Objective To screen the conservative,stable and specific DNA signature sequence in the plasmid of Yersinia pestis.Methods Specific validation trials and stability of the qualification test were carried out to 40 strains of Yersinia pestis,47 strains of non-Yersinia pestis of home and wild types of rodent in Yunnan,by using 32 DNA sequences derived from Yersinia pestis in the plasmid and conventional PCR technology,and Yersinia pestis vaccine strain EV76 as a positive control.Results Four pairs of relatively conservative,stable and specific DNA marker genes were screened:YPMT1.05c,YPMT1.03c,YPMT1.42 and YPMT1.04c.Conclusions The 4 pairs of Yersinia pestis DNA signature sequences can be used for rapid diagnosis of plague.

Objective To investigate the effect of 3 concentrations of sevoflurane pretreatment on acute lung injury induced by endotoxin in rats. Methods Thirty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:a control group(Group A), a sevoflurane group(Group B), a 3.6% sevoflurane pretreatment group(Group C), a 2.4% Sevoflurane pretreatment group(Group D), a 1.2% sevo sevoflurane pretreatment group(Group E), and lipopolysaccharide (Group F).The rats were killed 6 h after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline injection.Histological examinations of the lung tissues were performed with light microscope. Lung wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) mRNA expression were assayed. Results Introvenous LPS significantly aggravated lung tissue damage,increased lung W/D ratio, MPO activity, and lung ICAM-1 mRNA expression compared with the control group(P＜0.05). Precondition with 2.4% sevoflurane significantly attenuated the above mentioned changes induced by LPS (P＜0.05). The 3.6% LPS (Group C) significantly attenuated lung tissue damage and decreased MPO activity,lung ICAM-1 mRNA expression compared with the Group F (P＜0.05),but no significant change in lung W/D ratio was seen (P＞0.05). MPO activity was significantly decreased in Group E (P＜0.05), but lung W/D ratio and lung ICAM- 1 mRNA expression had no significant changes (P＞0.05).Conclusion Precondition with 2.4% sevoflurane can reduce LPS induced lung injury in rats. Decreased expression of ICAM-1 and less accumulation of neutrophils were participated in its mechanism.

Adult ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; physiopathology ; Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Heart ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Sports ; Stress, Psychological ; physiopathology

AlM: To investigate the association between the degree of anterioruveitis and related factors including inflammatory markers as well as sacroiliac joint imaging in patients with ankylosing spondylitis ( AS) .
METHODS: Anterior changes evaluated by slit lamp, erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( ESR ) , C - reactive protein ( CRP ) and magnetic resonance imaging of 55 cases with AS associateduveitis were retrospectively analyzed. A modified endotoxin-induced uveitis ( ElU ) clinical standard was used for uveitis grading. SPARCC sacroiliac scoring was used to evaluate bone edema of sacroiliac joint. The correlation between the degree of uveitis and sacroiliitis was assessed.
RESULTS: ln the 55 patients with AS, ElU grading scored 2-10, and SPARCC index scored 0-22. Further analysis showed that the severity of uveitis was significantly correlated with ESR (r=0. 869, P<0. 001) and CRP (r=0. 485, P<0. 001). The degree of anterior uveitis in AS patients was not correlated with inflammation of sacroiliac joint (r=0. 237, P=0. 081).
CONCLUSlON: Local autoimmunity of uveitis and sacroiliac joint inflammation with subsequent bone formation in AS might be mutually independent processes.

Objective To observe the influence of coal burning fluorosis on learning and memory ability in rats and reveal its possible mechanisms. Methods Healthy 48 SD rats were divided into control, low-fluoride and high-fluoride group. All rats in fluoride exposed groups were fed with the eom polluted by drying processes with burning coal containing high level of fluoride obtained from the endemic fluorosis area to produce the animal model of fluorosis. The experiment period were 3,6 mouths, respectively. The ability of leaning and memory was measured by Morris test and cholinesterase activity detected by photometric method at 3 or 6 month after experiment, respectively. Results Fluoride contents signifieantlly influenced the escape latency, the numbers of crossing the platforms and the time of staying the platforms(the value of F was 29.29,6.47,6.50, respectively, P<0.01).In addition, the numbers of crossing the platforms and the time of staying the platforms were influenced by the exposed time(the value of F was 16.11,45.59, P<0.01). Furthermore, the fluoride contents and the exposed time had an interaction between the numbers of crossing the platforms and the time of staying the platforms (the value of F was 4.67,5.68, P<0.05 or<0.01). Three months after the experiment, the mean values of escape latency [(14.71± 4.85)s] of rats in highly fluoride exposed group were significantly prolonged as compared with controls [(9.28±4.22)s]; 6 month after the experiment, the mean values of escape latency[(12.42±8.03)s, (17.48± 8.05)s] of rats in both groups exposed to fluoride were significantly prolonged as compared to controls [(7.04± 3.29)s, P<0.05]. The decreased numbers of crossing the platforms[(1.62±0.87)number] and the declined time of staying the platforms[(16.70±5.02)s] were found in the rats exposed to high fluoride as compared to controls [(3.53±1.67 )number, (23.33±5.35)s, P<0.05]. The fluoride contents obviously influenced the activities of acetylcholinesterase and butylcolinesterase (the value of F was 12.83,13.27, P<0.01). On the other hand, the times of breeding also influnced the activities of butylcolinesterase (the value of F was 16.26, P<0.01). In 3 months of the experiment, the activities of butylcolinesterase [(0.55±0.12)kU/g] in low fluoride exposed group were significantly decreased in comparison with controls[(0.73±0.10)kU/g, P<0.05]. The activities of acetylcholinesterase[(0.62±0.42)kU/g] and butylcolioesterase[(0.58±0.10)kU/g] in high fluoride group were significantly decreased as compared to eontrois[(1.41±0.52), (0.73±0.10)kU/g, P<0.05]. The correlation analysis showed that there was a negative correlation between the cholinesterase and the escape latency(r=-0.68, P< 0.01), and a positive correlation between the cholinesterase and the time of staying the platforms(r=0.57, P< 0.01). Conclusions The ability of learning and memory in rats with coal buring fluorosis was decreased, which might be connected to the decreased activity of cholinesterase in a dose-effect correlation.

Animals ; Female ; Fluorosis, Dental ; blood ; etiology ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; blood ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sinoatrial Node ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Sodium Fluoride ; poisoning ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood

Adult ; Herpes Zoster ; etiology ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation

Objective To investigate the effects of quetiapine on serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factors ( BDNF) and the correlation between BDNF and psychiatric symptoms and cognitive function in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Methods Eighty patients with first-episode schizophrenia ( treatment group) were treated with quetiapine orally for 4 weeks,at initial dose of 100 mg·d-1 and average dose of (580±120) mg·d-1 . The psychiatric symptoms were evaluated by using the positive and negative syndrome scale ( PANSS) . The cognitive function was assessed by using Wisconsin cards sort test ( WCST) . The serum BDNF level was detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA) . Results The serum level of BDNF was markedly lower in schizophrenic patients before[(13. 72±8. 79) ng·mL-1,P<0. 01] and after treatment[(18. 02±9.06) ng·mL-1,P<0.05]in comparison with normal controls(23. 67±10. 13) ng·mL-1]. After treatment,the PANSS total scores and subscale scores decreased,WCST number of categories and the number of correct answers increased,and the number of wrong answers reduced. There was a positive correlation between the serum BDNF and negative symptoms ( SANS) ( r= 0. 54, P=0. 032),and the number of correct answers. Conclusion The quetiapine significantly increases serum level of BDNF in schizophrenia patients,which correlates positively with improvements in symptoms and cognitive function.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Facial Paralysis ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Punctures ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the expression of extraeellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2)pathway in rat brains with fluorosis and the effects of fluoride on learning and memory of the rats,and to reveal the mechanisms of damaged nervous system resulted from the toxicity of the ion.Methods Seventy-two SD rats were divided into 3 groups and 24 rats were in each group.Three groups were fed respectively with different concentrations of fluoride(NaF)for 6 months to establish rat models with fluorosis.Controls were fed with tap water (NaF＜0.5 mg/L):lower and higher concentration group were fed with water containing NaF(5,50 ms/L).Animals are sacrificed after 6 months of treatment with fluoride and the dissected brains were kept for analysis.The protein levels of ERK1/2 in rat brains were detected by Western-blotting and the mRNA level by RT-PCR. The spatial learning and memorizing ability was measured by Morris water maze test. Results The ERK1/2 protein in control group,lower and higher concentration group was 0.944±0.10,1.253±0.02,1.953±0.07,the differece being statistieally sighificant between any two groups (P ＜ 0.05). The phospho-ERKl/2 protein in control group,lower and higher concentration group was 0.73±0.08,0.77±0.07,1.28±0.11,the differece being statistieally sighificant between any two groups(P ＜ 0.05);the activation rate of phospho-ERK1/2 in lower and higher concentration group [(68.4± 3.8)%,(64.1±3.2)%] was decreased compared to control group[ (82.3±10.7)%],the differece being significant(P ＜ 0.05). In the navigation trial,longer escape latencies of lower concentration group on the second, the third,the fifth and the sixth day were observed[ (46.0±8.0),(24.0±2.7),(8.9±5.3),(7.4±4.1 )s] compared to the control[ (39.3±6.9),(19.1±9.1 ),(8.3±3.4),(4.8±2.7)s],the differece being significant (P ＜ 0.05 or ＜ 0.01 );the similar results were also observed in the higher concentration group[ (36.9±16.8),(37.7±12.9), (19.7±7.6),(12.2±5.7 )s],and the escape latencies of the higher concentration group on the third,the fifth and the sixth day were longer than that in lower concentration group. In the probe test,the rats took more time to reach the first cross in lower and higher concentration group[(1.17±0.75),(4.18±1.10)s] than control group[ (5.89± 0.56 ) s ],the differece being significant (P ＜ 0.05 or ＜ 0.01 ) ;stayed shorter [ ( 17.05±4.25 ),(18.20±4.57 ) s ] than control [(25.37±5.65 )s ] in platform area (P ＜ 0.01 );the activation rates of ERK1/2 were directly correlated with the time taken to reach the first cross platform located in the probe test(r = 0.364,P ＜ 0.05) and the activation rates were also directly correlated with the escape latencies on the sixth day(r = 0.497,P ＜ 0.05). Conclusion Long-term exposure of excessive fluoride induces the change of expression and activating rate of the ERK1/2 in rat brains,leading to the decreased capacity of learning and memory.