Application of analysis of causes of national death for action in quality analysis of cause of death surveillance in Hainan Province in 2020 / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　To further investigate the underreporting of mortality surveillance data among permanent residents in Hainan Province in 2020, and to explore the application of Application of the Analysis of National Causes of Death for Action (ANACONDA) in the quality analysis of mortality surveillance. Methods　The data were collected from the Death Information Monitoring and Management System of Hainan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and mainly included 33 418 deaths reported from 19 cities and counties in Hainan Province from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. All the data were analyzed by the application of ANACONDA, and the causes of death were classified by the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). Results　A total of 33 418 deaths were reported in Hainan Province in 2020, with a crude mortality rate of 3.6‰. The proportion of deaths in males under 85 years old was higher than that in females, while the proportion of deaths in 85 years old and above was opposite. The quality analysis of cause of death surveillance showed that there was under-reporting of death surveillance in Hainan Province in 2020, with an under-reporting rate of 30.1%. There were differences in the age composition and GBD regional composition ratio of deaths of the three major categories of diseases, and the misreporting of causes of death in the middle and high age groups was more significant. The Vital Statistics Performance Index (VSPI) score of death data in Hainan Province in 2020 was 52.8, the score of cause of death reporting quality was 85.5, and the score of specific cause of death level that could be used was 88.4. The completeness of death reports in the priority action areas for improving cause of death data quality accounted for the largest share, followed by the quality of cause of death reports. There was a difference in the proportion of specific causes of death between males and females after the survey, but the change in order was not obvious. Conclusions　The data integrity of cause-of-death surveillance is low in Hainan Province in 2020. It is suggested to improve the completeness of reporting data, strengthen the training of cause-of-death surveillance system, and regularly evaluate and supervise the system.

Clinical characteristics in the misdiagnosis of cytomegalovirus retinitis: A retrospective analysis of eight patients

Purpose: To highlight characteristics in the misdiagnosis of cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR). Methods: Misdiagnosed cases related to CMVR were analyzed retrospectively at the Department of Ophthalmology, Beijing Youan Hospital, from July 2017 to October 2019. The medical records were reviewed by two independent senior ophthalmologists and the patients’ clinical characteristics were analyzed. Results: Eight patients (16 eyes) were identified with misdiagnoses related to CMVR. Six of the patients with CMVR were previously unaware of their human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; one patient with CMVR concealed their history of HIV infection. The cases were initially misdiagnosed as diabetic retinopathy (1/7, 14.3%), branch retinal vein occlusion (1/7, 14.3%), ischemic optic neuropathy (1/7, 14.3%), Behçet’s disease (1/7, 14.3%), iridocyclitis (2/7, 28.6%), and progressive outer retinal necrosis (1/7, 14.3%). One patient with binocular renal retinopathy and chronic renal insufficiency was misdiagnosed with CMVR. Four eyes (4/16, 25%) presented with pan?retinal involvement. Fourteen eyes (14/16, 87.5%) had optic disc or macular area involvement. At the final diagnosis, one patient was blind, and two patients had low vision. Seven AIDS patients showed an extremely low level of CD4+ T lymphocytes (median of 5 cells/?l; range 1–9 cells/?l). Conclusion: CMVR may be misdiagnosed in the absence of known immune suppression. CMVR and HIV screening cannot be overlooked if a young male patient presents with yellowish?white retinal lesions. These misdiagnosed patients had severe retinitis associated with poor vision

Clinical significance of circulating tumor cells in predicating the outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer

Abstract Background: Relapse and metastasis of patients with Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the major obstacle to the long-term life of patients. Its mechanisms remain defined. Methods: A total of 48 CRC patients were enrolled and 68 samples were obtained from the peripheral blood of patients before or after treatments in this study. Twenty non-cancer patients were also detected as a negative control. Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs), including Epithelial CTCs (eCTCs), Mesenchymal (MCTCs), and epithelial/ mesenchymal mixed phenotypes (mixed CTCs), were identified by CanPatrolTM CTC enrichment and RNA in situ hybridization. The relationship between CTCs number and Progression-Free Survival (PFS) or Overall Survival (OS) was evaluated. Results: Thirty-four of 48 patients (70.8%) were found to have positive CTCs. Total CTCs and MCTCs in the post-treatment had a significant correlation PFS and OS. When total CTCs or MCTCs in 5 mL blood of patients were more than 6 CTCs or 5 MCTCs, PFS of the patients was significantly shorter (p < 0.05) than that in patients with less than 6 CTCs or 5 MCTCs. The patients with > 5 CTCs count changes were found to exhibit poor PFS and OS rates (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Total CTCs and MCTCs number detection in patients with colorectal cancer was very useful biomarker for predicting the prognosis of patients. Higher CTCs or MCTCs had poorer PFS and OS rates.

