·AIM:To present a case of late onset bilateral keratectasis after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for myopia with rigid gas-permeable contact lenses with a brief review of literature on this subject.·METHODS:A 27-year-old woman underwent bilateral uneventful LASIK for moderate myopia. Preoperative cycloplegic refractions were -5.50/-0.50×50° right eye (OD) and - 4.50/-1.00×15° left eye (OS).Corneal pachymetry was 526μm OD and 541μm OS, Preoperative corneal topography was normal and did not reveal any keratoconus or forme fruste keratoconus.Following the creation of flaps with 160μm plates,ablations of 102μm OD and 86μm OS were performed,estimated to leave residual stromal beds of 264μm OD and 295μm OS.·RESULTS:Twenty-nine months postoperatively,the patient developed bilateral inferior keratectasia of -12.50/-4.00×160° OD and -6.00/- 4.25×125° OS.Visual acuity was reduced in both eyes;the central cornea had steepened; and pachymetry showed central corneal thinning.Keratectasia was diagnosed,and rigid contact lenses were fitted.Three years later,the patient achieved satisfactory visual acuity and all-day lens wear with minimal complications.·CONCLUSION:Late keratectasia may follow LASIK for low to moderate myopia despite a thorough preoperative work-up.Rigid contact lenses can offer a safe,reversible option for improving visual acuity in such patients by delaying or avoiding the need for intracorneal ring segments implanting or penetrating keratoplasty.

Objective To evaluate the expression of RAR-? gene in cervical carcinoma cell lines SiHa,HeLa,C33A and Caski and to analyze the relation between their gene expression and the promoter methylation of RAR-? DNA.Methods The expression of mRNA and protein of RAR-? gene in the four cell lines were analyzed by RT-PCR,western blot and immunofluoreseence,respectively.Methylation specific PCR(MSP)was used to check whether there was methylation in the promoter of RAR-? gene.The demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine(5-Aza-cdR)was used to treat methylated cell lines and the change of RAR-? gene methylation and RAR-? gene expression defects were observed.The cell proliferation was assayed with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method.Results The mRNA and protein expression levels of RAR-? in cell lines SiHa,HeLa,Caski and C33A were 0.25 ?0.08,0,0.60?0.19,3.12?0.92 and 0.23?0.07,0,0.14?0.05,0.68?0.21,respectively.The mRNA and protein expression of RAR-? in SiHa,HeLa and Caski cell lines were decreased or silenced, whereas its expression increased in C33A cell line.MSP method showed that there were RAR-? gene methylation in SiHa,HeLa and Caski cell lines,while there was no RAR-? gene methylation in C33A cell line.After treated with 5-Aza-cdR,the mRNA and protein expression levels of RAR-? in SiHa,HeLa, Caski and C33A cell lines were 1.82?0.59,2.13?0.62,1.67?0.43,2.95?0.89 and 0.69?0.21, 0.83?0.29,0.56?0.16,0.64?0.20 respectively.The mRNA and protein levels of RAR-? had a significant difference between before and after interference with 5-Aza-cdR in SiHa,Helm,and Caski cell lines(P0.05).The 5-Aza-cdR treatment could suppress cell proliferation.Conclusions The RAR-? gene expression defects play an important role in the carcinogenesis of cervical cancer.Aberrant methylation in promotor region of RAR-? gene may be an important mechanism for the loss of expression of RAR-? gene.

Objective To explore the effects of oral care on improving cough reflex sensitivity and prolonging time span of recurrent pneumonia. Methods Oral care was conducted among 19 pateints with recurrent pneumonia. Using capsaicin-induced cough reflex method, cough reflex thresholds were measured in 19 patients with recurrent pneumonia before the study began, at the 20th day and the twelfth month after the study began. The recorrent time spans were recorded before and after the oral care at the same time. Results Cough reflex threshold was (1.54±0.06) mmol at the 20th day after the oral care began, which was significantly lower than (2.13±0.05) mmol before the the oral care began (P<0.05); There was no significant difference between the cough reflex thresholds at the 20th day and the twelfth month (1.61±0.08) mmol (P>0.05). Pneumonia recurrent time span (210±54)days was significandy longer after performing the oral care than that (143±71)days of before performing the oral care (P<0.05). Conclusions Oral care may improve the cough reflex sensitivity among pateints with recurrent pneumonia. It can prolong the time span of recurrent pneumonia.

Background and purpose:Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cyclooxygenase-2,COX-2) is an important rate-limiting enzyme that is responsible for transformation of arachidonic acid into prostaglandins(PGs).Although Helicobacter pylori(Hp) infection-induced gastric over-expression of COX-2 (COX-2) is an important factor of gastric cancer,the mechanism of COX-2 expression in gastric mucosa cells infected with Hp is still not clear.Our study was to reveal the effect of Hp on expression of COX-2(cyclooxygenase-2),the impact of p38MAPK signaling pathway in human gastric epithelial cancer cells line MKN45,and to investigate the potential mechanisms of expression of COX-2. Methods:The expression of COX-2 mRNA infection by standard Hp NCTC11637 in human gastric epithelial cancer cells line MKN45 was evaluated by real-time fluorogenic quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RFQ-PCR).The effect of infection by Hp on COX-2 expression,activation of p38MAPK and its downstream of the ATF-2 was assayed by Western blot.Results:The expression of COX-2 mRNA in MKN45 cells infected by Hp compared with control group,COX-2 mRNA had 3 fold,7.2 fold,5.1 fold,4.3 fold up-regulation after 3 hrs,6 hrs,9 hrs,12 hrs,respectively. COX-2 mRNA expression in each time group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P

