Biodegradation of crude oil using an efficient microbial consortium in a simulated marine environment.

Ochrobactrum sp. N1, Brevibacillus parabrevis N2, B. parabrevis N3 and B.

Improvement of myocardial glycolipid metabolic disorder in diabetic hamster with Astragalus polysaccharides treatment.

The objective of the present study is to observe the effect of Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) on myocardial glucose and lipid metabolism in diabetes (DM) hamster and to explore its mechanism in intervention of DM cardiomyopathy. Low-dose- streptozotocin-induced hamsters (STZ, 40 mg/kg × 3 days, i.p.

Ligation of expressed protein α-hydrazides via genetic incorporation of an α-hydroxy acid.

Expressed protein ligation bridges the gap between synthetic peptides and recombinant proteins and thereby significantly increases the size and complexity of chemically synthesized proteins. Although the intein-based expressed protein ligation method has been extensively used in this regard, the development of new expressed protein ligation methods may improve the flexibility and power of protein semisynthesis. In this study a new alternative version of expressed protein ligation is developed by combining the recently developed technologies of hydrazide-based peptide ligation and genetic code expansion.

[Prognostic value of metastatic lymph node ratio in gastric cancer].

Objectives: To evaluate the value of the metastatic to examined lymph nodes (rN) ratio in gastric cancer patients who underwent radical resection.

Methods: In this retrospective study, data were collected from the medical records of 710 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy (R0) for gastric cancer from 1980 to 2006 in the Department of Surgical Oncology at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the number of examined lymph nodes: Group 1 consisted of 327 patients with <15 examined lymph nodes and Group 2 consisted of 383 patients with ≥15 lymph nodes.

Two new lignans from Celastrus flagellaris Rupr.

Two new lignans (R-biar)-12-angeloyloxy-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-1,2,3,13,14-pentamethoxy-7,8-dimethyl-7-dibenzo[a,c]cyclooctenol (1) and (R-biar)-12-benzoyloxy-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-1,2,3,13,14-pentamethoxy-7,8-dimethyl-7-dibenzo[a,c]cyclooctenol (2) were isolated from the stems of Celastrus flagellaris Rupr. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods including HR-EI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, HMQC, NOESY, and CD.

Effects of ethanolic extract from Radix Scrophulariae on ventricular remodeling in rats.

Purpose: To explore the effects of ethanolic extract of Radix Scrophulariae (EERS) on ventricular remodeling in rats.

Methods: Rats with coronary artery ligation (CAL) were randomly assigned to 5 groups: CAL model; CAL plus 40 mg/kg captopril; CAL plus 60 mg/kg, 120 mg/kg, 240 mg/kg EERS. Sham operation rats were randomly assigned to 2 groups, sham-operated control and sham-operated plus 120 mg/kg EERS.

[Advances in the structure-activity relationship study of natural flavonoids and its derivatives].

Flavonoids are a large class of compounds widely distributed in nature. Many pharmacological activities of flavonoids have been reported such as anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antithrombotic, vasodilator, antiviral, antibacterial, antiallergic, and so on. In recent years, domestic and foreign research groups choose natural flavonoids and optimize their chemical structures in order to develop a number of new derivatives with stronger pharmacological activities.

Demonstrating the stability of albinterferon alfa-2b in the presence of silicone oil.

Silicone oil is often used to decrease glide forces in prefilled syringes and cartridges, common primary container closures for biopharmaceutical products. Silicone oil has been linked to inducing protein aggregation (Diabet Med 1989;6:278; Diabet Care 1987;10:786-790), leading to patient safety and immunogenicity concerns. Because of the silicone oil application process (Biotech Adv 2007;25:318-324), silicone oil levels tend to vary between individual container closures.

[Values of fractional exhaled nitric oxide in the diagnosis of chronic cough].

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in the diagnosis of chronic cough.

Methods: A total of 106 subjects with chronic cough and normal chest radiographs were recruited from October 2009 to September 2010. Based on the management guidelines of the Chinese Respiratory Society for cough, the golden standard methods were used to make the definite diagnosis of chronic cough, including sputum cell counts, pulmonary function tests, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, 24-h esophageal pH monitoring, skin pricking test and serum immunoglobulin E.

The rno-miR-34 family is upregulated and targets ACSL1 in dimethylnitrosamine-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats.

The mechanisms whereby hepatic fibrosis develops in chronic liver diseases remain incompletely defined. Here, we sought to examine whether microRNA (miRNA) became dysregulated in dimethylnitrosamine-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats. Our microarray analysis revealed that the miR-34 family was upregulated along with other miRNAs in liver fibrotic tissues.

Pharmacological inhibition of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 reduces body weight gain, hyperlipidemia, and hepatic steatosis in db/db mice.

Aim: To test whether pharmacological inhibition of Diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) by a small-molecule inhibitor H128 can improve metabolism disorders in leptin receptor-deficient db/db mice.

Methods: To investigate the effect of H128 on intestinal fat absorption,db/db mice were acutely given a bolus of corn oil by gavage. The mice were further orally administered H128 (3 and 10 mg/kg) for 5 weeks.

Downregulation of ABCG2 expression in glioblastoma cancer stem cells with miRNA-328 may decrease their chemoresistance.

ABCG2, which encodes an ATP-binding cassette transporter protein, is associated with the phenotype of cancer stem cells and is used to define the pluripotential side population cells by flow cytometry and slide-cytometry. MicroRNAs control a wide array of biological processes (e.g.

Involvement of cytoskeleton-associated proteins in the commitment of C3H10T1/2 pluripotent stem cells to adipocyte lineage induced by BMP2/4.

The developmental pathway that gives rise to mature adipocytes involves two distinct stages: commitment and terminal differentiation. Although the important proteins/factors contributing to terminal adipocyte differentiation have been well defined, the proteins/factors in the commitment of mesenchymal stem cells to the adipocyte lineage cells have not. In this study, we applied proteomics analysis profiling to characterize differences between uncommitted C3H10T1/2 pluripotent stem cells and those that have been committed to the adipocyte lineage by BMP4 or BMP2 with the goal to identify such proteins/factors and to understand the molecular mechanisms that govern the earliest stages of adipocyte lineage commitment.

Structures and connections of enkephalin- and γ-aminobutyric acid-immunoreactive profiles in the gustatory region of the nucleus tractus solitarius: a light and electron microscopic study.

GABA and enkephalin (ENK) are principle inhibitory transmitters in the rostral portion of the nucleus tractus solitarius (rNTS) for regulating the gustatory information. Although the existence of GABA- and ENK-immunoreactive (ir) profiles in the rNTS has been demonstrated, there are no morphological data revealing the connections between them. In the present study, using immunofluorescent and electron microscopic methods, we examined their relationship in the rNTS of rat.

Role of hepatic arterial ischaemia in biliary fibrosis following liver transplantation.

Background: In clinical liver transplantation, whether the delay of hepatic arterial ischaemia increases biliary fibrosis or not is controversial. We designed a liver transplantation model to test this controversy and explore its mechanism.

Methods: Twelve dogs were divided into two groups randomly: hepatic arterial ischaemia (HAI) and control groups.

Hepatocytic precursor (stem-like) WB-F344 cells reduce tumorigenicity of hepatoma CBRH-7919 cells via TGF-beta/Smad pathway.

Hepatic stem cells (HSCs) are involved in repair of liver injury. Stem cells may have inhibitory effects on tumor cell growth and apoptosis. However, it is unknown whether HSCs regulate the biological functions of hepatocarcinoma cells, especially tumor cell growth and apoptosis.

[Evaluation of porosity in the restorations of light-cured resin composite].

Objective: To investigate the influence of the consistency of resin composite and insertion techniques on the homogeneity of the Class I restorations.

Methods: Standardized Class I cavities were prepared in polymethyl methyacrylate (PMMA) blocks and restored with three resin composites (Prodigy, Tetric EvoCeram and Tetric Ceram HB) using either a packing or an injection technique by six operators. Then the restorations were sectioned longitudinally and inspected for the presence of porosities and voids with microscope.

Mutation analysis in a Chinese family with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.

Background: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an autosomal dominant cancer syndrome which is caused by germline mutations of the tumor suppressor gene MEN1. This study aimed to identify mutations in a Chinese pedigree with MEN1.

Methods: A large Chinese family with MEN1 was collected.

Two new N-oxide Lycopodium alkaloids from Huperzia serrata.

Two new Lycopodium alkaloids, N-oxidehuperzine E (1) and N-oxidehuperzine F (2), along with two known alkaloids, huperzines E (3) and F (4), were isolated from Huperzia serrata (Thunb.) Trev. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and chemical transformations.

Tracing of intracellular zinc(II) fluorescence flux to monitor cell apoptosis by using FluoZin-3AM.

Changes in the free zinc(II) concentration are closely related to cell proliferation and apoptosis, especially during the early apoptotic process. In the present paper, we demonstrated that zinc(II) probe FluoZin-3AM owns sensitive properties to distinguish different stages of apoptotic cell (induced by an anticancer agent, etoposide) according to trace intracellular zinc(II) fluorescence flux. When apoptosis in HeLa or K562 cells was artificially induced, FluoZin-3AM selectively and strongly stained apoptotic cells only at early and middle stages, which was attributed to significantly increased free zinc(II) flux during these stages.

Two-photon fluorescent probes of biological Zn(II) derived from 7-hydroxyquinoline.

A new fluorescent probe for monitoring Zn(2+) was synthesized based on the structure of 7-hydroxyquinoline. Compared with 8-substituted quinolines, the new probe exhibited higher selectivity for Zn(2+) over Cd(2+). Its fluorescence enhancement (14-fold) and nanomolar range sensitivity (K(d) = 0.

Manufacture and cytotoxicity of a lead-free piezoelectric ceramic as a bone substitute-consolidation of porous lithium sodium potassium niobate by cold isostatic pressing.

Aim: The piezoelectric properties and cytotoxicity of a porous lead-free piezoelectric ceramic for use as a direct bone substitute were investigated.

Methodology: Cold isostatic pressing (CIP) was applied to fabricate porous lithium sodium potassium niobate (Li0.06Na0.