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Biomedical subjects

X Shen

Publications and source records attributed to X Shen.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Assessment of mitral valve volume by quantitative three-dimensional echocardiography in patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Thickening of mitral leaflets in rheumatic mitral valve stenosis is well described in necropsy studies; however, volume computation of the thickening mitral leaflets has not been attempted. 4trial fibrillation is one of the complications of rheumatic mitral stenosis. Quantitative assessment of thickened mitral valve and its relation to clinical complications is clinically desirable. HYPOTHESIS: The study was undertaken to compare measurement of mitral valve volume in normal subjects and in patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis. METHODS: An HP Sonos 2500 echocardiographic system with 5 MHz multiplane transesophageal transducer was used for data acquisition, and TomTec Echoscan computer setup was used to off-line volume computation. Study subjects included 10 normal subjects (mean age 44.8 years) and 36 patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis (22 female, 14 male) with an age range of 25 to 69 years (mean age 47 +/- 9.6 years). Mitral valve volumes were compared between the normal subjects and patients with mitral valve stenosis, and further comparison was made between the sinus rhythm (SR) and atrial fibrillation (AF) groups in patients with mitral valve stenosis. In all study subjects, the mitral valve area (MVA) was determined by two-dimensional echocardiography. RESULTS: Quantitative three-dimensional (3-D) echocardiography showed that mitral valve volume was significantly larger in patients with mitral valve stenosis than in normal subjects (9.0 +/- 2.2 and 4.5 +/- 0.7 ml, respectively, p < 0.001). When patients with mitral valve stenosis were divided into the SR and AF groups, mitral valve volume was found to be significantly larger in the AF group than in the SR group (9.76 +/- 2.2 ml. and 7.72 +/- 1.5 ml, respectively, p < 0.01) and patients in the AF group tended to be older (p < 0.05) with larger left atrial diameter (LAD) (p < 0.01). However, MVA between the two groups showed no statistical significance (1.1 +/- 0.43 and 1.0 +/- 0.34 cm2, respectively, p > 0.2). When the study subjects were divided into two groups (< 50 and > or = 50 years) according to age, the comparison of mitral valve volume between these two groups (9.37 +/- 2.18 and 8.56 +/- 2.14 ml, p > 0.2) showed no statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative 3-D echocardiography can be applied for the measurement of mitral valve volume in vivo. Patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis with atrial fibrillation have a propensity to have a larger mitral valve volume and are older than the patients with sinus rhythm; however, the age per se does not seem to be a cause for larger mitral valve volume.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Application of free-flow electrophoresis to the purification of trichosanthin from a crude product of acetone fractional precipitation.

The application of free-flow electrophoresis (FFE) to the purification of trichosanthin (TCS) from a crude product of acetone fractional precipitation was investigated. An electrophoresis technique, combining field step electrophoresis (FSE) and zone electrophoresis (ZE) to a one-step procedure, was optimized until a satisfactory purification factor (1.35), high resolution, and purity (>99%) were achieved. Testing several separation buffer systems revealed that a throughput of 14.2 mg/h can be obtained when the very basic TCS (pI 10.1) was dissolved and electrophoresed in a phosphate buffer system of pH 4. The purity of electrophoresed trichosanthin was proved by a variety of analytical methods, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-gel electrophoresis, capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF), and sequencing of N- and C-termini. The high purity and large throughput achieved at low cost by using FFE indicates that this method can be employed for TCS purification.

Acetone↗
PubMed1998

Promotion of follicular antrum formation by pig oocytes in vitro.

Pig oocyte-cumulus-granulosa cell complexes (OCG complexes) from pig early antral follicles reorganise an antrum under the stimulation of FSH. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the oocytes in antrum formation. In the first experiment, oocyte-cumulus complexes were removed from pig OCG complexes, and the antrum formation of parietal granulosa cells themselves (PGs) was examined. Antrum formation by sham-operated OCG complexes (OC/G complexes), in which the connections between the oocytes-cumulus complexes and the parietal granulosa cells had been disrupted, was also examined. The complexes were cultured for 8 days in collagen gels in the presence of 10 ng/ml FSH. Antra were formed in about 60% of the intact OCG complexes and the sham-operated OCG complexes, while only 20% of the PGs formed antra. In the second experiment, oocyte-cumulus complexes in the OCG complexes were replaced by denuded oocytes (O/G complexes) or Sephadex G-25 beads (B/G complexes) similar in diameter to the oocytes, and the two types of complexes were cultured under the same conditions. The O/G complexes formed antra to a similar extent as the OC/G complexes, whereas the B/G complexes scarcely formed any antra. The histological sections showed that the granulosa cells in the OC/G and O/G complexes were in intimate contact with each other and retained a shape similar to those in the ovarian follicles, while the granulosa cells in the PGs and B/G complexes became quite irregular in shape. These results suggest that pig oocytes promote contact between the granulosa cells to induce antrum formation in a physiological manner.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Debromosceptrin, an alkaloid from the Caribbean sponge Agelas conifera.

As the result of a structurally guided isolation to identify lead compounds for the treatment of opportunistic infections of AIDS, the dihydrochloride salt of a new symmetrical pyrrole dimer debromosceptrin (1), and two known pyrrole analogues (2 and 3) were isolated from the Caribbean sponge Agelas coniferacollected from Belize. The structure of debromosceptrin was identified by analysis of spectral data. 15N spectral data assignments were made for compounds 1-3. Compounds 2 and 3 showed marginal inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

TGF-beta-induced phosphorylation of Smad3 regulates its interaction with coactivator p300/CREB-binding protein.

Smads are intermediate effector proteins that transduce the TGF-beta signal from the plasma membrane to the nucleus, where they participate in transactivation of downstream target genes. We have shown previously that coactivators p300/CREB-binding protein are involved in TGF-beta-mediated transactivation of two Cdk inhibitor genes, p21 and p15. Here we examined the possibility that Smads function to regulate transcription by directly interacting with p300/CREB-binding protein. We show that Smad3 can interact with a C-terminal fragment of p300 in a temporal and phosphorylation-dependent manner. TGF-beta-mediated phosphorylation of Smad3 potentiates the association between Smad3 and p300, likely because of an induced conformational change that removes the autoinhibitory interaction between the N- and C-terminal domains of Smad3. Consistent with a role for p300 in the transcription regulation of multiple genes, overexpression of a Smad3 C-terminal fragment causes a general squelching effect on multiple TGF-beta-responsive reporter constructs. The adenoviral oncoprotein E1A can partially block Smad-dependent transcriptional activation by directly competing for binding to p300. Taken together, these findings define a new role for phosphorylation of Smad3: in addition to facilitating complex formation with Smad4 and promoting nuclear translocation, the phosphorylation-induced conformational change of Smad3 modulates its interaction with coactivators, leading to transcriptional regulation.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗
PubMed1998

Regulation of T cell immunity and tolerance in vivo by CD4.

Previous experiments showed that peptides corresponding to a major CD4-binding site on the beta2 domain of MHC class II molecules, IAbeta134-148, enhance responses by CD4+ T lymphocytes to antigen, allo-antigen and bacterial superantigen in vitro, and to soluble protein in vivo. To determine whether peptide IAbeta134-148 acted by inhibiting antigen-induced T cell tolerance, ovalbumin-specific CD4+ lymph node (LN) T cells from TCR transgenic DO.11.10 mice were adoptively transferred into H-2 syngeneic BALB/c recipients. Tolerance was then induced by injecting antigen i.v. When peptide IAbeta134-148 was used to interfere with CD4-MHC class II interactions, accumulation of clonotype-positive T lymphocytes in the LN and induction of T cell tolerance in vivo were delayed. The mechanism by which peptide IAbeta134-148 inhibited T cell tolerance included the peptide's ability to block activation-induced cell death. Further, antigen-specific splenic T lymphocytes were not tolerized in IAbeta134-148-treated mice, providing a reservoir of T cells that could respond to a secondary immunization. The results reported here suggest that participation of the T cell co-receptor, CD4, in TCR signaling differentially affected both T cell migration and the induction of antigen-specific tolerance. Therefore, in this in vivo model system, the combined strength of all signals received (e.g. via TCR, co-receptors and co-stimulators) determined whether T cell immunity or apoptosis and tolerance resulted from antigenic stimulation. These findings are potentially important for the development of reagents to enhance vaccine efficacy and tumor immunity.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Study on Haemophilus influenzae type b diseases in China: the past, present and future.

Meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is a common and serious disease for which there now are WHO-certified vaccines that are recommended for universal infant immunization in North America and European countries. If these vaccines are to be recommended in Asia, it is necessary to know the incidence, age distribution and clinical outcome of Hib meningitis and other systemic infections in this region. Data on Hib disease in China are scanty. Hib meningitis was common during the 1950s in China, accounting for up to 16% of all of pyogenic meningitis (up to 38% of cases were caused by unknown pathogens), despite severe epidemics of meningococcal meningitis during that period. Since 1989 we have conducted hospital- and community-based etiologic and epidemiologic studies of bacterial meningitis. Hib accounts for 30 to 50% of bacterial meningitis in China. The incidence of Hib meningitis in Hefei City was 10.4 per 100000 children <5 years, a result relatively lower than in the West but higher than the rate of 2.7 found in a retrospective study in Hong Kong. Pneumonia is the primary cause of death for Chinese children. From 1991 to 1993 the average mortality of children<5 years because of pneumonia was 1563.2 per 100000. To achieve the goal of reducing the death rate of children by one-third by the year 2000, greater efforts should be made to reduce the mortality of children with pneumonia. Our preliminary study showed that about one-fourth to one-third of cases of pneumonia in Chinese children might be caused by Hib. Therefore Hib vaccination for infants and children in China might be an effective and valuable procedure to achieve the goal.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1998

Complementation of the Arabidopsis pds1 mutation with the gene encoding p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase.

Plastoquinone and tocopherols are the two major quinone compounds in higher plant chloroplasts and are synthesized by a common pathway. In previous studies we characterized two loci in Arabidopsis defining key steps of this biosynthetic pathway. Mutation of the PDS1 locus disrupts the activity of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPDase), the first committed step in the synthesis of both plastoquinone and tocopherols in plants. Although plants homozygous for the pds1 mutation could be rescued by growth in the presence of homogentisic acid, the product of HPPDase, we were unable to determine if the mutation directly or indirectly disrupted HPPDase activity. This paper reports the isolation of a cDNA, pHPPD, encoding Arabidopsis HPPDase and its functional characterization by expression in both plants and Escherichia coli. pHPPD encodes a 50-kD polypeptide with homology to previously identified HPPDases, including 37 highly conserved amino acid residues clustered in the carboxyl region of the protein. Expression of pHPPD in E. coli catalyzes the accumulation of homogentisic acid, indicating that it encodes a functional HPPDase enzyme. Mapping of pHPPD and co-segregation analysis of the pds1 mutation and the HPPD gene indicate tight linkage. Constitutive expression of pHPPD in a pds1 mutant background complements this mutation. Finally, comparison of the HPPD genomic sequences from wild type and pds1 identified a 17-bp deletion in the pds1 allele that results in deletion of the carboxyterminal 26 amino acids of the HPPDase protein. Together, these data conclusively demonstrate that pds1 is a mutation in the HPPDase structural gene.

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase↗
PubMed1998

Transforming growth factor beta stimulates the human immunodeficiency virus 1 enhancer and requires NF-kappaB activity.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is the prototype of a large superfamily of signaling molecules involved in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. In certain patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), increased levels of TGF-beta promoted the production of virus and also impaired the host immune system. In an effort to understand the signaling events linking TGF-beta action and HIV production, we show here that TGF-beta can stimulate transcription from the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter through NF-kappaB binding sites in both HaCaT and 300.19 pre-B cells. When introduced into a minimal promoter, NF-kappaB binding sites supported nearly 30-fold activation from the luciferase reporter upon TGF-beta treatment. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay indicated that a major factor binding to the NF-kappaB site is the p50-p65 heterodimeric NF-kappaB in HaCaT cells. Coexpression of Gal4-p65 chimeric proteins supported TGF-beta ligand-dependent gene expression from a luciferase reporter gene driven by Gal4 DNA binding sites. NF-kappaB activity present in HaCaT cells was not affected by TGF-beta treatment as judged by the unchanged DNA binding activity and concentrations of p50 and p65 proteins. Consistently, steady-state levels of IkappaB alpha and IkappaB beta proteins were not changed by TGF-beta treatment. Our results demonstrate that TGF-beta is able to stimulate transcription from the HIV-1 LTR promoter by activating NF-kappaB through a mechanism distinct from the classic NF-kappaB activation mechanism involving the degradation of IkappaB proteins.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1998

Association of apolipoprotein E polymorphism and concentration with serum lipids and apolipoprotein level in the Chinese from Shanghai.

The influence of apolipoprotein E polymorphism and apoE level on serum lipids and apolipoproteins was investigated in 71 healthy people and 43 patients with coronary artery disease from Shanghai. The frequency of apoE alleles was 0.06 for epsilon2, 0.86 for epsilon3, and 0.07 for epsilon4 in the healthy group, and 0.14 for epsilon2, 0.77 for epsilon3, and 0.09 for epsilon4 in the coronary artery disease group. There was no significant difference in the frequency of apoE alleles between these two groups. Serum levels of triglyceride and apo AI did not differ according to apoE genotypes, whereas serum level of apoB was significantly different according to apoE genotypes (p<0.05) both in healthy and coronary artery disease groups. However, in the healthy group, apo epsilon2 allele carriers had significantly higher level of apoE than apo epsilon3 and epsilon4 allele carriers (p<0.001) and apo epsilon4 allele carriers had significantly higher level of total cholesterol than apo epsilon3 and epsilon2 allele carriers. These were not observed in the coronary artery disease group. ApoE concentration was positively correlated with cholesterol, apoAI, and apoB levels in the control subjects and no significant correlation was observed with triglyceride level. In contrast, apoE level was positively related only to triglyceride level in the coronary artery disease group. In the control group, apoE genotypes and apoE level explained together 19.3% and 26.6% of the variability of apoB and cholesterol level, respectively, apoE polymorphism explained 23% of the variability of apoE level and apoE level explained 13.2% of the variability of apoAI level. In the coronary artery disease group, only apoE level explained 41.7% of triglyceride variability. Finally we compared our results with those previously obtained in a French healthy population, the Stanislas cohort. Results suggested that there were some difference between the Chinese control and the French subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Effects of tea polyphenol on blood lipid and antioxidation in vivo in aged rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the ability of tea polyphenol to lowering blood lipid and antioxidation in the aged rats. METHODS: The SD rats were divided into three groups, i.e., control group and two trial groups fed with 1% and 2% tea polyphenol for six weeks, respectively. RESULTS: Tea polyphenol could reduce serum level of lipid peroxide and increase the ratio of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) to total cholesterol (TC), and significantly lower serum level of lipid peroxide in rats. Activities of superoxide dismutase in red blood cells of rats fed with 2% tea polyphenol were significantly higher than those in control ones. CONCLUSION: Tea polyphenol can enhance antioxidation in vivo in the aged rats.

Aging↗
PubMed1998

[Preparation of monoclonal antibodies against hepatitis E and its application].

OBJECTIVE: To study the particle of hepatitis E virus (HEV) and its significance in specific diagnosis for hepatitis E (HE). METHODS: Four strains of monoclonal antibodies (McAb) against HEV, 5B12, 5F1, 5B9 and 4G10, were prepared with HEV antigen (used as immunogen) expressed by genetic engineering and detected by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with purified synthetic polypeptide antigen. RESULTS: The monoclonal anti-HEV prefared could produce inhibitory reaction with anti-HEV positive serum and combined specifically with HEV particle forming virus-antibody complex seen clearly under electron microscope. CONCLUSION: McAb against HEV so prepared with high specificity can be used to detect and identify HEV.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1998

Dynamic study of nitric oxide and endothelin-1 during endotoxin shock and effects of their antagonists on hemodynamics.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between the profound hypotension in endotoxic shock and the dynamic changes of nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1), so as to figure out which of the NO or ET-1 was more involved in the pathogenesis of endotoxic shock. And to investigate whether an offset of their opposite vasoactive effects would occur during endotoxic shock. METHODS: 24 rabbits were anesthetized and instrumented for recording hemodynamics. Endotoxin (E. coli 026: B6, 600 micrograms/kg) was bolus injected intravenously and the animals were randomly divided into four groups. Group I was control without any more intervention, and Group II, III, IV received bolus injections of L-NMA (10 mg/kg), phosphoramidon (2 mg/kg) or dexamethasone (2 mg/kg) respectively at 30 min post-endotoxin. Plasma NO3-, ET-1 and hemodynamics were measured at regular intervals. Their relationships were compared and analysed. RESULTS: Plasma ET-1 achieved its peak level at 60 min post-endotoxin, and then waned. Plasma NO3- started rising at 120 min post-endotoxin, then progressive increase continued till the last measurement at 180 min post-endotoxin. The decrease of blood pressure was significant at about 120 min post-endotoxin and further went down until death. The changes of hemodynamics and NO showed a quite close temporal correspondence between the increase of NO and the decrease of blood pressure. L-NMA and phosphoramidon obviously reduced the plasma levels of NO and ET-1 to below their respective baseline levels, and showed transient effect of increase on blood pressure. Soon afterwards, however, the status of hemodynamics was aggravated. Dexamethasone just inhibited the excessive increase of NO and ET-1 during endotoxic shock without interfering their baseline levels and showed most beneficial effects on hemodynamics. CONCLUSIONS: Both NO and ET-1 increase during endotoxic shock, but only the increase of NO has a close temporal correspondence with the decrease of blood pressure. It suggests a more important role of NO in pathogenesis of endotoxic shock. The increase of NO and ET-1 is different in time-process, which indicates that an offset of their opposite vasoactive effects would not occur. Intreference against the increase of NO and ET-1 during endotoxic shock is most beneficial when their baseline levels are maintained.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

[Characteristics of radiofrequency current catheter ablation in the treatment of elderly patients with supraventricular tachycardia].

To study the effects and characteristics of radiofrequency current catheter ablation (RFCA) in treatment of elderly patients with supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), fifty-three elderly patients and fifty non-elderly patients with PSVT were included in this study. RFCA were performed in both groups. The group of elderly patients included 26 patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia and 27 patients with atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia due to 29 atrioventricular accessory pathways (Aps). Twenty-one patients were accompanied with hypertension and coronary heart diseases and 5 sick sinus syndrome cases in the elderly group. All patients in both groups were treated successfully with RFCA. The procedure time of ablation of slow pathway in elderly group was shorter than that of the non-elderly group (P < 0.01). A mild symptom of arterial thrombosis was found in 2 cases of the elderly group after treatment and was cured with aspirin. These results suggest that PFCA is very effective and safe in the treatment of elderly patients with PSVT, especially for patients accompanied with sick sinus syndrome.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

[Relationship between sleep apnea and cerebral blood flow].

OBJECTIVE: To study the cerebral blood flow in patients with and without sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). METHOD: Thirty patients with SAS were studied, with 32 patients without SAS as controls. The age, sex and baseline diseases were comparable between these two groups. Subjects were studied by polysomnography and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. The systolic (VS) and mean (VM) cerebral blood flow velocities, resistent index (RI), and frequency spectral shape were determined. Anterior, middle and posterior cerebral arteries were examined by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in all patients. RESULT: VS and VM were significantly lower in patients with SAS than those in the control subjects (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). RI of the right PCA in SAS patients (0.56 +/- 0.06) was significantly higher than that in the controls (0.48 +/- 0.09, P < 0.05). Changes in the cerebral blood flow frequency spectral shape were remarkably increased in the SAS group as compared to control group. VS and VM were negatively correlated with apnea index (r = -0.413 and -0.628, P < 0.05 and 0.01), but positively correlated with SaO2(r = 0.435 and 0.712, P < 0.05 and 0.01). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that SAS patients have decreased cerebral blood flow velocities and more frequency shape abnormalities. These may decrease cerebral perfusions, and lead to cerebral atherosclerosis and stroke.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

[Effect of 7 d head down bed rest on cardiopulmonary circulation in human].

Changes of cardiopulmonary circulation in 6 healthy young men during 7 d head down bed rest (-6 degrees HDT) were observed with the XXH-2000 lesser circulation and cardiac function instrument. Decrease of Q-j and Q-j/j-z, increase of hz, hc, and hc/hz were found during the initial 24 h. After 24 h, j-z decreased and Q-j/j-z increased. The results showed that increased pulmonary arterial pressure, increased preload of left and right heart, increased right myocardial contractility and congestion of the lungs appeared during 24 h bed rest, after which right myocardial contractility decreased. It suggests that the lesser circulation and cardiac function testing is a sensitive method for evaluating the cardiopulmonary circulation function during HDT.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Changes in cerebral circulation function during head down bed rest for 7 days].

To further understand the effects and regulation of brain circulation before, during and after short-term -6 degrees head down bed rest (HDT), 6 healthy young men aged 19-21 years, were subjected to HDT for 7 d. Cerebral blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral arteries of both sides was measured with a TC2000TCD instrument in 6 young adults before, during, and after 7d HDT. The results showed that cerebral blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral arteries increased throughout HDT, the increase was obvious in 24 h. They reached the highest value at the 4th hour and the lowest value on the 5 th day, and then, there were a tendency to rise on the 6th day and 7th day. The changes were about the same on both sides.

Adult↗