Fermentation conditions for the production of spores of Bacillus mucilaginosus mutant 021120 were optimized through the single factor and orthogonal experiments.The results showed that the biomass and formation of spores were obviously affected by carbonate,followed by nitrogen.Addition of CaCO3 and enhancing air flux notably promoted the formation of spores.The optimal culture medium was composed of 2% starch,0.4% Yeast,0.1% K2HPO4,0.1% MgSO4?7H20 and 0.5 %CaCO3,pH7.5.6% of the inoculum prepared with two-stage extensive culture was inoculated into a 70L fermentor.The fermentation was carried out with 2.0~2.5 vvm of air flux at 32℃ for 38~42h,and the spores of 9.80?108 cfu ml-1 was obtained.Under these optimal fermentation conditions,the capsule was successfully controled and the formation of the spores was effectively improved,thus the satisfying bacteial product was obtained.

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

This study evaluated the clinical effect of impaction bone graft and distal press-fit fixation for the reconstruction of severe femoral bone defect in revision total hip arthroplasty. A total of 234 patients (involving 236 hips) with Paprosky III and IV femoral bone defects were treated with the revision total hip arthroplasty from June 1998 to Aug. 2006. Impaction bone graft technique was used for 112 hips, with allogeneic freeze-dried bone as bone graft and SPII as prosthesis. With 124 hips, modular distal press-fit fixation and tapered femoral stem (MP stem) were employed. After the operation, the subjects were followed up on regular basis and results were assessed by using the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Radiolucence, subsidence and loosening were observed and complications, including infection, fracture, dislocation etc. were recorded. A 6-14-year follow-up showed that prostheses failed, due to infection, in 4 patients of impaction bone graft group and that 6 patients in the press-fit fixation group experienced prosthesis failure, with the survival rates for the two techniques being 96.43% and 95.16%, respectively. One-way ANOVA showed that prosthesis survival was significantly associated with surgery-related complications (P<0.05) and was not related to the type of the bone defects (P>0.05). The rate of complications bore significant association with the type of bone defects in the two groups (P<0.05). Our study showed that the two revision methods could achieve satisfactory mid-term and long-term results for the reconstruction of severe bone defects. It is of great significance for attaining high prosthesis survival rate to select suitable operation on the basis of the type of bone defect. Careful operative manipulation and post-operative rehabilitation aimed at reducing complications are also important.

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of moxibustion in re-treatments patients of tuberculosis.

METHODSFifty-three cases were randomly divided into an observation group (n = 31) and a control group (n = 22). They were treated with routine chemotherapeutic program of western medicine with garlic moxibustion on main points Feishu (BL 13), Gaohuang (BL 43), Shenzhu (GV 12), etc. added in the observation group. The therapeutic effects were assessed by clinical symptoms and signs, X-ray, CT examination and laboratory indexes.

RESULTSThe focus absorbing rate of 87.1% in the observation group was better than 63.6% in the control group (P < 0.05); the rate of bacteria-turned negativity in sputum was 90.5% in the observation group which was better than 56.3% in the control group (P < 0.05); the observation group in improvement of hypodynamia, night sweat and cough was superior to the control group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMoxibustion can increase the therapeutic effect for the re-treatment patient of tuberculosis.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Garlic ; chemistry ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Tuberculosis ; drug therapy ; therapy

Eleven compounds were isolated from the culture of Streptomyces sp. CPCC 202950 by a combination of various chromatographic techniques including column chromatography over macroporous resin HP-20, MCI, and reversed-phase HPLC. Their structures were identified as 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxamide(1),5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioinosine(2), vanillamide(3), trans-3-methylthioacrylamide(4), 1,2,3,4-Tetraydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole-3-carboxylic acid(5), cyclo(L-pro-L-tyr) (6), N-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)]ethylacetamide(7), benzamide (8), cyclo ('L-leucyl-trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline)(9), cyclo-(Phe-Gly) (10), and tryptophan (11). Among them, compounds 1 and 2 were new natural products. In the preliminary assays, none of the compounds exhibited obvious inhibition of HIV-1 protease activity (IC50 > 10 micromol x L(-1)).
Culture Media ; chemistry ; metabolism ; HIV Protease ; analysis ; HIV Protease Inhibitors ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Streptomyces ; chemistry ; metabolism

Objective To explore the relationship bet-ween air pollution and acute onset of cerebral hemorrhage in Hangzhou.Methods Time-stratified case-crossover study was used to analyze the effect of aerosol optical depth(AOD),PM10,SO2 and NO2 on the acute onset of cerebral hemorrhage.Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios(Ors) and their 95% confidence intervals(Cis) in relation to an increase of one unit of AOD and 10 μg/m3 of air pollutants.Results After adjusted temperature and relative humidity,the Ors of acute onset of cerebral hemorrhage by a unit increase in AOD at a 2 day-lag were 1.727(95%CI:1.103-2.703)in first half year and 2.412 (95%CI:1.230-4.733) at a 2 day-lag in spring.For a 10 μg/m3 increase in SO2,the Ors were 1.119(95% CI:1.019-1.229),1.230(95%CI:1.092-1.386),1.254(95%CI:1.076-1.460) in the whole year(2 day-lag),in first half year(2 day-lag) and in spring(2 day-lag),respectively.NO2 exposure in first half year(2 day-lag) was associated with cerebral hemorrhage,with OR as 0.841(95% CI:0.734-0.964).However,there were no statistical significances for AOD,SO2,NO2 in the rest time-periods(P>0.05).Additionally,no association was found between PM10 and the acute onset of cerebral hemorrhage in any time-periods(P>0.05).Conclusion Our data showed that there was association between air pollution and the acute onset of cerebral hemorrhage,especially in spring and in the first half of the year.

OBJECTIVETo study the content of phytoestrogen in dissimilarity herbs.

METHODThe activity of phytoestrogen in heat-clearing drugs, drugs for relieving exterior syndrome, diuretic, anastaltics, tonics and astringents were detected based on the recombinant yeast cell (W303-1A/hER-ERE-Lac Z). The estrogenic activity in traditional Chinese materia medica were assayed quantitatively by determining the expression of beta-galactosidase.

RESULTThe phytoestrogen concentration (6.35 x 10(-3) nmol x g(-1) E2 equivalent) in heat-clearing drugs was the highest while that in anastaltic and tonic drugs was the lowest, which was less than the detected limit.

CONCLUSIONCompared with the other traditional Chinese materia medica, the content of phytoestrogen, which can bind to estrogen receptor, in giant knotweed rhizome, forsythia suspense, ash bark, baical skullcap root and ophiopogonis tuber were higher.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Phytoestrogens ; analysis ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism ; Recombination, Genetic ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; chemistry ; cytology ; drug effects ; genetics ; beta-Galactosidase ; analysis

Many major neurodegenerative diseases are associated with proteins misfolding and aggregation, which are also called "neurodegenerative conformational disease". The interaction of gene mutation and environmental factors are probably primary events resulting in oligomer and aggregate formations of proteins. Moreover, the dysfunctions of protein control systems, i.e. the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy-lysosomal system, also contribute to the neurodegenerative process. The present review mainly summarizes protein misfolding and aggregation in the development of neurodegenerative conformational disease and the underling mechanisms, as well as upregulation of heatshock proteins as a promising treatment method for this kind of disease.
Alzheimer Disease ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Animals ; Annona ; chemistry ; Autophagy ; Benzeneacetamides ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; metabolism ; physiology ; Humans ; Mutation ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Parkinson Disease ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Phenols ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex ; metabolism ; Protein Folding ; Ubiquitin ; metabolism

Metabolic characteristics of 39 human brain tumor tissues, including 15 astrocytomas, 13 fibroblastic meningiomas and 11 transitional meningiomas from 39 individual patients, have been studied using high resolution magic-angle spinning (HRMAS) 1H NMR spectroscopy in conjunction with principal component analysis (PCA). With rich metabolite information, 1H NMR spectra showed that the tumor-tissuc metabonome was dominated by lipids, lactate, myo-inositol, ereatine, choline metabolites such as choline, phosphocholine and glycerophosphocholine, amino acids such as alanine, glutamate, glutamine, taurine, N-acetyl-aspartate and glutathione. PCA of the tumor NMR spectra clearly showed metabonomic differences between low-grade astrocytomas and meningiomas whereas such differences were more moderate between fibroblastic and transitional meningiomas. Compared with meningiomas, the low-grade astrocytomas had higher levels of glycerophosphocholine, phosphocholine, myo-inositol and creatine but lower levels of alanine, glutamate, glutamine, glutathione and taurine. The N-acetyl-aspartate level was low but detectable in low-grade astrocytomas whereas it was not detectable in meningiomas. It is concluded that tissue metabonomics technology consisting of HRMAS 1H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis (MVDA) offers a useful tool (1) for distinguishing different types of brain tumors, (2) for providing the metabolic information for human brain tumors, which are potentially useful for understanding biochemistry of tumor progression.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Astragalus membranaceus (APS) on the proliferation, osteogenic capacity and structure of periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) in vitro.

METHODSPDLCs were cultured in vitro with APS of 0.08, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 mg x mL(-1). Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTr), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and cell structure were detected to determine the proliferation and differentiation of PDLCs proliferation and differentiation.

RESULTSWhen the APS was 0.2 mg x mL(-1), the absorbance of MTT and ALP exhibit significantly increased as compared to the control (P < 0.05). The cells cultured in vitro with APS of 0.2 mg x mL(-1) had the normal structure.

CONCLUSIONAPS with proper concentration in short-term culture may promote the proliferation and differentiation of PDLCs.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; Astragalus membranaceus ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; In Vitro Techniques ; Periodontal Ligament