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Hepatitis B virus (HBV) replicates noncytopathically in hepatocytes, but HBV or proteins encoded by HBV genome could induce cytokines, chemokines expression by hepatocytes.IL-12 is a typical proinflammatory cytokine that plays a critical role in host defense against pathogens, including the HBV. However, the role of IL-12 in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains unclear. The aims of this study were to detect the expression of IL-12 in CHB patients and explore the molecular mechanism of HBV-induced IL-12 expression. The results showed that serum levels and hepatic expression of IL-12 were significantly upregulated in CHB patients. HBx protein increased IL-12 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, inhibition of PI3K/Akt significantly decreased the HBx-induced IL-12 expression and Akt activation. Taken together, these results indicate that the molecular mechanism of HBV-induced IL-12 expression involves activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway by HBx, leading to transactivation of the IL-12 p35 and p40 promoters.

Hydrazine hydrate catalytic reduction (HHCR) is a green, eco-friendly method to reduce aromatic nitro compound to aromatic amine. Fe-Ni/C composite catalyst for HHCR was prepared. Preparation conditions of Fe-Ni/C composite catalyst were investigated taking o-chloronitrobenzene’s hydrazine hydrate catalytic reductions as the examples. Experimental results showed that the optimal conditions were as follows: preparation temperature is 50 °C, catalyst carrier is nitric acid treated activated carbon, w(Fe) is 5% and w(Ni) is 0.2%. During the preparation, ultrasonic treatment is also helpful to improve catalytic efficiency of Fe-Ni/C composite catalyst. The newly prepared Fe-Ni/C composite catalyst has combined the advantages of noble metal catalyst and iron-based catalyst and features good reduction selectivity and high catalytic efficiency.

A new practical and efficient route was developed for the synthesis of 6,7-dihydro-5H-cyclopenta[b]pyridine, which is a key intermediate of cefpirome. Leading to the formation of the corresponding product, nucleophilic addition, acetylization, Vilsmeier cyclization reaction and dechlorination were employed under mild reaction conditions by using commercially available cyclopentanone and benzylamine as raw materials. The total yield of this newly developed synthetic route for the target product was 43.15% with 99.7% of purity (HPLC). The structure of target molecular was confirmed by LC-MS and 1H NMR spectrum.

Lemonile is a new kind of spice. The new technology for synthesis of lemonile from citral by catalytic ammoxidation has been investigated. Experimental results showed the optimal synthetic conditions are as follows. The molar material ratio n(H2O2):n(Citral) is 3:1, solvent for the reaction is isopropanol, dosage of the catalyst CuCl is 3% (wt, calculated by citral), the drop-feeding temperature and time for hydrogen peroxide are 10 °C-14 °C and 3 hrs, respectively; after hydrogen peroxide being drop-fed into the reaction system, the reaction should be continued for 4 hrs. Lemonile yield is 91.2% and purity is 98.5% (detected by GC) under the optimal conditions. This new one-step liquid phase catalytic ammoxidation technology is a green synthesis way for lemonile. The structure of the product has been confirmed by GC-MS.

To identify and explore the prognostic risk factors of the hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS).A retrospective study was conducted on 50 childhood patients with HPS who were admitted to our hospital between 2007 and 2011. All their medical records were reviewed and analyzed. For each patient, demographic, laboratory data and outcome information were collected. The patients were divided into deceased or survived groups based on the follow-up results. Comparative analysis of the data was done by using independent-samples test and logistic multiple and univariate regression.Among the 50 HPS patients, 30 were male and 20 female, age ranged from 3 months to 10 years. Reduction of serum albumin, cholinesterase and natural killer (NK) cells was found in the forty-six patients. The laboratory features showed an elevation of serum ferritin with hypofibrinogenemia and hypertriglyceridemia in most of the patients. Forty of patients had hemophagocyte in bone marrow at diagnosis of HPS. The positive serum EBV-IgM was found in thirty-five patients.During the observation period, 25 of 37 patients (67.6%) died, while 13 of whom died within a month after hospitalization. The deceased patients were more likely to have lower albumin, cholinesterase, NK cells level and more prolonged active partial thromboplastin time than the survived patients (P0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that duration of illness1 month, albumin level25 g/L, cholinesterase level2000 U/L, NK cell level 0-3% and positive EBV-IgM were related with the prognosis significantly (P0.05 for all comparisons).This study revealed that duration of illness1 month, decreases in albumin, NK cell and cholinesterase, and positive EBV-IgM were the risk factors related to mortality in children.

The objective of this study was to investigate the alterations of cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IFN-gamma at early phase after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and in the course of preconditioning, and to explore the relation of these cytokines with transplant-related complications. Alterations of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IFN-gamma levels in serum were detected by ELISA in 95 patients received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (among them 43 cases with GVHD, 5 cases with thrombosis, 31 cases with infection) and 20 in healthy adults. Alterations of the three cytokines were analyzed during the preconditioning and the early phase after transplantation. The results showed that the TNF-alpha levels in aGVHD patients underwent allo-HSCT were already higher than that in normal controls before preconditioning (p0.01), other patients did not show significant change during this course. TNF-alpha level in all patients were higher than that at day 4 of preconditioning, then decreased at end of preconditioning (p0.05). TNF-alpha level increased at occurrence of aGVHD, thrombosis and infection, which is most significant in patients with aGVHD, and less significant in patients with infection as compared with patients with thrombosis (p0.05). TNF-alpha level began to increase at 2 weeks before aGVHD and thrombosis developed in patients, while TNF-alpha levels did not change in patients with infection at the same time. IL-1beta levels did not change during preconditioning, but increased at time of aGVHD, thrombosis and infection in patients, in which IL-1beta levels in patients with thrombosis increased obviously, and more obviously in patients with aGVHD than that in patients with infection (p0.01). IL-1beta levels in patients with aGVHD began to increase at 1 week before aGHVD developed, but IL-1beta levels in patients with thrombosis began to increase at two weeks before complication developed. IFN-gamma levels did not change in all patients during the process of transplantation. It is concluded that the alterations of cytokine levels exist during the course of allo-HSCT, which reflects the vascular damage following preconditioning and occurrence of some transplant associated complications. Levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta are closely related to aGVHD or thrombotic complications. Monitoring changes of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta levels contributes to early discovery of aGVHD and thrombotic complications.

