Objective To explore the change of serum uric acid(UA) levels in patients with multiple sclerosis(MS) and its clinical significance.Methods A quantitative enzymatic assay according to the manufacturer's protocol was adopted to detect serum UA levels in 43 patients with MS and 45 normal.Results The mean serum UA level in patients with MS was significantly lower in comparison with controls( P

Aged ; Antigens, CD20 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Leukocyte Common Antigens ; metabolism ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Prostate ; pathology ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Salvianolate on myosin heavy chain (MHC) in cardiomyocytes of congestive heart failure (CHF) rats.

METHODSSixty male SD rats were divided into 6 groups according to random digit table, i.e., the normal control group (NCG), the model group, the Captopril group (CAG), the low dose Salvianolate group (LSG), the high dose Salvianolate group (HSG), the Captopril and high dose Salvianolate group (CSG), 10 in each group. CHF rat model was established with peritoneal injection of adriamycin in all rats except those in the NCG. Equal volume of normal saline was peritoneally injected to rats in the NCG, once per week for 6 successive weeks. Corresponding medication was started from the 5th week of injecting adriamycin. Rats in the CAG were administered with Captopril solution at the daily dose of 10 mg/kg by gastrogavage. Rats in the LSG and the HSG were administered with Salvianolate solution at the daily dose of 24.219 mg/kg and 48.438 mg/kg respectively by gastrogavage. Salvianolate was dissolved in 2 mL 5% glucose solution and administered by peritoneal injection. Rats in the CSG were peritoneally injected with high dose Salvianolate solution and administered with Captopril solution by gastrogavage. Two mL normal saline was peritoneally injected to rats in the model group, once per day for 8 successive weeks. Eight weeks later, the cardiac function and myocardial hypertrophy indices were detected by biological signal collecting and processing system. mRNA expression levels of alpha-MHC and beta-MHC in cardiac muscle were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Expressions of protein kinase C (PKC) in cardiac muscle were detected by Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, heart mass index (HMI) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) obviously increased in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, HMI and LVMI decreased in HSG, CAG, and CSG groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). It was more obviously lowered in the CSG group than in the CAG group (P < 0.05). Compared with the NCG, the mRNA expression level of alpha-MHC in cardiac muscle decreased, the mRNA expression level of p-MHC and the expression of PKC in cardiac muscle increased in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the mRNA expression level of alpha-MHC in cardiac muscle was increased, and the mRNA expression level of beta-MHC and the expression of PKC in cardiac muscle were decreased in HSG, CAG, and CSG groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was statistical difference between the CSG group and the CAG group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSalvianolate could up-regulate the mRNA expression level of alpha-MHC, and down-regulate the mRNA expression level of beta-MHC in cardiac muscle. Its mechanism might be related to decreasing the expression of PKC.

Animals ; Captopril ; Doxorubicin ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Heart Failure ; metabolism ; Male ; Myocardium ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Myosin Heavy Chains ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

In view of the present situation that edible marine shellfishes are combinedly contaminated by different kinds of lipophilic toxins, common lipophilic shellfish toxins in marine shellfishes were simultaneously detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and the safety risk of commercial marine shellfish was evaluated using the risk assessment method based on combined contamination of various toxins. Under the optimum conditions, satisfactory recoveries (63. 3％ - 88. 8％ ), precision ( relative standard deviations RSD≤14. 5％ ) and sensitivity (limit of detection in the range of 0. 5-2. 7 ng / g) of the method were achieved for all the analytes. Among the 105 commercially available shellfish samples, 42. 86％ of the samples had at least a kind of toxin. The highest average content was 47. 6 μg / kg of DTX1, which was the most serious contaminant for marine shellfishes. The total Expose Risk Index (∑ERI) was calculated based on Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) and Acute Reference Dose (ARfD) of each toxin to evaluate the safety risk of commercial marine shellfish. The results showed that the ratio of commercially available marine shellfish with safety risk was 19. 05％ and the food safety risk of scallop was the highest. In summary, a new method based on the combined contamination of lipophilic shellfish toxins was successfully developed for risk assessment of the commercial marine shellfish. The proposed method is more harsh compared with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regulation and can make shellfish consumers better to avoid the risk of poisoning.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the methylation status of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) gene promoter and its clinical significance in children with stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and to provide a basis for further etiological study and early diagnosis of this disease.

METHODSFifty-five children with a confirmed diagnosis of stage IV NHL (40 cases of T-NHL and 15 cases of B-NHL) were selected as the case group, and 20 children with diseases other than hematologic malignancies were selected as the control group. Bone marrow samples were collected from these subjects. Methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) was applied to evaluate the methylation status of ZO-1 gene promoter, and the integrated optical density (IOD) was determined. RT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of ZO-1.

