Investigation of clonorchiasis in Huachuan Country, Heilongjiang Province / 中国地方病学杂志

Objective To investigate the prevalence of clonorchiasis among residents of Huachuan Country,Heilongjiang Province and to provide a basis for development of control strategies.Methods From 2011 to 2012,cluster random sampling was performed to survey the incidence of clonorchiasis in Huachuan Country.Fecal specimens were collected and examined the clonorchis sinensis eggs by Kato-Katz method.A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect related information such as age,gender,occupation and eating habits.The infection characteristic was analyzed.Results Totally 884 patients with clonorchiasis were found among 2248 residents,and the infection rate was 39.32％.The infection rate in male[47.15％(611/1296)] was significantly higher than females [28.68％(273/952),x2 =34.55,P ＜ 0.01].The infection rate increased with age,which was higher in the 20-69 years old people,with the highest infection rate in the 50-59 years old groups[45.34％ (219/483)].Of the occupational distribution,farmers had the highest infection rate [47.24％ (420/889)],followed by cadres and staffs[38.38％(190/495)].Of residents with fresh fish eating history,the prevalence of clonorchiasis was 53.38％(150/281).Conclusions The prevalence of clonorchiasis is still high in Huachuan County.To reduce the prevalence of clonorchiasis,comprehensive prevention measures,health education and group chemotherapy should be carried out.

Tenascin-x facilitates myocardial fibrosis and cardiac remodeling through transforming growth factor-β1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ in alcoholic cardiomyopathy / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Tenascin-x, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein exclusively expressed in fibroblasts, can mediate fibrosis in the presence of collagen. Therefore, we have investigated its potential role in facilitating myocardial fibrosis and cardiac remodeling via the transforming growth factor-β1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (TGFβ(1)-PPARγ) pathway in alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Experimental animals were divided into control (group A) and tenascin-x knock-out groups (group B) receiving alcohol. Six months post treatment, cardiac ejections fraction (EF), fractional shortening (FS), left ventricle end-diastole internal diameter (LVEDd) and collagen column fraction (CVF) were observed. Tenascin-x, smad-3, TGFβ(1), smad-7 and PPARγ protein expression levels were detected by Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Six months post treatment, EF and FS values were higher in group B than in group A (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), while LVEDd and CVF were lower in group B (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). Tenascin-x, smad-3 and TGFβ(1) protein expression levels were higher in group A, while smad-7 and PPARγ levels were lower than in group B (P < 0.01), as measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Tenascin-x protein expression was negatively correlated with EF, FS, smad-7 and PPARγ, and positively correlated with LVEDd, CVF, smad-3, and TGFβ(1) (P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Tenascin-x is an initiator of myocardial fibrosis and ACM development via upregulation of TGFβ(1) and downregulation of PPARγ.</p>

Role of apoptosis in hepatic injury of rat and patients with Clonorchis sinensis infection / 中国地方病学杂志

Objective To investigate the liver injury and pathological changes of rat and patients with Clonorchis sinensis(C, sinensis) infection, and to clarify the role of apoptosis in the injury induced by C. sinensis.Methods Wistar rats were divided into two group: 60 in infection group and 20 in control. The rats in infection group were infected with C. sinensis via oral feeding encysted cercaria;rats in control group were fed with normal saline. The rats were sacrificed 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks after infection, respectively. Liver tissue specimens of the patients infected with C. sinensis were collected. The pathological changes of liver tissue were observed by light microscopy and the apoptofic rate of hepatocyte was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) assay. Results Parasites and eggs could he seen around the bile duct, and the duct was associated with mucosa and adenoma papillary hyperplasia, wall thickening, inflammatory cell infiltration, a small amount of fibrous tissue hyperplasia, and periportal liver cells surrounded by a number of nuclear condensation, all these changes meant morphological characteristics of apoptosis. Apoptotic rates of liver cells in infection group 4, 6,8 and 12 weeks after infection were (7.15 ± 1.50)%,(11.61 ± 3.09)%,(13.21 ± 3.47)% and (11.26 ± 4.06)%,respectively, which was significantly higher than that in control group [(2.57 ± 0.72)%, (3.17 + 0.77)%, (3.67 ±0.96)% and (2.84 ± 0.87)%, t values were 4.45, 5.49, 5.95 and 4.74, respectively, all P < 0.01]. Conclusions These findings indicate that C, sinensis can stimulate both hepatoeytic apoptosis and degeneration which may he related to clinical manifestations and liver lesions in patients with clonorchiasis.

