Animals ; Apoptosis ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; metabolism ; pathology ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Mitochondria ; pathology ; Podocytes ; cytology

OBJECTIVEIn order to improve the irrigation for Panax notginseng growing seedlings, different mulching ways were carried out to investigate the effects of double mulching.

METHODField experiment was applied to study soil moisture, soil temperature and bulk density of different mulching ways while the germination rate and seedlings growth also were investigated.

RESULTCompared with the traditional single mulching with pine leaves or straw, double mulching using plastic film combined with pine leaves or straw could reduce 2/3 volumes of irrigation at the early seedling time Double mulching treatments didn't need to irrigate for 40 days from seeding to germination, and kept soil moisture and temperature steady at whole seedling time about 30% and 9.0-16.6 degrees C, respectively. The steady soil moisture and temperature benefited to resist late spring cold and germinate earlier while kept germination regularly, higher rate and seedlings quality. In contrast, single mulching using pine leaves or straw had poor soil moisture and temperature preserving, needed to irrigate every 12-day, meanwhile dropped the germination and booming time 14 days and 24-26 days, respectively, reduced germination rate about 11.3%-8.7%. However, single pine leaves mulching was better than straw mulching. In addition, though better effects of soil moisture and temperature preserving as well as earlier and higher rate of germination with single plastic films mulching had, some disadvantages had also been observed, such as daily soil temperature changed greatly, seedling bed soil hardened easily, more moss and weeds resulted difficulty in later management.

CONCLUSIONTo the purpose of saving water and labor as well as getting higher germination rate and seedlings quality, double mulching using plastic films combined pine leaves at the early time and single mulching removing plastic films at the later time is suggested to apply in the growing seedlings of P. notoginseng.

Agriculture ; methods ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Fertilizers ; analysis ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Quality Control ; Seedlings ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Soil ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of the Chinese herbal formula Wuzi Yanzong Pill (, WYP) on the spermatogenesis and specific secretory functions of Sertoli cells in rat model and to investigate the underlying mechanism.

METHODSFive groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats including the control group, the model group, the low-dose WYP group, the medium-dose WYP group and the high-dose WYP group (5 in each group) were treated daily with vehicle, multiglycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f (GTW) either alone (20 mg/kg) or followed by WYP (0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 g/kg daily), respectively for 30 days. Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), inhibin B (INHB) and testosterone (T) were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Androgen-binding protein (ABP) gene expression and transferrin (TF) protein expression in testis tissue specimens of all rats were determined using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis, respectively. Histopathological alterations in the testis were determined using Johnsen's score.

RESULTSThe toxicity of GTW towards Sertoli cell secretory functions and spermatogenesis was accompanied by increased serum FSH concentrations and decreased INHB and T concentrations. Upregulated ABP mRNA levels, and decreased TF protein expression and Johnsen's scores were detected in the model group compared with the control group P<0.05 or P<0.01). Oral high-dose WYP administrations to GTW-treated rats effectively alleviated all of the GTW-induced changes in specific secretory functions of Sertoli cells (ABP, INHB and TF). Furthermore, serum T level and Johnsen's score of the testis increased greatly compared with the model group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONWYP has the ability to improve the spermatogenesis, possibly through modulating the secretory proteins expression of Sertoli cells.

Androgen-Binding Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Inhibins ; blood ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sertoli Cells ; drug effects ; secretion ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects ; Tablets ; Testis ; cytology ; metabolism ; Testosterone ; blood ; Transferrin ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDPulmonary embolism (PE) is often mistaken as acute coronary syndromes (ACS) because of the considerable overlap in their clinical features. We evaluated the factors causing misdiagnosis of PE as ACS and factors that differentiate PE from ACS to improve the diagnosis efficacy of PE.

METHODSThe medical records of 22 consecutive PE patients, between 2001 and 2010, who were initially suspected of ACS were retrieved. ACS was ruled out by coronary artery angiography before a definite diagnosis of PE was given. Twenty-two contemporary cases of ACS matched by age and sex were recruited as controls. Clinical manifestations, electrocardiograms (ECG), and biomarkers of these patients were reviewed retrospectively. The factors causing misdiagnosis of PE as ACS and factors differentiating PE from ACS were evaluated.

RESULTSWe found two leading causes of misdiagnosis of PE as ACS. One is that PE can resemble ACS in several clinical aspects (symptoms and signs, ECG findings, plasma cardiac troponin I, and D-dimer). The other is the insufficient recognition of PE by clinicians. Risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE), especially deep venous thrombosis (DVT), together with signs of PE, such as unexplained dyspnea or hypoxemia, and right ventricular pressure overload on ECGs are valuable in differentiating the two diseases.

CONCLUSIONSDifferentiation between PE and ACS is sometimes challenging. Adequate awareness of the risk factors for VTE and the signs of PE are crucial in the diagnosis of PE.

Acute Coronary Syndrome ; diagnostic imaging ; Adult ; Aged ; Coronary Angiography ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Embolism ; diagnostic imaging ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo explore the active ingredients in the Chinese yellow wine could inhibit the proliferation and migration of rat vascular smooth muscle cells induced by homocysteine (Hcy).

METHODSThe primary culture and identification of rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) was conducted, and the VSMCs in passage 4-7 were used in the following experiments. The VSMCs were divided into 7 groups: control, Hcy (1 mmol/L), Hcy + oligosaccharide, Hcy + polypeptides, Hcy + polyphenols, Hcy + alcohol, Hcy + Chinese yellow wine and were given the corresponding treatment. The proliferation of VSMCs was determined by MTT. Transwell chambers and would healing were employed to test the migratory ability of VSMCs. Wester blot and gelatin zymography were used to investigate the expressions and activities of metal matrix proteinase 2/9 (MMP-2/9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2) in VSMCs of each group.

RESULTSCompared with control group, the proliferation, migration and the expression and activity of MMP-2/9 of VSMCs were significantly increased in the VSMCs of Hcy group (P < 0.01). Compared with Hcy group, the proliferation, migration and the expression and activity of MMP-2/9 of VSMCs were significantly decreases in the VSMCs of polypeptides group, polyphenols group and Chinese yellow wine group. However, the expression of TIMP-2 among each group had no significant difference.

CONCLUSIONPolypeptides and polyphenols in the Chinese yellow wine could inhibit the proliferation and migration of VSMCs induced by Hcy.

Animals ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Homocysteine ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; drug effects ; Peptides ; chemistry ; Polyphenols ; chemistry ; Rats ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 ; metabolism ; Wine

OBJECTIVETo investigate serum IL-18 levels in mice with collagen-induced arthritis treated by recombinant adenoviral vector containing mIL-18BP and mIL-4 fusion gene (AdmIL-18BP/mIL-4).

METHODSArthritis was induced by injection of collagen in male DBA-1/BOM mice. Mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) were intra-articularly injected with 10(7)pfu/6μL of AdmIL-18BP/mIL-4; and in mice of control groups AdLacZ or PBS were used. The animals were sacrificed at week 1, 2 and 4 after treatment. Serum IL-18 levels were determined by ELISA at the different time points.

RESULTThe mean serum levels of IL-18 at weeks 1, 2, and 4 after injection of AdmIL-18BP/mIL-4 were (36.5±5.4)ng/L, (32.5 ± 3.2) ng/L and (28.7 ±2.9)ng/L, respectively, which were significantly lower than those at the same time point of AdLacZ group [(66.2 ±5.1)ng/L, (69.2 ±4.2)ng/L and (77.7 ±3.9)ng/L] and PBS group [(67.3 ±7.1)ng/L, (71.9 ±1.8)ng/L and (78.7±4.1)ng/L] (P<0.01 at all time points). In the therapy group, there were no significant differences in the mean serum concentrations of IL-18 at all time points.

CONCLUSIONThe serum IL-18 levels in CIA mice are down-regulated by treatment of recombinant adenovirus containing mIL-18BP and mIL-4 fuse gene, which might be a promising therapeutic strategy for rheumatoid arthritis.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Arthritis, Experimental ; blood ; therapy ; Gene Fusion ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; Interleukin-18 ; blood ; genetics ; Interleukin-4 ; genetics ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred DBA

Objective To construct natural immune Fab fragment phage display library and to screen the antibodies against human colorectal cancer. Methods Total RNA in the metastatic lymph nodes from patients with colorectal cancer was extracted routinely, and reverse transcriptase PCR employed to amplify the heavy chain Fd and light chain κ cDNA. The amplification products were inserted in succession into the vector pComb3 to construct human Fab fragment library, which was screened and identified using phage display technique. Results The heavy chain Fd fragment and light chain κ fragment (650 bp in length) were amplified, and the products were inserted into pComb3 vector with a recombination rate of 40%. The constructed phage display Fab library had a capacity of up to 1.48×106, and was enriched approximately 120 times after 3 cycles of panning. Dot immunoblotting found the expression of Fab fragment which could bind to the antigens of human colorectal cancer. Conclusion The phage display library of the antibody Fab fragment from naturally immunized lymph nodes is successfully established, rendering it possible to screen the antibodies against human colorectal cancer.

Objective To study the correlation between high-resolution HLA-A * 1101,HLA-A * 0201,HLA-A * 2402,HLA-B * 4001,HLA-DRB1 * 0901 with HCMV pp65 antigenemia after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in China.Methods 48 recipients doing BMT during 2009.2-2010.10 were selected in my hospital; HCMV pp65 was detected by ELISA or immunohistochemical methods.The frequency of HLA-A * 1101,HLA-A * 0201,HLA-A * 2402,HLA-B * 4001,HLA-DRB1 * 0901 alleles were determined by Polymerase chain reaction-sequence based typing( PCR - SBT).Results ① The BMT recipients were HCMV pp65 antigenic positive( 100％ ) ; ② The positive rate of HLA-A * 1101,HLA-A * 0201,HLA-A *2402,HLA-B * 4001 showed no obvious difference between 12 lower antigenemia group and 36 higher antigenemia group,the positive rate: HLA-A * 1101 were 33.3％ (8/24)and 20.8％ (15/72),HLA-A * 0201 were 4.2％ (1/24) and 13.9％ ( 10/72),HLA-A * 2402 were 12.5％ (3/24) and 19.4％ ( 14/72),HLA-B * 4001 were 16.7％ (4/24) and 12.5％ ( 9/72 ) ; ③ HLA-DRB1 * 0901 positive rate in higher antigenemia group was higher than the lower ( P =0.048 ),the positive rate were 4.2％ ( 1/24 ) and 19.4％ (14/72) ;④ HLA-DRB1 * 0901 recipients were higher pp65 antigenemia than HLA-A * 2402 recipients (P=0.007) and HLA-A * 1101 recipients (P =0.028),HLA-A * 0201 recipients were higher pp65 antigenemia than HLA-A * 2402 ( P =0.02),the pp65 antigenemia showed no obvious difference among the rest of high-resolution HLA groups (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion HLA-DRB1 * 0901 alleles might be correlated with BMT recipients happened higher pp65 antigenemia,HLA-A * 2402 alleles might be correlated with BMT recipients happened lower pp65 antigenemia.

Objective To construct natural immune Fab fragment phage display library and to screen the antibodies against human colorectal cancer. Methods Total RNA in the metastatic lymph nodes from patients with colorectal cancer was extracted routinely, and reverse transcriptase PCR employed to amplify the heavy chain Fd and light chain κ cDNA. The amplification products were inserted in succession into the vector pComb3 to construct human Fab fragment library, which was screened and identified using phage display technique. Results The heavy chain Fd fragment and light chain κ fragment (650 bp in length) were amplified, and the products were inserted into pComb3 vector with a recombination rate of 40%. The constructed phage display Fab library had a capacity of up to 1.48×106, and was enriched approximately 120 times after 3 cycles of panning. Dot immunoblotting found the expression of Fab fragment which could bind to the antigens of human colorectal cancer. Conclusion The phage display library of the antibody Fab fragment from naturally immunized lymph nodes is successfully established, rendering it possible to screen the antibodies against human colorectal cancer.

Objective To investigate the resistance mechanism of a carbapenems-resistant Leclercia adcarboxglata.Methods The species was identified by the automatic microbial analyzer,matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and 16S rRNA sequence analysis.The conventional drug susceptibility test was detected with automatic microbial analyzer,and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for imipenem was examined by E-test.The phenotypes of carbapenemase were detected by modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM) and the genotypes of resistance genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing.The characteristics of the carried plasmid were analyzed by conjugation test and S1pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (S1-PFGE).Results The clinical isolates of Leclercia adcarboxglata were resistant to imipenem,other beta-lactam antibiotics(except aztreonam) and aminoglycosides,but sensitive to quinolones and sulfonamides.The conjugation test resulted in a drug-resistance spectrum of the receptor strain E.coli J53 similar to Leclercia adcarboxglata bacteria.The phenotype of carbapenemase was positive.PCR amplification and sequencing analysis showed that blaNDM-1,blaTEM and aac (6')-Ib were detectable in the isolates simultaneously,while the conjugon only carried blaNDM-1.S1-PFGE revealed that Leclercia adcarboxglata carried 3 plasmids.Conclusion The carbapenems resistance of Leclercia adcarboxglata may contribute to carrying blaNDM-1 gene which may exist in an around 100 kb plasmid transmitted with conjugation.