The perforator flap of ipsilateral nasolabial sulcus used to repair the defect after the eradication of nasal vestibular squamous cell carcinoma / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of only surgical resection for nasal vestibular squamous cell carcinoma and the efficacy of perforator flap of ipsilateral nasolabial sulcus in repairing postoperative defects. Methods: The clinical data of 8 cases with squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule who admitted to Department of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University were analyzed, including 6 males and 2 females, aged from 38 to 75 years. The tumor of the nasal vestibule was eradicated in time after making definite diagnosis of lesions, then the perforators flap of the ipsilateral nasolabial sulcus was used for repairment, without performing further chemotherapy or radiotherapy after surgery. The tumor recurrence, facial appearance, nostril form, donor area scar, nasal ventilation function, and cutaneous sensation were evaluated after surgery. Descriptive analysis was used in this research. Results: There were 2 cases of stage T1 and 6 cases of stage T2 in 8 cases. After 32 to 45 months of following-up, no recurrence accurred and all the flaps survived well. However, there was about 2 mm necrosis of the transplanted flap in the lateral foot of the alar in one case, which was healed well by carrying out wound care after 10 d. And the dark color flap was occurred in another case, showing the flap's backflow trouble, yet it was improved with addressing timely during 5 d postoperation. Pincusion-like deformity of the transplanted flap occurred in 4 cases (50%), which subsided gradually after 6 months. The morphology of the anterior nostril was altered in 4 cases (50%), but there was no ventilation trouble and no need for addressment in any case. The postoperative facial appearance was rated as excellentor good with hidden scar in the donor site, and the sensation of the transplanted flaps was indistinct from the surrounding tissue after 3 months. Conclusions: Surgical resection of nasal vestibular squamous cell carcinoma with tumor stage T1-2 is a feasible treatment. And it is the one of the best reconstructive methods of the perforator flap of the ipsilateral nasolabial sulcus to repair the deformities after the surgery.

Trichostatin C attenuates TNFα-induced inflammation in endothelial cells by up-regulating Krüppel-like factor 2 / 药学学报

Krüppel-like transcription factor 2 (KLF2) plays a key regulatory role in endothelial inflammation, thrombosis, angiogenesis and macrophage inflammation and polarization, and up-regulation of KLF2 expression has the potential to prevent and treatment atherosclerosis. In this study, trichostatin C (TSC) was obtained from the secondary metabolites of rice fermentation of Streptomyces sp. CPCC 203909 as a KLF2 up-regulator by using a high throughput screening model based on a KLF2 promoter luciferase reporter assay. TSC significantly inhibited the adhesion of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) induced monocytes (THP-1) to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Western blot results showed that TSC decreased TNFα induced the protein expression increase of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and thereby inhibited endothelial inflammation. The results of histone deacetylase (HDAC) overexpression and molecular docking experiments showed that TSC upregulated the expression of KLF2 by inhibiting subtypes of HDAC 4/5/7. In conclusion, this study suggests that TSC up-regulates the expression of KLF2 through inhibiting HDAC 4/5/7 and thus inhibits TNFα induced endothelial inflammation, and it has the potential to prevent and treat atherosclerosis.

Analysis of clinical phenotype and genotype of Chinese children with disorders of sex development / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To explore the heterogeneity and correlation of clinical phenotypes and genotypes in children with disorders of sex development (DSD). Methods: A retrospective study of 1 235 patients with clinically proposed DSD in 36 pediatric medical institutions across the country from January 2017 to May 2021. After capturing 277 DSD-related candidate genes, second-generation sequencing was performed to analyzed the heterogeneity and correlation combined with clinical phenotypes. Results: Among 1 235 children with clinically proposed DSD, 980 were males and 255 were females of social gender at the time of initial diagnosis with the age ranged from 1 day of age to 17.92 years. A total of 443 children with pathogenic variants were detected through molecular genetic studies, with a positive detection rate of 35.9%. The most common clinical phenotypes were micropenis (455 cases), hypospadias (321 cases), and cryptorchidism (172 cases) and common mutations detected were in SRD5A2 gene (80 cases), AR gene (53 cases) and CYP21A2 gene (44 cases). Among them, the SRD5A2 mutation is the most common in children with simple micropenis and simple hypospadias, while the AMH mutation is the most common in children with simple cryptorchidism. Conclusions: The SRD5A2 mutation is the most common genetic variant in Chinese children with DSD, and micropenis, cryptorchidism, and hypospadias are the most common clinical phenotypes. Molecular diagnosis can provide clues about the biological basis of DSD, and can also guide clinicians to perform specific clinical examinations. Target sequence capture probes and next-generation sequencing technology can provide effective and economical genetic diagnosis for children with DSD.

Rutaecarpine exerted anti-osteroporosis / 药学学报

Osteoprotegerin (OPG), secreted by osteoblasts, is a marker of bone turnover. OPG can inhibit osteoclastic differentiation by binding receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL). In this study, we found that rutaecarpine (RUT) had the up-regulating OPG activity, and it could significantly increase OPG protein levels in both mouse embryonic osteogenic precursor MC3T3-E1 and human osteosarcoma U-2OS cells. Osteoblastogenic differentiation calcified nodules staining results showed that RUT significantly promoted the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Osteoclastic differentiation tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining results showed that RUT obviously inhibited the osteoclast differentiation of mouse macrophages RAW264.7 induced by RANKL. In vivo studies showed that low-dose RUT group (5 mg·kg-1·day-1) and high-dose RUT group (45 mg·kg-1·day-1) treatments for 3 months significantly increased bone density in ovariectomized (OVX) rats; calcein double labeling experiment and toluidine blue staining results indicated that low-dose RUT group promoted bone formation and decreased bone loss in vivo; immunohistochemistry results showed that low-dose RUT group increased the expression of OPG in rat femur. All animal procedures were performed in accordance with the regulations of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. In summary, this study demonstrated that RUT could up-regulate OPG expression and had promoting osteoblastic differentiation and inhibiting osteoclastic differentiation effects in vitro and in vivo.

Evaluation of microtensile bond strength between resin composite and glass ceramic / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the microtensile bond strength of resin composite to glass ceramic, and the effect of surface treatment of resin composite and thermal cycling aging on the microtensile bond strength.@*METHODS@#Rectangular blocks were made with dentin of extracted molars, resin composite or feldspathic glass ceramic respectively. The bonding surfaces of these rectangular blocks were sanded by 600-grit silicon carbide paper before luting. A self-etching resin cement was used as luting agent. The specimens were divided into groups according to the types of substrates of adhesion (dentin/glass ceramic or resin composite/glass ceramic), the way of surface treatments and whether thermal cycling aging ocurred. The dentin blocks were adhered to ceramic blocks as controls (group A1 and A2). The resin composite blocks were adhered to the ceramic blocks as experiment groups. The resin composite surfaces were treated by different ways before luting: no extra surface treatment (group B1 and B2), treated by ethyl methacrylate solution (group C1 and C2) or silane coupling agent (group D1 and D2), coarsened by 360-grit silicon carbide paper (group E1 and E2) or polished by 1 200-grit silicon carbide paper (group F1 and F2). After luting, the microtensile bond strength of the specimens were tested before (group A1-F1) or after (group A2-F2) thermal cycling aging. After microtensile bond strength test, the fracture bonding surfaces of the specimens were observed by a scanning electron microscopy to determine the type of bonding failure. The data were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance.@*RESULTS@#The microtensile bond strength of resin composite to glass ceramic with no extra treatment achieved high bond values before and after thermal cycling [B1 (30.02±3.85) MPa, B2 (26.83±3.14) MPa], which were statistically different from those of the control groups [A1 (20.55±4.51) MPa, A2 (12.94±0.69) MPa, P < 0.05]. The microtensile bond strength between the glass ceramic and resin composite did not increase after different surface treatments of resin composite.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The microtensile bond strength between resin composite and glass ceramic achieved as similar bond strength as that between dentin and glass ceramic and even better. Surface treatment of resin composite via methyl methacrylate solution, silane coupling agent, coarsening, or polishing did not increase the microtensile bond strength effectually.

China′s strategy and experience in preventing and controlling the local spreading and epidemic of COVID-19 / 上海预防医学

After implementing a series of prevention and control strategies of Corona Virus Disease 19(COVID-19), China′s local epidemic situation has been basically blocked.While China has achieved a periodic success, global pandemic situation is still serious.Together with the timeline of China′s epidemic prevention and control this study reviewed the main strategies and measures in response to COVID-19 epidemic from Dec.2019 to Mar.23, 2020, and summarized China′s prevention and control plans and experiences.We hope all countries could fully understand the importance of non-pharmaceutical public health interventions, make positive and effective adjustments to the measures and strategies of prevention and control based on their own national conditions.

Prognostic factors of multi-drug resistant organism infection in infected pancreatic necrosis patients / 中华外科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the prognostic factors of multi-drug resistant organism (MDRO) infection in patients with infected pancreatic necrosis(IPN).@*Methods@#A retrospective study was performed to assess the MDRO in IPN patients. The clinical data of 104 IPN patients admitted to the Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from June 2013 to January 2019 were analyzed. Fifty-six patients were allocated in the MDRO group and 48 patients in the non-MDRO group depended on drug sensitivity test. There were 37 males and 19 females in the MDRO group with age of 40 (23) years. The duration time was 3(5) days between onset and admission. In the non-MDRO group, 34 males and 14 females were included with age of (42±14) years. The duration time was 3(4) days between onset and admission. Normally distributed quantitative variables was represented by ±s, non-normally distributed quantitative variables was represented by M(QR). Wilcoxon rank-sum test and χ2 test were used to analyze the data. Univariate and multivariable Logistic regression analytic model were used to figure out the risk factors associated with MDRO infection.@*Results@#The mean duration of hospital stay was 29.5(31.8) days and hospitalization expenses were CNY 166 991(270 692), which were much higher than those in non-MDRO group (16.5(15.7) days, CNY 56 789(62 354)) (W=1 889, 2 019, both P<0.01). Gram-negative isolates(67.2%, 80/119) were commonly detected in IPN patients.Acinetobacter baumannii was the most common MDRO(27.0%,20/74). Initial use of carbapenem(OR=2.22, 95%CI: 1.02-4.96, P=0.047) and open necrosectomy(OR=10.00, 95%CI: 3.14-44.77, P<0.01) were the potential risk factors for MDRO-induced infections in IPN. Furthermore, the Logistic regression analysis revealed that open necrosectomy was the independent variable for MDRO infections(OR=9.42, 95%CI: 2.92-42.42, P<0.01).@*Conclusion@#Open necrosectomy is the independent risk factor for the infection of MDRO.

The anti-atherosclerotic effect and mechanism study of berberine in hyperlipidemic ApoE-/- mice / 药学学报

The purpose of this research is to study the anti-atherosclerotic effects and mechanisms of berberine (BBR) in high fat diet (HFD) fed ApoE-/- mice, and then to lay a solid foundation of the clinical studies of BBR treatment. The hyperlipidemic ApoE-/- mice model was established by feeding HFD for 12 weeks. Mice were randomly divided into control group (chow diet), model group, BBR group (BBR-L: 50 mg·kg-1, BBR-H: 150 mg·kg-1) and atorvastatin (5 mg·kg-1) group. Mice were intragastric administration with BBR in 0.5% sodium salt of caboxy methyl cellulose. After 12 weeks, enface aortas were stained with oil red O, and the lesions area were analyzed by Image J software. The inflammatory factor levels were detected by suspension microarray kits. Liver total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and free fatty acids (FFA) were determined by commercial kits. Western blot was performed to examine the inflammatory pathway related and cholesterol and lipid transport related proteins' expression. All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the Regulation on the Administration of Laboratory Animals of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology. After 12 weeks treatment, compared with model group, BBR treatment significantly reduced the lesions area of en face aortas and obviously inhibited serum proinflammatory factors such as IL-1β and IL-6 compared with model group. In addition, BBR treatment obviously reduced liver TC, TG and FFA levels compared with model group. Furthermore, mechanic study showed that BBR significantly inhibited MAPKs and NF-κB pathways, and increased cholesterol and lipid regulated proteins expression such as p-AMPK, LDLR, ABCA1 and SR-BI. In conclusion, BBR can obviously reduce enface aortas lesions in ApoE-/- mice, which is related to inhibit inflammation and liver cholesterol and lipid accumulation.

