OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between serum testosterone levels and the plaque formation of the carotid artery in a population-based cohort of independently living healthy women above 60 years of age.

METHODSAnalysis of the healthy elders from a population-based cohort study in 9 communities of Beijing. Carotid intima-media thickness and atherosclerotic plaques were determined ultrasonographically. Serum testosterone levels were measured by immunoassay. The data were analyzed with ANOVA and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThere was an inverse correlation between testosterone and plaque formation in old females (P < 0.01), while no association was found in males. Female with testosterone levels in the lowest quartile (< 0.49 nmol/L) had more risk of plaque formation (OR = 3.805, P < 0.01) after adjusted with age and other traditional factors of atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSIONTestosterone concentrations are negatively associated with carotid artery atherosclerosis in old women in Beijing, experimental and prospective studies are needed to determine the possible therapeutic role of testosterone in atherosclerosis.

Aged ; Atherosclerosis ; blood ; Carotid Arteries ; pathology ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Carotid Stenosis ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Testosterone ; blood

Objective Toexplore the correlation of ApoE gene polymorphism and serum uric acid levels in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region , China.Methods A case-control study.October 2011 to November 2011, five hundred twenty eight ( 296 male, 232 female ) apparently healthy individuals were studied.Questionnaires and physical examinations were performed by standard operation procedure.Fasting blood was collected for biochemistry testing including serum lipid parameters , uric acid concentration and creatinine levels.The multi-ARMS PCR was applied to determine ApoE genotypes ,and the relation of ApoE genotypes with serum lipid parameters and uric acid levels were analyzed.Non-normal distribution were compared using cause and inspection.Results The common six kinds of ApoE genotype can be detected.The total cholesterol ( TC) ,low density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C) and uric acid ( UA) levels in different genotype subgroups had statistical differences.The individuals with ε2/3 genotype had a significantly greater reductions in TC and LDL-C levels but increment in uric acid concentration than those withε3/3 and ε3/4 genotype (P<0.05).The effect of ApoE gene polymorphism on uric acid levels still remained significantly after adjustment for age , gender , region and other factors.Conclusion The ApoE polymorphism is associated with serum uric acid levels and individuals with ε2 allele have higher serum uric acid levels.

Ten dimeric phthalide racemates (1-10) were isolated from an aqueous extract of the Angelica sinensis root head (Guitou) by separation techniques of column chromatography over macroporous adsorbent resin, MCI resin, silica gel, and Sephadex LH-20, together with preparative thin-layer chromatography and reversed phase HPLC. The racemates were further separated into (+)-/(-)-1-(+)-/(-)-10 with chiral HPLC. Their structures including absolute configurations were elucidated by comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data, combined with electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and NMR calculations as well as single crystal X-ray diffractions. Compounds (+)-/(-)-1-(+)-/(-)-10 are either new structure or new natural product, named (+)-/(-)-angelidipthalidic acids A-H [(+)-/(-)-1-(+)-/(-)-8] and (+)-/(-)-angelidipthalidols A and B [(+)-/(-)-9 and (+)-/(-)-10], respectively. Meanwhile, dimeric phthalide mono- and bis-lactone derivatives with 3.3′a,8.6′- and 3.6′,8.3′a-coupling patterns as well as determination of their relative configurations are discussed.

Four new triterpenoids, together with six known analogues, were isolated from an aqueous extract of the Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa seeds, by multiple column chromatographic separation methods using stationary phases of macroporous adsorption resin, MCI resin, normal phase silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and Toyopearl HW-40C as well as preparative thin-layer chromatography and reversed-phase HPLC. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data analysis, the new structures were trivially named jujubaceanothoside A (1), 23-epijujuboside A (2), and jujubosides J and K (3 and 4), while the known analogues were identified as jujubosides A-C (5-7) and II (8), alphitolic acid (9), and betulinic acid (10). The structure of 1 was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction.

OBJCETIVETo investigate the method of separation of culture of bone microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) of human femoral head in vitro.

METHODSFrom October 2013 to January 2014,15 femoral heads without pathologic change from patients resected during hip replacement were selected involving 2 males and 13 females with a mean age of 71.2 years old ranging from 38 to 92. Cancellous bone in femoral head was bited into broken bone grain and transfered into medium in aseptic contidion. Cells were isolated by the methods of enzymic digestion and density gradient centrifugation,purified by differiential attachment. The characteristics of cells was observed by inverted microscope. vWF and CD31 immunofluorescence analysis was applied for identification of cells.

RESULTSThe number of cells was positively correlated with patients' age after 24 hours in primary culture. The older patients had the less cells numbered. After 4 to 5 days' culture, primary cells appeared short spindle,polygon shaped and cobblestone-like morphology. After 7 to 10 days' culture, primary cells proliferated densely, became fusion, arranged in swirl, and contact inhibition appeared significantly. Immunofluorescence staining revealed the cells were 100% positive for vWF and CD31, and it showed that the cultured cells were BMECs.

