Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Epidermis ; cytology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Mice ; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins ; adverse effects ; toxicity ; Rats ; Skin Diseases ; chemically induced

Objective To explore the prevalence of anemia,iron deficiency and iron deficient anemia (IDA),and to identify their risk factors in 3 to 6 months infants in Dongcheng District of Beijing.Methods All the 845 infants aged 3 to 6 months who received bacille calmette guerin (BCG) vaccine during December 2010 and October 2011 in Hepingli Hospital of Beijing were invited to complete the investigation.Data (months,gender,birth weight,birth height,etc) were collected through a questionnaire survey.Infants were tested for hemoglobin (Hb),mean corpuscular volume (MCV),mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH),mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC),serum ferritin (SF) and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) and mothers underwent measurement for Hb,SF and serum iron (SI).Descriptive epidemiology and non-conditional logistic regression model were used to analyze the prevalence of nutritional anemia.Results The prevalence of anemia,iron deficiency and IDA was 12.06％,7.38％ and 2.11％,respectively.Non-conditional logistic regression analysis showed that the associated factor of anemia in infants was month age (vs.3-4 months age group,4-5 months age group:odds ratio (OR) =0.496,95％ confidence interval (CI) 0.272-0.905 ; 5-6 months age group:OR =0.494,95％ CI 0.234-1.043).The factors associated with iron deficiency were month age (vs.3-4 months age group,4-5 months age group:OR =0.539,95％ CI 0.266-1.088 ; 5-6 months age group:OR =0.334,95％ CI 0.125-0.891) and time of first breast-feeding (vs.the first day,the second day:OR =2.359,95％ CI 1.191-4.675; the third day:OR =1.154,95％ CI 0.450-2.963).Conclusions Our data show that iron nutrition in 3 to 6 months-old infants in Dongcheng District of Beijing was in good situation.The influencing factors of iron nutrition in infants may be month age and the time of first breast feeding.

Objective: To establish and validate a high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)method for the determination of related substances in etoricoxib tablets. Methods: The related substances in the etoricoxib tablets were determined by HPLC. The Waters C18 column(4.6 mm×150 mm,3.5 μm)was used. The mobile phase consisted of the aqueous 0.02 mol/L sodium dihydrogen phosphate solution and acetonitrile(71:29,V/V)and the flow rate was 0.6 ml/min. The detection wavelength was 235 nm. The column temperature was 40℃ and the injection volume was 10 μl. Results: The etoricoxib related substances and other degraded substances in the forced degradation test of etoricoxib were com- pletely separated under the HPLC conditions. The quantification limit and the detection limit were 0.5 ng and 1.0 ng both for etoricoxib and its N-oxide,respectively. The calibration curves showed a good linearity within the range of 61.14- 152.85 μg/ml for etoricoxib and 61.50-153.75 μg/ml for the N-oxide. The recoveries of etoricoxib and its N-oxide were both within the range of 98%-102%. The solution used for determining the related substances were kept stable within 12 h at room temperature. Conclusion: The established HPLC method showed good specificity,sensitivity and accuracy,which could be used for the determination of related substances in the etoricoxib tablets.

Laboratory animals and animal experiments are foundations and important support conditions for life sciences, especially for medical research. The animal experiments have drawn extensive attention from the society because of the ethical issue. This paper takes Wenzhou Medical University as an example to give a brief introduction to the ethical review about laboratory animals in the university so as to further draw attention and concerns from the public about the ethical issue of laboratory animals. We successively introduce its scientific projects, nurturing environment and ethical review of laboratory animals.
Animal Experimentation ; ethics ; Animals ; Animals, Laboratory ; Universities

Adult ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Cervix Uteri ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Endometrial Stromal Tumors ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged

Phytoestrogens, which can bind with estrogen receptor and produce estrogen-like effects, are a kind of nonsteroidal compound in plant. Phytoestrogens chemically include isoflavones, coumarins, lignans and other compounds. Phytoestrogens are selective estrogen receptor modulator, and have therapeutical effects on breast cancer, prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis and other disease, however, do not produce stimulatory hyperplasia effects on uterus, mammary glands and other tissues and organs with positive estrogen receptor. Long-term exposure or excessive use of phytoestrogens maybe affects male reproductive system and hematopoietic function of fetus. Some questions need to be further studied, such as evaluation criteria on biological activity, adverse effects, and action mechanism of phytoestrogen. This review covers plant sources, chemical structure, pharmacological activity and safety of phytoestrogens. It will provide a useful reference for intensive research and rational utilization the phytoestrogens.
Animals ; Humans ; Phytoestrogens ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Recent data have revealed that inhibiting autophagy exacerbates lipid accumulation in hepatocytes and nitrite treatment reduces total triglyceride levels in the high-fat diet mice. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effects of nitrite on simple hepatic steatosis and the possible role of autophagy. Firstly, steatotic L-02 cells were induced by incubating L-02 cells with 1.2 mmol · L(-1) oleic acid (OA) for 24 h. Secondly, steatotic L-02 cells were treated with 0.2 mmol · L(-1) sodium nitrite (SN) plus 3-methyladenine (3-MA), or chloroquine (CQ) for 24 h, and then lipid accumulation was measured with oil red O staining and triglyceride quantification. The notable steatosis could be observed in L-02 cells following exposure to 1.2 mmol · L(-1) OA for 24 h. Treatment with 0.2 mmol · L(-1) sodium nitrite reduced lipid accumulation in steatotic L-02 cells. 3-MA weakened the ability of sodium nitrite to ameliorate hepatic steatosis. Additionally, the sodium nitrite increased number of LC3-II immunostaining puncta and LC3-II protein expression was confirmed by immunofluorescence or Western blot analysis, and the effects were enhanced by CQ treatment. The number of increased cytoplasm vacuoles and lysosomes increased was confirmed by phase contrast and fluorescence microscope respectively. The increased autolysosome was detected by electron microscopy, this phenomenon could be reversed by CQ treatment. These data demonstrated that sodium nitrite enhanced the autophagic flux and decomposition of triglycerides in steatotic L-02 cells.
Adenine ; analogs & derivatives ; Autophagy ; Blotting, Western ; Cells, Cultured ; Chloroquine ; Cytoplasm ; Fatty Liver ; Hepatocytes ; drug effects ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Oleic Acid ; Sodium Nitrite ; pharmacology ; Triglycerides

BACKGROUNDDiabetic myocardiopathy is characterized by myocardial interstitial fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction. Statins were found to exert protective effects on cardiovascular disease by suppressing activation of small G proteins, independently of their lipid-lowering effect. The study investigated the effect of fluvastatin on myocardial interstitial fibrosis, cardiac function and mechanism of its action in diabetic rats.

METHODSTwenty-four male SD rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups: control rats (n = 8), streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats (n = 8), and diabetic rats treated with fluvastatin (administered fluvastatin orally, 10 mg/kg body weight per day, n = 8). Twelve weeks later, miniature cardiac catheter was inserted into the left ventricle to conduct hemodynamic examination. Then myocardium tissues were collected, collagen content was detected by picro-sirius red staining, real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of CTGF. Rho activity was determined by pull-down assay.

RESULTSAfter 12 weeks, the left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and maximum rate of left ventricular (LV) pressure rise and fall (+dP/dt max and -dP/dt max) were significantly lower and left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was higher in the diabetic rats than those in the control rats (P < 0.01). Moreover, in LV myocardial tissue of diabetic rats the collagen content, fibronectin, mRNA and protein expression of CTGF and the activity of RhoA were all significantly increased compared with the control rats (P < 0.01). Administration of fluvastain obviously improved the cardiac function of diabetic rats, attenuated fibronectin expression, mRNA and protein expression of CTGF and the activity of RhoA in LV myocardium of diabetic rats.

CONCLUSIONSFluvastatin attenuates cardiac dysfunction and myocardial interstitial fibrosis of diabetic rat by inhibiting activity of RhoA to down-regulate the overexpression of CTGF, and Rho/Rho-kinase pathway may be an important target in the treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated ; therapeutic use ; Fibrosis ; blood ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Hemodynamics ; drug effects ; Immunohistochemistry ; Indoles ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

UNLABELLEDTo observe the efficacy of adefovir dipivoxil(ADV) in combination with Anluohuaxian capsule in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

METHODS72 cases with CHB were randomly divided into two groups. 36 cases of treatment group were given ADV combined with Anluohuaxian capsule for 48 weeks. 36 cases of control group were given ADV. The levels of serum ALT, AST, Alb, TBil, HA, LN, CIV, HBV DNA and hepatic tissue were compared before and after being treated.

RESULTSAfter 48 weeks treatment,the liver function, serum fibrosis index and histology of treatment group and control group all have improved. After treatment, the two groups in the levels of ALT(t=0.746, P=0.342), AST (t=0.369, P=0.713), TBil (t=0.146, P=0.684), Alb(t=0.148, P=0.883), liver tissue inflammation mobility scoring (t=1.666, P=0.100) and HBV DNA negative rate (x2=0.141, P=0.708) were no evident difference.The level of HA, LN, CIV were significantly lower in treatment group(101.58+/-30.11, 147.89+/-41.72, 38.75+/-9.50) compared with control group(182.25+/-117.59, 181.50+/-56.96, 74.92+/-31.14) (P less than 0.05). After the treatment, the liver tissue fibrosis scoring was significantly lower in treatment group (10.61+/-2.37) compared with before the treatment (12.28+/-3.16) (P less than 0.05).There was no difference found between after the treatment (11.36+/-2.93) and before the treatment (12.17+/-3.01) in control group (P more than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe results show that the treatment with ADV in combination with Anluohuaxian capsule can play promoting antifibrotic effect and significant improved liver histology of chronic hepatitis B patients.

Adenine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Organophosphonates ; therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the current condition of Keshan disease(KD), and inner and outer environmental selenium (Se) levels in Shandong Province, in order to provide scientific evidence for the research, prevention and control work. Methods Inhabitants from 20 villages of 8 counties in KD endemic areas were selected as subjects undergoing general physical examination and electrocardiogram (ECG). Suspicious cases were followed up by chest X-ray radiographs. Meanwhile the Se contents in hair, wheat, corn and sweet potato were measured. Results Ninety one patients with KD, including 82 with latent KD and 9 with chronic KD, were screened out of 2613 inhabitants. The total incidence of KD was 3.48% (91/2613), while the incidence of latent and chronic KD was 3.14%(82/2613) and 0.34%(9/2613) respectively. No new cases of acute or sub-acute KD were found. A total of 368 abnormal ECCs were discovered and the rate of abnormal ECG detected among surveyed population was 14.08% (368/2613). Out of 113 suspects who took X-ray, 57 cases had cardiomagaly. In 217 samples of hair, 228 samples of wheat, 214 samples of corn and 190 samples of sweet potato that were collected, the Se contents were determined by fluorescence. The average Se content in hair, wheat,corn and sweet potato were (0.406±0.090), (0.026±0.009), (0.023±0.010), (0.024±0.006)mg/kg respectively. Conclusions Current condition of KD in Shandong Province remains relatively stable. Se content was increased in the hair, nearly achieving the level in normal areas, but remains low in food.