ABSTRACT
@#The purification of parasite-infected erythrocytes from whole blood containing leucocytes is crucial for many downstream genetic and molecular assays in parasitology. Current methodologies to achieve this are often costly and time consuming. Here, we demonstrate the successful application of a cheap and simple Non-Woven Fabric (NWF) filter for the purification of parasitized red blood cells from whole blood. NWF filtration was applied to the malaria-parasitized blood of three strains of mice, and one strain of rat, and to Babesia gibsoni parasitized dog blood. Before and after filtration, the white blood cell (WBC) removal rates and red blood cell (RBC) recovery rates were measured. After NWF filter treatment of rodent malaria-infected blood, the WBC removal rates and RBC recovery rates were, for Kunming mice: 99.51%±0.30% and 86.12%±8.37%; for BALB/C mice: 99.61%±0.15% and 80.74%±7.11%; for C57 mice: 99.71%±0.12% and 84.87%±3.83%; for Sprague-Dawley rats: 99.93%±0.03% and 83.30%±2.96%. Microscopy showed WBCs were efficiently removed from infected dog blood samples, and there was no obvious morphological change of B. gibsoni parasites. NWF filters efficiently remove leukocytes from malaria parasite-infected mouse and rat blood, and are also suitable for filtration of B. gibsoni-infected dog blood.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the expression changes of myeloid-related protein-8 (MRP-8) and myeloid-related protein-14 (MRP-14) in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) and to obtain laboratory diagnostic serum markers and new targets for its drug therapy.Methods A total of 46 patients with KD(KD group) were enrolled from Jul.2009 to Dec.2010 and divided into the coronary artery dilatation(CAD) group(n =15) and the normal coronary artery group(n =31) ;Meanwhile,25 febrile patients with acute respiratory tract infection but without disease in the circulatory,blood,immune systems formed the non-KD febrile group.Twenty healthy children from the out-patient department formed the healthy control group.Peripheral venous blood was collected in the acute and subacute stage of KD.Levels of MRP-8/MRP-14 were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbnent assay (ELISA).Gene expressions of MRP-8,MRP-14 in leukocytes were analyzed by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RTPCR).Results The serum levels of MRP-8/MRP-14 along with mRNA expressions of MRP-8 and MRP-14 in the leukocytes in the out-patient acute and subacute stage of KD were significantly higher than those in the non-KD febrile group and the healthy control group(all P ＜ 0.05) ;There was no significant difference between non-KD febrile group and healthy control group (P ＞ 0.05).The serum levels of MRP-8/MRP-14 along with mRNA expressions of MRP-8 and MRP-14 in leukocyte in actue stage of KD were significantly higher than those in subacute stage(all P ＜ 0.001).The serum levels of MRP-8/MRP-14 as well as mRNA expressions of MRP-8 and MRP-14 in the acute and the subacute stage of CAD group were significantly higher than those in the normal coronary artery group(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions MRP-8/MRP-14 may probably play a role in the pathogenesis of KD and can be used as a diagnostic indicator for KD;MRP-8/MRP-14 may be involved in the formation of coronary artery lesion and can be used as an effective predictor for the coronary artery lesion.
ABSTRACT
To evaluate scallop safety in the Guangzhou seafood market, contents of shellfish toxins in adductor muscle, mantle skirts, gills and visceral mass of scallops were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and mouse unit assay. The results showed that: paralytic shellfish poisoning contents were up to 37.44 µg/100 g by ELISA and 319.99 MU/100 g by mouse unit assay, which did not exceed the limits of national standards (80 µg/100g and 400 MU/100 g); the contents of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning were 142.04 µg/100g and 0.2 MU/100 g, which exceeded the national standard limits (60 µg/100g); neurotoxic shellfish poisoning was undetectable; the contents of amnesic shellfish poisoning reached 220.12 µg/100g (no limit value could be referred to) . In addition, these poisons were present mainly in visceral mass and gills rather than adductor muscle and mantle skirts, suggesting that these toxins accumulate in a tissue-specific manner.(AU)