Objective To observe the effect of ginkgo flavonoids on mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods A total of 60 ICR male mice were given high fat diet to induce NAFLD,and then assigned to model group and experimental-L/-M/-H groups,with 15 cases in each group. Fifteen ICR male mice were assigned to control group to receive regular diet. The experimental-L/-M/-H groups were given oral administration of 75,150,300 mg·kg-1 ginkgo flavonoids once daily for 8 weeks,while the model group and control group received equal amount 0. 9％NaCl. At 8 weeks after treatment,the liver lipid metabolism indexes and serum liver function indexes content were detected; the expression of liver tissue nuclear transcription factor - κB p65 (NF-κBp65) protein of mice were detected by western blot. Results The serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) levels in control group,model group and experimental-L/-M/-H groups were (41. 25 ± 5. 21) ,(82. 19 ± 5. 13) ,(76. 53 ± 4. 89) ,(60. 02 ± 4. 83) ,(53. 89 ± 4. 52) U·L-1,respectively; the glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) levels were (101. 33 ± 18. 76) ,(179. 84 ± 18. 39) ,(161. 28 ± 16. 48) ,(149. 06 ± 16. 23) ,(132. 17 ± 16. 05) U·L-1, respectively; the liver tissue total cholesterol (TC) contents were(1. 31 ± 0. 24) ,(3. 96 ± 0. 22) ,(3. 24 ± 0. 21) ,(2. 90 ± 0. 19) ,(2. 54 ± 0. 16) mmol·g-1, respectively; the triglyceride(TG) contents were (1. 39 ± 0. 23) ,(2. 71 ± 0. 21) ,(2. 32 ± 0. 20) ,(1. 94 ± 0. 18) ,(1. 76 ± 0. 16) mmol·g-1, respectively; the relative expression of live tissue NF-κBp65 protein were 0. 16 ± 0. 08,0. 89 ± 0. 12,0. 82 ± 0. 09,0. 31 ± 0. 07,0. 25 ± 0. 04,respectively. There were statistically significant differences between the model group and the control group/experimental-L/-M/-H group,respectively (P < 0. 05). Conclusion Ginkgo flavonoids can inhibit NAFLD mice liver fat degeneration,recover the liver lipid metabolism and liver function,the action mechanism maybe related to the down-regulation of the expression liver tissue NF-κBp65 protein.

Glioma derived from the neural ectoderm is the most common brain tumor and is of great damage to human health among all lethal tumors. Scientists have been trying their best to find new methods and develop new drugs to treat glioma in recent years. The animal glioma model is of great importance to the research. Researchers have developed many animal glioma models, like the rat and mouse model. Now we are trying to develop a new zebrafish glioma model, which has much more advantages and fewer disadvantages than the traditional models in regard to gene mutation, chemical induction, and xenografts. Establishing a glioma model in zebrafish is feasible and would be of great use to patients with this common brain tumor.
9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene ; Animals ; Brain Neoplasms ; chemically induced ; genetics ; pathology ; Carcinogens ; Disease Models, Animal ; Genome ; Glioma ; chemically induced ; genetics ; pathology ; Mutagenesis, Insertional ; Mutation ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Zebrafish ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in thymus of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and the relationship with clinical features.

METHODSThymic specimens of 36 patients received extended thymectomy for MG were divided into three groups by pathological type: 13 thymoma tissues (thymoma group) and 13 thymic tissues adjacent to thymomas (parathymoma group) from 13 cases of MG patients with thymomas, and 23 thymic tissues from MG patients without thymomas (MG nonthymoma group). Twenty-one normal thymic specimens from cardiac surgery were used as controls. The levels of TLR2-4 mRNA were examined by RT-PCR, then the levels of TLR4 mRNA were assayed by real time RT-PCR and their relationship with clinical features were analyzed.

RESULTSThe levels of TLR4 mRNA among the different groups had significant differences, while there was no difference in TLR2 and TLR3 levels. The real time RT-PCR showed that the level of TLR4 mRNA in nonthymoma group was significantly higher than that in control group(0.8544+/- 0.1200 vs 0.6851+/- 0.1524, P=0.018). And so is parathymoma group compared with the thymoma group (0.8214+/- 0.1019 vs 0.7101+/- 0.0916, P=0.005). No significant difference of TLR4 mRNA level was found between the parathymoma and nonthymoma groups. Nevertheless, the expression of TLR4 in both groups was increased compared with control group. The levels of TLR4 mRNA had positive correlation with Osserman type(R=0.609; P=0.004) .

CONCLUSIONTLR4 may play a key role in the pathogenesis of MG. It was the thymic tissues adjacent to thymomas but not thymomas themselves participated in the onset of MG.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myasthenia Gravis ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Thymus Gland ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 2 ; genetics ; Toll-Like Receptor 3 ; genetics ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; genetics ; Toll-Like Receptors ; genetics ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the impact of universal salt iodization using monitoring data on correctional status of iodine deficiency and hospitalized thyroid diseases.

METHODSRetrospective survey was conducted to collect medical records of hospitalized thyroid disease cases. Routine monitoring data on population iodine nutrition status and goiter prevalence were analyzed.

RESULTSThe coverage of adequately iodized salt was consistently above 95%. Hospitalization rate of thyroid diseases rose steadily, and peaked at 54.5 per 100,000. The proportion of hospitalized thyroid disease among hospitalized diseases also rose with female and those aged above 40 years old mostly affected. The proportion of hospitalized hyperthyroidism among total hospitalized thyroid disease rose from 13.6% to 34.7%.

CONCLUSIONSUniversal salt iodization might eliminate iodine deficiency while other impact still exists. However, the benefits of universal salt iodization should be far overweight the adverse effects.

China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Iodine ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Sodium Chloride, Dietary ; therapeutic use ; Thyroid Diseases ; epidemiology ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo study the anti-tumor angiogenesis effect of soluble VEGF receptor fragment by blocking the combination of VEGF and its receptor in vivo and in vitro.

METHODSRT-PCR technique was used to amplify Flk-1/KDR fragment from embryo mouse liver, which was recombinated to expression vector pET-28b(+) and retrovirus vector PLXSN, which was induced to be expressed, purified and identified with EcoR I and Hind III. Mouse endothelial cells were separated, cultured and identified by immunocytochemistrical staining using VIII factor-related antigen antibody. The expressed product was analyzed about its effect on endothelial cell's growth in vitro with MTT method. The retrovirus vector was transfected to tumor cell lines S180 and B16 by liposome method to observe the biological specificity in vitro after gene transfection.

RESULTS1000 bp size sVEGFR fragment was amplify from E9, E11 embryo mouse liver tissues, which was recombinated to TA clone vector and identified by sequence analysis. This fragment was cloned to expression vector pET-28b(+), the expressed product was purified and identified correctly. The in vitro study showed this expressed product can effectively inhibit endothelial cell(s), growth and proliferation. The fragment was then cloned to retrovirus vector PLXSN and transfected to tumor cell lines S180 and B16 successfully with RT-PCR and SDS-PAGE. The experiments in vivo showed that the weight of tumor smaller, the size decreased significantly, the microvessel density was fewer and Flk1 protein expression were higher in the group of gene transfection than that of control.

CONCLUSIONSoluble VEGFR fragment is a kind of effective gene engineer product for anti-tumor angiogenesis gene therapy and the development of anti-tumor drug.

Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cloning, Molecular ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Genetic Vectors ; Melanoma, Experimental ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Retroviridae ; genetics ; Sarcoma 180 ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transfection ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; physiology

BACKGROUNDThymectomy is an established treatment for myasthenia gravis (MG), and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) thymectomy has become an acceptable surgical procedure. This study aimed to compare the results of VATS thymectomy and open thymectomy and to identify the prognostic factors after thymectomy.

METHODSThe clinical data of 187 consecutive thymectomies performed between July 2000 and December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed; 75 open thymectomies and 112 VATS thymectomies. Clinical efficacy and variables influencing outcome were assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.

RESULTSThe operative blood loss in the VATS group was significantly less than that in the open group ((62.14 ± 55.43) ml vs. (137.87 ± 165.25) ml, P < 0.05). The postoperative crisis rate increased with the severity of preoperative MG and the prescription dose of anticholinesterase. Complete follow-up information of patients more than 12 months after the thymectomy was obtained on 151 cases, 89 cases from the VATS group and 62 cases from the open group, with a mean follow-up period of 59.3 months, range from 12 to 117 months. Complete stable remission (CSR) was the end point for evaluation of the treatment results. The overall five-year CSR rate was 57.5%. Two good prognostic factors were identified; preoperative prescription of anticholinesterase alone (P = 0.035) and non-thymomatous MG (P = 0.003). The five-year CSR rate of the ocular type of MG reached a high level of 67.4%.

CONCLUSIONSThymectomy can achieve good long-term CSR in MG, and VATS is an ideal alternative method. High-dose prescription of anticholinesterase and the advanced stage by Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) classification have higher risks of postoperative crisis. Preoperative prescription of anticholinesterase alone and non-thymomatous MG are good prognostic factors. Thymectomy should also be considered for the ocular type of MG.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myasthenia Gravis ; surgery ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; methods ; Thymectomy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of standard rescue procedure (SRP) in improving severe trauma treatments in China.

METHODSThis study was conducted in 12 hospitals located in geographically and industrially different cities in China. A standard procedure on severe trauma rescue was established as a general rule for staff training and patient treatment. A regional network (system) efficiently integrating prehospital rescue, emergency room treatments, and hospital specialist treatments was built under the rule for information sharing and improving severe trauma treatments. Treatment outcomes were compared between before and 1 year after the implementation of the SRP.

RESULTSThe outcomes of a total of 74,615 and 12,051 trauma cases were collected from 12 hospitals before and after the implementation of the SRP. Implementation of the SRP led to efficient cooperation and information sharing of different treatment services. The emergency response time, prehospital transit time, emergency rescue time, consultation call time, and mortality rate of patients were 24.24 ± 4.32 min, 45.69 ± 3.89 min, 6.38 ± 1.05 min, 17.53 ± 0.72 min, and 33.82% ± 3.87% (n = 441), respectively, before the implementation of the standardization and significantly reduced to 10.11 ± 3.21 min, 22.39 ± 4.32 min, 3.26 ± 0.89 min, 3.45 ± 0.45 min, and 20.49% ± 3.11%, separately (n = 495, P < 0.05) after that.

CONCLUSIONSStaff training and SRP can significantly improve the efficiency of severe trauma treatments in China.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Emergency Medical Services ; standards ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Wounds and Injuries ; Young Adult

Hypertension is a risk factor for a variety of cardiovascular diseases, which is an important public health problem in the world today. MiRNAs are a class of highly conserved non-coding small RNAs. In recent years, studies have found that miRNAs are involved in the occurrence and development of hypertension through a variety of ways, causing damage to the important target organs of hypertension, such as heart, brain and kidney. This article reviews the research progress of miRNA in hypertension in recent years, in order to clarify its role in the process of hypertension and target organ damage, and provide ideas for exploring new therapeutic targets of hypertension.

Sanhan Huashi formula(SHF) is the intermediate of a newly approved traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) Sanhan Huashi Granules for the treatment of COVID-19 infection. The chemical composition of SHF is complex since it contains 20 single herbal medicines. In this study, UHPLC-Orbitrap Exploris 240 was used to identify the chemical components in SHF and in rat plasma, lung and feces after oral administration of SHF, and heat map was plotted for characterizing the distribution of the chemical components. Chromatographic separation was conducted on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C_(18)(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm) using 0.1% formic acid(A)-acetonitrile(B) as mobile phases in a gradient elution. Electrospray ionization(ESI) source was used to acquire data in positive and negative mode. By reference to quasi-molecular ions and MS/MS fragment ions and in combination with MS spectra of reference substances and compound information in literature reports, 80 components were identified in SHF, including 14 flavonoids, 13 coumarins, 5 lignans, 12 amino-compounds, 6 terpenes and 30 other compounds; 40 chemical components were identified in rat plasma, 27 in lung and 56 in feces. Component identification and characterization of SHF in vitro and in vivo lay foundations for disclosure of its pharmacodynamic substances and elucidation of the scientific connotation.
Rats ; Animals ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; COVID-19 ; Lignans

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli（ETEC）infection can induce watery diarrhea，leading to dehydration，electrolyte disturbance，and even death in severe cases. Recombinant B subunit/inactivated whole-cell cholera（rBS/WC）vaccine is effective in preventing ETEC infectious diarrhea. On the basis of the latest evidence on etiology and epidemiology of ETEC，as well as the effectiveness，safety，and health economics of rBS/WC vaccine，National Clinical Research Center for Child Health（The Children’s Hospital，Zhejiang University School of Medicine）and Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention invited experts to develop expert consensus on rBS/WC vaccine in prevention of ETEC infectious diarrhea. It aims to provide the clinicians and vaccination professionals with guidelines on using rBS/WC vaccine to reduce the incidence of ETEC infectious diarrhea.