[Study on virulence factors of Candida tropicalis isolated from clinical samples].

Objective: To determine the in vitro production of virulence factors for Candida (C.) tropicalis, including aspartyl proteinases, phospholipases and hemolytic activities, describe the regulation of virulence factors varying with time in C. tropicalis, and analyze the differences in aspartyl proteinases and hemolytic activities of C.

[Study on genotype and virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii clinical isolates in Guigang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region].

Objective: To understand the species, genotypes and mating types of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii isolated from clinical samples in Guigang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Methods: A total of 20 Cryptococcus strains were isolated from clinical samples in Guigang from 2009 to 2012. The biological identification was conducted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences.

Multilocus microsatellite markers for molecular typing of Candida tropicalis isolates.

Background: Candida tropicalis is considered to be the leading pathogen causing nosocomial fungemia and hepatosplenic fungal infections in patients with cancer, particularly those with leukemia. Microsatellite-based typing methods using sets of genetic markers have been developed and reported for population structure analysis of C. albicans, C.

Chronic niacin overload may be involved in the increased prevalence of obesity in US children.

Aim: To investigate nicotinamide's action on glucose metabolism, and the association between niacin consumption and obesity prevalence.

Methods: Dynamic nicotinamide's effect on plasma hydrogen peroxide and glucose metabolism was investigated using oral glucose tolerance tests with or without nicotinamide in the same five healthy subjects. Lag-regression analysis was used to examine the association between the niacin consumption and the obesity prevalence among US children using the data from the Economic Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture and from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, respectively.

Nicotinamide overload may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes.

Aim: To investigate whether nicotinamide overload plays a role in type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Nicotinamide metabolic patterns of 14 diabetic and 14 non-diabetic subjects were compared using HPLC. Cumulative effects of nicotinamide and N(1)-methylnicotinamide on glucose metabolism, plasma H(2)O(2) levels and tissue nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) contents of adult Sprague-Dawley rats were observed.