Animals ; Aorta ; pathology ; Atherosclerosis ; blood ; etiology ; metabolism ; Chemokine CCL2 ; metabolism ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, Dietary ; administration & dosage ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Dehydroepiandrosterone ; pharmacology ; Diet, Atherogenic ; Immunohistochemistry ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Triglycerides ; blood ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism

Vulvo-vaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common infection among women. 5% of women with acute infection experience recurrent vulvo-vaginal candidiasis (RVVC). There is currently no optimal or recommended regime for RVVC. Although antifungal agents, such as imidazoles, have been successfully used as a first-line treatment for acute VVC, its effectiveness is limited in RVVC. This could be due to patient factors, drug application (such as leakage) or dosing factors. A sustained-release (SR) bioadhesive vaginal cream (2% butoconazole nitrate) has incorporated VagiSite technology, a topical drug delivery system that allows SR of the drug. We describe its efficacy and the successful use of a butoconazole-SR formulation in the treatment of two cases of RVVC.
Adult ; Antifungal Agents ; administration & dosage ; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; administration & dosage ; Middle Aged ; Pessaries ; Recurrence

Child ; Humans ; Male ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; diagnosis ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo compare the obstetric and perinatal outcomes between fresh embryo transfer (ET) and frozen-thawed ET (the "freeze-all" strategy) and evaluate the benefits of the "freeze-all" embryo strategy for young patients.

METHODSWe reviewed a total of 2091 ET cycles performed between January, 2011 and December, 2015 in women aged 20-35 years, including 1295 fresh ET cycles and 796 frozen-thawed ET cycles. The demographic characteristics, ovarian stimulation syndrome, clinical pregnancy rates, live birth rate and the obstetric outcomes (gestational age, preterm delivery rate and mean birth weight) were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe mean age of the patients receiving frozen-thawed ET cycles had a significantly younger age than those having fresh ET cycles (29.5 vs 30.2 years, P<0.05); the patients undergoing frozen-thawed ET cycles also had significantly higher estradiol level on the day of trigger (12 973 pmol/L vs 8673 pmol/L) and a greater oocyte number retrieved (12.7 vs 8.7). The incidence of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome was significantly lower in patients with frozen ET than those with fresh ET (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in the pregnancy rate (59.5% vs 56.0%; P>0.05), live birth rate (50.3% vs 47.0%; P>0.05), mean birth weight or gestational age between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe freeze-all policy produces similar pregnancy and obstetric outcomes with those of fresh ET. Our results support the hypothesis that the freeze-all strategy help to prevent OHSS with a good pregnancy rate.

In order to explore the diagnosis and therapeutic effectiveness of nocardiosis after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), the features of clinical manifestation, laboratory examination and response to TMP-SMZ treatment in two cases of nocardiosis after allo-HSCT were analyzed retrospectively. The result showed that the attack happened to 2 patients at day 15 and 170 after allo-HSCT respectively, displaying fever and chest pain. Chest CT scan indicated bilateral pulmonary tuberculous shadow. Nocardiosis was diagnosed by the culture of sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and pus samples as well. Both of these cases exhibited good response to combined therapy containing TMP-SMZ for half a year. It is concluded that nocardiosis is a rare complication after allo-HSCT, in which pulmonary involvement is commonly observed. The culture of BAL fluid is helpful for its diagnosis and this disease might be sensitive to the treatment of TMP-SMZ-containing regimens.
Adolescent ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nocardia Infections ; etiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplantation, Homologous

OBJECTIVETo compare the pregnancy and obstetric outcomes in elective single versus two cleavage-stage embryo transfer.

METHODSFresh cleavage-stage embryo transfer cycles between January, 2014 and October, 2015 were reviewed, including 39 single embryo transfer (eSET) cycles and 200 double embryo transfer (DET) cycles. The clinical pregnancy rates, implantation rates, multiple pregnancy rates, live birth rate, and obstetric outcomes (gestational age, preterm delivery rate and mean birth weight) were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups. The estradiol level on the day of trigger and the oocyte number were significantly higher in eSET group than in DET group (10654.4 pmol/L vs 8284.2 pmol/L and 8.4 vs 7.0, respectively). No significant difference was found in the pregnancy rate (56.4% vs 66.0%) or live birth rate (48.7% vs 51.5%) between the two groups, and their implantation rates differed significantly (56.4% vs 37.8%). No multiple pregnancies occurred in eSET group while the rate of multiple pregnancies was 22.7% in DET group. The gestational age and mean birth weight were significantly higher in eSET group (P<0.05), and the preterm delivery rate after DET was nearly three times of that after eSET, although this difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONSElective single embryo transfer can be performed without compromising the live birth rates. Multiple pregnancy rates can be significantly reduced with eSET, which also results in a higher chance of delivering a term singleton live birth compared with DET.

