AIMTo explore the causes of the difference in spermatogenic suppression between responders and non-responders in Chinese men treated with levonorgestrel (LNG) implants plus testosterone undecanoate (TU) injectable.

METHODSThe 16 Chinese volunteers treated were divided into two groups in regard to the sperm count during the treatment period, 7 men in the responder group (Group R), including 6 azoospermia and one severe oligozoospermia, and the remaining 9 in the non-responder group (Group N), including 4 oligozoospermia and 5 with sperm counts greater than 20 x 10(6)/mL. The differences in serum profiles of FSH, LH, T, LNG and T/LH ratio were compared between the two groups and the correlation between the seminal fluid parameters and serum reproductive hormones was analyzed.

RESULTSThe serum FSH level was lower in Group R than that in Group N (P<0.05), while the serum LH and LNG levels were higher in Group R than those in Group N (P<0.05). The sperm density (P<0.01, r=0.235), motility(P<0.01, r=0.326) and vitality (P<0.01, r=0.219) showed significantly positive correlation with the serum FSH level.

CONCLUSIONThe blood LNG and T levels, the degree of FSH inhibition and/or the sensitivity of the pituitary-testis axis to exogenous steroids, as well as the individual spermatogenetic potential and the functional status of the Leydig cells may be factors bringing about individual differences in spermatogenic suppression in Chinese men treated with LNG and TU.

Adult ; Contraceptive Agents, Male ; administration & dosage ; Drug Implants ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Injections ; Levonorgestrel ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Leydig Cells ; physiology ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Sperm Count ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects ; Testosterone ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; blood

Objective To observe the activities of serum peroxidase capacity,and lipid peroxidation of children from Kaschin-Beck disease (KBD) areas of Xinghai county in Qinhai province,and to explore the relationship between antioxidant capacity and KBD.Methods Sixty four KBD and forty six health subjects without KBD were chosen from KBD endemic areas,which included primary schools of Tangnaihai,Xialujuan and Qushian of Xinghai county in Qinghai province,and fifty nine age-matched healthy control subjects without KBD were from a non-KBD endemic area,Nanfan primary school of Chang'an county in Shaanxi province.Twenty patients with KBD and twenty control subjects from KBD areas and non-KBD area were extracted by simple random sampling method.2,3-DAN fluorescence technique was used to test the hair and blood selenium.The biochemical techniques were used to test the indicators of oxidative stress including malondialdehyde(MDA),antioxidant enzyme activities,total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC),serum superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT) and glutathione peroxidase(GSHPx).ResultsAll patients with KBD had significantly lower serum GSH-Px activities[ (59.53 ± 25.23)kU/L] and selenium levels in hair[ (67.64 ± 17.28)μg/L] and blood[(36.27 ± 13.29)μg/L],respectively,than that of control subjects from KBD areas [ ( 91.88 ± 22.99 ) kU/L,( 153.32 ± 24.31 ) μg/L,( 63.06 ± 13.66) μg/L ] and nonKBD areas[ ( 122.68 ± 41.74)kU/L,(242.35 ± 38.56)μg/L,(98.93 ± 17.18)μg/L,all P ＜ 0.05].Serum MDA levels in KBD patients[ (4.64 ± 1.11 )μmol/L] were significantly higher than that in control subjects from KBD [(3.31 ± 1.22)μmol/L] and non-KBD areas[ (3.43 ± 1.29)μmol/L,all P ＜ 0.05].On the other hand,T-AOC,SOD and CAT activities were significantly higher in both KBD[(19.80 ± 6.64),(55.80 ± 8.14),(16.45 ± 5.61 ) kU/L] and control subjects[ (21.71 ± 8.82),(57.45 ± 6.96),(15.63 ± 9.18)kU/L] from KBD areas than that of control subjects from non-KBD area[ (13.56 ± 5.38),(42.79 ± 8.10),(6.05 ± 2.71 )kU/L,all P ＜ 0.05 ].Hair selenium levels,blood selenium levels and GSH-Px activity of control subjects from KBD areas were,respectively,significantly lower than that in control subjects from non-KBD area(all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions These findings strongly confirm the evidence that KBD patients are susceptible to oxidative stress.The results also show the increase in antioxidant enzymes,which could probably be due to adaptive response to pro-oxidant in KBD state.Hence,there seems to be an imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant systems in KBD patients.

The effects of the feed attractants on Whitmania pigra were studied. The average weight of Wh. pigra were 5.0 g. Arginine was selected as feed attractants, xanthan gum was selected as feed substrate. The times of Wh. pigra going into the inducing room were recorded. The water temperature was 22-25 degrees C during the whole experiment. Arginine that had better inducing effect was chosen to carry on in the gradient experiment. The results showed that the best inducing effect was found when the added amount of arginine was 0.3%, which was close to the arginine content of the natural body fluid of Wh. Pigra and Bellamya purificata, 2.97 mg x g(-1).
Animal Feed ; analysis ; Animals ; Arginine ; analysis ; metabolism ; Body Weight ; Feeding Behavior ; Leeches ; growth & development ; physiology

Abstract: Our previous work revealed berberine can significantly enhance the susceptibility of fluconazole against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans, which suggested that berberine has synergistic antifungal activity with fluconazole. Preliminary SAR of berberine needs to be studied for the possibility of investigating its target and SAR, improving its drug-likeness, and exploring new scaffold. In this work, 13-substitutited benzyl berberine derivatives and N-benzyl isoquinoline analogues were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR and MS. Their synergetic activity with fluconazole against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans was evaluated in vitro. The 13-substitutited benzyl berberine derivatives 1a-1e exhibited comparable activity to berberine, which suggested that the introduction of functional groups to C-13 can maintain its activity. The N-benzyl isoquinolines, which were designed as analogues of berberine with its D ring opened, exhibited lower activity than berberine. However, compound 2b, 2c, and 4b showed moderate activity, which indicated that berberine may be deconstructed to new scaffold with synergistic antifungal activity with fluconazole. The results of our research may be helpful to the SAR studies on its other biological activities.
Antifungal Agents ; pharmacology ; Berberine ; pharmacology ; Candida albicans ; drug effects ; Drug Resistance, Fungal ; Drug Synergism ; Fluconazole ; pharmacology ; Isoquinolines ; pharmacology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests

OBJECTIVETo investigate the distribution and the antibiotic susceptibility of pathogenic bacteria in children from Guiyang with lower respiratory infection (LRI).

METHODSThe nasopharyngeal aspirate samples were obtained from 893 hospitalized children with LRI between August 2006 and June 2008. An antibiotic susceptibility test was performed using the VITEK system and the Kirby-Bauer diffuse method after bacteria were identified.

RESULTSFive hundred and forty-three patients (60.8%) were bacteria-positive. A total of 598 strains (30 kinds of bacteria) were obtained from the sputum samples. Of them, 533 strains (89.1%) were gram-negative and 57 were gram-positive (9.8%). Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Kleb-siella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) were common in gram-negative strains. They were susceptive to piperacillin/tazobactam, amikacin, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin, especially to imipenem. Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) and Stapthylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were common in gram-positive strains. S. pneumoniae was susceptive to penicillin and cefazolin sodium, but S. aureus was resistant. Both were high susceptive to vancomycin, and resistant to roxithromycin.

CONCLUSIONSGram-negative bacteria are the main pathogens in children from Guiyang with LRI, and E. coli and K. pneumoniae are common. The antibiotic susceptibility of pathogenic bacteria varies with different strains of bacteria. A reasonable selection of antibiotics should be based on the antibiotic susceptibility test.

Adolescent ; Bacteria ; drug effects ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Nasopharynx ; microbiology ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; microbiology

Background: Extensive studies have confirmed the efficacy of taxanes in combination with anthracycline-basedchemotherapy on breast cancer. However, few studies have assessed the efficacy of weekly taxane–anthracyclineregimens on locally advanced breast cancer. This study was to compare the efficacy and safety of a weekly taxane–anthracycline regimen with those of tri-weekly anthracycline-based regimen in patients with locally advanced breastcancer.Methods: Patients with locally advanced breast cancer were randomized to receive 4–6 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapywith tri-weekly 5-fluorouracil–epirubicin–cyclophosphamide (FEC) regimen or weekly paclitaxel–epirubicin(PE) regimen. The primary endpoint was the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate. Other endpoints included theclinical tumor response, breast-conserving surgery rate, and adverse events.Results: Between March 2010 and September 2013, 293 patients were randomized to the FEC (n = 151) and PE(n = 142) arms. The overall clinical response rate was significantly higher in the PE arm than in the FEC arm (76.06% vs.59.95%, P = 0.001). Consistently, the post-chemotherapy pathologic T and N stages were significantly lower in the PEarm than in the FEC arm (P < 0.001). However, the pCR rate was similar in the two arms (10.61% vs. 12.31%, P = 0.665).Overall, 36 (27.27%) patients in the FEC arm and 6 (35.28%) in the PE arm were qualified for breast-conserving surgery.Most adverse events were comparable in both arms, with more severe neutropenia in the PE arm than in the FEC arm(11.97% vs. 5.96%, P = 0.031).Conclusions: In patients with locally advanced breast cancer, weekly PE was not superior to FEC in terms of pCR.However, weekly PE has a higher response rate and superior down-staging effects. On this account, the PE regimenmay be considered an alternative option for locally advanced breast cancer. Long-term follow-up data are needed toconfirm the efficacy of this regimen on locally advanced breast cancer.

Objective To evaluate the incidence of postoperative hemorrahage in children undergoing adenoidectomy , and to discuss its possible causes. Methods Included in this study were children who underwent adenoid and/or tonsil surgery at Shenzhen Chilidren's Hospital between January 2004 and November 2009. The change of hemoglobin ( Hb) and hematocrit ( Hct) were retrospectively analysed. The blood loss was estimated by the change of Hct. Results There were 2078 cases that accomplished the inclusion criteria in the period of study. Ten children bled 0. 5 - 4. 0 hours after surgery,without superfluous hemorrahage during the operation and post-tonsillectomy. This represented an incidence of 0.48% of immediate postoperative haemorrhage among the 2078 procedures analyzed. Statistical differences were found between boys (0.21%) and girls (1.10%, x2 =5.597, P<0.05). The change of Hb and Hct was positively correlated (r = 0. 95 , P < 0. 01) , the blood loss was positively correlated with the bleeding time ( r = 0. 66, P < 0. 05 ) . The causes of postoperative hemorrhage were coagulation system deficits, chronic nasopharyngitis, deficient hemostasis and immoderate ravage. To control the postoperative hemorrhage, 2 postnasal packing under topical anaesthesia and 8 electrocautery under general anaesthesia were applied. Conclusions Poor operative technique and deficient hemostasis are the major causes of primary hemorrahage. Prompt operation to control the postoperative bleeding should be done 2 hours after bleeding under general anesthesia in order to avoid severe complications.

OBJECTIVETo study the inhibitory effect of T-2 toxin on the expression of aggrecan and collagen II in chondrocytes and the protection of selenium against this effect.

METHODSHuman chondrocytes cultured in vitro were treated with T-2 toxin at different concentrations for varied time periods (1-5 days), and the cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Aggrecan expression was detected by toluidine blue staining and collagen II expression by immunostaining using monoclonal antibody of collagen. Aggrecan and collagen II mRNA expressions were measured by semiquantitative RT-PCR.

RESULTST-2 toxin dose- and time-dependently affected chondrocyte viability within the concentration range of 0.001-2 mg/L, the prolonged treatment time further enhanced the dose dependence of the inhibitory effect. T-2 toxin lowered aggrecan and collagen II synthesis in the chondrocytes and reduced their mRNA expressions. Selenium could partly attenuate the inhibitory effects of T-2 toxin on aggrecan mRNA expression, but showed no such effect against T-2-induced collagen II expression.

CONCLUSIONT-2 toxin can obviously inhibit aggrecan and collagen II synthesis in human chondrocytes, and selenium can partly antagonize the inhibitory effects of T-2 toxin on aggrecan.

Aggrecans ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Collagen Type II ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Fetus ; Humans ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Selenium ; pharmacology ; T-2 Toxin ; toxicity

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of T-2 toxin on expressions of Fas, p53, Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 on human chondrocytes.

METHODSHuman chondrocytes were treated with T-2 toxin (1-20 ng/ml) for 5 d. Fas, p53 and other apoptosis-related proteins such as Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, caspase-3 were determined by Western blot analysis and their mRNA expressions were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSIncreases in Fas, p53 and the pro-apoptotic factor Bax protein and mRNA expressions and a decrease of the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-xL were observed in a dose-dependent manner after exposures to 1-20 ng/ml T-2 toxin, while the expression of the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 was unchanged. Meanwhile, T-2 toxin could also up-regulate the expressions of both pro-caspase-3 and caspase-3 in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONThese data suggest a possible underlying molecular mechanism for T-2 toxin to induce the apoptosis signaling pathway in human chondrocytes by regulation of apoptosis-related proteins.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Base Sequence ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; DNA Primers ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; T-2 Toxin ; toxicity ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; bcl-X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; fas Receptor ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the pathologic characteristics of chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, especially the pattern of pulmonary interstitial fibrosis; and to compare the histologic features with those of idiopathic interstitial pneumonitis.

METHODSThe HE-stained paraffin sections of 10 cases of chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis encountered during the period from 2000 to 2008 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSThere were altogether 6 males and 4 females, with age of patients ranging from 23 to 59 years (mean=47.2 years). Clinically, the patients presented with chronic cough and shortness of breath for 4 months to 6 years. Histologically, 7 cases showed usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP)-like fibrosis. Patchy fibrosis was observed under the pleura, adjacent to interlobular septa and around bronchioles. In all of the 7 cases, foci of fibroblastic proliferation, as well as bronchiolar metaplasia of peribronchiolar alveoli and mild bronchiolitis, were noted. Three cases presented with mild honeycomb changes of lung and 3 cases showed non-specific interstitial pneumonitis (NSIP)-like fibrosis, in which the alveolar septa were expanded by fibrous tissue and collagen, with relative preservation of alveolar architecture. Bronchiolitis and lymphocytic infiltrates in alveolar septa were seen. Schaumann bodies were identified in 1 case. In general, patients with chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis were younger than patients with idiopathic UIP. Computed tomography often showed upper and middle lobar involvement and mosaic attenuation. Compared with idiopathic UIP, the UIP-like fibrosis of chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis often occurred not only under the pleura and adjacent to interlobular septa, but also around bronchioles and was accompanied by bronchiolar metaplasia.

CONCLUSIONSChronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis can mimic other types of lung conditions with interstitial fibrosis, especially UIP and NSIP. As a result, some cases of chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis may be misdiagnosed as such.

Adult ; Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic ; complications ; pathology ; Chronic Disease ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ; etiology ; pathology ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Alveoli ; pathology ; Young Adult