OBJECTIVE:To investigate the safety of Polyisobutylene (PIB) Gutong plaster by transdermal administration. METHODS:66 rabbits were randomly divided into a normal group,a group with intact skin and a group with damaged skin. The latter two groups were respectively re-divided into PIB group,the groups of low,medium and high-dose PIB Gutong plaster and Gutong plaster group. An acute toxicity test was conducted on the rabbits,which 14 d of continuous observation was made 24 h af-ter transdermal administration. Another 60 rabbits were divided into several groups as above except for a normal group. A single pri-mary skin irritation test was conducted on them,where skin irritation reactions were recorded 6 h after a single administration based on intra-individual left/right self comparison method. 70 guinea pigs were randomized into a negative control group (vase-line),a PIB group,a positive control group(2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene),a Gutong plaster group and the groups of low,medium and high-dose PIB Gutong plaster,which were dosed for sensitization,followed by a skin sensitization test. RESULTS:No obvi-ous toxicity symptoms could be seen after administration of PIB Gutong plaster. The rabbits’intact or damaged skin had no irrita-tion response to PIB and low and medium-dose PIB Gutong plaster. PIB Gutong plaster caused no irritation response in the rabbits’ intact skin,but slight irritation in damaged skin 1 h after administration. The allergic reaction incidence of the positive control group of guinea pigs was 100% while that of any other groups was 0. CONCLUSIONS:The PIB Gutong plaster is safe for trans-dermal administration.

Lipids of Thamnidium elegans,Mortierella ramanninace,Rhizopus arrhizus,Pythium irregulare and Rhodotorulla aurantiaca were extracted by Soxhlet extraction,supercritical-CO 2 fluid extraction,acid-heating extraction and organic solvent extraction,respectively.Four extraction methods were evaluated on sample treatment,minimum sample quantity,requirements of apparatus,ability of treating sample and content of lipid.The components of fatty acids were analysed by gas chromatography.Soxhlet extraction can acquired maximum lipid content,but it took the most time.Supercritical-CO 2 fluid extraction and acid-heating extraction has a same lipid content which was lower than that of Soxhlet extraction.Acid-heating extraction was the most handy,and its ability to treat sample in a hour was the most powerful.Organic solvent extraction was less efficient.Acid-heating extraction was a simple and efficient method of fungi lipid extraction fitting to breed mutant strains that highly producting lipid and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Objective To study the cellular immune function in children with kawasaki disease(KD).Methods T lymphocyte subcytes,levels of serum interleukin 2(IL-2) and soluble interleukin 2 receptor(sIL-2R) were determined by APAAP,ELISA met-hods,and a double-antibody “sandwich” enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay respectively in 60 cases.Results During the acute stage of KD,the percentage of CD4 +,the ratio of CD4 +/CD8 +,levels of IL-2 and sIL-2R increased markedly,while the percentage of CD3 + and CD8 + decreased significantly compared with the controls.These changes were more remarkable in patients subsequently developed coronary artery aneurysms than in those with normal appearing coronary artery.Conclusion Marked activation of cellular immune function and immune regulation disorders develop in acute stage of KD patients.

Metabonomics is a new method to study on the metabolic network and the relationship between body and environment, which conforms to the way of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research. In the study process of modernization of traditional Chinese medicine, effectively conjunction with metabonomics method will facilitate the integration of TCM with modern biological science and technology, and promote the modernization of TCM. This paper introduce the application of metabonomics in the research of toxicity mechanism of TCM, compatibility mechanism of TCM formula, pharmacology effect of TCM and processing mechanism of TCM. This paper summarize the problems in the TCM metabonomics research and prospect its bright future.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; analysis ; metabolism ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; trends ; Metabolomics ; methods ; trends

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of hepatitis virus B on the detection rate of core antigen of hepatitis virus C in sera of chronic hepatitis C patients.

METHODHCVcAg and HCV RNA in sera were detected in 88 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 62 patients co-infected with HCV and HBV. At the same time, HBV DNA and HBeAg in sera were detected in 62 patients infected with HCV and HBV. Then we analyzed the correlation between HCVcAg and HBeAg/HBV DNA. The detection rates of HCVcAg in 88 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 62 patients co-infected with HCV and HBV were 72.7% (64/88) and 38.7% (24/62), respectively (x2 = 17.358, P less than 0.01).

RESULTSThe detection rates of HCV RNA in 88 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 62 patients co-infected with HCV and HBV was 81.8% (72/88) and 53.2% (33/62)respectively (x2=20.110, P less than 0.01). In 62 patients infected with HCV and HBV, the detection rate of HCVcAg in HBeAg positive patients and HBeAg negative patients were 28.6% (12/42) and 60% (12/20), respectively (x2 = 7.547, P = 0.011). Moreover, the positive rates of HBV DNA in HBeAg positive patients and HBeAg negative patients were 42.9% (18/42) and 80% (16/20), respectively (P more than 0.05). The detection rates of HCVcAg in HBV DNA positive patients and HBV DNA negative patients were 39.1% (18/46) and 37.5% (6/16), respectively (x2 = 0.013, P = 0.908). Compared with the detection rates of HCVcAg in patients only infected with HCV, the detection rate of HCVcAg in HBeAg or HBV DNA negative patients infected with HCV and HBV were 60% (12/20) (x2 = 1.266, P = 0.261) and 37.5% (6/16) (x2 =7.635, P less than 0.01), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe detection rate of HCVcAg in patients infected with HCV and HBV is relatively low. The reason is possibly that HBeAg inhibits duplication of HCV and decreases the expression of HCVcAg.

Coinfection ; immunology ; virology ; DNA, Viral ; Hepacivirus ; immunology ; Hepatitis B ; immunology ; virology ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis C Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; immunology ; virology ; Humans

BACKGROUNDVitamin D3 and its metabolites have been found to exert immunosuppressive effects both in vivo and in vitro. We investigated the synergistic effect of calcitriol and cyclosporine A (CsA) on lymphocyte proliferation in vitro and graft rejection following rat liver allotransplantations in vivo.

METHODSAlloantigen driven, human peripheral mononuclear cells' proliferation and cytokine production capacity were tested in the presence or absence of various concentrations of calcitriol or CsA. In vivo, liver allografts were transplanted in a high responder strain combination (SD to Wistar) rats and combination of subtherapeutical dose of CsA and calcitriol was administered in recipients, whereas the control recipients received single or no immunosuppressant. Proliferation of splenocyte from recipient was tested with mixed lymphocyte reaction. Serum interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) concentrations were measured with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSCombined medication of 10(-9) mol/L calcitriol and 100 ng/ml CsA inhibited human peripheral mononuclear cells' proliferation to alloantigen and the production of IL-2 and IFN-gamma but promoted that of IL-4 and IL-10. Similarly, combination of 250 ng x g(-1) x d(-1) calcitriol and 1.0 mg x g(-1) x d(-1) CsA showed an additive effect in liver transplant model. It restrained splenocyte proliferation to alloantigen from donor and significantly reduced serum concentration of IL-2 and IFN-gamma in recipients. Consequently, allograft rejection in combined medication group was minor (median William's grade was 1.0 vs 3.0 in combined medication group and in the control group, P < 0.05) and the recipients' survival was evidently prolonged [(93.7 +/- 5.8) days vs (12.6 +/- 1.4) days in combined medication group and in the control group, P < 0.01].

CONCLUSIONA combination of calcitriol and CsA has an additive effect on limiting lymphocyte proliferation and prolonging liver graft survival. With its additional immunomodulating property, calcitriol is a potent immunosuppressant that can extend the therapeutic window of classical immunomodulators in prevention and treatment of liver graft rejection.

Animals ; Calcitriol ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Cyclosporine ; pharmacology ; Cytokines ; biosynthesis ; Drug Synergism ; Graft Rejection ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation ; mortality ; Lymphocyte Activation ; drug effects ; NFATC Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats, Wistar ; Transplantation, Homologous

Recent studies revealed that apoptotic cells are actively involved in immunosuppression and anti-inflammation. After being phagocytosed by macrophages, apoptotic cells can actively regulate cytokines secretion from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages, in which the secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines such as interleukin-10 (IL-10) is increased while the pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFa), interleukin-1beta (IL-1b) and leukin-8 (IL-8) are suppressed. In this paper, we first present evidence that phagocytosed apoptotic cells regulate cytokine secretion of LPS-stimulated macrophages, but also inhibit the activation of T lymphocytes stimulated by ConA. These data suggest that apoptotic cells can alter the biological behavior of macrophages which gain immunosuppressive property.
Animals ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte ; metabolism ; Apoptosis ; immunology ; Chemokine CXCL2 ; Chemokines ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Concanavalin A ; pharmacology ; Cytokines ; biosynthesis ; Female ; Humans ; Immune Tolerance ; In Vitro Techniques ; Jurkat Cells ; Lectins, C-Type ; Lipopolysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; drug effects ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Phagocytosis ; Receptors, Interleukin-2 ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; biosynthesis ; genetics

The study was purposed to detect BAFF/APRIL gene expression changes in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) and myeloma cell line U266 after interference with glucocorticoid and bortezomib. After separation of BMMNC from 7 patients with multiple myeloma, BAFF/APRIL mRNA expression in BMMNC and U266 cell line was detected by real-time PCR after treated with dexamethasone 100, 200 µg/ml, methylprednisolone 100, 200 µg/ml, bortezomib 0.1 µg/ml alone and dexamethasone or methylprednisolone combined with bortezomib respectively for 48 hours. The results showed that U266 cells and BMMNC of untreated MM patients highly expressed BAFF/APRIL genes. When dexamethasone, methylprednisolone or bortezomib was added to U266 cells or BMMNC alone, BAFF/APRIL gene expression decreased as compared with the blank control (p < 0.01). The inhibiting effect of bortezomib to BAFF/APRIL expression was obviously strong(p < 0.05). When dexamethasone or methylprednisolone combined with bortezomib, the BAFF/APRIL gene expression further decreased compared with dexamethasone or methylprednisolone alone (p < 0.01). As compared with the group of methylprednisolone combined with bortezomib, BAFF/APRIL gene expression decreased in dexamethasone combined with bortezomib with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the expression of BAFF/APRIL gene is down-regulated after bing treated with glucocorticoids and bortezomib, which suggests that besides the glucocorticoid receptor and proteasomes targets, BAFF/APRIL and their receptor sites may be new targets of glucocorticoids and bortezomib.
B-Cell Activating Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Boronic Acids ; pharmacology ; Bortezomib ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Glucocorticoids ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Multiple Myeloma ; metabolism ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13 ; genetics ; metabolism

Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; immunology ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; metabolism ; Th17 Cells ; metabolism

Objective:To establish an experimental model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)in rats,and explore whether polyadenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase-1(PARP-1)inhibitors regulate Sirtuin 1(SIRT1)and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ co-activator 1α(PGC-1α)to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in COPD rats,and explore the possibility of SIRT1-PGC-1α axis as a new target of PARP-1 inhibitor.Methods:Twelve of 48 SD rats were randomly selected as healthy group,and the remaining rats were used to construct experimental models of COPD.Rats that were successfully modeled were randomly divided into model group,PARP-1 inhibitor treatment group and PARP-1 inhibitor+PGC-1α inhibitor group.HE staining was used to observe pathological changes of lung tissue,ELISA was used to detect levels of TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β,malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD)in rats lung tissue,fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect expression levels of SIRT1 and PGC-1α mRNA of rats in each group,Western blot was used to detect expressions of SIRT1 and PGC-1α proteins.Results:Lung tissue structure of rats in healthy group was complete,compared with healthy group,lung tissue of model group suffered structural damage,with a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrated,contents of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 in alveolar lavage fluid were significantly increased,con-tent of MDA in serum was significantly increased,while content of SOD was significantly reduced,and expressions of SIRT1,PGC-1α mRNA and protein were significantly reduced;compared with model group,lung tissue structure of rats in PARP-1 inhibitor treatment group was recovered,and inflammatory cells were reduced,contents of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly reduced,content of MDA in serum was significantly reduced,while content of SOD was significantly increased,and expressions of SIRT1,PGC-1α mRNA and protein were significantly increased;compared with PARP-1 inhibitor treatment group,the number of inflammatory cells in PARP-1 inhibitor+PGC-1α inhibitor group was increased,contents of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly increased,content of MDA in serum was significantly increased,while content of SOD was significantly reduced,expressions of SIRT1,PGC-1α mRNA and protein were significantly reduced.Conclusion:PARP-1 inhibitors can alleviate inflammation and oxidative stress by activating SIRT1-PGC-1α axis,thereby effectively alleviating COPD.