OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Morinda officinalis (MO) extract on cytoxan (CTX) -impaired spermatogenesis of adult male SD rats.

METHODSWe randomly divided 56 adult male SD rats into seven groups of equal number: blank control, CTX model, CTX + NS, CTX + 10 g/kg MO, CTX + 20 g/kg MO, CTX + 30 g/kg MO, and CTX + 40 g/kg MO. We made the models of impaired spermatogenesis in the SD rats by intraperitoneal injection of CTX and treated the animal models by intragastric administration of MO at the concentrations of 10, 20, 30, and 40 g per kg per d, respectively. After two weeks of medication, we observed the changes in the body weight, testicular and epididymal indexes, and microstructure of the testis tissue, measured the mean seminiferous tubule diameter (MSTD) , and obtained testicular biopsy scores (TBS) in different groups, followed by comparative analyses.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the CTX + NS group showed no remarkable differences in the body weight ([234.83 ± 28.77] g) and epididymal index (2.71 ± 0.34) from those of the four CTX + MO groups, but exhibited a significantly lower testicular index ([12.15 ± 1.04] g) than those in the CTX + 20 g/kg MO ([13.71 ± 0.97] g), CTX + 30 g/kg MO, ([13.30 ± 0.29] g), and CTX + 40 g/kg MO group ([13.48 ± 0.51] g) (P < 0.05). Light microscopy revealed obvious pathological changes of the testis tissue in the CTX + NS group and significantly ameliorated structures of the seminiferous tubules in the CTX + MO 10, 20, 30, and 40 g/kg groups, with the MSTD of (204.78 ± 11.03), (216.55 ± 10.93), (218.03 ± 11.23), and (218.59 ± 14.06) μm, respectively, and the TBS of 9.03 ± 0.39, 9.69 ± 0.26, 9.83 ± 0.18, and 9.89 ± 0.11, respectively, all significantly higher than (189.74 ± 8.55) μm and 5.95 ± 1.21 in the CTX + NS group (P < 0.05). The efficacy of MO extract was increased in a concentration-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONMorinda officinalis extract can repair cytoxan-induced damage to rat spermatogenesis, with may achieve the best effect at the concentrations of 30 and 40 g per kg per d.

Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Cyclophosphamide ; toxicity ; Epididymis ; drug effects ; Male ; Morinda ; chemistry ; Mutagens ; toxicity ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seminiferous Tubules ; drug effects ; pathology ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects ; Testis ; drug effects ; ultrastructure

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Femur Head Necrosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; Phytotherapy

OBJECTIVE:To establish the fingerprints of 11 batches of Cardiospermum halicacabum from Guangxi,and detect its spectrum-effect relationship of antioxidant activity in vitro,and provide reference for revealing the material basis for its antioxi-dant activity. METHODS:HPLC was conducted to establish the fingerprints of 11 batches of C. halicacabum from Guangxi,the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-trinitrobenzene hydrazine(DPPH)free radical scavenging method was used to determine the antioxidant activity in vi-tro of C. halicacabum from different origins,and bivariate correlation analysis was adopted to detect the spectrum-effect relation-ship of antioxidant activity in vitro. RESULTS:The similarities of 11 batches of C. halicacabum from Guangxi were all more than 0.9,and the content change of peak 2(protocatechuic acid),3,4,12 in 16 common peaks was closely related to the DPPH free radical scavenging activity. CONCLUSIONS:The chemical composition of C. halicacabum from different origins in Guangxi is ba-sically consistent,while there are some differences in the quality of the producing area. The protocatechuic acid (peak 2) and the unknown compounds represented by peak 3,4,12 may be the pharmacodynamic material basis of its antioxidant activity.

Objective To establish a HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of campanulin, paeoniflorin and hydrox-ysafflor yellow A in Buyang Huanwu Decoction. Methods A Kromasil C18(4. 6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) column was adopted. The mobile phase consisited of methanol and acetonitrile(26 : 2) (A), and 0. 7 % phosphoric acid solution(B), in gradient e-lution (0～10 min, 25 % →35 % A; 10～25 min, 35 %→40 % A). The flow rate was at 1.0 mL·min-1. The column tem-perature was 35 ℃;, and the detection wavelengths were set at 260nm for campanulin, 230 nm for paeoniflorin and 403 nm for hydroxysamor yellow A. Results The linear ranges of campanuliu, paconiflorin and hydroxysafflor yellow A were 0. 0539～1. 078 μg (r=0. 999 5), O. 4160～8. 320μg (r=0. 999 8), and 0. 0418～0. 8352 μg (r=0. 999 5) respectively; the av-erage recovery was 99. 4 % (RSD=1.5 %), 100. 6 % (RSD=1.7 %), and 101.0 % (RSD=1.9 %) respectively. Conclu-sion The method is simple, feasible and reproducible, and can be used for the quality control of Buyang Huanwu Decoction.

