The concentration of precursors for the production of taxol with Fusarium mairei K178 was optimized by response surface methodology.Firstly,Plackett-Burman design was undertaken to evaluate the effects of eight factors.With statistic regression analysis,the significant factors affecting taxol production were determined as follows: phenylalanine,sodium acetate and sodium benzoate.Box-Behnken design was used to optimize the three critical internal factors mentioned above,and the optimum concentration levels and the relationships among these factors was found out.By quadratic regression model equation with Design-Expert statistic methods,the optimal concentration of the variables were determined as: phenylalanine 2.8mg/L,sodium acetate 3.3g/L,sodium benzoate 31.8mg/L.Under such conditions,the taxol production was increased to 242.6?g/L,which was 15.6% higher than the maximum value in the single factor tests.The experiment values under the optimal conditions agreed with the predicted values,which indicated that the model was proper and effective.

Acute Kidney Injury ; chemically induced ; enzymology ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Gentamicins ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; metabolism ; Rats

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; administration & dosage ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone ; administration & dosage ; Nanotechnology ; Research

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the application of prognosis evaluation of ulnar nerve injury by 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). METHODS: The metabolites of first dorsal interossei (FDI) of two hands from 12 healthy volunteers and 1 volunteer with complete ulnar nerve injury were detected by 1H-MRS and the data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: For the FDI of healthy adults, the female peaks area of extra-myocellular lipids (EMCL) was higher than the male (P < 0.05); There was no significant difference in Cho, Cr and intra-myocellular lipids (IMCL) between male and female (P > 0.05); There was no significant difference in all the peaks area between the left and right hand (P > 0.05). The EMCL peak of the injury side was higher than that of the healthy side, and the area of FDI was reduced in the volunteer with ulnar nerve injury. CONCLUSION Noninvasive and quantitative detection of 1H-MRS may be valuable for prognosis evaluation of peripheral nerve injury.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods* ; Sex Distribution ; Ulnar Nerve/metabolism*

The DNA structures could be altered or even damaged by exogeous or endogenous factors during cell proliferation. Failure of effective and timely repair will lead to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. By taking the advantage of the quick proliferation of cancer cells, DNA damage induction, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis promotion have become important strategies for ant-cancer chemotherapy. Previous reports showed that an array of natural compounds inhibit cancer cell proliferation by inducing DNA damage, which have therapeutic potentials for anti-cancer drug research and development.
Animals ; Biological Products ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; DNA Damage ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy

Objective To find the relationship between nuclear factor kappB (NF-κB) activation and cell apoptosis.Methods Degenerative human nucleus pulposus cells were cultured in vitro.Useing CCK-8 to observe the proliferative effect of LPS on the nucleus pulposus cells in vitro, in the concentration of 100, 200, 500 and 1 000 μg/mL and choose the most apropriate concentration.The experiment was divided into blank control group, LPS(500 μg/mL)groups, and NF-κB inhibitor(BAY11-7082)plus LPS(500 μg/mL)group,Annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometry and Hoechest33258 staining was used to analyze apoptosis.The expression of cleaved caspase-3,PARP,P65,P-P65 proteins were detected by Western blot respectively.Results When LPS was 500 μg/mL, the cell vitality was obviously declined.Compared with the blank control group, cell apoptosis rate of the LPS group is increasing (P<0.05), and the expression of P-P65,cleaved caspase-3, cleaved PARP were alsohigher (P< 0.05).Compared with the LPS group, cell apoptosis rate of the NF-κB inhibitor plus LPS group is significantly lower (P<0.05) and the expression of P-P65,cleaved caspase-3,cleaved PARP were also lower (P< 0.05).Conclusions NF-κB signaling pathway may be associated with the nucleus pulposus cell apoptosis in disc degeneration.

Objective To investigate the distribution of high-arsenic drinking water in Honghu city of Hubei province in order to provide a scientific basis for prevention and control of endemic arsenic disease.Methods Investigations were made in 22 townships(towns,districts),68 natural villages of the drainage areas of the Dongjing River,the Neijing River and the Yangtse River in 2006 and 2007,with the townships(towns,districts)around Shahu town in Xiantao city as the focal point.1000 water samples were drawn each year,which was 10% of all the wells in every natural village.Using sampling investigation,water arsenic Was determined by half-quantitative fast reagent kit.All samples of water with arsenic exceeding the standard(≥0.03 mg/L)were re-determined according to state standard.Surveys on the disease was carried out in the villages(brigades)where arsenic exceeded the standard.Results A total of 2000 samples were surveyed from 68 natural villages,of which there were 401 samples from 48 villages exceeding the standard in a rate of 20.05%(401/2000).The highest arsenic content Was 0.71 mg/L.The high arsenic water sources were distributed mainy in the drainage areas of the Dongjing River and the Neijing River,but no patients with endemic arsenic disease were found.Conclusions The high arsenic water sources are distributed mainly in the drainage areas of the Dongjing River and the Neijing River.It is suggested that the interrelated government departments should take precise measures to impmve the quality of drinking water and ensure safe water to the residents in high arsenic areas.

OBJECTIVETo explore the therapeutic effect of acupuncture for hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage at the early stage.