CONCLUSIONIt was a simple, steady, effective method with good reproducibility, by which highly purified human BMECs can be obtained.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Female ; Femur Head ; blood supply ; Humans ; Male ; Microvessels ; cytology ; Middle Aged

Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnosis ; enzymology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; enzymology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; blood ; classification ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; analysis ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; blood ; classification

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effectiveness of manual therapy and traction for lumbar disc herniation and analyze the current status of this kind of randomized clinical trial (RCT).

METHODSDatabase of CNKI, VIP, WANFANG, PubMed and OVID were searched. Some relevant journals were manually retrieved. A total of 2 874 literatures on manual therapy and traction for lumbar disc herniation were collected, of which 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. The Jadad score scale was used to evaluate the quality,and RevMan5.0 was used for meta-analysis of literatures.

RESULTSThe results of the meta-analysis of all trials involved were as followed:the combined effect of the effective rate was RR = 1.10, 95% CI [1.06, 1.14], the combined effect of the cure rate was RR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.21,1.52], the combined effect of the VAS was RR = 1.37, 95% CI [1.28, 1.45], the combined effect of the JOA was RR = 4.75, 95% CI [4.40, 5.09].

CONCLUSIONThe overall quality of the current RCT researches about manual therapy for lumbar disc herniation was lower,and did not support the conclusion that manual therapy was more effective than traction for lumbar disc herniation.

Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; therapy ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Musculoskeletal Manipulations ; methods ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Traction ; methods

OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study is to study the distribution and molecular characteristics of the oral Saccharomyces albicans (S. albicans) in the cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

METHODS390 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were sampled by oral mucosal swab. The Candida species were identified by CHROMagar Candida differential medium. All the S. albicans were genotypic grouped by PCR using primers reported to span a transposable intron region in the 25S rDNA gene.

RESULTSThe frequency of oral Candida carriage of the cancer patients receiving chemotherapy was 53.85% (210/390). Most of them were Saccharomyces albicans, the frequency was 48.21% (188/390). The frequency of oral Candida glabrata carriage was 5.64% (22/390). Genotypic subgroup A, B, C of Saccharomyces albicans were determined, and genotypic group B was the predominant group 59.57% (112/188).

CONCLUSIONSaccharomyces albicans, especially genotypic subgroup B, rather than subgroup A, is the prevalence subpopulation in the oral Candida obtained from cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Candida ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Mouth Mucosa ; Neoplasms ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Saccharomyces

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin Ⅱ has been found to induce atrial electrical remodeling, which can be blocked or inhibited by allicin.OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of allicin on angiotensin Ⅱ-induced calcium channel current and intracellular free calcium concentration in human atrial myocytes.DESIGN: A randomized controlled study based on human atrial myocytes freshly isolated.SETTING: Cardiology department of a military medical university of Chinese PLA.METHODS: This study was carried out from June 2003 to June 2004 in the Laboratory of Cardiology Department, Xijing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University of Chinese PLA. Ten patients with congenital heart disease who underwent extracorporeal circulation surgery were included in the study. Among them, there were 6 males and 4 females with the average age of 15 ± 6 years. Tissue samples were taken from their right auricle and sent to the lab, where the atrial myocytes were freshly isolated. There were four co-administration of angiotensin Ⅱ (0. 1 μmol/L)and allicin(50 μmol/L).The conventional whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique was used to detect membrane electric current of Ca2 + in L type. Confocal microscope was used with Fluo-3/AM as calcium indicator to detect changes of intracellular free calcium concentration immediately and 15 minutes after drug intervention, respectively.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The peak density of electric current of Ca2 + in L type and alteration of fluoresence intensity of intracellular free calcium concentration.electric current of Ca2 + in L type in human atrial myocytes was significantly increased by angiotensin Ⅱ of 0. 1 μmol/L[( - 12. 77 ± 1. 61) vs ( -5.78affect electric current of Ca2+ in L type in human atrial myocytes group, the peak density of electric current of Ca2 + in L type was significantly lower than that in angiotensin Ⅱ group[ ( - 8.75 ± 0.97) pA/pF, P ＜ 0. 05 ].in angiotensin Ⅱ group was significantly higher than that in control and allicin groups[(2 610.1±112.6, (299.2±27.3)%; 653.9±42.5, 0;simultaneously with angiotensin Ⅱ, the alteration of intracellular fluoresence intensity was much lower than that in angiotensin Ⅱ group[ ( 1284.9 ± 85.2,(96.5±8.4)%;P ＜0.05].CONCLUSION: Allicin antagonizes angiotensin Ⅱ-induced increase in the peak density of electric current of Ca2+ in L type and intracellular calcium overload, which may relieve atrial electrical remodeling.

Objective To investigate the effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields(PEMFs)on proliferation and differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs).Methods EPCs were isolated from rat bone marrow by density gradient centrifugation.EPCs were exposed to PEMFs from the 5th day to the end of culture.MTT was used to measure the proliferation of EPCs.The expression ofⅧ-related antigen and NOS_3 was evaluated by flow cytometry. Results Compared with the control,the proliferating ability of EPCs exposed to PEMFs was stronger;the number ofⅧ-related antigen and NOS_3 positive cells increased significantly in EPCs exposed in PEMFs.Conclusion PEMFs promotes the proliferation and differentiation of rat bone marrow EPCs.