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We have previously reported that optimization of a series of phenylacetic acid derivatives led to the discovery of CRTH2 and DP dual antagonists, such as AMG 009 and AMG 853. During the optimization process, we discovered that minor structural modifications also afforded potent and selective CRTH2 or DP antagonists. Here we report the structure-activity relationship that led to the discovery of selective CRTH2 antagonists such as 2 and 17, and selective DP antagonists, such as 4 and 5., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Many species of plants produce leaves with distinct teeth around their margins. The presence and nature of these teeth can often help botanists to identify species. Moreover, it has long been known that more species native to colder regions have teeth than species native to warmer regions. It has therefore been suggested that fossilized remains of leaves can be used as a proxy for ancient climate reconstruction. Similar studies on living plants can help our understanding of the relationships. The required analysis of leaves typically involves considerable manual effort, which in practice limits the number of leaves that are analyzed, potentially reducing the power of the results. In this work, we describe a novel algorithm to automate the marginal tooth analysis of leaves found in digital images. We demonstrate our methods on a large set of images of whole herbarium specimens collected from Tilia trees (also known as lime, linden or basswood). We chose the genus Tilia as its constituent species have toothed leaves of varied size and shape. In a previous study we extracted c.1600 leaves automatically from a set of c.1100 images. Our new algorithm locates teeth on the margins of such leaves and extracts features such as each tooth's area, perimeter and internal angles, as well as counting them. We evaluate an implementation of our algorithm's performance against a manually analyzed subset of the images. We found that the algorithm achieves an accuracy of 85% for counting teeth and 75% for estimating tooth area. We also demonstrate that the automatically extracted features are sufficient to identify different species of Tilia using a simple linear discriminant analysis, and that the features relating to teeth are the most useful.

Aim: Living kidney donation provides the best source of kidney graft. The mortality and morbidity rates are small but the long-term effects have not been studied. This is a report on our 29-year experience of living kidney donation., Methods: All living donors were arranged to have follow-ups. Defaulters were traced via a territory-wide computer system., Results: A total of 149 living kidney donor operations were performed. 136/149 records were available. 41 defaulted follow-up. One donor died of multiple myeloma. The male to female ratio was 1.00 to 1.52. Mean age at donation was 33.94±9.66 years. Mean follow-up duration was 160.39±87.96 months. Hypertension was diagnosed in 27 donors (19.9%). 22 donors (17.3%) had stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) dropped from 90.95±15.62 mL/min per 1.73 m2 at time 0 to 66.29±12.06 mL/min per 1.73 m2 at 2 years. GFR improved subsequently and remained stable for 25 years. Age at donation was associated with hypertension (HT) in univariate and multivariate analyses. HT was not associated with sex or GFRs over time. Using binary logistic regression, age at donation was associated with the development of stage 3 CKD and GFR before donation was associated with lower CKD risk. In multivariate analysis, only age at donation was associated with CKD. Other co-morbidities included: hyperlipidaemia 16/136, diabetes mellitus 6/136, cardiovascular event 1/136, stroke 1/136 and cancer 5/136., Conclusions: Living kidney donors had reductions in GFR post uninephrectomy with subsequent improvement. A significant proportion developed HT and stage 3 CKD. Age at donation was a strong determinant of development of HT and stage 3 CKD., (© 2011 The Authors. Nephrology © 2011 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.)

Objective: To investigate the expression of miR-23a and metastasis suppressor 1 (MTSS1) and their clinical significance in colon carcinoma., Methods: A total of 92 cases of colon carcinomas were collected with both the tumor and paired normal tissue samples for the study. The miR-23a targeting MTSS1 was evaluated by luciferase reporter vector. Cell invasion potential was evaluated by trans-well invasion assay. In-situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used to detect miR-23a and MTSS1 expression., Results: MiR-23a downregulated the expression of MTSS protein and enhanced the invasiveness of colon carcinoma. The expression rates of miR-23a and MTSS1 were 87.0% (80/92) and 17.4% (16/92) in colon carcinoma cases, respectively (P < 0.01). The up-regulation of miR-23a expression was associated with an advanced clinical stage (P = 0.029) and depth of invasion (P = 0.000). The expression of miR-23a was higher in the tumors with lymph node metastasis than those without (P = 0.041). Down-regulation of MTSS1 expression was associated with an advanced clinical stage (P = 0.027) and depth of invasion (P = 0.017). The expression of MTSS1 was lower in the tumors with lymph node metastasis than those without (P = 0.009). The expression of miR-23a had significantly negative correlation with that of MTSS1 (r = -0.594, P = 0.013)., Conclusions: MiR-23a expression promotes colon carcinoma cell growth, invasion and metastasis through inhibition of MTSS gene. Both the low expression of MTSS1 and high expression of miR-23a may serve as important biological markers for the malignant phenotypes of colon cancer, such as invasion and metastasis.

Background: CYP3A5 genetic polymorphisms contribute to marked interindividual differences in the metabolism of and response to tacrolimus in humans., Objective: This study was aimed to clarify the impact of the CYP3A5*3 variant on tacrolimus dose requirements and acute rejection rates in patients with organ transplantation., Methods: A literature search was performed up to August 2009 by using the Cochrane library, PubMed, Medline, and EMBase., Results: Twenty-three studies (a total of 1779 patients) were included in this meta-analysis. Eighteen studies (1443 patients) were involved in renal transplantation and five studies (336 patients) in liver transplantation. Results of meta-analysis demonstrated that, in renal transplant patients, despite the presence of significant heterogeneity, CYP3A5 expressers required higher mean tacrolimus daily doses by 0.045 mg/kg (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.033-0.056) than nonexpressers. Furthermore, sub-analysis of the time of posttransplantation showed that CYP3A5 expressers required higher daily doses than nonexpressers by 0.010, 0.084, 0.041, 0.037, and 0.044 mg/kg at week 2, and at month 1, 3, 6, and 12, respectively. Subset analysis of the ethnicity of organ recipients indicated that mean tacrolimus daily doses were 0.056, 0.037, and 0.077 mg/kg higher in CYP3A5 expressers than non- expressers for white, Chinese, and Japanese patients, respectively. In contrast, for liver transplant patients, higher tacrolimus daily doses were required not only in CYP3A5 expressers of the organ donors than nonexpressers by 0.024 mg/kg (95% CI, 0.019-0.028), but also in CYP3A5 expresser of the organ recipients than nonexpresser by 0.012 mg/kg (95% CI, 0.005-0.018). However, a significant difference in the acute organ rejection rate was observed only at one month (odds ratio, 3.27; 95% CI, 1.57-6.81; P=0.002)., Conclusion: Tacrolimus daily dose requirements may vary with the presence of the CYP3A5*3 variant, ethnicity of the organ recipients, and the time of posttransplantation. In addition, the acute organ rejection rate may be higher in CYP3A5 expressers than nonexpressers over the first month after transplantation.

