A simple and efficient method for fabricating a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering ( SERS) substrate with good reproducibility and high SERS activity was reported. Cu2 O was prepared by mixing CuCl2 ·2H2 O with ascorbic acid, which was then used as the templates for depositing of gold nanoparticles ( AuNPs) on their surfaces, forming Cu2 O@ Au with heterostructures. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction observation revealed that Cu2 O had polyhedral structure and smooth surface, and AuNPs were closely deposited on the surface of Cu2 O. It was used as SERS substrate for detection of Rhodamine B with linear detection range of 1 × 10-2-5 × 10-6 mol/L, and detection limit of 3 ×10-7 mol/L. Cu2 O@Au showed good chemical stability, remained stable in acid, PBS and river samples, and could be used in the SERS detection of target in water sample.

Objective To explore the application of diffusion weighted imaging(DWI) in diagnosis of viral encephalitis in children.Methods Conventional MR imaging(T2WI and T1WI) and DWI were performed on 20 patients with viral encephalitis diagnosed clinically.Location and number of lesions demonstrated on these imagings and percents in their abnormality were compared.Results Percen-(tage of abnormality) demonstrated on DWI was significantly higher than that on T1WI(?~2=4.44 P

OBJECTIVETo compare the features of brain injury in neonatal rats with different severities of hypoxia-ischemia (HI), and explore the role of microglial activation and cytokines.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty 7-day-old rats were randomized to three groups: sham control, mild HI, and severe HI. The rats in the HI groups were subjected to right carotid artery occlusion and 8% oxygen hypoxia exposure (40 minutes, 34.5 Celsius degree in the mild HI group; 65 minutes, 35.5 Celsius degree in the severe HI group). MRI, microtubule associated protein (MAP2) and TUNEL staining were used to confirm the severity of brain injury. Changes in expression of activated microglia (ED1) and signs of cytokine involvement or oxidative stress (TNF-alpha, nitrotyrosine) were assessed immunohistochemically.

RESULTSIn the mild HI group, MRI scans demonstrated increased T2 values in the ipsilateral subcortical white matter and a slight loss of T2 values in the cortex, corresponding to a medium loss of MAP2 in the ipsilateral cortex. There was an increase in the number of TUNEL positive cells compared to the control group within the subcortical white matter. In the severe HI group, the T2 value increased in the majority of the hemisphere, corresponding to a severe loss of staining for MAP2 in the ispilateral hemisphere. The number of TUNEL positive cells significantly increased in the ipsilateral cortex and white matter. In the mild HI group, ED1, TNF-alpha and nitrotyrosine expression increased only in the acute stage and was only observed in subcortical white matter. In contrast, after severe HI, the increase in ED1, TNF-alpha and nitrotyrosine expression was observed in the whole ipsilateral hemisphere and prolonged for weeks.

CONCLUSIONSFollowing a mild HI a relatively selective white matter injury compares to the pannecrosis in the cortex and white matter following a severe HI. Microglial activation and over-expression of cytokines might contribute to the development of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Microglia ; pathology ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; analysis ; Rats ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; analysis ; Tyrosine ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis

Objective To compare the clinical effect of three kinds of gastric canal inserted method on patients with endotracheal intubation.Methods Two hundred and sixty-one cases of patients with endotracheal intubation were divided into group A(conventional group),B(inserting gastrotuhe by a guide-wire in it),C (pulling the tracheal under calm state),with each group of eighty-seven cases.The intubation successful rate,the time of gastric canal insertion,HR and SpO2 before and after inttthation,and the choking and blcoding occurrence during intubation were observed and compared.Results The intubation successful rate showed significantly higher in the group B(83.91%)than in the group A(70.11%,P＜0.05),and significantly higher in the group C(98.85%)than in the groups A and B(all P ＜ 0.01).In the time of gastrotuhe insertion,significantly quicker in the group B(43.25±5.56s)than in the group A(55.30±6.20)s(P ＜0.01),and significantly quicker in the group C(27.75±4.16)s than in the groups A and B(all P ＜ 0.01);In the total time of whole operation,significantly quicker in the group C(103.16±5.36)s than in the groups A and B(111.45±5.85 s、115.35± 5.25 s,all P ＜0.01),and significantly slower in the group B than in the group A(P ＜0.01).Before and after gastrotube insertion,there was no significant difference on HR in groups B and C(all P＞0.05),in the group A HR was obviously increased(P ＜0.05);while SpO2 there was no significant difference in group C,and the remarkably decreased in groups A and B(P ＜ 0.01,P ＜ 0.05).During the gastrotube insertion,The choking and blcoding occurrence in the group C(2.30%、O)was significantly lower than in the groups A(13.79%、9.20%)and B(8.05%,5.75%)(P＜0.01,P ＜ 0.05),and there was no significant difference in groups B and A(all P ＞0.05).Conclusions It shows higher accurate and less side effect for the endotracbeal intubation patients undergoing gastrotuhe insertion by pulling the tracheal under calm state.

Background The incidence of brain metastases in patients with breast cancer is approximately 10％-16％,and survival after diagnosis of brain metastases is usually short.This study was designed to evaluate the risk factors associated with brain metastases in advanced breast cancer patients,with a view to help predict patient groups with high risk of brain metastases.Methods In total,295 patients with advanced breast cancer were evaluated.All patients were pathologically confirmed and metastatic lesions were confirmed pathologically or by imaging.All patients were examined at least once every 6 months with head CT or MRI.Patients showing symptoms underwent immediate inspection,and brain metastatic lesions were confirmed by head CT and/or MRI.Results At a median follow-up of 12 months from the occurrence of metastases,brain metastases had occurred in 49 patients (16.6％).In our univariate analysis,variables significantly related to increased risk of brain metastases were hormone receptor-negative tumors,epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive tumors,and multiple distant metastases.Patients with dominant tumor sites in soft tissue,or defined as Luminal A subtype,tended to have a lower risk of brain metastases than patients with visceral metastases,Luminal B subtype,triple-negative subtype or HER2-enriched subtype tumors.Conclusions Our results strongly suggest that factors such as Luminal B,triple-negative,and HER2-enriched subtypes are high risk factors for brain metastases.These data,therefore,provide pivotal clinical evidence towards a comprehensive understanding of the risk factors of brain metastases in advanced breast cancer patients.

There are sex differences in some brain areas in mammalians. Parkinson's disease (PD), caused by the mesencephalic substantia nigra (SN) dopaminergic neuronal loss, displays sexual difference, i.e., the incidence is higher and the symptoms are more intense in males than that in females. However, it has not been known whether sexual dimorphisms exist in the SN. Sixty adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: (1) Female intact group (F-INT group); (2) Male intact group (M-INT group); (3) Ovariectomized group (OVX group); (4) Castration group (CAST group); (5) Ovariectomized + estrogen-replaced group (OVX-E(2) group): The rats received sequentially physiological dose of estrogen for 3 d from the 7th day after ovariectomization. P50 auditory evoked potential (P50) was recorded for 14 d from electrodes inserted in the rat right SN in quiet and awake state. After recording, the brain tissues were dissected and the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-expressing neurons in the compact zone of the SN were counted using immunohistochemical method. The results showed that the number of TH-positive (TH(+)) cells in the SN of normal male animals was less than that in normal female rats (P<0.05), and the T/C ratio of P50 in normal males was significantly less than that in normal females (P<0.01), indicating that there exists sexual difference in function and structure in the SN. No differences in the T/C ratio of P50 or the number of TH(+) cells were found between M-INT and CAST groups. The T/C ratio of P50 and the number of TH(+) cells in the SN in OVX group were reduced significantly compared with those in F-INT group (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the T/C ratio of P50 and the number of TH(+) cells in the SN between OVX- E(2) and F-INT groups 15-20 d after estrogen replacement, suggesting that estrogen can promote the survival and functional recovery of dopaminergic neurons in the SN. The results suggest that there exist sex-specific differences in the dopaminergic neurons in the SN structurally and functionally. The difference of estrogen level in cerebra between male and female animals may account for the sexual differences. Endogenous estrogen plays an important role in maintaining the integrity and modulating the functional activity of dopamine system in the SN.
Animals ; Dopaminergic Neurons ; cytology ; Estrogens ; pharmacology ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory ; Female ; Male ; Orchiectomy ; Ovariectomy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sex Characteristics ; Substantia Nigra ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of diet-control only, diet-control with swimming training or with polysaccharide sulfate (PSS), a kind of blood lipid-lowering drug on the serum lipid level and vascular endothelial function in obese rats fed by fat-rich-diet.

