Objective: To explore the relationship between interpersonal forgiveness and revenge and some influential factors in college students. Methods: Rumination Scale,Empathy Scale, Tendency to Forgive Scale and Revenge Motivation Scale were administered to 194 college students. Results and Conclusion: ① There were significant gender differences in the degree of seeking revenge and rumination. ② Most of interpersonal transgression indeed happened between fellow students. ③ Correlation analysis showed significantly negative correlation between forgiving and hurtfulness, revenge motivations, rumination, and between revenging and tendency to forgive, empathy; and positive correlation between forgiving and empathy and between revenging and revenge motivation, hurtfulness. Further regression analysis revealed that revenge motivations, rumination and empathy were significant negative predictors of forgiving; hurtfulness and revenge motivations were significant positive predictors of revenging.

OBJECTIVETo discuss application of structural equation model (SEM) approach in epidemiological research.

METHODSA brief overview on major components of SEM, statistical assumptions underlying the use of SEM, and current software available to users and how SEM can be used were discussed through a practical epidemiological research project.

RESULTSAdvantages of SEM comparing with conventional epidemiological approach were shown. SEM, having the nature of comprehensive thinking and analytic approach, not only exploring the association between factors and diseases but also among factors. It also served a confirmatory, rather than exploratory approach on data modeling, as well as having the capability of correcting estimates by separating measurement error from the equations, to provide modeling the latent variables.

CONCLUSIONSEM approach could be used in epidemiological research as having some advantages comparing with conventional epidemiological approaches.

Epidemiologic Methods ; Epidemiology ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Research Design

OBJECTIVETo identify the A1166/C polymorphism of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) gene in patients with essential hypertension complicated with brain infarction (BI).

METHODSAT1R genotyping with polymerase chain reaction-restrictive fragment length polymorphism was performed in 70 normotensive subjects, 72 hypertensive patients without cardio-cerebrovascular diseases(EH-NCCVD) and 70 hypertensive patients with BI. The relationship between the polymorphism of AT1R gene and plasma lipid levels was also studied.

RESULTSThe frequencies of C allele in the two groups of hypertension were higher than that in the health controls, respectively (P<0.05). But there was no significant difference in the frequency of C allele between the two groups of hypertension. A positive correlation was observed between the lipoprotein(a) and AT1R gene A1166/C polymorphism in hypertensive patients.

CONCLUSIONAT1R gene contributes to the development of essential hypertensive, but not to the incidence of BI in the hypertensive.

Aged ; Alleles ; Brain Infarction ; complications ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Hypertension ; blood ; complications ; genetics ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; Receptors, Angiotensin ; genetics

SS-cream is a complex mixture containing 9 oriental herbs for treating the premature ejaculation, which is based on the traditional chinese royal herb remedy. Clinically SS-cream has been effective in the treatment of premature ejaculation and in some patients, potentiating effect of their erectile capacity was noted probably due to its combined activity of several vasoactive principles. Therefore, we investigated the pharmacological action of SS-cream in the isolated rabbit corporal smooth muscle. Strips of rabbit corpus cavernosum were isolated and mounted in 10ml organ chambers to measure isometric tension. Muscle strips treated with increasing concentrations of SS-cream(0.05mg/ml to 0.3mg/ml) showed initial rapid contraction followed by slow gradual relaxation. Muscle strips submaximally precontracted with phenylephrine(PHE:5x0.000001M) and treated with increasing concentrations of SS-cream(from 0.05mg/ml to 0.2mg/mI) showed also initial rapid contraction above the precontracted level and thereafter, relaxed to the basal level at the dose larger than 2mg/ml of SS-cream. Relaxations of muscle strips to SS-cream were not inhibited even partially by endothelial disruption or by pretreatment with pyrogallol or methylene blue. Pretreatment of muscle strips with SS-cream caused concentration dependent inhibition of PHE(5x0.000001M) induced contraction With these results we can conclude that SS-cream has dual action, initial rapid contractile effect which is mediated by adrenergic alpha receptor stimulation, and delayed nonspecific relaxing effect which is not mediated by EDRF or nitric oxide.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Humans ; Methylene Blue ; Muscle, Smooth ; Nitric Oxide ; Premature Ejaculation ; Pyrogallol ; Relaxation

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is clinically characterized by persistent proteinuria. The underlying pathologic changes responsible for the nephropathy are the loss of size selective and/or charge selective properties of the glomerular filtration barrier. Size selectivity is maintained primarily by the slit diaphragm and ZO-1 is one of the basic components of it. However, the precise role of the ZO-1 in the pathogenesis of the glomerular diseases is not fully understood. We investigated the changes of ZO-1 expression in diabetic glomeruli in vivo, and by high glucose in cultured podocyte in vitro. We also evaluated the effect of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker (ARB) on the ZO-1 changes induced by diabetes or high glucose. METHODS: To determine the effect of ARB on podocytes ZO-1 protein and mRNA expression, immortalized mouse podocytes were incubated with RPMI medium containing normal glucose (NG, 5.6 mM) or high glucose (HG, 30 mM) with or without ARB (10-6 M, L-158, 809). For animal studies, rats were injected with diluent (Control, C, n=18) or streptozotocin. The latter were left untreated (DM, n=18) or treated with 1 mg/kg/day ARB (DM+ARB, n=18). Six rats from each group were sacrificed monthly, and Western blot and RT?PCR were performed for ZO-1 with sieved glomeruli. Renal sections were stained for ZO-1 by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The ZO-1 mRNA and protein expressions in podocytes exposed to HG conditions were significantly higher than those in podocytes exposed to NG media (p<0.05). ARB treatment inhibited the HG induced increase in ZO-1 mRNA and protein expression by 73% and 64%, respectively (p<0.05). Compared to the C rats (19.8+/-3.2 mg/day), 24 hour urinary protein excretion at 3 month was significantly higher in the DM rats (90.6+/-11.3 mg/day, p< 0.05), and ARB treatment partly reversed the increase in proteinuria in DM rats (51.6+/-6.6 mg/day, p<0.05). Glomerular ZO-1 mRNA and protein expressions were also significantly increased in DM than corresponding C at all duration (p<0.05). ARB treatment for 3 months in DM rats inhibited the increase in ZO-1 mRNA and protein expression by 57.5% and 70.6%, respectively (p<0.05). ARB treatment for 3 months significantly ameliorated increased glomerular ZO-1 expression in DM rats as assessed by immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, ZO-1 mRNA and protein expressions were increased in podocytes exposed to HG and in DM glomeruli, and this increment in ZO-1 expression was ameliorated with ARB. Taken together, these data suggest that change of ZO-1 expression in podocytes is implicated in the early changes of diabetic nephropathy and may contribute to the development of proteinuria.
Angiotensin II* ; Angiotensins* ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diaphragm ; Glomerular Filtration Barrier ; Glucose* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice* ; Podocytes* ; Proteinuria ; Rats* ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1* ; RNA, Messenger ; Streptozocin

Loss of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signaling has been implicated in malignant transformation of various tissues. Smad4 plays a central role in the signal transduction of TGF-beta. Deletion or mutation of Smad4 has been described in a number of cancers. This study was aimed to investigate a potential role of Smad4 in leukemia including its expression and location in blast cells. The mononuclear cells were separated from bone marrow of leukemia patients. The samples, blast cells of which were more than 90% in mononuclear cells, were selected. The expression and location of Smad4 protein were analyzed by immunohistochemistry methods. The results showed that the Smad4 protein located mainly in nucleus, part of this protein located in cytoplasma, the expressions of Smad4 were not detected in 6 out of 9 ALL patients, in 7 out of 24 AML patients and in 1 out of 2 CML patients; these leukemia patients, in whose cells the expression of Smad4 was not detected, included one L1 and one L3, four L2, one M0, one M1, two M2a, one M3a, one M4b, one M6 and one CML. In conclusion, the Smad4 protein was mainly in nucleus, the deletion or functional change of Smad4 may related with the pathogenesis of human AML.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; genetics ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; genetics ; Signal Transduction ; Smad4 Protein ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; biosynthesis ; genetics

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin II, a potent vasoconstrictor, plays a key role in renal injury and in the progression of chronic renal disease of diverse causes. In every organ system, the biologic effects of angiotensin II are mediated through its interaction with specific receptors on cell membranes. Angiotensin II receptor antagonist specifically inhibits angiotensin II-mediated physiologic responses such as systemic and renal vasoconstriction, sodium reabsorption by renal proximal tubule, and stimulation of aldosterone and adrenergic hormone release by the adrenal gland. It has been reported that losartan, angiotensin II receptor antagonist, has a significant antiproteinuric effect in patients with diabetic and non-diabetic renal disease. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism on the renal response to angiotensin II receptor antagonist in non-diabetic proteinuric chronic renal patients. METHODS: Seventy patients with non-diabetic chronic renal disease with urinary protein excretion greater than 500 mg/day were enrolled in this prospective study. Subjects were given losartan 50 mg o.d. for the first 12 weeks, and then were given to 100 mg o.d. for another 12 weeks. RESULTS: Twelve weeks and twenty-four weeks later, blood pressure, urinary protein excretion, total cholesterol, and triglyceride decreased significantly compared with baseline values. There was a significant correlation between the levels of baseline urinary protein excretion and the magnitudes of the reduction of urinary protein excretion after treatment with losartan. Baseline blood pressure, BUN, serum creatinine, and urinary protein excretion were not different in the responder group (patients with more than 30% reduction of urinary protein excretion after losartan treatment) compared with the nonresponder group. Systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure in the responder group were significantly lower than the nonresponder group after twelve and twenty-four weeks. Urinary protein excretion in the responder group was significantly lower than the nonresponder group after twelve weeks. When the patients were divided into three groups according to ACE gene polymorphism, II, ID and DD, there were no significant differences in the blood pressure change, reduction of urinary protein excretion following losartan treatment and distributions of responder among three groups. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that angiotensin II receptor antagonist, losartan, significantly reduced blood pressure and proteinuria in patients with non- diabetic chronic renal disease. The magnitude of antiproteinuric effect of losartan was not influenced by ACE gene polymorphism. However, further studies with large number of patients are required to confirm the issues regarding the ACE gene polymorphism and the antiproteinuric effects of angiotensin II receptor antagonist in non-diabetic chronic renal disease.
Adrenal Glands ; Aldosterone ; Angiotensin II* ; Angiotensins* ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Cell Membrane ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Losartan ; Prospective Studies ; Proteinuria ; Receptors, Angiotensin* ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic* ; Sodium ; Triglycerides ; Vasoconstriction

Objective To develop a shear force-induced intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) in vivo animal model, and investigate the relationship between shear stress and IDD. Methods A total of 20 Japanese white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups. In loading group (n=10), shear force of 50 N was applied on the disc of L4/5 for 4 weeks by a custom-made external shear force loading device. In control group (n=10), the animals underwent a sham operation with the external loading device situated, but their discs remained unloaded. After 4 weeks, all the intervertebral discs of L4/5 were executed for the pathologic examination. Results The postoperative radiographic examination showed a perfect position of the loading device, and the operation process and implanted loading device had no effect on daily activities and diet of the experiment animals. The pathological examination showed an irregular arrangement of annulus fibrosus and a significant decrease of normal nucleus pulposus cells in loading group. Conclusions The new custom made device greatly reduced the wounds on animal vertebra and provided a reliable shear force. The development of in vivo animal model indicates that IDD can be induced by shear force, which is of significance to further study the relationship between loading and IDD.

A new dihydroflavone:mirabiflavone (1), together with two known compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the roots of Mirabilis himalaica by using various chromatographic techniques, such as silica gel column, Sephadex LH-20 column, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were elucidated as syringaresinol (2) and lariciresinol (3) by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 2 and 3 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Ten compounds were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of the whole plant of Gerbera piloselloides by silica gel column chromatography, MCI column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC methods. Their structures were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, spectral data (UV, IR, MS and NMR), circular dichroism (CD) spectra and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis as 3′R-gerpilosecoumarin A (1a), 3′S-gerpilosecoumarin A (1b), gymnastone (2), gerberinside (3), divaricataester C (4), luteolin (5), caffeic acid methyl ester (6), ethyl chlorogenate (7), 6-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-7-methoxy-5-benzoranpropanoic acid methyl ester (8) and glucozaluzanin C (9). Among them, new compounds 1a and 1b were new compounds and optical enantiomers, which were obtained by chiral resolution, and their absolute configurations were determined by quantum chemical calculation ECD. Compounds 1 and 1a/1b significantly increased the survival of IEC-6 in rat small intestinal crypt epithelial cells after LPS injury.