BACKGROUNDSeasonal influenza epidemic occurs every year in Guangzhou, which can affect all age groups. Young children are the most susceptible targets. Parents can decide whether to vaccinate their children or not based on their own consideration in China. The aim of this study was to identify factors that are important for parental decisions on vaccinating their children against seasonal influenza based on a modified health belief model (HBM).

METHODSA cross-sectional study was conducted in Guangzhou, China. A total of 335 parents who had at least on child aged between 6 months and 3 years were recruited from women and children's hospital in Guangzhou, China. Each eligible subject was invited for a face-to-face interview based on a standardized questionnaire.

RESULTSUptake of seasonal influenza within the preceding 12 months among the target children who aged between 6 months and 36 months was 47.7%. Around 62.4% parents indicated as being "likely/very likely" to take their children for seasonal influenza vaccination in the next 12 months. The hierarchical logistic regression model showed that children's age (odds ratio [OR] =2.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.44-4.68), social norm (OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.06-4.06) and perceived control (OR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.60-5.50) were significantly and positively associated with children's vaccination uptake within the preceding 12 months; children with a history of taking seasonal influenza vaccine (OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.31-4.76), perceived children's health status (OR = 3.36, 95% CI: 1.68-6.74), worry/anxious about their children influenza infection (OR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.19-4.48) and perceived control (OR = 3.21, 95% CI: 1.65-6.22) were positively association with parental intention to vaccinate their children in the future 12 months. However, anticipated more regret about taking children for the vaccination was associated with less likely to vaccinate children within the preceding 12 months (OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.08-0.52).

CONCLUSIONSThe modified HBM provided a good theoretical basic for understanding factors associated with parents' decisions on their children's vaccination against seasonal influenza.

Child, Preschool ; China ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Influenza Vaccines ; therapeutic use ; Influenza, Human ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Male

Objective To study the association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dilated Virchow-Robin space (dVRS) in acute lacunar ischemic stroke patients.Methods A total of 1078 acute lacunar ischemic stroke patients admitted to our hospital were divided into mild dVRS group 1 (n=737) and moderate-severe dVRS group 1 (n=341) according to the severity of their dVRS in basal ganglia (BG),and into mild dVRS group 2 (n=789) and moderate-severe dVRS group 2 (n =289) according to the severity of their dVRS in centrum semiovale (CSO).Their kidney function was assessed according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).CKD was classified into stage 1,stage 2,stage 3a and stage 3b.The association between renal function and dVRS was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results The age was older,the number of females was greater,the incidence of hypertension and CKD was higher,the proportion of smoking was lower in moderate-severe dVRS group 1 than in mild dVRS group 1 (P＜0.05).The incidence of hypertension was higher in moderate-severe dVRS group 2 than mild dVRS group 2 (P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age,hypertension,stage 2 CKD,stage 3a CKD and stage 3b CKD were the independent risk factors for severe dVRS in BG (P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Hypertension was an independent risk factor for severe dVRS in CSO (P=0.04).Conclusion CKD is an important risk factor for dVRS in BG.However,it is not associated with dVRS in CSO.This result highlights the different pathological mechanisms and risk factors for dVRS in BG and CSO.

Purpose: C5α receptor 1 (C5ΑR1) is associated with the development of various human cancers. However, whether it is involved in the development of hepatitis B virus (HBV)–related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is poorly understood. We explored the expression, biological role, and associated mechanisms of C5AR1 in HBV-related hepatoma cells. Materials and Methods: The expression of C5ΑR1 mediated by HBV and HBV core protein (HBc) was detected in hepatoma cells. The function of nuclear factor кB (NF-κB) pathway in HBc-induced C5AR1 expression was assessed. The roles of C5ΑR1 in the activation of intracellular signal pathways, the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, and the growth and migration of hepatoma cells mediated by HBc, were investigated. The effect of C5α in the development of HCC mediated by C5AR1 was also measured. Results: C5ΑR1 expression was increased in HBV-positive hepatoma cells. Dependent on HBc, HBV enhanced the expression of C5ΑR1 at the mRNA and protein levels. Besides, HBc could promote C5ΑR1 expression via the NF-κB pathway. Based on the C5ΑR1, HBc facilitated the activation of JNK and ERK pathways and the expression and secretion of interleukin-6 in hepatoma cells. Furthermore, C5ΑR1 was responsible for enhancing the growth and migration of hepatoma cells mediated by HBc. Except these, C5α could promote the malignant development of HBc-positive HCC via C5AR1. Conclusion We provide new insight into the mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis mediated by HBc. C5ΑR1 has a significant role in the functional abnormality of hepatoma cells mediated by HBc, and might be utilized as a potential therapeutic target for HBV-related HCC.

Purpose: C5α receptor 1 (C5ΑR1) is associated with the development of various human cancers. However, whether it is involved in the development of hepatitis B virus (HBV)–related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is poorly understood. We explored the expression, biological role, and associated mechanisms of C5AR1 in HBV-related hepatoma cells. Materials and Methods: The expression of C5ΑR1 mediated by HBV and HBV core protein (HBc) was detected in hepatoma cells. The function of nuclear factor кB (NF-κB) pathway in HBc-induced C5AR1 expression was assessed. The roles of C5ΑR1 in the activation of intracellular signal pathways, the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, and the growth and migration of hepatoma cells mediated by HBc, were investigated. The effect of C5α in the development of HCC mediated by C5AR1 was also measured. Results: C5ΑR1 expression was increased in HBV-positive hepatoma cells. Dependent on HBc, HBV enhanced the expression of C5ΑR1 at the mRNA and protein levels. Besides, HBc could promote C5ΑR1 expression via the NF-κB pathway. Based on the C5ΑR1, HBc facilitated the activation of JNK and ERK pathways and the expression and secretion of interleukin-6 in hepatoma cells. Furthermore, C5ΑR1 was responsible for enhancing the growth and migration of hepatoma cells mediated by HBc. Except these, C5α could promote the malignant development of HBc-positive HCC via C5AR1. Conclusion We provide new insight into the mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis mediated by HBc. C5ΑR1 has a significant role in the functional abnormality of hepatoma cells mediated by HBc, and might be utilized as a potential therapeutic target for HBV-related HCC.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the possibility of using generation 5 polyamidoamine dendrimers (G5-PAMAM-D) as gene vector for eukaryotic expression plasmid of siRNA in prostate carcinoma in vitro and vivo.

METHODSFirstly, eukaryotic expression vector of siRNA pSilencing 4.1-EGFP-shRNA, specific for enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA for signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) was constructed. pEGFP-C1 and pSilencing 4.1-EGFP-shRNA were cotransfected into prostate cancer cells PC-3 and 22Rv1 with G5-PAPAM-D as vector, and to observe silencing of EGFP. Next, pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA was transfected into PC-3 and 22Rv1 cells by G5-PAPAM-D, Western blotting and apoptosis staining was used to detect silencing of STAT3 and growth inhibition. Thirdly, BALB/C mice subcutaneous tumor model was made with PC-3 cells. Polyplex of G5-PAMAM-D and pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA was injected intratumorally. The tumor volume was measured and recorded.

RESULTSFluorescence detection and Western blotting analysis demonstrated that G5-PAMAM-D was able to deliver Silencing 4.1-EGFP-shRNA and pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA into the two prostate cancer cell lines, and shRNA was expressed to induce silence of EGFP and STAT3. MTT results showed that proliferation of prostate cancer cells was suppressed by G5-PAMAM-D/pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA and induced apoptosis of PC-3 cells in vitro. Human prostate cancer in mice was successfully formed by inoculation of PC-3 cells into male BABL/C mice. In G5-PAMAM-D/pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA treated group, the tumor volume was shrank remarkably at 9 days after treatment and tumor growth was retarded compared with control groups.

CONCLUSIONGS-PAMAM-D nanoparticles can be used to deliver plasmid vector expressing shRNA into prostate cancer cells effectively in vitro and vivo. It appears to be a promising gene vector for RNA interference therapy in prostate cancer.

Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Dendrimers ; Gene Silencing ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Nanoparticles ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plasmids ; Polyamines ; chemistry ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection ; Tumor Burden

OBJECTIVETo establish a novel model of lumbar disc degeneration on the early stage in the rhesus monkey using percutaneous needle puncture guided by CT.

METHODS(1) Thirteen rhesus monkeys aged from 4 to 7 years, female 7 and male 6 were selected for establishing a model of the early stage of lumbar disc degeneration. (2)13 monkeys, 91 discs were divided into 3 groups: 64 discs from L1/2 to L5/6 were percutaneous punctured with a needle 20G as experimental group and 1 disc with a needle 15G as puncture control group and 26 discs were not be punctured from L6,7 to L7-S1 as control group. (3) Lumbar disc localization for needle puncture was guided by CT. All discs were examined by MRI, the HE, Masson's trichrome, Safranine-O and immunohistochemical staining of type II collagen before disc puncture and after puncture at 4, 8 and 12 weeks.

RESULTSMRI: (1) Experimental group: Pfirmann's Grade I was shown at postoperation 4, 8 and 12 weeks; (2) Puncture control group: Grade III was shown at postoperation 4 weeks and Grade IV at 8 weeks; (3) CONTROL GROUP: Grade I was shown at postoperation 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Histological examination: (1) In experimental group, there was no any change at postoperation 4 weeks, and the cell population of the nucleus was decreased at 8 weeks and more decreased at 12 weeks in HE. (2) There was no any change at postoperation 4 weeks, the clefts among the lamellae of the annulus fibrosus (AF) were shown at 8 weeks and more wider of the clefts of AF at 12 weeks in Masson's trichrome. (3) No any change was shown at postoperation 4 weeks, proteoglycan were progressively decreased at 8 and 12 weeks in Safranine-O. (4) No statistically significant difference in positive rate was observed at 4 and 8 weeks compared with control group in immunohistochemical staining of type II collagen. There was statistical difference at 12 weeks compared with control group (P<0.05). In puncture control group postoperation 8 weeks, the morphology of cell of nucleus pulposus was not clear in HE. The wider clefts of lamellae of the AF were shown in Masson's trichrome. The proteoglycan was obviously decreased in Safranine-O. Immunohistochemical staining collagen II synthesized was decreased. In normal control group, no any change was shown at 4, 8 and 12 weeks.

CONCLUSIONSThe degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc on the early stage could be induced by the percutaneous needle puncture (20G) to the annulus fibrosus. The assessment of disc degeneration on early stage is not shown on MRI and only confirmed by histological examination.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Intervertebral Disc ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Macaca mulatta ; Male ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Random Allocation

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizae on cultivated Atractylodes lancea.

METHODPot experiment of A. lancea, with (code as AM) or without (code as CK) Glomus mosseae (GM) was conducted 5 times respectively, then the biomass, essential oil, and soil nutrition, soil organism, soil microbial were detected after A. lancea were harvested.

RESULT(1) Mycorrhizal dependency of A. lancea was 245%, and height of individuals, numbers of leaves, leaf area, biomass of A. lancea were all higher in AM than in CK (P < 0.05). (2) GC-MS analysis with cluster analysis and principal components analysis showed that there were no differences in essential oil of A. lancea between AM and CK. (T3) Total N, available N, available P and available K in AM soil were all lower than in CK soil. (4) GC-MS analysis showed organic matters changed differenly in AM soil and CK soil, components 5,6 in AM soil were higher than that in CK soil, but component 9, 10, 11 were lower in AM soil than that in CK soil. (5) Biolog detect showed AWCD of AM soil microbe were higher than that of CK soil throughout the incubation, and AWCD of the former was 0.66, and the later was 0.46 after 192 h incubation. and t-test showed, Shannon seven indices and McIntosh'seven indices were same both at 72 h and 192 h, and diversity indices of Shannon and McIntosh were also same at 72 h, but AM soil microbe were higher than CK soil microbe at 168 h (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAM could promote nutrition uptake, improve the function diversity and activity of microbe in rhizosphere of A. lancea, influence the composition of the organic matter, that lead the growth of A. lancea, but not to the quality.

Atractylodes ; growth & development ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Mycorrhizae ; physiology ; Nitrogen ; analysis ; Oils, Volatile ; metabolism ; Phosphorus ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Potassium ; analysis ; Soil ; analysis ; Soil Microbiology

OBJECTIVETo explore the imaging and related clinical characteristics of magnetic resonance (MR) delayed enhancement in patients with ischemic or nonischemic heart disease.

METHODSThirty-two cases who underwent MR myocardial cine and delayed enhancement imaging from January 2004 to October 2006 were retrospectively analyzed. The cine sequence imaging included the four-chamber view and the left ventricular short axis view. The delayed enhancement imaging was taken 10 minutes after the infusion of gadolinium from the antecubital vein with a segmented inversion-recovery-prepared T1-weighted fast gradient echo sequence. Patients underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) two weeks before or after the MR imaging examination. Combined with clinical history, the clinical and MR imaging characteristics of the patients who had delayed enhancement were analyzed.

RESULTSMR delayed enhancement could be found in 16 cases. Among them, 12 cases had ischemic heart disease. Their coronary CTA showed one to three vessel diseases. The delayed enhancement was transmural or subendocardium, and the area of delayed enhancement corresponded well with one or more coronary arteries which had severe stenosis or occlusion. Four cases had nonischemic heart diseases. One case was dilated cardiomyopathy, with diffuse small midwall spots in delayed enhancemen and only 30% stenosis of the anterior descending coronary artery in coronary CTA. One case was hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, with delayed enhancement of strip- and patch-shaped at midwall of the hypertrophic myocardium. One case was restrictive cardiomyopathy, and the delayed enhancement was located in the area of subendocardium of both the right and left ventricles. Coronary CTA of these two cases were normal. The other case was a mass of the lateral wall of the left ventricle, and the delayed enhancement with a clumpy shape was located in the lateral wall of the left ventricle.

CONCLUSIONSMR myocardial delayed enhancement is not a specific sign of myocardial infarction of ischemic heart disease. Nonischemic heart diseases including all kinds of primary cardiomyopathy and some other diseases affecting myocardium can also cause delayed enhancement, but their characteristics are different. The differentiation of the etiology of the nonischemic heart disease with delayed enhancement relies upon the intimate connection with clinical history and the cine sequence MR images.

Aged ; Angina Pectoris ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Coronary Angiography ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; instrumentation ; methods

BACKGROUND: Prenatal stress can cause neurobiological and behavioral defects in offspring; environmental factors play a crucial role in regulating the development of brain and behavioral; this study was designed to test and verify whether an enriched environment can repair learning and memory impairment in offspring rats induced by prenatal stress and to explore its mechanism involving the expression of insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) and activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) in the hippocampus of the offspring. METHODS: Rats were selected to establish a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model during pregnancy. Offspring were weaned on 21st day and housed under either standard or an enriched environment. The learning and memory ability were tested using Morris water maze and Y-maze. The expression of IGF-2 and Arc mRNA and protein were respectively measured by using RT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: There was an elevation in the plasma corticosterone level of rat model of maternal chronic stress during pregnancy. Maternal stress's offspring exposed to an enriched environment could decrease their plasma corticosterone level and improve their weight. The offspring of maternal stress during pregnancy exhibited abnormalities in Morris water maze and Y-maze, which were improved in an enriched environment. The expression of IGF-2, Arc mRNA, and protein in offspring of maternal stress during pregnancy was boosted and some relationships existed between these parameters after being exposed enriched environment. CONCLUSIONS The learning and memory impairment in offspring of prenatal stress can be rectified by the enriched environment, the mechanism of which is related to the decreasing plasma corticosterone and increasing hippocampal IGF-2 and Arc of offspring rats following maternal chronic stress during pregnancy.
Animals ; Cytoskeletal Proteins/metabolism* ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II/metabolism* ; Learning ; Learning Disabilities/psychology* ; Male ; Memory Disorders/psychology* ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism* ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/psychology* ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Social Environment ; Stress, Psychological/genetics*

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether recuperating lung decoction (RLD) can modulate the composition of gut microbiota in rats during asthma treatment.

METHODSFifteen Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly and equally into control group, model group, dexamethasone (DEX) group, RLD medium-dose group, and RLD high-dose group. The asthma model was established in all groups, except for the control group. The rats in the DEX and RLD groups were treated orally with DEX and RLD, respectively. The rats in the control and model groups were treated orally with 0.9% saline. The intestinal bacterial communities were compared among groups using 16S rRNA gene amplification and 454 pyrosequencing.

RESULTSThe microbial flora differed between the control and model groups, but the flora in the RLD groups was similar to that in the control group. No significant differences were observed between the RLD high-dose and medium-dose groups. RLD treatment resulted in an increase in the level beneficial bacteria in the gut, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp.

CONCLUSIONOral administration of RLD increased the number of intestinal lactic acid-producing bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, in asthma model rats.

Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; immunology ; microbiology ; Bacteria ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; drug effects ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; immunology ; microbiology ; Humans ; Male ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley