Objective　To study the alterations of surfactant protein A (SP-A) and B (SP-B) in rats in the early stage of acute lung injury induced by oleic acid. Methods　An acute lung injury model was established by injecting oleic acid into the superior vena cava of rats and the levels of SP-A and SP-B in branchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined with Western Blot and ELISA. Results　The levels of SP-A and SP-B in BALF were significantly decreased in the injured group 1 h after acute lung injury (P<0.01) and remained low in the next 6 h. Conclusion　The levels of SP-A and SP-B were decreased in the early stage of acute lung injury. The methods used for detecting SP-A and SP-B we adopted are specific and sensitive, and might be helpful for other experimental study.

Objective To discuss the rehtionship between lipoprotein [Lp (a)],homocysteine (Hcy) and coronary artery disease (CAD) in men.Methods Two hundred and twenty-two male patients admitted for coronary angiography were classified into CAD positive group (111 cases) and CAD negative group (111 cases).The clinical data and plasma Hcy and Lp(a) levels were recorded in both groups.Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze males CAD risk factors.Results Lp (a) ≥0.3 g/L was a risk factor for CAD (OR =5.04,95％ CI 1.88-13.51,P =0.001),whereas Hcy was not related to CAD (OR =1.35,95％ CI 0.63-2.89,P =0.443).However,when both factors were considered together in an interaction model,plasma high Hcy and high Lp (a) levels were risk factors for CAD (OR =11.54,95％ CI 2.62-45.61,P=0.003).Conclusion Plasma Lp (a) and Hcy levels may increase the incidence of male CAD process.

Objective To investigate the career decision-making self-efficacy as well as the psychological well-being of medical students and to discuss the correlation between them.Methods A cross-sectional survey with cluster random sampling was performed anonymously among 714 students of different majors and different grades in an medical University.The contents of the survey included the career decision making self-efficacy scale (CDMSE) as well as the self-reporting inventory(SCL-90).All data in the two groups were analyzed with t test; comparison of data between groups were analyzed with One-Way ANOVA; multiple comparison was analyzed with S-N-K; Pearson and Partial correlation analysis were used to analyzed the correlation between the career decision making self-efficacy and wellbeing.Results Totally 659 students completed the inventory,with response rate being92.3％.Average score of the participants' career decision-making self-efficacy was (124.72 ± 26.76)points,situating at the middle and lower level.There were differences in the scores of career decision making selfefficacy among different sexes,sources,grades and being student cadres or not (P =0.019,0.000,0.027,0.026) ; No differences was found among students of different majors and whether being the only child(P =0.243,0.223).Results of the SCL-90 inventory demonstrated that medical students had some psychological problems including obsessive-compulsive,interpersonal sensitivity and anxiety.Correlation analysis showed that psychological well-being and career decision-making self-efficacy was negatively correlated.Conclusions Measures should be taken to improve the medical students' career decision-making self-efficacy according to their psychological characteristics and to improve the medical students' psychological status by the improvement of career decision-making self-efficacy.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of protective effects of resveratrol on tissueengineered cartilage.Methods The chondrogenesis of alginate-encapsulated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were evaluated by toluidine blue staining and immunostain.The morphology of BMSCs-derived chondrocytes cultured on chitosan-gelatin scaffolds (CGS) was evaluated by scanning electron microscope and laser confocal microscope.When these cells on CGS were pre-stimulated with interleukin-1β (IL-1β) or cotreated with IL-1β and resveratrol in the absence and presence of specific β1-integrin blocking antibody,collagen type Ⅱ,aggrecan,matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) expression,and the translocation of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) were analyzed by Western blotting.ANOVA was used for statistical analysis.Results Alginate bead culture plus conditional medium together could induce the cartilage-specific collagen type Ⅱ,aggrecan expression and extracellular matrix accumulation in differentiated chondrocytes.CGS supported differentiated cell attachment,proliferation,and migration.When those cells cultured on CGS were stimulated with IL-1β alone,collagen type Ⅱ and aggrecan expression was inhibited.However,MMP-13 expression increased.By Western blotting semi-quantitative analysis,the expression level of cartilage-specific collagen type Ⅱ of the control group was 0.484±0.006; the expression level of resveratrol intervention group was 0.474±0.014.The difference between these two groups was not statistically significant (P＞0.05).The expression level of the IL-1β intervention group reduced to 0.155±0.009,which was statistically significant different from the above two groups(P＜0.05).Resveratrol could antagonist the negative effect of IL-1β,and increase collagen type Ⅱ to 0.468±0.014,the difference between these two was statistically significant (P＜0.05),and no significant difference when compared to the control group (P＞0.05).Specific β1-integrin blocking antibody could abrogate these effects of resveratrol,decrease collagen Ⅱ expression to 0.169±0.011,the difference was significant (P＜0.05),but there was no difference when compared to the IL-1β group (P＞0.05).Aggrecan semi-quantitative expression has the same trend in the expression of type Ⅱ collagen while the expression of MMP-13,NF-κB had the reversal trend.These indicated that the resveratrol reversed the catabolic effects by reducing the nuclear translocation of NF-κB.Specific β1-integrin blocking antibody abrogated these effects of resveratrol.Conclusion Resveratrol,by regulating β1-integrin,acts as a NF-κB nuclear trans-location inhibitor to protect tissue-engineered cartilage.

