BACKGROUND: Yishen jiangu granule is one of sheer traditional Chinese drugs, which has good effect of tonifying kidney, strengthening bone, reinforcing the spleen, nourishing qi and improving the body condition, mainly used to prevent the lassitude, rickets, osteomalacia and calcium-deficiency induced by kidney-deficiency.OBJECTIVE: To observe the preventive effect of yishen jiangu granule on the reproductive organs, physical strength as well as the ability of stress, and compare with the effect of longmu zhuanggu preparation which was characterized by invigorating spleen and replenishing qi, and tonifying kidney and replenishing essence.DESIGN: Completely randomized controlled design.SETTING: Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical CollegeMATERIALS: A total of 180 Kunming mice, weighing 25-30 g, of half gender, of clean grade, were selected in this study. Longmu zhuanggu granule, which was composed of root of tangshen, tuckahoe, rhizome of lagehead atractylodes, huai yam, astragalus root, schisandra fruit, keel,oyster shell, tortoise plastron, dwarf lilyturf, Chinese date, licorice root,vitamin D, etc., was provided by Wuhan Jianmin Pharmaceutical Factory (batch number: 960618). Yishen jiangu granule, which was composed of 6 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine such as dark plum, Chinese wolfberry, oyster shell, etc., was manufactured by Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Chengde Medical College (batch number: 950510).Hydrocortisone injection was produced by Bohai Pharmaceutical Factory of Tangshan city (batch number: 940303).METHODS: The experiment was completed in Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical College from January to October 1997. ① A total of 180 mice were randomly divided into 6 groups with 30 in each group: normal group (5.0 mL/kg saline, muscle injection); model group (25 mg/kg hydrocortisone for the mice model with kidney-yang deficiency, muscle injection); longmu zhuanggu granule group (5.0 g/kg longmu zhuanggu granule, and 25 mg/kg hydrocortisone); three groups of yishen jiangu granule at different dosages (perfused respectively with yishenjiangu granule at the dosages of 1.25 g/kg, 2.5 g/kg and 5.0 g/kg;meanwhile, 25 mg/kg hydrocortisone, muscle injection). The mice were administered successively for 14 days. ② In 12 hours after giving the last medicine, each group was divided into 3 parts to go on with the following 3 sub-experiments: Firstly, the spermary and uterus of mice were taken out to determine their weight, then calculate the indexes (mass of uterus/body mass of mice); secondly, the mice were put into the water [water depth:30 cm, water temperature: (20±0.5) ℃], burden of tail of mice was weighed 10% of the body mass, then timed immediately, when the mice could not immerge from the water after their heads sank into the water for 10 seconds.It showed that they were exhausted (the time was regarded as the swimming time of mice); thirdly, 10 g sodalime was added into each bottle with wide neck whose volume was 150 mL, then one mouse was put into each of them,covered them and timed immediately. The breath of the mice was observed until they stopped breathing, then timing was over. This was the bearing time of mice on anoxia under normal pressure. ③ Difference of statistical significance between groups was determined by t-test.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The mass indexes of reproductive organs, swimming time and the bearing time on anoxia under normal pressure of the mice in all groups.RESULTS: A total of 180 mice were all involved in result analysis. ① The mass indexes of spermary in mice in normal group, longmu zhuanggu granule group and yishen jiangu groups at high and middle dosages were significantly higher than those in model group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01); the mass indexes of uterus in mice in normal group, longmu zhuanggu granule group and yishenjiangu groups at high dosage were significantly higher than those in model group (P ＜ 0.01). ② The swimming time of the mice in model group was significantly shorter than that in the other 5 groups (P ＜ 0.01). ③The bearing time on anoxia under normal pressure of the mice in model group were significantly shorter than that in the other 5 groups (P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: Yishen jiangu granule has the remarkable effect on kidney-tonifying. It can remarkably relieve the reproductive organ atrophy of the mice with kidney-yang deficiency, has remarkable effect on antifatigue, and also can increase the ability of stress.

