Effect of total flavonoids of buckwheat flower and leaf on myocardial cell apoptosis and Wnt/β-catenin/PPARγ pathway in arrhythmic rats / 中国中药杂志

This paper aimed to investigate the effect of total flavonoids of buckwheat flower and leaf on myocardial cell apoptosis and Wnt/β-catenin/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ(PPARγ) pathway in arrhythmic rats. SD rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a low-dose(20 mg·kg~(-1)) group of total flavonoids of buckwheat flower and leaf, a medium-dose(40 mg·kg~(-1)) group of total flavonoids of buckwheat flower and leaf, a high-dose(80 mg·kg~(-1)) group of total flavonoids of buckwheat flower and leaf, a propranolol hydrochloride(2 mg·kg~(-1)) group, with 12 rats in each group. Except the control group, rats in other groups were prepared as models of arrhythmia by sublingual injection of 1 mL·kg~(-1) of 0.002% aconitine. After grouping and intervention with drugs, the arrhythmia, myocardial cells apoptosis, myocardial tissue glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px), catalase(CAT), malondialdehyde(MDA), serum interleukin-6(IL-6), prostaglandin E2(PGE2) levels, myocardial tissue apoptosis, and Wnt/β-catenin/PPARγ pathway-related protein expression of rats in each group were measured. As compared with the control group, the arrhythmia score, the number of ventricular premature beats, ventricular fibrillation duration, myocardial cell apoptosis rate, MDA levels in myocardial tissues, serum IL-6 and PGE2 levels, Bax in myocardial tissues, and Wnt1 and β-catenin protein expression levels increased significantly in the model group, whereas the GSH-Px and CAT levels, and Bcl-2 and PPARγ protein expression levels in myocardial tissues reduced significantly. As compared with the model group, the arrhythmia score, the number of ventricular premature beats, ventricular fibrillation duration, myocardial cell apoptosis rate, MDA leve in myocardial tissues, serum IL-6 and PGE2 levels, Bax in myocardial tissues, and Wnt1 and β-catenin protein expression levels reduced in the drug intervention groups, whereas the GSH-Px and CAT levels and Bcl-2 and PPARγ protein expression levels in myocardial tissues increased. The groups of total flavonoids of buckwheat flower and leaf were in a dose-dependent manner. There was no significant difference in the levels of each index in rats between the propranolol hydrochloride group and the high-dose group of total flavonoids of buckwheat flower and leaf. The total flavonoids of buckwheat flower and leaf inhibit the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, up-regulate the expression of PPARγ, reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory damage in myocardial tissues of arrhythmic rats, reduce myocardial cell apoptosis, and improve the symptoms of arrhythmia in rats.

Comparison of four prognostic models and a new Logistic regression model to predict short-term prognosis of acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACLF-HBV) is a clinically severe disease associated with major life-threatening complications including hepatic encephalopathy and hepatorenal syndrome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term prognostic predictability of the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), MELD-based indices, and their dynamic changes in patients with ACLF-HBV, and to establish a new model for predicting the prognosis of ACLF-HBV.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 172 patients with ACLF-HBV who stayed in the hospital for more than 2 weeks were retrospectively recruited. The predictive accuracy of MELD, MELD-based indices, and their dynamic change (D) were compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve method. The associations between mortality and patient characteristics were studied by univariate and multivariate analyses.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 3-month mortality was 43.6%. The largest concordance (c) statistic predicting 3-month mortality was the MELD score at the end of 2 weeks of admission (0.8), followed by the MELD: sodium ratio (MESO) (0.796) and integrated MELD (iMELD) (0.758) scores, DMELD (0.752), DMESO (0.729), and MELD plus sodium (MELD-Na) (0.728) scores. In multivariate Logistic regression analysis, the independent factors predicting prognosis were hepatic encephalopathy (OR = 3.466), serum creatinine, international normalized ratio (INR), and total bilirubin at the end of 2 weeks of admission (OR = 10.302, 6.063, 5.208, respectively), and cholinesterase on admission (OR = 0.255). This regression model had a greater prognostic value (c = 0.85, 95%CI 0.791 - 0.909) compared to the MELD score at the end of 2 weeks of admission (Z = 4.9851, P = 0.0256).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>MELD score at the end of 2 weeks of admission is a useful predictor for 3-month mortality in ACLF-HBV patients. Hepatic encephalopathy, serum creatinine, international normalized ratio, and total bilirubin at the end of 2 weeks of admission and cholinesterase on admission are independent predictors of 3-month mortality.</p>

The clinical efficacy and safety of adefovir dipivoxil in combination with bicyclol for the treatment of senior patients with chronic hepatitis B / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) in combination with bicyclol for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in seniors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>96 senior patients with CHB were randomly divided into two groups, the treatment group and the control group. On the basis of routine liver protective treatment, patients in the treatment group received ADV (10 mg/d) and bicyclol tablets (25 mg, tid.) orally, and those in the control group were orally administrated ADV tablets (10 mg/d) only. The treatment course for both groups was 24 weeks. Serum ALT, AST, and alterations of virological parameters were observed before and after the treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Before and at the end of the 24 weeks treatment, ALT level for the treatment group was (208.44 +/- 94.22) and (34.47 +/- 12.79) U/L, and those for the control group was (205.73 +/- 96.48) and (44.20 +/- 21.96) U/L, respectively (difference between groups P < 0.01). At the end of the 24 weeks treatment, ALT normalization rates for the treatment group and the control group were 76.6% and 54.5%, respectively, and AST normalization rates for them were 76.6% and 54.5%, respectively (both differences between groups P < 0.05); HBV DNA loads for the treatment group and the control group were decreased by (3.1 +/- 1.40) lgIU/ml and (2.98 +/- 1.17) lgIU/ ml, respectively (difference between groups P > 0.05). The incidence rates of adverse events between two groups were not statistically significant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It suggested that the treatment of ADV in combination with bicyclol for senior patients with CHB is effective and safe.</p>

Association between HBV genotype and chronic/severe liver disease with HBV infection in Chinese patients / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the association between HBV genotype and chronic/severe liver disease with HBV infection in Chinese patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum samples were collected from 2922 patients with HBV infection. HBV genotyping was performed with type-specific primers polymerase chain reaction, and the virological and biochemical markers were detected, which differences in the genotypes between various clinical types of HBV infection and liver function and virological markers between various HBV genotyping were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The genotype B, C, BC combinations, D of 2922 patients with HBV infection accounted for 15.9%, 83.5%, 0.41%, 0.21% respectively. The ratio of genotype B in acute hepatitis group was higher (P = 0.003), which the ratio of genotype C in the cirrhosis group and the hepatocellular carcinoma group was higher (P = 0.000, 0.000). The difference in ratio of genotype C was not statistically significant between acute-on-chronic liver failure group and chronic hepatitis group. HBeAg-positive rate, viral load and liver function markers of B, C genotype group in acute hepatitis group and chronic hepatitis group were not significant different. HBeAg-positive rates of genotype C in acute-on-chronic liver failure group, cirrhosis group, hepatocellular carcinoma group were higher than that of genotype B (P = 0.000, 0.024, 0.003). Viral load of genotype C in hepatocellular carcinoma group was higher than that of genotype B (P = 0.025). Cholinesterase levels of genotype C in the acute-on-chronic liver failure group and the hepatocellular carcinoma group was lower than that of genotype B (P = 0.0004, 0.02).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There were HBV genotype B, C, B/C combinations and D in Chinese patients with HBV infection, with genotype B and C being the major ones. Compared with HBV genotype B, genotype C in Chinese patients with HBV infection was more likely to chronic infection, evolved to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, but genotype difference was not observed in occurrence of acute-on-chronic liver failure. Genotype was not significant effect in acute and chronic hepatitis B, but HBeAg-positive rate/viral load was higher and liver damage was more severe in severe and end-stage genotype C HBV infection patients.</p>

Lamivudine and entecavir significantly improved the prognosis of early-to-mid stage hepatitis B related acute on chronic liver failure / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To clinically study the antiviral effects of lamivudine and entecavir on patients with early-to-mid stage Hepatitis B related acute on chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). METHODS; A prospective, randomized, open and parallel controlled clinical trial was designed to observe the antiviral effects of nucleoside analogues on patients with early-to-mid stage HBV-ACLF. Three groups were set for controlled study, i. e. basic treatment group, lamivudine plus basic treatment group and entecavir plus basic treatment group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>One month after treatment, the improvement rates of lamivudine group and entecavir group were 58.85% and 59.15% respectively, significantly higher than that of basic treatment group which was 34.84% (Chi(2) = 9.8323, P = 0.043). By the end of six months, the cumulative survival rates of patients with the antiviral treatments, i.e., lamivudine, entecavir, were 65.8%, 60.1%, significantly higher than that (42%) without the antiviral treatment (P = 0.045, P = 0.04 respectively). The cumulative survival rate in patients with a MELD score < 30 was higher than that with a MELD score over 30 (Chi(2) = 3.920, P = 0.048). For the patients with pretreatment HBV DNA > or = 10(7), the cumulative survival rate in patients with entecavir treatments group was higher than that of patients in basic treatment group (Chi(2) = 5. 014 P= 0.025). According to the Ordinal Regression analysis, antiviral therapy by using either lamivudine or entecavia could significantly increase the improvement rate of patients with early-to-mid stage HBV-ACLF. But severe complications, including hepatorenal syndrome, electrolyte imbalance and hepatic encephalopathy, medical history of liver cirrhosis, and pretreatment HBV DNA > or = 10(7) had significant impacts on prognosis of this group patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Antiviral therapy by using either lamivudine or entecavia could significantly increase the survival rate of patients with early-to-mid stage HBV-ACLF.</p>

Study on gene delivery via the bile duct to rat liver using naked DNA particles / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy of gene delivery to the right lateral lobe of the rat liver via a branch of the bile duct using naked DNA.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We evaluated regional gene delivery to the right lateral lobe of the rat liver via a branch of the bile duct, using naked DNA, including pGL3, pCMV beta and Cy3 labeled CMV beta.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Gene expression was observed in right lateral lobe of both the damaged and the normal rats liver. The gene delivery efficiency was similar in two groups (P > 0.05). Gene expression was found in the right lateral lobe of damaged and normal livers. Fluorescence was observed in the region of the portal triads, and occasionally, in the lobule.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Retrograde infusion of naked DNA via the bile duct is an effective way to deliver genes to in both damaged and normal rat liver.</p>

The short-term efficacy of nucleoside analogue on the treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To discuss the short-term efficacy of nucleoside analogue on the treatment of hepatitis B virus induced acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>348 patients with HBV-ACLF in our hospital from January 2006 to June 2008 were selected. According to the stages of patient's condition and whether or not with nucleoside analogue administration, The patients were divided into early stage therapy group, early stage control group, middle stage therapy group and middle stage control group. Groups were compared on the basis of stages. The clinical data were analyzed using chisquare test and independent-Samples T Test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 2 weeks of therapy no significant difference found between the therapy group and the control group. the total bilirubin (TBil) and alanine transaminase (ALT) showed no significant difference between the middle stage therapy group and the control group in 4 weeks of therapy. However significant differences existed in the HBV DNA negative rate, PTA, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and the improvement rate between the two groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). Only the 4 week survival rate and HBV DNA negative rate showed significant difference in patients who received anti-virus therapy on the early stage as compared to the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Anti-virus therapy with nucleoside analogue is an effective way for the treatment of those patients with HBV-ACLF and can increase the survival rate.</p>

Relativity analysis of chronic hepatitis B virus genotype and clinical pathology / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between chronic hepatitis B virus genotypes and clinical pathology.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HBV genotype was determined in 92 cases with chronic hepatitis B patients and the relationship between HBV genotypes and clinical, serological and histological data of the patients was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Sixteen cases were infected with HBV genotype B (17.4%), 71 with genotype C (77.2%), 3 with HBV classified as genotype B+C (3.2%) and in 2 (2.2%) cases HBV genotype was not confirmed. ALT level and HBV DNA load log value were (82.6+/-82) U/L, (84.7+/-71.5) U/L and (5.8+/-1.4), (5.9+/-1.5) respectively in genotypes B and C patients, in 8 cases of genotype C group liver cirrhosis was diagnosed, but no statistical significance was seen.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>No significant differences in clinical, serological or histological data were detected between genotypes B and C patients.</p>

Human LINE1 endonuclease domain as a putative target of SARS-associated autoantibodies involved in the pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a disease with a mortality of 9.56%. Although SARS is etiologically linked to a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and functional cell receptor has been identified, the pathogenesis of the virus infection is largely unclear.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical specimens were processed and analyzed using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in-house. Further investigations of target antigen included reviews of phage display technique, rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique, protein expression and purification, Western blotting validation, serological and immunohistochemical staining in postmortem tissue.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A type of medium or low titer anti-lung tissue antibodies were found in the sera of SARS patients at the early stage of the disease. Human long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE1) gene endonuclease (EN) domain protein was one of the target autoantigens and it was aberrantly expressed in the lung tissue of SARS patients. Anti-EN antibody was positive in the sera of 40.9% of SARS patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Human LINE1 endonuclease domain was identified as a putative target of SARS-associated autoantibodies, which were presented in the serum of SARS patients and may be involved in the pathogenesis of SARS.</p>

Comparison and analysis of two international diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of 230 cases with drug-induced liver injury / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare and analyze the accuracy of two diagnostic criteria of drug-induced liver injuries.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>230 cases of drug-induced liver injury diagnosed clinically in the 302 hospital of PLA were retrospectively studied. The drugs which induced liver injuries were summarized and analyzed. Danan's international consensus criteria and Maria's diagnostic scale were applied to diagnose these 230 cases again and then the differences of diagnostic results were analyzed and compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The drugs which induced liver injuries in the 230 patients were arranged in order of their usage frequencies: traditional Chinese herbs and the like, antibiotics, antipyretic analgesics, antituberculosis medicines, cardiovascular drugs, over-the-counter health stuff, psychopharmaceuticals, dermatological agents, drug for diabetes, tapazol, and others. Based on the 230 adult inpatients with drug-induced liver injury, according to Danan's international consensus criteria, 149 cases (64.8%), 71 (30.9%) and 10 (4.3%) were classified as drug-related, indeterminate and drug-unrelated respectively; according to Maria's diagnostic scale, not one was a definite drug-induced liver injury, 55 cases (23.9%) were probable, while 126 (54.8%), 33 (14.3%) and 16 (7.0%) were possible, unlikely and excluded respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The accordance rate of Danan's international consensus criteria and clinical diagnosis was higher than that of Maria's diagnostic scale. Neverthelessìthe current diagnostic methods for drug-induced liver injury need to be revised for clinical practice.</p>

Screening and identification of genes trans-regulated by a novel HbeAg interacting protein AK026018 with microarray assay / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To investigate the biological functions of a novel hepatitis B virus e antigen (HbeAg) interacting protein AK026018, and to use cDNA microarray technique to screen genes regulated by the protein.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The AK026018 coding DNA fragment was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique from HepG2 cell. The expressive vector of pcDNA3.1-AK was constructed by routine molecular biological methods. The HepG2 cells were transfected with pcDNA3.1 and pcDNA3.1-AK, respectively by using lipofectamine. The total RNA was isolated and reverse transcribed. The cDNA of each sample was subjected to microarray screening with 8,464 cDNA probes and analyzed by bioinformatics.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expressive vector was constructed and confirmed by DNA sequencing analysis and restriction enzyme digestion. High quality mRNA and cDNA of transfected HepG2 cells had been prepared and successful microarray screening conducted. From the scanning results, there were 122 differential expression genes, of which 36 genes were down-regulated, and 16 genes were up-regulated.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Microarray technique was successfully used to screen the genes trans-regulated by AK026018. The expression of AK026018 protein affects the expression spectrum of HepG2 cells.</p>

Detection of autoimmune parameter of SARS patients / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore whether autoimmune phenomena exist in SARS patients, and to seek for unusual autoimmune antibodies in SARS patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Autoantibodies against cell nuclei (ANA), autoantibodies against smooth muscles (SMA), autoantibodies against parietal cells (PCA), autoantibodies against heart cells (HRA) were detected by using immunofluorescence, and autoantibodies against live-kidney microsomes (LKM) and anti-M2 antibodies were detected by ELISA in sera taken from 27 SARS patients and 18 healthy controls. Immunofluorescence was used to localize the targets antigens in slides with biochips of lung (monkey) of SARS associated antibodies.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ANA, AMA, LKM and SMA were found positive in 3, 1, 1, and 1 of the 27 SARS sera. In 18 healthy control sera, one ANA and one AMA were positive. Statistical analysis showed that there were no difference between two groups in every item detected. Twenty-six of 27 SARS patients and 5 of 18 healthy controls had strongly stained columnar epithelia of the bronchiole, especially the lumen border of the epithelia?the difference between two groups was significant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>No antibodies against organs but lung were found in SARS patients. There are auto antibodies against lung tissues in sera of SARS patients.</p>

Screening of the genes of hepatitis B virus e antigen interacting proteins / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To screen and clone the genes in hepatocytes which encode protein that can interact with hepatitis B e antigen(HBeAg) by yeast-two hybridization.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Recombined HBeAg bait plasmid (pGBKT7-eAg) was transformed into yeast AH l09, followed by mating with yeast Yl87 containing liver cDNA library plasmid in 2 x YPDA medium. Diploid yeast was plated on synthetic dropout nutrient medium (SD/-Trp-Leu-Ade-His) which contains X-a-gal for selecting positive blue clones. Then positive clones were selected and plasmids were prepared and sequenced. Finally, bioinformatics analysis was performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 245 positive colonies were selected and 101 colonies were sequenced. Through sequences alignment, 6 novel genes and 35 recorded genes were screened.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Genes of HBeAg interacting proteins have been cloned successfully, which brings some new clues for further studies on the biological functions of HBeAg and the related proteins.</p>

Clinical analysis of 77 liver failure patients with nosocomially infected septicemia / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical characteristics and preventive measures of liver failure with nosocomial septicemia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Retrospective analysis of nosocomial septicemia seen between 2001 and 2002 was carried out in our hospital.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Incidence of nosocomial septicemia was 0.61%, mortality was 14.29%, the main pathogen was Escherichia coli, the drug resistance occurred in most pathogens to the commonly used antibiotics.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In order to reduce nosocomial septicemia, antibiotics should be used rationally, should be paid attention to bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity, and preventive measures should be taken.</p>

A prospective study on short period antibiotic treatment of hepatic failure complicated with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To observe the effects of short-term antibiotic treatment in patients with hepatic failure and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In this prospective study short-term antibiotic treatment was given to 67 cases diagnosed as hepatic failure with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Ceftriaxone 2 g, iv drip, q12h for 10 d or ofloxacin 0.2 g, iv drip, q12h for 10 d was given to the patients at random and the efficacy was evaluated on the basis of clinical symptoms, medical examination and ascites after 3, 7, 10 days of therapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Seven cases (10.44%) were cured and 57 cases (85%) were improved after 3 days therapy, the total effective rate was 95.52%, but in 3 cases the therapy had no effect. The results of ascites bacterial culture and drug susceptibility test showed that one case had drug resistance to ceftriaxone and two cases had drug resistance to ofloxacin, so antibiotics were changed in time. After 7 days therapy, the results showed that 65 cases (97.01%) cured and 2 cases (2.99%) were improved, the total effective rate was 100%. When the therapy lasted for 10 days, all patients were cured. One patient had oral mucous membrane. Candida albicans infection after 3 days therapy; two cases got thrush and one patient got fungal intestinal infection after 7 days therapy; when the therapy lasted for 10 days, 4 cases had thrush and 2 cases had fungal infection of intestines and one patient had pulmonary fungal infection.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The optimal period of antibiotic treatment of hepatic failure with SBP should be from 7 days to 10 days.</p>