Objective To investigate the changing of endothelial progenitor cells and nitric oxide in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Method Mononuclear cells from 20 healthy persons (the control group, n = 20) , COPD patients without PAH (COPD non-PAH group, n =30) and patients with PAH secondary to COPD (COPD and PAH group, n=30) were investigated. Total mononuclear cells were isolated from peripheral blood by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. EPC number and migration were assayed by colony forming unit-EPCs (CFU-EPCs) assay and modified Boyden chamber assay , respectively. EPC adhesion assay was performed by replanting those on fibronectin-coated dishes , then adherent cells were counted. The concentration of NO was measured with method of nitrate reductase.Result The numbers of CFU and migration, adhesion activity of circulating EPCs in COPD[ (21.9±3. 9)CFU-EPC] and PAH group[ (14. 2 ±3. 5)CFU-EPC] were significantly lower than that in non-COPD group and COPD non-PAH group [ ( 24.9 ±4.1) CFU-EPC ]. It was also observed that a strong negative correlation between the levels of PAH and the numbers of CFU and adhesion, migration activity of circulating EPCs. The NO level in the PAH group [ (43. 6 ±4. 8)ng/ml] was significantly lower than that in control group [ ( 67. 17±4.9 ) ng/ml ] ( P < 0.01). The NO level was positively correlated with number and migration ability of EPCs( r =0. 77,0.71, P <0.01) , but not correlated with adhesion ability.Conclusion The number of CFU and migratory, adhesive activity of EPC in patients withPAH secondary to COPD was significantly decreased. These changes may be associated with low level of plasma NO.

Objective To characterize the association of adiponectin,leptin and free fatty acids(FFA)with adiposity,insulin resistance,lipid profiles and inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetes.Methods We measured fasting serum adiponectin,leptin,FFA,high-sensitive C reactive protein(hs-CRP) levels and metabolic parameters in 77 cases of type 2 diabetic patients with or without obesity and 26 healthy subjects.Results Following parameters were significantly higher in type 2 diabetic patients than in healthy subjects: fasting serum leptin(?g/L)(4.5?3.9 vs 4.1?2.1),hsCRP(mg/L)(0.69?1.07 vs 0.33?0.47),FFA(?mol/L)(566?227 vs 391?129) and triglyceride(mmol/L)(1.61?1.02 vs 1.01?0.40);however,following parameters were significantly lower in type 2 diabetic patients than in healthy subjects: serum adiponectin(mg/L)(5.5?3.4 vs 9.1?4.1),highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)(mmol/L)(1.22?0.27 vs 1.48?0.26), apolipoprotein AI(mmol/L)(1.35?0.19 vs 1.49?0.18) and apolipoprotein AII(mmol/L)(0.29?0.07 vs 0.34?0.06) concentrations(P

Objective To investigate the relation between retinol binding protein-4(RBP4) levels and metabolic parameters and to explore the correlation between RBP4-G 803 A SNP and metabolic syndrome.Methods One hundred and sixteen metabolic syndrome(MS) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 93 healthy controls were included.Serum RBP4 level was measured by RIA.RBP4-G 803 A different genotypes were examined by PCR and sequence analysis.Results RBP4 levels showed significant positive correlations with BMI,waist circumference,FINS,HOMA-IR,and TG in all the participants,with TG,TC,and LDL-C in control,with DBP in males,and with age,FINS,HOMA-IR,TG and SBP in females.In multiple stepwise regression analysis,RBP4 was independently associated with BMI,waist circumference,TG and age.Serum RBP4 concentrations were significantly higher in MS group than in control.RBP4 levels were higher in males as compared to females.In control,RBP4 level was lower in subjects with regular exercise.There was no significant difference in the frequency of RBP4-G 803 A genotypes and alleles in MS group and neither difference in metabolic parameters between the carriers of GG+GA and AA.Conclusion In Chinese Han population,serum RBP4 concentrations are correlated with various metabolic parameters and there is no relation between RBP4-G 803 A SNP and metabolic syndrome.

AIM: To study the effect of Zhongjiefeng Injection(Herba sarcandrae) on mouse liver cancer H_22,and its activities on gastric cancer SGC-7901 in vitro,to find out its influence on the cell cycle. METHODS: By injecting H_22 tumor cells in vivo into mice to check its inhabition on entity and ascites tumor.MTT colorimetric method was used to study the anti-tumor activity on gastric cancer SGC-7901,then we calculated its IC_50 and applied the flow cytometry(FCM) to detect its influence of cell cycle. RESULTS: The rates of inhabition on H_22 entity tumor with three concentrations were 29.8%,36.2%,40.5%,and was the remarkable different from the model group(P

The fundus lesions appear in early pathological myopia and develops step by step,causing significant visual impairment.The occurrence of choroidal neovascularization is the main cause for the vision loss.This paper gives an introduction to the prevalence,damages,outcomes,affecting factors and treatment for pathologic myopia,and lays emphasis on the progress of medical treatment with anti-vascular endothelium growth factor.

OBJECTIVETo explore material bases and neurobiological mechanisms of "Shen storing will" by observing learning and memory capacities and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor expressions in Shen deficiency constitution (SDC) rats.

METHODSTotally 40 SD rats were randomly divided into the model group, the Zuogui Pill (ZP) group, the Yougui Pill (YP) group, the blank control group (consisting of normal pregnant rats), 10 in each group. SDC young rat model (inherent deficiency and postnatal malnutrition) was prepared by the classic way of "cat scaring rat". Medication started when they were scared by cat. Rats in the ZP group and the YP group were administered by gastrogavage with ZP suspension 0.1875 g/mL and YP suspension 0.0938 g/mL respectively. Equal volume of normal saline was administered to rats in the blank control group and the model group by gastrogavage. All medication was given once per day, 5 days in a week for 2 consecutive months. Learning and memory capacities were detected by Morris water maze test. Expressions of NMDA receptor subunits NR2A and NR2B in hippocamus were detected by immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSCompared with the blank control group, the latency period, total distance in Morris water maze test were longer in the model group (P < 0.05). All the aforesaid indices all decreased in the ZP group and the YP group, with statistical difference when compared with the model group (P < 0.05). The protein expressions of NR2A and NR2B in hippocamus were lower in the model group than in the blank control group (P < 0.05). But when compared with the model group, they were obviously higher in the ZP group and the YP group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSDC rats had degenerated learning and memory capacities and lowered NMDA receptor expressions. ZP and YP could up-regulate learning and memory capacities and NMDA receptor expressions, thereby improving deterioration of brain functions in SDC rats.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Pregnancy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; metabolism ; Up-Regulation

Actins ; metabolism ; Bone Neoplasms ; blood ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Hypophosphatemia ; blood ; etiology ; Ilium ; Mesenchymoma ; blood ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Osteomalacia ; blood ; etiology ; Phosphates ; blood ; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective Through detecting CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells(Treg)in the peripheral blood in children suffering autoimmune diseases and normal controls to learn about the changes of Tregs during the diseases and to acquire some references for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods The data were reviewed for CD4+CD25+ Treg cells of the 93 children diagnosed as pediatric autoimmune disease in Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics from Nov.2007 to Jun.2008.Thirty-five normal children in the contempora-neous physical examination were selected as the control group.The percentage of CD4+CD25+ Treg cells and CD4+ T cells to the total T cells were determined by flow cytometric method.Data of the JRA group(22 cases),SLE group(12 cases) and HSP group(12 cases),which were the first three according to the number of cases,were respectively compared with the controls.Independent-samples t test was performed for a statistic analysis with SPSS 11.5 software.Results 1.The percentages of CD4+CD25+ Treg cells to the total T cells and CD4+ T cells in the autoimmune diseases children[(6.14?3.21)% and(21.85?11.68)%,respectively] were both higher than those in the control group[(3.68?1.02)% and(12.83?3.61)%,respectively Pa

Fourteen compounds were isolated from the n-butanol fraction of the 95% aqueous ethanol extract of the stems and twigs of Strychnos cathayensis by D101 macroporous resin, silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semipreparative RP-HPLC. Their structures were elucidated as ethyl 4-O-β-D-allopyranosyl-vanillate (1), n-butyl 4-O-β-D-allopyranosyl-vanillate (2), n-butyl 4-O-(6′-O-syringoyl)-β-D-allopyranosyl-vanillate (3), n-butyl 4-O-(6′-O-vanilloyl)-β-D-allopyranosyl-vanillate (4), n-butyl 4-O-(6′-O-syringoyl)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-vanillate (5), n-butyl 4-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-syringate (6), methyl 3-methoxy-4-(β-D-allopyranosyloxy) benzoate (7), pseudolaroside B (8), butyl syringate (9), glucosyringic acid (10), methyl syringate (11), methyl 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoate (12), clemochinenoside C (13), and clemoarmanoside A (14), respectively, on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation and by comparison with literature information. Compounds 1-6 are artificial products of phenolic acid esterified by ethanol or n-butanol. It is noted that the precursors (4-O-(6′-O-syringoyl)-β-D-allopyranosyl-vanillic acid and 4-O-(6′-O-vanilloyl)-β-D-allopyranosyl-vanillic acid) of compounds 3 and 4 are new compounds. The hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of compounds 1-13 were evaluated in vitro at a concentration of 10 μmol·L^-1. Compounds 1, 2 and 6-10 exhibited potential hepatic protection effects with cell survival rates ranging from 53.6% to 55.5% (acetaminophen, 45.4% at 8 mmol·L^-1). Compound 4 demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity with nitric oxide inhibitory rate of 74.6%. Compounds 3 and 5 showed potential antioxidant activities with malondialdehyde inhibitory rates of 53.2% and 56.1%, respectively.

OBJECTIVE: To select specific DNA aptamer for determining ketamine by FluMag-SELEX. METHODS: Based on magnetic beads with tosyl surface modification as solid carrier and ketamine as target, a random ssDNA library with total length of 78 bp in vitro was compounded. After 13 rounds screening, DNA cloning and sequencing were done. Primary and secondary, structures were analyzed. The affinity, specificity and Kd values of selected aptamer were measured by monitoring the fluorescence intensity. RESULTS: Two ssDNA aptamers (Apt#4 and Apt#8) were successfully selected with high and specific abilities to bind ketamine as target with Kd value of 0.59 and 0.66 μmol/L. The prediction of secondary structure was main stem-loop and G-tetramer. The stem was the basis of stability of aptamer's structure. And loop and G-tetramer was the key of specific binding of ketamine. CONCLUSION FluMag-SELEX can greatly improve the selection efficiency of the aptamer, obtain the ketamine-binding DNA aptamer, and develop a new method for rapid detection of ketamine.
Aptamers, Nucleotide/metabolism* ; DNA ; DNA, Single-Stranded/genetics* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Ketamine/metabolism* ; Oligonucleotides ; SELEX Aptamer Technique/methods*