OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of the deleted azoospermia (DAZ) gene copy related to gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions in the AZFc region with male spermatogenic impairment.

METHODSThis study included 121 infertile men with different de- grees of spermatogenic impairment and 95 healthy donors from the sperm bank. Using PCR, PCR-RFLP, and Y chromosome specific sequence tagged sites (STS) , we analyzed the association of DAZ gene copy deletions related to gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions in the AZFc region with spermatogenic impairment.

RESULTSThere were 15 cases of gr/gr deletion (12. 40% ) and 6 cases of b2/b3 deletion (4.96%) in the infertility group as compared with 13 cases of gr/gr deletion (13.68%) and 1 case of b2/b3 deletion (1.05%) in the control. Analysis of the DAZ-specific single nucleotide variant (SNV) loci revealed 11 gr/gr-DAZI/DAZ2 deletions (9.09%), 4 gr/gr-DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions (3.31%), and 6 b2/b3-DAZ1/DAZ2 deletions (4.96%) in the infertile men in comparison with 3 gr/ gr-DAZ1/DAZ2 deletions (3.16%), 10 gr/gr-DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions (10.53%), and 1 b2/b3- DAZ3/DAZ4 deletion (1.05%) in the control.

CONCLUSIONPartial deletions of gr/gr and b2/b3 exist in both healthy men and male patients with different degrees of spermatogenic impairment and cannot be considered as a risk factor for spermatogenesis impairment. However, deletions of different DAZ duplicons in gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions have different effects on spermatogenesis. DAZ1/DAZ2 instead of DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions might be associated with spermatogenesis impairment.

Deleted in Azoospermia 1 Protein ; Gene Deletion ; Gene Dosage ; Humans ; Male ; RNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Spermatogenesis ; genetics

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant tumors as well as a frequent cause of cancer-related mortality in men worldwide. The test of serum markers has dramatically improved the early diagnosis of PCa, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet completely identified. Long noncoding RNA (IncRNA) is emerging as a new player in the PCa paradigm demonstrating its potential roles in both oncogenic and tumor suppressive pathways. LncRNA is frequently aberrantly expressed in the majority of PCa cases. This review highlights recent findings of the aberrant expression of lncRNA in PCa and discusses its novel roles in the diagnosis, prediction, prognosis, metastasis, and potential clinical treatment of PCa.
Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; RNA, Long Noncoding ; metabolism

Background Retinal development continues during the early postnatal period in mammals.Correct arrangement of layers and precise location of various cells in the retina are vital for forming normal visual function during critical period plasticity.Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography(SD-OCT)provides highquality in vivo retinal imaging and the possibility to measure retinal thickness longitudinally. Objective The present study was to investigate the changes of retinal thickness during critical period plasticity in rats. Methods In vivo consecutive scanning of retinal image was performed in 10 SPF Sprague-Dawley rats at postnatal day 14(P14),P18,P21,P24 and P42 with SD-OCT,and retinal histopathological examination was used to detect retinal morphologic changes at the same postnatal ages in 20 matched rats.The whole retinal thickness,the thickness from inner limiting membrane(ILM)to inner plexiform layer(IPL),the thickness of inner nuclear layer(INL)and the thickness from outer nuclear layer(ONL)to retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)were measured using Cirrus HD-OCT system and HMIAS-2000 Imaging System in retinal sections.The measurement parameters by Cirrus HD-OCT and those by hematoxylin-eosin staining were compared.The use of animals followed the Statement of National Institute of Health (USA). Results In vivo high-resolution images of rat retinas with SD-OCT compared well with histology,which enabled quantitative comparison of the SD-OCT and histological data during critical period plasticity in rats.From P14 to P42,the retinal thickness gradually decreased with the increase of rat ages(F=15.425,P=0.000),and so were the thickness from ILM to IPL,the thickness of INL and the thickness from ONL to RPE(F=3.973,P=0.007;F=17.529,P=0.000;F=7.038,P=0.000).The retinal thickness,thickness of INL.thickness from ONL to RPE measured by Cirrus HD-OCT were significantly correlated with those measured by retinal sections among P14,P18,P21,P24 and P42 rats(r=0.794,P=0.000;r=0.784,P=0.000;r=0.681,P=0.000). Conclusion SD-OCT is a demonstratably valuable technology to study the structure of retinas in rats.The retinal thickness is shown to reduce in thickness throughout the development of the retina during critical period plasticity due to the decrease in thickness of INL and the distance from the ONL to RPE,as illustrated by OCT scanning.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the factors influencing the prognosis of penis-sparing surgery (PSS) for early-stage penile cancer.

METHODSWe retrospectively studied the clinical data about 45 cases of early-stage penile cancer treated by PSS from January 2007 to December 2014. We calculated the rate of local recurrence-free survival by the Kaplan-Meier method, and conducted univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses on the relevant factors including the patient's age, marital status, tumor location, tumor size, postoperative sexual life, histological grade, and TNM stage.

RESULTSOne-year and three-year local recurrence-free survival rates were 95.5% and 52.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the histological grade (P = 0.039) and postoperative sexual life (P = 0.049) were independent factors for the prognosis of PSS. Logistic regression showed the patients age to be significantly associated with histological grade (P = 0.014).

CONCLUSIONHistological grade and postoperative sexual life are important independent prognostic factors of PSS for early-stage penile cancer, and the patients age is associated with the prognosis of PSS through its influence on the tumor grade.

Age Factors ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Grading ; Organ Sparing Treatments ; Penile Neoplasms ; surgery ; Penis ; surgery ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To explore role of 64-slices spiral CT in differetiation of acute chest pains.Methods Thirty six patients with acute chest pains were performed 64-slices spiral CT chest angiography.Two-dimensional and three-dimensional reconstruction was performed in all patients by means of multiplanar reconstruction(MPR)(coronal,sgittal oblique),curved planar reformation(CPR), maximum intensity projection(MIP),and volume rendering(VR).All images were blindly reading by two experienced radiologist.DSA were performed at the same time in 16 cases.Results The coronary artery branches,pulmonary artery and aortic artery in all patients were showed clearly,The acute myocardial infarction were showed in 10 cases,The pulmonary artery embolism in 14 cases,The aortic dissection in 6 cases respectively,The Coronary embolism in One case ,pneumothorax In One case The constrictive pericarditis in 1 case respectively.Normal findings in 4 cases.Conclusion 64-slices spiral CT is a useful and noninvasive examination in acute chest pain.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the in vitro antioxidant and cytoprotective effects of fermented sesame sauce (FSeS) against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative damage in renal proximal tubule LLC-PK1 cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl radical (*OH), and H2O2 scavenging assay was used to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity of FSeS. To investigate the cytoprotective effect of FSeS against H2O2-induced oxidative damage in LLC-PK1 cells, the cellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, and endogenous antioxidant enzymes including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) were measured. RESULTS: The ability of FSeS to scavenge DPPH, *OH and H2O2 was greater than that of FSS and AHSS. FSeS also significantly inhibited H2O2-induced (500 microM) oxidative damage in the LLC-PK1 cells compared to FSS and AHSS (P < 0.05). Following treatment with 100 microg/mL of FSeS and FSS to prevent H2O2-induced oxidation, cell viability increased from 56.7% (control) to 83.7% and 75.6%, respectively. However, AHSS was not able to reduce H2O2-induced cell damage (viability of the AHSS-treated cells was 54.6%). FSeS more effectively suppressed H2O2-induced ROS generation and lipid peroxidation compared to FSS and AHSS (P < 0.05). Compared to the other sauces, FSeS also significantly increased cellular CAT, SOD, and GSH-px activities and mRNA expression (P < 0.05). CONCULUSIONS: These results from the present study suggest that FSeS is an effective radical scavenger and protects against H2O2-induced oxidative damage in LLC-PK1 cells by reducing ROS levels, inhibiting lipid peroxidation, and stimulating antioxidant enzyme activity.
Animals ; Catalase ; Cats ; Cell Survival ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Hydrogen* ; Hydroxyl Radical ; Lipid Peroxidation ; LLC-PK1 Cells ; Oxidative Stress ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; RNA, Messenger ; Sesamum* ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Swine

OBJECTIVETo optimize the preparation process of gemcitabine polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles (GCTB- PBCA-NP).

METHODSAccording to the particle size, the entrapment efficiency and the loading quantity of GCTB-PBCA-NP, single factor analysis was carried out to optimize the component composition and preparation process based on an orthogonal design.

RESULTSThe mean particle size of the NP was (112-/+9) nm with an entrapment efficiency of (54.12-/+2.43)% and drug loading of (11.08-/+0.89)%.

CONCLUSIONAn optimized nanoparticular drug delivery system is obtained by emulsion polymerization.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Deoxycytidine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemical synthesis ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Enbucrilate ; chemical synthesis ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry

Bamboo salt, a Korean folk medicine, is prepared with solar salt (sea salt) and baked several times at high temperatures in a bamboo case. In this study, we compared the preventive effects of bamboo salt and purified and solar salts on hepatic damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in Sprague-Dawley rats. Compared with purified and solar salts, bamboo salts prevented hepatic damage in rats, as evidenced by significantly reduced serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.05). Bamboo salt (baked 9x) triggered the greatest reduction in these enzyme levels. In addition, it also reduced the levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. Histopathological sections of liver tissue demonstrated the protective effect of bamboo salt, whereas sections from animals treated with the other salt groups showed a greater degree of necrosis. We also performed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses of the inflammation-related genes iNOS, COX-2, TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta in rat liver tissues. Bamboo salt induced a significant decrease (~80%) in mRNA and protein expression levels of COX-2, iNOS, TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta, compared with the other salts. Thus, we found that baked bamboo salt preparations could prevent CCl4-induced hepatic damage in vivo.
Alanine Transaminase ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Blotting, Western ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Cytokines ; Inflammation ; Interferons ; Interleukins ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Liver ; Medicine, Traditional ; Necrosis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA, Messenger ; Salts ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The aim of this experiments was to show anti-obesity effects of Korean solar salt from different salt fields in diet-induced obese mice. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Diet-induced obesity (DIO) was induced by a high-fat diet (HFD; 45% cal from fat) in C57BL/6J mice for eight weeks. The mice were fed with the designated diets (chow diet for Normal, HFD for Control, 0.47%-salt-mixed HFD for purified salt (PS), Guerande solar salt from France (SS-G), solar salt from Y salt field (SS-Y), solar salts from T salt field (SS-T) and S salt field (SS-S)) for another eight weeks. We checked body weight, food efficiency ratio (FER) and tissue weights (liver and epididymal adipose tissue (EAT)), and observed serum concentrations of triacylglycerol (TG), total cholesterol (TC), leptin and insulin. We also evaluated gene expressions of adipogenic / lipogenic mRNAs of C/EBPα, PPARγ and FAS and beta-oxidation-related factors (PPARα and CPT-1) in liver and EAT. The mineral composition of salt samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). RESULTS: SS-T and SS-S significantly reduced body weight gain, FER, and weight of EAT compared to control and other samples (P < 0.05). SS-T and SS-S also significantly decreased serum levels of TG, TC, leptin and insulin (P < 0.05). SS-T and SS-S suppressed expressions of adipogenic / lipogenic mRNAs in liver and EAT, while promoting expression of beta-oxidation-related factors. The lowest sodium concentration was observed in SS-T (30.30 ± 0.59%), and the lowest sodium-to-potassium (Na/K) ratio was found in SS-S (17.81). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that well-processed Korean solar salt may have anti-obesity effects in vivo, probably owing to its differences in mineral composition and other components, presumably resulting from the manufacturing processes. Further research is needed into the mechanism and to explore optimal manufacturing processes.
Adipose Tissue ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Diet ; Diet, High-Fat ; France ; Gene Expression ; Insulin ; Leptin ; Liver ; Mice ; Mice, Obese* ; Miners ; Obesity* ; Plasma ; RNA, Messenger ; Salts* ; Sodium ; Spectrum Analysis ; Triglycerides ; Weights and Measures

BACKGROUNDThere is no research, either at home or abroad, focusing on assessing the cardiopulmonary functional reserve and exercise tolerance in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), but the benefits of early exercise are well recognized. The goals of this study were to assess cardiopulmonary functional reserve in treated PE patients using the inert gas rebreathing method of the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), and to compare it with traditional methods.

METHODSCPET on the bicycle ergometer were performed in 40 patients with age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and pulmonary function matched. The first group was the PE group composed of 16 PE patients (5 male, 11 female) who were given the standard antithrombotic therapy for two weeks. The second group was composed of 24 normal individuals (10 male, 14 female). Both groups were evaluated by cardiac ultrasound examination, 6-minute walking test (6MWT), and CPET.

RESULTS(1) Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) in the PE group increased significantly compared to the control group, (34.81 ± 8.15) mmHg to (19.75 ± 3.47) mmHg (P < 0.01). But neither right atrial end-systolic diameter (RASD) nor right ventricular end-diastolic diameter (RVDD) in the PE patients had changed when compared with the controls. The 6-minute walk distance was significantly reduced in the PE patients compared with normal subjects, (447.81 ± 79.20) m vs. (513.75 ± 31.45) m (P < 0.01). Both anaerobic threshold oxygen consumption (VO(2)AT) and peak oxygen consumption (VO(2)peak) were significantly lower in patients with PE, while CO(2) equivalent ventilation (VE/VCO(2) slope) was higher; VO(2)AT (9.44 ± 3.82) ml×kg(-1)×min(-1) vs. (14.62 ± 2.93) ml×kg(-1)×min(-1) (P < 0.01) and VO2peak (12.26 ± 4.06) ml×kg(-1)×min(-1) vs. (23.46 ± 6.15) ml×kg(-1)×min(-1) (P < 0.01) and VE/VCO(2) slope 35.47 ± 6.66 vs. 26.94 ± 3.16 (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in resting cardiac output (CO) between the PE and normal groups, whereas peak cardiac output (peak CO) and the difference between exercise and resting cardiac output (ΔCO) were both significantly reduced in the PE group; peak CO (5.97 ± 2.25) L/min to (8.50 ± 3.13) L/min (P < 0.01), ΔCO (1.29 ± 1.59) L/min to (3.97 ± 2.02) L/min (P < 0.01). (2) The 6-minute walk distance did not correlated with CPET except for the VO2 peak in patients with PE, r = 0.675 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe cardiopulmonary functional reserve was reduced in patients with PE. CPET is an accurate, quantitative evaluation of cardiopulmonary functional reserve for PE patients.

Aged ; Exercise Test ; methods ; Exercise Tolerance ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen Consumption ; physiology ; Pulmonary Embolism ; physiopathology ; therapy