Objective: To monitor the content of bisphenol S ( BPS ) in vegetables and fruits in Henan Province and evaluate the dietary exposure risk of the population, so as to provide the basis for formulating relevant food safety standards. Methods: From 2018 to 2019, 276 samples of vegetables and fruits produced and sold in Henan Province were collected. BPS was determined by isotope dilution ultra performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry ( UPLC-MS/MS ) , and the dietary exposure was calculated according to the dietary structure and average body weight of local residents. The risk index of BPS was calculated according to the daily tolerable intake ( TDI ) of bisphenol A ( BPA ). Results: The BPS contents in vegetables and fruits were 0.006-12.600 µg/kg and 0.006-9.380 µg/kg, the medians were 0.053 µg/kg and 0.023 µg/kg, the detection rates were 78.43% and 62.60%, respectively.The detection rate and content of BPS in vegetables were higher than those in fruits ( P<0.05 ). The maximum exposure of BPS from vegetables and fruits was 5.37×10-2 µg/ ( kgbw·d ), and the exposure risk index was 1.07 × 10-3, which was acceptable. Conclusions BPS was detected from vegetables and fruits in Henan Province. The detection rate and content of BPS in vegetables were higher than those in fruits. The health risk of BPS exposed by vegetables and fruits is small.

OBJECTIVETo explore the prediction of the site for microsurgical vasoepididymostomy (VE) in the treatment of epididymal obstructive azoospermia (OA).

METHODSThis study involved 56 infertile men with confirmed OA whose obstruction was suspected to be in the epididymis. Based on their medical history and results of preoperative physical examination and ultrasonography, we predicted the sites for VE. We performed surgical scrotal exploration for the status of epididymal obstruction, conducted palpation and microscopic observation for the epididymal tubules to be anastomosed, and finally decided on the sites for VE by making sure of the presence of motile sperm in the epididymal fluid of the patients. After surgery, we followed up the patients for the rate of pregnancy.

RESULTSAll the patients received bilateral scrotal ultrasonography and surgical scrotal exploration, totaling 112 procedures, including 98 VE procedures. The accuracy rate of the predicted sites for VE was 80.5% (153/190) by medical history and physical examination, 80.3% (90/112) based on the results of ultrasonography, and 87.4% (90/103) according to the first selected epididymal tubules. Of the 28 patients followed up for more than 12 months, motile sperm were found in 19 (67.9% ) at 2 to 12 months and spontaneous pregnancies were achieved in 10 (35.7%), all with the anastomotic sites in the corpus or cauda.

CONCLUSIONMedical history and physical examination contribute to the selection of anastomotic sites and non-invasive scrotal ultrasonography is effective and practical for positioning epididymal obstruction. The epididymal tubules with motile sperm for anastomosis could be easily obtained from the most dilated ones in indurated epididymides.

Azoospermia ; surgery ; Body Fluids ; Epididymis ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microsurgery ; methods ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Scrotum ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography ; Vas Deferens ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo prepare and purify recombinant human NAMPT and NAMPT (H247A) proteins and to detect their enzymatic activity.

METHODSUsing pcDNA3.1-hnampt as template, full-length hnampt was sub-cloned into pET-11a(+) plasmid. The hnampt (H247A) mutant was obtained by site-directed mutagenesis. The plasmids were introduced in Escherichia coli BL21star for protein expression. The recombined NAMPT and NAMPT (H247A) proteins were purified by flowing through nickel column and size-exclusion column. The target proteins were confirmed by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry detection. The enzymatic activities of recombinant proteins were assessed by solution NMR.

RESULTThe DNA sequences showed that hnampt (wild type) and hnampt (H247A) (mutation) were cloned into pET-11a(+). The recombinant proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21star in soluble form. The purified protein was confirmed to be NAMPT with a molecular weight of 56 KD. The enzyme activity of NAMPT (H247A) was dramatically decreased compared to wild-type NAMPT.

CONCLUSIONThe recombinant hNAMPT and hNAMPT (H247A) proteins have been successful prepared and purified. The H247A mutation dramatically decreases the enzymatic activity of NAMPT.

Base Sequence ; Cytokines ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; Mutation ; Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transformation, Bacterial

OBJECTIVETo discuss the impacts of moxibustion for regulating spleen and stomach function on the survival quality of the patients of end stage renal disease (ESRD) with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).

METHODSOne hundred and nine cases of uremia with MHD from 3 hemodialysis centers were randomized into an observation group (58 cases) and a control group (51 cases). The regular hemodialysis and conventional medication were used in the two groups. In the observation group, on the basis of the common treatment, moxibustion was applied to Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), 2-3 times a day, the treatment of 4 weeks made one session. Totally, 3 sessions were required and the follow-up lasted for 3 months. KDQOL-SF (kidney disease quality of life short form,KDQOL-SFTM 1. 3) was adopted for the questionnaire investigation on survival quality before treatment, after treatment and at the end of follow-up separately in the two groups.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the survival quality scores in terms of physical functioning (83.62+/-13.27 vs 79.32+/- 22. 17), general health (58. 88+/- 20.24 vs 48.82+/-20.89) and vitality (77.07+/-15.56 vs 70. 59+/-22.61) in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (all P<0. 05). In comparison before and after treatment in the same group, the survival quality scores in terms of physical functioning, general health, vitality and symptoms/problems were all improved in the observation group (all P<0. 05). At the end of follow-up, the survival quality scores in terms of physical functioning, general health, mental health, social functioning, vitality, effects of kidney disease and cognitive function were higher in the observation group as compared with those in the control group (all P<0. 05). In comparison of the results at the end of follow-up with those before treatment, the survival quality scores in terms of vitality, symptoms/problems and cognitive function in the observation group were improved (all P< 0. 05). The differences were not significant in all of the 19 fields of survival quality evaluation before and after treatment, and after follow-up in the control group (all P>0. 05).

CONCLUSIONMoxibustion for regulating spleen and stomach function improves the survival quality of the patients with hemodialysis in terms of physical functioning, general health and vitality, which benefits the psychological condition of the patients, resulting in the improvements of the survival quality in the fields of mental health, social functioning, effects of kidney disease and cognitive function.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Quality of Life ; Renal Dialysis ; Spleen ; physiopathology ; Stomach ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo provide morphological basis for chyle leakage due to operation on upper abdomen or retroperitoneum region.

METHODSThe original part of thoracic duct, cisterna chyle, intestinal trunk, left and right lumbar trunks were examined in 32 adult cadavers.

RESULTS(1) The occurrence rate of cisterna chili was 22% (7 cases), among which 4 cases were oval, 3 cases were triangle. The cisterna chyle was (24 +/- 6) mm in length; the width of middle part was (4.1 +/- 0.9) mm. It was located to the right of midline at the level between the twelfth thoracic vertebral body and the second lumbar vertebral body anteriorly. (2) The original part of thoracic duct was (2.8 +/- 0.7) mm in diameter. The confluence form of thoracic duct included: left lumbar trunk and intestinal trunk united to form the common trunk first, right lumbar trunk then joined the common trunk (9 cases, 36%); right lumbar trunk and intestinal trunk united to form the common trunk first, left lumbar trunk then joined the common trunk (8 cases, 32%); left and right lumbar trunk united to form the common trunk first, intestinal trunk then joined the common trunk (4 cases, 16%); left, right lumbar trunk and intestinal trunk joined together (3 cases, 12%). (3) The intestinal trunk was (36 +/- 15) mm in length. It ascended on the left of descending aorta, superior to the left renal artery, crossed the second lumbar vertebra anteriorly, and joined left or right lumbar trunk to form common trunk, which extended to the cisterna chili or thoracic duct to the right of lumbar vertebra. (4) The lengths of left and right lumbar trunks were (107 +/- 24) mm and (111 +/- 18) mm, the external diameters of origins were (1.7 +/- 0.4) mm and (1.9 +/- 0.4) mm, and the external diameters of terminations were (2.2 +/- 0.6) mm and (2.2 +/- 0.5) mm, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe larger lymph tubes should be protected emphatically in the relevant region when dissecting the root of celiac and superior mesenteric artery and the termination of inferior mesenteric vein during abdominal operation.

Abdomen ; anatomy & histology ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; adverse effects ; Male ; Thoracic Duct ; anatomy & histology

OBJECTIVETo establish a method for inducing apoptosis of rhesus peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs).

METHODSRhesus PBLs were irradiated with X-ray, (60)Co gamma-rays and ultraviolet (UVC254 nm), respectively, and the cell apoptosis was evaluated with flow cytometry using annexin-V staining and propidium iodide staining.

RESULTSX-ray and (60)Co gamma-ray irradiation induced only low apoptotic rates of the PBLs, and UVC resulted in the highest apoptotic rate of about 60%. UVC irradiation of the PBLs in RPMI supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum for 60 min at a distance of 20 cm led to an early apoptotic rate of 58.85% and necrotic rate of 11.5%. The apoptotic rate of PBLs increased in a dose- and time-dependent fashion.

CONCLUSIONFor inducing apoptosis of the rhesus PBLs, UVC can be more effective than X-ray and (60)Co gamma-ray. The highest apoptotic rate can be achieved when the rhesus PBLs in RPMI supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum are exposed to UVC for 60 min at the distance of 20 cm.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; radiation effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Flow Cytometry ; Gamma Rays ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; cytology ; radiation effects ; Lymphocytes ; cytology ; radiation effects ; Macaca mulatta ; Male ; Time Factors ; Ultraviolet Rays ; X-Rays

OBJECTIVETo identify the side effect of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), and improve early therapeutic response in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).

METHODThe first case of Sweet's syndrome (SS) developed in a APL patient treated with ATRA was reported in mainland of China, and reviewed correlative literature.

RESULTSOnly 14 cases of SS associated with ATRA therapy in APL have been reported in the literature, including the present case. The median age was 49.5 years (9 -84) and 10 were women and 4 men. Of them, SS was restricted to the skin in 10 case, the other 4 muscle, fascia, kidney, and lung were involved. SS appeared after a median of 18 days of ATRA therapy (6 - 34 days). The median WBC count was 7.05 (0.80 - 23.00) x 10(9)/L. Four patients continued with the ATRA therapy without interruption, 13 patients treated with steroids and 12 responded. One patient improved without any treatment. Two cases of SS developed retinoic acid syndromes after ATRA therapy.

CONCLUSIONSweet's syndrome is a rare adverse effect of ATRA, and has similar features with inflammatory or infective dermatosis. The corticosteroids treatment could improve the systemic and cutaneous symptoms. When ATRA therapy was restarted after SS subsided, no recurrence of rashes was observed.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sweet Syndrome ; chemically induced ; Tretinoin ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo analyse sonographical features of epididymis tuberculosis with caseous necrosis and improve the accuracy of ultrasonic diagnosis.

METHODSUltrasonic features of 12 cases with epididymis tuberculosis with caseous necrosis, confirmed by surgical pathology, was retrospectively analysed: size, location, echogenicity, degree of blood flow in the lesion.

RESULTSIn all 12 patients, the number of purified protein derivative test (PPD) presenting the positive reached to 67%, while cases with the pulmonary tuberculosis was 42%. The epididymal tuberculosis with caseous necrosis could present images of the whole or focal epididymal enlargement and abnormal shape. The lesions internal echoes were irregular, inhomogeneous increased isoechoic echogenicity or hypoechoic, including bad-defined, irregular, homogeneous hypoechoic or anechoic. In lesional location, 4 out of 12 patients (33%) possessed richly color blood flow in Color Doppler Power Imaging(CDPI). The testicular enlargement with increased internal echoes and the testicular hydroceles were partly (58%, 7/12) observed by ultrasound. There was no varicocele, scrotal wall thickening and inguinal lymph node enlargement.

CONCLUSIONThe High Frequency Color Doppler images is helpful for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of epididymis tuberculosis with caseous necrosis.

Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Epididymitis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Male Genital ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of notch signaling on differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into neurons induced by fasudil hydrochloride.

METHODSThe experiments were divided into non-transfected group, transfected group (transfected with Rn-Notch1-siRNA), positive control group (transfected with Rn-MAPK-1 Control siRNA) and negative control group (transfected with negative control siRNA). Fasudil hydrochloride induced MSCs differentiating into neurons. The fluorescence expressed by transfected MSCs were observed under inverted fluorescence microscope. The expression of notch1 mRNA, Hes1 mRNA and MAPK1 mRNA in MSCs was detected by RT-PCR. The expression of Notch1 protein, NSE, neurofilament M (NF-M) and glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)was detected by immunocytochemical method. The viability of MSCs was detected by MTT.

RESULTS(1) The fluorescence of MSCs was mostly displayed after transfection for 72 h and the efficiency of transfection was up to 91.3% +/- 4.2%. Meanwhile, the notch1 mRNA and Hes1 mRNA expressed by MSCs of transfected group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) and MTT displayed that the viability of MSCs was also significantly reduced (P < 0.05). (2) Fasudil hydrochloride could induce MSCs differentiate into neurons and the best efficiency of induction was observed in the transfected group. There was higher expression of NSE and neurofilament-M (NF-M) than the other groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThere may be notch1 signaling and Rho/Rho GTPase signaling synergy on differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cell into neurons induced by fasudil hydrochloride and they jointly promote the differentiation of MSCs into neurons.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Neurons ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, Notch1 ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the dendritic cell (DC) subsets and transcriptive factors, T-bet, GATA-3, and immune imbalance in acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA).

METHODSThe DC1 (HLA-DR+Lin-CD11c+) and DC2 (HLA-DR+Lin-CD123+) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) were measured with flow cytometry (FCM), the expressions of T-bet mRNA and GATA-3 mRNA in PBMNC with semiquantitative RT-PCR and the plasma level of IFN gamma and IL-4 with ELISA in 29 SAA patients and 16 healthy controls.

RESULTSThe percentages of DC1 in PBMNC were (0.44 +/- 0.24)% and (0.73 +/- 0.30)% in untreated and recovered SAA patients respectively, both were higher than that in controls (0.29 +/- 0.10)% (P < 0.05). The percentage of DC2 in the untreated cases was lower than that of recovered ones or controls [(0.18 +/- 0.14)% vs (0.28 +/- 0.20)% and (0.29 +/- 0.13)%] (P < 0.05). DC1/DC2 ratios were 3.45 +/- 2.71 and 2.90 +/- 0.95 in untreated and recovered groups respectively, both were higher than that in controls (1.15 +/- 0.56) (P < 0.05). No statistic difference in DC1/DC2 ratio was found between untreated and recovered patients (P < 0.05). The relative mRNA expression levels of transcriptive factor T-bet were 0.37 +/- 0.07, 0.20 +/- 0.07 and 0.17 +/- 0.05 in the above 3 groups, respectively, untreated group being higher than that of recovered group or healthy controls (P < 0.05). There was no statistic difference of GATA-3 expression among the 3 groups (P > 0.05). T-bet/GATA-3 ratio was 0.72 +/- 0.13 in untreated group, being higher than that of recovered group (0.33 +/- 0.08) or controls (0.35 +/- 0.11). The plasma level of IFN gamma in the untreated group was (50.9 +/- 1.1) ng/L, which was higher than that of recovered group [(49.7 +/- 0.9) ng/L] or controls [(49.7 +/- 0.7) ng/L]. There was significant positive correlations between T-bet and DC1/DC2 ratio (r = 0.445, P < 0.01), as well as between T-bet and IFN gamma (r = 0.402, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONEither DC1/DC2 or T-bet/GATA-3 ratio might become an index to estimate immune imbalance. High-expressed T-bet was related to the progress of SAA. In patients with SAA, DC1/DC2 ratio returns to normal range later than that of routine blood test does, indicating that immunosuppressive therapy should not be withdrawn too earlier.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anemia, Aplastic ; blood ; immunology ; Child ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Female ; GATA3 Transcription Factor ; blood ; genetics ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; T-Box Domain Proteins ; blood ; genetics ; Young Adult