The alpha-amylase inhibitors have been proposed as possibly important weapons against pests. Thus, it is of importance to identify the specificity of them. Based on the EST data of alpha-amylase inhibitor genes that were retrieved from NCBI, BBSRC and GrainGenes, two PCR primers were designed. The coding sequences of 24 kD dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitors with resistance to insects in 17 wheat and Aegilops accessions were investigated and 17 new genes were obtained. Only one 24 kD alpha-amylase inhibitor gene was found in each diploid wheat and Aegilops accession, whereas 8 genes were characterized from one hexaploid wheat variety, indicating that the 24 kD alpha-amylase inhibitors in hexaploid wheat were encoded by multi-gene. The deduced amino acid sequences of 2 genes from common wheat and 1 gene from Ae. tauschii were the same as the sequence of the inhibitor 0.19, and the deduced amino acid sequence of another gene from common wheat was similar to the inhibitor 0.53 with only one amino acid difference. The amino acid sequences of 24 kD dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitors shared very high coherence (91.2%). These results suggest that the alpha-amylase inhibitors in 24 kD family were derived from common ancestral genes by phylogenesis.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; metabolism ; Insecta ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; Poaceae ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis ; Triticum ; enzymology ; genetics ; alpha-Amylases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics

Bronchoscopy ; Female ; Fiber Optic Technology ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Respiratory Sounds ; diagnosis ; etiology

Using SDS-PAGE analysis, the High-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunits of two Crithopsis delileana accessions were detected. It was found that the two accessions had the same HMW glutenin subunits. Only one HMW glutenin subunit with the similar electrophoresis mobility to the y-type HMW glutenin subunit of hexaploid wheat was observed in C. delileana. However, It was indicated that this glutenin subunit was an x-type glutenin subunit Kx by gene sequence analysis. The full coding region of Kx gene is 2052bp and could encodes a mature protein with 661 amino acid residues. The Kx gene could be expressed in the bacterial expression system, and the expressed protein had the same electrophoresis mobility as that in the seed of C. delileana. The primary structure of Kx subunit was very similar to the x-type HMW glutenin subunits encoded by the A, B and D genomes of wheat, the C and U genomes of Aegilops, and the R genome of Secale cereale. In the phylogenetic analysis, Kx subunit was clustered together with Ax1 subunit by an interior parallelled branch. In conclsion, Kx gene is a novel x type glutenin subunit gene from C. delileana.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Genes, Plant ; Glutens ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Poaceae ; genetics ; metabolism ; Triticum ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the neuroprotective effect of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) against focal cerebral ischemic injury in rats with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWMRI).

METHODSRat models of focal cerebral ischemic injury were established in 16 male SD rats. They were randomly divided into the TMP group and the control group, eight in each group, and pretreated with TMP and normal saline respectively before modeling. Change of infarcted cerebral focus was observed with DWMRI at 1, 2, 6, 12 and 24 hrs after infarction, and the infarction volume (IV) at 24 hrs after modeling was estimated by triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) stain.

RESULTSThe IV in all time points observed in the TMP group with DWMRI was significantly smaller than that in the control group (P<0.01). Compared with that at 1 hr after infarction, in the control group at 2, 6, 12 and 24 hrs after modeling, the IV enlarged by 13.3%, 29.7%, 50.3% and 57.3% respectively, while that in the TMP group 9.9%, 21.3%, 37.1% and 40.5% respectively. The cerebral IV estimated by TTC stain 24 hrs after modeling was larger than that estimated by DWMRI.

CONCLUSIONTMP pretreatment before modeling was effective in protecting brain against cerebral ischemic damage in rats. DWMRI dynamic scanning observation has important significance in observing the cerebral ischemic developing process and evaluating the effectiveness of brain protective measures.

Animals ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Male ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effect of Shenxiong injection on the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury of senile rats.

METHODTotally 108 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group, the model group, the Ni-modipine group and Shenxiong injection groups (low, middle, and high doses). The rat brain ischemia-reperfusion model was established by the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) method in rats, in order to observe the effect of Shenxiong injection on neurological score and brain infarct volume of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, and determine the contents of NOS, NO, SOD, MDA and LDH in brain tissues. The contents of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta levels in brain tissues were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.

RESULTShenxiong injection could significantly decrease neurological score, injury degree of brain tissues and brain infarct volume of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, increase the vigor of SOD, decrease the levels of MDA, NO, NOS and LDH, and inhibit IL-1beta and TNF-alpha expressions.

CONCLUSIONShenxiong injection has the obvious protective effect on the brain ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Its mechanism may be related to the improvement of neurological function, the reduction of free radical injury, and the inhibition of inflammation factor expression.

Animals ; Brain ; blood supply ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Brain Ischemia ; complications ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Injections ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; complications ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism