The yeast Sacchromyces cerevisiae is most widely used for producing bioethanol in alcoholic industry due to its higher ethanol yield and fermentation rate. However, the toxic effect of accumulated ethanol is one of the main factors, which limit high ethanol production. Thus, investigating the mechanisms of yeast ethanol tolerance will provide the basis for solving the industrial problem. This article reviewed the mechanisms of Sacchromyces cerevisiae ethanol tolerance focusing on its cell physiological behaviors, structure and biochemical composition, as well as its genetic basis.

OBJECTIVETo compare the advantages and disadvantages of the Foley catheter draining method versus the urethral stent plus gastric tube draining method for urine drainage following urethroplasty for hypospadias.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 361 cases of hypospadias treated by urethroplasty. After operation, 91 of the cases received urine drainage with the Foley catheter (group A) and 270 with a urethral stent plus a gastric tube (group B). We compared the incidence rates of bladder irritation, fistula, urethral stricture, and urethral diverticulum between the two groups of patients.

RESULTSNo statistically significant differences were found between groups A and B in the incidences of bladder irritation (9.89% vs 10.70%, P > 0.05) and urethral diverticulum (1.09% vs 2.22%, P > 0.05). The incidence rate of fistula was markedly higher in group A than in B (20.80% vs 13.30%, P < 0.05), and so was that of urethral stricture (10.90% vs 5.55%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe urethral stent plus gastric tube draining method is more effective than the Foley catheter draining method for urine drainage following urethroplasty.

Aged ; Child ; Diverticulum ; etiology ; Drainage ; methods ; Humans ; Hypospadias ; surgery ; Incidence ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Stents ; Urethra ; surgery ; Urethral Stricture ; etiology ; Urinary Catheterization ; instrumentation ; methods

AIMTo study the effects of sodium salicylate on the expression of GABAalpha NR1 and hearing response properties of inferior colliculus neurons in mice.

METHODSThirty-six kunming mice were divided into three groups (A, B, C,). The expression of GABAalpha NR1 were measured by using RT-PCR. The intensity-rates functions, intensity-latency functions and frequency-turning curves were recorded by extracellular electrophysiological recording techniques.

RESULTS(1) The expression of GABAalpha mRNA of B group was decreased remarkably than the control group (A group, P < 0.05), there weren't noticeable differences between A group and C group (P > 0.05). The expression of NR1 mRNA of B group was increased remarkably than the control group (A group, P < 0.01), there were noticeable differences between A group and C group P < 0.05). (2) The intensity-rates functions, intensity-latency functions were monotonic while the frequency-turning curves were more broad when sodium salicylate was given. (3) The intensity-rates functions, intensity-latency functions were non-monotonic while the frequency-turning curves were sharpened after lidocaine was given.

CONCLUSIONS(1) The results suggested that administration of sodium salicylate decreased the expression of GABAalpha while increased the expression of NR1mRNA. (2) The intensity-rates functions, intensity-latency functions were monotonic, the frequency-turning curves were more broad when salicylate was given and the changes above could be reversed by given lidocaine.

Acoustic Stimulation ; Animals ; Inferior Colliculi ; drug effects ; metabolism ; physiology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; physiology ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; metabolism ; Sodium Salicylate ; pharmacology ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo analyze the prevalence of asthma and asthma related symptoms among children aged 0-14 years in three Chinese cities and to obtain a crude estimation of the trend of childhood asthma prevalence in China.

METHODSA cross-sectional, population-based survey of prevalence of asthma was conducted in children aged from 0 to 14 years in 3 major cities of China (Beijing, Chongqing, and Guangzhou) with different geographic locations. All the subjects were randomly selected by a multi-stage sampling method. Three to five schools and kindergartens in 2 urban districts in each city were randomly selected for the survey, and a validated questionnaire that included the core questions of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, Phase III questionnaire and several additional questions were used. All questionnaires were completed by parents or guardians of the selected children. Children whose parents responded affirmatively to the question "Has your child ever been diagnosed as asthma by a doctor" were recognized as victims of asthma.

RESULTSThe prevalence of asthma in Beijing, Chongqing, and Guangzhou was 3.15%, 7.45%, and 2.09%, respectively. These values were significantly higher than those obtained 10 years ago in the national epidemiological survey in 2000 which used the same method of investigation and the same diagnotic criteria (χ²=3.938, P=0.047; χ²=73.506, P≤0.001; χ²=11.956, P=0.001, in each city). Of the asthmatic children 57.21%, 69.91%, and 60.00% had their first attack before the age of 3 in Beijing, Chongqing, and Guangzhou, respectively. Wheezing was the primary clinical manifestation for all asthmatic children, followed by persistent cough and repeated respiratory infections. Both the prevalence of asthma and asthma-related symptoms were statistically higher in males than in females.

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of childhood asthma is statistically higher than that 10 years ago in the three Chinese cities.

Asthma ; epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence

AIMTo investigate the preparation of diclofenac sodium pulsatile release pellets (DS-PRP), the release in vitro and the pharmacokinetics of the drug.

METHODSDiclofenac sodium (DS) core pellets prepared by extrusion-spheronization technology were coated in a mini-fluidized bed spray coater with swelling material as the inner coating swelling layer and ethylcellulose aqueous dispersion as the outer coating controlled layer. The effects of formulation and medium on pulsatile release of DS were investigated under release rate test. Pharmacokinetic and bioavailability study in eight human subjects were performed by HPLC method.

RESULTSThe delayed-release time and release rate of DS from DS-PRP were influenced obviously by the swelling material, the concentration of SDS in medium, the coating level of the inner swelling layer and the outer controlled layer. In vitro, the delayed-release time T0.1 was 3.1 h, and the pulsed-release time T0.1-0.2 was 1.2 h. In vivo, the delayed-release time Tlag was 2.8 h, and the bioavailability was (91 +/- 12)%.

CONCLUSIONThe release of drug from DS-PRP was shown to be in pulsed way both in vitro and in vivo.

Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Biological Availability ; Cellulose ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Diclofenac ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of diet-induced obesity on the developmental process of testes in pubertal rats.

METHODSEighty 21-day-old male SD rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=32) and an experiment group (n=48), and fed respectively on a normal diet and a high-fat diet. And changes in the body weight, Lee's index, testis weight and epididymis weight were measured at the end of the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th week after the treatment, that is, when the rats were 6, 7, 8 and 9 weeks old. The concentrations of testosterone and estradiol were determined by Access immunoassay system and the morphological alterations in testis development observed by HE staining.

RESULTSThe body weight of the high-fat group obviously increased at the end of the 3rd week (P < 0.05), 26.6% heavier than that of the control by the end of the 6th week (P < 0.01), and Lee's index was also obviously increased (P < 0.01). Compared with the controls, the testicular coefficient declined in the high-fat group at the end of the 5th and 6th week (P < 0.05), plasma TG and TC remarkably increased, the testosterone level obviously decreased (P < 0.05), estradiol concentration lowered at the end of the 3rd, 4th and 5th week but dramatically increased at the 9th, with significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). Microscope examination showed that spermatogenic epithelial cells were arranged in disorder, the spermatogenic cell layers reduced and the number of mature sperms reduced.

CONCLUSIONHigh-fat diet can induce nutritional obesity in pubertal rats, which in turn may lead to the underdevelopment of the testis and the abnormal level of gonadal hormones.

Animals ; Body Fat Distribution ; Body Weight ; Diet Fads ; Epididymis ; growth & development ; pathology ; Male ; Obesity ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Organ Size ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testis ; growth & development ; pathology

Objective To evaluate calcium deficiency and demand in pre-puberty twins and to analyze the heritability of serum bone alkaline phosphatase(BALP).Methods A total of 73 pairs of twins aged 9-16 years were examined by BALP test.Microsatellite polymorphism Was used To diagnose the zygosity of twins,while both intraclass correlation coefficient method and Christian formula were perfortled to investigate heritability of serum BALP.Results The results of zygosity diagnosis displayed that 34 pairs of twins were monozygotic(MZ)twins and 39 pairs were dizygotic(DZ)twins.97.9％of the subjects appeared unusual in the activity of BALP,with activity of BALP>250 U/L in 43.1％of subjects and 200-250 U/L in 54.8％of the subjects.The intake of calcium Was unsatisfied in 48.4％of the boys and 39.0％in girls.Less than 10.0％ of the Sllbiects were satisfied with the intake of calcium in each age group while over 45.0％of the snbjects in 10-13 age group were deficient in calcium.Differences between the means of BALP in different sex groups(t=1.633,P=0.105)and different age groups(F=0.323,P=0.924)were not statistically significant.Heritability analysis displayed that intra-class variation.Inter-class variation.Intra-class correlation coefficient were 191.54,1462.22,0.77 in MZ twins,and those were 491.03,1475.57,0.50 in DZ twins respectively with the heritability of BALP activity as 0.54.Conclusion Calcium deficiency Is commonplace in pre-puberty twins.Our data showed that the BALP activity was influenced both by genetic(54％)and environmental(46％)factors.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; Monocytes ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

