SH group(P

Objective: To describe the differences of plasma folate concentration and prevalence of folate deficiency in genders and ages in Chinese adults aged 35 to 64 years. Methods: By cross-sectional analysis, plasma folate concentration was measured in 2 545 adults including men and women by microbiological assay. Results: (1) Men tended to have lower plasma folate concentration and higher prevalence of folate deficiency(9.70 nmol/L, 31.0%) than did women(14.2 nmol/L, 12.5%, P=0.001). (2) Men in South have significantly higher plasma folate concentration and lower prevalence of folate deficiency than in North. The difference of plasma folate concentration was not evident between urban and rural area, but evident in North between in winter and spring. There were no significant differences of prevalence of folate deficiency for men between urban and rural areas in both regions. For women, the differences of plasma folate concentration in areas were significant, which were higher in South and urban, and lower in North and rural areas. (3) Plasma folate concentration increased with age in Southern men. A similar trend for others was not significant. Conclusion: Men have lower plasma folate concentration and higher prevalence of plasma folate deficiency than do women. The distribution of plasma folate concentrations in urban and rural areas seems different between men and women.

Objective To study the multi-slice helical CT (MSCT) features of horseshoe lung and to improve its diagnostic ability. Methods The clinical and imaging data were retrospectively reviewed in 5 patients. All of them underwent plain MSCT scan, and 4 patients also had enhanced MSCT scan and threedimensional reconstruction. Results In horseshoe lung, the basal segments of the right and left lungs were fused together by a isthmus of pulmonary parenchyma, across the midline behind the pericardium and before the esophagus, descending aorta and spine. All patients were companied with bronchopulmonary dysplasia,anomalous origin of the central bronchi, anomalous arterial supply. Anomalous pulmonary venous return to inferior vena cava and congenital cardiovascular malformations were also found in 4 cases. Conclusion MSCT and three-dimensional reconstruction are valuable for identification of horseshoe lung.

AIM: To investigate the changes of the L-type calcium channel subunit expression and calcium currents (I_~Ca -L) in cultured rat ventricular myocytes infected by coxsackie virus B_3 (CVB_3). METHODS: Primary cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes were infected with CVB_3. The changes of L-type calcium channel subunits mRNA in normal and infected myocytes were measured by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. I_~Ca -L was recorded in two groups respectively using whole cell patch-clamp techniques. RESULTS: The expression of ?_1 and ? subunits of L-type calcium channel mRNA increased in the infected group compared with the normal one (4.00?0.07 vs 2.21?0.41, P0.05). The average current density of I_~Ca -L significantly increased by CVB_3 infection [(-8.66?0.99) pA/pF vs (-6.97?1.75) pA/pF, P

Objective To explore the feasibility of artificial silastic framework(SF)in repair of large area of tracheal wall defects.Methods Twenty healthy adult dogs with tracheal defects for 2.5 cm?6.0 cm-3.0 cm?6.0cm were randomly and equally divided into experimental group(repaired with SF combined with sternohyoid fasciae)and control group(repaired with T-silastie tubule combined with sternohyoid fascial flap).After the operation,the animals were sacrificed at the 4th,8th,16th,24th, and 48th weeks respectively for harvesting the tracheae that were used for tracbeoscopically observing in- flammatory reaction of the repaired defect area and light microscopically observing epithelium healing on the repaired defect area.Results In the experiment group,the repaired trachea was smooth,without proliferation of granulation;and at the 8th week,the repaired defect area was covered with epithelial cells,with good functional recovery of respiration,phonation and deglutition.In the control group,there was obvious proliferation of granulation on the tracheal surface near anterior and posterior ends of T-silas tic tubule.The animals were under asphyxia to die with extraction of T-silastic tubule.Conclusions SF has excellent tracheal skeletal function.In the meantime,SF combined with sternohyoid fasciae is a simple but effective method for repair of large area of tracheal wall defects.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of butyl alcohol extract of Baitouweng decoction ( BAEB) on yeast-to-hyphae transition of Candida albicans isolates from vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) in alkaline pH.

METHODSerial 2-fold dilution assay was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Baitouweng decoction extracts against C. albicans isolates from VVC, XTT assay was applied to determine the metabolic activity of C. albicans hypha treated by BAEB for 6 h. The morphological change of C. albicans treated by BAEB was inspected at different pH by inverted microscope, fluorescence microscope, scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Solid agar plate and semi-solid agar were utilized to evaluate colony morphology and invasive growth of C. albicans, respectively. Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was adopted to observe the expressions of hyphae-specific genes including HWP1, ALS3, CSH1, SUN41 and CaPDE2.

RESULTThe MIC of BAEB against C. albicans is less than that of other extracts; hyphae grow best at pH 8. 0; 512 mg · L(-1) and 1,024 mg · L(-1) BAEB could inhibit formation of hyphae and influence colony morphology. When treated by 512 mg · L(-1) and 1,024 mg · L(-1) BAEB, the colonies became smooth; while by 0 and 256 mg · L(-1) BAEB, the colonies became wrinkled. In semi-solid agar, the length of hyphae decreased steadily as the concentration of BAEB lowered. The expression of HWP1, ALS3, CSHl, SUN41 were downregulated by 5.12, 4.26, 3.2 and 2.74 folds, and CaPDE2 was upregulated by 2.38 fold.

CONCLUSIONBAEB could inhibit yeast-to-hyphae transition of C. albicans isolates from VVC in alkaline pH.

Antifungal Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Candida albicans ; drug effects ; genetics ; growth & development ; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hyphae ; drug effects ; growth & development

OBJECTIVETo study the changes of serum interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, IgM) in patients with esophageal cancer, and to probe the relationship between the levels of IL-2, IL-8, IgG, IgA and IgM and the progress of cancer.

METHODSThe serum levels of IL-2 and IL-8 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for 72 case of primary esophageal cancer, 68 advanced esophageal cancer and 120 healthy controls, and the level of immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, IgM) in patients with esophageal cancer was dynamically observed.

RESULTSThe IL-2 level in patients with early esophageal cancer [(1.69 +/- 0.53) ng/ml] or late esophageal cancer [(1.11 +/- 0.60) ng/ml] was lower than the control group [(2.78 +/- 0.51) ng/ml] (P < 0.01), the late esophageal cancer group was lower than early esophageal cancer group (P < 0.05). The level of IL-8 in patients with early esophageal cancer [(85.48 +/- 6.14) ng/L] or late esophageal cancer [(121.41 +/- 6.22) ng/L] was much higher than the control group [(54.48 +/- 12.20) ng/L] (P < 0.01), the late esophageal cancer group was much higher than early esophageal cancer group (P < 0.01); There was correlation between the levels of IL-2 and IL-8 and the worsen-extent of the tumour in patients with early esophageal cancer or late esophageal cancer. But the level of IgG [(12.23 +/- 2.50) g/L], IgM [(1.60 +/- 0.80) g/L] in the patients with esophageal cancer compared with the level of IgG [(11.65 +/- 3.70) g/L], IgM [(1.46 +/- 0.71) g/L] in the health control group have no significant difference (P > 0.05), the level of IgA [(3.50 +/- 1.10) g/L] in patients with esophageal cancer Compared with the control group [(1.88 +/- 1.08) g/L] has significant difference (P < 0.01), and along with the worsen-extent of the tumor in patients the level of IgA has the increased tendency.

CONCLUSIONThe IL-8 might accelerate the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer, and the IL-2 might restrain. The positive correlation between the level of IgA and the patients with esophageal cancer is observed in this study; the immune maladjustment of IL-2, IL-8 and IgA might be correlative to esophageal cancer, and the IL-2, IL-8 and IgA levels might be an available index for the severity of esophageal cancer, Which may be of some help for clinic practitioners to judge the progress, curative effect and prognosis of the cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; blood ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Interleukin-8 ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging

AIM: To establish an animal model of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) in BALB/c mice and to investigate the expression and significance of Toll-like receptor 3 in mouse EAM. METHODS: BALB/c mice were immunized with cardiac myosin extracted from porcine ventricular myocardium covered by complete freund's adjuvant (CFA) on 0 d and 7 d, then divided into immunized with CFA only. Serum and myocardium samples were collected at 14 d and 21 d after the first immunization. HE staining was used to identify the areas of inflammation. The myosin IgG antibody was examined by indirect ELISA assay. The changes of TLR3 protein and mRNA expression in myocardial tissue were measured by immunohistochemistry and real time-PCR. RESULTS: Compared to control group, immunohistochemistry results showed that there was positive expression of TLR3 in the myocardium of mice with EAM and the mRNA of TLR3 were more than 20 times (P<0.05). The expression of interferon beta mRNA in EAM group was more than 14 times as many as basal expression, that of tumor necrosis factor alpha was more than 18 times (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression of Toll-like receptor 3 in myocardium is up-regulated in experimental autoimmune myocarditis. The inflammatory response to cardiac myosin may associate with the TLR3 signal transduction pathway.

Adult ; Carcinoma ; virology ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; virology ; Female ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; isolation & purification ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Middle Aged ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; virology

OBJECTIVETo explore effects of acupuncture on ability of daily living (ALD) and the incidence rate of disability and mortality of the patient of acute ischemic stroke.

METHODSForty patients with acute ischemic stroke were randomly assigned to an acupuncture group and a control group, 20 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated with acupuncture for 3-4 weeks, 5 times each week, and routine therapy. The control group were treated with routine therapy alone.

RESULTSNo statistically significant differences between the two groups in the score of neurological defection, and the incidence rate of disability and mortality at following survey of 3 and 6 months were found.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture is safe and feasible for stroke at early stage.

Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Stroke ; therapy