Selenium, a metalloid mineral micronutrient,is an essential component for the adequate and healthy life of human, animals, and some other microorganisms.Selenium has antioxidative and oxidative effects on living organisms.Selenium deficiency has been associated with impaired function of the immune system.Selenium deficiency appears to enhance the virulence or progression of some viral infections.Selenium deficiency results in decreased activity of glutathione peroxidase, increasing oxidative damage and the likelihood of mutations in the viral genome.The safe range of selenium intake is relatively small and excess selenium intake can readily result in toxicity.This review summarizes the updates of benefitial and adverse effects of selenium on health.

This article was aimed to observe the preventive effect of diabetes with atherosclerosis (AS) treated with Bie-Jia-Jian Pill (BJJP) on level of blood lipids, endothelin (ET), nitric oxide (NO), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Male SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, which were the blank group, model group, low-dose BJJP group, high-dose BJJP group and Xue-zhi-kang (XZK) group, to observe changes on the level of blood lipids, ET-1, NO and MMP-9 within 5 groups after 8-week administration. The results showed that compared with the blank group, the level of the content of NO in the model group was significantly decreased (P< 0.05), the level of ET-1 was significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the high-dose and low-dose BJJP group as well as XZK group can significantly decrease the level of ET-1 (P< 0.05, or P< 0.01), increase content of NO (P< 0.05, or P< 0.01), and decrease the expression of MMP-9 (P< 0.05). It was concluded that the BJJP can regulate blood lipids, protect endothelial cell of blood vessels, stabilize plaques for the anti-AS effect.

Professor YU Ren-cun believes that the responsibility of cough and asthma of lung cancer patients not only lies in the lungs, but also relates with spleen, kidney, heart and liver. Treatment should focus on the whole body and overall conditioning. Syndrome can be divided into 4 types: qi deficiency with phlegm resistance, yin deficiency with toxic heat, qi stagnation with blood stasis, and lung and kidney deficiency. Clinical treatment should pay attention to the combination of disease and syndrome, which can achieve satisfactory efficacy.

Pregnancy ; Humans ; Female ; Cesarean Section/adverse effects* ; Abdominal Cavity ; Neoplasms

Objective To examine the induction effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs) transfected with bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) gene differentiating into chondrocytes. Methods We observed the phenotype of cells which were stained with alcian blue and HE climbing to the six pore plate with invert microscope. The glycosaminoglycan (GAG) value in culture medium was detected in control group,BMP7 transfect and culture medium induced groups after 7,14 and 21 days using standard curve method. Standard curve was described using galacturonic-acid as reference substance. The content of collagen Ⅱ was detected by ELISA method. Results HE and Alcian blue staining showed that BMP7 gene transfection group and the group induced by fluid possess the characteristics of chondrocyte. BMP7 induced BMSCs differentiation to chondrocyte which secrete specific protein called collagen Ⅱ and GAG. Content of GAG were (17.1±3.4),(39.5±5.4),(40.8±6.1)mg/L in control group,BMP7 gene transfected group and induced group,collagen Ⅱ were (89.7±14.3),(152.8±14.5),(155.5± 19.3)μg/L in these three groups separately. Comparing with control group,GAG and collagen Ⅱ of BMP7 gene transfected group and culture medium induced group increased obviously(all P < 0.05),but there was no significant difference between BMP7 gene transfeeted group and culture medium induced group (P > 0.05). Conclusion This active protein induces BMSCs differentiating into chondrocyte,in a level similar to that of inducing medium.

Objective To analyze MRI features of different cervical flexion positions in Hirayama disease (HD) and discuss the effects on these features by different cervical flexion angles.Methods The cervical MR images of neutral and different flexion positions (20°, 25°, 30°, 35° ,40°) of 20 patients, who were clinically diagnosed as HD,were studied.At flexion positions, the appearance of anterior shifting of the posterior wall of the cervical dural canal and widening of epidural space was recorded.The maximum sagittal diameters (d) of widened cervical epidural space and the cervical canal sagittal diameters (D) on the same level were measured to calculate d/D value for quantitative evaluation of the two signs.Comparisons of appearance of the signs among different flexion positions were made using F/sher's exact test.Repeated measures analysis of variance (rmANOVA) was used to compare mean d/D values among groups with different positions, and paired comparisons were also performed.Results The appearance of anterior shifting of the posterior wall of the cervical dural canal were different between 20° group (70%, 14/20) and other 4 larger angles groups (100%) (χ2 =5.76, P=0.020).The d/D values were 0.51±0.06,0.54±0.08,0.57±0.09,0.61±0.09,0.59±0.07 respectively at abovementioned 5 flexion positions, which were different among groups( F = 3.450 ,P = 0.013 ).The value was greater at 35° than that at 20° and 25°( P <0.05 ), and it was also greater at 40° than that at 20° ( P < 0.05 ).Conclusion Cervical flexion angle has an effect on anterior shifting of the posterior wall of the cervical dural canal and widening of epidural space.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Bushen Tiaochong Recipe (BTR) on proliferation and secretion of ovarian granulocyte (OGC) cultured with excessive androgen by serum pharmacologic technique.

METHODSFollicular stimulating hormone (FSH) contained and BTR contained (high, moderate or low dose) serum prepared on 6-week-old Sprague Dawley rats by serum pharmacologic method were respectively added into cultured OGC cell-line after treatment with testosterone propionat (TP). Then the cells were incubated for 48 hrs. The quantity of 3 H-thymidine incorporated DNA was determined with a scintillation counter; the cell cycle distribution and proliferation index (PI) were estimated with flow cytometer (FCM); and the contents of estrodial and progestogen in culture fluid and intracellular cAMP were detected by radioimmuoassay.

RESULTSExcessive androgen obviously inhibited the proliferation and secretion of OGC, and reduced the intracellular cAMP. BTR contained serum could improve above-mentioned inhibition of androgen to promote the cell proliferation and secretion of E2 and P in dose-dependant manner.

CONCLUSIONBTR could alleviate the inhibitory action of excessive androgen on OGC, the ovarian function may be adjusted by BTR through promoting follicular development, increasing the levels of estrogen and progestogen, improving the ratio of estrogen/androgen.

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Estradiol ; secretion ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Granulosa Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; secretion ; Ovary ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serum ; Testosterone ; pharmacology

BACKGROUND: Limb allograft is a sort of composite tissues allotrans plantation(CTA), some researches showed that the apoptosis of target cell is one of the main mechanism of the dysfunction of allograft.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristic of cell apoptosis in acute rejection of limb allograft in rats based on limb allograft model.DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial using the experimental animals as the objects.SETTING: Experimental animal center Laboratory of a hospital of a medical university MATERIALS: The experiment was done in the Experimental Animal Central Laboratory of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from November 2003 to May 2004. Totally 56 healthy and male SD rats and 28 Wister rats were involved with body mass of 200 to 250 g. The rats were provided by the Experimental Animal Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University. They were randomly divided into two groups:transplantation group with 28 Wistar rats and 28 SD rats and control group with 28 SD rats.INTERVENTIONS: The transplantation group of SD rats underwent limb allotransplantation from allogenetic Wistar. The control group of SD rats underwent limb replantation. The expression of acute rejected in limb allografts was observed. The limb grafts were harvested atday 1, 3, 5 or 7 after transplantation. Histopathological rejection grade of each tissue rejection was performed with hematoxylin-eosin staining. Apoptotic cells were detected by TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling) and apoptotic index(AI) was calculated.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary results: ① istopathological grade of acute rejection in limb allografts ② The relationship between apoptosis and acute rejection in limb allograft in rats; Secondary results:General condition of rats in each group.RESULTS: The limb grafts showed edema and erythema and the skin became red at day(3.43 ±0.79) after transplantation. The average survival time was(7.42 ± 1.72) days. The acute rejection in skin was the strongest. On the day 3, 5 and 7 after operation, the histopathological rejection grades of skins in the transplantation group were(1.14±0.38) ,(2.28 ±0.48) and(2.86 ±0.38) grades respectively. They were significantly different from that of muscle and nerve( P ＜ 0.05 ) . The apoptotic cells in allografts were mainly infiltrating lymphocytes in subcutaneous tissues and then the muscle cells. All was positively correlated with acute rejection grade in limb allograft .CONCLUSION: Apoptosis was involved in acute rejection of limb allograft in rat. The apoptotic index can be used as a quantitative index to estimate the injury of grafts.

Objective To explore the relation between plasmocytoid dentritic cells (pDCs) and cerebral immune-inflammation reaction following ischemic stroke. Methods Circulating pDCs were measured by flow cytometry in 62 patients with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), 26 healthy controls, 12 patients with asymptomatic cerebral infarction stenosis (ACI-S), and 14 patients with transient ischaemic attack (TIA). The sizes of infarct lesions were assessed by DWI scanning. AIS group was further divided into lacunar infarction group, small infarction group,and large infarction group according to the infarction area. The correlation between the number of pDCs and NHISS score and CRP level was also analyzed in AIS group. Results The labsolute number of pDCs and the percentage of pDCPs to circulating blood white cells were significantly lower in AIS group than in the healthy control group (P<0.001). As compared with lacunar infarction group, the number of pDCPs decreased significantly in large infarction group. The number of pDCPs was negatively correlated with the levels of CRP and the NIHSS score. Conclutions Patients with AIS has a decreased level of circulating pDCs, which may be involved in the gathering of circulating pDCs in the infarcted brain to trigger cerebral immune reaction.