AIM:To explore the changes and significance of Kupffer cells in the process of tree shrew chroni -cally infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV).METHODS:The animals were divided into 3 groups.Group A consists of 6 tree shrews that were identified as persistently infected with HBV;group B consists of 3 tree shrews that were suspected as persistently infected with HBV;group C consists of 4 tree shrews that were not inoculated with HBV and were applied as normal controls.Liver biopsies were collected regularly from all animals , and the Kupffer cells were isolated , purified and primarily cultured.The techniques of flow cytometry , immunohistochemistry, lysosomal fluorescent probe staining and real-time RT-PCR were applied to determine the number and function of these Kupffer cells .RESULTS: The result showed that the count and proportion of CD 163+cells in group A were significantly higher than those in group B and group C ( P<0.05).Meanwhile, the fluorescence intensity levels of lysosomal , the number of lysozyme-positive cells and the mRNA ex-pression level of TNF-αin the Kupffer cells in group A were significantly lower than those in group B and group C ( P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Kupffer cells may play a regulatory role during host’s chronic HBV infection.

OBJECTIVETo determine the role of sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor (S1PRs ) signaling in CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell transmigration.

METHODSCD34(+) cells were separated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation and incubated in DMEM medium with 10% fetal calf serum. The cells were pretreated by FTY720, with or without pertussis toxin (PTX) and antiCXCR4 mAb in the medium, followed by addition of 100 ng/ml SDF-1 into the lower chamber of a Costar 24-well transwell. The migrated cells were counted using FACS and the migrating rates were determined. The expressions of sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors were analyzed in CD34(+) cells before and after the transmigration by reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cord blood CD34(+) cells were treated with or without FTY720 (10(+) mol/L), and the expressions of CD49d (VLA-4), CD11a (LFA-1), and CD62L (L-selectin) were analyzed at 1, 8, and 16 h after the treatment.

RESULTSWhile FTY720 did not affect spontaneous migration, a substantial increase of SDF-1-induced transmigration was observed in the presence of FTY720 (15.26 2.14 to 28.64 2.37). The FTY720-enhanced transmigration was completely blocked by addition of PTX or antiCXCR4 mAb. S1p1-5 was expressed in fresh isolated cord blood CD34(+) cells. The migrating cells stimulated by FTY720 and SDF-1 only expressed S1P1, S1P3, and S1P4. The expressions of CD49d, CD11a and CD62L on CD34(+) cells treated with FTY720 remained unchanged at the selected time points as compared with the control.

CONCLUSIONSS1PRs are involved the transmigration of CD34(+) cells. The activation of S1PRs results in increased chemotactic response of CD34(+) to SDF-1. These effects are mediated through CXCR4 and PTX-sensitive Gi proteins. Only the CD34(+) cells expressing the specific receptors can rapidly transmigrate. The activation of the S1PRs does not affect the expressions of the adhesion molecules on cord blood CD34(+) cells.

Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Cell Movement ; Cells, Cultured ; Chemokine CXCL12 ; pharmacology ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; Fingolimod Hydrochloride ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Propylene Glycols ; pharmacology ; Receptors, Lysosphingolipid ; metabolism ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; Sphingosine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo establish the methods of calculating and analyzing the multi-coefficient of variation significance test for the toxicology study.

METHODSThe paper aimed to confirm the significance level with the method of Bonferroni and then compared the methods of calculating and analyzing of the experiment groups with the control group respectively.

RESULTSThe significance level of multi-coefficient of variation significance test was confirmed as alpha1=0.0167. Compared with the control groups, the activity of ALT in serum both in 30 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg groups did not change in the average significance test, which was not statistically significant (P>0.05), while it changed in the variation significance test, which was of statistical significance (P<0.0167). The activity of AST in serum in 60 mg/kg group did not change in the average significance test (P>0.05), while it changed in the variation significance test (P<0.0167).

CONCLUSIONThe complete changes of the indexes can only be shown by use of both the average significance test and the variation significance test together.

Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Lead Poisoning ; enzymology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Statistical Distributions

OBJECTIVEIn order to explore the existence of SARS coronavirus (Co-V) and/or its RNA in sewage of hospitals administered SARS patients.

METHODSA novel electropositive filter was used to concentrate the SARS-CoV from the sewage of two hospitals administered SARS patients in Beijing, including twelve 2,500 ml sewage samples from the hospitals before disinfection, and ten 25,000 ml samples after disinfection; as well as cell culture, RT-PCR and sequencing of gene to detect and identify the viruses from sewage.

RESULTSThere was no live SARS-CoV detected in the sewage in this study. The nucleic acid of SARS-CoV had been found in the 12 sewage samples before disinfection from both hospitals by semi-nested PCR. After disinfection, SARS-CoV RNA could only be detected from the samples from the 309th Hospital, and the others were negative.

CONCLUSIONIt provides evidence that there is no live SARS-Cov in the sewage from hospitals with SARS patients though SARS-CoV RNA can be detected.

Hospitals ; Humans ; Nucleocapsid ; analysis ; RNA, Viral ; analysis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; virology ; Sewage ; virology

Perilla frutescens is a traditional medicinal and edible plant widely distributed in China and enjoys an extensive usage. P. frutescens contains multiple essential oils， which are composed of monoterpenes， sesquiterpenes， and their oxygen-containing derivatives. Compared with other parts of P. frutescens， Perillae Folium produce more oils， with volatile oils as the main constituents. There are many active substances in the volatile oils from Perillae Folium， mainly including perillaldehyde， perillaketone， perillaalcohol， D-limonene， β-caryophylene， etc. Such factors as germplasm， growth environment， extraction method， cultivation time， and harvest period all can trigger changes in volatile oil constituents and content from Perillae Folium. The volatile oils from Perillae Folium have diverse pharmacological effects like anti-oxidation， anti-bacteria， anti-inflammation， vasodilation， anti-tumor， and anti-depression， implying its high clinical application value. However， the chemical constituents in volatile oils from Perillae Folium are complex and unstable and their pharmacological activities are affected by many factors， so the safety and effectiveness of clinical medication fail to be guaranteed， which may has impeded the rational and effective use of these volatile oils. Many scholars in China and abroad have conducted a lot of research on the volatile oils from Perillae Folium， but there is currently no systematic and comprehensive research report on the chemical constituents of volatile oils from Perillae Folium and their pharmacological effects. This paper reviewed the relevant domestic and foreign literature， analyzed the development status of volatile oils from Perillae Folium， and summarized their extraction process， chemical constituents， and pharmacological actions， aiming to provide a reference for their further development， clinical application， and risk assessment.

Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics* ; Microspheres ; Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology* ; Mutation ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Fluoroquinolones ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics* ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant/microbiology*

Humans ; Asthma/drug therapy* ; Biological Therapy