Objective To summarize the contrast enhanced ultrasonographic (CEUS) features of benign focal liver lesions, on and to investigate the value of contrast enhanced ultrasound techniques in the diagnosis of benign focal liver lesion. Methods The contrast enhanced ultrasonographic performance of 68 benign focal liver lesions cases which were dififcult for routine ultrasound diagnosis and conifrmed by pathology or follow-up were retrospectively analyzed. Chi-square test of four-fold table were used to compare the diagnostic coincidence rate of conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Results The 68 cases of benign focal liver lesions included complex cysts (n=7), liver hydatids (n=2), liver abscess (n=15), focal nodular hyperplasia (n=8), angiomyolipoma (n=2), hepatocellular adenoma (n=4), focal fat accumulation (n=16), inlfammatory pseudotumor (n=12), solitary necrotic nodule (n=1), intrahepatic biliary cystadenoma (n=1). There were no enhancement among 7 complex cysts, 2 liver hydatids and 1 solitary necrotic nodule. Isoenhancement was detected in focal fat accumulation (n=16);hypoenhancement during the arterial phase and sustained enhancement during the portal or late phase was found in focal nodular hyperplasia (n=8) and angiomyolipoma (n=2). Grid-like enhancements during the arterial phase and isoenhancement or hypoenhancement during the portal phase, and hypoenhancement during the late phase was presented in liver abscess (n=15). Hyperenhancement during the arterial phase were detected in 4 cases of hepatocellular adenoma, 3 of which showed isoenhancement or hyperenhancement during the portal and delayed phase, one case showed hypoenhancement during the portal phase. Eight cases of all the inlfammatory pseudotumor showed no enhancement during all phases;3 cases showing grid enhancement during the arterial phase and the enhancement washed out rapidly;1 case showed mild edge enhancement during the arterial phase and hypoenhancement during the delayed phase. The solid part of the intrahepatic biliary cystadenoma showed hyperenhancement during the arterial phase and hypoenhancement during the portal and late phase.The central area showed no enhancement during all phase. The coincidence rate between pathology and conventional ultrasound diagnosis was 61.8%(42/68). The coincidence rate between pathology and contrast- enhanced ultrasound diagnosis was 92.6%(63/68). The coincidence rate of contrast-enhanced ultrasound diagnostic was higher than that of conventional ultrasound, with a statistically signiifcant difference (χ2=8.17, P < 0.01). Conclusion Real-time gray-scale contrast-enhanced sonography can improve the accuracy of the diagnosis and differential diagnosis for benign focal liver lesions.

The chemical constituents from lipophilic parts in the roots of Angelica dahurica var. formosana cv. Chuanbaizhi were studied in this paper. The compounds were separated and purified by repeated column chromatographic methods on silica gel and HPLC, and the chemical structures of compounds were determined by spectral data analyses. Twenty-nine compounds were obtained and identified as isoimperatorin (1), β-sitosterol (2), imperatorin (3), bergapten (4), osthenol (5), xanthotoxin (6), isoimpinellin (7), dehydrogeijerin (8), phellopterin (9), isodemethylfuropinarine (10), 7-demethylsuberosin (11), alloimperatorin (12), xanthotoxol (13), isooxypeucedanin (14), alloisoimperatorin (15), demethylfuropinarine (16), 5-hydroxy-8-methoxypsoralen (17), oxypeucedanin methanolate (18), pabulenol (19), byakangelicin (20), marmesin (21), (+) -decursinol (22), heraclenol (23), oxypeucedanin hydrate (24), marmesinin (25), ulopterol (26), erythro-guaiacylglycerol-β-ferulic acid ether (27), threo-guaiacylglycerol-β-ferulic acid ether (28), and uracil (29). Compounds 5, 8, 11, 18, 21-23, and 26-28 were obtained from the roots of title plant for the first time.
Angelica ; chemistry ; Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Furocoumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Methoxsalen ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Phytochemicals ; analysis ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry

Objective:To research the solubilization of sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin ( SEB-β-CD) on voriconazole and the sta-bility of voriconazole with different pH values. Methods:Phase-solubility diagram was applied to study the solubilization of SEB-β-CD on voriconazole. Meanwhile, the impurity of voriconazole was determined to study the stability. Results:SBE-β-CD could increase the solubility of voriconazole significantly and the apparent stability constant was similar within the pH range of 5. 0-8. 0. The stability of voriconazole was decreased with the increase of pH. Conclusion:SEB-β-CD is an ideal solubilizer for voriconazole, while the stability is influenced by pH.

OBJECTIVETo study the shade-endurance property of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and provide rationale for the practice of inter-cropping G. uralensis with trees.

