Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disease.Its treatment depends on thyroid hormone replacement therapy.Currently,levothyroxine (L-T4) is the preparation recommended by many guidelines.However,there are some L-T4-treated patients with normal TSH levels and persistent non-specific symptoms and discomforts.Therefore,combination therapy with L-T4and liothyronine (L-T3) has been considered as an alternative option for hypothyroidism.However,more prospective studies are needed to provide evidence-based effects for this kind of regimen.

Objective:To investigate the effect of ciwujia Injection and Jiangxianmei combination for acute cerebral infarction. Methods:86 patients with cerebral infarction were divided into 2 groups. 43 cases in the treatment group were dripped intravenously with 60ml ciwujia Injection and 250ml physiological saline. 43 cases in the control group were treated only with Jiangxianmei. Both of groups were also treated with other therapeutic method. The hemorheology and blood fat of patients in two groups before and after treatment were determined. Results:The cure rate of the treatment groups in two weeks was 41.86%, which is superior to the control group (20.93%) ( x 2=4.37,P0.05). The treatment group was superior to the control group in improving hemorheological index and blood fat metabolism ( P

Objective To understand and compare the proportion of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the whole brain and cerebral cortex of mice at different embryonic days, and provide quantitative data for the later optimization of NSCs isolation and culture.Methods The whole brains (at embryonic 12.5, 14, 16 and 18 days) and cerebral cortex (at embryonic14, 16 and 18 days) were isolated and digested into single cell suspension, and were adherently cultured for 3-4 h.Immunofluorescence staining of Nestin, a NSCs specific marker, was used to statistically analyze the proportion of NSCs in each group.Expression of Nestin mRNA in the cerebral cortex of mice at E12.5, E14, E16, and E18 was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.Results The result of immunofluorescence assay showed that there were Nestin-positive cells in the whole brain and cerebral cortex of mice at different embryonic days.In the whole brain,the proportion of NSCs was highest at E12.5 (53.42±1.57%) and lowest at E18(25.96±1.31%), and the proportions at E14 and E16 were placed in the middle among the groups.In the cerebral cortex, the highest proportion of NSCs was at E14 (33.65±0.29%), and the lowest at E18(25.29±0.28%), and the middle at E16 (26.82±0.30%).The result of real-time PCR showed that when the mRNA expression of Nestin in the cerebral cortex was set to 1, the relative mRNA expression of Nestin was 0.83±0.04 at E14, 0.77±0.05 at E16, and 0.44 ±0.05 at E18.Thus, the mRNA expression level of Nestin in the mouse cerebral cortex was gradually decreasing with the increase of embryonic days.Conclusions During the brain development, the proportion of NSCs is gradually decreasing in the whole brain and cerebral cortex of mice with the increase of embryonic days.

Objective To observe the effects of aloe juice on skin wound healing in scalded rats and scavenging the oxygen free radical in their bodies. Methods 24 rats were divided into 3 groups,namely, aloe group, burn cream group and blank control group. And burn wounds ( Ⅱ degree deep) were created with a diameter of 2. 6cm in their backs, respectively. Smear Burn Ointment and Aloe Vera juice,were used to observe the time of the appearance of their epithelial tissues and the time of the wound healing,and the content of SOD, GSH-PX and MDA in healed skin surfaces were detected. Results The time of the appearance of epithelial tissues[(4.6 ±0. 56)d ,(16.2±2.6),(5.4±0.6)d,(18. 1 ±3.4)d,(6.8± 0. 3) d , (22. 3 ± 3.2 ) d], the wound healing and the content of SOD [( (98.07 ± 6. 22) vs(83.97 ± 6. 34), (57. 50 ± 9. 43 )], GSH-PX [(243.21 ± 20. 18)vs (208.25 ± 24. 52), ( 139. 88 ± 22. 70)] and MDA [(4. 89 ±2. 12) vs (6. 93 ± 3.05 ), (8.98 ± 2. 14)] in aloe group have significant difference compared with the blank group( P <0.01, 0.001, 0.005), but no significant difference compared with the burn cream group. Conclusion Aloe juice has the effects of promoting the skin wound healing of scalded rats ,scavenging the oxygen free radical in their bodies and protecting cells.

