Objective To study the changes in the central nervous system in adult mice after various degrees of acute heat stress. Methods Adult mice placed in insulated cages were exposed to 24℃, 34℃, 37℃, 38.5℃, 40℃ or 42℃ for 60min respectively with a constant humidity of 60%. The behavior response was carefully monitored. Rectal temperature was measured before the exposure and after the exposure. Electroencephagrams were taken. Then the hippocampal neurons of these animals were examined with transmission electron microscope. Results Heat stress at 34℃ for 60 min only raised the rectal temperature, and heat stress above 37℃ for 60 min not only raised rectal temperature, but also induced water loss and irritability and attempt to escape. Abnormal EEG with increased amplitude and retarded rhythm could be observed. However, when mice were exposed to 24℃ and 34℃ such behavior did not appear. After exposure to 42℃, EEG frequency increased and pathological changes in hippocampus neurons were found. The main ultrastructural changes included degeneration of hippocampal neurons, expansion of space around capillary, decrease in number of synaptic vesicle, and decomposition of synapse. Conclusion Mice were very sensitive to heat stress. An increase in core temperature could induce behavioral thermoregulation. EEG and electron microscopic study revealed changes in the central nervous system after heat stress. Following exposure to high environmental temperature under 40℃, acute dysfunction of brain was reversible. At 42℃, damage to the brain tissue occurred, and most mice died of heat stroke.

Objective: To assess the risk of public health emergencies in Zhejiang Province, March 2021. Methods: An expert counsel was conducted to assess the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) , enteritis due to norovirus, chicken pox and influenza by professionals in Zhejiang CDC, based on the information from infectious disease and public health emergency surveillance in Zhejiang Province, domestic health administrative departments, World Health Organization, and European CDC. Results: In March 2021, the risk of imported COVID-19 epidemic will be high in Zhejiang Province, and the possibility of local spread could not be ruled out. The possibility of a large-scale outbreak of enteritis due to norovirus and a small-scale outbreak of chickenpox in schools and kindergartens could not be ruled out after the new term begins. An increased risk of influenza epidemic is predicted in collective units such as schools and kindergartens, yet the risk of a large-scale one will be low. Conclusion High attention should be paid to COVID-19 and enteritis due to norovirus, and general attention should be paid to chicken pox and influenza outbreak.

Objective To optimize the short tandem repeats(STR)which link closely to survival motor neuron(SMN)and have redundant polymorphism information contents,and to use these STR in the prenatal diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy(SMA).Methods Eleven STR loci(D5S435,D5F153, DSF151,D5S637,D5S1413,D5S125,D5S464,D5S1556,DSF149,D5S351,MAP1B-5')were amplified by PCR.Then the PCR products were detected by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(PAGE)and analyzed by silver staining.STR loci were evaluated and optimized by their PIC values.PCR-PAGE and gene scan were combined to make genetic link analysis for SMA families based on the optimized STR.Results Three STR loci(D5S435,DSF149 and D5S351)were selected with 8,19 and 18 polymorphic fragments detected respectively in 100 normal individuals.Their PIC values were 0.84,0.91 and 0.92 respectively.Four carriers and 2 normal individuals were detected from 6 SMA families with linkage analysis by using the 3 STR.Conclusion This genetic diagnosis system based on the 3 STR loci can provide rapid prenatal diagnosis for SMA families,can eliminate maternal blood contamination,and also can discriminate carriers from normal individuals in the fetuses,which makes the prenatal diagnosis system of SMA perfect.

Various cardiovascular diseases may lead to heart failure (HF), however, traditional indexes are affected by too many subjective factors so they cannot reflect HF severity objectively. Half-life period of N terminal pro Btype natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is longer than brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), which may benefit HF detection. The present article made a review on research progress for NT-proBNP application in HF.

OBJECTIVETo explore the association between polymorphism in the ACE I/D gene and blood pressure-lowering response to hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) in 829 patients.

METHODSHCTZ 12.5 mg was taken once a day for six weeks. The blood pressure reduction and ratio reaching target blood pressure were compared in different ACE genotype groups.

RESULTSThe reduction in SBP of patients carrying DD was greater than that in other groups carrying II or ID (12.2 mmHg versus 5.4 mmHg, 12.2 mmHg versus 4.4 mmHg, respectively, P<0.05). The reduction in MAP of patients carrying DD was also greater than that in other groups carrying II or ID (6.9 mmHg versus 3.9 mmHg, 6.9 mmHg versus 3.6 mmHg, respectively, P<0.05). The ratio reaching target blood pressure in DD groups was significantly higher than that in II or ID groups (P<0.05). The pre-treatment SBP, DD genotype, aldosterone levels entered the multi-linear regression model significantly and might affect the reduction of SBP. The pre-treatment DBP, aldosterone levels, DD genotype entered the multi-linear regression model significantly and might affect the reduction of DBP. The pre-treatment MAP, DD genotype, aldosterone levels entered the multi-linear regression model significantly and might affect the reduction of MAP.

CONCLUSIONACE genotyping is associated with blood pressure-lowering response to HCTZ. Specific genotypes might be associated with the response to specific antihypertensive treatment.

Aged ; Alleles ; Antihypertensive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hydrochlorothiazide ; therapeutic use ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo screen the severe acute respiratory syndromes (SARS) mimotopes with random phage peptide library and to investigate their immunogenicity.

METHODSUsing SARS sera as selective molecule, a 12 mer phage peptide library was biopanned and positive clones containing the mimic epitopes were selected. The immuno-characteriation of the epitopes were then investigated.

RESULTS2 positive clones that having specific affinity to SARS sera were obtained. The DNA sequencing data showed no homology between the sequences of the deduced amino acid of the two mimic antigen peptides and the sequence of SARS.

CONCLUSIONSARS mimotopes were obtained by phage peptide library screening. This method might provide a new approach for SARS therapy and vaccine development.

Animals ; Antigens, Viral ; Base Sequence ; Biomimetic Materials ; Cloning, Molecular ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epitopes ; genetics ; immunology ; Humans ; Peptide Library ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; immunology

To study the pharmacokinetic process of Danshensu in cerebal ischemia injury model rats and the correlation with its anti-cerebral ischemia effect. In this study, the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was established, in which all of the rats were intravenously injected of Danshensu at a single dose of 40 mg x kg(-1). The HPLC-DAD method was applied to determine the plasma concentration of Danshensu at different time points and draw the drug-time curve. Meanwhile, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity were determined to draw the time-effect curve. The DAS 3.2. 6 software was used to process the data, analyze their correlation, compare the pharmacokinetic difference between model and normal rats after the administration of the same doses of Danshensu and the changes in pharmacodynamic indicators of model rats after the administration, and evaluate the effect of Danshensu in treating the cerebral ischemia disease. According to the results, the pharmacokinetic processes of Danshensu in the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion and normal rats were consistent to the two-compartment model. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were: t1/2alpha were (0.267 +/- 0.026), (0.148 +/- 0.020) h;t1/2beta were (1.226 +/- 0.032), (1.182 +/- 0.082) h; AUC0-infinity were (42.168 +/- 4.007), (26.881 +/- 1.625) mg x L(-1) x h. After the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, the activity of SOD decreased and the activity of LDH increased. Danshensu could inhibit the decrease in the SOD activity and the increase in the LDH activity within a certain period of time. This indicated that Danshensu could stay longer in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats than in normal rats and eliminated more slowly, which reflected the rationality of Danshensu in the clinical treatment of cerebral ischemia diseases. Danshensu's effect against the cerebral ischemic injury may be related with its level in vivo. Its plasma concentration is positively related to the SOD activity and negatively related to the LDH activity.
Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

We determine the contamination and genotypes of Clostridium perfringens isolated from chickens in Macau.C. perfringens were isolated from these samples by double tube method and then identified by biochemical test.Genotyping of i-solated strains was determined by multiplex PCR.A total of 120 samples,the positive rates were 37.5%,respectively.All of the isolated strains were type A.This study indicated that contamination of C.perfringens type A exists in chicken intestines, fresh chickens and chilled chickens in Macau,and provided reference data for the public health problems caused by C.perfrin-gens.

OBJECTIVETo summarize lessons learned from an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China during the spring of 2004.

METHODSData of SARS cases were officially reported by Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (BCDC) and Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (APCDC) and results of epidemiological investigations were collected and analyzed.

RESULTSThree generations of 11 cases of SARS were identified during the outbreak. Initial two cases were most likely to be infected in Diarrhea Virus Laboratory of National Institute of Virology, China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and main mode of transmission was direct contact with SARS patients. Delay in detecting initial case resulted in spread of the illness at hospitals and communities with two generations of secondary cases.

CONCLUSIONSSARS outbreak in 2004 has yielded following lessons for public health globally. (1) Lab bio-safety programs should be made and should be strictly abided by. Studies in highly pathogenic viruses such as SARS coronavirus should be utmost cautious. (2) Management systems of occupational exposure to virus and disease surveillance need to be strengthened to take all risk factors into account so as to detect potential patients with infectious disease as early as possible.

China ; epidemiology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; prevention & control ; Occupational Health ; Retrospective Studies ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; transmission

OBJECTIVETo study the influence of transfection with human transforming growth factor-beta1 (hTGF-beta1) gene on the osteogenic potential and differentiation of the cultured human gingival fibroblast (GF).

METHODSEnzyme kinetics method was used to measure the effects of the transfection on the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Immunohistochemistry stain and image analysis were applied to evaluate the alteration of the content of osteopontin (OPN), bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteonectin (ON), osteocalcin (OC) in the GF with transfection. Mineralization nodules formation in vitro was also used.

RESULTSThe ALP activity of the GF after transfection was higher than the GF without transfection significantly (P<0.05), and was close to that of the PDLCs (P>0.05). The content of OC in GF was not improved after transfection, was similar with that of PDLCs (P>0.05). Under immunohistochemistry stain, the contents of OPN, ON, BSP expressed in GF with transfection were higher than those of GF without transfection (P<0.05), but similar to those of PDLCs (P>0.05). In the mineralized cultured medium, the nodules were observed in the GF with transfection and PDLCs after 21 days and 24 days alternatively. After von Kossa stain, purple mineralization nodules were observed.

CONCLUSIONThe GF transfected with pcDNA3-hTGF-beta1 could express some osteogenic characters, though these characters are restricted.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; Cell Differentiation ; Fibroblasts ; Gingiva ; Humans ; Integrin-Binding Sialoprotein ; Osteocalcin ; Osteonectin ; Osteopontin ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1