Introduction：Neonatal tetanus is a major cause of neonatal mortality in many developing countries and remains a major public health problem. This study aimed to determine risk factors associated with neonatal tetanus in Wenzhou, China.Methodology：Medical records of neonatal tetanus cases from 17 hospitals over a 13-year period (2000–2012) were reviewed for potential risk factors. Controls were selected from neonates with diseases other than tetanus who were admitted to the same facility during the same period. The potential risk factors of the neonatal tetanus group were compared with the control group using univariate analysis and an unconditional logistic regression model.Results：A total of 246 neonates with tetanus and 257 controls were included in this study. Univariate analysis showed that having untrained birth attendants, home delivery, an unsterile method of delivery and being a migrant to Wenzhou were significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of having an untrained birth attendant, home delivery and an unsterile method of delivery were significantly higher in the tetanus group than the control group (odds ratio: 1371.0; 95% confidence interval: 206.0, 9123.5).Conclusion：This study identified that the main risks of neonatal tetanus in cases from Wenzhou were having an untrained birth attendant, home delivery and an unsterile method of delivery. Preventive measures directed to these risk factors may reduce the occurrence of neonatal tetanus in the studied area.

Animals ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Humans ; Intestines ; microbiology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Irreducible anteromedial radial head dislocation (IARHD) caused by transposed biceps tendon is rare. Delayed diagnosis and surgical failure often occur. A 46-year-old fisherman presented with 10 days history of painful swelling and restricted movement of his right elbow due to strangulation injury by a fishing boat cable. On examination, the images of the right elbow reveals in a "semi-extended and pronated" elastic fixation position. Radiography and 3-dimensional reconstruction CT reveals an isolated anteromedial radial head dislocation with extreme protonation of the radius and the bicipital tuberosity towards the posterior aspect of the elbow joint, and MRI shows biceps tendon wrapping around the radial neck, similar to umbilical cord wrapping seen in newborns. The Henry approach was applied for the first time to reduce the biceps tendon. The patient achieved a good functional recovery at 26 months, which represents the first reported case of IARHD without fracture caused by biceps tendon in an adult. In treatment of IARHD, attention should be paid to the phenomenon of biceps tendon transposition. Careful clinical examination, comprehensive imaging modalities, and appropriate surgical approach are the keys to successful management.

AIMTo investigate the roles of the BGR-like gene in testicular development/spermatogenesis.

METHODSA human testis cDNA microarray was hybridized with probes from human adult testes and embryo testes. The differentially expressed clones were sequenced and analyzed. Expression of the BGR-like gene was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSA new gene exhibiting 50-fold difference in expression level between adult and fetal human testes was cloned and named the BGR-like gene. The cDNA consisted of 2500 nucleotides and had an open reading frame of 1437 nucleotides encoding a putative protein of 497 amino acid residues. Homologous comparison showed that the BGR-like gene was a new alternative splicing variant of the BGR gene and had sequence homology with the bubblegum gene of human, mouse, rat and Drosophila. Protein motif analysis of the BGR-like gene revealed that it contained a conserved adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-binding domain and a fatty acyl-CoA synthetase signature motif which existed in all acyl-CoA synthetases. The BGR-like gene transcript was imperceptibly expressed in human fetal testes, highly in human adult testes and moderately in elderly testes and human Leydig cells. RT-PCR-based tissue distribution experiments showed that the BGR-like gene was exclusively expressed in testes and was a testes-specific isoform of the BGR gene. A BGR-like gene transcript was not detected in some azoospermic testes.

CONCLUSIONThe BGR-like gene may play an important role in spermatogenesis/testicular development and may be correlated with male infertility.

Adult ; Aged ; Alternative Splicing ; genetics ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Coenzyme A Ligases ; genetics ; Drosophila Proteins ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; genetics ; Leydig Cells ; metabolism ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spermatogenesis ; genetics ; Testis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo compare the antibacterial effects of Huangqin-Tang with its metabolites produced by intestinal flora.

METHODThe antibacterial tests in vitro and in vivo were performed by agar dilution method and lethal protection of animal respectively.

RESULTHuangqin-Tang and its metabolites had antibacterial action on bacteria in vitro, however the antibacterial activity of metabolites of Huangqin-Tang on Salmomella, Dysentery bacillus and Proteus in vitro was stronger than Huangqin-Tang. The metabolites of Huangqin-Tang had protective effect on the animals infected by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli respectively from death, but Huangqin-Tang had no lethal protection action.

CONCLUSIONThe antibacterial effects of metabolites of Huangqin-Tang in vitro and in vivo are stronger than that of Huangqin-Tang, which shows that intestinal flora play a very important role in antibacterial effects of Huangqin-Tang.

Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Escherichia coli Infections ; drug therapy ; Feces ; microbiology ; Intestines ; microbiology ; Male ; Mice ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Proteus ; drug effects ; Salmonella ; drug effects ; Shigella dysenteriae ; drug effects ; Staphylococcal Infections ; drug therapy

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) bm47 gene is found in all sequenced lepidopteran nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs). It is one of the core genes of NPVs. However, the role of bm47 in the biological cycle of NPV remains unknown. In this study, the Red recombination system was used to knock out bm47 from BmNPV to construct bm47-ko-Bacmid in E. coli BW25113 system. Then bm47 gene was introduced back to the viral genome using the Bac-to-Bac system to create the repair virus bm47-re-Bacmid. TCID50 assay and real-time PCR (qPCR) were used to evaluate the effects of bm47 deletion on viral DNA replication, gene transcription, and protein expression. qPCR results showed that bm47 knock-out had no significant effect on viral DNA replication. However, the qPCR results showed that bm47-ko-Bacmid significantly decreased the transcription levels of early gene lef-3, late gene vp39, and very late gene p10 at 48 h and 72 h after viral transfection of BmN cells (P < 0.05). This work will provide a foundation for further studies on the biological function of BmNPV bm47 in viral replication and transcription.
Animals ; Bombyx ; virology ; Gene Deletion ; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral ; Nucleopolyhedrovirus ; genetics ; physiology ; Transcription, Genetic ; Viral Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Virus Replication

AIMTo identify specifically expressed genes in the adult and fetal testes.

METHODSA human testis cDNA microarray was established. Then the mRNA of adult and fetal testis was purified and probes were prepared by a reverse transcription reaction with the testis mRNA as template. The microarray was hybridized with probes of adult and fetal testes. The nucleic sequences of differentially expressed genes were determined and homologies were searched in the databases of the GenBank.

RESULTSWhen hybridized with adult or fetal testis probes, the positive clones were 96.8 % and 95.4 %, respectively. Among these genes, one was a new testis-specific gene, which was named TSP1. TSP1 was highly expressed in human adult testis. The cDNA of TSP1 was 1,484 bp in length. The cDNA sequence of this clone was deposited in the Genbank (AF333098). TSP1 was also determined as Interim Gen Symbol (Unigene, No. Hs.98266). Protein analysis showed that TSP1 contained two functional domains: an N-terminal basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and a C-terminal leucine zipper (Zip). Homologous analysis showed that the 430 amino acid sequences deduced from the 1293 bp open reading frame (ORF) had a homology with the human gene FLJ2509 (AK098575). TSP1 had also a sequence homology with Spz 1 protein of mouse. Expression profiles showed that TSP1 was specifically and strongly expressed in the testis.

CONCLUSIONTSP1 is a gene highly expressed in adult testis. It may play an important role in spermatogenesis in the humans.

Adult ; Amino Acid Sequence ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; genetics ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors ; Fetus ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Genes ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Testis ; embryology ; metabolism ; Transcription Factors ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the role of green tea in decreasing the risks of gastric cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer among alcohol drinkers or cigarette smokers.

METHODSA population based case-control study was conducted in Taixing, Jiangsu province.

RESULTSIn Taixing city, identified cases of stomach, liver and esophageal cancers were chosen with informed consent. The numbers were 206, 204, 218 respectively. Controls were chosen from normal population having lived in the area for longer than 10 years, also with informed consent. Green tea drinking seemed to have decreased 81%, 78%, 39% risk for the development of gastric cancer, liver cancer and esophageal cancer among alcohol drinkers. It might also have decreased 16%, 43%, 31% on the risks of developing the three kinds of cancers among cigarette smokers. Interaction assessment showed that drinking green tea could significantly decrease the risk of gastric cancer and liver cancer among alcohol drinkers, with ORs of interaction item 0.23 (95% CI: 0.10 - 0.55) and 0.25 (95% CI: 0.11 - 0.57) respectively.

CONCLUSIONHabit of drinking green tea seemed to have significant protective effects on the development of both gastric and liver cancer among alcohol drinkers while, green tea also having some protective effect on esophageal cancer among alcohol drinkers and on three kinds of cancers among cigarette smokers.

Adult ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; adverse effects ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Digestive System Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; etiology ; Female ; Flavonoids ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phenols ; administration & dosage ; Polyphenols ; Risk ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Stomach Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Tea ; chemistry

The objective of this study was to explore the changes of aggregation function of apheresis platelets and soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) during storage. 20 samples of apheresis platelets were collected, and the aggregation function were examined by function test and the level of sP-selectin every day in storage of 5 days. The results showed that the aggregation function of platelets declined obviously during storage, there were significant differences between the first-day group and any of the other groups (p < 0.01). The max platelet aggregation rate was < or = 3% in the fourth-day group; sP-selectin level in plasma increased with prolong of storage time; there were significant differences between the first-day group and any of the other groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, platelets were activated continuously during storage, while its aggregation function declines significantly. The ability of platelet aggregation to response to ADP loses almost completely since the fourth day during platelet storage. It should be paid more attention to the damage of apheresis collected platelets during storage.
Adult ; Blood Platelets ; metabolism ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; P-Selectin ; blood ; Platelet Aggregation ; Platelet Count ; Plateletpheresis ; methods ; Specimen Handling

The objective of this study was to investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect and underlying mechanism of naringenin (NGEN) on K562 cells in vitro. The inhibition of NGEN on K562 cells was evaluated by means of MTT assay so as to observe the cytotoxicity of NGEN; The morphological changes of the cells treated by NGEN were observed by transmission electron microscope; cell apoptosis rate influenced by NGEN was assessed by flow cytometry; the enzyme activity changes of caspase-3 and caspase-8 in the process of NGEN-induced K562 apoptosis were detected by Caspase Colorimetric Assay Kit; immunohistochemistry technique was used to detect FAS, FASL protein expression in K562 cells. The results showed that the growth of cells was inhibited by NGEN in dose-and time-dependent manners (p<0.05); NGEN-induced K562 cells apoptosis and sub-G1 peak was observed; some typically early and final phase changes of cell apoptosis were revealed under transmission electron microscope; the enzyme activity of caspase-3 and caspase-8 and the expression of FAS remarkably increased, meanwhile the expression of FASL was down-regulated (p<0.05). It is concluded that NGEN exerts anti-cancer effect by inducing K562 cell apoptosis, and the regulation of the expression of FAS and FASL. The caspase-3 and caspase-8 co-pathway brings about one of the mechanisms.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Caspase 8 ; metabolism ; Fas Ligand Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Flavanones ; pharmacology ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; fas Receptor ; genetics ; metabolism