OBJECTIVETo evaluate the hemocompatibility of glutaraldehyde (GA)-tanned bovine pericardium additionally treated by sodium bisulfite (SOB) solution.

METHODSThe hemocompatibility of GA-tanned bovine pericardium treated by SOB solution is evaluated by using dynamic clotting time test, blood platelet adhension test, D-dimeride determination, and complement activation test. The GA-tanned bovine pericardium was used as control.

RESULTSThe curve of absorbance-clotting time of two kinds of bovine pericardium was similar in dynamic clotting time test. There was no significant difference between SOB-treated and control groups in blood platelet adhension test. The D-dimeride contents of all bioprostheses were at normal level, and the D-dimeride content of GA-tanned bovine pericardium treated by SOB solution was significantly lower than that of control group (P < 0.05). In complement activation test, the level of complement C3a in SOB-treated group was significantly lower than that in control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONGA-tanned bovine pericardium treated by SOB solution meets the demands of cardiac interstitial implanted materials in hemocompatibility.

Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; Bioprosthesis ; Blood Coagulation ; Cattle ; Complement C3a ; analysis ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; metabolism ; Glutaral ; pharmacology ; Materials Testing ; Pericardium ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Platelet Adhesiveness ; Sulfites ; pharmacology

AIMTo investigate the effects of sodium metabisulfite (SMB), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and its derivatives in vivo, sodium bisulfite and sulfite on K+ channels of the central neurons and its mechanisms.

METHODSBy using whole-cell patch-clamp technique, the effects of SMB on transient outward K+ (I(A)) and delayed rectifier K+ currents(IK) were observed.

RESULTS(1) SMB can increase the amplitudes of I(A) and I(K) in a dose-dependent and voltage-dependent manner. Their half-increase doses were 15.8 micromol/L and 11.5 micromol/L respectively. (2) SMB (10 micromol/L) significantly shifted the activation curves of I(A) and I(K) to more positive potentials. Before and after application of 10 micromol/L SMB, the half-activation voltages of I(A) and I(K) were (- 12.6 +/- 1.6) mV and (- 7.0 +/- 1.3) mV, (10.8 +/- 0.9) mV and (21.6 +/- 0.7) mV (P < 0.01, n = 8), respectively, but the slope factors were not changed. (3) The inactivation curve of I(A) was shifted to positive potentials, the half-inactivation voltage of I(A) were (- 97.0 +/- 1.1) mV and (- 84.4 +/- 3.3) mV (P < 0.01, n = 8) before and after application of SMB (10 micromol/L), without changing the slope factors. (4) SOD, CAT and GPx could partly inhibit the incremental effect of SMB on I(A) and I(K).

CONCLUSIONSMB, SO2 and its derivatives in vivo, sodium bisulfite and sulfite have the damage effects on the central nervous system, and they can cause extracellular K+ increase and induce the disturbance of the central neuronal functions. Its mechanism may involve oxidation damage in the rat hippocampal CA1 neurons, caused by sulfur- and oxygen-centered free radicals formed in the process of sulfite or bisulfite oxidation.

Animals ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; Membrane Potentials ; physiology ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Potassium Channels ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sulfites ; pharmacology ; Sulfur Dioxide ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: To establish two methods by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and pyrosequencing for genotyping rs220030 (a SNP in the promoter region of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N, SNRPN). To establish an analytical technique for detecting CpG methylation status by pyrosequencing and to further investigate the feasibility of applying rs220030 to the determination of parental origin allele. METHODS: The rs220030 of 97 blood samples from individuals of Shanghai Han population were genotyped by DGGE, meanwhile the rs220030 of 25 blood samples of them were genotyped by pyrosequencing to compare the two methods in genotyping SNP. Pyrosequencing united bisulfite conversion method was applied to detect CpG methylation status of region upstream rs220030 of two random blood genealogical samples and investigate whether the methylation status was parental related. RESULTS: The rs220030 genotyping results of 97 blood samples detected by DGGE were 20 C homozygote, 29 T homozygote, and 48 C/T heterozygote. Twenty-five blood samples genotyped by pyrosequencing showed the same result with DGGE. The CpG methylation status of region upstream rs220030 of the child was similar to the mother. CONCLUSION Compared with DGGE, pyrosequencing is more accurate, convenient, and suitable for large samples and high throughput SNP genotyping. Pyrosequencing united bisulfite conversion can be used to detect CpG methylation status precisely. It is feasible to apply rs220030 to parental origin allele determination.
Asian People/genetics* ; CpG Islands ; DNA/genetics* ; DNA Methylation ; DNA Primers ; Genomic Imprinting ; Genotype ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sulfites/metabolism* ; snRNP Core Proteins/genetics*

Sodium houttuyfonate (SH) is a derivative of effective component of a Chinese material medica, Houttuynia cordata, which is applied in anti-infection of microorganism. But, the antimicrobial mechanisms of SH still remain unclear. Here, we firstly discovered that SH effectively inhibits the three types of virulence related motility of.Pseudomonas aeruginosa, i.e., swimming, twitching and swarming. The plate assay results showed that the inhibitory action of SH against swimming and twitching in 24 h and swarming in 48 h is dose-dependent; and bacteria nearly lost all of the motile activities under the concentration of 1 x minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (512 mg x L(-1) same as azithromycin positive group (1 x MIC, 16 mg x L(-1)). Furthermore, we found that the expression of structural gene flgB and pilG is down-regulated by SH, which implies that inhibitory mechanism of SH against motility of P. aeruginosa may be due to the inhibition of flagella and pili bioformation of P. aeruginosa by SR Therefore, our presented results firstly demonstrate that SH effectively inhibits the motility activities of P. aeruginosa, and suggest that SH could be a promising antipseudomonas agents in clinic.
Alkanes ; pharmacology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Biofilms ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fimbriae, Bacterial ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; Houttuynia ; chemistry ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; cytology ; drug effects ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Sulfites ; pharmacology ; Virulence ; drug effects