Child ; Female ; Humans ; Paraquat ; poisoning ; Poisoning ; therapy ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the methods of inducing human placenta mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to differentiate into insulin-producing cells. Methods MSCs were obtained from human placenta and were induced to differentiate into insulin-producing cells by activin A, epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and other cytokines. The cells were identified by immunocytochemistry staining, Western Blot and animal experiment after differentiation. Results After induction, the cells possessed some characteristics of islet βcells, and could express pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1), insulin and C peptide. The induced cells could also decrease blood glucose levels of diabetic mice. Conclusions These results showed that human placenta MSCs can be induced to differentiate into insulin-producing cells by cytokines.

Objective To examine the effect of Pu-Erh tea extract(PTE) on genes expression of lipogenesis in white adipose tissue of rats fed high fat diet.Method Thirty male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups(n=10):the control group(basal diet);the high fat group(high fat diet);the PTE group(high fat diet + Pu-Erh tea extract).Body weight and adipose tissue were measured.Expression of genes regulating lipid metabolism was assessed in adipose tissue.Results PTE supplementation prevented diet-induced increases in body weight and adipose tissue.Diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1(DGAT1),stearoyl-CoA desalurase-1(SCD1) and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c(SREBP-1c) mRNA levels were markedly decreased in adipose tissue of rats fed PTE.Conclusion This study shows for the first time that Pu-Erh tea extract prevents diet-induced obesity,and this effect is partly mediated via a direct influence on adipose tissue.

Objective To use Excel worksheet function to achieve statistical analysis of the fourfold table qualitative data,and to improve knowledge of the.majority of researchers on the statistical capabilities of Excel.Methods The result of actual research published in Chinese Journal of Endemiology was the data source,and statistical analysis results of fourfold table data from Excel and from SAS software were contrasted.Results The worksheet function of Excel could realize the analysis fourfold table data chi-square test,obtained an accurate P values,but not just P ＞ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.05.The results of chi-square test of Excel were the same as the results from SAS software,but Excel could not obtain probability value of fisher exact probability.Conclusion As a dependent statistical analysis software,Excel is an easy to learn,easy to use,efficient and a good helper.In the absence of professional statistical software,Excel can be used to achieve data statistical analysis.

Objective To investigate the changes of lead,zinc,copper,iron and calcium in blood of chronic poisoned infantal mice.(Methods) Forty-eight 21 day-old kunzea mice were randomly divided into 4 groups,each having 12 mice.Distilled water group was as control group and other three lead acetate poisoning groups had a dose of 10,20,40 mg/kg,respectively.The poisoning was carried out by lavage once a day,and consecutively for 46 days.Eyeballs of mice were picked then for blood sampling,and BS trace element analysis grapher was used to determine level of lead,zinc,copper and iron.Level of calcium was measured by Dimentional-RXL auto-biochemistry analysis meter.Results The lead and zinc levels in poisoned mice blood were increased with increasing lead acetate level administration,while zinc level changed inversely with lead acetate level.Significant differences were shown among control group and poisoning groups in terms of lead(P0.05).Conclusion Lead posioning can lead to zinc decreasing and copper(increa)-sing,which suggests that zinc works as a poential antidote of lead poisoning.

Objective To compare the efficacy of MRI and DSA in assessment of carotid artery stenosis and atherosclerotic plaque.Methods Forty-six patients with carotid plaque detected by ultrasound were enrolled in this study,and 89 carotid arteries were evaluated by MRI and DSA.MRI examination was acquired with 3.0 T MR scanner and 8 channel phase-array surface coil.The MRI sequences consisted of pre-and post-contrast T1WI,T2WI,PDWI,TOF.Anterior-posterior and lateral views of carotid artery were performed on DSA.The degree of carotid artery stenosis was evaluated by the NASCET standard.Fibrous cap rupture,intraplaque hemorrhage,and calcification were also evaluated on MRI and DSA.Statistical comparison was performed with the Kappa value and paired Chi-square test.Results The degree of carotid artery stenosis was 50％ (16％-78％) on MRI and 47％ (7％-73％) on DSA.Two imaging modalities were in good consistency in evaluation of the degree of stenosis ( Kappa =0.882,P ＜ 0.01 ).There was statistical difference in detecting fibrous cap rupture by MRI and DSA (34 vessels vs 10 vessels,respectively,x2 =20.346,P ＜ 0.01 ).Furthermore,thirty-seven vessels with intraplaque hemorrhage and 71 vessels with calcification in the plaque were found on MRI but none on DSA.Conclusion MRI is a reliable tool in assessment of the degree of the carotid stenosis and it is superior to DSA in detecting fibrous cap rupture,intraplaque hemorrhage,and calcification.

