Adult ; Aged ; Coal Mining ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Pneumoconiosis ; drug therapy ; immunology ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects

Objective To investigate the cytogenetic toxic effects of copper sulfate on root tip cells of Zea mays L.Methods The root tip cells of Zea mays L were treated by copper sulfate as mutagen at the doses of 0.05,0.10,0.25,0.50,1.00 g /L for 24 hours.The mitotic index,the micronucleus rate and the chromosome aberration rate of tip cells of Zea mays L were measured.Results Compared with the negative control group,the micronucleus rates and the mitotic index in 0.05,0.10,0.25,0.50,1.00 g /L groups and the chromosome aberration rates in 0.05,0.10,0.25,0.50 g /L groups increased significantly(P

Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Brain Ischemia ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gene Expression ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

The immunoregulation effect to polysaccharides from Bifidobacterium spp. was investigated on the base of functional assessment standards of health food. Effects of the EPS on immunity were investigated by promoted the proliferation of spleen lymph cells, delayed type hypersensitivity reaction, the HC50 value and macrophage function assay in mice. Data showed that the EPS could obviously increase the ratio of swallowed chicken red blood cell by macrophage and the HC50 value in mice. However, no significant effect was found on the delayed type hypersensitive induced by sheep red blood cell, for only the low dose of 100 mg/(kg?d) EPS promoted the proliferation of spleen lymph cells. Bifidobacterium spp. EPS can certain immunomodulating function.

Objective To investigate the effects of using a catheter balloon to treat crieopharyngeal achala-sia in patients with brainstem lesions. Methods Thirty cases of dysphagia caused by brainstem lesions were diag-nosed as crieopharyngeal achalasia through videofluoroscopy of swallowing.The cases were divided into a treatment group and a control group randomly.The treatment group was treated with balloon dilatation and routine dysphagia re-habilitation training once daily,while the control group was treated with routine dysphagia rehabilitation training only.The treatment end point was either the patient resuming an oral diet or after 4 weeks of treatment.All eases were evaluated videofluoroscopically with a drinking test pre-and pest-treatment.Results After 10 to 24 balloon dilata-tions,10 of the 15 patients in the treatment group regained the ability to take solid food and water orally,thoush 2 of them could take pasty food only.Only 2 of the 15 patients in the control group regained the ability to take common food by mouth,though 5 of them could take pasty food.The other patients had no improvement.There wag a signifi-cant difference between the two groups.The cricopharyngeal aehalasia of 12 patients in the ffeatment group improved from incomplete relaxation/opening to complete relaxation/opening.Pooling and residue in the pyriform sinus or val-leculae was reduced and no misaspiration was observed.In the control group only 7 patients had some improvement.The mesn time for the bolus passing the pharynx after treatment was significantly shortened from 0.23 s to 0.15 s in the treatment group,but not significantly in the control group.Conclusions Catheter balloon dilatation is effective for cricopharyngeal achalasia caused by brainstem injury and is helpful for relieving the symptoms in the pharynx phase and the esophagus phase of dysphagia.

Objective To compare 76% meglucamine diatrizoate solution with 60%barium sulphate suspen-sion for use in videofluoroscopic swallowing studies(VFSSs).Methods Forty-nine cases of dysphagia caused by brain injury.brainstem lesion ir nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)were recruited for this study.They were divided into a meglucamine diatrizoate group of 22 patients who were administered 76% meglucamine diatrizoate solution as a contrast agent,and a barium sulphate group of 27 patients with whom 70%barium sulphate suspension was used.All the Datients were treated by balloon dilatation and other routine dysphagia rehabilitation procedures.The treatment end point was either the patient's resuming an oral diet or after 4 weeks of treatment. All cases were evaluated by VFSS pre-and post-treatment.Results The patients in the meglucamine diatrizoate group showed significant pre-and post-treatment differences in terms of the pharynx transit times of brain injury and brainstem lesion victims.NPC patients showed no significant differences.In the barium sulphate group there were significant pre-and post-treatment differences in Dharynx transit time for patients with all three conditions. Conclusions Using 76%meglucamine di-atrizoate solution as a contrast agent decreases the sensitivity of VFSS. Using 60% barium sulphate suspension in VFSS is recommended.

