Objective To understand and master the situation of residents consumption of iodized salt in Chenzhou city of Hunan province,to identify problems and take appropriate interventions to ensure the residents consumption of qualified iodized salt,and to provide a scientific basis for elimination of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD).Methods According to the National Iodized Salt Monitoring Program (Amendment) and the Evaluation Scheme for Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders at the County Level,the monitoring counties,towns and villages were selected in Chenzhou city from 2008 to 2011,the content of iodine in salt was detected using direct titration.The data was analyzed by SPSS 17.0 and Excel 2003.Results A total of 12700 salt samples were tested from 2008 to 2011.The iodized salt coverage rate,the qualified rate of iodized salt,the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt and the rate of non-iodized salt was 99.19％ (12597/12700),96.33％ (12135/12597),95.55％(12135/12700) and 0.81％ (103/12700),respectively.There were significant differences between each year from 2008 to 2011 (x2 =13.99、42.35、48.45、13.99,P all ＜ 0.01).The coefficient of variation was 21.19％.The median and average of iodine content in salt samples was 32.2 mg/kg and 31.9 mg/kg,respectively.Compared with the median and average of iodized salt content,there was no significant difference between each year from 2008 to 2011 (t =2.941,P ＞ 0.05),while there was significant difference among the 11 counties(t =2.983,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The goal of eliminating IDD has realized in the city of Chenzhou since 2010.To consolidate the IDD control results,surveillance should be strengthened in future.

Atomic absorption spectrometry was employed to determine the levels of 7 essential trace elements in the whole blood of 150 mainteinance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.And comparisons were made with the normal group of 200 participants in routine medical examination at the same time at our hospital.And among 7 indices,as compared with the control group,the blood levels of zinc,chromium,cobalt and manganese were significantly lower (P ＜ 0.05) while those of selenium and copper higher (P ＜ 0.05).MHD patients lacked essential trace elements to a varying extent.A clinician should pay attention to complementing essential trace elements to improve the patient's quality of life.

Renal cell carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors of urinary system. The annual incidence rate is approximately 17.9/100 000 populations, and there is a continually rising trend in number of new diagnosis. Metastatic and high-risk renal cell cancer is associated with a poor prognosis and is resistant to traditional chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Although cytokine-based therapies (interferon and interleukin-2) have been widely used, their effectiveness remained unsatisfactory due to their low response rates and short survival. Drugs targeting anti-angiogenesis pathways have shown benefits in relapse-free survival. In this review, we introduce the recent advances in the treatment of renal cancer, especially the application of vasculogenic mimicry and mosaic vessels. Although targeted therapies with anti-angiogenic properties have proposed new treatment criteria for advanced renal cell carcinoma, new drugs or new combinations are needed to improve the clinical efficacy and minimize adverse effects.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; blood supply ; therapy ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; blood supply ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo analyze the patterns of serum soluble CD14 (sCD14) and C-reactive protein (CRP) alterations in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and investigate the correlations of sCD14 variation to the etiology, clinical symptoms, and the number of mononuclear cells in these patients.

METHODSThis study involved 246 CHF patients stratified according to their etiology and clinical symptoms, with 107 normal individuals serving as the control group. Blood samples were collected from these patients the next day after admission and also from the control subjects for measuring serum sCD14 and CPR levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and rate nephelometry, respectively.

RESULTSThe CHF patients had significantly higher serum levels of sCD14 and CRP than the control subjects (P<0.01). In the CHF patients, serum sCD14 and CRP levels differed significantly in the patients with clinical symptoms of different severities (F=3.787, P=0.024), and those with moderate and severe symptoms had significantly higher levels than the asymptomatic patients (P<0.05). The difference in etiologies also resulted in significant difference in sCD14 levels (P<0.05), which were significantly lower in coronary artery disease group than in hypertension group (P<0.05). Significant positive correlations were found between sCD14 and the CRP levels in the CHF patients (r=0.227, P=0.018) and between sCD14 level and the clinical symptoms (r=0.206, P=0.001), but sCD14 level was not correlated to the absolute or relative number of mononuclear cells.

CONCLUSIONSSerum sCD14 and CRP levels are significantly elevated in CHF patients, but this condition may vary as the etiologies and clinical symptoms differ. Increased mononuclear cells do not contribute to the elevation of serum sCD14.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Chronic Disease ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Heart Failure ; blood ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo study, the high polar media-water extraction process of Herba epimedii with the microwave technology.

METHODThe single parameters of extraction process was investigated with dry extract yield and extraction efficiency of icariin as content index.

RESULTThrough studying the single parameter, the optimal conditions are as follows: 70% ethanol as wetting solvent, volume of solvent to weight of material equal to 6:1 in wetting, 30 min wetting time, 2.5 min microwave irradiation time, volume of solvent to weight of material equal to 50:1 in extraction process, 10 min microwave-assisted extraction time.

CONCLUSIONCompared with conventional methods, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) after Microwave Pretreament (MP) of raw material was higher extraction efficiency and time-saving.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Microwaves ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Solvents ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

Six kinds of elicitors were prepared respectively from Neurospora crassa, Monascus purpureus, Sporobolomyces roseus, Rhodotorula rubra, Nocardia sp. N89 and Actinoplanes sp. A05. When Penicillium sp. PT95 was incubated in Czapek's agar plates containing appropriate amounts of elicitors, both its sclerotia biomass and carotenoid content accumulated in sclerotia were enhanced significantly (P < 0.01). Among tested elicitors, the elicitors from the fungi N. crassa, M. purpureus, S.-roseus and R. rubra were more effective than those from the actinomycetes Nocardia sp. N89 and Actinoplanes sp. A05; the elicitor from M. purpureus gave the highest carotenoid yield of 599 micrograms/plate, 2.76 times higher than that of control. Every one of elicitors except that from M. purpureus could increase significantly the proportion of beta-carotene in total carotenoids (P < 0.01).
Actinomycetales ; physiology ; Biomass ; Carotenoids ; biosynthesis ; Neurospora crassa ; physiology ; Nocardia ; physiology ; Penicillium ; metabolism ; Rhodotorula ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo identify the anatomical variability of the left spermatic vein (LSV) and determine its effect on the induction of experimental left varicocele (ELV) in adolescent rats.

METHODSWe equally randomized 30 adolescent male SD rats to groups A (LSV collaterals fully ligated and the left renal vein constricted), B (only the left renal vein constricted), and C (sham operation), observed the courses of the LSVs and measured their diameters. At 30 days after operation, we analyzed the changes in the left kidneys and the diameters of the LSVs.

RESULTSIrregular collaterals were observed in 90% of the LSVs and no abnormal changes were found in the left kidneys after surgery. The postoperative LSV diameter was remarkably increased in group A as compared with the baseline ([1.47 +/- 0.15 ] vs [0.16 +/- 0.08] mm, P < 0.01), but showed no significant difference in group B ([0.31 +/- 0.49] vs [0.15 +/- 0.07] mm, P > 0.05) and C ([0.17 +/- 0.07] vs [0.16 +/- 0.06] mm, P > 0.05), and it was significantly longer in A than in B (P < 0.01). The success rate of ELV induction was 100% in group A and 10% in group B, but no varicocele was observed in group C.

CONCLUSIONCorrect identification of the anatomical course of the LSV and ligation of its irregular collaterals are essential for the establishment of a stable and consistent ELV model.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Kidney ; pathology ; Ligation ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermatic Cord ; blood supply ; Varicocele ; Veins ; abnormalities

This paper investigates the effect of myricetin (MYR) on renal fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and common bile duct ligation (CBDL) in mice and its mechanism. The animal experiment has been approved by the Ethics Committee of China Pharmaceutical University (NO: 2022-10-020). Thirty-five ICR mice were divided into control, UUO, UUO+MYR, CBDL and CBDL+MYR groups. H&E and Masson staining were used to detect pathological changes in kidney tissues. Western blot (WB) was used to detect the expression of fibrosis-related proteins in renal tissue, and total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity detection kit (WST-8) was used to detect the changes of total SOD in renal tissue of CBDL mice. In vitro, HK-2 cells and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1, 10 ng·mL^-1) were used to induce fibrotic model, and high glucose (30 mmol·L^-1) was used to induce oxidative stress model, and then treated with different concentrations of MYR, WB was used to detect the expression of fibrosis and oxidative stress-related proteins, while NIH/3T3 cells were treated with different concentrations of MYR, and their effects on cell proliferation were detected by 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (Brdu). The results showed that the renal lesions in UUO group and CBDL group were severe, collagen deposition was obvious, the expression of collagen-Ⅰ (COL-Ⅰ), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin (FN), vimentin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) protein was up-regulated, and the activity of SOD enzyme in CBDL group was significantly decreased. MYR partly reversed the above changes after treatment. MYR inhibited the proliferation of NIH/3T3 cells but had no effect on the proliferation of HK-2 cells, and decreased the upregulation of PAI-1, FN and vimentin in HK-2 cells stimulated by TGF-β1. MYR can also up-regulate the down-regulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in HK-2 cells stimulated by high glucose. To sum up, MYR can improve renal fibrosis in vivo and in vitro, probably by inhibiting the proliferation of fibroblasts and activating Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway to inhibit oxidative stress.

The combination use of dexamethasone and calcium gluconate can be applied to hypersensitivity. Severe hypokalemia is a usual complication of dexamethasone and calcium gluconate therapy, which occurs frequently with therapeutic use. Fatal cases, accidental and intentional, occur frequently in forensic practice. The current case report presented a 43-year-old man with diabetes mellitus with infection, to whom dexamethasone and calcium gluconate were administered in the private clinic. With the development of such clinical symptoms of severe hypokalemia as quadriplegia, he was confirmed to have severe hypokalemia through a biochemical test before dying of arrhythmia. And also it presented pathophysiologic mechanism underlying severe hypokalemia as well as suggestions for clinical practice regarding combination use of dexamethasone and calcium gluconate.
Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/adverse effects* ; Calcium Gluconate/adverse effects* ; Dexamethasone/adverse effects* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fatal Outcome ; Humans ; Hypokalemia/chemically induced* ; Male

Postmortem chemistry is becoming more and more essential in routine forensic pathology and has made considerable progress over the past years. Biochemical analyses of vitreous humor, blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid may provide important information in determining the cause of death or in elucidating forensic issues. Postmortem chemistry may be essential for the determination of cause of death when morphological methods (diabetes mellitus, alcoholic ketoacidosis and electrolytic disorders) cannot detect the pathophysiological changes involved in the death process. It can also provide many information in other forensic situations, including myocardial ischemia, sepsis, inflammation, infection, anaphylaxis and hormonal disturbances. The most recent relevant research advances on glucose metabolism, liver function, cardiac function, renal function, sepsis, inflammation, infection, anaphylaxis and hormonal aspect are hereby reviewed.
Anaphylaxis ; Autopsy/trends* ; Biomarkers/analysis* ; Body Fluids/chemistry* ; Death ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Forensic Pathology/methods* ; Humans ; Postmortem Changes ; Sepsis ; Vitreous Body