Objective To study the value of carotid plaque magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in pre-operation assessment in the elderly patients with carotid atherosclerosis and explore the possibility of minimizing the contrast weightings to gain sweeptime. Methods Totally 70 elderly patients with cerebral ischemia (average age of 68.8 years) underwent carotid MRI and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) due to the appearance of carotid plaque detected by ultrasound. Carotid plaque MRI was acquired with 3.0T MR scanner and 8 channel surface coil. The standard carotid plague MRI program included pre-and post-contrast T1 weighted imaging (T1WI), T2 weighted imaging, proton density weighted imaging and 3D time of flight MR angiography (3D TOF MRA). All these program were divided into two combinations: the 5-sequence MRI (all the sequences) and 2-sequence MRI (T1WI and TOF MRA). Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in coronal and lateral views of carotid artery was performed with GE Advantx LCN+. The software SPSS 13.0 was used to statistically analyze the difference between MRI and DSA, and that of two sequence combinations was used in the detection of luminal stenosis and fibrous cap (FC) rupture. Results Totally 135 arteries were analyzed while 3 arteries in one patient were excluded due to the poor quality image and stent placement. The degree of luminal stenosis were (38.3±31.0)% and (38.5±30.9)%, respectively, detected by the two MRI sequence-combination with no significant difference (t=2.447, P＞0.05) and was (35.1±31.8)% by DSA. There was a good concordance between MRI and DSA in luminal stenosis detection (Kappa value: 0.773). No statistical difference was found between two MR sequence combinations in detecting FC rupture (both in 36 vessels). DSA detected FC rupture of 16 vessels, showing remarkably difference contrast to MRI(χ2=12.0, P＜0.01). Conclusions MRI can accurately detect the luminal stenosis and FC rupture. The short time scanning resulting from sequence optimization could make MRI much more suitable than DSA to do the pre-operation assessment for senile carotid atherosclerotic patients.

Objective To study the intervention effect of the fluorosis with the high aluminum plus soybean, selenium powder, spiral algae. Methods Two week-long SD rats were randomly allocated into 5 groups bases on body weight with 8 in each group, respectively being control, the high fluoride aluminum,the high fluoride aluminum plus soybean, the high fluoride aluminum plus selenium and the high fluoride aluminum plus spiral algae group. The control group was fed with corn produced in non-endemic area containing 5.20 mg/L of fluoride and 6.80 mg/L of aluminum and tap water of fluoride 0.70 mg/L and aluminum 0.20 mg/L. Other groups were fed primarily with corn produced in the endemic area with the content of fluoride of 110.00 mg/L and aluminum of 19.70 mg/L and tap water with high aluminum also with fluoride of 0.70 mg/L and aluminum of 90.00 mg/L. The high fluoride aluminum plus soybean group was added soybean in the beginning of the experiment, approximately 30% of the total amount. Selenium (3.00 mg/kg) was given to the high fluoride aluminum plus selenium groups and spiral algae (1000.00 mg/kg) to the high fluoride aluminum plus spiral algae groups after dental fluorosis was formed. The experiment lasted for 22 weeks. In the end of the experiment 24-hour urine and bones of the limbs were collected to test the content of fluorine and aluminum. The ultrastructure of femur spongiosa was observed under electron microscope. Results ① Bone fluoride in high fluoride aluminum group [(204.07 ± 63.78)mg/kg] was higher than that in the control group, high fluoride aluminum plus soybean group, high fluoride aluminum plus selenium group and high fluoride aluminum plus spiral algae group[(30.06 ± 6.11), (54.12 ± 14.56), (30.44 ± 5.02), (105.08 ± 21.07)mg/kg, t = 0.62,0.53,0.62,0.35, all P < 0.01], indicating that it was lower in high fluoride aluminum plus selenium group than high fluoride aluminum plus spiral algae group(t = 0.27, P < 0.01). ② The urinary fluoride levels in high fluoride aluminum group [(4.52 ± 3.09)mg/L] was higher than that in the control group [(0.89± 0.37)mg/L, t = 0.23, P < 0.01] and lower than that in the fluoride aluminum plus selenium group[(10.38 ± 1.58) mg/L, t = 0.34, P < 0.01], it was higher in high fluoride sluminum with selenium group than that in the high fluoride aluminum plus soybean group and high fluoride aluminum plus spiral algae group[(5.56 ± 1.69), (4.38 ± 3.36)mg/L, t = 0.28,0.35, all P < 0.05]. ③ The bone aluminum level in the control group[(3.32 ± 3.02)mg/kg] was lower than that in the high fluoride aluminum group, high fluoride aluminum plus soybean group, high fluoride aluminum plus selenium group and high fluoride aluminum plus spiral algae group [(374.21 ± 56.11), (118.20 ± 23.59), (114.01 ± 22.84), (67.11 ± 11.53)mg/kg, t = 1.42,0.44,0.42,0.24, all P < 0.05], it was higher in the high fluoride aluminum group than high fluoride aluminum plus the soybean and selenium and spiral algae groups (t = 0.56,0.57,0.68, all P < 0.01)lower in high fluoride aluminum plus spiral algae group than the soybean plus selenium group(t = 0.11,0.10, all P < 0.05). ④The urine aluminum level in high fluoride aluminum group [(1.14 ± 0.32)mg/L] was higher than that in the control group and the high fluoride aluminum plus the soybean group [(0.66 ± 0.10) mg/L, t = 1.92,2.24, all P< 0.05] and that in high fluoride aluminum plus the soybean group was lower than aluminum plus the selenium[(1.03 ± 0.22)mg/L] and aluminum plus spiral algae group[(1.10 ± 0.28) mg/L, t = 1.73,2.06, all P < 0.05]. ⑤ Under electron microscope, the collagenous fiber was arranged in disorder in high aluminum fluorine group, the trabeculum of bone merged into patches or mostly vanished, This phenomenon was alleviated in the intervened group compared to the high aluminum fluorine group, in an attenuating order of the selenium group, the spiral algae and the soybean group. Conclusion In this experiment the intervention measure alleviates fluorosis, the selenium is the best, spiral algae the second and soybean the last.

The epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV) raises critical public health and safety problems. However, there are currently no vaccines or drugs that are clinically approved for ZIKV infections. Since RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) plays an important role in replication and transcription of ZIKV and is absent in human beings, it is a potential drug screening target of anti-ZIKV agents. According to the fluorescence-based alkaline phosphatase-coupled polymerase assay method, we established the NS5 RdRp inhibitor screening model. Through screening from an anti-infection compound library, we found a compound octenidine dihydrochloride (OCT) that could inhibit ZIKV RdRp activity with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 5.43 μmol·L^-1. Biolayer interferometry (BLI) assay showed that OCT could bind to ZIKV RdRp and had a strong affinity. Moreover, OCT exhibited an inhibitory effect on ZIKV replication with a half maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀) of 29.94 μmol·L^-1. All these results indicated that OCT had the anti-ZIKV activity by targeting ZIKV RdRp, and it is likely to be a promising lead compound against ZIKV.

This study was carried out to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging activities of flavans from flex centrochinensis S. Y. Hu in vitro and their structure-activity relationship. LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage was used as inflammatory model. MTT assay for cell availability, Griess reaction for nitric oxide (NO) production, the content of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and PGE, were detected with ELISA kits; DPPH, superoxide anion and hydroxyl free radicals scavenging activities were also investigated. According to the result, all flavans tested exhibited anti-inflammatory effect in different levels. Among them, compounds 1, 3, 4 and 6 showed potent anti-inflammatory effect through the inhibition of NO, TNF-alpha, IL-lp and IL-6, of which 1 was the most effective inhibitor, however, 2 and 5 were relatively weak or inactive. The order of free radical scavenging activities was similar to that of anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, these results suggest that 3, 4 and 6, especially of 1, were,in part responsible for the anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging activity of Ilex centrochinensis. Hydroxyl group at 4'-position of B-ring plays an important role in the anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging capacities.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; immunology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Flavanones ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Free Radical Scavengers ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Ilex ; chemistry ; Interleukin-6 ; immunology ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; immunology ; Mice ; Nitric Oxide ; immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; immunology