The expression of resistin protein in normal human abdominal, thigh, pregnant women abdominal, non-pregnant women abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue and placenta and the relationship between obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), pregnant physiological insulin resistance (IR) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was investigated. The expression of resistin protein in normal human abdominal, thigh, pregnant women abdominal, non-pregnant women abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue and placenta was detected by using Western blotting method. Fasting serum glucose concentration was measured by glucose oxidase assay. Serum cholesterol (CHOL), serum triglycerides (TG), serum HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) and serum LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) were determined by full automatic biochemical instrument. Fasting insulin was measured by enzyme immunoassay to calculate insulin resistance index (IRI). Height, weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured to calculate body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BF %). Resistin protein expression in pregnant women placental tissue (67 905 +/- 8441) (arbitrary A values) was much higher than that in subcutaneous adipose tissue in pregnant women abdomen (40 718 +/- 3818, P < 0.01), non-pregnant women abdomen (38 288 +/- 2084, P < 0.01), normal human abdomen (39 421 +/- 6087, P < 0.01) and thigh (14 942 +/- 6706, P < 0.001) respectively. The resistin expression in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue showed no significant difference among pregnant, non-pregnant women and normal human, but much higher than that in thigh subcutaneous adipose tissue (P < 0.001). Pearson analysis revealed that resistin protein was correlated with BMI (r = 0.42), fasting insulin concentration (r = 0.38), IRI (r = 0.34), BF % (r = 0.43) and fasting glucose (r = 0.39), but not with blood pressure, CHOL, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C. It was suggested that resistin protein expression in human abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue was much higher than that in human thigh subcutaneous adipose tissue. Resistin was closely related with central obesity, leading to IR, subsequently obesity and T2DM. Resistin protein expression in placental tissue was much higher than that in subcutaneous adipose tissue in normal human abdomen, pregnant abdomen, non-pregnant women abdomen and thigh. It was indicated that resistin protein could be secreted from human placental tissue. Resistin might be one of the factors that lead to pregnant physiological IR and GDM.

Objective To investigate the frequencies of the impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus in a large cohort of active acromegaly and to identify risk factors associated with the presence of diabetes at diagnosis in these patients.Methods This study included 88 patients with newly diagnosed acromegaly.Patients were further divided into normal glucose tolerance (NGT),impaired glucose regulation (IGR),and diabetes (DM) groups according to oral glucose tolerance test or previous history.Insulin sensitivity and β cell function were also evaluated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA).Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the independent risk factors for diabetes in patients with acromegaly.Results Impaired glucose regulation was found in 25 (28.4％),and DM in 37(42.0％) acromegaly patients.Compared to NGT and IGR patients,higher proportion of DM patients had family history of diabetes (P＜0.05).Compared to NGT group,higher post-OGTT growth hormone (GH) levels were detected in IGR and DM groups.Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels were higher in IGR group while lower in DM group (P＜0.01).Homeostasis model assessment for β cell function (HOMA-β) was slightly higher in IGR group,but significantly lower in DM group (P ＜ 0.01).Homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was slightly higher in IGR and DM groups but without significant difference among 3 groups.In multivariate analyses,family history of diabetes(OR=12.710,95％ CI 1.176-137.30,P=0.036),age(OR=1.106,95％ CI 1.018-1.202,P=0.017),and GH levels(OR=1.075,95％ CI 1.007-1.147,P=0.030) were independent risk factors of diabetes in acromegaly patients.Conclusion Impaired glucose metabolism is present in nearly 70％ of patients at diagnosis of acromegaly,and is associated with age,family history of diabetes,and higher GH levels,but not with IGF-1 levels.

Objective:The aim of this study was to examine the change of serum bone-derived hormones osteocalcin and lipocalin 2 (LCN2) level in patients with active acromegaly, and to further investigate the potential role of osteocalcin and LCN2 in glucose metabolism.Methods:Fifty consecutive patients diagnosed as acromegaly in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from December 2016 to August 2018 were recruited. Of those, 41 patients after operations with complete follow-up data were also included. 30 sex, age, and body mass index matched healthy persons as normal controls. Serum osteocalcin and LCN2 levels were compared between controls and patients with acromegaly, as well as at pre- and post- operation periods. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to investigate the correlation between bone-derived hormones and glucose metabolism indexes and to determine the independent associations between variables.Results:Compared with normal controls, serum osteocalcin increased [(55.45±34.02 vs 19.46±6.69)ng/ml, P<0.01] and LCN2 levels decreased [(34.15±9.95 vs 57.50±29.75)ng/ml, P<0.01] in patients with acromegaly. Homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was also elevated ( P<0.01), but homeostasis model assessment for β cell function (HOMA-β) and area under curve of insulin during 0-120 min of the oral glucose tolerance test (AUC INS) changed non-significantly in acromegaly compared to normal controls ( P>0.05). After operation, with the decrease of serum growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), serum osteocalcin level decreased [24.79(18.39, 32.59) vs 43.51(26.73, 65.66)ng/ml, P<0.01] and LCN2 level increased [(45.15±15.33 vs 37.03±9.73)ng/ml, P<0.05] significantly compare to pre-operation levels. In a multivariate linear stepwise regression analysis, lean mass was shown to be the only positive predictor for LCN2 ( β=0.44, P=0.015) and elevated serum IGF-1 was a positive predictor for osteocalcin ( β=0.512, P<0.01). In the multivariate models, low LCN2 ( β=-0.398, P=0.017) and elevated serum osteocalcin ( β=0.553, P=0.001) were predictors for AUC INS, osteocalcin was a positive predictor of HOMA- β ( β=0.519, P=0.004). GH ( β=0.294, P=0.029) and IGF-1( β = 0.428, P=0.002) were all identified as positive predictors of HOMA-IR during multivariate testing in acromegaly patients. Conclusions:Acromegaly patients had increased osteocalcin and decreased LCN2 serum levels, and corresponding alteration was detected with the correction of biochemical abnormalities. Serum osteocalcin and LCN2 were predictors of β-cell function in acromegaly patients. This study adds new evidence for the role of bone in regulating glucose metabolism in acromegaly.

The expression of resistin protein in normal human abdominal, thigh, pregnant women abdominal, non-pregnant women abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue and placenta and the relationship between obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), pregnant physiological insulin resistance (IR) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was investigated. The expression of resistin protein in normal human abdominal, thigh, pregnant women abdominal, non-pregnant women abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue and placenta was detected by using Western blotting method.Fasting serum glucose concentration was measured by glucose oxidase assay. Serum cholesterol (CHOL), serum triglycerides (TG), serum HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) and serum LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) were determined by full automatic biochemical instrument. Fasting insulin was measured by enzyme immunoassay to calculate insulin resistance index (IRI). Height, weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured to calculate body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BF %). Resistin protein expression in pregnant women placental tissue (67 905±8441) (arbitrary A values) was much higher than that in subcutaneous adipose tissue in pregnant women abdomen (40 718 ± 3818, P ＜ 0.01), non-pregnant women abdomen (38 288±2084, P＜0.01), normal human abdomen (39 421±6087, P＜0.01)and thigh (14 942 ±6706, P＜0. 001) respectively. The resistin expression in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue showed no significant difference among pregnant, non-pregnant women and normal human, but much higher than that in thigh subcutaneous adipose tissue (P＜0. 001). Pearson analysis revealed that resistin protein was correlated with BMI (r=0.42), fasting insulin concentration (r=0.38),IRI (r=0. 34), BF % (r=0.43) and fasting glucose (r=0. 39), but not with blood pressure,CHOL, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C. It was suggested that resistin protein expression in human abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue was much higher than that in human thigh subcutaneous adipose tissue. Resistin was closely related with central obesity, leading to IR, subsequently obesity and T2DM. Resistin protein expression in placental tissue was much higher than that in subcutaneous adipose tissue in normal human abdomen, pregnant abdomen, non-pregnant women abdomen and thigh. It was indicated that resistin protein could be secreted from human placental tissue. Resistin might be one of the factors that lead to pregnant physiological IR and GDM.