OBJECTIVETo investigate the mechanism of epididymal hypofunction of rats with varicocele (VC) by observing the changes in the epididymal index, motility of epididymal sperm, expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) and the tumor suppressor protein p53, and epididymal epithelial cells.

METHODSNinety SD rats were equally randomized to a VC model (A), a sham operation (B), and a normal control group (C). At 49 days after surgery, all the rats were executed after weighing. Then the volume of the left epididymis was obtained, the epididymal sperm motility was detected by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), the expressions of HIF-1 alpha and p53 in the epididymal tissue were determined by Western-blot, and the epididymal epithelial cells were observed by HE staining.

RESULTSVC models were successfully established in 27 of the rats. One-way ANOVA test showed no statistically significant differences in the epididymis index among groups A ([40.53 +/- 1.76] x 10 (-5)) , B ([43.31 1.58] x 10( -5)) , and C ( [44. 10 +/- 2.62] x 10 -5) (P > 0.05). Sperm motility and the percentage of progressively motile sperm were significantly lower in group A ([71.86 +/- 5.07]% and [42. 26 +/-4.45]%) than in B ([78.51 4.50]% and [49.08 +/-4. 19]% ) and C ( [79.24 +/- 2.70] % and [52. 23+/- 2. 23] % ) (both P <0.05) , while the expressions of HTF-1 a and p53 were remarkably higher in A (1.74 +/- 0. 16 and 1.71 +/- 0. 11) than in B (0.32 +/- 0. 08 and 0.56 +/- 0.13) and C (0.12 +/- 0. 03 and 0.25 +/-0.06) (both P < 0.05). The epididymal epithelial cells in group A were obviously decreased in number and arranged in loose and disorderly patterns as compared with those in B and C.

CONCLUSIONVaricocele can cause hypoxia in the epididymal tissue, which in turn may lead to epididymal hypofunction.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Epididymis ; metabolism ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sperm Motility ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; Varicocele ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) category IIIa chronic prostatitis syndromes (non bacterial chronic prostatitis) were common disorders but with few effective therapies. Alpha-blockers and bioflavonoids had recently been reported in randomized controlled trials to improve the symptom of these disorders in a significant proportion of men. The aim of this study was to confirm these findings in a prospective randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

METHODSForty-five men with category IIIa chronic non bacterial protatitis were randomized into three groups as follows: (1) placebo; (2) phenoxybenzamine-hydrochloride:10 mg two times a day for one month; (3) flavoxate HCI-neptumus: 200 mg three times a day for one month. The NIH chronic prostatitis symptom score was used to grade symptoms at the beginning and conclusion of the study.

RESULTSAll the patients in three groups completed the study except three dropout patients in placebo group because of sever symptoms. The three groups were similar in age, duration of symptoms and initial symptom score. Patients taking placebo had a mean improvement in NIH-CPSI from 21.85 to 19.55 (not significant), while the phenoxybenzamine-hydrochloride group had a mean improvement from 21.95 to 13.75 (P < 0.01), and those taking flavoxate HCI-neptumus had a mean improvement from 21.75 to 16.95 (P < 0.05). The decrease in NIH-CPSI was associated with significant improvement in patients' clinical manifestations.

CONCLUSIONTherapy with alpha-blockers was well tolerated with significant symptomatic improvement in most men having chronic non-bacterial chronic protatitis while the bioflavonoids group had no significant improvement. Mechanism of both medicines needs further study.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Flavonoids ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Flavoxate ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Parasympatholytics ; therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; Prostatitis ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroconversion, HIV transmission and related risk factors among injecting drug users (IDUs) in an area of Sichuan province.

METHODSIn November 2002, a community-based baseline survey was conducted to recruit 333 HIV-seronegative IDUs for a prospective cohort study in Xichang county of Sichuan province, China. Follow-up visits were carried out every 6 months to study the situation of drug use, sexual behaviors of the IDUs and blood specimens were collected to test for antibodies against HIV and syphilis.

RESULTSDuring a 24-month follow-up period, cohort retention rate and HIV incidence were 75.7% and 2.53 per 100 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-3.97)], respectively. Multivariate Poisson regression model showed that risk factors which were significantly associated with HIV seroconversion would include: ethnicity (RR = 12.42; 95% CI: 2.72-56.74, P = 0.0012) and needle or syringe sharing in the past 3 months (RR = 4.06; 95% CI: 1.29-12.81, P = 0.0168). Syphilis seroconversion in this cohort was 4.71 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 2.59-6.82). In multivariate Poisson regression being female (RR = 4.42; 95% CI: 1.78-10.99, P = 0.0014) appeared to be the only factor which was significantly associated with syphilis seroconversion.

CONCLUSIONOur study results showed that there was a rapid transmission of HIV and syphilis among IDUs in Sichuan province, suggesting that effective intervention should be urgently taken.

Cohort Studies ; HIV Seropositivity ; immunology ; transmission ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sexual Behavior ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous ; Syphilis ; immunology ; transmission

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of snail control through soil pasting mixed with niclosamide.

METHODSFour sites were selected in different epidemic areas in Sichuan province. Soil pasting mixed with niclosamide was carried on, and the dosage was 0 g/m2, 4 g/m2, 6 g/m2, 8 g/m2 and 10 g/m2 respectively. The mortality rate of snail and the density of snail were observed after 7, 15, 30, 90 and 180 days.

RESULTSThe mortality rate of snail was more than 43.3% in blank group after 30 days. The mortality rate of snail was from 75.3% to 100.0% at 4 g/m2 group after 30 days. The mortality rate of snail in 4 g/m2 group was significantly higher than that in the blank group (chi2 = 31.27, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the mortality rate of snail among all study groups (chi2 = 1.07, P > 0.05). The decrease rate of snail density was more than 90%. The mortality rate of snail was about 30% higher in Chantu group than Qutu group. The unit cost of Pasting-Mixing Drug with Soil was from 5 to 7 times of spray method, but the total cost was similar for the. two methods at the endpoint of the snail control.

CONCLUSIONThe effect of soil pasting mixed with niclosamide is good, and the dosage of 4-6 g/m2 is suggested in snail control.

Animals ; Molluscacides ; Niclosamide ; Pest Control ; Schistosomiasis ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Snails ; Soil

Objective: To investigate the effects of PM_2.5 exposure at different stages of early life on the prefrontal cortex of offspring rats. Methods: Twelve pregnant SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: Control group (CG), Maternal pregnancy exposure group (MG), Early postnatal exposure group (EP) and Perinatal period exposure group (PP), 3 rats in each group. The pregnant and offspring rats were exposed to clean air or 8-fold concentrated PM_2.5. MG was exposed from gestational day (GD) 1 to GD21. EP was exposed from postnatal day (PND) 1 to PND21, and PP was exposed from GD1 to PND21. After exposure, the prefrontal cortex of 6 offspring rats in each group was analyzed. HE staining was used to observe the pathological damage in the prefrontal cortex. ELISA was employed to detect neuroinflammatory factors, and HPLC/MSC was applied to determine neurotransmitter content. Western blot and colorimetry were applied for detecting astrocyte markers and oxidative stress markers, respectively. Results: Compared with MG and CG, the pathological changes of prefrontal cortex in PP and EP were more obvious. Compared with MG and CG, the neuroinflammatory factors (IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α) in PP and EP were increased significantly (P＜0.01), the level of MT were decreased significantly (P＜0.05), and the level of oxytocin (OT) showed a downward trend; the level of neurotransmitter ACh was also increased significantly (P＜0.01). Compared with MG and CG, the GFAP level of PP and EP showed an upward trend, the level of oxidative stress index SOD in PP and EP was decreased significantly (P＜0.01), and the level of ROS was increased significantly (P＜0.01). Compared with the offspring rats of CG and MG, the CAT level of PP was decreased significantly (P＜0.01, P＜0.05). Compared with the offspring rats of CG, the CAT level of EP was decreased significantly (P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, MT, OT, ACh, GFAP, SOD, ROS and CAT levels between PP and EP, or MG and CG. Conclusion: PM_2.5 exposure in early life has adverse effects on the prefrontal cortex of offspring male rats, and early birth exposure may be more sensitive.
Animals ; Female ; Interleukin-1/pharmacology* ; Interleukin-6 ; Male ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Particulate Matter/toxicity* ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/pharmacology*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome