Objective To investigate the value of 99Tcm-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) scintigraphy in assessing the preoperative chemotherapy response and multidrug resistance of osteosarcoma.Methods From January 2007 to October 2008, 12 patients (female:4, male:8; mean age:16.3 years,range:8-27 years) underwent early (10min) and delayed (120 min) 99Tcm-MIBI scintigraphy before and after preoperative chemotherapy.Seven cases had osteosarcoma at the distal femurs, 2 at the proximal tibias, 2 at the upper end of humerus and 1 at the fibula.The tumor-to-background ratio (T/B) and washout rate (WR) were calculated.Tumor necrosis was classified according to Huvos criterion after limb salvage surgery.Immunohistochemical staining for P-glycoprotein(gp) was examined.Spearman correlation analysis and t-test were performed.Results According to Huvos criterion, 7 patients were classified as good responders with more than 90% of tumor cell necrosis and 5 as poor responders with less than 90% of tumor cell necrosis.R value (ratio of early phase T/B after and before chemotherapy) was significantly lower in good responders than that in poor responders (0.473 ± 0.21 vs 0.998 ± 0.06, t= 5.342, P= 0.000 ).R value was significantly correlated with the degree of tumor cell necrosis ( rs=- 0.87, P= 0.000 ).WR was significantly higher in patients with positive P-gp expression than that in patients with negative P-gp expression ((38.36 ±18.64)% vs (6.40±5.87)%, t= -3.278, P=0.008).There was significant correlation between the WR and P-gp expression (rs = 0.91, P= 0.001 ).Conclusion 99Tcm-MIBI scintigraphy is a feasible non-invasive technique to assess the chemotherapy response and to detect P-gp expression of osteosarcoma.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of ovotesticular disorder of sex development (OT-DSD).

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed 2 cases of OT-DSD treated in our hospital. The patients were 19 and 15 years old, respectively, and both received systematic physical examination and examinations of the karyotype, sex hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), color Doppler ultrasonography, urethrocystoscopy, and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) test. Under the laparoscope, we performed surgical gonad exploration, gonadectomy, and vulvar orthopedics. Intraoperative exploration and pathology confirmed true hermaphroditism in both cases, with sex selection as female. One underwent laparoscopic resection of the ovotestis, and the other removal of the testis with the ovarian tissue reserved.

RESULTSThe patients were followed up for 12 months postoperatively, which found no abnormality in either the vulvas or the genital glands.

CONCLUSIONSurgical exploration of the gonad is the only method for the diagnosis of OT-DSD and sex selection is the key to treatment. Laparoscopic surgical exploration of the gonad and vulvar orthopedics are the first treatment options.

Adolescent ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Female ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Ovary ; Ovotesticular Disorders of Sex Development ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Testis ; surgery ; Young Adult

Objective To study the in vitro and in vivo effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on osteoclast and osteoblast precursor cells.MethodsTo observe the in vitro effect of PEMFs,femur bone marrow cells of 8 week old female SD rats were collected.According to different treating doses,rats were divided into four treatment groups and one control group.After the treatment,the clones of granuloeyte/maerophage colony forming unit(CFU-GM) and fibroblast colony forming units(CFU-F) were measured respectively.To observe the combined in vitro and in vivo effect of PEMFs,8 week old female SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: 2-70 group,ovariectomization (OVX) group and SHAM group.Rats in the 2-70 group and OVX group were bilateral ovariectomized,while rats in the SHAM group were sham-ovariectomized.12 weeks after ovariectomization,the 2-70 group was exposed to PEMFs while the other groups were left untreated.Then,femur bone marrow cells of the rats were collected.According to the way whether the groups were treated with PEMFs,the cells were divided into six groups: 2-70 with/without treatment,OVX with/without treatment,SHAM with/without treatment.After the treatments,the clones of CFU-GM and CFU-F were measured respectively.Resultsin vitro effect of PEMFs: Compared with the control group,the CFU-GMin the treated groups reduced while the CFU-F increased.PEMFs effect in vitro and in vivo: The CFU-F in treated groupsincreased,whileno.significantdifferencesofCFU-GMwerefoundamongthegroups.Conclusion PEMFs has inhibitory effect on osteoelast precursor cells and enhances the proliferation of osteoblast precursor cells when simply applied in vitro.When PEMFs was applied in combined manner of in vitro and in vivo,it shows that PEMFs enhance the proliferation of osteoblast precursor cells but has no inhibitory effects on osteoelast precursor cells.

OBJECTIVETo establish a rat model of anti-sperm antibody (AsAb)-mediated immune infertility, and investigate the effects of serum AsAb positive on the Fas/Fas-L apoptosis pathway in testis tissue and testicular germ cells of pubertal male rats.

METHODSThirty 5-week-old Wistar male rats were included in this study, 10 killed for preparation of sperm suspension, 10 as normal controls, and the other 10 made models of AsAb-positive immune infertility (experimental group). Four weeks after modeling, the testes of the rats were harvested for observation of the changes in the testis tissue under the light microscope and detection of the expressions of Fas, Fas-L and Caspase-3 proteins by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the experimental group showed obvious apoptotic changes in the testis tissue and remarkably increased expressions (OD value) of Fas (161.87 +/- 5.37 vs 176.97 +/- 4.58), Fas-L (150.27 +/- 8.65 vs 187.52 +/- 7.76) and Caspase-3 (120.37 +/- 6.76 vs 157.65 +/- 7.38) (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSerum AsAb affected the infertility of pubertal male rats, and its mechanisms might be associated with up-regulated expression of Fas, Fas-L and Caspase-3 proteins in the Fas/Fas-L apoptotic pathway.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Autoantibodies ; immunology ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Fas Ligand Protein ; metabolism ; Germ Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; metabolism ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Signal Transduction ; Testis ; cytology ; metabolism ; fas Receptor ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo analyze the causes of death in patients with heart failure.

METHODSA total of 133 heart failure patients died during hospitalization in our hospital between January 2005 and December 2008 were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided to two groups: sudden death (group A, n = 73, 54.9%), chronic end-stage pump failure (group B, n = 55, 41.4%). The remaining 5 cases died of other causes were excluded from the final analysis. Clinical data (medical history, blood pressure, clinical manifestation, NYHA cardiac function class, left ventricular diameter of diastole, left ventricular ejection fraction, ventricular arrhythmias, drug therapy) of group A and B were analyzed.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in terms of medical history (including hypertension and diabetes), blood pressure, heart rate and the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia between the two groups. In group A, the NYHA functional class was mostly II or III grade, and LVEF value was significantly higher than that of group B. The incidence of angina pectoris was significantly higher in group A compared to group B. beta-blocker and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker use was also significantly higher in group A than in group B, however, the treatment dose was significantly lower and therapy duration was significantly shorter in group A than in group B. There were significantly less patients received statins and anti-platelet aggregation drugs in group A compared to group B.

CONCLUSIONIn our patient cohort, sudden cardiac death often occurred in heart failure patients with NYHA cardiac function II to III grade, angina pectoris, probably due to the unstable coronary plaque and less statins and anti-platelet drug use in these patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Cause of Death ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; epidemiology ; Female ; Heart Failure ; mortality ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in men attending a sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic in Hangzhou area.

METHODSMale subjects (n=375) aged 18-70 years, attending the STD clinic were recruited. Urethral swabs were assessed for HPV DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the consensus primers MY09/11. HPV genotypes of positive PCR products were determined by restriction fragment length polymorphisms and direct sequence analysis.

RESULTSOf the 375 swabs collected, 305 (81.3%) yielded sufficient DNA for the subsequent HPV analysis. Among the 305 subjects, the prevalence of HPV was 13.8%. Nononcogenic HPV types were found in 8.5% (26/305) of subjects, oncogenic types in 4.3% (13/305), and multiple types in 1.0% (3/305). The prevalence of HPV infection was higher in subjects from urban area than in those from rural area (P < 0.05). The prevalence was also higher in those who received fewer years of education (P < 0.05) and those who had more sex partners (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHPV infection among men at high risk is not uncommon. The detection rate of HPV DNA is significantly related to some sociodemographic factors, such as residence, educational level and the number of sex partners.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Papillomaviridae ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Papillomavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical effects of the Chinese drug Yimusake, used alone or in combination with trazodone hydrochloride, on primary premature ejaculation (PE).

METHODSSixty-eight primary PE patients were randomized to a control (n=32) and an experimental group (n=36), the former treated with Yimusake 1 tablet (50 mg) pre day, and the latter with 1 tablet of trazodone hydrochloride (50 mg) pre day in addition, both given orally after supper and for 4 weeks, followed by observation of the therapeutic effects.

RESULTSEighteen cases (56.25%) responded in the control and 25 (69.44% ) in the experimental group, with statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONYimusake combined with trazodone hydrochloride is highly efficacious for primary PE.

Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Premature Ejaculation ; drug therapy ; Trazodone ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE on the movement parameters and viability of human sperm in vitro.

METHODSWe collected sperm samples from 33 normal fertile men, divided each into two, and cultured them in vitro with SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE + Hams-F10 and Hams-F10 alone, respectively. Then we measured the straight line velocity (VSL), curvilinear velocity (VCL), average path velocity (VAP) and the amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) of the sperm by computer-aided semen analysis at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 h. And the sperm viability was detected.

RESULTSVCL was significantly higher at 8 h (P < 0.05) and very significantly higher at 12 h (P < 0.01) in the SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE + Hams-F10 group than in the Hams-F10 group. VSL, VAP and ALH were significantly increased in the former group at 4, 8 and 12 h as compared with the latter (P < 0.05). The sperm viability was significantly decreased in the Hams-F10 group at 12 h (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE can improve sperm movement parameters and increase sperm viability in vitro.

Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Sperm Motility ; drug effects ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects

Curcumin has a wide spectrum of pharmaceutical properties such as antitumor, antioxidant, antiamyloid, and anti-inflammatory activity. However, poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin are major challenge in its development as a useful drug. To overcome many of these problems, curcumin-loaded long-circulating liposomes (Cur-LCL) were prepared by the ethanol injection method. Morphology of Cur-LCL was observed by transmission electron microscope, mean particle size and Zeta potential were detected by laser particle size analyzer, entrapment efficiency and drug loading were evaluated by ultracentrifugation. The drug release behavior in vitro and pharmacokinetic behavior in rats of Cur-LCL were investigated with curcumin (Cur) and curcumin liposomes (Cur-Lips) as control. The results showed that the mean diameter of Cur-LCL was 110 nm, the Zeta potential was -5.8 mV. The entrapment efficiency and drug loading of Cur-LCL was 80.25%, 2.06%, respectively. The release behavior in vitro studied by dialysis in PBS buffer showed significant sustained release profile that 48.95% Cur were released from Cur-LCL in 7 h, 88.92% in 24 h. The pharmacokinetic parameters showed that compared with Cur and Cur-Lips, the t(1/2beta) of Cur-LCL was extended to 13 and 1.8-fold, respectively. Besides, the AUC values was significantly increased (P < 0.01), and the clearance was evidently decreased (P < 0.01). These results from in vitro and in vivo indicated that Cur-LCL were able to realize controlled drug release and increase circulation time.
Animals ; Curcumin ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Female ; Humans ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Male ; Particle Size ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Solubility

OBJECTIVETo investigate the polymorphism distribution of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene Fok I in Mongolian population of China.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used to analyze three genotypes FF, Ff and ff in the start codon of VDR gene (Fok I) in unrelated normal healthy Mongolian individuals of China.

RESULTSIn the population, we obtained the allelic frequencies of 57% and 43% for (F) and (f) allele and the percentage of genotypes FF, Ff and ff to be 31%, 52%, and 17% respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe polymorphism frequency and distribution of this VDR gene Fok I in Mongolian population of China exhibit its own characteristics.

Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; ethnology ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Population ; Population Groups ; genetics ; Receptors, Calcitriol ; genetics