Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction(PCR) for Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) in children with MP pneumonia(MPP).Methods From Jun.2008 to Jan.2009,153 cases hospitalized with pneumonia were enrolled,and 30 cases without respiratory infection were enrolled as control group.Their respiratory secretion (including nasopharyngeal secretion,sputum,bronchialalveolar lavage fluid or pharyngeal swab) samples were collected for fluorescent quantitative PCR for MP.And their single or paired serums were collected for specific MP antibody detection.Results There were 123 cases confirmed with MPP by serology,among whom 114 cases were MP PCR positive.The quantitation of MP DNA was among 1.20?106-3.66?1010 gene copys/L. There were 30 cases with pneumonia negative with MP by the paired serum serology,among whom 2 cases were MP PCR positive,and the quantitation of MP DNA was (1.08-3.02)?107gene copys/L.All cases of control group were MP PCR negative.During the first and second weeks of the MPP onset,the sensitivity of MP-IgM from the first single blood samples were 66.7% and 83.9%,respectively.While the sensitivity and specificity of MP PCR were 92.7% and 93.3%,respectively.From the third week of the disease onset,the sensitivity of MP-IgM from the first single blood samples increased to 90.9%-100%.The clinical manifestations of MPP were nonspecific.Conclusions PCR is superior to serology for early diagnosis on MP infection.Combination of the 2 methods may be helpful to early and accurate diagnosis on MP infection.

OBJECTIVETo study and evaluate the effect of Sangu Decoction (SGD, ) on the bone destruction due to mammary cancer metastasis.

METHODSMetastasis rat mammary tumor-1 cells were transplanted into the left hind limb tibia of SD rats to establish the bone metastasis of the mammary cancer model. The modeled rats were treated with SGD for observing its effect on rats' pain behavior, including 50% paw withdrawal threshold (50% PWT) after von Frey fiber stimulation, burden difference of bilateral feet, and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL), with zoledronic acid as the positive control. Moreover, the damage in the tibia sample of rats was scored by an iconographic method, and the bone mineral density (BMD) as well as the bone mineral content (BMC) were estimated.

RESULTSThe model established showed characteristics of mixed metastasis, revealing the manifestations of tumor development, bone destruction, cancerous pain, etc. In the SGD-treated group, 50% PWT was prolonged (8.13 ± 4.76 vs. 2.30 ± 2.19), and TWL was longer (3.48 ± 0.62 s vs. 2.89 ± 0.26 s) than those in the control group, respectively (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Iconographic scoring also showed improvement of BMD (0.134 ± 0.009 vs. 0.120 ± 0.007, P<0.01) and an elevating trend of BMC in the SGD-treated group.

CONCLUSIONSGD could effectively alleviate the cancerous pain of bone metastasis and mitigate the metastasis that cause osteolytic destruction of bone.

Animals ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Bone Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; secondary ; Bone and Bones ; drug effects ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reaction Time ; drug effects

BACKGROUNDCerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury is the main reason for the loss of neurons in the ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Therefore, to deeply understand its pathogenesis and find a new target is the key issue to be solved. This research aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of salvianolic acid B (SalB) against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/RP) damage in primary rat cortical neurons.

METHODSThe primary cultures of neonatal Wister rats were randomly divided into the control group, the OGD/RP group and the SalB-treatment group (10 mg/L). The cell model was established by depriving of oxygen and glucose for 3 hours and reperfusion for 3 hours and 24 hours, respectively. The neuron viability was determined by MTT assay. The level of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by fluorescent labeling method and spin trapping technique respectively. The activities of neuronal Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) were assayed by chromatometry. The mitochondria membrane potential (ΔΨ(m)) was quantitatively analyzed by flow cytometry. The release rate of cytochrome c was detected by Western blotting. The neuronal ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Statistical significance was evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Student-Newman-Keuls test.

