Effect of YHHJ on the expression of the hepatocellular bile acid transporters multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 and bile salt export pump in ethinylestradiol-induced cholestasis.

The herbal medicine Yin Huang Mixture (YHHJ; patent no. 200910031240.7) is an aqueous extract composed from various herbs, including Artemisia capillaries Thunb, Hypericum japonicum Thunb, Eucommia ulmoides Oliver, Rheum officinale Baill, Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Poria cocos Wolf and Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz. Previous studies have indicated that YHHJ treatment has a beneficial effect on ameliorating itching and reducing serum bile acid levels in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). However, the molecular mechanisms of action of YHHJ in ICP have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the present study investigated an experimental hepatocellular cholestasis model to explore the regulatory role of YHHJ on the expression of the bile acid carriers, multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) and the bile salt export pump (BSEP). Initially, 5 mg/kg/day 17-α ethinylestradiol (EE) was used to induce cholestasis in rats and primary isolated rat hepatocytes. Subsequently, 9 or 36 g/kg/day YHHJ water extract was administrated. Blood samples were collected and serum biochemical parameters of total bile acids (TBA), total bilirubin (TBil), alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were determined. Rat livers and primary isolated rat hepatocytes were obtained and the protein and mRNA expression levels of MRP2 and BSEP were analyzed by western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Results revealed that EE-induced hepatocellular cholestasis was associated with a significant increase in serum TBA and TBil levels, whereas, YHHJ treatment significantly reversed this effect (P<0.01). Further experiments on the molecular mechanism revealed that EE significantly decreased the expression of MRP2 and BSEP compared with the control group, whereas YHHJ treatment significantly upregulated MRP2 and BSEP expression in vivo and in vitro compared with no YHHJ treatment (P<0.01). In addition, to establish whether upregulation of MRP2 and BSEP protein expression levels resulted from increased expression of their respective mRNA, the mRNA expression levels were determined. Results indicated that YHHJ treatment significantly increased MRP2 and BSEP mRNA expression levels in EE-induced hepatocellular cholestasis compared with no YHHJ treatment (P<0.01). In conclusion, the present findings suggest that YHHJ effects EE-induced cholestasis and this process may be mediated through regulating hepatobiliary transporters, MRP2 and BSEP.

A colorimetric agarose gel for formaldehyde measurement based on nanotechnology involving Tollens reaction.

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) coupled with Tollens reagent were used for measuring formaldehyde. Au@Ag core-shell NPs were formed along with distinct color changes from pink to deep yellow. This colorimetric system was further immobilized into an agarose gel, which was used for monitoring of gaseous formaldehyde.

[Comparative study on the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in patients with HIV infection acquired by blood transfusion and paid plasma donation].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of HAART in patients with AIDS acquire by blood transfusion and paid plasma donation. METHODS: All AIDS patients whose disease was caused by blood transfusion and commercial plasma donation came from the domicile of Hebei Province. In the group of cases of blood transfusion in whom the infection was caused by one-time blood transfusion before and after 1995, there were 189 cases, of whom 105 cases on HAART were designated as observation group, and 84 cases who were not on HAART were designated as control group. The group of AIDS patients who were former commercial plasma donors (FCPDs) had 120 patients who were identified in the survey of 1995, of whom 63 cases on HAART were designated as observation group and 57 cases who were not on HAART were as control group. Onset dates were defined as the dates into the queue. Death due to AIDS was regarded as an outcome event. Subjects who were enrolled into the observation group and control group were epidemiologically followed up regularly. Observation was ended on December 31, 2010. RESULTS: Mortality of patients after HAART from groups of FCPDs and blood recipients were 4.42/100 person-years and 6.13/100 person-years, respectively. The survival rates of HAART groups were 80% in FCPDs for 110 months and 72% in blood recipients for 90 months, respectively. Meanwhile the mortality of no HAART groups were 182.05/100 person-years and 250.66/100 person-years, respectively. Mean survival of patients whose disease was caused by plasma donation and blood transfusion were 4 months and 3 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Whether the HIV infection was caused by plasmapheresis or blood transfusion, the effects of HAART did not show difference. HAART cold reduce the death intensity and prolong survival.

[A retrospective cohort study on the natural history of AIDS caused by blood transfusion].

OBJECTIVE: To study the natural history of AIDS, caused by blood transfusion. METHODS: All HIV infections and AIDS patients were from Hebei province, including those infected through blood transfusion around 1995, that were identified as through general census of former commercial plasma donors (FCPDs). Among those objects being observed during the incubation period, 354 had HIV infections (including 142 cases infected via plasmapheresis and 212 cases caused by transfusion) but had not been treated by HAART before the onset of disease. Objects being observed during the survival period, 141 were AIDS patients (including 57 cases infected via plasmapheresis and 84 cases causes by transfusion) but had not been treated by HAART before and after the onset of disease. All infectors and AIDS patients were under follow-up on the progress of illness or death, respectively. RESULTS: By December 31, 2010, the cumulative incidence among HIV infections was 88.70% (314/354), with the incidence density as 9.14/100 person-years (314/3435.75) and the median incubation period was 113 months. Of 142 HIV infections in the blood donation group and 212 infections in the blood transfusion group, the incubation periods were 112 months and 115 months, respectively. All of the 141 patients died 34 months after the onset, with the death-strength as 204.70/100 person-years (141/68.88) and the period of survival was 4 months. Among those 57 FCPDs infections, they were all died 24 months after the onset, with the death-strength as 250.66/100 person-years (57/22.74) and the survival was 3 months. The other 84 infections who were blood recipients, all died 34 months after the onset, with the death-strength as 182.05/100 person-years (84/ 46.14) and the survival was 4 months. CONCLUSION: Through this study, we noticed that the natural history of all the AIDS patients was caused by blood transmission. It was important to evaluate the natural history of HIV epidemics among both FCPDs and blood recipients, occurred before and after 1995.

Effect of Wujijing Oral Liquid on menstrual disturbance of women.

OBJECTIVE: Wujijing Oral Liquid (WJJ) contained principally the flesh essence of the black-boned chicken. As a kind of food and medicine in China, it was used to treat the menstrual disturbance traditionally, but the exact mechanism of the action was not yet clear. The clinical effects of the WJJ on the symptoms of the menstrual disturbance and the reproductive hormones were studied in this paper. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 53 women with the menstrual disturbance were selected as the study object, and then they were randomly divided to receive either WJJ 10mL twice daily (n=28) or the placebo (n=25) from the 1st day after menstrual flow for 2 menstrual cycles. On the 1st day after the discontinuation of the medication but before the treatment, the scores for the menstrual pattern and the related symptoms were obtained and the blood samples were collected to test the reproductive hormones. The serum levels of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL) and estradiol (E2) were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The levels of progesterone (P) and testosterone (T) in serum were measured by the radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: The score for the primary and related symptoms of the menstruation was increased significantly among patients treated with the WJJ. The differences on the FSH, PRL, and E2 levels of patients were significant before and after the treatment with WJJ. Comparing the WJJ group and the placebo group, the levels of P and T differed significantly after treatment. The oral liquid of WJJ was found to be safe, as it did not cause any change in the hepatic and renal functional parameters. CONCLUSION: The oral liquid of Wujijing could improve the menstrual disturbance and were generally safe and well tolerated. The possible mechanism could be associated with its effects in reinforcing the kidney and regulating the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis (HPOA).

[Retrospective cohort study on the rate of mother-to-child transmission among mothers infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 through blood transfusion].

OBJECTIVE: To study the rate of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) on HIV-1. METHODS: All local residents from 8 townships in a region were screened for mothers who had a history of only one blood transfusion and 63 were found HIV-1 positive. A further study on these HIV-1 positive mothers and their children was conducted with the emphasis on the date of receiving blood transfusion, date and type of nationality, history regarding breastfeeding and so on. Sera specimens from 84 children born from 63 HIV-1 positive mothers were screened, using ELISA for HIV-1 antibody, and positive specimens were confirmed by Western-blot. RESULTS: The rate of MTCT was 32.1% (27/84) for children with all risk factors related to MTCT. Another 36.8% (7/19) were related to factors on intrauterine, intrapartum and breastfeeding, 35.7% (5/14) to intrapartum and breastfeeding factors, 14.3% (2/14) to intrauterine and intrapartum factors, 37.9% (11/29) to breastfeeding factor alone. By group combination analysis, the MTCT rate was 36.9% (24/65) with breastfeeding, 11.8% (2/17) with artificial feeding, and the former was significantly higher than the latter. CONCLUSION: HIV-1 MTCT rate among mothers caused by a single blood transfusion varied with different risk factors. Breastfeeding played an important role in MTCT, appeared in our study.

[Investigation on status of HIV-1 infection among blood recipients from 1994 to 1998 in certain areas of China].

OBJECTIVE: To study the infection status of HIV-1 among blood recipients from 1994 to 1998 in certain areas of Hebei province. METHODS: A general investigation was set up among all the people in 15 townships of certain areas from November 2003 to February 2005. An epidemiological investigation was conducted among people who had received blood from donors, during 1994 and 1998. Blood samples were collected. ELISA was used in preliminary screening and Western-blot (WB) was used among people who showed a positive result in the preliminary screening. RESULTS: The infection rate of HIV-1 after blood receipt was 15.54% (92/592), and the infected persons were all appeared in five medical centers of 6 townships which located at the west part of the area. HIV-1 infection happened over the years, and reaching the zenith in the year 1995. Most of the infected persons were young women. Procreation was the main cause of blood transfusion for women and trauma was for men. CONCLUSION: A typical HIV outbreak happened in certain areas after blood transfusion in Hebei.

[Following surveillance on HIV infection after blood transfusion].

OBJECTIVE: To study epidemiological features of HIV infection after blood transfusion and the situation of transmission among members of family. METHODS: The persons infected with HIV through blood transfusion and their intrafamilial transmission in some city were analyzed and testing methods of ELISA, Western-blot, RT-PCR and subtype analyzing were used. The whole surveillance data came from residents investigation around problem medical centres and HIV monitoring network around Hebei province. RESULTS: 173 people infected with HIV after blood transfusion in some city, including 89 cases found in hospital and 84 cases in CDC, accounted for 68.7% (173/252) of all of infected persons by blood transfusion in Hebei province. The rate of intrafamilial transmission, spousal transmission and mother-to-child transmission((MTCT) were 32.0% (49/153),17.0% (26/153) and 32.7% (32/98), respectively. Most of persons infected with HIV were youth among who the female were more than the male. Childbearing and women's ailments were the main cause of blood transfusion from 1990 to 1999, and traumatism surgery took second place. Infected persons by HIV blood, whose time to diagnostic were the year from 1999 to 2009, spread over Kangtai hospital and other hospital which accounted for 45.1% (78/173) and 42.2% (73/173), respectively. The genetype of all patients were B' subtype. CONCLUSION: The medical centers at the grass-roots level in some city resulted in outbreak of infected persons by HIV blood because of having no screening test antibody of HIV for liid blood donors.

[Effects of acupuncture on granulocyte apoptosis and expressions of apoptosis-associated genes in the ovary of perimenopausal rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of acupuncture for treatment of perimenopausal syndrome. METHODS: The rats of perimenopausal syndrome were randomly divided into 3 groups, including an acupuncture group treated with acupuncture, a medication group with Gengnian'an, and a perimenopausal control group, with young rats used for a control group. Granulocyte apoptosis and expressions of Bcl-2 and Fas proteins in the ovary of the rat were detected. RESULTS: Granulocyte apoptosis increased significantly (P < 0.01), expression of Bl-2 proteins decreased significantly (P < 0.01) and expression of Fas proteins increased significantly (P < 0.01) in the ovary of perimenopausal rats as compared with the young rats; after acupuncture treatment, granulocyte apoptosis decreased significantly (P < 0.05), expression of Bel-2 proteins increased significantly (P < 0.05) and expression of Fas proteins decreased significantly (P < 0.01); after treatment of Gengnian'an, granulocyte apoptosis did not significantly change (P > 0.05), expression of Bcl-2 prteins increased significantly (P < 0.05) and expression of Fas proteins decreased significantly (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can inhibit granulocyte apoptosis, up-regulate expression of Bcl-2 proteins and down-regulate expression of Fas proteins in the ovary of the perimenopausal rat.