Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the correlation between serum brain natriuretlc peptide(BNP) and cardiac function in children with pneumonia.Methods Fifty-two children with pneumonia were seleated.Among them 20 were complicated with congestive heart failure(CHF),including 9 boys and 11 girls,their ages ranging from 4 months to 4 years old;and 32 cases non-complicated with CHF,including 17 boys and 15 girls,their ages ranging from 5 months to 6 years old.Besides,there were 30 healthy children as control group,including 16 boys and 14 girls,their ages ranging from 6 months to 5 years old.For all the children,their serum BNP was measured by using ELISA met-hod,and CK-MB was measured by automatic biochemistry analyzer.In the sametime,their cardial function was measured by echocardiography.Results In the children with pneumonina complicated with CHF,the levels of serum BNP[(182.45?57.32) ng/L] and CK-MB [(48.19?16.08) IU/L] were higher than those of healthy control group[(35.12?13.84) ng/L,(11.48?4.29) IU/L Pa0.05).The levels of left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricle shortening fraction(FS),peak flow velocity of arteriae arota(PFVA),peak flow velocity of pulmonary artery(PFVP) in the children with pneumonia complicated with CHF were lower than those of healthy control group(Pa0.05).There was a positive correlation between the levels of serum BNP and CK-MB(r=0.28 P0.05).Conclusion The levels of serum BNP may be an important index in diagnosis of infant pneumonia complicated with CHF.

Dermatitis, Occupational ; etiology ; Humans ; Trichloroethylene

AIM:To investigate peripapillary vessel density and its relationship with other ocular parameters in highly myopic eyes with peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitation (PICC), and to analyze risk factors for PICC.METHODS:Cross-sectional study.A total of 35 highly myopic eyes with PICC, 40 highly myopic eyes without PICC and 35 normal eyes were included in this study.All participants underwent fundus photography and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).OCT angiography was also performed to image the retinal vasculature in the peripapillary areas of different sectors, including the radial peripapillary capillaries (RPC) and optic nerve head (ONH) layer.The difference of morphology changes in optic disc and peripapillary vessel density between these three groups were compared.Correlations between peripapillary vessel density and PICC and risk factors for the presence of PICC were analyzed.RESULTS: Significant differences were found among the three groups in spherical equivalent refraction (SER), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), axial length, peripapillary atrophy β-zone (β-PPA) area, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and the presence of tilted optic disc, posterior staphyloma and myopic maculopathy (MMD) (P<0.05).There were significant differences among the three groups in the peripapillary vessel density both in RPC (54.34±5.58, 57.54±7.44, 64.42±3.50) and ONH (51.24±7.43, 52.75±9.96, 61.25±4.15) layers (P<0.001).In highly myopic eyes, vessel density was significantly lower in eyes with PICC than in those without in inferotemporal area both in the RPC (56.76±6.62,63.84±6.02,67.52±4.78) and ONH (56.47±5.79,60.38±4.72,64.18±4.37) layers.The vessel density was significantly correlated with the presence of MMD, β-PPA area and RNFL thickness in the RPC layer, whereas correlated with the presence of MMD, PICC and RNFL thickness in the ONH layer (P<0.05).Tilted optic disc and posterior staphyloma were independent risk factors for the presence of PICC (OR=8.007, 95%CI: 2.045-31.348;OR=7.558, 95%CI: 1.398-50.026).CONCLUSION:Highly myopic eyes with PICC had relatively lower peripapillary vessel densities, especially in the temporal area, than those without.Tilted optic disc and posterior staphyloma were independent risk factors for the presence of PICC.

Macrolactins are 24-membered macrolides produced by unidentified marine bacterium, Actinomadura sp. and Bacillus sp., which exhibit both antibacterial and antitumor activities in vitro. The environmental strain X-2 which was isolated from the sediment of the East China Sea produce Macrolatin A, B and O. In this study, a set of degenerate oligonucleotide primers, designed for amplification ketosynthase(KS) domains, had been employed to identify KS gene fragments of the X-2 DNA samples. One 645 bp KS fragment(GenBank accession no. EF486351)had been cloned and used as a probe to screen the genome DNA fosmid library of X-2. Three positive clones were selected and sequenced, Homologous analysis and the function prediction of the obtained PKS gene fragments suggested that macrolactin is the Polyketide Biosynthesis Product of the gene cluster obtained in the environmental strain X-2.

In order to demonstrate PTB bind to HPRE,reverse transcription,PCR-mediated detection,were used.HepG2.2.15 cell line and HBs-HPRE transient expression cells were adopted to identify PTB function in HBV life cycle.The results showed that PTB could directly bind to HPRE RNA.Functional analysis indicated that PTB could inhibit the expression of HBs antigen and this inhibition was in a dose-dependent manner in HepG2.2.15 cells.Higher expression of HBs in cells transfected pcDNA3-HBs-HPRE comparing with pcDNA3-HBs,and this high expression could also be inhibited by PTB.The data demonstrated that PTB inhibits HBs expression by interacting with HPRE.

ObjectiveTo find out if the immune system derived thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) β splice variant(TSHβ-Ⅴ) would be regulated by circulating thyroid hormone levels to get a further understanding of the function and mechanism of this TSHβ-Ⅴ in thyroid homeostasis.MethodsA total of 20 weaning Balb/c mice (half male and half female) were selected and randomly divided into two groups according to their body mass and gender(n =10).Mice of control group were fed with common diet and deionized water.Mice of the low-iodine(LI) group were fed with low-iodine diet(containing iodine 20 - 40 μg/kg,iodine-intake about 0.25 μg/d) and deionized water.The experimental period was 3 months.At the end of the experiment,mice were executed and the blood was collected to observe the levels of TSH and thyroid hormone by chemiluminescence immunoassay (CIA) ; bone marrow (BM),peripheral blood(PBL),thyroid gland and pituitary were collected to assay the TSHβ-Ⅴ mRNA expression by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).ResultsThe serum free thyroxine(FT4) and total thyroxine(TT4) levels in LI group of mice[(0.47 ± 0.70)nmol/L,(2.41 ± 0.28)pmol/L] were significantly lower than that of the control group of mice [(55.2 ± 3.68) nmol/L, (32.72 ± 1.02) pmol/L,t =43.81,86.04 、all P ＜ 0.01 ] and the serum total triiodothyronine(TT3) and free triiodothyronine(FT3) reduction in LI group of mice[ (0.76 ± 0.08)nmol/L,(4.01 ± 0.40)pmol/L] were significantly lower than that of the control group of mice [ (1.10 ± 0.06)nmol/L,(5.40 ± 0.38)pmol/L,t =9.81,7.5 1,P ＜ 0.01 ].Iodine insufficiency strongly elevated the serum TSH in LI group of mice[ (35.67 ± 17.39)mU/L] than that in control group of mice[ (0.24 ± 0.10)mU/L,t =- 6.11,P ＜ 0.01 ].The mRNA levels of TSH β-Ⅴ in BM (9.62 ± 0.60) and in PBL( 9.25 ± 0.83 ) of LI group of mice were lower than those in control group of mice (7.69 ± 0.36,7.11 ± 0.41,t =6.77,5.64,P ＜ 0.01),while the mRNA level of TSH β-Ⅴ in pituitary of LI group of mice (1.99 ± 0.61) was increased compared with that in control group of mice (5.75 ± 0.98,t =- 8.02,P＜ 0.01).Compared with control group of mice(9.12 ± 0.62),the level of thyroid TSH β-Ⅴ mRNA in LI group of mice (9.32 ± 0.91 ) was not significantly changed (t =0.45,P ＞ 0.05).There was no detectable native TSHβ in BM,PBL and thyroid.The mRNA level of native TSHβ in pituitary in LI group of mice( - 7.17 ± 1.78) was dramatically elevated compared to that in control group of mice( - 1.43 ± 0.51,t =- 7.60,P ＜ 0.01 ).ConclusionsThe mRNA levels of TSHβ-Ⅴ are suppressed in BM and PBL in low iodinediet induced hypothyroidism mice,which suggest that immune system derived TSHβ-Ⅴ may be more important thannative TSHβ in immune-thyroid regulation.

Acute Disease ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Ascitic Fluid ; etiology ; Child ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; drug effects ; immunology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pancreatic Pseudocyst ; complications ; therapy ; Pancreatitis ; complications ; therapy

The contents of two lignans, namely 4'-demethylpodophyllotoxin and podophyllotoxin in cultivated and wild Sinopodophyllum hexandrum plants were extracted by ultrasonicaction and determined by HPLC. According to the result showed, the order of parts of cultivated plants containing 4'-demethylpodophyllotoxin from high to low is as follows: stem > root, no 4'-demethypodophyllotoxin was detected in leaves of cultivated plants; The order of parts of wild plants 4'-demethylpodophyllotoxin from high to low is as follows: lateral root > petiole > rhizome > leaf, no 4'-demethypodophyllotoxin was detected in fruit. The order of parts of cultivated and wild S. hexandrum containing podophyllotoxin from high to low is as follows: root > petiole > leaf ( > fruit). Both of the lignan contents in different parts of cultivated plant varied in a " W" curve with the changes in seasons, with the highest content in July.
Berberidaceae ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Lignans ; analysis ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Seasons

Background Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are highly conserved proteins that are induced in cells when confronted with a wide variety of proteotoxic stresses.HSP27 has a high degree of similarity with α-crystallin protein.The abnormality of HSP27 structure and expression are closely related to the formation of cataracts.Our previous study showed sodium salieylate has the protective effect on H2O2-induced lens damage.Objective This study was to investigate the roles of MAPK signal pathway in sodium salicylate-induced the expression of HSP27 in human lens epithelial cells (LECs) in vitro.Methods Human LECs were incubated in the fresh media containing sodium salicylate at different concentrations (0-55 mmol/L) for different times (1-5 hours) and allowed to be recovered in fresh medium without sodium salicylate for 1-24 hours with or without pretreatment with P38MAPK inhibitor (SB203580), ERK1/2 inhibitor (PD98059) and JNK/SAPK inhibitor ( SP600125). The expressions of P38MAPK, EBK1/2, JNK/SAPK, phosphorylated P38MAPK, phosphorylated ERK1/2, phosphorylated JNK/SAPK and HSP27 were detected by Western blot. HSP27 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. The expression of HSP27 was also detected by immunohistochemistry. Results There was only weak expression of HSP27 in normal human LECs.After stimulation of 35-55 mmol/L sodium salicylate was removed and human LECs were cultured again for 6 hours,the expression of HSP27 in LECs were significantly increased ( F= 509. 953,P<0. 01). HSP27 was absent expressed in human LECs in 55 mmol/L sodium salicylate stimulation for 1-5 hours groups, but LECs were re-cultured for 3,6 hours after removed the stimulation, the expression of HSP27 was elevated (F = 452. 534, P<0. 01). Activation of P38 M APK occurred after sodium salicylate stimulation 30 minutes and 1 hour ( F = 865.68, P<0. 01). However, ERK 1/2 was expressed after sodium salicylate was eliminated for 1-6 hours ( F = 388.84, P<0. 01). JNK/SAPK was inactived by sodium salicylate. The expression of HSP27 could be down-regulated with the pretreatment of SB203580 and PD98059. Conclusion Sodium salicylatc can induce the expression of HSP27 in human (LECs) . The effects are mediated,at least in part ,through the activation of P38MAPK and ERK1/2 signaling pathway .