Chemical constituents of Huoxiang Zhengqi Liquid / 中草药

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of Huoxiang Zhengqi Liquid. Methods: Silica gel column chromatography, preparative thin-layer chromatography, and recrystallization were used to isolate the chemical constituents from chloroform extract. And the structures of compounds were identified by spectral analysis and physicochemical properties. Results: Fifteen compounds were obtained and identified as liquiritin (1), liquiritigenin (2), isoliquiritigenin (3), formononetin (4), oxypeucedanin hydrate (5), byakangelicin (6), hesperidin (7), 5, 7, 8, 3′, 4′- pentamethoxyflavone (8), 5, 6, 7, 3′, 4′-pentamethoxyflavone (9), 5, 7, 8, 4′-tetramethoxyflavone (10), nobiletin (11), 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 3′, 4′-heptamethoxyflavone (12), tangeretin (13), honokiol (14), and magnolol (15). Conclusion: All the compounds are isolated from Huoxiang Zhengqi Liquid for the first time. Compounds 1-4 may come from Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma; compounds 5 and 6 from Angelicae Dahuricae Radix; compounds 7-13 from Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium; and compounds 14 and 15 from Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex.

An analysis on genetic characterization of HA1 gene of influenza virus subtype H3N2 circulated from 2001 to 2006 in Liaoning local area / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the HA1 genetic variation characterization of influenza virus subtype H3N2 circulated from 2001 to 2006 in Liaoning local area.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Viral RNA was extracted and transcribed into cDNA by reverse transcriptase and amplified by PCR. The product of PCR was purified by QIAgen purification kits,and sequenced by ABI 3100avant. The sequence data were analyzed phylogenetically by Sequence software with epidemic records. Finally, the phylogenetic trees were drawn according to deduced amino acid sequences of influenza virus H3N2 from 2000 to 2006 in the NCBI database.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The seven HA1domain sequences of H3N2 influenza viruses circulated from 2001 to 2006 in Liaoning local area had been analyzed. Compared with WHO 2004-2006 H3N2 vaccine A/California/7/2004, 12 bases had changed, 4 positions had amino acid substitution in 62 * > E, 182 T > 1,224 S > A,225 C > Y. 224 and 225 are RBS (Receptor binding site). The homology is lower than 98%. Phylogenetic tree showed Liaoning H3N2 2006 strains and Zhejiang 2005 strains were similar to WHO Northern hemisphere winter 2006-2007 Vaccine A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like virus and grouped together to form an independent cluster even though several bases were still different.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The HA1 domain of HA gene of influenza viruses (H3N2) isolated from 2001-2006 in Liaoning local area showed base mutation, amino acid sequence difference compared to A/California/7/2004 (2005-2006 vaccine), suggesting it might be the main cause leading to the spread of influenza. The sequence analysis showed Liaoning 2006 H3N2 strains were similar to those from Southern area which suggested that further surveullance should be conducted to monitor the virus mutation in circulation.</p>

HIV-1 drug-resistance profiles of treated AIDS patients in Liaoning: genetic characteristics and prevalence / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Since the advent in 2004 of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Liaoning, a dramatic improvement had been seen in the number of patients attaining undetectable viral loads (92/104), but the extent of mutation diversity on human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and the prevalence of drug resistance had remained elusive. This study aimed to analyze both HIV-1 mutation profiles and prevalence related to antiretroviral resistance following therapeutic failure.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 104 blood samples circling Liaoning from HAART-treated between 2004 and 2008 were studied. Patients' CD(4)(+) T-cell count and viral load were determined. HIV-1 pol (PR and part of RT) gene fragments were amplified from patients' plasma by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nest-PCR, subsequently sequenced and analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CD(4)(+) T cell numbers and viral replication capacity were assessed. 88.4% (92/104) of the patients were successful after initial non-suppressive NRTI & NNRTI-based HAART regimens. Subjects on non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) regimens developed more (6/104) drug-resistance mutations than those on nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) regimens did (5/104). No protease-inhibitor (PI) drug resistance mutations developed. The whole rate of drug resistance mutations was about 6.73%. Subjects developing NNRTI-resistance (NNRTI-R) seemed more likely to develop drug-resistant viremia than with NRTI-based HAART.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This finding might have implications in which that the prevalence of drug-resistance mutations was low but remained risk of transmission in HIV-infected therapeutic failure. Meanwhile, data from the present study showed that there was a high frequency of primary mutations, which offered resistance to nrti and nnrti. Monitoring patients with treatment failure seems an important tool in helping the physicians to improve their treatment schedule and to carry out epidemiological surveillance programs.</p>

