Adolescent ; Adult ; Eye Injuries ; epidemiology ; etiology ; therapy ; Facility Design and Construction ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

Objective To explore the impact of the ratio between pelvic tilt (PT) and sacral slope (SS) on the life quality of patients with ankylosing spndylitis (AS) after kyphosis correction. Methods From November 2008 to May 2011, 33 AS pa?tients were reviewed, including 31 males and 2 females, aged from 19 to 58 years old (average, 36 years old). The thoracolumbar kyphosis angle was 35.23° ± 13.98° (range, 15.12°-74.37° ) and the lumbar lordosis angle was 8.68° ± 18.27° (range,-23.70°-62.15°). The Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)?22 questionnaire was used to evaluate the quality of life and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) was used to evaluate the condition of pain. The pelvic incidence (PI), PT, SS, sagittal vertical axis (SVA) and osteoto?my angle were obtained from standing lateral full?spine radiographs. The correlations were analyzed from the subjective grading and the sagittal parameters in AS patients. Results The osteotomy site was in L1 (5 cases, 21.00°-54.59° , average 32.59° ± 13.44° ), L2 (19 cases, 28.63°-66.24° , average 37.89° ± 9.26° ), L3 (9 cases, 31.78°-60.90° , average 47.05° ± 9.20° ), respectively. The range of osteotomy angle was 39.59°±10.82° (range, 21.00°-66.24°). The subjective grading and spino?pelvic parameters were improved significantly after operation except PI, only postoperative PT/SS (0.93±0.65) and ODI standing (0.60±0.75)(r=0.681, P<0.05), osteotomy angle (39.59°±10.82°) and satisfaction of management (3.33±0.49)(r=0.478, P<0.05)had correlation with the subjective grading. Conclusion Compared with the change of PT, SS and SVA, the change of PT/SS is more closely related to the quality of life after operation in AS patients with kyphosis, which should be pay attention to by surgeon when designing operative schemes.

Objective To investigate the influence of human chorionic gonadotropin on testicular germ cell apoptosis of bilateral cryptorchidism in rats.Methods Immature male rats (22 day-old Sprague Dawley) were subjected to bilateral cryptorchidism and injected with 20 U human chorionic gonadotropin from the 22th day to the 34th day every other day. Sham operation rats were as control group. At age 35 days and 60 days, rats were sacrificed for detection germ cell apoptosis by terminal- deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated d-UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). Results There were significant difference of apoptosis index (AI) between bilateral cryptorchidism and sham operation groups(P0.05).Conclusion AI of cryptorchidism increases and HCG addes the number of apoptotic germ cells.

Background Lewis rat is a commonly used specie in experimental autoimmune uveitis(EAU).However,the characteristics of EAU,especially ocular uhrastructural change,are rarely reported.Objective This study was to investigate the inflammatory characteristics and ocular uhrastructure of EAU models in Lewis rat.Methods EAU models were induced in 12 SPF female Lewis rats(6-8 weeks old)by injection of complete Freund adjuvant(CFA) containing interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP,1177-1191) and tuberculin (TB) into footpads,napes and back of the body,and 6 normal matched rats were used as normal controls.The diet and drinking,temperature and behavior acts of the rats were recorded during the observational duration.Ocular manifestations were examined under the slit lamp biomicroscope after modeling and scored.Eyeballs were obtained in 12 days after modeling for histopathological examination,and the ultrastructures of eyeballs were observed under the scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope.The use and care of the animals complied with Statement of ARVO.Results The food-intake was (190.00± 18.03)g in the model group,and that in the control group was (285.33 ±28.02) g,showing a significant difference between them (t =4.955,P =0.012).The drinking-water volume of rats was (241.67±t 18.56)ml in the model group,which was significantly less than (289.67± 18.18)ml in the control group,showing a significant difference between them (t =3.201,P =0.033).In addition,elevated temperature and tiredness were found in the model rats.Anterior chamber empyema,iris hyperemia and occlusion of the pupil appeared in the models on the 6th day and peaked on the 12nd day after immunized,with the inflammatory scores of 3.83±0.41.The infiltration of inflammatory cells were seen in anterior chamber,ciliary body and vitreous cavity under the optical microscope in the model rats.Scanning electron microscopy found uneven iris texture,coarse ciliary surface and loosen villi of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in the model rats.Under the transmission electron microscope,the infiltration of macrophagocytes on the iris,wrinkle sparse of ciliary epithelium,myeloid bodies in retinal Müller cells and vacuolus in mitochondria of RPE cells were exhibited.No obvious abnormality was found in the control rats.Conclusions Lewis rats are autoimmune status following injection of CFA with IRBP(1177-1191) and TB.The morphology and ultrastructure of eyeballs in the EAU rats can explain the finding of eyes.

Objective To semiquantify salivary gland damage after 131I treatment in patients post thyroidectomy using salivary gland scintigraphy. Methods Fifty-six patients underwent salivary gland scintigraphy 6 months after 131I ablation therapy following thyroidectomy, including 21 with both baseline (before 131I treatment) and follow-up (6 months after the 1st 131I treatment) imaging. Salivary gland function was quantified by uptake ratios at 4 minutes (UR4) and 15 minutes (UR15), and excretory index at maximum secretion (MS), time duration from stimulation to minimum count (Tmin ). Paired t test was used for the 21 patients with both baseline and follow-up imaging. All the studies were divided into four groups: before 131I therapy, after 1st therapy, after 2nd therapy, and after 3rd or more times of therapy. Group differences were evaluated by the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)/Kruskal-Wallis test. Spearman test was used to analyze the correlation between the parameters and times of therapy. Results After the 1st 131I therapy, UR15 for the left and right parotid glands were 16% and 14% lower than the baseline, respectively (t=2.188, 3.322, both P<0.05). All the other parameters were not significantly different from those of baseline (t: -0.952 to 2.039, all P>0.05). Among the four groups, significantly different parameters for both parotid glands were found: UR4, UR15, MS for the left parotid of the four groups were 1.76±0.29, 2.60±0.38, (72.8±24.2)%; 1.55±0.34, 2.15±0.51, (64.4±21.6)%; 1.55±0.40, 2.02±0.68, (57.2±34.2)%; 1.45±0.33, 1.69±0.46, (30.6±36.9)%; respectively (F values for UR4 and UR15 were 7.018, 3.112 and H value for MS was 12.240, all P<0.05). UR4, UR15, MS for the right parotid were 1.81±0.33, 2.57±0.51, (69.1±18.5)%; 1.61±0.38, 2.19±0.59, (64.2±25.0)%; 1.60±0.42, 2.00±0.62, (53.2±41.7)%; 1.48±0.38, 1.63±0.29, (26.1±45.9)%, respectively (F=13.393,10.194,H=26.569,all P<0.05). However, no statistical differences were P>0.05). According to pair-pair comparison, only the degree of reduction of UR15 for parotid glands was significantly different between the 1st and 2nd therapy (P<0.05). UR4, UR15, MS for bilateral parotid glands reduced significantly after 3 or more times of therapy (all P<0.05).The parametres UR4, UR15, MS were correlated with times of 131I therapy (r:-0.296 to -0.566, all P<0.05). Conclusions Salivary uptake function is impaired slightly after the 1st radioiodine therapy. After several times of therapy, both parotid uptake and excretion functions are impaired. Submandibular functions are not affected even after repeated 131I therapy.

OBJECTIVETo explore the associations between fasting serum lipids and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).

METHODSSerum triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and hsCRP were measured in residents of Chengdu, China. Subjects with potential factors which might influence lipids and hsCRP were excluded, 580 subjects [mean age (62.3 ± 6.6) years; male: 58.7%] were finally recruited by random sampling methods.

RESULTSThere was a weak positive relationship between TG and hsCRP (r = 0.108, P = 0.01) and a weak negative relationship between HDL-C and hsCRP (r = -0.197, P < 0.001), this was also true in the sub-group with BMI < 24 kg/m(2) (r = 0.236, -0.140 respectively, all P < 0.001). In subjects with BMI < 24 kg/m(2), the hsCRP concentration was significantly higher in subjects with higher TG or lower HDL-C (all P < 0.05). hsCRP increased in proportion with the degree of dyslipidemia. After adjusting for gender, age, TC, LDL-C, fasting blood glucose, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, history of hypertension and diabetes, smoking and alcohol drinking, logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio for increased hsCRP was 1.970 in subjects with either increased TG or lower HDL-C (P = 0.105) and 9.098 in subjects with both higher TG or lower HDL-C levels (P = 0.031). However, the observed relationship between TG, HDL-C and hsCRP in subjects with BMI < 24 kg/m(2) could not be observed in subjects with subjects with BMI > 24 kg/m(2) despite significant more cardiovascular risk factors in these subjects.

CONCLUSIONSA weak positive correlation between TG and hsCRP as well as a weak negative correlation between HDL-C and hsCRP was evidenced in the whole cohort suggesting dyslipidemia might be related to enhanced inflammatory status. However, this relationship is not observed in subjects with BMI > 24 kg/m(2) despite existence of more cardiovascular risk factors in these subjects.

Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; blood ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Dyslipidemias ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; blood

Crystallization has been widely applied in pharmaceutical formulations as an effective approach to improve the stability and efficacy of small agents. However protein crystals are suffered from limitation in the drug delivery system due to their complex crystallization behaviors. With development of crystallization technologies and their industrial application, protein crystals are receiving more and more attentions as a novel delivery system for biomacromolecules. Crystals with thermodynamic stable structure can improve the physical and chemical stability of protein drugs and present a sustained release behavior. On the basis of pertinent literatures, this review introduces the recent research situation and development process of protein crystals as drug delivery system. Moreover, the crystallization process of proteins, as well as the preparation and potential application are discussed systematically.
Crystallization ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; administration & dosage ; Proteins ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway in erectile dysfunction (ED) caused by the absence of testosterone (T).

METHODSWe randomly divided 30 eight-week-old healthy male SD rats into groups A (control) , B (castration), and C (castration + androgen replacement). The rats in groups B and C were castrated surgically, and those in C injected with T undecanoate (100 mg/kg) at 1 week after castration, while the others with 0.9% normal saline instead. At 1 month after treatment, we determined the serum T level, intracavernous pressure (ICP), and mean carotid arterial pressure (MAP) of the rats, and detected the expressions of ERK1/2 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) by Western blot.

RESULTSThe serum T level was significantly lower in group B ([1.27 ± 0.48] nmol/L) than in A ([17.14 ± 1.07] nmol/L) and C ([16.24 ± 1.90] nmol/L) (P < 0.05), and so were ICP and MAP (P < 0.05). The expression of ERK1/2 showed no statistically significant differences among the three groups (P > 0.05), that of phosphatase ERK1/2 was markedly higher while that of eNOS remarkably lower in group B than in A and C (both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAndrogen replacement may improve the erectile function of castrated rats by regulating the ERK1/2 pathway.

Androgens ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Male ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 ; metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; metabolism ; Orchiectomy ; Penile Erection ; Penis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testosterone ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use

3 mg/L was significantly worse than in those with hs-CRP≤3 mg/L (18.18%,5.45%;P=0.044,log-rank test). Higher hs-CRP concentration was an independent predictor of death or new vascular event(OR 3.609;95% CI 0.869—14.992;P=0.047).Conclusion Higher hs-CRP concentration in acute phase after ischemic stroke is an independent predictor of death or new vascular event in a year.

The chemical consituents from Psychotria straminea were separated and purified by column chromatographies on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS and RP-HPLC. The strictures of the isolated compounds were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectroscopic analysis, as well as comparisons with the data in literature. Sixteen compounds were isolated and elucidated as tectochrysin (1), apigenin (2), kaempferol (3), luteolin (4), diosmetin (5), quercetin (6), kaempferol-4'-O-methylether (7), rhamnetin (8), 7-hydroxycoumarin (9), 7-methoxycoumarin (10), scopoletin (11), lupeol (12), 30-oxo-lupeol (13), lupenyl acetate (14), α-amyrin (15), and ursolic acid (16). This is the first study on the chemical composition of P. Straminea, and all compounds were isolated from P. straminea for the first time. In addition to compounds 6 and 9, the other compounds were isolated from the genus Psychotria for the first time.
Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Phytochemicals ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Psychotria ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification