Search

Exogenous and endogenous opioids have been shown to modulate the immune system. Morphine-induced immunosuppression has been investigated extensively. However, the immune-regulating function of endogenous opioid peptides is unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the difference in effects on cellular immune function between recombinant rat β-endorphin (β-EP; 50 μg/kg) and plant source morphine (10 mg/kg) via intraperitoneal injection treatment in a rat model of bone cancer pain. Walker 256 cells were injected into a tibial cavity injection to establish the bone cancer pain model. The paw withdrawal thresholds and body weights were measured prior to surgery, at 6 days after surgery, and following 1, 3,6 and 8 treatments. The spleen cells were harvested for detection of T cell proliferation, natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity, and the relative quantities of T cell subtypes (CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ cells). Plasma levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2) were also determined. It was found that single or multiple treatments with β-EP (a homogenous opioid peptide) and morphine (a heterogenous opioid) had good analgesic effects on bone cancer pain, while the analgesia provided by morphine was stronger than that of β-EP. Treatment with β-EP 3, 6 and 8 times increased the body weight gain in the rat model of bone cancer pain, while morphine treatment had on effect on it. With regard to immunomodulatory functions, β-EP treatment increased T cell proliferation and NK cell cytotoxicity, and increased the relative quantities of T cell subtypes, but no effect on T cell secretion. However, morphine treatment decreased T cell proliferation and the levels of T cell subtypes. These data indicate that opioids from different sources have different effects on cellular immune function in vivo. A small dose of homogenous opioid peptide exhibited positive effects (analgesia and immune enhancement) on cancer pain. These results provide experimental evidence supporting the exploitation of human opioids for the treatment of cancer pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic full length sequence of HLA‐A*24:20:01:01, was identified by cloning and sequencing from a Chinese donor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative brain disorder and the most common cause of dementia. New treatments for AD are required due to its increasing prevalence in aging populations. The present study evaluated the effects of the active components of Epimedium, Astragalus and Radix Puerariae on learning and memory impairment, β-amyloid (Aβ) reduction and brain iron load in an APPswe/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mouse model of AD. Increasing evidence indicates that a disturbance of normal iron homeostasis may contribute to the pathology of AD. However, the underlying mechanisms resulting in abnormal iron load in the AD brain remain unclear. It has been hypothesized that the brain iron load is influenced by the deregulation of certain proteins associated with brain iron metabolism, including divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) and ferroportin 1 (FPN1). The present study investigated the effects of the active components of Epimedium, Astragalus and Radix Puerariae on the expression levels of DMT1 and FPN1. The treatment with the active components reduced cognitive deficits, inhibited Aβ plaque accumulation, reversed Aβ burden and reduced the brain iron load in AD model mice. A significant increase was observed in the levels of DMT1-iron-responsive element (IRE) and DMT1-nonIRE in the hippocampus of the AD mouse brain, which was reduced by treatment with the active components. In addition, the levels of FPN1 were significantly reduced in the hippocampus of the AD mouse brain compared with those of control mice, and these levels were increased following treatment with the active components. Thus, the present study indicated that the active components of Epimedium, Astragalus and Radix Puerariae may exert a neuroprotective effect against AD by reducing iron overload in the AD brain and may provide a novel approach for the development of drugs for the treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent evidence suggests that persistent pain and recurrent pain are due to the pain memory which is related to the phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Eletroacupuncture (EA), as a complementary Chinese medical procedure, has a significant impact on the treatment of pain and is now considered as a mind-body therapy. Methods: The rat model of pain memory was induced by two injections of carrageenan into the paws, which was administered separately by a 14-day interval, and treated with EA therapy. The paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) of animals were measured and p-CREB expressions in ACC were detected by using immunofluorescence (IF) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Statistical comparisons among different groups were made by one-way, repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The second injection of carrageenan caused the decrease of PWTs in the non-injected hind paw. EA stimulation applied prior to the second injection, increased the values of PWTs. In ACC, the numbers of p-CREB positive cells were significantly increased in pain memory model rats, which were significantly reduced by EA. EMSA results showed EA also down-regulated the combining capacity of p-CREB with its DNA. Furthermore, the co-expression of p-CREB with GFAP, OX-42, or NeuN in ACC was strengthened in the pain memory model rats. EA inhibited the co-expression of p-CREB with GFAP or OX-42, but not NeuN in ACC. Conclusions: The present results suggest the retrieval of pain memory could be alleviated by the pre-treatment of EA, which is at least partially attributed to the down-regulated expression and combining capacity