OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression changes and regulation of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) mRNA in corpus luteum during pregnancy.

METHODSPregnant rats' ovaries were collected at different time points. The techniques of RT-PCR and in situ hybridization were used to observe expression changes of PACAP mRNA in rat ovaries during pregnancy. To further explore the regulation mechanism of PACAP mRNA expression in corpus luteum, luteal cells were cultured in vitro. Immature (25 - 28 days old) female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected subcutaneously with 50IU pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG), and 25IU human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) 48 h later, to induce follicular development and luteum formation. On day 6 after hCG administration (the day of hCG administration was the first day), the rats were killed by guillotine and the ovarian luteal cells were collected. After incubation for 24 h, luteal cells were administration with various factors for 24 h. And then expression changes of PACAP mRNA in luteal cells after administration with different factors were detected by RT-PCR, and radioimmunoassay was used to analyze progesterone levels.

RESULTSWith the development of pregnancy, the expression of PACAP mRNA increased gradually, reached the peak at pregnancy 19 d, and then decreased. Compared with control group, platelet activating factor (PAF), forskolin and PMA could obviously stimulate PACAP mRNA expression in luteal cells which were cultured with corresponding factors for 24 h. At the same time, progesterone levels in culture media were also elevated.

CONCLUSIONPACAP, acting as a local ovary regulator, was closely related to the maintenance of medium-term and late pregnancy. PAF could directly stimulate PACAP mRNA expression in luteal cells, and protein kinase C (PKC) and protein kinase A (PKA) signal pathways could both participate in this process.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Corpus Luteum ; metabolism ; Female ; Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide ; genetics ; metabolism ; Platelet Activating Factor ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Abstract: The demand for reliable toxicological data of chemicals runs through every link of occupational health work. The prevention of occupational diseases involves high requirements for the standardization of chemical toxicity assessment in occupational health institutions. Good laboratory practice (GLP) emphasizes the integrity of the test process to trace and supervise the whole process of the test, which is conducive to the standardization of chemical toxicity identification. Therefore, the standardized construction of GLP laboratories is an important starting point for occupational health institutions to carry out chemical toxicity identification. In the construction and management process of GLP laboratories for chemical toxicity identification, occupational health institutions need to build a sound organization and operation system, carry out systematic training and assessment of personnel, establish standard operating norms and emphasize their importance, strengthen the management of facility environment and laboratory, pay attention to quality control and process supervision, and constantly improve their own ability level. To actively adapt to social development and market demand, to provide strong support for occupational health work.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect and mechanism of Shenqi Compound on diabetic angiopathy modeled rats.

METHODSTotally 18 SD rats were randomized into 3 groups, i.e., the normal control group, the diabetic mellitus (DM) group, and Shenqi Compound group, 6 in each group. The DM rat model was established by feeding high-fat diet (to induce hyperlipidemia) +intraperitoneal injection of small dose streptozotocin (STZ). Shenqi Compound was given to rats in the Shenqi Compound group at the daily dose of 2 g/kg. Equal volume of normal saline was given to rats in the model group and the normal control group by gastrogavage. All treatment was lasted for 12 weeks. Then 2-D and ultrasonic integrated backscatter technique were used to evaluate structural and functional changes of abdominal aorta in the progression of diabetic macroangiopathy. The fibrosis degree of the aorta vessel and myocardium capillaries were observed by using HE and Masson trichrome staining. The tension of the aortic vascular ring was determined. The transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) mRNA expression was detected by real time PCR (RT-PCR). The protein expression of TGF-beta, collagen I, collagen III, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and phosphorylation P38 MAPK were detected by Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, abdominal aortic systolic inner diameter, diastolic inner diameter, Peterson elastic modulus, stiffness index, and backscatter integral significantly increased; the rangeability of integral backscatter and the extension coefficient of cross section significantly decreased in the DM group (all P < 0.05). After 12 weeks aforesaid indices were obviously improved in the Shenqi Compound group (P < 0.05). Results of HE and Masson staining showed that the fibrosis degree of the aorta vessel and myocardium capillaries was obviously alleviated in rats of the Shenqi Compound group (P < 0.05). Results of the aortic vascular ring tension showed that acetylcholine induced vasodilatation and maximum diastolic percent were obviously elevated in the Shenqi Compound group (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the mRNA expression of TGF-beta, and the protein expression of TGF-beta, collagen I, and collagen III, and phosphorylation of P38 MAPK all significantly increased in the DM group (P < 0.05). Compared with the DM group, the mRNA expression of TGF-beta, and the protein expression of TGF-beta, collagen I, and collagen III, and phosphorylation of P38 MAPK all decreased (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSShenqi Compound could effectively improve the arterial function in diabetic marcoangiopathy and microvascular dysfunction. The mechanism might be due to the down-regulating the expression of TGF-beta, and further suppressing the phosphorylation of P38 MAPK, reducing the synthesis of collagen I and collagen III, therefore, ameliorating arterial and myocardial interstitial fibrosis.

Animals ; Collagen Type I ; metabolism ; Collagen Type III ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; Diabetic Angiopathies ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

Objective · To investigate the prevalence of smoking and awareness of smoking hazards in a community-based elderly population in Changning District, Shanghai. Methods · A total of 1809 subjects were randomly selected from 18 communities based on the chronic non-communicable diseases cohort in an elderly population aged 65 and over in Changning District, Shanghai. Information on smoking status, health condition and awareness of smoking hazards were obtained through face to face interviews. Chi-square tests and non-conditional Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the risk factors of the awareness of smoking hazards and current smoking status. Results · The overall prevalence of current smoking was 15.6% among the investigated elderly population. Smoking prevalence was significantly higher in men than that in women (30.0% vs 2.1%, P=0.000). Also, it was higher in the men aged 65-69 than that in those aged 70 and over (34.3% vs 20.4%, P=0.000). The participants with middle school education had the highest prevalence (19.1%) in the population. Overall, the proportion of participants who knew "smoking causes heart disease" "smoking causes stroke"and "smoking causes cancer" was 45.1%, 43.3% and 64.4%, respectively. Among the participants, 36.4% knew all the three smoking hazards. With the confounders such as age and gender being adjusted, current smoking behavior was associated with the participants' awareness of smoking hazards (OR=0.74,P=0.000). Conclusion · Currently, the awareness of smoking hazards is generally low in Shanghai elderly population, especially in those with lower education level and current smoking behavior. More targeted educational interventions are necessary in specific population.

Objective To determine the consumption of sugar-sweetened carbonated beverage and juice/fruit-flavored drink among residents aged 15 years and above in 2013 in Shanghai. Methods Data was extracted from the 2013 Shanghai Non-communicable Disease and Risk Factors Surveillance, in which multi-stage cluster sampling was performed.A total of 25 657 subjects aged ≥15 years across the city were selected for analysis. Results In the study, 34.42% (95%CI:32.33%-36.51%) and 37.85% (95%CI:35.37%-40.32%) of the subjects consumed sugar-sweetened carbonated beverage and juice/fruit-flavored drink in 2013 in Shanghai.The proportions declined with age (P for trend < 0.001), while increased with education level (P for trend < 0.001).They were 65.28% and 69.82% among students, which were much higher than other occupations.Men consumed more sugar-sweetened carbonated beverage than women (37.31% vs 31.37%), whereas less juice/fruit-flavored drink (36.14% vs 39.65%).Among the subjects consumed sugar-sweetened carbonated beverage (n=6 254) or juice/fruit-flavored drink (n=6 701), 52.20% (95%CI:49.41%-54.98%) and 54.04% (95%CI:51.09%-56.98%) consumed 1-3 times a week.The daily average amount of sugar-sweetened carbonated beverage and juice/fruit-flavored drink were 98.64 mL (95%CI:88.92-108.37) and 88.85 mL (95%CI:73.73-103.97), respectively, which were higher among the young (< 45 years old), male and students. Conclusion In 2013 in Shanghai, the consumption of sugar-sweetened carbonated beverage and juice/fruit-flavored drink is highly prevalent among residents aged 15 years and above, especially among the young, male, well-educated and students.Intervention should be tailored to reduce the consumption among at-risk population.

Objective To observe the effects of acupuncture at "Sanyinjiao" (SP6) and "Baihui" (GV20) on behaviors and contents of monoamine neurotransmitter dopamine (DA), noradrenalin (NE) and 5-hydroxytrypamine (5-HT) in prefrontal cortex (PFC) of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rats; To discuss mechanism of action of acupuncture for prevention and treatment of ADHD. Methods 4-week-old SHR rats were randomly divided into the model group, Western medicine group and acupuncture group, and WKY rats with the same age were selected as the normal control group, with 10 rats in each group. Acupuncture was applied to "Sanyinjiao" (SP6) and "Baihui" (GV20) of rats in acupuncture group for 15 min. The rats in Western medicine group was given MPH (ritalin) for gavage, and rats were treated for 4 weeks in the dark-phase. Open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPM) and novel object recognition test (NORT) were conducted to evaluate the spontaneous activity, impulsivity and learning-memorial ability of rats individually at the end of treatment. Contents of DA, NE and 5-HT in PFC were detected by HPLC. Results Compared with the normal control group, all of the behavior parameters of rats in model group were significantly higher (P＜0.05), and the contents of DA, NE and 5-HT in PFC of model group were lower than those of normal control group (P＜0.05). Compared with the model group, acupuncture group showed shorter movement distance, less rearing and fewer grooming activities in the OFT; percentages of times of entering the open arms and staying duration were reduced in the total period in the EPM; preference index in the NORT was elevated (P＜0.05); the contents of NE and 5-HT in PFC of acupuncture group increased significantly (P＜0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture at "Sanyinjiao" (SP6) and "Baihui" (GV20) canreduce the spontaneous activity and impulsivity, and improve learning and memory ability of ADHD model rats, which may be related to elevated contents of NE and 5-HT in the PFC.

OBJECTIVETo report the newly developed reconstruction technique after laparoscopic total gastrectomy: intracorporeal circular stapling esophagojejunostomy using the transorally inserted anvil (OrVil; Covidien), and evaluate its feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes.

METHODSAfter LTG (3 patients with gastric carcinoma in the body) or LPG (2 patients with gastric carcinoma in the cardiac and fundus, respectively, and 1 with cardiac stromal tumor), the anvil was then inserted transorally into the esophagus by using the OrVil system. Double-stapling esophagojejunostomy or esophagogastrostomy with a circular stapler was performed intracorporeally.

RESULTSThe operations were uneventful. The operative time was (183.3+/-25.8) min, and blood loss was (128.3+/-90.2) ml. Postoperative fluorography revealed no anastomotic leakage or stenosis. Patients resumed an oral liquid diet on postoperative day (4.0+/-1.1), and were discharged on day (9.0+/-2.6). Patients were followed at 28 days and no complications were reported.

CONCLUSIONSLTG with Roux-en-Y reconstruction or LPG with esophagogastrostomy using the OrVil system appear to be safe and reliable with satisfactory short-term outcomes.

Anastomosis, Surgical ; Esophagus ; surgery ; Gastrectomy ; methods ; Gastric Stump ; surgery ; Humans ; Jejunum ; surgery ; Laparoscopy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features, differential diagnosis and management of congenital stenosis of external auditory canal (CSEAC) with cholesteatoma.

METHODSThe clinical information for 10 cases of CSEAC with cholesteatoma was retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTSThe patients' ages ranged from 4.75 to 22 years (average 12 years). The diameter of the external auditory canal (EAC) was < 2 mm. All 10 ears had a history of postural fistulae or sinuses. Bone erosion of EAC was distinctly shown in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of all cases, as well as soft tissue masses, which led to enlargement of the bony canals. All patients underwent canaloplasty; eight ears received hearing reconstructions at the same time. Cholesteatoma in EACs was confirmed during the operations, accompanied by compression and destruction of the post-superior and/or inferior bony wall. Postoperative pathologic examinations proved the diagnosis of cholesteatoma, and excluded any tissue of bronchial cleft cyst or fistula. After a follow-up 1 to 3 years, no recurrent cholesteatoma was found in any of the 10 cases. All reconstructed EACs were clean and smooth. The hearing levels in the eight ears that received hearing reconstructions improved 20 - 35 dBHL.

CONCLUSIONSIn CSEAC with cholesteatoma, the bony wall of EAC is most commonly involved. This involvement will lead to bone erosion of the EAC and may subsequently lead to the formation of postural or cervical sinuses. HRCT of temporal bone can show characteristic signs of soft tissue mass in EAC, with adjacent bone erosion.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cholesteatoma ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Constriction, Pathologic ; congenital ; Cutaneous Fistula ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Ear Canal ; abnormalities ; Ear Diseases ; congenital ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Objective To make assessment on construction effectiveness of the first batch of national chronic disease comprehensive control and prevention demonstration areas (NCD demonstration areas) in Shanghai, summarizing NCD experience and its characteristics, so as to provide reference for other regions. Methods Data were collected and analysed concerning construction of health support environment and regional characteristics of the six districts-Xuhui, Jing′an, Minhang, Jiading, Songjiang and Qingpu.Descriptive data from Shanghai Non-communicable Diseases and Risk Factors Surveillance in 2013 and 2017 was also analyzed for evaluation. Results It was noted that health support environment had been in continuous construction.The total number of health units increased by 1 502 as compared with pre-construction.The number of new type health units increased by 489 such as health theme parks, health trails and health huts.All six districts established self-help health test points covering all streets and towns.Residents′ living and behavior styles were improved, as there was a decrease in current smoking rate, oil intake and salt intake in the six NCD demonstration areas.In Xuhui, Minhang and Jiading three districts, the current smoking rate among residents over 18 years old remarkably declined.In five of the six districts, the average daily oil intake per family member was significantly reduced and so was the average daily salt intake per family member in the six districts.In addition, the six demonstration areas in Shanghai explored several models of NCD prevention and control in line with regional characteristics, which produced positive results. Conclusion The first batch of demonstration areas of Shanghai have achieved effective results in aspects of environmental support and health effects.The modes of NCD prevention and control in different districts present their regional characteristics, which provide significant reference for other regions of Shanghai in this regard.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus intradermal needle in treating mild-to-moderate post-stroke depression (PSD). Method Ninty patients with mild-to-moderate PSD were randomized into group A, B and C, with 30 cases in each group. All the groups were intervened by selecting Baihui (GV20), Shenting (GV24) and Yintang (GV29). Group A received acupuncture plus intradermal needle; group B, intradermal needle alone; group C, acupuncture plus sham acupuncture. Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) score and Barthel index (BI) score in the three groups were observed before and at the end of the treatment, and the clinical efficacies of the three groups were compared. Result The HDRS score and BI score showed a significant change after the treatment in the three groups (P<0.01). After the treatment, the HDRS score and BI score in the group A and group B was significantly different from those in group C (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 90.0％ in group A versus 86.7％in group B, and 73.3％ in group C; there was a statistically significant difference between group C and group A or B (P<0.01, P<0.05). Conclusion Both acupuncture plus intradermal needle and intradermal needle alone are effective approaches in treating mild-to-moderate PSD. The treatment efficacy of these two methods is similar.