Objective To explore the effect of single and multiple course dexamethasone on brain development in preterm infants.Met-hods One hundred and eighteen preterm infants delivered after 28-34 weeks′ gestation from Aug.2005 to Mar.2007 in our NICU were enrolled in this study.These infants were divided into 3 groups by antenatalcourses of dexamethasone: control group,single-course group and multi-course group.Supportive treatments were given to all 3 groups.Neonatal behavioral neurological assessment(NBNA) was conducted on expected date of delivery.Mental and psychomotor developmental index was evaluated at 3,6,12 months by using intellectual development table made at Children′s Development Center of China(CDCC).Results The score of NBNA was much higher in single-course group than that in multi-course group and control group(Pa

Objective: To investigate the effect ofintestinal trefoil factor (ITF) on the transcriptional activity of ITF promoter and to explore the regulatory mechanismofJanus kinase/signal transducersand activators of transcription(JAK/STAT) on ITF promoter. Methods: The 5' flanking sequence of the ITF gene was cloned from human whole blood genomic DNA by PCR. ITF promoter fragment was cloned and inserted into the pGL3-Basic vector to construct recombinant vector. ITF promoter vector was stimulated with ITF at various concentrations and the luciferase activity was measured. The JAK-STAT3 signal transductionpathway was then blocked by a speciifc inhibitor AG490 to determine the signal pathway involved in ITF promoter activity. Results: Restriction endonuclease analysis and DNA sequencing confirmed that the recombinant plasmid, containing ITF promoter, was constructed successfully. After transient transfection, the activity of ITF promoter was increased signiifcantly in the presence of ITF (P<0.05). Blockage of the JAK-STAT3 signal transduction pathway with AG490 signiifcantly reduced the ITF promoter activity (P<0.05). Conclusion: ITF increases the transcriptional activity of ITF promoter via the JAK-STAT3 signal transduction pathway.

Adolescent ; Astragalus membranaceus ; Case-Control Studies ; Cells, Cultured ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dendritic Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Interleukin-12 ; blood ; Interleukin-18 ; blood ; Male ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; blood

Chromosome Aberrations ; Cytogenetic Analysis ; standards ; Humans ; Multiple Myeloma ; diagnosis ; genetics

Licorice root has been frequently used as antitode in traditional Chinese medicine. As the main active component of Licorice root, glycyrrhetic acid (GA) is mainly metabolized in liver. This study was designed to investigate the in vitro metabolism of GA by human liver microsomes (HLM) and human recombinant cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms. The results indicated that GA was metabolized mainly by CYP3A4. The K(m), V(max) and CL(int) of GA in HLM were 18.6 micromol x L(-1), 4.4 nmol x mg(-1) (protein) x min(-1) and 0.237 mL x mg(-1) (protein) x min(-1), respectively. At concentration up to 50 micromol x L(-1), GA inhibited CYP2C19, CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 enzyme activities with the inhibitory potencies up to 50%.

Objective To establish a RP-HPLC method for determining the concentration of prulifloxacin active metabolite in human plasma and urine.Methods The supernatant obtained by centrifugation after the sample was precipitated with methanol- acetonitrile (1:1) was chromatographically separated on a Diamonsil C_(18)(250 mm?4.6 mm,5?m) using a mobile phase con- sisting of acetonitrile and 0.05 mol/L potassium dihydrogen phosphate (pH2.2) containing 1% tetrabutylammonium bromide. The solutions of 20:80 (V/V) and 12:88 (V/V) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and 1.6 mL/min were used for plasma and u- rine, respectively.Then the samples were assayed at wavelength of Ex 280 nm and Em 425 nm.Results The linear range for prulifloxacin active metabolite in plasma and urine were 0.005-5 mg/L (r=0.9999) and 0.05-5 mg/L(r=0.9999)with a low- er limit of quantitation of 0.002 mg/L and 0.01 rag/L, respectively.In plasma, the relative recovery ranged from 100.64% to 101.00% at the concentration of 5.00, 0.50 and 0.05 mg/L and within-day and between-day precisions were less than 2.5% and 4.6% respectively.Meanwhile, the relative recovery ranged from 97.20% to 100.20% at the concentration of 2.50, 0.50 and 0.10 mg/L in urine.The within-day and between-day precisions were lower than 1.3% and 4.3%, respectively.The method had been successfully used for the pharmacokinetic studies of a prulifloxacin formulation after oral administration to healthy volunteers.Conclusions The present method is simple, rapid, accurate, reproducible and suitable for the pharmacoki- netic study of prulifloxacin in humans.

Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Microbiological Techniques ; Sepsis ; blood ; microbiology

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Female ; Hexanes ; analysis ; poisoning ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; statistics & numerical data ; Shoes

Objective To observe the activation of anti-viral innate immune response of type Ⅰinterferon and inhibition of hepatitis B virus (HBV)genome replication in mice by HBV-3p-siRNA. Methods HBV-3p-siRNA was designed by targeting specific sequence of HBV S/P mRNA and was generated by in vitro transcription.Negative control siRNA (NC-siRNA)and non-modified HBV-siRNA were used as control groups.Blood samples were collected from tail vein of mice and the model of HBV-infected mice were established by hydrodynamic injection.Forty mice were divided into 4 groups with 10 in each group.The model group was only injected with pGL3.0-HBV1 .2 copy plasmid.The negative control group received peritoneal injection of NC-siRNA.HBV-siRNA group received peritoneal injection of HBV-siRNA and HBV-3p-siRNA group received peritoneal injection of HBV-3p-siRNA.The interferon-β(IFN-β)and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)in serum were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The copies of HBV DNA were assessed by fluore scence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR ).The statistical difference between groups was determined using One way-ANOVA analysis by LSD or Dunnett T3.Results Serum level of IFN-β was (12.37±5 .32)pg/mL in model group,(22.61 ±6.29 )pg/mL in negative control group,(26.40±5 .39)pg/mL in HBV-siRNA group and (68.37± 21 .00 ) pg/mL in HBV-3p-siRNA group.The secretions of IFN-β into serum were significantly enhanced by HBV-siRNA and HBV-3p-siRNA compared with model group (F =23.988 and 46.523,respectively,both P <0.01).Serum level of HBsAg was (2 864.86±907.11 )ng/mL in model group,(2 198.86±456.89 )ng/mL in negative control group,(1 049.71 ± 396.28 )ng/mL in HBV-siRNA group and (640.86±383.08)ng/mL in HBV-3p-siRNA group.The expressions of HBsAg were inhibited by HBV-3p-siRNA and HBV-siRNA compared with model group (F = 23.537 and 39.144, respectively;P =0.025 and 0.010,respectively).Serum level of HBV DNA was (2.54 ×104 ±1 .46 × 104 )copy/mL in model group,(2.22×104 ±2.62×103 )copy/mL in negative control group,(3.59×103 ±2.88×103 )copy/mL in HBV-siRNA group and (2.65 ×103 ±1 .46×103 )copy/mL in HBV-3p-siRNA group.Serum level of HBV DNA were inhibited by HBV-3p-siRNA and HBV-siRNA compared with model group (F =15 .013 and 16.741 ,respectively,both P <0.05 ).All of the indicated siRNA used in the experiments showed no apparent effects on the body mass index of the mice models.Conclusion HBV-3p-siRNA,which induces the production of IFN-β and inhibits HBV replication through gene silencing in vivo ,may be a powerful bifunctional antiviral molecule.

Objective To understand the current situation of iodine deficiency diserders(IDD) in Longyan City and to evaluate the effect of prevention and control measures of IDD in order to provide evidence for formulating prevention and control tactics. Methods During the year of 2006 and 2007, the 30 primary schools were screened by population proportion survey(PPS) from the 7 counties of Longyan City. Forty children aged 8-10 years in each school were randomly selected as a group to examine thyroid, and 7 children in each group were selected to measure the urine iodine and the salt iodine at the same time. The goiter rote, the median urinary iodine, the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt, the iodine salt coverage rate, the rate of qualified iodized salt and the non-iodized rate were detected. Results The goiter rate of children aged 8-10 years old in Longyan City was 0.94%(79/8438). The median urinary iodine was 259.12 μg/L. The consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 97.86% (1462/1494). The iodine salt coverage rate was 99.46%(1486/1494). The rate of qualified iodized salt was 98.38 (1462/1486), and the non-iodized rate was 0.54% (8/1494). Conclusions All indicators have reached the national standard of eliminating IDD in Longyan City.