In order to have a better understanding of the species diversity of medical plants in Enshi, Hubei of China, extensive field investigations and specimen collections were conducted in Enshi and adjacent regions. Based on field observations of plants in their living habitats and comparative morphological studies on specimens in herbarium of Hubei minzu University and other available herbaria as well, three new records of medical plants in Hubei, Scutellaria yunnanensis, Alangium faberi var. heterophyllum, and Drymaria diandra, were reported in this paper.
China ; Plants, Medicinal ; Records as Topic

Objective To investigate the effects of high spermatic vessel dissection on testicular morphological alteration of SD rats in prepuberty,puberty and sexual maturity phases.Methods Thirty-day-old SD rats were divided into 2 groups underwent sham operation and left high spermatic vessel dissection as a simulation of Palomo′s maneuver.Detailed morphological investigations were made at 3 different postoperative intervals among the 3rd day,30th day and 56th day.Results High spermatic vessel dissection in prepubertal rats induced acute testicular ischemia in the operated testes on the 3rd day.Most of the operated testes on the 30th day showed testicular atrophy.And all the operated testes showed testicular atrophy and sperm disappearance in epididymis on the 56th day.Conclusion High dissection of spermatic vessel in prepubertal rats induced testicular ischemia in prepuberty and testicular growth failure in puberty,testicular atrophy completely and sperm production losing in sexual maturity phase.

Aging ; physiology ; Animals ; Female ; Male ; Mitochondria, Heart ; enzymology ; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Ventricular Function, Left ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of matrine (MAT) on the proliferation of human ovary malignant teratoma cell line PA-1 in vitro.

METHODSPA-1 cells allocated in different groups were treated with different concentrations (0.25 mg/mL, 0.5 mg/mL and 1.0 mg/mL) of MAT. The inhibitory effect of MAT and its dose- and time-effect relationship were detected with MTT; the apoptosis rate and cell cycle were evaluated by flow cytometry; and the changes of bcl-2/bax mRNA expression in cells were measured using semi-quantitative RT-PCR.

RESULTSAfter being exposed to MAT, the PA-1 cell proliferation was decreased in a concentration- and time-dependent manner; cell apoptosis rate raised as the increasing concentration of MAT and acting time; cells retarded at G1 phase in the cell cycle dose-dependently; and the bcl-2/bax mRNA expression in cells dawn-regulated significantly.

CONCLUSIONMAT can dose- and time-dependently inhibit the proliferation of PA-1 cell by reducing bcl-2/bax mRNA ratio to produce a G1 phase arresting in cell cycle.

Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Quinolizines ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Teratoma ; pathology ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To introduce a new technique for urethral coverage in Snodgrass hypospadias repair,and to evaluate its effectiveness and complications.Methods From April 2003 to February 2006, this new procedure was performed in 289 children with hypospadias aged 3 months to 12 years (mean age,2. 4 years).The native meatus of urethra was identified subcoronal in 78 cases,penile/shaft in 136,penoscrotal in 36 and scrotal in 16;and 23 cases had undergoneⅡstage operation and re-operation.The overlapping coverage with bilateral shaft based vascularized dartos pedicle was done in the new urethra by Snodgrass hy- pospadias repair in these children.Results All the cases were followed for 3 months to 2 years.Postoper- atively,urinary fistulas developed in 32 cases (11%).Of them,11 were cured spontaneously within 4 weeks. The incidence of actual urinary fistula was 7% (21/289).Of the 21 fistulas which were not cured,11 (5%) occurred in 214 cases of distal hypospadias;and 10 (13%) in 75 cases of proximal hypospadias,Ⅱstage and re-operation.No dehiscence and diverticulum was found.Combined with mucosal collar technique,the ventral skin of the penis was sewn on the midline.During the follow-up,excellent cosmetic results with normal-ap- pearing circumcised penis were achieved in most patients.Conclusions Bilateral shaft based vascularized dartos pedicle urethral coverage procedure is a reliable and effective method for preventing urethral cutaneous fistulas and dehiscence.This method can reconstruct a satisfactory cosmetic appearance of the penis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influences of bicortical anchorage on values of natural frequencies of dental implants utilizing the 3-dimensional finite element analysis.

METHODSUsing the commercial code of Solidworks, 3-D models of a screw-shaped dental implant and a mandibular bone segment were generated. After the 3-D implant-bone complex was meshed by ABAQUS software, effects of bicortical anchorage on the buccolingual and axial first-order natural frequencies of the implant were computed.

RESULTSBicortical anchorage increased both the buccolingual and axial natural frequencies remarkably. As the bicortical anchorage got deeper, the frequencies correspondingly got higher.

CONCLUSIONBicortical anchorage can increase the buccolingual and axial primary stability of dental implants.

Dental Implantation, Endosseous ; Dental Implants ; Dental Stress Analysis ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Mandible

Abdomen ; Hernia ; Humans ; Prostheses and Implants ; Prosthesis Implantation ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate relationship between glucose metabolic disorders and expression of insulin receptor (IR) and tyrosine protein kinase (TPK) in posthepatitic cirrhosis hepatocyte and HBV DNA expression in pancreatic cells.

METHODSTo detect HBV DNA in paraffin-embedded pancreatic and hepatic tissues from 12 posthepatitic cirrhosis patients with positive serum HBV markers by using in situ hybridization (ISH) with a digoxigenin labelled probe. The amount of IR and TPK have been evaluated by immunohistochemical quantitative analysis using image analyzer in hepatocyte of 12 patients positive for HBV markers with posthepatitic cirrhosis in serum. Immunofluorescent histochemical double staining technique was used. HBsAg and IR were observed under confocal laser scanning microscope.

RESULTSEleven of 12 cirrhosis patients? hepatocytes were HBV DNA positive, including 7 patients (7/7) with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 4 patients (4/5) with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Eight of 12 pancreatic cells were HBV DNA positive, including 7 patients (7/7) with IGT, but only one patient (1/5) with NGT-HBV DNA was found positive in pancreatic cells in significantly more subjects in IGT group than in NGT group (P less than 0.01).IR and TPK amount in hepatocyte of IGT was significantly less than that of NGT patients with posthepatitic cirrhosis (P less than 0.01). IR amount was closely related to the TPK in cirrhosis hepatocyte r=0.82597(P less than 0.01). HBV DNA was mainly localized in the nuclei of hepatocyte and pancreatic acinar and islet cells. Immunofluorescent histochemical double-staining showed that HBsAg was partly localized in the IR positive areas of hepatocytes and pancreatic islet cells.

CONCLUSIONHBV can invade acinar cells of pancreas and islet cells, which might be a direct cause of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus-like the disorder and insulin absence after HBV infection. Decrease of IR and TPK might be main cause of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus-like disorder after having hepatitis or posthepatitic cirrhosis.

DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Female ; Glucose Metabolism Disorders ; complications ; metabolism ; virology ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Hepatocytes ; metabolism ; virology ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Liver Cirrhosis ; complications ; metabolism ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreas ; cytology ; virology ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; metabolism ; Receptor, Insulin ; metabolism

Objective To study the correlation between fractional anisotropy(FA)and tumor microarchitecture(MVD,VEGF and celluarity).Methods Fouteen gliomas(5 grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ,4 grade Ⅲ, 5 grade Ⅳ)confirmed histo-pathologically were performed on diffusion tensor imaging(DTI)using a GE Signa Excite Ⅱ 3.0 T MR scanner(8-channel head coil,SE echo planner imaging(EPI),thickness:5 mm, spacing:0,directions:25,B values:0 and 1000 s/mm~2,TR 6000 ms,TE minimum,FOV:240 mm? 240 mm,image matrix 128?128,NEX 2).Postprocessing was done using a DTI specific software to gain FA image.ROIs were drqwn in tumor parenchyma and the value of FA was recorded.The positive expression of VEGF and CD34 was shown using immuno-histochemistry method.The VEGF,MVD,and cellularity of every slices were recorded.Pearson correlation analysis was used.Results FA(which is 0.102?0.080 in grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ,0.171?0.037 in grade Ⅲ,0.200?0.021 in grade Ⅳ)has the trend to raise with the increasing grade of astrocytomas.FA has significant positive correlation to MVD(40/HP in grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ, 86/HP in grade Ⅲ,101/HP in grade Ⅳ),VEGF(8% in grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ,47% in grade Ⅲ,55% in grade Ⅳ),and cellularity(104/HP in grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ,160/HP in grade Ⅲ,265/HP in grade Ⅳ).The correlation coefficients between FA and VEGF,MVD,and cellularity were 0.748,0.668,0.625 respectively.Conclusion As a new imaging method,DTI can reveal the microarchitecture in gliomas and be value of distinguishing gliomas of different grade.DTI provides a new method of precise diagnosis to glioma preoperatively.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate visual inspection with Lugol's iodine (VILI) in cervical cancer screening program and to provide evidence for designing a cervical cancer screening algorithm in high risk areas of existing low-resource settings to reduce the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer.

METHODSWomen in Yangcheng county, Shanxi province were screened with VILI, colposcopy, liquid-based cytology test and human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA test. The efficacy of different screening tests was compared by Youden's index based on the pathology as the gold standard.

RESULTSIn the population being screened, the mean age was 40.80 +/- 10.75 years old. Based on pathological findings, 4.35% (32/735) of the subjects had >or= CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) II. The sensitivity and specificity for the VILI test (>or= positive) were 53.13 and 82.19, while 56.25 and 79.09 were for colposcopy (>or= low grade dysplasia) respectively. Comparing by the Youden's indexs, there was no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) between VILI and colposcopy. However, statistical significant difference (P < 0.05) was found between VILI and liquid-based cytology test and HPV DNA test. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) found between the experienced doctors and the newly-trained doctors working in the field station.

CONCLUSIONWith low sensitivity when using microscope but low cost of equipments, VILI can be one of the primary screening tests in China's rural area with low-resource settings if the screening frequency is to be increased.

Adult ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Early Detection of Cancer ; economics ; methods ; Female ; Health Resources ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iodides ; Program Evaluation ; Rural Health ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; epidemiology