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Aim: Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) BC032469-dependent gold nanoparticle molecular beacons (AuNP-MB) were constructed for the detection of gastric cancer cells. Materials & methods: The AuNP-MBs were prepared according to well-established procedures based on the Au–S interaction between the gold lattice and thiol functionalized oligonucleotides. More importantly, the stability and targeting ability of AuNP-MB were verified by a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. Results: The lncRNA-dependent probes were successfully utilized for AuNP-MB-based intracellular imaging, with fluorescence effectively emitted in GC cells, but not in normal cells. Notably, such fluorescent emission was positively correlated with lncRNA BC032469 expression. Conclusion: The authors developed an effective fluorescent imaging probe for the recognition of gastric cancer cells.

Zheng X, Yang S, Zhang R, Wang S, Li G, Zhou S. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2019;13:3171–3180. The authors have advised due to an error that occurred inadvertently at the time of figure assembly, Figure 5J is incorrect. The correct Figure 5 is shown in Download Article. The authors apologize for this error and advise since this image only displays the cell morphology and does not perform a semi-quantitative analysis, it does not affect the other results of Figure 5, nor does it affect the conclusion of the article. Read the original article

Low cost electrodes with high activity and stability are the key to water splitting for green hydrogen production. Herein, an efficient integrated Ni/CoFe LDH array electrocatalyst is synthesized by a one-step electrodeposition strategy. The Ni/CoFe LDH shows splendid electrocatalytic performance for water oxidation, with a low overpotential (324 mV at a 50 mA cm−2 current output), a small Tafel slope (32 mV dec−1), and excellent durability. The improved activity can be attributed to the synergy of the electronic structure fine-tuning and the hydrophilic nanostructured surface.

Gastric carcinoma (GC) is one of the most deadly diseases due to tumour metastasis and resistance to therapy. Understanding the molecular mechanism of tumour progression and drug resistance will improve therapeutic efficacy and develop novel intervention strategies.Differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in clinical specimens were identified by LncRNA microarrays and validated in different clinical cohorts by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), in situ hybridisation and bioinformatics analysis. Biological functions of lncRNA were investigated by using cell proliferation assays, migration assays, xenograft tumour models and bioinformatics analysis. Effects of lncSLCO1C1 on GC cell survival were assessed by comet assays and immunofluorescence assays. Underlying molecular mechanisms were further explored by using a number of technologies including RNA pull-down, mass spectrometry analysis, RNA immunoprecipitation, co-immunoprecipitation, miRNA sequencing, luciferase reporter assays and molecular modelling.LncSLCO1C1 was highly upregulated in GC tissue samples and associated with GC patients' poor overall survival. Overexpression of lncSLCO1C1 promoted proliferation and migration, whereas decreased lncSLCO1C1 expression produced the opposite effects. lncSLCO1C1 also mediated tumour resistance to chemotherapy with oxaliplatin by reducing DNA damage and increasing cell proliferation. Despite sequence overlapping between lncSLCO1C1 and PDE3A, alternations of PDE3A expression had no effect on the GC cell progression, indicating that lncSLCO1C1, not PDE3A, related with the progression of GC cells. Mechanistically, lncSLCO1C1 serves as a scaffold for the structure-specific recognition protein 1 (SSRP1)/H2A/H2B complex and regulates the function of SSRP1 in reducing DNA damage. Meanwhile, lncSLCO1C1 functions as a sponge to adsorb miR-204-5p and miR-211-5p that target SSRP1 mRNA, and thus increases SSRP1 expression. Patients with high expressions of both lncSLCO1C1 and SSRP1 have poor overall survival, highlighting the role of lncSLCO1C1 in GC progression.LncSLCO1C1 promotes GC progression by enhancing cell growth and preventing DNA damage via interacting and scaffolding the SSRP1/H2A/H2b complex and absorbing both miR-211-5p and miR-204-5p to increase SSRP1 expression.

