As a kind of additive in feed of monogastric animals, the application of natural phytase is limited due to its disadvantages. In this paper, the strategies of phytse reform was introduced. Furthermore, the research and progress on protein engineering of feed phytase was reviewed, including phytase over-expression, phytase thermostability, catalytic efficiency and optimum pH.

To investigate the effects of serum containing Yiqi Huayu Bushen Recipe, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, on expressions of aggrecan and type X collagen mRNAs of the degenerated intervertebral disc cells in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture at Changqiang (GV 1) and Chengshan (BL 57) 30 min before surgery on postoperative pain and discomforts in patients with mixed hemorrhoids.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty cases of mixed hemorrhoids who received Milligan-Morgan operation were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture group, a sham electroacupuncture group and a blank group, 40 cases in each one. At the same time of basic treatment, the electroacupuncture was applied at Changqiang (GV 1) and Chengshan (BL 57) 30 min before surgery in the electroacupuncture group, while shallow needling without electrical stimulation at sham acupoint (1 cm next to acupoint) was applied 30 min before surgery in the sham electroacupuncture group, while no treatment was given before the surgery in the blank group. The total dose of painkillers in the first 24 h after operation, the number of cases who received additional anesthetic in the operation, the self-score of most severity pain in the first 24 h after operation and sleeping time in the night of surgery were observed.

RESULTSThe differences of the numbers of cases who received additional anesthetic in the operation had no statistical significance among the three groups (all P > 0.05), but compared with the sham electroacupuncture group and blank group, the total dose of painkillers in the first 24 h after operation was reduced in the electroacupuncture group [(2.43 +/- 1.08) tablets vs (3.23 +/- 1.33) tablets, (3.10 +/- 1.22) tablets], and the score of most severity pain was also decreased (6.65 +/- 1.00 vs 7.48 +/- 0.96, 7.25 +/- 1.19), besides, the sleeping time in the night of surgery was increased [(220.63 +/- 85.50) min vs (162.00 +/- 92.69) min, (151.50 +/- 80.01) min, all P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONThe electroacupuncture at Changqiang (GV 1) and Chengshan (BL 57) 30 min before surgery has effects of preemptive analgesia on postoperative pain for patients with mixed hemorrhoids.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Hemorrhoids ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain, Postoperative ; therapy ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the clinical features of late-onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (LON?MOSD). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate 61 patients with LONMOSD admitted to our hospital from January 2010 to May 2015. Results (1) The median age at onset was 57 (53, 63) years, male/female was 1∶3.7. Thirty-two patients (52.5%) had transverse myelitis (TM) and 16 patients (26.2%) had optic neuritis (ON) at the disease onset. Fifty-one patients (83.6%) experienced recurrent attacks. Forty patients (65.6%) showed abnormal brain magnetic resonance imag?ing (MRI). Spinal cord MRI showed more frequently present in thoracic regions (39.3%). (2) There were no significant differ?ences in clinical features between AQP-4 seropositive and seronegative groups. (3) By Spearman analysis, it was obvious that EDSS scores at acute phase and remission were positively correlated to AQP-4 antibody levels (rs=0.389, P<0.01;rs=0.380, P<0.01). But there was no correlation between the mean segments of spinal cord and relapse rates with AQP-4 anti?body levels (rs=0.146, P>0.05;rs=0.096, P>0.05). Conclusion LONMOSD patients are more prone to present with TM at onset and have more lesions in thoracic spinal cord and brain. The AQP-4 antibody titres can indicate the severity of disease in acute phase.

Objective:To explore the effects of LncRNA HCG18 on endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy via regulating miR-185-5p/AGER axis in diabetic nephropathy (DN) .Methods:The kidney tissues of patients with DN were collected and the podocyte injury model induced by high glucose (HG) was established. The expression of HCG18 in renal tissue in DN patients and cell model was detected. The localization and expression of HCG18 in cells were determined. The regulatory relationship between HCG18 and miR-185-5p, miR-185-5p and AGER was testified. QRT-PCR and western blot were used to detect the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress related factors (CHOP, XBP1) and autophagy related factors (Beclin-1, p62) .Results:Compared with non-DN patients, HCG18 was overexpressed in renal tissue of DN patients ( P<0.05) . Compared with normal glucose (NG) group, mRNA and protein expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress related factors (CHOP, XBP1) were overexpressed but mRNA and protein expression of autophagy related factors Beclin-1 were inhibited, p62 mRNA and protein expression were increased (all P<0.05) . HCG18 regulated the miR-185-5p/AGER axis and played a biological role. Knocking down of HCG18 reduced endoplasmic reticulum stress, activated autophagy and reduced podocyte injury, but this effect can be partially reversed by miR-185-5p inhibitors. Conclusion:HCG18 regulates the miR-185-5p/AGER signal axis and promotes DN progression through regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy.

In this study, sonography video urodynamic studies (SVUDS), which combined synchronically urodynamic studies with trans-perineal and trans-abdominal sonography, were used to detect female bladder outlet obstruction (FBOO). The dynamic changes of urethra and surrounding pelvic floor structure during storage and voiding phase were observed by SVUDS and the causes of FBOO were analyzed. And the findings were as follows: 13 patients showed organ prolapse, there was an urethral angulation deformity during urination; 5 cases had abnormal urination as the urethral opening was not good in the middle of urination period; 4 cases had urethral stricture, as the proximal end of the obstruction dilated during urination, and the obstruction site showed no relaxation; 1 case had primary bladder neck obstruction with an incomplete opening of the bladder neck during urination; 3 cases had idiopathic bladder outlet obstruction and the sphincter of bladder neck and urethra opened well during urination.

The present investigation was to study the relationship between ATP and nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO/cGMP) pathway. Forty healthy purebred albino guinea pigs with sensitive pryer's reflex were randomly divided into five groups. Their cochleae were dissected and perfused immediately with different solutions. For the control group, the cochleae (group 1) were perfused with artificial perilymph basal solution (APBS, containing 100 micromol/L dipyridamole, 100 micromol/L L-Arg and 1 mmol/L IBMX). Other groups were respectively perfused group 2 with 330 micromol/L ATP, group 3 with 100 micromol/L L-NNA+330 micromol/L ATP, group 4 with 10 micromol/L ODQ+330 micromol/L ATP and group 5 with 10 micromol/L A-23187. All these reagents were freshly dissolved in artificial perilymph basal solution (APBS). The cochlear tissue specimens were collected and the average cGMP content was measured with (125)I-cGMP RIA kit. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the average cochlear tissue weights among different groups. The concentration of cGMP in the cochlear tissue of the groups perfused with ATP (59.541+/-8.744 fmol/mg) and A-23187 (55.416+/-7.018 fmol/mg) was significantly higher than those of the control group (30.089+/-4.876 fmol/mg), the groups perfused with L-NNA+ATP (28.761+/-5.019 fmol/mg) and ODQ+ATP (34.209+/-13.658 fmol/mg). No significant difference was observed between the group perfused with ATP and the one with A-23187, as well as among the control group and the groups perfused respectively with L-NNA+ATP and ODQ+ATP. These results suggest that ATP elevated the concentration of cGMP in cochlear tissue while administration of nonselective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NNA and soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor ODQ could prevent the increase of cGMP concentration induced by ATP. It is indicated that ATP is involved in the activation of NO/cGMP pathway by elevating concentration in the cytoplasm of the cochlea. In turn, NO/cGMP pathway may exert a negative action on the effects of ATP. It is suggested that there is an ATP/Ca(2+)-NO/cGMP pathway in the guinea pig cochlea. ATP and NO/cGMP pathway jointly regulate the function of the cochlea.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; pharmacology ; physiology ; Animals ; Calcimycin ; pharmacology ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cochlea ; metabolism ; physiology ; Cyclic GMP ; metabolism ; Guinea Pigs ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitroarginine ; pharmacology ; Perilymph ; metabolism ; Random Allocation

This study was aimed to establish a stable animal model of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) to provide theoretical and experimental basis for understanding the development of LVH. The abdominal aorta of male Wistar rats (80-100 g) was constricted to a diameter of 0.55 mm between the branches of the celiac and anterior mesenteric arteries. Echocardiography using a linear phased array probe was performed as well as pathological examination and plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) measurement at 3, 4 and 6 weeks after abdominal aortic constriction (AAC). The results showed that the acute mortality rate (within 24 h) of this modified rat model was 8%. Animals who underwent AAC demonstrated significantly increased interventricular septal (IVS), LV posterior wall (LVPWd), LV mass index (LVMI), cross-sectional area (CSA) of myocytes, and perivascular fibrosis; the ejection fraction (EF), fractional shortening (FS), and cardiac output (CO) were consistently lower at each time point after AAC. Notably, differences in these parameters between AAC group and sham group were significant by 3 weeks and reached peaks at 4th week. Following AAC, the plasma BNP was gradually elevated compared with the sham group at 3rd and 6th week. It was concluded that this modified AAC model can develop LVH, both stably and safely, by week four post-surgery; echocardiography is able to assess changes in chamber dimensions and systolic properties accurately in rats with LVH.

Background and purpose: With the application of laparoscopy in the liver surgery increasingly widely used, the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic liver resection is gaining recognition gradually. This study aimed to explore the laparoscopic liver resection for the tumor and the feasibility of open liver tumor resection and clinical curative effect. Methods: We retrospectively analysed the clinical data from 37 cases of laparoscopic hepatectomy and 74 patients with open liver resection from Mar. 2015 to Mar. 2016. Measurement data by covariance analysis were obtained, and comparison between groups were made using independent sample with Wilcoxon rank test and statistical value of Z. We collected data including operation time, intra-operative blood loss, post-operative recovery time of gastrointestinal tract, surgical drainage tube after extubation time, length of hospital stay, postoperative complications, hospitalization expenses and other clinical data. Laparoscopic group had 20 males and 17 female aged 18 to 76 (median age 55). Open group had 42 males and 32 females aged 26 to 74 (median age 54). The hepatectomy included ultrasonic knife + unipolar electric coagulation, combined with laparoscopic incision suture. Surgery procedures included 13 cases of local excision in laparoscopic group and 24 cases of liver segment or lobe anatomical resection. Open group had 33 cases of local excision and 41 cases of liver segment or lobe anatomical resection. Results: The average duration of laparoscopic hepatectomy was 149 min (40-204 min). The average duration of open hepatectomy was 142 min (45-190 min). The average intra-operative blood loss was 220 mL (30-570 mL) in laparoscopic group and 360 mL (90-970 mL) in open group. The average length of hospital stay was 4.9 d (3-6 d) in laparoscopic group and 6.8 d (5-9 d) in open group. Gastrointestinal average recovery time was 1.1 days in laparoscopic group and 2.3 days in open group. The average hospitalization expenses were 38760 yuan in laparoscopic group and 39145 yuan in open group. Conclusion:Laparoscopic hepatectomy is a safe, effective and minimally invasive surgery, can be safely used in local, liver segment and half liver resection, worthy of promotion.

The phytase gene phyA(m) from Aspergillus niger N25 was recombined into E. coli expression vector pET-30b(+). Recombined at expression vectors pET30b-FphyA(m) was served as a template to amplify phytase gene, and the PCR product named elongation mutation gene phyA(e) was expanded with a 13 amino acid sequence from pET-30b-FphyA(m) vector at C-terminal of phytase gene phyA(m). Furthermore, phyA(e) gene was recombined into expression vector pPIC9k and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The comparison experiment of mutant phytase PP-NP0 with wild-type phytase PP-NP(m)-8 showed that: the optimum temperature of PP-NPe was increased by 3 degrees C, and its thermostability was increased by 21% when it was exposed to 10 min at 75 degrees C. Its effective reaction pH range with catalysis efficiency above 70% was pH 4.6 - pH 6.6, and wider 0.4 pH value than that of wild-type phytase.
6-Phytase ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Aspergillus niger ; enzymology ; genetics ; Enzyme Stability ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; enzymology ; genetics ; Fungal Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Hot Temperature ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation