OBJECTIVETo study the clinical efficacy of astragalus's preventing the recurrence and regulatory effects on Th1/Th2 cytokines in asthmatic children during the remission stage.

METHODSNinety asthmatic children during the remission stage were assigned to the astragalus treatment group (Group A), the hormone treatment group (Group B), and the combined group of astragalus and hormone treatment (Group C), 30 in each. Thirty healthy children were set up as the control group. The changes of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) before and after treatment and the recurrence times during the one-year follow-up were observed. Peripheral serum contents of immunoreactive fibronectin-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) were detected before and after treatment using ELISA.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was higher in Group B (73.3%) than in Group A (66.7%), but with no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). It was highest in Group C (96.7%), showing significant difference from the other two groups (P<0.05). The levels of PEFR and IFN-gamma significantly increased and IL-4 obviously decreased in the three groups after treatment (P<0.05). No statistical difference of PEFR, IFN-gamma, or IL-4 existed in the three groups before treatment (P>0.05). Statistical difference of PEFR, IFN-gamma, or IL-4 existed between Group C and Group B after treatment (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAstragalus played a role in preventing the recurrence of asthma. The combination of astragalus and hormones showed better effects.

Asthma ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Astragalus Plant ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Recurrence

Anesthetics, Intravenous ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; drug effects ; physiology ; Endothelium, Vascular ; physiology ; Female ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Norepinephrine ; pharmacology ; Potassium Channels ; physiology ; Propofol ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Vasodilation ; drug effects

Objective To investigate the expression and significance of major histocompatibility complex classⅡgene in multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.Methods Two-hit porcine model of MODS was duplicated in 18 swine that were randomly assigned into experimental group(Group M,n=9) and control group(Group C,n=9).The Group M was given compound factors including hemorrhagic shock,reperfusion injury and endotoxemia,and the Group C only underwent anesthesia and arterious/ve- nous eannula.After seven days,the animals were killed to remove splenic tissues fro extracting total RNA by Trizol method.The primer of SLA-DQA(MHC classⅡgene of swine)was designed to construct cD- NA by reverse transcription and the quantity of SLA-DQA mRNA detected with real time fluorescent quan- titative polymerase chain reaction(real time FQ-PCR).The standard curve was described by UVP com- puter image analysis system.Results The mortality of Group M was 78%(7/9),and the incidence rate of MODS was 89%(8/9).The expressing quantity of Group M was(1.376?1.006)?10~3,signifi- cantly lower than(5.330?3.053)?10~3 of Group C(P＜0.01).Conclusion Duplication of por- cine MODS model is satisfactory.Down-regulation of MHC classⅡgene may be due to control of classⅡtransactivator(CⅡTA)and release of multiple eytokine,such as TNF-?and IL-10.

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of hepatitis B virus infected patients who is negative for HbsAg.

METHODSDNA sequences of 46 patients were analyzed. In these patients, HBsAg was negative but HBV DNA was positive and six new HBsAg variants were identified. Four of the six variants were combined point mutants and two were insertion variants. These S genes were subcloned into eukaryotic expression vector EBO-plpp, and the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmids were transfected into COS7 cells. Cell lines expressing mutant type HBsAg were obtained. The supernatants were detected by ELISA and RIA.

RESULTSOnly the two-amino acid-insertion variants could be detected and the others failed to react with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against HbsAg.

CONCLUSIONThe results indicated that the point mutations and insertions may result in a conformational change of the S gene, which affect HBsAg antigenicity, suggesting a possible relationship between the variants and the negative conversion of HBsAg of the patients.

Animals ; Antigenic Variation ; COS Cells ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; immunology ; virology ; Humans ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Point Mutation ; Transfection

Objective To study the biological significance of HBV gene mutation at nucleotide (nt) 1862. Methods The EB virus eukarotic expression vector for HBV pre-C/C gene was constructed using molecular biological method, HBV pre-C/C gene mutation at nt 1862 was induced by way of site-specific mutation technique, and identified by PCR-RFLP and sequencing analysis. The resulted recombinant plasmid containing the HBV variant was subsequently transfected into Cos7 cell line mediated by lipofectin, to observe the expression of HBeAg. The cells transfected with the recombinant plasmid con- taining wild HBV pre-C/C gene fragment served as control. Results HBeAg expression was detected in the cells transfected with wild recombinant plasmid but not in those with HBV variant transfection. Conclusion The success in the construction of eukarotic expression vector for HBV pre-C/C gene mutation at nt 1862 may pave the way for further studying a series of biological changes of HBV resulted from the mutation addressed in this study.

Objective To study the biological significance of HBV gene mutation at nucleotide (nt) 1862. Methods The EB virus eukarotic expression vector for HBV pre-C/C gene was constructed using molecular biological method, HBV pre-C/C gene mutation at nt 1862 was induced by way of site-specific mutation technique, and identified by PCR-RFLP and sequencing analysis. The resulted recombinant plasmid containing the HBV variant was subsequently transfected into Cos7 cell line mediated by lipofectin, to observe the expression of HBeAg. The cells transfected with the recombinant plasmid con- taining wild HBV pre-C/C gene fragment served as control. Results HBeAg expression was detected in the cells transfected with wild recombinant plasmid but not in those with HBV variant transfection. Conclusion The success in the construction of eukarotic expression vector for HBV pre-C/C gene mutation at nt 1862 may pave the way for further studying a series of biological changes of HBV resulted from the mutation addressed in this study.

