Antimicrobial peptides, a cluster of small peptides secreted by the majority of creatures, have been demonstrated with activity against a wide range of microorganisms including bacteria, protozoa, yeast, fungi, viruses and even tumor cells. These peptides have some features such as broad spectrum , high effi-cacy and stability, little drug resistance. A lack of new antibiotics combined with emerging multi-drug resis-tance issues demands that new antimicrobial strategies be explored for treating these infections. It has been proposed that the antimicrobial peptides might form the foundation for a new class of clinically useful an-timicrobials. We review the advantages of these molecules in construction features and bioactivity, with the focus on the mechanism and clinical applications.

7,8-Dihydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene 9,10-oxide ; toxicity ; Carcinogens ; toxicity ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo analysis the early complications of tibial fracture and its related factors, and propose a solution.

METHODSFrom December 2003 to December 2013,38 patients with early complications of tibial plateau fracture after operation were retrospectively analyzed. There were 35 males and 3 females, aged from 37 to 69 years old (averaged 42.3 years). According to Schatzker classification, 3 cases were classified as type II, 2 cases as type III, 2 cases as type IV, 19 cases as type V, 12 cases as type VI. The intervals between injury and operation ranged from 9 hours to 9 days, 26 cases within 3 days. Fifteen cases were treated with internal fixation of plates and 23 were treated by plate fixation and bone transplantation. Early complications included skin necrosis in 15 cases, infection in 6 cases, osteofascial compartment syndrome in 3 cases, common peroneal nerve injury in 2 cases, the superficial peroneal nerve injury in 3 cases, popliteal artery injury in 2 cases, loss of reduction in 7 cases.

RESULTSThe wound of 14 cases healed at the first stage and 24 cases healed delay. Hospitalization days ranged from 7 to 67 days (averaged 25.6 days). All patients were followed up for 12 to 36 months with an average of 16.4 months. The fracture healing time ranged from 3 to 9 months (averaged 6.9 months). According to Merchant knee function evaluation criteria, the results were excellent in 19 cases, good in 12, fair in 5 and poor in 2.

CONCLUSIONEarly complications of tibial fracture after operation is closely associated with the severe fracture complexity and related with preoperative preparation, surgical timing, operation incision selection and surgical technique. Early detection and timely processing reduce damage.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; therapy ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery

Thermostable alpha-amylase from Pyrococcus furious is an important industrial enzyme in brewing and alcohol production. Eexpression of the thermostable a-amylase in plants can reduce greatly costs in the production of alcohol using crop plants. A chloroplast expression vector, p64A, containing the thermostable alpha-amylase gene from Pyrococcus furious, was constructed with clpP-trnL-petB-chlL-rp123-rpl2 as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii plastid homologous recombinant fragments and spetinomycin-resistant aadA gene as select marker. The plasmid p64A was transferred into the chloroplast genome of C. reinhardtii by the biolistic method. Nine independently transformed lines were obtained by 100 mg/L spectinomycin selection. PCR amplification, Southern blot analysis of the transgene and cultivation in the dark all showed that the a-amylase gene had been integrated into chloroplast genome of C. reinhardtii. The activity of amylase expressed in the chloroplast of C. reinhardtii was detected by amylase activity assay and found to be as high as 77.5 u/g fresh weight of cells. These experimental results demonstrated the possibility of using transgenic chloroplasts of plant as bioreactors for production of industrial enzymes.
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ; genetics ; Chloroplasts ; genetics ; Enzyme Stability ; Plasmids ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pyrococcus furiosus ; enzymology ; alpha-Amylases ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism

Abscess ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Animals ; Bites and Stings ; complications ; Cats ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pasteurella multocida ; isolation & purification ; Skin Diseases, Bacterial ; drug therapy ; etiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the regulatory effect of potassium channel blocker (tetraethylammonium [TEA], aminopyridine [4-AP], glibenclamide [Glib]) on the proliferation of SD rat prostatic epithelial cells in vitro.

METHODSThe primary culture was prepared by collagenase dissociation of minced prostatic tissues. Cells were cultured in serum-free prostate epithelial cell growth media and identified by immunocytochemical studies. TEA and 4-AP at the concentration of 1, 5 and 10 mmol/L and Glib at the concentration of 10, 50 and 100 mol/L were added, and after 24, 48 and 72 hours of culturing, a cell column diagram was drawn and the cell number counted. The post-passage cell growth was observed by MTT assay and Hoechst33258 nucleus staining.

RESULTSThe cultured cells showed the typical morphological features of epithelia, with positive stain. MTT assay and Hoechst33258 staining showed that TEA, 4-AP and Glib at the increasing concentration effected different degrees of proliferation of prostatic epithelial cells after 24, 48 and 72 h (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe potassium channel blocker is a direct physiological regulator of the proliferation of SD rat prostatic epithelial cells.

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; Male ; Potassium Channel Blockers ; pharmacology ; Prostate ; cytology ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of total saponins of Rubus parviflolius (TSRP) on brain edema and blood brain barrier in rats.

METHODThe model of local cerebral ischemia was established in rats by reversible inserting a nylon thread into the anterior cerebral artery through the internal carotid artery brain hydrated amount and content change of Evan' s blue (EB) in cortex subjected to 2h middle cererbral artery occlusion (MACO) followed by 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h reperfusion and effect of TSRP. penetrability of blood brain-barrier (BBB) the index includes brain hydrated amount and penetrability of blood brain-barrier BBB.

RESULTCom- pared with I/R group. Both brain hydrated amount and the EB content decreased significantly in TSRP groups on the 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h of reperfusion after 2 hour of cerebral ischemia induced by MACO model.

CONCLUSIONTSRP could decrease brain hydrated amount and markedly lower permeability of blood-brain barrier subjected to 2 h MACO followed by 24 h reperfusion, and this may be a mechanism of TSRP alleviating brain edema during I/R.

Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; drug effects ; Brain Edema ; drug therapy ; etiology ; pathology ; Brain Ischemia ; complications ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; complications ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; complications ; Rosaceae ; chemistry ; Saponins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and optimal re-implantation time of two-stage revision for management of periprosthetic infection following hip arthroplasty.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 15 patients (15 hip joints) undergoing two-stage ipsilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA) revision from January, 2006 to January, 2010. In the first stage, after surgical debridement and thorough removal of all the implants, a self-made Vancomycin-loaded cement spacer was implanted. The second stage operation was performed 3-6 months later for debridement and removal of the antibiotic-loaded spacer, followed by re-implantation of Vancomycin-loaded bone cement prosthesis in 9 cases and cementless prosthesis in 6 cases. The patients were followed up for 9-46 months (mean 25 months) after the operation.

RESULTSNo reinfection or prosthesis loosening/displacement was found in these cases after the operation. The Harris score increased from 40.3 before the operation to 54.0 after the first-stage operation, and to 88.2 at the last follow-up.

CONCLUSIONTwo-stage revision is effective for treatment of periprosthetic infection following hip arthroplasty, and 3-6 months can be the optimal interval between the two the first-stage and second-stage operation for re-implantation.

Adult ; Aged ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; methods ; Female ; Hip Prosthesis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prosthesis-Related Infections ; surgery ; Reoperation ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the incidence rate of anterior knee pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and identify the related factors.

METHODSThis prospective, double-blind clinical trial involved a total of 128 patients scheduled for primary ipsilateral cemented three-component TKA for osteoarthrosis. The patients were randomized into two groups to receive operations for TKA with patellar resurfacing (experimental group) or not (control). The incidence of anterior knee pain was observed in these patients and the factor affecting the occurrence of anterior knee pain and knee was analyzed.

RESULTSThe patients were followed up for a mean of 16.5 months (range 6~24 months). The incidence rate of anterior knee pain was 10.9% (7/64) in the experimental group, showing no significant difference from the rate of 14.1% (9/64) in the control group. But the 52 patients with varus or valgus knee showed a significantly higher incidence rate of anterior knee pain (21.2%, 11/52).

CONCLUSIONTKA with patellar resurfacing can not decrease the incidence of anterior knee pain, and varus or valgus before the operation is associated with a higher risk of anterior knee pain.

Aged ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; adverse effects ; methods ; China ; epidemiology ; Denervation ; methods ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; blood supply ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; surgery ; Patella ; surgery ; Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome ; epidemiology ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effects of total glycosides Rubus parviflolius (TGRP) on local cerebral ischemic.

METHODThe local cerebral ischemia in rat was made by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MACO). The infraction weight was determined by TTC stain. SOD, MDA, GSH and apoptotis were determined with different method respectively.

RESULTTGRP 20, 10 mg x kg(-1) ig markedly improved the abnormal nervous symptoms, incredsed the SOD, GSH activity and reduced contentes of MDA in brain of MACO rat, TGRP 20 mg x kg(-1) ig significantly decreased the numbers of apoptotic cells in ischemic cortex.

CONCLUSIONTGRP has protective effects against cerebral infraction, and its mechanism may be related to anti-apoptotis and free radical.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Glycosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rosaceae ; chemistry