Influence of continuous light and benzene exposure on erythrocyte parameters and expression of miRNA-144/451 in mice / 中国职业医学

@#Abstract: Objective To explore the effects of continuous light and benzene exposure on peripheral blood erythrocyte - Methods parameters and expression of miR 144/451 in the bone marrow of mice. This was a 2×2 factorial design. Photoperiod ， ， factor was set as normal and continuous light levels and mice were treated for 12 hours/12 hours light/dark or 24 hours light - respectively. The benzene exposure factor was set as non exposure and exposure levels. Mice were exposed to benzene by static 3 ， inhalation with a mass concentration of 0.0 and 32.5 mg/m for three hours per day five days per week for a total of four weeks. ， ， Specific pathogen free male C57BL/6 J mice were randomly divided into negative control group simple continuous light group - - ， ， simple benzene exposure group and combined exposure group with 12 mice per group. After benzene exposure peripheral ， blood was collected for the detection of erythrocyte parameters in four periods. After the mice were sacrificed the expression of - - - - miR 451a and miR 144 5p was detected by real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction in bone marrow Results （ ）， ， tissues. The hematocrit volume HCT mean corpuscular volume mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration （ ） - MCHC and mean corpuscular hemoglobin in peripheral blood and the relative expression of miR 451a in bone marrow tissue （ P< ） ， were statistically significant only in mice with benzene exposure all 0.05 . Among them the MCHC of benzene exposed （P< ）， （ P< ） - mice increased 0.05 but the other four indexes decreased all 0.05 compared with non benzene exposed mice. In thenegative control group the change of red blood cells count hemoglobin level and HCT in peripheral blood were rhythmical all P < ） ， （ P > ） rhythmical 0.05 . However the indexes above were out of rhythm all rhythmical 0.05 in the simple continuous light group and the - （ P > combined exposure group. The change of hemoglobin level and HCT of peripheral blood were also out of rhythm all rhythmical ） - - 0.05 in the simple benzene exposure group. The relative expression of miR 451a in bone marrow tissues of negative control （ P < ）， - group and simple continuous light group was rhythmical all rhythmical 0.05 while the relative expression of miR 451a in simple - - （ P > ）Conclusion benzene exposure group and combined exposure group was out of rhythm all rhythmical 0.05 . Benzene exposure ， induced changes in erythrocyte parameters of mice are independent effect and its mechanism may be related to the rhythmic - ， expression disorder of miR 451a in bone marrow tissues. Continuous light exposure benzene exposure and their interactions can ， interfere with the circadian rhythm of erythrocyte parameters such as red blood cell count hemoglobin and HCT to some extent.

Metagenomics approach to identify lignocellulose-degrading enzymes in the gut microbiota of the Chinese bamboo rat cecum

BACKGROUND: Lignocellulose is considered a renewable organic material, but the industrial production of biofuel from lignocellulose is challenging because of the lack of highly active hydrolytic enzymes. The guts of herbivores contain many symbiotic microorganisms that have evolved to hydrolyze plant lignocellulose. Chinese bamboo rats mainly consume high-fiber foods, indicating that some members of the intestinal tract microbiota digest lignocellulose, providing these rats with the energy required for growth. RESULTS: Here, we used metagenomics to analyze the diversity and functions of the gut microbiota in Chinese bamboo rats. We identified abundant populations of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria, whose main functions involved carbohydrate, amino acid, and nucleic acid metabolism. We also found 587 carbohydrate-active enzyme genes belonging to different families, including 7 carbohydrate esterase families and 21 glycoside hydrolase families. The glycoside hydrolase 3, glycoside hydrolase 1, glycoside hydrolase 43, carbohydrate esterase 4, carbohydrate esterase 1, and carbohydrate esterase 3 families demonstrated outstanding performance. CONCLUSIONS: The microbes and enzymes identified in our study expand the existing arsenal of proficient degraders and enzymes for lignocellulosic biofuel production. This study also describes a powerful approach for targeting gut microbes and enzymes in numerous industries.

Juniperus communis extract induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of colorectal adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo

Juniperus communis (JCo) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal plant that has been used to treat wounds, fever, swelling, and rheumatism. However, the mechanism underlying the anticancer effect of JCo extract on colorectal cancer (CRC) has not yet been elucidated. This study investigated the anticancer effects of JCo extract in vitro and in vivo as well as the precise molecular mechanisms. Cell viability was evaluated using the MTT assay. Cell cycle distribution was examined by flow cytometry analysis, and cell apoptosis was determined by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Protein expression was analyzed using western blotting. The in vivo activity of the JCo extract was evaluated using a xenograft BALB/c mouse model. The tumors and organs were examined through hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that JCo extract exhibited higher cytotoxicity against CRC cells than against normal cells and showed synergistic effects when combined with 5-fluorouracil. JCo extract induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase via regulation of p53/p21 and CDK4/cyclin D1 and induced cell apoptosis via the extrinsic (FasL/Fas/caspase-8) and intrinsic (Bax/Bcl-2/caspase-9) apoptotic pathways. In vivo studies revealed that JCo extract suppressed tumor growth through the inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis. In addition, there was no obvious change in body weight or histological morphology of normal organs after treatment. JCo extract suppressed CRC progression by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, suggesting the potential application of JCo extract in the treatment of CRC.

Decreased expression of chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 9 is a novel independent prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer

Previous studies suggested that chromodomain helicase DNA-binding proteins (CHDs), including CHD 1-8, were associated with several human diseases and cancers including lymphoma, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, etc. To date, little research on CHD 9 in human cancers has been reported. In this study, we assessed the prognostic value of CHD 9 in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). We screened for CHD 9 expression using immunohistochemical analysis in 87 surgical CRC specimens and found that the expression was upregulated in 81.5% of the cases, while 7.4% were decreased; in the remaining 11.1% of the cases, levels were not altered. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with high CHD 9 expression had better prognosis than those with low CHD 9 expression (54.5 vs 32.1%, P=0.034). Subsequently, Cox multi-factor survival regression analysis revealed that expression of CHD 9 protein was an independent predictor for CRC, with a hazard ratio of 0.503 (P=0.028). In addition, we found that CHD 9 expression was positively correlated with MSH2 (rs=0.232, P=0.036). We speculated that CHD9 might be a putative tumor suppressor gene, and could inhibit the development of CRC by participating in DNA repair processes. Our findings suggest that CHD 9 could be a novel prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for CRC. Further studies are needed to detect the effect of CHD 9 on cellular function and the expression of mismatch repair genes.

Clinical Value of Serum Anti-Mullerian Hormone and Inhibin B in Prediction of Ovarian Response in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The present study aimed to investigate the clinical value of serum anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin B (INHB) in predicting the ovarian response of patients with polyeystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).A total of 120 PCOS patients were enrolled and divided into three groups in terms of the ovarian response:a low-response group (n=36),a normal-response group (n=44),and a high-response group (n=40).The serum AMH and INHB levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The follicle stimulating hormone （FSH),luteinizing hormone (LH),and estradiol (E2) levels were determined by chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay.The correlation of the serum AMH and INHB levels with other indicators was analyzed.A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established to analyze the prediction of ovarian response by AMH and INHB.The results showed that there were significant differences in age,body mass index (BMI),FSH,total gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH),LH,E2,and antral follicle counts (AFCs) between the groups (P＜0.05).The serum AMH and INHB levels were increased significantly with the ovarian response of PCOS patients increasing (P＜0.05).The serum AMH and INHB levels were negatively correlated with the age,BMI,FSH level,Gn,and E2 levels (P＜0.05).They were positively correlated with the LH levels and AFCs (P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis of serum AMH and INHB in prediction of a low ovarian response showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) value of the serum AMH level was 0.817,with a cut-off value of 1.29 ng/mL.The sensitivity and specificity were 71.2％ and 79.6％,respectively.The AUC value of serum INHB was 0.674,with a cut-off value of 38.65 ng/mL,and the sensitivity and specificity were 50.7％ and 74.5％,respectively.ROC curve analysis showed when the serum AMH and INHB levels were used to predict a high ovarian response,the AUC value of the serum AMH level was 0.742,with a cut-off value of 2.84 ng/mL,and the sensitivity and specificity were 72.7％ and 65.9％,respectively;the AUC value of the serum INHB level was 0.551 with a cut-off of 45.76 ng/mL,and the sensitivity and specificity were 76.3％ and 40.2％,respectively.It was suggested the serum AMH and INHB levels have high clinical value in predicting the ovarian response of PCOS patients.

