OBJECTIVETo compare the effect of citric acid stimulation on salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), total protein (TP), salivary flow rate, and pH value between Pi deficiency (PD) children and healthy children, thereby providing evidence for Pi controlling saliva theory.

METHODSTwenty PD children were recruited, and 29 healthy children were also recruited at the same time. Saliva samples from all subjects were collected before and after citric acid stimulation. The sAA activity and amount, TP contents, salivary flow rate, and pH value were determined and compared.

RESULTS(1) Citric acid stimulation was able to significantly increase salivary flow rate, pH value, sAA activities, sAA specific activity and sAA amount (including glycosylated and non-glycosylated sAA amount) in healthy children (P<0.05), while it could markedly increase salivary flow rate, pH value, and glycosylated sAA levels in PD children (P<0.05); (2) Although there was no statistical difference in determined salivary indices between the two groups (P>0.05), salivary indices except salivary flow rate and glycosylated sAA levels decreased more in PD children. There was statistical difference in sAA activity ratio, sAA specific activity ratio, and the ratio of glycosylated sAA levels between PD children and healthy children (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONPD children had decreased response to citric acid stimulation.

Child ; Citric Acid ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Saliva ; Salivary alpha-Amylases ; metabolism ; alpha-Amylases

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between the common variant rs1512268 single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) of NKX3.1 gene and the risk of prostate cancer,and to explore its interaction with related risk factors.MethodsTotally 122 patients with prostate cancer and 105 age matched male people (prostatic specific antigen ＜ 4 μg/L,without family history of prostate cancer) as control group were enrolled.Polymerase chain reaction - high resolution melting curve(PCR - HRM) combined with gene sequencing methods were used to determine the distribution of allele and genotype frequencies of the rs1512268 SNP.ResultsThe distributions of GG,AG,AA genotypes were 42 cases(33.4％),66 cases(54.1％),14 cases(11.5％) in patients with prostate cancer,and 45 cases(42.9％),51 cases(48.6％),9 cases(8.6％) in healthy control,respectively.There were no significant differences in the distribution of genotype(x2 =1.70,0.69,0.52) and allele frequency (x2 =1.575) between the two groups(P＞ 0.05).The different genotypes of rs1512268 of NKX3.1 gene were not associated with age,Gleason score,PSA levels and clinical stage of prostate cancer (P＞0.05). Conclusions rs1512268 SNP of NKX3.1 gene is not obviously associated with prostate cancer and may be not the genetic risk factor in Chinese.

Objective To investigate the methylation status in the promoter region of Dickkopf-3 (Dkk3) gene in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS),and to initially explore the relationship between the methylation of this gene and survival time.Methods Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) was applied to measure the promoter methylation of Dkk3 gene in 43 bone marrow or peripheral blood samples of MDS patients.As controls,70 normal peripheral blood samples from general outpatients were examined.Results In 43 patients with MDS,7 patients (16.3 ％) showed Dkk3 gene methylation.And 5 of them were semi-methylation status,2 of them were exhaustive methylation status.In 70 controls,1 showed Dkk3 gene semi-methylation.The frequency of methylation in MDS patients was significantly higher than that of controls (x2 =8.93,P =0.005).In the Dkk3 methylation group,2/7 were from bone marrow and 5/7 were from peripheral blood.Meanwhile,2 patients were RA,1 patient was RCMD,4 patients were RAEB.There was no significant difference between the different sample source (bone marrow or peripheral blood) for the results of the methylation status (x2 =0.051,P =0.821).Either between the different sex,age,type,chromosome and WPSS score (P ＞ 0.05).The progress of disease didn't influence the methylation frequency (P ＞ 0.05).The smvival analysis showed no relationship between the methylation of this gene and smvival time.Conclusions In this MDS group,there is high level of methyl-modification in Dkk3 gene.The methylation of Dkk3 might be one of the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the progress of patients with MDS.The peripheral blood sample maybe a better substitute in detective of Dkk3 with MDS.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the metabolic levels of energy and substance in chronic superficial gastritis (CSG) patients of Pi deficiency syndrome (PDS) and of Pi-Wei hygropyrexia syndrome (PWHS), including lipid, protein, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, trace element, and energy metabolism, and to study the pathogenesis mechanism of PDS from substance and energy metabolisms.

METHODSRecruited were 8 CSG patients who visited at First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June 2004 to March 2005, including 4 patients of PDS and 4 of PWHS. Their gastric mucosae were used for experiments of DNA microarray. The dual-channel DNA microarray data were bioinformatically analyzed by BRB ArrayTools and IPA Software.

RESULTSObtained were fifty-six differentially expressed genes involved in substance and energy metabolisms with the expression fold more than 2, including 11 genes up-regulated and 45 genes down-regulated. Of them, genes correlated to lipid metabolism included CRLS1, LRP11, FUT9, GPCPD1, PIGL, SULT1A4, B3GNT1, ST8SIA4, and ACADVL, mainly involved in the metabolic processes of fatty acid, cholesterol, phospholipids, and glycolipid. Genes correlated to protein metabolism included ASRGL1, AARSD1, EBNA1BP2, PUM2, MRPL52, C120RF65, PSMB8, PSME2, UBA7, RNF11, FBXO44, ZFYVE26, CHMP2A, SSR4, SNX4, RAB3B, RABL2A, GOLGA2, KDELR1, PHPT1, ACPP, PTPRF, CRKL, HDAC7, ADPRHL2, B3GNT1, ST8SIA4, DDOST, and FUT9, mainly involved in the biosynthesis processes of protein, ubiquitination, targeted transport and post-translation modification. Genes correlated to nucleic acid metabolism included DFFB, FLJ35220, TOP2A, SF3A3, CREB3, CRTC2, NR1D2, MED6, GTF2IRD1, C1ORF83, ZNF773, and ZMYND11, mainly involved in DNA replication and repair, transcription regulation. Genes correlated to carbohydrate metabolism included AGL, B3GNT1, FUT9, ST8SIA4, SULT1A4, DDOST, and PIGL, mainly involved in glucogen degradation and glycoconjugate biosynthesis. Genes correlated to trace element metabolism included COMMD1, SLC39A6, FTL, CHRFAM7A, SCGN, and S100A6, mainly involved in ion metabolisms of copper, zinc, ferri, and calcium. Genes correlated to energy metabolism included AK3 and COX7B, mainly involved in mitochondria structure and oxidative phosphorylation processes.

CONCLUSIONThe metabolic levels of energy and substance including lipid, protein, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, and trace element were obviously reduced in patients of PDS, which might be an important pathogenesis mechanism for its occurrence.

Adult ; Energy Metabolism ; genetics ; Female ; Gastritis ; diagnosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Transcriptome

OBJECTIVETo analyze the metabolic states of the lipids, protein, carbohydrate, and nucleic acid for chronic superficial gastritis patients of splenasthenic syndrome (SS), and to explore the pathogenesis mechanism of SS based on substance and energy metabolisms.

METHODSDuring June 2004 to March 2005, recruited were four chronic superficial gastritis patients of SS who visited at the First Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Four healthy volunteers were recruited from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. Their gastric mucosa was extracted to perform experiments of DNA microarray. The dual-channel DNA microarray data were mined and bioinformatics analyzed by BRB ArrayTools and IPA software.

RESULTSFifteen genes were involved in substance and energy metabolisms in 20 differentially expressed genes, accounting for 75%.Among these genes, one gene was up-regulated, 14 genes down-regulated, and 11 genes were enzyme gene. Differentially expressed genes related to lipid metabolism included ACAA2 and CYP20A1, manifested as fatty acid catabolism and cholesterol transformation. Genes related to protein metabolism included ALDH9A1, ASL, ASS1, PCY-OX1L, RPS28, UBE2D2, UBXN1, B3GNT1, GCNT1, and PPP1R3C, manifested as decreased amino acid metabolism that may affect the biologic processes such as autonomic nerve, urea cycle, etc., reduced protein synthesis, increased ubiquitination of fault fold proteins, and decreased post-translated modification of glycosylation and dephosphorylation. Genes related to carbohydrate metabolism included PPP1R3C, B3GNT1, and GCNT1, manifested as decreased glycogen and glycan syntheses. Genes related to nucleic acid metabolism included RMI1, SMARCD3, and PARP1, manifested as degraded DNA duplication and transcription, and increased DNA damage repair.

CONCLUSIONSThe metabolisms of the lipids, protein, carbohydrate, and nucleic acid in chronic superficial gastritis patients of SS obviously decreased, manifested mainly as down-regulated enzyme gene expression. We inferred that these might be one of the vital pathogenesis mechanisms for nutrition dysmetabolism of SS.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Energy Metabolism ; genetics ; Female ; Gastritis ; diagnosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Young Adult

Adult ; Dizziness ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; pharmacology ; Male ; Midazolam ; pharmacology ; Naval Medicine ; Young Adult

Objective To compare the effects of hepatic vein occlusion with tourniquet and Satinsky clamp in reseeting liver tumor involving the second hepatic portal.Methods From Jan 2003 to Jun 2006,180 patients underwent major liver resection with the selective hepatic vascular exclusion (SHVE).According to methods of hepatic vein occlusion,they were divided into two groups:Occlusion with tourniquet(tourniquet group,n=95)and occlusion with Satinsky clamp(Satinsky clamp group,n= 85).In tourniquet group,the hepatic veins were encircled and occluded with tourniquet,and in Satinsky clamp group,the hepatic veins were not encircled and clamped directly with Satinsky clamp.Data regarding the intraoperative and postoperative courses of the patients were analyzed.Results There was no difference between the two groups regarding the operating time,ischemia time,intraoperative blood loss and postoperative complications rate.The dissecting time of hepatic veins was significantly shorter in Satinsky group(6.2?2.4 min vs 18.3?6.2 min).lu the tourniquet group,five hepatic veins(one fight hepatic vein and four common trunk of left-middle hepatic veins)could not be dissected and encircled because of the tumors involving the cava hepatic junction.Another patient's common trunk of left-middle hepatic vein was inadvertently lacerated during the dissection.Hepatic veins in these 6 patients were occluded with Satinsky clamp successfully.Conclusion Occlusion with Satinsky clamping is safer and easier procedure than tourniquets in the resection of liver tumor involving the second porta hepatis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of sodium ferulate (SF), an intravenous drug made from traditional Chinese herbs, on activation of postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) and neuroprotection after transient cerebral artery occlusion in rats.

METHODSForty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 2 groups (n=23 in each group): the control group and the SF group. After anesthesia, the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was conducted with the intraluminal filament technique. The neurological deficit was assessed with the method devised by Bederson et al. The 2,3,4-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining was used to assess the infarct volume. We adopted a modified six-point scale to conduct neurobehavioral evaluation. Immediately the activation of postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) was studied with Western blot analysis system in the cortex and striatum of rat brain.

RESULTSThe neurologic deficit score of the SF group decreased substantially compared with that of the control group (P<0.05). The infarct volume of the control group (168.1 mm3 +/- 42.2 mm3) was significantly larger than that of the SF group (61.5 mm3 +/- 28.7 mm3) at 24 hours after reperfusion (P<0.01). And the rats showed some neurological deficit. The activity of PSD-95 in the SF group at most timepoints was less than that in the control group. No upregulation of PSD-95 protein could be detected in the contralateral cortex.

CONCLUSIONSSodium ferulate can induce a neuroprotective effect against the transient focal cerebral ischemic injury and weaken the activation of PSD-95 in ischemic area after MCAO.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Brain Infarction ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Coumaric Acids ; therapeutic use ; Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Neuroprotective Agents ; therapeutic use ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Treatment Outcome

Adolescent ; Adult ; Dust ; analysis ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Pneumoconiosis ; prevention & control ; Sentinel Surveillance ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Welding ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of Bushen Shuji Granule (BSG) in treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients.

METHODSA prospective randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out in 62 active stage AS patients with Shen deficiency Du-channel cold syndrome (SDDCS), who were randomly assigned to the BSG group (treated with BSG) and the control group (treated with Celecoxib Capsule). Twelve weeks consisted of one therapeutic course. Therapeutic effects were evaluated by ASAS20 and ASAS40 (set by Assessments in Ankylosing Spondylitis working group) , BASDA150, Chinese medical (CM) syndrome efficacy evaluation standards. BASDAI, the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), the Bath AS Metrology Index (BASMI), scores for spine pain, scores for pain at night, patient global assessment (PGA) , erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) , and C reactive protein (CRP) were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSAfter three-month treatment by BSG, ASAS20 standard rate was 63. 33% (19/30 cases) in the BSG group and 66.67% (20/30 cases) in the control group with no significant difference between the two groups (χ2 = 0.073, P > 0.05). The efficacy for CM syndromes was 70.00% (21/30 cases) in the BSG group, higher than that in the control group [40.00% (12/30 cases), χ2 = 5.455, P < 0.05]. Scores for CM syndromes, BASDAI, night pain index, spinal pain index, PGA, CRP were improved in the BSG group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The incidence of adverse events in the BSG group was lower than that of the control group.

CONCLUSIONBSG based on Shen supplementing, Du-channel strengthening, blood activating, and channels dredging method had good short-term clinical efficacy and safety in treating AS.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biomedical Research ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Pain ; Prospective Studies ; Safety ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; drug therapy