RESULTSMS-PCR showed that the methylated bands of ZO-1 gene promoter were found in 39 (70.9%) of 55 patients in the case group before treatment, while no ZO-1 gene promoter methylation was detected in the control group. With close tracking of 47 cases in the study group, consisting of 32 cases of T-NHL and 15 cases of B-NHL, the rates of ZO-1 gene promoter methylation prior to treatment were 72% and 67%, respectively, (P>0.572). The cases of T-NHL and B-NHL showed no significant changes in methylation rate in the early and middle phases of chemotherapy (P>0.05), but they showed significant changes in methylation rate in the late phase of chemotherapy (P<0.05). RT-PCR showed that the NHL cases carrying methylated ZO-1 gene had no mRNA expression of ZO-1, while all children in the control group had mRNA expression of ZO-1. There was no linear relationship between the total number of peripheral blood leukocytes and ZO-1 gene IOD (r=0.093, P=0.575); a positive correlation was found between the number of malignant cells in bone marrow and ZO-1 gene IOD (r=0.669, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONSZO-1 gene shows a hypermethylation status in children with NHL, and the methylation level is positively correlated with the number of malignant cells in bone marrow. ZO-1 may be used as a novel molecular marker in early diagnosis, outcome assessment, prognostic evaluation, and detection of minimal residual disease.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA Methylation ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; genetics ; Male ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Zonula Occludens-1 Protein ; genetics

Objective To observe the effects of ischemic postconditioning (IPTC) on myocardial infarction sizes (IS) and protein kinase Cα (PKCα) expression in aged rats with post-ischemia reperfusion injury,and to explore the mechanism.Methods A total of 120 male Wistar rats were divided into aged group and adult group.The aged group was randomly divided into control group (n=12,30-min ischemia and 3-h reperfusion),5 s,10 s,30 s and 60 s IPTC groups [n= 12,each;after 30 min occlusion of left coronary artery (LCA),three cycles of 5 s,10 s,30 s,60 s reperfusion respectively followed by the same interval LCA re-occlusion were applied at the beginning of reperfusion].The IS was measured with TTC dye,and PKC expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry.Results Different IPTC intervals had different effects on IS and PKC expression,10 s and 30 s IPTC could reduce IS both in aged rats and adult rats [(55.9±6.0)% and (47.4±5.5)%],IS in 10 s IPTC group in aged rats was (48.1±5.3)%,in adult rats was (39.2±5.7) %;IS in 30 s IPTC group in aged rats was (48.8 ± 6.8) %,in adult rats was (40.2 ± 6.1 ) %.PKCα expression increased in aged and adult rats (all P<0.05).5 s IPTC could increase IS [IS in 5 s IPTC group in aged rats was (63.5±5.4)%,and PKCα expression reduced in aged rats (all P<0.05)].Conclusions IPTC has cardio-protective effect in aged rats suffering from acute myocardial injury during reperfusion,the effect of IPTC is related to reperfusion-reocclusion interval.

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Objective To compare BACTEC Plus aerobic and anaerobic bottles with BacT/ALERT FA aerobic bottles and FN anaerobic bottles in the ability of detecting simulated bacteremia specimens.Methods The 202 pairs of specimens were composed of 5ml sterile blood and defined loads of microorganisms.112 pairs of specimens in them also contained defined doses of antibiotics to simulate the patients undertaking antibiotic therapy.Time-to-detect(TTD)and positive percentages were evaluated in four groups,including aerobic bottles detecting aerobic bacteria,anaerobic bottles detecting anaerobic bacteria and facultative anaerobic bacteria,and aerobic bottles contained antibiotics detecting aerobic bacteria.Results The positive percentages of two kinds of aerobic bottles were both 100%.For the specimens with bacterial concentration of 10~2 and 10~3 CFU/ml,average TTDs of BACTEC Plus aerobic bottles[(13.69?3.74)h,(11.54?2.87)h]were faster than those of BacT/ALERT FA bottles [(16.76?5.62)h,(14.47?4.30)h;t=-5.674,-7.294,P

ObjectiveTo explore the role of Network Management System (NMS) in decreasing mortality and incidence of cerebral palsy in preterm infants.MethodsThe data of 356 preterm infants transported by NMS from January 2004 to December 2005 were analyzed.ResultsNo death cases occurred during the transportation of 356 preterm infants, the success rate was 100%. 292 cases (84.39%) were cured and 36 cases (10.4%) were effective. 7 case dead for compliance, the mortality was 19.6‰. 3 cases suffered from cerebral palsy , the incidence of cerebral palsy was 8.6‰.ConclusionNMS applied to preterm infants is a high-effective medical model, and plays an important role in improving the forward prognosis of preterm infants.

To study the possibility of activation of vagus afferent in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through interleukin-1 (IL-1), Wistar rats were randomly divided into LPS group and saline (NS) group. The expression of c-Fos, CD14 and Mac-1 were detected by immunohistochemistry staining. IL-1 bioactivity was determined by L929 cell proliferation. The expression of IL-1R I mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization. Our results showed that there were some c-Fos protein expression positive neurons in the nodose ganglion in LPS group, but no c-Fos protein expression positive neurons in the nodose ganglion in control group. The number of macrophages (M phi) in the connective tissue surrounding the abdominal vagus increased significantly in response to LPS i.p. Forty-five minutes after the application of LPS, the IL-1 bioactivity in the supernatant of M phi was increased. Positive IL-1R mRNA neurons were also observed in the nodose ganglion in the LPS group. The results indicate that vagus afferent is activated in response to LPS and that IL-1 production might be involved in the activation of vagus afferent.
Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Interleukin-1 ; biosynthesis ; physiology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Neurons, Afferent ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; biosynthesis ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Vagus Nerve ; drug effects ; metabolism