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This study aims to investigate the mitigating effect and mechanism of Cichorium glandulosum n-butanol extraction site(CGE) on the disease in carbon tetrachloride(CCl_4)-induced chronic liver injury model in rats. A chronic liver injury model was constructed by subcutaneous injection of CCl_4 olive oil solution, and after four weeks of CGE treatment, serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), alkaline phosphatase(AKP), hydroxyproline(HYP), interleukin-4(IL-4), interleukin-6(IL-6), malondialdehyde(MDA), superoxide dismutase(SOD), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) were detected. Liver tissue was processed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Masson staining to observe the structure of the rat liver. qPCR and Western blot were used to examine the expression of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)/small mothers against decapentaplegic(Smad), Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4), α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), and fibronectin(Fn) in rat liver tissue and hepatic stellate-T6(HSC-T6) and evaluate the inhibitory effect of CGE on HSC activation. The results showed that CGE could significantly reduce the serum levels of AST, ALT, AKP, HYP, and affect the levels of related inflammatory indexes including IL-4, IL-6, and TNF-α, and MDA in CCl_4-induced chronic liver injury in rats and had no effect on SOD activity, which could delay the process of liver injury, alleviate the hepatic collagen deposition and inflammatory infiltration, and had significant efficacy in mitigating chronic liver injury in rats. CGE could inhibit α-SMA and TLR4 protein expression in the liver tissue and reverse the increased TGF-β1/Smad, Fn, and TLR4-related expression in HSC-T6 in vitro. The above results indicated that CGE exerted hepatoprotective effects in rats by inhibiting HSC activation and alleviated CCl_4-induced chronic liver injury in rats and could ameliorate inflammatory response and slight liver fibrosis in rat liver tissue. Its pharmacodynamic mechanism might be related to TGF-β1/Smad and TLR4-related expression.

Objective: To investigate the expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2/neu) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and its clinical significance., Methods: The expressions of HER-2/neu were detected by SP immunohistochemistry method in 30 patients with HCC, 10 with portal cirrhosis of the liver and 10 with normal liver., Results: The positivity rate of HER-2/neu was markedly higher in HCC patients than in those with portal cirrhosis and normal liver (Chi(2)=6.482, P=0.032). The expression of HER-2/neu was closely correlated to portal cirrhosis of the liver (P=0.041), tumor invasion (P=0.028) and Edmondson grades (P=0.012). The average survival time was significant shorter in patients with HER-2/neu-positive tumor than in those with HER-2/neu-negative tumor (P=0.036)., Conclusion: The expression of HER-2/neu may play a role in the invasion, metastasis and progression of HCC. The patients positive for HER-2/neu in the HCC tissues have generally poor prognosis.

Objective: To study the lipids reducing property of curcumin on Hyperlipidemia mice after fermented by Monascus purureus., Methods: The stain Monascus purureus was used for microbial transformation, and both substrate control and strain control were set. The mice were reared with high lipid and cholesterol feed for 15d to establish the Hyperlipidemia models. The models were treated with fermented curcumin in 500 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, substrate control and strain control in 500 mg/kg. Positive and Normal group were treated with natural saline. The general situation was observed and the changes of TG, TC, HDL-C levels in serum and liver were tested after 10 d., Results: Fermented curcumin could significantly reduce the serum TC, TG of Hyperlipidemia mice all in high, middle and low doses. Serum TC was reduced by 38.7%, 34.5%, 32.7% and TG was reduced by 38.3%, 28.6%, 30.1%, respectively while substrate control and strain control had no effect. Fermented curcumin also could reduce the TC, TG in liver but no effect of curcumin substrate at the same dose., Conclusion: The property of lipids reducing of curcumin is significantly enhanced after fermentation.

Objective: To investigate the compensation of cerebral function in acupuncture for rehabilitation of cerebral palsy., Methods: One hundred children of cerebral palsy were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, 50 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated with scalp acupuncture at the Motor Area, Foot Motor Sensory Area and Equilibrium Area, body acupuncture at Binao (LI 14), Fengchi (GB 20), Huantiao (GB 30), etc. and injection of nerve growth factor into Zusanli (ST 36), in combination with rehabilitation training; the control group were treated only with rehabilitation training. Their clinical therapeutic effects and recoveries of brain lesion detected by CT, SEPCT were investigated., Results: The total effective rate was 84.0% in the treatment group better than 52.0% of the control group. After treatment, the development quotient (DQ) in the treatment group was higher than the control group (P<0.01)., Conclusion: Acupuncture can promote compensation of cerebral function in the children of cerebral palsy.

Objective: To investigate the effect of acupuncture in children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP)., Methods: One hundred SCP children, 2 to 7 years old, were randomly assigned to two groups equally. The control group was treated with rehabilitation training using Bobath and Vojta physical training methods and the acupuncture group treated also with the same training but with acupuncture conducted additionally. The therapeutic course was 3-12 months arranged according to the state of illness., Results: The total effective rate, development quotient (DQ), improvement rate of brain hypogenesis and atrophy showed by skull CT, and recovery rate of cerebral emission computed tomography (ECT) were all higher in the acupuncture group than those in the control group (all P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Acupuncture obviously promotes the compensation of cerebral function and shows a favorable effect in improving quality of life of the children with SCP.

Objective: To study on the relationship between the endophyte and the life cycle of Ophiopogon japonicus in Zhejiang., Methods: Sample roots of Ophiopogon japonicus at different growth stages were thoroughly washed and cut into small fragments, then cleared (removing cytoplasmic contents from cells) using hot 10% KOH and stained with acid fuchsin (alternative stain). The hyphae, the arbuscular and the vesicular of endophyte were examined., Results: The hyphae appeared and grew in the seedling stage, the hyphae grew into arbuscular in the root tuber generating stage and vesicular in the stage of root tuber expanding period., Conclusion: The endophytes in Ophiopogon japonicus appeared in forms of hyphae, arbuscular and vesicular at different growth stages to meet the needs of Ophiopogon japonicus developing.

Objective: To study the fungi isolated from Cordyceps sobolifera and its fermentation culture., Methods: The fungi was isolated and identified by its hypha and spores. Three liquid media were used in the culture., Results: Pure culture was gained and the fungi was identified to be Paecilomyces cicadae. The fungi can grow best in liquid media: egg 110 g + silkworm powder 30 g + VB1 2 tahlets + MgSO4 x 7H2O 0.5 g + K2HPO4 1 g + H2O 1000 ml, in which every litre can produce 135 g wet hypha after cultured 4 d., Conclusion: Paecilomyces cicadae from Cordyceps sobolifera can be cultured in liquid media.

Adipose tissue triacylglycerols are the quantitatively most important source of stored energy in animals. Hormone-sensitive lipase encoded by hormone-sensitive lipase gene (Hsl) is a multifunctional enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of triacylglycerol stored in adipose tissue and cholesterol esters in the adrenals, ovaries, testes and macrophages. Using pig Hsl gene inserted into pBS labeled by the radioactive isotope and the digoxigenin as the probes respectively one band, 11.5kb, has been shown to hybridized with total DNA of rice field eel digested with Pst I by Southern blotting and Hsl gene has been assigned to metaphase chromosome 5, at the position of 78.35+/-1.26 from the centromere in rice field eel by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The mapping results are corresponding to that of "specific-chromosomal DNA pool" obtained by chromosome microisolation used to map gene and the mapping result is more accurate. The results of the study further illustrate the importance of the presence of Hsl gene in rice field eel genome and provide the first FISH mapping data for rice field eel chromosome 5. The current studies would advance the addition of known genetic markers and the construction of high resolution genetic map in rice field eel genome.

A novel expressed sequence tag (ESThp9-1, GenBank accession number: B1596262) was isolated from pig skeletal muscular tissue by using the mRNA differential display technique. BLAST analysis revealed that the 196 bp long EST (ESThp9-1) was not homologous to any of the known porcine genes in the database but similar to rat U3A small nuclear RNA (87% identity over 93 nucleotides) and mouse U3B.4 small nuclear RNA (85% identity over 96 nucleotides). Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction indicated that EST9hp-1 was expressed in most of tissue of the pig. ESThp9-1 was physically mapped on sus scrofa chromosome 12q1.1-q1.5 and linked with microsatellite S0090 by using somatic cell hybrid panel and radiation hybrid panel analysis. According to the homologous information and result of physical mapping, ESThp9-1 was presumed to be one member of the porcine U3 gene family.