RESULTSOGD/RP increased the level of cellular ROS, but decreased the cell viability and the activities of Mn-SOD, CAT and GSH-PX; SalB treatment significantly reduced the level of ROS (P < 0.05); and enhanced the cell viability (P < 0.05) and the activities of these antioxidases (P < 0.05). Additionally, OGD/RP induced the fluorescence value of ΔΨ(m) to diminish and the release rate of cytochrome c to rise notably; SalB markedly elevated the level of ΔΨ(m) (P < 0.01) and depressed the release rate of cytochrome c (P < 0.05); it also ameliorated the neuronal morphological injury.

CONCLUSIONThe neuroprotection of SalB may be attributed to the elimination of ROS and the inhibition of apoptosis.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Benzofurans ; pharmacology ; Catalase ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Cerebral Cortex ; blood supply ; Cytochromes c ; secretion ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; drug therapy ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; drug effects ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDTreatment for malignant glioma generally consists of cytoreductive surgery followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In this study, we intended to investigate the effects of 2-propylpentanoic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, on chemosensitivity and radiosensitivity in human glioma cell lines.

METHODSHuman glioma cell lines, T98-G, and SF295, were treated with temozolomide (TMZ) or irradiation (IR), with or without VPA (1.0 mmol/L). Then, cytotoxicity and clonogenic survival assay was performed. Cell cycle stage, apoptosis, and autophagy were also detected using flow cytometry and dansyl monocadaverin (MDC) incorporation assay. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-test were used to analyze the differences among variant groups.

RESULTSMild cytotoxicity of VPA was revealed in both cell lines, T98-G and SF295, with the 50% inhibiting concentration (IC50) value of (3.85 ± 0.58) mmol/L and (2.15 ± 0.38) mmol/L, respectively; while the IC50 value of TMZ was (0.20 ± 0.09) mmol/L for T98-G and (0.08 ± 0.02) mmol/L for SF295. Moreover, if combined with VPA (1.0 mmol/L) for 96 hours, the sensitivity of glioma cells to TMZ was significant increased (P < 0.05). The surviving fractions at 2 Gy (SF2) of T98-G and SF295 cells exposed to IR alone were 0.52 and 0.58. However, when VPA was combined with IR, the SF2 of T98-G and SF295 dropped to 0.39 (P = 0.047) and 0.49 (P = 0.049), respectively. Treatment with VPA plus TMZ or IR also resulted in a significant decrease in the proportion of cells in the G2 phase and increased apoptotic rates as well as autophagy in T98-G and SF295 cell lines (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONVPA may enhance the activities of TMZ and IR on glioma cells possibly through cell cycle block and promote autophagy, and thus could be a potential sensitizer of glioma treatment.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Dacarbazine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; Glioma ; metabolism ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Valproic Acid ; pharmacology

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning ; drug therapy ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Ribonucleases ; antagonists & inhibitors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of ginsenoside-Rg3 on lung metastasis of ribonuclease inhibitor (RI) gene-transfected mouse B16 melanoma.

METHODSC57BL/6 mice were iv injected with parental or RI-transfected B16 melanoma cells. Lung metastasis was assessed by the number of surface tumor nodules. Mice were divided into 6 groups. Group I, II and III of mice were given parental, mock-transfected and RI-transfected B16 melanoma cells, respectively while in group IV, V and VI, Rg3 (1.5 mg/kg, iv q.o.d. x 10) was given to mice bearing parental, mock-transfected and RI-transfected B16 melanoma, respectively. Micovessel density (MVD) of the lung metastatic tumor was assessed by immunohistochemical staining of factor VIII-R expression.

RESULTSThe number of tumor nodules was significantly decreased in mice injected with RI-transfected B16 melanoma (Gp III, compared to Gp I and II). Rg3 treatment per se could also decrease the number of lung tumor nodules but to a lesser extent (Gp IV and V compared to Gp III). However, Rg3 synergized with RI transfection resulting in most significant inhibition of lung metastasis (Gp VI). Mice in Gp I and II died within 26 days of the experiment, whereas all the mice in Gp VI were alive during the observation period of one and one half month. MVD was significantly decreased in the lung tumor nodules in mice injected with RI-transfected B16 melanoma. It was further decreased when additional Rg3 was given (Gp VI).

CONCLUSIONTransfection of ribonuclease inhibitor gene significantly reduces the metastatic potential of B16 melanoma. Ginsenoside-Rg3 has a synergistic effect.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Ginsenosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; secondary ; Male ; Melanoma, Experimental ; genetics ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Panax ; chemistry ; Placental Hormones ; genetics ; Transfection

The infection status of anisakid larvae was examined in 290 marine fish of 25 species and in 108 cephalopods of 3 species purchased in Bayuquan region, Yingko city nearby the coast of the Bohai Sea from may to August 1992. A total of 7,327 larvae were collected from 156 fish of 19 species and 8 squids of one species. The 3rd-stage larvae of Anisakis simplex were collected from 121 fish (63.4%) of 15 species (N = 191) and from 8 squids (14.8%) of one species (N = 54), and they were total, 5,992 (81.8%). Out of remaining 1,335 larvae, 154 (2.1%) were classified as Thynnascaris type B from 23 fish of 4 species, 1,013 (13.8%) as Thynnascaris type C from 79 fish of 13 species. 164 (2.2%) as Hysterothylacium China type V from 20 fish of 4 species, 3 (0.04%) as Raphidascaris from 3 fish of 2 species and one was Pseudoterranova decipiens larva.
Animal ; Anisakiasis/veterinary* ; Anisakiasis/parasitology ; Anisakiasis/epidemiology ; Anisakis/isolation & purification ; Anisakis/classification* ; China ; Fish Diseases/parasitology* ; Fish Diseases/epidemiology ; Fishes ; Larva ; Seawater ; Squid/parasitology*

Objective: To analyze the relationship between the risk of tuberculosis outbreaks in schools and the visit interval of index cases, so as to provide a scientific reference for predicting the risks of tuberculosis outbreak and making preventive measures. Methods: A total of 630 index cases from school tuberculosis outbreaks were studied during January, 2015 to December, 2022. Data on demographics, consultation history, etiological diagnosis, and methods of detection were collected. Restricted Cubic Splines (RCS), unconditional Logistic regression, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) were used for analysis. Results: The RCS fitted curve showed that the risk of a tuberculosis outbreak linearly increased when the consultation interval for etiologically negative patients exceeded 5.79 days, or for etiologically positive patients exceeded 8.37 days. After multi factor adjustment, for every additional day in the visit interval of the index case, the odds ratio ( OR ) value for a high risk outbreak was 1.10 (95% CI =1.07-1.13)( P <0.05). When analyzed by tertiles of visit intervals, compared to an interval of <14 days, the OR values (95% CI ) for high risk outbreaks in schools with intervals of 14-<28 days and ≥28 days were 10.32(3.04-35.10) and 82.58( 28.42 -239.95), respectively( P <0.01), indicating a trend of increasing outbreak risk with longer visit intervals. Based on the ROC curve analysis, the optimal threshold for predicting a high risk school tuberculosis outbreak was 23.5 days, with an area under the curve ( AUC ) of 0.93 (95% CI =0.89-0.98). Conclusion An extended visit interval of index cases is a good early warning indicator for high risk tuberculosis outbreaks in schools and could be considered a key factor in early intervention and risk control strategies.

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between the expression of Bax, Bcl-2 proteins, and apoptosis in radiation compound wound healing of rats.

METHODSApoptosis, Bax and Bcl-2 proteins were estimated by in situ terminal labeling (TUNEL) and immunohistochemical methods.

RESULTS(1) Changes of the apoptosis in wound healing showed three typical characteristics: early occurrence, high frequency and delayed disappearance after radiation to rats when compared with those of simple wound group, which might be an important reason for radiation-induced delayed wound healing. (2) The expression of Bax protein increased evidently with the increment of apoptosis and showed a good corresponding relationship with the apoptotic frequency in the process of wound healing. While the expression of Bcl-2 protein decreased obviously as the apoptosis reached a maximum and showed increasing tendency up to normal level when the apoptosis decreased distinctively.

CONCLUSIONSBax and Bcl-2 proteins play an important role in the apoptotic regulation of radiation compound wound healing in rats.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; radiation effects ; Female ; Gamma Rays ; Immunohistochemistry ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Skin ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Wound Healing ; genetics ; radiation effects ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein