Aortic Aneurysm ; diagnosis ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic ; diagnosis ; Carotid Body Tumor ; diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective To investigate the effects and mechanisms of all-trans retinoic acid(ATRA)on the proliferation and cell cycle of lung carcinoma cell line A549.Methods The A549 cells were treated with ATRA at the dosages of 5,10,50 ?mol/L for 1-7 d.The proliferation of A549 was assessed by MTT method and cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry.The expressions of CDK4,Rb and p-ERK1/2 were assessed by Western blotting.CyclinD1 mRNA was analyzed by SYBR-PCR amplification.Results ATRA obviously inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells,and the cell cycle was arrested in G0/G1 phase.The expression of p-ERK1/2 protein and CyclinD1 mRNA on A549 cells were decreased.Conclusion ATRA might inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells through down-regulating p-ERK1/2 protein and CyclinD1 mRNA.

Cadmium (Cd) is ubiquitous in the human environment and has toxic effect on soil microbial biomass or its activity,including microbial biomass carbon (Cmic), dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and basal respiration (BR), etc., Cmic, DHA, BR were used as bioindicators of the toxic effect of Cd in soil. This study was conducted to determine the effects of Cd on soil microbial biomass and its activity in a paddy soil. The inhibition of microbial biomass and its activity by different Cd concentrations was described by the kinetic model (M1) and the sigmoid dose-response model (M2) in order to calculate three ecological doses of Cd:ED50, ED10 and ED5. Results showed that M2 was better fit than M1 for describing the ecological toxicity dose effect of cadmium on soil microbial biomass and its activity in a paddy soil. M2 for ED values (mg/kg soil) of Cmic, DHA, BR best fitted the measured paddy soil bioindicators. M2 showed that all ED values (mg/kg) increased in turn with increased incubation time. ED50, ED10 and ED5 of Cmic with M2 were increased in turn from 403.2, 141.1,100.4 to 1000.7, 230.9, 144.8, respectively, after 10 d to 60 d of incubation. ED50, ED10 and ED5 of DHA with M2 increased in turn from 67.6, 6.2, 1.5 to 101.1, 50.9, 41.0, respectively, after 10 d to 60 d of incubation. ED50, ED10 and ED5 of BR with M2 increased in turn from 149.7, 6.5, 1.8 to 156.5, 50.8, 35.5, respectively,after 10 d to 60 d of incubation. So the ecological dose increased in turn with increased incubation time for M2 showed that toxicity of cadmium to soil microbial biomass and its activity was decreased with increased incubation time.

Taxol is one of the most potent anti-cancer agents, which is extracted from the plants of Taxus species. Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IPI) catalyzes the reversible transformation between IPP and DMAPP, both of which are the general 5-carbon precursors for taxol biosynthesis. In the present study, a new gene encoding IPI was cloned from Taxus media (namely TmIPI with the GenBank Accession Number KP970677) for the first time. The full-length cDNA of TmIPI was 1 232 bps encoding a polypeptide with 233 amino acids, in which the conserved domain Nudix was found. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that the sequence of TmIPI was highly similar to those of other plant IPI proteins, and the phylogenetic analysis showed that there were two clades of plant IPI proteins, including IPIs of angiosperm plants and IPIs of gymnosperm plants. TmIPI belonged to the clade of gymnosperm plant IPIs, and this was consistent with the fact that Taxus media is a plant species of gymnosperm. Southern blotting analysis demonstrated that there was a gene family of IPI in Taxus media. Finally, functional verification was applied to identify the function of TmIPI. The results showed that biosynthesis of β-carotenoid was enhanced by overexpressing TmIPI in the engineered E. coli strain, and this suggested that TmIPI might be a key gene involved in isoprenoid/terpenoid biosynthesis.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Carbon-Carbon Double Bond Isomerases ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; Paclitaxel ; biosynthesis ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; Taxus ; enzymology ; genetics

Objective To investigate the relatonahip between TNF-α and ventricular arrhythmias after acute myocardial infarction(AMI)and its mechanism.Method Both the clinical and animal experiments were done.(1)Clinical experiment:Eighty patients with AMI were included in Union Hospital,Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Techology,from May 2005 to November 2006 according to the WHO diagnostic criteria.Co-infection of diseases such as severe upper respiratory infection,lung infection,high fever,cancer,et al were excluded.The relationship between the levels of TNF-α and arrhythmias were observed at different times after AMI.A straight line correlation,analysis Was done.(2)Animal experiment:Different concentrations of TNF-αwere added to isohted rat hearts for observing the arrhythrnia effects.The effect of TNF-α on intracellular Ca2+ concentration was detected by laser confocal technique.All data were analyzed by SNK-q test using SPSS 13.0 sofeware prograrn.Results(1)The plasma levels of TNF-α were significantly associated with the Lown class of PVC after AMI and they were higher in AMI of anterior wall[(46.41±10.34)pg/ml]than other positions [(28.25±6.35)pg/ml,P<0.05].2)The frequency of ventricular arrhythmias was interrelated with the concentralions of TNF-α.Using etanercept beforehand,TNF-α induced a slight increase of intracellular Ca2+ intensity (P<0.05).Conclusions There was a relationship between TNF-αlevels and ventricular arrhythmisa in patients with AMI.Animal experiments confirmed the isolated heart perfusion with TNF-α induced ventricular arrhytrnias.Expression of TNF-α after AMI was related with the occurrence of ventricular arrhythrnias.The effect might be associated with the increased inuaeellular Ca2+ intensity caused by TNF-α.

Cochlear Nerve ; chemistry ; pathology ; Cranial Nerve Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Heart Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neurilemmoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Vestibulocochlear Nerve Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; Vimentin ; metabolism

Referring to the rules for agricultural seed testing (GB /T 3543-1995) issued by China, the test of sampling, seed purity, weight per 1 000 seeds, seed moisture, seed viability and germination rate had been studied for screening seed quality test methods of Pesudostellaria heterophylla. The seed quality from different collection areas was measured. The results showed that at least 6.5 g seeds should be sampled and passed through 10-mesh sieve for purity analysis. The weight of 1 000 seeds was determined by using the 500-seed method. The phenotypic observation and size measurement were used for authenticity testing. The seed moisture was determined under the higher temperature (130 ± 2) degrees C for 5 hours. The seeds were dipped into 0.2% TTC sustaining 1 hour at 40 degrees C, then the viability could be determined. The break dormancy seeds were cultured on sand at 10 degrees C. K cluster analysis was applied for the data analysis, the seed quality from different collection areas grading of P. Heterophylla was described as three grades. The seed quality of each grade should reach following requirements: for first grade seeds, germination rate ≥ 86%, 1 000-grain weight ≥ 2.59 g, purity ≥ 87%, moisture ≤ 13.1%; for second grade seeds, germination rate ≥ 70%, 1 000-grain weight ≥ 2.40 g, purity ≥ 77%, moisture ≤ 14.3%; for third grade seeds, germination rate ≥ 41%, 1 000-grain weight ≥ 2.29 g, purity ≥ 76%, moisture ≤ 15.8%. The seed testing methods for quality items of P. heterophylla had been initially established, as well as the primary P. heterophylla seed quality classification standard.
Caryophyllaceae ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Germination ; Quality Control ; Seeds ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Water ; analysis

Cooperation hydrogen production was carried out using Rhodopseudomonas sp. DT and Enterobacter aerogenes. The effects of the initial ratio of Rhodopseudomonas sp. DT and E. aerogenes, culture temperature, and carbon source on the cooperation hydrogen production were investigated. The results suggested that cooperation hydrogen production rate was highly affected by the initial ratio of Rhodopseudomonas sp. DT and E. aerogenes. The mixed bacteria of Rhodopseudomonas sp. DT and E. aerogenes with 1:1 initial ratio benefited to the cooperation hydrogen production, which led the hydrogen production rate and duration of gas production to 3.1 mol H2/mol glucose and 81 h, respectively. The pH dynamics analysis of culture medium further discovered that the pH of the mixed bacteria with 1:1 initial ratio changed from 6 to 7 smaller than other conditions, which was probably fitted to produce hydrogen. Furthermore, the mixed bacteria with 1:1 initial ratio had the higher hydrogen production efficiency at temperatures of 28?C and 37?C than at 20?C, and without any hydrogen production at temperature of 50?C. The carbon sources of glucose, succinate acid, malic acid could be used to produce hydrogen by the mixed bacteria. Even the soluble starch, unused by Rhodopseudomonas sp. DT, was also decomposed by the mixed bacteria to produce hydrogen with the conversion efficiency of 8.22%. The glucose was the optimal carbon resource, and the conversion efficiency could reach to 36.11%. The results, further, implied that the cooperation hydrogen production could enlarge the use of the carbon sources.

Objective To investigate cyclic mechanical stimulation on expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in osteoblast-like cells (MG63) and to explore the rote of MAPK involved in the process.Methods Expressions of CTGF protein and mRNA in MG63 cells were detected by Western blot and RT-PCR,respectively. Phosphorylation levels of p38, ERK, JNK were examined by Western blot. Results Cyclic mechanical stimulation upregulated expressions of CTGF protein and mRNA. The levels reached a maximal response of 2-3 fold after 3-6 h. ERK and JNK signal pathways were activated by cyclic mechanical stimulation, the phosphorylated proteins increased within 10 min of stretch, phosphorylated ERK reached maximal levels by 60 min of stretch, phosphorylated JNK reached maximal levels by 15-30 min of stretch, but not for p38 signal pathway.Only the inhibitior of JNK signal pathway (SP600125) markedly suppressed stretch-induced CTGF expression,meanwhile the inhibitors of ERK (PD98059) and p38 (SB203580) did not show such effect. Conclusion Cyclic mechanical stimulation upregulates CTGF expression via JNK-dependent pathway in MG63 cells.

[Objective] To evaluate the effectiveness of AIDS health education for pregnant women in their knowledge ,attitude and behavior on AIDS prevention and mother-to-child transmission , so as to pro-vide scientific basis for health education . [ Methods] From 5 suburban hospitals , a total of 800 preg-nant women investigated accepted AIDS health education intervention study .Interventions included face to face counseling with medical personnel , distribution of publicity materials of basic AIDS prevention , and preventing mother-to-child transmission of AIDS .Through investigation by two questionnaires done before and after intervention , we obtained the changes in pregnant women's knowledge , attitude and behavior on AIDS prevention and mother-to-child transmission , and thus evaluated the efficacy of the intervention . [ Results] Before health education intervention , pregnant women were found to be in lack of knowledge , and had incorrect attitude and behavior on basic AIDS prevention , and mother-to-child transmission of AIDS prevention.After intervention, the situation markedly improved. [Conclusion] AIDS health education intervention increases pregnant women's knowledge on basic AIDS prevention , and mother-to-child transmis-sion of AIDS prevention , changes their wrong attitude and behavior , improves self protection consciousness , and reduces their discrimination against AIDS patients .It is clear that we must continue to carry out health education intervention , so as to control the spread of AIDS effectively .