IgG in the 'EI's of some patients with IRP. 'EI' were the places where macrophages devoured and destroyed erythroblasts rather than erythroid development and differentiation. The pathogenetic mechanism of IRP might be associated with macrophages phagocytosing and destroying BM hematopoietic cells.

Blood Cell Count ; Bone Marrow ; Bone Marrow Cells ; immunology ; Coombs Test ; Erythroblasts ; Humans