The effect of the trace elements on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) were studied. Thirty preterm infants who had potential high risk factors of ROP were selected as observation group and 18 normal infants as control groups. By using atom spectrophotometer, the contents of serum trace elements (Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn, Se) were measured and analyzed statistically. The contents of serum Zn, Cu and Se in observation group were 0.75+/-0.22, 0.41+/-0.20 and (134.07+/-71.57)x10(-3) mg/L respectively, and 0.55+/-0.12, 0.65+/-0.194 and (202.92+/-44.71)x10(-3) mg/L in control group respectively (P<0.01). The contents of Cu and Se were obviously lower and that of Zn higher in observation group than those in control group. The same results were obtained between the infants with ROP and controls (P<0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the contents of serum Mg and Mn between two groups (P>0.05). It was concluded that the contents of serum Cu and Se in preterm infants who had high risk factors of ROP were obviously lower than in the controls. The contents of serum Cu and Se in the ROP infants were also much lower while contents of Zn much higher. Attention should be paid to the detection of the trace elements in preterm infants in order to prevent the deficiencies of Cu and Se. Only in this way can we prevent the deficiencies of Cu and Se, so as to decrease the ROP risk factors and prevent the disease.
Copper/blood ; Infant, Premature/*blood ; Retinopathy of Prematurity/*blood ; Retinopathy of Prematurity/*prevention & control ; Risk Factors ; Selenium/blood ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; Trace Elements/*blood ; Zinc/blood

Objective:To observe different effects of moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36) and Yanglingquan (GB 34) on electrogastrogram (EGG) of patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). Methods:A total of 65 cases were randomized into a Zusanli (ST 36) group (n=33) and a Yanglingquan (GB 34) group (n=32) by random serial number, to receive moxibustion therapy to the corresponding point respectively. The 8-lead EGG was used before and after treatment to collect EGG parameter of the gastric body, antrum of stomach, lesser curvature and greater curvature, including the dominant frequency, slow wave percentage, average frequency, response area and motility index. Results:After treatment, the dominant frequency and slow wave percentage were improved in nearly the whole stomach area in Zusanli (ST 36) group, showing statistical significances (bothP<0.05); the slow wave percentage and average frequency were improved in stomach body and antrum of stomach in Yanglingquan (GB 34) group, showing statistical significances (bothP<0.05); moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36) had a significantly higher influence on EGG than Yanglingquan (GB 34) , in which the lifting of slow wave percentage was significantly higher than Yanglingquan (GB 34) group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36) and Yanglingquan (GB 34) has the effect of adjusting abnormal EGG pattern in FD patients. Compared with Yanglingquan (GB 34), Zusanli (ST 36) has a superior effect in improving EGG in stomach area.

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Polarity ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; pathology ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Eye Proteins ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; metabolism ; Receptors, Proteinase-Activated ; metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; metabolism

ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy of subglottic secretion drainage for preventing ventilatorassociated pneumonia.MethodsData of relevant randomized controlled trials (RCT) from January 1991 to June 2010 were collected,and data were split into two groups,namely draining group and non-draining group.Meta analysis of ventilator-associated pneumonia was carried out for finding the incidence and mortality in patients with mechanical ventilation using the methods recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration.ResultsSeven RCTs met the inclusion criteria and 1647 patients were enrolled.Subglottic secretion drainage reduced the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia ( OR =0.45,95％ confidence interval [CI]:0.32 - 0.63 ),primarily by reducing early-onset pneumonia.But the mortalities of ventilator associated pneumonia were not significantly different between the two groups ( OR =1.03,95％ confi dence interval [CI]:0.75 - 1.41 ).ConclusionsSubglottic secretion drainage appeared effective in preventing ventilator associated pneumonia among patients expected to require ＞48 hours of mechanical ventilation,but the mortality was unchanged.

Objective To construct the eukaryotic expression vector of pprI gene from Deinococcus radiodurans R1 and investigate its radioresistant effects in eukaryotic cells.Methods A recombinant vector pEGFP-c1-pprI was constructed by DNA recombinant technique.The empty vector pEGFP-c1 and the pEGFP-c1-pprI were transferred into human lung epithelial cells Beas-2B by LipofectamineTM 2000,respectively.Then the infected cells were screened in order to develop a cell line with stable expression of pprI gene.Cell survival rate was tested by clone-forming assay.Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were detected by a flow cytometry.The fluorescence intensity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed by a fluorescent microscope.γ-H2AX foci in the irradiated cell was detected by immunofluorescence.Results The eukaryotic expression plasmid of pprI prokaryotic gene was constructed and PprI fusion protein was expressed in human lung epithelial cells successfully,and the cell line (2BG) with a stable pprI gene expression was established.After irradiation,the cell survival fraction of 2BG cells was significantly higher than Beas-2B cells so that the value of D0 、Dq and N of the survival curve were increased.Moreover,the fluorescence intensity of ROS and the number of γ-H2AX foci in 2BG cells were also lower than those of B eas-2B cells(F =16.73,19.47,6.94,P ＜ 0.05).Between these two cell lines,the apoptosis rate and cell cycle G2 arrest also had significant difference (F =139.73,237.92,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The pprI gene from Deinococcus radiodurans RI can be stably expressed in the eukaryotic cells and it allows the transferred cells to have a radioresistant function.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of electroacupuncture and diet adjusting on insulin resistance in rats with nutrition obesity, and the role of electroacupuncture and diet adjusting in the treatment of obesity. METHODS: Obesity was induced in rats by high-fat diet. Rats with nutrition obesity were randomly divided into high-fat diet (HD) group, high-fat diet plus electroacupuncture (HA) group, normal diet (ND) group and normal diet plus electroacupuncture (NA) group, with another group of SD rats as normal control (NC). After 15 days, all the rats' body weight and length were measured, the Lee's index was calculated, and the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), free fatty acid (FFA), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were detected. RESULTS: Compared with the HD group, food intake, body weight and viscera fat weight of the rats with nutrition obesity in the HA group and the NA group were markedly reduced (P<0.05). The levels of blood serum TC, FFA and IR index in the NA group were obviously lower than those in the HD group (P<0.01). The levels of TNF-alpha and FINS in the NA group were lower than those in the HD group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture plus diet adjusting can decrease the levels of serum TNF-alpha and FINS of the obesity rats, and improve the state of insulin resistance.

AIM: To investigate the effects of lipid-induced insulin resistance on plasma resistin and ghrelin levels in awake rats. METHODS: A hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp was established in awake chronically catheterized rats. Two groups of rats were studied either with a 4 h intraarterial infusion of lipid/heparin or saline. Insulin-mediated peripheral and hepatic glucose metabolism was assessed by insulin clamp combined with [~3H]-glucose infusion, and plasma resistin and ghrelin concentrations were examined before and after clamp with ELISA. RESULTS: During clamp, there was a significant increase in plasma free fatty acid (FFA, P

Taxus canadensis distributed mainly in North America, such as northern Minnesota, Newfoundland, south to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Its composition has been shown to be very different from other species, and in recent years, some new skeletons also have been found in Canada yew. Through analysis of the taxanes content on various Taxus plants containing taxanes, the results showed a higher content of taxol in T. canadensis. Based on the current research on T. canadensis (from the research results of the author in recent years, as well as from studies of scholars in the field), the paper outlined the research progress in recent years on the chemical constituents of taxane of T. canadensis and the spectral characteristics of various types of compounds. Besides, this paper analyzed the present research about solutions for the taxol drug source crisis.
Animals ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Taxoids ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Taxus ; chemistry

Objective To investigate the radioresistant effects of pprI gene of Deinococcus radiodurans on BALB/c mice.Methods Male BALB/c mice in SPF level were applied for this work.The pEGFP-c1 plasmid and pEGFP-c1-pprI gene recombinant plasmid were transferred into anterolateral muscle of mice with in vivo electroporation technology.The mice were irradiated by 6 Gy 60Co γ-rays in whole body and the mortality of mice was observed within 30 days after irradiation.In addition,the mouse were irradiated with 4 Gy γ-rays and then the peripheral blood cell number,apoptosis rates of thymocyte cells,spleen cells and bone marrow cells were observed in the days of 1,7,14,28 and 35 after irradiation while the histopathological changes of lung and testis were observed in the days 7 and 28 after γ-ray irradiation.Results The highest gene transfection efficiency of muscle cells was obtained in a Plasmid injection amount of 50 μg/50 μl and electric field strength of 200 V/cm.The acute radiation mortality of pEGFP-c1-pprI gene recombinant plasmid transfer group was 30％,lower than that of irradiation group (60.0％) and pEGFP-c1 plasmid transfer group (63.3％) after 6 Gy γ-ray irradiation (x2 =4.90,6.24,P ＜ 0.05).Compared with the irradiation group and pEGFP-c1 plasmid transfer group,the WBC count of pEGFP-c1-pprI gene recombinant plasmid group in peripheral blood of mice was significantly higher in the days of 1,7,14 and 28 (F =16.26,8.10,6.37,10.74,P ＜0.05),PLT count was significantly higher in days of 7 and 14 (F =7.36,5.71,P ＜ 0.05),meanwhile the lymphocyte percentage was increased significantly on the 7th day (F =18.43,P ＜ 0.05) after irradiation.On the other hand,the apoptosis rates of thymocyte cells and bone marrow cells were significantly decreased in the days of 1,7,14,28 and 35 (F =3.88,14.91,14.14,39.86,5.65,P ＜0.05 and F=53.70,11.75,21.78,41.40,4.54,P ＜0.05) while the apoptosis rate of spleen cells was significantly decreased in the days of 1,7,14 and 28 (F =97.95,56.61,33.55,14.71,P ＜0.05) after irradiation.Finally,the radiation histopathological changes of lung and testis of the pEGFP-c1-pprI gene recombinant plasmid group were slight and easy to recover.Conclusions Transfection of pprI gene of Deinococcus radiodurans by in vivo electroporation has significant protective effect on the acute radiation injury in BALB/c mice,which may have important clinical applications.

The inhibitory effects of diallyl sulfide (DAS) derived from allicin on in vitro and in vivo proliferation of human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells and the action mechanism, and the influence of DAS on invasive capability of MG-63 cells were investigated in order to search for the novel medicines for osteosarcoma. In the in vitro experiment, MG-63 cells were treated with different concentrations of DSA, and the morphological changes of MG-63 cells were observed under an inverted phase microscope. MTT method was used to assay the proliferation of MG-63 cells. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the VEGF mRNA expression level in MG-63 cells. By using Transwell invasion assay, the influence of DAS on invasive ability of MG-63 cells was tested. In the in vivo experiment, the nude mice MG-63 cells tumor-bearing model was established, and different concentrations of DAS were injected beside the tumor. Twenty-one days after treatment, the mice were killed, the tumor size and tumor inhibition rate were calculated. The microvessel density (MVD) was determined by using immunohistochemistry. In the in vitro experiment, different concentrations of DAS could obviously inhibit proliferation of MG-63 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. RT-PCR revealed that the expression levels of VEGF mRNA in DSA groups (different concentrations) were significant reduced as compared with those in control group (all P<0.05). Transwell invasion assay indicated that in 20 and 40 μg/mL DAS groups, the number of migratory cells was 91.4±8.3 and 81.8±7.4 respectively, which was significantly declined as compared with that in control group (150.4±14.7, both P<0.05). In the in vivo experiment, DAS could significantly suppress the growth of MG-63 tumor-bearing tissue. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that different concentrations (20 and 40 μg/mL) of DAS could significantly decrease MVD of MG-63 tumor-bearing tissue (all P<0.05). It was suggested that DAS could inhibit the growth of MG-63 cells probably by suppressing the expression of VEGF mRNA.