Objective To observe the effect of octreotide acetate on plasma ETX and serum inflammatory cytokine of the rabbit with hepatic ischcmia reperfusion injury. Methods Pringle's maneuver rabbit hepatic ischemia-repeffusion models were established. 24 adult New Zealand rabbits were random divided into equal 3 groups: sham operative group(group A), iacbemia reperfusion group(group B)and octreotide acetate preconditioning group(group C). Endotoxin (ETX) in the plasma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and intcdeukin-1beta (IL-1β) were detected in every rabbit at the time before iachemia (T1), 30min after ischemia (T2), 30min (T3) and 120min (T4) after reperfusion. Results From T2 to T4, the ETX in group B and C were higher than that in group A (P < 0.05), the ETX of group C were lower than that in group B (P<0.05). From T2 to T4, the TNF-α of group B and C were higher than that of group A(P<0.05). From T3 to T4 the TNF-α of group C were higher than that of group A(P<0.05). From T2 to T4,the IL-1β of group B and group C were higher than that of group A(P<0.05), and the IL-1β of group C were lower than that of group B (P<0.05). Conclusion Octreotide acetate can decrease plasma ETX and down-regulate inflammation factors, such as TNFαand IL-1β, in serum of the rabbit with hepatic iacbe-mia-reperfusion injury, which may be the protective mechanism of oetreotide acetate on rabbit hepatic isehemia-reperfusiun injury.

Plasmid vectors with either RSV or CMV promoter are frequently used for DNA- mediated immunization due to the availability in commercial. Consequently, influence of the vector constituents, such as promoter, enhancer and transcription termination signal etc. on vaccination efficiency is not studied extensively. As an initial attempt to develop an efficient vector system for DNA-rnediated immunization, influence of promoter for antigen gene expression on vaccination efficiency has been analyzed. Initially, plasmids with either B-actin or muscle creatine kinase (MCK) promoter were constructed from the plasmid with prototype CMV promoter. In addition, ovalbumin (OVA) antigen gene has been cloned into each vectors to generate the plasmid vectors with different promoters for induction of the anti-OVA immune responses. Antigen protein expression in antigen gene transfected mouse muscle myoblast cells showed that the level from MCK promoter containing plasmid was slightly higher than those from either CMV or B-actin promoter containing plasmids. Also, the same plasmid turned out to be slightly more efficient than other plasmids in antibody imrnune response induction in vivo, when they were applied both through intramuscularly and intradermally. These results suggest that the commonly used CMV promoter containing plasmid vector could be further modified to develop an efficient vector for DNA-mediated immunization.
Animals ; Clone Cells ; Creatine Kinase, MM Form ; Gene Expression ; Immunization ; Mice ; Myoblasts ; Ovalbumin ; Plasmids* ; Vaccination*

