OBJECTIVETo establish a simple but effective method of laser scanning confocal microscopic imaging for Ca2+ oscillations of pancreatic acinar cells in adult mice.

METHODSPancreatic acinar cells from adult Kunming mice were isolated acutely with collagenase, and then loaded with fluo-4-AM, a Ca2+ indicator. A laser scanning confocal microscope armed with 488 nm laser was employed to record the dynamic fluorescent signals in-time and synchronously while acetylcholine (ACh) was added in the pancreatic acinar cells.

RESULTS(1) The classic pancreatic acinar cell Ca2+ oscillations were induced by a certain concentration of ACh (100 nmol/L) successfully and steadily, which could be blocked by atropine completely. (2) Plasmic Ca2+ oscillations from different parts of one acinar cell were usually with different amplitudes and almost the same frequencies. But both of amplitudes and frequencies were different among different cells. (3) The acinar cell Ca2+ oscillations were induced by ACh in a concentration-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONThe laser scanning confocal microscopic imaging for adult mouse pancreatic acinar cell Ca2+ oscillations was established successfully. The features of being easy to use, direct to see lively, high efficiency and good flexibility make it a popular tool for researchers to choose.

Acinar Cells ; chemistry ; Animals ; Calcium ; analysis ; Calcium Signaling ; Cells, Cultured ; Mice ; Microscopy, Confocal ; methods ; Pancreas ; cytology

Objective To explore the correlation between hyperuricaemia and blood pressure, and blood lipid and glucose. Methods By using simple cluster sampling, 2 branch units from PetroChina Changqing Oilfield Company were selected, and all the 720 subjects with hyperuricaemia (HUA) were assigned to the HUA group; another 620 participants with normal uric acid (UA) level into the normal group. The correlation between blood uric acid and blood pressure,and blood lipid and glucose was assessed by Logistic regression. Results The odds ratio (OR) of those who had 1,2 or 3 abnormal status of hypertension,hyperlipidemia and impaired fasting glucose in the HUA group were much higher than the normal group (OR values were 4. 036,2. 562, and 4. 174, respectively). Logistic regression showed that male, systolic blood pressure ( SBP), GLU, total cholesterol ( TC), triglyceride ( TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were risk factors of H UA ( OR values were 7. 736,2. 309,1.721,2. 761 and 1. 411,respectively) ,while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, OR = 0. 211 ) was a protective factor of HUA. Conclusions Gender,blood pressure and blood lipid may have correlation with blood UA. Multiple risk factors should be considered to improve the effectiveness of health education and health promotion.

Bacterial Typing Techniques ; methods ; Brucella ; classification

BACKGROUND:Chinese medicine therapy is effective for patients with mild-to-moderate lumbar spinal stenosis and also has a better long-term effect than surgical patients, which can enhance perioperative efficacy and prevent spinal restenosis. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of “Tongmai songjin yigu” massage therapy on lumbar spinal stenosis. METHODS:Eighty-four patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis were randomly and equaly divided into treatment group and control group. Treatment group were treated with “Tongmai songjin yigu” massage therapy; patients in the control group were treated according to the guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of common disease in orthopedics and traumatology promulgated by China Association of Chinese Medicine, once a day, continuous for 2 weeks. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After treatment, the visual analog scale score in the treatment group was improved significantly (P < 0.05), and there was a significant difference in the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Scores on subjective symptom and daily life between the treatment and control groups (P < 0.05). The effective rate of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group (P< 0.05). These findings indicate that “Tongmai songjin yigu” massage therapy is better than traditional massage, but clinical large-sample studies are required.

Adult ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Thyroid Gland ; pathology ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; secondary ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation of males'age with sperm apoptosis, sperm DNA integrity and other seminal parameters.

METHODSWe collected 104 semen samples and divided them into three groups according to the males' age: <35 yr (n = 43), 35 -39 yr (n = 31), and > or = 40 yr (n = 30). Based on the WHO Laboratory Manual (4th ed), we detected the seminal parameters, calculated the percentage of apoptotic sperm by flow cytometry (FCM), determined sperm DNA integrity by Acridine orange staining, and compared the results among the three groups.

RESULTSThere were no statistically significant differences among the < 35 yr, 35 -39 yr and > or = 40 yr groups in semen volume ([2.87 +/- 0.89] ml vs [2.98 +/- 1.09] ml vs [2.65 +/- 0.95] ml), sperm concentration ([60.40 +/- 25.43] x 10(6)/ml vs [69.74 +/- 28.33] x 10(6)/ml vs [55.97 +/- 27.22] x 10(6)/ml) (P>0.05). The percentage of progressively motile sperm was significantly lower in the > or = 40 yr ([39.00 +/- 8.35 %) than in the <35 and 35 -39 yr groups ([48.73 +/- 9.89]% and [45.65 +/- 10.55]%) (P<.0.1), and so was the percentage of morphologically normal sperm in the > or = 40 yr than in the < 35 yr group ([11.11 +/- 8.26]% vs [16.43 +/- 8.75 ]%, P<0.01). The percentage of apoptotic sperm was markedly higher in the > or = 40 yr than in the <35 yr group ([11.82 +/- 5.77]% vs [7.04 +/- 3.50]%, P<0.01), while the sperm DNA integrity significantly reduced in the > or = 40 yr group ([75.52 +/- 10.60]%) as compared with the <35 yr ([86.55 +/- 5.60])% and 35 -39 yr group ( [81.39 +/- 8.94]%) (P<0.01). The males' age was correlated positively with the rate of sperm apoptosis (P<0.01), and negatively with sperm DNA integrity and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe advance in males' age increases sperm apoptosis and reduces sperm progressive motility, normal morphology and DNA integrity.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Apoptosis ; genetics ; DNA ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; genetics ; Male ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo study the influence of male age on the outcome of conventional IVF-ET.

METHODSBased on male age, 170 couples undergoing conventional IVF-ET were divided into three groups: <35 yr (n = 60), 35 -39 yr (n = 77) and > or = 40 yr (n = 33). We observed the rates of fertilization, cleavage, good quality embryo, implantation, clinical pregnancy and abortion in different groups.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences among the three groups in semen volume ([3.10 +/- 1.22] ml vs [2.84 +/- 1.05] ml vs [2.80 +/- 0.79] ml), sperm concentration ([54.23 +/- 26.07] x 10(6)/ml vs [60.27 +/- 24.80] x 10(6)/ml vs [60.21 +/- 27.42] x 10(6)/ml) and sperm viability ([53.93 +/- 13.25]% vs [56.10 +/- 16.58]% vs [51.82 +/- 15.45]%) (P>0.05). The men of the > or = 40 yr group showed a significantly lower percentage of grade a + b sperm ([40.97 +/- 11.91]%) than those of the <35 and 35 - 39 yr groups ([48.47 +/- 11.78]% and [46.84 +/- 13.51]%) (P<0.05), and morphologically normal sperm ([11.76 +/- 5.97]%) than those of the <35 yr group ([15.25 +/- 6.94]% (P<0.05). The rates of fertilization, cleavage, good quality embryo, implantation, clinical pregnancy were 81.52%, 82.61%, 52.33%, 18.06% and 33.33% in the > or = 40 yr group, with no significant differences from those of the <35 yr group (83.18%, 82.68%, 56.99%, 22.40% and 40.00%) and the 35 - 39 yr group (78.78%, 80.66%, 55.01%, 21.74% and 38.96%) (P>0.05), while the abortion rate was markedly increased in the > or = 40 yr group as compared with the <35 yr group (36.36% vs 8.33%, P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONIncreasing male age is related with decreasing percentages of progressively motile sperm and morphologically normal sperm, but not obviously with the rates of fertilization, good quality embryo, implantation, pregnancy and abortion.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Paternal Age ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome

OBJECTIVETo compare the bidirectional effect of rhubarb total anthraquinone (TA) and total tannins (TT) on rats' liver.

METHODSOne hundred rats were randomly divided into 10 groups, i.e., the blank group, the model group, the blank + high dose TA group, the blank +low dose TA group, the blank + high dose TT group, the blank + low dose TT group, the model + high dose TA group, the model + low dose TA group, the model +high dose TT group, and the model + low dose TT group, 10 in each group. The carbon tetrachloride (CCI4) was used to prepare the acute liver injury rat model. TA and TT of rhubarb (at 5.40 g crude drugs/kg and 14.69 g crude drugs/kg) were intragastrically administrated to rats in all groups except the blank group and the model group, once daily for 6 successive days.The general state of rats, biochemical indices such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), laminin (LN), hyaluronic acid (HA), transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1), as well pathological results of rat liver tissues. Finally the protection laws of TA and TT for rats' liver were analyzed using factor analysis.

