Objective To investigate the role of Tmubl protein in liver cell proliferation. Methods Using silenced lentivirus (LV)-Tmubl vector, over-expression LV-Tmubl vector, and corresponding empty vectors to transfect rat’s liver cell line BRL-3A to obtain stable transfected cells, which bear the expression of Tmubl protein as detected by Western blotting, cell proliferation with MTT, and cell cycle with flow cytometry. Results The Tumbl protein expression in the hepatocytes transfected by LV-Tmubl was increased significantly and that by LV-Tmubl-RNAi decreased significantly, with a statistically significant difference compared with normal hepatocytes (P<0.01). The proliferation was fastest in hepatocytes transfected by LV-Tmubl and slowest in those by LV-Tmubl-RNAi, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). The G2+S phase was longer in hepatocytes transfected by over-expression LV-Tmubl vectors than in those by silenced LV-Tmubl vectors, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusion Tmubl protein can promote the hepatocyte proliferation in BRL-3A cell line.

Objective To investigate the interaction of Tmub1 and securin protein after partial hepatectomy. Methods A total of 30 adult male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (10 each) according to the time after hepatectomy, i.e, 0, 24 and 48 h. Partial hepatectomy was performed in the rats in the first group, and then the primary hepatocytes were directly harvested by liver perfusion. Partial hepatectomy was also performed in the rest two groups at postoperative 24 and 48 h. Then the primary hepatocytes were also harvested respectively after liver perfusion. One part of primary hepatocytes was cultured for one night and for the observation of the colocalization of Tmub1 and securin protein with immunofluorescence. The other part of hepatocytes were used for co-immunoprecipitation and Western blotting to detect the expression of protein Tmub1/securin. Results Immunofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that there were almost no Tmub1 and securin proteins in the nucleus 0 h after liver resection, while a great amount of Tmub1/securin proteins were found to be co-localized in the nucleus 24 and 48 h. Co-immunoprecipitation and Western blotting showed that the expression of Tmub1/securing protein significantly enhanced in 24-48 h after operation compared with that at 0 h (P<0.01), while the difference between 24 h and 48 h showed no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusion Tmub1 hardly combines with securin protein in normal hepatocytes, but it combines with securin protein when it migrates from cytoplasm into nucleus after hepatectomy, thus inhibiting the proliferation process of hepatocytes.

Objective To assess the reliability of auto-shimming line width (LW) and water suppression rate (WS), and the correlation between them. Methods GE Signa Excite HD 3.0T system and eight-channel torso phased-array coils with PRESS sequence were performed in 38 volunteers. Liver spectra were collected with TR of 1500 ms, TE of 30 ms, VOI of 2 cm×2 cm×2 cm, NSA of 64 times. Spectroscopy routine auto-shimming pre-scanning program was executed and the values of LW and WS were recorded. Then another spectroscopy routine auto-shimming pre-scanning program was performed repeatedly and 38 groups of data were obtained totally. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV) and significance test were conduced on 38 groups of LW and WS data. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation of LW and WS. Results ①The ICC of LW and WS was 0.862 and 0.961 (both P＜0.0001), respectively, while the value of CV was 0.20, 0.18, 0.09 and 0.08, respectively. Significant difference was not observed; ②The value of correlation coefficient was -0.659, -0.485 (both P＜0.0001), respectively. Conclusion ①The reliability is excellent for in vivo liver 3.0T 1H-MRS and WS appears relatively stable; ②Indexes of LW correlate with WS moderately, and it seems the smaller the value of LW is, the easier to achieve higher WS.

Objective To summarize the clinical experience of T3-4 thoracic sympathectomy in the treatment of primary hyperhidrosis.Methods The clinical data of 80 patients with primary hyperhidrosis who underwent T3-4 thoracic sympathectomy were analyzed retrospectively.Results The operation was successfully performed on all patients.The symptom of palmar hyperhidrosis vanished in all patients,the operative time was (42.5 ± 15.7) min,the length of stay in hospital was (3.9 ± 0.6) d.No death and Horner syndrome occurred.All the patients were followed up for 6-24 months,compensatory hyperhidrosis was found in 26 patients,and no recurrence was found.Conclusion T3-4 thoracic sympathectomy is a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for primary hyperhidrosis.

Oroxylum indicum was a traditional Chinese medicine. In order to study the chemical constituents from the seed of O. indicum, the chemical constituents of 80% methanol extract of seeds of O. indicum were subjected to chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and preparative HPLC, leading to the isolation of eleven compounds. The structures were identified by various spectroscopic data including ESI-MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR data as oroxin B (1), chrysin (2), baicalein (3), neglectein (4), quercetin-3-O-β-D-galactopy ranoside (5), quercetin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), 2α,3β-dihydroxylluPeol (7), lupeol (8), rengyol (9), β-sitostero (10), and stigmasterol (11). Among them, compound 5 were firstly obtained from O. indicum.
Bignoniaceae ; chemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Seeds ; chemistry

Objective:To evaluate the anti-HIV-1 activity of two new nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), JB25 and JB26, in combination with 3 approved drugs (AZT, EFV, SQV)in vitro.Methods:The serially diluted 10 concentrations of JB25 and JB26 were combined with 7 serially diluted AZT, EFV and SQV respectively.The combination was added to 384 cell culture plates and then cocultured with HIV-1 ⅢB infected MT-2 cells for 3 days. Finally, the HIV-1 production was determined by measuring the expression of reporter genes of TZM bl cells. The data were analyzed by MacSynergy Ⅱ software.Results:The average capacity of synergism/antagonism of JB25 with AZT, EFV and SQV was 244.45/-5.05(nmol/L)~2%, 119.58/-65.93 (nmol/L)~2% and 145.83/-0.32 (nmol/L)~2% respectively;the average capacity of synergism/antagonism of JB26 with AZT, EFV and SQV was 398.90/0(nmol/L)~2%, 103.62/-0.49(nmol/L)~2% and 138.473/-0.27 (nmol/L)~2% respectively. Conclusion:Two new NNRTIs JB25 and JB26 develop synergism when combined with 3 approved drugs, respectively. MacSynergy Ⅱ software could evaluate the anti-HIV-1 activity of drug combination.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of lycopene against cryopreservation injury of post-thawing human sperm and its mechanism.

METHODSSemen samples were collected from 25 volunteers, each sample equally divided into four parts to be cryopreserved with cryoprotectant only (Ly0 control) or cryoprotectant + lycopene at the concentrations of 2 (Ly2), 5 (Ly5), and 10 µmol/L (Ly10), respectively. Before and after thawing, the semen samples were subjected to computer-assisted semen analysis ( CASA) for sperm kinematics, flow cytometry for sperm apoptosis, thiobarbituric acid assay for malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, and JC-1 fluorescent staining for the sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP).

RESULTSAfter cryopreservation, sperm motility was markedly decreased in all the groups (P < 0.01). The rate of sperm apoptosis was significantly lower in the Ly5 group than in the Ly0 control ([25.68 ± 4.36]% vs [33.26 ± 4.78]%, P < 0.05), while sperm MMP remarkably higher in the former than in the latter ([66.18 ± 14.23]% vs [55.24 ± 12.31]%, P < 0.05). The Ly2, Ly5 and Ly10 groups showed no statistically significance differences in the MDA level from the Ly0 control (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAddition of lycopene at a proper concentration to cryoprotectant may reduce oxidative damage to sperm mitochondria in the freezing-thawing process, attenuate oxidative stress injury induced by reactive oxygen species to sperm plasma membrane, and improve the anti-apoptosis ability of sperm.

Apoptosis ; Carotenoids ; pharmacology ; Cryopreservation ; Cryoprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Oxidative Stress ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Semen Analysis ; Semen Preservation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo compare the transcription difference of the mannitol PTS genes between epidemic and non-epidemic strains of Vibrio cholerae El Tor in mannitol ferment tests.

METHODSGrowth curves of 10 epidemic strains (slow-ferment) and 10 non-epidemic strains (rapid-ferment) of Vibrio cholerae were detected in the process of fermentation test, and the transcriptional level of mannitol PTS operon of these strains were determined with quantitative reverse-transcriptional PCR.

RESULTSAfter 4 hours of test, the non-epidemic strains became positive and the average growth density of the non-epidemic strains was higher than that of the epidemic strains; however, some were still lower than the epidemic strains. In contrast, at the eighth hour of test, when epidemic strains got positive, they showed higher average growth density. Compared to the epidemic strains, the transcription of mannitol PTS genes of the non-epidemic strains were much more active at the 1st and 2nd hour and were lower at the 4th and 8th hour.

CONCLUSIONSThe difference of mannitol PTS operon transcription level should be an important feature to identify the epidemic and non-epidemic strains of Vibrio cholerae, which directly influences the mannitol fermentation rate during the test. The growth rate is not a key factor that affect such difference.

Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ; Mannitol ; metabolism ; Operon ; Phosphoenolpyruvate ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases ; metabolism ; Transcription, Genetic ; Vibrio cholerae ; classification ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEThis study was designed to investigate the pathophysiological role of adrenomedullin (ADM) in congenital heart disease.

METHODSForty-eight children with congenital heart disease confirmed by cardiac echocardiography and catheterization were studied. The patients were divided into three groups on the basis of hemodynamic indices measured during cardiac catheterization: high pulmonary blood flow with (group 1) or without (group 2) pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary arterial pressure > 20 mmHg) and a cyanosis group (without high pulmonary blood flow) (group 3). Six children who recovered from Kawasaki disease were used as a Control group. Plasma ADM levels were measured by radioimmunoassay.

RESULTSThe plasma ADM levels from the femoral vein were significantly higher than those from femoral artery in patients with congenital heart disease. The patients from group 1 and group 3 had higher plasma ADM levels (1.9 +/- 1.8 pmol/L and 2.4 +/- 1.3 pmol/L, respectively) than the controls (1.0 +/- 1.4 pmol/L; P < 0.01). Plasma ADM levels were significantly negatively correlated with mean systemic arterial pressure, oxygen saturation in mixed vein and oxygen saturation in systemic artery (r=-0.401, -0.562, -0.600, respectively; P < 0.01) but positively correlated with pulmonary vascular resistance (r=0.406; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSPlasma ADM levels are increased in congenital heart disease with high pulmonary blood flow and hypertension or with cyanosis. Plasma ADM levels are related to pulmonary arterial resistance and hypoxemia. Increased ADM levels may play roles in reducing the pulmonary arterial resistance and alleviating hypoxemia in these patients.

Adolescent ; Adrenomedullin ; Blood Pressure ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; blood ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Peptides ; blood ; Pulmonary Artery ; physiopathology

Chinese medicinal authentication is fundamental for the standardization and globalization of Chinese medicine. The discipline of authentication addresses difficult issues that have remained unresolved for thousands of years, and is essential for preserving safety. Chinese medicinal authentication has both scientific and traditional cultural connotations; the use of scientific methods to elucidate traditional experience-based differentiation carries the legacy of Chinese medicine forward, and offers immediate practical significance and long-term scientific value. In this paper, a path of inheritance and innovation is explored through the scientific exposition of Chinese medicinal authentication, featuring a review of specialized publications, the establishment of a Chinese medicine specimen center and Chinese medicinal image databases, the expansion of authentication technologies, and the formation of a cultural project dedicated to the Compedium of Materia Medica.
Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; standards ; Humans ; Materia Medica ; chemistry ; standards ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; standards ; Reference Standards