OBJECTIVETo explore the association of 8-hydroxyguanine glycosidase OGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism with semen quality and the risk of male infertility.

METHODSThis case-control study included 620 idiopathic infertile patients and 385 normal fertile controls. We determined their genotypes by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and analyzed their semen quality by computer-aided semen analysis (CASA).

RESULTSThe individuals with OGG1 326 Cys/Cys showed significantly lower sperm motility and concentration ([52.1 +/- 26.7]% and (3.75 +/- 0.91) x 10(6)/ml, ln transformed value) than the Ser/Ser carriers ([59.0 +/- 21.8] % and (4.12 +/- 0.88) x 10(6)/ml, ln transformed value) (P < 0.05). The risk of male infertility increased 69% in the OGG1 326Cys allele carriers as compared with the Ser carriers (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.24 -2.31).

CONCLUSIONOGG1 326 Ser/Cys polymorphism might contribute to the risk of male infertility in the southern Chinese population.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; DNA Glycosylases ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Semen Analysis ; Young Adult

AlM: To investigate the relationship between the anterior ischemic optic neuropathy ( AlON ) and the carotid artery change using doppler ultrasound.METHODS:Fifty-four cases of AlON patients and 54 cases of healthy control were observed, atherosclerotic spots were detected by the application of color ultrasound.RESULTS:ln AlON group of 54 patients, 38 cases appeared carotid atherosclerosis, accounting for 70%. The number of cases with hard plaque, soft plaque and mixed plaques were 18, 13, and 7 respectively, accounting for 33%, 24% and 13%. ln the control group, 20 cases were detected atherosclerotic change, accounting for 37%. And the number of cases with hard plaque, soft plaque and mixed plaques were 12, 5 and 3 respectively, accounting for 22%, 9%, 6%. Significant stenosis and velocity change were showed in neither AlON group nor control group. Compared with the control group, AlON group had more cases of atherosclerotic plaque, the difference was statistically significant (χ2=12. 836, P=0. 005)CONCLUSlON: The incidence of AlON is correlated with carotid atherosclerosis, and carotid ultrasonography is significantly valuable for AlON etiology and diagnosis.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) at different doses on collagen synthesis and decomposition in cultured cardiac fibroblasts from neonatal Sprague-Dawley rat. Cardiac fibroblasts were treated with IL-1β (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 ng/mL) for 24 h. Cell DNA synthesis was measured by (3)H-thymidine ((3)H-TdR) incorporation and collagen synthesis was measured by (3)H-proline ((3)H-Pro) incorporation. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity was measured by gelatinase zymography. MMP-2, MMP-9 protein expressions were measured by Western blot. mRNA expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Compared with that in the control group, the incorporation of (3)H-TdR and (3)H-Pro decreased in high-dose IL-1β groups (≥0.1 ng/mL) but not in low-dose IL-1β group (0.01 ng/mL). IL-1β significantly increased MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities. IL-1β (0.01-100 ng/mL) also dose-dependently increased the protein and mRNA expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 (P<0.05, P<0.01), respectively. These results suggest that IL-1β decreases collagen synthesis and MMP activities through transcriptional and posttranslational processes via degrading collagen in a dose-dependent way. Elevation of IL-1β is possibly involved in the process of ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction, and the concentration of IL-1β is possibly a major factor which affects the extent of ventricular remodeling.
Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen ; biosynthesis ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Interleukin-1beta ; pharmacology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardium ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ventricular Remodeling

OBJECTIVETo study the lipid constituents from Echinacea purpurea.

METHODThe compounds were isolated by chromatography method and the structures were identified on the basis of spectral analyses.

RESULTFive compounds were isolated and identified as, 1 beta, 6 alpha-dihydroxy-4(14)-eudesmene(1), (2E, 4E, 8Z, 10E)-N-isobutyl-2,4,8,10-dodecatetraenamide(2), (2E, 4E, 8Z, 10Z)-N-isobutyl-2,4,8,10-dodecatetraenamide(3), cerotic acid(4), hyxacosyl alcohol(5).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1,4 and 5 were obtained from the plant for the first time.

Echinacea ; chemistry ; Fatty Acids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Fatty Alcohols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sesquiterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Adjuvants, Immunologic ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; Caffeic Acids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Echinacea ; chemistry ; classification ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polyunsaturated Alkamides

BACKGROUND: Recent clinical observation reported that there was a significant correlation between change in circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and the occurrence of severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), but the action mechanisms of VEGF in GVHD have not been demonstrated. METHODS: This study investigated whether or not blockade of VEGF has an effect on acute GVHD in a lethally irradiated murine allo-HSCT model of B6 (H-2b)-->B6D2F1 (H-2b/d). Syngeneic or allogeneic recipient mice were injected subcutaneously with anti-VEGF peptides, dRK6 (50 microg/dose) or control diluent every other day for 2 weeks (total 7 doses). RESULTS: Administration of the dRK6 peptide after allo-HSCT significantly reduced survival with greaterclinical GVHD scores and body weight loss. Allogeneic recipients injected with the dRK6 peptide exhibited significantly increased circulating levels of VEGF and expansion of donor CD3+ T cells on day +7 compared to control treated animals. The donor CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets have differential expansion caused by the dRK6 injection. The circulating VEGF levels were reduced on day +14 regardless of blockade of VEGF. CONCLUSION: Together these findings demonstrate that the allo-reactive responses after allo-HSCT are exaggerated by the blockade of VEGF. VEGF seems to be consumed during the progression of acute GVHD in this murine allo-HSCT model.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Mice ; Oligopeptides ; Peptides ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tissue Donors ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

To analyze the genetic characteristics of echovirus 6 (E6) isolated from meningitis and encephalitis cases in Shandong Province, China, we collected cerebrospinal fluid samples from meningitis and encephalitis cases in Shandong Province from 2007 to 2012 for virus isolation. Viral RNAs were extracted from positive isolates, and complete VP1 coding regions were amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced. Homology comparison and phylogenetic analysis were performed. Six isolates were identified as E6 by microneutralization assay and molecular typing. The homology analysis showed that the six isolates had 78. 6%-99. 8% nucleotide and 95. 5%-100. 0% amino acid identities with each other, as well as 76. 9%-78. 4% nucleotide and 92. 3%-95. 1% amino acid identities with the prototype strain (D' Amori). The phylogenetic analysis based on the integrated VP1 sequences indicated that all Shandong E6 isolates could be separated into four clusters, designated as A, B, C, and D. The six E6 isolates belonged to clusters A, B, and D. Our study reveals high genetic differences between Shandong E6 isolates and suggests different transmission lineages of E6 co-circulated in Shandong Province.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Echovirus 6, Human ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Encephalitis ; epidemiology ; virology ; Female ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Meningitis ; epidemiology ; virology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Alignment ; Viral Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics

AIMTo study the water-soluble constituents of Echinacea purpurea.

METHODSThe compounds were isolated by chromatography method and their structures were identified on the basis of spectral analyses.

RESULTSFive compounds were identified as 2-(4-hydroxylphenyl)-ethyl-O-alpha-L-rhamnopy-ranoasyl-(1-->6)-beta-D- glucopyranoside, named echipuroside A 1); (6S, 9R)-6-hydroxy-3-one-alpha-inonol-9-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside 2), ampelopsisionoside 3); phenylmethyl-6-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside 4) and phyenylmethyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside 5).

CONCLUSIONCompound 1 is a new compound, the others were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Cyclohexanones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Disaccharides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Echinacea ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Solubility ; Terpenes ; Water ; chemistry

AIMTo establish a sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of isomeric impurity in raw drug material of cefepime dihydrochloride.

METHODSThe HPLC separation experiments were performed on a reversed phase C18 column, with acetonitrile-10 mmol x L(-1) ammonium acetate (5:95) as mobile phase (a flow rate of 0.8 mL x min(-1)). The analytes were determined by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in positive mode. The chromatogram and mass spectra of cefepime dihydrocloride and its isomeric impurity were obtained by LC-MS/MS.

RESULTSThe method can be used for the separation and identification of cefepime dihychrocloride and its isomeric impurity, of which the retention times were 15.28 min and 9.18 min, respectively. Based on the MS/MS spectra of their molecular ions, the different fragmentation pathways of cefepime dihydrocloride and its isomeric impurity were compared and proposed.

CONCLUSIONThe method was rapid, sensitive and specific. It can be used for the identification of the isomeric purity in raw drug material of cefepime dihydrochloride.

Cephalosporins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Chromatography, Liquid ; methods ; Drug Contamination ; Isomerism ; Quality Control ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the social factors of patients with genital herpes (GH) relapsing and guide GH patients to avoid the related social factors.

METHODSTo select 96 case of patients with recurrent genital herpes of final diagnosis and detailedly record the related social factors before relapsing. The social factors were compared between male and female GH patients, and compared between frequently recurrent (> 6/year) and non-frequently recurrent GH patients (< or = 6/year) too.

RESULTS65.6% (63/96) of recurrent GH patients have certain social factors before relapsing. The main social factors are overtiredness, mental stress and excessive sexual contact. Staying up late and excessive drinking are common social factors, too. There was no significant difference of social factors between male and female GH patients (P >. 05), and also no significant difference between frequently recurrent and non-frequently recurrent GH patients (P > 0.05), too.

CONCLUSIONOvertiredness, mental stress and excessive sexual are the main social elements during inducing genital herpes relapsing. It is important to reduce GH relapsing and spreading of HIV and syphilis by guiding recurrent genital herpes patients to avoid related social elements.

Adult ; Fatigue ; epidemiology ; Female ; Herpes Genitalis ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Sexual Behavior ; Stress, Psychological ; epidemiology