Relationship between Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Cancer: A Meta-analysis / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between the protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and lymph node metastasis (LNM) in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).VEGF-related articles that had been published until August 2016 were searched from the PubMed,EMBASE,and MEDLINE to identify the risk factors of LNM in PTC.RevMan 5.3 software was used for the meta-analysis.Finally,9 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in our meta-analysis.LNM was found to be present in 176 of 318 patients (57.8％) with high VEGF expression and in 71 of 159 patients (47.0％) with low VEGF expression.The overall OR was 2.81 (95％ confidence interval,1.49-5.29).LNM occurred more frequently in patients with high VEGF expression than in those with low VEGF expression (P=0.001).Heterogeneity was markedly decreased in the subgroup analyses of LNM in terms of the patients' country of origin and the detection methods.Our meta-analysis concluded that the VEGF protein expression is associated with LNM in PTC.

Effects of High Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on KCC2 Expression in Rats with Spasticity Following Spinal Cord Injury / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on potassium-chloride cotransporter-2 (KCC2) protein expression following spinal cord injury (SCI) and the action mechanism were investigated.SCI models were established in SD rats.Five groups were set up randomly:normal control group,SCI 7-day (7D) model group,SCI 14-day (14D) model group,SCI-7D rTMS group and SCI-14D rTMS group (n=5 each).The rats in SCI rTMS groups were treated with 10 Hz rTMS from 8th day and 15th day after SCI respectively,once every day,5 days every week,a total of 4 weeks.After the model establishment,motor recovery and spasticity alleviation were evaluated with BBB scale once a week till the end of treatment.Finally,different parts of tissues were dissected out for detection of variations of KCC2 protein using Western blotting and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique.The results showed that the BBS scores after treatment were significantly higher in SCI-7D rTMS group than in SCI-14D rTMS group (P＜0.05).As compared with normal control groups,The KCC2 protein in SCI model groups was down-regulated after SCI,and the decrease was much more significant in SCI-14D model group than in SCI-7D group (P＜0.05).As compared with SCI model groups,KCC2 protein in rTMS groups was up-regulated after the treatment (P＜0.05).The up-regulation of KCC2 protein content and expression was more obvious in SCI-7D rTMS group than in SCI-14D rTMS group (P＜0.05).It was concluded that 10 Hz rTMS can alleviate spasticity in rats with SCI,which might be attributed to the up-regulation of KCC2 protein.It was also suggested that the high-frequency rTMS treatment after SCI at early stage might achieve more satisfactory curative effectiveness.

Inhibition of cervical cancer cell proliferation and cervical tumorigenicity caused by farnesoid X receptor activation or over-expression is related to CDKN2A-p14ARF-MDM2-p53 pathway / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE Cervical cancer is the third most malignant tumor in the world. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a member of nuclear receptor superfamily. It is highly expressed in liver, kidney and small intestine, while it showed low expression level in other tissues. It not only plays an important role in the metabolism of bile acids and sugars, but also in the production of chronic inflammation in the early stage of cancer, the proliferation and migration of tumor. Compared with the normal tissue, the expression of FXR in most tumor tissues decreased. But there is no correlation between cervical cancer and FXR. So we aimed to find out the relationship between FXR and cervical cancer. METHODS A clinical study using qPCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry detected the expression of FXR in tumor tissues and normal tissues of clinical patients. FXR was activated by agonists or over-expressed by lentivirus. MTT, clone formation and flow cytometry were used to detect the relationship between FXR and proliferation of cervical cell lines. Tumor growth ability of FXR was detected by nude mice tumorigenicity. The interaction between FXR and CDKN2A-p14ARF-MDM2-p53 pathway was detected by qPCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS FXR was decreased in cancer tissues compared to normal control. Activation of FXR by agonist or constitutively- over- expression of FXR inhibited cervical cell proliferation. Over- expressed FXR attenuated Caski, Hela and Siha xenograft tumor growth in nude mice compared with control. Over-expression of FXR caused G1 cell-cycle arresting and up-regulated CDKN2A-p14ARF-MDM2-p53 pathway. CONCLUSION FXR inhibits cervical cancer cell proliferation and cervical tumorigenicity which is related to CDKN2A-p14ARF-MDM2-p53 pathway. Activation or overexpression of FXR may be a potential target for the treatment of cervical cancer.

Value of non-real-time radial probe endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial lung biopsy in the diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer and analysis of false negative results / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of non-real-time radial probe endobronchial ultrasound (RP-EBUS) guided transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) for peripheral lung cancer and analysis of false negative results. Methods A retrospective analysis of the clinical and imaging data of 256 patients with peripheral lung cancer between March 2013 and December 2016, all the cases underwent non-real-time RP-EBUS guided TBLB, then evaluate its significance in the diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer and analyze the reasons of false negative results. Result In 256 patients who received non-real-time RP-EBUS examinations, 73.83% (189/256) of peripheral lung cancer were detected by RP-EBUS and the positive rate of RP-EBUS guided TBLB was 61.33% (157/256). The positive rate of non-real-time RP-EBUS guided TBLB was correlated with lesions >2 cm in diameter, lesions close to visceral pleura, ultrasonic image characteristics and the RP-EBUS probe surrounding by lesion (P < 0.05). The positive rate of non-real-time RP-EBUS guided TBLB was not correlated with RP-EBUS probe passed through lesions and times of biopsy (P > 0.05). Complications including bleeding, chest pain and pneumothorax recovered spontaneously. Conclusion Non-real-time RP-EBUS guided TBLB was a practical technology for diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer with high diagnostic rate and good safety. Lesion size, connection to visceral pleura, ultrasonic image characteristics and the RP-EBUS probe surrounding by lesion influenced the diagnostic yield. Improvement of operative skills can reduce false negative results.

Can widely used cell type markers predict the suitability of immortalized or primary mammary epithelial cell models?

BACKGROUND: Mammary cell cultures are convenient tools for in vitro studies of mammary gland biology. However, the heterogeneity of mammary cell types, e.g., glandular milk secretory epithelial or myoepithelial cells, often complicates the interpretation of cell-based data. The present study was undertaken to determine the relevance of bovine primary mammary epithelial cells isolated from American Holstein (bMEC US) or Swiss Holstein-Friesian (bMEC CH) cows, and of primary bovine mammary alveolar epithelial cells stably transfected with simian virus-40 (SV-40) large T-antigen (MAC-T) for in vitro analyses. This was evaluated by testing their expression pattern of cytokeratin (CK) 7, 18, 19, vimentin, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA. RESULTS: The expression of the listed markers was assessed using real-time quantitative PCR, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy. Characteristic markers of the mesenchymal (vimentin), myoepithelial (α-SMA) and glandular secretory cells (CKs) showed differential expression among the studied cell cultures, partly depending on the analytical method used. The relative mRNA expression of vimentin, CK7 and CK19, respectively, was lower (P < 0.05) in immortalized than in primary mammary cell cultures. The stain index (based on flow cytometry) of CK7 and CK19 protein was lower (P < 0.05) in MAC-T than in bMECs, while the expression of α-SMA and CK18 showed an inverse pattern. Immunofluorescence microscopy analysis mostly confirmed the mRNA data, while partly disagreed with flow cytometry data (e.g., vimentin level in MAC-T). The differential expression of CK7 and CK19 allowed discriminating between immortal and primary mammary cultures. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of the selected widely used cell type markers in primary and immortalized MEC cells did not allow a clear preference between these two cell models for in vitro analyses studying aspects of milk composition. All tested cell models exhibited to a variable degree epithelial and mesenchymal features. Thus, based on their characterization with widely used cell markers, none of these cultures represent an unequivocal alveolar mammary epithelial cell model. For choosing the appropriate in vitro model additional properties such as the expression profile of specific proteins of interest (e.g., transporter proteins) should equally be taken into account.

Exploration of Rational Ethylparaben Contents in Chloramphenicol Eye Drops / 中国药师

Objective: To study whether domestic chloramphenicol eye drops with different ethylparabenin content meet the re-quirements in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Methods:Antimicrobial effect test was used to examine the antimicrobial effect of the different eye drops. Results:The antimicrobial effect of the eye drops was in compliance with the requirements in the pharmacopoeia. Conclu-sion:The ethylparabenin concentration in the eye drops is higher than necessary. Boric acid and borax not only can adjust pH, but also show antimicrobial effect.

Rationality Analysis of Thimerosal Content in Chloramphenicol Eye Drops / 中国药师

Objective:To investigate the content rationality of antimicrobial agent thimerosal in chloramphenicol eye drops. Meth-ods:Chloramphenicol eye drops with thimerosal at different concentrations were prepared, and the antimicrobial activity was studied. Results:When the test solution contained 0. 02 mg·ml-1 thimerosal, the antimicrobial activity could achieve the requirement in the pharmacopoeia. Conclusion:Thimerosal at different concentrations in the commercial chloramphenicol eye drops all can reach the anti-microbial effect. However, the thimerosal concentration in some eye drops is unreasonably high, which should be reduced.

Spinal cord injury-induced astrocyte migration and glial scar formation: Effects of magnetic stimulation frequency.

The effects of magnetic stimulation on spinal cord injury-induced migration of white matter astrocytes were studied using an established animal model. Ethidium bromide was injected into the dorsal spinal cord funiculus of adult Sprague-Dawley rats on the left side at T10-11. Animals then received 1.52 Tesla-pulsed magnetic stimulation for 5 min at different frequencies (0-20 Hz) for 14 consecutive days. Selected animals received the non-competitive MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126 (10 μM), prior to stimulation at 10 Hz. Lesion volumes were measured in hematoxylin/eosin-stained sections. Expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), microtubule associated protein-2 (MAP-2) and extra-cellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) near the epicenter of injury was examined by Western blotting with quantification using an image analysis system. Lesion volumes decreased and GFAP and p-ERK1/2 expression increased with increasing magnetic stimulation frequency (0-10 Hz). MAP-2 expression was not affected at any frequency. Pretreatment with U0126 reduced GFAP and ERK1/2 expression and increased lesion volumes in response to stimulation at 10 Hz. It is concluded that magnetic stimulation increases the migration of astrocytes to spinal cord lesions. Activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway is proposed to mediate astrocyte migration and glial scar formation in response to spinal cord injury.

A novel DNA vaccine constructed by heat shock protein 70 and melanoma antigen-encoding gene 3 against tumorigenesis.

Melanoma antigen-encoding gene 3 (MAGE-3) is an ideal candidate for a tumor vaccine although its potency need to be increased. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) represents a potential approach for increasing the potency of DNA vaccines. In the present study, a fusion DNA vaccine composed of Mycobacterium tuberculosis HSP70 and MAGE-3 was constructed and used to immunize C57BL/6 mice against B16 or B16-MAGE-3 tumor cells. The results show that the HSP70-MAGE-3 fusion DNA vaccine enhanced the frequency of MAGE-3-specific cytotoxic T-cells as compared to the MAGE-3 DNA vaccine or the HSP70/MAGE-3 cocktail DNA vaccine (P<0.05). In conclusion, the results indicate that the HSP70-MAGE-3 fusion DNA vaccine can strongly activate MAGE-3 specific cellular immunological reactions and thus significantly inhibit the growth of B16-MAGE-3 tumors, improving the survival of tumor-bearing mice, and the HSP70-MAGE-3 fusion DNA vaccine has a significant therapeutic effect on the tumors that express MAGE-3 antigens.

The proapoptotic activity of C-terminal domain of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is separated from its N-terminal

Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is a mitochondrial flavoprotein that mediates both NADH-oxidizing and caspase-independent apoptosis. Further, the proapoptotic activity of AIF is located in the C-terminus of AIF, although the precise minimum sequence responsible for apoptosis induction remains to be investigated. In the present study, we generated two truncated AIFs, AIFΔ1-480-FLAG, which is a FLAG-tagged C-terminal peptide comprising amino acids from 481 to 613, and AIF360-480 containing amino acids from 360 to 480 of AIF. We used confocal microscopy to demonstrate that both the truncated proteins are expressed and located in the cytoplasm of transfected cells. AIFΔ1-480 but not AIF360-480 induces apoptosis in transfected cells. We also found that the expression of AIFΔ1-480 could initiate the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria. The suppression of caspase-9 via siRNA blocked the proapoptotic activity of AIFΔ1-480. Therefore, AIFΔ 1-480 is sufficient for inducing caspase-9-dependent apoptotic signaling, probably by promoting the release of cytochrome c. At last, we generated a chimeric immuno-AIFΔ 1-480 protein, which comprised an HER2 antibody, a Pseudomonas exotoxin A translocation domain and AIFΔ 1-480. Human Jurkat cells transfected with the immuno-AIFΔl-480 gene could express and secrete the chimeric protein, which selectively recognize and kill HER2-overexpressing tumor cells. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of the immuno-AIFΔl-480 gene as a novel approach to treating HER2-overexpressing cancers.

Analysis on Drug Resistance of Pathogenic Bacteria in Neonatal Hospital Infection / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To study the situation of pathogenic bacteria of neonate infection in hospital,so can guide clinical doctors use antibiotic rationally. Method The secretions of 159 neonates′ umbilous and eye matter orders were collected to be used as the specimen and the drug susceptibility experiment was done using MIC and K-B methods together in 159 neonates with hospital infection.Results One hundred and eighty-nine pathogenic bacterias were isolated from 1613 specimens.According to our materials,staphylococci aureus was the most important pathogenic bacteria,then staphylococci heamolyticus,staphylococci epidermidis,encherichia coli ,enterobater cloucac ,klebsiella pneumoniae.MRSA- positive rate was 52.6%,ESBLs-positive in E coli was 21%,inklebsiella pneumoniae was 20%.Drugs of sensitivity for Gram positive coccus were vancomycin(0) clindamycin(8.5%) cipnofloxacin(12.2%);the drugs of sensitivity for Gram negative ord were imipenem (4.4%),cipnofloxacin(5.3%),amikacin(12.7%).Conclusion It is instructive that use antibiotic rationally for controlling neonate infection in hospital.

Analysis of Genotypes and Drug Resistance of Extended-Spectrum-Lactamases-Producing Strain in Pat-hogenic Gram-Negative Rod in Infection of Newborn in Guangzhou / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To investigate the distribution,drug resistance characteristics and genotypes of extended-spectrum-lactamases (ESBLs)-producing strain in pathogenic gram-negative rod in infection of newborn in Guangzhou.Methods The standard was performed by the production for ESBLs by phenotypic screening and confirmatory test provided by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards in 2001.The method of polymerase chain reaction(PCR) amplification was perbonmed and DNA sequences were analyzed by ESBLs gene sequencing.Results Total of 71 un-repicated and consecutive Gram-negative bacilli were isolated from 13 hospitals in Guangzhou,and the prevalence of ESBLs-producing clinical Gram-negative isolates was 59.2%(42/71).The PCR results showed that most pathogenic bacilli which infected newborn could be separated two or more genes of ESBLs.The type of TEM,SHV,CTX-M1,CTX-M9,OXA was 35.6%, 26.7% ,10.9%,24.8%,2.0%,respectively.The result of drug resistance monitoring showed that pathogenic gram-negative bacillui which infected newborn were Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia mostly.Most parts of them were drug fast and even multidrug resistant to the commonly used antibiotics.The sensitive drugs were lmipenem(the rate of sensitivty 100%),cefoperazone/sulbactam(87.3%),piperacillin/tazbatam(85.3%),ceftazidime(82%),aztreonam(82%),cefepime(81.8%).Conclusions In Guangzhou,the incidence rate of ESBLs-producing strain are very high inpathogenic bacilli which infected in newborn and is multidrug resistance.The genetypes of produced ESBLs are TEM,SHV,CTX-M1,CTX-M9,OXA.