Determination of Total Arsenic and Arsenic Species in Blood of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Patients Treated with Arsenous Acid / 中国药师

Objective:To quantify the plasma concentrations of inorganic arsenic (As(III) and As(V)) and methylated metabo-lites ( MMA and DMA) , and to detect the total amount of arsenic in blood cells and plasma by high performance liquid chromatogra -phy-hydridegeneration-atomic fluorescence spectrometry ( HPLC-HG-AFS) and HG-AFS methods to clarify the arsenic species in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients.Methods:The blood cells and plasma were digested by the mixture of HNO 3-H2O2 and ana-lyzed by HG-AFS.For the arsenic species , the plasma samples were prepared with perchloric acid to precipitate protein .The superna-tant was separated on an anion-exchange column in 6 min with isocratic elution using 13 mmol · L-1 CH3 COONa, 3 mmol · L-1 NaH2 PO4 , 4 mmol· L-1 KNO3 and 0.2 mmol· L-1 EDTA-2Na.Results:The methods provided linear range of 0.2-20 ng· ml-1 for total arsenic and 2.0-50 ng· ml-1 for four arsenic species (r>0.9950).The spiked recoveries ranged from 81.2％to 108.6％, and the coefficients of variation for intra-and inter-batch precision were less than 9.3％and 12.5％, respectively.The developed methods were applied successfully in the assay of total arsenic and arsenic species in 5 APL patients.Conclusion:The method is simple, fast and accurate , which can be applied in the assay of arsenic compounds in plasma and blood cells in APL patients .

Comparison of HPLC and CMIA Method in Monitoring Concentration of Phenytoin in Epileptic Patients' Plasma / 医药导报

Objective To establish a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for determining phenytoin concentration in epilepsy patients' plasma,and compare this method with chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay (CMIA),and to evaluate the consistency of the two methods.Methods HPLC and CMIA methods were applied to determine the plasma concentration of phenytoin in 60 epileptic patients,respectively.The difference of results was analyzed by two-side paired t-test,and then the correlation and consistency of the two methods were investigated with Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman method.Results There was no significant difference between the results of the two methods (P ＞0.05).The regression equation of the determination results by HPLC (Y) and CMIA (X) was Y=0.992 9X +0.143 7 (R2 =0.992 6,n =60),which indicated the correlation of the two methods was good.Bland-Altman analysis showed that the consistency of the two methods for determining was good.Conclusion HPLC and CMIA method in monitoring plasma concentration of phenytoin have good correlation and consistency.Both methods can be used for therapeutic drug monitoring of phenytoin.

IL-25 and allergic airway inflammation / 解放军医学杂志

Allergic airway inflammation is manifested as infiltration of CD4+ T cells and eosinophils in the airway,increased secretion of mucus,airway hyper-reactivity and airway remodeling.IL-25 is a member of the IL-17 family,which can promote and exacerbate Th2 cytokine-mediated airway inflammation after binding to its receptor IL-17RB.The increased IL-25 can induce the secretion of Th2 cytokines,including IL-4,IL-5 and IL-13,which may result in the local infiltration of eosinophils,airway hyperreactivity and therefore the injury of airway.As IL-25 plays an important role in allergic airway inflammation,the present paper would focus on the relationship between IL-25 and allergic airway inflammation.

Review on research of the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of Celosia argentea

ABSTRACT Celosia argentea L., Amaranthaceae, is widely used as traditional medicine with a long history in China. It is a unique source of Semen Celosiae whose contributions include purging the hepatic pathogenic fire, improving eyesight, and treating other eye diseases. Over 79 compounds from this plant were isolated and identified, mainly including saponins, peptides, phenols, fatty acids, and amino acids, of which saponins have been considered as the characteristic and active constituents of Celosia argentea. Experimental evidences manifested that Celosia argentea, with its active compounds, possesses wide-reaching biological activities such as hepatoprotection, tumor treatment, anti-diarrhea, anti-diabetes, anti-oxidant, anti-hypertension, and for treatment of a number of eye diseases. The objective of the study was to provide an overview of the ethno-pharmacology, chemical constituents, pharmacology, and related clinical applications of Celosia argentea, and to reveal their therapeutic potentials, and secure an evidence base for further research works on Celosia argentea.

Comparison of RP-HPLC and CMIA Method in the Determination of Valproate in Plasma of Epileptic Pa-tients / 中国药师

Objective:To determine the valproate concentration in plasma of epilepsy patients by HPLC, and compare with the re-sults of chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay ( CMIA) to evaluate the consistency of the two methods. Methods:HPLC and CMIA was respectively applied to determine the plasma concentration of valproate in 230 epileptic patients. The correlation of the two methods was studied by Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman method. Results:The regression equation of the determination re-sults of HPLC (Y) and CMIA (X) was Y=1. 069 7X+2. 338 2 (R2 =0. 969, n=230), which showed promising correlation. Bland-Altman analysis showed that the consistency of the two methods was poor, and the values of HPLC were higher. Conclusion: HPLC and CMIA used for the determination of valproate plasma concentration show good correlation. However, the consistency is poor and there is system error. In the clinical treatment, adjustment and choice should be paid more attention.

The Role of Hydrogen Sulfide in Acute Liver Injury Induced by Traumatic Stress in Rats / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in acute liver injury induced by crushing hind limbs of rats.@*METHODS@#The rats were randomly divided into the following groups: control, crushing, H2S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) + crushing, H2S inhibitor propargylglycine (PAG) + crushing group. The acute liver injury model was established by 'crushing the hind limbs of rats with standard weight. Rats were sacrificed at 30 min and 120 min after the crush. The activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were measured by colorimetric method, and the content of H2S in plasma and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl, glutathione (GSH) in the liver and the activity of H2S generating enzyme (cystathionine y-lyase, CSE) were determined by chemical method. The expression of CSE mRNA in liver was detected by RT-PCR.@*RESULTS@#For crush injury group, the levels of AST and ALT in serum, MDA and protein carbonyl in liver increased. The levels of GSH, CSE, CSE mRNA in liver and H2S in serum decreased. The administration of NaHS before limbs crush could attenuate the changes of liver injury, but the pre-treatment with PAG could exacerbate the changes.@*CONCLUSION@#The decrease of H2S production could involve in mediating the acute liver injury induced by traumatic stress in rats.

Participation of Clinical Pharmacists in the Drug Treatment of One Patient with Multidrug-resistant Acine-tobacter Baumannii Meningitis Intracranial Infection / 中国药师

Objective:To explore best drug treatment regimen through the participation of clinical pharmacists in the drug treat-ment of one patient with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis intracranial infection. Methods: Clinical pharmacists joined in the treatment team and designed the treatment plan. The individualized dosage regimen was made out through the choices of drugs, dose and administration route, and taking the ADR of drugs into consideration. Results: The intracranial multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infection was controlled by the sensitive antibiotics. Cefoperazone sulbactam and minocycline were both effec-tive in the treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii intracranial infection. Conclusion:Clinical pharmacists should provide clinical consul-tation for physicians to ensure the safety, effectiveness and economic of patients’ medication.

Nonspecific Effect of Stress on Brain Gray Matter Volume in Drug-naive Female Patients with First Depressive Episode / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>This study aimed to observe the differences in brain gray matter volume in drug-naive female patients after the first episode of major depression with and without stressful life events (SLEs) before the onset of depression.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-three drug-naive female patients voluntarily participated in the present study after the first major depressive episode. The life event scale was used to evaluate the severity of the impact of SLEs during 6 months before the onset of the major depressive episode. High-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained, and the VBM and SPM8 software process were used to process and analyze the MRI.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared to that in patients without SLEs, the volume of brain gray matter was lower in the bilateral temporal lobe, right occipital lobe, and right limbic lobe in the SLE group. However, the gray matter volume did not differ significantly between the two groups after the application of false discovery rate (FDR) correction.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Although the results of the present study suggest the absence of significant differences in brain gray matter volume between female drug-naive patients after the first episode of major depression with and without SLEs after FDR correction, the study provides useful information for exploring the definitive role of stress in the onset of depression.</p>

Drug Utilization Research of Anti-infective Agents in Hematology Department of Our Hospital from 2009 to 2013 / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To provide reference for safe and effective use of anti-infective agents in the clinic. METHODS:The utilization of anti-infective agents in hematology department of our hospital from 2009 to 2013 was analyzed statistically using con-sumption sum,DDDs,the ratio of the serial number (the ratio of the serial number of consumption sum to the serial number of DDDs),DDC. RESULTS:There were 5 kinds of anti-infective agents,such as β-lactam and its compound preparations,antifungal drugs,fluoroquinolone and glycopeptide. From 2009 to 2013,the percentage of anti-infective agents with the ratio of serial num-bers≥1 were 70%,60%,70%,60%,65%,respectively. CONCLUSIONS:From 2009 to 2013,the utilization of anti-infective agents in hematology department of our hospital is rational on the whole. However,the cheaper drugs with good synchronism should be used.

Involvement of acid-sensing ion channel 1a in functions of cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

In the retina, pH fluctuations may play an important role in adapting retinal responses to different light intensities and are involved in the fine tuning of visual perception. Acidosis occurs in the subretinal space (SRS) under pathological conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Although it is well known that many transporters in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells can maintain pH homeostasis efficiently, other receptors in RPE may also be involved in sensing acidosis, such as acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs). In this study, we investigated whether ASIC1a was expressed in the RPE cells and whether it was involved in the function of these cells. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to analyze the ASIC1a expression in ARPE-19 cells during oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). Furthermore, inhibition or over-expression of ASIC1a in RPE cells was obtained using inhibitors (amiloride and PCTx1) or by the transfection of cDNA encoding hASIC1a. Cell viability was determined by using the MTT assay. The real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting results showed that both the mRNA and protein of ASIC1a were expressed in RPE cells. Inhibition of ASICs by amiloride in normal RPE cells resulted in cell death, indicating that ASICs play an important physiological role in RPE cells. Furthermore, over-expression of ASIC1a in RPE cells prolonged cell survival under oxidative stress induced by H(2)O(2). In conclusion, ASIC1a is functionally expressed in RPE cells and may play an important role in the physiological function of RPE cells by protecting them from oxidative stress.

Involvement of acid-sensing ion channel 1a in functions of cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

In the retina, pH fluctuations may play an important role in adapting retinal responses to different light intensities and are involved in the fine tuning of visual perception. Acidosis occurs in the subretinal space (SRS) under pathological conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Although it is well known that many transporters in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells can maintain pH homeostasis efficiently, other receptors in RPE may also be involved in sensing acidosis, such as acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs). In this study, we investigated whether ASIC1a was expressed in the RPE cells and whether it was involved in the function of these cells. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to analyze the ASIC1a expression in ARPE-19 cells during oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). Furthermore, inhibition or over-expression of ASIC1a in RPE cells was obtained using inhibitors (amiloride and PCTx1) or by the transfection of cDNA encoding hASIC1a. Cell viability was determined by using the MTT assay. The real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting results showed that both the mRNA and protein of ASIC1a were expressed in RPE cells. Inhibition of ASICs by amiloride in normal RPE cells resulted in cell death, indicating that ASICs play an important physiological role in RPE cells. Furthermore, over-expression of ASIC1a in RPE cells prolonged cell survival under oxidative stress induced by H(2)O(2). In conclusion, ASIC1a is functionally expressed in RPE cells and may play an important role in the physiological function of RPE cells by protecting them from oxidative stress.

The Ethnic Differences of the Damage of Hair and Integral Hair Lipid after Ultra Violet Radiation

BACKGROUND: Genetic factors account for the majority of differences in skin color and hair morphology across human populations. Although many studies have been conducted to examine differences in skin color across populations, few studies have examined differences in hair morphology. OBJECTIVE: To investigate changing of integral hair lipids after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation in three human ethnic groups. METHODS: We studied the UV irradiation induced hair damage in hairs of three human populations. UV irradiation had been performed with self-manufactured phototherapy system. Damaged hair samples were prepared at 12 and 48 hours after UVA (20 J/sec) and UVB (8 J/sec) irradiation. We evaluated the changes of hair lipid using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), lipid TEM and HP-TLC. After UV irradiation, hair surface damage was shown. RESULTS: African hair showed more severe damage on hair surface than others. The lipid compositions across human populations were similar, but Asian hair had more integral hair lipids than other groups as a whole. Especially, free fatty acid contents were higher than other lipids. After UV irradiation, lipid contents were decreased. These patterns were shown in all human populations. Asian hair has more integral hair lipid than European or African hair. After UV irradiation, European and African hair samples exhibited more damage because they have less integral hair lipids. However, Asian hair samples have less damage. CONCLUSION: We conclude that integral hair lipid may protect the hair against the UV light.