AIM: To investigate the effect of 17?-estradiol on insulin action in cultured C2C12 mytoblasts. METHODS: C2C12 mytoblasts were cultured in 35 mm wells of six-well culture plate in an atmosphere of 5% CO 2 at 37℃ in DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and penicillin/streptomycin(1?10 5 U/L) to reach 80% confluence. Insulin-resistance C2C12 mytoblasts were obtained by incubating the cells for 24 hours in the presence of a high concentration (5?10 -7 mol/L) of insulin. After treatmented with 17?-estradiol (1 nmol/L and 10 nmol/L, respectively) for 24 hours, C2C12 mytoblasts were performed to measure insulin-stimulated 2-DG uptake and GS, PFK, PK activities. RESULTS: 17?-estradiol enhanced the capacity of insulin-stimulited 2-DG uptake, increased the GS, PFK and PK activities and prevented insulin-induced resistance in cultured C2C12 mytoblasts. CONCLUSION: 17?-estradiol potentiates insulin action and preventes insulin-induced resistance in cultured C2C12 mytoblasts.

OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of felodipine on blood vessel endothelial function in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) complicating essential hypertension(EH).METHODS:Fifty five patients with BPH complicating EH were assigned to receive 5mg felodipine orally qd for 6 weeks,with levels of endothelin-1(ET-1),nitrous oxide(NO) and von Wilebrand factor(vWF),brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation(FMD) function,the maximum urine flow rate,the average urine flow rate and International Prostate Symptom Score(I-PSS) determined before and after treatment.Meanwhile levels of ET-1,NO and vWF and FMD in 37 normal healthy males were determined.RESULTS:In the treatment group compared with normal control group there were significant differences in levels of ET-1,NO and vWF and FMD(P0.05).There were significant differences in ET-1,NO and vWF levels and FMD after treatment as compared with before treatment(P

Objective To investigate the relationship of lacunar infarction (LI) and white matter lesion with cognitive impairment in patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD) Methods Fifty-three patients were diagnosed as SIVD according to the criteria of Erkinjuntti. The symptoms and signs were recorded by an interview and examination, and neuropsychological assessment and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed. A semi-automated MRI quantitative method was used to measure the volume of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and the number of LI was counted. Correlation and the partial correlation analysis were performed to examine the relationship of general cognitive function with the volume of WMH and the number of LI. Results The pseudobulbar paralysis symptom and the upper motoneuron injury sign were the most common in these patients (18.9% and 37.7%). Correlation analysis showed that there was positive correlation between the volume of WMH and age (r = 0. 518, P < 0. 05), and there was negative correlcction between mini-metal state examination (MMSE) scures and the volume of WMH (r=-0.514, P<0. 05), After controlling confounding factors, only age was positively correlated with the volume of WMH (r=0. 400, P=0. 004). There were negative correlation between the number of LI, the volume of WMH and MMSE scores(r=-0. 456,-0. 514,-0. 385,-0. 382;all P<0. 05), and the years of education was positively correlated with MMSE scores (r= 0. 518, P< 0. 001). Conclusions Age may not be the main risk factor for cognitive impairment in patients with SIVD. The volume of WMH and the number of LI are independent risk factors for cognitive impairment in patients with SIVD. Patients with severer SIVD or more LI show poorer performance on cognitive function.