[Selective preimplantation pathological evaluation in renal transplantation: a single center's experience]

Objective: To summarize the clinical data of pre-implantation biopsy donors in our hospital and explore the clinical characteristics of those donors in pathological high-risk, and to provide references for the selective histological evaluation of extended criteria donor kidneys. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data and pre-implantation renal pathologic score of donors from January 1, 2015 to May 1, 2017.During this period, 247 cases of donation after citizen's death (DCD) occurred.After clinical evaluation and selective machine perfusion( Lifeport) evaluation, 30 cases of pre-implantation pathological evaluation were performed.According to Remuzzi scores, donors were divided into low-risk and high-risk group.Nine cases of low-risk group (bilateral kidney's Remuzzi score ≤3) and 16 cases of high-risk group (bilateral or unilateral kidney's Remuzzi score ≥4, severe glomerular micro-thrombi or severe tubular necrosis) were included.Five cases of donors were excluded due to only unilateral renal pathological result available.Both high-risk and low-risk groups' clinical data, including sex, age, height, body weight, body mass index, proteinuria, hematuria, urinary glucose, baseline or admission serum creatinine, serum creatinine before procurement, history of hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus, cardiopulmonary resuscitation or not, with or without the history of shock, urine output prior to acquisition, macroscopical manifestations of donor kidney, cause of death were statistically analyzed. Results: The donors' baseline serum creatinine/upper limit of normal serum creatinine range in high-risk group were significantly higher than that in low-risk group [(129.8±42.2)% vs(92.4±30.5)%, P=0.029]. The poor macroscopical manifestations of donor kidneys were significantly more frequent in high-risk group than that in low-risk group (12/16 vs 0/9, P= 0). No significant differences between two groups were found regarding their age, height, weight, BMI, proteinuria, hematuria, urine glucose, pre-procure creatinine level, history of hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus, cause of death and so on (P>0.05). Conclusions: After clinical evaluation and selective Lifeport evaluation, donor grafts of whose baseline serum creatinine levels increased beyond normal range and of whose grafts' macroscopical manifestations were poor, should undergo pre-implantation pathological evaluation further.Also, it is reasonable to perform pre-implantation biopsy in cases of equivocal results after Lifeport evaluation.This will be beneficial to identify histological high-risk donors and also be predictive to allocate the grafts.

Rifaximin treatment is associated with reduced risk of cirrhotic complications and prolonged overall survival in patients experiencing hepatic encephalopathy

BACKGROUND

Rifaximin might decrease the risk of portal hypertension-related complications by controlling small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

AIM

To evaluate whether rifaximin was associated with the risk of death and cirrhotic complications.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study that included 1042 patients experiencing hepatic encephalopathy (HE): 421 patients without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; the non-HCC cohort) and 621 patients with HCC (the HCC cohort). The primary endpoint was overall survival and secondary endpoints were recurrence of HE and the development of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) and variceal bleeding.

RESULTS

In the non-HCC cohort, 145 patients received rifaximin plus lactulose (the rifaximin group) and 276 patients received lactulose alone (the control group). The multivariate analysis revealed that rifaximin was significantly associated with lower risk of death (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.697; P = .024) and reduced the risk of recurrent HE (aHR, 0.452; P < .001), SBP (aHR, 0.210; P < .001) and variceal bleeding (aHR, 0.425; P = .011) but not HRS (aHR, 0.598; P = .08). In the HCC cohort, 173 patients received rifaximin plus lactulose and 448 patients received lactulose. Rifaximin was not associated with the risk of death (aHR, 1.177; P = .121). Rifaximin was associated with lower risk of SBP (aHR, 0.323; P < .001) but not with variceal bleeding (aHR, 0.660; P = .104) or recurrent HE (aHR, 0.689; P = .057). The risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea was not different between the groups (aHR, 0.028; P = .338).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients without HCC, rifaximin treatment was significantly associated with prolonged overall survival and reduced risks of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, variceal bleeding and recurrent hepatic encephalopathy.

[Clinicopathological features and prognosis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor: a retrospective study of 140 cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and prognosis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of MPNST patients who were treated at Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science from January 1999 to January 2016. A total of 140 patients with 66 male and 74 female with MPNST were enrolled in the study. The median age was 40 at the time of diagnosis. Survival analysis were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test. Multivariate analysis were estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: The median follow-up time was 43.0 months. The 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 56.4% and 48.6%, respectively. The 3-year local recurrence (LR) rate and distant metastasis (DM) rates were 42.9% and 49.3%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the tumor location, AJCC stage, S-100, radiotherapy and margin status affected 5-year OS rate (all P<0.05). The tumor location, AJCC stage, S-100, Ki-67 staining, margin status, radiotherapy and chemotherapy affected 3-year LR rate (all P<0.05). The tumor location, AJCC stage, S-100, Ki-67 staining and margin status affected 3-year DM rate (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the tumor location, AJCC stage, S-100 were independent factors for 5-year OS rate (all P<0.05). The tumor location, Ki-67 staining and chemotherapy were independent factors for LR (all P<0.05) while the AJCC stage, margin status and Ki-67 staining were independent factors for DM (all P<0.05). Conclusions: MPSNT is an aggressive tumor with poor prognosis. Multiple factors were identified in this study. Patients with the tumor located at head and neck, advanced AJCC stage and negative S-100 usually have a low 5-year overall survival rate. Patients with the tumor located at head and neck, Ki-67 staining ≥ 20% and without chemotherapy had a higher tendency of local recurrence. Poor prognosis factors for DM were advanced AJCC stage, positive margin and Ki-67 staining ≥ 20%.

Anakinra Protects Against Serum Deprivation-Induced Inflammation and Functional Derangement in Islets Isolated From Nonhuman Primates

We investigated whether serum deprivation induces islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) oligomer accumulation and/or a proinflammatory response and, if so, whether the addition of interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist to the culture medium can relieve the proinflammatory response during serum-deprived culture of nonhuman primate (NHP) islets. After culture in medium with and without Ana under serum-deprived culture conditions, IAPP oligomer/amyloid accumulation, in vitro viability, islet function, cytokine secretion, and posttransplantation outcome in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nude mice were determined in islets isolated from heterozygote human IAPP transgenic (hIAPP^+/- ) mice and/or NHP islets. Serum deprivation induced accumulation of IAPP oligomer, but not amyloid, in NHP islets. Anakinra (Ana) protected islets from the serum deprivation-induced impairment of in vitro viability and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and attenuated serum deprivation-induced caspase-1 activation, transcription, and secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α in hIAPP^+/- mice and NHP islets. Supplementation of medium with Ana during serum-deprived culture also improved posttransplantation in vivo outcomes of NHP islets. In conclusion, serum deprivation induced accumulation of IAPP oligomers and proinflammatory responses in cultured isolated islets. Supplementation of the culture medium with Ana attenuated the functional impairment and proinflammatory responses induced by serum deprivation in ex vivo culture of NHP islets.

Association between the CYP11B2 gene -344T>C polymorphism and coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis

Numerous studies have evaluated the association between the CYP11B2 gene -344T>C polymorphism and coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. However, the specific association is still controversial. To address this issue, PubMed, EMBASE, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched for eligible articles that reported on the relationship between the CYP11B2 gene -344T>C polymorphism and CAD, and were published before April 2014. Data from five separate studies with 3687 subjects were analyzed by meta-analysis. No significant variation in CAD risk was detected by any of the genetic models in the overall study population. Taking into account the effect of ethnicity, further stratified analyses demonstrated significant association in both Caucasian (TT vs TC: OR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.64-1.00) and Asian populations (TT vs TC: OR = 1.25, 95%CI = 1.01-1.54; dominant model: OR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.66-0.98). The pooled ORs were not substantially altered after the exclusion of one study in the control group that deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, highlighting the reliability of our meta-analysis results. In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggested that the -344T>C polymorphism in the CYP11B2 gene might be associated with susceptibility to CAD in Caucasians and Asians.

Association of a microRNA-323b polymorphism with the persistence of hepatitis B virus infection by the enhancement of viral replication

Recent studies have shown that some mammalian microRNAs (miRNAs) play a role in antiviral defence. However, little is known about the role of miRNA-323b in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-host interaction. We explored whether single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of miRNA-323b affects HBV replication in a Korean HBV cohort. Genotyping was performed in a total of 1439 subjects composed of 404 spontaneously recovered (SR) subjects as normal controls and 1035 chronic carriers (CC) of HBV who were further classified into 313 patients with chronic hepatitis, 305 patients with liver cirrhosis and 417 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. To confirm the effect of SNP of miRNA-323b on HBV replication in vitro, HepAD38 cells were transfected with miRNA-323b wild type or miRNA-323b SNP plasmid vectors, and HBV replication was induced for 5 days. HBV DNA was isolated and quantified using real-time PCR. The polymorphism rs56103835C>T in the pre-miRNA region of miRNA-323b revealed significant minor allele frequency (0.273). rs56103835C>T SNP showed significantly affect persistence of HBV in CC group compared with SR group (OR = 1.29, P = 0.009 in a codominant model; OR = 1.29, P = 0.03 in a dominant model; and OR = 1.78, P = 0.03 in a recessive model). In vitro, the total intracellular HBV DNA content was significantly reduced by miRNA-323b wild-type plasmid vector transfection (P = 0.014). The polymorphism of miRNA-323b was significantly associated with persistence of HBV by the enhancement of HBV replication (P = 0.021). Our findings provide a novel perspective on the role SNP of miRNAs in host-virus interactions in HBV infection.

Telbivudine protects renal function in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection in conjunction with adefovir-based combination therapy

Previous studies have demonstrated that the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection with adefovir (ADV) can impair renal function. In contrast, treatment with telbivudine (LdT) improves renal function in CHB patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the renoprotective effect of LdT in CHB patients receiving ADV-based combination therapy. The effects of treatment with ADV + LdT on renal function were compared to those resulting from treatment with ADV + entecavir (ETV), ADV + lamivudine (LAM), ADV alone and ETV alone. The consecutive cohort analysis included 831 CHB patients who received ADV + LdT, ADV + LAM, ADV + ETV, ADV alone or ETV alone for 96 weeks. Alterations in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were compared between the five groups using a linear mixed-effects model. HBV DNA levels were also compared between the five groups during the 96-week period. Among the five treatment groups, significant improvements in eGFR were observed in the ADV + LdT and ADV + LAM groups over time (P < 0.001 for each group compared with baseline eGFR). In patients with a baseline eGFR between 50 and 90 mL/min, the change in eGFR was the most significant in the ADV + LdT group (+0.641 mL/min; P < 0.001). Age, gender, baseline eGFR and treatment option were significant predictive factors for eGFR changes. In conclusion, our results suggest that the combination therapy of LdT and ADV is significantly associated with renoprotective effects in CHB patients when compared with other ADV-based combination or single therapies.

Relationship between polymorphisms near the IL28B gene and spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Polymorphisms near the interleukin (IL) 28B gene have been proposed to be associated with spontaneous clearance of the hepatitis C virus. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between IL28B polymorphisms and the rate of spontaneous hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance by means of meta-analysis. MEDLINE/PubMed and EMBASE were utilized to identify relevant studies. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were analysed together to assess the strength of the association. Subgroup analyses were mainly performed according to ethnicity. A total of 4028 cases with persistent chronic hepatitis B and 2327 spontaneously recovered controls were included from 11 studies. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs12979860, had no significant association with HBsAg seroclearance (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.84-1.14 in the dominant model; OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.68-1.46 in the recessive model; and OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.82-1.09 in the allelic model). The SNP, rs12980275, had no significant association either (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.84-1.26 in the dominant model; OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 0.46-2.96 in the recessive model; and OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.86-1.26 in the allelic model), nor did the SNP, rs8099917 (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.77-1.15 in the dominant model; OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.34-1.62 in the recessive model; and OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.77-1.13 in the allelic model). Similarly, the results of subgroup analyses by ethnicity also showed no association in either the Asian group or non-Asian group. We concluded that there was no significant association between common IL28B polymorphisms and the rate of spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance.

P3-17-08: Macroautophagy Protects Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells from TAM-Induced Apoptosis Via Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) Pathway

Tamoxifen (TAM) has been used ubiquitously for endocrine therapy for the hormone-sensitive breast cancer. Several studies have revealed that tamoxifen treatment induced apoptosis and at the same time tamoxifen increased autophagic levels in MCF-7 cells. The previous studies attempt to elaborate the significance and mechanism of autophagy induced by TAM in breast cancer cells, however, there are contradictions among their conclusions, it is still not clear that autophagy protects MCF-7 from apoptosis or promotes apoptosis. Better understanding of the effect of autophagy induced by TAM in breast cancer cells on apoptosis will be of the important clinical significance in endocrine therapy for breast cancer.

The present study shows that tamoxifen treatment significantly increased autophagic levels by inducing autophagic vacuoles formation in MCF-7 cells observed by means of transmission electron microscopy and enhancing the expression of autophagy marker, icrotubule-associated protein light chain 3 measured by Western blot. Our research shows tamoxifen enhanced the phosphorylation of MAPKs when inducing autophagy and autophagy decreased significantly when kinase inhibitors were separately used to inhibit the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, p38 MAPK. MAPK signal transduction pathway was involved in the process of autophagy in MCF-7 cells.

To investigate whether Estrogen receptor-α participated in autophagy caused by tamoxifen, we constructed Estrogen receptor-α gene ESR/1 shRNA expression vector and it could effectively inhibit the expression of ER-α in MCF-7 cells. Our research shows that autophagy was decreased with the downregulation of ER-α, so we conclude that Estrogen receptor-a also involved in autophagy induced by tamoxifen in MCF-7 cells.

To find out the specifical role of autophagy in tamoxifen treated breast cancer cell MCF-7, we inhibited autophagy producing after tamoxifen treatment by pretreating the cells with chloroquine and 3-methyladenine, both commonly used as autophagy inhibitors. Another method for autophagy inhibition was Becline-1 siRNA transfection into MCF-7 cells. Than we stained MCF-7 cells with anti-Annexin V FITC and PI and examinated apoptotic rate by flow cytometer and we also detected activity of caspase7 in MCF-7 cells. The results indicate that inhibition of autophagy by the methods mentioned induced higher apoptotic level, therefore, autophagy protected MCF-7 from apoptosis and inhibiting autophagy may be a new strategy to augment the theraputic effect of tamoxifen treatment. In our study, we induced breast cancer cell MCF-7 resistant to TAM in vitro and we found much higher autophagic level in TAM resisitant cells compared with TAM not resisitant MCF-7 cells. We draw the conclusion that inhibition of autophagy induced by tamoxifen may be a new therapy for tamoxifen resisitant breast cancer.

Key words: tamoxifen, breast cancer, autophagy, MCF-7 cells, MAPKs, estrogen receptor, inhibition, apoptosis

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-17-08.

Morphological study on microvasculature of left ventricular wall in infant and adult yaks

Observations on the microvasculature in the left ventricular wall of infant and adult yaks under light and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were presented. Moreover, the diameter of different microvasculature and the density of the capillaries in three layers of the ventricular myocardium were measured using Image Pro-Plus 5.0. The results showed that the average luminal diameter of arterioles and precapillary arterioles in adult yak's hearts were, in most cases, larger than those in infant yaks. On the contrary, the diameters of the capillary in infant yak's hearts were larger than those in adult yaks. The density of capillary in the myocardium of adult yak's heart had significantly higher values (P<0.01) than those in infant yaks. Arterioles of yak's hearts were characterized by the bark-like structure and the impressions of endothelial cell nuclei, and it always gave rise to capillary after three to four grades of embranchment. The outer surface of capillaries cast in infant yak's hearts was smooth, and no constrictions were found. This was different from adult yak that always had some constrictions. The capillary anastomosis of "H" and "Y" usually existed in the myocardium of both adult and infant yaks; however, those in infant yaks were not typical as in adult yaks in their shape. The peculiar arrangement of the venules in infant yak was a "baggy" or "bulgy" arrangement, while in the adult yak, they had a root-like pattern. Our findings suggest that the patterns of microvasculature in yak's heart could be propitious to adapt better in their environment following their increase of age.

Mannitol facilitates neurotrophic factor up-regulation and behavioural recovery in neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic rats with human umbilical cord blood grafts

We recently demonstrated that blood–brain barrier permeabilization using mannitol enhances the therapeutic efficacy of systemically administered human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) by facilitating the entry of neurotrophic factors from the periphery into the adult stroke brain. Here, we examined whether the same blood–brain barrier manipulation approach increases the therapeutic effects of intravenously delivered HUCB in a neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic (HI) injury model. Seven-day-old Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to unilateral HI injury and then at day 7 after the insult, animals intravenously received vehicle alone, mannitol alone, HUCB cells (15k mononuclear fraction) alone or a combination of mannitol and HUCB cells. Behavioural tests at post-transplantation days 7 and 14 showed that HI animals that received HUCB cells alone or when combined with mannitol were significantly less impaired in motor asymmetry and motor coordination compared with those that received vehicle alone or mannitol alone. Brain tissues from a separate animal cohort from the four treatment conditions were processed for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at day 3 post-transplantation, and revealed elevated levels of GDNF, NGF and BDNF in those that received HUCB cells alone or when combined with mannitol compared with those that received vehicle or mannitol alone, with the combined HUCB cells and mannitol exhibiting the most robust neurotropic factor up-regulation. Histological assays revealed only sporadic detection of HUCB cells, suggesting that the trophic factor–mediated mechanism, rather than cell replacement per se, principally contributed to the behavioural improvement. These findings extend the utility of blood–brain barrier permeabilization in facilitating cell therapy for treating neonatal HI injury.

Dorsal dislocation of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb: a case report

Dorsal dislocation of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb is uncommon. We report the case of a 15-year-old patient with a complex dislocation of the left thumb who underwent open reduction after several attempts at closed reduction failed. At 2-month follow-up, full range of movement was regained; strength and pinch grip were comparable to that of the uninjured hand. The patient defaulted subsequent follow-up.

Effects of recombinant human growth hormone on acute lung injury in endotoxemic rats

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on rat acute lung injury (ALI).

METHODS

ALI was mimicked by intraperitoneal (i. p.) injection of E. coli. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into three groups: control group, injected with physiologic saline (i. p.); ALI group, received a bolus injection of E. coli (1 x 10(10) cfu/l, 15 ml/kg, i. p.) followed by intramuscular physiologic saline injection; and ALI + GH group, received a bolus administration of E. coli, and then treated with intramuscular rhGH injection (2.25 U/kg/d). ALI group and ALI + GH group were subdivided into day 1 and day 3 subgroups, respectively. Left lungs were lavaged and bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was harvested. Lung injury score, lung wet-to-dry weight (W/D) ratio, percentage of neutrophils (PMNs) in BALF, lung permeability index (LPI), intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) expression and activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) in the lungs were determined.

RESULTS

(1) On day 1 and day 3, the lung injury score, lung W/D ratio, LPI and protein content in BALF were significantly higher in the ALI group than in the control and ALI + GH groups. rhGH attenuated lung injuries significantly. (2) Compared with the control group, the percentage of PMNs in BALF was elevated significantly in the ALI and ALI + GH groups, especially in ALI group. (3) Nuclear positive rate of NF-kappaB and ICAM-1 expression at the levels of protein and mRNA in the lung in the ALI group on day 1 and day 3 were higher than in the control group. rhGH diminished activation of NF-kappaB and expression of ICAM-1 in the lung markedly.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with rhGH can significantly attenuate lung injury in the endotoxemic rats, which may be attributed to the reduction of the expression of ICAM-1, the influence on the adhesion and activation of PMNs, the inhibition of the activation of NF-kappaB and the regulation of the transcription of certain proinflammatory cytokines.

The challenges and progress in the management of reproduction in yaks

This paper deals with the progress in the management of reproduction in domestic yaks, including female reproductive biology, male reproductive biology and the main reproductive technologies in both female and male yaks. Further studies and actions with some immediate measures are also recommended.

Platelet-derived growth factor-AA increases IL-1beta and IL-8 expression and activates NF-kappaB in rheumatoid fibroblast-like synoviocytes

The effect of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA on the inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) was investigated using cultured fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) obtained from RA and OA patients as well as control nonarthritic (NA) individuals. PDGF-AA increased the mRNA and protein expressions of proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-8 in RA FLS. Biological activity of IL-1 in the culture supernatant of RA FLS was also increased by PDGF-AA stimulation. Interestingly, PDGF-AA synergized with tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha to upregulate the protein expressions of IL-1beta and IL-8. PDGF-induced enhancement of the IL-1beta and IL-8 mRNA expressions was also observed in OA FLS. However, the expression of these proinflammatory cytokines in NA FLS did not change by PDGF treatment, suggesting that the inflammatory condition might have modified the biological effects of PDGF. In accordance with the enhanced expression of inflammatory cytokines, the activity of nuclear factor kappaB was also induced in response to PDGF-AA in RA FLS. These results suggest that PDGF-AA plays an important role in the progression of RA inflammation, and inhibiting PDGF activity may be useful for the effective RA treatment.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Haemophilus influenzae among children in Beijing, China, 1999-2000

A study on the nasopharyngeal carriage and antimicrobial susceptibility of Haemophilus influenza among children was conducted in Beijing Children's Hospital from April to May 2000. The study included 292 children between 1 and 60 mo of age with acute upper respiratory tract infection. Nasopharyngeal swabs from these patients were cultured, and 105 Haemophilus influenzae strains were isolated, 3 of which were type b. Antibiotic susceptibility of the strains was determined using disk diffusion and E-tests and the results compared with those of isolates from children with pneumonia in 1999. The carriage rate of Haemophilus influenzae was 36.0% (105/292). It was found that 4.8% and 1.0% of isolates were resistant to ampicillin and cefaclor, respectively, and 5.7%, 16.2% and 77.1% were resistant to chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim, respectively. Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, azithromycin, and clarithromycin were uniformly active to all strains. Compared with the data from 1999, there was a significant increase in resistance to tetracycline (from 12.7% in 1999 to 16.2%) and sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim (from 40.5% in 1999 to 77.1%).

CONCLUSION

H. influenzae isolates from outpatients in Beijing Children's Hospital had low ampicillin resistance and were sensitive to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Sulphamethoxazole/ trimethoprim resistance rates increased rapidly compared with those in the 1999 data. Further surveillance investigations are important for the choice of empiric therapy of acute respiratory tract infection.

Homology modeling of the estrogen receptor subtype beta (ER-beta) and calculation of ligand binding affinities

Estrogen is a steroid hormone playing critical roles in physiological processes such as sexual differentiation and development, female and male reproductive processes, and bone health. Numerous natural and synthetic environmental compounds have been shown capable of estrogenic effects. This area has been the focus of significant fundamental and applied research due both to the potential detrimental effects of these compounds upon normal physiological processes and to the potential beneficial effects of tissue-selective estrogen agonists/antagonists for the prevention and treatment of numerous diseases. Genomic effects of the active form of estrogen, 17beta-estradiol, are mediated through at least two members of the steroid hormone receptor superfamily, estrogen receptor subtype alpha (ER-alpha) and estrogen receptor subtype beta (ER-beta). At the time of this work, the X-ray crystal structure of the ER-alpha had been elucidated, however, coordinates of the ER-beta were not publicly available. Based upon the significant structural conservation across members of the steroid hormone receptor family, and the high sequence homology between ER-alpha and ER-beta (>60%), we have developed a homology model of the ER-beta structure. Using the crystal structure of ER-alpha and the homology model of ER-beta, we demonstrate a strong correlation between computed values of the binding-energy and published values of the observed relative binding affinity (RBA) for a variety of compounds for both receptors, as well as the ability to identify receptor subtype selective compounds. Furthermore, using the recently available crystal structure of ER-beta for comparison purposes, we show that not only is the predicted homology model structurally accurate, but that it can be used to assess ligand binding affinities.

An atmospheric-pressure plasma process for C2F6 removal

Perfluorocompounds (PFCs) are widely used in the semiconductor industry for plasma etching and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). They are relatively inert gases that intensely absorb infrared radiation and, therefore, aggravate the greenhouse effect. A bench-scale experimental system was designed and constructed to evaluate the effectiveness of C2F6 conversion by using dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) with atmospheric-pressure plasma processing. Experimental results indicated that the removal efficiency of C2F6 increased with applications of higher voltage and frequency. Combined plasma catalysis (CPC) is an innovative way for abatement of PFCs, and experimental results revealed that combining plasma generation with catalysts could effectively enhance C2F6 removal efficiency achieved with DBD. The major products of C2F6 with DBD processing include CO2, COF2, and CO, when O2 was included in the discharge process. Experimental results indicated that as high as 94.5% of C2F6 were removed via CPC at applied voltage of 15 kV, frequency of 240 Hz in the gas stream of N2:Ar:O2:C2F6 = 50:40:10:0.03.

Profiles of plasma progesterone before and at the onset of puberty in yak heifers

Sixty yak heifers were closely observed to determine their ages at sexual maturity and 15 heifers were used to analyze the plasma progesterone by radioimmunoassay before and at the attainment of puberty. Yak heifers began cyclic activity at a mean (+/-S.D.) age of 33 +/- 6.7 months, but with wild variation. Fifteen heifers used to determine plasma progesterone were divided into three age groups: group I (10-14 months, n = 5), group II (20-24 months, n = 5) and group III (30-36 months, n = 5). Group I yak heifers were found to have two progesterone profiles: inactive ovary (IO) profile and low progesterone short cycle (LPSC) profile; group II had three profiles: IO profile, LPSC profile and LPNC (low progesterone normal cycle) profile; group III had three profiles: LPSC profile, LPNC profile and a normal oestrous cycle profile. It would be concluded from the present study that one or two, or even more brief rise(s) in circulating progesterone presented in yak heifers. These rises, however, were not followed by a normal luteal phase except two yak heifers that came to heat. This characteristics found in yak was obviously different with that reported in other animals.

Inhibition by deacetylase inhibitors of IL-1-dependent induction of haptoglobin involves CCAAT/Enhancer-binding protein isoforms in intestinal epithelial cells

Intestinal epithelial cells participate in an acute phase response (APR) by responding to cytokines and by expressing acute phase protein genes. We hypothesized that butyrate, a fermentation product of the bacterial intestinal flora with deacetylase activity, affects the APR in intestinal epithelial cells. Sodium butyrate (NaBu) and Trichostatin A (TSA) induced alkaline phosphatase activity and histone H4 acetylation in IEC-6 rat intestinal epithelial cells treated with or without interleukin-1beta (IL-1). In contrast, both NaBu and TSA attenuated the IL-1-dependent induction of the acute phase protein gene haptoglobin, as well as C/EBPbeta and C/EBPdelta transcription factors mRNAs. Gel shift and supershift assays showed a strong decrease in the IL-1-induced C/EBPbeta and C/EBPdelta containing complexes binding to the HaptoA C/EBP DNA-binding site of the haptoglobin promoter, by NaBu and TSA. Furthermore, site-specific mutation of the HaptoA site abolished the NaBu- and TSA-dependent inhibition of haptoglobin, as determined by transient transfection assays. These results suggest that deacetylase inhibitors may regulate the IL-1 dependent induction of haptoglobin by down-regulating C/EBP isoforms, and that C/EBPs represent a target for the action of butyrate in the control of the APR of intestinal epithelial cells.

Induction of G(1) cell cycle arrest and p27(KIP1) increase by panaxydol isolated from Panax ginseng

Polyacetylenic compounds of Panax ginseng roots have been shown to inhibit growth of several human malignant tumor cell lines. Panaxydol is known to be one of the cytotoxic polyacetylenic compounds of P. ginseng. In this study, we first showed that panaxydol decreased markedly the proliferation, and to a lesser extent, the number of cells in a human melanoma cell line, SK-MEL-1. Next, the effect of panaxydol on cell cycle progression and its mechanism of action were investigated. Cell cycle analysis revealed that panaxydol inhibited cell cycle progression of a human malignant melanoma cell line, SK-MEL-1, at G(1)-S transition. At the same time, panaxydol increased the protein expression of p27(KIP1) as early as 1 hr after treatment. Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) activity was decreased in a dose-dependent manner after 24 hr of panaxydol treatment. Protein levels of p21(WAF1), p16(INK4a), p53, pRb (retinoblastoma protein), and E2F-1 were not changed. It was also found that cycloheximide reversed the growth inhibition induced by panaxydol and partially abrogated the increase in p27(KIP1) expression. These results indicate that panaxydol induces G(1) cell cycle arrest by decreasing Cdk2 activity and up-regulating p27(KIP1) protein expression.

Multiple functions of an evolutionarily conserved RNA binding domain

Ribosomal protein L30 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae binds to a distinct RNA structure to inhibit the splicing and the translation of its own transcript. Remarkably, the ortholog of L30 from the archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius binds specifically to the same RNA fragment and inhibits splicing both in vitro and in vivo. Indeed, expression of Sulfolobus L30 in yeast severely reduces growth by limiting production of the endogenous L30. This conservation of binding specificity implies that the target of regulation in the RPL30 transcript mimics a site in the rRNA that has been conserved for more than a billion years. We identify this site, whose location suggests that L30, which has no apparent eubacterial ortholog, is responsible for establishing the orientation of a key bridge between the large and small ribosomal subunits.