Evaluation of the Antioxidant and Antiviral Actions of Herbal Preparations: Rovital and Carciverin V (C1983)

The antioxidant and antiviral actions of the herbal extracts Rovital and Carciverin-V (C1983) were assessed. Solutions of Rovital and C1983 are powerful scavengers of hydroxyl radicals. Rovital did not inhibit DNA damage by bleomycin or copper-phenanthroline systems, whereas C1983 inhibited moderately. C1983 had significant inhibitory effects on the peroxidation of phospholipid liposomes whereas Rovital did not. However, Rovital and C1983 also interfered with the ability of α₁-antiproteinase to inhibit elastase. The extracts exhibited anti-HIV activity in C8166 cells at very low concentrations but were also cytotoxic.     

鹰视眼前段分析仪对前房的测量分析

目的应用鹰视眼前段分析仪（Oculyser）对前房角宽度（ACAW）和前房深度（ACD）进行定量测量,探讨Oculyser在前房测量的应用价值以及多种仪器眼前房生物学参数的关系。方法应用Oculyser对闭角型青光眼和老年性白内障ACAW和ACD进行定量测量,并对各组参数进行统计分析。结果与老年性白内障组相比,闭角青光眼急性发作组和临床前期组ACAW、ACD差异均具有统计学意义。而闭角青光眼急性发作组和临床前期组间比较,ACAW、ACD差异无统计学意义。男女性别间ACAW、ACD差异无统计学意义。结论Oculyser具有客观、准确、非接触和避免人为干扰等优点,可应用于前房角的测量。     

Molecular evolutionary studies of Lassa virus nucleoprotein 2

ObjectiveTo study the virulence diversity through molecular evolution, and to provide insight on circulating antibodies.MethodsThe nucleotide sequences of 18 Lassa virus genomic RNA encoding Lassa virus nucleoprotein isolates collected from different parts of the world since the identification of the Josiah strain were obtained from the GenBank and nucleotide substitution among them studied using the computer program MEGA 4. The genetic distances among strains were predicted by pairwise nucleotide differences.ResultsThe rate of synonymous substitution was high 5.889 per nucleotide per year and nonsynonymous was higher at 49.664. The average predicted rate of synonymous and nonsynonymous using modified Nei-Gojobori (assuming transition/transversion bias=2) was 27.9 which was taken as the genetic distance between strains. The average number of synonymous sites is 150.741 while the average number of nonsynonymous sites is 392.259. The phylogenetic tree was inferred by unweighted pairwise grouping in MEGA4 and using neighbour-joining method. The time of emergence of Lassa virus was predicted to be around January 1920. However, the first human appearance of the virus was predicted to be around May (1 959±24) months. In synonymous substitution the rate of (G-T) rare was high. The nucleotide frequencies were 0.314 (A), 0.246 (T/U), 0.204 (C) and 0.235 (G). The transition/transversion ratio k₁=14.991 (purines) and k₂=69.916 (pyrimidines). The overall transition/transversion bias R=16.662 with a total of 620 position in the final data set. These figures are far higher than an earlier study using Lassa virus glycoprotein. The nucleotide diversity were also very high using the Taijima's model in MEGA 4.ConclusionsThe divergence within strains always coincides with the period of epidemic which goes to confirm that the cause of epidemic outbreak should be the emergence of new strain and also why the infection remains endemic despite circulating antibodies. A comparison with a similar study with the viral glycoprotein concludes that the glycoprotein is more suited for vaccine development.     

Protection by albumin against the pro-oxidant actions of phenolic dietary components.

Synthetic and natural phenolic compounds are increasingly used in food preservation. Carnosol and carnosic acid (active components of rosemary extract), flavonoids (morin, quercetin, fisetin, myricetin), other plant phenolics (gossypol) and propyl gallate may protect lipids against oxidative damage but have the potential to increase damage to non-lipid constituents of foods, such as carbohydrates and DNA. Thus, in the presence of ferric EDTA and H2O2, they can form highly reactive hydroxyl radicals that can degrade the sugar deoxyribose and/or accelerate DNA degradation by means of a ferric-bleomycin complex. Human and bovine serum albumin afford considerable protection against damage to deoxyribose and DNA mediated by the above reactions. It is suggested that, given the fortification of foods with iron and EDTA and the use of phenolic substances as 'antioxidant' food additives, the addition of albumin might afford some protection.     

成骨不全一家系五代28例

成骨不全一家系五代２８例朱荣太孙长根王爱华章龙生成骨不全（ｏｓｔｅｏｇｅｎｅｓｉｓｉｍｐｅｒｆｅｃｔａ，ＯＩ）是以骨脆弱和骨畸形、蓝巩膜、牙齿发育不良、身材矮小等为临床特征的常染色体显性或隐性遗传缺陷的结缔组织病。患病率国外报道在新生儿中为２１．８／...     

Modulation of experimental osteoporosis in rats by the antioxidant beverage effective microorganism-X (EM-X)

Osteoporosis is a disease of aging associated with bone loss that often occurs without symptoms until microarchitectural deterioration becomes so significant that bone fracture occurs. The effective microorganism-X (EM-X) is an antioxidant beverage derived from ferment of unpolished rice, sea weeds and papaya with effective microorganisms of lactic acid bacteria, yeast and photosynthetic bacteria (containing minerals, α-tocopherol, lycopene, ubiquinone, saponin and flavonoids). The levels of serum estradiol (E₂) and the bone density of the middle and epiphysis of femurs were assessed in order to determine the effect of EM-X on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rat (an animal model of postmenopausal osteoporosis). EM-X (1 ml/rat/day) was initially administrated by gavage to rats which were then allowed to consume 10% (v/v) EM-X in water freely for 3 months. There was no statistical significance of E₂ level between sham operation group and control group, indicating that sham operation did not affect E₂ level. However, the E₂ levels in the ovariectomized rats tended to increase after treatment of EM-X for 3 months. The bone density of the middle and epiphysis of femur in both sham operation and ovariectomy group decreased with time. Rats receiving EM-X for 3 months after sham operation or ovariectomy had increased bone density of the middle of femur that was statistically significant (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05). The bone density of the epiphysis of femur in both sham operation and ovariectomy group were significantly increased, an outcome highly suggestive of the beneficial effects of EM-X on bone density of the middle and the epiphysis of femur in the rats with or without ovariectomy.     

人工肝治疗重症妊娠期急性脂肪肝的临床疗效分析

目的:分析人工肝治疗重症妊娠期急性脂肪肝(AFLP)的临床疗效.方法:收集重庆医科大学附属第一医院产科2002年1月至2007年8月住院并行人工肝治疗的15例重症AFLP患者的临床资料.观察患者的症状、体征、人工肝治疗前后血常规、肝肾功能、电解质、凝血象等指标.判断病情变化.结果:①人工肝治疗后肝肾功能、凝血功能主要指标较治疗前有明显改善(P<0.05);②15例患者中,3例患者经过1次人工肝治疗后,症状及各项实验室指标逐渐好转而痊愈.其余12例经过2次甚至3次人工肝治疗,其中7例痊愈,5例死亡.人工肝治疗过程中患者不良反应轻微,无1例因不良反应而终止治疗;③共17例胎儿出生,其中死胎5例(单胎1例、双胎2例),另12例出生时,新生儿Apgar评分>7分7例,预后良好;Apgar评分<7分5例,新生儿死亡2例,经治疗痊愈3例.结论:人工肝支持治疗是重症AFLP综合治疗中一项重要的治疗手段,且应尽早使用以阻断病情进展.     

Hepatocellular carcinoma and the underlying mechanisms

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma is increasing worldwide as well as the associated risk factors, some of which include exposure to aflatoxin B1, Hepatitis B (HBV) virus and hepatitis C (HCV) virus. Mutation of tumour suppressor gene p53 at codon 249^ser at exon 7 has been found to contribute significantly to replication of damaged DNA and subsequent tumour progression. The x gene of HBV (HBx) is the most common open reading frame integrated into the host genome in hepatocellular carcinoma and the integrated HBx is frequently mutated in hepatocellular carcinoma. Mutant HBx proteins still retain their ability to bind to p53 thereby attenuating DNA repair and p53-mediated apoptosis.