of p-CREB and the decreased expression of p-CREB in astrocytes and microglia cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the dimension spectrum of sofic system with the potential functions being matrix valued. For finite-coordinate dependent positive matrix potential, we set up the entropy spectrum by constructing the quasi-Bernoulli measure and the cut-off method is applied to deal with the infinite-coordinate dependent case. We extend this method to nonnegative matrix and give a series of examples of the sofic-affine set on which we can compute the spectrum concretely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After unilateral peripheral vestibular lesions, the brain plasticity underlying early recovery from the static symptoms is not fully understood. Principal cells of the chick tangential nucleus offer a subset of morphologically defined vestibular nuclei neurons to study functional changes after vestibular lesions. Chickens show posture and balance deficits immediately after unilateral vestibular ganglionectomy (UVG), but by 3 days most subjects begin to recover, although some remain uncompensated. With the use of whole cell voltage-clamp, spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs and sIPSCs) and miniature excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs and mIPSCs) were recorded from principal cells in brain slices 1 and 3 days after UVG. One day after UVG, sEPSC frequency increased on the lesion side and remained elevated at 3 days in uncompensated chickens only. Also by 3 days, sIPSC frequency increased on the lesion side in all operated chickens due to major increases in GABAergic events. Significant change also occurred in decay time of the events. To determine whether fluctuations in frequency and kinetics influenced overall excitatory or inhibitory synaptic drive, synaptic charge transfer was calculated. Principal cells showed significant increase in excitatory synaptic charge transfer only on the lesion side of uncompensated chickens. Thus compensation continues when synaptic charge transfer is in balance bilaterally. Furthermore, excessive excitatory drive in principal cells on the lesion side may prevent vestibular compensation. Altogether, this work is important for it defines the time course and excitatory and inhibitory nature of changing spontaneous synaptic inputs to a morphologically defined subset of vestibular nuclei neurons during critical early stages of recovery after UVG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using static chamber-gas chromatographic techniques, the CH4 and N2O emissions from the paddy soil in southeast Hubei were measured. Four treatments were installed, i.e., no-tillage plus no-fertilization (NT0), conventional tillage plus no-fertilization (CT0), no-tillage plus fertilization (NTC), and conventional tillage plus fertilization (CTC). In all treatments, the CH4 emission had a seasonal variation of increasing first and decreasing then, while the N2O emission had no significant seasonal variation. Fertilization increased the CH4 and N2O emissions significantly. NT0 increased the CH4 emission and decreased the N2O emission significantly, compared with CT0; NTC only decreased the CH4 emission and increased the N2O emission slightly, compared with CTC. The analysis on the integrated greenhouse effect of CH4 and N2O showed that NT0 increased the effect by 25.9%, compared with CT0, while NTC decreased the effect by 10.1%, compared with CTC. Therefore, a reasonable arrangement of fertilization and no-tillage could reduce the integrated greenhouse effect of CH4 and N2O from paddy field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vestibular compensation refers to the recovery of function occurring after unilateral vestibular deafferentation, but some patients remain uncompensated. Similarly, more than half of the operated chickens compensate three days after unilateral vestibular ganglionectomy (UVG), but the rest remain uncompensated. This review focuses on the studies performed on the principal cells of the chick tangential nucleus after UVG. The tangential nucleus is a major avian vestibular nucleus whose principal cells are all second-order, vestibular reflex projection neurons participating in the vestibuloocular and vestibulocollic reflexes controlling posture, balance, and eye movements. Using whole-cell patch-clamp approach in brain slice preparations, spontaneous spike firing, ionic conductances, and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) are recorded in principal cells from controls and operated chickens three days after UVG. In compensated chickens, the proportion of spontaneous spike firing principal cells and their spike discharge rate are symmetric on the lesion and intact sides, with the rates increased over controls. However, in the uncompensated chickens, the spike discharge rate increases on the lesion side, but not on the intact side, where only silent principal cells are recorded. In all the experimental groups, including controls, silent principal cells are distinguished from spontaneous spiking cells by smaller persistent sodium conductances and higher activation thresholds for the fast sodium channel. In addition, silent principal cells on the intact side of uncompensated chickens have larger dendrotoxin-sensitive potassium conductances, with a higher ratio of immunolabeling for surface/cytoplasmic expression of a dendrotoxin-sensitive, potassium channel subunit, Kv1.1. Finally, in compensated chickens, sEPSC frequency is symmetric bilaterally, but in uncompensated chickens sEPSC frequency increased only on the lesion side, where the expression of Kv1.2 decreased in synaptotagmin-labeled terminal profiles on the principal cell bodies. Altogether, the specific sodium and potassium channels important for the development of spike firing pattern and/or presynaptic glutamate release on vestibular reflex projection neurons may be critically involved in changing postsynaptic neuron excitability after vestibular deafferentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-photon excitable small organic molecule (abbreviated as TP-NH2) with large two-photon absorption cross section and competitive fluorescence quantum yield was prepared, which emitted fluorescence in the visible region upon excitation at 800 nm. Using the TP-NH2 molecule as an energy donor, a two-photon excitation fluorescence resonance energy-transfer (FPE-FRET) based homogeneous immunoassay method was proposed. The donor and the acceptor (DABS-Cl, a dark quencher) were labeled to bovine serum albumin (BSA) separately, and anti-BSA protein was determined by employing an antibody bridging assay scheme. Rabbit anti-BSA serum containing other biomolecules was intentionally used as the sample to introduce interference. A parallel assay was performed using the traditional one-photon excitation FRET model, which failed to carry out quantitative determination due to the serious background luminescence arising from those biomolecules in the sample. The TPE-FRET model showed its strong ability to overcome the problem of autofluorescence and provided satisfying analytical performance. Quite good sensitivity and wide linear range (0.05-2.5 nM) for anti-BSA protein was obtained. The results of this work suggest that TPE-FRET could be a promising technique for homogeneous assays excluding separation steps, especially in complicated biological sample matrixes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the existence of fragile karst geo-ecological environments, such as environments with extremely poor soil cover, low soil-forming velocity, and fragmentized terrain and physiognomy, as well as inappropriate and intensive land use, soil erosion is a serious problem in Guizhou Province, which is located in the centre of the karst areas of southwestern China; evaluation of soil loss and spatial distribution for conservation planning is urgently needed. This study integrated the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) with a GIS to assess soil loss and identify risk erosion areas in the Maotiao River watershed of Guizhou. Current land use/cover and management practices were evaluated to determine their effects on average annual soil loss and future soil conservation practices were discussed. Data used to generate the RUSLE factors included a Landsat Thematic Mapper image (land cover), digitized topographic and soil maps, and precipitation data. The results of the study compare well with the other studies and local data, and provide useful information for decision makers and planners to take appropriate land management measures in the area. It thus indicates the RUSLE–GIS model is a useful tool for evaluating and mapping soil erosion quantitatively and spatially at a larger watershed scale in Guizhou. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Principal cells of the chick tangential nucleus are vestibular nucleus neurons in the hindbrain. Although detailed information is available on the morphogenesis of principal cells and synaptogenesis of primary vestibular fibers, this is the first study of their early functional development, when vestibular terminals emerge at embryonic days 10 and 13 (E10 and E13). At E10, 60% of principal cells generated spikes on depolarization, whereas 50% exhibited excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) on vestibular-nerve stimulation. The frequency was 0.2 Hz for glutamatergic spontaneous EPSCs (sEPSCs) at –60 mV, and 0.6 Hz for spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic current (sIPSC) at +10 mV and completely GABAergic. All of these synaptic events were TTX-insensitive, miniature events. At E13, 50% of principal cells generated spikes on depolarization and 82% exhibited EPSCs on vestibular-nerve stimulation. The frequency was 0.7 Hz for sEPSCs at –60 mV, and 0.8 Hz for sIPSCs at +10 mV. Most principal cells had sIPSCs composed of both GABAergic (75%) and glycinergic (25%) events, but a few cells had only GABAergic sIPSCs. TTX decreased the frequency of EPSCs by 12%, and the IPSCs by 17%. In summary, at E10, some principal cells generated immature spikes on depolarization and EPSCs on vestibular-nerve stimulation. At E10, GABAergic events predominated, AMPA events had low frequencies, and glycinergic activity was absent. By E13, glycinergic events first appeared. This data were compared systematically to that obtained from the late-term embryo and hatchling to reveal the long-term sequence of changes in synaptic events and excitability and offer a broader understanding of how the vestibular system is assembled during development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radial growth of trees in mountainous areas is subject to environmental conditions associated with changes in elevation. To assess the sensitivity of tree-ring growth to climate variation over a wide range of elevations, we compared the chronological characteristics of Sabina przewalskii Kom. and their relationships with climatic variables at the upper and lower treelines in the Dulan region of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. It was found that the radial growth in this region was controlled primarily by precipitation in late spring and early summer (from May to June). In addition, a higher temperature from April to June could intensify drought stress and lead to narrow tree rings. The significant similarity in climate-tree growth relationships at both the upper and lower treelines indicated that tree rings of S. przewalskii in this region are able to provide common regional climate information. However, the chronologies at the lower forest limits showed a higher standard deviation and more significant correlations with climatic factors, suggesting that the radial growth there was more significantly influenced by climate variation. The first principal component of the four chronologies showed a common growth response to local climate. The second principal component showed a contrasting growth response between different sampling sites. The third principal component revealed different growth patterns in response to altitudinal variation. Further analysis indicated that the precipitation in late spring and early summer controlled the growth of S. przewalskii on a regional scale and that other factors, such as microenvironment at the sampling sites, also affected the strength of the climatic response of tree growth. (Managing editor: Wei Wang) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to explore the relevant risk factors associated with biliary complications (BCs) in patients with end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) following ex vivo liver resection and autotransplantation (ELRA) and to establish and visualize a nomogram model. Methods This study retrospectively analysed patients with end-stage HAE who received ELRA treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University between August 1, 2010 and May 10, 2023. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model was applied to optimize the feature variables for predicting the incidence of BCs following ELRA. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop a prognostic model by incorporating the selected feature variables from the LASSO regression model. The predictive ability, discrimination, consistency with the actual risk, and clinical utility of the candidate prediction model were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Internal validation was performed by the bootstrapping method. Results The candidate prediction nomogram included predictors such as age, hepatic bile duct dilation, portal hypertension, and regular resection based on hepatic segments. The model demonstrated good discrimination ability and a satisfactory calibration curve, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.818 (95% CI 0.7417–0.8958). According to DCA, this prediction model can predict the risk of BCs occurrence within a probability threshold range of 9% to 85% to achieve clinical net benefit. Conclusions A prognostic nomogram with good discriminative ability and high accuracy was developed and validated to predict BCs after ELRA in patients with end-stage HAE.

In this article, unique spectral features of short-wave infrared band of 1 μm–3 μm, and various applications related to the photodetectors and focal plane arrays in this band, are introduced briefly. In addition, the different material systems for the devices in this band are outlined. Based on the background, the development of lattice-matched and wavelength-extended InGaAs photodetectors and focal plane arrays, including our continuous efforts in this field, are reviewed. These devices are concentrated on the applications in spectral sensing and imaging, exclusive of optical fiber communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG) is a simplified, alternative means of monitoring cerebral function and may be more useful clinically in some situations than conventional EEG. The aim of this study is to evaluate newborn piglets as an animal model to examine the effect of selective mild head cooling (HC) on aEEG after hypoxia-ischemia (HI). Methods: Thirty-four piglets were randomly allocated to the following treatment groups: normothermic control group (NC, n = 7), selective HC control group (HC, n = 9), normothermic HI group (NHI, n = 9), and selective HC HI group (SHC-HI, n = 9). HI was induced by temporary occlusion of both carotid arteries and simultaneous reduction of the concentration of inspired oxygen to 6% for 30 minutes. Mild hypothermia (35°C) was induced after HI using a HC cap and was maintained for 24 hours. Changes in aEEG were monitored for 6 days after these treatments and the incidence of abnormalities analyzed. Physiological parameters were also measured during this period. Results: In the two HI groups, animals exhibited severely abnormal aEEGs [continuous low voltage (CLV), burst-suppression, or flat tracing (FT)] 20 minutes after the beginning of HI. At 2 hours, the aEEG returned to normal in most of these animals. From 12 hours to 6 days, all animals in the NHI group exhibited severely abnormal aEEGs. Fewer animals in the SHC-HI group exhibited severe abnormal aEEGs during this time period, and four out of nine (44.4%) animals had continuous normal voltage (CNV) at 6 days. Conclusions: Selective mild HC decreases the incidence of severe abnormal aEEGs at late times after HI in newborn piglets.

Pain memory is considered as endopathic factor underlying stubborn chronic pain. Our previous study demonstrated that electroacupuncture (EA) can alleviate retrieval of pain memory. This study was designed to observe the different effects between EA and indomethacin (a kind of nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAIDs) in a rat pain memory model. To explore the critical role of protein kinase A (PKA) in pain memory, a PKA inhibitor was microinjected into anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in model rats. We further investigated the roles of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), PKA, cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway in pain memory to explore the potential molecular mechanism. The results showed that EA alleviates the retrieval of pain memory while indomethacin failed. Intra-ACC microinjection of a PKA inhibitor blocked the occurrence of pain memory. EA reduced the activation of cAMP, PKA, and CREB and the coexpression levels of cAMP/PKA and PKA/CREB in the ACC of pain memory model rats, but indomethacin failed. The present findings identified a critical role of PKA in ACC in retrieval of pain memory. We propose that the proper mechanism of EA on pain memory is possibly due to the partial inhibition of cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling pathway by EA.

Epidemic investigations reveal an intimate interrelationship between pain and depression. The effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on pain or depression has been demonstrated individually, but its effect on pain-depression dyad is unknown. Our study aimed to screen a dominant EA frequency on pain-depression dyad and determine the validity of acupoint selection based on meridian theory. The pain-depression dyad rat model was induced by reserpine and treated using EA with different frequencies at identical acupoints to extract a dominant frequency and then administrated dominant-frequency EA at different acupoints in the above models. Paw withdrawal latency (PWL), emotional behavior of elevated zero maze (EZM) test, and open field (OF) test were conducted. We found that 100 Hz EA at Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) (classical acupoints for spleen-deficiency syndrome) were the most effective in improving PWL, travelling distance in the EZM, and maximum velocity in OF compared to EA with other frequencies; ST 36 and SP 6 were proved more effective than other acupoints beyond the meridian theory and nonacupoints under the same administration of EA. Therefore, we concluded that 100 Hz is the dominant frequency for treating the pain-depression dyad with EA, and acupoints on spleen and stomach meridians are preferable choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the value of combined special staining technique in observing pathological changes in blood vessels. Methods Totally 999 vascular specimen were harvested from patients with complete medical records,clear diagnosis,and age≥18 years in the Pathology Department of Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2014 to September 2017.All specimen were stained with HE,Verhoef-Van Gieson,AB/PAS,and Masson. Then,the result of HE staining was compared with that of the combined special staining (Verhoef-Van Gieson,AB/PAS,and Masson).Results HE staining only showed a small amount of elastic fiber fracture. In contrast,the combined special staining clearly showed the pathological changes including fractures,decreased elastic fibers,and aggregation of extracellular mucous matrix. Diseases in these 999 patients included aneurysm of sinus of valsalva (SVA) (n=3),aortic root aneurysm (ARA) (n=177),thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) (n=78),abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) (n=17),total thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (tTAAA) (n=32),and aortic dissection (AD) (n=692). The median scores of combined special staining of SVA (Z=3.857,P=0.040),ARA (Z=14.307,P=0.000),TAA (Z=26.939,P=0.000),AAA (Z=22.412,P=0.000),tTAAA (Z=15.926,P=0.000),and AD (Z=39.213,P=0.000) were significantly higher than that of HE staining. Conclusion The combined Verhoeff-Van Gieson,AB/PAS,and Masson special staining is an effective technique for observing pathological changes of elastic fibers and mucus in blood vessels.

Aim: To evaluate the reliability and accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction for liver resection in patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE)., Methods: One-hundred and six consecutive patients with HAE underwent hepatectomy at our hospital between May 2011 and January 2015. Fifty-nine patients underwent preoperative 3D reconstruction and "virtual" 3D liver resection before surgery (Group A). Another 47 patients used conventional imaging methods for preoperative assessment (Group B). Outcomes of hepatectomy were compared between the two groups., Results: There was no significant difference in preoperative data between the two groups. Compared with patients in Group B, those in Group A had a significantly shorter operation time (227.1 ± 51.4 vs 304.6 ± 88.1 min; P < 0.05), less intraoperative blood loss (308.1 ± 135.4 vs 458.1 ± 175.4 mL; P < 0.05), and lower requirement for intraoperative blood transfusion (186.4 ± 169.6 vs 289.4 ± 199.2 mL; P < 0.05). Estimated resection liver volumes in both groups had good correlation with actual graft weight (Group A: r = 0.978; Group B: r = 0.960). There was a significant higher serum level of albumin in Group A (26.3 ± 5.9 vs 22.6 ± 4.3 g/L, P < 0.05). Other postoperative laboratory parameters (serum levels of aminotransferase and bilirubin; prothrombin time) and duration of postoperative hospital stay were similar. Sixteen complications occurred in Group A and 19 in Group B. All patients were followed for 3-46 (mean, 17.3) mo. There was no recurrence of lesions in Group A, but two recurrences in Group B. There were three deaths: two from cerebrovascular accident, and one from car accident., Conclusion: 3D reconstruction provides comprehensive and precise anatomical information for the liver. It also improves the chance of success and reduces the risk of hepatectomy in HAE.