AIM: To investigate the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and taurine (Tau) in preventing hyperoxia-induced the lens opacification and the changes of biochemical parameters on organ cultured rabbit lenses.METHODS: Twenty-four lenses from adult rabbits were divided into the control group, the hyperoxia-exposed group, the hyperoxia-exposed group containing 20mmol/L of NAC, the hyperoxia-exposed group containing 80mmol/L of Tau, respectively. The treated groups incubated with hyperoxia ( pO2>80%) for 4 hours per day throughout a 7-day period. Lens transparency, histology and enzymatic activities measurements were determined after this incubation.RESULTS: Gross morphological examination of these lenses revealed some severe cortical opacification in the hyperoxia-exposed group, moderate cortical opacification in the control group and the Tau treated group. There was minimal cortical opacification in the NAC treated group. The glutathione (GSH) content and the activity of Na, K-ATPase were significantly decreased in the hyperoxia-exposed group than that of the control group, by 37.8% (P<0.05) and 53.5% (P<0.05), respectively. However, they were increased in the two treated groups, especially in the NAC treated group. There were no significant differences in the water-soluble protein content and the catalase and GSH reductase activities in all group lenses.CONCLUSION: Hyperoxia can induce the cortical opaci-fication in the lens. The role of NAC in the prevention of hyperoxia-induced cataract is superior to Tau.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the method to analyze γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and its precursors 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) in urine through LC-MS/MS and provide evidence for related cases. METHODS: GHB-d6 and MOR-d3 were used as the internal standard. The urine sample was separated by LC after protein precipitation with methanol. The electrospray ion source was for ionization. Each compound was detected through multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. RESULTS: The limits of detection of GHB and its precursors 1,4-BD and GBL were 0.1, 0.1 and 2 μg/mL. The accuracy was 87.6%-98.1%. The intra-day and inter-day precisions were less than 15% and matrix effects were higher than 80%. CONCLUSION The method is high sensitive, simple, rapid, specific and with high reliability. This study has provided technical support and basic data for forensic cases involving GHB.
4-Butyrolactone/urine* ; Butylene Glycols/urine* ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Forensic Sciences ; Humans ; Hydroxybutyrates/urine* ; Mass Spectrometry ; Reproducibility of Results ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

AIM: To analyze the effect of pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) on nitrogen monoxide (NO) and expression of cysteine-containing, aspartate-specific proteases-3 (caspase-3) in retinal tissues of model rats with optic nerve crush injury.METHODS: A total of 60 SD rats were randomly divided into the blank control group, model group and PEDF group, with 20 rats in each group.Except the blank control group, the optic nerve crush injury rat models were established in the other groups, and left eyeballs were taken as samples.After successfully modeling, the model group were treated with intravitreal injection of 5μL of balanced salt solution while PEDF group were treated with intravitreal injection of 5μL of PEDF (0.2μg/μL).Two weeks later, the retinal tissues were collected, and changes of shape were observed under microscope after HE staining.The changes of NO level were measured by colorimetry assay, the expression of caspase-3 mRNA and caspase-3 protein was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western-blot.RESULTS: HE staining showed that retinal tissues of the blank control group arranged neatly and clearly.Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) arranged in a monolayer, and cells were oval, uniform in size and distribution, the cell nuclei were clear, closely arranged, with clear boundaries.The retinal tissues of the model group were sparse in shape, RGCs showed vacuolar changes, the overall number of cells was reduced, and cell nuclei of residual RGCs showed pyknosis and uneven staining.RGCs in PEDF group were with slightly edema and arranged closely, and the degree of injury was significantly milder than that in the model group.Levels of Caspase-3 mRNA and protein and NO levels in the three groups showed the model group > PEDF group > blank control group (all P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: The application of PEDF can down regulate the expression of Caspase-3 and NO in rates with optic nerve injury and reduce RGCs injury.

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effect of combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker on the quality of life (QOL) including appetite, defecation, and sleep in patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor.

METHODSTotally 147 patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor were assigned to 4 groups according to different treatment methods, i.e., the supportive treatment group (A, 20 cases), the acupressure treatment group (B, 41 cases), the magnetic sticker treatment group (C, 40 cases), and a combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker treatment group (D, 46 cases). They were respectively treated with different methods, supportive treatment for group A, acupressure for group B, magnetic sticker for group C, and a combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker for group D. The scores of food intake, defecation frequency, sleep time, Karnofsky, and QOL were compared before treatment and at day 14 after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the scores of food intake, defecation frequency, and sleep time were obviously improved in B, C and D groups (P < 0.01). There was statistical difference between group D and group A (P < 0.01). In addition, in comparison with A group, both Karnofsky score and QOL score increased in B, C and D groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe assisted therapy of the combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker could ameliorate QOL such as the digestive functions and sleep in patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor.

Acupressure ; methods ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; therapy ; Humans ; Magnetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

Ginseng saponins are a type of important active substances in the ginseng genus plants. They have notable pharmacological activities of antineoplastic, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective activities, which have been drawn more attention to obtain minor ginsenosides by all kinds of methods. In this review, we discussed the latest progress for enrichment of minor ginsenosides by biological transformation of major ginsenosides. At the same time, we have a brief outlook of the research at bioconversion of ginseng saponins.
Bacteria ; metabolism ; Biotransformation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Ginsenosides ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Panax ; chemistry ; metabolism

Objective To report outcomes of patients with PSA ≥ 30 μg/L with initial negative transperineal template-guided saturation biopsy (TTSB). Methods From 2003 to 2010,a total of 1824 patients underwent transperineal saturation biopsies with the prostate template at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital.44 of them had initial negative biopsy with PSA ≥ 30 μg/L were reviewed in this study.The mean age was 68 years old (range,51 to 80).The mean biopsy cores were 28.7 (range,11 to 44).The median PSA level was 40 μg/L (range,30 to 128),and the median prostate volume was 73 ml (range,30 to 190).They were divided into four groups:TURP group,chronic prostatitis group,repeat biopsy group and miscellaneous group. Results Patients were followed up for a mean of 49 months (range,12 to 91).All patients of TURP group (15 cases) were identified as prostatic hyperplasia by postoperative pathology.2 of them had a second TTSB for PSA ＞ 10 μg/L after TURP,which were negative.5 patients of chronic prostatitis group had a declining PSA level after antibiotic therapy for 3 to 4 weeks.One patient took a second biopsy,which was identified as prostatitis.All patients of repeat biopsy group (18 cases) showed no significant decrease in PSA level during follow-up and undertook biopsies 2 to 4 times,6 of which were proved to be prostate cancer.All patients of the miscellaneous group (6 cases) had a declining PSA and didn't take a second biopsy. Conclusions Close follow-up and regular PSA testing for patients who had a high PSA level with initial negative biopsy would be help to avoid both false negative of prostate cancer and unnecessary biopsy.