OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the serum HBV DNA loads normalized to hepatic parenchyma cell volume and the liver histopathologic inflammation gradings in the immune clearance phase during the natural history of hepatitis B.

METHODSSerum HBV DNA loads were detected by fluorescence polymerase chain reaction and normalized to hepatic parenchyma cell volume. The association between normalized HBV DNA loads and liver inflammation histopathologic grade were analyzed.

RESULTSThe serum HBV DNA loads in patients with liver inflammation histopathologic grading 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 8.20*10(5)+/-9.11*10, 1.36*10(6)+/-5.96*10, 8.12*10(5)+/-8.01*10 and 2.08*10(6)+/-3.69*10 copies/ml, respectively (P more than 0.05). But the serum HBV DNA loads normalized to hepatic parenchyma cell volume in their located fibrosis stage were 9.24*10(8)+/-935, 5.33*10(9)+/-756, 1.06*10(10)+/-1770 and 3.31*10(11)+/-518 copies/ml, respectively (P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe serum HBV DNA load normalized to hepatic parenchyma cell volume in patients with different fibrosis stages is associated with liver histopathologic inflammation gradings.

Adult ; Automatic Data Processing ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B virus ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; immunology ; pathology ; virology ; Humans ; Inflammation ; pathology ; virology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; pathology ; virology ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Severity of Illness Index ; Viral Load ; Young Adult

The aim of the present study was to investigate the alterations in thoracic aortic vasomotor function in rats with chronic heart failure (CHF) post myocardial infarction (MI), and then explored the possible mechanism of pathological changes. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham and CHF groups randomly. The CHF model group of rats was generated by ligating the left anterior descending artery. In sham-operated rats the ligation was placed but not tightened. A total of 20 rats underwent either sham-operated (n=8) or surgery for MI (n=12). All sham-operated rats survived the surgical procedure and the post-surgical period, whereas total mortality among MI-rats was 25% (3 out of 12). Only MI-rats with infarct-size >30% of the left ventricle (LV) were included for analysis (8 out of 9). Ten weeks after surgery, rats were anaesthetized for hemodynamic measurements, which contains systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), LV+dp/dt(max) and LV-dp/dt(max). After that hearts were rapidly excised and weighed. Myocardial infarct size was determined by triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining method. Isolated thoracic artery ring preparations were studied in a wire-myograph. The arterial constrictive responses to KCl, CaCl2, phenylephrine (PE), and caffeine and the arterial diastolic responses to acetylcholine (ACh) were recorded by the Multi Myograph System. To explore the possible mechanism, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N-nitrl-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) and non-selective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor indomethacin (Indo) were used. The results obtained were as follows: (1) CHF group showed an increased contraction response to KCl (5-100 mmol/L) and PE (1x10(-8)-3x10(-4) mol/L), and a reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation response to ACh (1x10(-12)-1x10(-4) mol/L) compared with those observed in sham group (P<0.01, P<0.05); (2) In the presence of L-NAME (1 mmol/L), the endothelium-dependent cumulative contractions to ACh (1x10(-7)-1x 10(-4) mol/L) was significantly enhanced in CHF group (P<0.05), and this effect was reversed by pretreatment with Indo (10 mumol/L); (3) In CHF group, the vessels incubated with Indo (10 mumol/L) showed an increased vasodilation induced by ACh (1x10(-12)-1x10(-4) mol/L) (P<0.05); (4) In the Ca(2+)-free K-H solution, calcium-dependent contraction curves induced by CaCl2 (1x10(-4)-3x10(-2) mol/L) in CHF group significantly shifted to the left compared with sham group (P<0.05); while the vascular contraction induced by caffeine (30 mmol/L) had no significant changes. These findings suggest that thoracic arteries of rats with CHF have endothelial dysfunction, and the contribution of endothelial dilation and contraction was significantly altered in CHF rats. The mechanism could be partly associated with the increased endothelium-dependent contracting factors by COX pathway, or the increased extracellular Ca(2+) influx through voltage-operated channels, thus leading to elevated vasoconstriction.
Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; physiopathology ; Chronic Disease ; Endothelins ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; physiopathology ; Heart Failure ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; complications ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vasomotor System ; physiopathology

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Adult ; Bone Marrow Examination ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycoses ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Penicillium ; isolation & purification ; Prognosis ; Radiography

To separate and identify the chemical constituents from the leaves of Broussonetia papyrifera (Linn.) Vent, various columns including Diaion HP-20, Toyopearl HW-40C, Sephadex LH-20, silica gel were employed for the isolation and purification of compounds from the leaves of B. papyrifera. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by their physiochemical characteristics and spectral data. Nineteen compounds were isolated from the leaves of B. papyrifera and their structures were identified as apigenin (1), apigenin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), chrysoerid-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), apigenin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranuronide (4), vitexin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), luteolin (6), 5,7,4'-trihydroxyl-6-C-[a-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->2)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl flavone (7), 5,7,4'-trihydroxyl-8-C-[a-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->2)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl flavone (8), saponaretin (9), vitexin (10), benzyl benzoate-2, 6-di-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (11), (2R, 3R, 5R, 6S, 9R)-3-hydroxy-5,6-epoxy-beta-ionol-2-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (12), (2R, 3R, 5R, 6S, 9R)-3-hydroxyl-5,6-epoxy-acetyl-beta-ionol-2-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (13), ficustriol (14), (6S, 9S)-roseoside (15), 3beta-hydroxy-5alpha,6alpha-epoxy-beta-ionone-2alpha-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (16), icariside B1 (17), sammangaoside A (18), 3-hydroxy-5alpha,6alpha-epoxy-beta-ionone (19). Compounds 11, 12 and 13 are new compounds, the others are isolated from this genus Broussonetia for the first time.
Apigenin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Broussonetia ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Luteolin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

BackgroundTreatment of myoclonic seizures in myoclonic epilepsy with ragged-red fibers (MERRFs) has been empirical and ineffective. Guideline on this disease is not available. Additional trials must be conducted to find more suitable treatments for it. In this study, the antimyoclonic effects of monotherapies, including levetiracetam (LEV), clonazepam (CZP), valproic acid (VPA), and topiramate (TPM) compared to combination therapy group with LEV and CZP on MERRF, were evaluated to find a more advantageous approach on the treatment of myoclonic seizures.

MethodsTreatments of myoclonic seizures with VPA, LEV, CZP, and TPM were reported as monotherapies in 17 MERRF patients from Qilu Hospital between 2003 and 2016, who were diagnosed through clinical data and genetic testing. After 1-4 months of follow-up (mean: 82.9 ± 28.1 days), 12 patients that exhibited poor responses to monotherapy were given a combined treatment consisting of LEV and CZP subsequently. The follow-up period was 4-144 months (mean: 66.3 ± 45.3 months), the effective rates of monotherapy group (17 patients) and combination therapy group (12 patients) were analyzed by Chi-square test.

ResultsThe m.8344 A>G mutation was detected in all patients. There were four patients with partial response (4/17, two in the CZP group and two in the LEV group), ten patients with stable disease (10/17, six in the CZP group, three in the LEV group, and one in the TPM group), and three patients with progressive disease (3/18, two in the VPA group and one in the TPM group). Twelve of the patients with LEV combined with CZP showed a positive effect and good tolerance (12/12), eight of them demonstrated improved cognition and coordination. There was a significant difference between the monotherapy group and combination therapy group in the efficacy of antimyoclonic seizures (χ = 13.7, P < 0.001).

ConclusionsLEV in combination with CZP is an efficient and safe treatment for myoclonic seizures in patients with this disease exhibiting the m.8344A>G mutation.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical phenotypes, genetic characteristics, and pathological features of children with disorders of sex development (DSD). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on epidemiological, clinical phenotype, chromosomal karyotype, gonadal pathology, and genotype data of 165 hospitalized children with DSD at Children's Hospital of Hebei Province and Tangshan Maternal and Child Health Hospital from August 2008 to December 2022. RESULTS: Among the 165 children with DSD, common presenting symptoms were short stature (62/165, 37.6%), clitoromegaly (33/165, 20.0%), cryptorchidism (28/165, 17.0%), hypospadias (24/165, 14.5%), and skin pigmentation abnormalities/exteriorized pigmented labia majora (19/165, 11.5%). Chromosomal karyotype analysis was performed on 127 cases, revealing 36 cases (28.3%) of 46,XX DSD, 34 cases (26.8%) of 46,XY DSD, and 57 cases (44.9%) of sex chromosome abnormalities. Among the sex chromosome abnormal karyotypes, the 45,X karyotype (11/57, 19%) and 45,X/other karyotype mosaicism (36/57, 63%) were more common. Sixteen children underwent histopathological biopsy of gonadal tissues, resulting in retrieval of 25 gonadal tissues. The gonadal tissue biopsies revealed 3 cases of testes, 3 cases of dysplastic testes, 6 cases of ovaries, 11 cases of ovotestes, and 1 case each of streak gonad and agenesis of gonads. Genetic testing identified pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in 23 cases (23/36, 64%), including 12 cases of 21-hydroxylase deficiency congenital adrenal hyperplasia caused by CYP21A2 pathogenic variants. CONCLUSIONS Short stature, clitoromegaly, cryptorchidism, hypospadias, and skin pigmentation abnormalities are common phenotypes in children with DSD. 45,X/other karyotype mosaicism and CYP21A2 compound heterozygous variants are major etiological factors in children with DSD. The most commonly observed gonadal histopathology in children with DSD includes ovotestes, ovaries, and testes/dysgenetic testes.
Male ; Humans ; Child ; Disorders of Sex Development/pathology* ; Hypospadias/complications* ; Cryptorchidism/complications* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Steroid 21-Hydroxylase