Andrology and gynecology have a similar or the same theoretical basis in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Andrology has a history of less than 3 decades in China, while TCM gynecology has developed for over a thousand years. The development of andrology could be greatly promoted with the guidance of the theories and prescriptions of gynecology.
Andrology ; China ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

The microstructure of cationic cyclopeptide (TD-34) treated Caco-2 cell membrane was observed, and we discussed the relationship between membrane structure and insulin transmembrane permeability. Atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to observe living cell membrane in air condition and tapping mode. Results showed that the surface of Caco-2 cell membrane treated with TD-34 lost its smoothness and nearly doubled its roughness. Apparent permeability coefficients (P(app)) of insulin in Caco-2 cell monolayers increased 2.5 times. In conclusion, AFM can be used to observe microstructure of cationic cyclopeptide treated cell membrane and cationic cyclopeptide enhanced insulin delivery across Caco-2 cell membrane by increasing membrane fluidity.
Caco-2 Cells ; Cations ; Cell Membrane ; drug effects ; Cell Membrane Permeability ; drug effects ; Humans ; Insulin ; metabolism ; Membrane Fluidity ; drug effects ; Microscopy, Atomic Force ; Peptides, Cyclic ; pharmacology

?-cell tumor is the most common functional neoplasm in islets.The localization of the tumor remains difficult in clinical practice.The application of various diagnostic imaging techniques are reviewed.

Objective To construct PPAR?and PPAR?response element (PPRE)-controlled luciferase expression vectors,and to determine whether the traditional Chinese medicine emodin activates PPAR?and improves the glucose uptake by HepG2 hepatocytes.Methods (1) PPAR?and PPRE luciferase expression vectors were constructed and were applied to screen more than 20 ingredients of the traditional Chinese medicine. (2) HepG2 cells were incubated with emodin which can activate PPAR?and PPRE luciferase activity,and the PPAR?mRNA expression level was evaluated by RT-PCR/Southern blot.(3) PPAR?and glucose transporter 2 (Glut2) proteins were determined by Western blot analysis in HepG2 cells treated with emodin.(4) The glucose uptake rate was measured using 2-deoxy-[~3H]-D-glucose in HepG2 cells after treatment with emodin.Results (1) Emodin stimulated luciferase activity controlled by PPRE in dose-dependent manner at concentrations of 0.04 to 180?mol/L in COS-7 cells.The highest value was about 4 folds of control in the cells treated with 90?mol/L emodin (P

The validity of fasting plasma glucose(FPG)combined with HbA_1c in diagnosing diabetes was assessed in patients with coronary heart disease.The results showed that the paired determination of FPG and HbA_1c helped to identify potentially diabetic subjects in patients with coronary heart disease.

Objective To analyse the high-dose dexamethasone suppression test(HDDST)-related differences in the clinical and biochemical features of the patients with Cushing's disease Methods Cases were drawn from 60 consecutive patients with Cushing's disease,who were then divided into two groups according to the response to the HDDST.The clinical and biochemical features between two groups were compared.Results(1) Of the 60 patients with Cushing's disease,23.3%(14/60)of patients(group A)did not yield results of suppression with the HDDST,and the others(group B)did.No difference was found in the age[(33.8?10.4 vs 36.2?11.2)years]and duration of illness[(2.1?1.6 vs 3.9?3.1)years]between two groups.(2)In clinical features,the patients in group A were more likely to have edema of lower limbs(64.3% vs 32.6%),hypokalemia (71.4% vs 28.3%),secondary diabetes(57.1% vs 26.1%)and purple striae(85.7% vs 54.3%,all P

OBJECTIVETo compare the early clinical effects of Activ C cervical disc replacement (ACDR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in treating single-level cervical spondylosis.

METHODSThe clinical data of 76 patients with single-level cervical spondylosis underwent surgery from July 2009 to September 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 28 patients were treated with ACDR (ACDR group), including 18 males and 10 females, aged from 32 to 62 years old with an average of (45.2±6.2) years; and 48 patients were treated with ACDF (ACDF group), including 28 males and 20 females, aged from 33 to 60 years old with an average of (45.8±6.4) years. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Japanese Orthopedics Association (JOA) score, Short Form-36 (SF-36), imaging data were used to assess the clinical effects after operation.

RESULTSA total of 76 patients were followed up from 6 to 24 months with an average of 13.2 months. VAS of neck pain and brachialgia were improved in all patients after operation (P<0.05), there was no significant difference between two group (P>0.05). Somato-score and psycho-score of SF-36 of two groups were obviously increased (P<0.05), ACDR group was better than that of ACDF group (P<0.05). In ACDR group, there was no significant difference in the range of motion of surgical segments and adjacent segments between preoperative and postoperative (P>0.05); heterotopic ossification around the edge of vertebral body occurred in 1 case on the 6th month after operation, no fusion was found on the 1st year after operation. In ACDF group, the adjacent vertebral disease occurred in 1 case and the patient underwent the reoperation.

CONCLUSIONActiv C cervical disc replacement can reduce the degeneration of adjacent segments and its early outcomes for the treatment of single-level cervical spondylosis are satisfactory, but the long-term effects still need study.

Adult ; Cervical Vertebrae ; surgery ; Diskectomy ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Spondylosis ; surgery ; Total Disc Replacement ; methods

Proteomic analysis is an effective way to identify protein constituent in Lewy bedy-like inclusions (or aggresome) in vitro. Exposure to synthetic proteasome inhibitor (PSI, 10 μmol/L) for 48 hours was used to induce the formation of cytoplasmic proteineous inclusions (termed as PSi-induced inclusions) in PC12 cells.The proteomic approaches of biochemical fractionation, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-D) and identification via peptide mass fingerprints (PMF) were deployed, and 20 protein components of LBs were identified,i ncluding 2 proteins involved in the production of synaptic neurotransmitter, 6 subunits of the 26 S proteasome,2 cytoskeleton proteins, 2 subunits of mitochondrial complexes, 1 anti-oxidant protein, and 7 chaperone proteins and (or) chaperone-like proteins. The results suggested that these LB protein components might had been recruited in PSI-induced inclusions formed in PC12 cells under the condition of proteasome inhibition.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of melatonin on the content of β-endorphin (β-EP) in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (Arc) and periaqueductal grey (PAG) of midbrain in morphine withdrawal mice. Male Kunming mice were injected subcutaneously (s.c.) with an increasing dose of morphine continuously for 8 d to establish morphine dependence model. Withdrawal response was induced by naloxone (3 mg/kg body weight, s.c.). The potency of withdrawal response was evaluated according to the jumping times and body weight loss. Ninty minutes prior to the precipitation of naloxone, 80 mg/kg body weight of melatonin (MEL) was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) to observe its antagonistic effect on the withdrawal response in morphine-dependent mice. After behavioral observation, radioimmunoassay was used to determine the content of β-EP in the PAG of midbrain, and immunohistochemical assay was used to observe the intensity of β-EP-like immunoreactivity in the Arc in mice. It was shown that MEL inhibited the naloxone-precipitated withdrawal responses in mice significantly (P<0.05). In the meantime, MEL increased the content of β-EP in the PAG of midbrain significantly (P<0.05) and attenuated the intensity of β-EP-like immunoreactivity in the Arc in mice (P<0.05). The results suggest that MEL increases the content of β-EP in the PAG of midbrain, decrease the content of β-EP in the Arc in morphine withdrawal mice.
Animals ; Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Melatonin ; pharmacology ; Mesencephalon ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Mice ; Morphine Dependence ; Naloxone ; Periaqueductal Gray ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; beta-Endorphin ; metabolism

Objective To obtain antibiotic-resistant mutants producing metabolites with antitumor activity from wild-type actinomycete strains without antitumor activity. Methods An actinomycete strain L35-1 was used as an initial strain for obtaining antibiotic-resistant mutants, which is a marine-derived wild-type strain without antitumor activity with an inhibition rate of 2.8% at the 1000 μg/ml of high sample concentration on K562 cells. The antibiotic-resistant mutants both from auto-mutagenesis and chemical mutagen-induced mutagenesis were selected by single colony isolation on antibiotic-containing plates according to the method for obtaining drug-resistant mutants in ribosome engineering. The antitumor activity was assayed by the MTT method using K562 cells for the mutants with aqueous acetone extracts of the whole broth of their fermentation.Results A total of 114 neomycin-resistant (ner) and 68 streptomycin-resistant (str) mutants, all from auto-mutagenesis, was obtained on drug-containing plates. Among them, the 7 ner and 3 str mutants appeared to be bioactive with an inhibition rate above 20% at the 100 μg/ml sample concentration on K562 cells. On the other hand, 41 str and 32 ner mutants from DES-induced mutagenesis and 46 ner mutants from NTG-induced mutagenesis were obtained by mutagen-induced mutation coupled with the single colony isolation on antibiotic-containing plates, among which, one str mutant from DES-induced mutagenesis and one ner mutant from NTG-induced mutagenesis were bioactive with an inhibition rate over 20% at the 100 μg/ml sample concentration on K562 cells. Conclusions The present result has revealed that the wild-type actinomycete strains without bioactivity might become a great source initial strains to obtain bioactive mutants by drug-resistant mutation technique.