Abstract: Objective　To investigate the composition and diversity of midgut microbial community of Haemaphysalis longicornis infected with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV)． Methods　The midgut DNA of three group Haemaphysalis longicornis infected with SFTSV was extracted, and the 16S rDNA gene of the sample was sequenced by HiSeq platform. The composition and diversity of endosymbiotic microbial community were clarified by OTU cluster analysis and alpha diversity analysis. Results　The midgut microbial clusters of the three groups infected with SFTSV were 143, 113, 163 OTUs respectively; the sparsity curve and abundance grade curve showed that the data had sufficient sequencing depth, and the midgut of Haemaphysalis longicornis infected with SFTSV was rich in microbial composition, but the species distribution was uneven. The analysis of microbial community composition showed that Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were the main dominant bacteria at the phyla level. At the class level, Gammaproteobacteria, Bacilli, Betaproteobacteria and Actinomycetia were the main dominant bacteria. At the order level, Legionellales, Bacillales, Burkholderiales and Actinomycetales were the main dominant orders. At the family level, Coxiellaceae, Bacillaceae, Moraxellaceae and Rhodococcaceae were the main dominant families. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Coxiella was the highest, followed by Aeribaillus and Azonexus. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the average Shannon index was 139.67, the average Simpson index was 0.48, the average Chao index was 145.06, and the average ACE index was 147.11. Conclusions　The species diversity of intestinal microorganisms in Haemaphysalis longicornis infected with SFTSV is rich. The results provide a basis for further exploring the interaction between intestinal microbes of Haemaphysalis longicornis and SFTSV and developing new ideas for the prevention and control of ticks and tick-borne diseases.

Aim Neural injury in the central nervous system following is chemic insult is believed to result from oxygen and glucose deprivation.In this study,baicalin was investigated for its neuroprotective effects against oxygen and glucose deprivation(OGD) in Neuro2A cells.Methods Mitochondrial activity was assessed with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide(MTT) reduction activity assay.Apoptosis was monitored with flow cytometry.It was found that baicalin increased MTT reduction activity and decreased percentage of apoptosis of the cultured Neuro2A cells.Results Baicalin showed significant protective effects on the OGD-induced apoptosis in cultured Neuro2A cells.Conclusion These results suggest that baicalin is an effective compound in preventing neurotoxicity induced by OGD and therefore deserves further scrutiny.

Objective · To investigate the expression levels of estrogen receptor GPR30, elastin, collagen Ⅰ (Col Ⅰ ), and Col Ⅲ in the uterus round ligament and the cardial ligament in patients with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and main components in extracellular matrix (ECM). Methods · 22 patients with POP (the POP group) and 10 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) Ⅲ (the control group) were enrolled. Hysterectomy specimens were collected and expressions of GPR30, elastin, Col Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ in the uterine round ligament and the cardial ligament tissues were detected with Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Results · Western blotting and immunohistochemistry results showed that the expressions of GPR30, elastin, Col Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ in the uterine round ligament and the cardial ligament tissues were significantly lower in the POP group than in the control group. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion · The occurrence of POP may be associated with estrogen receptor deficiency and decreased contents of collagen and elastin in relevant tissues. Whether GPR30 is involved in the synthesis, secretion and degradation of ECM major components in pelvic support tissues needs further investigation.

Objective To explore the possibility of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)and epidermal growth factor(EGF)combined with striatal conditioned medium promoting the directional differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMMSCs)into dopaminergie neurons.Methods 1.Separation and culture of BMMSCs:BMMSCs were harvested from healthy adult Wistar rats for serial subcultivation.2.Preparation of Striatal conditioned medium:newborn Wistar rats within 24 hours were selected,and their brain tissues were removed to prepare striatal conditioned medium.3.Induced differentiation of BMMSCs:the 5th passage BMMSCs were collected and pre-induced in low glucose-Dulbecco's modified eagle medium(L-DMEM)containing bFGF and EGF.Twenty-four hours later,pre-induction liquor was replaced with striatal conditioned medium for further induced differentiation.4.Result assessment:the morphological changes of stem cells were observed under inverted phase microscope.The expression of neuron specific enolage(NSE)and tyrosine hydmxylage(TH)were identified by immunocytochemical technique.Results The cell body of rat BMMSCs contracted into round and spindle shape after induction by bFGF and EGF combined with striatal conditioned medium.Partial neuron-like cells with prominence could be found.Immunocytochemieal detection showed that the percentages of NSE and TH positive cells were(72.70±14.81)% and(34.50±15.93)%,respectively.Conclusion BMMSCs can be induced directionally into dopaminergiC neurons by bFGF and EGF combined with striatal conditioned medium in vitro.

Natural products are important sources for the discovery of anti-tumor drugs. Evodiamine is the main alkaloid component of the traditional Chinese herb Wu-Chu-Yu, and it has weak antitumor activity. In recent years, a number of highly active antitumor candidates have been discovered with a significant progress. This article reviews the research progress of evodiamine-based antitumor drug design strategies, in order to provide reference for the development of new drugs with natural products as leads.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of elevated basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) on both the quantity and quality of oocytes and embryos and the clinical outcomes of pregnancy in women under 35 years of age.

METHODSA retrospective analysis was conducted for inspecting 294 in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles in women under 35 years of age. According to the basal FSH levels, the women were divided into groups A, B, and C with basal FSH of 10-14.99, 15-19.99 and ≥20 IU/L, respectively, to compare the average number of oocytes retrieved, morphologies of the oocytes and embryos, and clinical outcomes of pregnancy.

RESULTSGroup A showed greater average numbers of oocytes collected, total embryos and good-quality embryos with a lower gonadotrophin dose required to achieve follicular maturity than groups B and C. The 3 groups showed no significant differences in the percentage of metaphase II oocytes, optimal embryos-blastomere number, normal fertilization rate, cleavage rate, good-quality embryo rate, implantation rate, pregnancy rates, live birth rate or miscarriage rate, but the pregnancy rates and live birth rate tended to decrease in women with basal FSH ≥15 U/L.

CONCLUSIONIn women below 35 years of age, an elevated serum FSH (especially one ≥15 U/L) indicates diminished ovarian reserve and reduced numbers of oocyte and embryo but not poor oocyte or embryos quality, and good clinical pregnancy rate can still be expected.

Adult ; Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; blood ; therapy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Rate ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the value of basal antral follicle count (AFC) and age in predicting ovarian response and clinical outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

METHODSA total of 1319 oocyte retrieval cycles in women with an AFC&le;10 and complete IVF/ICSI cycles were analyzed retrospectively. According to the AFC, the patients were divided into groups A, B, and C with AFC&le;4, of 5-7, and of 8-10, respectively, and each was further divided into <38 years old group and ≥38 years old group. The oocytes retrieved, ovarian response, implantation rate, cancellations, pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and live births were evaluated.

RESULTSAs the AFC increased, the total gonadotrophin (Gn) dose increased and the follicles aspirated and oocytes retrieved decreased significantly (P<0.001). Patients below 38 years of age had a lower total Gn dose and more follicles aspirated and oocytes retrieved than older patients. An AFC>7 and age≥38 years was associated with significantly lower total Gn dose, greater number of follicles aspirated and oocytes retrieved, and lower pregnancy rate than an AFC&le;7 and age<38 years (P<0.05). Bivariate correlation and linear regression analysis identified AFC as the best single predictor of ovarian response in IVF. The pregnancy rate differed significantly between the 3 groups, and older patients (≥38 years) had higher early miscarriage rate.

