Isolation and identification of mosquito-borne arboviruses in Yuncheng city, Shanxi province, 2012 / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the species and distribution of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne arboviruses in Yuncheng city of Shanxi province, China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Mosquito samples were collected in 19 collection sites from Linyi county and Yongji city in Yuncheng city, in August, 2012. After identification and classification, all the specimens were homogenized and centrifuged to acquire supernatant before being inoculated to both C6/36 and BHK21 cells for viral isolation. Positive isolates were identified with arbovirus species-specific primers under RT-PCR, for further sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 10 455 mosquitoes of 7 species in 4 genuese were collected. The predominant mosquito species in Linyi county was Culex pipens pallens (91.96%, 3 911/4 253), but the one in Yongji city was Culex tritaeniorhynchus (72.85%, 4 518/6 202). A total of 23 strains of viruses were isolated from the mosquito pools. 15 strains from Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex pipens pallens were identified as genotype I Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Four strains from Culex pipens pallens were identified as Culex flavivirus (CxFV). Three strains from Culex pipens pallens were identified as Culex pipiens pallens densovirus (CppDNV). One strain from Armigeres subalbatus and Aedes albopictus was identified as Getah virus (GETV).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Four kinds of arboviruses were isolated from the mosquito pools, including GETV and CxFV, which were isolated and documented in Shanxi province for the first time. In the city of Yuncheng, Culex tritaeniorhynchus had been the predominant species and major vector for transmitting JEV. Genotype I JEV remained the major JEV circulating in the local natural environment.</p>

Intergenus somatic hybridization between Alhagi pseudalhagi and Astragalus cicer by electroporation / 生物工程学报

We obtained intergenus somatic hybrid between Alhagi pseudalhagi and Astragalus cicer by using electroporation. Agrobacterium rhizogenes A4-transformed A. pseudalhagi protoplasts were treated with iodoacetamide so that they were unable to sustain divisions. A. cicer protoplasts were isolated from a methionine-resistant mutant and did not survive in the medium without plant growth regulator. The intergenus somatic hybrid cells were selected based on physiological complementation between the two parents. We optimized some parameters of electroporation, such as direct current impulse, alternating current impulse and the impulse number. We identified ten hybrid clones by morphological observation, checking the chromosome numbers, isoenzyme analysis and random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, and obtained regenerated plantlets from three hybrid clones.

Efficacy of carbamazepine combined with flunarizine hydrochloride for treating tinnitus / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To determine whether carbamazepine is effective in treating the subjective tinnitus.@*METHOD@#Randomized, prospective,double-blind,controlled trial was used in our study. The study group consisted of 100 adult patients who consulted our outpatient clinic complaining of subjective tinnitus, excluded objective tinnitus and the patients who had tinnitus caused by obvious diseases, such as outer and middle ear diseases, 50 patients were given carbamazepine and Flunarizine Hydrochloride, 50 patients were given Vitamin B6 and Flunarizine Hydrochloride. After a week the effect of the different group of medicines was observed. Tinnitus questionnaire was performed before the treatment, and pure tone audiogram, tinnitus pitch and loudness matching were performed at the end of the treatment.@*RESULT@#Completion of treatment, tinnitus loudness matching assessment showed that the efficacy of the carbamazepine group was similar to that of the control group. The efficacy of treatment was respectively 26% by intend to treat (ITT) and 28.3% by per protocol (PP) in the carbamazepine group and 26% by ITT and 27.7% by PP in the control group. The efficacy of treatment has no statistically significance for tinnitus loudness of the experimental group and the control group. The subjective tinnitus improvement rate showed no difference between two groups. Pure tone thresholds fluctuated within 10 dB in the beginning and at the end of the treatment. There were serious side effects in the carbamazepine group. The side effects rates were respectively 55.3% and 16.7% in the carbamazepine group and the control group, respectively. The difference had statistical significance.@*CONCLUSION@#Our results showed that the efficacy of carbamazepine combined with Flunarizine Hydrochloride is similar to that of the control group. There was no improvement in listening. But the side effects of it were more serious than that of the control group. It should not be recommended for the treatment of tinnitus.