Patients with chronic hepatitis C express a high percentage of CD4(+)CXCR5(+) T follicular helper cells.

Background: T follicular helper (T(FH)) cells are a subpopulation of T-helper cells which regulate humoral immune responses. The role of T(FH) cells in viral infection is unclear. This study examined the possible involvement of CD4(+)CXCR5(+) T(FH) cells in chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection.

Artificial cold wave-induced cerebral infarction in rats with carotid atherosclerosis.

To investigate the effects of cold on blood pressure, serum endothelin-1 content, serum nitric oxide content, and morbidity of cerebral infarction, as well as assess the therapeutic effect of nimodipine. A total of 200 rats were initially assigned to a normal group (n = 10), sham group (n = 10), and carotid atherosclerosis group (n = 180), and subsequently the animals in the carotid atherosclerosis group were randomly assigned to three groups: non-cold (n = 59), cold treatment (n = 58), and nimodipine (n = 58). Rats in the cold and nimodipine groups experienced an artificial cold wave.

Serum IL-33 levels are associated with liver damage in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is associated with the development of Th2 responses. This study examined the potential role of IL-33 in the pathogenic process of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Chinese patients. The levels of serum IL-33 and sST2 in 154 patients with CHC, 24 with spontaneously resolved HCV (SR-HCV) infection and 20 healthy controls (HC), were analyzed by ELISA.

Preparation and characterization of a novel polymorph of indiplon, Form α.

A new polymorph α of indiplon was discovered, initially prepared by two methods, and further characterized by various means including single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), variable temperature powder X-ray diffraction (VT-PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), Fourier transform Raman (FT-Raman) spectroscopy and solubility determination. The crystal structure of Form α as analyzed by SCXRD differ from the three previously reported polymorphs, Form I, II, and III. In addition, PXRD and solubility measurements could clearly distinguish between Form α and Form I.

NNK promotes migration and invasion of lung cancer cells through activation of c-Src/PKCι/FAK loop.

Cigarette smoking, either active or passive, is the most important risk factor in the development of human lung cancer. Mounting evidence indicates that cigarette smoke constituents not only contribute to tumorigenesis but also may increase the spread of cancer in the body. Nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is formed by nitrosation of nicotine and has been identified as the most potent carcinogen.

Astrocyte proliferation following stroke in the mouse depends on distance from the infarct.

Reactive gliosis is a hallmark of brain pathology and the injury response, yet the extent to which astrocytes proliferate, and whether this is central to astrogliosis is still controversial. We determined the fraction of mature astrocytes that proliferate in a mouse stroke model using unbiased stereology as a function of distance from the infarct edge. Cumulatively 11.

[Effects of different compatibility proportion of jiaotai pills on treating type 2 diabetes mellitus in rats].

Objective: To study the effects of different compatibility proportion of Jiaotai pills on treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rats.

Method: The model of type 2 diabetes mellitus in rats was established by injecting streptozotocin from tail vein and feeding with high fat and high caloric diet. Diabetic rats were randomly divided into model group, Jiaotai pill 1 group (Coptidis Rhizoma-cinnamon 2: 1), Jiaotai pill 2 group (Coptidis Rhizoma-cinnamon 4: 1), Jiaotai pill 3 group (Coptidis Rhizoma-cinnamon 10: 1) and metformin group.

miR-181 regulates GRP78 and influences outcome from cerebral ischemia in vitro and in vivo.

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are short (~22nt) single stranded RNAs that downregulate gene expression. Although recent studies indicate extensive miRNA changes in response to ischemic brain injury, there is currently little information on the roles of specific miRNAs in this setting. Heat shock proteins (HSP) of the HSP70 family have been extensively studied for their multiple roles in cellular protection, but there is little information on their regulation by miRNAs.

[Simultanenous determination of contents of four nitrogenous compounds in Pinellia peda-tisecta by HPLC].

Objective: To develop a HPLC method for the quantitative determination of four nitrogenous compounds in Pinellia peda-tisecta.

Method: The determination was carried out on Diamonsil-C18 column(4. 6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) eluted with acetonitrile-water-triethylamine in gradient elution acetonitrile-water- triethylamine.

Effects of cinnamon granules on pharmacokinetics of berberine in Rhizoma Coptidis granules in healthy male volunteers.

The effects of Cinnamon granules on pharmacokinetics of berberine in Rhizoma Coptidis granules in healthy male volunteers, and the compatibility mechanism of Jiao-Tai-Wan (JTW) composed of Rhizoma Coptidis granules and Cinnamon granules were investigated. The concentration of berberine in plasma of healthy male volunteers was determined directly by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after an oral administration of Rhizoma Coptidis granules alone or combined with Cinnamon granules (JTW). The plasma concentration-time curves of berberine were plotted.

Increased brain injury and worsened neurological outcome in interleukin-4 knockout mice after transient focal cerebral ischemia.

Background And Purpose: Stroke causes brain injury with activation of an inflammatory response that can contribute to injury. We tested the hypothesis that the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) reduces injury after stroke using IL-4 knockout (KO) adult male mice.

Methods: IL-4 KO and wild-type mice were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Astrocytes: targets for neuroprotection in stroke.

In the past two decades, over 1000 clinical trials have failed to demonstrate a benefit in treating stroke, with the exception of thrombolytics. Although many targets have been pursued, including antioxidants, calcium channel blockers, glutamate receptor blockers, and neurotrophic factors, often the focus has been on neuronal mechanisms of injury. Broader attention to loss and dysfunction of non-neuronal cell types is now required to increase the chance of success.

Genistein reverses free fatty acid-induced insulin resistance in HepG2 hepatocytes through targeting JNK.

This study investigated the effects and molecular mechanisms of genistein in improving insulin resistance induced by free fatty acids (FFAs) in HepG2 hepatocytes. A model of insulin resistance in HepG2 cells was established by adding palmitic acid (0.5 mmol/L) to the culture medium and the cells were treated by genistein.

Positive selection in the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase gene of Newcastle disease virus and its effect on vaccine efficacy.

Background: To investigate the relationship between the selective pressure and the sequence variation of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein, we performed the positive selection analysis by estimating the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions with 132 complete HN gene sequences of Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs) isolated in China.

Results: The PAML software applying a maximum likelihood method was used for the analysis and three sites (residues 266, 347 and 540) in the HN protein were identified as being under positive selection. Codon 347 was located exactly in a recognized antigenic determinant (residues 345-353) and codon 266 in a predicted linear B-cell epitope.

Heat shock protein 72 overexpression prevents early postoperative memory decline after orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia in mice.

Background: Problems with learning and memory are common after surgery in the elderly and are associated with high morbidity. Heat shock protein 72 (Hsp72) confers neuroprotection against acute neurologic injury. We hypothesized that overexpression of Hsp72 would prevent the development of postoperative memory loss.

Direct protection of cultured neurons from ischemia-like injury by minocycline.

Minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic, is now known to protect cells via an anti-inflammatory mechanism. We further explored this effect using an in vitro model of ischemia-like injury to neurons. Coculturing neurons with microglia, the brain's resident immune cell, modestly increased cell death due to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD), compared to neurons alone.

[The application of multi-slice CT and MRI on maxillofacial region soft tissue measurement].

Purpose: To evaluate the value of multi-slice CT and MRI on maxillofacial region soft tissue measurement.

Methods: A total of 12 cases of dentofacial orthodontic underwent X-ray photograph, multi-slice CT and MRI scanning. The angle and distance of maxillofacial region soft tissue were measured respectively.

Heat shock protein 72 (Hsp72) improves long term recovery after focal cerebral ischemia in mice.

Many brain protective strategies have been tested over short survival intervals, but few have been examined for long term benefit. The inducible member of the Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) family, Heat shock protein 72 (Hsp72), has been widely found to reduce ischemic injury. Here we assessed outcome in Hsp72 transgenic overexpressing mice and wild type littermates for one month following transient focal ischemia.

Overexpressing GRP78 influences Ca2+ handling and function of mitochondria in astrocytes after ischemia-like stress.

Ca(2+) transfer from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to mitochondria at contact sites between the organelles can induce mitochondrial dysfunction and programmed cell death after stress. The ER-localized chaperone glucose-regulated protein 78kDa (GRP78/BiP) protects neurons against excitotoxicity and apoptosis. Here we show that overexpressing GRP78 protects astrocytes against ischemic injury, reduces net flux of Ca(2+) from ER to mitochondria, increases Ca(2+) uptake capacity in isolated mitochondria, reduces free radical production, and preserves respiratory activity and mitochondrial membrane potential after stress.

[Effects of bushen tongmai recipe on expression of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase in PCOS rats accompanying with insulin resistance].

Objective: To observe the effects of bushen tongmai recipe (BSTMR) on mRNA and protein expressions of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI-3K) p85alpha in hepatic, adipose, muscular and ovarian tissues in PCOS rats with insulin resistance (IR).

Method: Twenty-three-day-old female SD rats were injected subcutaneously with sodium prasterone sulfate (90 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) for 20 days, and fed with high-fat forage for 80 days to induce PCOS rats with IR Then the rats were randomly divided into the model group and the treated group. Meanwhile, a group of fifteen rats of the same age was considered as the normal control group.

Quantitative analysis of cell tracing by in vivo imaging system.

In vivo imaging system (IVIS) is a new and rapidly expanding technology, which has a wide range of applications in life science such as cell tracing. By counting the number of photons emitted from a specimen, IVIS can quantify biological events such as tumor growth. We used B16F10-luc-G5 tumor cells and 20 Babl/C mice injected subcutaneously with B16F10-luc-G5 tumor cells (1x10(6) in 100 microL) to develop a method to quantitatively analyze cells traced by IVIS in vitro and in vivo, respectively.

Effects of Bushen Tongmai Recipe on protein kinase Balpha expression in polycystic ovary rats with insulin resistance.

Objective: To observe the effects of Bushen Tongmai Recipe (, BSTMR) on mRNA and protein expressions of protein kinase B alpha (PKB alpha) in hepatic, adipose, muscular, and ovarian tissues of polycystic ovary (PCO) rats with insulin resistance (IR) and to explore the possible molecular mechanism of BSTMR in treating IR and ovulation dysfunction.

Methods: Female 22-day-old SD rats were injected subcutaneously with sodium prasterone sulfate (9 mg.100g(-1).

[Expressions of transforming growth factor-beta1, desmin and CD34 in the penile corpus cavernosum of rats].

Objective: To detect the expressions of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), Desmin and CD34 in the penile corpus cavernosum of SD rats in different age groups.

Methods: We randomly selected 10 SD rats in each of the 2-, 5- and 20-month age groups, harvested their penile corpus cavernosum tissues under ether anesthesia, and detected the mRNA and protein expressions of TGF-beta1, Desmin and CD34 by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.

Results: The results of RT-PCR showed the mRNA expressions of TGF-beta1, Desmin and CD34 in the corpus cavernosum tissues, with significant differences between every two groups (P < 0.

Novel treatment for chylothorax after esophagectomy with 50% glucose pleurodesis.

Chylothorax is characterized by the presence of chyle in the pleural space and cardiothoracic surgery accounts for nearly half of all the cases. Treatment of chylothorax has traditionally been nonoperative, with alternative medical therapies involving the administration of octreotide or pleurodesis. Pleurodesis with chemical agents has previously been reported, but never with 50% glucose and 0.

[Effects of Bushen Tongmai recipe on expression of IRS-1 Ser307 in polycystic ovarian syndrome rats accompanying with insulin resistance].

Objective: To investigate the effects of Bushen Tongmai recipe on the phospharylation expression of insulin receptor substrate-1 Ser307 (IRS-1 Ser307) in insulin target tissues of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) rats accompanying with insulin resistance (IR).

Method: Rats of model of PCOS accompanying with IR were randomly divided into the model group and the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group. Meanwhile, a group of 13 rats of the same age was considered as the normal control group.