METHODSFifty-four cases of small-amount cerebral hemorrhage were randomized into an acupuncture group and a conventional treatment group, 27 cases in each one. In the conventional treatment group, special care, oxygen therapy, nerve nutrition and symptomatic support were applied. In necessary, dehydrant and hypotensive drugs were prescribed for antihypertension, or surgery was given. In the acupuncture group, on the basis of the treatment as the control group, acupuncture was applied at Quchi (LI 11), Neiguan (PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Taichong (LR 3). Acupuncture was given at the admission, 4 h, 6 h and 12 h after disease onset respectively. Blood pressure was monitored in the whole procedure. 6 h and 24 h after disease onset, the cranial CT was re-examined. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), hematoma volume and neurological deficit score were compared at different time points between the two groups.

RESULTS(1) Blood pressure: from the admission to 12 h after disease onset, SBP, DBP and MAP were increased apparently in the conventional treatment group and increased slightly in the acupuncture group. The differences in SBP [(164.3 +/- 21.6) mmHg vs (158.6 +/- 21.5) mmHg] and MAP [(113.4 +/- 4.9) mmHg vs (106.7 +/- 6.1) mmHg] were significant between the two groups (both P < 0.05). From 12 h to 24 h after disease onset, compared with the conventional treatment group, SBP and MAP were decreased apparently in the acupuncture group [(147.3 +/- 21.6) mmHg vs (158.4 +/- 23.5) mmHg, (97.2 +/- 5.3) mmHg vs (106.6 +/- 5.1) mmHg, both P < 0.05)]. (2) Hematoma volume: from the admission to 6 h after disease onset, the volume was increased by (4.15 +/- 0.73) mL in the convertional treatment group and (2.67 +/- 0.33) mL in the acupuncture group, indicating the significant difference in comparison (P < 0.05). From the admission to 24 h after disease onset, it was increased by (5.57 +/- 1.26) mL in the convertional treatment group and (3.14 +/- 1.18) mL in the acupuncture group, indicating the significant difference in comparison (P < 0.05). (3) Neurological deficit score: the score was increasing gradually in first 3 days after disease onset in the two groups. The score (38.39 +/- 6.84) in the acupuncture group on the first day was different significantly as compared with that (42.37 +/- 7.46) in the conventional treatment group (P < 0.05). On the 10th days, the score (24.68 +/- 5.42) in the acupuncture group was different significantly from that (29.74 +/- 7.36) in the convertional treatment group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThere is no peak of blood pressure rising, and the continuous hemorrhagic volume is less in 24 h and neurological deficit score is improved in the acupuncture group. Acupuncture brings the positive significance in the treatment of cerebral hemorrhage at the early stage.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Female ; Hematoma ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Microbial xylanases have received a great deal of attention in the last two decades for their potential applications in food, paper making and animal feed industries. Bacillus pumilus WL-11 was identified as a producer of alkane xylanase free of cellulase after screening soil samples of paper-making factories. The xylanase A (XylA) was purified to homogeneity from the culture filtrate of Bacillus pumilus WL-11 by (NH4) 2SO4 precipitation, CM-Sephadex and Sephadex G-75 chromatographies. The molecular mass of XylA is estimated to be 26.0 kD by SDS-PAGE and its isoelectric point is 9.5. The apparent Km is 16.6 mg/mL and V(max) is 1263 micromol/(min x mg) towards oat spelt xylan. XylA is optimally active between pH 7.2 and 8.0, and stable at pH 6.0 to 10.4. The enzyme is optimally active at 45 degrees C - 55 degrees C and stable at temperature below 45 degrees C, with its half time of activity of 35 min and 15 min at 55 degrees C and 60 degrees C respectively. HPLC analysis revealed that hydrolysis patterns of xylans from oat spelt, birch wood and beech wood by purified XylA were different. The XylA is determined to be an endo-beta-1,4-xylanase, as it generated mainly xylotriose and no xylose was detected among the three hydrolysates. XylA has strong hydrolytic activity towards the pentose in the hydrolysates of beech wood and birch wood xylans, but was not active to the pentose in the hydrolysate of oat spelt xylan. The crude WL-11 enzyme can efficiently hydrolyze oat spelt xylan to a series of xylo-oligosaccharides, suggesting its potential application in nutraceutical industry.
Bacillus ; classification ; enzymology ; Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; Culture Media ; Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Substrate Specificity

BACKGROUNDTo investigate epidemiology and HLA typing of highly exposed to HIV but persistently seronegative subjects (HEPS) in commercial blood donors in China.

METHODSThis was a cohort study for epidemiologic characteristics of highly exposed but persistently seronegative subjects. PCR with sequence-specific primer and PCR-SSP for HLA typing were applied.

RESULTSEight HEPS were identified. Compared HLA typing with seropositive couple, high frequency of HLA-a24, HLA-B40 genotyping was observed.

CONCLUSIONHighly exposed to HIV but persistently seronegative subjects in commercial blood donors in China had high frequency of HLA-A24 and HLA-B40 genotype.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Blood Donors ; China ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; HIV ; immunology ; HIV Antibodies ; blood ; HIV Infections ; epidemiology ; virology ; HIV Seronegativity ; HLA Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-A Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-A24 Antigen ; Histocompatibility Testing ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Young Adult