To observe the effect and mechanism of Yiqi Tongluo Jiedu capsule aganist cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury, the SD rats were randomly divided into following groups: sham-operated group, model group, the group of low, medium and high dose of Yiqi Tongluo Jiedu capsule, and nimodipine group. Using focal middle cerebral artery embolization (MCAO) model, following items were observed: symptoms of neurological deficit score; infarct volume; activity of SOD, content of MDA and NO, activity of NOS of ischemic brain tissue; Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression; content of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNFalpha in serum; IL-1beta mRNA expression of ischemic brain tissue. Results showed that Yiqi Tongluo Jiedu capsule could significantly reduce the symptoms of neurological deficits, promote the recovery symptoms of neurological deficits; narrow infarct volume of brain tissue obviously, reduce the percentage of infarct volume; raise activity of SOD, reduce content of MDA and NO, reduce activity of NOS; increase Bcl-2 protein, reduce Bax expression; reduce content of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNFa in serum; reduce IL-1beta mRNA expression of ischemic brain tissue. Yiqi Tongluo Jiedu capsule has significant protective effects against ischemic brain injury, it has significant anti-apoptotic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; pathology ; Interleukin-1beta ; blood ; genetics ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

In this study, to investigate the effect on expression of IL-2 in lymphocytes from bone marrow and peripheral blood of normal donors after they were mobilized by G-CSF in allo-BMT, 7 normal donors bone marrow and peripheral blood were harvested before and after G-CSF administration. The separated lymphocytes were measured by FCM after they were stained intracellularly by anti-IL-2, and their expressions of IL-2 were compared. The degree of aGVHD in patients after bone marrow transplantation was evaluated clinically, and it was compared with the status of aGVHD of 15 patients whose donors didn't receive G-CSF administration in our department, and 2 groups of patients are comparable in age, types of diseases and status of donors. The results showed that the expression of IL-2 in lymphocytes in 7 G-CSF mobilized donors decreased significantly after G-CSF administration and more severe aGVHD than grade II didn't develop in these recipient patients, and comparing with 15 patients received the bone marrow from donors who didn't receive G-CSF, the incidence of aGVHD decreased. It is suggested that the expression of IL-2 in lymphocytes was influenced by donors' G-CSF administration, and it is likely that thereby reduces the incidence of aGVHD in patients after BMT.
Adult ; Blood Donors ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Graft vs Host Disease ; etiology ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; pharmacology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; biosynthesis ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male

OBJECTIVETo study the Chinese intelligibility of patients with velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI).

METHODS100 patients with VPI and 32 normal students were selected for this study. Of 10 patients, 15 with cleft palate, 21 with congenital velopharyngeal incompetence, 56 with post-palatoplasty VPI and 8 with post-pharyngoplasty VPI. Chinese intelligibility was measured by three speech pathologists and relation between degree of abnormal articulation and Chinese intelligibility were studied.

RESULTSChinese intelligibility of the controls was 99.0% and the patients with VPI were 35.2%. Of the patients, the cleft palate was 19.9%, the congenital velopharyngeal incompetence was 32.8%, the post-palatoplasty VPI was 40.3% and the post-pharyngoplasty VPI was 35.2%. The data showed obvious difference among the controls and sub-types of VPI (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS(1) Chinese intelligibility of VPI accompanied with hypernasality is worse. (2) Of misarticulation of VPI, the cleft palate is the worst, in turn the others are the congenital velopharyngeal incompetence, the post-pharyngoplasty VPI and the post-palatoplasty VPI.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Articulation Disorders ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cleft Palate ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Speech Articulation Tests ; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency ; complications ; Voice Quality

OBJECTIVETo study the short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphism in Chinese Drungs (Tulungs).

METHODSThe genetic distributions of fifteen STR loci were investigated with the use of coamplification, genescan and genotype from 67 Drungs.

RESULTSThere were 144 STR alleles in Drung nationality, with their frequencies ranging from 0.0077 to 0.7846, heterozygosity(H) 0.3723-0.8639, discrimination power(DP) 0.5567-0.9548, probability of paternity exclusion(EPP) 0.2738-0.8358, polymorphism information content (PIC) 0.3461-0.8456 the accumulative DP 0.99999998 and EPP 0.99999894.