The objective of study was to compare the influences of wortmannin on platelet aggregation and platelet membrane surface glycoproteins GPIb expression after thrombin receptor activation, and to investigate the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) and myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) in the course of thrombin receptor activation. Peptide SFLLRN (PAR1-AP) and AYPGKF (PAR4-AP) were used for stimulating platelet, and the changes of platelet aggregation and GPIb were analyzed with 100 nmol/L wortmannin (inhibitor of PI3-K) and 10 micromol/L wortmannin (inhibitor of MLCK). The results indicated that the platelet activation was influenced by either concentration of wortmannin in response to PAR stimulation. Platelet aggregation was apparently inhibited by 10 micromol/L wortmannin through both PAR peptides, and was slightly inhibited by 100 nmol/L wortmannin only under PAR1-AP activation. In addition, GPIbalpha internalization was partly inhibited by 100 nmol/L wortmannin in response to PAR1 (p0.05 at 1, 2, 5 min) and PAR4 (p0.05 at 2, 5, 10 min) activation. Meanwhile, 10 micromol/L wortmannin induced little change for GPIbalpha centralisation in the course of PAR activation, with a delayed restoration of surface GPIbalpha observed under PAR1-AP activation, and no change of GPIbalpha redistribution existed under PAR4-AP activation. It is concluded that the different roles of PI3-K and MLCK exist in the course of thrombin receptor activation. PI3-K accelerates the short course of GPIb centralisation for two PAR signal pathways, while MLCK inhibits the restoration of GPIbalpha in PAR1 pathway.

Object In order to compare the influences of wortmannin on platelet aggregation and platelet membrane surface glycoproteins GPIb expression after thrombin receptors activation, then to investigate the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) and myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) in the course of thrombin receptors activation. Methods Peptide SFLLRN (PAR1-AP) and AYPGKF (PAR4-AP)were used for stimulating platelet, then the alterations of platelet aggregation and GPIb were analyzed in the involvement of 100nM wortmannin (inhibitor of PI3-K) and 10μM wortmannin (inhibitor of MLCK). Results Platelet activation was influenced by either concentration of wortmannin in response to PARs stimulation. Platelet aggregation was apparently inhibited by 10μM wortmannin following both peptides, and slightly inhibited by 100nM wortmannin only upon PAR1-AP activation. In addition, GPIbα interalisation is partly inhibited by 100nM wortmannin in response to PAR1 (P Conclusion All the results confirm different roles of PI3-K and MLCK in the course of thrombin receptors activation. PI3-K accelerates the short course of GPIb centralisation for two PARs signal pathways, while MLCK inhibites the restoration of GPIbα in PAR1 pathway

Background Late-onset hemorrhagic cystitis (LOHC) is a frequent and sometimes life-threatening complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Our aim in this study is to analyze the risk fators for LOHC after HSCT, then determine the role of polyomavirus BK in the development of LOHC following HSCT. Methodology 113 patients undergoing HSCT and 30 normal subjects were enrolled in this study. BK virus DNA were detected with PCR in the plasma and urine samples, while cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen in peripheral blood was identified by immunofluorescence histochemical examination. All patients with LOHC were classified into three groups as grade 1, grade 2 and grade 3–4 by the severity of HC. Results 22 patients developed LOHC (19.47%), all of them were allogenetic transplants recipients, with a median time of 44 days after HSCT. BK viruria was detected in 50 of all 113 patients following HSCT (44.2%), and no positive BK virema was found at the same time, while CMV virema was detected in 21 patients (18.5%). Of the 22 LOHC patients, 21 were detected BK viruria (95.5%), which was much more than that of non-HC patients (31.9%, P©‚0.01). The first time of BK viruria detection is earlier than the onset time of HC (25.09±16.63 days vs 47.42±29.02 days, P©‚0.01), accompanied with a longer median persistence time than that of HC (6 weeks vs 11 days), no difference was found in the onset and persistence time of HC among all the HC groups of three grades. Both CMV and BKV detection were negative in the control subjects. The occurrences of severe infection (45.5%), CMV reactivation (40.9%) and grade II-IV aGVHD development are much higher in HC group than that of non-HC group(P©‚0.01). Cox’s proportional hazard regression analysis showed that CMV reactivation and the development of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were associated with the occurrence of BK viruria, while BKV viruria and aGVHD of grade II-IV were independent risk factors of LOHC. Conclusion BK polyomavirus may contribute to the pathogenesis of LOHC after HSCT, manifested as BK viruria. CMV infection and GVHD could be involved in the occurrence of BKV-related HC.

A structural model of carbon nanocoils (CNCs) on the basis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was proposed. The Young’s moduli and spring constants of CNCs were computed and compared with those of CNTs. Upon elongation and compression, CNCs exhibit superelastic properties that are manifested by the nearly invariant average bond lengths and the large maximum elastic strain limit. Analysis of bond angle distributions shows that the three-dimensional spiral structures of CNCs mainly account for their unique superelasticity.