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that quantitation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in sera of HBsAg-positive patients is more useful test for the assessment of infectivity and for the evaluation of disease status than previously utilized numerous serological markers and qualitative polymerase chain reaction for the detection of HBV DNA. We tried to measure serum HBV DNA using a branched DNA (bDNA) signal amplification assay, which is recently introduced and known to be a simple and nonradioisotopic method. METHODS: Total forty patients with HBsAg were randomly selected and serum HBV DNA was measured with duplication using bDNA signal amplification assay (QUANTIPLEXTM HBV DNA ASSAY, Chiron, USA). Quantitation was determined from a standard curve and expressed as HBV DNA equivalents/mL (Eq/mL; 1 Eq = 1 molecule of the primary HBV DNA standard). Serum HBeAg, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) , and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were compared with HBV DNA. RESULTS: Serum HBV DNA was quantitated in 13 patients (32.5%) (range 6.4x106-7.4x109 Eq/mL, mean 1.8x109 Eq/mL, CV 8.1%). All eleven patients (100%) with both HBsAg and HBeAg an4 2 of 29 patients (6.9%) with HBsAg but not with HBeAg showed measurable HBV DNA (p < 0.001). In addition, serum levels of AST, ALT, and sIL-2R were significantly higher in HBV DNA measured patients compared with those of unmeasured patients. CONCLUSIONS: Above results show that more than half the HBsAg-positive patients do not have enough HBV DNA which is measurable with boNA signal amplification assay but all of HBeAg-positive patients and some of HBeAg-negative patients do. In addition, HBV DNA quantitation might be correlated with the disease activity in HBsAg-positive patients because serum levels of AST, ALT, and sIL-2R are higher in patients measured with HBV DNA than unmeasured.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Branched DNA Signal Amplification Assay* ; DNA ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUND: T cell mediated immune destruction is an important mechanism of liver injury in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor(sIL-2R) seem to serve as a marker for the T cell activation and progressive liver injury, This study examined serum levels of sIft-2R and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in patients with chronic HCV infection to determine the correlation with the severity of chronic hepatocellular damage. METHODS: Serum levels of sIft-2R in 73 patients with HCV infection (chronic hepatitis 52, liver cirrhosis 9, hepatocellular carcinoma 12) and 40 healthy controls were measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassay (CELLFREE, T Cell Sciences, USA). HCV RNA was quantified by QUANTIPLEX(TM) HCV RNA 2.0 assay (Chiron, USA) with duplication. This assay is a sandwich nucleic acid hybridization procedure using branched DNA amplification for the quantitation of HCV RNA. RESULTS: The sIL-2R levels of 52 patients with chronic hepatitis (591.4+/-238.7U/mL), 9 with liver cirrhosis(949.4+/-721.9 U/mL), and 12 with hepatocellular carcinoma (1,167.4+/- 554.4 U/mL) were significantly higher than those of healthy controls(370.8+/-71.8 U/mL) (p<0.001). A progressive and significant increase occurred in sIL-2R levels with chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in order (p(0.001). The HCV RNA was detected in all patients and the means of HCV viral load were 3.3 MEq/mL in chronic hepatitis, 2.8 MEq/mL in cirrhosis, and 3.7 MEq/mL in HCC. There was no significant correlation between HCV RNA and the severity of liver injury in chronic HCV infection. There were no correlations among sIL-2R, HCV RNA and serum ALT. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that chronic hepatocellular injury by HCV progress mainly by T cell mediated immune response, not by direct cytopathic injury. Also, sIL-2R can be useful as a marker in monitoring the patients with HCV infection at high risk of getting HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; DNA ; Fibrosis ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Interleukin-2* ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; RNA ; Viral Load

BACKGROUND: T cell mediated immune destruction is an important mechanism of liver injury in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor(sIL-2R) seem to serve as a marker for the T cell activation and progressive liver injury, This study examined serum levels of sIft-2R and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in patients with chronic HCV infection to determine the correlation with the severity of chronic hepatocellular damage. METHODS: Serum levels of sIft-2R in 73 patients with HCV infection (chronic hepatitis 52, liver cirrhosis 9, hepatocellular carcinoma 12) and 40 healthy controls were measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassay (CELLFREE, T Cell Sciences, USA). HCV RNA was quantified by QUANTIPLEX(TM) HCV RNA 2.0 assay (Chiron, USA) with duplication. This assay is a sandwich nucleic acid hybridization procedure using branched DNA amplification for the quantitation of HCV RNA. RESULTS: The sIL-2R levels of 52 patients with chronic hepatitis (591.4+/-238.7U/mL), 9 with liver cirrhosis(949.4+/-721.9 U/mL), and 12 with hepatocellular carcinoma (1,167.4+/- 554.4 U/mL) were significantly higher than those of healthy controls(370.8+/-71.8 U/mL) (p<0.001). A progressive and significant increase occurred in sIL-2R levels with chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in order (p(0.001). The HCV RNA was detected in all patients and the means of HCV viral load were 3.3 MEq/mL in chronic hepatitis, 2.8 MEq/mL in cirrhosis, and 3.7 MEq/mL in HCC. There was no significant correlation between HCV RNA and the severity of liver injury in chronic HCV infection. There were no correlations among sIL-2R, HCV RNA and serum ALT. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that chronic hepatocellular injury by HCV progress mainly by T cell mediated immune response, not by direct cytopathic injury. Also, sIL-2R can be useful as a marker in monitoring the patients with HCV infection at high risk of getting HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; DNA ; Fibrosis ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Interleukin-2* ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; RNA ; Viral Load