CONCLUSIONAntral follicle count&le;7 or age≥38 years old with AFC&le;10 is the suitable threshold of diminished ovarian reserve in controlled ovarian stimulation for infertile women. Combination of AFC and age is the best predictor of ovarian response in IVF. Age has a better predictive value of pregnancy rate than AFC. AFC influences mainly the oocytes quantity, while age also affects oocyte quality.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Ovarian Follicle ; anatomy & histology ; cytology ; physiology ; Ovulation Induction ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Retrospective Studies

Ultrafine powder and cell wall-broken powder of herbal medicine lack of the morphological characters and microscopic identification features. This makes it hard to identify herb's authenticity with traditional methods. We tested ITS2 sequence as DNA barcode in identification of herbal medicine in ultrafine powder and cell wall-broken powder in this study. We extracted genomic DNAs of 93 samples of 31 representative herbal medicines (28 species), which include whole plant, roots and bulbs, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. The ITS2 sequences were amplified and sequenced bidirectionally. The ITS2 sequences were identified using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) method in the GenBank database and DNA barcoding system to identify the herbal medicine. The genetic distance was analyzed using the Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model and the Neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA 6.0. The results showed that DNA can be extracted successfully from 93 samples and high quality ITS2 sequences can be amplified. All 31 herbal medicines can get correct identification via BLAST method. The ITS2 sequences of raw material medicines, ultrafine powder and cell wall-broken powder have same sequence in 26 herbal medicines, while the ITS2 sequences in other 5 herbal medicines exhibited variation. The maximum intraspecific genetic-distances of each species were all less than the minimum interspecific genetic distances. ITS2 sequences of each species are all converged to their standard DNA barcodes using NJ method. Therefore, using ITS2 barcode can accurately and effectively distinguish ultrafine powder and cell wall-broken powder of herbal medicine. It provides a new molecular method to identify ultrafine powder and cell wall-broken powder of herbal medicine in the quality control and market supervision.
Cell Wall ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; Powders ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVETo optimize the preparation process of gemcitabine polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles (GCTB- PBCA-NP).

METHODSAccording to the particle size, the entrapment efficiency and the loading quantity of GCTB-PBCA-NP, single factor analysis was carried out to optimize the component composition and preparation process based on an orthogonal design.

RESULTSThe mean particle size of the NP was (112-/+9) nm with an entrapment efficiency of (54.12-/+2.43)% and drug loading of (11.08-/+0.89)%.

CONCLUSIONAn optimized nanoparticular drug delivery system is obtained by emulsion polymerization.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Deoxycytidine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemical synthesis ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Enbucrilate ; chemical synthesis ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry

This study was aimed to investigate the dynamic changes of plasma prethrombotic state molecular marker levels during perioperation of patients and to provide laboratorial evidence for clinical diagnosis of these patients so as to take intervenient measure to high risk patients. 40 patients with gynecological and urological malignant tumors (without metastasis) and 20 patients with benign tumors and 20 healthy individuals were selected for analysis. The levels of plasm prethrombotic state molecular markers including TF, TFPI, TpP, PAI-1, P-S, TAT and D-D were measured by using ELISA method and transmission immunity nephelometry. The results showed that the levels of TF, TpP, D-D, P-S and TAT in plasma of patients with malignant tumors at 6 hours after operation were higher than that before operation, but the levels of TFPI and PAI-1 in these patients after operation were lower than before operation, and there was significant difference as compared with the levels of these markers before operation. At day 3 after operation, the levels of TF, TpP and D-D continuously increased; the level of PAI-1 begins to elevate, there were significant difference in comparison with that before operation; the levels of P-S and TAT decreased, but still were higher than that before operation. At day 7 after operation, the levels of TpP, TAT, P-S, TFPI and PAI-1 returned to levels before operation, but the levels of TF and D-D were still higher than that before operation, and showed significant difference from that before operation. In patients with benign tumors and non-operation patients, the levels of prethrombotic state molecular markers mentioned above at different points of time after operation did not present difference, except levels of TF and D-D that at 6 hours after operation were higher than that before operation. It is concluded that at 6 hours after operation of patients with gynecological and urological malignant tumours, the plasma levels of prethrombotic state molecular markers are in higher state of coagulation and fibrinolysis, at 3 days after operation these levels are mainly in coagulation state. At 7 days after operation, the level of these markers returned to levels before operation. At 6 hours after operation the levels of these markers in patients with benign tumors are in mild coagulation state.
Adult ; Biomarkers ; blood ; Blood Coagulation ; Blood Proteins ; analysis ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Fibrinolysis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Perioperative Period ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; blood ; Venous Thromboembolism ; diagnosis