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As a famous tonic medicine, Cistanche tubulosa has been honored as "ginseng of the deserts" for centuries. Aiming to address the resource shortage as well as the wild resource protection towards this herbal medicine, wide cultivation has been achieved in the southern Xinjiang. Herein, in-depth chemome comparison was conducted between cultivated and wild plants using ¹H-NMR spectroscopy that is capable of comprehensively providing qualitative and quantitative information of given complicated matrices. Multivariate statistical analysis was employed to process the dataset as well as to consolidate that the cultivated plants are comparable to those wild ones in term of chemome. ¹H-NMR spectra of both wild and cultivated plants were acquired in parallel after extraction. Following direct overlaying, great similarity occurred between these two groups. A total of 28 compounds were tentatively identified by referring to authentic compounds together with those available databases, such as HMDB and BMRB. Following principal component analysis, none significant difference was observed between wild and cultivated groups. Above all, from the viewpoint of chemical profile, the cultivated plants were almost equal to the wild plants; therefore, the cultivated plants are able to take the load of wild plants in clinical usage. Moreover, ¹H-NMR spectroscopy is a promising tool for chemical profiling traditional Chinese medicines because of the potential towards simultaneously exhibiting both quantitative and qualitative information for complicated matrices., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

As a holoparasitic plant, Cistanche deserticola is one of the two original sources of Cistanches Herba that is one of the most famous tonic medicines, in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The succulent stems are used for medicinal usage, whereas those lignified stems as well as flowers of less pharmacological importance are usually deserted, suggesting extensive resource waste. Herein, chemical characterization of the flowers along with lignified stems was conducted using HPLC-IT-TOF-MS aiming to explore the medicinal valu of those non-medicinal parts. Following ultrasonication-assisted extraction with 50% aqueous methanol, either flower or lignified stem extract was subjected onto LC-IT-TOF-MS equipped with a Capcell core ADME column to acquire both MS¹ and MSº spectra, and gradient elution was carried out with combinatory 0.1% aqueous formic acid and acetonitrile. Both positive and negative ionization polarities were deployed, resulting in the observation of 62 components, in total. Thirty-nine signals were structurally annotated, including phenylethanoid glycosides, iridoids, lignans and saccharides according to matching with authentic components and literature information, as well as applying the proposed mass fragmentation rules. A total of 62 ones were putatively identified. Above all, lignified stems and flowers should not the qualified substitutes for the succulent stems attributing to the significant differences between the medicinal portion and those parts with less medicinal values., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Propylene glycol alginate sodium sulfate (PSS), a sulfated polysaccharide derivative, has been used as a heparinoid drug to prevent and treat hyperlipidemia and ischemic cardio-cerebrovascular diseases in China for 30 years. But its bleeding risk should not be overlooked. Here we clarified the reasons and mechanism leading to bleeding side effect of PSS. It was found that PSS fractions with low mannuronic acid (M)/guluronic acid (G) ratio and high molecular weight (Mw) can excessively extend activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and thrombin time (TT), over-inhibit the thrombin (FIIa) activity mediated by anti-thrombin III (ATIII) to induce bleeding risk. In addition, the fraction of low M/G ratio can suppress platelet aggregation mediated by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and induce platelet reduction by improving platelet antibody (PA)-IgA/G in serum and by inhibiting or damaging the bone marrow hematopoietic function. And the fraction of high Mw can restrain the reticulated platelet (RP) production, then reduce mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet-large cell counts or ratio, and finally decrease platelet amount by inhibiting or damaging the bone marrow hematopoietic function. In brief, PSS fractions with low M/G ratio and high Mw were the main reasons to bring about bleeding by excessively suppressing coagulant factors activities and weakening platelet function. Our results suggested that it is very necessary to control the M/G ratio and the range of Mw of PSS to guarantee its safety and effectiveness in clinical., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Echinacoside (ECH) is one of the active ingredients in Cistanche Herba and the principal effective component of Memoregain© as well. Moreover, a new agent namely Naoqing Zhiming tablet, derived from ECH has been licensed for clinical trials. However, the knowledge regarding the stability of is limited, till now, initiating a significant barrier for its further development along with the clinical trials. Herein, we aim to in depth characterize the transformation pattern of ECH in methanol. When ECH was stored in methanol, two primary products (P1 and P2) could be observed in HPLC chromatogram. A home-made automated fraction collector was configured via employing two 2-phase/6-port electronic valves to prepare P1 and P2. Following ¹H-NMR and LC-MS/MS assays, P1 and P2 were unambiguously identified as acteoside and cistanoside A, respectively. Moreover, the existences of cis-ECH, cis-acteoside, and cis-cistanoside A were claimed after careful analysis of the ¹H-NMR spectra of ECH, P1 and P2. Above all, the primary transformation pathways of ECH in methanol included methylation as well as hydrolysis, and mild transformation could also be initiated by cis/trans- configuration transferring for the caffeoyl group. The findings obtained in current study are envisioned to provide useful insight for the further development of ECH and the impurity detection of Naoqing Zhiming tablet. Moreover, the automated fraction collector configured in current study is able to serve as a versatile tool for the collection of signals-of-interest within phytochemical evaluations and impurity isolation., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Two new polypeptides were isolated and purified from the extract of deer bone (constitutive part of Cucumis and Cervus polypeptide injection) by various column chromatography including C₄ 300Å and Sephadex G-50, as well as semipreparative HPLC. Their N-terminal amino acid sequences were identified by De Novo sequencing on the basis of MALDI-TOF-MS data and Explorer™ software. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of polypeptides were identified as NH₂-Gly-Pro-Val-Gly-Pro-Thr-Gly-Pro-Val-Gly-Ala-Ala-Gly-Pro-Ser-Gly-Pro-Asp (Mei18 peptide, 1) and NH₂-Ala-Gly-Pro-Ala-Gly-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-Pro-Asp-Ser-Try-Asp (Mei23 peptide, 2), respectively. Mei18 and Mei 23 peptides are new polypeptides., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Background: It was found that G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 3 (GRK3) played key biological roles in some cancers. However, its associations with clinicopathologic features and prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remain unknown., Methods and Methods: Expression of GRK3 was detected, using tissue microarray-based immunohistochemistry, in paired formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor and non-tumor samples from 165 patients with PDAC after curative resection, and was further correlated with clinicopathologic parameters and cancer-specific survival (CSS)., Results: It was shown that GRK3 expression was much lower in tumor than in non-tumor tissues. Moreover, expression of GRK3 in tumor tissues was significantly associated with gender and T stage. Univariately, high GRK3 expression was predictive for favorable CSS, along with some conventional clinicopathologic variables. In multivariate Cox regression test, GRK3 expression remained to be a significant prognostic marker for PDAC. Finally, combination of GRK3 with some clinicopathologic variables, especially N stage, obtained more precise prediction for CSS., Conclusions: Our data suggested that expression of GRK3 was down-regulated in PDAC and was an independent prognostic factor., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the effect of tibial composite saphenous nerve tissue flap in repairing traumatic bone-skin defect of leg., Methods: From February 2009 to May 2015, 23 patients with focile skin defect caused by trauma were treated, including 18 males and 5 females, aged from 8 to 59 years old with an average age of 35.6 years old. Length of tibia bone cortex defect ranged from 4 to 12 cm, width ranged from 2 to 2.5cm, skin defect ranged from 8 cm× 3 cm to 18 cm× 11 cm, all the wound surfaces had purulent exudation. Cross shift and ipsilateral shift methods of tibial composite saphenous nerve tissue flap were used to reconstruct continuity of the injured limb tibial brace and repair wound surface. Cutting flap ranged from 9 cm× 4 cm to 20 cm × 12 cm, bone flap length was 6 to 15 cm, width was 1.5 to 2.5 cm. Fracture healing time and recovery of limb function were observed., Results: At 3 to 5 months after operation, bone flap and area of affected area were healed with an average of 4.7 months. Twenty-three cases were followed up for 6 months to 5 years with an average of 30.3 months. Thirteen patients were able to walk without abnormal gait and could be engaged into original work. According to Enneking evaluation systems, 13 patients obtained excellent results, 8 moderate and 2 poor., Conclusions: With tibial composite saphenous nerve tissue flap transplantation at stage one to repair tibia and skin defects according to specific condition of affected limbs has a high rate of success and creates less damage to region of limb injury, which is an ideal method to repair skin defect of focile., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