Background/aims: The purpose of this study is to present the surgical treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis and evaluate the treatment outcomes., Methodology: A retrospective analysis was made on 50 patients admitted between 2000 and 2008. All the patients were divided into two groups, 26 patients for the radical surgery group and 24 for the palliative surgery group., Results: In the palliative surgery group, 10 patients died during the follow-up period, 2 patients presented with brain metastasis and 4 patients with lung metastasis, 1 patient had multiple lesions in the liver, 1 patient who received left hepatectomy had a new lesion in caudate lobe of the liver, 4 patients had postoperative jaundice, 3 had cholangitis and 4 patients had biliary leaks. There were also 3 patients lost in the follow-up period. In the radical surgery group, 22 patients were alive and asymptomatic without recurrence during the follow-up period, 3 patients had recurrent cholangitis and 4 patients had biliary leaks. Three patients were lost during the followup period in this group., Conclusions: Radical resection appears to be best treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis and palliative operation may cause a series of severe complications leading to death.

By using static chamber-gas chromatographic techniques, the CH4 and N2O emissions from the paddy soil in southeast Hubei were measured. Four treatments were installed, i.e., no-tillage plus no-fertilization (NT0), conventional tillage plus no-fertilization (CT0), no-tillage plus fertilization (NTC), and conventional tillage plus fertilization (CTC). In all treatments, the CH4 emission had a seasonal variation of increasing first and decreasing then, while the N2O emission had no significant seasonal variation. Fertilization increased the CH4 and N2O emissions significantly. NT0 increased the CH4 emission and decreased the N2O emission significantly, compared with CT0; NTC only decreased the CH4 emission and increased the N2O emission slightly, compared with CTC. The analysis on the integrated greenhouse effect of CH4 and N2O showed that NT0 increased the effect by 25.9%, compared with CT0, while NTC decreased the effect by 10.1%, compared with CTC. Therefore, a reasonable arrangement of fertilization and no-tillage could reduce the integrated greenhouse effect of CH4 and N2O from paddy field.

Aim: To investigate the in vivo anti-tumor effect of K(8)(C(6)H(11)N(3)O(2))(2)[SiW(9)Ti(3)O(40)] (WT) and the immunological mechanism., Methods: WT was administrated intragastrically to mice bearing H22 hepatocarcinoma for 10 days and then the tumors were isolated and weighed. MTT colorimetry was used to detect lymphocyte transformation function and cytotoxicity of NK cells. The morphology of apoptotic tumor cells was observed under phase contrast microscope and light microscope after HE staining. The apoptosis rate of BEL-7402 cells treated with WT was detected by flow cytometry., Results: Compared to the control group, WT obviously inhibited the growth of H22 tumor in tumor bearing mice (P<0.05). It enhanced significantly lymphocyte transformation function and cytotoxicity of NK cells (P<0.05). Apoptotic tumor cells were observed under microscope and detected by flow cytometry., Conclusion: WT inhibits significantly the growth of tumor by up-regulating the activity of immunocytes and inducing apoptosis of tumor cells.

Objective: To study the influence of catecholamine on myocardium in rats with septic shock and its mechanism by biochemical and pathophysiological methods to evaluate the underlying pathophysiologic mechanism of myocardial damage and the influence of catecholamine on the myocardial injury., Methods: Septic shock was replicated in rats by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Dobutamine (DB), norepinephrine (NE) and combination of DB and NE were used in the lowest dose. The rats were randomly divided into sham operations, CLP control group, CLP+DB group, CLP+NE group and CLP+DB+NE group, 8 rats in each group. Troponin I (cTnI) and total creatine kinase (CK) were measured, and myocardial tissue was examined under light microscopy and electron microscopy., Results: An significantly increased cTnI level was found in CLP septic shock rats, compared with sham rats (P<0.05). In the present study, the use of DB or NE alone, or the combination of the two drugs, was not found to influence the cTnI levels. But, the total CK levels in catecholamine-treated group were significantly increased (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant correlation between cTnI and CK levels. Morphological study confirmed the results of cTnI. Findings that were common in the myocardium of CLP septic shock rats included extracellular and intracellular edema as well as mitrochondrial injury. However, no conclusive evidence was found for the influence of catecholamine on myocardial damage., Conclusion: No evidence of the influence of catecholamine on myocardial damage is found. Pathological study suggests that myocardial injury is the result of ischemia.