Animals ; Collateral Circulation ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Regeneration ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Ventricular Remodeling

OBJECTIVETo search for a convenient and effective needling method for treatment of hiccup.

METHODSNinety-four cases were randomly divided into treatment group treated by acupuncture at Tianding (LI 17) and a control group treated by selected routine acupoints, 47 cases in each group. They were respectively treated based on differentiation of symptoms and signs for less than 10 sessions, and their therapeutic effects were compared.

RESULTSThe therapeutic effects on primary excess syndrome of intractable hiccup in the two groups were superior to that secondary deficiency syndrome (both P < 0.05); there was no significant difference between the two groups in the therapeutic effect (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture at Tianding (LI 17) is a convenient method for hiccup with a definite therapeutic effect.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Hiccup ; therapy ; Humans ; Syndrome

Objective To investigate the hepatoprotective effect of silybin-phosphatidylcholine complex(SPC) in sepsis rats.Me-(thods) Fifty Wistar immature rats were randomly divided into 3 groups:normal control(10 cases),septic group(30 cases) and interfe-(rence) group(10 cases).In septic group and interference group,rats were treated by cecal ligation and puncture(CLP).Meanwhile,the interference group was given SPC before 2 hours of CLP and after 2 hours of CLP.Blood of rats was taken from all groups to determine the levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-?(TNF-?),interleukin-1(IL-1),alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) at varying intervals.Results The levels of serum TNF-?,IL-1,ALT and AST after CLP were significantly elevated in septic group compared with the normal control group(P

Objective: To select the telomerase positive cancer cell lines of gastrointestinal tract and to provide a convinced methodology for future telomerase study. Methods: Fifteen cancer cell lines (carcinoma of stomach 4, of liver 6, of pancreas 2, of colon 3) were cultured and telomerase activity were detected by TRAP-ELISA. The normal hepatic cells were taken as control. Results: Thirteen cell lines were telomerase positive in the 15 lines(86.7%). Conclusion: Most of gastrointestinal tract cancer lines express telomerase, indicating the detection of telomerase activity has clinical potential.

Objective: To select the telomerase positive cancer cell lines of gastrointestinal tract and to provide a convinced methodology for future telomerase study. Methods: Fifteen cancer cell lines (carcinoma of stomach 4, of liver 6, of pancreas 2, of colon 3) were cultured and telomerase activity were detected by TRAP-ELISA. The normal hepatic cells were taken as control. Results: Thirteen cell lines were telomerase positive in the 15 lines(86.7%). Conclusion: Most of gastrointestinal tract cancer lines express telomerase, indicating the detection of telomerase activity has clinical potential.

Ticks are obligate ectoparasites and vectors of arboviruses, vickettsiate, spirochetes and parasitil protozoa of humans and domestic animals. Immunological protection of mammalian hosts against tick infestation has been proposed as the most sustainable alternative tick control method to the current use of acaricides. The success of this method is dependent on the identification of key molecules for use as tick vaccine antigens. Proteolytic enzymes are involved in a wide range of cellular processes, thus they can be considered as good target antigens for a tick vaccine. In the present study, we used rapid amplification of cDNA ends protocol and primers that were designed based on the consensus amino acid motifs flanking present in all papain-like cysteine proteinases, to amplify, sequence and characterize two Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides haemaphysaloides cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinases, named as cysA and cysB. The full length of cysA is 1168bp, encoding a 332 amino acid residue polypeptide with 36.33kD predicted molecular mass; the full length of cysB is 1153bp, encoding a 335 amino acid residue polypeptide with 37.56kD predicted molecular mass. The consensus amino acid motifs flanking presence in both deduced amino acid sequences. And both genes show high sequence homology to other tick cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinase, so they were identified as members of the cysteine proteinase gene family. Expression analysis by RT-PCR revealed that cysA and cysB were expressed differently in different periods of tick development.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Cathepsin L ; Cathepsins ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Cysteine Endopeptidases ; genetics ; Female ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rhipicephalus ; enzymology ; Sequence Analysis

Astrocytoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Brain Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Frizzled Receptors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glioblastoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glioma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Paraffin Embedding ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; genetics ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Wnt2 Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; beta Catenin ; genetics ; metabolism

Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the alterations in coagulation in patients during conditioning with modified busulfan plus cyclophosphamide (BU/CY) +/- antithymocyte globulin (ATG) regimen before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), and to assess the effect of ATG on coagulation system.

METHODSThirty-five patients with various hematological malignancies undergoing allo-HSCT were assessed. Of them, 19 patients with HLA-matched sibling donors (group A) were conditioned with modified BU/CY regimen, 16 with HLA-mismatched family members or HLA-matched unrelated donors (group B) were conditioned with modified BU/CY + ATG regimen. Blood samples were collected before the beginning of conditioning till d + 1 after allo-HSCT. The following parameters were measured: prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (Fg), antithrombin (AT), D-Dimer, fibrin degradation product (FDP), platelet (BPC), liver enzymes and bilirubin. FVIII: C, FIX: C, FXI: C and FXII: C in prolonged APTT blood samples were also determined. Clinical hemorrhagic symptoms were monitored.

RESULTSDuring conditioning, temporary lengthening of APTT, persistent rising in Fg and declining of BPC were observed in the two groups. Alterations of Fg and BPC were more significant in group B than in group A. Transient D-Dimer increase occurred only in group B on administration of ATG. Among intrinsic pathway coagulation factors, FXII: C and FXI: C were commonly decreased while APTT prolonged. No difference between the two groups was found with regard to PT, FDP, AT and liver parameters which remained in normal ranges. Most of patients in the two groups did not have overt bleeding manifestations.

CONCLUSIONSModified BU/CY +/- ATG conditioning regimen can induce subclinical alterations in coagulation. The regimen containing ATG has more significant effect on coagulation parameters.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antilymphocyte Serum ; therapeutic use ; Blood Coagulation ; drug effects ; Child ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Prothrombin Time ; Transplantation Conditioning ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo identify the relationship between amino acid mutations in Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates and their antibiotic resistance.

METHODSPI gene fragments of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from 17 clinical isolates were obtained with PCR amplification. They were cloned into the PCR cloning vector pBS-T to form pBS-T-PI and sequenced. The sequences of PI genes were analyzed. At the same time, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of penicillin and tetracycline to these 17 isolates were measured and contrasted with the corresponding PI sequence.

RESULTSThe recombinants of PI gene from 17 clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were successfully constructed and sequenced. They were divided into PIA and PIB subtypes according to the results from blastn software by comparing the sequences with the GenBank. Mutations were found at the sites of 120 and 121. There were only some of the sequences having an aspartic acid (D) mutation on 120 and 121 sites, which was not the same as reported. On the other hand,there were two PI sequences,5-9 and 6-1, whose mutations on No. 120 were lysine, similar to those documented.

CONCLUSIONSome relationship between PI amino acids mutations at sites 120 and 121 in Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from Chengdu, China and their resistance to penicillin and tetracycline were found. However,further studies need to be done in the future to confirm this hypothesis.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA, Bacterial ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Mutation ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Polymerase Chain Reaction