Animals ; Epilepsy ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Scorpion Venoms ; pharmacology

BACKGROUND: Senility is the degenerative change of every tissue and organ in biological body,which is the result due to comprehensive actions of various pathological and physiological processes. Rhodiola is a kind of natural medical plant,acting on delaying organic senility,preventing and treating senile disorders,etc. But the definite mechanisms on those have been unknown yet.OBJECTIVE: To probe into the mechanism of rhodiola extract( nuodikang capsule) on anti-senility.DESIGN: Randomized,controlled experimental research based on the experimental animals.SETTING: Neurological internal department in a military hospital affiliated to a university of Chinese PLA.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Pathology Experiment Room of Fourth Military Medical University of Chinese PLA from March to August 2002. Sixty Kunming mice were randomized into normal control group,model group,3 dosage groups of 1,2,4 g/kg of nuodikang successively and Vitamin E(Vit. E) positive control group 0. 1 mg/kg,10 mice in each group.INTERVENTIONS: In the model,nuodikang groups and Vit. E positive control,physiological saline solution of D-galactose 30 g/Lwas applied in subcutaneous at the back of neck,150 mg/kg per day,continuously for 8weeks. Simultaneously,in nuodikang group and Vit. E positive control,the medicine was applied by gastric perfusion,once daily,continuously for 8weeks.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Effects of nuodikang capsule on activity of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),the content of lipidperoxides(LPO),the activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD) in the brain,the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and ultrastructure of mitochondrion in hippocampal neurons.RESULTS: In nuodikang capsule groups of 1,2,4 g/kg,the significant differences(P ＜ 0.05) presented in LPO content in brain tissue[(30. 1±2.9),(27.8±3.1),(26.9±1.9) nmol/g] and MDA content [(110.2±13.5),(95.4±20.1),(90.2±16.5) nmol/g],1 compared with the model group[ (33.4 ± 2.2),(126.5 ± 17.2) nmol/g],indicating significant differences(P ＜ 0.05),and LDH activity[(1.74±0. 14),(1.92 ±0. 23),(2.04 ±0.21) NU/g] and SOD activity[ (119. 1 ±2.2),(121.3 ± 0.9),(126.4 ± 2.0) NU/g] were remarkably increased,compared with the model group[ (1.68 ±0. 19),(115.9 ±2. 1) NU/g],indicating significant differences( P ＜ 0.05) . It was indicated by electro-microscope that nuodikang capsule groups of 2,4 g/kg acted on obvious protection on degenerative change of mitochondrion in hippocampal neurons caused by galactose.CONCLUSION: Nuodikang capsule acts significantly on anti-senility,which is related to its anti-oxidative injury and protection on neurons.

Rare sugars were defined as monosaccharides and their derivatives that rarely exist in nature. They played an important role in food, health, medicine and etc A strategy for bioproduction of rare sugars, namely Izumoring, was described. By the Izumoring method, all monosaccharides and polyols could be linked, using enzymatic reaction with D-tagatose 3-epimerase, aldose isomerases and polyol dehydrogenases. Izumoring for hexoses, pentoses and tetroses were designed respectively. According to this strategy, the bioproduction routes of various rare sugars, using microbial and enzymatic reactions, could be obtained. In addition, the future research tendency of biotransformation of rare sugars was put forward.

Objective To access the changes of lung function of newborns with pneumonia and to investigate the feasibility of measuring lung function in the body plcthysmograph for diagnosing and treating respiratory diseases.Methods There were 117 infants,1 day after being diagnosed with mild or moderate pneumonia,aged 4-28 days,involved in the study,those who needed oxygen cure,mechanical ventilation,or had complications from pneumonia were ruled out.Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were performed in the baby body plethysmography to access tidal breathing,plethysmographic functional residual capacity (FRCp),and effective airway resistance (Reff).The other 126 contemporaneous healthy children took the same test for comparison.According to their ages,infants were grouped into 4-7 d,8-14 d,15-21 d and 22-28 d.Results Of the 117 infants with pneumonia,79 (67.5 ％ equivalently) had abnormal lung function.Compared with the controls,infants with pneumonia had significantly higher values of peak tidal expiratory flow [(59.4 ± 16.6) mL/s vs (52.9 ± 16.6) mL/s],expiratory flow at 75％ tidal volume [(57.4 ± 16.7) mL/s vs (49.5 ± 16.7) mL/s],special effective airway resistance (0.48 kPa · s vs O.27 kPa · s),Reff [6.96 kPa · s/L vs 4.82 kPa · s/L] and Reff per kilogram [1.99 kPa · s/(L · kg) vs 1.44 kPa · s/(L · kg)],but lower values of time to peak tidal expiratory flow as a percentage of total expiratory time [(26.5 ± 10.0) ％ vs (36.8 ± 9.9) ％],volume to peak tidal expiratory flow as a percentage of total expiratory volune [(27.9 ± 7.3) ％ vs (35.6 ± 8.4) ％]and expiratory flow at 25％ tidal volume [(36.3 ± 11.7) mL/s vs (40.1 ± 12.4) mL/s].There were no sig± nificant differences in the values of respiratory rate,FRCp and FRCp/kg between the pneumonia children and the healthy control chidren.Compared with the infants aged ≤ 14 days,there were more significant differences in relative parameters of lung funetion between the pneumonia group and the healthy control group for infants aged 15-28 days.Conclusions Newborns with pneumonia had a high ratio of abnormal lung function,which went up to 67.5％,and had apparent obstruction of small airways.Neonates with pneumonia aged 15-28 days had more apparent lesion of lang function.Measuring lang function by means of plethysmography among newborns is feasible and it can detect abnormal lung function sensitively.

