OBJECTIVEThe aim of the present study is to explore the effects of exhaustive exercise-induced oxidative stress on the antioxidant capacity and diformability of rat red blood cells.

METHODSRats were divided into three group (n = 10): sedentary control (C), exhaustive running exercise (ERE) and moderate running exercise (MRE) groups. Animals in the ERE group started treadmill running at a speed of 20 m/min speed with a 5% gradient, and reached a speed of 25 m/min with gradient 15% in 20 min. Running was continued until exhaustion. MRE group rats running at a speed of 20 m/min with a 5% gradient for 40 min. The levels of free thiol in erythrocyte membrane protein, lipidperoxidation levels and membrane protein components were analyzed. The red blood cell deformability of different groups was also observed.

RESULTSThe results showed that red blood cells were damaged by severe oxidative stress and the anti-oxidative capacity decreased significantly under exhaustive exercise conditions. Besides, lipid peroxidation and protein sulfhydryl cross-link based clustering of membrane were found after exhaustive exercise, and polymers high molecular weight (HMW) was formed. The elongation index (EI) was found to decline significantly in the ERE group compared with the C and MRE groups under shear stress (control group, 0.41 +/- 0.01 at 3 Pa and 0.571 +/- 0.008 at 30 Pa; ERE group, 0.314 +/- 0.013 at 3 Pa and 0.534 +/- 0.009 at 30 Pa; P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONThese exercise-induced oxidative injure result in a significant decrease in deformability of rat erythrocytes, which in turn leads to dysfunction in the microcirculatory.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Erythrocyte Deformability ; Fatigue ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

To investigate the lethal effect of steep pulsed electric fields (SPEFs) on cancer cells and the life-prolonging effect of SPEFs on the survival of tumour-bearing mice, this study was carried out with the use of SPEFs to treat 40 BALB/C mice inoculated by cervical cancer. The lethal effect on cancer cells and the life-prolonging effect on tumour-bearing mice were examined and compared between the experiment group and control group. The survival periods of the experiment group and control group were 52.05 days and 33.03 days, respectively. There was a significant difference in survival curve between the two groups. The results confirmed the inhibitiory effect and lethal effect of SPEFs on cancer cells. SPEFs can prolong the survival period of tumour-bearing mice.
Animals ; Electrodes ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Electroporation ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Pulse ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; pathology ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of the SREBP2 on inflammatory cytokine-induced cholesterol accumulation in HepG2 cells.

METHODSShort-hairpin (sh)RNA targeting SREBP2 or negative control (NC) shRNA were transfected into HepG2 cells by a liposomal method. G418-selective culturing was used to obtain the SREBP2 shRNA HepG2 and NC shRNA HepG2 cell lines. The two cell lines were cultured in serum-free medium and left untreated (control) or treated with TNF-a (20 ng/ml), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) loading (100 mug/ml), or a combination LDL plus TNF-a treatment. Lipid accumulation was evaluated by oil red O (ORO) staining. Intracellular cholesterol level was measured by enzymatic assay. The mRNA and protein levels of SREBP2 and its downstream target genes, LDL receptor (LDLr), and HMGCoA reductase, were measured by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively.

RESULTSSREBP2 shRNA HepG2 and NC shRNA HepG2 stable cell lines were successfully established. ORO staining and cholesterol quantitative analysis showed that LDL loading significantly increased intracellular cholesterol and that expression of SREBP2 further exacerbated the inflammatory cytokine-induced lipid accumulation, as seen in NC shRNA HepG2 cells. LDL loading of NC shRNA HepG2 decreased the gene and protein expressions of SREBP2, LDLr, and HMGCoA reductase, but the suppressive effect was overridden by inflammatory cytokine. SREBP2 shRNA HepG2 cells showed lower levels of cholesterol accumulation under LDL loading and inflammatory stress conditions. Moreover, the mRNA and protein levels of SREBP2, LDLr, and HMGCoA reductase were much lower than in NC shRNA HepG2 cells under the same conditions.

CONCLUSIONInflammatory cytokine exacerbated cholesterol accumulation in HepG2 via disrupting SREBP2. RNAi-mediated inhibition of SREBP2 expression significantly ameliorated the cholesterol accumulation induced by inflammatory cytokine.

Cholesterol ; metabolism ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Inflammation ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2 ; genetics ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology

This paper is to report the study of the pharmacokinetics of a fusion protein TAT-haFGF(14-154) for human acidic fibroblast growth factor and transcriptional activator protein in rat plasma, and the investigation of their penetration across blood-brain barrier in mice and rats, in order to provide a basis for clinical development and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine concentration of TAT-haFGF(14-154) in rat plasma and in mouse brain homogenate; and immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the distribution in brain. The concentration-time curve fitted two-compartment open model which was linear kinetics elimination after a single intravenous injection of TAT-haFGF(14-154) in rat at the dose of 300 microg x kg(-1). The half life time was 0.049 +/- 0.03 h for distribution phase and 0.55 +/- 0.05 h for elimination phase, and the weight was 1/C2. The result showed that TAT-haFGF(14-154) could be detected in the brain by ELISA and immunohistochemistry, the elimination of TAT-haFGF(14-154) in rat was swift, and TAT-haFGF(14-154) could penetrate across the blood-brain barrier, distribute in pallium and hippocampus and locate in the nucleus.
Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; metabolism ; Brain ; metabolism ; Cell Nucleus ; metabolism ; Cerebral Cortex ; metabolism ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Gene Products, tat ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Injections, Intravenous ; Male ; Mice ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics

This study was conducted to observe the lethal effects of steep pulsed electric field(SPEF) on the cancerous squamous cells in BALB/c mice. Female mice were inoculated with the solution of cervical cancer cells line. The tumor-bearing mice of the experiment group were exposed to SPEF. Then, the histomorphological changes were examined and compared between experiment group and control group. The histological and antitumor assay showed that SPEF could selectively injure tumor cells and inhibit cell proliferation. After treatment, pyknosis, karyoclasis and karyolysis of cancer cells were observed under light and electron mircroscope. More serious changes appeared some days later. These results indicate that SPEF have lethal effects on cervical cancer. It may prolong the survival period of tumor-bearing mice.
Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Electroporation ; methods ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; pathology

To assess study the cytocidal and inhibitory effects of steep pulsed electric fields (SPEFs) on ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3, the cancer cell suspension was treated by SPEFs with different parameters (frequency, pulse duration, peak value of voltage). Viability rate and growth curves of two test groups (high dosage and low dosage of SPEFs) and one control group were also measured. The DNA contents and cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). Different dosing levels of SPEFs exerted obviously different effects on cancer cell viability. With the enhancement of each pulse parameter, the viability rate was promoted and the inhibitory effect on the proliferation of treated cells was more evident. The cells exposed to SPEFs grew slower than the control. The ratio of S+G2/M phase cells was decreased, which restrained the DNA synthesis and division, but the ratio of G0/G1 phase cells was increased in the treated groups. It was also indicated that the SPEFs blocked the cell transition from G0/G1 phase to S+G2/M phase. There was a significant difference in cell cycle between treated group and control group (P<0.01). Lethal effects of SPEFs were represented by inhibiting the cancer cell proliferation at the cell level and by influencing the cell cycle at the DNA level.
Adenocarcinoma ; pathology ; Cell Cycle ; radiation effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; radiation effects ; DNA ; analysis ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Electroporation ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; pathology ; Pulse

OBJECTIVE: To compare effects of three different methods for mtDNA extraction from common sarcosaphagous insects including cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) method, sodium dodecyl sulfate-potassium acetate (SDS-KAc) method and sodium dodecyl sulfate-proteinase K (SDS-PK) method. METHODS: Seventy-two insects from four species [Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1784), Eusilpha bicolor (Fairmaire, 1896), Paraeutrichopus pecoudi (Mateu, 1954), Vespa velutina (Lepeletier, 1836)] were collected from the corpses of the rabbits in Changsha district. The total DNA of above samples was extracted by CTAB, SDS-Kac and SDS-PK methods. The purity and concentration of DNA were examined by protein-nucleic acid spectrophotometry, and mtDNA were amplified by specific primers and PCR products were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. Then PCR products were sequenced and subsequently up-loaded to GenBank. RESULTS: mtDNA was successfully extracted with three methods from most of the samples. The SDS-PK method was better in DNA purity compared to other methods and the CTAB method was superior in extracting DNA from old samples, while SDS-KAc method showed no significant difference for extraction effects of different samples. CONCLUSION The most appropriate method should be chosen depending on different situations. SDS-PK method is expected to obtain high-quality DNA, while CTAB method is preferred in extracting obsolete samples. SDS-KAc method is low cost and can be used in various kinds of preliminary experiments.
Animals ; Coleoptera/genetics* ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Mitochondrial/isolation & purification* ; Diptera/genetics* ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Entomology ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Gene Amplification ; Insecta/genetics* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds/chemistry* ; Rabbits ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate/chemistry*

OBJECTIVETo explore new methods to repair postburn contracture deformities in patients with extremely limited donor skin.

METHODSFive severely burned patients with extremely limited donor skin but severe deformities were enrolled in the study. The mature and the pliable scarred skin was utilized as the donor site for reconstruction of the postburn deformities. Split-thickness scarred skin was harvested for repair of postburn deformities after the scarred skin was expanded by expander, while thin razor-thin scarred skin with allo-acellular dermal matrix (ADM) was employed for the repair of postburn deformities when skin expansion was not feasible.

RESULTSAll the expanded scarred skin and composite skin grafts survived completely with good function and configuration. The long-term follow-up result was satisfactory, and the grafted skin was similar to that with split-thickness skin grafting.

CONCLUSIONIt is feasible to employ various split-thickness scarred skin for the reconstruction of postburn deformities. This technique is a new effective procedure for the reconstruction of postburn deformities, especially for those with extreme scarcity of donor site.

Adult ; Burns ; pathology ; surgery ; Cicatrix ; pathology ; Contracture ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin Transplantation ; methods

OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical changing characters of the clinical markers after interferon treatment in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and make out practical indexes to predict the effect.

METHODS150 CHB patients were randomly divided into two groups: therapeutic group (90) and control group (60) in the prospective controlled trial. The levels of endogenous interferon before treatment, interferon antibody at the end of the second month and fourth month after treatment, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and HBV DNA in the serum were detected. Then the data was analysed to find out indexes for predicting the effect.

RESULTS(1) The clearance rate of HBeAg had no significant difference in age except for 20 - 30 and 30 - 40 (t > 2.331 2, P < 0.01). (2) It was more effective if ALT level was higher than 400 U/L before treatment and it decreased more than 50% two months after treatment. (3) The patients whose HBV DNA was negative (dot hybridization) or less than 10(6) copies/ml before treatment had higher rate of HBeAg clearance. (4) There was no effect on patients whose interferon antibody turned positive at the end of the second month. (5)A predictive method of comprehensive factors was made out, whose sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 80%, 100% and 90%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical characters of these Chinese patients are different from those of the westerners and the effects of interferon have close relation to the levels of ALT, HBV DNA and interferon antibody.

Adjuvants, Immunologic ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Prospective Studies

BACKGROUNDPrevious studies have indicated that the cognitive deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be due to topological deteriorations of the brain network. However, whether the selection of a specific frequency band could impact the topological properties is still not clear. Our hypothesis is that the topological properties of AD patients are also frequency-specific.

METHODSResting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 10 right-handed moderate AD patients (mean age: 64.3 years; mean mini mental state examination [MMSE]: 18.0) and 10 age and gender-matched healthy controls (mean age: 63.6 years; mean MMSE: 28.2) were enrolled in this study. The global efficiency, the clustering coefficient (CC), the characteristic path length (CpL), and "small-world" property were calculated in a wide range of thresholds and averaged within each group, at three different frequency bands (0.01-0.06 Hz, 0.06-0.11 Hz, and 0.11-0.25 Hz).

RESULTSAt lower-frequency bands (0.01-0.06 Hz, 0.06-0.11 Hz), the global efficiency, the CC and the "small-world" properties of AD patients decreased compared to controls. While at higher-frequency bands (0.11-0.25 Hz), the CpL was much longer, and the "small-world" property was disrupted in AD, particularly at a higher threshold. The topological properties changed with different frequency bands, suggesting the existence of disrupted global and local functional organization associated with AD.

CONCLUSIONSThis study demonstrates that the topological alterations of large-scale functional brain networks in AD patients are frequency dependent, thus providing fundamental support for optimal frequency selection in future related research.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alzheimer Disease ; diagnosis ; Brain ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged