Cirrhotic portal hypertension could complicate impaired intestinal barrier function,small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota,further exacerbate the severity of cirrhosis.TIPS might lead to hepatic encephalopathy(HE).The research progresses in correlations of cirrhotic portal hypertension,TIPS related HE and gut microbiota were reviewed in this article.

Objective To express UL148 RNA of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) clinical strains in vitro and to study its functions. Methods Urine of a newborn with HCMV infection was inocula-ted into human embryo lung cells. HCMV clinical strain was isolated and identified by multiplex PCR. UL148 gene was amplified and cloned into pGEM-T-Easy plasmid after double enzyme digestion. A recombi-nant plasmid was constructed and located at the downstream of the T7 promoter. The recombinant plasmid was identified by electrophoresis of the recombinant plasmid,PCR product and double enzyme product. Se-quencing analysis was used for final confirmation. UL148 was transcribed into RNA by 32P labeling. Post-translational modification sites were analyzed by bioinformatics method based on UL148 sequence characteris-tics. Results The clinical strain of HCMV was obtained in vitro. Electrophoresis and sequencing analysis confirmed the successful construction of the recombinant plasmid. UL148 RNA was transcribed in vitro by T7RNA polymerase. Post-translational modification sites showed that UL148 gene contained one cell adhe-sion sequence, one legume lectins beta-chain signature, two N-myristoylation sites, one casein kinase Ⅱphosphorylation site,seven protein kinase C phosphorylation sitse, one cAMP/cGMP-dependent protein ki-nase phosphorylation site, two N-glycosylation sites and one transmembrane region. Conclusion UL148 gene might encode a viral adhesion molecule involving in the signal transduction in host cells.

Objective: To investigate the UL148 gene function of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) low passage clinic isolate and new strategies for anti-HCMV treatment, the DNA-based external guide sequences (EGSs) were designed to inhibit UL148 RNA expression. Methods: UL148 RNA secondary structure was analyzed by RNA structure technique, an appropriate region was chosen for DNA-based EGS57 synthesis, targeted the UL148 RNA. The M1RNA and UL148 RNA were generated by PCR for transcription in vitro. The UL148 RNA and M1RNA were transcribed in vitro under the function of T7 RNA polymerase. The UL148 was labelled by ³²P. The cleavage reactions were carried out by mixing up EGS, M1RNA with UL148 RNA for 1 h. The products were separated by urea denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and detected with Typhoon Phosphor Imager. Results: UL148 RNA ranged from 58 to 72 sites was the binding position, and 57 was a cleavage site. EGS57 was designed and synthesized. EGS57 was combined with UL148 RNA to form the natural substrate of M1RNA. UL148 RNA and M1RNA were synthesized through T7 RNA polymerase catalyzing, and the products were conformed. After cleaving reactions, DNA-based EGS57 was shown to be able to cleave UL148 RNA efficiently in vitro by a complex with M1RNA. Conclusions UL148 RNA was cleaved efficiently by EGS57, and the cleaving site was conformed as expectation. It will provide the gene silent tool effectively for further study the function of UL148 gene.

Objective To evaluate the effect of microecologic treatment combined enteral nutrition on serum endotoxin,tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),interleukin-18 (IL-18),blood ammonia levels and nutritional status in patients with hepatic encephalopathy.Methods 60 patients with hepatic encephalopathy were allocted randomly into 3 groups,on the basis of conventional liver protective therapy and uragogue with one group given probiotics plus enteral nutrition,one given probiotics only,and the 3rd group given intravenous nutrition.The whole course of treatment was four weeks.Serum levels of endotoxin,TNF-α,IL-18,ammonia and albumin were determined before and on the 7th and 14th day after treatment.Results The levels of serum endotoxin,TNF-α,IL-18 and blood ammonia in the combined treatment group decreased remarkably after treatment,while the level of serum albumin elevated markedly.The difference was significant at statistics as compared with the only probiotics group and intravenous nutrition group (P＜0.05).Conclusion Microecologic treatment combined enteral nutrition could effectively reduce blood ammonia and serum endotoxin levels,protect intestinal mucosal barrier,as well as improve nutritional status of patients with hepatic encephalopathy,which was considered as a safe and efficient therapy.

