Air ; analysis ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Chromatography, Gas ; methods ; Octanes ; analysis ; Workplace

OBJECTIVELong time exhaled oxygen will induced oxygen toxicity. Some studies had found that different pathology may exised in normobaric and hyperbaric pulmonary oxygen toxicity, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) may play a role. In this study, we discussed the change of NOS in normobaric and hyperbaric pulmonary oxygen toxicity.

METHODSSixty male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n = 10), exposed to 1 ATA (atmosphere absolute), 1.5 ATA, 2 ATA, 2.5 ATA and 3 ATA, 100% oxygen for 56, 20, 10, 8, 6 hours respectively. Rats were exposed to air as control. After exposure, the protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), the wet/dry weight of lung and the expression of eNOS, nNOS in lung were defined.

RESULTSAs compared to air group, the protein in BALF, the wet/dry of lung were significantly elevated in 1.0 ATA group, while these changes were not so obviously in the other groups, and these changes in hyperbaric oxygen group (approximately 1.0 ATA) were significantly decreased as compared with nonnrmobaric oxygen group (1.0 ATA). The expression of nNOS were not changed in normobaric and hyperbaric pulmonary oxygen toxicity, while the expression of eNOS was significantly decreased in 2 ATA group, and significantly elevated in 2.5 ATA and 3 ATA group.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of eNOS can change when exposed to different pressures of oxygen.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Lung ; metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; metabolism ; Oxygen ; poisoning ; Pressure ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the hemodynamic changes of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) evolved from hepatic cirrhosis using CT perfusion imaging.

METHODSThirty-two patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma evolved from virus-induced fibrosis or cirrhosis underwent dynamic CT scanning of the target slices for 60 min. The perfusion parameters of the hepatic parenchyma and HCC including the blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT), permeability-surface area product (PS), hepatic arterial fraction (HAF), IRF time of arrival (IRF TO) were obtained. Paired-sample t test was used to determine the differences in the perfusion parameters between the hepatic parenchyma and the primary HCC mass.

RESULTSCompared with hepatic BF (117.13-/+31.05 ml/100 mg/min), BV (14.73-/+3.91 ml/100 mg), PS (31.93-/+5.91 ml/100 mg/min), HAF (25.02-/+8.19%), MTT (12.79-/+3.31 s), IRF TO (3.14-/+1.09 s), the primary HCC mass showed significant increments in the BF (239.69-/+96.07 ml/100 mg/min), BV (20.26-/+6.73 ml/100 mg), PS (37.50-/+9.50 ml/100 mg/min), HAF (68.97-/+15.22%) with decreased MTT (7.17-/+1.38 s) and IRF TO (2.42-/+0.94 s). Significant differences were found in all the perfusion parameters between the hepatic parenchyma and HCC (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONLiver perfusion parameters can represent the hemodynamic changes in the HCC derived from hepatic cirrhosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Hepatitis ; complications ; Humans ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Liver Cirrhosis ; complications ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Perfusion ; methods ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; instrumentation ; methods ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

AIMTo investigate the influence and mechanisms of 17beta-estradiol on the CTP: phosphorylcholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT) activity from cultured lung explants without serum.

METHODSWe detected the amount of [M-14C] choline incorporation into phosphatidylcholine so as to reflect CCT activity by liquid scintillation.

RESULTS(1) 17beta-estradiol increased the CCT activity in dose-dependence and time-dependence. (2) Both the protein kinase C inhibitor H-7 and calmodulin antagonist W-7 abolished the stimulatory effect of 17beta-estradiol (3 x 10(-6) mol/L) on the CCT activity.

CONCLUSION17beta-estradiol can increase CCT activity in cultured lung explants, its mechanism is related to protein kinase C and calmodulin.

Animals ; Calmodulin ; metabolism ; Choline-Phosphate Cytidylyltransferase ; metabolism ; Culture Media, Serum-Free ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Lung ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Male ; Protein Kinase C ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo speed up seedling production of pasqueflower (Puzlsatilla chinenses) and their modernization in pasqueflower.

METHODWith tissue culture method, primary culture of different explants, culture of cluster buds and their rooting culture were conducted on medium of treatment combinations of adding different hormones.

RESULTThe appropriate medium for different culture stages were MS + 6-BA 1.0-3.0 mg x L(-1) + NAA 0-0.05 mg x L(-1) + Sucrose 30 g x L(-1) in primary culture, MS + 6-BA 0.2 mg x L(-1) + NAA 0.02 mg x L(-1) + BR 0.00001 mg x L(-1) + Sucrose 30 g x L(-1) in differentiation and subculture of cluster buds, 1/2 MS + NAA 0.4 mg x L(-1) + Sucrose 20 g x L(-1) in rooting.

CONCLUSIONApplying stem tip and flower buds as explants, high frequency propagation of seedlings can be achieved with plant tissue culture in Pasqueflower.

Flowers ; growth & development ; Plant Growth Regulators ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; growth & development ; Plant Stems ; growth & development ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development ; Pulsatilla ; growth & development ; Seedlings ; growth & development ; Tissue Culture Techniques ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and the possible mechanism underlying the promotional effect of Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng on the transformation of bone narrow stem cells and proliferation of EPC.

METHODThe marrow blood was collected in the patients with ischemia of lower limbs and BM-MNCs were separated and proliferated under different conditions. A. morphologic observation was performed and the ratio of CD34+ cells was measured.

RESULTThe shuttle shaped cells lined up as bunches with several round cells scattered. The ratio of CD34+ cells was significantly increased in groups treated with medium (P < 0.01) and lower (P < 0.05) dosages of A. membranaceus and medium (P < 0.01) and high dosages (P < 0.01) of P. notoginseng respectively as compared with control group.

CONCLUSIONA. membranaceus and P. notoginseng can promote the transformation and proliferation of EPC.

Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Astragalus membranaceus ; chemistry ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Ginsenosides ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical efficacy, surgical indications and postoperative complications of mid urethral sling procedures in treatment of female stress urinary incontinence.

METHODSA multicenter clinical trial was conducted from April 2002 to April 2008 in five hospitals, 304 cases of genuine stress urinary incontinence and 8 cases of mixed incontinence were included. TVT procedures were carried out in 134 patients, TVTO procedures in 167 patients, Monarc procedures in 11 patients. Perioperative evaluations included: operating time, bleeding volume, and perioperative complications. Operative efficacy was classified into three categories: cure, improved and failure and evaluated before discharge, 3 months after surgery and then every year.

RESULTSTVT group had longer operating time [(18.5 + or - 9.6) min] and more bleeding volume [(32.2 + or - 12.6) ml] than those in TVTO group [(11.5 + or - 3.1) min, (12.8 + or - 8.5) ml] and in Monarc group [(11.1 + or - 2.6) min, (12.3 + or - 3.5) ml] with P < 0.05. Monarc and TVTO procedures had higher cure rates and improve rates comparing with TVT, but the differences were of no significance. The cure rate (95.7%) in patients with genuine stress incontinence were significantly higher than that in patients with mixed incontinence (37.5%). No significant differences of total intra- and postoperative complications were noted for all of the three procedures. However, bladder injury tended to occur in TVT group and obturator nerve injury and vaginal injury tended to occur in TVTO group. Transient voiding dysfunction and urinary retention were the most common complications.

CONCLUSIONSMid urethral sling procedures have excellent clinical outcomes in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence.

Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Suburethral Slings ; Treatment Outcome ; Urinary Incontinence, Stress ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the expression pattern of cd99l2 gene during zebrafish development, the RNA probes for whole-mount in situ hybridization were prepared in this study.

METHODSThe cd99l2 fragment obtained by RT-PCR was cloned into pGM-T Easy, then the plasmids were linearized with the restriction enzymes SacII or SalI. Using Sp6 or T(7) RNA polymerase, the digoxingenin-labeled antisense and sense probes were synthesized and confirmed by whole-mount in situ hybridization.

RESULTSThe plasmid cd99l2/pGM-T was constructed. cd99l2 gene expression pattern during embryogenesis of zebrafish was examined using the antisense probe, and intense expression was detected in the central nervous system during zebrafish development.

CONCLUSIONThe antisense probe can be used for study of the spatial and temporal distribution of cd99l2 during zebrafish development using the sense probe as control.

Animals ; Central Nervous System ; embryology ; Cloning, Molecular ; Digoxigenin ; chemistry ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Oligonucleotide Probes ; RNA Probes ; Uridine Triphosphate ; chemistry ; Zebrafish ; embryology ; genetics ; Zebrafish Proteins ; genetics

To investigate the influence of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on chemotaxis of bronchial epithelial cells (BECs). Rabbit chemotactic migration of primary BEC was assessed in a blind-well Boyden chamber. Radioimmunoassay and radio-ligand affinity analysis were used for determining VIP secretion and vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor (VIPR) expression. The results showed: (1) the method for determining chemotaxis of BECs by using insulin as chemotactic factor was stable and reproducible (r=0.9703, P<0.01). (2) VIP (0.001-1 micromol/L) elicited chemotaxis of BECs which was substantial and concentration-dependent. The effects of VIP were inhibited by W-7 and H-7 (P<0.01). (3) Heat stress enhanced the secretion of VIP (P<0.01) and upregulated the expression of VIPR on BECs (P<0.05). These results indicate that VIP in the lungs may play an important role in the repair of damaged epithelium, accelerating restoration of the airway to its normal state. Calmodulin and protein kinase C may be involved in the signal transduction of VIP effects.
Animals ; Bronchi ; cytology ; Cells, Cultured ; Chemotaxis ; drug effects ; physiology ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; physiology ; Female ; Insulin ; pharmacology ; Male ; Rabbits ; Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ; biosynthesis ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ; pharmacology

The effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) at low concentration (1-100 pmol/L) on the reactive oxygen-induced inhibition of both pulmonary surfactant (PS) lipid synthesis and the activity of CTP: phosphorylcholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT), a rate-limiting enzyme in biosynthesis of phosphoatidylcholine (PC), were studied in cultured lung explants without serum. The xanthine-xanthine oxidase superoxide anion generating system decreased (3)H-choline incorporation into PC in a dose-dependent manner in cultured lung explants. ET-1 reduced both the reactive oxygen-induced decrease in (3)H-choline incorporation and the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content of lung tissues, but did not change the levels of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and the total antioxidant capability in the lung explants. ET-1 enhanced microsomal CCT activity of the lung tissues, while it decreased cytosolic CCT activity of lung tissues. ET-1 also prevented the inhibitive effect of reactive oxygen on microsomal CCT activity in the lung explants. These results suggest that ET-1 at low concentration can protect the microsomal CCT activity and reduce the inhibition of PS lipid synthesis induced by oxidant lung injury. The protective mechanism of ET-1 is not relative to the pulmonary endogenous antioxidant defense system.
Animals ; Choline-Phosphate Cytidylyltransferase ; metabolism ; Endothelin-1 ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Female ; In Vitro Techniques ; Lung ; drug effects ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Male ; Phospholipids ; biosynthesis ; Pulmonary Surfactants ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; toxicity