Background Emodin, a major component of Polygonum multiflorum (PM), has been reported to exert both protective and toxic effects in several cell types. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of action of emodin in hepatic cells are still obscure. Methods The present study used the normal human liver cell line L02 to investigate the effects and mechanisms of emodin in hepatic cells. After treatment with emodin, L02 cells were examined for viability, apoptosis and autophagy with the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), annexin V/PerCP staining and GFP-LC3 plasmid transfection. The expression of proteins including cleaved caspase-3, LC3B-I/II, p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT, AKT, p-mTOR, mTOR and actin was examined by using Western blot. Results Emodin significantly inhibited the viability of and induced apoptosis in L02 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, emodin increased the number of GFP-LC3 puncta in L02 cells and upregulated the expression of LC3B-II compared to those in control cells. Furthermore, emodin significantly decreased the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-mTOR in a dose-dependent manner compared to that in control cells without altering the expression of PI3K, AKT and mTOR. Notably, cotreatment with emodin and 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or rapamycin significantly increased and decreased the apoptosis rate of L02 cells, respectively, compared to that of cells treated with emodin alone. Conclusion In conclusion, emodin exhibited cytotoxicity in the L02 human hepatic cell line by promoting apoptosis, and it also induced autophagy through the suppression of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. The autophagy could play a protective role following emodin treatment.

• BackgroundThe septate uterus is the most common uterine malformation. The uterus septum increases the possibility of adverse pregnancy outcomes which can be improved by hysteroscopic metroplasty (trans-cervical resection of septate, TCRS). Various methods are used to prevent postoperative intrauterine adhesion in clinical practice. However, there is insufficient evidence to support or oppose the use of any of them. This study will be a multi-center, open labeled, prospective, randomized, controlled study. We will examine whether it is necessary to use the anti-adhesion barrier or a certain dose estrogen to prevent intrauterine adhesion after TCRS and further improve the fertility outcome.• MethodsA total of 243 patients with septate uterus who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly assigned into three groups with 1:1:1 allocation ratio. Group A will be the control group without any application of anti-adhesion method after TCRS; the participants in group B will be inserted an intrauterine balloon stent after TCRS for one week; the participants in group C will take estradiol valerate (2mg, bid) for 2 months after the surgery. A second-look hysteroscopy will be carried out after two menstrual cycles after the surgery to evaluate the intrauterine condition. Pregnancy outcomes, particularly the live birth rate, will be followed for at least one year.• DiscussionThis study will be the first well-powered clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of the anti-adhesion barrier or a certain dose of estrogen to prevent intrauterine adhesion after TCRS and further improve the fertility outcome. Our findings will guide the clinical care of patients after TCRS.Trial registration: ChiCTR, ChiCTR2000032061. Registered on Apr 19, 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=52499

Although numerous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified to be important in human cancer, their potential regulatory roles in epithelial tumorigenesis and tumor progression in ovarian cancer remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate lncRNAs that were differentially expressed (DE) in epithelial ovarian cancer and to explore their potential functions. The lncRNA profiles in five pairs of human epithelial ovarian cancer tissues and their adjacent normal tissues were described using microarrays. The results of the microarray analysis revealed that 672 upregulated and 549 downregulated (fold-change ≥2.0) lncRNAs were DE between the cancerous and normal tissues. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to validate the microarray results using four upregulated (RP11-1C1.7, XLOC_003286, growth arrest-specific 5 and ZNF295-AS1) and four downregulated (protein tyrosine kinase 7, maternally expressed gene 3, AC079776.2 and ribosomal protein lateral stalk subunit P0 pseudogene 2) lncRNAs. Furthermore, gene ontology and pathway analyses were used to carry out functional analyses of the candidate genes of DE lncRNAs. The results identified lncRNAs with significantly altered expression profiles in human epithelial ovarian cancer cells compared with those in adjacent normal cells. These data offer new insights into the occurrence and development of epithelial ovarian cancer, and these lncRNAs may provide novel molecular biomarkers for further research on epithelial ovarian cancer.

Background: The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that the use of morcellation may cause fibroids or pelvic dissemination and metastasis of uterine sarcoma; therefore, the use of morcellation is limited in the USA. A large sample study is necessary to assess the proportion of uterine malignant tumors found in patients with laparoscopic myomectomy. Methods: A national multicenter study was performed in China. From 2002 to 2014, 33,723 cases were retrospectively selected. We calculated the prevalence and recorded the clinical characteristics of the patients with malignancy after morcellation application. A total of 62 cases were finally pathologically confirmed as malignant postoperatively. Additionally, the medical records of the 62 patients were analyzed in details. Results: The proportion of postoperative malignancy after morcellation application was 0.18% (62/33,723) for patients who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy. Nearly 62.9% (39/62) of patients had demonstrated blood flow signals in the uterine fibroids before surgery. And, 23 (37.1%) patients showed rapid growth at the final preoperative ultrasound. With respect to the pathological types, 38 (61.3%) patients had detectable endometrial stromal sarcoma, 13 (21.0%) had detectable uterine leiomyosarcoma, only 3 (3.2%) had detectable carcinosarcoma, and 5 (8.1%) patients with leiomyoma had an undetermined malignant potential. Conclusions: The proportion of malignancy is low after using morcellation in patients who undergo laparoscopic myomectomy. Patients with fast-growing uterine fibroids and abnormal ultrasonic tumor blood flow should be considered for malignant potential, and morcellation should be avoided. Key words: Laparoscopic Myomectomy; Morcellation; Sarcoma

Tea polyphenols are the prominent component in tea. After the fermentation process, tea polyphenols are oxidized by polyphenol oxidase to form oxidized tea polyphenols (OTPs). OTPs contain a significant amount of hydrophobic phenyl groups that can bind with non-aqueous materials. Here, we determined whether OTPs can bind with lipids and reduce fat uptake and assessed the effect of OTPs on decreasing obesity and alleviating hyperlipidaemia and other metabolic syndromes. Rats were divided into three groups: control, high-fat diet (HFD) and OTP groups. The control and HFD groups were fed a chow diet and a high-fat diet, respectively, for 12 weeks; the OTP group was fed a high-fat diet for 6 weeks and then a high-fat diet containing 2 % OTP for 6 weeks. The serum and excrement triglyceride (TAG) and total cholesterol (CHOL) concentrations were determined, and liver tissue and white adipose tissue were collected to detect the expression levels of genes involved in lipid metabolism. Our results revealed that OTPs failed to decrease the serum concentrations of TAG and CHOL. OTPs alleviated the accumulation of lipids in the liver tissue and changed the expression levels of the regulators of lipid metabolism, i.e., peroxisome proliferation-activated receptors (ppars), compared with the rats fed a high-fat diet alone. We also observed a significantly decreased reduction of weight in the visceral white adipose, enhanced regulation of fatty acid β-oxidation by PPARα and enhanced biosynthesis of mitochondria in the visceral white adipose of the OTP rats compared with the HFD rats. Additionally, OTPs promoted the excretion of lipids. Our results suggest that OTPs alleviate the accumulation of lipids in liver and visceral white adipose tissue and promote lipid excretion in rats in vivo.

We report on the synthesis and electrochemical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT)/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites. The MWNT/PANI composite was prepared through electrochemical polymerization and is confirmed by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The MWNT/PANI nanocomposites show a specific capacitance value as high as 463 F/g.

The combination of hysteroscopy and laparoscopy was found to be the most reliable method for diagnosis and treatment of uterine septum with short operative time, less blood loss, increased postoperative pregnancy rate and live birth rate along with lower spontaneous abortion rate., Objective: To explore the method of diagnosis for uterine septum and the clinical effect of hysteroscopic transcervical resection of the septum. Methods: One-hundred ninety cases of patients with uterine septum who were diagnosed and treated at our hospital during 2007–2011 were selected, and their general information, perioperative status, postoperative recovery treatment, and postoperative pregnancy rates were statistically analyzed. Results: All 190 patients were cured with one surgery, with an average hysteroscopic operating time of 22.60 ± 10.67 minutes and intraoperative blood loss of 15.74 ± 9.64 mL. There were no complications such as uterine perforation, water intoxication, infection, or heavy bleeding. Among the 115 patients that we followed up, 86 became pregnant and delivered infants, 81 of which were born at term and 5 that were born premature. Conclusion: The combination of hysteroscopy and laparoscopy is still the most reliable method for the diagnosis of uterine septum. With a shorter operative time, less blood loss, a significantly increased postoperative pregnancy rate and live birth rate, and a significantly lower spontaneous abortion rate, transcervical resection of the septum was the preferred method for the treatment of uterine septum, and surgical instruments and skills were critical to the prognosis of uterine septum.

