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

Objective To investigate the effects of heparin coating on intimal hyperplasia in implanted decellularized xenografts.Methods The resected canie carotid arteries were decellularized,and heparin coating was partially performed.Eighteen rabbits were divided into non-heparin-coated group(n=9)and heparin-coated group(n=9).During implantation,only the left carotid between the anastomotic stoma was ligated.Doppler ultrasonography was performed 1,3 and 12 weeks post-implantation to measure the luminal diameter,and the hemodynamic parameters such as PSV,RI and PI were calculated.All animals were sacrificed,histological observations were conducted at 12 weeks post-implantation,and I/(I+ M)was calculated.Results Except for 1 week post-implantation in the ligated side,the luminal diameters in non-heparin -coated group were significantly smaller than that of pre-implantation.Besides,those of the non-ligated side at each time points were significantly smaller than the ligated side(P

The effect of C-terminal region residues on the substrate specificity of a novel cyclic imide hydrolase (CIH), a recombinant cyclic imide hydrolase (CIH293), and its mutants deleted or substituted at C-terminus (CIH291, CIH290, KK292-293EE) was reported. The substrate specificity and kinetic parameters of the mutants were analyzed by both the spectrophotometric assay and high-performance liquid chromatography. Results show that the substrate specificity of mutants was not obviously changed, but slightly low for the affinity between the substrate and enzyme, compared with the wild-type enzyme, CIH293. In conclusion, the last three residues of CIH293 play an important role for the enzyme activity.

Forty type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) were assigned to two groups and treated respectively with?-lipoic acid or mecobalamin for 2 weeks.The results suggested that?-lipoic acid could accelerate the nerve conduction velocity and decrease the plasma level of endothelin and C reactive protein as well as microalbuminceria with a effect similar to mecobalamin therapy on DPN.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Phytotherapy ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic ; etiology ; therapy

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; genetics ; metabolism ; Exons ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Lung Diseases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism

Objective: To observe the impact of vareniline tartrate on vascular endothelial function and inlfammatory factor releasing in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with nicotine dependence after smoking withdrawal treatment.
Methods: We recruited the in-hospital ACS patients who were smoking ≥10 cigarettes/day for more than 10 years with at least moderate nicotine dependence, and randomly divided them into 2 groups: Varenicline group, the patients received oral medication for 2 weeks and Self withdrawal group, the patients without medication assistance.n=52 in each group. All patients received (10-30) min daily mission and consulting for quit smoking for 2 weeks. The basic information was recorded and blood levels of NO, IL-6 and ET-1 were compared before and after withdrawal treatment.
Results: Compared with they were before, after 2 weeks withdrawal treatment, in Varenicline group, blood levels of ET-1 decreased as (33.950 ± 1.439) ng/L vs (170.198 ± 12.602) ng/L and IL-6 decreased as (0.103 ± 0.020) ng/L vs (0.307 ± 0.051) ng/L; in Self withdrawal group, ET-1 decreased as (60.795 ±7 .036) ng/L vs (170.511 ± 12.374) ng/L, all P<0.05; while NO levels were similar,P>0.05. After treatment, ET-1 level in Varenicline group (33.950 ± 1.439) ng/L was lower than Self withdrawal group (60.795 ± 7.036) ng/L and IL-6 level in Varenicline group (0.103 ± 0.020) ng/L was also lower than Self withdrawal group (0.258 ± 0.042) ng/L, allP<0.05; while NO levels were similar between 2 groups,P>0.05.
Conclusion: Compared with self withdrawal, varenicline tartrate may effectively inhibit inlfammatory factor releasing in ACS patients with nicotine dependence, and therefore improve the vascular endothelial function.

OBJECTIVETo establish a stable animal model of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) synovitis.

METHODSSixteen 6-week-old male SD rats were classified into four groups, control group, occlusal dimension increase group, masseter resection group, occlusal dimension increase group and masseter resection group. The rats in the occlusal dimension increase group were adhered composite resin to their maxillary molars in order to increase the occlusal vertical dimension when they were 9-week-old. The rats in the masseter resection group were cut off their bilateral masseter muscles when they were 6-week-old. In the occlusal dimension increase group and masseter resection group, rats' bilateral masseter muscles were resected and occlusal vertical dimension was increased. All rats were sacrificed at their 10 weeks old. TMJ samples were prepared for histology to evaluate the animal model.

RESULTSThe control group showed non-inflammatory changes. The occlusal dimension increase group and the masseter resection group showed vascular dilation and synovial lining proliferation, but there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). Compared to the two disposed groups, the occlusal dimension increase group and masseter resection group showed significant inflammatory changes (P < 0.05), including synovial lining proliferation, vascular dilation and fibrin deposit.

CONCLUSIONThe animal model of TMJ synovitis created in the present investigation could simulate the real pathological features of synovitis in vivo, and this animal model showed the obvious merits of high stability and reproduction.

Animals ; Composite Resins ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Masseter Muscle ; Models, Animal ; Molar ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synovitis ; Temporomandibular Joint ; Vertical Dimension

Objective To characterize the antibiotic resistance,homology and carbapenemase genotypes of imipenem resistant Acinetobac1ter baumannii isolated from our hospital,and analyze the clonal relatedness of the test strains.Methods Ninety five strains of imipenem resistant A.baumannii were isolated from August 2003 to December 2004 in the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine,Zhejiang University.The MICs of 16 antimicrobial agents against these strains were determined by agar dilution and E-test method.The homology of these isolates was analyzed by pulse-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE).The coding gene of carbapenemases was amplified.PCR products were purified,cloned and sequenced.Plasmid DNA was extracted and purified.Conjugation and Southern blot were performed to locate the position of oxa 23 gene.Results The resistance rates to ampicillin-sulbactam and cefoperazone sulhactam were 67.9% and 30.2%.Polymyxin E had the lowest resistance rate of 17%. The resistance rate to other antimicrobial agents was higher than 90%.The 95 strains,isolated from 10 clinical units,were classified into 6 clones.Clones A and B were predominant clones.All strains produced carbapenemases which were confirmed as OXA 23 by PCR and sequencing analysis.No plasmid was extracted and conjugation was not successful.Southern bolt showed that oxa-23 gene was located on Apal-digested chromosomal segments about 220 kb and 200 kb in Clones A and B,re spectively.Conclusions OXA 23-producing A.baumannii has become one of the most important multi-resistant pathogens in our hospital.Clones A and B have widely spread in our hospital.Oxa-23 gene is located on chromosomal DNA.

Objective To investigate the resistant mechanism of imipenem-resistant K. pneumoniae.Methods The minimal inhibitive concentrations (MICs) of the antimicrobial agents were determined by Etest.Isoelectric focusing electrophoresis (IEF),plasmid extraction,conjugation, transformation,PCR amplification,cloning and sequencing were carried out for analyzing the encoding gene of ?-1actamases.Results Three kinds of ?-1actamases were detected with pIs of 7.2,6.7,and 5.4.in a clinical strain of K.pneumoniae.These ?-1actamases were TEM-I (pI,5.4),SHV-12 (pI,8.2) and KPC-2 ( pI,6.7 ) confirmed by sequencing of the PCR products.Only one band of ?-1actamase with pI 6.7 was displayed in the transformant.A 1500 bp segment,which contained the KPC-2 gene confirmed by nucleotide sequence analysis,was cloned from a 60 000 bp plasmid of the transformant.Conclusion The strain of K.pneumoniae resistant to imipenem produces a plasmid-mediated carbapenemase KPC-2 which belongs to Bush group 2f,class A ?-1actamase.