Spermatogenesis is a complex process. Current knowledge about human spermatogenesis is mainly based on the mouse model while little is known about the initial stage of this fundamental process in humans. The establishment of the model of spermatogenesis in vitro may contribute to an overall understanding of male germ cell development, an insight into the mechanisms of infertility, and clinical management of male infertility. This review summarizes current knowledge about the generation of germ cell-like cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in vitro and discusses the potential application of iPSCs in the treatment of male infertility.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Germ Cells ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Infertility, Male ; therapy ; Male ; Mice ; Spermatogenesis

BACKGROUND: Formerly, it was thought that the damaged hair cells could not have the repair ability. Recent studies demonstrate that mammal vestibule hair cells also possess certain repair ability after being destroyed.Then, whether mammalia animal cochlea hair cells possess regenerative ability after being destroyed is disputed.OBJECTIVE: To observe cochlear hair cells condition and threshold value change of auditory brainstem response (ABR) at different time following gentamicin ototoxicity by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) technique combined with ABR test, so as to investigate whether cochlear hair cells of mammals can be regenerated after being injured.DESIGN: A randomized and controlled animal experiment.SETTING: Department of Physiology, Shenyang Medical College.MATERIALS: This experiment was carried out at the Hearing Research Room of China Medical University from November 2001 to May 2002. Totally 60 healthy adult white Guinea pigs, with red eyes and sensitive auricle reflex, of clean degree, were used and randomly divided into gentamicin group and normal control group with 30 guinea pigs in each one.METHODS: 100 mg/kg gentamicin was intraperitoneally daily injected into the guinea pigs, serving as gentamicin group. Same volume of normal saline (2.5 mL/kg) was intraperitoneally daily injected into the guinea pigs,serving as normal control group. All the guinea pigs were given medication for 10 successive days. Threshold value of ABR was detected respectively pre-operatively and at the 1st, 3rd, 30th days postoperatively; after withdrawal and execution, scanning electron microscope was used to observe cochlear hair cells of guinea pigs in each group.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Threshold value of ABR. ②Cochlear hair cell change of guinea pigs at different time following gentamicin ototoxicity.RESULTS: All the 60 experimental animals entered the stage of result analysis with no loss in the midway. ①At 1,3 and 30 days after withdrawal of gentamicin, threshold value of ABR was significantly higher as compared with normal control group, with significant difference [(38.00±3.75), (2.22 ±3.63) dB nHL,t=30.651, P ＜ 0.001];[(39.09±4.22), (2.50±3.54) dB nHL, t=29.708, P ＜ 0.001];[(14.50±3.69), (1.50±2.42) dB nHL,t =13.175, P ＜ 0.001]. Threshold value of ABR recovered obviously on day 30, but did not reach the normal level. ②On the first day after withdrawal of gentamicin , stereocilium of hair cells in second turn of cochlea of guinea pigs presented fusion, distortion, lodging, loss or incompetence and other pathological changes , especially severe in the third turn , also cystic form protrutions appeared outside the stereocilium of inner hair cell; On day 3 after withdrawal of gentamicin, stereocilium of outer hair cells in the second turn of cochlea of guinea pigs still presented fusion, loss, lodging and other pathological changes. Stereocilium of inner hair cell still showed lodging,but the outside cystic form protrutions decreased; On day 30 after withdrawal of gentamicin, stereocilium of outer hair cells in the second turn of cochlea presented fusion, loss , lodging and other pathological change ,which were obviously weaker than those on the 1st day and 3rd day after withdrawal of gentamicin , and at the same time , new born stereocilium appeared in the third turn of cochlea.CONCLUSION: Cochlear hair cell morphology recovery appears in those which survive for 30 days after cochlear hair cells of guinea pigs are damaged following gentamicin ototoxicity, and threshold value of ABR also recovers to some extent, suggesting that cochlear hair cells possess regenerative and repair ability following gentamicin ototoxicity. Hair cells after gentamicin-induced cochlear damage possess regenerative ability.

Objective To investigate the correlation between preoperative anxiety and intraoperative anesthetic requirements,and to determine the proper anxiety evaluation scale.Methods Sixty ASA I patients undergoing knee arthroscopy were enrolled.The anxiety level of the patients was assessed by using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI),Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS),and Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) 30 min before the surgery.The low frequency(LF) and low frequency/high frequency(LF/HF) of the heart rate variability were recorded before the surgery.Target controlled infusion(TCI) of propofol was started to provide a blood concentration of 1.5 ?g/ml,and was increased by 0.5 ?g/ml every 30 s until OAA/S value reached 4,which was defined as the point of consciousness loss.BIS value and propofol requirements were recorded.TCI of propofol was maintained for 30 min to keep a BIS value at 50,LF and LF/HF of heart rate variability and maintenance dose of propofol were recorded during this period.Results Propofol requirements at the point of consciousness loss were significantly liner correlated with the SAI,TAI,and Zung scores,as well as LF and LF/HF(r=0.362,0.285,0.315,0.274,0.411,P

A spectrophotometric method for the determination of trace amounts of mercury (Ⅱ ) was described based on the formation of a complicated ion-association complex of Hg (Ⅱ )-Ⅰ-Rhodamine B in ihe presence of polyvinyl alcohol. The maximum absorption of the ion-association complex was at 595nm, Beer's law was obeyed for mercury (Ⅱ ) in the range of 0~5?g/25ml. The apparent molar absorptivity was 7. 36 ?105L/mol?cm. The recovery of mercury was 97. 0% ~ 103. 0%,RSD

Objective To analyze the practical experiences of design and its clinical application of custom-made tumor prostheses of knee. Methods A retrospective study of 41 cases of distal femur or proximal tibia tumors treated surgically from June 1999 to October 2002, was carried out. In the study, there were 29 males and 12 females aging from 11 to 69 years with an average of 35.0 years. The location of tumors were at distal femur in 23 cases and 9 cases at proximal tibia, of which 15 were osteosarcoma, 13 giant cell tumor, 3 chondrosarcoma, 5 solitary metastatic bone tumor, and 1 each of fibrosarcoma, malignant fibrohistocytoma, Ewings sarcoma, small round cell sarcoma and syndesmofibroma. The custom-made semi-constrained knee prosthesis with femoral or tibial component was implanted after extra-capsular resection of the tumor bone segment. A special femoral component with elongated construction was used in an 11-year old case for further femur lengthening. Resection of femoral artery involved by tumor and reparation by great saphenous vein was performed in one case. Results The operations of the 41 cases were all smoothly performed. 33 cases were followed up from 8 to 37 months with an average of 20.2 months. The daily life ability was recovered in 3 months after the operation. Among them, no loosening or failure of the prostheses was found, and local recurrence was found in 2 cases and distant metastasis in 3 cases. The design of knee prosthesis could provide some proper internal/external rotation and adduction/abduction movements accompanying with the flexion and extension of the knee joint without affecting the stability of the joint. For the case of proximal tibia tumor, a special design and surgical technique was developed to provide the reconstruction of patellar ligament insertion with rather good results; and the recovery of knee extension and stability were satisfied. Conclusion The custom-made semi-constrained tumor prosthesis of knee could be used as an effective method for the limb-savage management either the distal femur or proximal tibia tumor cases.

[Objective] To discuss the application value of spiral CT tri-dimensional reestablishment in ankle joint fracture.[Method] For 42 cases,make X-ray picture and spiral CT scanning at adem position;compare it with CT tri-dimensional reestablishment and operation.[Result] CT tri-dimensional reestablishment has key directing meaning to ankle fracture and operation style.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Apoptosis ; Brain Ischemia ; pathology ; therapy ; Humans

Objective To compare the analgesia and side-effects of different concentrations of sufentanil combined with 0.125% ropivacaine for postoperative epidural analgesia after general thoracic surgery.Methods Thirty-six ASA Ⅰ-Ⅲ patients (25 males, 11 females) ages 21-64 yrs weighing 42-79 kg undergoing elective general thoracic surgery under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to receive patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) with 0.125% ropivacaine combined with sufentanil 0.4 (group A, n = 12) , 0.5 (group B, n = 12) or 0.6 ?g?ml-1 (group C, n = 12) . Epidural catheter was placed at T7,8 or T8,9 interspace. The PCEA pump was set up with back ground infusion of 2 ml?h-1 , a3ml bolus dose and a 30-min lock-out period. VAS scores was used to assess analgesia at rest and during movement. The total bolus doses, PCEA button pressing times (effective/actual), vital signs including MAP, HR, respiratory rate, SpO2 and side effects (nausea, vomiting, pruritus and dyspnea) were recorded. Results During the 48 hours after operation the VAS scores in group C were significantly lower than those in group A and B ( P

The prediction of survival time for advanced cancer patients undergoing palliative care has important clinical and social value. The prediction of survival time of advanced cancer patients includes clinical prediction and statistical prediction. Due to the late start of palliative medicine in China, it is particularly important to evaluate the widely used survival prediction tools in clinical practice. In this paper, we will review the common survival prediction tools of advanced cancer patients from the perspective of Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine,to provide reference for development and application of a survival prediction system in China.

OBJECTIVE:To establish the method for the simultaneous determination of clopidogrel (CLO) and its active metabolites (CATM) and inactive metabolites (CCAM),and to conduct pharmacokinetic study. METHODS:The plasma sam-ple had been derivatized by 2-bromine-3′-methoxy acetophenone(MPB),and was precipitated by acetonitrile. Using carbam-azepine as internal standard,UPLC-MS/MS was adopted. The separation was performed on Waters ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column with mobile phase consisted of water(containing 0.1% formic acid)-acetonitrile(containing 0.1% formic acid)using a gradient elution program at the flow rate of 0.50 ml/min. The ESI was equipped and quantitative analysis was operated in posi-tive ion and MRM mode. The mass transition ion-pairs were followed as m/z 322.1→211.8(CLO),m/z 504.1→155.0(the alkyl-ation derivatives of CATM,CATMD),m/z 308.3→198.0(CCAM),m/z 273.2→194.3(internal standard). RESULTS:The lin-ear calibration curves for CLO,CATMD and CCAM were obtained in the concentration range of 0.03-20.00 ng/ml,0.30-200.00 ng/ml and 10.00-10 000.00 ng/ml in plasma,respectively;intra-day and inter-day RSD for them were all less than 15%,and relative error(RE)ranged from -3.5% to 5.7%. Main pharmacokinetic parameters of CLO,CATMD and CCAM in 5 healthy volunteers after oral administration of CLO 300 mg were as follows:cmax were(7.89±5.46),(15.58±8.08),(8 023.33± 1 047.39)ng/ml;tmax were(1.25 ± 0.43),(1.25 ± 0.43),(1.67 ± 0.29)h;t1/2 were (2.31 ± 0.61),(0.64 ± 0.08),(6.53 ± 2.55)h;AUC0-t were(17.19±14.59),(21.39±9.58),(30 648.85±8 026.63)ng·h/ml. CONCLUSIONS:The established method is sensi-tive,rapid and convenient,which is suitable for pharmacokinetic study and plasma concentration determination of CLO and its metabolites.