Evaluation of stress levels during parachuting training by salivary biomarker / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the stress level during parachuting training by salivary biomarker and to study the dynamic characteristics.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty recruits of military parachuting training completed 8 trainings in a month. The saliva samples were collected at 2 h and 1h before boarding and at 0.5 h after landing on the 1st, 4th and 7th trainings. The levels of cortisol, chromogranin A and α-amylase in saliva samples were detected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The concentrations of cortisol, chromogranin A and activity of α-amylase increased significantly from pre-boarding to landing during 3 trainings. The concentrations of cortisol, chromogranin A and activity of α-amylase at 2 h before boarding and at 0.5 h after landing decreased significantly with the training times. However, the changes of 3 biomarkers at 1 h before boarding among 3 trainings were not significant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The levels of stress increased significantly for 20 recruits from pre-boarding to landing during parachuting trainings. The stress levels of 20 recruits before boarding and after landing significantly decreased with parachuting training times.</p>

Dynamic changes of B7-H1 expression on mDCs and T cells in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with PEG-IFN alpha-2a / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the dynamic changes of B7-H1 expression on myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) and T cells in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients undergoing PEG-IFN alpha-2a therapy, and to analyze the association of the changes with the efficiency of interferon-alpha therapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Expressions of B7-H1 on mDCs and T cells in 14 patients with chronic HBV infection, including 6 responders and 8 non-responders to the antiviral therapy, were monitored by using flow cytometric analysis. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients were incubated in vitro and the numbers of IFN-gamma-producing antigen-specific T cells were measured using ELISPOT assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>B7-H1 expressions by mDCs, CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were all significantly upregulated at 4 weeks after starting PEG-IFN alpha-2a therapy. After this time point, B7-H1 expressions persistently decreased in the responders to the antiviral treatment, while non-responders maintained high levels of B7-H1 expression. In addition, the frequency of HBV-specific IFN-gamma-producing T cells significantly increased in the responders, but significantly decreased in the non-responders. Blocking the B7-H1 signal pathway increased the numbers of HBV-specific IFN-gamma-producing T cells in both the responders and non-responders.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Dynamic changes of B7-H1 expression by mDCs and T cells in CHB patients undergoing PEG-IFN alpha-2a therapy can predict the efficiency of the therapy. Blocking the B7-H1 inhibitory pathway likely enhances the antiviral cellular T-cell responses.</p>

Expressions and significance of B7-H1 and programmed death-1 in lymphocytes from patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To examine the expressions of B7-H1 and its receptor programmed death-1 (PD-1) on circulating T cells and myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and to investigate the correlation between their expressions and their disease status.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expressions of B7-H1 and PD-1 on mDCs and T lymphocytes in 30 patients with chronic HBV infection and 28 healthy controls were analyzed by a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). Real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure the serum HBV DNA load.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both B7-H1 and PD-1 were significantly upregulated on T cells and mDCs in those patients. Their expressions were positively correlated with the patients serum ALT levels and HBV DNA loads.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>B7-H1 and PD-1 expressions in our patients with chronic hepatitis B are closely associated with their disease status.</p>

Effect of homocysteine on injury of cardiomyocytes and its signal transduction mechanism / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To observe the injured effect of homocysteine (HCY) on cardiomyocytes and investigate its signal transduction mechanism as well as the key regulatory link.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cardiomyocytes were isolated from neonatal Wistar rats. After incubation with HCY, the survival rate of cardiomyocytes was determined by trypan blue stained assay, while the apoptosis rate was measured by TUNEL and FCM. Western blot and EMSA were used to tested ERK2 protein phosphorylation and NF-kappaB active expression in cardiomyocytes, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The survival rate of cardiomyocytes treated with HCY was reduced significantly in dose- and time- dependent manner. It was found that 10(-3) mol/L HCY could increase the apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes to the peak (7.65%) at 4 h stress. Several HCY levels revealed the strong inhibitory effect on ERK2 protein phosphorylation, especially, 10(-3) mol/L HCY decreased the level of active ERK2 expression to 3.04% of control at 4 h (P < 0.01). NF-kappaB activation was also inhibited significantly by several HCY level for different time in cardiomyocytes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HCY plays an important role in injury of cardiomyocytes and apoptosis is a form of HCY-induced injury to cardiomyocytes. HCY can block ERK2 protein phosphorylation and NF-kappaB activation, which contribute to the injury of cardiomyocytes.</p>