ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) combined with aerobic exercise (AE) on the liver of rats with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) induced by high-fat diet based on the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK)-nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. MethodsAfter 1 week of adaptive feeding, 45 Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 8 weeks, were randomly divided into control group (10 rats fed with normal diet) and high-fat group (35 rats fed with high-fat diet). At the end of week 28, the high-fat group was randomly divided into model group, LBP group, AE group, and LBP+AE group, with 8 rats in each group, and intervention was performed for 10 weeks. At the end of the experiment, fasting blood glucose was measure for all rats, and serum samples, liver tissue, and visceral fat were collected. Biochemical kits were used to measure the serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST); ELISA kits were used to measure the serum levels of fasting insulin (FINS), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1); quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), p38 MAPK, and NF-κB in liver tissue. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the control group, the model group had significant increases in TG, TC, AST, ALT, FINS, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (all P ＜0.05), a tendency of increases in the serum levels of the inflammatory factors MCP-1, TNF-α, and IL-6 (all P ＜0.05), and significant increases in the mRNA and protein expression levels of TLR4, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB in liver tissue (all P ＜0.05). Compared with the model group, each intervention group had significant reductions in TG, TC, AST, ALT, FINS, and HOMA-IR (all P ＜0.05), a tendency of reductions in the serum levels of the inflammatory factors MCP-1, TNF-α, and IL-6 (all P ＜0.05), and significant reductions in the mRNA and protein expression levels of TLR4, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB (all P ＜0.05). Compared with LBP group, the LBP+AE group had significant reductions in TG, ALT, FINS, HOMA-IR, MCP-1, the mRNA expression level of TLR4, protein expression levels of p38 MAPK and NF-κB(all P＜0.05). Compared with Ae group, the LBP+AE group had significant reductions in FINS, HOMA-IR, IL-6, MCP-1, the mRNA expression level of TLR4 (all P＜0.05). ConclusionLBP combined with AE may improve inflammation in NASH rats by regulating the p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway.
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the efficacy of daptomycin in the treatment of left-sided infective endocarditis after failing to respond to vancomycin.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted for 6 cases of infective endocarditis.Results Five of the six infective endocarditis patients were complicated with paravalvular abscess (artificial valve in 3 cases,native valve in 2 cases).Their disease deteriorated even under vancomycin treatment.Four of these patients received emergency valve replacement surgery but still febrile after operation.The antimicrobial therapy was switched to daptomycin at dose of 6 mg/kg daily for 2 to 4 weeks.The patients responded satisfactorily to daptomycin.The infection was controlled to some extent in the fifth patient after switching to daptomycin,but recurred later,and died suddenly on day 21 after reoperation.The sixth patient had infective endocarditis of native valve,and had treated with piperacillin-tazobactam for 2 weeks and vancomycin for 3 weeks,but responded poorly.The patient still had fever and enlarged vegetation.Switching to daptomycin reduced the body temperature and vegetation.Serum creatine kinase elevated moderately in one patient,and normal in the other 5 patients.No other apparent adverse reaction was reported.One patient died and the other five patient survived well for 18 months to 5 years.Conclusions Preliminary observation demonstrates the efficacy of daptomycin salvage treatment in a few cases of left-sided infective endocarditis after failing to respond to vancomycin therapy.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mitochondrial injury in enterovirus 71 (EV71)-infected Vero cells and explore the possible mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A clinical isolate of EV71 was inoculated to Vero cells and the EV71 antigen was detected by immunofluorescence assay. The morphological changes of Vero cells were observed using optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The diameter and area density of the viral particles and the ratio and area density of vacuolated mitochondria in the cells were measured on the ultrastructural images.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>EV71-infected Vero cells underwent obvious changes and to a spherical morphology followed by cell death EV71 particles were detected in the cytoplasm by immunofluorescence. Ultrastructurally, the infected cells contained a large number of viral particles in the cytoplasm, with a clustered distribution and lattice-like arrangement. The diameter of the particles were 16.3 nm and the mean area density was 38.3%. Most of the mitochondria presented with swelling, vacuoles and degeneration. The ratio of the vacuolated mitochondria was 90.9% with a mean area density of 89.2%. Viral particles were also found in some mitochondria.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EV71 proliferates in the cytoplasm and invades the mitochondria of infected Vero cells leading to mitochondrial injury and cell death, suggesting that mitochondria are the targets for EV71 infection.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Chlorocebus aethiops , Cytoplasm , Virology , Enterovirus , Enterovirus Infections , Pathology , Mitochondria , Pathology , Virology , Vero Cells , VirologyABSTRACT
Objective To observe the changes and clinical significance of procalcitonin(PCT) level in children with bacterial pneumonia.Methods The levels of PCT,hs-CRP and WBC were detected in 31 pneumonia children pre and post antibiotic treatment,and the changes were observed.Results The PCT levels of the 31 patients were all increased before treatment.After cured,PCT level of 28 cases returned to normal.But in the 28 normal cases,WBC level increased in 10 cases(35.7％),and hs-CRP level elevated in 4 cases(14.3％).In the other 3 cases,the PCT levels decreased from 5.69ng/mL,1.25ng/mL and 0.83ng/mL at admission to 0.51ng/mL,0.55ng/mL and 0.52ng/mL,respectively.And in these 3 cases,there was one case with the levels of WBC and hs-CRP respectively ascended,in which WBC level descended from 13.1 × 109/L to 12.1 × 109/L and hs-CRP level reduced from 20.92mg/L to 7.38mg/L.Conclusion The sensitivity of the index PCT is the highest at the accurate time phase of bacterial pneumonia,which can guide the reasonable use of antibiotics.
ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the feasibility of coelocentesis in prenatal diagnosis.Methods Coelocentesis were applied on 58 women scheduled for at 6～12 weeks of gestation,and fetal heart rate before the procedure and 1,5,30 minutes afterwards and hemorrhage of amnionic cyst was observed.Y gene of sex-determining region was detected by polymerase chain reaction,and compared with chorionic villi sample.Results The total achievement ratio of coelocentesis was 96.6% of all cases in five minutes.The coelomic fluid was successfully aspirated at first attempt in 93.2% at 7～10 week's gestation,25.0% at 6～7weeks and 50.0% at 10 ~ 12 weeks.There was no significant difference in FHR between before coelocentesis and afterwards (P＞0.05).The detection accurate rate of SRY was 91.1%,all female fetus were matched with those observation by chorionic villi sampling,and only 5 male fetus were not matched,the accurate rate was 80.8%.Conclusion Coclocentesis has the advantage of simple procedure,safe and high feasibility.The optimal time of coclocentesis is in the 7th to 10th week of gestation.
ABSTRACT
Objective To find out current distribution of Oncomelania snails and Schistosoma infection in snails in Zhejiang Province, so as to improve the project of schistosomiasis control. Methods Investigation spots were selected by stratified cluster sampling method, 100 villages of 34 counties were selected from 7 106 villages of 55 counties as survey spots. Synchronously systematic and environmental samplings were used for the survey. Snails were dissected to determine the infection status and spots with sham snails were set to assess the quality of the survey. Results The result showed that snails were found in 223 strips, 1 572 frames and 73 300 m 2 area in 32 villages of 21 counties. Snails were found in an area covering 72 640 m 2 in 29 villages of 18 counties in hilly region, which accounted for 99.1% of total snail habitats. The significantly larger area with snails was revealed in hilly region than that in water network region (t=3.04, P
ABSTRACT
Objective To detect the change of the anti-S. japonicum antibody level after people migrated from outside embankment to newly established town. Methods Three pilot spots were established for the investigation: one spot thut both inhabitancy and cultivation disused (A), one spot that only inhabitancy disused but farming continued (B) and the third one served as control (C). DIGFA and ELISA were used to detect the antibody level in the populations from 2002 to 2005. Results The positive rate of anti-S.japonkum antibody declined significantly from 6.63% to 3.52% by DIGFA and from 7.26% to 3.71% by ELISA at spot A (X2=5.2625, P