A 35-year-old female patient received oral thiamazole 10 mg twice daily,vitamin B4 10 mg thrice daily,and two tablets of batilol tablets(50 mg per tablet)thrice daily for hyperthyroidism. On week 1 of medication,because of decreasing level of white blood cells,thiamazole was reduced to 10 mg once daily and four tablets of berbamine hydrochloride tablets thrice daily were added to the regimen. On day 16 of medication,the patient experienced fever with a peak temperature of 37. 8 ℃ and red rash and itching on the limbs followed by generalized arthralgia. On day 10,slight swelling and positive tenderness appeared on proximal interphalangeal joints of index fingers and middle fingers of both hands,and metacarpopha-langeal joints of right index finger and middle finger. Positive tenderness also appeared on her both wrist joints,both ankle joints,and bilateral knee joints. Laboratory tests revealed the following values:erythrocyte sedimentation rate 41 mm/1 h,C-reactive protein 31 mg/L,antinuclear antibodies( ANA)1 :310,and anti-histone antibodies( AHA)( ﹢). Thiamazole was stopped while the other drugs were continued as before. Subsequently,the symptoms of pain and swelling of her joints gradually improved. After half a year of drug withdrawal,the ANA and AHA became negative.

A 35-year-old female patient received oral thiamazole 10 mg twice daily,vitamin B4 10 mg thrice daily,and two tablets of batilol tablets(50 mg per tablet)thrice daily for hyperthyroidism. On week 1 of medication,because of decreasing level of white blood cells,thiamazole was reduced to 10 mg once daily and four tablets of berbamine hydrochloride tablets thrice daily were added to the regimen. On day 16 of medication,the patient experienced fever with a peak temperature of 37. 8 ℃ and red rash and itching on the limbs followed by generalized arthralgia. On day 10,slight swelling and positive tenderness appeared on proximal interphalangeal joints of index fingers and middle fingers of both hands,and metacarpopha-langeal joints of right index finger and middle finger. Positive tenderness also appeared on her both wrist joints,both ankle joints,and bilateral knee joints. Laboratory tests revealed the following values:erythrocyte sedimentation rate 41 mm/1 h,C-reactive protein 31 mg/L,antinuclear antibodies( ANA)1 :310,and anti-histone antibodies( AHA)( ﹢). Thiamazole was stopped while the other drugs were continued as before. Subsequently,the symptoms of pain and swelling of her joints gradually improved. After half a year of drug withdrawal,the ANA and AHA became negative.

Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),angiopoietin (Ang)-1 and Ang-2 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods Serum levels of VEGF,Ang-1 and Ang-2 were measured with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Twenty-one healthy subjects,24 osteoarthritis patients and 82 rheumatoid arthritis patients were included.We defined active and inactive group according to RA disease active score,while early active RA and late active RA group were defined on the basis of disease course.There were 28 early active patients,32 late active patients and 22 inactive patients with rheumatoid arthritis.At the same time 29 RA patients were examined with ultrasound.Synovial hypertrophy (US joint count SH,US index SH),synovial fluid(US joint count SF,US index SF),resistance index and power Doppler signal (US joint PD,TSS) were scored.The correlation was analyzed.We also detected the serum levels of VEGF,Ang-1,Ang-2,ESR,CRP and DAS28 in 25patients with active RA after 3 month regular treatment.We used one-way ANOVA to compare the differences between groups,and Wilcoxon test to compare the differences between before and after treatment.We analyzed the correlation with linear correlation or Spearman rank test.Results The serum level of VEGF [(1285 ±272) pg/ml],Ang-1 [(0.55±0.25)ng/ml] in patients with rheumatoid arthritis were higher than osteoarthritis patients [(934±80) pg/ml,(0.32±0.16) ng/ml] and normal controls [(565±115) pg/ml,(0.24±0.21) ng/ml],and the serum level of Ang-2 [(1.36±0.40) ng/ml] was higher than normal controls [(0.52±0.32) ng/ml].The serum level of VEGF [(1355±194) pg/ml] in early active patients was higher than late active patients [(1096±477) pg/ml] and inactive patients [(862±91) pg/ml].The serum level of Ang-1 in early active patients,late active patients and inactive patients with rheumatoid arthritis had no statistically significant differences.The serum level of Ang-2 in inactive patients [(2.0±2.0) ng/ml] was significantly higher than late active patients [0.9±0.8) ng/ml].The serum level of VEGF was positively correlated with US joint SH,US index SH,US joint PD,and TSS.The serum level of Ang-1 was positively correlated with US joint SH,US joint PD,and TSS.The serum level of VEGF and Ang-1 were negatively correlated with RI.The serum level of Ang-2 was not correlated with US joint SH,US index SH,US joint SF,US index SF,US joint PD,TSS and RI.In the active RA patients,the serum level of VEGF,Ang-1 and Ang-2 was positively correlated with each other.In the inactive RA patients,the serum level of VEGF,Ang-1 and Ang-2 was not correlated with each other.The serum level of VEGF and Ang-1 before treatment was slightly higher than that of after treatment,but the difference was not statistically significant.The serum level of Ang-2 after treatment was significantly higher than that before treatment.ESR,CRP and DAS28 of after treatment were lower than those before treatment.Conclusion The serum VEGF and Ang-1 level could be used as useful index to reflect RA synovial thickening and angiogenesis The serum level of Ang-2 could be used as one of the efficacy indices.They may influence each other,and they may be the key factors that mediate the onset and development of RA angiogenesis and synovial inflammation.

Neisseria meningitidis is the agent of invasive meningococcal disease,including cerebral meningitis and septicemia.Because the diseases caused by different clonai groups (sequence types) have their own epidemiological characteristics,it is important to understand the differences among the genomes of the N.meningitidis clonal groups.To this end,a novel interpretation of a structural dot plot of genomes was devised and applied;exact nucleotide matches between the genomes of N.meningitidis serogroup A strain Z2491 and serogroup B strain MC58 were identified,leading to the specification of various structural regions.Known and putative virulence genes for each N.meningitidis strain were then classified into these regions.We found that virulence genes of MC58 tend more to the translocated regions (chromosomal segments in new sequence contexts) than do those of Z2491,notably tending towards the interface between one of the translocated regions and the collinear region.Within the collinear region,virulence genes tend to occur within 16 kb of gaps in the exact matches.Verification of these tendencies using genes clustered in the cps locus was sufficiently supportive to suggest that these tendencies can be used to focus the search for and understanding of virulence genes and mechanisms of pathogenicity in these two organisms.

OBJECTIVE: To seek the effect of CO2 laser-assisted uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (LAUP) of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). METHOD: Patients with OSAHS confirmed by polysomnography (PSG) were chosen. Ninety-six patients were completed PSG studies of more than 6 months after CO2 LAUP. RESULT: The 96 patients' follow-up period was 6 months, 29 cases were cured; 34 cases had notable effects; 13 cases had effects; 20 cases had no effects. The effective rate was 79.17% (76/96). CONCLUSION Application CO2 LAUP is a safe and effective treatment method for OSAHS.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lasers, Gas ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Palate ; surgery ; Palate, Soft ; surgery ; Pharynx ; surgery ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Uvula ; surgery

Objective To study the effects of A?25-35 on the expression of gene P21,CDK4,E2F1 and BAX in cultured PC12 cells.MethodsPC12 cells were treated with 25 ?mol/L A?25-35,the relation between cell cycle redistribution and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry(FCM).Protein and mRNA expression of P21,CDK4,E2F1 and BAX were detected by RT-PCR and Western-blot respectively.Results About 90% PC12 cells were found arrest on G0/G1 by FCM being deprived serum.Treated with 25 ?mol/L A?25-35 for 8,16,24 h,the percent of S phase cells was raised remarkably(P