AIMTo study the chemical constituents of the stems of Opuntia vulgaris Mill(Cactaceae).

METHODSThe compounds of Opuntia vulgaris were isolated by chromatography of Amberlite Dowex 50 and silica gel, and identified by means of UV, IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR.

RESULTSThree compounds were isolated and identified as: opuntin B(I), 4-hydroxyproline(II) and tyrosine(III).

CONCLUSIONCompound I is a new alkaloid.

Hydroxyproline ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Maleimides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Opuntia ; chemistry ; Phenols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Tyrosine ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA, Viral ; genetics ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; drug effects ; genetics ; Female ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; genetics ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the constituents of Elsholtzia blanda.

METHODThe chemical components were isolated by polyamide and silica gel column chromatography. Their structures were identified with extensive spectral (EI-MS, ESI-MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, DEPT, 1H-1H-COSY, HMBC, HMQC) and chemical methods.

RESULTFive compounds were isolated and identified as luteolin (I), luteolin-5-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (II), luteolin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (III), 5-hydroxy-7, 8 -dimethoxyflavone (IV) and 5-hydroxy-6, 7-dimethoxyflavone (V).

CONCLUSIONCompounds III, IV, V were isolated from E. blanda for the first time and I was firstly separated from the genus Elsholtzia.

Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Lamiaceae ; chemistry ; Luteolin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Components, Aerial ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo assess the effects of seawater immersion of open abdominal wound and drowning on plasma electrolyte levels in dogs.

METHODSTwenty-one dogs with open abdominal wounds were randomly divided into 3 groups, namely the control group (n=7), seawater immersion group (n=7) and seawater immersion and drowning group (n=7). The dogs in the control group were subjected to simple open abdominal wound, and those in the latter two groups were immersed into seawater after the abdominal injury. The changes in the plasma electrolytes and osmotic pressure were observed after the treatments. RESULTS AMD CONCLUSION: Seawater immersion of the open abdominal wound results in hypematremia, hyperkalemia and hypertonic dehydration, and the effect is proportional to the length of immersion time, but seawater airway perfusion does not cause obvious changes of the plasma electrolytes and osmotic pressure in dogs.

Abdominal Injuries ; blood ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dogs ; Drowning ; Electrolytes ; blood ; Immersion ; Plasma ; chemistry ; Seawater

Crohn's disease is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology .In our country , the number of Crohn's disease has increased dramatically in the past 20 years due to changes in living conditions ,diet,schedule and so on.This has attrac-ted the attention of medical workers and medical researchers .In recent years ,more and more studies have been made on the etiology ,clinical characterization,diagnosis and treatment techniques,and drug therapy of Crohn's disease.These findings enrich the understanding of Crohn's disease and promote the updating of the diagnosis and treatment of Crohn 's disease.In this paper, the research progress in the diagnosis of Crohn' s disease at home and abroad in recent years has been sorted out for reference by medical and related researchers .

OBJECTIVETo analyze the correlations between increased spinal cord signal intensity on magnetic resonance images (MRI) and the clinical prognosis of compressive cervical myelopathy.

METHODSSixty-six patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy underwent surgeries through the anterior approach. In all the patients, the diagnoses were established on the basis of both neurological examination and MRI findings that showed spinal cord compression. The patients were divided into two groups according to preoperative MRI, namely isointense MRI T1/T2 signal group and iso/hyperintense MRI T1/T2 group. The JOA scores of the patients were evaluated before and at 6 and 12 months after the operation.

RESULTSThe patients were followed up for 12 to 38 months after the operation (mean 21 months), and no statistically significant difference were found in the pre- and postoperative JOA scores between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe peoperative hyperintense signals on T2 weighted MRI does not correlate to the prognosis of patients with compressive cervical myelopathy, who may also have favorable clinical outcomes after the operation.

Adult ; Cervical Vertebrae ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Spinal Cord Compression ; diagnosis ; etiology ; surgery ; Spinal Osteophytosis ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigating genetic effects of workers occupationally exposed to mercury (Hg).

METHODSThe peripheral lymphocytes from 20 workers exposed to mercury and 20 controls were measured with micronucleus test, comet assay, hrpt gene mutation test and TCR gene mutation test.

RESULTSThe mean micronuclei rate(MNR) and mean micronucleated cells rate(MCR) in 20 workers were (5.90 +/- 0.91) per thousand and (5.30 +/- 0.81) per thousand, respectively while MNR and MCR in controls were (1.50 +/- 0.47) per thousand and (1.30 +/- 0.31) per thousand respectively, The difference of MNR and MCR between workers and controls was very significant (P < 0.01). The mean tail length (MTL) of workers and controls were (3.16 +/- 0.31) and (0.99 +/- 0.07) microm, respectively. The mean tail moment (MTM) of workers and controls were 1.63 +/- 0.22 and 0.39 +/- 0.03, respectively, There was a significant difference in MTL and MTM between workers and controls(P < 0.01). When the average mutation frequencies (Mfs-hprt) of hprt and (Mfs-TCR) of TCR of workers were compared with those of controls, there were not significant difference (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe results of the investigation indicated that the adverse genetic effects in workers occupationally exposed to mercury could be detected.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Chemical Industry ; Comet Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mercury ; Micronucleus Tests ; Middle Aged ; Mutation Rate ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Young Adult

LG1 strain of avian influenza virus H9N2 was passaged continuously for 40 generations in chicken embryos with anti-LG1 maternal antibodies in 4 parallel experiments, of which 3 experiments had a stable mutation of "G" to "A" at #99 of the neuraminidase gene(NA)from the 20th passage resulting in a change of Met to Ile and 2 had a stable mutation of "A" to "G" at #473 of the NA gene from the 30th passage resulting in a change of Asn to Ser which occurred in the 50th passage of another experiment. Eighty continuous passages in chicken embryos without antibody did not have the same mutation, indicating that the mutations of the 2 positions were associated with selective pressure of antibodies. Analysis of the ratios of nonsynonium (NS) vs synonium (S) mutations of nucleic acids demonstrated that NS/S of 4 parallel experiments with antibodies was 4.6 (32/7) compared with 2.0 (16/8) of the 2 experiments without antibodies and this significant difference implied the selective pressure of antibodies.
Animals ; Antibodies, Viral ; immunology ; Chick Embryo ; Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype ; genetics ; immunology ; Mutation ; Neuraminidase ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics, risk factors and therapeutic outcome of Philadelphia chromosome-positive adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(+)aALL).

METHODSThe clinical data of 117 newly diagnosed adults with Ph(+)ALL in our hospital between January 1995 and December 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. And their prognoses were followed up.

RESULTSThere were 117(16.1%) of 727 aALL patients diagnosed as Ph(+)aALL. Among the 117 cases, 64.1% patients were classified as pre-B immunophenotype and 31.3% as common B immunophenotype, 37.5% patients with co-expression of myeloid antigens (CD13 or CD33), and 98.4% patients with positive CD34. The complete remission (CR) rate after 1 or 2 cycles of induction chemotherapy was 62.2% in Ph(+)aALL group versus 82% in Ph(-)aALL group (P = 0.000). The median disease-free survival time of Ph(+) group was 6 months and the median survival time was 9 months. Sole karyotype abnormality subgroup t(9;22) accounted for 53% of all Ph(+)aALL patients and additional karyotype abnormality subgroup, t(9;22) plus other chromosome variation, accounted for 47%. Patients in sole karyotype abnormality subgroup had slightly lower CR rate (59.6% vs 62.5%, P = 0.768), longer median survival time (7 months vs 4 months, P = 0.158), and higher 3-year overall survival rate (27.3% vs 14.4%, P = 0.271). For the myeloid antigen co-expressed patients and the only lymphocytic antigen expressed ones, CR rate was 56.0% and 61.5% (P = 0.750), the median survival time was 5 months and 4 months (P = 0.182), and the 3-year overall survival rate was 16.0% and 15.0% (P = 0.354), respectively. In the imatinib plus combination chemotherapy treatment group, 81.3% patients achieved CR, compared with that of 58.3% in patients treated with only traditional combination chemotherapy (P = 0.083). The median survival time was 9.5 months and 6 months (P = 0.003) in these two subgroup, and 3-year overall survival rate was 52.2% and 10.3% (P = 0.029), respectively. For the patients receiving allo-HSCT after CR and that receiving traditional consolidation chemotherapy, the median survival time was 15 months and 6 months (P = 0.000), and the 3-year overall survival rate was 62.0% and 10.3% (P = 0.000), respectively. For the patients receiving imatinib as consolidation-maintenance treatment and that receiving allo-HSCT, the median survival time was 12 months and 15 months (P = 0.300), and the 3-year overall survival rate was 64.7% and 62% (P = 0.505), respectively.

CONCLUSIONOf all adult ALL patients, the Ph(+) subgroup accounted for about 16.1%, which have unfavorable prognosis such as lower CR rate and shorter survival duration under traditional chemotherapy. Neither additional chromosome abnormalities to t(9;22) nor co-expression of myeloid antigen had negative effect on CR rate and survival duration. Addition of imatinib to the therapy was beneficial to improve the CR rate and survival duration. Either receiving imatinib as consolidation-maintenance treatment or allo-HSCT after complete remission can improve long-term survival rate of Ph(+) adult ALL group significantly.

Adult ; Benzamides ; Female ; Humans ; Imatinib Mesylate ; Male ; Philadelphia Chromosome ; Piperazines ; therapeutic use ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Prognosis ; Pyrimidines ; therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo develop fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) method and to evaluate the its typing capability with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in molecular typing of Vibrio cholerae.

METHODSForty-seven strains of V. cholerae, with different PFGE patterns, were selected as the reference group to optimize the selective primers of AFLP analysis. Eighty-three strains including 20 strains from one epidemic episode, isolated from different provinces during 1961 and 2005, were used to compare the typing abilities of AFLP and PFGE. LI-COR4300 DNA sequencing system was used for AFLP electrophoresis. The images were recorded by Saga(MX) software and transferred to BioNumerics for clustering analysis. A standard protocol for V. cholerae from PulseNet was used in PFGE.

RESULTSWhen comparison was made with different selective primers on AFLP based on the 47 strains, results showed that the optimized selective primer pair was EcoR I-G/Mse I-T, and the reproducibility of the tests was 99.2%. Eighty-three isolates showed 52 AFLP patterns and 44 PFGE patterns, with D values as 0.9545 (AFLP) and 0.9251 (PFGE) respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe protocol of fluorescent AFLP on V. cholerae typing was established. AFLP was higher than PFGE in discrimination of V. cholerae which could be used for molecular typing. When combined with PFGE, AFLP became a more insightful tool to identify genome difference of different isolates.

Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis ; methods ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Genotype ; Phylogeny ; Vibrio cholerae ; classification ; genetics