Severity of sepsis is correlated with the elevation of serum high-mobility group box 1 in rats.

Background: Sepsis is a leading cause of death in the intensive care units. The late inflammatory cytokine, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), plays a critical role in sepsis. In the present study, we investigated the association between the serum HMGB1 levels and the severity of organ injury in the lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis in rats.

Postconditioning the human heart with adenosine in heart valve replacement surgery.

Background: The effect of adenosine postconditioning on myocardial protection in cardiac surgery remains uncertain. The present study evaluated the safety, feasibility, and beneficial effect of adenosine postconditioning as an adjunct to predominantly used cold-blood cardioplegic myocardial protection method in the setting of heart valve replacement operations.

Methods: Sixty patients with rheumatic heart valve disease undergoing heart valve replacement operations were randomized to an adenosine (1.

[Study on the nucleic acid of E. coli bacteriophage with broad host range and its sterilization effect to sewage samples from the environment].

Objective: To study the change of nucleic acid sequence and the germicidal effect of an E. coli bacteriophage with broad host range isolated from hospital sewage as well as to study the mechanism of phage host specificity and the effect of killed bacteria by phage-disinfectant to the samples from sewage water.

Methods: To extract the nucleic acid from phage f(2) and phage with broad host range using anti-serum-carbamidine hydrochloride assay.

cagA and vacA genotype of Helicobacter pylori associated with gastric diseases in Xi'an area.

Aim: To establish stock of clinical Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) isolates, to perform cagA and vacA typing of these isolates, to evaluate the relationship between genotypes of cagA and vacA and upper gastrointestinal diseases and to assess the association of vacA genotypes with presence of the pathogenicity marker-cagA.

Methods: Clinical H.