CONCLUSIONThe results of this study on the STR polymorphism in Chinese Drungs could be used as a basis for the genetic structure of Chinese ethnic groups and also be of significant application in anthropology and forensic science.

Alleles ; China ; DNA ; chemistry ; genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Tandem Repeat Sequences ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo quantitatively evaluate clinical significance of intrahepatic fat (IHF) content in children and adolescents with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

METHODSNinety-three obese children were enrolled in this study. Physical parameters, liver function, serum lipids, glycemic and insulin related parameters were measured. Liver B-mode ultrasound (US) examination was performed. IHF content was quantified by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS). Three subgroups were classified according to the conditional diagnostic criteria for obese children: simple obesity (n=31), NAFLD-1 (US fatty liver and normal alanine aminotransterase, n=33) and NAFLD-2 (US fatty liver and elevated alanine aminotransterase, n=29). Twenty healthy age- and sex-matched children served as a control group. IHF content among the four groups was compared. The relationship of IHF content with other common clinical laboratory parameters and independent factors influencing increased IHF content were investigated.

RESULTSIHF content measured by 1H MRS was 0.80% (0.4%-1.0%), 2.9% (1.7%-4.30%), 14.0% (7.2%-17.5%) and 18.8% (14.0%-29.1%) respectively in the control, simple obese, NAFLD-1 and NAFLD-2 groups. There were significant differences in IHF content between the groups. Univariate correlation analysis demonstrated that IHF content was positively correlated with waist circumference, hip circumference, waisttohip ratio, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminoreansferase, γ-glutamic acid transtetase, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, OGTT 2-hour plasma glucose, fasting insulin, 2-hour insulin and insulin resisfence, and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein. Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated three independent risk factors for increased IHF content: increased waist circumference, increased 2-hour plasma glucose and decreased high-density lipoprotein levels.

CONCLUSIONSIHF content determined by 1H MRS can reflect early hepatic fatty infiltration and is closely related to the occurrence and progress of NAFLD in obese children and adolescents. There is a significant correlation between most of common clinical laboratory parameters and IHF content, and waist circumference, high-density lipoprotein and OGTT 2-hour plasma glucose are independent factors impacting IHF content.

Adipose Tissue ; metabolism ; Adolescent ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Fatty Liver ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Liver ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Male ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on action potential (AP) and transient outward potassium current (I(to)) on ventricular myocytes of Sprague-Dawley rat.

METHODSCalcium-tolerant ventricular myocytes were isolated by enzyme digestion. The changes of AP and I(to) with increasing DHA at concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 and 200 micromol/L were recorded by whole-cell patch clamp configuration.

RESULTS(1) Action potential durations (APDs) were not affected by DHA at concentrations from 0 micromol/L to 30 micromol/L, while APDs were gradually prolonged in proportion with increasing DHA concentrations from 30 micromol/L to 200 micromol/L within 5 minutes and remained stable thereafter. APD(25), APD(50) and APD(75) were (7.7 +/- 2.0) ms, (21.2 +/- 3.5) ms, and (100.1 +/- 9.8) ms respectively at 100 micromol/L DHA. APD(25), APD(50), and APD(75) were (15.2 +/- 4.0) ms, (45.7 +/- 6.8) ms, and (215.6 +/- 15.7) ms respectively at 200 micromol/L DHA. (2) I(to) was gradually reduced with the increasing DHA concentrations from 10 micromol/L to 200 micromol/L. I(to) was blocked by DHA in a dose-dependent manner. I(to) current density was (30.1 +/- 7.2) pA/pF at DHA concentration of 60 micromol/L and its half-inhibition concentration was 58.3 micromol/L.

CONCLUSIONAPDs are gradually prolonged while I(to) reduced with increasing concentrations of DHA which might contribute to the anti-arrhythmia mechanisms of DHA.

Action Potentials ; Animals ; Docosahexaenoic Acids ; pharmacology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore etiology, clinical manifestation and immunological changes of infectious pneumonia of neonates in Chengdu area.

METHODSSerum specimens were collected from 111 infants with infectious pneumonia. Eight viral and mycoplasmal specific serum IgM antibodies were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); C reactive protein (CRP), total IgG and its subclasses, IgA and IgM were determined by rate scattered nephelometry; T lymphocyte subpopulations were detected by biotin-streptavidin-peroxidase method, and clinical and other laboratory data were analyzed.

RESULTS(1) Etiological agents: specific serum IgM antibodies were positive in 40 of 111 cases (36.0%) with pneumonias. All the 30 control infants were negative for the specific serum IgM antibodies. Among 111 infants with infectious pneumonia, 20.7% had single viral or mycoplasmal infection, 40.5% had bacterial infection, 15.3% had viral and mycoplasmal infection with bacterial infection; 23.4% had infection with unknown agents. (2) The most common clinical manifestations were tachypnea and cyanosis. The next were cough, milk choking, rales, retractions of the supraclavicular, intercostal and subcostal areas. Roentgenographic examination commonly revealed vague opacities, increased density and patchy infiltration. (3) Immune status: (1) CD(3), CD(4) cell counts of infants with pneumonias were lower than those of the controls while their serum IgA, IgM concentrations were higher than those of the control. (2) The CD(3) and CD(4) cell counts of the group with bacterial infection were lower than those of the control group. (3) The serum IgA concentration of the group with viral and mycoplasmal infection was higher than those of the control group and the group with unknown infection. (4) The serum IgM concentration of the group with bacterial infection was higher than those of the control group. (5) There were no significant differences in CD(8) cell counts, CD(4)/CD(8), concentration of serum IgG and IgG(1 - 4) between pneumonia group and the control group, and among various infectious groups and the control.

CONCLUSIONPathogens of neonatal infectious pneumonia in Chengdu area included single viral or mycoplasmic infection or bacterial infection, viral and mycoplasmal infection with bacterial infection, and unknown infection. Immunological changes of newborn infants suffered from infectious pneumonia included declined CD(3) and CD(4) cell counts, particularly in bacterial infection.

Antibodies, Bacterial ; blood ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Bacterial Infections ; complications ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pneumonia ; diagnosis ; etiology ; immunology ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology ; metabolism ; Virus Diseases ; complications

OBJECTIVETo investigate the possible influence of cryoglobulinemia on the antiviral effect in chronic hepatitis C patients, who were treated with combination therapy of pegylated interferon alpha-2a and ribavirin.

METHODSForty consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) were enrolled in the study. They received pegylated interferon alfa-2a (40kD, 180mug/w) along with ribavirin. Baseline cryoglobulins were detected in the sera by cryoprecipitation. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping was performed and HCV viral load was detected at baseline, and at 4, 12 weeks during treatment, 24 weeks after cessation of treatment.

RESULTSEighteen (45.0%) patients infected with HCV were cryoglobulins positive at baseline. Mean serum HCV RNA level in cryoglobulins positive patients was higher than that in cryoglobulins negative patients (6.36+/-0.63 vs. 5.70+/-1.20, P = 0.032). The rapid virological response (RVR) rate was statically different between cryoglobulins positive patients and cryoglobulins negative ones (6/18, 33.3% vs. 15/22, 68.2%, P = 0.028). In contrast, no difference was found in early virological response (EVR) rate between the cryoglobulins positive patients and cryoglobulins negative ones (14/17, 82.4% vs. 18/21, 85.7%, P = 1.0). Sustained virological response (SVR) rate in cryoglobulins positive and cryoglobulins negative was different (0/3, 0 vs 6/6, 100%, P = 0.012). The rate of patients achieved RVR was different between the patients infected with HCV genotype 1 b of two groups (cryoglobulins positive: 2/13, 15.4% vs cryoglobulins negative 14/21; 66.7%, P = 0.005). However, the rate of EVR in patients infected HCV genotype 1 b was not statistically different (cryoglobulins positive: 9/12, 75.0% vs. cryoglobulins negative 17/20; 81.2%, P = 0.647).

CONCLUSIONThe rates of RVR and SVR achievement in cryoglobulinemia positive CHC patients are lower than those in cryoglobulinemia negative CHC patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Cryoglobulinemia ; complications ; virology ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; complications ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; therapeutic use ; RNA, Viral ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use ; Ribavirin ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo determine whether patients infected with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) show a differential distribution profile of IL-28B polymorphisms according to the presence of concomitant cryoglobulinemia.

METHODSSixty-two consecutive CHC patients were enrolled in the study between December 2008 and December 2010. All patients received combination therapy of pegylated interferon alpha-2a (weekly, 180 g, subcutaneous injection) plus ribavirin (daily, 10to15 mg/kg body weight, oral) for 48 weeks, with individualized dosage adjustments according to the patient's clinical situation. Cryoglobulins were detected visibly by separation of cryoprecipitates in patient serum samples. Three IL-28B SNPs (rs8099917, rs12979860, and rs12980275) were detected by sequencing. Response to treatment was assessed by measuring serum levels of HCV RNA by quantitative PCR at baseline (prior to treatment initiation), during treatment (4 and 12 weeks after treatment initiation), end of therapy (48 weeks after treatment initiation), and post-treatment (24 weeks after end of therapy). The significance of between-group differences were assessed by the Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTSCryoglobulinemia was detected in 43.5% (27/62) of the CHC patients and showed a female bias (59.3% vs. males: 34.3%, P = 0.05). Compared to CHC patients without cryoglobulinemia, the CHC patients with cryoglobulinemia showed significantly higher levels of HCV RNA at baseline (5.64+/-1.20 vs. 6.37+/-0.67, P less than 0.05) but lower frequencies of the IL28B rs8099917 TT genotype (94.3% vs. 63.0%, P = 0.002), rs8099917 T allele (97.1% vs. 81.5%, P = 0.003), and rs12979860 C allele (94.3% vs. 83.3%, P = 0.048). CHC patients with cryoglobulinemia and having the rs8099917 TT, rs12979860 CC, or rs12980275 AA genotype achieved a higher rate of sustained virological response.

CONCLUSIONCryoglobulinemia in CHC patients is associated with a differential distribution of IL-28B polymorphisms, and certain polymorphisms may be related to anti-viral treatment response.

Adult ; Alleles ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Cryoglobulinemia ; blood ; complications ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Humans ; Interleukins ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; RNA, Viral ; blood

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its clinicopathological significance in Castleman's disease (CD).

METHODSClinical data and paraffin blocks of 92 CD patients and 20 cases of lymph node reactive hyperplasia (LRH) as a control group were collected from department of pathology of Peking University Health Science Center. The expression of IL-6 was detected by using immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSThe 92 patients were composed of 42 multicentric variant (MCDs) and 50 unicentric variant (UCDs) clinically, and 30 hyaline-vascular variant (HV-CDs) and 62 plasma cell variant (PC-CDs) morphologically. None of them was positive for HIV tests. There were 56 males and 36 females, and their ages ranged from 4 years to 90 years with the median 41 years. IL-6 was expressed in 77 (83.7%) of 92 CD cases and 1 (5.0%) of 20 LRH cases. The expression rate of IL-6 was 90.5% in MCDs, 78.0% in UCDs, 93.6% in PC-CDs and 63.4% in HV-CDs, respectively. PC-CD cases showed a significantly higher expression rate of IL-6 than HV-CD cases (P = 0.001). All cases with positive IL-6 expression in plasmacytes were PC-CDs, showing obviously higher expression in MCDs than that in UCDs (P = 0.003). Compared with HV-CD cases, much more PC-CD cases showed IL-6 positivity in endothelial cells (P = 0.008). However, IL-6 was rarely expressed by both FDCs and macrophages, with only 3.3% and 10.9% positive cases, respectively. There are 53.2% (41/77) of the IL-6 positive cases and 20.0% (3/15) of IL-6 negative cases suffered from systemic symptoms, showing a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.018). Cases with IL-6 expression in plasmacytes and macrophages were more likely to suffer from systemic symptoms, especially B type symptoms (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThere is a high expression rate of IL-6 in CD, which is different from LRH. The expression of IL-6 has close relationship with CD subtypes and the presence of systemic symptoms. In all, the evaluation of interleukin-6 is of great value to guide the diagnosis and therapy of CD.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Castleman Disease ; metabolism ; pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult