Objective: To better understand the antagonistic effect of Xiao Long Tong Bi (XLTB), a Chinese herb medicine, on α1-adrenoceptor (α1-AR). Methods: (1) Radio ligand binding assay . Specific　125I-BE2254(2-β(4-hdroxyphenyl)-ethyl amino-methyl-tetralone) binding was measured by incubating membrane of canine cerebral cortex with a single concentration of　125I-BE2254 in the presence of 15 concentrations of XLTB. Half-effectual concentration of inhibition (IC50) and Hill coefficients (nH) were determined by Hill plots. (2) Contractile responses of rat prostate strip in vitro were determined. pKB values for XLTB in competitively inhibiting NE-stimulated contraction of tissues were measured by the method of Ainlakshana. Results: XLTB competitively inhibited binding of　125I-BE2254 to α1-AR in a concentration -dependent manner. IC50 values for XLTB in canine cerebral cortex were (34.0±6.0)　g*L－1, the Hill efficiency value (0.7±0.1) was significantly decreased from unity. Contractile studies showed that XLTB competitively antagonized the NE concentration-response curve with pKB values of (37.0±11.0) g*L－1 or (30.0±8.0) g*L－1 when XLTB concentration was 70 g*L－1 or 170 g*L－1, respectively. The pKB values for XLTB in antagonizing NE-induced contraction of tissues were showed to fit in well with the IC50 values on rat prostate. Conclusion: These results suggest that XLTB appears to be a competitive antagonist for α1-AR.

Impact of air pollution on cardiovascular d is eases has been established. As the main source of city air pollution, particulat e matter has been demonstrated an independent correlation with incidence and mor tality of cardiovascular diseases. The mechanisms are not clear. Several plausib le mechanistic pathways have been described, including inflammation induced by o xidative stress, the followed enhanced coagulation/thrombosis resulted in instab ility of atherosclerosis, the promotion of ischemic heart diseases and imbalance of autonomic nerve tone resulted in the occurrence of arrhythmia. The article p rovides a review of the mechanisms on air pollution and cardiovascular diseases and suggestions for further research.

AIM: To define the gene expression changes of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in response to norepinephrine (NE). METHODS: The expression adrenergic receptors (AR) were determined by radioligand binding assay in A7r5 cells. Gene expression profiles were identified by cDNA microarray after A7r5 cells were treated with NE for 24 h, and mRNA expressions of ? 1A -AR and ? 1B -AR were confirmed by real-time PCR. RESULTS: ? 1-AR and ?-AR existed in A7r5 cells. Seventy-five genes with changed expression in response to NE were screened out. These genes are involved in cell structure, cell/organism defense, metabolism, signal transduction and so on. ? 1A -, ? 1B -AR mRNA expression identified by microarray and realtime quantitive PCR displayed similar patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Gene expression profile in response to NE was analyzed comprehensively with the microarray technique. NE induces many kinds of different function genes in A7r5 cells, which may provide a novel insight into the particular role of NE that modulates multiple aspects of biological function in VSMCs. [

Objective To investigate the dynamic changes of uterine artery and umbilical artery in the first, second, and third trimester of normal pregnancy and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP).Methods A multi-center prospective study was conducted on 1098 women with normal singleton pregnancies at the first prenatal visit in the Second West China Hospital of Sichuan University, First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Wuhan Union Hospital Affiliated to Medical School of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Renji Hospital Affiliated to Medical School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University from April 2005 to July 2006, with the average age of (28. 3±3.3). The pulsatility indices (PI),resistance indices (RI) and systolic to diastolic velocity ratios (S/D) of uterine artery and umbilical artery were measured for all subjects in the first (10th -14th gestationa] weeks), second (20th-26th gestational weeks) and third trimester(30th -36th gestational weeks), respectively. In this longitudinal study, women who developed HDP were classified into HDP group, and the rest into normal pregnancy group. Results (1) Among the 1098 pregnant women, 44 developed HDP during the index pregnancy, including 20 gestational hypertension, 15 mild pre-eclampsia and 9 severe pre-eclampsia, giving an incidence of 4.17%,and the rest 1054 were normal until delivery.(2) In the normal pregnancy group, the RI, PI and S/D of uterine artery were decreased with the progress of pregnancy (RI: 0. 64, 0. 57, 0. 50; PI: 1.24, 0. 98,0. 80; S/D: 3.26, 2. 58, 2. 20; P<0.01). However, the above indices showed an increasing trend with the increase of gestations in the HDP group (RI: 0. 55, 0. 67, 0. 64; PI: 1.22, 1.36, 1.20; S/D: 3.18,3.41,3.05; P <0. 01). In the second and third trimester, the RI, PI and S/D of uterine artery in the HDP group were higher than those in the normal pregnancy group (P<0.01). (3) In the normal pregnancy group, the RI, PI and S/D of the umbilical artery decreased from the secondto the third trimester (RI:0. 71 and 0. 58; PI: 1.16 and 0. 87; S/D: 3.58 and 2. 48; P<0.01). However, no significant difference was found in the RI, PI and S/D value of umbilical artery in the second and third trimester between the normal and HDP group (RI:0.71 and 0.63; PI: 1.20 and 0.95; S/D: 3.71 and 2.69; P>0.05,respectively), despite the decreasing trend in the HDP group. Conclusions In uncomplicated pregnancies,the blood flow resistance of uterine artery decreases and the end-diastolic blood flow of uterine artery increases with the progress of pregnancy. However, in pregnant women with HDP, the blood flow resistance of uterine artery increases significantly with the increase of gestations which shows significant difference to that in normal pregnancies. The blood flow resistance of umbilical artery decreases in both normal and HDP pregnant women with the increasing gestational age.

Objective To observe the effect of Xiaochaihu decoction(XCD) on experimental endometriosis in rats.Methods Rat models of endometriosis were established and the effect of XCD were evaluated by measuring the volume of ectopic endometrium (EE) and its ultrastructure with transmission electron microscopy.Results After treatment,moderate and high-dosage of XCD(10g/kg and 15g/kg respectively) could markedly inhibit endometrial explant growth and decrease the volume of EE(P 0.05).Meanwhile,the glandular cells in the endometrium after treatment in the moderate and high-dosage groups showed characteristic features of apoptosis:cellular atrophy,condensation of cytoplasm and nuclear chromatin and increase of their density,occurrence of the intercellular apoptotic bodies as well as degeneration and necrosis of stromal cell.Conclusion XCD has obvious effects in inhibiting ectopic endometrium and its mechanism may be related to the reduction of cell death (including apoptosis and necrosis) by regulating the immune function.

Objective:To analyze the clinicopathological characterization of primary esophageal benign tumor (EBT). Methods:A total of 1,058 EBTs were enrolled from 500,000 cases in an esophageal and cardiac tumor biological sample and clinical information data-base of Henan Key Laboratory for Esophageal Cancer Research (1973-2015) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. SPSS 21.0 software was applied for data analysis. Results:In this database, 1,058 cases with primary EBTs among the 249,246 esopha-geal tumor patients with detailed clinical and pathological information were identified with an incidence of 0.42%(1,058/249,246). A total of 544 patients were male with an average age of 50±11 years old, whereas 514 patients were female, with an average age of 52± 11 years old. Among the 10 types of EBTs, leiomyoma was the most common type (84.50%, 894/1,058), followed by papilloma (6.90%, 73/1058). Adenoma (0.38%, 4/1,058) was the rarest type. Leiomyoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and neurofibroma mainly oc-curred in male patients. By contrast, lipoma, granulosa cell tumor, schwannoma, and hemangioma mainly occurred in female patients.All five cases of hamartoma occurred only in female patients. Given the incidence of≥50%as the common standard, the common EBT in sequence in young male patients was leiomyoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor, whereas that in young female patients was granulosa cell tumor and lipoma. The common EBT in sequence in older male patients was papilloma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and leiomyoma, whereas that in older female patients was schwannoma, papilloma, leiomyoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and hamartoma. Additionally, lipoma, hemangioma, neurofibroma, and adenoma in male patients and neurofibroma in female patients oc-curred in older patients. The different ages of patients with EBTs (P=0.034) and leiomyoma (P=0.004) had a statistical significance. In these EBTs, leiomyoma, papilloma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and schwannoma mainly occurred in the middle esophagus, where-as lipoma mainly occurred in the lower esophagus. The major treatment for EBT in the present study was surgery (57.54%, 492/855), which was followed by endoscopic resection (38.01%, 325/855) and others (4.45%, 38/855). Conclusion:The incidence of EBT is low, with a couple of different histological types. Gender, age, and predilection sites are different depending on the histological types of EBTs. Surgery and endoscopic resection are the major treatment methods.

Objective: To investigate the reproductive health status of female workers in a railway system and possible influencing factors. Methods: From January to June, 2016, a cross-sectional epidemiological investigation was performed to collect 2 165 female workers aged 17-55 years. A women’s health questionnaire was used to collect the data on their occupation and health, and their reproductive health status was analyzed. Results: The female workers exposed to occupational hazards had significantly higher incidence rates of gynecological diseases, abnormal menstruation, and infertility than those not exposed to such hazards (χ²=32.29, 12.42, and 4.23, respectively, all P<0.05) . There were significant differences in the incidence rates of gynecological diseases, abnormal menstruation, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and pregnancy complications between the female workers with different working forms and states (χ²=17.19, 23.03, 200.65, and 21.28, respectively, all P<0.05) . There were significant differences in the incidence rates of gynecological diseases, abnormal menstruation, and pregnancy complications between the female workers with different behavioral habits (χ²=15.65, 36.23, and 25.35, respectively, all P<0.05) . The logistic regression analysis showed that exposure to occupational hazards, married state, medium-grade professional title or above, work in shifts, sitting for a long time, standing for a long time, and video operation were risk factors for gynecological diseases, and the prevalence rate of gynecological diseases increased with age. Exposure to occupational hazards, night shifts, staying up late, and sitting for a long time were risk factors for abnormal menstruation. Exposure to occupational hazards was a risk factor for infertility. Medium-grade professional title or above was a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Married state, medium-grade professional title or above, standing for a long time, and high mobility in job form and state were risk factors for pregnancy complications. Conclusion Exposure to occupational hazards, job form and state, and unhealthy behavioral habits may affect reproductive health status in female workers in the railway system.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of motherwort (herbs leonuri/leonurus heterophyllus sweet) injection for preventing postpartum hemorrhage after caesarian section. Methods The prospective study was designed as a randomized and single blind multi-center research matched with positive agent as controls from Apt 2007 to Aug 2007. 440 women underwent caesarian section (CS) indicated by obstetric factors were enrolled from 15 teaching hospitals in China and assigned into three groups: group of motherwort: 147 cases were administered by motherwort 40 rag uterine injection during CS and 20 mg intramuscular injection per 12 hours 3 times after CS; group of motherwort + oxytocin : 144 cases were administered by motherwort 40 mg and oxytocin 10 U uterine injection during CS and motherwort 20 mg intramuscular injection per 12 hours 3 times after CS and group of oxytocin: 149 cases were administered by oxytocin 10 U uterine injection and oxytocin 10 U + 5% glucose 500 nd intravenously injection during operation and oxytocin 10 U intramuscular injection per 12 hours 3 times after CS. The following clinical parameter were collected and analyzed: (1) The amount of blood loss during operation, at 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 hours after operation. (2) The total amount of blood loss in 24 hours after CS and the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage. (3) The change of level of hemoglobin (Hb) and counting of red blood cell ( RBC ) from prepartum to postpartum. (4) Adverse reaction. Results (1) The mean amount of blood loss during operation were (368±258) ml in group of motherwort, (255±114) mi in group of motherwort + oxytocinand (269±141 ) ml in group of oxytocin, which exhibited significant difference among three groups ( P<0.01 ). Meanwhile, no statistical different amount of blood loss among three groups were observed at 2,6,12, 24, 48 hours after CS. (2)The amount of blood loss of postpartum at 24 hours were (480±276)ml ingroup of motherwort, (361±179) ml in group of motherwort + oxytocin, (381±179) nd in group of oxytocin, which showed significant difference among 3 groups(P <0.01 ). (3) The incidence of postpartum hemorrhage were 32.0% (47/147) in group of motherwort, 11.1% (16/144) in group of motherwort + oxytocin, and 18.8% in (28/149) in group of oxytocin. When comparing the lowest rate of postpartum blood loss in group of motherwort + oxytocin and the highest rate in group of motherwort, it displayed statistical difference (P<0.01). (4) The decreased level of RBC and Hb were shown that RBC(0.3±0.5)×10<'12<‘/L and Hb(9±13)g/L in group of motherwort, RBC (0.2±0.4)×10<'12/L and Hb ( 6±10) g/Lin group of motherwort + oxytocin and RBC (0.2±0.4)×10<'12/L and Hb(7±30) g/L in group of oxytocinrespectively. However, the comparison of different value of RBC and lib in group of oxytocin and motherwort +oxytocin showed significant difference (P<0.05 ). (5) Two cases with allery reaction was observed.Conclusion It is safe and efficacious that combined use of motherwort injection and oxytocin was to preventpostpartum hemorrhage during or after caesarian section.

Clinical and endoscopic data of 6 patients with colorectal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma who were diagnosed by endoscopy in the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2015 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 2 males and 4 females with aged from 62 to 87 years. The lesions were located in rectum in 3 cases, transverse colon in 1 case, sigmoid colon in 1 case, and sigmoid colon and rectum in 1 case. There were 1 case of polyposis type, 2 cases of inflammation type, and 3 cases of submucosal tumor type. The "tree-like appearance (TLA)" found in 5 cases. Endoscopic resection, surgery combined with chemotherapy, Helicobacter pylori eradication and follow-up were performed on 2, 1, 1 and 2 cases, respectively. Five cases had a good prognosis after 21-73 months follow-up, and 1 case had lost to follow-up. No recurrence was found in endoscopic and imaging review. Colorectal MALT lymphoma should be considered when colonoscopy detects a submucosal lesion with TLA sign on the left colon. Endoscopic resection has the potential to be a first-line treatment in the context of early diagnosis.