Pharmacokinetics of florfenicol and behaviour of its metabolite florfenicol amine in orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) after oral administration.

Pharmacokinetics and elimination of florfenicol and florfenicol amine in grouper held in sea water at 23.3 ± 0.8 °C were studied using HPLC method after they were given a single peroral dose of florfenicol at 24 mg kg(-1) body weight. Florfenicol was rapidly absorbed from intestine and distributed extensively to all the tissues examined. The maximum concentrations (Cmax , µg g(-1) or µg mL(-1) ) in plasma and tissues were observed at 2-6 h (the time to reach maximum concentration, Tmax ) except for bile (Tmax  = 24 h) and were in the order of intestine (52.02 ± 25.07) > bile (49.41 ± 28.16) > gill (45.12 ± 11.10) > plasma (28.28 ± 5.43) > liver (21.97 ± 12.08) > muscle (21.63 ± 6.12) > kidney (20.88 ± 11.28) > skin (19.10 ± 5.88). The drug distribution level was higher in plasma than in extravascular tissues except for bile, based on the ratios of the area under concentration-time curve between tissue and plasma (AUCtissue/plasma ). The elimination of florfenicol was rapid in fish, and the corresponding half-lives (T1/2ß ) in the order of magnitude were bile (13.92 h) > muscle or liver (12.31 h) > skin (11.77 h) > plasma (11.57) > gill (11.04 h) > intestine (10.55 h) > kidney (10.05 h). The delayed Tmax , lower Cmax and longer T1/2ß for florfenicol amine compared with florfenicol were measured in grouper.

Molecular characterization, phylogenetic analysis and expression profiling of myoglobin and cytoglobin genes in response to heat stress in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus.

To understand the function of myoglobin (Mb) and cytoglobin (Cygb) in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in response to heat stress, mb and cygb genes were identified and characterized in this study. These genes were widely expressed in all the tested tissues, but strong tissue preferences were observed, with the mb gene being expressed most highly in the heart, cygb1 most highly expressed in the intestine and cygb2 most highly expressed in the brain. After heat-stress challenge, mb and cygb genes were up-regulated in almost all tested tissues. In general, such up-regulation was more dramatic in the tolerant group than in the intolerant group, suggesting that higher expression of mb and cygb genes contributed to greater tolerance of I. punctatus to heat stress.

Genetic variation based on microsatellite analysis of the oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense from Qiandao Lake in China.

The oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) is an important freshwater prawn species in China. We collected 236 oriental river prawns from four wild stocks from Qiandao Lake, Zhejiang, China, and used nine polymorphic microsatellite markers to investigate their genetic diversity and structure, to facilitate the development of a selective breeding program. We found 185 alleles at nine loci in this sample. The observed heterozygosity (H(O)) and expected heterozygosity (H(E)) ranged from 0.43 to 0.89 and 0.56 to 0.95, respectively. The four stocks of M. nipponense displayed high genetic diversity (14.33-15.89 alleles/locus, H(O) = 0.66-0.77 and H(E) = 0.78-0.88). Genetic diversity of the stock from Weiping town was lower than the stocks from the other locations. Mutation-drift equilibrium analysis showed no significant bottleneck effect. F-statistics among stocks ranged from 0.03 to 0.07, indicating a moderate level of differentiation. Based on genetic structure analysis, the 236 individuals from the four wild stocks could be divided into two potential populations. Overall, the 09CA, 09AY and 09JJ wild stocks had higher allelic and genetic diversity than the upstream 09WP stock. These three wild stocks could be used as founders for selective breeding.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor attenuates chronic neuroinflammation in the brain of amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice: an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

Recent evidence suggests that inflammatory mechanisms contribute significantly to the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is an anti-inflammatory immunomodulator, but the mechanism of its anti-inflammatory effect is unclear. This study was designed to investigate whether G-CSF could inhibit inflammation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease through an α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) pathway. Mice transgenic for the V171I mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP) were injected subcutaneously with G-CSF 50 µg/kg per day or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; control group) for 7 days, and wild-type C57/BL6 mice were injected with PBS daily for 7 days. Mice were killed on days 7, 14 and 28 after treatment began. Levels of α7 nAChR protein were significantly increased and levels of interleukin-1ß, tumour necrosis factor-α and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) protein were significantly decreased in the brain of APP transgenic mice in response to G-CSF. Levels of α7 nAChR protein correlated negatively with NF-κB levels. It is concluded that G-CSF might attenuate inflammation by down-regulating NF-κB and up-regulating α7 nAChR in the brain of APP transgenic mice, indicating a potential new therapeutic approach to Alzheimer's disease.

A study of CCND1 with epithelial ovarian cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: Ovarian cancer is a gynecological malignancy with high mortality rates all over the world. Markers for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy are urgently required to improve the mortality rates. As a key proto-oncogene, CCND1 is known to be amplified in many different carcinomas, including breast cancer, esophageal cancer, bladder cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer, etc. CCND1 plays an important role in cancer development and progression. However, its function and mechanism have not been completely elucidated in ovarian cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, we use cisplatin in vitro to inhibit the cell proliferation and promote cell apoptosis in epithelial ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3. CCND1 expression, cell proliferation and cell cycle analysis were carried out by real-time PCR, CCK-8 and flow cytometry respectively. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that cisplatin could inhibit the expression of CCND1 in human epithelial ovarian cancer cell line, which is related to the decreased cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that CCND1 is a potential therapeutic target for epithelial ovarian cancer treatment.

Distribution of nitric oxide synthase in stomach myenteric plexus of rats.

AIM: To study the distribution of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in rat stomach myenteric plexus. METHODS: The distribution of NOS in gastric wall was studied in quantity and location by the NADPH-diaphorase (NDP) histochemical staining method and whole mount preparation technique. RESULTS: NOS was distributed in whole stomach wall, most of them were located in myenteric plexus, and distributed in submucosal plexus.The shape of NOS positive neurons was basically similar, most of them being round and oval in shape. But their density, size and staining intensity varied greatly in the different parts of stomach. The density was 62+/-38 cells mm(2) (antrum), 43+/-32 cells/mm(2) (body), and 32+/-28 cells mm(2) (fundus), respectively. The size and staining intensity of NOS positive neurons in the fundus were basically the same, the neurons being large and dark stained, while they were obviously different in antrum. In the body of the stomach, the NOS positive neurons were in an intermediate state from fundus to antrum. There were some beadlike structures which were strung together by NOS positive varicosities in nerve fibers, some were closely adherent to the outer walls of blood vessels. CONCLUSION: Nitric oxide might be involved in the modulation of motility, secretion and blood circulation of the stomach, and the significant difference of NOS positive neurons in different parts of stomach myenteric plexus may be related to the physiologic function of stomach.

Effect of motherwort on blood hyperviscosity.

The effect of motherwort (Leorunus Heterophyllus Sweet, MW) on blood hyperviscosity was investigated in 105 patients. The experimental and clinical study indicated that MW has a favorable clinical impact and an effective improvement of hemorheology. MW 10 ml (5g/ml) in 250 ml of 5% glucose was given intravenously daily for 15 days. 94.5% of cases showed improvements in the form of a decrease in blood viscosity and in fibrinogen volume and an increase in the deformability of Rbc, a shorting of the time of Rbc electrophoresis and an increase in antiplatelet aggregation.

Environmental change in Bashang region historical periods.

The Bashang region is a typical vulnerable eco-environmental zone. Our analysis of paleodunes, paleosol profiles, and lake changes taking place during last ten thousands years indicated that: (1) 10-6.9 ka B.P. was a post-glacial temperature-increasing stage, in which lakes had their high water level; (2) 6.9-3.0 ka B. P. was a large warm stage, during which four paleosol layers were developed and climate fluctuation has assumed 4-5 small cold-humid and cold-dry alternations. Since 5.4 ka B.P., the lakes tended to gradually shrink; and by 2.1 ka B.P., water level has fallen by 2.7 m; (3) since 3.0 ka B. P. a general trend of the region was to change into a dry, warm-dry and cold-dry environment.

[Significance of the unbalanced expression of Th1/Th2 type cytokines in human glioma].

OBJECTIVE: To study the significance of the unbalanced expression of Th1/Th2 type cytokines in human glioma. METHODS: The gene expressions of Th1/Th2 type cytokines in 62 specimens of human glioma tissues, 4 glioma cell lines, peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) of 15 glioma patients, 5 specimens of normal adult brain tissue and 5 brain meningioma tissues were detected by semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. IFN-gamma and IL-2 represent Th1 type cytokines. IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-13 represent Th2 type cytokines. RESULTS: There were obviously predominant expression of Th2 type cytokines in glioma cell lines (P < 0.01) and specimens of human glioma tissues (P < 0.01). The tendency of distinct expression of Th2 type cytokines in PBMC was also existent. There wasn't obvious discrepancy of the expression of two type cytokines in normal adult brain tissues and meningioma tissues. CONCLUSIONS: It is likely that the switching of Th1/Th2 type cytokines in gliomas as predominant expression of Th2 type cytokine genes is related to the origination of gliomas and the evasion of glioma cells from immune surveillance.

Small interfering RNA targeting nuclear factor kappa B to prevent vein graft stenosis in rat models.

BACKGROUND: Intimal hyperplasia plays an important role in vein graft stenosis. Inflammatory injury, especially nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) gene activation, is highly involved in stenosis progression. We examined whether neointimal hyperplasia and vein graft stenosis could be inhibited by silencing the NF-κB gene with small interference RNA (siRNA). METHODS: Sixty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal vein group, a vein graft group, a scrambled siRNA group, and an NF-κB siRNA group. We performed reverse interpositional grafting of the autologous external jugular vein to the abdominal aorta. Vein grafts were treated with liposome and gel complexes containing NF-κB siRNA or scrambled siRNA. The levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein -1, tumor necrosis factor-α, and NF-κB p65 in vessel tissues were evaluated after surgery for content of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and vascular wall thickness. RESULTS: NF-κB siRNA treated vein graft showed less neointimal formation and fewer positive PCNA cells (P < .05). In addition there were lower levels of, NF-κB p65 protein and of inflammatory mediators (P < .05) compared with the vein graft group. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that siRNA transfection suppressed NF-κB expression, reduced inflammatory factors, lessened neointimal proliferation, and suppressed PCNA.

Prevalence and clinical significance of 15 autoantibodies in patients with new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus.

INTRODUCTION: It is necessary to assay multiple autoantibodies simultaneously in the same group of new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patient. AIM: To determine the prevalence and clinical significance of 15 autoantibodies in patients with new-onset SLE. METHODS: Twenty new-onset patients with SLE and 32 healthy individuals were enrolled in the present study. Serum levels of 15 autoantibodies were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The clinical parameters of the patients were also recorded. RESULTS: The positive rate of anti-ssDNA was the highest (85%). The positive rates of anti-dsDNA, anti-ssDNA, AHA, anti-SSA, anti-SSB, anti-Sm, anti-U1RNP, AnuA, and rRNP were significantly higher in SLE patients than in nomal controls. In terms of clinical manifestation, there were significant associations of rRNP with photaesthesia and of AHA with nephritis. CONCLUSION: Clusters of autoantibodies were identified and associations of antibodies with symptoms were found in new-onset patients with SLE.

Twelve polymorphic microsatellites in Oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense.

Oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense, is a commercially important freshwater prawn species in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Due to overfishing for food, the wild stocks M. nipponense are endangered. Twenty microsatellite loci were isolated from the M. nipponense. Twelve of these loci were polymorphic (seven to 16 alleles per locus), with expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.68 to 0.86 (n = 48). These polymorphic loci provide a valuable tool for assessing genetic diversity of wild and cultured populations.