AIM:To evaluate the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)on the expression of cyclin D1,growth arrest,DNA damage inducible gene 153(GADD153),and its roles involved in cell cycle regulation and DNA repair in starvation-induced ovarian cancer CAOV3 cells apoptosis.METHODS:Apoptosis of ovarian cancer CAOV3 cells was induced by serum-free culture(starvation).After bFGF treatment,the cell proliferation rate,cell cycle and apoptosis were determined by MTT,FACS analysis and agarose electrophoresis,respectively.The expression of c-Fos,c-Jun and cyclin D1,GADD153 were detected by Western blotting.RESULTS:bFGF increased the cell proliferation and prevented starvation-induced cell apoptosis.In a time-dependent manner,bFGF induced the expression of c-Fos,c-Jun and cyclin D1 and inhibited GADD153.CONCLUSION:bFGF plays a critical role in anti-apoptosis and the proliferation in human ovarian cancer by upregulating the expression of c-Fos,c-Jun and cyclin D1 and inhibiting GADD153.

China has a large population with different levels of medical care among the eastern, central and western areas. The national universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) programme was initiated in 1999 and then progressively implemented nationwide. A "National UNHS Experts Group" was set up, formulating the national UNHS administration rules and technological specifications. 3 March had been named as national "ear-care day" since 2000 and such social activities help make deafness prevention work more widely accepted. UNHS in China presently has 3 phases due to disparities in economic development. 1) Implementation in stages: in economically under-developed areas. 2) Implementation completed: in the coastal cities. 3) Beyond basic UNHS: i) Development of a completed UNHS system including follow-up and quality control based on the neonatal disease screening system, ii) Exploration of a new public health care programme: simultaneous screening of newborn hearing and ocular disease, iii) Carrying out of a multi-centre study on high-risk factors and GJB2 gene mutations in newborn with non-syndromic hearing impairment. The incidence of newborn bilateral hearing loss was 2.22 per 1000, and 2.74 per 1000 for unilateral hearing loss. Though UNHS have been carried out widely in the eastern parts of China, there are difficulties for its implementation in the western regions. Economic development and technical expertise are the main restricting factors.
China ; Connexins ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; National Health Programs ; Neonatal Screening ; Program Evaluation

OBJECTIVETo evaluate whether the self-blood has influence on the molding process of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement, and to make sure whether it is valuable for the clinical practice.

METHODSAn in vitro study was performed to evaluate the prolonging-effect of self-blood on PMMA bone cement. The effect of prolonging was evaluated by the dough time (TD) and operable time (TO). Moreover, hardness test, squeezing value test and peak temperature test were also conducted to complete the evaluation of this program.

RESULTSThe self-blood, especially the plasma, could greatly prolong the handling time of PMMA bone cement without affecting its basic characteristics including hardness, leakage level and peak temperature. On the other hand, we found that in some abnormal conditions, for example with hyperlipemia, self-blood though can also prolong the handling time, would cause some side-effects.

CONCLUSIONWe report a new effective way to prolong the handling time of PMMA bone cement by adding moderate amount of self-blood. But "individualized medicine" should be noticed because some abnormal conditions like hyperlipemia would cause undesired side-effects.

Blood ; Bone Cements ; chemistry ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Materials Testing ; Polymethyl Methacrylate ; chemistry

AIM: To study caspase-9 expression on rat retina in the process of chronic elevation of IOP and the changes with the application of amino guanidine (AG), thus to investigate potential protective function of AG to rat retina with chronic elevation of IOP.METHODS: Immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and Western blot were used to observe retinal morphology and expression of caspase-9 at different time points of rat with chronic IOP elevation, both affected or not affected by the application of AG.RESULTS: Compared with control group, as time passed retina of experimental group gradually had detectable morphological changes. On 21st day of chronic IOP elevation, retinas became thinner and the quantity of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) decreased; caspase-9 expression increased, consistent with the morphological changes. The group using AG presented relatively smaller morphology changes and less expression of caspase-9.CONCLUSION: Apoptosis-related gene caspase-9 played a part in the process of chronic IOP elevation; AG protects retina by down-regulating expression of caspase-9.

