Myeloid differentiation factor MyD88 is a critical adaptor molecule that integrates and transduces intracellular signals in inducing the differentiation of dendritic cells (DCs).The domain regions within MyD88 was searched,it could potentially affect the function of dendritic cells and found that MyD88 aa155-171 motif not only regulate the activity of transcription factor NF-?B, but also control the production of cytokines and expression of costimulatory molecules. Indeed, aa155-171 motif deleted type MyD88 (MyD88155-171) transfected RAW264.7 cells exhibited the reduced NF-?B and AP-1 activity and interrupted the expression of CD86 and B7H1. Meanwhile, lower level expression of cytokines such as IL-12,IFN-? were also observed by means of cytokine array in MyD88-/-DC trasfected with MyD88155-171 as compared to the MyD88 transfected cells. Thus, aa155-171 motif inside MyD88 could affect the expression of costimulatory molecules, production of cytokines and transduction of Toll like receptor signal pathway, suggesting that this motif may play an important role in regulating responses of innate immune system.

The chemical investigation on Ganoderma philippii led to the isolation of sixteen compounds by silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. On the basis of spectroscopic data analyses, their structures were elucidated as 2, 5-dihydroxyacetophenone (1), methyl gentisate (2), (S) -dimethyl malate (3), muurola-4, 10 (14) -dien-11beta-ol (4), dihydroepicubenol (5), 5-hydroxymethylfuran carboxaldehyde (6), ergosta-7, 22E-dien-3beta-ol (7), ergosta-7, 22E-dien-3-one (8), ergosta-7, 22E-diene-2beta, 3alpha, 9alpha-triol (9), 6/beta-methoxyergo-sta-7, 22E-dien-3beta, 5alpha-diol (10), ergosta-4, 6, 8(14), 22E-tetraen-3-one (11), ergosta4, 6, 8-(14), 22E-etetraen-3beta-ol (12), 5alpha, 8alpha-epidioxy-ergosta-6, 22E-dien-3beta-ol (13), 7alpha-methoxy-5alpha, 6alpha-epoxyergosta-8-(14), 22E-dien-3beta-ol (14), ergosta-8, 22E-diene-3beta, 5alpha, 6beta, 7alpha-tetraol (15), and ergosta-5, 23-dien-3beta-ol, acetate (16). All the compounds were obtained from this fungus for the first time, and compounds 4 and 5 were isolated from the Ganoderma genus for the first time.
Ganoderma ; chemistry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Organic Chemicals ; analysis ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo study the incidence, clinical features and related factors of propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced hepatic injury in patients with hyperthyroidism.

METHODSA prospective study were carried out in 70 patients of hyperthyroidism with normal liver function. Every patient was treated with PTU 300 mg/d until the thyroid functions recovered to normal, following by decease and maintenance PTU dose in period of six months. Liver function, including serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL) and direct bilirubin (DBIL), thyroid function (serum thyroxine, triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, and free triiodothyronine and thyrotropin) and blood routine items were measured before therapy and once a month for six months after PTU therapy was begun.

RESULTSSixty-four cases of 70 patients completed the therapy for 6 months. Hepatic injury developed in 33 patients (51.6%). Asymptomatic, transient hepatic injury was shown in 22 patients (34.4%). Slight symptomatic hepatic injury occured in 6 cases (9.4%) and overt hepatic injury in 5 patients (7.8%) after PTU administration. However, all the patients who developed overt hepatic injury did not stop PTU. Hepatic function returned normal one month after stopping PTU. No one finally suffered from viral hepatitis and autoimmune hepatitis in patients of symptomatic and overt hepatic injury.

CONCLUSIONSPTU-induced symptomatic hepatic injury is not rare and usually develops within the first few months of PTU administration. Its clinical course is relatively benign. However, it may be difficult to predict its development, so all patients should be monitored for liver function test during the administration in early stage.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antithyroid Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; drug therapy ; Liver ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Liver Diseases ; physiopathology ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Propylthiouracil ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies

Objective:To verify the dose of static and dynamic intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) through 2-dimension ionization chamber matrix after external electrically-driven multi-leaf collimator (MLC) was installed in KB1800 medical linear accelerator. Methods: 40 patients who need receive IMRT were divided into static IMRT group (20cases) and dynamic IMRT group (20cases) as the random number table. The ionization chamber was applied to implement scale dose, and solid water and 2-D ionization chamber matrix was applied to verify dose. Besides, the feasibility of static and dynamic IMRT were compared and researched.Results: The verification results of plane dosage of static IMRT plan and dynamic IMRT plan showed that the passing rates both of them were above 90.0%, and the verification of intensity modulated dosimetry of medical electric linear accelerator KB1800 with external electric MLC was consistent with standard.Conclusion:After the external electrically-driven MLC is installed on the accelerator, the dosage of IMRT can achieve the verification standard, and it can be applied to clinical treatment and can satisfy the requirement of clinical radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of ET receptor and the apoptosis after intervened with ET receptor antagonist in androgen-independent prostate cancer.

METHODSPC3, an androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line, was used. The expression of ETA and ETB receptor in PC3 was measured through RT-PCR. After intervened with selective ETA and ETB receptor antagonist, the apoptosis in PC3 was studied through flow cytometry and electron microscope.

RESULTSClear signal was obtained in PC3 for ETA receptor mRNA transcript, while the signal for ETB receptor mRNA transcript was very weak. The expression of ETA receptor mRNA was obviously reduced and the apoptosis of PC3 cell was observed after intervened with selective ETA receptor antagonist. There was no change after intervened with selective ETB receptor antagonist.

CONCLUSIONET-1 exerts its effects through the ETA receptor subtype and ETB receptor is silenced in PC3. The expression of ETA was reduced and the apoptosis was observed in PC3 when ETA receptor was blocked. It was dose-dependent.

Androgens ; physiology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; physiology ; Endothelin A Receptor Antagonists ; Endothelin B Receptor Antagonists ; Endothelin-1 ; physiology ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent ; pathology ; Oligopeptides ; administration & dosage ; Peptides, Cyclic ; administration & dosage ; Piperidines ; administration & dosage ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Receptor, Endothelin A ; metabolism ; physiology ; Receptor, Endothelin B ; metabolism ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of early escharectomy on resting energy expenditure (REE) in severely burned patients dynamically with the metabolic monitoring and diagnostic system.

METHODSFifty-six adult male patients with severe burns were divided into early escharectomy (group A, n = 39, escharectomy within 5 PBDs) and non-early escharectomy (group B, n = 17, escharectomy after 5 PBDs) groups. The wounds of full thickness and deep partial thickness burn in the two groups were all excised and covered with allogeneic skin and autologous micro-skin in the first operation. The changes in REE were observed dynamically at the bedside of the patients with the metabolic monitoring and diagnostic system. The plasma contents of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha and LPS from 9 patients in group A and 7 in group B were also determined dynamically.

RESULTSAll patients survived. The REE in both groups was elevated markedly, but REE in group A was lower compared with group B before and after escharectomy within 14 days. (P < 0.05). The plasma level of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha and LPS in group A were obviously lower than those in group B (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe hypermetabolic response of burn patients with severe burns could be lowered by early escharectomy, and it seemed to be related to the decrease of the release of proinflammatory mediators.

Adult ; Basal Metabolism ; Burns ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Interleukin-8 ; blood ; Lipopolysaccharides ; blood ; Male ; Postoperative Care ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the relationship between the incidence of abnormal thyroid function of newborns and maternal hyperthyroidism with antithyroid drug therapy.

METHODThe clinical data of 35 neonates born to mothers with hyperthyroidism from 1983 to 2003 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the maternal thyroid function and the antithyroid drugs taken during pregnancy, subjects were divided into different groups.

RESULTSThe proportion of abnormal thyroid function in newborn was 48.6% (17/35). The prevalences of primary hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, hypothyroxinemia, and central hypothyroidism were 29.4%, 29.4%, 35.3%, and 5.9%, respectively. The incidence of abnormal thyroid function of neonates whose mothers did not take the antithyroid drugs (ATDs) until the third trimester of pregnancy was significantly higher than those without and with ATDs during the first or second trimester (P < 0.01). The incidence of abnormal thyroid function significantly increased in premature neonates, neonates whose mothers with modest or heavy pregnant hypertension, or neonates whose core serum thyroid-stimulating hormone or serum anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies levels were abnormal.

CONCLUSIONThe risk of abnormal thyroid function of infants whose hyperthyroid mothers did not take ATDs until the third trimester of pregnancy may be increased. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment of hyperthyroidism in pregnant women are essential for the prevention of neonatal thyroid functional abnormality.

Adult ; Antithyroid Agents ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; complications ; drug therapy ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; drug therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Diseases ; congenital ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of lycopene against cryopreservation injury of post-thawing human sperm and its mechanism.

METHODSSemen samples were collected from 25 volunteers, each sample equally divided into four parts to be cryopreserved with cryoprotectant only (Ly0 control) or cryoprotectant + lycopene at the concentrations of 2 (Ly2), 5 (Ly5), and 10 µmol/L (Ly10), respectively. Before and after thawing, the semen samples were subjected to computer-assisted semen analysis ( CASA) for sperm kinematics, flow cytometry for sperm apoptosis, thiobarbituric acid assay for malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, and JC-1 fluorescent staining for the sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP).

RESULTSAfter cryopreservation, sperm motility was markedly decreased in all the groups (P < 0.01). The rate of sperm apoptosis was significantly lower in the Ly5 group than in the Ly0 control ([25.68 ± 4.36]% vs [33.26 ± 4.78]%, P < 0.05), while sperm MMP remarkably higher in the former than in the latter ([66.18 ± 14.23]% vs [55.24 ± 12.31]%, P < 0.05). The Ly2, Ly5 and Ly10 groups showed no statistically significance differences in the MDA level from the Ly0 control (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAddition of lycopene at a proper concentration to cryoprotectant may reduce oxidative damage to sperm mitochondria in the freezing-thawing process, attenuate oxidative stress injury induced by reactive oxygen species to sperm plasma membrane, and improve the anti-apoptosis ability of sperm.

Apoptosis ; Carotenoids ; pharmacology ; Cryopreservation ; Cryoprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Oxidative Stress ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Semen Analysis ; Semen Preservation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; physiology

ObjectiveTo investigate the development trend of drinking water type of endemic fluorosis in Qinghai province, and to provide the basis for the prevention and treatment of the disease. MethodsIn 2009, six monitoring counties were chosen by using simple random sampling methods, all diseased villages of the six monitoring counties were classified into light, moderate and severe disease types according to water fluorine content on the historical data, and 1 village was respectively chosen from each type. In monitoring villages with improved water, 3 tap water and one source water samples were collected, respectively. Five water samples were collected randomly in water unimproved monitoring villages according to water well locations of east, west, south, north and center. The fluorine content in water and urine was determined according to the Standard Testing Methods for Drinking Water (GB/T 5750-2006). Children aged 8 to 12 were examined for dental fluorosis by Dean method.Clinical osteofluorosis of all the resident over the age of 16 was examined, 2 village of these counties were randomly selected, and clinically diagnosed patients with skeletal fluorosis were examined again by X-ray using Diagnostic Criteria of Endemic Skeletal Fluorosis (WS 192-2008). Urine sample of 30 children aged 8 to 12 and of 20 adults over the age of 16 were randomly collected and urinary fluoride was determined by F-ion selective electrode method (WS/T 89-2006). ResultsImproving water projects had been implemented in 14 monitoring villages of the 18 villages in 6 counties, the rate of improved-water was 77.78％(14/18). Among the 14 projects, 5 improved-water projects ran normally, and 9 projects ran with intermittently water supply. Seventy-five water samples were tested, themean of water fluoride was 0.48 mg/L. The prevalence of dental fluorosis was 31.95％ (285/892), that of clinical skeletal fluorosis was 36.55％(1570/4295) and the X-ray detection rate of skeletal fluorosis was 25.64％ (20/78).Five hundred and seventy-one urine samples of children were determined, and geometric mean of urinary fluorine was 1.04 mg/L; 370 adult urine samples were determined, and geometric mean of urinary fluorine was 1.52 mg/L Conclusion Epidemic of drinking water type of endemic fluorosis is still serious in Qinghai province, and drinking water defluoride measures should be further strengthened and improved.

Objective To describe and analyze the prevalence and epidemiological features of people with disability caused by injury in the Chinese population, and to provide scientific basis for developing the prevention and control programs on injuries. Methods Statistics and infervention measures were used to analyze the data from the Second China National Sample Survey on injury-caused Disability. Cluster analysis was used to analyze the differences in regions. Results The overall prevalence of disability caused by injury was 99.68/10 000 which occupied 15.59% of all the disability, with multiple disability excluded. Physical disability and hearing disability accounted for 65.59% and 23.35% of all the injury-caused disability respectively, while those ranked Grade Ⅳ and Ⅲ making up the majority(55.14% and 25.83%)of the disability, respectively. There were significant differences in the distribution of injury-caused disability among different age groups(x2= 23 106.14,P＜0.001)and gender(x2=2161.74, P＜0.001). Ageing and being males having a higher risk on injury- caused disability. Five clusters were identified by cluster analysis, in which injury-caused disability were severe in the fifth(Sichuan province)and the fourth clusters(Hunan, Chongqing,Guizhou, Ningxia province). Conclusion Problems discovered by injury-caused disability in the Chinese population should not be ignored. Both physical and hearing disabilities appeared to be the two main types of disability while age, gender and region were related to injury-caused disability.Targeted strategies should be developed to decrease the injury-caused disability in China.