Autopsy has played a unique role in the progression of clinical medicine, medical education, epidemiology, and public health. However, the autopsy rate has been decreasing during the past several decades worldwide, and its necessity is frequently argued. Autopsy-based research in China, a country with the world's largest population, is very important for studying the spectrum and epidemiology of diseases as well as for discovering new diseases. This article summarizes the brief history of autopsy in China and analyzes the cause of its decline in recent decades by reviewing previously published papers, review articles, self-collected materials, and private correspondence. Since the first officially permitted autopsy in 1913, China witnessed the highest autopsy rate between 1950 and 1970, and since then the autopsy rate began to decline as it in other parts of the world. The main reasons for the reduction in autopsy rates in China include negligence by hospital administrators and relevant government authorities, unmotivated clinicians, helpless pathologists, unenforceable regulations and laws, and local cultures and customs.
Autopsy ; history ; statistics & numerical data ; Biomedical Research ; history ; statistics & numerical data ; China ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; History, Medieval ; Humans

Objective UPLC-MS/MS bio-analysis method was developed for the simultaneous determination ofberberine,naringin,hesperidin,and neohesperidin in plasma of rats.Methods UPLC Acquity BEH C18 (50 rmm × 2.1 mm,1.7 μm) column was used,mobile phases were containing 0.05％ formic acid and 2 mmol/L ammonium formate in water (A)-containing 0.05％ formic acid in acetonitrile (B) as the mobile phase gradient elution;SD rats were randomly divided into oral administration berberine group,Citrus aurantium extract group,and berberine and C.aurantium extract compatibility group.Results UPLC-MS/MS method could be applied to determination of berberine,naringin,hesperidin,and neohesperidin,method validation meets the requirements of biological sample analysis.When rats were administered with berberine and C.aurantium extract compatibility,the plasma concentration of berberine was much more than single dose of berberine group and the bioavailability of berberine was increased.Meanwhile,naringin and neohesperidin can be detected in rat's plasma.Conclusion The bioavailability of flavonoids is significantly improved as well compared to the single dose of C.aurantium extract.This suggests that berberine and C.aurantium extract compatibility has significant drug-drug interaction.

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), losartan and irbesartan, on blood pressure and serum uric acid (SUA) level in mild to moderate essential hypertensive patients complicating hyperuricaemia.

METHODSA total of 351 eligible patients were recruited in this multi-center, randomized, double-blind parallel clinical trial. After 1 week screening and a 2 week single-blinded placebo wash-out period, patients were randomly assigned to receive losartan 50 mg (n=76) or irbesartan 150 mg (n=175) once daily for 4 weeks, followed by a double-dose for another 4 weeks in patients whose seated DBP were >or=90 mm Hg or SBP>or=140 mm Hg at the end of 4 weeks. The SUA concentration and blood pressure were measured at baseline, 4 and 8 weeks post therapy.

RESULTSThree hundred and twenty-five patients completed the study (162 in the losartan group and 163 in the irbesartan group). Both groups were well matched for baseline clinical characteristics and demographics. SUA was significant reduced in losartan group (430.93 micromol/L vs 372.35 micromol/L, P<0.0001), but not in Irbesartan group (430.46 micromol/L vs 420.67 micromol/L, P>0.05) 8 weeks post therapy compared to baseline level. Blood pressure was significantly and equally reduced in both groups after 8 weeks treatment compared to baseline level (P<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONLosartan is an optimum choice of medication for patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension complicating hyperuricemia.

Adult ; Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers ; therapeutic use ; Biphenyl Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Losartan ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tetrazoles ; therapeutic use ; Uric Acid ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo assess the effect of puerarin, a natural flavonoid found in Chinese Pueraria Lobata (Wild.) Ohwi, on promotion of new bone formation.

METHODSOsteoblasts isolated from calvarial of newborn rats were cultured in vitro in the presence of puerarin at various concentrations. The viability of osteoblasts and alkaline phosphotase activity and mineral node formation were determined. In addition, osteoblasts seeded in the β-tricaclium phosphate scalfolds as bone substitute were implanted in rat dorsal muscles. Half -of the recipient rats received intramuscular injection of puerarin at 10 mg/(kg·d) for 7 days. Osteogenesis was analyzed by examining the histology after 4 weeks of implantation.

RESULTSThe viability of osteoblasts treated with puerarin at either 40 or 80 μmol/L was significantly higher than that of the control (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). Alkaline phosphatase and mineral modules were significantly increased in osteoblasts cultured with puerarin at 40 or 80 mol/L when compared with that of the untreated cells. The puerarin-treated rats had a higher rate of bone formation in the osteoblast implants than the control rats (6.35% vs. 1.32%, respectively, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONPuerarin was able to affect osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, and promote the new bone formation in osteoblast implants.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Calcification, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Implants, Experimental ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Osteogenesis ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tissue Scaffolds

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is one of the most prevalent haematological malignancies originating from haemopoietic stem/progenitor cells. MDS characterized by morbid haematopoiesis of bone marrow and peripheral blood cell reduction and mainly occurs in the elders. The dangerous factors of MDS include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, benzene, other organic solvent, immune depressants and so on. Following the recent progress of medical sciences, a large number of new regimens of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immune therapy against carcinomas generate and lead the development of therapeutics for malignancies. It is worried that the incidence of MDS still increases year by year and the patient age becomes younger. Although many agents are used to MDS, curative effect is not as good as expect. Amifostine, a kind of pancytoprotector also used in treatment of MDS. This review summarizes the mechanism of amifostine in MDS therapy which possesses a challenge binding with the current related investigations.
Amifostine ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; drug therapy ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; therapeutic use

Objective To investigate the effect of silent information regulator 2 homologue 1 (SIRT1) activity on angiogenesis in cerebral ischemia rats and its related mechanisms .Methods One hundred and twenty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups by random numbers:control group , the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model group ( model group ) , the SIRT1 agonist group (agonist group) and the SIRT1 inhibitor group (inhibitor group), with 30 rats in each group. A model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion was performed by the suture method .After reperfusion for 24 h, neurological deficit scores were evaluated . Cerebral infarct area after middle cerebral artery occlusion ( MCAO) in rats was determined by staining with triphenyltetrazolium chloride .SIRT1 deacetylase activity was detected by ELISA in ischemic brain tissue.By immunohistochemistry, we observed CD34 expression and detected microvascular density ( MVD) in ischemic cerebral cortex.Immunoblotting was carried out to evaluate protein levels of SIRT 1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and erythropoietin (EPO) in ischemic brain tissue.Results Compared with the control group ((13.828 ±0.828) U/L), SIRT1 deacetylase activity was significantly reduced in ischemic brain in the model group ((7.721 ±0.581) U/L,t=8.650,P<0.01).Compared with the model group , SIRT1 deacetylase activity was significantly increased in ischemic brain in the agonist group ((26.165 ±0.971) U/L,t=-26.123,P<0.01). Compared with the agonist group , SIRT1 deacetylase activity was significantly reduced in ischemic brain in the inhibitor group ((17.094 ±1.012)U/L,t=12.848,P<0.01).Neurological deficit score was 2.667 ± 0.516 in the model group.When SIRT1 was activated in ischemic brain , neurological deficit score was significantly lower (1.333 ±0.516,t=4.822,P<0.01) than that of the model group .When SIRT1 activity was inhibited, the neurological deficit score increased significantly ( 2.500 ±0.548, t=-4.147, P<0.01).The cerebral infarction area was 15.473％ ±3.049％ in the model group.When SIRT1 was activated in ischemic brain , the cerebral infarction area was significantly reduced ( 9.152％±1.803％,t=3.188,P<0.05).Immunohistochemical results showed that the brown cells in the ischemic cortex were CD34 staining positive cells.When SIRT1 was activated in ischemic brain , the MVD count significantly increased in ischemic cerebral cortex ( the agonist group:8.167 ±1.941/high power lens ,the model group:3.167 ±0.753/high power lens,t=-6.864,P<0.01).Immunoblotting demonstrated that the activation of SIRT1 increased the protein expressions of VEGF (the agonist group:0.568 ±0.012,the model group:0.468 ± 0.008,t=-11.034,P<0.01) and EPO (the agonist group:0.646 ±0.010,the model group:0.471 ± 0.013,t=-20.952,P<0.01) in ischemic brain.Conclusions Activation of SIRT1 has neuroprotective effect on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury rats.SIRT1 can promote angiogenesis in the early stage of cerebral ischemia reperfusion via directly increasing the expressions of VEGF and EPO in ischemic brain .

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) on hepatoma cell growth through p14(ARF)-dependent and p14(ARF)-independent pathways.

METHODSHBx and p14(ARF) were transfected either separately or in combination into HepG2 cells containing wt-p53 but not expressing p14(ARF). The cells were divided into 4 groups, namely pcDNA3 (control), pcDNA3HBx, pcDNA3p14(ARF), and pcDNA3HBx + pcDNA3p14(ARF) groups. Flow cytometry was used to examine the apoptosis rates and cell cycle progression of HepG2 cells in different groups. The expression of p14(ARF), MDM2, p53, and p21(WAF1) proteins were investigated by detecting the activity of p21(WAF1) promoter-luciferase and using Western blotting.

RESULTSThe apoptosis rates of HepG2 cells in pcDNA3HBx and pcDNA3p14(ARF) groups were significantly higher than that in the control group (14.11%, 13.72% vs 10.66%). Compared with the control group, pcDNA3HBx and pcDNA3p14(ARF) groups also showed significantly higher cell percentages arrested at G(0)/G(1) phase (63.62%, 61.75% vs 57.42%), luciferase activity of p21 promoter (1.25-/+0.05, 1.09-/+0.06 vs 0.77-/+0.03) and expressions of p53 and p21(WAF1). The cell apoptosis rate, percentage of cells in G(0)/G(1) phase and expression level of p14(ARF) were even higher in pcDNA3HBx+pcDNA3p14(ARF) group (18.61%, 66.74%, and 3.53-/+0.43, respectively) than in either p14(ARF) or HBx group.

CONCLUSIONHBx induces p53 expression through p14(ARF)-dependent and independent pathways to activate p21(WAF1) promoter, leading to G(0)/G(1) arrest and apoptosis of HepG2 cells.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; pathology ; virology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 ; genetics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; virology ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Trans-Activators ; genetics ; Transfection ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p14ARF ; genetics ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of apigenin on semen parameters in male mice.

METHODSTotally 100 healthy male mice of Kunming strain were randomly divided into 5 groups according to the body weight: negative control, solvent control, low-dose apigenin, median-dose apigenin and high-dose apigenin, the latter three groups given intragastric apigenin at a fixed time every day for 7 and 14 days. At 35 days after the first medication, all the mice were killed and detected for the sperm motion parameters by computer aided sperm analysis (CASA).

RESULTSThere were no statistically significant differences in sperm motion parameters, density and motility between the negative control and the three apigenin groups after 7-day medication. At 14 days, the high-dose apigenin group showed remarkable decreases in average path velocity (VAP), straight line velocity (VSL), straightness (STR), wobbliness (WOB), the percentage of grade b sperm and sperm motility, and a significant increase in beat cross frequency (BCF) as compared with the negative control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONApigenin affects sperm motility in male mice to a certain extent.

Animals ; Apigenin ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Semen ; drug effects ; Sperm Motility ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo study the feasibility of magnetron sputtering Cr-Ti-Al-N complex coating as an interlayer on titanium to enhance the titanium-ceramic binding strength.

METHODSWith a three-point bending test according to ISO 9693, the binding strength of Duceratin (Degussa) to titanium substrate prepared with 4 different surface treatments (polishing, polishing and megnetron sputtering Cr, Ti, Al, and N complex coating, sandblasting, sandblasting and coating) was evaluated. Ti/porcelain interface and fractured Ti surface were examined using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS).

RESULTSThe binding strength of polished and coated titanium/Duceratin was significantly higher than polished titanium group (P<0.05). The binding strength of sandblasted and coated titanium/Duceratin did not differ significantly from that of sandblasted titanium group (P>0.05), and the strength in the two sandblasted titanium groups was significantly higher than that in polished and coated titanium group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONMegnetron sputtering Cr-Ti-Al-N complex on polished titanium can increase the titanium/porcelain binding strength. Megnetron sputtering coating is a promising Ti/porcelain interlayer.

Aluminum ; chemistry ; Ceramics ; chemistry ; Chromium ; chemistry ; Coated Materials, Biocompatible ; chemistry ; standards ; Dental Bonding ; Dental Porcelain ; chemistry ; Dental Stress Analysis ; methods ; Metal Ceramic Alloys ; chemistry ; standards ; Nitrogen ; chemistry ; Surface Properties ; Tensile Strength ; Titanium ; chemistry

Objective To analyze the genetic etiology of lateral ventriculomegaly fetal on the genome-wide level with chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA),and investigate the relationship between copy number variations (CNVs) and lateral ventriculomegaly and the application value of CMA in prenatal diagnosis of fetuses with lateral ventriculomegaly.Methods Seventy fetuses with lateral ventriculomegaly but normal or uncertain karyotype were selected and invasive prenatal diagnosis was performed in Xi Jing Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University from Jan.2015 to Nov.2016.Microarray testing was performed using Affymetrix CytoScanTM 750k arrays and the results were analyzed according to biological information science database.The fetal development was regularly inspected,and follow up was conducted to find out the pregnancy outcome and fetal postnatal conditions.Results In 70 cases of lateral ventriculomegaly fetuses,there were 9 fetuses with pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs),3 fetuses with likely pathogenic CNVs and 1 fetus with likely pathogenic 1 oss of heterozygosity (LOH).During the 70 fetuses with lateral ventriculomegaly,2 pathogenic CNVs were detected in 6 fetuses with severe and non isolated lateral ventriculomegaly (33.3％).Pathogenic CNVs was not detected but 1 likely pathogenic CNV was detected in 3 fetuses with severe and isolated lateral ventriculomegaly (33.3％).Six pathogenic CNVs were detected in 31 mild and non isolated lateral ventriculomegaly (19.4％),and 2 likely pathogenic CNVs were also detected in these group (6.5％).One pathogenic CNV and 1 likely pathogenic CNV were detected in 30 fetuses with mild and isolated fetal lateral ventriculomegaly.Conclusions CMA can identify chromosome abnormality microdeletion/microduplication which was unrecognizable by conventional karyotyping analysis.The application of CMA may increase the detection rate of pathogenic CNVs in fetuses with lateral ventriculomegaly,and benefit evaluation of fetal prognosis in prenatal genetic counselling.