Animals ; Calmodulin ; metabolism ; Epimedium ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Pituitary-Adrenal System ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by enterbaeterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction(ERIC-PCR)DNA fingerprint. Methods Mycobacterium tuberculosis positive sputum samples between September 2003 to May 2006 were collected and cultured.Chromosomal DNA were extracted and ERIC-PCR DNA fingerprinting was analyzed by software,such as RAPD PHYLIP and Treeview.Results A total of 42 different fingerprints were detected.Phylogenetic analysis showed that they could be classified into three clusters,the clustering rate was 72.6%.The characteristics of ERIC-PCR fingerprint patterns were related to age,drug resistance,and type of resistance.Conclusions ERIC-PCR DNA fingerprinting technique used in this study is good for epidemiological studies with its strong discrimination,simplicity and rapidness.A high level of recent transmission is found in our city.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in the activity of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappa B) in mice with dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced rat colitis and its modulalorg effect on intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression.

METHODSTwenty normal male mice were randomized into DSS group and normal saline (NS) control group according to a matched-pair design. From days 1 to 7, the mice in DSS group were subjected to oral administration of 5%DSS solution, and from days 8 to 20, NS was given instead, for a total of 3 cycles. In the control group, only NS was administered. The colonic pathology was observed using HE staining and the mucosa 1 damage was scored for each mouse. The DNA-binding activity of NF-kappa B was tested by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and the expressions of ICAM-1 and NF-kappa B p65 were detected using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe DNA-binding activity of NF-kappa B was significantly increased in DSS group as compared with NS group. ICAM-1 and p65 expressions were detected in the nuclei of the vascular endothelial and inflammatory cells, especially in the mucosa and submucosa, but such positive cells were seldom observed in NS group. A positive correlation was found between the DNA-binding activity of NF-kappa B and ICAM-1 expression.

CONCLUSIONNF-kappa B activation is an important event in the development of DSS-induced colitis in that activated NF-kappa B upregulates ICAM-1 expression during colonic inflammation.

Animals ; Colitis ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; DNA ; metabolism ; Dextran Sulfate ; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; biosynthesis ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Protein Binding ; Random Allocation ; Transcription Factor RelA ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo determine whether autoantibodies against the cardiac G-protein-coupled beta 2- and alpha 1-adrenergic and AT1 receptors are related to patients with primary hypertension.

METHODSSynthetic peptides corresponding to amino acid sequences of the second extracellular loops of the beta 2- and alpha 1-adrenergic and AT1 receptors were respectively used as antigens to screen sera from patients with hypertensive heart diseases (n = 50) as well as simple hypertension (n = 40) and healthy blood donors (n = 40) using ELISA test.

RESULTSThe positive ratio of autoantibodies against beta 2 and alpha 1 and AT1 receptors in patients with hypertensive heart diseases were significantly higher than patients with simple hypertension and healthy donors. The geometric mean titers of autoantibodies against beta 2- and alpha 1-adrenergic and AT1 receptors had no difference between the patients with hypertensive heart diseases and the patients with simple hypertension, but the geometric mean titers of two groups were higher than healthy donors. In the patients with hypertensive heart diseases, 81.0% of the patients with autoantibodies against beta 2-adrenergic receptor had autoantibodies against alpha 1-adrenergic receptor and 76.2% had autoantibodies against AT1 receptors. The percent of the autoantibodies against three receptors in patients with hypertensive heart diseases were 52.4%.

CONCLUSIONSAutoantibodies against beta 2- and alpha 1-adrenergic and AT1 receptors play an important role in the pathophysiological changes of primary hypertension, and may participate myocardial and vessel remodeling.

Adult ; Aged ; Autoantibodies ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; immunology ; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 ; immunology ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 ; immunology

This study was purposed to investigate the efficacy of different whole flow lysis reagents for lysis of red blood cells in flow cytometric analysis. The expression of immunocytes was detected by flow cytometry after lysis of red blood cells using commercial reagents (Optilyse C, FACS Lysing Solution) and self-made red blood cell lysis reagents (RBC Lysis Buffer), the detection results were analyzed comparatively. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the percentage of CD3e(+), CD3e(+)CD4(+), CD3e(+)CD8a(+), CD3e(-)CD19(+), CD3e(-)NK1.1(+) and Gr-1(+) cells between 3 different lysis reagent groups. However OptiLyse C solution was suitable to Gr-1(+) cell detection, but did not suit to Foxp3(+) Treg detection. The self-made RBC Lysis Buffer and FACS Lysing Solution were suited to Foxp3(+) Treg detection. It is concluded that the use of self-made RBC Lysis Buffer for flow cytometry can get the lysis efficiency of commercially available lysis solutions when samples are prepared in accordance with standardized procedure. The self-made RBC Lysis Buffer not only can satisfy experimental requirements, but also can reduce the experimental costs.
Animals ; Erythrocyte Count ; Erythrocytes ; immunology ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; instrumentation ; methods ; Immune System ; immunology ; Indicators and Reagents ; analysis ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

The modulation of ACh on delayed rectifier-like potassium currents (I(K)) was studied in freshly dissociated cerebral cortical neurons using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Wistar rats between 10- and 14-day old of both sexes were used. After rats were decapitated, their brains were quickly removed, iced, and then manually cut into 400 mum slices. Slices were then incubated for 0.5 h at 32 degrees C in a buffered artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) bubbled with 95% O2, 5% CO2. Slices were then removed into buffered ACSF containing protease (0.5 mg/ml) at 32 degrees C. After 30 min of enzyme digestion, tissue was rinsed three times in the buffered saline. Then the enzyme-treated slices were mechanically dissociated with a graded series of fire-polished Pasteur pipettes. The cell suspension was then plated into a 35 mm dish and placed on the stage of a Olympus inverted microscope. For whole-cell recordings of currents, standard voltage-clamp techniques were used. Neurons were held at -80 mV, and the I(K) was evoked by 2 000 ms depolarizing voltage commands to potential between -40 mV and +60 mV in 10 mV steps applied at a frequency of 0.5 Hz. It was found that the inhibitory effect of ACh (0.1, 1, 10, 100 mumol/L) on I(K) was dose-dependent. It was also found that ACh affected the activation process of I(K) significantly, i.e., the activation curve of I(K) was characterized by half-activation potential of (-41.8+/-9.7) mV and a slope factor of (30.7+/-7.2) mV in the cortical neurons and they were changed to (-122.4+/-38.6) mV and (42.4+/-7.0) mV, respectively, after giving ACh (10 mumol/L). Tubocurarine (100 mumol/L) antagonized the inhibitory effect of ACh on I(K), and the drop of currents varied from the control value of (36.5+/-7..8)% to (16.9+/-13.8)% (n=8, P<0.01). 4-DAMP (10 mumol/L) blocked the inhibitory effect of ACh on I(K), and the currents reduced from the control value of (36.5+/-7.8)% to (26.8+/-4.7) % (n=6, P<0.05). Pirenzepin did not antagonize the inhibition of ACh on I(K) (n=7, P>0.05). Chelerythrine (20 mumol/L) blocked the inhibitory effect of ACh on I(K) and the currents reduced from the control value of (36.5+/-7.8)% to (11.7+/-17.3)% (n=6, P<0.05). On the contrary, PDBu (10 mumol/L) strengthened the inhibition of ACh on I(K) and the drop of currents changed from the control value of (36.5+/-7.8)% to (59.2+/-14.0)% (n=5, P<0.05). PDBu abolished the antagonism of chelerythrine on ACh in cortical neurons. It is suggested that the ACh-induced depolarization of neurons in the cortex is attributed to the inhibition of I(K) that is most likely evoked by the activation of nicotinic ACh receptors and muscarinic M3 receptor via protein kinase C (PKC) signal transduction pathway.
Acetylcholine ; physiology ; Animals ; Cell Separation ; Delayed Rectifier Potassium Channels ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Female ; Male ; Neurons ; metabolism ; physiology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Protein Kinase C ; metabolism ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, Muscarinic M3 ; metabolism ; Receptors, Nicotinic ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; physiology ; Somatosensory Cortex ; cytology ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo discuss the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicines reducing phlegm and resolving masses in treatment of iodine deficiency-induced goiter by observing the expression of growth factors and the balance-regulating mechanism of proliferation and apoptosis.

METHOD180 four-week-old Wistar rats were selected to establish the iodine deficiency model. After the modeling, the rats were randomly divided into six groups: the normal control group, the model control group, the iodine group, the phlegm compound group, the L-T4 group and the phlegm compound and L-T4 group. At the 21st day and 77th day after administration, 15 rats in each group were killed to collect specimens. Doses were calculated and adjusted according to body surface area and body weight. TT3, TT4 radioimmunoassay, TSH, immunoradiometric method were adopted. Fas, FasL and PCNA protein expressions are detected using immunohistochemical methods.

RESULTCompared with the normal group and the model group, the expressions of fas and FasL in the phlegm Group significantly increased, the expressions of fas and FasL in the phlegm and L-T4 group were also increased significantly. The expression of fas in the L-T4 Group was significantly lower than that of the L-T4 group and the phlegm compound and L-T4 group. Compared with the normal group, the expression of PCNA of the phlegm group and the phlegm and L-T4 group was significantly lower. Compared with the model group, the expression of PCNA of the iodine group, the phlegm groups and the phlegm and L-T4 group were significantly lower. Compared with the normal group, the expression of VEGF in the iodine group significantly decreased after treatment. Compared with the iodine group, the expression of VEGF in the phlegm group and the L-T4 group significantly reduced. Compared with the normal group, the expression of TGF-beta1 in the model group and the phlegm group significantly increased. Compared with model group, the expression of TGF-beta1 in the iodine group significantly reduced. Compared with the phlegm group, the expression of TGF-beta1 in the phlegm compound and L-T4 group was significantly reduced.

CONCLUSIONTraditional Chinese medicines reducing phlegm and resolving masses can completely recover goiter by promoting apoptosis of thyroid cells, inhibiting their proliferation and the expression of growth factors and enhancing the expression of TGF-beta, without causing injury on thyroid cells.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Goiter ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Thyroid Hormones ; secretion ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism

Thirteen of 4-anilinoquinazoline derivatives with imine groups at position 6 of quinazoline ring were synthesized and their antitumor activities were evaluated by MTT assay and Western blotting analysis. Among these compounds, 13a-131 were reported first time. The MTT assay was carried out on three human cancer cell lines (A549, HepG2 and SMMC7721) with EGFR highly expressed. Among the tested compounds, 13i and 13j exhibited notable inhibition potency and their IC50 values on three cell lines were equivalent to or less than those of gefitinib. Compound 14, without imine group substituted, displayed excellent inhibitor potency only on A549 cell line. Compounds 14 and 13j were chosen to perform Western blotting analysis on A549. The results showed that both of the compounds could inhibit the expression level of phosphorylated EGFR remarkably. It was concluded that the inhibitor potency of compound 14 was almost equivalent to that of gefitinib and the inhibitor potency of 13j was better than that of gefitinib.
Aniline Compounds ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Phosphorylation ; Quinazolines ; pharmacology ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; antagonists & inhibitors

Adult ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; diagnosis ; Female ; Hemoglobins ; analysis ; Humans ; Iron ; deficiency ; Premenopause ; ROC Curve ; Reticulocytes ; chemistry

The purpose of this study was to detect the minimal residual disease (MRD) in peripheral blood of newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on day 8 of induction chemotherapy and analyze the correlation between day 8 MRD (D8RD) and therapeutic effectiveness. 29 adult patients (13 males and 16 females, aged 16 - 75 years, median 41 years) with AML diagnosed and treated in West China Hospital from September 2009 to June 2010 were analyzed and followed up in the study. The leukemia-associated aberrant immunophenotype (LAIP) of all the patients were detected by multiparameter flow cytometry (FCM) before therapy. The level of MRD in the peripheral blood at day 8 of induction chemotherapy was detected by FCM based on the LAIP. The overall survival curve was drawn by calculation using Kaplan-Meier method using, and the comparison between different groups was carried out by Log-rank test. The results indicated that after first course therapy, the levels of peripheral D8RD in 7 out of 29 AML cases were lower than 0.01% (negative group), and that in another 22 cases were higher than 0.01% (0.08% - 55%, positive group). The sex, age, WBC, LDH, percentage of bone marrow blasts at diagnosis in these groups were not statistically different. 6 cases achieved CR (86%) in D8RD negative group, and also 6 cases achieved CR (27%) in D8RD positive group, CR rate in D8RD negative group was higher than in D8RD positive group (86% vs 27%, P < 0.05). The median follow-up of 29 cases lasted for 15 months; the 1-year overall survival rate of D8RD negative and D8RD positive groups was 100% and 39.4%, respectively (P < 0.01). It is concluded that MRD level in peripheral blood at day 8 of induction chemotherapy is an early index to predict clinical efficacy of induction therapy in AML.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; blood ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm, Residual ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult