Objective To determine whether thiol can affect the activity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-?B) in and release of TNF-?from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated kupffer cells (KCs) and ascertain whether these effects are mediated through glutathione (GSH) .Methods KCs were isolated from livers of healthy male adult SD rats weighing 250-300g and cultured for 12h. The cultured KCs were exposed to LPS 10 ng?ml-1. The effects of different concentrations of glutathione monoethylester (GSHEE) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on NF-?B activity in and release of TNF-afrom KCs were determined. The effect of pretreatment with GSH synthesis inhibitor - BSO on the inhibitory effect of NAC on inflammation was investigated. NF?B activity was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and intracellular GSH content and TNF-?level in supernatant by HPLC. Results Intracellular GSH content remained unchanged after exposure of KCs to LPS. Both GSHEE and NAC increased intracellular GSH level and inhibited NF-?B activity and release of TNF-?. BSO blocked the increase in GSH induced by NAC but did not affect the inhibitory effect of NAC on TNF?release. Conclusions LPS does not affect GSH level in KCs. NAC can inhibit NF-?B activity in and TNF-?release from KCs and increase intracellular GSH level but the inhibitory effect is not mediated through GSH.

To investigate the clinical diagnosis and treatment of stress fracture of the pubic ramus caused by military training, clinical data of 66 cases (18 males and 48 females, ranging from 18～21 years, mean age 19 6 years ) with stress fracture of the pubic ramus were retrospectively analysed. 55 cases were military recruits undergoing basic training, 11 army veterans undergoing intensive goose step training. 66 cases complained of chronic groin pain which increased in activity and relieved while at rest. The symptom occurred 3～10 weeks after the training began. The pain often lasted 1 week ～14 months. 22 cases who sought medical advice in medical team were mistaken for muscular injury. There were 76 stress fractures of the pubic ramus in 66 soldiers. 56 had stress fractures of one inferior pubic ramus, 6 both inferior pubic rami, and four had ipsilateral inferior and superior pubic rami fractures. Stress fracture of the pubic ramus is not rare, but it's quite easy to be neglected or misdiagnosed. The key to its diagnosis is getting a deeper understanding and making an adequate and early imaging examination in light of the clinical data.

Objective To observe the effectiveness of Antithymocyte globulin/antilymphocyte globulin(ATG/ALG)in the treatment of nonsevere aplastie anemia(NSAA)patients who didn't respond to cyclosporine A(CsA)or relapsed and review the literature.Methods We administered ATG/ALG to 5 NSAA patients who relapsed or showed no re- sponse after CsA therapy.Results 3 patients were cured,2 patients improved,4 patients became transfusion inde- pendent in 90 days,none relapsed or progressed to clonal disease.Conclusion Those NSAA patients who relapsed or showed no response after CsA therapy should be asministered ATG/ALG,so as to reduce transfusion complications and prevent sustained immune attack to the bone marrow.

Angioplasty, Balloon ; methods ; Aortic Coarctation ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; therapy ; Aortography ; Cardiac Catheterization ; methods ; Child ; Humans ; Male ; Platinum ; Prosthesis Design ; Stents ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

Angioplasty, Balloon ; methods ; Aortic Valve Stenosis ; therapy ; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial ; methods ; Child, Preschool ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Infant ; Male

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Ear ; anatomy & histology ; Female ; Humans ; Melanosis ; drug therapy ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

This study examined the expressions of human serum tissue factor (TF) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) in patients with acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and their clinical significance. The serum TF and TFPI levels were detected by ELISA in 28 allo-HSCT recipients before and after the transplantation and the changes of TF and TFPI levels were dynamically monitored at different phases of the disease. No significant differences in the serum TF and TFPI levels were found in allo-HSCT recipients in the absence of aGVHD or with grade I aGVHD before and after the transplantation. The levels of serum TF and TFPI were substantially increased in the patients with gradeII aGVHD at the peak of aGVHD (P<0.05) and they were even higher in the patients with grade III-IV aGVHD (P<0.01). When the conditions became stable after treatment with immunosuppressive agents, the serum TFPI level was decreased to the baseline level (P>0.05) and the TF level was lowered but still higher than the baseline level (P<0.05). It was concluded that the levels of serum TF and TFPI were increased significantly in the patients with grade II-IV aGVHD after allo-HSCT and decreased markedly after the treatment. Monitoring the levels of serum TF and TFPI in the patients with allo-HSCT is important to predict the occurrence, outcome and prognosis of aGVHD.

TTI gene coding for Tsetse thrombin inhibitor was modified with E.coli bias codon and expressed in Escherichia coli with high efficiency.Recombinant protein was purified to more than 98% purity.Assay for enzyme activity determination was set up.The result showed that the fusion protein exhibited inhibiting activity for thrombin.Inhibitory rate of purified TTI was 73% when concentration of thrombin and substrate was 10U/ml and 250?mol/L respectively.Inhibition pattern was determined as competitive with Ki at 35?mol/L.

Anticonvulsants ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Seizures ; chemically induced

Objectives To clarify the basic data such as prevalent range,regiohal characteristics and the population at risk of drinking brick-tea type fluorosis in China.Methods Comprehensive survey for basic information was conducted in the provinces and autonomous regions where drinking brick-tea type fluorosis Wag prevalent,ineluding Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,Tibet Autonomous Region, Sichuan Province,Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province,Gansu Province,Ningxia Autonomous Region and Yunan Province.The survey included the number ot counties(cifies)and townships(towns)where the people were accustomed to drinking brick-tea,pepulation,ethnic minority composition,the production and living style,sales and the kinds of brick-tea aIn so on.Results Two hundred and forty-one counties and 3246 townships were found to haye the habit 0f drinking brick-tea,among which 87.46%(2839/3246)had the habit for more than 30 years.There were 31 684 administrative vilages(residents' committees),15 047 elementary schools and 2873 temples surveyed,coveting a total population of 31 052 398 and 122 739 monks.Fifty-three ethnic minorities were involved.Han accounted for 44.86%(12 902 710/31 052 398), Uighur ethnic for 20.98%(7 416 474/31 052 398),Tibetan ethnic for 13.34%(4 323 272/31 052 398),Muslim ethnicfor 8.15%(2 767 603/31 052 398),Mongolian ethnic for 4.61%(1 400 206/31 052 398),Kazak ethnicfor 3.45% (1 218 272/31 052 398),of the population of drinking brick-tea,farmer population accounted for 64.13%(19 912 833/ 31 052 398),herdsman population for 8.79%(2 728 418/31 052 398),farmer-herdsman population for 12.53%(3 889 678/ 31 052 398)and town population for 14.56%(4 521 169/31 052 398).There Was 3926.74 tons of brick-tea sold per year in the investigated regions,mainly of Fu brick-tea,Green brick-tea and Black brick-tea.Areas with high brick- tea consumption distributed mainly in farmer region and farmer-herdsman region.Annual per capita consumption of brick-tea for farmers was 3.77 kg,and for farmer-herdsman population was 2.05 kg.Conclusions Begions with the habit of drinking brick-tea distributes extensively in western China and cover a huge population,and the herdsmen and farmer-herdsman are the main risk population.Drinking brick-tea type fluorosis is a seriolls public health issue in western China.