The microstructure of cationic cyclopeptide (TD-34) treated Caco-2 cell membrane was observed, and we discussed the relationship between membrane structure and insulin transmembrane permeability. Atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to observe living cell membrane in air condition and tapping mode. Results showed that the surface of Caco-2 cell membrane treated with TD-34 lost its smoothness and nearly doubled its roughness. Apparent permeability coefficients (P(app)) of insulin in Caco-2 cell monolayers increased 2.5 times. In conclusion, AFM can be used to observe microstructure of cationic cyclopeptide treated cell membrane and cationic cyclopeptide enhanced insulin delivery across Caco-2 cell membrane by increasing membrane fluidity.

AIM: To establish the simultaneous determination of camphor,menthol,synthetic borneol and methyl salicylate in Shexiang Zhuanggu Plaster(Camphor,Mentholum,Borneolum Syntheticum,etc). by GC. METHODS: The sample solution was distilled in volatile oil determination apparatus.Naphthalene was used for the internal standard.The GC system consisted of capillary column,PEG-20M as the stationary phase,nitrogen as the carrier gas,FID as the detector.The programmed temperature-GC and internal standard method was employed to determine four kinds of components in Shexiang Zhuanggu Plaster. RESULTS: Camphor,menthol,synthetic borneol(borneol and isoborneol) and methyl salicylate in Shexiang Zhuanggu Plaster and naphthalene have been separated well under the same chromatographic condition.The average recovery of camphor,menthol,synthetic borneol and methyl salicylate were 96.92%(RSD=2.42%),98.03%(RSD=1.81%),99.02%(RSD=1.47%) and 98.15%(RSD=1.59%),respectively. CONCLUSION: The method is simple,accurate and separable,and can be used to control the quality of Shexiang Zhuanggu Plaster

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

In 10 cases with intracranial arterivenous malformation (AVMs) diagnosed by MR spin echo images, MR angiography was evaluated and compared with conventional angiography in regard to depiction of nidus, arterial feeders, and draining veins. Spin echo images demonstrated the nidus of the AVM in all cases, but displayed the feeding vassels inadequately. These vessels were directly visualized with 3 dimensional STAGE(small tip angle gradient echo) MR angiography using rephasing/dephasing pulse sequences. In 5 cases MR angiography and conventional angiography showed the same results. However, in the others, MR angiography showed lower resolution than conventional angiography. MR angiography is useful in preangiographic evaluation of intracranial AVM but improvement in image resolution, which is dependent on MR hard ware and pulse sequence, is still to be desired.
Angiography* ; Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Veins

The purposes of this study were to analyze the gap between foodservice personnel and inpatients, to urge foodservice providers to reconsider by identifying the problems in service delivery for customer satisfaction, and to deduce the priority for foodservice quality improvement. The results of this study can be summarized as follows : the average perception score of personnel (4.32 out of 5) was higher than that of customers (3.90). In particular, the customers' perceptions of 17 attributes, which included 'removal service of tray by foodservice personnel', 'nutrition and health-related information service', 'handling inpatient's complaint ASAP', 'delicious meals' and 'salty enough meals' and so on, was significantly lower than personnel's. Both service providers and customers perceived that 'personnel attitude' was the highest and 'meal quality' was the lowest among the 4 factors, but there was significant difference on 'meal quality' (p<.001), 'customer reception' (p<.001) and 'personnel attitude' (p<.05) between the two groups. As a results of quadrant analysis, 'removal service of tray by foodservice personnel', 'handling inpatient's complaints ASAP' and 'meal service according to doctor's orders were categorized into Quadrant A with meaning of high personnel's perceptions and low customers'. Therefore service providers have to perceive the gap between the two viewpoints and grant priority to these attributes in improving foodservice quality.
Financing, Organized ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Quality Improvement