The effects of neuroglobin (NGB) gene transfer in vivo mediated by GeneJamer on the hearing response properties of the inferior colliculus (IC) neurons in mice after administration of sodium salicylate were studied. Forty-eight Kunming mice were divided into 4 groups (n=12 in each group): Group A1 (negative control);Group A2 (positive control);Group B, sodium salicylate (450 mg/kg every day) + pEGFP-C1;Group C, sodium salicylate (450 mg/kg every day) + pEGFP-NGB. The GeneJamer and pEGFP-NGB were mixed and injected into IC neurons in mice. The expression of NGB mRNA and protein of IC neurons in mice was detected by using RT-PCR and Western blot methods. The intensity-rate functions, intensity-latency functions and frequency-turning curves in IC neurons were recorded by extracellular electrophysiological recording techniques and the effects of pEGFP-NGB transfer following injection of sodium salicylate on them were studied. It was found that: (1) The GeneJamer-mediated pEGFP-NGB could be effectively transferred into the IC brain tissues in mice and NGB could be expressed intensively. (2) The intensity-rate functions of IC neurons were raised after administration of sodium salicylate. The non-monotonic styles of intensity-rate functions in groups A1, A2 and C were accounted for 74.6%, 72.2 %, 59.3 %, respectively, and the function in group B for 47%. There were significant differences between group B and groups A1, A2 or C (P<0.01, P<0.01, P<0.05). (3) The intensity-latency functions in IC neurons were reduced after administration of sodium salicylate. The non-monotonic styles of intensity-latency functions in groups A1, A2 and C were accounted for 3.2 %, 5.1 %and 21 %, respectively, and that in group B for 45.5 %. There were significant differences between group B and groups A1, A2 or C (P<0.01, P<0.01, P<0.05, respectively). (4) The frequency-turning curves in groups A1 and A2 were sharpened. In 72 acoustic neurons recorded in the group B, the frequency-turning curves from 53 neurons were broadened while those of the rest were sharpened. In group C the frequency-turning curves recorded from 12 of 67 acoustic neurons were broadened while those of the remaining were sharpened. These results suggest that in vivo transfer of NGB gene is highly expressed in IC neurons in mice. In vivo transfer of NGB gene reverses the change of intensity-rate functions, intensity-latency functions and the code styles after administration of sodium salicylate in IC neurons in mice.

Objective To establish animal models with anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve and evaluate the safety of anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve at molecular level.Methods Location of the ulnar nerve of elbow in 5 rats were found similar to human being by anatomy.Twenty healthy adult SD rats,weighting about 250 g,were performed the anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve in the right forelimbs and the left forelimbs was considered as control group.The bilateral flexor carpi ulnaris muscles were weighed and the slice of cervical spinal cord(C_6-T_1)level were prepared 1 month after the operation.Nissl staining,NADPH-d histochemical staining,IB4 staining and ChAT-immunohistochemical staining were employed to observe the spinal cord(C_6-T_1)level at molecular level;electron microscope was used to observe the ultrastructure of ChAT-positive neurons.Statistical analysis was paired T test.Results The flexor carpi ulnaris muscles in the model group(92.3±9.13mg)and control group(93.2±7.29 mg)were not significantly different(P>0.05).After anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve in rats,no significant differences in cell number and morphology in the cervical spinal cord(C_6-T_1)were found between the model group and the control group(P>0.05).No changes between the 2 groups were noted in the fine structure of anterior horn motor neurons and the expression of nenrotransmitters(P>0.05).Conclusion Anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve can be safely done in the animal models(rats).