In this paper, a flat back-light in which has no electrodes was developed. This back-light was fabricated by two flat glasses in which the pure Xe (at pressure of 150 Torr) was sealed, with a layer of commercial water on the out surfaces of the glasses as the external electrodes, where the glass with thickness of 1.2 mm was used as the dielectric barrier. The white light was available by exciting the phosphor layer with the plasmas introduced by high-frequency voltage, whose luminance was 4000 cd/m2, accompanied with the lighting homogeneity over than 92 %. The effects of driving voltage and the discharge space in the samples on the lighting characteristics of the back-light were comprehensively evaluated.

Conductive films of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/Poly3-alkylthiophene (P3TH) composite films were prepared by in-situ polymerization of 3-alkylthiophene at the presence of soluble MWCNTs. The MWCNTs were safely obtained via a two-step process assisted by microwave radiation, which were soluble in organic media. The obtained composites were examined by FTIR. By using UV-vis analysis it was found that there are strong interactions between P3TH and functionalized MWCNT. The TEM images showed the MWCNTs were homogeneously dispersed in P3TH. In addition, the resulting MWCNT/P3TH composites showed an electrical conductivity at the level 10-3 S/cm.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous, small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by targeting mRNAs and inhibiting expression via translation repression or RNA degradation. Emerging evidence indicates that miRNAs play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of human diseases, including tumor development. We profiled the miRNA expression between mature ovarian teratoma samples and matched normal tissues using miRNA microarrays, followed by validation with quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). The most highly expressed miRNAs in mature ovarian teratoma tissues were miRNA-520a-5p, miRNA-26b*, miRNA-421, miRNA-492 and miRNA-555, with a 1.3- to 2.6-fold change, whereas the least expressed miRNAs were miRNA-142-3p, let-7a, miRNA-19a, miRNA-34a, miRNA-620, miRNA-934, miRNA-657, miRNA-720, miRNA-22, miRNA-629 and miRNA-214, with a decreased level of 55-87% compared with normal tissues. The findings of the present study are the first to provide an altered miRNA profile for mature ovarian teratomas and differentially expressed miRNAs, which, if validated in future studies, may be essential in the pathogenesis of mature ovarian teratomas.

Thin films of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) attached to an ITO surface (SAM–ITO) self-assembled in advance from 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane through amide covalent bonds were prepared. The SWNTs were safely obtained via a two-step process assisted by microwave radiation, which were soluble in aqueous and organic media. However, the CV behavior of SAM–ITO in acidic aqueous systems showed unexpected oxidation signals due to redox reactions involving the defects and sidewalls of soluble functionalized SWNTs. It was found that, after a conductive polymer of polyaniline was chemically incorporated onto the surface of the SWNTs by using electropolymerization method, the CV data showed a single reversible redox couple, which indicated a more stable state.

Polyaniline–C60nanoshuttle composites have been successfully synthesized by the oxidative polymerization of aniline with ammonium peroxydisulfate in the presence of C60using an interfacial reaction at room temperature, in which the molar ratio of oxidant to monomer was kept at 0.25:1. The influence of initial C60/aniline molar ratio on the supramolecular structure of the composites was studied. It was found that at low molar ratio (0.01:1) amorphous powders could be synthesized, while the as-synthesized products at the higher molar ratio (0.04:1) were shuttle-like superstructures. FTIR and UV-vis spectroscopy confirmed the presence of C60in the resultant nanocomposite and suggested significant interaction of polyaniline with C60. The evolution of supramolecular structure of polyaniline nanoshuttle–C60nanocomposites was discussed.

An increasing number of inherited neurodegenerative diseases are known to be caused by the expansion of unstable trinucleotide repeat tracts. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 8 (SCA8) has been identified as being partly caused by a CTG expansion in an untranslated, endogenous antisense RNA that overlaps the Kelch-like 1 (KLHL1) gene. Clinically, SCA8 patients show similar features to those with the other SCAs, including limb and truncal ataxia, ataxic dysarthria and horizontal nystagmus, all of which are signs of dysfunction of the cerebellar system. However, allele sizes within the SCA8 proposed pathogenic range have been reported in patients with ataxia of unknown etiology, in individuals from pedigrees with other SCA or Friedreich's ataxia, and in patients with Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia or parkinsonism. These observations suggest that mutation of the SCA8 locus might affect neurons other than the cerebellum. Antisense transcripts are known to regulate complementary sense transcripts and are involved in several biologic functions, such as development, adaptive response, and viral infection. In order to test whether SCA8 affects the KLHL1 expression by antisense RNA in brain cells, we examined the expression pattern of KLHL1 and SCA8 in human tissues and in mouse brain regions. SCA8 expression was colocalized with KLHL1 transcript in many brain regions whose functions are correlated to the clinical symptoms of SCA8 patients. These findings lead to the hypothesis of a possible relevance that SCA8 transcript downregulates KLHL1 expression through an antisense mechanism, which then leads to SCA8 neuropathogenesis.

Changes of in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) of Napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum) were determined by a filter bag system, and their relationships to chemical composition, leaf to stem ratio, plant height, geographic location, climatic factors and harvest interval were studied and used to develop prediction models for the crude protein (CP), acid-detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral-detergent fiber (NDF) contents and IVTD. Partitioning the total variance of IVTD of Napiergrass showed that 80% was attributable to the effect of harvest interval. Days of growth, plant height, leaf/stem ratio, CP, ADF and NDF of Napiergrass had highly significant relationships (p

Caffeine is present in a number of dietary sources consumed worldwide. Although its pharmacokinetics has been intensively explored, little is known about complexed caffeine (C-CAF) in aqueous extraction of fermented Pu-er tea. The major components of C-CAF are oxidative tea polyphenols (OTP) and caffeine. Furthermore, the C-CAF can be precipitated in low pH solution. After administering the same amount of total caffeine and comparing the peak level of plasma caffeine with the coffee (contains 0.11 ± 0.01% C-CAF) group, the results showed that the caffeine/OTP (contains 66.67 ± 0.02% C-CAF) group and the instant Pu-er tea (contains 23.18 ± 0.02% C-CAF) group were 33.39% and 25.86% lower, respectively. The concentration of the metabolites of caffeine supports the idea that the absorption of the C-CAF was inhibited in mice. Congruent with this result, the amount of caffeine detected in mice excrement showed that more caffeine was eliminated in the caffeine/OTP group and the Pu-er tea group. The locomotor activity tests of mice demonstrated that the stimulating effect of caffeine in caffeine/OTP and Pu-er tea was weaker than in coffee. Our findings demonstrate that caffeine can be combined with OTP and the absorption of C-CAF is inhibited in mice, thus decreasing the irritation effect of caffeine. This may also be developed as a slow release formulation of caffeine.

This paper reports in vitro effects of individual heavy metals (Cd(2+), Cu(2+) and Hg(2+)), and PAHs, including benzo[a]pyrene(BaP), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IP) and fluoranthene (FL), and their mixtures on ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activities using a plate-reader method. The results showed that all three metals inhibited EROD activity, while BaP/IP significantly induced the enzyme. However, FL alone decreased EROD activity. Moreover, co-treatment with BaP/IP and heavy metals inhibited PAH-induced EROD activities, while combined exposure to FL and heavy metals induced FL-inhibited EROD activities.

Resistance to anoikis, the subtype of apoptosis induced by lack of matrix adhesion, contributes to malignant transformation and development of metastasis. MicroRNAs play key regulatory roles in tumorigenesis and metastasis. In this study, we described that miR-26a, which is usually downregulated in tumor cells, is involved in the acquisition of anoikis-resistance of human esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) cells. Results of qRT-PCR in clinical samples showed that downregulated miR-26a expression is related to tumorigenesis and metastasis of EA. In vitro experiments determined that miR-26a directly participates in the regulation of cell cycle and anoikis of human EA OE33 cells. Further, we identified that Rb1 is the direct functional target of miR-26a, and revealed that the reduction of miR-26a expression leads to increased Rb1 protein level and thus inhibits the function of E2F1, by which it influences the phenotypes of cell cycle and anoikis. The findings we reported here presented the evidence that miR-26a may be involved in regulation of anoikis-resistance of EA cells. Targeting miR-26a may provide a novel strategy to inhibit metastasis.

To study the relationship between cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) and the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) proximal promoter in patients with tuberculosis.CD₃(+) T cells were isolated from 25 pulmonary tuberculosis patients, who had been treated in Beijing Chest Hospital from January to December 2007, and 18 PPD-positive healthy donors. After extraction of nuclear proteins, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was performed to determine nuclear protein binding to the IFN-γ proximal promoter in vitro, and the specificity of binding complex was tested by competitive EMSA. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) with anti-CREB Ab was used to determine whether CREB binded to the IFN-γ proximal promoter in vivo in live T cells exposed to microbial Ags. Western blotting with anti-CREB Ab was performed to compare the expression level of CREB in tuberculosis patients and PPD-positive healthy donors. Western blotting with Abs specific for serine 133-phosphorylated CREB was performed to determine whether M.tuberculosis Ags elicited phosphorylation of CREB.The results of EMSA showed a low-mobility complex binding to the IFN-γ promoter, and the binding pattern observed was similar for T cells from all 18 PPD-positive healthy donors. However, for T cells from 18 of 25 tuberculosis patients, the low-mobility complex was absent. The results of competitive EMSA showed that these nuclear proteins specifically bound to the IFN-γ promoter region and contained CREB. The results of ChIP showed a 204 bp band yielded in CD₃(+) T cells from 10 PPD-positive healthy donors, but 12 tuberculosis patients didn't yield the band. CREB expression markedly decreased in tuberculosis patients compared with healthy donors detected by Western blotting. Furthermore, M. tuberculosis Ags also elicited phosphorylation of CREB in CD₃(+) T cells from PPD-positive healthy donors, but not in CD₃(+) T cells from tuberculosis patients.CREB protein binding to IFN-γ proximal promoter was reduced in tuberculosis patients compared with healthy donors. Tuberculosis patients had diminished CREB protein levels, and reduced ability of binding to the IFN-γ promoter.

The current status and latest advances in new technique pseudophase biochromatography are reviewed. After brief introduction to the principle of new technique pseudophase biochromatography, the nature and various influence factors including the compositions, the types of new technique pseudophase biochromatography system are summarized in detail and the aspects of the future applications biochromatography in life science are described.

A clinical chromatographic fingerprinting of 18 standard strains of Mycobacteria commercialized in China by high-performance liquid chromatography approach was developed and improved in this laboratory. A comparison of clinical chromatographic fingerprintings of mycolic acids was carried out.Mycolic acids were extracted from whole cultured cells of Mycobacteria by biochemical methods, and then samples was prepared for analysis after the mycolic acids were saponified, acidified and derived. The samples were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography under optimum conditions.Using above techniques a clinical chromatographic fingerprinting of Mycolic acids analysis was successfully established. The repeatability of the mycolic acids fingerprinting was evaluated. Coefficient of variation (CV) of chromatographic fingerprinting was between 0.20% - 0.83%.The first clinical chromatographic fingerprinting of 18 standard strains of Mycobacteria in China was established in this laboratory. Mycobacteria can be accurately identified according to chromatographic fingerprinting in a short time. Moreover, there was significant difference between BCG vaccine and Mycobacterium bovis when their peak was compared, which may lead to research of new tools for identifying insidious infection of tuberculosis and for the study of the mechanism of drug tolerance.

To explore the intranasal surface localization of the lacrimal sac in endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy.Fifteen adult cadavers (30 sides) were studied, the data of projection position of the lacrimal sac on the lateral wall of nasal cavity were measured.In 2/3 cadavers, the lacrimal sac is located above the axilla of the middle turbinate, and 1/3 lies below it. A majority of the lacrimal sac (2/3) are located below the entry point of the common lacrimal canaliculus, about 1/3 lies above it. Inner canthal ligament projects on the middle of the lacrimal sac, almost equal to the level of common lacrimal canaliculus. Thirty-two cases (thirty-nine sides) of chronic dacryocystitis were followed-up6 months after operation. Thirty-five sides were cured, 2 sides improved and 2 sides ineffective. The cure rate was 89.8%, improve rate 5.1% and ineffective rate 5.1%, respectively, and the total effective rate was 94.9%.The central position of dacryocystorhinostomy should be 0.2 cm above the front of the axilla of the middle turbinate, to make an curved mucous membrane incision 0.8 cm above and 0. 4 cm below the front of the axilla of the middle turbinate and bone ostium about 1.2 cm x 1.0 cm. It is the best position in endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. Locating the inner canthal ligament with a bayonet type forceps to find the projection of lacrimal sac is also a simple and easy method.

To explore the feasibility of utilizing polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis combined with Southern blot to detect ofloxacin (OFLX)-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and figure out the boundary between the OFLX-susceptible and resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.OFLX-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli were induced in vitro and their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined. The 320 bp segments of gyrA gene were amplified by PCR and their polymorphism was tested by SSCP from H(37)Rv, H(37)Ra and those induced OFLX-resistant strains. To prove the repeatability of PCR-SSCP combined with Southern blot, 36 clinical isolated OFLX-resistant strains were tested.All of the 85 OFLX-resistant mutations involved in this study were identified to have gyrA mutations. The results showed that there was an overlap if OFLX 10 microg/ml was used as a criteria for discriminating susceptible and resistant strains. Compared with the H(37)Ra, the similar single-stranded shift caused by the single-stranded conformation change was viewed in the 36 clinical isolated OFLX-resistant strains by PCR-SSCP combined with Southern hybridization.PCR-SSCP analysis combined with Southern blot can clearly distinguish OFLX-susceptible from OFLX-resistant strains. The results suggest that as a cut-off point between OFLX-susceptible and low-level OFLX-resistant to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, OFLX concentration of 10 microg/ml is considered to be a better one.

To assess the application of IS6110-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), Spoligotyping and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit (MIRU) in epidemiological studies of tuberculosis and to discuss the characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in different regions in China.Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, with a total number of 158 isolates, were subjected to IS6110-RFLP, Spoligotyping and MIRU.The numbers of patterns produced by IS6110-RFLP, Spoligotyping, and MIRU typing were 118, 20 and 105 respectively. The discriminatory power of IS6110-RFLP was higher than that of Spoligotyping. However, when the copies of IS6110 were lower than 10, the discriminatory power of Spoligotyping improved obviously. The discriminatory power of MIRU typing was close to that of IS6110-RFLP for typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In MIRU loci, there were four loci (loci 4, 10, 26, 40) with higher diversity. Significant differences among the Mycobacterium tuberculosis between Guangdong and other regions in clustered rate and the proportion of Beijing genotype (P0.05) were found. The clustered rates and the proportion of Beijing genotype in Guangdong were lower than that in other regions.The results of this study indicated that either IS6110-RFLP, Spoligotyping or MIRU technique was useful for epidemiological studies on tuberculosis in China and the strains in different regions had different characterishes in China.

To clarify the pathophysiology of sulcus vocalis and to develop a more rational approach to treatment.Twenty-nine cases of sulcus vocalis patients were divided into three classification: Type I is a physiologic variant and no dysphonia (11 cases). Types II (sulcus vergeture, 13 cases) and III (sulcus vocalis, 5 cases) are characterized by severe dysphonia and loss of vibratory activity. Eighteen cases of dysphonia were treated by surgery and phonation training. The operations included fat injection into vocal cords (9 cases of types II and 1 cases of types III, including 1 case of types III of second operation), fat implantation into sulcus vergeture after incision (4 cases of types II and 1 cases of types III) and undermining of the mucosa and sulcus vocalis resection (4 cases of types III, including 1 case of second operation). Phonatory function and video laryngostroboscopic data were evaluated before and after surgery and phonation training treatment in 18 patients. The mean follow-up time was 15.3 months.Ten cases of types II had excellent results after fat injection into vocal cords (n = 6) and fat implantation into sulcus vergeture after incision (n = 4). Three cases of types II improved after fat injection into vocal cords. Three cases of type III had excellent results after sulcus vocalis resection. One case of type III had excellent results by Second operation (sulcus vocalis resection) after fat injection into vocal cord. One case of type III improved by Second operation (fat injection into vocal cords) after fat implantation into sulcus vergeture after incision. No postoperative complications were noted.Accurate classification of sulcus vocalis is important and then adapt treatment to different types. Fat implantation into sulcus vergeture to type II and sulcus vocalis resection to type III were the best choice methods.

