Animal Reservoir Hosts and Fish-borne Zoonotic Trematode Infections on Fish Farms, Vietnam

Fish-borne zoonotic trematodes (FZT) pose a risk to human food safety and health and may cause substantial economic losses in the aquaculture industry. In Nghe An Province, Vietnam, low prevalence of FZT for fish farmers but high prevalence for fish indicate that reservoir hosts other than humans may play a role in sustaining transmission. To determine whether domestic animals may be reservoir hosts, we assessed prevalence and species composition of FZT infections in dogs, cats, and pigs in a fish-farming community in Vietnam. Feces from 35 cats, 80 dogs, and 114 pigs contained small trematode eggs at 48.6%, 35.0%, and 14.4%, respectively; 7 species of adult FZT were recovered from these hosts. These results, combined with data from previous investigations in this community, imply that domestic animals serve as reservoir hosts for FZT and therefore must be included in any control programs to prevent FZT infection in humans.     

花色苷抗氧化及改善胰岛素抗性的体外研究

目的研究花色苷(Anth)体外抗氧化及改善胰岛素抗性(IR)的效应,并分析构效关系。方法以自然界最为常见的6种Anth作为受试物,测定其对二苯代苦味酰肼(1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl,DPPH?)自由基的清除能力,及其对H2O2诱导的IR3T3-L1脂肪细胞胞内活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)水平和葡萄糖摄取能力的影响。结果6种Anth均具有较强的DPPH自由基清除能力,效应和B环上酚羟基数目有关;6种Anth中,具有邻苯二酚结构的2种能更好的清除H2O2诱导IR脂肪细胞胞内的ROS,同时显著提高胰岛素刺激后脂肪细胞对葡萄糖的摄取能力,呈剂量-效应依赖型。结论花色苷可预防和改善氧化应激引起的3T3-L1脂肪细胞胰岛素抗性,此效应与B环上的邻苯二酚结构有关。     

钱乙关于小儿疳证论治的特色

目的：探析钱乙有关小儿疳证论治的学术思想。方法：搜集并整理钱乙关于小儿疳证的论述及理法方药,探析其学术内涵。结果：钱氏立脾胃亡津之病机,揭示了疳证本质是＂亡津液＂,开扶脾养胃法先河,指出治初病侧重养胃阴,疗久疾功擅扶脾阳。并创制治疳证初病而设之白术散及疳证后期之益黄散（又名补脾散）。结论：钱乙论治小儿疳证,分析综合,权衡利弊,审慎地制方遣药,为后世儿科临床的理法方药确立了规范楷模。     

一种快速加温透析配液设备的技术改造

目的为解决冬季血透中心透析液B粉溶解速度较慢的问题,我们对原有的配液设备进行了技术改造。方法改进的配液设备主要由加热器、水位自动控制器、配液桶、搅拌器、电动阀、管路和进出水阀等7部分组成。采用边加反渗水,边加温的控温方式,使反渗水达到设定的用量时,配液桶内的反渗水温度也达到设定值,这样即使在寒冷的冬季透析液的配制时间与最炎热的夏季也毫无差别。结果冬季透析液的配液时间由原来的6 h提高到0.5 h。结论经过改造的配液设备减少了冬季透析液的配制时间,且配液时间不受季节变化的影响。     

Effects of Lead and Noise Exposures on Hearing Ability

Lead and noise, via different mechanisms, may damage hearing ability, and, in some cases, cause severe and irreversible damage. To explore possible independent and synergistic effects of lead and noise on auditory function, the authors conducted a cross-sectional study in two lead-battery manufacturing factories. Lead and noise were the two most common sources of occupational exposures in the factories. Blood lead level, ambient lead concentration, noise exposure level, and hearing thresholds of 339 lead-battery workers—including clerical and managerial staffs—were measured. The authors obtained demographics and working histories via an interview-based structured questionnaire. A total of 220 lead-battery workers were exposed to high levels of lead and noise; their average blood lead concentration was 56.9 μmlg/dl, and their average noise exposure level was 86.0 dBALeq. Multivariate analysis, in which possible risk factors of hearing ability were considered, demonstrated a significant correlation between a high, long-term lead exposure index (defined by duration of employment and ambient lead concentration) and decreased hearing ability. In contrast, such a correlation between short-term lead exposure (defined by blood lead level) and hearing ability was not significant. Furthermore, neither noise exposure level alone nor the interaction between noise exposure level and short- or long-term lead exposure was correlated significantly with hearing ability. The present study raises an important, but typically ignored, issue: lead exposure might precipitate a more severe auditory than noise-exposure effect. The preservation of workers' hearing ability requires that preventive measures be taken against noise exposure, which is as essential as measures taken against lead exposure.     

我国医院的发展趋势

随着我国国民经济持续、稳定的发展,卫生事业取得了长足的进步,医院工作得到了全面发展。医院面临着人民医疗卫生需求快速增长,同时与国际社会接轨的双重挑战。因此,必须了解其发展趋势,适应其发展变化:1.医院基本任务的变化;2.服务体制的改革;3.服务观念的转变;4.医院内部管理模式的变化;5.人事管理的改革;6.管理手段现代化;7.实施区域医疗规划,合理使用卫生资源。     

Antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanolic extracts of Taxillus liquidambaricola

Ethanopharmacological relevance

The Taxillus liquidambaricola has been used to treat rheumatic arthralgia, threatened abortion and hypertension in the Chinese traditional medicine. However, there is no scientific evidence which supports the use in the literature. This study aimed to determine the antioxidant, and analgesic activities and the mechanism of anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanolic extracts of Taxillus liquidambaricola (ETL) in cell and animal models.

Materials and methods

The following activities were investigated: free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities [2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl)], analgesic (writhing and formalin test), and anti-inflammatory [lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 macrophages and paw-edema induced by λ-carrageenan (Carr)]. We also investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of ETL via studies of the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the edema paw. Serum NO and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were also measured in vivo.

Results

ETL showed the highest TEAC and DPPH radical scavenging activities, respectively. ETL also had highest contents of polyphenol and flavonoid contents. We evaluated that ETL and the reference compound of quercetin decreased the LPS-induced NO production and expressions of iNOS and COX-2 in RAW264.7 cells. Treatment of male ICR mice with ETL significantly inhibited the numbers of acetic acid-induced writhing response and the formalin-induced pain in the late phase. Administration of ETL showed a concentration dependent inhibition on paw edema development after Carr treatment in mice. The anti-inflammatory effects of ETL could be via NO and TNF-α suppression and associated with the increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Western blotting revealed that ETL decreased Carr-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expressions.

Conclusions

Anti-inflammatory mechanisms of ETL might be correlated to the decrease in the level of MDA, iNOS, and COX-2 via increasing the activities of CAT, SOD, and GPx in the edema paw. Overall, the results showed that ETL demonstrated antioxidant, antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory activity, which supports previous claims of the traditional use for inflammation and pain.     

Danshen-Gegen decoction exerts proliferative effect on rat cardiac myoblasts H9c2 via MAPK and insulin pathways

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Danshen (root of Salvia miltiorrhiza) and Gegen (roots of Pueraria lobata) are traditional Chinese medicines that have been used in combination for cardiovascular disease treatment.

Aim of the study

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of Danshen-Gegen decoction on rat myocardium cell line H9c2 and the possible molecular mechanisms.

Materials and methods

Rat heart myocardium H9c2 cells were treated with or without Danshen-Gegen decoction (DG) ranging from 10 to 1000 μg/ml for 24 h. Cell viability was measured by Alarma blue assay and cell proliferation assay was performed by BrdU Cell Proliferation ELISA kit. The activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and insulin pathways was analyzed by Luminex technology and the growth factors and cytokine expression of H9c2 cells induced by DG was evaluated by protein array. Moreover, a rat functional specific cDNA microarray was constructed to study the gene expression profiles of H9c2 cells upon the DG treatment at 50 μg/ml for 24 h.

Results

DG promoted H9c2 cell viability and cell proliferation at dose-dependent manner within the range between 0 and 250 μg/ml. A Bio-Plex assay kit (Bio-Rad Bioscience) was used to detect the expression level of phosphoprotein as well as total proteins involved in the MAPK and insulin pathways. Significant phosphorylation of ERK, c-Jun, JNK, p38, AKT, IGF-IR, IRS-1and I kappa B were observed after DG treatment at 2 h or 4 h. A rat cytokine antibody array was used to detect and quantify 22 growth factors and cytokines in samples collected from the control and DG treated H9c2 cells. In the category of growth factors, GM-CSF, CNIF and b-NGF were stimulated by DG, while the expression of TIMP-1 was suppressed. For cytokine expression, it was found that DG stimulated three interleukin subclasses, IL-1α, 1X and 6, respectively. However, the expression of pro-inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IFN-γ were down-regulated significantly. Moreover, the microarray analysis revealed that DG significantly up-regulated anti-apoptosis related genes such as Cdkn2c and Ppp3ca, and several cardiovascular disease suppressers and anti-inflammatory mediators; on the other hand, pro-apoptotic related genes including Caspase and Tnf-α were down-regulated by DG. Based on the results, a tentative scheme was proposed to show that the activation of the MAPK and insulin pathways are involved in the bioactive effect of Danshen-Gegen decoction on cardiomyocytes.

Conclusion

Our study suggested that Danshen-Gegen decoction has proliferative effect on myocardium cells via MAPK and insulin signaling pathways. The molecular mechanism of the action may include the up-regulation of IRS/AKT and JNK pathways as well as the inhibition of TNF and p38 pathways.