Birth Weight ; Embryo Implantation ; Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pregnancy, Multiple ; Single Embryo Transfer

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of perinatal recurrent infection on the brain development in immature mice.

METHODSSix pregnant C57BL6 mice were randomly assigned to three groups: intrauterine infection, perinatal recurrent infection and control. The intrauterine infection group was intraperitoneally injected with LPS (0.5 mg/kg) on the 18th day of pregnancy. The perinatal recurrent infection group was injected with LPS (0.5 mg/kg) on the 18th day of pregnancy and their offsprings were intraperitoneally injected with the same dose of LPS daily from postnatal day 3 to 12. The control group was administered with normal saline at the same time points as the recurrent infection group. The short-time neurobehaviors were assessed on postnatal day 13. The mice were then sacrificed to measure brain weights and neuropathological changes using cresyl violet staining. Western blot was used to evaluate the expression of TNF-α, Caspase-3 and myelin basic protein (MBP).

RESULTSThe brain weights of the recurrent infection group were significantly lower than the control and intrauterine infection groups (P<0.05) and the recurrent infection group displayed significant neuropathological changes. Perinatal recurrent infection resulted in increased expression levels of TNF-α and Caspase-3, and decreased expression level of MBP compared with the intrauterine infection and control groups (P<0.01). The neurobehavior test showed that the recurrent infection group used longer time in gait reflex, right reflex and geotaxis reflex compared with the control and intrauterine infection groups on postnatal day 13 (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPerinatal recurrent infection may exacerbate inflammatory response and cell death in the immature brain, which may be one of the important factors for perinatal brain injury.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Bacterial Infections ; physiopathology ; Body Weight ; Brain ; growth & development ; pathology ; Caspase 3 ; analysis ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Myelin Basic Protein ; analysis ; Pregnancy ; Recurrence ; Reflex

Oxidative stress is implicated in male infertility and significantly higher reactive oxygen species are detected in 25% of infertile males. Although different agents of various alternative medicines, including traditional Chinese medicine, have been tried with varying success, evidence remains limited on whether and how much herbs or supplements might help increase the anti-oxidant ability of the sperm. This study examined the anti-oxidative effects of icariin, a flavonoid isolated from Herba Epimedii, on the human sperm. We prepared the FeSO4/H2O2-damaged human sperms, which were co-cultured with icariin in vitro, and then observed the changes of the sperm by employing Raman micro-spectroscopy. The results showed that Raman mapping with a 514 nm excitation laser allowed clear differentiation of the nucleus, neck, and, in particular, the mitochondria-rich middle piece of a human sperm cell. The effect of icariin on different organelles of the sperm was quantified by localized spectral Raman signatures obtained within milli-seconds, and icariin could keep the "Raman fingerprint" of the human sperm the same as the control groups, suggesting that icariin could protect the human sperm from being damaged by FeSO4/H2O2. Icariin may serve as a tonifying and replenishing agent of herbal origin for enhancing reproductive functions.

AIM To compare the effects of sealed moistening with brine,simple stir-frying and stir-frying with brine on the contents of psoralen,psoralen,psoralen and psoralen in Psoraleae Fructus aqueous extract.METHODS The HPLC analysis of aqueous extract was performed on a 30 ℃ thermostatic Hibar C1s column (250 mm × 4.6 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of 0.1％ formic acid-methanol flowing at 1.0 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the detection wavelength was set at 246 nm.RESULTS Compared with the raw product,the contents of glycosides and total components in the product processed with sealed moistening with brine were significantly decreased.Stir-frying with brine could significantly promote the dissolution of glycosides (psoralen and psoralen),but had no significant effect on that of aglycones (psoralen and isopsoralen).Simple stirfrying markedly increased the contents of various constituents.CONCLUSION Both simple stir-frying and stir-frying with brine can significantly increase the total content of four constituents in Psoraleae Fructus aqueous extract.

To compare the sampling errors from cluster or unequal probability sampling designs and to adopt the unequal probability sampling method to be used for death surveillance.Taking 107 areas from the county level in Shaanxi province as the sampling frame,a set of samples are drawn by equal probability cluster sampling and unequal probability designs methodologies.Sampling error and effect of each design are estimated according to their complex sample plans.Both the sampling errors depend on the sampling plan and the errors of equal probability in stratified cluster sampling appeares to be less than simple cluster sampling.The design effects of unequal probability stratified cluster sampling,such as πPS design,are slightly lower than those of equal probability stratified cluster sampling,but the unequal probability stratified cluster sampling can cover a wider scope of monitoring population.Conclusions:Results from the analysis of sampling data can not be conducted without consideration of the sampling plan when the sampling frame is finite and a given sampling plan and parameters,such as sampling proportion and population weights,are assigned in advance.Unequal probability cluster sampling designs seems to be more appropriate in selecting the national death surveillance sites since more available monitoring data can be obtained and having more weight in estimating the mortality for the whole province or the municipality to be selected.