BACKGROUND:The Scutellaria baicalensis is a traditional Chinese herb frequently used. Only its root is used, and its stem and leaf are abandoned in traditional custom. Inorder to make full use of medicinal material resource, the chemical component and pharmacological effects of the stem and leaf have been studied. OBJECTIVE: To observe the preventive effect of total flavones from stem and leaf of scutellaria baicalensis on experimental hyperlipidemia in rats. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical College MATERIALS: The experiment was conducted in the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical College from March 1999 to January 2000. Totally 60 male Wistar rats with beginning body mass(200±10)g were provided by Experimental Animal Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (Qualification No.01-3008). INTERVENTIONS: Sixty rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:normal control group, high-lipid model group, the groups of 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg of total flavonoids (TF group) and clofibrate group (25 mg/kg),with 10 rats in each group. The rats in the normal control group were fed with basic feed. The rats in the high-lipid model group were fed with highlipid feed.Rats in the TF group and clofibrate group were fed synchronously with high-lipid feed and total flavonoids or clofibrate for consecutive 30 days. The change of blood lipid was observed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The levels of total cholesterol (TC),triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) in the serum of all the rats were measured with CL-7200 type automatic biochemistry analytical instrument at the end of the experiment, and the atherosclerosis indexes (AI) were calculated (AI=TC-HDL-C/HDL-C).RESULTS: Totally 60 rats entered the result analysis. ① Level of TC in the serum of rats: The level in the high-lipid model group was significantly higher than that in the normal control group[(5.01 ±1.05,2.33±0.35)mmol/L, (P ＜ 0.01 )]; The level in the groups of 12.5 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of TF was (4.15±1.12, 3.03±0.31,2.98±0.56)mmol/L, there was no significant difference between group of 12.5 mg/kg of TF and model group (t=1.74, P ＞ 0.05), but there was significant difference between groups of 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of TF and model group (t=5.66-5.23, P ＜ 0.01). ②Level of TG in the serum of rats: The level in the groups of 12.5 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of TF was (1.22±0.56)mmol/L,(1.56±0.41)mmol/L,(1.24 ±0.45)mmol/L respectively, compared with model group(2.14±0.74) mmol/L, there was significant difference (t =2.19-3.45, P ＜ 0.05-0.01). ③ LDL-C level of the serum in the rats: The level in the groups of 12.5 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of TF was (2.67 ±0.45) mmol/L, (1.41 ±0.23)mmol/L, (1.29±0.23) mmol/Lrespcrtively,compared with model group[(3.94±0.42)mmol/L, there was significant difference (t=5.77-12.71, P ＜ 0.05-0.01). ④ HDL-C level of the serum in the rats: the level in the groups of 12.5 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of TF was (0.72±0.23)mmol/L,( 0.91±0.32)mmoL/L,(1.05±0.23)mmoL/L respectively, there was no significant difference between group of 12.5 mg/kg of TF and model group[(0.56±0.21)mmol/L, but there was significant difference between groups of 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of TF and model group (t=2.92-4.38,0.05 ,P ＜ 0.05-0.01).⑤AI: the level in the groups of 12.5 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of TF was(2.96 ±1.35), (2.10±0.97), (1.55±0.41)respectively, compared with model group (4.23±0.65) , there was significant difference (t =3.54-9.49 ,P ＜ 0.01). CONCLUSION: TF has significantly inhibitory effect on the increase of TC, TG and LDL-C in the serum of the rats induced by high-lipid feed; it can also increase the level of HDL-C, indicating TF has obviously preventive effect on experimental hyperlipidemia in rats.

Hyperuricemia is a risk factor for various diseases, but knowledge on acute hyperuricemia is still not sufficient. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of acute hyperuricemia on red blood cells from hemorheological point of view, and to provide the reference for clinical treatment. The rats were gavaged with 500 mg/kg hypoxanthine and intraperitoneally injected with 100 mg/kg oxonate to induce the model of acute hyperuricemia. The same volume of blood samples were drawn within time period of 0, 1, 2, 3 and 6 h, respectively, from the inner canthus of rats to measure the serum uric acid, hemorheological parameters and the malondialdehyde level. It was found that in each period of 1, 2 and 3 h, the rats had significantly higher levels of uric acid. The integrated deformation index and relax index were increased. The hemolysis rate was significantly reduced. The plasma malondialdehyde level was obviously decreased at the end of 2 h. The results suggested that short-term elevated uric acid could improve the hemorheological parameters and the lipid oxidative level in red blood cells.
Animals ; Erythrocytes ; Hemorheology ; Hyperuricemia ; blood ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uric Acid ; blood

Objective To evaluate the effect of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor receptor type Ⅱ:IgG Fc fusion protein (rhTNFR:Fc,trade name Etanercept) combined with methotrexate on levels of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the serum and mononuclear cells of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.Methods A total of 30 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were enrolled from Department of Dermatology of Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University between August 2014 and February 2016,and then were randomly and equally divided into Etanercept group and Etanercept + methotrexate group.The treatment lasted 24 weeks.Fifteen healthy blood donors served as healthy control group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time quantitative PCR were performed to measure the serum levels and mRNA expression of IL-17A and TNF-α,respectively,in the patients of the above two groups before and after the treatment.Results Before the treatment,the serum levels of IL-17A and TNF-ct,as well as the mRNA expression of IL-17A and TNF-α in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs),were all significantly higher in all the patients than in the healthy controls (all P ＜ 0.05).After the treatment,compared with the Etanercept group,the Etanercept + methotrexate group showed significantly lower serum levels of IL-17A (142.67 ± 14.82 vs.163.54 ± 23.18,P ＜ 0.05) and TNF-α (70.07 ± 25.02 vs.91.98 ± 14.62,P ＜ 0.05),as well as lower mRNA expression of IL-17A (1.12 ± 0.33 vs.1.56 ± 0.77,P ＜ 0.05) and TNF-α in PBMCs (2.50 ± 1.04 vs.3.61 ± 2.14,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Etanercept combined with methotrexate is superior to Etanercept alone in the treatment of psoriasis,and can reduce treatment duration and improve therapeutic effect,likely by down-regulating the expression of IL-17A and TNF-α.

Objective To study the related factors associated with the reversal of posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) following liver transplantation. Methods The clinical data of 62patients with PTDM in 232 patients receiving liver transplantation (26. 7 %) were retrospectively analyzed and the patients were divided into two groups: patients with transient PTDM (34 cases) and those with persistent PTDM (28 cases). Pre-operative and post-operative variables, including sex,age, body mass index, family history of diabetes, hepatitis B virus infection, pretransplantation fasting plasma glucose, the immunosuppressant regime, FK506 concentration and duration of steroid usage, were analyzed retrospectively. Results The variables, including sex, age, body mass index,family history of diabetes, hepatitis B virus infection, pretransplantation fasting plasma glucose,FK506 concentration at month 1, 3 and 6 after operation, rate of cyclosporine usage and duration of steroid usage had no significant difference between the two groups (P＞0. 05). Compared with the persistent PTDM patients, the transient PTDM patients were characterized by younger age at the time of transplantation (54 ± 8 vs. 42 ± 6 years, P＜0. 05), longer time before the development of PTDM (18 ± 23 vs. 35 ± 42 days, P＜0. 05), and higher rate of mycophenolate mofetil or sirolimus usage (0vs. 8. 9 %, P＜0. 05). Based on a multivariate analysis, age at the time of transplantation was determined as the single independent predictive factor associated with reversal of PTDM following liver transplantation (odds ratio: 1. 312, 95 % confidence interval: 1. 005 - 1. 743). Conclusion Age at the time of transplantation, duration before the development of PTDM and rate of mycophenolate mofetil or sirolimus usage are associated with reversal of PTDM following liver transplantation. Among these factors, age at the time of transplantation is only the single independent predictive factor.

Objective To induce a novel temperate bacteriophage from staphylococcus haemolyticus strain SA98,observe the morphology and size,complete the whole genome sequencing,analyse the structure of genome and evolutionary relationship.Methods The mitomycin C was used to induce the temperate phage from staphylococcushaemolyticus strain SA98,the induced phage was observed by transmission electron microscopy after be concentrated and purified.The genome DNA was extracted and high through sequenced.The feature of whole genome and evolutionary relationship was analyzed.Results A temperate phage IME-SA4 was successfully induced from staphylococcus haemolyticus strain SA98.Transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated that IME-SA4 had an isometric head and a non-contractile long tail.The whole genome of IME-SA4 was long as 41 843 bp,and the whole genome blast result indicated IME-SA4 shared only 13％ homology with most related strain phiRS7.Conclusions A novel staphylococcus haemolyticus temperate phage with low homology with other staphylococcusphages was successfully induced from staphylococcus haemolyticus strain SA98.The research of its morphology,whole genome sequencing and comparative genome analysis make the foundation for further study of staphylococcus phages' properties and practical application.

OBJECTIVE: To valuate test results of normal hearing persons with different ages using disyllabic mandarin speech test materials (MSTMs). Obtaining speech recognition threshold (SRT) and P-I function of different ages as clinical reference of hearing recovery and individual's ability to perceive and process speech. METHOD: One hundred and twenty subjects with normal hearing who speak mandarin well in their daily lives were enrolled in this study and divided into four groups (18-30, 31-40, 41-50 and 51-60 years old). Nine lists of disyllabic mandarin speech test materials with equal difficulty were utilized to test each age group. RESULT: There are good agreement between SRT and mean PTA thresholds (at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 kHz) in each age group. PTA thresholds have little change as age increasing in age group 18-30, 31-40 and 41-50 (P > 0.05). PTA threshold of age group 51-60 increases more apparently compared with the other three groups (P < 0.01). SRT thresholds of each age group increase as age increasing (P < 0.05) and SRT threshold of age group 51-60 increases more apparently (P < 0.01). Slopes of P-I function in each age group are 5.8%/dB, 4.7%/dB, 3.8%/dB, 2.9%/dB respectively. CONCLUSION Nine lists of disyllabic MSTMs were used to test normal hearing persons in different ages and SRT and P-I function of four different age groups were obtained. As age increases, SRT increases and slope of P-1 functions decreases. PTA and SRT thresholds of age group 51-60 increase more apparently. The SRT and P-I functions provide reference data of normal hearing for utilizing of disyllabic mandarin speech test materials clinically.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Language ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phonetics ; Reference Values ; Speech Reception Threshold Test ; Young Adult

The present case report was designed to summarize the clinical experience of operative technique. lung preservation, lung perfusion, and perioperative management. Of 7 cases who underwent allogenic single lung transplantation (LT), 3 were idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, 2 were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 1 was silicosis, emphysema, and bulla, and I was tuberculosis in both sides and presented with destroyed lung in one side. All donors were already brain death. Donor lungs were well preserved utilizing Euro-Colins liquid or low-potassium dextran solution. Donors and recipients were matched in blood type. Of 7 cases selected,5 received single right lung transplantation, and 2 received single left LT. End-to-end anastomosis was performed for pulmonary branches and pulmonary arteries. while atrium-to-atrium anastomosis was performed for pulmonary vein. Antibiotics and immunosuppressants were routinely used prior to and subsequent to LT. Following LT, heart and lung function, usage of antibiotics, and adjustment of immunosuppressant were monitored. Stomal complications regarding bronchus and pulmonary artery and vein did not appear in any patient. Five cases survived for about 2 months, one for approximately 1 year, and one for nearly 2 years. Four cases died of multi-organ failure caused by pulmonary infection, and one of severe pulmonary hemorrhage caused by aspergillus sydowi infection. Rejection occurred in 6 cases. One case sufiered from rejection three times. Selection of indication, selection and preservafton of donor lung, LT operation and pre-and post-operative management of LT have acquired satisfactory achievements. High mortality occurred in patients with preoperative poor cardiac and pulmonary functions and postoperative severe infections accompany with application of immunosuppressant.

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process which degrades intracellular contents. The Atg17-Atg31-Atg29 complex plays a key role in autophagy induction by various stimuli. In yeast, autophagy occurs with autophagosome formation at a special site near the vacuole named the pre-autophagosomal structure (PAS). The Atg17-Atg31-Atg29 complex forms a scaffold for PAS organization, and recruits other autophagy-related (Atg) proteins to the PAS. Here, we show that Atg31 is a phosphorylated protein. The phosphorylation sites on Atg31 were identified by mass spectrometry. Analysis of mutants in which the phosphorylated amino acids were replaced by alanine, either individually or in various combinations, identified S174 as the functional phosphorylation site. An S174A mutant showed a similar degree of autophagy impairment as an Atg31 deletion mutant. S174 phosphorylation is required for autophagy induced by various autophagy stimuli such as nitrogen starvation and rapamycin treatment. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that S174 is phosphorylated constitutively, and expression of a phosphorylation-mimic mutant (S174D) in the Atg31 deletion strain restores autophagy. In the S174A mutant, Atg9-positive vesicles accumulate at the PAS. Thus, S174 phosphorylation is required for formation of autophagosomes, possibly by facilitating the recycling of Atg9 from the PAS. Our data demonstrate the role of phosphorylation of Atg31 in autophagy.
Alanine ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Amino Acid Motifs ; Aspartic Acid ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Autophagy ; genetics ; Autophagy-Related Proteins ; Carrier Proteins ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal ; Membrane Proteins ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Models, Molecular ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nitrogen ; deficiency ; Phagosomes ; chemistry ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Transport ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Serine ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Sirolimus ; pharmacology