A large number of women will pass through menopause each year. Women in menopausal transition experience a variety of menopausal symptoms. Although hormonal therapy remains the most effective treatment, side effects have been reported by several large studies. An increased number of women seek the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for treating menopausal symptoms. This review analyzes the evidence from systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials and epidemiological studies of using herbal medicine (Black cohosh, Dong quai, St John's wart, Hops, Wild yam, Ginseng, and evening primrose oil) and acupuncture for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of most CAM for relief of menopausal symptoms are limited. Future larger and better controlled studies testing the effectiveness of these treatments are needed.
Complementary Therapies ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Menopause ; drug effects ; physiology ; Mind-Body Therapies

Deficiency Diseases ; prevention & control ; Goiter ; chemically induced ; Humans ; Iodine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; deficiency

BACKGROUNDPrenatal hyperglycaemia may increase metabolic syndrome susceptibility of the offspring. An underlying component of the development of these morbidities is hepatic gluconeogenic molecular dysfunction. We hypothesized that maternal hyperglycaemia will influence her offsprings hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) expression, a key regulator of glucose production in hepatocytes.

METHODWe established maternal hyperglycaemia by streptozotocin injection to induce the maternal hyperglycaemic Wistar rat model. Offspring from the severe hyperglycemia group (SDO) and control group (CO) were monitored until 180 days after birth. Blood pressure, lipid metabolism indicators and insulin resistance (IR) were measured. Hepatic PGC-1α expression was analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. mRNA expression of two key enzymes in gluconeogenesis, glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), were analyzed and compared.

RESULTSIn the SDO group, PGC-1α expression at protein and mRNA levels were increased, so were expression of G-6-Pase and PEPCK (P < 0.05). The above effects were seen prior to the onset of IR.

CONCLUSIONThe hepatic gluconeogenic molecular dysfunction may contribute to the metabolic morbidities experienced by this population.

Animals ; Female ; Hyperglycemia ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; Insulin Resistance ; physiology ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; RNA-Binding Proteins ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Streptozocin ; toxicity ; Transcription Factors

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of different hepatic inflow occlusion methods on liver regeneration in rats after partial hepatectomy (PH).

METHODSMale Wistar-Furth rats were randomly assigned to three groups: control group, underwent 68% hepatectomy alone; occlusion of portal triad (OPT) group, subjected to occlusion of portal triad under portal blood bypass; and occlusion of portal vein (OPV) group, subjected to occlusion of portal vein under portal blood bypass. Blood flow was occluded for 20, 30, and 40 minutes before 68% hepatectomy. According to the 7-day survival of each group, a same occlusion time T was set. Each group was divided into two subgroups (n = 8), in which animals were killed 3 and 7 days later. Liver regeneration was calculated as a percent of initial liver weight. Immunohistochemistry for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki-67 was performed to quantify proliferating cells. In addition, functional liver volume represented by 99Tc(m)-GSA radioactivity was assessed.

RESULTSThe safe tolerance limit time was 30 minutes for OPT group and 40 minutes for OPV group. At 3 days after PH, no significant difference was observed in the regeneration rate of each group (P > 0.05). However, liver radioactive activity, PCNA labeling index, and Ki-67 index of OPV group was significantly higher than those of OPT group (P < 0.05); the latter were similar to those of control group (P > 0.05). At 7 days after PH, no significant difference was observed in all indexes among three groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCompared with Pringle maneuver, preserving the hepatic artery flow during portal triad blood inflow occlusion can promote remnant liver regeneration early after PH.

Animals ; Hepatectomy ; methods ; Liver ; blood supply ; surgery ; Liver Regeneration ; physiology ; Male ; Postoperative Period ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Background Prenatal hyperglycaemia may increase metabolic syndrome susceptibility of the offspring.An underlying component of the development of these morbidities is hepatic gluconeogenic molecular dysfunction.We hypothesized that maternal hyperglycaemia will influence her offsprings hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) expression,a key regulator of glucose production in hepatocytes.@@Method We established maternal hyperglycaemia by streptozotocin injection to induce the maternal hyperglycaemic Wistar rat model.Offspring from the severe hyperglycemia group (SDO) and control group (CO) were monitored until 180 days after birth.Blood pressure,lipid metabolism indicators and insulin resistance (IR) were measured.Hepatic PGC-1α expression was analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting.mRNA expression of two key enzymes in gluconeogenesis,glucose-6-phospha-tase (G-6-Pase) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK),were analyzed and compared.@@Results In the SDO group,PGC-1α expression at protein and mRNA levels were increased,so were expression of G-6-Pase and PEPCK (P<0.05).The above effects were seen prior to the onset of IR.@@Conclusion The hepatic gluconeogenic molecular dysfunction may contribute to the metabolic morbidities experienced by this population.

BACKGROUNDHuman amniotic epithelial cells (HAECs), which have characteristics of both embryonic and pluripotent stem cells, are therefore a candidate in cell therapy without creating legal or ethical problems. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of intracerebroventricular transplantation of HAECs on doubly transgenic mice of Alzheimer's disease (AD) coexpressing presenilin-1 (PS1) and mutant Sweden amyloid precursor protein (APPswe) genes.

METHODSThe offspring mice genotypes were detected using PCR identification of APPswe and PS1 gene. The doubly transgenic (TG) mice (n = 20) and wild-type (WT) mice (n = 20) were randomly divided into two groups respectively: the transplantation group treated with HAECs and the control group with phosphate buffered saline. Six radial arm water maze test was used to assess the spatial memory in the TG and WT mice. Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles were analyzed using congo red and acid-silver methenamine staining respectively. Immunofluorescence cytochemistry was used to track the survival of HAECs. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of octamer-binding protein 4 (Oct-4) and Nanog in the HAECs. High performance liquid chromatography was used to measure acetylcholine in hippocampus. The density of cholinergic neurons in basal forebrain and nerve fibers in hippocampus was measured using acetylcholinesterase staining.

RESULTSAmyloid deposition occurred in hippocampus and frontal cortex in the double TG mice aged 8 months, but not in WT mice. The results also showed that transplanted HAECs can survive for at least 8 weeks and migrate to the third ventricle without immune rejection. The graft HAECs can also express the specific marker Oct-4 and Nanog of stem cell. Compared with the control group, transplantation of HAECs can not only significantly improve the spatial memory of the TG mice, but also increase acetylcholine concentration and the number of hippocampal cholinergic neurites.

CONCLUSIONSThese results demonstrate that intracerebroventricular transplantation of HAECs can improve the spatial memory of the double TG mice. The higher content of acetylcholine in hippocampus released by more survived cholinergic neurites is one of the causes of this improvement.

Acetylcholine ; metabolism ; Alzheimer Disease ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Amnion ; cytology ; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; transplantation ; Genotype ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Memory Disorders ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Nanog Homeobox Protein ; Octamer Transcription Factor-3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Presenilin-1 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE Lychee seed, a famous traditional Chinese medicine, recently were reported to improve the learning and memory abilities in mice. However, it is still unclear whether lychee seed saponins (LSS) can improve the cognitive function and associated mechanisms. METHODS In present studies, we established the Alzheimer disease (AD) model by injecting Aβ25-35 into the lateral ventricle of rats. Then the spatial learning and memory abilities of LSS- treated rats were evaluated with the Morris water maze, meanwhile the protein expressions of AKT, GSK3β and Tau in the hippo?campal neuron were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS The results showed LSS can improve the cognitive functions of AD rats through shortening the escape latency, increasing the number across the platform, platform quadrant dwell time and the percentage of the total distance run platform quadrant. The protein expression of AKT was significantly up-regulated and that of GSK3β and Tau were decreased remarkably in the hippocampal CA1 area. CONCLUSION Our study is the first to show that LSS significantly improve the cognitive function and prevent hippocampal neuronal injury of the rats with AD by activation of the PI3K/AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway, suggesting LSS may be developed into the nutrient supplement for the treatment of AD.

OBJECTIVETo compare the molecular characteristics of 3 Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viruses(CCHFV) isolated in Xinjiang province.

METHODSYL05035, YT05099 and LT05146 were isolated in 2005 from Hyalomma ticks and viral RNA was extracted from suckling mouse brains infected with these three strains respectively. The polymerase chain reaction(PCR) products of S segments from the 3 strains of CCHFV were directly sequenced.

RESULTSThe full-length'S RNA from the 3 strains of CCHFV all comprised 1673 nucleotides with ORF of them including 1449 nucleotides and encoding a protein which comprised 482 amino acids in a viral complementary sense. The sequences indicated that the three strains of CCHFV isolated from ticks in Xinjiang province were highly homologenic. Data from the phylogenetic analysis showed that the obtained sequences were identical. The homology between 3 strains of CCHFV was 99.5%. Their homologies compared with that of the other strains isolated from other region of Xinjiang were also high at nucleotide levels (92.7%-99.8%). The three strains which were clustered together with 7001 strain and 79121 strain (isolated from patient and rat in Xinjiang respectively) was only different by 2%-3%. The genetic difference from the prototype CCHFV Nigerian strain IBAR10200 was 13%. In comparison, the Nigerian CCHFV tick isolate was more divergent when compared with the reference China strains 66019 and with the three variants mentioned above.

CONCLUSIONThe CCHFV isolated from China comprised a group of genetically high conserved strains.

Animals ; Brain ; virology ; China ; Genes, Viral ; Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Mice ; RNA, Viral ; analysis

This study was purposed to investigate whether phenylhexyl isothiocyanate (PHI) can reduce p16 gene methylation level or not. The myeloma U226 cell line was cultured with PHI of 0, 5, 10 micromol/L for 72 hours, then DNA was extracted. Hydrosulfite was used to treat the genome DNA of healthy adult, PCR amplification was carried out by using this DNA as template. The gene chip detecting methylation changes of 3 CpG in promoter region of p16 gene was constructed by designing a pair of probes which contain one methylated and one unmethylated probes. This pair of probes was used to detect 3 consecutive sites of CpG island in p16 gene. The standard curve was constructed by using gene chip after the methylated and unmethylated DNA were mixed at different ratio. Then treated samples of U266 cells were dotted on gene chip, obtained results were compared with standard curve to get the quantitative results. The results indicated that the probes on chip had excellent reproducible ability and precision, the methylation level of p16 gene in U266 cells treated with 0, 5 and 10 micromol/L of PHI was determined as 78.2%, 61.7% and 54.8%, respectively. It is concluded that the PHI can reduce the methylation level of p16 gene in U266 cells.
Cell Line, Tumor ; CpG Islands ; DNA Methylation ; Down-Regulation ; Genes, p16 ; Humans ; Isothiocyanates ; pharmacology ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis

·AIM: To observe the clinical efficacy of fumigation treatment of traditional Chinese medicine(Four Yellow Qing Ling Water) for dry eye, and to provide the reference for clinical treatment of dry eye. · METHODS: Totally 82 patients (164 eyes) were randomly divided into two groups from June 2016 to December 2016 in Ophthalmology Department of our hospital. The patients in control group were given artificial tears;the patients in the observation group were given artificial tears and fumigation treatment of traditional Chinese(Four Yellow Qing Ling Water) once a day. After treatment for 14d, the SchirmerⅠtest (SⅠt), break-up time (BUT), cornea fluorescein staining (FL) and clinical efficacy of two groups were compared. ·RESULTS:The efficiency rate of observation group was significantly better than the control group (87. 8% vs 70.7%,P<0.5). The SⅠt and BUT in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (8.43 ± 2.51mm/5min vs 6.38 ± 2.52mm/5min, P<0.05;8.60±2.47s vs 6.35±2.29s, P<0.05); the FL in the observation group (0.84 ± 0.75 vs 1.26 ± 0.84, P<0.05) significantly lower than those in the control group. ·CONCLUSION: The fumigation treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (Four Yellow Qing Ling Water) combined with artificial tears for dry eyes can improve the clinical symptoms of dry eye syndrome.