Characteristics and measurement principles of reference methods in clinical biochemistry were described.Implementation of reference systems is one of the most effective approaches to improve the accuracy and comparability of clinical laboratory test results.Reference methods are the key components of reference systems.Reference methods should have measurement uncertainties that meet the requirements of the intended use,and thus should be based on reliable measurement principles.For the well-defined biochemistry analytes,reference methods have been almost all based on instrumental analysis.Isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ID/MS) is considered most reliable and has been the major analytical principle of the reference methods.ID/MS analysis is accurate but expensive.Use of other validated instrumental analyses as reference measurement principles would be justified.

Objective To design and implement an automatic analysis and evaluation system for the image parameters of medical MRI quality testing.Methods The system was developed and debugged by the study on MRI image quality parameters,the image denoising,integration,extraction and etc by MATLAB processing platform as well as the comparison and comparative calculation of the obtained data.Results The system replaced manual operation by auto processing and parameters analysis of MRI quality inspection image.Conclusion The system enhances the efficiency and avoids artificial error,and has a promising prospect in the future.

OBJECTIVETo study the regulatory pathways and rules of the gene networks in Shen deficiency syndrome.

METHODSTissues of hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal, lymphocyte, bone, liver and kidney were taken as samples from 4 months' and 24 months' old SD rats and rats after treatment with Epimedium flavonoids (EF), differences of gene expression profile in Shen deficiency syndrome were studied repeatedly with gene chip rat expression set U230 2.0 array from Affymetrix Co.

RESULTSGene expressions in the aged rats all decreased including neurotransmitter of gamma-aminobutyric acid (gammaGABA), gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and binding proteins (IGFBP) in hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal (HPA axis), cell growth-related gene, growth factor related protein, and immune regulatory genes such as interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in lymphocytes, parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin, procollagen, collagen, connective tissue growth factor in bone, and oxidative phosphorylation genes such as cytochrome P450 and NADH dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase related with protein metabolism, and glucose-6-phosphatase related with glucose metabolism in liver, most of which were up-regulated after treatment with EF as well as genes related with ageing and cell cycle, such as cyclin B, metabolism related genes and proteins of sodium and chloride channel in kidney.

CONCLUSIONDysfunction of the two regulatory pathways of gene networks as nerve-endocrine-immunity and nerve-endocrine-bone metabolism exists in Shen deficiency syndrome differentiated by effects of drugs, which could be improved by strengthening Shen therapy.

Aging ; genetics ; physiology ; Animals ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ; drug effects ; physiology ; Kidney Diseases ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neurosecretory Systems ; drug effects ; physiology ; Pituitary-Adrenal System ; drug effects ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Yang Deficiency ; genetics ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo compare the modulating effect of Kidney tonifying recipe (KTR) and Spleen invigorating recipe (SIR) on T-lymphocyte apoptosis (TLA) in corticosterone treated rats (CTR).

METHODSQualitative and quantitative analysis on activation-induced TLA was conducted by transmission electron microscope and TUNEL labelled flow cytometry detection.

RESULTSTLA percentage of CTR was 45.87 +/- 7.22%, while that of normal control rats was 34.25 +/- 6.47%, the difference between them was significant (P < 0.01). TLA percentage of Youguiyin treated rats was 35.90 +/- 7.39%, and that of Bushen Yishou capsule treated rats was 36.20 +/- 9.14%, compared with that of CTR, P < 0.01 and P < 0.05 respectively. TLA percentage of the SIR treated group was 36.92 +/- 11.82%, which was different insignificantly as compared with that of CTR.

CONCLUSIONTLA susceptibility was significantly enhanced in CTR. Both KTRs (Youguiyin and Bushen Yishou capsule) had down-regulating effect on TLA, while the effect of SIR was insignificant, suggesting that down-regulating activation-induced TLA may be one of the important mechanisms of KTR in improving T-lymphocyte function in CTR.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Corticosterone ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; T-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; ultrastructure ; Yang Deficiency ; chemically induced ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the regulation pattern of the two compound prescriptions for Kidney tonifying, Yougui Yin and Bushen Yishou capsule, in down-regulating T-cell apoptosis gene expression in aged rats.

METHODSExpressions of T-cell apoptosis promoting and inhibiting genes, including Fas, FasL, Bcl-2, Bax, TNFR1 and TNFR2, as well as activity of cysteine proteinase in cascade connection, such as Caspase 8 and Caspase 3 were determined by TUNEL labeled flow cytometry and fluorescence real-time quantitative RT-PCR technique. The difference between old and young rats was compared, and the different regulation patterns of the two compound prescriptions for Kidney tonifying and their effects on Caspase activity were compared with those of compound prescription for blood circulation activating.

RESULTSThe two compound prescriptions for Kidney tonifying could effectively lower T-cell over-apoptosis in old rats, down-regulate FasL and TNFR1 gene transcription, and decrease the activity of Caspase 8 and Caspase 3, while the compound prescription for blood circulation activating showed insignificant effect on T-cell over-apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONKidney-deficiency is closely related to the T-cell over-apoptosis. The T-cell over-apoptosis in old rats could be effectively improved by the two compound prescription for Kidney tonifying through down-regulating the apoptosis promoting genes FasL and TN-FR1 transcription. That is the unique regulation pattern of Kidney tonifying principle to T-cell apoptosis related gene in old rats.

Aging ; drug effects ; genetics ; immunology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blood Circulation ; physiology ; Caspase 3 ; Caspases ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fas Ligand Protein ; Female ; Male ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; T-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; Yang Deficiency ; immunology ; fas Receptor ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo explore surface roughness of bone cement and surround tissue on histological characteristic of induced membranes.

METHODSBone cements with smooth and rough surface were implanted in radius bone defect, intramuscular and subcutaneous sites of rabbits, and formed induced membranes. Membranes were obtained and stained (HE) 6 weeks later. Images of membrane tissue were obtained and analyzed with an automated image analysis system. Five histological parameters of membranes were measured with thickness,area,cell density,ECM density and microvessel density. Double factor variance analysis was used to evaluate the effect of the two factors on histological characteristics of induced membranes.

RESULTSMembranes can be induced by each kind of bone cement and at all the three tissue sites. In histological parameters of thickness,area and micro vessel,there were significant differences among the membranes induced at different tissue sites (P = 0.000, P = 0.000, P = 0.000); whereas, there were no significant differences in histological parameters of cell density and ECM density (P = 0.734, P = 0.638). In all five histological parameters of membranes, there were no significant differences between the membranes induced by bone cements with different surface roughness (P = 0.506, P = 0.185, P = 0.883, P = 0.093, P = 0.918).

CONCLUSIONSurround tissue rather than surface roughness of bone cements can affect the histological characteristics of induced membranes. The fibrocystic number, vascularity, mechanical tension and micro motion of the surround tissue may be closely correlated with the histological characteristics of induced membranes.

Animals ; Bone Cements ; Female ; Membranes ; cytology ; Rabbits ; Radius ; cytology ; Surface Properties ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Tissue Scaffolds

OBJECTIVETo elucidate the gene regulatory pattern of Epimedium flavonoids (EF) in immune homeostasis remodeling in the aged rats.

METHODS(1) To quantitatively analyse the apoptosis percentage of lymphocyte in spleen of aged, young and EF treated rats using flow cytometry. (2) To analyse the lymphocyte gene expression profiles of different groups using gene chips (Rat Genome U34A).

RESULTS(1) Detection of lymphocyte apoptosis percentage showed that there was significant difference in comparing between aged group and young group, between EF treated group and aged group (P < 0.01). (2) As compared with that in the young group, in the aged group, 116 genes were up-regulated and 215 down-regulated. As compared with that in the old group, in the EF treated group, 447 genes were up-regulated and 456 down-regulated, which involved the aspects as cell apoptosis and cell proliferation regulation, etc.

CONCLUSION(1) The expression pattern characterized by up-regulation of apoptosis promoting genes expression and down-regulation of apoptosis inhibiting genes expression, is the important gene background of immuno-homeostasis imbalance in the aged. (2) The role of EF is to reverse the abnormal changes of gene expressions with opposite functions, i.e. the apoptosis promoting and inhibiting, proliferation enhancing and antagonizing genes, to reconstruct a beneficial equilibrium of gene expression and thus to further remodel the immuno-homeostasis in the aged.

Adjuvants, Immunologic ; pharmacology ; Aging ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Female ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Homeostasis ; Lymphocytes ; immunology ; metabolism ; Male ; Neuroimmunomodulation ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; metabolism

Objective To establish a rapid assay with high sensitivity and specificity based on the sequences for group specific gene (GS) and pathogenicity island pag A gene.Methods The PCR primers and probes were designed after the whole sequence was systemically analyzed with bio-informafion tools and blasted with Genebank database.The amplicons were inserted into plasmids so that they could be used as the standard templates to evaluate the sensitivity of the diagnostic system.This assay was based on TaqMan probes and portable Smartcycle PCR machine.Results The detection level was approximately 100 copies per reaction.There was no cross-reaction with other species of Bacillus.This assay could be completed in one hour in laboratory.Conclusion The duplex TaqMan PCR assay could be used to detect Bacillus anthracis rapidly with high sensitivity and specificity.

Objective: The study investigated cognitive performance and brain function between treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and non- TRD patients to find potential neurobiological markers associated with refractoriness in depression patients. Methods: Fourteen TRD patients, 26 non-TRD patients and 23 healthy controls (HC) were included in the present study. The neural function of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and cognitive performance among the three group were examined using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during verbal fluency task (VFT). Results: Both TRD and non-TRD groups exhibited significantly worse VFT performance and lower activation of oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) changes in the bilateral dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) compared to the HC group. Within the TRD and non-TRD groups, VFT performance was no significant difference, but activation of oxy-Hb changes in dorsomedial PFC (DMPFC) in TRD patients was significantly lower than non-TRD patients. In addition, activation of oxy-Hb changes in right DLPFC were negatively correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms in depression patients. Conclusion Both TRD patients and non-TRD patients exhibited lower oxy-Hb activation in DLPFC. TRD patients exhibit lower oxy- Hb activation in DMPFC than non-TRD patients. fNIRS maybe a useful tool for predict depressive patients with or without treatment resistant.