Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Vascular Diseases ; prevention & control

Objective To explore the changes of Clara cell secretory protein(CCSP) in asthmatic children and the effects of inhaling glucocorticoid (ICS) on CCSP.Methods Sixty children with asthma were selected as asthma group(in which 39 cases were male and 21 cases were female,aged 3-12 years old) and 30 healthy children were selected as healthy control group(in which 20 cases were male and 10 cases were female,aged 3-12 years old).Venous blood samples were collected in asthma group and healthy control group in morning before breakfast,and then sera were obtained by centrifuge in speed of 1 500 r?min-1 in 10 min.The dynamic levels of CCSP were measured in sera by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results 1.In asthmatic children,the CCSP levels in acute episode,3 months after ICS,6 months after ICS, and 12 months after ICS[(5.140?2.331)?g?L-1,(8.730?3.392)?g?L-1,(10.510?2.813)?g?L-1]were all lower than that in healthy control group[(13.230?4.010)?g?L-1](Pa0.05).2.Compared with acute episode,the patients who ICS for 3 months,6 months and 12 months had significantly higher levels of CCSP (Pa0.05).Conclusions CCSP may play a protective role in the airway inflammation of asthma.Glucocorticoid may increase CCSP level in asthmatic children.Glucocorticoid and CCSP may cooperate in anti-inflammation in airway of asthmatic children.

Objective To produce a hybridoma secreting stable monoclonal antibodies against Aβ22-35 and to develop a detection method for the assay of Aβ. Methods Spleen cells from Balb/cmice immunized with Aβ22-35-KLH were fused with mouse myeloma cells SP2/0. The techniques of immunoprecipitation and western blotting plus ECL were used to investigate the levels of Aβ in the rat brain. Results Two strains of hybridomas (3A8 and 3B2) secreting stable monoclonal antibodies raised against Aβ22-35 were obtained. The subtypes of Aβ22-35 were IgG3. The levels of Aβ in young and older rat brain were 9.8±2.8 and 13.36±2.65 (pmol/12mg brain tissues, x±s), respectively. Conclusion The Aβ22-35 mAb obtained had high titres and specificity. The levels of Aβ in the older rat brain were significantly increased as compared with the young one (P＜0.05).

DNA Replication ; physiology ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; virology ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Humans

Animals ; Cattle ; China ; epidemiology ; Echinococcosis ; epidemiology ; parasitology ; transmission ; Echinococcus granulosus ; pathogenicity ; Humans ; Seasons

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and the inhibitory effect of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on testosterone production in rat Leydig cells.

METHODSRat Leydig cells were primarily cultured and the expression of RAGE in the Leydig cells was detected by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining. The Leydig cells were treated with AGEs at the concentrations of 25, 50, 100 and 200 microg/ml, respectively, and the testosterone content was determined by ELISA.

RESULTSRT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining exhibited the expression of RAGE in the rat Leydig cells. AGEs remarkably suppressed hCG-induced testosterone production in the Leydig cells in a concentration-dependent manner in the 50, 100 and 200 microg/ml groups as compared with the control (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONRAGE exists in rat Leydig cells and AGEs can significantly inhibit the secretion of testosterone in primarily cultured rat Leydig cells.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Glycation End Products, Advanced ; pharmacology ; Leydig Cells ; metabolism ; radiation effects ; Male ; Rats ; Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products ; Receptors, Immunologic ; biosynthesis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Testosterone ; biosynthesis

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment on the protein expression of c-fos in fastigial nucleus (FN) and lateral hypothalamus area (LHA) in rats with acute myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI), and to explore the role and mechanism of FN and LHA in EA at the Heart Meridian fighting against acute MIRI reaction. Methods: Seventy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, an EA-Heart Meridian group and an EA-Lung Meridian group, with 14 rats in each group; an LHA lesion plus EA-Heart Meridian group (LHA+EA-Heart Meridian group) and a FN lesion plus EA-Heart Meridian group (FN+EA-Heart Meridian group), with 7 rats in each group. Except the sham operation group, the left anterior descending branch of coronary artery was ligated to establish acute MIRI rat models in the other 5 groups. In the three groups with EA-Heart Meridian treatment, Shenmen (HT 7) and Tongli (HT 5) were selected; Taiyuan (LU 9) and Lieque (LU 7) were selected in the EA-Lung Meridian group. All the EA groups received EA stimulation prior to modeling, with 1 mA in current intensity and 2 Hz in frequency, 20 min each time, once a day for a total of 7 d. The sham operation group and the model group did not receive EA stimulation. The electrocardiogram was observed in the rats to analyze the ST-segment deviation and cardiac arrhythmia score. The expression of c-fos protein in FN and LHA was detected by immunohistochemistry method. Results: Compared with the sham operation group, the ST-segment deviation, cardiac arrhythmia score and the expression of c-fos protein in the FN and LHA increased significantly in the model group (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the ST-segment deviation, cardiac arrhythmia score and the expression of c-fos protein in FN and LHA decreased significantly in the EA-Heart Meridian group (all P<0.05). Compared with the EA-Heart Meridian group, the ST-segment deviation and cardiac arrhythmia score increased significantly in the EA-Lung Meridian group, LHA+EA-Heart Meridian group and FN+EA-Heart Meridian group (all P<0.05); the expression of c-fos in FN increased significantly in the EA-Lung Meridian group and LHA+EA-Heart Meridian group (both P<0.05); the expression of c-fos in LHA increased significantly in the EA-Lung Meridian group and FN+EA-Heart Meridian group (both P<0.05). Conclusion: FN and LHA are involved in the mechanism of EA at Heart Meridian to improve the acute MIRI reactions, and the cerebellum may participate in the improvement of cardiac function by EA through the cerebellum-hypothalamus projection.

Objective To explore the roles of clara cell secretory protein(CCSP)and eosinophil cationic protein(ECP)in the pathoge-nesis of bronchial asthma and to evaluate their diagnostic value in asthmatic children.Methods Induced sputum samples were obtained from 31 asthmatic children during chronic persistent period and clinical remission period.According to global initiative for asthma(GINA),the total of 31 cases accepted systemic treatment by inhaling glucocorticoid.The patients included 18 boys and 13 girls aged from 3.7 to 12.0 years,and their average age was 7.6 years.Sputum CCSP concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).And the concentrations of sputum ECP were determined with Pharmacia UniCAP system.Results Asthmatic children had significantly lower CCSP levels in sputum during chronic persistent period compared with clinical remission period(P

Objective To explore roles of total immunoglobulin E(IgE),interleukin-13(IL-13) in asthmatic children,and relation-ship between IgE,IL-13 levels in serum and those in induced sputum.Methods Twenty-six children with asthma who were in chronic persistent period and 20 healthy children were enrolled.Serum and hypertonic saline-induced sputum were obtained in asthmatic children,and serum alone were obtained in control subjects.The levels of IgE were deteced in serum and induced sputum by Pharmacia UniCAP system,and levels of IL-13 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results Asthmatic children had significantly higher serum of IgE and IL-13 levels than those of healthy control group(P0.05).There was positive correlation of IL-13 in serum and induced sputum(r=0.432 P

Background and Objective: Survivin has gradually become an important target in diagnosis,prognosis prediction and treatment of tumor.There are many studies on urine-based survivin mRNA test using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)as a noninvasive examination for bladder cancer.However,its clinical value remains controversial.This study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of urine survivin mRNA detection with RT-PCR for bladder cancer by a systematic review of related studies.Methods: With the search terms such as bladder neoplasm,survivin,RT-PCR,sensitivity,specificity and diagnosis,we systematically searched through PubMed,EMBASE,SCI,Cochrane Library.Chinese Biomedical Literature Database(CBM),Chinese Scientific Journal Full-Text Database(CSJD),China Journal Full-Text Database(CJFD),Chinese Medical Association(CMA)digital periodicals and Google Scholar totally from January 1997 to April 2009 for diagnostic trials with RT-PCR detection of urine survivin mRNA for bladder cancer.The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies(QUADAS)items were used to evaluate the quality of the included studies.Meta-disc software was used to calculate outcome indicators.Results: Twenty-six studies,totally 2416 patients,were eligible.Meta-analysis showed that compared with pathologic examination,the summary values of sensitivity,specificity,positive likelihood ratio,negative likelihood ratio and summary receiver operating characteristic curve(SROC)of urine-based survivin mRNA test using RT-PCR for bladder cancer were88%,94%,14.56,0.13 and 0.9736,respectively.Nested RT-PCR got the highest sensitivity,specificity and SROC and the values were 91%,95% and0.9805,respectively.The sensitivity and specificity of general RT-PCR were the second highest,which were 87% and 94%,respectively.The sensitivity of quantitative RT-PCR was 80% and the specificity was 93%.Conclusions:Comparing with pathologic examination,the sensitivity and specificity of urine-based survivin mRNA test using RT-PCR are relatively high.It can be used as an important adjunct method for cystoscope in early screening and postoperative monitoring of bladder cancer.