Objective To seek for the differentially-expressed proteins in patients with kidney-yin deficiency syndrome and to screen out the specific proteins,so as to provide evidence for the establishment of objective standard of kidney deficiency syndrome of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).Methods Five patients with typical kidney-yin deficiency syndrome and 6 normal healthy volunteers were enrolled into the study.Plasma proteins in both groups were detected by antibody chip,and then the plasma proteins profile was compared and analyzed.Results A total of 25 differentially-expressed proteins between kidney-yin deficiency group and normal control group were found,of which 2 were up-regulated and 23 were down-regulated.Conclusion The differentially-expressed proteins in patients with kidney-yin deficiency syndrome are mainly related to immune disorder,protein biosynthesis,metabolism,oxidative stress,cell apoptosis,signal transduction,and so on.

Objective To investigate the protectve effects and underlying mechanisms of deferroxamine on glutamate-induced injury in cultured hippocampal neurons.Methods Primarily cultured hippocampal neurons from fetal rat were used in a model of glutamate induced neurotoxicity.There were two experimental groups.Neurons were pretreated with deferroxamine before glutamate in the deferroxamine group, and neurons were treated with glutamate only in the control group.The morphological change was examined under microscope.Hoechst 33342 DNA staining method was used to study the ratio of condensed nuclei.The levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malonaldehyde (MDA) and hydroxyl radical were determined using biochemistry.The change in calcium signal was detected using microfluorescent technique.Results The neurons pretreated by deferroxamine had intact morphology with the ratio of condensed nuclei at 14% ± 6% compared to 58% ± 6% (t= 8.98, P ＜0.01 ) in the control group.LDH level was (36.42 ± 8.99) U/L in the deferroxamine group and was (68.06 ± 11.26) U/L in the control group ( t =3.25,P＜0.05).The respective levels of hydroxyl radical were (34.21 ±4.23) U/L and (47.06 ±8.79) U/L (t = 3.11, P ＜0.05 ).The respective levels of MDA were (12.26 ± 2.78 ) nmol/mg and (28.86±5.19) nmol/mg(t =4.88,P＜0.01).Conclusion Deferroxamine can protect neurons from glutamate induced damage.The mechanisms include an inhibition of Ca2+ overload and reduction in the levels of MDA and hydroxyl radicals.

It was the first time that the complotypes of 84 chromosomes from Han nationality healthyChinese families investigated and analyzed in Guangdong are a with the methods adopted fromthe international complement reference laboratory.The results showed 18 various complolypeswere identified.The precedent complotypes are SC31,SC42,SC32 and SC41.There were 7 com-potypes of them existing the linkage disequilibria.The highest allotypes gene frequencies of thefour loci of complotypes were respectively as follows,BF S for BF alleles,C2C for C2 alleles,C4A3 and C4A4 for C4A alleles,C4B2 and C4B1 for C4B alleles.The C4AQO allele for C4A lo-cus was 4.8% and 1.2%C4BQO alleles for C4B locus.The frequencies of major complolypesfrom the data showed the similarities among Mongolian,Caucasian,Japanese and south easternAsia populations.The significance of the different frepuencies between the complotypes has beendiscussed.

SCID mouse-human leukemia model is an important and useful tool for study on proliferation, differentiation and modulation of leukemic cells. In this article, the establishment of the model, advances in research and application in studies of pathogenesis, cell biology, clinical diagnosis, therapy and assessment of prognosis of leukemia patients are reviewed. The limitations of the model are also commented.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Leukemia ; therapy ; Mice ; Mice, SCID ; Research Design

Objective To investigate the effects of CD4+CD25high regulatory T cells(Treg)and the imbalance of helper T lymphocyte subsets(Th1/Th2)on the immunological mechanism of IgA nephropathy(IgAN)patients. Methods The percentage of Treg and helper T cells subpopulation (Th1/Th2)in the peripheral blood of IgAN patients and healthy controls was examined by flow cytometry.The FOXP3 expression was detected through intracellular staining.The correlation of Treg or Th1/Th2 with clinical parameters of IgAN was analyzed by Spearman or Pearson rank correlation test. Results The percentages of Treg and Th2 cells were significantly higher in peripheral blood of IgAN patients compared to that of healthy controls[Treg (2.14±0.82)%vs[1.59±0.53)%,Th2(2.57±0.72)%vs(1.81±1.10)%,all P＜0.05].Th1/Th2 ratio was significantly reduced in IgAN patients(5.75±1.89 vs 12.73±9.79,P＜0.05).The percentage of circulating Treg cells was positively correlated with serunl IgA concentration(r=0.397,P＜0.05),and was negatively correlated with eGFR(r=-0.376,P＜0.05).The percentage of circulating Th2 cells was positively correlated with serum IgA(r=0.468,P＜0.05). Conclusions There is a disorder of T lymphocyte population in the peripheral blood of IgAN patients.The increased Treg and Th2 cells may play an important role in the pathogenesis of IgAN.

Objective To explore the feasibility of low-tube-voltage and low-concentration contrast agent applied to coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the overweight patients. Methods Totally 83 overweight patients with suspected coronary heart disease who underwent coronary artery angiography were randomly assigned into two groups. Group A used 100 kVp and ioversol-320 mg/ml, and Group B received 120 kVp and iopamidol-370 mg/ml. Both the groups went through prospectively ECG-gated scanning. The two groups were compared on the image quality, radiation dose, iodine intake and coronary artery segments scores. Results The effective radiation dose and iodine intake in Group A were significantly lower than those in Group B (P<0.05). Group A had the coronary artery CT value and image noise lower significantly than Group B (P<0.05). No significant differences in signal to noise ratio, contrast to noise ratio and coronary artery segments scores were observed between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion For coronary artery CTA in the overweight patients, low-tube-voltage and low-concentration contrast agent still preserves the image quality, as well as significantly reduces the radiation dose and iodine intake.

The aim of this study was to establish and optimize two-dimensional electrophoresis method for human bone marrow leukemia cells in order to obtain the profiles with high resolution and reproducibility. The total protein was extracted and separated by isoelectric focusing (IEF) and SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The gels were stained with silver nitrate or Coomassie brilliant blue, and then scanned and analyzed with PDQuest 7.4 analysis software. The effects of different protein preparation methods and electrophoresis conditions on the profiles were compared. The results indicated that by optimizing preparation of protein sample and electrophoresis protocols, clear profiles with 780 +/- 73 well separated protein spots on an average were obtained and the match rate was 82 +/- 5% between reproducible gels from leukemia cells of different sub-type. It is concluded that the two-dimensional electrophoresis method of proteome from human bone marrow leukemia cells is established successfully and is suitable for the further comparative proteomic research between leukemia of different types.
Bone Marrow Cells ; chemistry ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; methods ; Humans ; Leukemia ; metabolism ; Proteome ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo explore the transmission routes, genotypes/subtypes distribution and genetic character of HCV in HIV/HCV co-infected and HCV mono-infected individuals in Guangdong Province.

METHODSReverse transcription (RT) nested PCR was performed to amplify the HCV NS5B gene region from 95 HIV/HCV co-infected and 99 HCV mono-infected individuals lived in Guangdong province. The PCR products were then sequenced for HCV subtyping. Genetic analysis was done by MEGA4 software.

RESULTS(1) HIV/HCV co-infected individuals infected HCV mostly through injection drug use (IDU, 78.9%), the HCV subtypes were identified as 6a (53.7%), 3a (17.9%), 1b (15.8%), 3b (11.6%) and 1a (1.0%) respectively, the genetic distance within subtype 1b was longer than those within other subtypes, the predominant HCV subtype in HIV/HCV co-infected individuals infected through IDU was 6a (60.0%). (2) HCV mono-infected individuals infected HCV mostly through blood or blood products transfusions (80.8%), the HCV subtypes were identified as 1b (67.7%), 6a (17.2%), 3a (6.1%), 2a (5.0%), 3b (2.0%), 4a (1.0%) and 5a (1.0%) respectively, the genetic distance within subtype 1b was also longer than those within other subtypes, the predominant HCV subtype in HCV mono-infected individuals infected through blood or blood products transfusions was 1b (76.2%).

CONCLUSIONThe diversity of HCV subtypes in HIV/HCV co-infected and HCV mono-infected individuals in Guangdong Province was high, both the major transmission route and HCV subtype between HIV/HCV co-infected individuals and HCV mono-infected individuals were different.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; epidemiology ; Coinfection ; virology ; Female ; Genotype ; HIV ; HIV Infections ; epidemiology ; virology ; Hepacivirus ; classification ; genetics ; Hepatitis C ; epidemiology ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phylogeny ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the application value of semen cryopreservation in intrauterine insemination cycles for the treatment of oligospermia and asthenospermia in infertile males.

METHODSA total of 152 cycles of intrauterine insemination were performed for 103 couples with constitutional infertility, which were divided into Groups 1 (normal semen, n=53), 2 (oligospermia and asthenospermia, n=52) and 3 (fresh combined with cryopreserved semen, n=47). Semen parameters and forward motile sperm count after processing were recorded by Makler chamber, and all were followed up for the outcome of clinical pregnancy.

RESULTSCompared with Group 2, Group 3 showed obviously lower semen volume, sperm motility and grade a sperm count before semen processing, with extremely significant differences (P < 0.01), but a higher rate of grade a sperm after semen processing, though with no significant differences (P > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the pregnancy rate between Groups 2 and 3 (9.6% versus 14.9%, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSemen cryopreservation can improve the forward motile sperm count and pregnancy rate in oligospermia and asthenospermia patients after intrauterine insemination. Semen cryopreservation combined with intrauterine insemination seems an ideal treatment for oligospermia and asthenospermia in infertile men.

Asthenozoospermia ; therapy ; Cryopreservation ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; therapy ; Insemination, Artificial, Homologous ; methods ; Male ; Oligospermia ; therapy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate

Self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) were developed to overcome the problems of delivery and administration of piroxicam, a drug with low bioavailability and gastrointestinal irritation, The in vitro properties of it were assessed. The solubility of piroxicam in several oils and surfactants was determined, and the compatibility of various oils and surfactants was investigated. Ternary phase diagrams were constructed to optimal area of microemulsion, and the influence of different oily phases, surfactants and co-surfactants was studied. The droplet size and dissolution of optimal formulation were determined to prove that the dosage form is a useful delivery system for piroxicam. In the optimized piroxicam SMEDDS, cinnamic alcohol was selected that gave the maximal solubility to piroxicam. Labrafil M 1944CS, Cremophor EL and Transcotol P were used as oils, surfactant and co-surfactant, respectively. Droplet size and distribution of three piroxicam SMEDDS formulations were (32.2 +/- 5.0), (40.1 +/- 6.4), (81.9 +/- 12.2) nm individually. And the releasing of piroxicam was rapid and complete. The optimized SMEDDS for piroxicam was obtained.
Administration, Oral ; Drug Compounding ; methods ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Emulsions ; Glycerides ; chemistry ; Glycerol ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Piroxicam ; chemistry ; Polyethylene Glycols ; chemistry ; Propanols ; chemistry ; Solubility ; Solvents ; chemistry ; Surface-Active Agents ; chemistry