AIMTo study the effects of ginkgolide B on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)--induced TNFalpha production in mouse peritoneal macrophages and NF-kappaB activation in rat pleural polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

METHODSL929 crystal violet staining assay was used to show the level of TNFalpha released from mouse peritoneal macrophages induced by LPS. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to determine NF-kappaB binding activities.

RESULTSGinkgolide B (1, 10 micromol x L(-1)) was shown to significantly inhibit LPS (10 mg x L(-1))-induced TNFalpha production in mouse peritoneal macrophages, the IC50 was 0.26 micromol x L(-1); LPS (1 mg x L(-1)) and PAF (1 nmol , L(-1)) were shown to increase the NF-kappaB binding activities in rat pleural polymorphonuclear leukocytes; ginkgolide B (10 micromol x L(-1)) was found to inhibit LPS (1 mg x L(-1))-induced NF-kappaB activation in rat pleural polymorphonuclear leukocytes; ginkgolide B (1, 10 micromol x L(-1)) was shown to inhibit PAF (1 nmol x L(-1))-induced NF-kappaB activation in rat pleural polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

CONCLUSIONThe inhibition of NF-kappaB activation and TNFalpha production might be considered to be part of the mechanisms underlying the antiinflammatory action of ginkgolide B; PAF is involved in activation of the NF-kappaB pathway stimulated with LPS.

Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Diterpenes ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Ginkgo biloba ; chemistry ; Ginkgolides ; Lactones ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Neutrophils ; enzymology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Platelet Activating Factor ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; biosynthesis

BACKGROUNDStandardized screening tools for Parkinson syndrome have not been developed for non-western populations. This study aimed to validate the Copiah County questionnaire (CCQ) as a screening instrument in a Chinese rural population.

METHODSAll participants of a previously reported prevalent study were interviewed using CCQ. The participants who answered yes to at least one item on CCQ were defined as positive. The Parkinson's disease (PD) diagnosis was established using United Kingdom Parkinson's disease Brain Bank Clinical diagnosis criteria (UKPDBBC) and served as a gold standard to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) for the questionnaire.

RESULTSAmong 16 130 participants, 2872 (17.8%) were screened positive for CCQ and 13 258 negative (82.2%). Among the 697 participants diagnosed as having Parkinson syndrome, 605 were positive for CCQ, and 92 were negative, leading to a sensitivity of 86.8%. Out of the 15 433 non-Parkinson syndrome participants, 13 166 were negative to CCQ, giving a specificity of 85.3%. Among the 2872 participants screened positive, 605 were diagnosed with Parkinson syndrome, and their PPV was 21.1%. For the 13 258 participants screened negative on CCQ, 92 were diagnosed with Parkinson syndrome and 13 166 did not have Parkinson syndrome, leading to a NPV of 99.3%.

CONCLUSIONSCCQ appeared to have satisfactory statistical parameters to serve as a screening instrument for Parkinson syndrome in this rural Chinese population. Further studies may prove the utility of this short questionnaire in Parkinson syndrome screening among Chinese populations including those residing in rural areas.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parkinsonian Disorders ; diagnosis ; Rural Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy of imported pulmonary surfactant (PS) pig lung phospholipids injection (pig PS) and domestic cattle lung surface-active agent (cattle PS) for the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS).

METHODSA total of 180 cases of grade IV NRDS receiving pig PS (n=90) or cattle PS treatment (n=90) were enrolled. The blood gas analysis and chest X-ray results and the incidence of complications after treatment, and hospitalization time and cost were compared between the two treatment groups.

RESULTSThe efficiency rate in the pig PS group (97%) was higher than in the catle PS group (83%) (P<0.01). The cure rate in the pig PS group was also higher than in the cattle PS group (84% vs 66%; P<0.01). The incidence of pneumothorax in the pig PS group was lower than in the cattle PS group (3% vs 7%; P<0.05). The hospitalization time in the pig PS group was shorter than in the cattle PS group (21 ± 4 days vs 23 ± 4 days; P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the total hospitalization cost between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSPig PS seems to be superior to cattle PS in the treatment of grade IV NRDS.