Effect of mutations in the 5'untranslated region pyrimidine-rich tract on the virulence variation of coxsackievirus B1 / 中国地方病学杂志

Objective To evaluate the infectivity and virulence variation caused by mutations in the 5' untranslated region(5'UTR)pyrimidine-rich tract of coxsackievirus B1(CVB1)genome.Methods Five pyrimidines in the 5'UTR pyrimidine-rich tract(nt563-nt573)of CVB1 genome were substituted with purines by site-directed mutagenesis.The mutant,CVB1/m563-573,was purified by plaque assay,and subjected to infectivity and virulence assessments by means of cytopathic effect(CPE),plaque forming,one-step growth curve,and 50% lethal dose(LD50)assays.Results Sequencing data revealed that the sequence of pyrimidine-rich tract in the 5'UTR of CVB1/m563-573 mutant was exactly identical to our design(C565A,U567C,U568A,U570A,and U572G).CPE assay showed that the infectivity of CVB1/m563-573 was weaker than that of its prototype CVB1/wt(A490=0.710±0.074,0.812±0.092)though no significant difference could be observed(t=-2.204,P>0.05).Plaque forming assay showed that the plaque quantities of CVB1/m563-573 were(6.40±1.52)×103,(11.60±2.19)×103 pfu/L and the plaque diameters of CVB1/m563-573 were(2.00±0.35),(2.47±0.41)mm at 46 and 58 hours pestinfection,respectively.The plaque quantities of CVB1/wt were(8.40±2.51)×103,(11.80±1.92)×103 pfu/L and the plaque diameters of CVB1/wt were(1.80±0.27),(2.85±0.44)mm,respectively.There was no significant difference between the plaque quantities and sizes of CVB1/m563-573 and CVB1/wt(t=8.000,0.985,10.000,9.000,all P>0.05).One-step growth curve demonstrated that the numbers(lg)of CVB1/m563-573 progenies at time-points of 3,5,7 h postinfection were 2.10±0.09,4.28±0.03,7.44±0 and that of CVB1/wt progenies were 2.80±0.02,4.77±0.02,8.55±0.01,respectively.The replication of CVB1/m563-573 was significantly slower than that of CVB1/wt at all three time-points(t=-13.151,-24.319,-47.714,all P<0.01).The LD50 of CVB1/m563-573(3.10×109 pfu/L)and CVB1/wt(1.26×107 pfu/L)indicated that the virulence of CVB1/m563-573 was significantly weakened compared to that of CVB1/wt.Conclusions The infectivity and virulence of CVB1 are weakened by substitution of pyrimidines with purines in the pyrimidine-rich tract of CVB1 5'UTR.Site-directed mutagenesis in the pyrimidine-rich tract may be a strategy for developing attenuated CVB vaccine.

Study on inhibition of acute rejection in rat limb allografts by inducible costimulator pathway blockade / 中国地方病学杂志

Objective To observe the effect of inducible costimulator(ICOS) costimulation pathway blockade in rat limb allografts acute rejection by RNA interference. Methods Twenty-seven cases of modified hind llmb allotransplantation were performed from Wistar to SD rats. The rats were divided into 3 gronps(each n=9): the rejection group not given a special disposal; the control group, consisting of SD rats that received injection of pSilencer 4.1 and Sofast complex by vein post transplantation; and the interference group that received injection of pSilencer 4.1-ICOSshRNA and Sofast complex. On the eighth day posttransplantation, 3 rats were killed to study the pathological changes in each group. The expressions of ICOS gene in vivo were detected by flow cytometry and RT-PCR. The mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) was performed and eytokines in blood were measured by ELISA. The rest rats were used to record limb survival time. Results The mean survival time in rats of the rejection and the control groups were(11.34±1.21) and (11.14±1.32) days respectively. In the interference group, the mean survival time of limb allografts was (16.85±1.73) days(P<0.05). The rats in the rejection and the control groups experienced moderate to serious acute rejections with skin epidermal necrosis, a large quantity of lymphocyte infdtration, muscle cell necrosis and interstitial edema, while the pathological changes in rats of the interference group were mild. The splenocyte ICOS mRNA expression level in the interference group(18.75%) was significantly lower than that of the rejection group(100%) and the control group(98.51%). ICOS cell surface expression level as judged by the fluorescence intensity was 45.59±12.87 in the interference group, 103.72±21.76 in the rejection group, and 93.47±29.55 in the control group(F=6.89, P<0.05). In stimulation assays, a one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction stimulation index(SI), with spleen cells from Wistar and Lewis rats, respectively, the rejection group (5.26±0.42,5.18±0.29) and the control group (5.37±0.27,4.93±0.44) had significantly greater reactions than the interference group(2.37±0.35, 4.87±0.36), respectivily(F=7.29, P<0.05; F=6.19, P0.05). In the IFN-γ and IL-4 expression assays, reactions of the interference group (230.17±38.47,160.32±59.13) were lower than those of the rejection group(490.73±51.48,230.67±45.21) and the control group(480.15±43.96, 240.53± 47.36), (F=7.23,6.75, all P<0.01). Conclusions In vivo transfection of pSilencer 4.1-ICOS shRNA interference plasmid can effectively block T-cell co-stimulation pathway, suppress acute rejection, and prolong limb allografts survival.

Microstructural observation of epileptic neurons in vitro by atomic force microscopy / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the microstructure of the cell membrane of epileptic neurons using atomic force microscopy (AFM).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Model of epileptic neurons was established by subjecting the neurons culture for 14 days in vitro to magnesium-free media treatment for 3 h. Patch clamp technique was applied to record the electrophysiological activity of the epileptic neurons. AFM was performed to observe and measure the microstructure of the cell membrane of the epileptic neuron.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After a 3-hour treatment with magnesium-free media, the epileptic neurons displayed sustained epileptiform discharge, which continued after the neurons were returned to normal medium culture on day 14. Under AFM scanning size of 80 microm x 80 microm and 2 microm x 2 microm, no obvious difference in the morphology of the cell membrane was noted between epileptic and normal neurons; under the scanning size of 500 nm x 500 nm, small pits occurred in the cell membrane in both groups, but no significant difference was found in the dimension of the pits between the two groups (the diameter and depth of the pits was 114.86-/+9.33 nm and 5.71-/+0.69 nm in epileptic neurons, and 116.4-/+9.13 nm and 5.69-/+0.71 nm in the control neurons, respectively, P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>AFM provides a new method for observing neuronal membrane microstructure at nanometer resolutions. No significant alterations occur in the membrane of the neurons after a 3-hour magnesium-free media treatment.</p>

Detection of Borna disease virus-p24 specific antibody in the sera of schizophrenic patients of China by means of Western-blot / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To investigate whether Borna disease virus (BDV) infection is related to the schizophrenic patients from China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A reliable Western-blot method for detection of BDV-p24 antibody was established by adjusting the reaction conditions of BDV-p24 recombinant protein and specific antibodies. The sera of schizophrenic patients and normal controls from Heilongjiang Province were screened for specific BDV-p24 antibody by this method, and the BDV-p24 antibody positive sera were confirmed by the Western-blot method with sera-GST protein absorption.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ten of 116 (8.6%) schizophrenic patients were found to be positive for BDV-p24 specific antibody, while no BDV-p24 specific antibody was found in sera of normal controls.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The results demonstrate that the Borna disease virus infection also exists in China, and the infection is possibly associated with schizophrenia in some way.</p>

Detection of antibody against Borna disease virus-p24 in the plasma of Chinese patients with chronic fatigue syndrome by Western-blot analysis / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the prevalence of infection with Borna disease virus (BDV) in Chinese patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and control subjects, and to discuss the etiological association between CFS and infection with BDV.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The CDC (1994) diagnostic criteria for CFS were used for case definition. Sixty-one patients suffered from CFS were from 11 Provinces in China. To detect the antibody against BDV-p24 on the plasma samples from all cases and 73 healthy control subjects by Western-blotting analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>7 of the sixty-one cases and 0 of the controls were sero-positive for BDV-p24 antibody, there was a statistical significant difference between the two groups (11.48% vs 0%; P less than 0.010).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Chinese patients with CFS showed sero-positive identifying BDV infection, by comparison, anti.BDV-p24 antibody prevalence in patients was significantly higher than in controls. An etiological association may exist between CFS and BDV infection.</p>