AIM: To investigate the effect of deafferentation on the expression level of calretinin (CR) in adult Sprague Dawley rat olfactory bulb (OB). METHODS: Adult Sprague Dawley rats were given a single intranasal irrigation with ZnSO_4. A specific period (10, 20, 30 and 60 days, respectively) after the treatment, immunoreactivities of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and calretinin of OB were examined by using immunohistochemistry. Down-regulation of TH expression level was regarded as a mark of deafferentation. RESULTS: 10, 20, 30 and 60 days after ZnSO_4 treatment, staining intensity and density of TH-immunoreactive cells of OB significantly reduced and the degree of reduction was correlated with the time of treatment before 30 days, but the result of 60 d was similar to that of 30 d. There was no obvious change in the density of CR-immunopositive cells after the same treatment. CONCLUSION: Expression of CR in adult rat OB was not affected by deafferentation.

Afferent Pathways ; Animals ; Female ; Nerve Block ; Olfactory Bulb ; metabolism ; Parvalbumins ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

[Objective] To observe the antitussive and antiasthmatic actions of Nervilia fordii (Hance) Schitr. (NF). [Methods] NIH mice were randomized into 8 groups: 3 NF water-extract groups and 3 NF ethanol-extract groups in high, moderate and low doses (19.2, 9.6 and 4.8 g?kg-1?d-1 respectively), positive control group (codeine phosphate 50 mg?kg-1?d-1 in the antitussive experiment and theocin 0.1g?kg-1?d-1 in the antiasthmatic experiment) and model group. Mice cough models induced by ultrasonic spray of ammonium hydroxide and guinea pigs asthma models induced by ultrasonic spray of histamine-acetylcholine mixture were adopted to observe the antitussive and antiasthmatic actions of NF. [Results] Water-extract and ethanol-extract of NF in three doses decreased the cough frequency in mice, and ethanol-extract of NF in three doses prolonged the cough latent period (P

We are reporting in this article some analyzed data obtained from inspection and related information on current situations medical devices in use. Some ideas and suggestions are also proposed here on how to systematically and legally inspecting and monitoring medical devices in use.
Equipment Safety ; Materials Management, Hospital

Fed-batch cultures of recombinant Rchia pastoris were conducted for production of angiostatin. The whole fermentation included a growth phase on glycerol and an expression phase on methanol. When ammonium hydroxide solution was used to adjust pH, the cell growth during the expression phase was inhibited and the highest angiostatin concentration was 9.08 mg/L. Shake-flask cultures were carried out in media containing different quantities of ammonia. The results showed that ammonia had an obvious inhibition effect on the cell growth during the expression phase. Therefore KOH solution was used to adjust pH, and during the expression phase cells were able to grow and the highest angiostatin concentration reached 20 mg/L.

OBJECTIVETo observe clinical therapeutic effects of acupuncture combined with medication in restoration of gastrointestinal functions for postoperative patients with gastric cancer.

METHODSNinety patients undergoing radical surgeries for gastric cancer were randomly, according to the sequence of their operations, divided into three groups: a control group treated conventionally after their surgeries (group CONT, 30 cases), a Chinese medicine group treated by Simo Decoction administered by way of a nutrient canal in addition to the conventional treatment (group CM, 30 cases), and an acupuncture plus Chinese medicine group treated by warming needling in addition to those given in the Chinese medicine group (group ACUP+CM, 30 cases). Therapeutic effects were estimated 10 days after their operations.

RESULTSThe time for restoration of gastrointestinal functions was obviously shortened, and the problems of poor appetite and difficulty in defecation were more markedly improved in group ACUP+CM than those in both group CONT and group CM (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Ten days after operations, the number of patients with normal lymphocytes and normal percentage rate of lymphocytes to neutrophile granulocytes was obviously more in group ACUP+CM than those in both group CONT and group CM (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture combined with Chinese medicine is favorable in accelerating early air exhaustion and defecation, improving clinical symptoms, as well as in bi-directional regulating peripheral white blood cells.

Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Care ; methods ; Recovery of Function ; Stomach Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of cardiac involvement in children with mitochondriopathies.Methods The clinical data of 23 children with mitochondriopathies were reviewed.The changes of electrocardiography,echocardiography and heart enzymes were analyzed.Results In 15 cases of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy,lactic acidosis,and stroke-like episode(MELAS syndrome),electrocardiography was performed on 9 cases,6 of them showed abnormal electrocardiographic findings,including right bundle branch block,ST-T change,Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome,et al.On echocardiographic examination in 9 MELAS syndrome ca-ses,only 1 case showed hypertrophy cardiomyopathy.Six cases had increased plasma creatine kinaseMB(CK-MB) mass and only one of 12 MELAS syndrome cases had increased cardiac troponin I(cTnI) level.In 8 cases of subacute necrotizing encephalomyopathy(Leigh syndrome),electrocardiography was performed on 5 cases,4 of them showed abnormal electrocardiographic findings,including sinus tachycardia,ST-T change and low voltage.Two cases showed normal electrocardiography.Three out of 6 cases with Leigh syndrome showed increased plasma CK-MB mass.The molecular genetic examinations were performed in 13 cases of MELAS syndrome and 6 cases of Leigh syndrome.The mitochondrial DNA nt 3243 A→G mutation was found in white blood cells of 9 MELAS syndrome cases,the mutation rate being 37%-60%.The mitochondrial DNA nt 8993 T→C mutation was found in white blood cells of 2 Leigh syndrome cases.Conclusion In children with mitochondriopathies,myocardiac involvement is comparatively common,and even cardiomyopathy can occur.

OBJECTIVETo verify the clinical therapeutic effect of warming needle moxibustion on improvement of the gastrointestinal and immune function in patients with postoperation of colorectal cancer.

METHODSOne hundred and five patients with postoperation of colorectal cancer were randomly divided into an acupuncture and moxibustion group, a Chinese medicine group and a routine treatment group, 35 cases in each group. They were all treated with gastrointestinal decompression and fluid replacement after operation. The acupuncture and moxibustion group was also treated with warming needle moxibustion on the 1st day after operation, and Zusanli (ST 36), Shangjuxu (ST 37) and Xiajuxu (ST 39) etc. were selected, once a day for 10 days, and the Chinese medicine group with Simo Decoction oral solution, three times daily for 10 days. The gastrointestinal function, peripheral blood components and changes of T lymphocyte and NK cells in postoperative patients were observed.

RESULTSThe time of the first bowel sound, exhaust and defecation in the acupuncture and moxibustion group were all shorter than those in the Chinese medicine group and the routine treatment group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On the 10th day after operation, the percentages distribution of lymphocyte and neutrophil in the acupuncture and moxibustion group were better than those in the Chinese medicine group and the routine treatment group (all P<0.05). The acupuncture and moxibustion group was also superior to the Chinese medicine group and the routine treatment group in improving the subgroup of T lymphocyte, NK cells and the digestive system symptoms (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONWarming needle moxibustion has a good therapeutic effect on gastrointestinal function and can regulate bidirectionally peripheral blood lymphocyte and neutrophile granulocyte and improve the T lymphocyte subgroup and NK cells so as to promote the recovery of immune function in patients with colorectal cancer after operation.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; immunology ; physiopathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Immune System ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Postoperative Period ; Young Adult

A recombinant strain of Pichia pastoris with a phenotype of Muts was used to produce angiostatin in a 5-L fermentor. The methanol utilization ability of the present strain was weak, which resulted in extremely low growth rate and angiostatin productivity during the expression phase with methanol as the sole carbon source. To enhance the cell density and angiostatin expression level, mixed-carbon-source of glycerol-methanol was used in the expression phase. The methanol concentration was well controlled at 5 g/L by a methanol sensor and control system, and glycerol was continuously fed into the fermentor to achieve a higher cell density. 120 g/L of cells and 39 mg/L of angiostatin were reached at the end of fermentation which lasted 110 h. The mean specific cell growth rate in the expression phase was 0.01 h(-1), and the mean specific angiostatin productivity was 0.006 mg/(g x h). According to the data obtained in several runs of fermentation in which glycerol was fed at different rates, a higher mean specific angiostatin productivity was reached at the mean specific cell growth rate of 0.012 h(-1). To avoid the repression of angiostatin expression caused by residual glycerol and ethanol accumulation due to overfeeding of glycerol, glycerol addition was controlled to produce continuous oscillations in dissolved oxygen, because the change of dissolved oxygen concentration could deliver the information of available carbon source in the fermentation broth. Controlled glycerol feeding also avoided the problem of oxygen limitation brought by high cell density, and thus decreased the cooling requirement of the fermentor. Cell density reached 150 g/L at the end of fermentation, and angiostatin level reached 108 mg/L after an expression period of 96 h when the mean specific growth rate was maintained at 0.012 h(-1) by using the glycerol feeding strategy to result in the oscillations in dissolved oxygen. The mean specific angiostatin productivity was improved to 0.02 mg/(g x h). The apparent cell yield on glycerol and methanol were respectively 0.69 g/g and 0.93 g/g, higher than those in the fermentation without using the feeding strategy with dissolved oxygen as the indicator of metabolism.
Angiostatins ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Biotechnology ; methods ; Carbon ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; physiology ; Glycerol ; metabolism ; Methanol ; metabolism ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; Pichia ; genetics ; metabolism

The work was aimed to investigate the differential expressions of lipid metabolism related genes in the early stage of atherosclerosis in the young apolipoprotein E deficient (apoE(-/-)) mice at different ages with normal chow diet. The genotypes of mice were identified by using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (multi-PCR) analysis. The semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time quantitative RT-PCR were used to analyze the expressions of lipid metabolism related genes in the liver of apoE(-/-) and age-matched wild type (WT) mice of 14-day old, 1-month old, 2-month old, 3-month old. The serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) contents were assayed using COD-PAP and GPO-PAP methods. The serum apolipoprotein B100 (apoB100) content was quantitated by immune turbidimetry. The hearts were perfusion-fixed in 4% formaldehyde, infiltrated with 30% gum sucrose for 24 h at 4 °C, and embedded in OCT compound. The aortic sinus tissues were serially sectioned at -15 °C, stained with Sudan IV, and counterstained with light green. The results were shown as follows. Compared with that in WT mice, the mRNA levels of apoA I and apoA IV in apoE(-/-) mice aged from 14-day old to 3-month old changed prominently (P<0.05), with apoA I up-regulated and apoA IV down-regulated. At the age of 1 month, the expression of apoB100 in apoE(-/-) mice was higher than that in WT mice (P<0.05). The expression of apoA V was up-regulated (P<0.05) and there was obvious lipid deposition in the aortic intima in apoE(-/-) mice at the age of 2 months. The expressions of fatty acid translocase (Fat/CD36) and angiopoietin-like protein 3 (Angptl 3) in apoE(-/-) mice were higher than those in WT mice at the age of 3 months (P<0.05), while the expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), liver X receptor α (LXRα), carnitine palmitoyl transferase I (CPT I) and acyl coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1) showed no significant changes. The serum TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C contents in apoE(-/-) mice aged from 14-day old to 3-month old were higher than those in age-matched WT mice. apoE(-/-) mice showed a marked increase in serum apoB100 content, consistent with the trend of serum LDL-C content and apoB100 mRNA content in the liver. The results suggest that the mRNA expressions of apoA I, apoA IV, apoA V, apoB100 and Angptl 3 in apoE(-/-) mice change significantly compared with those in WT mice, and these genes might be relevant to the complicated lipid metabolism network, and involved in the early stage of atherogenesis.
Animals ; Apolipoprotein A-I ; metabolism ; Apolipoprotein B-100 ; blood ; Apolipoproteins A ; metabolism ; Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; Atherosclerosis ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; Lipid Metabolism ; genetics ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; blood ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; blood ; Liver ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Triglycerides ; blood