External use of either xanthotoxin or umbelliferone alone in normal rats showed that the chromosomes of the myelocyte were mutated at an aberrant rate of 2.0% and 0.2%, respectively (P

OBJECTIVE: To establish the quality standard of Compound buwu syrup. METHODS: TLC was employed to identify Psoralea corylifolia,Angelica sinensis,Ligusticum chuanxiong and Salvia miltiorrhiza.HPLC was applied for the determination of the contents of psoralen and isopsoralen.RUSULTS:Psoralea corylifolia,Angelica sinensis,Ligusticum chuanxiong and Salvia miltiorrhiza were all well-separated with clear TLC spots.The linear ranges of psoralen and isopsoralen were 0.030 4～0.304 ?g(r=0.999 1) and 0.036 2～0.362 ?g(r=0.999 5),respectively and the average recoveries were 100.1%(RSD=2.9%) and 102.4%(RSD=2.7%),respectively.CONCLUSION:The established standard is applicable for the quality control of Compound buwu syrup.

The effects of grape seed oil on serum total cholesterol (TC) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were investigated in experimental hypercholesterolemic rats. The grape seed oil containing about 74% linoleic acid, multivitamins and trace elements. Each animal was given 4 ml/kg BW grape seed oil mixed in high fat ration for 40 days. The results in two experiments showed that TC concentration in the serum of rats fed grape seed oil was markedly lowered as compared to control, but serum HDL-C was less lowered. Furthermore, the ratio of HDL-C to TC in the experimental group was also significantly higher than that of control.

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between obesity at different ages and the risk of endometrial cancer in urban Shanghai, China.

METHODSIn a population-based case-control study conducted in urban Shanghai, in-person interviews and anthropometric measurements were completed for 497 women at age 30 to 69 and an equal number of controls frequency-matched to cases on age distribution. All cases were newly diagnosed with endometrial cancer from January 1, 1997 to June 30, 2000. Unconditional logistic regression model was employed to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the obesity at different ages.

RESULTSAfter adjustment for some potential confounding variables, neither adolescent height nor weight was significantly related to endometrial cancer. Obesity in adulthood, except around 20 years old, was associated with elevated risks, with odds ratios for the highest versus lowest quartile of body mass index (BMI) being 1.5 (95% CI: 1.0 - 2.1), 1.7 (95% CI: 1.2 - 2.4), 1.9 (95% CI: 1.3 - 2.8) and 1.7 (95% CI: 1.0 - 2.7) at ages 30, 40, 50 and 60, respectively. Weight gain of more than 7.5 kg at different 10-year intervals in adulthood were associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer, whereas only weight gain more than 15% of initial weight from 40 to 50 years old significantly related to the risk. Only weight loss from ages 20 to 30 was inversely associated with endometrial cancer risk (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2 - 0.8). Current body weight, BMI and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were independent risk factors to endometrial cancer while standing height and sitting-to-standing height ratio were unrelated to the risk of endometrial cancer.

CONCLUSIONResults indicated that adolescent obesity was unrelated to endometrial cancer. General obesity in adulthood, as well as body fat distribution, were associated with the risk of endometrial cancer independently. Weight changes before and after age 30 had different effects on the risk of endometrial cancer.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Body Height ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; complications ; Risk Factors

Objective To study the effect of Shenfukang Ⅱ on kidney function and TGF-β1/Smads signal pathway with 5/6 nephrectomy model in rats. Methods Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group, model group and Shenfukang group according to a random number table. We used 5/6 nephrectomy to prepare animal models. The rats were given Shenfukang Ⅱ particles 450 mg/(kg?d) gavage, the others group were given equal volume of saline gavage, once a day, continuous 21 days. The rats were given gavage at the 9 th week after operation. The changes of renal function index BUN, SCR and UA of rats in each group were detected 21 days after administration. The expression of TGF-β1, TGFβR1, Smad7, pSmad2, pSmad3 in renal tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. The Smad7, pSmad2 and pSmad3 detected the expression of in renal tissues by Western Blot. Results Compared with the model group, the content of BUN (15.03 ± 2.19 mmol/L vs. 24.30 ± 2.82 mmol/L), SCR (74.22 ± 7.36 μmol/L vs. 93.61 ± 14.73 μmol/L) in Shenfukang group significantly decreased (P<0.05). The expression of TGF-β1, TGFβR1, pSmad2 and pSmad3 significantly decreased in kidney tissue, while the expression of Smad7 significantly increased in kidney tissue. The expression of p-smad2 (0.47 ± 0.03 vs. 0.64 ± 0.04) and p-smad3 (0.43 ± 0.04 vs. 0.55 ± 0.02) significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the expression of Smad7 (0.54 ± 0.03 vs. 0.39 ± 0.02) significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusions Shenfukang Ⅱ have improved on kidney function with 5/6 nephrectomy model rats. The study revealed that Shenfukang II may play an anti-fibrotic effect on regulating TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway with 5/6 nephrectomies model.

Objective To test anti-Sa antibody in different autoimmune connective tissue diseases and analyze the relationship between Sa antibody and clinical manifestations and laboratory tests in rheumatoid arthritis.Method Sa antigen was extracted from human placenta. Anti-Sa antibody was tested in 40 normal people and 478 connective tissue disease (CTD) patients using Western Blotting (WB). Conclusion Anti-Sa antibody was a new auto-antibody for the diagnosis of RA. Anti-Sa antibody positive patients seem to have more serious inflammation and more advanced disease process.

In order to explore the mechanisms underlying the calcium alleviating fluorosis at protein level, we made an attempt to establish fluorosis and calcium supplementation rat models to isolate and identify bone differential proteins. The bone proteins of different groups were compared by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and analyzed by gene ontology annotation, pathway enrichment and interaction networks. The 17 proteins were identified in the fluorosis group (F) and the fluorosis calcium supplement group (F+Ca), including type I collagen (Col1a1), actin (Actb), protein glutamine transferase 2 (Tgm2), compared with the control group (C). These differential proteins are enriched in 38 bone metabolic pathways such as focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and AMPK signaling pathway. And the functions of these proteins are mainly related to cytoskeleton, energy metabolism, substance transport, ion channel, and apoptosis. Therefore, it is speculated that calcium may alleviate the fluoride-induced bone damage by regulating the focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt, AMPK and other signaling pathway, but the specific mechanism needs further research.
Animals ; Calcium ; Dietary Supplements ; Fluoride Poisoning ; Fluorosis, Dental ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Rats