The potential biodegradation of crude oil was assessed based on the development of a fermentative process with a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which produced 15.4 g/L rhamnolipids when cultured in a basal mineral medium using glycerol as a sole carbon source. However, neither cell growth nor rhamnolipid production was observed in the comparative culture system using crude oil as the sole carbon source instead. As rhamnolipid, an effective biosurfactant, has been reported to stimulate the biodegradation of hydrocarbons, 1 g/L glycerol or 0.22 g/L rhamnolipid was initially added into the medium to facilitate the biodegradation of crude oil. In both situations, more than 58% of crude oil was degraded and further converted into accumulated cell biomass and rhamnolipids. These results suggest that Pseudomonas aeruginosa could degrade most of crude oil with direct or indirect addition of rhamnolipid. And this conclusion was further supported by another adsorption experiment, where the adsorption capacity of crude oil by killed cell biomass was negligible in comparison with the biologic activities of live cell biomass.
Biodegradation, Environmental ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Glycolipids ; pharmacology ; Petroleum ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Water Pollutants, Chemical ; metabolism ; Water Purification ; methods

BACKGROUND: The dynamic changes of pneumocyte apoptosis and aspartate-specific cysteine proteases-3 (caspase-3) expression in lung tissue of rats during the process of lung ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and the possible action mechanisms remain unclear.OBJECTIVE: This study was to observe the dynamic changes of pneumocyte apoptosis and caspase-3 expression in the rat lung tissue during the process of lung I/R injury, and to analyze the role of pneumocyte apoptosis and the possible action mechanism.DESIGN: A randomized controlled animal experiment.SETTING: Emergency Center, First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University.MATERIALS: This study was carried out in the Animal Laboratory of the First Hospital of Nanjing Medcial University and Nanjing Center for Radioimmunity between April 2006 and September 2006. Twenty-eight male healthy SD rats of clean grade, with body weight of 250 to 350 g, aged 49 to 76 days, were provided by the Experimental Animal Center of Nanjing Medical University. The involved rats were randomized into experimental group and control group, with 14 rats in each.METHODS: ①Experimental intervention: Rats in the experimental group were created into models of lung I/R injury according to the method of Eppinger et al. They were occluded for 45 minutes at the porta of lung (no systolic and diastolic reactions in lung tissue being considered as successful occlusion), and then they were reperfused (recovery of systolic and diastolic function being considered as successful reperfusion); After that, lung tissues were harvested at 3 and 6 hours after lung I/R injury, 7 rats at each time point. Each rat in the control group was subjected to a thoracotony only, but lung tissues were isolated at the same time point by the same method. ②Experimental evaluation: Apoptotic cells in the lung tissue were detected with a flow cytometer by Annexin-V-PI staining, and apoptosis rate was calculated. Caspase-3 expression in the lung tissue was observed by immunohistochemical method and image analysis. Wet to dry weight ratio(W/D) of lung tissue of rats in the two groups was calculated; the number of injured pulmonary alveoli at I/R 3 hours/that at I/R 6 hours was calculated for quantitative evaluation of injured lung tissue; Patho-morphological changes of lung tissue were observed by haematoxylin & eosin staining under an optical microscope.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ①Pneumocyte apoptosis rate and caspase-3 expression in the lung tissue. ②W/D of lung tissue and quantitative evaluation of injured lung tissue. ③Patho-morphological changes of lung tissue.RESULTS: Twenty-eight rats were involved in the final analysis, without deletion. ①Pneumocyte apoptosis rates in the experimental group at I/R 3 and 6 hours were significantly increased as compared with control group (P＜0.01). In the experimental group, pneumocyte apoptosis rate was decreased a little at I/R 6 hours than at I/R 3 hours (P＜0.05). ②Caspase-3 expression in the lung tissue of rats of experimental group reached its top at I/R 3 hours, and was decreased a little at I/R 6 hours. At each time point, caspase-3 expression in the experimental group was increased as compared with control group (P＜0.01). ③In the experimental group, the number of injured pulmonary alveoli at I/R 3 hours/that at I/R 6 hours and W/D ratios of lung tissues were significantly increased as compared with control group (P＜0.01). In the experimental group, two ratios at I/R 6 hours were higher than those at I/R 3 hours (P＜0.05).④In the experimental group, the structure of pulmonary alveoli was destructed, collapsed and disappeared; lots of inflammatory cell infiltration was found; Patho-morphological changes of injured lung tissue at I/R 6 hours were severer than those at I/R 3 hours. No obvious changes were found in the control group.CONCLUSION: At the early stage of lung I/R injury, the alteration of caspase-3 maybe activate pneumocyte apoptosis and induce the apoptosis of lung tissue, and thereby leads to lung injury.

In this cross-sectional survey,2 682 traffic policemen in Tianjin were enrolled,and they were tested with Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised (OSI-R) and Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90).Body mass index,blood pressure,fasting blood glucose,triglycerides,and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ( HDL-C ) were also determined at the same time. Correlation analysis showed that body mass index was positively correlated with somatization ( r =0.039,P =0.045 ),hostility ( r =0.046,P =0.01 8 ),and psychoticism ( r =0.041,P =0.036).Systolic blood pressure was positively correlated to somatization (r =0.056,P =0.004 ),obsessive-compulsiveness ( r =0.044,P =0.023 ),interpersonal sensitivity ( r =0.041,P =0.034 ),depression ( r =0.039,P =0.043),anxiety ( r =0.055,P =0.004 ),and psychoticism ( r =0.051,P =0.009 ).Diastolic blood pressure was positively correlated to somatization ( r =0.047,P =0.015 ),interpersonal sensitivity ( r =0.042,P =0.030 ),anxiety ( r =0.050,P =0.010 ),and psychoticism ( r =0.047,P =0.014 ).Fasting blood glucose was positively correlated to somatization ( r=0.042,P=0.028 ).Multiple regression analysis showed that occupational stress factors were role boundary,physical environment,responsibility,recreation,role ambiguity,role overload,and cognitive coping.Among these factors,role ambiguity and cognitive coping reduced occupational stress while others increased the stress.The results of the unconditional logistical regression analysis showed that there is an independent association of metabolic syndrome with somatization,role insufficiency,and physical strain for the task and body tension ( P＜0.01).

Objective To explore the initial clinical and imaging characteristics of basal ganglia germinoma in children.Methods Four patients with basal ganglia germinoma were reported.Their clinical features,laboratory findings,radiological manifestations,treatment and outcome were analyzed.They recieved radiation therapy and chemotherapy after diagnosis.All patients were clinically diagnosed,according to the results of low-dose cranial irradiation.The outcomes were followed up for 2 years.Results All patients were male and school-aged(9-13 years) children.The course of the disease ranged from 5 to 13 months.All patients were presented with slowly progressive hemiparesis,and 2 cases of them were presented with cognitive decline and psychosis.Seizure occurred in 2 patients.The serum ?-human chorionic gonadotropin(?-hcG) level was significantly increased in 2 patients(30.16 IU/L and 77.85 IU/L,respectively),and mildly elevated in 1 patient(4.29 IU/L),while serum ?-hcG level in another case was within normal control range.MRI demonstrated mildly high intensity in the left or right basal ganglia on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images without remarkable occupying lesion.Ipsilateral hemiatrophy of the hemisphere and midbrain was also noted.Inhomogeneous Gd-DTPA enhancement was observed.All patients had been treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.During 2 years follow up,significant improvement was observed in all patients after therapy,imaging lesions disappeared and the elevated ?-hcG level of those elevated before therapy returned to normal.Conclusions Early diagnosis and treatment for basal ganglia germinoma are critically important to improve the prognosis.In young male patients with progressive hamiparesis,basal ganglia germinoma should be considered for differentiation,if abnormal high intensity signals in basal ganglia on T1-weighted and T2-weighted image with ipsilateral hemiatrophy of the hemisphere are demonstrated on MRI,even without occupying effect.

The release kinetics research of sustained-release formulations of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) is an inalienable part of the chain of TCM modernization, which plays an important role in the development of modern compound TCM preparation. However, the research method or pattern in line with the specific characteristics of TCM, i.e., multi-component and multi-target, is still lacking. On the basis of material rough set theory, this paper reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of the existing evaluation patterns and methods, a tentative idea about the "total amount" release characteristics evaluation on TCM compound sustained-release preparation has suggested so as to evaluate the release kinetics and to promote the development of evaluation methodology on TCM sustained-release preparations.

Four impurities were isolated from raw material of clindamycin phosphate (CP), and their structures have been determined. LC-MS was used to determine the molecular weights of the impurities in the raw material of CP. Reversed-phase preparative HPLC was used to prepare them, and their chemical structures were identified by HR-MS and NMR. The four unknown impurities were determined as clindamycin-B-phosphate (1), clindamycin-2,4-diphosphate (2), 3',6'-dehydro clindamycin phosphate (3), epi-clindamycin phosphate (4). Impurity 1 has been included in BP and EP, while 2, 3 and 4 have not. The impurities 2, 3, 4 are first separated from raw material of CP.

Objective To analyze the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)and histologic features of the synchronous bilateral primary breast cancer (sBPBC).Methods MRI findings and pathologic types of sBPBC in 20 patients in our institute were reviewed retrospectively. The MRI features of sBPBC were compared with the pathologic types,respectively.Results 20 sBPBC patients with 41 lesions were found with the most common pathological type of invasive ductal carcinoma in 26 (26/41 ).Bilateral lesions had the same pathological types in 1 1 patients(1 1/20),and different types in 9(9/20).The MRI features of invasive breast cancer were more characteristic than that of early breast cancer.In 20 patients,the first and second primary breast cancers with similar MRI findings were found in 6(6/20).In 10 patients with sBPBC,the first cancer was advanced breast cancer,and the second was early or low grade breast cancer.Conclusion (1)The most common pathological type of sBPBC is invasive ductal carcinoma,and the pathological types of bilateral lesions are not similar. (2)The MRI features of the first and the second lesions in bilateral primary breast cancer showed lower similarity,and the bilateral lesions should be diagnosed independently.(3)In patients with sBPBC,some cancers are advanced breast cancers,and the second ones are early cancers,suggesting the lesion should be followed up if the contralateral one is diagnosed as breast cancer.

Objective To study the effect and mechanism of forkhead transcriptionfactor O1( FoxO1) on proliferation of rat mesangial cells(MCs) cultured under high glucose conditions. Methods Constructing lentiviral vectors of LV-CA-FoxO1 and LV-siRNA-FoxO1 were used to upregulate or downregulate FoxO1. Moreover, negative control LV-NC-FoxO1 was also constructed. Rat MCs were separately cultured in normal glucose(5. 6 mmol/ L, NG group), only high glucose(30 mmol/ L, HG0 group), LV-NC-FoxO1 with HG(HG1 group),LV-CA-FoxO1 with HG (HG2 group), and LV-siRNA-FoxO1 with HG(HG3 group) for 72 h. MTT assay and flow cytometrywas were used to analyze cell proliferation and cell cycle distribution. The expression of FoxO1, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (p27), cyclinD1, and cyclin-dependent kinase 4( CDK4) were detected by QRT-PCR and Western blot. Results The MCs proliferation rate in HG0 group was faster than that in NG group. Besides, there were no statistical differences in FoxO1 expression and proliferation rate of MCs between HG0 group and HG1 group. Nevertheless, LV-CA-FoxO1 promoted cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase and attenuated proliferation rate, along with upregulation of FoxO1 and p27 and downregulation of cyclin D1 and CDK4 in HG2 group ( all P < 0. 05). Moreover, degradation of FoxO1 by LV-siRNA-FoxO1 stimulated hyperproliferation of MCs, associating with decline of p27 and increase of cyclin D1 and CDK4 in HG3 group(all P<0. 05). Conclusion The proliferation of MCs induced by high glucose is regulated by utilizing transgenic technology targeted and regulated FoxO1 expression and consequently through FoxO1 / p27 signaling pathway. These findings indicate that FoxO1 seems to be a new therapeutic target for early diabetic nephropathy.

Objective:To investigate the effects of methylprednisolone(MP)on pneumocyte apoptosis during lung ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats and to study the possible role of MP in pneumocyte apoptosis.Methods:Forty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats used for unilateral lung ischemia/reperfusion model were randomly divided into three groups:sham operation group(Sh group),ischemia/reperfusion group(I/R group),and methylprednisolone group(MP group).Each group has two subgroups of three hours and six hours.Apoptosis rate in lung tissue was detected by the way of Annexin-V-PI in flow cytometer.Expression of I?B-? in lung was observed by immunohistochemical stain.The index of quantitative assessment of histological lung injury(IQA),the wet to dry weight ratio(W/D),the pathological and ultrastructure changes of lung tissue were measured.Results:Apoptosis rate,W/D,IQA of lung tissue were significantly higher in I/R group than which in Sh group(P

Malignant tumors are major diseases that endanger human health. Due to their complex and variable microenvironment, most anti-tumor drugs cannot precisely reach the focal tissue and be released in a controlled manner. Intelligent responsive nano carriers have become a hot spot in the field of anti-tumor drug delivery systems. As an excellent nano material, mesoporous silica has the advantages of non-toxic, stable, adjustable pore volume and pore diameter, and easy functional modification on the surface. By virtue of its perceptive response to the tumor microenvironment or physiological changes, it can achieve the targeted drug release or controlled drug release of the drug delivery system in the tissue, making it an ideal carrier for intelligent response drug delivery system. In this paper, we review the design strategies and current research status of smart responsive anti-tumor drug delivery systems based on mesoporous silica, in order to provide a reference for the development of anti-tumor drug nanoformulations.