Objective: To study the prevalence of antibody to citrullinated human fibrinogen(ACF) in rheumatic diseases and the diagnostic values in rheumatoid arthritis.Methods: Human fibrinogen was deiminated by the peptidylarginine deiminase(PAD) in the presence of Ca~(2+) in vitro.ACF was detected by ELISA in 352 patients with rheumatic diseases(183 RA,121 SLE and 48 OA) and 108 healthy controls.The sensitivity and specificity in RA were calculated and the correlations between ACF and the clinical and laboratory parameters were analysed by SPSS statistical software.Results: Compared with SLE(25.62%),OA(18.75%) and healthy control(2.78%) respectively,the patients with RA had a significantly higher level of ACF(67.21%,P

OBJECTIVETo explore the expression of p-p38 MAPK protein and the number of astrocytes expressing p-p38 MAPK in CA1 hippocampus in rats during the induction of brain ischemic tolerance induced by intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IH) preconditioning.

METHODSThirty healthy adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n = 5 in each group): sham 0 min group, IH + sham 0 min group, sham 7 d group, IH + sham 7 d group, Ischemia (Is) 7 d group, and IH + Is 7 d group. Neuropathological evaluation was performed by thionine staining in CA1 hippocampus in rats. The expression of p-p38 MAPK in CA1 hippocampus was observed by immunohistochemical staining. And the number of astrocytes expressing p-p38 MAPK was observed by immunofluorescent double labeling.

RESULTSThe results showed that IH preconditioning induced brain ischemic tolerance successfully. At the same time, IH preconditioning obviously up-regulated the expression of p-p38 MAPK protein in CA1 hippocampus, and also increased the number of astrocytes expressing p-p38 MAPK.

CONCLUSIONIt might be concluded that IH preconditioning induced brain ischemic tolerance by up-regulating the expression of p-p38 MAPK protein in pyramidal neurones and astrocytes.

Animals ; Astrocytes ; enzymology ; pathology ; Brain Ischemia ; enzymology ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hippocampus ; enzymology ; Hypoxia ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; methods ; Male ; Phosphorylation ; Pressure ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

In order to identify Peucedani Radix, Peucedani Decursivi Radix and their adulterants, the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) regions of Peucedani Radix, Peucedani Decursivi Radix and their adulterants were amplified and bidirectionally sequenced based on the Principles for Molecular Identification of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica Using DNA Barcoding, which has been promulgated by Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission. Sequences were analyzed and assembled by Codon Code Aligner V3. 7.1. The relevant data were analyzed by MEGA 5. 0. Species identification analyses were performed by using the nearest distance methods and neighbor-joining (NJ) methods. The result showed that the ITS2 sequence lengths of Peucedani Radix were 229-230 bp and the average intra-specific genetic distances were 0.005. The ITS2 sequence lengths of Peucedani Decursivi Radix were 227 bp and the sequences contained no variation site. The average inter-specific K2P genetic distance of Peucedani Radix, Peucedani Decursivi Radix and their adulterants species were 0.044 and 0.065 respectively. The minimum inter-specific divergence is larger than the maximum intra-specific divergence of Peucedani Decursivi Radix. The nearest distance methods and NJ trees results indicated that Peucedani Radix, Peucedani Decursivi Radix and their adulterants species could be identification clearly. The ITS2 regions can stably and accurately distinguish Peucedani Radix, Peucedani Decursivi Radix and their adulterants.
Apiaceae ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; Drug Contamination

To study the genetic stability of Panax quinquefolium after introduced into China for 30 years, the samples of P. quinquefolium from 14 regions of China were studied. RAPD molecular marker technology was applied in this research, and POPGEN32 data analysis and NTSYS2. 10 cluster diagram were used to analyze the data. The results showed that there are abundant genetic diversity in the ginseng samples. There were 81 polymorphic bands based on the 13 random primers. The polymorphism was 83.51%, the effective number of alleles (N(e)) was 1.456 7; Nei's gene diversity index (H) was 0.274 8; Shannon's diversity index (H(o)) was 0.419 4. The clustering analyses indicated that P. quinquefolium and P. ginseng were classified into two obvious groups, especially, it was also found that the P. quinquefolium could be divided into two obvious groups based on whether the P. ginseng was cultivated in the same region or not, but it was thought that there was not genetically a qualitative difference. Thus it suggests that a good breeding field should be established in Jilin Province of China for the germplasm purification.
China ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Genetic Variation ; Introduced Species ; Panax ; classification ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique ; United States

Objective To observe the long term effects of arthroscopic knee debridement and reconstructing operation for treating osteoarthritis in patients with Kaschin-Beck disease. Methods Thirty-one cases of patients with Kaschin-Beck disease were followed for 6 years after operation of articular clearing by arthroscope. Index of pain, symptoms of self-evaluation, range of motion, walking distance, standing test by affected leg when bending at 30° or 60° were recorded and compared with the preoperative results. Results Twenty-four cases were followed up for 6 years. Six years after operation the pain index(3.38 ± 2.87) was dramatically decreased compared to that before operation (6.88 ± 1.45, t = 5.30, P ＜ 0.05). Patients symptoms markedly improved by subjective self-evaluation was 70.83% (17/24), the effective rate was 100% (24/24). The number of cases that could stand up when leg bending at 30° or 60° were 21,18 cases, respectively, compared with that of preoperative of 14, 11 cases, respectively, the difference was statistically significant(x2 = 5.17,4.27, all P ＜ 0.05). Six years after operation the walking distance(3 cases ＜ 1 km, 11 cases 1 - 5 km and 10 cases ＞ 5 km) were greatly improved compared to the results before operation (12 cases ＜ 1 km, 9 cases 1 - 5 km and 3 cases ＞ 5 km, U = 2.88, P ＜0.05). Six years after operation the knee activity[(132.25 ± 14.52)°] remained at the same level, compared with that of preoperative [(131 .58 ± 14.68) °], the difference was not statistically significant (t = 0.16, P ＞ 0.05) .Conclusions The method of arthroscopic joint debridement to cure Kaschin-Beck disease knee osteoarthritis can significantly reduce pain, improve function and walking distance, with more stable long-term satisfactory outcome.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the nerve growth factor ( NGF ) induced hippocampal neuroregeneration and homeobox gene Lhx 8.Methods Seventy-two SD rats were divided into control group , transected group, NGF group, transected combined with NGF group after right fimbria-fornix transection and NGF intracerebroventricular injection . Real-time PCR and Western blotting were applied to detect the gene and protein expression of Lhx8 in each group.The choline acetyltransferase ( ChAT)/Lhx8 double labeled cells in subgranular zone ( SGZ) of hippocampus in each group were detected by immunofluorescence .Results The expression of Lhx8 gene and protein in the transected , NGF group and especially in the transected combined with NGF group was obviously higher than in the control group .The number of ChAT/Lhx8 double labeled cells in the NGF group and the transected combined with NGF group was obviously more than in the control group and transected group . Conclusion The hippocampal neuroregeneration which induced by NGF intracerebroventricular injection was associated with the higher expression of Lhx8.

BACKGROUND:Single scaffold materials have some shortcomings to some extent or in different ranges. Therefore, new composite materials are developed in recent year, which are compounded by two or more materials with complementary characteristics in a certain manner or ratio.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the histocompatibility and osteogenic induction of geneX artificial bone combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s and transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF-β2).
METHODS:Injectable geneX was co-cultured with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s for 5 days, and under the electron microscope, the histocompatibility of the artificial bone was observed. Passage 3 rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s were divided into three groups:simple cel group cultured with osteogenic medium, cel scaffold group cultured with geneX+osteogenic medium, combined group cultured with geneX+TGF-β2+osteogenic medium. After 7, 14, 21 days, cel morphology, alkaline phosphatase activity detection, MTT detection, methyl thymol blue detection and alizarin red staining were performed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After osteogenic induction, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s were fibroblast-like cel s and adhered to the surface of geneX bone with strong secretion of extracel ular matrix. Cel proliferation and osteogenic activity in the combined group were stronger than those in the simple cel and cel scaffold groups (P<0.05). The alkaline phosphatase activity was also higher in the combined group than the other two groups. These findings indicate that the geneX/bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s/TGF-β2 composite has good histocompatibility and pro-osteogenic differentiation ability.

Objective To measure and assess CT perfusion value for peri-pancreatic metastatic lymph node by using multiple spiral CT (MSCT) with body perfusion software package. Methods The MSCT perfusion imaging was performed for peri-pancreatic metastatic lymph nodes and muscle on a multi-section CT scanner (SOMATOM Sensation Cardiac 64). 4 x 5 mm collimation, 120 kV, 60mA. Contrast injection was done with 40 ml nonionic contrast agent (300 mg l/ml), at a flow rate of 4.0 ml/s, and 5 seconds delay, and data acquisition lasted for 40 seconds. The mean blood flow (BF) were measured and analyzed in patients with pathologically proven peri-pancreatic metastatic lymph nodes(n=29)and hyperplastic lymph nodes(n=15) on work station using body perfusion software (Siemens) with deconvolution method. Results The mean BF in peri-pancreatic metastatic lymph nodes were (53.63±18.82) ml·min-1·100 ml-1, in hyperplastic lymph nodes were 29.78±7.52 ml·min-1·100 ml-1, the difference was significant (P<0.001). Conclusions Perfusion imaging of MSCT was useful in differentiation between peri-pancreatic metastatic lymph nodes and hyperplastic lymph nodes.

The thermostability of the inulinase was studied in this resea rc h. Some alcoholic materials and thickening agent could enhance the thermostabli lity of the inulinase. Using glycerol、xanthic pastern and though orthogonal ex periments of three elements and three levels, a satisfying protective agent, whi ch included glycerin(6%), xanthan gum(0.6%) and CaCl_2 (100mmol/mL) and ha d a significant effect on the enhancement of the inulinase thermostability, was acquired.

One hundred Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum-sensing-related genes were selected and their primers were synthesized. The fragments of specific sequences which are related QS genes were amplified by PCR. These verified sequences were inserted into the vector pMD-18T for sequencing. These DNA fragments were dotted onto glass slides to make cDNA microarray. Hybridization was performed with cy3/cy5-dCTP labeled probes. The scanning data of early stationary phase and mid-logarithmic phase indicated that 9 genes were up-regulated and 6 genes were down-regulated. Undergoing the different medicines,we took tobramycin as an example to compare the expression diversity. The results confirm that the QS cDNA chip is useful,and may contribute to better understand the mechanism of quorum-sensing,and can help us find the new targets for restraining the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.