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Biomedical subjects

Z Xie

Publications and source records attributed to Z Xie.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

[Hepatitis B virus infection in hemodialysis patients].

Hepatitis B virus infection in 199 patients undergone hemodialysis was compared with that in patients with chronic kidney diseases, patients received blood-transfusion and general medical patients. Of 199 hemodialysis patients, 60 were followed up for over one years. It was found the prevalence of HBV markers (previous and current infection) in these patients was 78.4%, that in the blood-transfused patients 76.5%, in the non-transfused general medical patients, 60.0% and in the patients with chronic kidney diseases 62.2%. The HBV prevalence in 60 followed up hemodialysis patients was increasing with the duration of hemodialysis. Analysis indicates that blood-transfusion is the main cause of HBV infection in the hemodialysis patients.

Adult↗

Studies on substances that induce long-term potentiation in guinea-pig hippocampal slices.

Fluids were collected from the rabbit neocortex during a tetanic stimulation of the cortical surface. When these samples from the neocortex were applied on the guinea-pig hippocampal slices, only those fractions containing substances with molecular weights less than 3000, 3000-10,000 and greater than 50,000 and not with other molecular weights, could induce long-term potentiation of population spikes in the CAI area in response to stratum radiatum stimulation. Intracellular recordings from the CAI neurons revealed that the long-term potentiation-inducing substances increased the excitatory postsynaptic potential without changing the membrane potential and the input resistance of these cells. A pretreatment of the rabbits with MK-801 prevented the release of the long-term potentiation-inducing substances. 2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate was unable to block the long-term potentiation-inducing action of the substances from the rabbit neocortex. Gel-electrophoresis of the substances collected from the rabbit neocortex revealed the presence of an acidic peptide with a molecular weight of about 69,000. These results indicate that tetanic stimulation of rabbit neocortex results in a release of substances with molecular weights of less than 3000, 3000-10,000 and greater than 50,000 that could induce long-term potentiation in guinea-pig hippocampal slices. The release, but not the long-term potentiation-inducing action, of these substances appears to depend on the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. The long-term potentiation-inducing substance in the greater than 50,000 mol. wt fraction may be an acidic peptide with a molecular weight of about 69,000.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

Inhibition of protein kinase activity enhances long-term potentiation of hippocampal IPSPs.

In this study on guinea pig hippocampal slices, protein kinase C (PKC) involvement in long-term potentiation (LTP) of GABAA and GABAB receptor-mediated fast and slow IPSPs, respectively, was examined. Stimulation of the stratum radiatum induced EPSPs followed by fast and slow IPSPs in the CA1 neurons. Tetanic stimulation of the stratum caused a marginal LTP of the fast IPSP but not of the slow IPSP. When K-252b, a potent inhibitor of PKC, was injected into CA1 neurons, LTP of fast and slow IPSPs was observed. These results indicate that PKC activation in CA1 neurons is involved in minimizing, rather than inducing, LTP of the IPSPs so that the EPSP is not distorted.

6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione↗

[A theoretical study on the biological origins of Chinese herbs].

Ten new theoretical points concerning the biological origins of Chinese herbs are presented in this paper, i.e. continuity of the biological origins of Chinese herbs, mutation of the biological origins of Chinese herbs; optimum seeking theory of rising species of medicinal herbs; mono-original and limit d multi-original Chinese herbs; etc.

Drug Contamination↗

Modulation of the induction of long-term potentiation in the hippocampus.

High frequency stimulation in the guinea pig hippocampus or on the rabbit cerebral cortical surface results in a release of substances that produce, when applied, LTP in the CA1 area of guinea pig hippocampal slices. The substances collected from the neocortex also induce neurite growth in PC-12 cells. The samples collected during the tetanic stimulation of the neocortex contained increased concentrations of glycine, and various other amino acids that are being identified, as well as peptides. Whether the release of the substances is from neurons or from glia is being investigated. Tetanic stimulations of stratum radiatum in the guinea pig hippocampus that induce LTP in CA1 neurons also cause large and prolonged depolarization of glial cells in the CA1 apical dendritic area. Artificial depolarization of glial cells during the activation of stratum radiatum results in LTP of the CA1 neuronal EPSP. It is, therefore, suggested that glial depolarization is involved as one of the steps in the induction of LTP. We speculate that the depolarization results in the release of substances into the extracellular space and that these substances are involved in directly or indirectly modulating the NMDA receptor-coupled channels as well as in producing trophic effects to induce structural changes in the synapses that are thought to be associated with the establishment and maintenance of LTP.

Animals↗

Menstrual blood loss, haemoglobin and ferritin concentration of Beijing women wearing steel ring, VCu 200, and TCu 220c IUDs.

Menstrual blood loss (MBL), serum ferritin and whole blood cyanmethemoglobin were measured at pre- and 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24th postinsertion cycles in 60 women wearing the Steel Ring, the Copper V (VCu 200) or the Copper T (TCu 220c). The MBL, incidence of menorrhagia and iron deficiency anemia were lower among users of the Steel Ring than among users of the Copper V and T. Anemia occurred later and the duration of menstruation was shorter with the Steel Ring than with the Copper T. There were no statistically significant differences between the Copper V and T.

Anemia↗

Response of nerve growth cone to focal electric currents.