Background: A common follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor (or FSHR) polymorphism Ser680Asn (rs6166) was found to be associated with altered ovarian response in women undergoing in-vitro fertilization. To further investigate such an association, a meta-analysis was conducted., Methods: A PubMed literature search was conducted to identify all cohort studies investigating such a relationship. The following parameters-basal FSH levels, total FSH doses, oocytes retrieved, and pregnancy rates-were used to evaluate the ovarian function, its response to exogenous FSH and in-vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcome., Results: A total of 1421 cases were collected from eight studies. Of them, a significantly lower basal FSH level was observed in patients harboring Asn/Asn (NN) genotype than those carrying the Ser/Ser (SS) genotype both in Asian (WMD: -2.57 mIU/ml, 95% CI: -2.96 to -2.19, P<0.0001) and Caucasian retrospective groups (WMD: -1.86 mIU/ml, 95%CI: -2.07 to -1.66, P<0.0001) with no heterogeneity. Moreover, carriers of the SS tended to require greater FSH doses than NN (WMD: -268.82IU, 95% CI: -561.28 to 23.63, P=0.07). Other parameters, such as oocytes retrieved and pregnancy rate, were not significantly different between the groups., Conclusion: Carriers of the SS variant have slightly higher basal FSH levels, tending to require higher doses of exogenous FSH for stimulation., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The present paper reports a dual wavelength spectroscopic method for the determination of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of low content samples, based on the absorption measurement at 440 and 560 nm. Since the absorptivities of Cr3+ at these two wavelengths are the same, a net absorption from dichromate ions can be determined by subtracting the absorption at 560 nm (only contributed by Cr3+) from the absorption at 440 nm The results showed that the detection limit of quantification is 8.6 mg x L(-1) and the relative standard deviations are in the 2%-15% range for the low COD standard samples (< or = 100 mg x L(-1)) in this proposed method. Further more, the method does not require calibration based on the standard samples. The present method is simple, reliable, and accurate; it is suitable for the application in a mass testing for low COD samples.

Background: Previously we had successfully tracked adult human neural stem cells (NSCs) labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIOs) in host human brain after transplantation in vivo non-invasively by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the function of the transplanted NSCs could not be evaluated by the method. In the study, we applied manganese-enhanced MRI (ME-MRI) to detect NSCs function after implantation in brain of rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in vivo., Methods: Totally 40 TBI rats were randomly divided into 4 groups with 10 rats in each group. In group 1, the TBI rats did not receive NSCs transplantation. MnCl2·4H2O was intravenously injected, hyperosmolar mannitol was delivered to disrupt rightside blood brain barrier, and its contralateral forepaw was electrically stimulated. In group 2, the TBI rats received NSCs (labeled with SPIO) transplantation, and the ME-MRI procedure was same to group 1. In group 3, the TBI rats received NSCs (labeled with SPIO) transplantation, and the ME-MRI procedure was same to group 1, but diltiazem was introduced during the electrical stimulation period. In group 4, the TBI rats received phosphate buffered saline (PBS) injection, and the ME-MRI procedure was same to group 1., Results: Hyperintense signals were detected by ME-MRI in the cortex areas associated with somatosensory in TBI rats of group 2. These signals, which could not be induced in TBI rats of groups 1 and 4, disappeared when diltiazem was introduced in TBI rats of group 3., Conclusion: In this initial study, we mapped implanted NSCs activity and its functional participation within local brain area in TBI rats by ME-MRI technique, paving the way for further pre-clinical research.

Multiple CRTH2 antagonists are currently evaluated in human clinical trials for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). During our lead optimization for CRTH2 antagonists, an observation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond in ortho-phenylsulfonamido benzophenone derivatives led to the design and synthesis of conformationally constrained benzodiazepinones as potent CRTH2 antagonists. The benzodiazepinones are 2 orders of magnitude more potent than the original flexible bisaryl ethers in our binding assay. Selected benzodiazepinones, such as compound 6, were also potent in the human eosinophil shape change assay. Analysis of the rigid conformations of these benzodiazepinones and ortho-phenylsulfonamido benzophenones provided an explanation for the structure-activity relationship and revealed the possible bound conformations to CRTH2, which may be useful for building a pharmacophore model of CRTH2 antagonists.

Primary gastric signet ring cell carcinoma presenting as cardiac tamponade is difficult to diagnosis early. Patients are generally asymptomatic until the disease is advanced. General practitioners usually focus on the initial symptoms related to pericarditis and pericardial effusion. We report a case of signet-ring cell carcinoma of the stomach presenting as cardiac tamponade with pericarditis and pericardial effusion but without any gastrointestinal symptoms. A 49-year old woman was admitted because of progressive dyspnea and cough. Chest X-ray revealed an increased cardiothoracic ratio and a small amount of bilateral pleural effusion. Two dimensional ultrasonographic echocardiography pericardial effusions with atrial and right ventricular early diastolic collapse were found, establishing the diagnosis of cardiac tamponade. Pericardiocentesis was performed and 420 mL of bloody fluid was taken. The patient died of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest on October 28, 2009. Post-mortem examination revealed diffuse gastric mucosa erosion and edema with stomach mucosa incrassation in the greater curvature. The primary lesion was histopathologically diagnosed as signet-ring cell carcinoma of the stomach.

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae displaying the hypermucoviscosity (HV) phenotype are considered more virulent than HV-negative strains. Nevertheless, the emergence of tissue-abscesses-associated HV-negative isolates motivated us to re-evaluate the role of HV-phenotype., Results: Instead of genetically manipulating the HV-phenotype of K. pneumoniae, we selected two clinically isolated K1 strains, 1112 (HV-positive) and 1084 (HV-negative), to avoid possible interference from defects in the capsule. These well-encapsulated strains with similar genetic backgrounds were used for comparative analysis of bacterial virulence in a pneumoniae or a liver abscess model generated in either naïve or diabetic mice. In the pneumonia model, the HV-positive strain 1112 proliferated to higher loads in the lungs and blood of naïve mice, but was less prone to disseminate into the blood of diabetic mice compared to the HV-negative strain 1084. In the liver abscess model, 1084 was as potent as 1112 in inducing liver abscesses in both the naïve and diabetic mice. The 1084-infected diabetic mice were more inclined to develop bacteremia and had a higher mortality rate than those infected by 1112. A mini-Tn5 mutant of 1112, isolated due to its loss of HV-phenotype, was avirulent to mice., Conclusion: These results indicate that the HV-phenotype is required for the virulence of the clinically isolated HV-positive strain 1112. The superior ability of the HV-negative stain 1084 over 1112 to cause bacteremia in diabetic mice suggests that factors other than the HV phenotype were required for the systemic dissemination of K. pneumoniae in an immunocompromised setting.

Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) plays a key role in mediating allergic reactions seen in asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. PGD2 exerts its activity through two G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), prostanoid D receptor (DP or DP1), and chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells (CRTH2 or DP2). We report the optimization of a series of phenylacetic acid derivatives in an effort to improve the dual activity of AMG 009 against DP and CRTH2. These efforts led to the discovery of AMG 853 (2-(4-(4-(tert-butylcarbamoyl)-2-(2-chloro-4-cyclopropylphenyl sulfonamido)phenoxy)-5-chloro-2-fluorophenyl)acetic acid), which is being evaluated in human clinical trials for asthma.

Objective: To observe the difference in the efficacy on lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion (LIDP) between Santong tuina therapy and conventional tuina therapy., Methods: Multi-central, random and controlled clinical trial was carried out. One hundred and twenty cases of LIDP were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 60 cases in each one. In observation group, Santong tuina therapy was used. In control group, conventional tuina therapy was adopted. The clinical efficacy was observed in two groups, and lumbar vertebral function was scaled before and after treatment in two groups., Results: The total effective rate was 95.0% (57/60) in observation group and was 96.7% (58/60) in control group, without significant statistical difference in comparison (P > 0.05). The cured and markedly effective rate was 81.7% (49/60) in observation group and was 63.3% (38/60) in control group, indicating significant statistical difference in comparison (P < 0.05). The self-comparison of lumbar vertebral function before and after treatment presented statistical significance in either observation group (12.25 +/- 3.15, 25.56 +/- 5.27) or control group (13.32 +/- 3.26, 20.46 +/- 4.25, both P < 0.05); additionally, there was significant difference in the comparison between groups after treatment (P < 0.05). The therapy adopted in observation group improved lumbar vertebral function much significantly., Conclusion: In the treatment of LIDP, Santong tuina therapy achieves much better clinical efficacy as compared with conventional tuina therapy.

Aim: Nocturnal home haemodialysis (NHHD) was started in Hong Kong in 2006. The experience of 1 year of NHHD with an alternate night schedule in two local centres is reported., Methods: The clinical parameters of 14 patients who had completed 1 year of NHHD were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were receiving an alternate night schedule (3.5 sessions/week) for 6-8 h/session., Results: After 1 year of NHHD, haemoglobin levels increased from 9.6±1.6 g/dL before NHHD to 11.4±2.2 g/dL (P<0.05) despite a reduction in erythropoietin dose requirement from 120.6±44.3 to 59.4±74.6 U/kg/week (P<0.05). Four patients (29%) were able to stop taking erythropoietin after NHHD. Serum phosphate levels reduced from 2.33±0.41 to 1.59±0.29 mmol/L (P<0.01) and calcium phosphate product decreased from 5.29±0.96 to 3.74±0.90 mmol2/L2 (P<0.01). Phosphate binder dose was greatly reduced and eight patients (67%) were able to stop taking phosphate binders. The number of antihypertensive medications tended to reduced from 2.5±1.3 to 1.6±1.5 (P=0.067) with four patients (29%) able to stop antihypertensives. Left ventricular mass index decreased from 186±62 to 168±60 g/m2 (P=0.463) although this was not statistically significant. Weekly spKt/V during conventional haemodialysis was 3.63±0.95 while that during NHHD was three times higher at 11.09±6.44 (P<0.01). The quality of life indexes also showed improvement., Conclusion: This 1 year experience of alternate night NHHD demonstrates benefits in terms of anaemia control, erythropoietin requirement, serum phosphate and calcium phosphate product reduction, blood pressure control, haemodialysis adequacy and quality of life. NHHD with an alternate night schedule is a promising dialytic therapy for patients receiving chronic haemodialysis in this locality., (© 2011 The Authors. Nephrology © 2011 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.)

Transcription factors (TFs) are crucial modulators of gene regulation during the development and progression of tumors. We previously reported the activation of TFs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines. In this study, we explored the activity profiles of TFs in Protein/DNA array data of a 12-tissue independent set and a 13-tissue pooled set of NPC that included different clinical stages. TFs associated with tumor progression were revealed using a generalized linear model-based regression analysis. Immunohistochemical analysis of clinical NPC samples was used to validate the results of array analysis. We identified 26 TFs that showed increased activities. Of these 26 TFs, 16 were correlated with clinical stages. Activity changes of AP2 and ATF/CREB were confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and increased expression of AP2α, β, γ, ATF2, and ATF1 in nuclei of tumor cells was associated with clinical stages. In addition, the expressions of AP2α, ATF2, and ATF1 were correlated with those of their target genes (epithelia growth factor receptor (EGFR) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), respectively). This study provides data and valuable clues that can be used to further investigate the laws of gene transcription regulation in NPC and to identify suitable targets for the development of TF-targeted antitumor agents.

Introduction. The incidence of gastric remnant carcinoma does not decrease after partial gastrectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and prognosis of gastric remnant carcinoma after treatment. Methods. Among 412 gastric carcinoma patients who were admitted to our hospital, 21 were found to have gastric remnant carcinoma. We analyzed their clinicopathological features and prognosis. Results. Prognosis did not differ significantly in terms of gender, age, tumor lymph node metastasis stage, tumor location, and time interval between first and subsequent operations. However, it was influenced by intensive curative gastrectomy with resection of local lymph nodes. Conclusion. Long-term follow-up after gastrectomy, appropriate curative resection, and prevention and management of comorbidities are important to detect gastric remnant carcinoma at an early stage.

Understanding how molecular dynamics leads to cellular behaviours that ultimately sculpt organs and tissues is a major challenge not only in basic developmental biology but also in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Here we use live imaging to show that the basal surfaces of Drosophila follicle cells undergo a series of directional, oscillating contractions driven by periodic myosin accumulation on a polarized actin network. Inhibition of the actomyosin contractions or their coupling to extracellular matrix (ECM) blocked elongation of the whole tissue, whereas enhancement of the contractions exaggerated it. Myosin accumulated in a periodic manner before each contraction and was regulated by the small GTPase Rho, its downstream kinase, ROCK, and cytosolic calcium. Disrupting the link between the actin cytoskeleton and the ECM decreased the amplitude and period of the contractions, whereas enhancing cell-ECM adhesion increased them. In contrast, disrupting cell-cell adhesions resulted in loss of the actin network. Our findings reveal a mechanism controlling organ shape and an experimental model for the study of the effects of oscillatory actomyosin activity within a coherent cell sheet.

Objective: to investigate the expression of the hsa-miR-155 in serum of endometrial cancer and its clinical significance., Methods: collected 44 cases blood specimens before surgery operation from Sep. 2008 to Dec. 2009, and collected 12 cases blood specimens from the health of volunteers in comparison. Real time quantity PCR was used to detect the expression of hsa-miR-155 in those specimens and analyzed clinical pathological with the expression of hsa-mir-155 in endometrial cancer., Results: the expression of hsa-miR-155 was (3.9 ± 0.7) in endometrial cancer, which was significantly higher than that in control group (P < 0.01). The expressions of hsa-miR-155 were (3.7 ± 0.6), (3.9 ± 0.6) and (3.7 ± 0.6) times in well, moderately and poorly differentiated endometrial cancer, respectively, while there were not significant difference (P > 0.05). The expressions were (3.8 ± 0.6) and (3.9 ± 0.6) times between endometrioid adenocarcinoma and non-endometrioid adenocarcinoma, and there were significant difference (P > 0.05). The expressions were (2.1 ± 0.4) and (5.6 ± 0.8) times in stage I - II and III - IV endometrial cancer, respectively, in which there were significant difference (P < 0.05). The expressions of hsa-miR-155 were (5.5 ± 0.5) and (1.9 ± 0.2) times between lymph node metastasis and without lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer, in which there were significant difference (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Hsa-miR-155 may play an important role in the proliferation, and metastasis of endometrial cancer, which may be a indicator in the diagnosis and prognosis of endometrial cancer and may be used as a predictive biomarker.

Background: Whether the loss-of-function allele CYP3A5*3 variant is associated with significantly impaired metabolism of cyclosporine A (CsA) in transplant patients is still controversial because of the lack of prospective, large-scale clinical studies performed among diversely ethnic populations., Objectives: This meta-analysis was designed to determine whether the CYP3A5*3 variant could affect CsA blood concentrations and the rate of acute rejection in renal transplant recipients., Methods and Results: All relevant publications were retrieved online from 1966 to March 2010, in which 14 studies were chosen, and 1821 renal transplant patients were enrolled. The results showed that there were significant differences in the CsA dose-adjusted trough concentration (C0) between the CYP3A5*3/*3 and CYP3A5*1/*1 carriers [weighted mean difference (WMD): 10.06 mug/l per mg/kg, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.12-17.00, P=0.004] and between the non-CYP3A5*1 allele carriers and the CYP3A5*1 allele carriers (WMD: 8.32 mug/l per mg/kg, 95% CI: 3.16-13.49, P=0.002). In addition, a subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity indicated that a significant difference in CsA dose-adjusted C0 was observed between the non-CYP3A5*1 allele carriers and the CYP3A5*1 allele carriers in Asian patients, but not in Caucasian patients. Moreover, a significant difference in the mean daily dose was observed between the non-CYP3A5*1 allele carriers and the CYP3A5*1 allele carriers (WMD: -0.19 mg/kg, 95% CI: -0.31 to -0.07, P=0.002). However, the meta-analysis suggested that there was little or no association of the CYP3A5*3 variant with the acute rejection rate in renal transplant patients treated with CsA [odds ratio=0.94, 95% CI: 0.57-1.54, P=0.80]., Conclusion: We concluded that the CYP3A5*3 variant could be associated, to a certain extent, with increased CsA dose-adjusted C0 in blood and reduced mean daily doses, but that this genetic variant allele seemed to have little effect on the acute rejection rate in renal transplant patients taking CsA.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina massage for treatment of sub-health., Methods: A systematic evaluation on randomized controlled trial, quasi-randomized control trial or controlled clinical trial of treatment of sub-health with acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina was carried out according to the assessment methods recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration., Results: There are totally 9 articles and 937 subjects met the inclusion criteria and are included into the assessment system. The average quality of methodologies adopted is not so high, and with many limitations. Meta-analysis or descriptive analysis on the data collected: (1) General effect: Tuina massage therapy is better than auricular-point-pressing therapy; acupuncture is better than self health care; acupoint injection is better than intramuscular injection, Tuina is similar to Chinese herb. (2) Quality of life and pain score: Tuina is better than blank control. (3) Individual effect: the effect of Tuina massage on lassitude is better than acupuncture. (4) Effect on sleep quality index: Tuina massage is better than acupuncture., Conclusion: There are not enough evidences to approve that the effect of acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina massage on sub-health is better than that of other therapies. Therefore, more high quality randomized controlled trials with strict and scientific designation are necessary for obtaining more and better evidences.

Klebsiella pneumoniae-caused liver abscess (KLA) is an emerging infectious disease. However, factors other than K1-specific loci that contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease have not been identified. pLVPK is a 219,385-bp plasmid of K. pneumoniae CG43, an invasive K2 strain associated with KLA. We aimed in this study to evaluate the involvement of pLVPK in K. pneumoniae virulence and its clinical significance in abscess formation. A pLVPK-cured CG43 was isolated and its virulence was examined in a mouse model. The prevalence of pLVPK-derived loci terW, iutA, rmpA, silS, and repA was investigated in 207 clinical isolates by screening with specific primers. Loss of pLVPK abolished the ability of K. pneumoniae to disseminate into extraintestinal sites and, consequently, attenuated abscess formation in mice. Primary K. pneumoniae abscess isolates (n = 94) were more likely to be terW (+)-iutA (+)-rmpA (+)-silS (+) than those related to non-abscess infections (n = 113) (62% vs. 27%; p < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the presence of the terW-rmpA-iutA-silS loci was a significant risk factor (odds ratio, 4.12; 95% confidence interval, 2.02-8.4; p < 0.0001) for abscess formation. pLVPK is a determinant for K. pneumoniae virulence and infection with strains carrying the pLVPK-derived terW-rmpA-iutA-silS loci may predispose patients to abscess formation.

Aim: Secondary hyperparathyroidism is common in chronic kidney disease. When medical treatment fails, subtotal or total parathyroidectomy with autoimplant is done but both are associated with a high recurrence rate. The third surgical strategy is total parathyroidectomy without autoimplant. We evaluate the outcomes of patients who had total parathyroidectomy with no autoimplant., Methods: Thirteen patients who had total parathyroidectomy without autoimplant were prospectively studied from 1998-2002. Intact parathyroid hormone, biochemistry and bone mineral densities were measured at baseline and serially. All patients had bone biopsies done preoperatively and seven had repeat bone biopsies at a mean of 37.7 months postoperatively. Histomorphometric studies were done for all bone biopsies. Patients were observed for fractures., Results: Five patients were on haemodialysis and eight on peritoneal dialysis. Mean duration of follow up was 68 months. Postoperatively, mean intact parathyroid hormone decreased precipitously and remained within or just above normal. Mean serum calcium phosphate product decreased and remained normal. Out of seven patients who had repeat bone biopsies, two showed reversal of hyperparathyroid bone disease to normal, two had mild hyperparathyroidism, while three had adynamic bone disease. One patient with adynamic bone disease subsequently developed biochemical recurrence of hyperparathyroidism. Serial bone densitometry showed remarkable improvement. There was no fracture., Conclusion: In the studied series of total parathyroidectomy without autoimplant, adynamic bone disease occurred in three out of seven repeat bone biopsies while improvement occurred in the rest. Bone mineral density was much improved and there was no fracture.

In a random spin system, the cooperation of randomness and frustration will lead to a spin-glass phase. However, in geometrically frustrated spin systems, quenched nonmagnetic impurities lift frustration locally. This makes randomness and frustration in these systems as competitors rather than cooperators. By mapping the dilute triangular Ising antiferromagnetic system to elastic array of noncrossing strings, we find that the nonmagnetic impurities in the spin system play roles of pinning centers in the string system. Calculation shows that in the ground state of this system, the spin-glass correlation is power-law decayed, quite different from the standard behavior of spin glass in which spin-glass correlation between two spins at infinite distance tends to a finite value. This indicates that triangular Ising antiferromagnets with quenched nonmagnetic impurities cannot be a spin glass. Instead, in the ground states, they present properties of vortex glass.

Objective: To investigate whether 4-month preoperative lanreotide treatment would improve the surgical cure rate of newly diagnosed acromegalic patients with macroadenomas., Design: A prospective, randomised study., Methods: After a baseline evaluation, patients were randomly assigned to 4-month preoperative treatment with lanreotide (starting with 30 mg/2 weeks i.m. and increasing to 30 mg/week i.m. at week 8 if mean GH >2.5 microg/l on GH day curves; pretreatment group, Group 1) or to transsphenoidal surgery (direct surgery group, Group 2). Cure was evaluated 4 months postoperatively primarily by fasting IGF1 less than or equal to age-adjusted upper limit of normal., Results: A pool of 108 patients was randomly divided into two groups. Five patients in each group were lost to follow-up during the study period, so 49 patients in each group were analysed. At baseline, no difference was observed between the two groups. Cure was established in 24 of 49 (49.0%, 95% confidence interval (CI), 35.0-63.0%) pretreated patients (Group 1) versus 9 of 49 (18.4%, 95% CI, 7.6-29.2%) direct surgery patients (Group 2; P=0.001). Surgical morbidity was recorded in 12 patients (12.2%) and was similar in Group 1 and 2 patients (14.3 and 10.2% respectively; P=0.538). The postoperative hospital stay was similar between groups: being 4.5+/-1.6 days in Group 1 vs 4.8+/-1.9 days in Group 2 (P=0.328)., Conclusions: Pretreatment with lanreotide before transsphenoidal surgery improves surgical cure rates in patients with GH-secreting pituitary macroadenomas. Pretreatment does not affect surgical complications or duration of hospital stay (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00993356).

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect and safety of Tuina for treatment of somatic pain of sub-health., Methods: A randomized, double-blind and blank parallel controlled trial was done. The experiment group was treated with Tuina and the control group lied down for rest, 45 minutes each time, twice each week for three weeks., Results: Tuina treatment could improve more on sensory, affective, evaluation, pain rating index and extant pain intensity of the pain index, and score of subjective sensation of life quality and health status together with physiology and psychology field of life quality., Conclusion: Massage is an effective therapy for treatment of somatic pain of sub-health without adverse reactions and it should be generalized to application.

A series of tetrahydroquinoline-derived inhibitors of the CRTH2 receptor was discovered by a high throughput screen. Optimization of these compounds for potency and pharmacokinetic properties led to the discovery of potent and orally bioavailable CRTH2 antagonists.

Objective: To identify the characteristics of the sexual networks and HIV/AIDS related high-risk behaviors among MSM in Harbin city, and to evaluate the possibility of HIV transmission among MSM and from MSM to general population., Methods: A face to face questionnaire investigation was conducted among 673 MSM aged above 18 years older from May to July, 2006 in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. The Key-informant sampling and time-location sampling methods were used at different sites to recruit objectives, including bars, bathrooms, parks and social networks.Mixing matrices were computed based on the demographic characteristics of MSM and their sexual partners. Sexual networks analysis by egocentric methods, such as network size, density and sexual mixing patterns., Results: A total of 647 questionnaires were completed. The number of them recruited from bars, bathrooms, parks and social networks were 229, 291, 36 and 91. The average size of sexual networks was 14 persons, the least network density was 0.14. The proportion of having sexual relationship in the past year was 30.5% (647/2123). Of which recruited at bars, bathrooms, parks and social networks, the proportions of having long-term relationship with their sex partners were 22.8% (159/699), 35.9% (329/917), 26.4% (28/106) and 32.7% (131/401), respectively. There was statistical significance in MSM having sexual relationship with their partners at different recruited places (chi(2) = 34.07, P < 0.01). Sexual networks of MSM from public bathroom was larger with an average number of 18. Only 35.9% (329/917) of them had long-term relationship with their sex partners. A tendency for age and marriage pairing to cluster around main diagonal suggesting that MSM were similar to choosing sexual partners in the respect of age and marriage status. The proportions of consistent condom use in the past 6 months were 40.9% (647/2123)., Conclusion: MSM from different sites have greatly different sexual networks characteristics. Sexual mixing patterns are weakly assertive in the MSM and potential of HIV spread among MSM exists.

Objective: To observe the regulatory effect of transcutaneous electro-acupuncture (TCEA) for preventing intratracheal extubation stress response (IESR) in general anesthesia., Methods: Sixty patients with breast cancer scheduled to receive mastectomy were numbered according to their sequence of hospitalization, patients of odd number were assigned to the control group and those of even number to the treated group, 30 in each group. They were anesthetized by the same anesthesia approach, but TCEA was applied on patients in the treated group in the narcotic process by stimulating at Hegu (LI4) and Neiguan (PC6) of the diseased side for 20 min before induction; then on bilateral points of Hegu, Neiguan, Chize (LU5) and Lieque (LU7) all through the whole course of operation, but at time of 30 min before ending operation, stimulus at Chize and Lieque points stopped and turned to bilateral Shuitu (ST10) and Qishe (ST11) points. No management other than conventional anesthesia was applied on patients in the control group. Changes of blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), plasma catecholamine and cortisol as well as the respiratory tract response occurred after extubation were observed and compared., Results: HR, MAP, plasma levels of catecholamine and cortisol increased after extubation in both groups (P < 0.05), but the changes were more obvious in the control group than in the treated group (P < 0.05). Besides, the adverse reaction of respiratory tract occurred in the treated group was milder (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: TCEA can alleviate the IESR to attenuate the adverse reaction of respiratory tract. It is definitely valuable in clinical practice.

Background/aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the roles of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-18, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Methodology: AFP and cytokine serum concentrations were determined via EIA or ELISA., Results: In total, 81 patients were included, including 9 healthy controls, 36 LC patients, and 36 HCC patients. Significant differences in AFP, TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-18 between the three groups were noted (p < 0.001). AFP was lowest in the healthy subjects, intermediate in LC patients and highest in HCC patients (all p < 0.001). 11-6 and 11-18 concentrations were significantly higher in the HCC group than the other two groups. HCC and LC patients with AFP concentration > 7ng/ml had increased IL-18 concentrations compared to both the other groups p < 0.001). In contrast to previously published studies, TNF-alpha was highest in the healthy group, intermediate in the HCC group, and lowest in the LC group (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: IL-18 may be a potential tumour marker in combination with IL-6 and AFP in the diagnosis of HCC, but further research including a larger population of patients is essential. Further research is warranted.

Objective: To observe the effects of two different acupuncture treatment on cerebral blood flow velocity and early rehabilitation of hemiparalysis caused by cerebral infarction., Methods: Eighty patients were randomly divided into an alternate acupuncture group (n = 40) and a routine acupuncture group (n = 40). Both of the groups were treated with routine neurology medicine and application of good limb position combined with acupuncture. The patients in the alternate acupuncture group were treated by opposing needling and non-opposing needling, i. e. acupuncture at acupoints on both the healthy and affected sides alternately, twice each day, respectively. The routine acupuncture group was treated by acupuncture at the affected side, once daily. Scores of Scandinavian Stroke Scale (SSS) were evaluated before and after treatment in the two groups, and the mean blood flow velocity of middle cerebral artery (MCA) on the affected side was monitored during two different acupuncture treatment by using Transcranial Doppler (TCD)., Results: The cured and markedly effective rate was 65.0% in the alternate acupuncture group and 37.5% in the routine acupuncture group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). After treatment, the SSS score in the alternate acupuncture group was significantly lower than that in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.01). The mean blood flow velocity of MCA during two different acupuncture treatment was both decreased significantly (both P < 0.05) and the mean blood flow velocity of MCA before the last treatment was decreased significantly in the alternate acupuncture group than those in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The therapeutic effect of the alternate acupuncture program for hemiparalysis caused by cerebral infarction is superior to that of the routine acupuncture program. It is suggested that the mechanism of acupuncture in treating hemiparalysis caused by cerebral infarction is to dilate cerebral blood vessels and improve cerebral perfusion.

Objective: To explore the mental health status of residents scattered living in Anxian after Wenchuan earthquake so as to provide scientific basis for further mental health intervention., Methods: A face to face interview was conducted among the scattered residents with designed questionnaire, which had three parts of the physical and emotional reaction, the relax methods and the social care and supports expected. Two-stage probability proportional to size (PPS) sample method was performed to sample 2184 from 0.44 million scattered residents in Anxian. On the basis of statistical description, mental health of different characteristics groups was compared., Results: Three main symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorders in 2184 residents (11.23+/-3.44) were higher than the 103 fire victims in Hunan in 2003 (10.06+/-3.26), three factor scores of SCL-90 (5.76+/-1.74) were higher than normal in 1998 repair mode (n=23 891) (4.72+/-1.44), and the statistical difference was observed (t=10.77, P<0.05; t=706.04, P<0.05). Comparing the mental health of different groups, some significant differences were found by age, gender and education background., Conclusion: The earthquake disaster brought prevalent physical and emotional reaction. Elderly people, female, junior students need mental intervention immediately. Therefore, strengthen the mental education and assistance (especially in high risk groups) would be of more significance.

Objective: To explore the public health situation and needs in Anxian after Wenchuan earthquake so as to make an effective strategy for disease control and prevention., Methods: 69 concentrated settlements with 100 residents were investigated. Probability proportion to size was adopted for sampling of 2200 residents from 687 scattered households (about 440 000 scattered residents). The content of this survey included drinking water, food hygiene, environment sanitation, planning immunity and medical health service, disease surveillance and so on. SPSS 16.0 was used for data analysis, and statistical interpretation was used to describe the results., Results: 90.9% (31/66) resettled residents in Anxian lived in tents, 7.6% (5/66) lived in the movable-plate house, 93.3% (621/666) scattered households lived in tents and 71.9% (446/621) of them lived in tents which were built by residents themselves; the rate of drinking water disinfection in resettlement sites and scattered households were 97.1% (66/68) and 94.6% (650/687); 12.8% scattered residents had mouldy or food; 50% of resettlement sites raised animals; 43.6% (17/39) medical station didn't have bacterin inoculation service; 66.7% (10/15) lacked sufficient disinfection equipment; register rate was 50.0% (33/66) and report rate of symptoms and infectious diseases was 56.1% (37/66)., Conclusion: There was still some risk of enteric and vector-borne diseases in Anxian, therefore, some tailored measures should be very important.

An unusual highly functionalized lactarane sesquiterpene, named velleratretraol (1), was isolated from the ethanol extract of the fruiting body of the mushroom Lactarius vellereus. Its structure was determined through spectroscopic analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The proposed assignment of the absolute configuration is based on computational results. It showed weak activity against HIV-1 cells with an effective concentration of 68.0 microg ml(-1) and a selectivity index of 2.0.

Background and Objective: Our previous study revealed that diallyl disulfide (DADS) significantly inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest at G(2)/M phase of human colon cancer SW480 cells. However, the molecular mechanism of cell cycle arrest remains unclear. This study was to investigate the role and the molecular mechanism of DADS in the induction of cell cycle arrest of human colon cancer cell line SW480., Methods: Proliferation of SW480 cells after DADS treatment was measured by MTT assay and cell counting. Phase distribution of cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. Expressions of PCNA, p53, p21(WAF1) and cyclin B1 were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot., Results: DADS (30-70 microg/mL) significantly inhibited proliferation and retarded the population doubling time of colonies in SW480 cells. Compared with the control group, SW480 cells were markedly accumulated at G(2)/M phase after the treatment with DADS (p < 0.05). Moreover, DADS remarkably decreased the protein contents of PCNA, p53 and cyclin B1, but increased the expression of p21(WAF1) in a time- and dose-dependent manner., Conclusion: DADS induces G(2)/M arrest in human colon cancer SW480 cells, probably through the downregulation of PCNA, p53 and cyclin B1 and upregulation of p21(WAF1).

Apoptosis is a cell suicide programme characterised by unique cellular events such as mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction, nuclear condensation, cytoplasmic shrinkage and activation of apoptotic protease caspases, and these serve as the noticeable apoptotic markers for the commitment of cell demise. Here, we show that, however, the characterised apoptotic dying cancer cells can regain their normal morphology and proliferate after removal of apoptotic inducers. In addition, we demonstrate that reversibility of apoptosis occurs in various cancer cell lines, and in different apoptotic stimuli. Our findings show that cancer cells can survive after initiation of apoptosis, thereby revealing an unexpected potential escape mechanism of cancer cells from chemotherapy.

