Objective To explore the relationship between wild rodent plague and human in wild rodent plague foci of the northwestern area in Yunnan to probe the possible transmission mechanism of wild rodent plague to human. Methods Data of component ratio of rodents and fleas was collected in different areas from 1985 - 1995. Activities and habits of residents regarding the way they keep cats and dogs and parasitic fleas and free fleas indoor were investigated, the dog serum was collected for detecting F1 antibody. Results Eothenomys miletus were main rodents in farmland and shrub, accounting for 48.00% (4753/9902) and 54.50% (4282/7857), Apodemus chevrieri were main rodents in garden, being 50.47% (1332/2639). The component ratio of Neopsylla specialis specialis was 13.31%(229/1720), 12.31%(1678/13 739) and 10.87%(957/8802) respectively in garden, farmland and shrub, higher than in indoor. The component ratio of Frantcpsylla spodix was 39.88% (686/1720), the highest in garden. Thirty-two per cent (32/100) of residents kept cats,in which 63% (20/32) with cat fleas, 68% (68/100) of villages kept dogs, in which 76%(52/68) with fleas. Eighteen parasitic fleas were caught from 43 dogs with a flea index of 0.119 and a rate for fleas of 11.63%, 7 pulex were collected from 17 indoor. Forty-three blood serum samples were obtained from dogs, among which 3 were positive blood serum. Conclusions Residents touch affected animals or media in different situations. The possibility of transmission for wild rodent plague to human exists in loci in a chain of wild rodent plague → fleas or predation → homebred animal plague (cats or dogs) →touching or respiratory → human.

OBJECTIVETo investigate Bartonella infections in small mammalian reservoir hosts from different environments and types of climate in Yunnan.

METHODSFemoral blood samples were collected from the anesthetic captured animals from five counties including three types of climate. All isolates were grown on brain and heart infusion agar plates containing 5% defibrinated rabbit blood. The agar plates were incubated at 35 degrees C in a humidified with 5% CO2 environment for at least 4 weeks. Bartonella-like isolates were confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction and visualizing the target gene fragment by gel electrophoresis.

RESULTSBartonella species were isolated from 69 of 176 small animals including 4 species of 3 genera from 4 counties and the total prevalence in rodents was 39.2%. The maximal prevalence was 42.0% of Rattus tanezumi flavipectus usually inhabiting indoors and courtyard and contacting closely to human. Moreover, Bartonella isolates were obtained from Rattus noruegicus, Eothenomys miletus and Mus pahari. Life environments of captured animals involved indoors, courtyard, brush and forest in mountain.

CONCLUSIONThe finding in this study suggested the characteristic of diversity of Bartonella infections in rodent hosts in southern China included Bartonella species parasiting in a wide range of animal hosts in different environments as well as climate types. Further investigations were needed in different areas in China to confirm more mammalian reservoir hosts with Bartonella infections.

Animals ; Bartonella ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Bartonella Infections ; epidemiology ; veterinary ; China ; epidemiology ; Disease Reservoirs ; Mice ; Rats ; microbiology ; Rodent Diseases ; microbiology ; Rodentia ; microbiology ; Species Specificity

AIMTo further explore the roles of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) or NO derivatives in complex partial seizures and generalized convulsions.

METHODSThe effect of pretreatment with L-nitroarginine (L-NNA), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), or L arginine (L-Arg), a precursor of NO on kainic acid (KA)-induced seizure in rats and the changes in the concentration of NO2 -/NO- in the hippocampus were determined.

RESULTSThe rats appeared with wet dog shakes (WDS) at 15 min and then occurred generalized convulsions during 1 h to 3 h after administration of KA (10 mg/kg i.p.). However, the pretreatment of L-NNA (50 mg/kg) so dramatically promoted and enhanced KA-induced behavioral seizures that the latency of generalized convulsion was shorten dramatically, and the mortality was greatly high. In contrast, the pretreatment with L-Arg (40 mg/kg) markedly delayed or weakened KA-induced behavioral changes, such as increasing latency of WDS and generalized convulsion, shortening time o f seizure and none of animal died during observed time. The concentration of NO2- /NO3- in the hippocampus increased immediately at 30 min and remained to 7 d after the administration of KA. Compared with control group (pretreatment with NS), the concentration of NO2- / NO3- in the hippocampus apparently increased at 3 h and 3 d after the administration of KA in the rats with L-Arg pretreatment.

CONCLUSIONThe endogenous NO (NO or NO derivatives) mediators may play an important role against excitotoxin induced seizures in rats.

Animals ; Arginine ; pharmacology ; Kainic Acid ; adverse effects ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitroarginine ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Seizures ; chemically induced ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of pretreatment with finasteride in decreasing intraoperative bleeding and irrigating fluid absorption during transurethral resection of prostate (TURP).

METHODSEighty patients with benign prostate hypertrophy undergoing TURP were divided into two groups: 40 patients were pretreated with finasteride for 7 to 14 days before TURP and 40 patients without pretreatment. Absorption of irrigating fluid was quantified by analyzing the serum concentration of gentamycin. Intraoperative blood loss was calculated based on hemoglobin concentrations before and after operation.

RESULTThe whole blood loss, hemoglobin concentration of irrigating fluid used, blood loss per minute, blood loss per gram tissue resected, whole irrigation absorption, irrigation absorption per minute and per gram tissue resected in patients pretreated with finasteride were significantly less than those in patients without pretreatment (P<0.05). The blood transfusion volume, the incidence of hypotension and hyponatremia in patients pretreated with finasteride were significantly less than those in patients without pretreatment (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONPretreatment with finasteride is of value in reducing intraoperative bleeding, irrigation absorption and perioperative complication during TURP.

Absorption ; Aged ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; prevention & control ; Finasteride ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; surgery ; Therapeutic Irrigation ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate

OBJECTIVESTo compare the postoperative complications and survival of standard pancreatoduodenectomy (SPD) and extended pancreatoduodenectomy (EPD) in patients with resectable adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas.

METHODSBetween January 1994 and December 2011, 165 patients with biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head were treated in West China Hospital, among whom 93 underwent SPD and 72 had EPD. Complications and survival after the surgery were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSThe median operation time of the EPD group was longer compared with the SPD group (375 minutes vs.310 minutes, P<0.01), the volume of blood transfusion was larger (700 mL vs.400 mL, P<0.05), while the median hospital stay (13.5 days vs.12 days, P=0.79) and the total complication rates were comparable (34.7% vs.32.4%, P=0.93). The total recurrence rates of the SPD and EPD groups were not significantly different (52.7% vs. 43.1%, P=0.83). No significant differences were found between the SPD and EPD groups in 1-year (81.7% vs. 86.1%), 3-year (38.7% vs. 43.1%), 5-year (16.7% vs. 19.4%), and median survivals (19.8 months vs. 23.2 months, P= 0.52).

CONCLUSIONThe postoperative complications and survival donot differ significantly between SPD and EPD.

Adenocarcinoma ; mortality ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; epidemiology ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; mortality ; surgery ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo analyze the impact of meticulousness of pathologists on the lymph node harvest after radical resection of invasive rectal carcinoma.

METHODSFrom January 2008 to May 2009, the clinical data of rectal cancer patients undergone operation were reviewed retrospectively. After multidisciplinary cooperation on rectal cancer, a new rule was applied to request the pathologists to find no less than 15 nodes in single colorectal specimen from January 2009. Patients were divided into two groups (2008 group and 2009 group) and the node harvest numbers were compared. Excluded criteria were recurrent colorectal tumor, Tis tumor, R(1) or R(2) resection, tumor resection transanally or endoscopically, the cases enrolled in other prospective research, synchronous diseases affecting the surgical procedure for the rectal cancer (familial adenomatous polyposis, synchronous colorectal carcinoma) and rectal cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Statistical analysis was performed using One-Sample Kolmogorov- Smirnov test, Mann-Whitney test, Independent-Samples T test and Chi-Square test(SPSS 15.0).

RESULTSA total of 232 patients were identified, including 76 cases in the 2009 group and 156 cases in 2008 group. The lymph node retrieval in the 2009 group was significantly more than that in 2008 group (16.0+/-0.3 vs 11.4+/-0.3, P<0.01). A significantly higher percentage of patients was found in 2009 group with a lymph node harvest equal to or more than 12 nodes (72/76 vs 71/156, P<0.01). There were no significant differences in gender (46/76 vs 86/156, P=0.436), age (58.1+/-1.3 vs 59.2+/-1.1, P=0.527), distance from tumor to anal verge (7.4+/-0.4 vs 7.1+/-0.3, P=0.761), proportion of sphincter-sparing surgery (67/76 vs 140/156, P=0.715), ratio of well and moderate differentiated tumors (68/76 vs 125/156, P=0.074) and overall TNM stage (P=0.167) between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe lymph node harvest in 2009 group is significantly more than that in 2008 group. The good performance of pathologists could produce adequate number of lymph nodes for rectal cancer without neoadjuvant chemoradiation.

Biopsy ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Postoperative Period ; Rectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Rectum ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in small mammals from the forest area of Hengduan Mountains in southwestern China.

METHODSSmall mammals captured from Gaoligong and Xianggelila mountainous area of Yunnan province were detected by PCR amplification. The sequences of 16S rRNA and Msp4 gene fragments from positive samples were compared with corresponding sequences deposited in GenBank.

RESULTSA total number of 436 small animals, which belongs to 5 orders 18 genera 35 species were tested, 32 (7.34%) were positive in 6 genera 11 species. There were 8.64% (26/301) positive in 25 species at Goligong mountainous areas, and 4.44% (6/135) were positive in 19 species at the Xianggelila mountainous areas. Positive small mammals were most rodents. The nucleotide sequences of A.phagocytophilum 16S rRNA gene amplified from small mammals varied from 99% - 100% and were 99% - 100% similar with the corresponding segments of A. phagocytophilum from Jilin deposited in GeneBank. The sequences of A. phagocytophilum Msp4 gene showed that there was 95% - 97% similarity with the corresponding sequences registered in GenBank.

CONCLUSIONA. phagocytophilum was firstly identified in 6 genera 11 species small mammals from a forest area of Hengduan Mountainous areas in southwestern China. Rodents might serve as the primary hosts indicating the potential risk to the domestic animals and human beings in this area.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; classification ; genetics ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; Ehrlichiosis ; epidemiology ; veterinary ; Molecular Sequence Data ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics ; Rodentia ; microbiology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

AIMTo study the effect of antiparallel phosphorothioate triplex-forming oligonucleotide (apsTFO) matching with the shear stress response element (SSRE) of tissue factor (TF) gene promoter region on the expression of TF in endothelial cells (ECs) of rat common carotid artery stenosis.

METHODSThe model of common carotid artery middle segment stenosis was established by silica gel pipe loop ligation in SD rats. The mRNA expression and protein synthesis of TF, early growth response-1 (Egr-1) and specificity protein 1 (Sp1) were measured by in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) technique. GT21-apsTFO, GT20-apsTFO, GT20-psTFO and FITC-labeled apsTFO, matching with the SSRE of TF gene promoter region, were designed, and intravenously injected into rats at 0.5 h before operation. TFO was detected 4 h after the operation, and the mRNA expression and protein synthesis of TF, Egr-1 and Sp1 were detected 6 h after the operation.

RESULTSThere were much fluorescence in vascular tissue, especially in the nuclear of ECs 4.5 h after the injection of apsTFO. The mRNA expression and protein synthesis of TF reduced by 22% - 23% with injection of GT20-apsTFO 6.5 h after stenosis (P < 0.01) and by 10% - 11% with GT21-apsTFO at the same time (P < 0.05). The inhibition by GT20-apsTFO was stronger than that of the GT21-apsTFO (P < 0.05). The expression of TF was not inhibited by the GT20-psTFO (P > 0.05). The mRNA expression and protein synthesis of Egr-1 and Sp1 did not change in the rat treated with GT20-apsTFO, GT20-psTFO and GT21-apsTFO (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONapsTFO could mero-inhibit the expression of TF gene but could not change the expression of Egr-1 and Sp1 protein.

Animals ; Carotid Stenosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Early Growth Response Protein 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Male ; Oligonucleotides ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Shear Strength ; Sp1 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Stress, Mechanical ; Thromboplastin ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To evaluate the predictive effect of baseline hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)on virological response in HBeAg -positive chronic hepatitis B patients treated with pegylated interferon (PEG -IFN ) α-2b. Methods The retrospective analysis compared the treatment efficacy of PEG -IFN α-2b in 55 cases of HBeAg -positive chronic hepatitis B patients with different baseline HBsAg levels.Serum HBV DNA load was measured at baseline and after 1 2,24,and 48 weeks of the therapy.Virological response was defined as HBV DNA <1 000 IU /ml.Serum HBsAg titers were quantitatively assayed at baseline,1 2 and 24 weeks.Results 1 8 patients had baseline HBsAg levels greater than 20 000 IU /ml(Group A),26 patients had baseline HBsAg levels between 1 500 and 20 000 IU /ml(Group B)and 1 1 patients had baseline HBsAg levels less than 1 500 IU /ml(Group C)after 48 weeks treatment with PEG -IFNα-2b.The achieved virological response rates of the three groups were 1 6.67%,42.31 % and 63.64% respectively with a statistically significant difference between group A and C (P <0.05).1 3 patients had HBsAg levels declined greater than 0.5 log1 0 and 30 patients had HBsAg levels declined less than 0.5 log1 0 at week 1 2 and the achieved virological response rates were 1 6.67%,46.2% and 33.3% respectively without statistically significant difference (P >0.05).1 6 patients with HBsAg
levels greater than 20 000 IU /ml after treatment of 24 weeks did not achieve virological response after treatment of 48 weeks.Conclusion Baseline HBsAg levels in combination with HBV DNA quantitative value may become an effective predictor for guiding optimal therapy with PEG -IFN α-2b against HBeAg -positive chronic hepatitis B.

Objective To characterize the biological characteristics of natural vectors of Yesinia (Y.) pestis in China.Methods Species and genera of natural vectors of Y.pestis in China and their faunal distribution were characterized with modem insect taxonomic techniques.The ecological roles of natural vectors of Y.pestis in natural plague foci were determined according to insect ecological experiments.Results There were 63 species of natural vectors of Y.pestis including 28 major reservoirs and 35 secondary ones.Conclusion The biology characteristics of major vectors on Y.pestis and their roles in natural plague foci were defined.