Objective To study the morphologic and pathological characteristics of cat scratch disease(CSD).Methods Eight cases with clinical data and tissue blocks were collected in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Hainan Province.The tissues were successively stained by hematox- ylin and eosin,Warthin-Starry(W-S),acid fast and periodic acid-schiff(PAS)methods to study the histopathological changes and pathogens.Results W-S positive Bartonella henselae was the major pathogen of CSD and there was no acid-fast or PAS positive pathogen could be found in the tissues. There were three forms of histological representation as follows:plasmocytoid monocytes(PMO)and monocytoid B-cells(MBC)hyperplasia plus neutrophils immersion in lymphatic sinus(2 cases); MBC rich granuloma and micro-abscess formation(3 cases); starlit abscess with little or no bacteria in the granuloma(3 cases).Conclusions Bartonella henselae mainly transmits through cats.Contact histo- ry with cats and lymphadenectasis suggest the possibility of CSD.The diagnosis can be confirmed by the presence of W-S staining positive bacteria,MBC rich granuloma or micro-abscess and neutrophil reactions in histopathological exam.

Objective To investigate the pharmaeokinetics of levofloxacin in rat's pancreatic tissue. Methods Pancreatic tissue and blood were sampled in vivo by microdialysis simultaneously. The concentrations of levofloxacin in beth blood and tissues were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. All date were analyzed by WinNonlin software. Results The maximum concentration of free levofloxacin in blood and pancreatic tissue were (65.23 ± 12.9) μg/ml at 10min and (30.56±3.22) μg/ml at 20 min, respectively, then beth continuously decreased. Concentration of free levofloxacin in pancreatic tissue was higher than that in blood from 20min to 100min, then returned to similar level. The area under the concentration curve(AUC)of unbound levofloxacin was(2465.11±258.56)min·μg~(-1)·ml~(-1) in pancreas,and (2914.38±205.73)min·μg~(-1)·ml~(-1) in blood.Conclusions Microdialysis with reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography established in this essay could be used to determine the pharmacokinetics of levofloxacin objectively. High concentration of levofloxacin in pancreatic tissue and blood was observed.

Selection and affinities of Cd binding peptides were assayed by phage random dodecapeptide library and affinity chromatography. Two Cd binding peptides were obtained, it was found that the affinities of Cu~ 2+ ,Co~ 2+ ,Zn~ 2+ ,Ni~ 2+ for Cd binding peptides were higher than that of Cd~ 2+ and Cr~ 2+ after detection of the amplified Cd binding peptides displayed phages to different heavy metal-charged resins; the detoxification of E.coli to Ni~ 2+ and Cd~ 2+ was enhanced when infected by Cd binding peptide displayed phages as compared with those of the control. The interaction of Cd binding peptide displayed phages with heavy metals charged resins was also observed under microscope. The work would be of great value and consequences for the study of interaction between heavy metals and proteins(peptides), as well as thedetoxification and bioremediation of heavy metals.

Objective Explore an approach with which stem cell can be used to cure traumatic spinal cord. Methods To better repair spinal cord injury, adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat MSCs was isolated and induced to differentiate into neuron-like cells with a Chinese medicine, Musk's polypeptide named Musk-1 in vitro and be seeded into microsurgical transectional model of adult rat spinal cord with cell differentiation and transplantation techniques. Results After cell transplantation, animals seeded with the rMSCs-derived neuron-like cells promoted significant improvement in function after spinal cord (P＜0.05,effective observation for 90 days ) when compared to the lesion-control group. Histology and immunocytochemical analysis confirmed a large number of rMSCs-derived neuron-like cells survived well in the transplantation zoon and numerous cells migrated within the host adjacent tissues as far as 6millimeters above and below the border of the lesion. Fluorescence gold retrograde tract tracing analysis revealed the positive motor neuron of fluorescence gold mark was found in the head side of rat spinal marrow ,corpus rubrum ofmesencephalic and corticospinal tract fibers. This suggested that corticospinal tract fibers of spinal cord area got regeneration and passed through the lession to reach the tail of spinal marrow.Conclusion These findings demonstrated that "pre-programmed" rMSCs can survive, migrate, integrate as well as restore spinal function and behavior in the microsurgical transectional model of rat spinal cord, and may serve as a suitable approach to traumatic spinal cord injury.

Objective To set up a system in vitro to rapidly recover plasma proteins lost during artificial-liver treatment.Methods The polyprotein precipitation was obtained by all proteins whose isoelectric point pH value were between 7.3 and 5.1,which collided with each other and aggregated using gradient pH co-precipitation(adding 1 mol/L citric acid slowly in the plasma solution to change the pH values gradually from 7.3 to 5.1 in 5 h)combined with salting out(degree of saturation of NaCl is 33%,reacted for 5.5 h at 4℃)or low-temperature ethanol precipitation(40% ethanol, reacted for 5.5 h at -7℃)so that to get rid of toxicants by discarding the supernatant.Results In the range of pH 5.1-7.3,50%(29g/57g)of the total plasma proteins had been recovered by the gradient pH salting out and 41%(25 g/61g)by the gradient pH low-temperature ethanol co-precipi- tation.The protein remained in the supernatant was mostly albumin and its combined bilirubin.The levels of total bilirubin decreased to 0.07% and 0.06% of the original levels by these two methods respectively and the serum HBV DNA level decreased to be undetected(quantitative PCR).Conclu- sions The proteins with close isoelectric point can co-precipitated with the presence of high concen- tration of NaCl or low-temperature ethanol and by changing the pH value gradually.The total protein in the discarded plasma during artificial-liver treatment can be recovered rapidly using the gradient pH coprecipitation.

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the association between susceptibility to aflatoxin B1(AFB1)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the polymorphism of detoxication gene GSTM1.

METHODSThe peripheral white blood cell DNA samples were obtained from all the subjects including 140 HCC cases and 536 controls from an AFB1 high risk area in Guangxi province. The GSTM1 polymorphism was detected using PCR technique.

RESULTS(1) The GSTM1-present was associated with a decreased HCC risk. The GSTM1-null was associated with an increased HCC risk [adjusted OR (95% CI)= 2.07 (1.20-3.57)]. (2) In the cohorts of both low/median and high exposure levels of AFB1, GSTM1-null genotype was associated with a conspicuous significantly increased risk for HCC [adjusted OR (95% CI) = 1.92 (0.92-4.00) and 1.80 (0.77-4.17)].

CONCLUSIONThe results suggest that genetic polymorphism of GSTM1 was susceptible to HCC and individuals who are GSTM1-null have an increased risk of developing HCC. There is evidence of interaction between GSTM1 polymorphism and AFB1 exposure, especially with low/median degrees of AFB1 exposure.

Aflatoxin B1 ; genetics ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Glutathione Transferase ; genetics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo study the genetic susceptibility to chemical carcinogens of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in a high-risk area in Guangxi.

METHODSPCR technique was used to examine the frequency of glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 gene deletion in a matched case-control study of 91 patients with NPC and 135 control subjects.

RESULTSThe deletion frequency of control subjects was 47.4% (65/135) for GSTM1 and 40.7% (55/135) for GSTT1, whereas that of NPC patients was 61.5% (56/91) for GSTM1 and 59.3% (54/91) for GSTT1 with statistically significant difference between the patients and the controls (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Furthermore, the frequency of codeletion of both genes was also higher in NPC patients than the control with statistically significant difference (chi2 = 12.533, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONIn high-risk area, nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and local residents have high frequency of GSTM1 and/or GSTT1 gene deletion. It suggests that a genetic susceptibility to putative chemical carcinogens may be responsible for NPC clustering in the high-risk area studied.

Case-Control Studies ; China ; Gene Deletion ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Glutathione Transferase ; genetics ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; enzymology ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the association between susceptibility to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-related hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and the null genotypes of detoxication gene gstM1 and gstT1.

METHODSPeripheral blood white blood cells DNA samples were obtained from all the subjects including 140 HCC cases and 536 controls from AFB1 high risk area Guangxi. gstM1 and gstT1 polymorphisms were detected by polymerase chain reaction technique.

RESULTS(1) gstM1- and gstT1-present were associated with decreasing risk of HCC. gstM1- and gstT1-null were associated with the increasing risk of HCC [adjusted OR (95 % CI) = 2.07 (1.20-3.57) and 1.44 (0.85-2.45), respectively]; (2) The appearance of both gstM1- and gstT1-null genotypes were more susceptible to HCC than either one of them(adjusted OR and 95% CI are 2.43 and (1.19-4.97); (3) From low/median to high level of AFB1 exposure, both gstM1- and gstTl-null genotypes were associated with significantly conspicuous increasing risk of HCC [adjusted OR(95% CI) = 12.76(5.38-30.24) and 7.82(3.61-16.90) respectively].

CONCLUSIONIt was suggested that: genetic polymorphisms of gstM1 and gstT1 were susceptible to HCC; individuals who were gstM1- or gstT1-null would have an increasing risk of developing HCC while individuals with both nulls were more susceptible. There was evidence of interaction between gstM1- and gstT1-null and the level of AFB1 exposure which was associated with the increasing risk of HCC.

Adult ; Aflatoxin B1 ; toxicity ; Aged ; Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; complications ; etiology ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Glutathione Transferase ; genetics ; Hepatitis B ; complications ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; complications ; etiology ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic

Objective:To observe the effect of moxibustion on the mRNA and protein expressions of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) in gastric cancer-bearing rats. Methods: A total of 40 healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were adaptively fed for one week. The gastric cancer model was prepared by Walker-256 cancer tissue transplantation. After 7 d, 10 rats were randomly selected to verify the successful modeling, and the remaining 30 rats were divided into a model group, a moxibustion group and an infrared group by the random number table method, with 10 rats in each group. After enrollment, the moxibustion group received suspended moxibustion at Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4) and bilateral Zusanli (ST 36), (the first group of acupoints) on the 1st day, and suspended moxibustion at bilateral Pishu (BL 20) and Weishu (BL 21), (the second group of acupoints) on the 2nd day, 20 min each time, once a day. Moxibustion was alternately performed every other day at the two groups of acupoints for 21 d. From the day of enrollment, rats in the infrared group were irradiated with the infrared radiation at the stomach area on the 1st day, and at the T12-T13 interspinous region on the 2nd day, 20 min each time, once a day, and the two locations were alternately irradiated every other day for 21 d. During the treatment, rats in the model group were intervened by grasping and fixation without treatment. At the end of the treatment, blood was collected from the inner eye orbit, and the HSP70 expression in peripheral blood was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Rats were sacrificed, the tumor volume and growth inhibition rate were measured. The position and changes of HSP70 in gastric cancer were observed by streptavidin-perosidase (SP); HSP70 protein expression was determined by ELISA; HSP70 mRNA expression in cancer tissues was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Results: In comparison of the model group, the volume growth of the gastric cancer in the moxibustion group was significantly restricted (P＜0.01); the volume growth inhibition rate in the moxibustion group was 37.93%; the HSP70 expression in peripheral blood and the cancer tissues was significantly increased (both P＜0.01); the expression of HSP70 mRNA and HSP70 content in gastric tumor were both obviously increased in the moxibustion group (P＜0.01); and a large amount of HSP70 was released to the outside of cancer cells in the moxibustion group. In comparison of the model group, the volume growth of the gastric cancer in the infrared group was slightly restricted (P＜0.05) with a volume growth inhibition rate of 15.89%; the HSP70 expression in the infrared group was increased significantly in peripheral blood (P＜0.01) and in the gastric cancer tissues (P＜0.05); more HSP70 was released outside of the cancer cells in the infrared group. In comparison of the infrared group, the volume growth of gastric cancer was more restricted in the moxibustion group (P＜0.05), and the HSP70 expression in the gastric cancer tissues was also higher (P＜0.05); more HSP70 was released outside of the cancer cells in the moxibustion group. Conclusion: Moxibustion and infrared treatment inhibit the gastric cancer growth in the gastric cancer-bearing rats, up-regulate the HSP70 expression in gastric cancer tissues, and promote the production and extracellular release of HSP70, and the effect of moxibustion is more obvious.

Objective To further investigated the effect of minocycline on the inhibition of microglial activation and subsequent protection of nigral DA neuron.Methods 20 rats injected with LPS in the substantia nigra (SN) were randomly divided into two groups (LPS group and LPS+Minocycline group).The behavior was observed on the 7~(th) d and 14~(th) d.The immunohistoehemistry,in situ hybridization and Western-blot were used to detect the levels of positive neuron,mRNA,protein of TH and OX-42. Results The slightly rotational behavior was observed in LPS+Minoeyeline group.The majority of mieroglias were activated in the two groups.Some microglia in the SNpc remained ramified in LPS+ Minocycline group.The numbers of hypertophie microglia in LPS+Minoeyeline group were less than that in LPS group.Western-blot showed that the protein of OX-42 in two LPS groups was higher than in normal group(P