OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Yijing Huoxue Cuyun Decoction (YHCD) in adjusting hypoestrogenemic response induced by clomiphene.

METHODSInfertile patients caused by ovulation disturbance were randomly divided into 2 groups. The 60 patients in the observed group were treated with clomiphine plus YHCD, and the 58 patients in the control group were given clomiphine plus estradiol valerate.

RESULTSBy scoring on the cervical relaxation and improvement of cervical mucus, 38 patients (63.3%) in the observed group had Insler score of more than 8 points, while that in the control group was only 25 (43.1%), comparison between the two groups showed significant difference (P < 0.05). The endometrium thickening in the observed group was 0.98 +/- 0.19 cm, significantly different to that in the control group (0.85 +/- 0.21 cm, P < 0.01). Twenty-five patients in the observed group (41.7%), and fourteen patients in the control group (24.1%), respectively got pregnancy, the pregnant rate in the former was obviously higher than that in the latter (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONYHCD can ameliorate hypoestrinemia induced by clomiphene and increase the pregnant rate in patients.

Adult ; Clomiphene ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Estrogens ; blood ; deficiency ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; drug therapy ; Ovulation ; drug effects ; Ovulation Induction ; Phytotherapy

The choice of specific promoters used within a transgene construct is a vital strategy to achieve the transgene regulation in the temporal, spatial and measurable manner. The strategy has been widely used in diverse aspects of plant gene engineering, such as quality improvement, resistance breeding and bioreactor. In this paper, we describe the structure feature, classification and research method of the specific promoter and its application progresses in plant gene engineering.
Animals ; Bioreactors ; Breeding ; Genetic Engineering ; methods ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Plants ; genetics ; immunology ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics

Objective To design a new method to verify the position of multileaf collimator(MLC)leaf using a two-dimensional ion chamber array(2D-array).Methods 2D-array of PTW T10018 Seven29~(TM) was used to calibrate the accuracy of MLC leaf position of Elekta Precise accelerator.The edge function of the leaf position of MLC was measured and used as the reference value.The precision of MLC leaf was then evaluated through comparing the measured and reference values.Results The accuracy of MLC leaf position was found within?0.1 mm.Conclusion This method of verifying the accuracy of multileaf collimator leaf position is easy,simple and reliable

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of a new anticoagulant, annexin V derivative (AND) on anticoagulation and antithrombosis.

METHODSHigh and low doses of AND were given to rabbits (groups 1 and 2 respectively) by intravenous (iv) bolus injections followed by half the respective AND doses by iv infusion over 2 hours. Control groups were iv given heparin (group 3) and saline (group 4) of the same volume and procedure as that in group 1 and 2. Blood cell count, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT) and fibrinogen level were examined before and 15, 30 and 60 min after iv bolus and 2 hours after the end of iv infusion. A 3.0 mm x 15 mm balloon was put into femoral artery to induce endothelial denudation 15 min after IV bolus and the blood pressure of femoral artery was monitored until the pulse pressure recorded 0 mm Hg when the vessel was occluded completely by a thrombus. The femoral arteries were collected and the thrombi were stripped off for measuring their lengths, wet and dry weights.

RESULTSAnticoagulation parameters: APTT at 15 min after iv bolus in AND group was significantly longer than that in group 4 (P < 0.05) but shorter than that in group 3 (P < 0.05); APTT and TT in group 3 were significantly longer than those in groups 1, 2 and 4. Fibrinogen: 0.70 mg/kg AND may decrease fibrinogen. Antithrombosis values: the wet and dry weights in AND groups were significantly lighter than those in group 3 and 4 (P < 0.05). The dry weight in high-dose AND group was remarkably lighter than that in low-dose group (P = 0.029). The length of thrombus in low-dose AND group was remarkably shorter than that in group 4 (P = 0.013), but not for group 3 (P > 0.05). It was remarkably shorter in high-dose AND group than in both group 3 (P < 0.001) and 4 (P = 0.015). The time when pulse pressure equaled to 0 was longer in AND group than in group 4 (P < 0.05), but not in 3.

CONCLUSIONAND is an effective anticoagulant and antithrombosis agent, the highest anticoagulation effect occurs at 15 min after IV bolus. Its anticoagulation effect is not more potent than that of standard heparin, while antithrombosis capacity is more effective. AND in treating thrombosis clinically might be promising.

Animals ; Annexin A5 ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Anticoagulants ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Blood Coagulation ; drug effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fibrinogen ; analysis ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Male ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Prothrombin Time ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Thrombin Time ; Thrombosis ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo construct vector pEGFP-C1-hTERT-ribozyme (pGTRz-U6) and its mutant (pGTmRz-U6) against hTERT containing U6 promoter, then transfect them into human liver cancer cell line SMMC7721 to observe the action of the human telomerase catalytic subunit (hTERT) hammerhead ribozyme on proliferation and apoptosis of human liver cancer cell SMMC7721.

METHODSEukaryotic expressing vector pGTRz-U6 and mutant pGTmRz-U6 were constructed and transfected into SMMC7721 using Lipofectamine2000 Reagent, with pEGFP-C1 as the control group. After strict screening by G418, positive clones were cultured; the amount of expression of ribozyme and hTERT was detected by RT-PCR; cell proliferation by MTT; telomerase activity by TRAP and silver staining assay; cell apoptosis by FCM.

RESULTSWe found that the two ribozymes were expressed persistently in SMMC7721; different expression levels (P < 0.01) of hTERT among SMMC7721-Rz, SMMC7721-mRz and SMMC7721-pEGFP-C1 was exhibited by the analysis of variance with SPSS software. The difference between SMMC7721-Rz and the others is significant in t-test (P < 0.01), while there was no difference between SMMC7721-mRz and SMMC7721-pEGFP-C1 (P > 0.05). With the advance of cell division, telomerase activities of the cells treated by SMMC7721-Rz and SMMC7721-mRz decreased gradually, and the percentage of apoptosis of the cells transfected with Rz and mRz increased gradually. The apoptosis percentage of 7PDS SMMC7721-Rz was 29.86%, while those of SMMC7721-mRz and SMMC7721-pEGFP-C1 were 9.87% and 3.36%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe apoptosis level of SMMC7721 induced by hTERT ribozyme increases as cells divide, and this ribozyme maybe a potential approach for liver cancer gene therapy.

Apoptosis ; physiology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mutation ; RNA, Catalytic ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Telomerase ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo study the changes of genomic density polymorphism, quantitative expression and the adhesion activity of complement receptor type 1 (ECR1) on erythrocytes in patients with chronic hepatitis.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Hind restriction enzyme digestion, the quantitative assay of ECR1 and the activity of erythrocytes immune adhesion test were applied.

RESULTSThe spot mutation rate (25.0%-30.3%) of ECR1 density gene in patients with chronic hepatitis was not significantly different from that of healthy individuals (28.0%). The amount of ECR1 in patients with chronic hepatitis, except for the diseases with normal liver function, was significantly lower than that of healthy individuals (t=9.87,P<0.000 1). The quantitative expression of ECR1 in decompensated cirrhosis was obviously lower than that of compensated cirrhosis (t=2.21,P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSDefective expression of ECR1 in chronic hepatitis B may be acquired through central and/or peripheral mechanisms. It is very important to study the quantitative expression in the patients with chronic hepatitis.

Erythrocytes ; immunology ; metabolism ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; genetics ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, Complement ; analysis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tissue Adhesions

Adult ; Carbolines ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Piperazines ; therapeutic use ; Purines ; therapeutic use ; Semen ; Sildenafil Citrate ; Specimen Handling ; Sulfones ; therapeutic use ; Tadalafil

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Tadalafil combined with behavior therapy in helping obtain semen from infertile men in whom masturbation has failed.

METHODSSixty male infertile patients from whom masturbation had failed to obtain semen were equally assigned to receive Tadalafil combined with behavior therapy (combination group) or Tadalafil only (control group). All the patients took Tadalafil 20 mg orally the night before the day of semen collection by masturbation. Before this procedure, the patients of the combination group practiced masturbation 16 - 24 times at home.

RESULTSThe average ages of the patients were (37.0 +/- 5.1) yr and (37.5 +/- 5.2) yr and their IIEF-5 scores were 16.50 +/- 1.25 and 16.90 +/- 1.09 in the combination and the control group, respectively, neither with statistically significant difference between the two groups. Semen was successfully obtained from 9 patients (30.0%) of the combination group and 1 patient (3.33%) of the control group, with statistically significant difference between the two groups (chi2 = 7.680, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONBy training the patients and establishing a conditioned response to masturbation, Tadalafil combined with behavior therapy can significantly increase the success rate of semen collection from the male infertile patients in whom masturbation fails.

Adult ; Behavior Therapy ; Carbolines ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Masturbation ; therapy ; Middle Aged ; Semen ; Tadalafil ; Treatment Failure ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDIn-hospital medical complications are associated with poorer clinical outcomes for stroke patients after disease onset. However, few studies from China have reported the effect of these complications on the mortality of patients with acute ischemic stroke. In this prospective work, the China National Stroke Registry Study, we investigated the effect of medical complications on the case fatality of patients with acute ischemic stroke.

METHODSFrom September 2007 to August 2008, we prospectively obtained the data of patients with acute stroke from 132 clinical centers in China. Medical complications, case fatality and other information recorded at baseline, during hospitalisation, and at 3, 6, and 12 months after stroke onset. Multivariable Logistic regression was performed to analyze the effect of medical complications on the case fatality of patients with acute ischemic stroke.

RESULTSThere were 39 741 patients screened, 14 526 patients with acute ischemic stroke recruited, and 11 560 ischemic stroke patients without missing data identified during the 12-month follow-up. Of the 11 560 ischemic patients, 15.8% (1826) had in-hospital medical complications. The most common complication was pneumonia (1373; 11.9% of patients), followed by urinary tract infection and gastrointestinal bleeding. In comparison with patients without complications, stroke patients with complications had a significantly higher risk of death during their hospitalization, and at 3, 6 and 12 months post-stroke. Having any one in-hospital medical complication was an independent risk factor for death in patients with acute ischemic stroke during hospital period (adjusted OR = 6.946; 95%CI 5.181 to 9.314), at 3 months (adjusted OR = 3.843; 95%CI 3.221 to 4.584), 6 months (adjusted OR = 3.492; 95%CI 2.970 to 4.106), and 12 months (adjusted OR = 3.511; 95%CI 3.021 to 4.080). Having multiple complications strongly increased the death risk of patients.

CONCLUSIONShort-term and long-term outcomes of acute stroke patients are affected by in-hospital medical complications.

Aged ; China ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; complications ; Hospital Mortality ; Hospitalization ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia ; complications ; Prospective Studies ; Registries ; statistics & numerical data ; Stroke ; mortality ; Urinary Tract Infections ; complications

Clinical breakpoints are used in phaseⅡorⅢclinical trials to categorize microorganisms if susceptibility to new tested antibacterial agents that means the patient infected by the pathogen will be enrolled the study or not.The role of this consensus is to define procedure and required data to setting breakpoints and how to revaluate it in clinical trials.