[Predictive diagnostic value of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps].

Objective: To compare the value of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-(OH)D3) with other clinical parameters in the prediction and diagnosis of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (ECRSwNP). Methods: Eligible chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) patients and healthy subjects in the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from January to April of 2021 were included for this study. The age, gender, past history and other basic characteristics of all subjects were recorded. The CRSwNP patients were classified into ECRSwNP and non-eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (nECRSwNP) endotypes by the percentage of tissue eosinophils. Serum 25-(OH)D3 levels measurements were performed in all subjects. Paranasal sinus CT scans, blood eosinophil counts, and determination of total immunoglobulin E (total IgE), Th1/Th2 plasma cytokines and nasal nitric oxide (nNO) levels were performed before surgery. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the related factors of ECRSwNP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was used to evaluate the predictive potential of the clinical parameters. Results: One hundred and twenty-seven CRSwNP patients and 40 healthy subjects were recruited, including 74 males and 93 females of the patients, with the age of (38.73±13.05) years. In patients with ECRSwNP, serum 25-(OH)D3 levels were significantly lower than those in nECRSwNP patients ((26.14±4.58) ng/ml vs (35.71±7.86) ng/ml, t=-8.564, P<0.01). The prevalence of asthma, prevalence of allergic rhinitis, peripheral blood eosinophil counts, total IgE levels, nNO levels and CT scores ratio for ethmoid sinus and maxillary sinus (E/M ratio) of ECRSwNP patients were significantly higher than those in nECRSwNP patients (all P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in Th1/Th2 cytokines levels between the histological types of CRSwNP (all P>0.05). Among the predictive indicators, 25-(OH)D3 had the highest predictive value, with ROC area under curve (AUC) value of 0.882. The best cut-off point of 28.5 ng/ml for 25-(OH)D3 demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.871 and a specificity of 0.762 for ECRSwNP. Conclusion: Measurement of serum 25-(OH)D3 level may be used as an effective method to distinguish between ECRSwNP and nECRSwNP.

Molecular cloning and characterization of CD63 in common carp infected with koi herpesvirus.

CD63 is a member of the four-transmembrane-domain protein superfamily and is the first characterized tetraspanin protein. In the present study, we cloned the common carp (Cyprinus Carpio) CD63 (ccCD63) sequence and found that the ccCD63 ORF contained 711 bp and encoded a protein of 236 amino acids. Homology analysis revealed that the complete ccCD63 sequence had 84.08% amino acid similarity to CD63 of Sinocyclocheilus anshuiensis. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that ccCD63 was localized in the cytoplasm. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated that ccCD63 was expressed in the gill, intestine, liver, spleen, brain and kidney, with higher expression in spleen and brain tissues than in the other examined tissues. After koi herpesvirus (KHV) infection, these tissues exhibited various expression levels of ccCD63. The expression level was the lowest in the liver and highest in the brain; the expression level in the brain was 8.7-fold higher than that in the liver. Furthermore, knockdown of ccCD63 promoted KHV infection. Moreover, ccCD63 was correlated with the regulation of RIG-I/MAVS/TRAF3/TBK1/IRF3 and may be involved in the antiviral response through the RIG-I viral recognition signalling pathway in a TRAF3/TBK1-dependent manner. Taken together, our results suggested that ccCD63 upregulated the interaction of KHV with the host immune system and suppressed the dissemination of KHV.

[Evaluation and analysis of anxiety, depression and quality of life in vasomotor rhinitis].

Objective: To evaluate the mental state and quality of life in patients with vasomotor rhinitis (VMR) before and after treatment, and to provide guidance for improving the overall health of VMR patients. Methods: Two hundred and twenty VMR patients (VMR group, 118 males, 102 females; aged from 18 to 72 years old), three hundred and twenty allergic rhinitis (AR) patients (AR group, 178 males, 142 females; aged from 18 to 79 years old) from January 2016 to September 2019 were selected in the otolaryngology clinic of Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, four hundred and twenty-three healthy people (control group, 243 males, 180 females; aged from 19 to 70 years old) were selected in physical examination center at the same time by continuous enrollment method, symptom check list (SCL-90), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were used to evaluate the mental state of VMR patients before and after treatment, and 12-item short form health survey version 2.0 (SF-12v2) was used to evaluate their quality of life, statistical data were collected and analyzed by ANOVA and t-test. Results: The scores of eight factors (physical function, role physical function, general health, vitality, role-emotional, mental health) of SF-12v2 in VMR patients before treatment were lower than that of posttreatment, that of AR patients and the control group, the differences were significant (all P<0.05), the scores of somatization, obsession, depression, anxiety and psychosis in SCL-90 in VMR patients before treatment were significantly higher than that of posttreatment, that of AR patients and the control group (all P<0.05), the SAS and SDS in VMR patients before treatment (51.28±16.32; 53.28±18.55) were significantly higher than that of posttreatment (38.53±13.21; 39.35±13.34), that of AR patients (42.23±14.32; 43.32±13.78) and the control group (29.78±10.07;33.46±10.55; t(SAS) were 9.007, 6.813 and 20.59; t(SDS) were 9.043, 7.154 and 17.260, all P<0.05). Conclusion: VMR patients generally suffer from psychological damage, which seriously affects the quality of life of the patients. On the basis of routine treatment, we should attach more importance to the negative psychology of VMR patients and intervene when necessary.

Spatial and temporal variations and possible sources of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites in rivers in Tianjin, China.

Water, suspended solid (SS) and sediment samples were collected from nine water courses in Tianjin, China and analyzed for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites (DDXs, including o,p'-,p,p'-DDT, DDD and DDE). The average DDX concentrations in water, SS and sediment were 59+/-30 ng l(-1), 2690+/-1940 ng g(-1)dry wt. and 340+/-930 ng g(-1)dry wt., respectively. Due to the termination of the extensive agricultural application and industrial manufacture, DDXs in river sediment decreased by one order of magnitude since 1970's and low DDT fractions in these sediments were observed. Still, DDXs in the sediments near the outlets of the major manufacturers remained relatively high attributed to the historic input. DDXs in sediment were also positively correlated with organic matter content. Spatial distributions of DDXs in SS and water was different from that in sediment. For SS, a negative correlation between DDX concentration and SS content indicated a dilution effect in many rivers. Dissolved organic carbon content was the major factor affecting DDX concentrations in water phase. Wastewater discharged from dicofol manufacturers and likely illegal agricultural application were the primary reasons causing high DDT (DDE+DDD) ratios in SS and water.

Correlation analysis of miR-200b, miR-200c, and miR-141 with liver metastases in colorectal cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate correlation relationship between serum miR-200b, miR-200c, miR-141 levels with liver metastases in colorectal cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 85 colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases and 54 colorectal cancer patients without liver metastases were divided into experimental group and control. Serum sample was collected before surgery and tested by Real-time PCR to evaluate miR-200b, miR-200c, miR-141 expressions. RESULTS: The primary site of cancer of two groups was mostly derived from the colon cancer among the control and experimental group (there was no significant difference between the control group (61.1%) and experimental group (63.5%). Most of the invasive depth in the control group was T3 phase (50%), and most of the invasive depth in the experimental group was T4 phase (69.4%); therefore, the difference of the invasive depth between the control and experimental group is significant (p < 0.05). The majority of cases in experimental group were in stage IV, while they were in stage II in control. MiR-200b, miR-200c and miR-141 relate with tumor metastasis through epithelial mesenchymal transition (ETM) pathway, and target ZEB1 and ZEB2 genes. MiR-200b, miR-200c, and miR-141 have been confirmed to be related to tumor metastasis. miR-141 levels in serum from experimental group was higher significant compared to control group (p = 0.024). miR-200b levels in serum from experimental group was significantly increased compared to control group (p = 0.031). The miR-200c levels in serum from experimental group were significantly higher compared to control group (p = 0.015). Meanwhile, serum miR-141, miR-200b, miR-200c abnormal expressions in serum were related to tumor occurrence and development. Their levels were positively correlated with liver metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: The probability of liver metastases in colorectal cancer patients was positively correlated with serum miR-141, miR-200b, and miR-200c expressions, which could be treated as new biomarker for early diagnosis of liver metastases in colorectal cancer.

Contamination of rivers in Tianjin, China by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Tianjin urban/industrial complex is highly polluted by some persistent organic pollutants. In this study, the levels of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were tested in sediment, water, and suspended particulate matter (SPM) samples in 10 rivers in Tianjin. The total concentration of 16 PAHs varied from 0.787 to 1943 microg/g dry weight in sediment, from 45.81 to 1272 ng/L in water, and from 0.938 to 64.2 microg/g dry weight in SPM. The levels of PAHs in these media are high in comparison with values reported from other river and marine systems. Variability of total concentrations of PAHs in sediment, water, and SPM from nine different rivers is consistent with each other. No obvious trends of total PAHs concentration variations were found between upstream and downstream sediment, water, and SPM samples for most rivers, which indicate local inputs and disturbances along these rivers. The spatial distributions of three-phase PAHs are very similar to each other, and they are also similar to those found in topsoil. However, their chemical profiles are significantly different from that of topsoil. The change of profiles is consistent with the different aqueous transport capability of 16 PAHs. Low molecular weight PAHs predomination suggests a relatively recent local source and coal combustion source of PAHs in the study area.

Huperzine A, a potential therapeutic agent for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

HupA is a potent, reversible and selective inhibitor of AChE with a rapid absorption and penetration into the brain in animal tests. It exhibits memory-enhancing activities in animal and clinical trials. Compared to tacrine and donepezil, HupA possesses a longer duration of action and higher therapeutic index, and the peripheral cholinergic side effects are minimal at therapeutic doses. This review article deals with a comprehensive survey of the progress in chemical and pharmacological studies of HupA including the isolation and structure elucidation, pharmacological actions, total synthesis, SAR studies and the future development of HupA. Recently, it has been reported that HupA could reduce neuronal cell death caused by glutamate. The dual bio-activities of HupA would further enhance its value and potentiality as the therapeutic agent for Alzheimer s disease.

Synthesis and muscarinic receptor activity of ester derivatives of 2-substituted 2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-5-ol and -6-ol.

Radioligand binding affinities of four new muscarinic antagonists and six potential muscarinic agonists which possess the 2-alkyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane ring system have been determined in rat heart, rat brain, and m1- or m3-transfected CHO cell membrane preparations to examine the selectivity for subtypes of muscarinic receptor. The efficacies of the potential muscarinic agonists were determined by the ratio of binding affinities against [3H]QNB and [3H]Oxo-M. Four muscarinic antagonists which have the 2,2-diphenylpropionate side chain at either the C5 (5-endo or 5-exo) or the C6 (6-endo or 6-exo) positions did not discriminate between the subtypes of muscarinic receptors. The 2,2-diphenylpropionate 5-endo substituted compound was the most potent, showing affinities between 4.23 x 10(-10) and 1.18 x 10(-9) M in rat heart, rat brain, and m1- or m3-transfected CHO cell membrane preparations. The rank order of ester potency was 5-endo greater than 5-exo greater than 6-endo greater than 6-exo. A molecular modeling study based on the pharmacophore developed for azaprophen was used to account for the relative potency of these antagonists. Six potential muscarinic agonists which have acetoxy groups in the C5 or C6 position with an N-methyl or N-benzyl substituent did not discriminate subtypes of muscarinic receptors and had affinities between 6.63 x 10(-6) and 4.76 x 10(-5) M in rat heart, rat brain, and m1- or m3-transfected CHO cell membrane preparations. exo-2-Methyl-5-acetoxy-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane was the most efficacious partial agonist.

Ion flotation of rhodium(III) and palladium(II) with anionic surfactants.

The ion flotation of rhodium(III) and palladium(II) with some anionic surfactants has been investigated. Two flotation procedures are proposed for the separation of some platinum metals, based on differences in the kinetic properties of the chloro-complexes of rhodium(III), palladium(II) and platinum(IV). The first involves the selective flotation of Rh(H(2)O)(3+)(6) from PdCl(2-)(4) and PtCl(2-)(6) in dilute hydrochloric acid with sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS). After precipitation of the hydroxide and redissolution in dilute acid, the Rh(III) is converted into Rh(H(2)O)(3+)(6), Pd(II) and Pt(IV) remaining as PdCl(2-)(4) and PtCl(2-)(6) respectively, and separation is achieved by floating the Rh(H(2)O)(3+)(6) with SDBS. The second is for separation of Pd(II). Prior to flotation, the solution of PdCl(2-)(4) and PtCl(2-)(6) is heated with ammonium acetate to convert PdCl(2-)(4) into Pd(NH(3))(2+)(4). The chloro-complex of Pt(IV) is unaffected. The complex cation, Pd(NH(3))(2+)(4), is then selectively floated with SDBS. The procedures are fast, simple and do not require expensive reagents and apparatus.

Measurement of angular distributions of Drell-Yan dimuons in p+p interactions at 800 GeV/c.

We report a measurement of the angular distributions of Drell-Yan dimuons produced using an 800 GeV/c proton beam on a hydrogen target. The polar and azimuthal angular distribution parameters have been extracted over the kinematic range 4.5

Measurement of Upsilon production for p + p and p + d interactions at 800 GeV/c.

We report a high statistics measurement of Upsilon production with an 800 GeV/c proton beam on hydrogen and deuterium targets. The dominance of the gluon-gluon fusion process for Upsilon production at this energy implies that the cross section ratio, sigma(p+d-->Upsilon)/2sigma(p+p-->Upsilon), is sensitive to the gluon content in the neutron relative to that in the proton. Over the kinematic region 0

Measurement of angular distributions of Drell-Yan dimuons in p+d interactions at 800 GeV/c.

We report a measurement of the angular distributions of Drell-Yan dimuons produced using an 800 GeV/c proton beam on a deuterium target. The muon angular distributions in the dilepton rest frame have been measured over the kinematic range 4.5

A comparative approach to somatic cell nuclear transfer in the rhesus monkey.

BACKGROUND: Despite the potential utility of primate somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) to biomedical research and to the production of autologous embryonic stem (ES) cells for cell- or tissue-based therapy, a reliable method for SCNT is not yet available. Employing the rhesus monkey as a clinically relevant animal model, we have compared a conventional electrofusion method for SCNT with a one-step micromanipulation (OSM) method. METHODS: A prospective, randomized trial was conducted using only oocytes that were mature [metaphase II (MII)] at collection and a fibroblast-like cell line as nuclear donor cells (fetal fibroblasts). The embryos produced were characterized for in vitro developmental potential, cell number, karyotype and expression of nuclear mitotic apparatus (NuMA) and OCT-4. RESULTS: An in vitro blastocyst development rate of 24.4% was achieved with the OSM method, significantly higher than the 12.2% obtained following electrofusion. SCNT-produced embryos expressed normal karyotypes, cell numbers and NuMA and OCT-4 proteins in most cases. SCNT with male nuclear donor cells resulted in the production of male, SCNT blastocysts, eliminating the possibility of a parthenogenetic origin. Of the four fibroblast cell lines tested as nuclear donor cells, two supported the routine production of blastocysts following SCNT. CONCLUSIONS: The application of a modified SCNT technique (OSM) followed by embryo culture in hamster embryo culture medium-10 (HECM-10) allows, for the first time, the routine production of SCNT blastocysts, most of which appear normal by immunochemical, cytochemical and in vitro developmental criteria. These embryos will provide a resource for isolating ES cells and for studies of nuclear reprogramming by monkey cytoplasts.

Effects of synthetic (-)-huperzine A on cholinesterase activities and mouse water maze performance.

AIM: To compare the effects of synthetic and natural (-)-huperzine A (Hup A) on cholinesterase and mouse water maze performance. METHODS: Spectrophotometry was used to determine cholinesterase activity. Mouse water maze was used to evaluate nootropic effect. RESULTS: The IC50 of synthetic Hup A for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) of rat cortex and rat erythrocyte membrane determined in vitro were 64.7 (52.6-79.5) and 53.9 (43.6-66.6) nmol.L-1, respectively, and for butyrylcholinesterase of rat serum was 53.6 (44.9-63.8) mumol.L-1. Synthetic Hup A 0.12-0.48 mg.kg-1 ig produced a dose-dependent inhibition of brain AChE in mice. Synthetic Hup A 0.05 mg.kg-1 ig attenuated scopolamine-induced impairment of spatial memory. The efficacy of synthetic Hup A was the same as natural Hup A. CONCLUSION: Synthetic Hup A yielded an in vitro and in vivo pharmacological profile of activities similar to that of natural Hup A.

X-ray structures of Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase complexed with (+)-huperzine A and (-)-huperzine B: structural evidence for an active site rearrangement.

Kinetic and structural data are presented on the interaction with Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase (TcAChE) of (+)-huperzine A, a synthetic enantiomer of the anti-Alzheimer drug, (-)-huperzine A, and of its natural homologue (-)-huperzine B. (+)-Huperzine A and (-)-huperzine B bind to the enzyme with dissociation constants of 4.30 and 0.33 microM, respectively, compared to 0.18 microM for (-)-huperzine A. The X-ray structures of the complexes of (+)-huperzine A and (-)-huperzine B with TcAChE were determined to 2.1 and 2.35 A resolution, respectively, and compared to the previously determined structure of the (-)-huperzine A complex. All three interact with the "anionic" subsite of the active site, primarily through pi-pi stacking and through van der Waals or C-H.pi interactions with Trp84 and Phe330. Since their alpha-pyridone moieties are responsible for their key interactions with the active site via hydrogen bonding, and possibly via C-H.pi interactions, all three maintain similar positions and orientations with respect to it. The carbonyl oxygens of all three appear to repel the carbonyl oxygen of Gly117, thus causing the peptide bond between Gly117 and Gly118 to undergo a peptide flip. As a consequence, the position of the main chain nitrogen of Gly118 in the "oxyanion" hole in the native enzyme becomes occupied by the carbonyl of Gly117. Furthermore, the flipped conformation is stabilized by hydrogen bonding of Gly117O to Gly119N and Ala201N, the other two functional elements of the three-pronged "oxyanion hole" characteristic of cholinesterases. All three inhibitors thus would be expected to abolish hydrolysis of all ester substrates, whether charged or neutral.

J/psi polarization in 800-GeV p-Cu interactions.

We present measurements of the polarization of the J/psi produced in 800-GeV proton interactions with a copper target. Polarization of the J/psi is sensitive to the ccmacr; production and hadronization processes. A longitudinal polarization is observed at large x(F), while at small x(F) the state is produced essentially unpolarized or slightly transversely polarized. No significant variation of the polarization is observed versus p(T).