To test the MIC of ofloxacin and levofloxacin (MIC(F) and MIC(V)) in 101 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) isolated from patients with active tuberculosis and to analyze the relation between MIC and past history of fluoroquinolones (FQs) administration. And according to the analysis of the therapeutic effect of the regimen including FQs, we want to define the resistant breakpoints of OFLX and LVFX clinically.All isolates from sputa or pus obtained from in-patients in our hospital from Jan 1999 to Sept 2000 were tested for MIC and susceptibility. 47 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis received regimens including FQs were observed consecutively. Chi-square test was applied for the statistical analysis.(1) The MIC(V) of 96% clinical isolates tested were 2 times lower than MIC(F). (2) The MIC(F)8 microg/ml and MIC(V)4 microg/ml were found among 91% and 92% patients without previous FQs administration, while only the MIC(F)or = 8 microg/ml and MIC(V)or = 4 microg/ml were found among 54% and 57% for the patients with FQs administration history. (3) If MIC(F)or = 8 microg/ml and MIC(V)or = 4 microg/ml were defined as the clinical resistant breakpoints, in susceptible group, the sputum negative conversion rates were 54%, 75% and 82% respectively after receiving the regimens including FQs in 3, 6, and 12 months, while 16%, 32%, and 42% respectively in resistant group, (P0.01). Also, there were significant differences between these two groups for chest X-ray improvements after 12 months' treatment, (P0.01). There were significant differences for sputum conversion rates and chest X-ray improvement between MIC(V)4 microg/ml and MIC(V)or = 4 microg/ml groups (P0.01).According to the evaluation for the therapeutic effects of regimens including FQs, it is suggested that MIC(F)or = 8 microg/ml and MIC(V)or = 4 microg/ml be defined as resistant breakpoints clinically. The emergence of resistance to FQs in patients with tuberculosis can influence the therapeutic effects.

To analyse the cause, diagnosis, treatment and preventive methods of uterine perforation resulting from hysteroscopic electro-surgeries.Data of cases with uterine perforation were collected from 5 hospitals where overall 3,541 hysteroscopic electro-surgeries were done from May 1990 to July 2002. There were 1 468 transcervical resections of endometrium (TCRE), 797 cases of transcervical resection of myoma (TCRM), 783 cases of transcervical resection of endometrial polyp (TCRP), 189 cases of transcervical resection of uterine septa (TCRS), 112 cases of transcervical resection of uterine adhesion (TCRA) and 192 cases of transcervical removal of foreign body (TCRF). All operations were performed under B-ultrasonographic or laparoscopic monitoring. Cervical dilator stick was inserted into cervical canal or 200 micro g of misoprostol put in the posterior fornix the evening before operation. The procedures were done according to different indications and purposes. Cases of uterine perforation were divided into two groups: caused by approaching (entry-related) and by surgical instruments (technique-related).Totally sixteen cases (0.45%) of uterine perforation occurred. Seven cases occurred during cervical dilatation and 1 during hysteroscopy inserting lentry-related. Eight cases were technique-related caused by electrode. The incidences of uterine perforation of different operations were: TCRA 4.46% (5/112), TCRF 3.12% (6/192), TCRE 0.27% (4/1 468), TCRM 0.13% (1/797). TCRP and TCRS none. These 16 cases were all diagnosed during operations. 10 cases (62%) by B ultrasound and (or) laparoscopy, 6 cases (38%) by hysteroscopy and clinical features. 13 cases were complete uterine perforations, among them 2 were diagnosed by laparoscopic monitoring, 5 by B-ultrasonic monitoring, 4 by hysteroscopy and 2 by symptoms and B-ultrasound, 3 cases were incomplete uterine perforations in which 2 were diagnosed by laparoscopic monitoring and one by B-ultrasound monitoring.Half of uterine perforation cases were entry-related, so attention has to be paid to entry of Hegar or hysteroscopy (i.e., not dilate the cervix as possible and introduce the scope under direct vision). The other half were related to surgeons' experience and type of operation. TCRA and TCRF run more risks. B-ultrasound and (or) laparoscopy monitoring during hysteroscopic electro-surgery may help to prevent but not completely avoid uterine perforation.

The membrane phospholipid and fatty acid compositions of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, a pathogen of porcine enzootic pneumoniae isolated in China, was studied by thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography. The results showed that membrane phospholipids consisted predominantly of diphosphatidylglycerol. The percentage of C16–C18 fatty acids comprised 79% of the total fatty acids, of which oleic acid as well as palmitic acid are the major fatty acids. Some differences were shown in fatty acid composition as compared with membranes of other species of Mycoplasma.

The effect of hyoscyamine drugs on the fluidity of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR), fluorescence polarization and freeze-fracture electron microscopic techniques. DSC results indicate that anisodamine, anisodine, atropine and scopolamine all increase the fluidity of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes but with different degrees of efficiency. The increasing of fluidity of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes by hyoscyamine drugs is in a dose-dependent way. Increase of the fluidity of phosphatidylcholine liposomes by anisodamine was also shown by the other three methods. The possible mechanism of hyoscyamine-membrane interaction is discussed.