Objective To assess the application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in evaluation of the renal cortical and medullary perfusion changes before and after acute renal failure (ARF) in rabbits. Methods Rabbit ARF models were established with intramuscular 50% glycerin (12-15 ml/kg) injection into rabbits' thighs. One day before and after ARF models establishment, CEUS was performed on each rabbit. The renal perfusion time-intensity curve (TIC) was analyzed, including parameters like AT (arrival time), TTP (time to peak intensity), A (amplitude of peak intensity), AUC (area under the curve), β (slope rate of TIC) of renal cortex and medulla. Results The value of A and β before model establishment was (17.36±13.73) dB and (5.38±2.08) dB/s, respectively, both was significantly higher than those after glycerin injection ([6.59±4.25] dB and [1.58±1.41] dB/s, respectively) (P<0.05). The value of TTP and AUC before model establishment was (2.46±1.76) s and (329.31±171.70) dBs, both was significantly lower than those after injection ([5.93±4.80] s and [722.28±354.14] dBs, respectively) (P<0.05). No significant difference was found in AT of renal cortex and AT, A, TTP, AUC, β of renal medulla, nor in SCr or BUN. Conclusion CEUS can display the changes of perfusion image of the renal cortex of the ARF earlier than SCr and BUN.

Objective:To explore significance of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)and N terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)for diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome and its guidance of treatment.Methods:A total of 124 cases with definite organic heart disease and sudden respiratory distress syndrome (measurement group) received measurement of BNP and NT-proBNP to judge whether they suffered from heart failure or not.Another 110 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome but no receiving BNP and NT-proBNP measurement were en-rolled as no measurement control group.Relevant data,including diagnosis time,length of hospital stay,hospitali-zation cost and mortality rate etc,were collected in all patients.Results:Compared with no measurement control group,there were significant reductions in diagnosis time [(24.2±6.4)min vs.(16.3±5.2)min],length of hospi-tal stay [(12.5±3.5)d vs.(8.5±4.5)d]and mortality rate (8.18% vs.4.84%)in measurement group,P<0.05 all;there was no significant difference in mean hospitalization cost between two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion:Measurement of brain natriuretic peptide and N terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide possesses important value for early diagnosis,elevating therapeutic effect and improving prognosis in patients with acute respiratory distress syn-drome.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effectiveness of transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy (TUSV) combined with finasteride in the treatment of recurrent hemospermia.

METHODSThis study included 32 patients with recurrent hematospermia, with the disease course of 3 months to 4 years. After administration of finasteride at 5 mg/d for 2 weeks, the patients underwent TUSV for both exploration of the causes and treatment, followed by medication with finasteride at the same dose for another 2 weeks. Postoperative follow-up was conducted for observation of the outcomes and complications.

RESULTSTUSV was successfully accomplished in all the 32 cases, which revealed 16 cases of seminal vesiculitis, 10 seminal calculi, 1 seminal vesicle cyst, 2 seminal vesicle polyps, and 3 seminal vesicle abscess. The operative time was 20 to 51 (31.0 +/- 5.2) minutes. Postoperative complications included 1 case of acute epididymitis and 3 cases of breast discomfort within the first 4 weeks. No incontinence, urethral stricture, rectal injury, retrograde ejaculation, and sexual dysfunction occurred postoperatively. All the patients but 1 were followed up for 6 months to 2 years. Twenty-nine of the cases were cured, and 2 experienced recurrence.

CONCLUSIONTransurethral seminal vesiculoscopy combined with finasteride is safe and effective for the treatment of recurrent hemospermia.

Adult ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Finasteride ; therapeutic use ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemospermia ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of 6-gingerol, the main active component of ginger, on hair shaft elongation in vitro and hair growth in vivo.

METHODSFirstly, Hair follicles were co-cultured with 3 different concentration of 6-gingerol for 5 days and hair elongation in three groups was measured. Secondly, The proliferative effect of 6-gingerol on DPCs was measured using MTT assay. Thirdly, the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in DPCs were measured using Western blotting. In vivo study, the influence of 6-gingerol on hair growth in C57BL/6 rats was measured through topical application of 6-gingerol on the dorsal skin of each animal.

RESULTSThe length of hair shaft in 20 microg/ml 6-Gingerol group (0.50 +/- 0.08 mm) is less than 0 microg/ml (0.66 +/- 0.19) mm and 10 microg/ml (0.64 +/- 0.03) mm 6-Gingerol group (P < 0.05). In cell culture, compared to 0 microg/ml and 5 microg/ml 6-Gingerol, 10 microg/ml 6-Gingerol can significantly inhibited the proliferation of DPCs (P < 0.05). Along with the growth inhibition of DPCs by 6-gingerol, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio increased obviously. In vivo study, the hair length and density decreased a lot after using 1 mg/ml 6-gingerol.

CONCLUSIONS6-Gingerol can suppress human hair shaft elongation because it has pro-apoptotic effects on DPCs via increasing Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. It might inhibit hair growth by prolonging the telogen stage in vivo.

Animals ; Catechols ; pharmacology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cells, Cultured ; Fatty Alcohols ; pharmacology ; Hair ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Hair Follicle ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

Objective To explore the effects of polymorphisms of Crohn's disease related NOD2 gene and human beta-defensin 2 (hBD-2) on transcription of hBD-2 gene and its mechanism. Methods HEK293T cells were transfected with hBD-2 gene and NOD2 eukaryotic expression plasmid, and were then stimulated with LPS, TNF-α, or BAY 11-7082 (antagonist of NF-κB), respectively. Transcriptional activity of hBD-2 was detected afterwards. Results LPS could suppress transcription of hBD-2 (P=0. 020), which was increased by TNF-α in a dose-dependent manner (P =0. 004). In the presence of LPS, there was sig-nificant difference in transcriptional activity of hBD-2 between wild-NOD2 transfected group and mutated NOD2 (P268S) transfected group (P=0. 008), but there was no significant difference between wild hBD-2 transfected group and mutated hBD-2 transfected group (P=0. 053). With the stimulation of TNF-α (5 ng/ml), there was a significant difference between mutated hBD-2 transfected group and wild hBD-2 transfected group (P=0. 006), but no significant difference between wild-NOD2 transfected and mutated NOD2 transfected group was defected (P = 0. 064). Pretreatment with BAY 11-7082 before TNF-α (5 ng/ml) significantly inhibited the transcriptional activity of hBD-2 (P < 0. 001). Conclusion The poly-morphism of NOD2 affects the innate expression of hBD-2, the polymorphism of site in hBD-2 promoter (-233) may lead to significant decline of the inducible expression of hBD-2, and NF-κB might be a key pathway that NOD2 protein mediates the expression of defensin.

Objective To investigate the association of two single nuclear peptides(SNPs)polymorphisms(rs11209026 and rs11805303)which lies in interleukin-23 receptor(IL23R)gene with susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).Methods The target SNPs were directly sequenced by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)and gene polymorphisms of 50 healthy and 81 patients with IBD (Crohn's disease in 41 patients and ulcerative colitis in 40 patients)were analyzed using chromassoftware.Results The geno-type frequency and allelic frequency of rs11209026 were 7.3%and 3.7%in patients with Crohn's disease respectively,15.0%and 7.5%in patients with ulcerative colitis respectively as well as 14.0%and 7.0%in normal population respectively(all P value＞0.05).The geno-type frequency and allelic frequency of rs11805303 were 22.0%and 52.4%in patients with Crohn's disease respectively,15.0% and 41.2% in patients with ulcerative colitis respectively as well as 34.0%and 59.0%in normal population respectively(all P value＞0.05).But in allelic frequency there was significant difference between ulcerative colitis patients and normal population(P=0.018).The polymorphisms of rs11805303 loci did not correlate with age,gender,disease duration.activity and site in patients with ulcerative colitis.Conclusions IL23R gene polymorphism is not associated with the susceptibility to Crohn's disease.rs11805303 allele may be related with susceptibility to ulcerative colitis.But no correlation was found between the SNP polymorphisms and the clinical characteristic of ulcerative colitis.

Objective　To study the expression of p73 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the relationship between p73 expression and clinico-pathological parameters. Methods　Expression of p7 3 gene was detected by RT-PCR in 32 human NSCLC tissues, tissues adjacent to ca ncer and non-cancer lung tissues. Results　p73 gene expression up-regulated substantially and detected in 87.5%(28/32) of human NSCLC tissues while expressed at low level in tissues adjacent to cancer and non-cancer lung tissues. Conclusion　Marked up-regulation of p73 gene expres sion is found in human NSCLC.

Objective To investigate the correlation of Bax and apoptosis in enterocytes of neonatal rats with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).Methods Forty-eight neonatal rats (1 day) were randomly divided into control group (n =24) and NEC model group (n =24) by use of odd and even.The rats in control group were maternal breast-fed.The rats in NEC model group were separated from their mothers.To be given formula feeding,cold exposure after hypoxic-reoxygenation treatment.The intestinal tissue located at the boundary of ileum and caecum of two groups were gained on the 24 h,48 h and 72 h with which that all rats were sacrificed by cutting neck.Section of intestinal tissue were stained with immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of Bax and were stained with TdT mediated dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) to evaluate the apoptosis in each group.Results The integrate optical density (IOD) value of expression of Bax in the NEC model group began to increase on the 24 h [(1 005.06-± 11.96) IOD] and reached the summit on the 72 h [(3 340.66 ±68.72)] compared with the control group[(666.55 ± 15.77)IOD].A few of TUNEL positive cells began to increase with time dependence.A lot of TUNEL positive cells could be found in NEC model group on the 24 h [(15.04 ± 0.24) ％],and the apoptotic index reached the peak on the 72 h [(35.65 ±0.61) ％] compared with the control group[(4.73 ±0.04) ％,P ＜0.01]-There was a significantly positive correlation between the cell apoptosis and the ratio change of Bax in NEC model group (r =0.94,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion There is a significantly positive correlation between the cell apoptosis and the ratio change of Bax in enterocytes of neonatal rats with NEC.The cell apoptosis in enterocytes of neonatal rats with NEC maybe be induced by Bax.

Coprinus comatus cultivated on cotton seed hull medium decomposed lignocellulose straggly and was high of absolute biological efficiency. Lignocellulose is the main carbon source for the fruiting stage of the fungus. There existed the positive correlation between the degradation rates of the cellulose and hemicellulose in the medium and the activities of extracellular CMCase (carboxymenthelcel lulase), FPase (filter paper cellulase) and HCase (hemicellu-lase), there also existed the positive correlation between the degradation rate of the lignin in the medium and the activity of extracellular laccase, but no correlation between the degradatio rate of the lignin in the medium and the activity of peroxidase. The activity of extracellular amylase was comparatively high at mycelial growth stage, and the protease activity peek was at teh time when the fruitbody matured.

OBJECTIVETo construct a p38 MAPK protein delivery system based on TAT protein and study its functions in eukaryotic cells.

METHODSRecombinant vectors pHis-TAT-p38 and pHis-TAT-p38(AF) were constructed, and two recombinant proteins, His-TAT-p38 and His-TAT-p38(AF), were expressed and purified in E. coli. The two fusion proteins were then incubated with ECV304 cells, respectively. The phosphorylation of ATF2 was detected to assay the effect of His-TAT-p38 on endogeneious p38 activity after the cells were stimulated by sorbitol.

RESULTSThe results of restriction enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing showed that the two recombinant vectors were correctly constructed. The recombinant proteins of His-TAT-p38 and His-TAT-p38(AF) were isolated and purified by SDS-PAGE, and Western blotting suggested that His-TAT-p38 and its mutant with dual phosphorylation sites could enter the cells efficiently in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. His-TAT-p38 was found capable of increasing the activity of endogenous p38 in ECV304 cells, but His-TAT-p38(AF) inhibited the phosphorylation of ATF2 so as to block the transduction of p38 signal pathway when the cells were stimulated with sorbitol.

CONCLUSIONp38 MAPK protein delivery system based on TAT protein has been constructed successfully. It is confirmed that TAT can transfer the proteins into the cells in a time- and dose-depended manner. TAT-p38 and its dominant negative form possess high biological activity after transduction into ECV304 cells by TAT protein delivery system, and the former can increase the activity of endogenous ATF2, but the latter inhibits the transduction of endogeneious p38 signal pathway in ECV304 cells with high osmotic stress.

Blotting, Western ; Cell Line ; Cell Membrane ; metabolism ; Eukaryotic Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Gene Products, tat ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Peptides ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Transport ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism