Epidemiological studies reveal that prenatal adverse environment could cause lower birthweight in offspring and increase the susceptibility to multiple chronic diseases (e.g. metabolic and neuropsychiatric diseases etc.) after maturity. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclarified. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a key neuroendocrine axis playing pivotal roles in systemic stress responses before and after birth. It is also an important but vulnerable fetal targeting organ. Previous studies showed that many environmental insults during pregnancy, including external environment and maternal health condition, could affect fetal development in multi-ways via maternal-placental-fetal unit, which leads to the intrauterine programming alteration of HPA axis and the in?creased susceptibility to chronic diseases in adulthood. This article reviews the latest global advances in the etiology of increased susceptibility to adult diseases induced by compromised prenatal environ?ment and the associated intrauterine programming mechanisms by incorporating our recent research findings, and proposes that the fetal over-exposure to maternal glucocorticoids (GC) could bring about the intrauterine neuroendocrine metabolic programming alteration in offspring:the core is the program?ming of GC-insulin-like growth factor 1 axis in multiple organs, and the abnormal epigenetic modification is involved in this programming.

Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Medicine ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

China ; Foundations ; Integrative Medicine ; Natural Science Disciplines

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of different acupoint combination on prevention and treatment of stress gastric ulcer and to search for a better acupoint combination.

METHODSThe theoretical basis and experimental research on treatment of stomach diseases with the combination of he-(sea) points and front-mu points as well as back-shu points and front-mu points are analyzed in this article.

RESULTSThe combination of he-sea points and front-mu points is suitable to be applied on acute diseases, febrile diseases and diseases of fu organs. While the combination of back-shu points and front-mu points is more applicable on chronic gastric diseases.

CONCLUSIONIt is proved that the combination of he-sea point (Zusanli ST 36) and front-mu point (Zhongwan CV 12) has reliable effect on prevention and treatment of stress gastric ulcer.

Objective To study the effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) on human ovarian carcinoma 3AO cells in vitro. Methods Morphological changes were examined by microscopy; the inhibitory effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid mediated photodynamic(5-ALA-PDT) on 3AO cells were examined by MTT assay; cell cycle of 3AO cells was observed by flow cytometry with PI staining; the modality of 3AO cell death induced by 5-ALA-PDT was determined by flow cytometry with Annexin V-PI staining. Results Typical morphological changes of apoptosis occurred after 5-ALA-PDT. The inhibition rate of cells increased gradually with the increase of 5-ALA concentration and laser irradiation dose (P

Objective To analyze the clinical,molecular and genetic features of a Chinese family with WalkerWarburg syndrome(WWS).Methods The clinical data of the proband and his family members were collected.Genomic DNAs from the patient and his parents were extracted with standard procedures from the peripheral blood leukocytes.Polymerase chain reaction and DNA direct sequencing were employed to analyze all of the 20 exons of the POMT1 gene to determine the mutation,and the relationship between genotype and phenotype was analyzed.Results The proband presented with delayed psychomotor development,muscle hypotonia and early joint contractures,his serum creatine kinase was elevated moderately and the brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) displayed brain structural malformations,cerebellar cyst,bilateral dilatation of the lateral ventricle,cerebellum and brainstem dysplasia.Further genetic testing detected a compound heterozygous mutation of c.313C ＞ T,p.Arg105Cys inherited from his father,a frameshift mutation c.2208delG,p.Trp736X inherited from his mother,both of which were known as pathogenic mutations.Conclusions According to the study,the proband carried compound heterozygous mutation of POMT1 gene,and his parents were heterozygous carriers,which is consistent with autosomal recessive inheritance.The child is definitely diagnosed as WWS.Genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis are available for this family.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of small-dose cisplatin in enhancing photodynamic therapy sensitivity and apoptosis in human cervical carcinoma cell lines.Methods The Hela and Siha cells were divided into four groups(blank control group,photodynamic therapy only,cisplatin only,photodynamic therapy and cisplatin).The effects on proliferation of Hela and Siha cells in the four groups were examined by MTT assay.The expression of P185c-erbB-2 in Hela and Siha cells affected was detected by immunocytochemistry.Results The degree of apoptosis caused by the joint application of cisplatin and photodynamic therapy was greater than that caused by cisplatin or photodynamic therapy alone.The expression of P185c-erbB-2 in cells declined correspondingly.However,the order of cisplatin and photodynamic therapy did not cause obvious differences in the effect.Conclusion The in vitro proliferation of Hela and Siha cells is restrained obviously by cisplatin combined with photodynamic therapy;the effect is greater than that of cisplatin or photodynamic therapy only.The mechanism of cispatin's enhancement of photodynamic therapy sensitivity may be related to inhibiting P185c-erbB-2 expression.

Objective To investigate the construction of compound membrane with corneal stromal cells and collagen-chitosan by tissue engineering technique and its biocompatibility.Methods Rabbit and human corneal stromal cells were separated and seeded into collagen-chitosan membrane.The compound membrane was transplanted into rabbit corneal stroma.Then the growth condition of keratocytes,the effect on normal keratocytes and degradation of compound membrane were detected by corneal confocal microscope,anterior OCT and histological and immunohistochemical methods ex vivo 1,2,4 weeks after grafting.Results The rabbit and human corneal stromal cells grown well in collagen-chitosan scaffold.The compound membrane degradated gradually after grafting.There was no necrosis and dissolvation.Corneal epithelium,stroma and endothelial cells were all normal.Conclusion Collagen-chitosan can be used as a biological scaffold for construction of corneal stroma.Corneal confocal microscopy and anterior OCT are new methods to observe the biological activity of constructed corneal stroma.

Vascular cognitive impairment in patients with severe stroke has attracted wide attention of clinicians in recent years,and the cognitive impairments of transient ischemic attack (TIA) and minor stroke are often overlooked because of their mild symptoms and short duration.This article reviews the advances in research on cognitive impairment in patients with TIA and minor stroke in recent years in order to increase the degree of attention of clinicians and improve the overall prognosis of patients.

OBJECTIVE:To extract,isolate the triterpenes from the leaves of Olea europaea,then conduct structural identifica-tion,and provide reference for development and application of the leaves of O. europaea. METHODS:Silica gel column and other methods were used for elution,column chromatography and recrystallization of the ethyl acetate part of ethanol extracts from the leaves of Olea europaea. The structures of separated compounds were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance. RESULTS:6 com-pounds were isolated from ethyl acetate part of the leaves of O. europaea,identified as β-amyrin,erythrodiol,2α,3β-dihydrox-yl-12-ursen-28-acid (compound 3),oleanolic acid,camaldulenic acid (compound 5),3α-maslinic acid. Compound 3 and com-pound 5 were isolated from the leaves of O. europaea for the first time. CONCLUSIONS:The study has provided test basis for the further development and reasonable application of the leaves of O. europaea.