The effects of estriol on oxygen uptake, glucose release, lactate and pyruvate production, beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate production in perfused rat liver as well as, carbon uptake in rat liver and intracellular calcium in isolated Kupffer cells were investigated. Basal oxygen consumption of perfused liver increased significantly in estriol or ethanol-treated rats. But these increased effects were blocked by gadolinium chloride pretreatment. In a metabolic study, pretreatment with estriol resulted in a decrease in glucose production and in glycolysis while an increase in ketogenesis. A more oxidized redox state of the mitochondria was indicated by increased ratios of perfusate [lactate]/[pyruvate] and decreased ratios of perfusate [beta-hydroxybutyrate]/[acetoacetate]. Carbon uptake of Kupffer-cell increased significantly in estriol-treated rats. But these increased uptake were not shown in rats pre-treated by gadolinium chloride blocking phagocytosis. In isolated Kupffer cells from estriol-treated rats, intracellular calcium was more significantly increased after addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) than in controls. These findings suggest that the metabolic effects of estriol (two mg per 100 mg body wt) can be summarized to be highly toxic in rat liver, and these findings suggest that oral administration of estrogens may induce hepatic dysfunctions and play a role in the development of liver disease.
3-Hydroxybutyric Acid/metabolism ; Acetoacetates/metabolism ; Animal ; Calcium/metabolism ; Carbohydrates/metabolism ; Carbon/metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Colloids/metabolism ; Estriol/pharmacology* ; Estriol/metabolism ; Ethanol/pharmacology ; Female ; Gadolinium/pharmacology ; Glucose/biosynthesis ; Intracellular Fluid/metabolism ; Kupffer Cells/metabolism ; Kupffer Cells/cytology ; Lactates/metabolism ; Lipids/metabolism ; Liver/metabolism ; Liver/drug effects* ; Oxygen Consumption ; Phagocytosis ; Pyruvic Acid/metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo study effects of soy extract on lipid metabolims in ovariectomized rats.

METHOD90 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 9 groups: control group, sham group, model group, estrogen group, soy isoflavone group of high dose, soy isoflavone group of low dose, soy extract of high dose, soy extract of low dose, and soy polysaccharde group, 10 rats in each group. Except fer of control and sham groups, the test rats were ovariectomized. One week after operation, the rats were treated with different drugs. Six weeks after operation, the rats were killed, with serum and liver taken, and serumglycerol(sGT), cholesterol(sGC), LDL, HDL and liver homogenate hGT, hGC, measured.

RESULTThe level of sGC, LDL in ovariectmized rats increased significantly, compared with that in control and sham groups. In liver both the level of hGT and hGC were higher than that in liver from control and sham groups. Administration of estrogen or soy extract or soy isoflavone could attenuate these in ovariectomized rats, but soy polysacchardes did not have any effects.

CONCLUSIONOvariectomized rats have an imbalance of lipid metabolism, the level of hGT and hGC were increased, and administration of estrogen, soy extracts or soy isoflavone could decrease these changes induced by ovariectomizing.

Animals ; Cholesterol ; blood ; metabolism ; Estriol ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Female ; Isoflavones ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; blood ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Ovariectomy ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Quinestrol ; analogs & derivatives ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Soybeans ; chemistry ; Triglycerides ; blood ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo provide basis for selecting the suitable method of Down's syndrome biochemical screening in the second trimester pregnancy.

METHODSA total of 30 547 singleton pregnancies between 14 and 20(+ 6) weeks of pregnancy were collected and analyzed for maternal serum alpha-fetoproteins (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotrophin, free beta subunit (beta-HCG) with or without unconjugated estriol (uE3). The screening risks were calculated using the software Lifecycle. The detection rates and the cost of per Down's syndrome detected were calculated and compared. And four different methods were compared in a series of 64 serum samples from Down's syndrome pregnancies.

RESULTS(1) Among the 64 affected cases, the detection rate of Down's syndrome was improved no matter in the double test (DT) or in the triple test (TT) if software Lifecycle (LC) was used to evaluate risks. And it was not suitable to evaluate risks with software 2T-Risks in the triple tests. (2) In the cohort of 30 547 singleton pregnancies, the detection rate of Down's syndrome with project DT-LC, which was double test using AFP and free beta-HCG together with software Lifecycle, and project TT-LC, which was triple test using AFP, free beta-HCG and uE3 together with software Lifecycle, was 56.25% and 57.14%, respectively. The former project was better because it decreased the false positive rate at a lower running cost.

CONCLUSIONThe DT-LC is an effective screening strategy for second trimester detection of fetal Down's syndrome in mainland China.

Adult ; Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human ; blood ; Down Syndrome ; blood ; diagnosis ; Estriol ; blood ; Female ; Genetic Testing ; methods ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; blood ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; economics ; methods ; Young Adult ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of acupuncture on fracture in the ovariectomized rat and the mechanism.

METHODSSixty SD female rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal group (group A), model group (group B), acupuncture group (group C) and Nilestriol group (group D). In all the groups, except the group A which received sham operation, the rats were overiectomized for preparing the osteoporosis model. Three months after the ovariectomy, the left femurs of the rats were closely fractured. Then, the group A and B were treated with oral administration of normal saline solution, 3 mL, weekly. The rats in the group C were treated daily with acupuncture at "Huantiao"(GB 30), "Housanli" (ST 36), "Yanglingquan"(GB 34) and "Weizhong"(BL 40) on the left hind legs; the rats in the group D were given orally Nilestriol solution (0.2 mg/mL) in a dose of 0.6 mL/100 g body weight, weekly. At the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th days, some rats were sacrificed and their fractural callus and blood samples were taken for histological examinations and immunohistochemical examination of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosine kinase B (TrkB).

RESULTSHE stained callus slides observed by optical microscope showed that the process of fracture healing in the group A, C, D was faster than that in the group B. Positive immuno-stalning of BDNF and TrkB could be seen in the all groups, mainly on the 7 and 14 days after the fracture. The expression levels from high to low in turn were group A, C, D and B.

CONCLUSIONExpressions of BDNF and TrkB in callus of osteoporotic fracture were less than that of the normal fracture; acupuncture can elevate the expression levels and accelerate the process of fracture healing.

Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Animals ; Bony Callus ; metabolism ; pathology ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; biosynthesis ; Estriol ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Fractures, Bone ; etiology ; therapy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Ovariectomy ; adverse effects ; Quinestrol ; analogs & derivatives ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor, trkB ; metabolism ; Treatment Outcome