Genetic characteristics of HIV-1 primary drug resistance-associated mutations in treatment-naive individuals in Liaoning province, 2004-2008 / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the HIV-1 drug resistance associated mutations and examine the susceptibility of HIV-1 with these mutations to antiretroviral in treatment-naive individuals in Liaoning province from 2004 to 2008.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>RNA was extracted from 20 plasma samples of diagnosed untreated HIV-1-infected treatment-naive patients by drawing method. After the viral loading (VL) test, the protease and nucleoside reverse transcriptase coding regions were amplified by RT-PCR, nested PCR and sequence analysis directly. Levels of resistance and prevalence were evaluated according to the Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database's algorithm (http://hivdb.stanford.edu).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 20 plasma samples, 13 got PCR products because of their VL values higher than 1000 copies/ml.Meanwhile, the 13 samples got 65 sequences by using 5 primers each. Polymorphisms in subtype H and circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) CRF10_CD sequences were identified. An overall prevalence of 30.8% (4/13) resistance to NNRTIs, 7.7% (1/13) to PI and no NRTIs mutations were found. The most frequent substitutions (4/13) in the RT region at positions P225H, K238S, V179D, K238T and a major position I54S in PR implied to a multiple drug-resistance. A71V or L10V only, respectively, substitution in PR was found in 3 samples, but no any worse with drug sensitivity.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HIV-1 polymorphisms in subtype H and CRFs CRF10_CD sequences were identified circulating in Liaoning. A major mutation position I54S in PR implied that it would be the time to commence a higher level drug regimen.</p>

Developmental characteristics and response to iron toxicity of root border cells in rice seedlings / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

To investigate the Fe2+ effects on root tips in rice plant, experiments were carried out using border cells in vitro. The border cells were pre-planted in aeroponic culture and detached from root tips. Most border cells have a long elliptical shape. The number and the viability of border cells in situ reached the maxima of 1600 and 97.5%, respectively, at 20-25 mm root length. This mortality was more pronounced at the first 1-12 h exposure to 250 mg/L Fe2+ than at the last 12-36 h. After 36 h, the cell viability exposed to 250 mg/L Fe2+ decreased to nought, whereas it was 46.5% at 0 mg/L Fe2+. Increased Fe2+ dosage stimulated the death of detached border cells from rice cultivars. After 4 h Fe2+ treatment, the cell viabilities were > or =80% at 0 and 50 mg/L Fe2+ treatment and were <62% at 150, 250 and 350 mg/L Fe2+ treatment; The viability of border cells decreased by 10% when the Fe2+ concentration increased by 100 mg/L. After 24 h Fe2+ treatment, the viabilities of border cells at all the Fe2+ levels were <65%; The viability of border cells decreased by 20% when the Fe2+ concentration increased by 100 mg/L. The decreased viabilities of border cells indicated that Fe2+ dosage and treatment time would cause deadly effect on the border cells. The increased cell death could protect the root tips from toxic harm. Therefore, it may protect root from the damage caused by harmful iron toxicity.

Influenza surveillance from 1999 to 2005 in Liaoning regions / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the prevalence and subtypes of influenza viruses in Liaoning regions from November 1999 to March 2005.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Influenza virus was isolated by embryonated eggs together with cell culture and subtypes, identified by HI test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>During the study in 1999 - 2005, a total number of 2713 swab specimens were collected in different cities in Liaoning regions in which 188 strains were identified for influenza viruses with an average rate as 7.0%. A total number of 1466 swab specimens were collected by both Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Dalian city and Liaoning province, and 167 strains were identified positive with an average rate of 11.4%. Influenza A3, A1 and B/Yamagata all appeared before March 2002 which were predominant strains. However, since then Influenza A1 has never appeared again in Liaoning regions and B showed some changes, from Yamagata to Victoria, the characteristics on the prevalence of influenza appeared only in the period of November to February.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It was meaningful to analyze the surveillance data of influenza in different years in Liaoning regions in order to better understand the characteristics of influenza and the shifting of subtype.</p>