Objective To study the decomposition kinetics of omethoate in blood.Methods The acetonitrile precipitated protein was added into the blood, with the chromatographic column of a Waters BEH C18column (2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.7μm), the mobile phase of 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate aqueous solution-methanol, and the gradient elution with a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min and injection volume of 2μL.With electrospray ionization (ESI) source and positive ion detection, qualitative and quantitative analyses were taken using multi-reaction monitoring mode.Omethoate standard was added into blank human blood to the mass concentrations of 0.78, 1.40, 2.30, 4.50, and 7.20μg/mL, and each mass concentration was preserved at 3 temperatures of-20℃, 4℃, and 20℃, respectively.The content of omethoate was detected at different time points (0, 1, 3, 4, 7, 11, 15, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, and 120 d).Results Different concentrations of omethoate all showed a descended trend in human blood under different temperature conditions.The decomposition in storage environment of-20℃, 4℃, and 20℃was fit to a one-compartment open model with a first-order kinetic process, which could be expressed as Ct=Coe-αt, with the calculated theoretical values of omethoate concentration close to the measured values.Conclusion All concentrations of omethoate are decomposed in the blood, which vary a lot in different preservation conditions.It is suggested that blood samples should be frozen and detected timely in suspected omethoate poisoning cases.

Carnosic acid (CA) is the main phenolic diterpenoid active ingredient in plants such as rosemary and sage, and has antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effects and so on, however, its antiviral activity against influenza virus infections was not reported. In this study, antiviral activities against influenza A virus infections of three main bioactive ingredients from rosemary, including rosmarinic acid, CA and ursolic acid, were evaluated using virus titer titration assay, and CA showed remarkable inhibition on influenza H5N1 replication in A549 cells. The antiviral activity of CA was further confirmed and its mechanism of action was investigated using the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantification polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The results showed that the 50% effective concentration (EC₅₀) of CA against influenza H5N1 in A549 cells and MDCK cells were 4.30 and 3.64 μmol·L^-1, respectively. Meanwhile, CA also showed inhibition on influenza virus 2009panH1N1 (EC₅₀: 10.1 μmol·L^-1) and H3N2 (EC₅₀: 12.8 μmol·L^-1) replications in A549 cells. Mechanistic studies showed that antiviral activity of CA is related to its induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in A549 cells and suppression on production of reactive oxygen in H5N1-infected cells.

Objective To observe the effect of self-made digestive decoction of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in supplying nutrition and preventing complications for severe head injured patients who accept early enteral nutrition support.Methods 46 patients with head severe injury were divided into two groups:study group and control group,with each group having 23 patients.The patients in both groups were given by enteral nutrition support.The patients in study group were fed with self-made digestive decoction of Chinese medieine accompanied with the early enteral nutrition.The calorie of the enteral nutrition after having been injuried for 7 days,as well as pre-albumin,transferrin,blood sugar,and electrolyte level,was compared.In addition,the occurrence rate of complications was recorded.Results Compared to the control group,on 7th day,patients in the study group had higher calories through absorption.And also compared to the control group,patients in the study group did not complained for the occurrence of constipation,and had lower incidences of diarrhea and abdominal distension.In the study group,pre-albumin and transferrin increased signifieanfly,exhibiting a statistical difference.Conclusions Digestive decoction of Chinese medicine acting on stomareh can help to improve the recovery of nutritional status of patients and reduce the related complications among patients.

PURPOSE: Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychostimulant. It is often adopted as a tool to modulate brain activations in fMRI studies. However, its pharmaceutical effect on task-induced deactivation has not been fully examined in fMRI. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of caffeine on both activation and deactivation under sustained attention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Task fMRI was acquired from 26 caffeine naive healthy volunteers before and after taking caffeine pill (200 mg). RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed an increase in cognition-load dependent task activation but a decrease in load dependent de-activation after caffeine ingestion. Increase of attention and memory task activation and its load-dependence suggest a beneficial effect of caffeine on the brain even though it has no overt behavior improvement. The reduction of deactivation by caffeine and its load-dependence indicate reduced facilitation from task-negative networks. CONCLUSION: Caffeine affects brain activity in a load-dependent manner accompanied by a disassociation between task-positive network and task-negative network.
Brain ; Caffeine* ; Eating* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Memory, Short-Term*

OBJECTIVETo evaluate and analyze the misplacement patterns of the pedicle screws in surgical correction of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

METHODSFor this study, 70 consecutive cases of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis treated by posterior instrumented spinal fusion with pedicle screws were investigated from July 2008 to September 2008. Postoperative CT scans were performed in all cases. The patients included 58 girls and 12 boys, with a mean age of 14.5 +/- 2.7 years at surgery (range 12 - 19 years). Pedicle screws were inserted using anatomic landmark with free hand technique. A number of parameters were measured using PacsClient software (PACS) on workstation, which included distances of the penetration of medial, lateral pedicle cortex and anterior vertebral cortex. The distance between edge of aorta and tip of screw should be measured if left pedicle screw penetrated lateral pedicle cortex or anterior vertebral cortex. Misplacement screws with > 2 mm of either pedicular cortex perforation and grievous screws with >4 mm of medial pedicle perforation or contour of aorta were defined. The influencing factors for misplacement screws were analyzed.

RESULTSA total of 1030 pedicle screws were inserted, 773 in thoracic pedicle and 257 in lumbar pedicle. There were 108 (10.5%) misplacement screws, 35 of which penetrated lateral pedicle cortex, 56 of which penetrated medial pedicle cortex, 33 of which penetrated vertebral anterior cortex. Misplacement screw rate of apical vertebra, 5 segments above apical vertebra (AV-5s) and 4 segments below apical vertebra (AV + 4s) were higher than other levels. Most of grievous screws were placed in apical vertebra region.

CONCLUSIONSThe risk factors for misplacement screws included Cobb angle > 90 degrees and vertebrae rotation extent up to III-IV. Care should be exercised during pedicle screw instrumentation in the apical region of the main thoracic curve, AV-5s region and AV + 4s region.

Adolescent ; Bone Screws ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Scoliosis ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; instrumentation ; methods ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effect of combination of acupuncture, cupping and medicine for treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome.

METHODSBy using multi-central randomized controlled method, 186 cases were randomly divided into an acupuncture combined with cupping and western medicine group (group A), an acupuncture combined with cupping group (group B) and a western medicine group (group C) and treated continuously for 4 weeks. The treatment of acupuncture combined with cupping was produced by acupuncture at five mental points and moving cupping on the Hechelu of the back, once evrey other day, thrice each week, and the western medicine therapy by oral administration of Amitriptyline, once each day. The scores of McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), the amount of tenderness point and the time of producing effect were compared and the therapeutic effects were assessed with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD).

RESULTSThe cured and markedly effective rate was 65.0% (39/60) in the group A, which was superior to 15.9% (10/63) in the group B and 16.1% (9/56) in the group C (both P < 0.001). After treatment, the scores of MPQ and HAMD and the amount of tenderness point all decreased in the three groups, group A being significantly better than group B and group C, and the time of producing effect in the group A was more earlier than those in the group B and the group C.

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic effect of combination of acupuncture, cupping and medicine on fibromyalgia syndrome is superior to that of the simple acupuncture combined with cupping or the simple medicine.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Amitriptyline ; therapeutic use ; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic ; therapeutic use ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Fibromyalgia ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the early outcomes of children with congenital scoliosis treated by one-stage transpedicular hemi-vertebra resection.

METHODSFrom July 2005 to June 2006, 27 consecutive cases of congenital scoliosis managed by one-stage transpedicular hemi-vertebra resection with instrumentation were investigated retrospectively. There were 11 girls and 16 boys, with a mean age of 5.5 years at surgery (range 1.3 - 10.0 years). Location of the hemi-vertebra was in the thoracic spine in 12 cases and in the lumbar spine in 15 cases. Radiographic evaluations were performed on the preoperative, postoperative, and latest follow-up standing posteroanterior and lateral radiographs.

RESULTSThe average operation time was 4 hours (range 3-6 hours), and the mean blood loss during operation was 750 ml (range 300 - 2200 ml). The mean fusion level was 2 to 7 segments, average 4.4 segments. The average follow-up period was 16 months (range 12 - 34 months). Mean Cobb angle of the total main curve was 40.0° before surgery, 12.6° after surgery, and 15.2° at latest follow-up. Mean Cobb angle of the segmental main curve was 35.6° before surgery, 11.6° after surgery, and 12.1° at latest follow-up. The trunk shift was improved from 16.5 mm before operation to that of 7.5 mm after the operation and 7.6 mm at the latest follow-up. Compensatory cranial curve improved from 19.4° before surgery to 8.9° after surgery, and compensatory caudal curve improved from 26.3° to 12.8°. The angle of segmental kyphosis was 26.4° before surgery and 14.6° after surgery in cases with thoracic hemivertebrae, and averaged 11.2° before surgery and 3.9° after surgery in cases with lumbar hemivertebrae. Peri-operative complications included two pedicle screws malpositioning and one case with pelvic tilt. There was no neurological complication.

CONCLUSIONOne-stage transpedicular hemi-vertebra resection with instrumentation has a good capability of correcting deformity on the frontal and sagittal planes, which is available in children with middle or lower thoracic or lumbar hemivertebrae.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Scoliosis ; congenital ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms with low bone mineral density (BMD) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) girls.

METHODSBlood samples were obtained from 146 AIS girls and 146 healthy girls. Anthropometric parameters of AIS group including age, body height, weight and Cobb angle were all recorded. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique was used to detect and analyze VDR gene distributions of AIS group and control group. BMD of the lumbar spine (L(1)-L(4)) and proximal femur were measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in AIS group.

RESULTSThe frequency of Bb genotype was significantly higher in patients than that in controls (P < 0.05). There was no distinction among the lumbar spine and proximal femur BMD of each genotype in AIS group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONVDR gene polymorphisms have no association with the low spine lumbar and proximal femur BMD in AIS girls.

Adolescent ; Bone Density ; genetics ; Child ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, Calcitriol ; genetics ; Scoliosis ; genetics ; physiopathology

We undertook a series of studies to evaluate the role of microenvironment during embryonic stem cell (ESC) proliferation and differentiation. In this paper, cell microencapsulation technology was employed, which allows the free exchange of nutrients, oxygen and biologically active products between the entrapped cell and culture medium. We analyzed the feasibility of mouse ESCs in microcapsules and evaluated the growth, metabolic activity and differentiation of ESCs once enclosed in alginate-Ca(2+) microbead, solid or liquefied core alginate-poly-lysine-alginate (APA) microcapsule, respectively. We found that ESCs grew gradually in both types of microcapsules, but the appearance of cells was distinctive for each type of capsule. In the case of unliquefied microcapsules, cells created multiple spherical or lens-shaped aggregates. In contrast, the liquefied alginate core allowed the enclosed ESCs to grow together in a clump at the periphery of the capsule. Combined with cell viability and activity of glucose/lactic acid metabolism, the liquefied core of APA might provide more suitable culture conditions for the ESC growth in comparison with the unliquefied type or alginate-Ca(2+). For better evaluating the nature of ESC growth in APA microcapsules in vitro (that is whether or not encapsulated ESCs maintained undifferentiated state while they kept the ability for proliferation), the expression of the typical markers for undifferentiated, dividing ESCs, such as the stage specific embryonic antigen (SSEA-1) and alkaline phosphatase (AP), was detected by immunochemistry and immunofluorescence staining. The results showed that cell aggregates formed in the microcapsule still expressed the marker proteins at a higher level on day 22 in vitro. The expression of gene Oct-4, a transcription factor necessary for maintaining ESCs in an undifferentiated state, was also detected when RT-PCR assay was employed (on day 22 in vitro). In addition, cell aggregates were released from the microcapsules by mechanical disruption and induced into insulin-producing cells. These findings further indicate that most of the ESCs in APA microcapsule maintain their multi-potential even though the culture time prolonged as long as 22 d in vitro. Taken together, APA microcapsule provides a suitable microenvironment that promotes ESCs to maintain their stemness. Therefore, the microenvironment plays an important role in the process of ESC proliferation and differentiation.
Alginates ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Capsules ; pharmacology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Polylysine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Stem Cell Niche ; physiology

Cancer cell vaccine-based immunotherapy has received increasing interest in many clinical trials involving patients with breast cancer. Combining with appropriate adjuvants can enhance the weak immunogenic properties of tumor cell lysates (TCL). In this study, diphtheria toxin (DT) and two tandem repeats of mycobacterial heat shock protein 70 (mHSP70) fragment 407-426 (M2) were conjugated to TCL with glutaraldehyde, and the constructed cancer cell vaccine was named DT-TCL-M2. Subcutaneous injection of DT-TCL-M2 in mice effectively elicited tumor-specific polyclonal immune responses, including humoral and cellular immune responses. High levels of antibodies against TCL were detected in the serum of immunized mice with ELISA and verified with Western blot analyses. The splenocytes from immunized mice showed potent cytotoxicity on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells. Moreover, the protective antitumor immunity induced by DT-TCL-M2 inhibited tumor growth in a mouse breast tumor model. DT-TCL-M2 also attenuated tumor-induced angiogenesis and slowed tumor growth in a mouse intradermal tumor model. These findings demonstrate that TCL conjugated with appropriate adjuvants induced effective antitumor immunity in vivo. Improvements in potency could further make cancer cell vaccines a useful and safe method for preventing cancer recurrence after resection.
Adjuvants, Immunologic ; Animals ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor ; immunology ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Diphtheria Toxin ; genetics ; immunology ; Female ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin G ; immunology ; Immunotherapy ; Mice ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Peptide Fragments ; genetics ; immunology ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology ; Tandem Repeat Sequences