Monopolar electric current pulses were focally applied through a micropipette to the growth cone of Xenopus embryonic neurons in culture. Application of the current directly in front of the growth cone modulated the rate of growth cone extension: Negative (sink) currents increased the growth rate, while positive (source) currents reduced the growth rate. When the currents were applied in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the neurite growth, both negative and positive currents produced inhibitory effects. Application of a negative focal current at a 45 degree angle with respect to the direction of neurite growth resulted in an oriented growth of the neurite toward the current sink. However, after the growth cone had been attracted to the vicinity of a current sink, further extension of the neurite was inhibited. These current effects occur rapidly after the onset of the current application, and are at least partially reversible within 1 hr after the termination of the current. The magnitude of current density required to induce a growth cone response was found to be in the order of a few pA per micron2. Such current density is close to that which may be generated at the muscle cell surface by the acetylcholine molecules released from the growth cone during the early phase of nerve-muscle contact.

Animals↗

Association between IgE antibody against soluble egg antigen and resistance to reinfection with Schistosoma japonicum.

There is evidence that immunoglobulin (Ig) E antibody may be a critical component of protective immunity against Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium reinfection. In the present study, 555 individuals aged 3-67 years infected with S.japonicum received praziquantel treatment before the transmission season commenced; 45 d later, blood samples from 265 individuals who had no S. japonicum egg in their stool were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for specific isotypic antibodies. Single, non-conditional logistic regression analysis showed that exposure intensity, age, soluble egg antigen (SEA)-IgE, SEA-IgM and soluble adult worm antigen-IgG4 were relevant to reinfection; multiple, non-conditional logistic regression analysis showed that exposure intensity was still a significant factor for reinfection while the SEA-IgE antibody level was associated with resistance to reinfection with S. japonicum, with a protective index of 2.00. It is suggested that this population in an area endemic for schistosomiasis japonica exhibits acquired immunity.

Adolescent↗

The role of phospholipase C-gamma1 in 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) regulated keratinocyte differentiation.

Phospholipase C-gamma1 (PLC-gamma1) is the most abundant member of the phospholipase C family expressed in human keratinocytes. PLC-gamma1 is induced by 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)) in normal keratinocytes via a DR6-type vitamin D responsive element. This regulation is not observed in transformed keratinocytes. The role of PLC-gamma1 in mediating 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) and calcium-regulated differentiation was then tested. Both specific PLC inhibitors and antisense constructs which selectively block PLC-gamma1 production prevented 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) and calcium from inducing markers of differentiation such as involucrin and transglutaminase. These studies demonstrate that PLC-gamma1 induction by 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) is critical to the ability of this hormone to regulate keratinocyte differentiation.

Animals↗

Synthesis and structural characterization of highly chlorinated, brominated, iodinated, and methylated carborane anions, 1-H-CB9X9-, 1-NH2-CB9X9- (X = Cl, Br, I), and 1-H-CB9(CH3)9-.

The highly chlorinated, brominated, and iodinated carborane anions 1-R-CB9X9- (R = H, NH2; X = Cl, Br, I) were prepared in high yields by treatment of [Me3NH][1-R-CB9H9] with excess ICl, Br2/triflic acid, and I2/triflic acid, respectively, in sealed tubes at 180-240 degrees C. With the aid of a Pd catalyst, B-I bonds could be converted into the B-Me bonds by treatment with excess MeMgBr, which led to the preparation of the permethylated species 1-H-CB9Me9- in good yield. These new anions were fully characterized by 1H, 13C, and 11B NMR, IR, and negative-ion MALDI MS spectroscopy. Some were further characterized by single-crystal X-ray analyses. The weakly coordinating nature of these new anions was probed by 29Si chemical shifts.

Journal Article↗

DAMBE: software package for data analysis in molecular biology and evolution.

DAMBE (data analysis in molecular biology and evolution) is an integrated software package for converting, manipulating, statistically and graphically describing, and analyzing molecular sequence data with a user-friendly Windows 95/98/2000/NT interface. DAMBE is free and can be downloaded from http://web.hku.hk/~xxia/software/software.htm. The current version is 4.0.36.

Biological Evolution↗

Detection of avian adenovirus by polymerase chain reaction.

An avian adenovirus-specific polymerase chain reaction was developed. The origin of primers was from the DNA sequence data of the chicken embryo lethal orphan avian adenovirus virus genome. An avian adenovirus-specific 421-bp DNA product was amplified by these primers from group I of adenovirus containing 12 serotypes and serotypes of adenovirus from group II and group III. The adenovirus-specific DNA product was also amplified from the 19 field isolates of avian adenoviruses but not from the mammalian adenovirus and other avian pathogenic viruses and bacteria. As little as 1 fg of avian adenovirus DNA was detected by gel electrophoresis and Southern blot analysis.

Animals↗

Simulation of maternal immunity by inoculation of immune yolk preparations into the yolk sac of 1-day-old chickens.

Yolk harvested from eggs laid by hens hyperimmunized with killed Newcastle disease virus (NDV) was inoculated into the yolk sac of 1-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens. Serum hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titers reached maximum levels 1 to 4 days after yolk inoculation and declined at a rate similar to that reported for naturally acquired maternal antibody. Expected levels of immune interference were observed when yolk-inoculated chickens were vaccinated with a conventional oil-emulsion NDV vaccine. These results show that yolk-sac inoculation with yolk antibody is a suitable approach for producing maternally immune chickens for laboratory studies.

Animals↗