Objective The objective of our study was to conduct meta-analyses that examined the association between H7N9-infected case-fatality risk (CFR) and underlying medical conditions (UMCs) by adjusting some potential factors variables. Methods The articles of observational studies and randomized controlled clinical trials (RCT) on the association between UMCs and the CFR of H7N9-infected patients were collected and selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was performed to calculate odds ratio (OR) or adjusted OR (AOR) and 95％ confidence interval (CI) to assess the association between H7N9-infected CFR and UMCs. Results Among 1934 screened articles, we identified 14 articles reporting the CFR of H7N9-infected patients based on UMCs data. The pooled summary estimates from these studies indicated that UMCs significantly increased the risk of death in H7N9 patients (OR=2.20, 95％CI: 1.76-2.76) . Subgroup analyses showed chronic respiratory diseases (CRD, OR=4.43, 95％CI: 1.73-11.31), immuno-suppressive disorders (ISD, OR=4.65, 95％ CI:1.48-44.70), and two UMCs and above (OR=2.13, 95％ CI: 1.26-5.97) were significantly associated with H7N9-infected CFR; while 60 years old and above (AOR=4.83, 95％CI: 1.29-18.09), male (AOR=2.35, 95％CI: 1.03-5.39), time intervals to oseltamivir treatment (over 5 days) (AOR=5.74, 95％ CI: 1.15-28.66) and hospitalization (over 8 days) (AOR=2.72, 95％CI: 1.20-6.15), and initially bilateral lungs infection (AOR=7.95, 95％CI: 1.56-40.41) of UMCs patients who died from H7N9 infection are much greater compared with non-UMCs. Stratification analyses confirmed statistically significant increasing effects of CFR were observed in 60 years old and above (AOR=2.20, 95％ CI: 1.12-4.30) , time intervals to oseltamivir treatment (over 5 days) (AOR=3.19, 95％CI: 1.56-6.53), and initially bilateral lungs infection (AOR=3.48, 95％CI: 1.74-6.95) compared with 0-59 years old, time intervals to oseltamivir treatment (5 days and below), and initially single lung infection respectively in H7N9-infected patients with UMCs. Conclusions We find that only CRD, ISD, and two UMCs and above are associated with increased risk of death in H7N9-infected patients. We also suggest that a high CFR is associated with 60 years old and above, delayed antiviral treatment, and initially bilateral lungs infection in H7N9-infected patients with UMCs.

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of Ca(2+) on the apoptosis induced by hyperthermia in neonate rat hippocampal neurons to provide the applicative evidence of dantrolene for preventing brain injuries.

METHODSDantrolene, Ca(2+) specific blocking agent, was used in the hyperthermia-induced apoptosis of primary hippocampal neurons in vitro to observe its effect on the apoptosis, fluorescent intensity, and dynamic change of Ca(2+) by flowcytometry and laser confocal microscopy.

RESULTSThe rate of apoptosis was decreased significantly after hyperthermia treatment by dantrolene sodium. The intracellular Ca(2+) fluorescent intensity in 42 degrees C treatment group (107.35 +/- 6.0) was significantly lower than that in control group (159.12 +/- 33.8). The concentration of Ca(2+) began to decrease 20 approximately 25 s after adding dantrolene sodium, and reached the lowest level about 50 s later, and then kept lower than the basal level.

CONCLUSIONDantrolene sodium has an important protective effect on hippocampal neurons apoptosis induced by hyperthermia and may have some applicative value of preventing heat-induced brain injury.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Dantrolene ; pharmacology ; Female ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; drug effects ; Male ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence of three lamivudine-resistant HBV mutants in lamivudine-treated Chinese patients.

METHODSUsing three pairs of of HBV polymerase gene B and C domain fragments were amplified by PCR. The PCR products were then digested by restriction enzyme Nde I and Nla III. The digested products were analyzed by electrophoresis. With this method, the prevalence of the three lamivudine-resistant mutants in lamivudine-treated Chinese patients was investigated.

RESULTSAfter Nde I digestion of p24 and p29 amplified product, HBV wild type could be easily separated from YMDD mutant. At the same time, YIDD could be separated from YVDD mutant after Nla III digestion of p24 and p29 amplified product. By this method, the authors found that these eleven patients were infected with lamivudine-resistant mutants. Six of them were infected with M5501 mutant; five were infected with M550V mutant (one of them had both M550V and L526M mutations).

CONCLUSIONThe method of the present study was demonstrated to be an easy way to detect HBV lamivudine-resistant mutants and can be applied to clinical monitoring of lamivudine resistance.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA Primers ; genetics ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; genetics ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; drug therapy ; virology ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; enzymology ; genetics ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Middle Aged ; Point Mutation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction