Objective:To provide microsurgical anatomy data in the course, branch, distribution, arterial network profile of the submental artery and the range of the flap excision in submental flap transplantation.Methods:From March, 2015 to March, 2020, a total of 36 head and neck cast specimens were studied. Acrylic-butadience-styrene plastic (ABS) filler were perfused into the external carotid artery to make cast specimens. The course, branching, distribution and the arterial framework of the submental artery under a surgical microscope were investigated.Results:The submental artery originated from the facial artery before reaching the lower edge of the mandible (1.50±0.50) cm, with a diameter of (1.50±0.85) (0.6-2.3) mm. The main trunk of submental artery was (5.5±0.5) cm in length, which ran forward along the lower edge of the mandible and branched out (9.0±3.0) (7-13) branches with diameters between 0.1-0.5 mm, and mainly distributed to skin and superficial fascia of the submental area. The main trunk of submental artery divided into ascending, horizontal and descending branches about 3.0 cm of the midline of the mandible. The ascending branch went upwards over the lower edge of the mandible and joined up with the lower labial arch or participated in the formation of the lower labial arch; the horizontal branch divided into several branches and joined up with the branches from the opposite side; the descending branch branched posteriorly and inferiorly, joined up with branches of lingual artery and superior thyroid artery. The branches of the submental artery and the branches of the peripheral arteries were joined up in the submental area to form the submental artery network. The diameter of the vessels in the network ranged 0.1-0.2 mm. The arterial network was built in the form of 1 to 3 layers, and the area of main network was about 7.0 cm×5.0 cm.Conclusion:The submental artery has a long trunk, many branches and abundant anastomoses between the branches, forming a dense submental artery network, which provides sufficient pedicle length, rich blood supply and cutting area for submental flap. The flap can be transplanted free or transposed. The best location of submental flap is near the midline of arterial network, and the appropriate area is 7.0 cm×5.0 cm.

AIM: To explore the protective effect of phytosterol ester (PSE) on aortic aging in rats.ME-THODS: The female SD rats (12 months old, n=42) were randomly divided into control group, model group and PSE group.During the experiment, the rats in control group, model group and PSE group were treated with basic feed, high-fat diet (HFD) and HFD with 2% PSE (W/W) for 6 months, respectively.The morphological changes of the aorta were observed by HE staining and Masson staining, and the absolute area of smooth muscle cells and collagen fiber in the vascular wall were measured by image analysis.The levels of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the plasma were detected.The expression of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) at mRNA and protein levels in the vascular tissue was determined by real time PCR and Western blot, respectively.RESULTS: PSE significantly lowered plasma TC and LDL-C, and increased plasma HDL-C level (P<0.05), but had no effect on plasma TG level.PSE significantly attenuated the thickening of intima and media of aging aortic, and decreased the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and the amount of VSMC and collagen fiber in the aorta (P<0.05).PSE significantly reduced the contents of AGEs and MDA (P<0.05), but had no effect on the activity of SOD and CAT in the plasma.PSE also down-regulated the expression of PPARγ and up-regulated the expression of SIRT1 (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: PSE is able to attenuate the senescence process in the aorta by reducing the production of reactive oxygen species in plasma, and activating SIRT1, or inhibiting the expression of PPARγ in vascular tissues.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of hydrogen sulfide-induced delayed preconditioning on glutathione S-transferase (GST) expression during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion in rats.

METHODSSprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n= 10 in each): Group S (sham operation group), Group IR (ischemia/reperfusion group), Group H (IR+ NaHS 0.05 mg/kg iv, 24 h before ischemia) and Groups D receiving IR+NaHS 24 h before ischemia and 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD)15 min before ischemia. Animals in groups IR, H and D were subjected to ischemia by 30 min of coronary artery occlusion followed by 2 h of reperfusion. At the end of the reperfusion, myocardial infarct size (IS) was examined. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) was measured by Western blotting. The myocardial ultrastructures were observed under the electron microscopy.

RESULTSThe IS was significantly smaller in Group H than that in Group IR [(25.40 ± 3.54)% compared with (38.27 ± 5.64)%, P<0.05]. The GST expression in myocardium was significantly higher in Group H than that in Group IR. Microscopic examination showed less myocardial damage in Group H than in Group IR. The protective effects of delayed preconditioning by hydrogen sulfide was prevented by 5-HD pre-treatment.

CONCLUSIONThe hydrogen sulfide-induced delayed preconditioning attenuates myocardial IR injury possibly through up-regulating glutathione S-transferase expression in rats.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Glutathione Transferase ; metabolism ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; enzymology ; pathology ; therapy ; Myocardium ; enzymology ; ultrastructure ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo scan for mutations of polycystic kidney disease 1 gene (PKD1) in Chinese population in order to find some features about Chinese patients and a better approach to detect mutations.

METHODSTwenty-five PKD-affected individuals from twenty-one unrelated genealogies and sixteen controls participated in the study. Thirty-five blood samples and six tissues were obtained after receiving informed consent and were in accordance with institutional ethical guidelines. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood using standard procedures. PCR amplification of genomic DNA was performed to generate the aimed fragments. Amplified fragments were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). A GC clamp was attached to the 5' primer. After that, the abnormal fragments were sequenced on freshly amplified specific PCR products with the dideoxynucleotide chain termination method. Sequencing was performed for all samples to evaluate DGGE.

RESULTSAimed fragments of exons 44 and 45 were amplified. DGGE detected eleven abnormal PCR fragments. Two novel mutations were identified by sequencing, included one nonsense mutation (C12217T) and one frameshift (12431delCT). In addition, one polymorphism (A50747C) was identified. The mutation detection rate is 8% in our study.

CONCLUSIONTwo novel pathogenic mutations were detected, including one nonsense mutation (C12217T) and one frameshift (12431delCT).

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Codon, Nonsense ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Exons ; genetics ; Family Health ; Female ; Frameshift Mutation ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Proteins ; genetics ; TRPP Cation Channels

Objective To investigate the relationship between forkhead/winged helix transcription factor (Foxp) 3 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility and phenotype of Crohn's disease (CD) in Han nationality in Zhejiang province.Methods From January 2007 to December 2015,268 diagnosed CD patients and 490 healthy controls were enrolled.The four single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of Foxp3 rs3761547,rs2232365,rs2294021 and rs3761548 were examined by a SNaPshot technique,and their relation with the efficacy of infliximab was evaluated.The linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype were also analyzed.Unconditional Logistic regression analysis was performed for statistical analysis.Results There was no significant difference in the four mutant alleles and genotype frequencies between 31 patients with effective infliximab treatment and 19 patients with ineffective treatment (all P＞0.05).The results of LD analysis indicated that the above four SNP were in a tight linkage.The frequency of haplotype GCGC of male CD group was 29.20％ (40/137),which was higher than that of male healthy control group (19.37％,43/222),and the difference was statistically significant (odd ratio (OR)=1.717,95％ confidence interval (CI) 1.045 to 2.820,P=0.032).The frequency of haplotype ACGA of female CD group was 13.36％ (35/262),which was lower than that of female healthy control group (19.03％,102/536),and the difference was statistically significant (OR=0.656,95％CI 0.433 to 0.995,P=0.046).The frequency of haplotype ATAC of male colon (L2) type was 25.93％ (7/27),which was lower than that of ileocecal colon (L3) type (75.38％,49/65),and the difference was statistically significant (OR=0.114,95％CI 0.041 to 0.320,P＜0.01).The frequency of haplotype GCGC of male L2 type was 51.85％ (14/27),which was higher than that of L3 type (9.23％,6/65),and the difference was statistically significant (OR=10.590,95％CI 3.423 to 32.758,P＜0.01).The frequency of haplotype ATAC of male stenotic (B2) type was 73.21％ (41/56),which was higher than that of nonstenotic and nonpenetrated (B1) type (47.30％,35/74),and the difference was statistically significant (OR=0.328,95％CI 0.156 to 0.693,P=0.003).The frequency of haplotype GCGC of male B2 type was 17.86％ (10/56) which was lower than that of nonstenotic and nonpenetrated (B1) type (39.19％,29/74),and the difference was statistically significant (OR=2.946,95％CI 1.295 to 6.784,P=0.009).The frequency of haplotype ACGA of male penetrated (B3) type was 71.43％ (5/7),which was higher than that of nonstenotic and nonpenetrated (B1) type (12.16％,9/74),and the difference was statistically significant (OR =0.055,95％ CI 0.009 to 0.329,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion Foxp3 (rs3761547,rs2232365,rs2294021,rs3761548) gene polymorphisms are associated with the susceptibility and phenotype of CD in Chinese Han patients,but not related with the efficacy of infliximab.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of isoflurane delayed preconditioning on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury and the potential mechanism in rabbits. METHODS: Thirty New Zealand male white rabbits were randomly assigned to 3 groups: Control group; I/R group; and 2.0% isoflurane group. Isoflurane group was exposed to 2.0% isoflurane-100% oxygen for 2 hours. Control group and I/R group were exposed to 100% oxygen for 2 hours and served as untreated controls. Twenty-four hours later I/R group and isoflurane group underwent 40 minutes of coronary occlusion followed by 2 hours of reperfusion. Blood samples were taken from the arterial line at 20 minutes before the occlusion(T1), 20 minutes after the occlusion(T2), 40 minutes after the occlusion(T3), 1 hours after the reperfusion(T4), and 2 hours after the reperfusion(T5) to determine the plasma level of TNF-alpha. At the end of the reperfusion, infarct size and area at risk were defined by Evans and TTC staining. The heart was harvested and levels of the p38MAPK activity were determined by Western blot, and ultrastructures were observed under the electron microscope. RESULTS: The p38MAPK activity of isoflurane group was significantly lower than that of I/R group (P<0.05). Isoflurane significantly (P<0.05) reduced the infarct size(19.7%+/-2.8% in isoflurane group) of the left ventricular area at risk as compared with the controls (37.8%+/-1.7% in I/R group).The injury of I/R group was worse than that of isoflurane group under the light microscope. Isoflurane group had a lower level of TNF-alpha than I/R group. CONCLUSION Isoflurane can inhibit p38MAPK activity during myocardial ischemia reperfusion and modulate the cytokine expression, which may be one of the molecular mechanisms of isoflurane delayed preconditioning on cardioprotection.
Animals ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; methods ; Isoflurane ; pharmacology ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Myocardium ; ultrastructure ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

Hypoxia, a state of low oxygen, is a common feature of solid tumors and is associated with disease progression as well as resistance to radiotherapy and certain chemotherapeutic drugs. Hypoxic regions in tumors, therefore, represent attractive targets for cancer therapy. To date, five distinct classes of bioreactive prodrugs have been developed to target hypoxic cells in solid tumors. These hypoxia-activated prodrugs, including nitro compounds, N-oxides, quinones, and metal complexes, generally share a common mechanism of activation whereby they are reduced by intracellular oxidoreductases in an oxygen-sensitive manner to form cytotoxins. Several examples including PR-104, TH-302, and EO9 are currently undergoing phase II and phase III clinical evaluation. In this review, we discuss the nature of tumor hypoxia as a therapeutic target, focusing on the development of bioreductive prodrugs. We also describe the current knowledge of how each prodrug class is activated and detail the clinical progress of leading examples.
Anthraquinones ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Aziridines ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Hypoxia ; drug effects ; Humans ; Indolequinones ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Nitrogen Mustard Compounds ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Nitroimidazoles ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Phosphoramide Mustards ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Prodrugs ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Triazines ; chemistry ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo conduct a molecular epidemiological survey on the mitochondrial DNA C1494T mutation in non-syndromic hearing loss patients in Chinese population.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) were used to screen the mitochondrial DNA 12S rRNA C1494T mutation in 20 patients with aminoglycoside antibiotic induced hearing loss, 136 sporadic non-syndromic hearing loss patients and 50 probands of pedigrees with non-syndromic hearing loss.

RESULTSThe C1494T mutation did not appear in all cases except for the positive control.

CONCLUSIONIncidence of mitochondrial DNA C1494T mutation is much lower than that of mitochondrial DNA A1555G mutation in non-syndromic hearing loss of Chinese population. Mitochondrial DNA C1494T mutation may be a rare variation in non-syndromic hearing loss and is not the main cause of aminoglycoside antibiotic induced-deafness.

Adolescent ; Aminoglycosides ; adverse effects ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; adverse effects ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Child ; China ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; chemically induced ; ethnology ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Point Mutation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; RNA, Ribosomal ; genetics

Objective To detect the uncontrolled new psychoactive tryptamines involved in drug-related cases with high resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Methods White and brown powder obtained in actual cases were extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry （GC-QTOF-MS）, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry （UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS） and ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy （1H-NMR）. Results After detection by GC-QTOF-MS, the components of white powder showed main characteristic fragment ion peaks at m/z 218.141 0 （molecular ion peak）, 72.080 6 （base peak）, etc. After detection by UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS, its protonated molecular ion was m/z 219.149 4. The main ions in the secondary mass spectrum under the collision-induced dissociation （CID） mode were m/z 160.076 3 and 72.080 8. After detection by GC-QTOF-MS, the components of brown powder showed main characteristic fragment ion peaks at m/z 246.135 7 （molecular ion peak）, 58.065 1 （base peak）, etc. After detection by UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS, its protonated molecular ion was m/z 247.145 0. The main ions in the secondary mass spectrum under CID mode were m/z 202.087 1, 160.076 3 and 134.060 5. NIST 17 library retrieval and ¹H-NMR confirmed that the white powder and brown powder contained new psychoactive tryptamines 4-OH-MET and 4-AcO-DMT, respectively. Conclusion GC-QTOF-MS, UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS and ¹H-NMR can be used together to identify unknown new psychoactive substances.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Mass Spectrometry ; Tryptamines

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Fufang-Xuanju capsule combined with levofloxacin mesylate tablets in the treatment of chronic epididymitis. Methods: A total of 76 patients in the Urology Department of Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences who met the inclusion criteria from December 2016 to February 2019, were divided into treatment group (43 cases) and control group (33 cases). The control group was given levofloxacin mesylate tablets orally. The treatment group was given Fufang-Xuanju capsule based on the control group. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. Chronic epididymitis symptom index (CESI) was used to evaluate the clinical efficacy by pain score and quality of life score. Results: The total effective rate was 83.7% (36/43) in the treatment group and 63.6% (26/33) in the control group. There was statistically significant difference between the two groups (χ²=4.020, P=0.045). Compared with baseline, the pain scores, quality of life scores and total scores of both groups at 2, 4 weeks after treatment were significantly lower (P<0.01). Two weeks after the treatment, the pain scores, quality of life scores and total scores in the treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group (F value were 16.132, 9.134 and 23.681, respectively, all Ps<0.01). And 4 weeks after the treatment, the pain scores, quality of life scores and total scores of the treatment group were significantly lower than that of the control group (F value were 28.741, 74.049, 72.483, respectively, all Ps<0.01). Conclusions Fufang-Xuanju capsule combined with levofloxacin mesylate tablets can alleviate the pain of patients with chronic epididymitis, improve the quality of life and improve the clinical efficacy.