As one of the serious complications of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy( DR) has become a main eye disease which causes blindness. The occurrence and development of DR is related to many factors. The pathogenesis is complicated, and the mechanism has not been clear. Early data suggest that the occurrence and development of DR has relations with many factors such as blood sugar level, diabetes duration and the environment. Among the factors, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress is the important mechanisms of DR and has become research focus in recent years. Consequences of mitochondrial dysfunction within cells include elevation of the rate of reactive oxygen species( ROS) production due to damage of electron transport chain proteins, mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA ) damage, and loss of metabolic capacity. Clear understanding on the mechanism of mitochondrial functional change under high sugar level and oxidative stress response in the occurrence and development of DR is of great significance on prevention and cure of DR. ln this article, the development of mitochondrial metabolism and oxidative stress of DR is reviewed.

Objective To explore the role of oxidative stress in the initiation and development of experimental diabetic nephropathy.Methods Levels of MDA and the total SOD activity were tested in the whole kidney at 1 month,3 months and 6 months of experimental rat diabetes induced by streptozotocin.The pathological changes of diabetic rats were examined by light microscopy.Results The MDA level increased significantly in the diabetic group as compared to control group at all time intervals(2.16?0.57 vs 1.18?0.18,P

we examined the serum copper level in 125 pregnant women (83) normal pregnant women of 28～40 weeks of pregnancy; 12 patients with se-vere edema-proteinurine-hyperterision syndromeduring 37～40 weeks of pregnancy; 30 patientswith prolonged pregnancy) and compared it withurine E/C value and Apgar score in order to deter-mine the reliability of serum copper value in diag-nosing placental insufficiency. The results con-firmed that the serum copper value was increasingwith the growth of weeks of pregnancy, but it wasdecreasing after the fortieth week of pregnancy.Comparison of the serum copper value with theurine E/C value showed that when the E/C or = 10. And when the Apgar score7. These results indicatethat the serum copper value can serve as an indexof placental function in the third trimester of preg-nancy.

Objective To explore the metabolic characteristic of prostate cancer (PCa) in central gland with magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopic, and evaluate the value of MRS in the differential diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia nodus. Methods MR images were performed in 38 cases with prostate disease by 3.0T MR, 11 cases with PCa in central gland and 27 cases with benign prostatic hyperplasia nodus. All the cases were scanned by routine, then by the combined MRS. MRS findings were reviewed in 27 cases with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 11 cases with PCa (3 in central gland origin, 8 with large tumor invading both peripheral zone and central gland). (Cho+Cr)/Cit ratios of PCa and BPH were retrospectively measured, (Cho+Cr)/Cit of PCa voxels were compared with that of BPH voxels. Results Significantly higher choline levels and lower citrate levels were observed in central gland of PCa compared with BPH. In the glandular BPH region, the amount of Cit was high; while in the stromal region, the Cit and Cho level was much lower. The average (Cho+Cre)/Cit values of PCa and BHP were 1.94±1.43 and 0. 83±0. 28 respectively, the difference in ratio between both was statistically significant (P＜0. 01). Conclusions The combined use of MRI and MR spectroscopy is propitious for differentiating prostate cancer in central gland and benign prostatic hyperplasia nodus and for increasing the diagnostic accuracy of prostate cancer.

Objective To discover the reciprocal regulation and its molecular mechanism of estro-gen, IL-6 and IL-8 in ovarian cancer cells. Methods Based on our previous studies, the effect of 17β-estradiol (E2) on the expression levels of IL-6, IL-8 and their respective receptors was investigated. Mean-while, the effect of IL-6/IL-8 on estrogen receptor (ER) expression and estrogen-dependent transcriptional activation was analyzed. Gene expression profile analysis revealed that CAOV-3 and OVCAR-3 cells, which express ER, IL-6 and IL-8 receptors, were suitable models for this study. Results We found that E2 not only enhanced IL-6/IL-8 secretion via NF-κB signaling pathway, but also modulated IL-6 and IL-8 receptors expression. Tamoxifen (Txf), an ER antagonist, completely abolished E2-stimulated IL-6/IL-8 expression. On the other hand, in the absence of estrogen, both cytokines increased ERα expression, decreased ERβ ex-pression, and activated estrogen-dependent transcriptional activation, which was completely blocked by Txf. Pretreatment of OVCAR-3 with p38 MAPK, MEK1/2 or ErbB2 MAPK inhihitors, respectively, IL-6-media-ted ER activation was blocked, while IL-8-indueed ER activation was blocked by Src inhibitor. Conclusion These data suggest that estrogen, IL-6 and IL-8 may form a mutual amplifying signaling which contributes to the growth and development of ovarian carcinoma.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Female ; Fingers ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neuralgia ; therapy ; Young Adult

Aim To investigate the role of substance P in the brain of asthmatic rats.Methods Rats were injected with aluminum hydroxide and OVA allergens to prepare the animal model of asthma. Then the content of c-fos protein in asthmatic rats' brain was detected by immunohistochemical method (SABC).The content of substance P in paraventricular nucleus (PVN), the content of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in median eminence (ME), and the content of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) in peripheral blood were detected by radioimmunoassay method. Then exogenous SP, SP receptor antagonist S0145 were microinjected in PVN to observe their effect upon lung function and HPA axis in asthmatic rats. Results In asthmatic rats, the content of SP increased within the PVN. The content of CRH, ACTH and CORT decreased (P<0.05).The ratio of expiratory and inspiratory and airway resistance increased. Diaphragm discharge points and lung compliance decreased (P<0.01).After microinject of SP in PVN, there was a further decrease in pulmonary function and the content of CORT, ACTH and CRH in asthmatic rats (P<0.01).While the SP receptor antagonist S0145 might reverse the change of lung function and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) in asthmatic rats.Conclusion In asthmatic rats the SP in PVN can affect the function of HPA axis, involved in asthma attacks.

Objective To investigate graduate students' common compulsory courses settings of the Military Medical University and put forward suggestions.Methods With self-made questionnaires,we investigate with simple random sampling all the concerned principals of teaching about their opinions of English,politics and statistics courses.Results Most of the experts thought graduate students should not be required to study English but test should be required(68.9％),that politics course was more than required (76.0％),and the percentage of the experts who thought the contents in graduate and undergraduate courses were less overlapped and more overlapped is respectively 47.9％ and 46.6％.Conclusion To satisfy scientific research needs of graduate students in military medical university,the common courses should be reformed,including teaching politics in various methods like lectures,taking software studying and experiment design into statistics,implementing the policy of students taking English test in the exemption of English study,etc.

Objective To investigate the influence of hypnotherapy in patients with depression and their families. Methods One hundred and thirty-six cases of hospitalization or outpatient patients with depression were divided into the study group and the control group according to the order. The study group and the control group were treated with hypnosis therapy and venlafaxine, respectively. All patients were observed for 6 weeks. Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) were assessed for patients with depression and the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) and family assessment table (FAD) were assessed for thir families in the 0 and 6 weeks. Results There were no significant differences between the two groups in the clinical efficacy (χ2=1.31,> 0.05) and the HAMD, HAMA scores in the 0 and 6 weeks ( >0.05) . There were significant differences between the 0 and 6 weeks within the two groups in the HAMD and HAMA scores ( < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the family members of two groups in the SCL-90 factor scores in the 0 and 6 weeks (>0.05) . There was no significant difference between the two groups in the FAD factor scores in the 0 and 6 weeks. There was significant difference between the 0 and 6 weeks within the two groups with emotional involvement, communication and FAD total scores ( <0.05). There were positiue correlations between the HAMA factor scores and FAD total scores ( <0.05) and between the HAMD factor scores and emotional involvement scores ( <0.05) . Conclusion There was equivalent efficacy between hypnotherapy and antidepressants in patients with depression. Hypnotherapy can effectively make the patient's depression and anxiety better and improve their family functions.

OBJECTIVE: To identify anti-hypoxia ingredients extracted from Portulaca oleracea and to find out the possible mechanism of its anti-hypoxia actions. METHODS: Seventy mice were randomly divided into seven groups which were untreated (normal saline), ginsenosides-treated, polysaccharide-treated, acidic components-treated, basic components-treated, alkaloids-treated and flavones-treated groups, and the ingredients of polysaccharide, acidic components, basic components, alkaloids and flavones were extracted from Portulaca olerace. The mice in each group were fed with corresponding ingredients for one week respectively. Then the survival time of mice in hypoxic conditions was observed. Another 90 mice were divided into 3 groups: untreated (normal saline), ginsenosides-treated and flavones-treated groups. The mice in each of these 3 groups were divided into 3 subgroups according to 12-, 24- and 36-hour exposure to hypoxia (10% oxygen and 90% nitrogen), respectively. After exposure to hypoxia, the red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and hematocrit (HCT) in mice were determined. The plasma erythropoietin (EPO) levels of mice were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the relative values of EPO mRNA in renal tissue and pallium of mice were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: The survival time of mice in hypoxic conditions in flavones-treated group was significantly longer than that in the untreated group. The RBC, Hb concentration, HCT, plasma EPO level and the relative values of EPO mRNA in renal tissue and pallium of mice were significantly higher in the flavones-treated group than those in the untreated group. CONCLUSION: The anti-hypoxia ingredients extracted from Portulaca oleracea are flavones and the anti-hypoxia effects may be obtained by improving the expression level of EPO and accelerating the generations of erythrocyte and Hb.