The precipitation data for nine sites in the acid rain area of southwest China were analyzed. The data included pH and the concentrations of major ions (Cl - , SO 4 2- , NO 3 - , Ca 2+ , NH 4 + , Mg 2+ , K + , and Na + ). SO 4 2- and NO 3 - were the main anions, whereas Ca 2+ and NH 4 + were the main cations in the precipitation. The concentrations of acidic ions, alkaline ions, and total ions in this area were significantly higher than those reported in southeast China, but much lower than those in northern China. About 58% of the total precipitation has a pH value ranging from 4.5 to 5.6. According to the correlation of acidic and alkaline ions as well as the results of the neutralization factor, the rainwater in this area has been neutralized. Ca 2+ and NH 4 + are the dominant neutralization substances in rainwater. Comparisons of pH and the main ion components with other areas showed that rainfall neutralization in this area was stronger than that in southeast China but poorer than that in northern China. Calculation of enrichment factors for rainwater components relative to soil and seawater indicated that Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ mainly originated from terrestrial sources and SO 4 2- and NO 3 - were mostly attributed to the anthropogenic activities in this area. In addition, approximately 99.7% of Ca 2+ and 84.0% of Mg 2+ were attributed to terrestrial sources and were closely related to the widespread distribution of carbonate rocks in the southwest of China.

Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are a family of zinc finger transcription factors regulating embryonic development and diseases. The phylogenetics of KLFs has not been studied in tree shrews, an animal lineage with a closer relationship to primates than rodents. Here, we identified 17 KLFs from Chinese tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis). KLF proteins are highly conserved among humans, monkeys, rats, mice and tree shrews compared to zebrafish and chickens. The CtBP binding site, Sin3A binding site and nuclear localization signals are largely conserved between tree shrews and human beings. Tupaia belangeri (Tb) KLF5 contains several conserved post-transcriptional modification motifs. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression patterns of multiple tbKLFs are tissue-specific . TbKLF5, like hKLF5, significantly promotes NIH3T3 cell proliferation in vitro. These results provide insight for future studies regarding the structure and function of the tbKLF gene family.

Aquaporin 1 (AQP1) is expressed in most microvasculature endothelial cells and forms water channels that play major roles in a variety of physiologic processes. This study aimed to delineate the transcriptional regulation of AQP1 by Mef2c in endothelial cells. Mef2c cooperated with Sp1 to activate human AQP1 transcription by binding to its proximal promoter in human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Over-expression of Mef2c, Sp1, or Mef2c/Sp1 increased HUVEC migration and tube-forming ability, which can be abolished AQP1 knockdown. These data indicate that AQP1 is a direct target of Mef2c in regulating angiogenesis and vasculogenesis of endothelial cells.

Objective: To investigate the factors that affect the clinical pregnancy rate after intrauterine insemination (IUI)., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 611 IUI cycles and analyzed the relationship of the clinical pregnancy rate after IUI with the female age, infertility duration, type of infertility, cycle number, cycle protocol, thickness and type of endometrium, and semen parameters before processing., Results: The clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the ovulation induction than in the natural ovulation cycles (23.03% vs 11.03%, P < 0.01), but lower in the 4th cycle and above than in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cycles (2.04% vs 21.30%, 18.13%, and 12.67%, P < 0.01). Marked decreases were found in the clinical pregnancy rate in the females aged ≥ 40 years and the cases with pre-processing total progressively motile sperm count (TPMSC) < 10 x 10(6), progressive motile sperm < 20%, or morphologically normal sperm < 2% (all P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed the cycle protocol, cycle number, and percentage of progressively motile sperm as three predictive variables affecting the clinical pregnancy rate after IUI (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The cycle protocol, cycle number, percentage of progressively motile sperm, female age, TPMSC, and sperm morphology are the main factors affecting the clinical pregnancy rate following IUI, while infertility duration, type of infertility, and thickness and type of endometrium exert little influence.

Increasing N deposition in China will possibly cause N saturation of forest ecosystem, further resulting in a series of serious environmental problems. In order to explore the response of forest ecosystem to N deposition in China, and further evaluate and predict the N status of ecosystem, the 15N natural abundance (delta 15N) of soil and plants was measured in a typical Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) forest in southwest China to examine the potential use of delta 15N enrichment factor (epsilon(p/s)) as an effective indicator of N status. Long-term high N addition could significantly increase delta 15N of soil and plants, which was suggested by an on-going N fertilizing experiment with NH4NO3 or NaNO3 for 7 years. Meanwhile, delta 15N of soil and plants under NH, deposition was significantly higher than that under NO- deposition, suggesting different responses of ecosystem to different N-forms of deposition. The "N enrichment factor (epsilon(p/s)) had positive correlations with N deposition, N nitrification, and N leaching in the soil water. Linear correlation between "N enrichment factor and N deposition was found for all Masson pine forests investigated in this and previous studies in China, demonstrating that 15N enrichment factor could be used as an indicator of N status. The NH3 emission control should also be carried out accompanying with NOx emission control in the future, because NH4- deposition had significantly greater impact on the forest ecosystem than NO3- deposition with the same equivalence.

This study examined the expression patterns of serum let-7 microRNA (miRNA) and its target gene, pepsinogen C (PGC), in gastric cancer (GC) and precancerous disease patients to evaluate their diagnostic efficiency for GC and its precursor and to investigate any correlation between the two. Serum samples were taken from 638 patients, including 214 GC patients, 222 atrophic gastritis (AG) patients, and 202 controls (CON). The expression of serum let-7 miRNA was detected in control-AG (precancerous disease) through to GC patients using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Serum PGC was determined by enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay. PGC expression in situ was detected by immunohistochemistry staining. The luciferase reporter gene system was used to verify correlation between let-7 miRNA and its predicted target gene. The results showed that serum let-7c, let-7i, and let-7f demonstrated significant differences in the CON-AG-GC sequence (P = 0.017, P < 0.001, P = 0.003, respectively); let-7c was significantly lower in the AG group, and let-7i and let-7f were significantly higher in the GC group. Significantly different expressions of serum PGC were found among the three diseases, and also between AG vs. CON, and GC vs. CON (P = 0.027, P = 0.001, respectively). Linear-regression analysis suggested that serum let-7c was negatively correlated to the expression of PGC (r = -0.096, P = 0.047), and serum let-7c, let-7i, and let-7f showed no association with PGC expression in tissue. In addition, serum let-7c, let-7f, and let-7i showed significant correlations with environment factors. Serum let-7c, let-7i, and let-7f demonstrated significant differences in the CON-AG-GC disease sequence indicating that let-7 miRNA might have value by serving as potential biomarker in the diagnosis of GC or its precancerous diseases. There were significant negative correlations between serum let-7c and its target gene PGC expression.

Background: We aimed to investigate the disruptions of functional connectivity of amygdala-based networks in adolescents with untreated generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)., Material and Methods: A total of 26 adolescents with first-episode GAD and 20 normal age-matched volunteers underwent resting-state and T1 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We analyzed the correlation of fMRI signal fluctuation between the amygdala and other brain regions. The variation of amygdala-based functional connectivity and its correlation with anxiety severity were investigated., Results: Decreased functional connectivity was found between the left amygdala and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. An increased right amygdala functional connectivity with right posterior and anterior lobes of the cerebellum, insula, superior temporal gyrus, putamen, and right amygdala were found in our study. Negative correlations between GAD scores and functional connectivity of the right amygdala with the cerebellum were also observed in the GAD adolescents., Conclusions: Adolescents with GAD have abnormalities in brain regions associated with the emotional processing pathways.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is an important member of zinc dependent endopeptidases family and is considered to be involved in the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. Many studies were published to assess the prognostic role of MMP-9 expression in patients with oral squamous cell Carcinoma, but the findings from those studies were inconsistent in Chinese population. We searched eligible studies in Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Six studies with a total of 556 patients were finally included into the meta-analysis. The pooled odds ratios (OR) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CIs) for positive rate of MMP-9 were calculated by using meta-analysis. Overall, MMP-9 positive expression was associated with tumor metastases in patients with oral squamous cell Carcinoma (fixed-effects OR 4.24, 95% CI 2.25-7.99, P < 0.001; random-effects OR 4.35, 95% CI 2.31-8.21, P < 0.001). Our results indicated that MMP-9 expression is associated with tumor metastases in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma, and patients with higher MMP-9 expression have less tumor metastases.

In this study, topsoil samples were collected from wetlands recovered from farmlands respectively for 3, 5, 9 and 11 years around Caizi Lake, Anhui, China. Their characteristics of adsorption and desorption of phosphorus were examined with comparison to soils sampled from an adjacent vegetable farmland and a non-cultivated wetland. Phosphorus adsorption curves of all studied soils could be modeled by Langmuir and Freundlich equations (P < 0.01). The maximum P adsorption (Xm), adsorption constant K and maximum buffer capacity (MBC) of all the 6 soil samples were in the ranges of 478-1074 mg x kg(-1), 0.14-0.61 and 68.6-661.5 mg x kg(-1), respectively. These three parameters all tented to increase with the recovered years but did not reach the values of the non-cultivated wetland. However, the P desorption rate ranging from 6.2% to 14.6%, increased first and then decreased with the recovered years and was significantly higher than that of the non-cultivated wetland. It was concluded that the P immobilization would increase with the recovery years of cultivated wetlands, which could be affected by the soil organic carbon and clay contents of the wetland soil.

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of bushen huoxue recipe (BHR) combined estrogen and progesterone in treating premature ovarian failure (POF), and to explore an effective treatment program of POF by integrative medicine., Methods: Totally 265 POF patients were randomly assigned to 3 groups, i.e., Group I (86 cases, treated by BHR),Group II (88 cases,treated by conjugated estrogens and medroxyprogesterone acetate), and Group III (91 cases,treated by BHR +conjugated estrogens and medroxyprogesterone acetate). The therapeutic course for each group was 6 months. The main symptoms (including menstrual cycle, hectic fever, night sweat, vaginal dryness, and low libido), laboratory indices [including follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteotropic hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), and inhibin B (INH-B)], B-ultrasound indicators (including endometrial thickness, ovarian volume, and antral follicle count), and adverse reactions were observed in the three groups at the end of treatment and 6 months after treatment., Results: Compared with before treatment, the main symptoms, laboratory indices, and B-ultrasound indicators were statistically improved in the three groups at the end of treatment and 6 months after treatment (P <0.05, P <0.01). Better effects were obtained in Group III in improving symptoms of the menstrual cycle, vaginal dryness, and low libido, lowering levels of FSH and LH, elevating levels of E2and INH-B, and ameliorating the endometrial thickness, the ovarian volume, and the antral follicle count (P <0.05, P <0.01). No obvious adverse reaction occurred in the three groups., Conclusion: BHR combined estrogen and progesterone showed better clinical efficacy than use of BHR or estrogen/progesterone alone, indicating it was an effective treatment program for POF.

Objective: To observe the effects of leptin on the expression of Akt, Pho-Akt, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and the apoptosis of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), and to explore the possible mechanisms., Methods: ASMCs were derived from rat airway tissue and cultured in vitro. The cells were randomly divided into 5 groups including a control group, leptin at concentrations of 50, 100, 200 µg/L groups (group Lep50, Lep100, Lep200), and PI3K specific antagonist with Lep200 group. Then the cells of different groups were incubated for 24 h. An apoptosis detection kit was used for annexin V and PI staining. The expression of Akt, phosphorylation Akt, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 were measured by Western blot., Results: The apoptosis rates of ASMCs in group Lep50, Lep100 and Lep200 were (3.97 ± 0.39)%, (1.88 ± 0.72)% and (0.77 ± 0.11)%, respectively, all significantly lower than that in the control group (7.38 ± 0.49)% (F = 89.57, P < 0.05). Furthermore, the concentration of leptin was negatively related to the apoptosis rate (r = -0.711, P < 0.05). The apoptosis rates of PI3K specific antagonist with Lep200 group (3.29 ± 0.36)% was higher than that of group Lep200 (0.77 ± 0.11)% (F = 89.57, P < 0.01). After the intervention of leptin, the expression of Bcl-2 was upregulated and positively correlated with leptin concentration (r = 0.939, P < 0.05); Bax was downregulated and negatively related to the leptin concentration (r = -0.908, P < 0.05); while the Bcl-2/Bax ratio was raised after leptin treatment (F = 20.56, P < 0.05). Leptin inhibited the activation of caspase-3 in the negative way. (r = -0.961, P < 0.05). The results also showed that leptin significantly increased phosphorylation of Akt that positively related to leptin concentration (r = 0.958, P < 0.05). Compared with group Lep200, the expression of Pho-Akt and Bcl-2 in PI3K specific antagonist with Lep200 group were downregulated (F = 32.93, 19.48, respectively, P < 0.05), while the expression of Bax and caspase-3 was increased (F = 10.10, 29.86, respectively, P < 0.05); the Bcl-2/Bax ratio was lower in group Lep200 as compared to the PI3K specific antagonist with Lep200 group (F = 20.56, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Leptin can significantly inhibit ASMC apoptosis partially via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

In the title complex, [Mg(C(2)H(3)O(3))(H(2)O)(4)]NO(3), the Mg(II) cation is hexa-coordinated by four O atoms from water mol-ecules and two O atoms from a 2-hy-droxy-acetate ligand in a distorted octa-hedral coordination geometry. The structure exhibits a three-dimensional supra-molecular network, which is stabilized by nine different O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2) O(2) ) is a key reactive oxygen species (ROS) in signal transduction pathways leading to activation of plant defenses against biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, we investigated the effects of H(2) O(2) pretreatment on aluminum (Al) induced antioxidant responses in root tips of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes, Yangmai-5 (Al-sensitive) and Jian-864 (Al-tolerant). Al increased accumulation of H(2) O(2) and O(2) (•-) leading to more predominant lipid peroxidation, programmed cell death and root elongation inhibition in Yangmai-5 than in Jian-864. However, H(2) O(2) pretreatment alleviated Al-induced deleterious effects in both genotypes. Under Al stress, H(2) O(2) pretreatment increased the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase and monodehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase as well as the levels of ascorbate and glutathione more significantly in Yangmai-5 than in Jian-864. Furthermore, H(2) O(2) pretreatment also increased the total antioxidant capacity evaluated as the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-radical scavenging activity and the ferric reducing/antioxidant power more significantly in Yangmai-5 than in Jian-864. Therefore, we conclude that H(2) O(2) pretreatment improves wheat Al acclimation during subsequent Al exposure by enhancing the antioxidant defense capacity, which prevents ROS accumulation, and that the enhancement is greater in the Al-sensitive genotype than in the Al-tolerant genotype.

Chitosan is a popular biomaterial used in tissue engineering. Fibers of chitosan could provide a favorable anatomical substrate for cell growth which provides a promising application for axonal regeneration during peripheral injury. Neuroepithelial stem cells (NEPs) are the most primitive neural stem cells with multipotential for neuronal and glia differentiation. To assess the biocompatibility between NEPs and chitosan fibers, and to explore whether the NEPs have the ability to differentiation on chitosan fibers, NEPs were harvested from the neural tube and seeded on chitosan fibers in in vitro culture. The biocompatibility of chitosan fibers was tested by MTT assays. The growth and survival were observed by light and scanning electronic microscope at different times in culture. And, the differentiation of NEPs was examined by immunocytochemical staining. The results indicated that NEPs could grow on the chitosan fibers and attach firmly to the surface of fibers. On chitosan fibers, NEPs could differentiate into neurons and glia. Our study demonstrated that chitasan fibers had a good biocompatibility with NEPs which affords a potential alternative for the repair of peripheral nerve injury.

In the title centrosymmetric dinuclear Eu(III) complex, [Eu(2)(CH(3)COO)(6)(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)], each Eu(III) cation is coordinated by seven O atoms from five acetate anions and two N atoms from one phenanthroline ligand in a distorted tricapped trigonal-prismatic geometry. Four acetate anions bridge two Eu(III) cations to form the dinuclear complex, with an Eu⋯Eu distance of 3.9409 (8) Å. Weak inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonding is present in the crystal structure.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of balloon dilatation through flexible bronchoscopy in the management of inflammatory stenosis of grade 4-5 bronchus., Method: Thirty patients with inflammatory bronchial stenosis caused by mycoplasmal pneumonia complicated with pulmonary atelectasis were treated with balloon dilatation through fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Before the procedure and after the last operation, therapeutic effect on pulmonary atelectasis were evaluated with CT and all of the patients were followed-up for 1 - 6 months., Result: One to three operations were required to achieve satisfactory dilatation. After balloon dilatation, the average airway diameter increased obviously and the farther airways were opened after the therapy with irrigation. In 25 of 30 cases satisfactory immediate effects were obtained, a narrow airway diameter above expansion significantly increased as compared with preoperative diameter. In 5 children treated with balloon dilatation, the stenosis could not be improved significantly. In 3 patients with hyperplasia of granulation tissue, cryotherapy had to be applied. The operations were ineffective in the other two patients whose course of disease exceeded 3 months. After follow-up periods of 1 - 6 months, chest CT manifestation of expanded sites was improved in 28 patients and atelectasis disappeared. No severe complication was found in any patients., Conclusion: Bronchoplasty by balloon dilatation through flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy is a simple, effective and safe method to treat childhood tracheobronchial stenosis after pulmonary infections.

Objective: To study the diagnosis and treatment of glucagonoma., Methods: A retrospective review of glucagonoma cases was committed between June 1993 and July 2008 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. It was measured by sex, age, misdiagnosis, clinical symptoms, laboratory data, imaging studies, diagnosis, treatment procedures and so on., Results: The tumors of eleven cases were found in the tail, and one case was in the head of the pancreas at the same time. Ten had solitary lesion, one had multiple lesions. The average diameter of the lesions was 3.9 cm. Nine patients had the metastasis out of pancreas and all of them had the liver metastasis. One case was a member of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1) syndromes. Eight patients being treated with operation had the detailed pathological reports. The glucagon was detected by immunohistochemistry and was positive in five patients. Six patients were pathologically malignant. Multimodal treatments included tumor resection, chemoembolization, treated with somatostatin analogues and (or) radionuclides and so on were applied to all patients., Conclusions: Glucagonoma is a rare pancreatic endocrine tumor. Radical tumor surgery is used as the first choice. Multimodal approach may improve the prognosis.

Neuroepithelial stem cells (NEPs) demonstrate a high potential for self-renewal and differentiation during embryonic development. To explore the survival and differentiation of NEPs in vivo, we isolated NEPs from green fluorescence protein (GFP) transgenic embryos and transplanted into the lateral ventricle of rats. In vitro culture, NEPs proliferated into neurospheres and differentiated into both neurons and glia. When transplanted into the lateral ventricle of rats, these GFP positive NEPs (GFP+ NEPs) survived and attached to the wall of ventricle. Moreover, grafted cells differentiated into neuron-specific enolase (NSE) positive neurons and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positive astrocytes and migrated into the host brain. Thus, our results indicate that NEPs can survive and differentiate into neurons and astrocytes in the lateral ventricle following transplantation.

To determine the effects of Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD), a traditional Chinese medicine, on neurite outgrowth and differentiation of neuroepithelial stem cells (NEPs), NEPs were isolated from embryonic neural tube and cultured in medium with rat serum containing BYHWD, which was prepared from rats administrated orally with BYHWD. The average neurite length of NEPs grew significantly longer in rat serum containing BYHWD than in control serum without BYHWD. More neurofilament (NF) positive cells and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positive cells were detected in NEPs cultured in the presence of BYHWD. Besides, when cultured NEPs were loaded with Fluo-3-AM, the fluorescence intensity obtained from NEPs cultured in serum with BYHWD was significantly lower than that from NEPs cultured in control serum without BYHWD. Our results indicate that BYHWD could exert a promotion effect on neurite outgrowth and differentiation of NEPs.

Objective: To understand iron nutritional status in school-age children, incidence of the sub-clinical iron deficiency (SID) and effect of iron supplementation on SID in the rural school-age children from mountainous areas of Beijing., Methods: The dietary survey and food frequency questionnaire survey were conducted in 1,012 school children aged 7 - 13 at rural mountainous areas of Fangshan District, Beijing, and their blood samples were collected for analyzing biochemical indicators for iron nutrition. Two hundred and sixty-seven children with IDs (iron deficiency store) and IDE (iron deficiency erythropoiesis), based on screening criteria for iron-deficiency anemia, received an iron supplementation (NaFeEDTA) capsule (containing 60 mg iron element) weekly, and those with IDA (iron deficiency anemia) received NaFeEDTA capsule thrice weekly for nine weeks. Blood biochemical indicators for iron nutrition were determined repeatedly and compared with those before and after the intervention., Results: The daily average intakes of energy, protein, iron and vitamin C in school children of all age groups reached the daily recommended criteria (> 85% of the RNIs), but the proportion of heme in dietary iron constitution was lower. The average blood biochemical indicators for iron nutrition were as follows: serum ferritin (SF) (50.83 +/- 33.09) micro g/L, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP) (489.44 +/- 219.61) micro g/L, hemoglobin (Hb) (130.57 +/- 10.82) g/L, and the ratio of FEP/Hb (3.83 +/- 1.96), respectively. Incidence of total iron deficiency in rural children was 26.5%, with proportions of iron deficiency (IDs), iron deficiency erythropoiesis (IDE), and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) of 15.5%, 7.1%, and 3.9% respectively. SID accounted for 85.4% of the total iron deficiency, which was 5.8 times as much as IDA. With iron supplementation for 9 weeks, the hematdogical index of iron increased significantly and returned to the normal level., Conclusions: The incidence of subclinical iron deficiency in the rural school-age children was insidious and should be attached more importance, which was helpful to its early recognition and intervention. Iron supplementation is important for children with SID to prevent and decrease the occurrence of IDA.