RESULTSCompared with the blank control group, all biochemical indices increased in the blank group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). HA also increased in the blank + high dose TA group; AST, ALT, and HA also increased in the blank +high dose TT group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, AST, ALT, ALP, HA, and TGF-beta1 significantly decreased in the model + low dose TA group, the model + high dose TA group, the model + low dose TT group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Serum AST, ALT, and ALP also decreased in the model + high dose TT group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Pathological results showed that mild swollen liver cells in the model + high dose TA group. Fatty degeneration and fragmental necrosis around the central veins occurred in the blank + high dose TA group. The pathological injury was inproved in the model +low dose TA group. Two common factors, liver fibrosis and liver cell injury, were extracted by using factor analysis. TA showed stronger improvement of the two common factors than TT.

CONCLUSIONSRhubarb TA and TT showed protective and harmful effects on rats' liver. At an equivalent dosage, TA had better liver protection than TT. High dose TT played a role in liver injury to some extent.

Animals ; Anthraquinones ; adverse effects ; pharmacology ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; toxicity ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Female ; Liver ; drug effects ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rheum ; chemistry ; Tannins ; adverse effects ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of forearms devascularization on the volt-ampere (V-A) characteristics of Neiguan (PC 6) and Taiyuan (LU 9) so as to investigate the relationship among functions of acupoints, qi and blood in human body and V-A characteristics of acupoints.

METHODSEither forearms of 23 healthy volunteers were devascularized and the changes of V-A characteristics in ipsilateral Neiguan (PC 6) and Taiyuan (LU 9) in normal and devascularization statuses were detected by home-made intelligent V-A detecting system.

RESULTSCompared with the normal status, both range-increasing and range-decreasing V-A areas of Neiguan (PC 6) and Taiyuan (LU 9) were significantly increased in devascularization status (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and the change rates of these two V-A areas of Neiguan (PC 6) were larger than those of Taiyuan (LU 9) (both P < 0.05). The inertia areas of Neiguan (PC 6) but not Taiyuan (LU 9) became significantly larger after devascularization (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe changes in V-A characteristics of Neiguan (PC 6) and Taiyuan (LU 9) can reflect the alteration of local blood supply, and Neiguan (PC 6) is more sensitive to changes of blood flow than Taiyuan (LU 9).

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Blood Circulation ; Electrophysiology ; Female ; Forearm ; blood supply ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of occupational medicamentosa-like dermatitis (OMDT) induced by trichloroethylene (TCE) and some immunity indexes in workers occupationally exposed to TCE.

METHODSThe blood samples from 8 cases with medicamentosa-like dermatitis in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th weeks after admitting to hospital were examined for liver function, immunoglobulin and some complement indexes. Thirty nine workers occupationally exposed to TCE were investigated for urinary TCE and some immuno-complement indexes. The TCE concentrations of air in workplaces were monitored.

RESULTSC3d-CIC and C3 of patients before admission were (92.86 ± 44.80) mg/L and 0.91 ± 0.19 mg/L, respectively. C3d-CIC and C3 of patients before discharge were (52.41 ± 17.75) mg/L and (1.14 ± 0.22) mg/L, respectively. There were significant differences between admission and discharge (P < 0.05). The average TCE concentration in 4 workplaces was (351.96 ± 36.72) mg/m(3), which was higher than the occupational exposure limits (OELs). The number of workers exposed to the TCE concentration-time weighted and TCA in urine over OELs were 28.21% and 56.41% of total subjects, respectively. The serum IgG and CIC levels of patients before discharge were (10.03 ± 1.21) mg/L and 103.50 ± 29.17 mU/L, which were significantly lower than those (17.21 ± 1.85) mg/L and (227.46 ± 111.67) mU/L of patients before admission (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe type II and III hypersensitivity may be associated with OMDT and the organ injure induced by TCE.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Complement System Proteins ; immunology ; Dermatitis, Occupational ; immunology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Trichloroethylene ; toxicity ; Young Adult