Objective To evaluate the predisposition effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) ,angiotensinogen (AGT) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene polymorphisms on coronary disease (CHD) as well as their possible synergistic effect in the development of CHD in Chinese aged people. Methods The study included 191 subjects (100 CHD and 91 controls). Gene chip technology was performed. The allele frequency and genotype distribution were compared between groups. Results A significantly higher frequency of the DD genotype of ACE gene was observed in CHD group (28.0% vs 15. 4%, P0. 05). Subjects carrying ACE DD and AGT TT genotypes or those carrying AGT TT and eNOS TT genotypes showed a stronger association withCHD(OR=2. 9, P

Panax ginseng is the king of herbs and plays important roles in the traditional Chinese medicine industry. In this paper, we summarized the development of ginseng cultivation in China and other main countries, analyzed the effects of ecological factors of soil and climate on ginseng distribution, and investigated the characteristic of main cultivation patterns (conversion of forest to cultivate ginseng soils, cultivated ginseng in the farmland and wild nursery). Aimed at the serious issues in the cultivation, research strategies have been provided to guarantee the sustainable development of the ginseng industry. The patterns of cultivated ginseng in the farmland should be strive to develop; pollution-free cultivation and studies of continuous cropping obstacles should be carried out; ginseng varieties suited to ecological environment of farmland should be bred using modern biotechnology.
Agriculture ; methods ; China ; Climate ; Ecosystem ; Panax ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Soil ; chemistry

A strain of cellulolytic bacterium was isolated from soil by cellulostic plate. The morphological and physiological properties of this strain were studied. According to Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology ,the strain was identified as a new strain of the Sporocytophaga.

Township and Village Health Services Integration Management (TVHSIM) is an essential form of China's two-tiered health service integration plan at the township and village level.Its main purpose,also one of the target goals in China's new healthcare reform,is to gradually integrate rural health services and appropriately allocate rural health resources.This study aims to assess the village doctors' satisfaction with the TVHSIM and provide scientific base to further improve TVHSIM.A cross-sectional study was carried out in which 162 village doctors from Qinghai,Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang in western China were interviewed.Descriptive analysis,independent t-test,one-way ANOVA,Spearman rank correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the difference and relevance between village doctors' personal characteristics and their satisfaction with TVHSIM and six subscales.Village doctors with different years of practice,social insurance status and essential medical knowledge level showed statistically significant differences in their satisfaction levels (all P＜0.05).Age (P＜0.05) and years of practice (P＜0.01) were negatively correlated with Drug and Medical Device Management and Financing Management.Essential medical knowledge level (P＜0.05) was negatively correlated with Operations Management as well.However,social insurance status (P＜0.05) was positively correlated with Human Resources Management and Drug and Medical Device management.Gender,age and years of practice respectively had significant influence on village doctors' satisfaction with TVHSIM (P＜0.01).In conclusion,in order to further promote TVHSIM policy in rural China,a well-rounded social insurance model for village doctors is urgently needed.In addition,the development of TVHSIM is regionally imbalanced.Efficient and effective measures aiming at rationalizing gender and age structure and enhancing essential medical training should be carefully considered.

To investigate the protection effect of DNA vaccine in mammalian and avian systems, the DNA vaccine was inoculated in both BALB/c mice and SPF chickens immunized with DNA vaccines encoding hemagglutinin (HA) from A/Goose/GuangDong/1/96 (H5N1) virus. The mice and chickens were immunized twice, 3 weeks apart, by electroporation into muscles or intramuscular injection. Two weeks after the second immunization, the mice and chickens were challenged with a lethal dose of homologous virus. The mice and chickens immunized by electroporation obtained completely protection against the virus, and could effectively inhibited viruses to replicating in mouse lung and chicken cloaca. At the same time, these protections were companied by high levels specific antibody to H5N1 AIV, while the blank plasmid controls experience 100 percent mortality following challenge. Furthermore, in the experiment of mice by eletroporation,stronger obviously CTL activity were observed after challenge. Thus, the cellular immune responses of the mice immunized by electroporation were exhibited. These results strongly demonstrate that HA DNA vaccines provide effective protection against influenza virus infection in mammalian and avian, and suggest that electroporation is one of the efficient gene delivery systems for the transfer of influenza DNA vaccine in both humoral immunity and cellular immunity.

Adult ; Female ; Hip Joint ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Synovial Cyst ; pathology ; surgery

Objective To investigate the efficacy of the bioactive artificial vertebrae of a nano- hydroapatite crystals and polyamide 66 composite(n-HA/PA66)to restore the height and architecture of thoracolumbar burst fracture.Methods From December 2003 to February 2006,38 patients(29 males and 9 females)with a mean age of 35.6 years(17-63 years)were treated surgically through anterior ap- proach for decompression and implanted with the bioactive artificial vertebrae of n-HA/PA66 composite to reconstruct the structure of the thoracolumbar burst fractured vertebra.Results All the patients were successfuly followed-up for an average of 8 months,ranging from 6 to 21 months.The bioaetive artificial vertebrac of n-HA/PA66 composite were fused with the receptor bone 3-4 months after operation.The neu- rological function of the patients was restored partially or completely.The thoracolumbar spine was stable during physical examination and the height of thoraeolumbar burst fractured vertebrae that had been restored did not changa during the follow-up.Conclusions Our results show the bioaetive artificial vertebrae of n-HA/PA66 can restore the height and structure of thoracolumbar burst fractured vertebrae and reconstruct the structure of the tboraeolumbar vertebrae effectively,indicating that the bioaetive artificial vertebrae of n- HA/PA66 can be used extensively in clinical spinal surgery.

Objective To describe the epidemiologieal features of viral encephalitis and burden of Japanese encephalitis (JE),and to identify potential strategies for effective JE control measures,using data from the Viral Encephalitis Surveillance Program (VESP) launched in Ankang,Baoji,and Weinan prefectures,Shaanxi province.Methods Data was gathered from sentinel hospitals reporting system on all the viral encephalitis (VE) eases identified between June 2005 and May 2007.County Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated the cases,drawing blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from the hospitals,and testing IgM antibody against JE using ELISA.We used Epi Data and Excel for data entry and analysis.Results A total of 1097 VEs were reported and 1053 (96.0%) had blood or CSF samples collected and tested for IgM antibody against JE.Three hundred and eleven cases (29.5%) showed JE antibody positive (JE confirmed case).Among the JE confirmed cases,numbers of those under 15 year of age accounted for 33.7%,43.9%and 88.3%in Baoji,Weinan and Ankang prefectures respectively.The rest were mainly children aged 5-14 years old (53.3%).Toddlers,farmers and children accounted for 85.2%in JE confirmed cases.About half of other VE cases (51.0%) were students of all age.Data an investigation on 398 reported VE cases at discharge,showed that 67.1%of JE confirmed cases recovered while 83.7%of the other VE cases fully recovered.The case fatality rates were 9.2%for JE confirmed cases and 3.1%for other VE cases.578 cases were followed up at 90-days after discharge,69.6%of JE confirmed cases and 90.2%of other VE cases recovered,with case fatality rates were 13.6%and 3.6%for JE confirmed cases and for other VE cases,respectively.The sequelae rates were 10.0%for JE confirmed cases and 4.5%for other VE cases.Conclusion The peak of the VE season was the sameas that of JE.There were 45.6%of reported JE cases with negative JE IgM,suggesting that it is necessary to carry out laboratory testing for clinical diagnosis cases.The fact that high risk population was different at prefectures levels suggested that more attention be paid in JE control and prevention.

Objective To explore the protective effects of diazoxide on injury of human renal tubular cell(HK-2)induced by serum obtained from neonates with asphyxia.Methods HK-2 cells was used as the target cel1.The attacking concentration of serum obtained from neonates with asphyxia was 200 mL/L.The experiment was designed as 3 groups.HK-2 cells were divided into control group,asphyxia group,and diazoxide group.Control group:joined nutrient fluid including 100 mL/L embryo cow blood serum.Asphyxia group:joined nutrient fluid including the isometric 200 mL/L serum obtained from neonates with asphyxia.Diazoxide group:the diazoxide was joined nutrient including the isometric 200 mL/L serum obtained from neonates with asphyxia fluid.The diazoxide density finally was 100 ?mol/L.Then the change of morphology was observed and photographed under inverted microscope,and the cell viability was measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium method,and the leakage rate oflactate dehydrogenase(LDH)was determined by biochemical methods.Results Under inverted microscopy,HK-2 cells in control group pastes the wall to be good,assumes the paving stone type,into flat polygon,fission many,the cell arrangement was close,connection large expanse,quantity were many.Compared with control group,the HK-2 cell to suffer injury obviously,the shape changed,become the anomalous circular or the ellipse by the model flat polygonal cell,the intercellular space crevice enlarged,the connection was loose,intercellular space obviously many cell fragmented.Living cell quantity reduced obviously,the cell vigor dropped,and the leakage rate of LDH increased significantly in asphyxia group(P

BACKGROUNDMono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), the metabolite of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), was suspected to be toxic to human embryos. This study contributes to investigating its toxic effects by an embryonic stem cell test (EST) based on two human embryonic stem cell (hESCs) lines.

METHODSCH1 established in our own lab and H1, a federally registered cell line were two human embryonic stem cell lines used in this test. Four endpoint measurements were performed consisting of cell viability, proliferation ability, apoptosis as well as changes of gene expression patterns after spontaneous differentiation were determined. For measuring effects on the first three endpoints, the cells were treated with various concentrations of MEHP dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and only with DMSO which served as control and harvested after 5 days. For measuring effects during spontaneous differentiation, the RNA of embryoid bodies (EBs) formed after 8 days' MEHP exposure was collected and changes in differentiation specific gene expression patterns were analyzed by quantitative real time RT-PCR.

RESULTSAs a result the viability and proliferation ability of both cell lines decreased significantly at 1000 µmol/L MEHP, while there was no effect on apoptosis or cell morphology. In addition MEHP also changed the gene expression pattern in the EBs of both cell lines.

CONCLUSIONMEHP in a high dose was cytotoxic and affected the development of hESCs, which indicates its embryo toxicity in human embryos.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Diethylhexyl Phthalate ; analogs & derivatives ; toxicity ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; Humans