Objective To determine the optimal extraction process for kaempferol from Alpinia officinarum Hance and to investigate its antioxidant activity.Methods Based on single-factor experimental data,this study employed the Box-Behnken central composite design and response surface methodology(RSM),combined with high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC),to plot response surface and contour maps using kaempferol content as the response value.The optimal parameters for ethanol concentration,solid-liquid ratio,extraction time,and extraction temperature were selected.The antioxidant activity of kaempferol was comprehensively evaluated by calculating the radical scavenging rate using the DPPH radical scavenging assays.Results The optimal extraction conditions were determined to be an ethanol concentration of 84%,a solid-liquid ratio of 1∶80,an extraction time of 2 hours,and an extraction temperature of 82℃.Under these conditions,the kaempferol content extracted from Alpinia officinarum Hance reached 0.034 16%.In the DPPH radical scavenging assay,the extract showed a scavenging rate of 91.20%at a concentration of 1 mg/mL.Conclusion The optimized extraction process for kaempferol from Alpinia officinarum Hance was obtained using the Box-Behnken response surface design method,and this process is practical and feasible.The DPPH radical scavenging assay demonstrated that kaempferol from Alpinia officinarum Hance possesses antioxidant activity.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of different densities of rat cardiac fibroblasts (RCF) subjected to hypothermic hypoxia-reoxygenation on cardiomyocyte injury and intercellular coupling.Methods:RCF was cultured in vitro and divided into 3 groups ( n=12 each) using a random number table method: RCF density 0.5×10 5 cells/ml group (T 0.5 group), RCF density 1.0×10 5 cells/ml group (T 1.0 group), and RCF density 2.0×10 5 cells/ml group (T 2.0 group). The three groups were placed in an anoxic device, into which 95% N 2 + 5% CO 2 was continuously blown at the speed of 5 L/min for 15 min, and then placed in a 4 ℃ refrigerator for 1 h for low temperature treatment.After completion of culture, cells were placed in a incubator containing 95% air + 5% CO 2 at 37 ℃ for 4 h of reoxygenation.After the end of culture, RCF in three groups were indirectly co-cultured with cardiomyocytes of the same density (1.0×10 5 cells/ml) in a Transwell chamber for 16 h, cardiomyocytes were seeded in the lower chamber of Transwell, and RCF were seeded in the upper chamber of Transwell.After the end of co-culture, cardiomyocytes were collected for determination of the cell viability (by CCK8 method), apoptosis rate (by flow cytometry), expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) mRNA (by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction), and expression of Cx43 and phosphorylated Cx43 (p-Cx43) (by Western blot). Results:Compared with T 0.5 group, the cell viability, apoptosis rate and expression of Cx43, p-Cx43 and Cx43 mRNA were significantly decreased in T 1.0 and T 2.0 groups ( P<0.01). Compared with T 1.0 group, the cell viability, apoptosis rate and expression of Cx43 and p-Cx43 were significantly decreased ( P<0.01), and no significant change was found in expression of Cx43 mRNA in cardiomyocytes in T 2.0 group ( P>0.05). Conclusions:RCF subjected to hypothermic hypoxia-reoxygenation induces cardiomyocyte injury in a density-dependent manner in a certain range, and the mechanism may be related to down-regulation of the expression of Cx43 and reduction of the activity of Cx43.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of different density rat fibroblasts on the expression of conjunctin 43 (Cx43) in cardiomyocytes and cell viability.Methods:Cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts were co-cultured using Transwell, cardiomyocytes were inoculated into the lower chamber of Transwell and fibroblasts into the upper chamber of Transwell.The cells were divided into 3 groups ( n=12 each) by a random number table method: fibroblast density 0.5×10 5 cells/ml group (group C 0.5), fibroblast density 1×10 5 cells/ml group (group C 1), and fibroblast density 2×10 5 cells/ml group (group C 2), with the density of cardiomyocytes 1×10 5 cells/ml in three groups.Cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts were co-cultured for 20 h in three groups.Cardiomyocytes were collected after co-culture for determination of cell viability (by CCK8 method), apoptosis rate (by flow cytometry), and expression of Cx43 mRNA (by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) and expression of Cx43 and phosphorylated Cx43 (p-Cx43) (by Western blot). Results:There was no significant difference in the apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes among the three groups ( P>0.05). Compared with group C 0.5, the expression of Cx43 protein and mRNA and p-Cx43 was significantly up-regulated in group C 1, the cardiomyocyte viability was significantly increased, and the expression of Cx43 protein and mRNA and p-Cx43 was up-regulated in group C 2 ( P<0.05). Compared with group C 1, the cardiomyocyte viability was significantly increased, and the expression of Cx43 protein and mRNA and p-Cx43 was up-regulated in group C 2 ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Rat fibroblasts up-regulate the expression of Cx43 and enhance the activity of Cx43 in cardiomyocytes and enhance cell viability in a density-dependent manner in a certain range.

Fibromatosis, Aggressive ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology

Objective To investigate the genetic characteristics of E 1 gene of rubella virus strains isolated in Henan province for further investigation on rubella prevention and control .Methods RNA was extracted from rubella virus strains isolated from suspected measles cases in Henan during 2008 to 2012 .E1 gene of the isolates were amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced .The nucleotide ( nt ) and amino acid ( aa ) sequences of E1 gene of Henan isolates were aligned with the sequences of other reference strains downloaded from GenBank.Phylogenetic tree was constructed by using MEGA 6.0 software package.Results The pre-dominant genotype of rubella virus isolated in Henan was 1E genotype.No 1F genotype was detected.The 2B genotype emerged in 2013.The E1 gene of Henan isolates shared 87.8%-100% homologies in nucleo-tide sequences and 67.0%-100%in amino acids sequences .No variation was detected at hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization sites .A Leu to Phe mutation occurred at amino acid site 338 of 1E genotype in all isolates.Conclusion The results of this study demonstrated that genotype 1E was the predominant geno-type of rubella virus epidemic in Henan province .

OBJECTIVEDiscussion on utility and purposed value of obesity and abdomen obesity when body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR) used as indexes predicting hypertension, hyper-blood glucose, and both clusters, to provide scientific basis for the decision on the indexes and their cut-off points of obesity and abdomen obesity in Chinese people.

METHODSUsing the data of diabetes mellitus (DM) from epidemiological studies carried out in 11 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities of China from July 1995 to June 1997. Partial relative analysis, logistic multi-factors regression analysis, interaction analysis were used. Relative risk (RR), attributable risk proportion (ARP) and population attributable risk proportion (PARP) of hypertension, hyper-blood glucose, and the both cluster as BMI, WC, WHR with the different cut off points were analysed.

RESULTS1) The correlations between BMI, WC and blood pressure, blood glucose were better than the WHR. 2) After adjusted by age, sex, occupation leisure physical activity, education degree and the family history of DM, the results suggested that BMI, WC, WHR were important predictive factors, with relative importance as BMI > WC > WHR. 3) There were augment interactions on BMI, WC and WHR with hypertension, hyper-blood glucose, with the interaction of BMI and WC in particular. Their pure attributable interaction proportion were from 5.95% to 29.34%. 4) The values of RR were about 2.5 when BMI >/= 23, >/= 24 and >/= 25, suggesting the relationship with exposure factors and diseases were with medium and high maleficent extent. Their ARP were from 0.580 to 0.623 with PARP from 0.259 to 0.425. The values of RR were from 2.06 to 3.08 as WC >/= 85 cm in males, WC >/= 80 cm in females while WC >/= 90 cm in males, WC >/= 80 cm in females, which suggested that the relationship with exposure factors and diseases were in medium and high maleficent extent. Their ARP were from 0.515 to 0.676 while PARP from 0.241 to 0.431.

CONCLUSIONSSince the maleficent extent of exposure factors to diseases, the acceptability for overweight and obesity in population, and the prevention and care for overweight and obesity were just in the introduction stage in China. The utility value of predicted hypertension, hyper-blood glucose in BMI and WC seemed to be better then in WHR. We suggested that BMI used as the obesity index, with the diagnostic cut-off point BMI >/= 24. WC as the abdomen obesity index. The diagnostic cut-off points are suggested to be WC >/= 85 cm in males, and WC >/= 80 cm in females.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Body Constitution ; Body Mass Index ; Diastole ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Hypertension ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; physiopathology ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Systole