Objective To research whether serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) level increases in ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke, and explore the relationship between the serum HGF level and stroke recurrence. Methods We studied a total of 92 consecutive acute stroke patients who had been admitted to hospital within 24h of onset from 6 participating hospitals in Xi'an from January 2000 to May 2004. All patients were divided into ischemic stroke group and hemorrhagic stroke group according to the results of brain computed tomography (CT) scan or MRI on admission. Patients in stroke groups were divided into recurrent group and non-recurrent group. Healthy volunteers or patients without cerebrovascular diseases comprised the control group. Stroke and control groups were strictly matched with 1∶1 ratio. The patients were followed up for 4 years. Serum HGF was tested with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Serum HGF of stroke patients was significantly higher than that of control group (P<0.05). The serum HGF level in recurrent group was higher than that in non-recurrent group of ischemic patients, and there was no significant difference in hemorrhagic ones. Conclusion These results indicate that serum HGF may be used as a diagnostic marker for stroke, and serum HGF level is helpful in predicting the recurrence of ischemic stroke.

Adult ; Aortic Rupture ; pathology ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; etiology ; Heart Ventricles ; pathology ; Humans ; Male

In this study, the embryological characters of Pterocypsela formosana (Asteraceae) were investigated with the traditional paraffin section methods. The anther has 4 sporangiates, the anther wall development follows the dicotyledonous type and comprises of an epidermis, endothelium, a middle layer and a single-layered tapetum, the tapetum belongs to glandular type. Meiosis of the microspore mother cells is of the simultaneous type, for the formation of mostly tetrahedral tetrad, the mature pollen grains are 2 celled. The ovary is bicarpellate, unilocular, one ovule and basal placenta, the ovule is unitegmic, tenuinucellate, inverted campylotropous and with developed endothelium, archesporial cell of megaspore differentiates immediately below the nucellar epidermis and functions as megasporocyte after development and belongs to tenuinucellate ovule type. The megasporocyte undergoes meitotic to form a liner tetrad, only one chalazal megaspore becomes the functional megaspore which forms female gametophyte including 7-celled and 8-nucleated after three successive mitosis, the female gametophyte is of the Polygonum type. Two polar nuclei melt into a secondary nuclei before fertilization, the chalazal antipodal cells are ephemeral and degenerate shortly after forming. Fertilization is porogamous and belongs to premitotic type of syngamy. The division of the primary endosperm nucleus is earlier than the zygote, the endosperm is of the nuclear type with the presence of haustoria, and the embryogeny belongs to asterad type chicory variant. The developed suspensor on early stage has important significance to the embryo development.
Asteraceae ; embryology ; Meiosis ; Reproduction

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of early rehabilitation on poststroke anxiety and depression.Methods137 stroke patients with hemiplegia were divided into the rehabilitation group (70 cases) and control group (67 cases). All patients in both two groups were given routine clinical treatment, but the patients in the rehabilitation group were given regular early rehabilitation. All patients were evaluated with Bathel Index (BI), Fugl-Meyer Motor Scale (FMMS), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) before and 3 months after treatment.ResultsAfter 3 months treatment, the scores of HAMD, HAMA, BI and FMMS of patients in the rehabilitation group increased significantly compared with those before treatment ( P<0.05～0.01), and those in the control group ( P<0.05). The scores of BI and FMMS of patients in the control group after treatment also increased significantly compared with those before treatment ( P<0.05). The incidences of depression and anxiety of the rehabilitation group were 22.86% and 5.71%, those of the control group were 40.30% and 16.42%, there was a significant difference between two groups( P<0.05).ConclusionThe early rehabilitation can obviously decrease anxiety and depression of stroke patients with hemiplegia.

Objective To study the effect of dialysis adcquacy,microinflammation and residual renal function on nutritional status of hemodialysis patients.Methods One hundred and fourteen patients were enrolled in this study.Kt/V,?_2-MG and serum iPTH were measured as markers of hemodialysis adequacy.Nutritional evaluation included MQSGA,Alb,Hb,TF,IGF-1,IGFBP-3 and anthropometrics such as HGS,BSF,TSF,MAC,MAMC and AMA.Serum IL-6,TNF-?and CRP were detected to assess microinflammation.Urinary volume of 24 hours was measured to investigate the residual renal function (RRF).Results (1)There were different correlations and regressive associations of Kt/V,iPTH and?_2-MG with HGS,MAMC,AMA,Alb,Hb,nPCR,IGF-1 and MQSGA respectively.(2) There were significant correlations and regressive associations of RRF to HGS,TSF,MAMC,Alb,nPCR and IGF-1 within the first year of hemodialysis.(3) There were different correlations and regression relationships of IL-6,TNF-?and CRP with HGS、MAMC、AMA、Alb、TSF、Hb、nPCR、IGF-1 respectively.(4) Multivariate analysis showed that Kt/V,iPTH,IL-6, TNF-?,?_2-MG and RRF were influencing factors,among them,Kt/V,iPTH,IL-6 and TNF-?were independent predictors of nutritional status.Conclusions Hemodialysis adequacy and micruinflammation may impact on nutritional status.Residual renal function may be involved in nutritional status in the first year of hemodialysis.Kt/V,iPTH,IL-6 and TNF-?are independent factors affecting nutritional status.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Xianxiong decoction on the mice with acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide.

METHODEighty female ICR mice were randomly divided into 8 groups: model group, Xianxiong decoction group, Daxianxiong decoction group, Xianxiong decoction group without Kansui Radix group, Xianxiong decoction group without Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma group, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Kansui Radix group, normal group and control group. Animals of each group, except normal group, were undertaken intraperitoneal injection and intranasal inhalation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on day 1, 2, 3 to establish acute lung injury (ALI) model. 30 min after modeling, 0.2 mL corresponding drugs were administrated to each mice, dexam ethasone and normal saline were given to the mice of control group and normal group respectively. White blood cell in blood, neutrophil percentage of blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) supernatant, the ratio of wet and dry lung tissue ( W/D), histopathological changes of lung tissue were estimated. Sixty ICR mice were randomly divided into normal, model, control, high, middle and low dose Xianxiong decoction groups and were modeled in the same way. ELISA was applied to detect the level of NF-kappaB, TNF-alpha and IL-6 in BALF, PCR for NF-kappaB and TNF-alpha mRNA in lung tissue, and Western blot for NF-kappaB and TNF-alpha. Half of 20 ICR mice were administrated with Xianxiong decoction of its maximum tolerant normal saline.

RESULTCompared with model group, the number of WBC in blood of Xianxiong decoction group mice decreased (P < 0.01), percentage of neutrophils in both blood and BALF decreased as well (P < 0.01, P < 0.05); it also significantly reduced the ratio of W/D (P < 0.01); and found the alveolar wall, the number of inflammatory cells infiltrating improved, compared with model group. Xianxiong decoction reduced the level of NF-kappaB, TNF-alpha and IL-6 in BALF (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.05); its high and low dose groups only found TNF-alpha level declined. Five mice died 24 h after administration of Xianxiong decoction which indicated its toxicity when other influential factors were considered.

CONCLUSIONXianxiong decoction is effective on the ALI mice induced by LPS, but it is of toxicity at 3 g x mL(-1).

Acute Lung Injury ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Lipopolysaccharides ; adverse effects ; Lung ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; metabolism

A two-step method for the purification of blocking-type anti-human CD80 monoclonal antibody 4E5 from mouse ascites was developed using anion exchange and gel filtration in combination. The ascites was first purified by anion exchange after centrifugation and filtration. The experimental parameters of sample loading and elution were optimized. The optimized loading condition was pH 8.0,50 mmol/L Tris-HCl and satisfactory results were obtained using a 0~0.5mol/L NaCl step elution. The fraction containing the protein of interest was directly loaded on gel filtration column and eluted using a 20 mmol/L phosphate buffer at pH 7.2. The purity of the obtained monoclonal antibody was up to 95% with a recovery of 61%. The purity of mAb could efficiently inhibit the growth of Daudi cells. The amplification of the method was also studied using a Bio-Scale Q5 column and the result was satisfied.

The ergosterols were produced from corn straw hydrolysates fermented by ergosterol yeast,which was obtained from protoplast electrofusion.The effects on the yield of ergosterol were studied in the condition of shaker,such as initial sugar concentration,nitrogen source,pH value and fermentation time.The technical conditions were optimized according to the DPS center-united experimental design principles and the method of response surface analysis with four factors and three levels.The results indicated that the four factors had significant correlation to ergosterol accumulation.The biomass and the ergosterol content could be up to 8.67g/L and 2.37% respectively after cultivated for 32h under optimal technical condition.The structure of ergosterol crystal was characterized by UV,IR and SEM.A new approach of biomass source application was presented.

Objective To find out the distribution characteristics of drinking water with high arsenic in Dali Prefecture, Yunnan. Methods General investigation plus sampling survey was adopted in the city of Dali and 11 counties. The arsenic content in water was tested by half-quantitative fast reagent-box method. The water samples exceeding the standard(≥0.03 mg/L) were re-tested by silver diethyldithiocarbamate eolorimetric method or mercury-atomic fluorescence spectrometric method. Population and children exposed by high-arsenic were statistically analyzed. Results Arsenic content in 15 180 samples from 2639 villages are screened, of which 14 976 samples were less than 0.01 mg/L, reaching 98.66% (14 976/15 180); 110 samples was no less than 0.05 mg/L, only accounting for 0.72%(110/15 180). Water sources with excessive arsenic was found in 29 villages, in a percentage of 1.1% of all covered villages(29/2639). The samples were constituted of 10 399 portions of well water(well was less than 10 m deep), 3903 from spring, 93 from river water, 69 from hot spring water, 26 from reservoir water and 690 from surface water. And for the samples which arsenic content were ≥0.05 mg/L, 89 samples(0.86%, 89/10 399) were from well water, 15 from spring water(0.38%, 15/3903) and 6 from spring water(8.70%, 6/69). A total of 1 561 553 individuals were investigated, in a percentage of 67.83%(1 561 553/2 302 156) of the whole population, among those 420 513 were children, rating 26.93% of the investigated population(420 513/1 561 553); 27 865 were exposed to arsenic, accounting for 1.78% of the investigated population 27 865/1 561 553; 8993 children were exposed, rating 2.14% of the investigated population(8993/420 513). Conclusions There exists high-arsenic water resources in Dali Prefecture, Yunan, so the local inhabitants are in the danger of high-arsenic exposure. Urgent attention shall be paid for the endemic arsenic including investigation, prevention and control.

Background Eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA)function as the critical lipid mediators involved in several biological events in human body and play important role in suppressing the genesis of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),migration and proliferation of vascular endothelial cells.Many ocular diseases were proved to be associated with neovascularization.Objecfive The purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of EPA on the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) indueed by VEGF. Methods HUVEC strain was cultured and passaged,and difierent concentrations of EPA were added to the medium with and without VEGF.The cultured cells were identified by antiofactor Ⅷ polyclonal antibody.The suppressing role of different concentrations of EPA on the proliferation of VEGF-induced or-uninduced HUVEC was assessed by MTT method.The influence of difierent concentrations of EPA on the cellular cycle of VEGF-induced HUVEC was assayed using flow eytometry.The expression of Flk-1,a receptor of VEGF,in the HUVEC Was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results Cultured HUVEC showed the ftlsiform in shape and presented with the cobblestone-like arrangement with the positive response for Ⅷ factor-related antigen.Various concentrations of EPA showed obviously inhibitory effect on VEGF-induced or-unindueed HUVEC at a dose-dependent manner (F=23.072.P=0.000).The inhibitory ability of EPA on VEGF-induced HUVEC was stronger than VEGF-uninduced HUVEC(F=41.417,P=0.000).In 24,48 and 72 hours,the action of EPA on the proliferation of HUVEC was gradually enhanced with the prolong of time(F=1.495,P=0.236).Cell cycle analysis indicated that EPA arrested VEGF-induced HUVEC in G0/G1 phase.The ratio of HUVEC in G0/G1 phase in EPA group was(75.83±1.56)%,and that in control groups was(68.62±1.44)%,showing a significant difference between them(t=-5.88,P=0.00),and no apoptosis of HUVEC was found in both groups.Flk-1 was strongly expressed in the cellular nucleus and cytoplasm in control group.However,the positive expressing intensity of Flk-1 in the HUVEC weakened,and the positive cell number was evidently less in EPA group. Conclusion EPA can inhibit the proliferation of VEGF induced HUVEC through arresting the synthesis of DNA of HUVEC and downregulate the expression of Flk-1 in HUVEC.These results suggest that EPA might exert an antiangiogenic effect.