METHODBlack shading nets were used to provide five different environments of light intensities (light penetration rates of 100%, 75%, 65%, 50% and 25%, respectively). To assess the shade-endurance capacity of G. uralensis, several aspects were evaluated, including growth characters, physiological and ecological characters, biomass, and chemical contents.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONG. uralensis is a light-favored plant. The growth indices such as plant height, stem diameter, leaves number, root diameter, biomass, and daily average photosynthetic rate (Pn) are highest when light permeation rate is 100%. All these indices decrease when light intensity decreases. However, G. uralensis possesses shade-endurance capacity to some degree; it adapts to the shading environment by increasing the leaf area and chlorophyll contents. Shading has no obvious effect on the absolute light energy utilization rate (Eu) or Fv/Fm ratio. The influence of shading on the chemical contents of G. uralensis is obvious.

Adaptation, Physiological ; Chlorophyll ; analysis ; Glycyrrhetinic Acid ; analysis ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; growth & development ; physiology ; Photosynthesis ; Plant Components, Aerial ; anatomy & histology ; Plant Leaves ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; physiology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; growth & development ; physiology ; Sunlight ; Trees ; growth & development

Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; complications ; Vitamin D ; blood ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; complications

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of color doppler flow image (CDFI) and three-dimension color power angiography(3D-CPA) in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Methods A total of 62 pathologically confirmed thyroid nodules of 30 patients were analyzed. All the patients underwent ultrasound examination and operation in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between January, 2008 and May, 2009. Both CDFI and 3D-CPA were performed before the operation. All the nodules were divided into three groups including nodular goiters, thyroid adenomas and thyroid cancers according to the pathological results. The hemodynamic features and the vascular morphology characteristics of nodules in different groups were compared. Results 3D-CPA showed that blood vessels of nodular goiters commonly distributed surrounding the mass and the inner vessels were thin and regular, thyroid adenomas were bulb-shaped and netted structure, and malignant thyroid nodules displayed distorted and irregular distributed vessels. Peak systolic velocity (PSV)of the three groups were (39.43±11.17a), (46.39±12.98) and (65.17±9.23)cm/s, respectively. Resistance index(RI) of the three groups were (0.32±0.08), (0.41±0.06) and (0.69±0.07)cm/s, respectively. Both PSV and RI in malignant thyroid nodules were higher than in nodular goiters and in thyroid adenomas and the difference were statistical significant (all P < 0.05). The blood flow grade of malignant nodules was also higher in malignant nodules than in other two groups(χ2 = 17.11, 12.79, 23.05, 15.41, P< 0.01). Conclusions CDFI and 3D-CPA could visually demonstrate the characteristic and distribution of the inner and outer blood vessels, display the vessels structures, and they are benefit the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules.

The genome of CK/CH/SD09/005, an isolate of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), was characterized to enable the further understanding of the epidemiology and evolution of IBV in China. Twenty-five pairs of primers were designed to amplify the full-length genome of CK/CH/SD09/005. The nucleotide sequence of CK/CH/SD09/005 was compared with reference IBV strains retrieved from GenBank. The phylogenic relationship between CK/CH/SD09/005 and the reference strains was analyzed based on S1 gene sequences. The complete genome of CK/CH/SD09/005 consisted of 27691 nucleotides (nt), excluding the 5' cap and 3' poly A tail. The whole-genome of CK/CH/SD09/005 shared 97 - 99% nucleotide sequence homology with the GX-NN09032 strain, which was the only complete genome that was closely related to CK/CH/SD09/005. When compared with all reference strains except GX-NN09032, CK/CH/SD09/005 showed the highest similarity to ck/CH/LDL/091022 and SDIB821/2012 (QX-like) in the replicase gene (Gene 1) and 3'UTR, with a sequence identity rate of 97% and 98%, respectively. However, CK/CH/SD09/005 exhibited lower levels of similarity with ck/CH/LDL/091022 and SDIB821/2012 in S-3a-3b-3c/ E-M-5a-5b-N with a sequence identity of 72% - 90%. CK/CH/SD09/005 showed the highest level of nucleotide identity with Korean strain 1011, and Chinese strains CK/CH/LXJ/02I, DK/CH/HN/ZZ2004 and YX10, in ORF 3c/E (97%), 5a (96%), 5b (99%) and N (96%), respectively. ORFs 3a, 3b and M of CK/CH/SD09/005 exhibited no more than 90% homology with the reference strains, excluding GX-NN09032. The phylogenic analysis based on the S1 gene revealed that CK/CH/SD09/005 and 39 published strains were classified into seven clades (genotypes). CK/CH/SD09/005 was distributed in clade IV with several isolates collected between 2007 and 2012. CK/CH/SD09/005 showed 66% - 69% and 72% - 81% nucleotide identities with the IBV strains of other six clades in the S1 and S2 subunits, respectively. More over, multiple substitutions were found throughout the entire S gene of CK/CH/SD09/005, while insertions and deletions were located within the S1 gene. These results indicated that CK/CH/SD09/005 is a novel variant that may be derived from the QX-like strains that are prevalent in China. Multiple genetic mechanisms, including recombinations, mutations, insertions and deletions, are likely to have contributed to the emergence of this IBV strain.
Animals ; Chickens ; China ; Coronavirus Infections ; veterinary ; virology ; Genome, Viral ; Genomics ; Infectious bronchitis virus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Poultry Diseases ; virology ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Viral Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics

Monovalent antisera of 3 vaccine strains and 7 representative field isolates were prepared based on the comparison of genetic diversity of the hypervariable region I of S1 gene (HVR I from 3 infectious bronchitis (IB) vaccine strains (H120, Ma5 and 4/91) ,one reference strain M41 and 26 IB field isolates. These 30 strains were classified in 7 different genotypes, respectively. Virus-neutralizing test on tracheal organ cultures (TOC) with chicken embryo were used to evaluate relatedness values of the antigenicity based on the antibody titer, to analyze the antigenic relationships between the isolates and vaccine strains, as well as to determine the serotypes of 26 IB viruses isolated from the field in Guangxi between 1985 and 2008. The results showed 30 strains were classified into 7 distinct serotypes and there were two predominant serotypes within the 26 isolates, serotypes 1 (totally 13 isolates) and serotype 2 (totally 5 isolates), respectively. In addition, there were some differences observed between the results of serotyping and the genotyping (including the S1, N, M and 3'UTR). The results of the study demonstrated that there were different predominant serotypes and multiple serotypes of IBV circulated in Guangxi in recent years, antigenic variation existed between Guangxi field isolates and vaccine strains.
Animals ; Antibodies, Viral ; immunology ; Antigens, Viral ; genetics ; immunology ; Chick Embryo ; Chickens ; China ; Coronavirus Infections ; immunology ; veterinary ; virology ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Infectious bronchitis virus ; classification ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; Poultry Diseases ; immunology ; virology ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; genetics ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore the biological effects of infrasound on the polygonal cells in adrenal cortex zona fasciculation in mice.

METHODSThe biological effects of infrasound on the activities of 3beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3-betaHSDH) and acid phosphatase(ACP) of the polygonal cells in adrenal cortex zona fasciculate were observed when exposure to 8 and 16 Hz infrasound at 80, 90, 100, 110, 120 and 130 dB for 1 day, 7 days and 14 days or 14 days after the exposure.

RESULTSWhen exposure to 8 Hz infrasound, the enzyme activities of 3-betaHSDH increase as the sound pressure levels increase. Only when the sound pressure levels reach 130 dB, the enzyme activities began to decrease exceptionally. When exposure to 16 Hz, 80 dB infrasound, no significant difference between the treatment and control group in the activities of 3-betaHSDH could be observed, but the injury of the polygonal cells had appeared. When exposure to 16 Hz, 100 dB infrasound, the activities of 3-betaHSDH started to increase. The cell injury still existed. When exposed to 16 Hz, 120 dB infrasound, the local tissue damage represented. Fourteen days after the mice exposure to 8 Hz, 90 dB and 130 dB infrasound for 14 days continuously, the local tissue injury of the adrenal cortex zona fasciculation began to recover at certain extent, but the higher the exposure sound pressure level, the poorer the tissue recovery.

CONCLUSIONThe biological effects of infrasound on the polygonal cells in adrenal cortex zona fasciculation response to the frequency of the infrasound are found at certain action strength range, but this characteristic usually is covered by the severe tissue injury. When exposure to infrasound is stopped for a period of time, the local tissue injury of the adrenal cortex zona fasciculation could recovers at certain extent, but the higher the exposure sound pressure level, the more poorer the tissue recovery.

17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases ; metabolism ; Acid Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Adrenal Cortex ; cytology ; enzymology ; Animals ; Environmental Exposure ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Noise ; Zona Fasciculata ; enzymology ; Zona Reticularis ; enzymology

The characteristics of uptake, transepithelial transport and efflux of Z- and E-ajoenes isolated from the bulbs of Allium sativum were studied. A human colon cell model Caco-2 cell monolayers in vitro cultured had been applied to study the characteristics of uptake, transepithelial transport and efflux of Z- and E-ajoenes. The quantitative determination of Z- and E-ajoenes was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Z- and E-Ajoenes can be detected only in the apical side and can be metabolized, but both compounds can not be transported from apical-to-basolateral and basolateral-to-apical directions in cultured Caco-2 cell monolayers. The metabolism of Z- and E-ajoenes in Caco-2 cell monolayers can be partially inhibited by vitamin C as an anti-oxidant, metyrapone as an inhibitor to subtype CYP3A of cytochrome P450 drug metabolism enzymes, and sodium azide as an inhibitor to ATP production. It is shown that neither Z-ajoene nor E-ajoene can pass through Caco-2 cell monolayers, and that they can be metabolized by the cells. The metabolism might be in correlation with cytochrome P450 drugs metabolism enzymes in Caco-2 cell monolayers.
Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Ascorbic Acid ; pharmacology ; Biological Transport ; drug effects ; Caco-2 Cells ; Cell Membrane ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors ; Disulfides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Garlic ; chemistry ; Humans ; Metyrapone ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sodium Azide ; pharmacology ; Stereoisomerism