Animals ; Arteritis ; complications ; immunology ; Coronary Artery Disease ; etiology ; pathology ; Coronary Vessels ; pathology ; Models, Animal ; Rabbits

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate that after indirect co-culture of neonate rat myocardial cells and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into myocardial cells successfully. OBJECTIVE: To induce human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) to differentiate into endothelial cells using human umbilical vein endothelial cells by indirect co-culture. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: In vitro study of cell engineering was done at the Medical Research Center of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital between January and July 2007. MATERIALS: Small quantities of bone marrow were obtained from 11 children with congenital heart disease but without hematologic diseases through manubrium of sternum puncture in the congenital heart defect corrective surgery after the permission of family member. Umbilical cord of full-term normal delivery healthy newborn was provided by the Department of Obstetrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Fresh cattle jugular vein was provided by Guangdong Dali Meat Cattle Butchery. METHODS: The hBMSCs were isolated and purified using density gradient centrifugation method and were cultured in vitro. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were obtained from newborn umbilical cord by enzyme digestion. Cell culture insert with semipermeable membrane combined with 6-well plate was used to do indirect co-culture induction. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were expanded in the cell culture insert, passage 3 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were expanded in the 6-well plate outside the culture insert at the density of 1?105 cells/well, the initial ratio of the two kinds of cells was 1:5, then low-glucose DMEM culture solution containing 10% fetal bovine serum was added, cells were cultured for 14 days. Co-culture of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was used as control. Introduced endothelioid cells were cultured and then seeded on the cell-free cattle jugular vein intravascular stent. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Morphology changes of induced cells; introduced endothelioid cell surface antigen detected through immunocytochemical staining; the growth and adhesion condition of endothelioid cells on the intravascular stent observed under scanning electronic microsope. RESULTS: The morphologies of introduced endothelial cells were uniform, introduced endothelial cells presented a cobblestone-like appearance, they amplified fast and expressed endothelial cell-specific surface marker CD31 and vWF and the positive rate was over 99%. They also could form a continuous unicellular layer on the cell-free cattle jugular vein intravascular stent. CONCLUSION: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells can induce hBMSCs to differentiate into endothelial cells successfully and to adhere and grew on the cell-free cattle jugular vein intravascular stent through indirect co-culture method.

Animals ; Biogenic Monoamines ; metabolism ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Paraquat ; toxicity

Objective To study the feasibility, superiority and experience of minimally invasive laparoscopic-assisted surgery of the thyroid using ultrosonic scalpel. Methods In a period from January, 2006-August, 2008, 56 patients of the department of general surgery, the hospital of Heilongjiang Province were diagnosed as thyroid node. The size of the nodes ranged from 5.0 cm×4.2 cm to 3.5 cm×2.0 cm in uhrosonography. An incision of about 1.5-2.0 cm was made 1.0 cm above the suprasternal notch and the operation was performed with ultrosonic scalpel assisted with laparoscope. Partial thyroideetomy of lateral thyroid was performed in 20 cases, subtotal thyroidectomy in 25 cases, subtotal thyroidectomy of unilateral thyroid and partial thyroidectomy of contralateral thyroid respectively in 1 case, partial thyroidectomy of bilateral thyroid in 10 cases. Results All 56 cases have undergone minimally invasive laparoscopic-assisted surgery successfully in 50-146 min and no complications occurred. Fifty five cases were confirmed to be benign lesion pathologically. Conclusion Laparoscopic-assisted surgery of the thyroid is an effective with a good cosmetic result.

ObjectiveTo discuss the relationship between patella location and chondromalacia patella,explore its mechanism and clinical significance.Methods Knee joint MRI was performed in 1052 patients (506 men and 546 female).Among them,there were 299 patients( 100 men and 199 female)with chondromalacia patella.They were divide into the group of 1-19,the group of 20-39,the group of 40-59 years old and the group of older than 60 years to compute the positive rate respectively.Insall-Salvati method was used to measure the length of chondromalacia ligaments(L) and the length of chondromalacia path(P).The relationship between patella location and chondromalacia was tested by using t test and x2 test.ResultsThe total positive rate of chondromalacia patella was 28.4％ (299/1052).In female it was 36.4％ (199/546) and in men was 19.8％ (100/506).The group of 1-19 years old had 16 patients ( 16.8％,16/95).The group of 20-39 years old had 71 patients( 17.9％,71/396).The group of 40-59 years old had 116 patients ( 33.2％,116/349 ).The group of older than 60 years had 96 patients (45.3％,96/212).The positive rate of chondromalacia patella increased with age.The L/P value of normal group and chondromalacia patella group were 1.15 ±0.15 and 1.24 ±0.17 respectively.The L/P value of normal group of men and women were 1.13 ± 0.15 and 1.17 ± 0.14 respectively.The L/P value of chondromalacia patella group of men and women were 1.20 ±0.17 and 1.26 ±0.16 respectively.The InsallSalvati index of age groups showed significant differences.The L/P value of pathological changes group and normal group of 1-19 years old were 1.38 ± 0.25 and 1.24 ± 0.16 respectively.The L/P value of pathological changes group and normal group of 20-39 years old were 1.24 ± 0.17 and 1.15 ± 0.16 respectively.The L/P value of pathological changes group and normal group of 40-59 years old were 1.24 ±0.16 and 1.12 ±0.12 respectively.The L/p value of pathological changes group and normal group of older than 60 years were 1.21 ±0.16 and 1.12 ±0.12 respectively.All of them had significant differences (P ＜ 0.01 ).ConclusionsThe positive rate of chondromalacia patella for female is higher than that for men,which also increases with age.High patella location is relevant to chondromalacia patella.