Ultrasonic evaluation of congenital vaginal oblique septum syndrome: A study of 21 cases.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the ultrasound features and classify the lesion types of congenital vaginal oblique septum syndrome (CVOS) in 21 patients prior to surgery. Grey-scale pelvic ultrasound was performed to evaluate the uterus, vagina and kidneys in 21 patients with suspected CVOS. Ultrasound features, including the presence of a double uterus, hematocolpos masses and renal absence, in CVOS types I, II and III were studied and compared with intra-operative results and the results of surgery. Ultrasound identified the presence of double uteruses and cervices with ipsilateral renal agenesis on the oblique septum side in all 21 patients. There were 14 hematocolpos lesions on the right and 7 on the left of the vagina. Type I CVOS was diagnosed in 15 patients with a large hematocolpos mass (volume, 64-268 ml) and these diagnoses were confirmed by surgery. Furthermore, there were 4 patients with type II and 2 patients with type III CVOS exhibiting small hematocolpos lesions (volume, 5-36 ml) identified by ultrasound, which were all confirmed by surgery. Therefore, ultrasound imaging is useful tool to evaluate the abnormal features of CVOS and determine the type of CVOS in patients prior to surgical intervention.

Icariin inhibits atherosclerosis progress in Apoe null mice by downregulating CX3CR1 in macrophage.

Horny Goat Weed is a commonly used in Chinese herbal medicine. And it is used in multiple kinds of diseases including cardiovascular diseases. Icariin is the major component isolated from Horny Goat Weed. It is reported to have lipid-lowering effect. In atherosclerosis, icariin attenuate the enhanced prothrombotic state independently of its lipid-lowering effects. However, its detail mechanism is remaining unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of icariin on atherosclerosis. We performed gene expression profiling on icariin treated LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 and its control cells. Microarray analyses identified a list of genes significantly differentially expressed after icariin treated including downregulation of CX3CR1. Apoe null mice were assigned into 3 groups: control group, diet with 30 mg/kg/d icariin and diet with 60 mg/kg/d icariin. The results showed that icariin treatment significantly reduced lesion area and macrophage infiltration. Also icariin reduced CX3CR1 and CX3CL1 protein levels in the artery wall. In conclusion, icariin could be a potential anti-atherosclerosis agent by downregulating the expression of CX3CR1.

An extract from medical leech improve the function of endothelial cells in vitro and attenuates atherosclerosis in ApoE null mice by reducing macrophages in the lesions.

AIM: Medicinal leech has been widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine in cardiovascular diseases. However, its pharmaceutical effect is not fully revealed. The goal of this study was to determine whether a leech extract has the effect of anti-atherosclerosis in ApoE −/− mice and the mechanism of this effect. METHODS AND RESULTS: In vivo experiments: ApoE −/− mice fed on high-cholesterol diet were separated into 5 groups. Control group was administrated with normal water; leech extract of low dose treatment group was given a leech extract of 0.02 g/kg/d; leech extract of medium dose treatment group was given a leech extract of 0.1 g/kg/d; leech extract of high dose treatment group was given a leech extract of 0.5 g/kg/d; simvastatin group was given simvastatin of 10 mg/kg/d. Leech extract significantly reduced atherosclerotic lesions in aortic root compared with control group. And the number of macrophage in or around the atherosclerosis plaque is significantly reduced in the leech extract groups compared with control group. In vitro experiments: human endothelial cell line, EA.hy926, was induced with TNF-α to perform endothelial dysfunction. Control group: EA.hy926 cells with no special treatment; TNF-α group: EA.hy926 cells were induced by 10 ng/ml TNF-α for 6 h; leech extract only group: EA.hy926 cells were treated with 200 mg/ml leech extract only; leech extract and TNF-α group: 200 mg/ml leech extract was applied before TNF-α induction. Protein and mRNA level were detected in each group, leech extract can decrease the expression of intercellular adhesion factor (ICAM-1) and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1) compared with TNF-α group. Furthermore, it showed less adhesion and migration of THP-1 cells to EA.hy926 cells in the adhesion assay and transwell assay. The NF-κB translation to nucleus was blocked by leech extract in the NF-κB translocation assay. CONCLUSIONS: Leech extract could obviously attenuate the area of atherosclerosis lesion in ApoE −/− mice. And this effect is dose dependent. The effect is mainly a result of reduced invasion of monocyte in artery walls by blocking NF-κB translocation.

[Optimization the formulation of Eisemia foetida protein burn spray by response surface methodology].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the formulation of Eisemia foetida protein (EFP) burn spray. METHODS: A five-factor, three-level response surface method was employed; The response variable was the proliferation effect of EFP on NIH3T3 cells. RESULTS: The optimization formulation was as follows: the proportion of EFP, glycerol and mannitol was 0.91%, 1.42% and 5%, respectively; 0.02 mol/L Na2 HPO4 and 0.01 mol/L citric acid buffer system corresponding pH value was 7.0. CONCLUSION: The response surface method is reliable, efficient and suitable for optimizing the formulation of EFP burn spray.

[Protective effect of polysaccharides from sea cucumber on glu-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of polysaccharides from sea cucumber (HS) on Glu-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells. METHODS: The toxicity model was established by treating PC12 cells with Glu in vitro. Cell viability was assayed with MTT method. The vitality of antioxidant enzymes (SOD) and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were evaluated by chromatometry. RESULTS: The vitality of SOD increased and the levels of MDA and LDH significantly decreased in PC12 cells of HS group compared with the model group. HS in different concentration showed protective effects as it increased the vitality of SOD and decreased the content of MDA and LDH in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Polysaccharide from sea cucumber can protect PC12 cells from the injury induced by Glu.

[Observation on conditions and related factors of Keshan disease in Shandong province, 1990-2007].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the serial changes of condition and related factors of Keshan disease (KSD) and provide the scientific basis for disease control and further research. METHODS: The villages in KSD epidemic area of Juxian, Yishui, Pingyi, Zoucheng counties were selected. Since 1990, every five-year was counted as a stage. For the first to third stage, 3-14 year-old residents and over 14 year-old suspicious patients were selected as surveillance subjects. And in the fourth stage, all residents were selected as surveillance subjects. The same group of surveillance subjects in each stage were observed consecutively for 5 years. Surveillance contents included physical checkup, electrocardiogram (ECG) and Xray. At the same time, the selenium (Se) concentration in hair, wheat, corn and sweet potato was measured. The economic income and grain availability were also investigated. RESULTS: Totally, 14,510 cases were visited during 18 years. The incidence of KSD was 3.02% in the first stage, 2.31% in the second stage, 3.57% in the third stages and 3.65% in the fourth stage. Totally, 14,510 cases were examined by ECG, 809 cases showed the abnormal ECG and the total incidence of abnormal ECG was 5.49%. The incidence of abnormal ECG was 3.52% -5.24% from 1990 to 2004 but was 10.97%-10.91% from 2005 to 2007. 732 of hair samples, 701 of wheat samples, 615 of corn samples and 643 of sweet potato samples were collected and the Se concentration was determined by the fluorescent method. Se levels in hair samples had increased (P < 0.05) year by year but Se levels in food have not changed significantly. The economic income and grain availability had increased gradually from 535.8 yuan and 254.6 kg per person in 1990 to 2968.0 yuan and 602.0 kg per person in 2007. CONCLUSION: The condition of KSD was in a stable situation in Shandong Province. Related factors improvement should be an important environmental condition.

Expression and secretion of recombinant ZZ-EGFP fusion protein by the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris.

We constructed a fusion protein ZZ-EGFP by fusing the ZZ domains of staphylococcal protein A (SpA) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). ZZ-EGFP was secreted in the yeast, Pichia pastoris, with a hexahistidine tag. Its expression level was determined by measuring the fluorescence of EGFP. When the recombinant yeast cells in shake-flasks were induced with 0.5% methanol for 96 h, a maximum yield of 115 mg ZZ-EGFP/l was obtained. The resulting ZZ-EGFP fusion protein retained immunoglobulin G (IgG)-binding capacity and EGFP fluorescence. ZZ-EGFP was then used in immunofluorescence assays for detecting antinuclear antibodies (ANA); it produced a good signal that was comparable in its brightness and fluorescence pattern to that generated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled anti-human IgG. Thus, ZZ-EGFP showed great potential in immunological applications due to its ability to bind to various IgG from different animal sources.

Effect of Glycine and Triton X-100 on secretion and expression of ZZ-EGFP fusion protein.

Two-factor and three-level fractional factorial design was employed for evaluation of the effect of Glycine and Triton X-100 on the secretion and expression of ZZ-EGFP fusion proteins. Varying contents of glycine (0%, 1%, 2%) and Triton X-100 (0%, 1%, 2%) were added into shaking flasks, respectively, and supplied with appropriate volume of ampicillin (total 9 combinations; group at concentration zero serving as control) to promote more ZZ-EGFP diffuse into liquid culture medium. Fluorescent intensity in the culture supernatant was detected. A standard curve could be generated on the basis of fluorescent intensity and protein concentration. The expression level of ZZ-EGFP fusion proteins was estimated by checking the protein standard curve concentration fluorescene intensity. Results show that when the culture medium contains 2% Glycine and 1% Triton X-100, the expression level of ZZ-EGFP was able to be greatly increased. Further experiments revealed that absorbance value (A600) in the experiment group, whose culture medium contains 2% Glycine and 2% Triton X-100, is significantly lower than other groups in the present experiment. These results indicate that the culture medium containing appropriate quantity of Glycine and Triton X-100 is favourable to the secretion and expression level of ZZ-EGFP in gene-engineering bacteria Escherichia coli HB101.

[The extraction, purification and assaying of Gynostemma pentaphyllum polysaccharides].

By orthogonal design, and considering extracting efficiency and cost, optimizing the extract method of Gynostemma pentaphyllum polysaccharides. We purified the crude Gynostemma pentaphyllum polysaccharides initially, and assayed the polysaccharides content of Gynostemma pentaphyllum polysccharides. The content of Gynostemma pentaphyllum polysaccharides was sigificantly higher than the predecessor. It would provide conditions for the deep exploitation of Gynostemma pentaphyllum.