Objective To investigate the possible damaging effect of infrasound on ultrastructure and permeability of rats′ blood retinal barrier (BRB). Methods Twenty mature male rats, averagely divided into 5 groups according to the exposure duration, were exposed to infrasound at a 16 Hz frequency and 130 dB sound pressure level in a pressure chamber for 2 hours per day. After exposed for 0, 1 day, 7, 14, and 21 days respectively, ultrastructural changes of rats′ BRB were observed through injection of lanthanum (La) nitrate solution, which was used as a tracer to demonstrate the breakdown of the BRB. Results With prolonging the duration of infrasound exposure, BRB structure lesion, chondriosome tumefaction, endoplasmic reticulum expandedness, membrane disc damage, retinal pigment epithelial cells distortion and putrescence, karyotheca expandedness, and La leakage on each level of retina aggravated gradually. Conclusion Infrasound may cause the breakdown of BRB, and the lesions aggravated with prolonged infrasound exposure time.

Objective To study the clinical application of proportional assisted ventilation (PAV) in the treatment of neonatal respiratory failure.Method From March 2011 to October 2013,a retrospective study was conducted on newborns receiving ventilation therapy for respiratory failure.The newborns were assigned into PAV group and synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV) group.Arterial blood pH 、partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2)、partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and oxygenation index (OI) were compared at the time before ventilation and 2 h,6 h,12 h,24 h after ventilation.The frequency of sedative usage and average time of ventilation between the two groups were compared.Result A total of 30 cases were enrolled in the PAV group and the SIMV group respectively.Before ventilation,no statically significant differences existed on blood pH[(7.13 ± 0.12)、(7.14 ±0.11)],PaO2[(41.1 ±8.9),(40.8±8.8) mmHg],PaCO2[(76.4±12.6),(73.2±13.5) mmHg]and OI between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).2 h after ventilation,the blood pH [(7.25 ± 0.17)、(7.23 ± 0.15)],PaO2 [(51.0 ± 5.6)、(48.6 ± 5.3) mmHg] and OI were significantly improved,while PaCO2 [(66.3 ± 8.7)、(64.0 ± 7.5) mmHg] decreased.Comparing with data before ventilation,those parameters were statistically improved at each time point after ventilation (P ＜ 0.01).But no statistically differences existed between the two groups at the same time (P ＞ 0.05).Sedatives were used (2.3 ± 1.2)times/case in PAV group and (3.9 ± 2.2) in SIMV group,with statistically differences between the two groups (P ＜ 0.05).Average duration of ventilation were (5.1 ± 1.9) d in PAV group and (5.4 ± 2.1) d in SIMV group,with no statistically differences between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion PAV is very effective in treating the neonatal respiratory failure and worth spreading.

Background Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(G-CSF)has been reported to have beneficial effect on cardiac dysfunction in post infarction and doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy.Objective To investigate the effects of G-CSF on cardiac remodeling in cardiac hypertrophy induced by angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ).Methods Thirty-six male wild type mice(WT)were allocated randomly to receive subcutaneously G-CSF(10 ?g/kg per day, n=9),or Ang Ⅱ(2.88 mg/kg per day,n=9),or Ang Ⅱ plus G-CSF(Ang Ⅱ 2.88 mg/kg+G-CSF 10 ?g/kg,n =9)for 4 weeks with untreated WT(n=9)as controls.Blood pressure and cardiac function were measured. Heart weight/body weight ratio,myocyte cross-sectional area and fibrosis area were determined.The mRNA ex- pression of osteopontin(OPN)in myocardium was detected by RT-PCR.The expressions of angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE),ACE2 and phosph-p70S6 kinase protein in myocardium were assessed by Western-Blot.Results Ang Ⅱ significantly elevated blood pressure(SBP,Ang Ⅱ:139.7?1.6 vs WT:108.7?2.3 mmHg,P0.05),but significantly attenuated the myocyte cross-sectional area(Ang Ⅱ+G-CSF:181.06?0.11 vs Ang Ⅱ:202.02?0.16 ?m~2,P

The ability to induce hypersensity on leaves of tomato and the stability of double-plasmid of an harpin-producing, nitrogen-fixing engineered strain E4 were tested. Hypelsensitivity-inducing experiment indicated that the time and density of hypersensitivity-induction of E4 was similar to those of DH5, the positive control of pCPP430. Although E4 took the same time to induce hypersensitivity as 308R, another positive control of pCPP430, it induced weaker hypersen- sitivity on tobacco leaves. On tomato leaves, there was no difference in time and density of hypersensitivity between E4 and 308R (pCPP430). Results revealed that the two plasmids, pCPP430 and pMC73A, were unstable in host bacteria, with the losing rate of 100% at the 48th generation. The emergence probability of bacteria with either pCPP430 or pMC73A was almost the same.

Castleman Disease ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Dendritic Cell Sarcoma, Follicular ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptors, Complement 3b ; metabolism ; Thoracic Diseases ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Thoracic Wall ; Vimentin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEParkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder, has been reported to be associated with brain neuroinflammation in its pathogenesis. Herein, changes in peripheral immune system were determined to better understand PD pathogenesis and provide possible target for treatment of PD through improvement of immune disorder.

METHODS1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) was intraperitoneally injected into mice to prepare PD model. Expression levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and transcription factors of CD4+ T lymphocyte subsets in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes and concentrations of the cytokines in serum were examined on day 7 after MPTP injection. Percentages of CD4+ T lymphocyte subsets were measured by flow cytometry.

RESULTSMPTP induced PD-like changes such as motor and behavioral deficits and nigrostriatal impairment. Expression levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines including interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-17 and IL-22, in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes were upregulated and their concentrations in serum were elevated in PD progression. But, the concentrations of the anti-inflammatory cytokines including IL-4, IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were not altered in the two lymphoid tissues or serum of PD mice. In addition, expression of T-box in T cells (T-bet), the specific transcription factor of helper T (Th) 1 cells, was downregulated, but expression of transcription factor forkhead box p3 (Foxp3), the transcription factor of regulatory T (Treg) cells, was upregulated. In support of the results, the numbers of IFN-γ-producing CD4+ cells (Th1 cells) were reduced but CD4+CD25+ cells (Treg cells) were elevated in both the lymphoid tissues of PD mice.

CONCLUSIONPD has a dysfunction of peripheral immune system. It manifests enhancement of proinflammatory response and CD4+ T cell differentiation bias towards Treg cells away from Th1 cells.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine ; Animals ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; Cytokines ; blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Flow Cytometry ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Interleukin-17 ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Interleukins ; blood ; Lymph Nodes ; cytology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; Mice ; Parkinson Disease ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Spleen ; cytology ; T-Box Domain Proteins ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Th1 Cells ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; blood

Using universal primer Ty1-copia retrotransposon RT,43 Ty1-copia like retrotransposon RT with high heterogeneity, stop codon mutation and frameshift mutation were amplified by PCR from genomic DNA of Zhejiang Lin'an (C15) and Yunnan Guangnan (A39) of Dendrobium officinale. The length of these sequences varied from 260 to 266 bp, and was rich in AT and consistency ranged from 47.1% to 97.7%. Different c/s-acting regulatory elements induced by low temperature, heat, light, all kinds of plant growth regulating substances and the starting transcription signals, corresponding to CAAT box, TATA box conserved sequences and some other regulatory elements. When being translated into amino acids, ten sequences presented stop codon mutation, five sequences presented frameshift mutation, and thirty-seven sequences presented conserved sequence "SLYGKQ" mutation. Six categories were identified through phylogenic analysis after alignment analyses of their amino acid sequences, and with other plants (eg. Triticum aestivum, Eleocharis quinqueflora) having high homology, which indicated that horizontal transmission of retrotransposon occurred among the plants in the past.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Conserved Sequence ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Dendrobium ; enzymology ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase ; chemistry ; genetics ; Retroelements ; genetics ; TATA Box ; genetics

A dispute about the decreasing-price problem of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has recently arisen. This article analyzes the statistical data of 1995-2011 in China, the results showed that the main responsibility of expensive health care has no direct relationship with the drug price. The price index of TCM rose significantly slower than the medicine prices, the production margins of TCM affected by the material prices has been diminishing since 1995, continuous price reduction will further depress profits of the TCM industry. Considering the pros and cons of raw materials vary greatly in price, decreasing medicine price behavior will force enterprises to use inferior materials in order to maintain corporate profits. The results have the guiding meaning to medicine price management.
Commerce ; economics ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Health Care Sector ; economics ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics

ObjectiveTo establish a new,rapid,and reliable reversed-phase ultra performance liquid chromatography (RP-UPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of six quaternary ammonium alkaloids (QAAs) in Coptidis Rhizoma.MethodsThe effect of different experimental parameters on the analysis of QAAs by RP-UPLC was evaluatcd.ResultsOptimal resolution was achieved with an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column using a gradient elution profile and a mobile phase consisting of water spiked with 10 mmol/L ammonium bicarbonate (A,pH adjusted to 10.0 by ammonia water) and acetonitrile (B),at a flow rate of 0.30 rnL/min and wavelength of 345 nm.The column temperature was set at 30 ℃.The proposed method was found to be reproducible,precise,and rapid according to the method validation.Conclusion The proposed method,which is compatible with MS analysis and the preparation of QAA,provides some helpful insights into the quality control of Coptidis Rhizoma.

To standardize the harvest ways of Dendrobium officinale and improve the quality and yield of D. officinale, a field experiment was carried out to study the effect of two kinds of harvest ways, which were keeping some of the axial shoot and harvesting all of the shoot by the end of the year. Then, the agronomic traits and yield were measured and the contents of polysaccharides and extractum were determined. The results showed that the harvest ways significantly affected the growth of D. officinale. Keeping some of the axial shoot could significantly improved the number of sprout, stem length, internode number and the internodal length, which also triggered increase the weight of fresh stems, leaves and the total of them and dry stems in per unit area, but it could not promote the stem diameter and the polysaccharide content in stems. Keeping some of the axial shoot moderately was conducive to the improvement of the production of medicinal materials in the process of harvesting by promoting the germination and growth of new buds, and to ensure the polysaccharide content by regulating the illumination and the density of cultivation.
Agriculture ; methods ; Dendrobium ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; growth & development