Aim: To observe the inhibitory effects of tyrosine kinases inhibitor A77 1726 on collagen generation induced by IL-13 in fibroblasts., Methods: The inhibition rate of fibroblast proliferation with different concentration of A77 1726 was observed by MTT method. The fibroblasts were divided into the experimental group (A77 1726 50 micromol/L and IL-13 100 microg/L) and the control group (IL-13 100 microg/L). After 24, 48 and 72 hours, the inhibitory effects of A77 1726 on collagen secretion of fibroblasts investigated by hydroxyproline release assay. The inhibitory effects of A77 1726 on collagen type I alpha1 gene mRNA expression in fibroblasts were examinated by RT-PCR. The influence of A77 1726 on collagen type I synthesis in fibroblasts was analyzed by Western blot., Results: The proliferation of fibroblasts was inhibited by A77 1726. Total collagen generation was down-regulated after 48 h and 72 h stimulation of A77 1726 (P<0.05). The expression level of collagen type I alpha1 gene mRNA was obviously lower in the experimental group than in the control group after 48 h and 72 h stimulation of A77 1726 (P<0.05). Collagen type I production of fibroblasts treated with A77 1726 for 48 and 72 hours was decreased obviously in the experimental group than in the control group (P<0.05)., Conclusion: Tyrosine kinases inhibitor A77 1726 has an inhibitory effect on collagen protein synthesis in fibroblasts induced by IL-13.

We report our experience of the first use of nocturnal home haemodialysis in Hong Kong. The patient, a 40-year-old man with end-stage renal failure, was recruited into the Nocturnal Home Haemodialysis Programme at Princess Margaret Hospital in 2006. He received haemodialysis at home on alternate nights (3.5 sessions per week) for 5.5 to 6 hours per session. After 1 year of nocturnal home haemodialysis, his recombinant human erythropoietin requirement had been reduced by more than 50%. His serum phosphate level decreased by 35% and calcium phosphate product by 34%. After nocturnal home haemodialysis, his blood pressure control has been excellent and he was able to cease taking anti-hypertensive medications soon after commencing nocturnal home haemodialysis. Regression of his left ventricular hypertrophy has also been noted, with a 39% decrease in his left ventricular mass index. The haemodialysis adequacy index, weekly single-pool Kt/V, increased by 59% after switching to nocturnal home haemodialysis and his quality-of-life indices also showed significant improvement. Nocturnal home haemodialysis holds promise as an alternative dialytic therapy for patients on chronic haemodialysis in Hong Kong.

Background: Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related infections are the major cause of technique failure. Exit-site infections (ESI) can be prevented by local application of antibiotics. Mupirocin (M) is the most extensively studied drug for this application. Long-term use can result in the development of resistance. Gentamicin (G) is an attractive alternative, with both gram-positive and gram-negative activities. We studied the comparative efficacy of G cream versus M ointment in the prevention of PD-related infections in a Chinese cohort., Methods: This was a prospective study of adult PD patients of the Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong. Patients were excluded if they had active infection, recent ESI or peritontiis, history of allergy to either drug, or were unable to apply the drug or give consent. Patients were taught to apply the drug daily to the exit site after routine exitsite care. Records were tracked prospectively during hospital admissions and clinic follow-ups., Results: 95 patients were recruited; 14 discontinued the study. The ESI rates were 0.38 and 0.20 episodes/patient-year for the G group and the M group respectively (p = 0.36). Gram-positive ESI rates were 0.18 and 0 episodes/patient-year for the G group and the M group respectively. Gram-negative ESI rates were 0.20 episodes/patient-year for both groups (p = 0.62). The overall peritonitis rates were similar in the two groups (p = 0.91)., Discussion: In addition to good perioperative care and strict exit-site care, local antibiotic application can prevent ESI. Mupirocin has been extensively studied and shown to be effective. Similar if not superior effects of G cream have been demonstrated. In this study, neither antibiotic gave significantly better results in the prevention of either ESI or peritonitis., Conclusions: Both gentamicin and mupirocin were effective as prophylaxis for ESI. Longer study is required to determine the long-term efficacy and the potential beneficial effect on the prevention of peritonitis.

Fish tissues from different fishery types (freshwater farmed, seawater farmed and seawater wild) were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), with the aim to further our understanding of bioaccumulation, and reflect the state of different fishery environments. Significantly higher SigmaOCP levels were found in seawater farmed fish than others, and among three freshwater farmed species, the lowest levels occurred in filter-feeding fish (bighead carp). Liver contained the highest SigmaOCP levels, while no significant differences were found among other tissues. Among DDT components, p,p'-DDT was abundant in seawater fish, while for freshwater fish, p,p'-DDE was the predominant congeners, except for northern snakehead (34% for p,p'-DDE and 30% for p,p'-DDT). The new source of DDTs to freshwater fish ponds was partly attributed to dicofol, whereas sewage discharged from the Pearl River Delta and anti-fouling paint were likely the DDTs sources to seawater farmed fish.

Background: Acute rejection constitutes a significant proportion of renal allograft loss. Peritubular capillary deposition of C4d has been recognized as the footprint of humoral alloimmunity and proven to be a sensitive and specific marker for humoral rejection in the appropriate clinical context. Its presence in indication biopsies is the most important independent risk factor for graft failure. Data are, however, scarce among Chinese subjects., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all renal graft biopsies performed from 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2006 for unexplained acute renal dysfunction or delayed graft function. Renal outcomes were assessed at the time of renal biopsy and at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year afterwards. Survival was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Multivariate analysis was used to determine if C4d positivity is an independent risk factor for poor renal outcome., Results: Fifty-two biopsies were included, of which 16 were positive for peritubular capillary C4d. Peritubular capillary C4d was associated with lower glomerular filtration rate and higher serum creatinine at 6 and 12 months after renal biopsies. The C4d-positive group fares worse in terms of death-censored graft failure, doubling of serum creatinine and reaching 50% of glomerular filtration rate at the end of the study. Peritubular capillary C4d deposition was the only significant risk factor that predicts graft failure in multivariate analysis., Conclusion: Our findings confirmed the independent prognostic value of peritubular capillary C4d staining on renal allograft survival in Chinese.

Objective: To evaluate the cardiovascular structure and function of older adult Rhesus monkey by utrasonography., Methods: Sixteen monkeys aged from 17 to 20 years and weighing from 8.2 to 15.3 kg, six adults aged 7-8 years and weighing from 8.1 to 9.2 kg. All monkeys were determined to be free from hypertension, hyperglycaemia and cardiac disease. The normal values of index related to heart and blood vessels including structure, haemodynamics and systolic or diastolic function were detected by 2D, M-mode, pulsed Doppler and tissue Doppler echocardiography respectively under ketamine hydrochloride sedation. Meanwhile, blood pressures were also measured by electronic sphygmomanometer. Each monkey underwent repeated detections in 2 weeks and all data were analysed with statistical methods., Results: Compared with young adult monkeys, the older's heart rate (HR), the left ventricular diastolic function and the compliance of big artery including right and left common carotid artery, bulbus caroticus, internal carotid artery and abdominal aorta were decreased and the associated indexes changed significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Meanwhile, older monkeys exhibited significant increase in the aorta diameter (AO), amplitude of aortic wall (AAO), left atrial diameter (LAD), end diastolic volume of left ventricle (EDV), stroke volume (SV), left ventricular mass (LVM) (P < 0.05 vs. young adult monkeys); however, cardiac output (CO) only slightly increased but the difference did not reach the statistical significance (P = 0.418, P = 0.644 respectively)., Conclusions: The present results demonstrated the profiles of cardiovascular function and structure in the older Rhesus monkeys. Older monkey is accompanied by diminished left ventricular diastolic function and big artery compliance. Ultrasonography provides a means to non-invasively evaluate the anatomy and function of the heart and blood vessel, and plays an increasingly important role in the drug evaluation against cardiovascular dysfunction.

Fish tissues from three different farming types (freshwater farmed, seawater farmed, and seawater wild fish collected from the Pearl River Delta of South China), including skin, gills, gastrointestinal tract (GIT), liver, and muscle, were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). In general, the dry weight based concentrations of Sigma10PBDE (sum of BDE-28, -47, -66, -85, -99, -100, -138, -153, -154, and -183) in fish tissues followed the sequence of liver > gill > skin > GIT and muscle. The BDE congener profiles varied with fish species. Decabrominated diphenyl ether was detected in 37.4% of the total 187 samples, and this ratio may actually have been underestimated because the reporting limit for BDE-209 was considerably higher than those for other congeners. Decabrominated diphenyl ether was the dominant BDE congener in skin and GIT, and less abundant in gills, muscle, and liver. Except for skin, no significant difference in BDE-209 lipid-normalized concentrations was observed among fish tissues. These results suggest that BDE-209 can occur abundantly in the fish species under investigation, somewhat inconsistent with the results from most previous studies that reported low bioaccumulative potential of BDE-209. Combined with the likelihood that BDE-209 can be debrominated into lower brominated congeners that tend to be more toxic than BDE-209, the abundant occurrence of BDE-209 could continue to pose prolonged health risk to the ecological environment.

Vimentin is one of the intermediate filaments that functions in structural support, signal transduction and organelle positioning of a cell. In the present study, we report the contribution of vimentin in mitochondrial morphology and organization. Using subcellular fractionation, immunoprecipitation and fluorescence microscopy analyses, we found that vimentin was associated with mitochondria. Knockdown of vimentin resulted in mitochondrial fragmentation, swelling and disorganization. We further demonstrated that the vimentin cytoskeleton co-localized and interacted with mitochondria to a greater extent than other cytoskeletal components known to support mitochondria. Our results also suggest that vimentin could participate in the mitochondrial association of microtubules. As mitochondrial morphologies determine mitochondrial function, our findings revealed a potentially important relationship between the vimentin-based intermediate filaments and the regulation of mitochondria.

Levels and distribution of polyborminated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, including BDE28, 47, 66, 85, 99, 100, 138, 153, 154, 183,and 209 (sum of which except for BDE 209 is designated as sigma10 PBDEs), in Mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) tissues were determined using the method of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry operating in the negative chemical ionization mode. The highest and lowest mean concentrations of sigma10 PBDEs were 5.71 ng x g(-1) and 0.95 ng x g(-1) (dry weight), found in kidney and muscle tissue, respectively. The concentration ranges of sigma10 PBDEs in kidney, swimming bladder, liver, gills, gonad, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and muscle were 3.04 -12.8, 0.81-6.90, 1.28-8.87, 0.09-6.36, 1.05-5.73, 0.022-5.06, 0.69-5.98, and 0.14-2.61 ng x g(-1) (dry weight), respectively. The tissue concentrations of sigma10 PBDEs followed the sequence of kidney, swimming bladder, liver > gills, gonad > stomach, skin, muscle. BDE47 was the predominant component among the low brominated PBDEs, accounting for 35.7% to 65.6% of sigma10 PBDEs. BDE209 was detected in 45.2% of the samples, and its levels were higher in kidney and gonad than in other organs. These results indicated that PDBEs were bioaccumulated in Mandarin fish from both feeding and gill inhalation, and they particularly preferred to concentrate in tissues with high lipid contents, such as liver, swimming bladder, and gills.

Background & Objective: It is urgent to find the specific or relatively specific biomarkers in the study of gastric carcinoma. This study was to screen human gastric carcinoma-associated antigens by serologic proteome analysis (SERPA)., Methods: Total protein were isolated from 10 specimens of human gastric carcinoma by 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). The immunoblotting imaging films were obtained and the differential reacting protein spots were recognized. Then the differential reacting proteins were obtained in the replica gel by matching analysis, and identified by peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and database searching., Results: Fourteen differentially expressed proteins (react only to the patient's serum) were found. Of the 14 proteins, 13 were identified as human gastric carcinoma-associated antigens, including heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K), hnRNP H1, hnRNP H2, cytokeratin 18 (CK18), crystal structure of Fkbp52 C-terminal domain complex with the C-terminal peptide meevd of hot-shock protein 90 (Hsp90), serum vitamin D-binding protein precursor (DBP), selenium-binding protein 1 (SBP1), eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 delta (eEF-1), ACTB protein, brain creatine kinase (CKB), proteasome 26S ATPase subunit 3 (PSMC3), dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1(DDAH-1), and NADH dehydrogenase Fe-S protein 1., Conclusions: Thirteen human gastric carcinoma-associated antigens were found by SERPA. The results provide foundation for screening molecular biomarkers for the diagnosis, therapy, prognostic evaluation, and prevention of human gastric carcinoma.

Background & Objective: Diallyl disulfide (DADS) can inhibit the proliferation of various cancer cell lines in vitro, but little is known about its in vivo antitumor effect. This study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of DADS on the proliferation of human colon cancer cell line SW480 in nude mice., Methods: After subcutaneous transplantation of SW480 cells in the back of nude mice, 5 mice received intraperitoneal injection of DADS (30 mg/kg), and 5 received intraperitoneal injection of normal saline as control. The body weight of nude mice and tumor growth were measured. The morphology of tumor was observed under optical microscope and electron microscope. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was detected by immunohistochemistry and morphometric quantitative analysis. Cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM)., Results: The growth of transplanted tumor was inhibited markedly by DADS; the relative tumor growth rate (T/C%) was 49.85%. In DADS group, the cellular atypia and nucleus-cytoplasm ratio were decreased, intracytoplasm cellular organs were abundant, and retrograde alters and apoptotic bodies were manifested in some cells. The protein level of PCNA was significantly lower in DADS group than in control group (149.02+/-4.26 vs. 178.86+/-7.69, P<0.05). SW480 cells in DADS group were arrested in G2/M phase; the G2/M phase proportion was significantly higher in DADS group than in control group (38.6% vs. 18.8%, P<0.01)., Conclusion: DADS has significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human colon cancer SW480 cells in nude mice and can arrest cell cycle in G2/M phase.

Neural stem cell is presently the research hotspot in neuroscience. Recent progress indicates that epigenetic modulation is closely related to the self-renewal and differentiation of neural stem cell. Epigenetics refer to the study of mitotical/meiotical heritage changes in gene function that cannot be explained by changes in the DNA sequence. Major epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, genomic imprinting, and non-coding RNA. In this review, we focus on the new insights into the epigenetic mechanism for neural stem cells fate.