METHODSForty Wistar rats were randomly divided into the following 5 groups: group F (n = 8), group N (n = 8), group A (n = 8), group B (n = 8) and group C (n = 8), where the rats were given fat-rich-diet, basic-diet, 12 weeks of diet-control after 8 weeks of fat-rich-diet, 12 weeks of diet-control with swimming training after 8 weeks of fat-rich-diet and 12 weeks of diet-control with PSS after 8 weeks of fat-rich-diet, respectively. All rats were sacrificed after 12 weeks of intervention. Then the levels of Lee index, serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), plasma endothelin (ET), nitric oxide (NO) and von Willebrand Factor (vWF) were measured. The protein expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in artery endothelium was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the gene expression of ICAM-1 was examined by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSAfter the interventions for 12 weeks, the levels of serum TC, TG and ET decreased in group A (P < 0.05). The levels of Lee index, TC, TG, ET, vWF, ICAM-1 protein and ICAM-1 mRNA decreased in group B and C (P < 0.05). Three interventions increased serum NO production (P < 0.05) in group B.

CONCLUSIONSDiet-control could a meliorate the hyperlipidemia and vascular function. Diet-control with swimming training and diet-control with PSS could result in weight loss of rats and meliorate the hyperlipidemia, vascular endothelial function, coagulatory activities and adhesive dysfunction. The effects of diet-control with swimming on vascular endothelial function were prominent.

Animals ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Combined Modality Therapy ; methods ; Diet ; Dietary Fats ; adverse effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Endothelins ; blood ; Endothelium, Vascular ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Obesity ; diet therapy ; metabolism ; therapy ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Swimming ; Treatment Outcome ; Triglycerides ; blood ; von Willebrand Factor ; analysis

OBJECTIVEThe present study was designed to investigate the preventive and therapeutic effect of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutanyl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor fluvastatin on the development of atherosclerosis (AS) in immature rabbits and its possible mechanism by detecting the expression level of lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) in the abdominal aorta.

METHODSA model of hypercholesterolemia (HC) was established by high-cholesterol diet and 24 immature rabbits were divided randomly and equally into control group, HC-diet group and fluvastatin group. At the beginning of the study and after 12 weeks, the body height (BH) and body weight (BW) of the rabbits were measured and their body mass index (BMI) was calculated. At the end of 12 weeks, serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were examined. The intima-medial thickness of the abdominal aorta (aIMT) was measured by using non-invasive high-resolution (14 MHz) B-mode ultrasound imaging. Histological changes in abdominal arteries were studied by H&E-staining and histomorphometric analysis. The gene expression of LOX-1 in abdominal aorta was evaluated by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and its protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSHigh cholesterol diet induced hypercholesterolemia and early AS in immature rabbits. In HC-diet group serum TC and LDL levels in rabbits elevated. B mode echocardiography showed that aIMT was thickened and pathomorphology indicated that extensive aortic intima (I) and intima and media (I + M) became thickened and the ratio of the area of intima to media (S(I)/S(M)) was increased. Aortic intimal proliferation in HC-diet group was associated with a marked increase in LOX-1 expression (protein and mRNA) in endothelium and neointima of the abdominal aorta. Treatment with fluvastatin at a dosage of 10 mg/(kg.d) deduced serum lipid, attenuated artery intimal proliferation and markedly decreased the enhanced LOX-1 expression level in endothelium and neointima in immature rabbits. There were no significant differences of BH, BW or BMI among the three groups.

CONCLUSIONSThese findings suggested that early treatment with fluvastatin not only induced a significant regression of arterial lesions of HC and early AS in immature rabbits, but also had a crucial endothelial protective effect by down-regulating LOX-1 expression level in atherosclerotic arteries in early AS.

Animals ; Aorta, Abdominal ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Arteries ; metabolism ; pathology ; Atherosclerosis ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Cholesterol, Dietary ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Echocardiography ; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated ; pharmacology ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Hypercholesterolemia ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Indoles ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Scavenger Receptors, Class E ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDLipid abnormalities are often complicated by renal dysfunction. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) are the first-line choice for lowering cholesterol levels. The present study was designed to investigate whether statins could prevent and invert the development of renal injury in cholesterol-fed rabbits and to find the possible mechanism of their effects by detecting gene and protein expression of lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) in the renal artery.

METHODSTwenty-four male New Zealand white rabbits were divided into three groups: (1) control group, regular granules chow; (2) HC-diet group, granules chow with 1% cholesterol and 5% lard oil; and (3) fluvastatin group, 1% cholesterol and 5% lard oil diet plus fluvastatin [10 mg.kg(-1).d(-1)]. After 16 weeks, serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and creatinine (Cr) levels were measured. Renal hemodynamics and function, mainly including glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in vivo were quantified using (99m)Tc-DTPA single photon emission computed tomograph ((99m)Tc-DTPA SPECT). The thickness of the renal artery intima was quantitated in HE-stained segments by histomorphometry. Gene expression of LOX-1 in the renal artery was examined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and its protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSHigh cholesterol diet induced hypercholesterolemia (HC) complicated by renal dysfunction with increased levels of serum lipid and Cr, decreased GFR and delayed excretion and extensively thickened renal arterial intima in the HC-diet group. Rabbits in the control group showed a minimal LOX-1 expression (mRNA and protein) in the endothelium and neointima of the renal artery. Intimal proliferation of the renal artery in the HC-diet group was associated with a marked increase of LOX-1 expression (protein and mRNA). Treatment with fluvastatin improved renal function, attenuated intimal proliferation of the renal artery and markedly decreased the enhanced LOX-1 expression in the endothelium and neointima of the renal artery in rabbits.

CONCLUSIONSFluvastatin treatment could prevent the development of renal injury in patients with HC and early atherosclerosis (AS). This beneficial effect might be mediated by its pleiotropic effects including a decrease in total cholesterol exposure level and prevention of LOX-1 expression in atherosclerotic arteries.

Animals ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Creatinine ; blood ; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated ; pharmacology ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Hypercholesterolemia ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Indoles ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; drug effects ; pathology ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rabbits ; Receptors, LDL ; analysis ; genetics ; Receptors, Oxidized LDL ; Scavenger Receptors, Class E ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

OBJECTIVETo assess the association between polymorphism of interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) gene rs2235371 locus and nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in Chinese population.

METHODSBlood samples from 106 patients and their parents and 129 controls and their parents were collected. The polymorphism of IRF6 rs2235371 locus was determined with PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Case-control analysis, transmission disequilibrium test(TDT), haplotype-based haplotype relative risk analysis (HHRR) and family-based association test (FBAT) were carried out.

RESULTSBy case-control analysis, no significant difference was found in the frequencies of GG, GA and AA genotypes of rs2235371 locus between the patient group and control group (P> 0.05), but there was a significant difference in allelic frequencies (P< 0.05). There was also a significant difference in genotype and gene frequencies of rs2235371 variant between family members from cleft lip only group and control group. However, in cleft lip with cleft palate group, no such difference was observed. TDT analysis suggested a linkage in the presence of disequilibrium (chi-square=5.56, P=0.024). Results of HHRR analysis (chi-square=5.115, P=0.024) and FBAT (Z=2.218, P=0.027) also indicated an association between IRF6 rs2235371 variant and the risk of NSCL with or without cleft palate.

CONCLUSIONGenetic polymorphism of IRF6 gene rs2235371 locus is associated with NSCL with or without cleft palate.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Cleft Lip ; blood ; genetics ; Cleft Palate ; blood ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Interferon Regulatory Factors ; genetics ; Male ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Young Adult