Epigenetics comprises the modifications made in gene expressions without changing the DNA sequence itself. Significant epigenetic changes take place during spermatogenesis and fertilization and exert direct influences on embryogenesis. This article provides an overview of the latest researches on epigenetics of male germ cells and a brief discussion on the correlation of sperm with embryogenesis in four aspects: DNA methylation, histone modification, regulation of non-coding RNAs, and genomic imprinting.
Animals ; DNA Methylation ; Embryonic Development ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Genomic Imprinting ; Histones ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Spermatozoa

Objective:To explore the oral health status of population in Gansu Province and get scientific information for oral diseases prevention. Methods: An equal-sized stratified multi-stage random sampling design was applied in the investigation. According to standard and method used in the third national oral health epidemiological investigation, the oral health investigation was made in 3 158 people aged 5 years, 12 years, 35-44 years and 65-74 years with a gender ratio of half to half in Gansu. Results: The caries prevalence rate was 55.80%, 19.09%, 61.95% and 78.63% and the caries-filling rate was 3.11%, 10.76%,10.34% and 4.60% in the four groups respectively. Detection rates of gingival bleeding and dental calculus were 82.81%, 93.55%, 85.34% and 69.66%, 99.37%, 92.54% in 12, 35-44 and 65-74 groups respectively. Detection rates of periodontal pocket and diseases of oral mucosa were 60.94%, 62.20% and 6.32%, 7.71% in 35-44 and 65-74 groups respectively. The most denture-prosthesis was removable partial dentures and irregular fixed bridge. Conclusion: The prevalence of caries is serious but better than the average results of the nation in 2005 and the results of Gansu in 1995. The prevalence of periodontal disease is more serious than the results of the nation in 2005. It is essential to strengthen oral health education and oral health service, especially in rural area in Gansu, so as to ensure the oral diseases be treated in time and effectively.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence and severity of acute high-altitude disease(AHAD) are determined by the speed entering the highland, the altitude of highland and seasons. The association between obesity and AHAD has not been fully investigated.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between obesity and acute high-altitude in people exposed rapidly to the highland.DESIGN: Comparative observation.SETTING: Department of Cardiology, General Hospital of Chinese PLA and Department of Cardiology, Tibetan General Hospital of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: The experiment was conducted at the Department of Cardiology, General Hospital of Tibetan Military Area Command of Chinese PLA in August 2006. Totally 82 Henan subjects aged 28-45 years were selected from the male workers constructing the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and their managers with acute high-altitude exposure. They had never been to the highland before, and all agreed to the detection.METHODS: ①Every subject completed the AHAD self-report questionnaire at sea level and 12 hours and 24 hours after ascending high-altitude. The items in the questionnaire included symptoms of headache, gastrointestinal symptoms,fatigue or weakness, dizziness, and insomnia. Each symptom was graded from 0-3 with 0 as no symptoms, 1 as mild symptoms, 2 as moderate symptoms, and 3 as severe symptoms and a total score of 15. A score of 4 or more could by identified as AHAD. ②The height and body mass were measured to calculate the body mass (BMI). Those with BMI≥28 kg/m2 served as the obesity group [n =39, mean age (35±8) years], and those with BMI of 18.5-23.9 kg/m2 as the normal body mass group [n =43, mean age (35±8) years]. ③Arterial blood was taken to evaluate arterial oxygen saturation (SO2), arterial oxygen pressure (PaO2) and arterial carbon dioxide pressure (PaCO2) at baseline and 24 hours after ascending high-altitude. ④The measurement data was compared by t test.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: BMI, vital capacity of lungs, SO2, PaO2 and PaCO2 levels of obese and normal people.RESULTS: Totally 39 obese people and 43 normal people were involved in the result analysis. ①AHAD score: No symptom was reported at sea level in all participants (scored 0), but the AHAD scores in the obesity group were significantly higher than those in normal group 12-hour and 24-hour after ascending high-altitude. ②Blood gas analysis:At sea level, there were no statistical differences in the levels of SO2, PaO2, and PaCO2 between two groups (P ＞ 0.05).But 24 hours after ascending high-altitude, SO2 and PaO2 of the obesity group were much lower than in the normal group (P＜ 0.01), and PaCO2 was significantly higher than in the normal group (P＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: Obese men are more vulnerable to high-altitude hypoxia than people with normal body mass. Obesity is an important risk factor for the development of acute high-altitude disease.

BACKGROUND: Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) can differentiate into insulin-producing cellsafter induced by chemical drugs or co-culture methods, but insulin secretion is extremely low. Therefore, to inducemature pancreatic beta cell differentiation from stem cells by adenovirus transfection of specific genes involved in thedevelopment of pancreas is a research hotspot in recent years.OBJECTIVE: To study the differentiation potential of HUMSCs into insulin-producing cells after transfection withmusculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homologue A (MafA).METHODS: Ad-MafA-EGFP was transferred into passage 3 HUMSCs. After 7 days of induction, changes of cellmorphology were observed by inverted phase contrast microscope. Expression of pancreatic cell-specific genes(glucagon, PDX1, Nkx2.2) was detected by PCR technique.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After Ad-MafA-EGFP transfection, no significant morphological changes were observedin the HUMSCs under inverted phase contrast microscope. It was confirmed by fluorescence microscope thatAd-MafA-EGFP was transferred into the HUMSCs. After induction, the expression of human pancreatic precursorcell-related genes, including glucagon, PDX1 and Nkx2.2, was increased as detected by PCR. To conclude, thesefindings could provide experimental evidence for further differentiation and maturation of pancreatic β cells fromHUMSCs.

[ABSTRACT]OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to analyze the screened miRNAs related to the chemosensitivity for the TPF regimen of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma by miRNA array, and provide a set of miRNAs that may be useful for the development of novel diagnostic markers and more effective therapeutic strategies from the screened miRNAs.METHODSA total number of 21 patients who underwent TPF induction chemotherapy for primary hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma were recruited for miRNA array analysis. 12 patients are sensitive to chemotherapy, and 9 patients are not. Moreover, the selected putative regulated miRNAs were also validated by RT-PCR in another 24 patients (14 patients are sensitive to chemotherapy, and others are not).RESULTSThere were 24 miRNA significantly differencial to the sensitivity to chemotherapy, and 6 miRNAs were up-regulated in the TPF group while 18 miRNA were down-regulated (P<0.05). To identify typical miRNA, mirfocus 3.0 database selected four miRNAs hsa-miR-211-3p, hsa-miR-4253, hsa-miR-4443, and hsa-miR-193b-3p, which were significant down-regulated in TPF-sensitive group. QRT-PCR further validated that only three miRNA (hsa-miR-4253、hsa-miR-4443、hsa-miR-193b-3p) were under-expressed in TPF-sensitive group of another 24 tissue samples (P<0.05).CONCLUSIONMiRNA hsa-miR-193b-3p, hsa-miR-4253, hsa-miR-4443 were identified in TPF-sensitive tissues by microarrays, and further validated by RT-PCR. These down-regulated miRNAs may act as novel biomarkers to classify TPF sensitivity of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients and will contribute to the understanding of the molecular basis of the chemosensitivity in the disease.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and risk of endovascular thrombolysis with Urokinase and Tirofiban in patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST).Methods Nine patients with severe CVST were performed selective intravenous sinus Urokinase and Tirofiban thrombolysis combined with mechanical thrombus maceration in our hospital from January 2009 to January 2011; their clinical data and treatment efficacy were analyzed.Results Normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure was noted in 8 patients before discharging from the hospital; DSA indicated that 7 achieved complete recanalization of main branch of the venous sinus,cortical veins and deep vein.Only 1 achieved reeanalization of sinuses partly,and partial compensation was noted in the cortical veins.No operation-related complication was noted during and after the surgery.After thrombolysis,symptoms and signs of 8 patients improved obviously,and headache disappeared in 7 of them with only mild degree in 1; 1 patient died.Conclusion Intravenous sinus Urokinase and Tirofiban thrombolysis is an effective and safe method for patients with potentially catastrophic intracranial dural sinus thrombosis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the morphologic changes of upper airway in obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) associated with micrognathism before and after orthognathic surgery and distraction osteogenesis, and subsequently to instruct clinical jobs effectively.

METHODSNine OSAHS patients associated with micrognathism (8 males, 1 female, mean age: 28.6 years) received orthognathic surgery and (or) distraction osteogenesis, and the curative effect was evaluated according to the subjective feelings and PSG. Upper airway structure before and after the treatment was measured by Somatom Sensation 16 CT scanner.

RESULTSAll 9 patients were clinically cured. The transverse length, the cross section area, and especially the sagittal length of the upper airway were obviously increased after the orthognathic surgery. The changes involved mainly in the velopharyngeal region and the laryngopharyngeal region, but not in the laryngopharyngeal region.

CONCLUSIONSThe orthognathic surgery and distraction osteogenesis can treat the OSAHS patients with microgonathism effectively by increasing their velopharyngeal and laryngopharyngeal sagittal length of upper airway.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Micrognathism ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; Pharynx ; diagnostic imaging ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; surgery ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

0.05).However,in the end of the treatment,the patients in the treatment group scored significantly better with all the scales than the control group(P

This paper is in order to study the anti-feeding and growth inhibition activity of toatal ginsenoside of ginseng stems and leaves against 4th-instar Mythimna separata larvae. Simulating natural growing condition indoors, on the base, To study the anti-feeding and growth inhibition activity of toatal ginsenoside against 4th-instar M. separata larvae by leaf disc test. The toatal ginsenoside appeared to be of significant antifeeding activity against 4th-instar M. separata larvae. The 4th-instar M. separata larvae fed on the leaves of Sorghum bicolor treated with 20, 10, 5 g · L(-1) toatal ginsenoside. At 8 h, non-selective anti-feeding rate were 88.67%, 64.40% and 47.36%, and selective anti-feeding rate were 62.49% , 44.29% and 34.19%; Compared with the photographic, The toatal ginsenoside conld make the development period had prolonged 13h in treated group. The toatal ginsenoside had significant inhibition effect on feeding and growth and development against 4th-instar M. separata larvae, and inhibition effect increases as the increase of concentration ginsenoside.
Animals ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Insecticides ; pharmacology ; Larva ; Moths ; growth & development ; Panax ; chemistry