Genetic Techniques ; Genomics ; Humans ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Viruses ; genetics ; isolation & purification

Objective To investigate the relationship between cysteine-rich protein 61 ( Cyr61 ) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase ( PI3K ) signal pathway on cell proliferation and apoptotic in human ovarian carcinoma cells.Methods Recombinant human Cyr61 (rhCyr61) was pretreated with ovarian carcinoma cells.The expression of Cyr61 protein was detected by confocal spectral microscopy.Then treated the ovarian carcinoma cells with PI3K transduction inhibitors (LY294002) for 24 hours.Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry (FCM).Cell viability was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method.The mRNA expressions of Cyr61,the protein levels of protein kinase B ( PKB),phospho-PKB and Cyr61 were assaved by real time-PCR and western blot analysis,respectively.Results The Cyr61 and phospho-PKB protein expression in two ovarian carcinoma cells (OV2008 and OVCAR-3 ) were increased in rhCyr61pretreated group.The decreasing of cell apoptosis [ ( 1.4 ±0.9)％,(2.1 ± 1.0)％ ] and increasing of cell proliferation [ ( 124.0 ± 1.8)％,( 133.0 ±2.2)％ ] was detected in the same time,compared with negative control group,there were significant difference ( P ＜ 0.05 ).After exposed to LY294002 for 24 hours,the apoptosis rate of OV2008 and OVCAR-3 in pretreated with rhCyr61 group exposed to LY294002 were (21.1 ± 1.6)％ and (26.4 ± 1.5 )％,respectively.Cells viability [ (59.0 ± 2.3 )％,(51.0 ± 2.0)％ ]was also significantly decreased in OV2008 and OVCAR-3 pretreated with rhCyr61 cells.Meanwhile,the mRNA expressions of Cyr61 (3.2 ± 0.8,6.2 ± 1.1 ) and the protein levels of phospho-PKB and Cyr61 were greatly decreased.Compared with negative control group,there were significant difference in OV2008 and OVCAR-3 cells (all P ＜ 0.0l ).Conclusions The activation of PI3K intracellular signaling pathways may lead to up-regulation of Cyr61 expression.Block PI3K signal pathway could significantly inhibit the expression of Cyr61,and may promote the apoptotic effects and inhibit the cell growth of ovarian carcinoma cells.

Objective:To study the clinical efficacy of acupuncture for ischemic stroke and its effect on ET-1 levels in IS cases.Method:The 63 cases were randomized into a treatment group (31 cases),receiving acupuncture and routine method,and control group (32 cases),receiving routine method alone.Seven days constitute a course of treatment,a 2-day interval between two courses.The clinical efficacy and ET-1 level in two groups were compared after four weeks.Result:The total effective rate in the treatment group and control group were 96.8% and 75% respectively,with a statistical significance (P＜0.05);the ET-1 level in blood plasma also with a statistical significance after the treatment (P＜0.05);the pre-treatment and post-treatment ET-1 level in the treatment group showed a statistical significance (P＜0.01),whereas the control group didn't.Conclusion:Acupuncture is effective for ischemic stroke and can lower the ET-1 level in ischemic stroke cases.

Background and purpose:PARP-1 is closely related to malignant tumors. This study aimed to ex-plore the clinical significance of serum level of PARP-1 protein in onset and progression of gastric cancer.Methods:The serum samples from 145 patients with gastric cancer and 112 healthy check-up cases were collected. The serumHP spec-ificity IgA and PARP-1 protein levels were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The correlation of serum PARP-1 protein levels with clinical characteristics of gastric cancer was analyzed.Results:Compared with healthy people, serum PARP-1 protein levels were significantly higher in gastric cancer patients [(407±139) pg/mLvs(258±120) pg/mL,P=0.014). Serum PARP-1 protein levels were significantly higher inHp(+) gastric cancer patients than those in patients withHp (-) (P<0.001). Serum PARP-1 protein levels were positively correlated with family gastric cancer history (P=0.033) and alcohol intake history (P=0.015) in gastric cancer patients. Compared with serum protein PARP-1 negative patients, PARP-1 protein positive patients had a significantly shorter cancer-free survival (P=0.011). However serum PARP-1 protein level was not found to be an independent risk factor for the overall survival of gastric cancer patients using multivariate COX regression.Conclusion:High expression of serum PARP-1 protein may be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of gastric cancer. Inhibition of PARP-1 may be potential new target for the treatment of gastric cancer.