Animals ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Cattle ; Female ; Hospitalization ; economics ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Pulmonary Surfactants ; therapeutic use ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; complications ; drug therapy ; Swine

In this study, we cloned the NS3 gene from bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) VEDEVAC strain. The result showed that the average P-distance of Pestivirus NS3 amino acid sequence was 0.07 and the VEDEVAC strain was classified to BVDV type 1. Using pET-30a(+) as vector and Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3) as host, we obtained purified recombinant NS3 protein by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that both BVDV positive serum and classical swine fever virus (CSFV) positive serum were able to recognize the recombinant NS3 protein. Indirect-ELISA assay indicated that the protein could be used as detection antigen.
Animals ; Cattle ; Cloning, Molecular ; Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral ; genetics ; immunology ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Peptide Hydrolases ; genetics ; immunology ; Phylogeny ; RNA Helicases ; genetics ; immunology ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Sequence Analysis, Protein ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins ; genetics ; immunology

This study is to explore the effect of ginkgolide B (BN52021) on the production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-6 and regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) from astrocytes induced by stimulators. Primary cultured rat astrocytes were stimulated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS), the production of NO was assayed using Griess reaction; U251 cells were stimulated with IL-1 beta, the contents of IL-6 and RANTES in the supernatant were measured using ELISA. The mRNA expressions of IL-6 and RANTES were detected using RT-PCR. LPS (10 ng mL(-1) to 10 microg mL(-1)) could stimulate rat astrocytes to produce NO in a dose-dependent manner. Ginkgolide B at the concentrations of 0.1-10 micromol L(-1) were shown to decrease NO production significantly. IL-1 beta could induce the mRNA expression and protein secretion of IL-6 from U251 cells, as well as RANTES. Ginkgolide B at concentrations of 0.1-10 micromol L(-1) were shown to inhibit RANTES secretion, and to inhibit mRNA expression of IL-6 and RANTES at concentration of 10 micromol L(-1). Ginkgolide B has inhibitory effect on the production of NO, IL-6 and RANTES from astrocytes treated with inflammatory stimulators.
Animals ; Astrocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cells, Cultured ; Chemokine CCL5 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Ginkgolides ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Glioblastoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta ; Interleukin-6 ; genetics ; secretion ; Lactones ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Platelet Activating Factor ; antagonists & inhibitors ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Objective To estimate tone-pip auditory brainstem response(tone-pip ABR) and auditory steady-state response(ASSR)thresholds to follow the development of hearing in four groups of normal babies through the first 6 month of life and to make a comparison between the tone-pip ABR and ASSR for 0.25-8 kHz frequency range at different groups. Methods The tone-pip ABR and ASSR were recorded in four groups of normal hearing infants(160 ears)at the age of 2-4 day,6 weeks,3-month and 6-month.Tone-pip ABR and ASSR thresholds were established in 0.25,0.5,1,2,4 and 8 kHz stimuli. Results For click ABR, the wave latency of Ⅰ,Ⅲ,Ⅴ and inter-wave latency of Ⅰ-Ⅲ,Ⅲ-Ⅴ and Ⅰ-Ⅴdecreased as the age increase. The developmental changes were obvious in wave Ⅰ and Ⅲ before 6 weeks and 3 months respectively. Tone-pip ABR had the similar waveform as the click ABR With the frequency increasing, their waveforms and wave latencies of Ⅰ,Ⅲ and Ⅴ were getting better and shorter respectively. There was significant difference between the thresholds of tone-pip ABR and ASSR(all P＜0.05 ).The tone-pip ABR thresholds were significantly lower than those of ASSR from 0.5 to 8 kHz. Both ASSR and tone-pip ABR had similar audiograms for different age of infants with normal heating. Conclusions The longitudinal findings presented in this study suggest that with the maturational development, the wave latency of Ⅰ,Ⅲ,Ⅴand inter-wave latency of Ⅰ-Ⅲ,Ⅲ-Ⅴ and Ⅰ-Ⅴ of tone-pip ABR decrease as the age increase, while the hearing sensitivity have no changes. Both tone-pip ABR and ASSR have stable frequency specificity. Compared to the ASSR, tone-pip ABR have lower response threshold and maybe nearer to the hearing level of the infant.