Objective To investigate the location,fine structure of melanocytes in human fetal scalp hair follicles.Methods The scalp with hair follicles was obtained from a dead fetus of 6 months of age,and divided into two parts.One part was embedded in paraffin,tissue sections were prepared with a width of 7 μm and stained with NKI/beteb,monoclonal antibodies to HMB-45,tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein 1(TRP1),respectively.The other part with hair follicles was treated with collagenase type Ⅱ 0.1 g/L and trypsin,then,cell suspension was collected and cultured.After 14-day culture,follicle melanocyte cells (FMC)were separated from keratinocytes by differential trypsinization,and fibroblasts were removed with geneticin.Following three times of pure passage,FMC were seeded and fixed on mica for scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and atomic force microscope(AFM)scanning.Results Histopathological examination showed that NKI/beteb positive cells located at the outer root sheath of human hair follicles,and these cells stained negatively for HMB-45,tyrosinase and TRP1 antibodies.However,in the hair bulb,lots of cells expressed HMB-45,tyrosinase and TRP1 antigens.After fibroblasts and keratinocytes were removed,two kinds of melanocytes remained in the culture:one was small in number and showed abundant melanin,which was lost after subsequent passage;the othgr was large in number and had no melanin initially,but proliferated very rapidly.After three passages,almost all the melanocytes were positive for NKI/beteb.As SEM and AFM showed,most cultured melanocytes appeared fusiform with two(rarely three)dendrites,and the cell body was round or oval with a few melanosomes scattered in but no clear secondary branches on the dendrites.Conclusions The melanocytes in outer root sheath of hair follicles from the fetal scalp are presumed as melanocyte stem cells or their progenies.In vitro,these cells proliferate very rapidly during early phases,but the morphology and function of them still remain immature,which is unfavorable for melanosome transport.

Thermostable L-arabinose isomerase (L-AI) is the most potential enzyme for the biological production of D-tagatose from D-galactose, a novel functional factor. Gene araA encoding the L-arabinose isomerase from Bacillus stearothermophilis IAM 11001 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The araA gene of 1491 bp has 95% identity with L-AI from Thermus sp. IM6501. The GenBank accession number for the nucleotide sequence of this araA gene determined in this work is EU394214.The bacterium was induced by IPTG and analyzed by SDS-PAGE, approximately 59 kDa exogenous protein was observed on the SDS-PAGE. The recombinant L-AI was purified to electrophoretical homogeneity with affinity chromatography, and the activity of recombinant L-AI was also studied. The bioconversion rate of D-galactose to D-tagatose reached 39.4% after 24h whole cell reaction.

L-arabinose isomerase (L-AI) can isomerize L-arabinose and D-galactose into L-ribulose and D-tagatose, respectively, which is currently the most effective biological catalyst for D-tagatose production. The crystal structure of L-AI has been solved recently and its gene has been cloned, sequenced and overex- pressed. L-AI improved by protein engineering will be the dominant enzyme for industrial production of D-tagatose. This paper reviewed researches on protein structure and function, properties and application in D-tagatose production of L-AI, and the long-term potential development of L-AI was prospected.

BACKGROUND: Posterior transarticular screw fixation (Magerl’s) is recommended for atlantoaxial instability. However,some patients do not suit for Magerl’s fixation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of atlantoaxial pedicle screw system in the treatment of atlantoaxial instability from odontoid fracture. DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING: The retrospective case analysis was performed at the Department of Orthopedics,Sichuan People’s Hospital between July 2004 and June 2007. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one cases of atlantoaxial instability from odontoid fracture were selected. According to Anderson and D’Alonzo classification,9 of them belonged to type II odontoid fracture with atlantoaxial instability and 12 to type Ⅲ with severe atlantoaxial dislocation. All cases suffered pain at occipitocervical part and limited activities of cervical spine. According to Frankel classification in function of spinal cord,16 cases of them belonged to Grade E and 5 cases to D. METHODS: All cases were fixed with C1 and C2 pedicle screws system following skull traction and reduction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Biocompatibility between materials and host; bone graft fusion and functional improvement. RESULTS: No vertebral artery injury or spinal injury was found during operation,neither incision infection was. All cases were followed up for at least 8 months. Postoperative radiograph and CT detection revealed good positions of all screws with no loosening or breakage. All fractures healed within 5 months,and activities of cervical vertebra were not obviously limited except slightly limited rotation function. As for nerve function,5 cases of Grade D recovered up to Grade E. CONCLUSION: Posterior pedicle screw fixation system exhibits no specific biocompatibility responses. It greatly improves atlantoaxial stability and promotes functional recovery of spinal cord but has little influence on cervical function.

·AIM: To study the effects of 10g/L hydralazine eye drops on 35mg/kg NaIO3-induced degeneration in rat eyes. · METHODS: Various doses of NalO3 and/or saline alone were injected into Brown Norway rats from hypoglossal vein. After 3, 7, 14 or 28 days of injection, ERG a-, b-, c- wave, fast oscillation (FO) and light peak (LP) were measured along with retinal colored pictures and fluorescein angiography taken. Some rats were chosen to study the histology of retinas by light microscopy and autofluorescence of retina flatmounts. Different concen- trations of NaIO3 were given to RPE-19 cells, and cell proliferation rate was measured. For hydralazine study, 35mg/kg NaIO3 was injected into Brown Norway rat from hypoglossal vein. NaIO3 group was treated with saline alone after NaIO3 injection, 10g/L hydralazine + NaIO3 group was treated with 10g/L hydralazine eyedrops after NaIO3 injection whereas normal group was treated with saline alone without NalO3 injection. All eyedrops were instilled locally 3 times a day for 4 weeks and ERG c-wave was measured at the end of 2 and 4 weeks.· RESULTS: After NaIO3 administration, the amplitude of all ERG waves fell markedly in large dose groups at 30, 40 or 60mg/kg NaIO3. Not many changes were observed in groups treated with < 30mg/kg NaIO3. Some retinal necrosis appeared from 3 days post-injection (PI) in 30mg/kg NaIO3 group, which became more serious in larger dose groups or longer treatment time, but no apparent change was found in smaller dose groups. Similarly, on the retina flatmount, RPE monolayer showed necrosis from 3 days PI in the 30mg/kg NaIO3 and larger dose groups. On histological examination, no significant change was seen in 30mg/kg NaIO3 and lower concentration groups. In cell culture experiment, changes were found in RPE-19 cells proliferation rate with a concentration of NaIO3 at 30mg/L or higher. In hydralazine experiments, 4 weeks after injection of NaIO3, ERG c-wave fell markedly in NaIO3 group to 31% of control group (P < 0.01). The ERG c-wave of hydra- lazine + NaIO3 group fell only to 50% of control group (P<0.05). This was a 61% reversal of the c-wave of NaIO3 treated group. · CONCLUSION: RPE degeneration induced by NaIO3 was both dose and time dependent. Around 30 to 40 mg/kg NaIO3 would be the optimal to be used as a non-exudative age-related macular degeneration rat model. Hydralazine may postpone the development of non-exudative age- related macular degeneration.

Objectives:To learn about the attitudes toward the "Global Minimum Essential Requirements(GMER) in medical education" between Chinese doctors and graduates from the same medical university and to offer reference for spreading GMER in China.Methods: To investigate the subbjects using a questionnaire describing the related abilities of GMER.Description,rank test,multivariate analysis of variance and factor analysis are applied in data analysis.Results: In general,there are different attitudes toward GMER between doctors and graduates.13 of 23 items have statistical significance in scores between groups.The proportion of person considering every item as important or very important among doctors is higher than that among graduates.There is statistical significance between groups on the transformed score in 7 domains of GMER.The domain of topmost score is "clinical skills",and of the lowermost one is "community health & health system".Conclusions: Doctors and graduates both accept GMER.They both pay attention to occupational skills,but ignore the public health.Doctors think much of basic knowledge,while graduates are short of the cognition on "Information Management".