SUMMARY Objective:To investigate the influence of cryoprotectants and cooling rates in vitrificationmethod on the spindles of rabbit M Ⅱ oocytes.Methods:Rabbit oocytes were verified by using cryoloopwith ethylene glycol(EG)singly or EG combined with dimethyl sulphoxide(DMSO)as cryoprotectants,and cooled by taking oocytes directly into liquid nitrogen or by vitrification machine.After frozen rabbit o-ocytes thawed,the microtubulin and chromosome of the spindles were fixation and stained by immunofluo-rescent method.Confocal microscope was used to reveal spindle configuration.Results:In the two proto-cols of single EG used and EG combined with DMSO,the spindles were severely injured.But in protocolof EG combined with DMSO and at ultra-rapid cooling rate,the normal configuration of spindle rate ofthawed rabbit oobytes was similar to that of the control group.Conclusion:The protocol of EG combinedwith DMSO as cryoprotectants and with extremely high cooling rate by vitrification machine can producethe best effect on conservation of spindle configuration in vitrification of rabbit oocytes.

Parthenogenetic activation is a procedure that an oocyte at meiosis II stage is activated into mitosis by some chemical or physical stimulation other than a sperm and the embryo is formed in the absence of any contribution from a male gamete. The activation of oocyte is the result of calcium ion oscillations and deactivation of some cytokines such as maturation promoting factor, mitogen-activated protein kinase and cytostatic factor. Parthenogenetic activation is artificially induced by various kinds of physical and/or chemical methods. The main activation method of human oocyte is chemical methods. The rates of activation and cleavage depend on the age, origin,and culture conditions of the oocyte.
Adenine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cycloheximide ; pharmacology ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Oocytes ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Parthenogenesis ; drug effects

Objective To investigate the association between cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADRs) caused by antiepileptic drugs and HLA-B*1502 allele. Methods In 31 epileptic patients presented to the Epilepsy Clinic of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College between January 2007 and May 2008, 13 had CADR to carbanazepine (CBZ) including 6 with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and 7 with mild maculopapular exanthona (MPE);15 were CBZ-tolerant, and 3 had lamotrigine (LTG)-indueed MPE. All the patients underwent examinations using polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific palmers to analyze HLA -B*1502 allele frequencies, with 30 healthy subjects without a history of using CBZ or LTG as the control. Results HLA-B*IS02 allele frequency was 100% (6/6) in patients with CBZ-SJS, 57% (4/7) in patients with CBZ-induced MPE, and 33% (1/3) in patients with LTG-induced MPE. The frequency was 7% (1/15) in CBZ-tolerant patients and 10% (3/30) in the control subjects. Compared with the CBZ-tolerant patients and the control subjects, the patients with CBZ-induced SJS and MPE had significantly increased HLA -B*1502 allele frequency (P<0.05). Conclusions HLA-B*1502 allele is associated with CADRs to CBZ in epileptic patients.

We present an unusual case of an unstable pelvic fracture during pregnancy period, who suffered fetal death and splenic rupture simultaneously which developed massive delayed hemorrhage in abdomen. When considering potential causes of fetal death, direct trauma to the uterus, placenta, or fetus was not associated with a higher fetal mortality rate, compared with maternal hemorrhage. A cesarean section and splenectomy could rescue the maternal life from the hemorrhage situation. Successful treatment of these rare cases is possible with careful pre-, peri-, and post-operative evaluation of the mother and fetus by a multidisciplinary team.
Cesarean Section ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Fractures, Bone ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Pelvic Bones ; injuries ; Pregnancy

BACKGROUNDIt is generally accepted that gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors with poor prognosis. We aimed to explore the relationship of the immunity of the central nervous system and the genesis and development of glioma.

METHODSG422 glioma was implanted in the brain of BALB/c mice (immuno-competent mice), nude mice (T cell related immuno-deficient) and complement C3 knock-out mice (complement C3 related immunodeficient). The survival time of the host, growth and histopathology of the tumor, and concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (INF-γ) in tumor tissues were assessed.

RESULTSTumor spheres were formed in all mice after injection, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positive staining of the cells declared their glioma origin. The longest median survival time of (44.3 ± 6.0) days was found in BALB/c mice, followed by (24.8 ± 5.2) days in nude mice and the shortest (18.6 ± 5.8) days in complement C3 knock-out mice. Accordingly, the growth of the tumor was fastest in complement C3 knock-out mice, followed by the nude mice and slowest in the BALB/c mice. Although the proportions of infiltrating CD68(+) lymphocytes in tumor tissues showed no significant difference (P > 0.05), TNF-α level in the nude and C3 knock-out mice, (28.11 ± 4.86) µmol/L and (22.87 ± 6.36) µmol/L respectively, were significantly lower (P < 0.01) than that in the BALB/c mice, which was (230.21 ± 39.17) µmol/L. The INF-γ level was highest in the BALB/c mice ((180.76 ± 29.19) µmol/L), followed by the nude mice ((113.46 ± 23.76) µmol/L) and then the C3 knock-out mice ((16.84 ± 4.45) µmol/L).

CONCLUSIONSThe G422 glioma implanted in the brains of mice with different immune ability would be a useful model for studying the relationship of the immune system and tumor in the central nervous system. Furthermore, the T cells and complement C3 compartments of the immune response may affect the growth of implanted tumors and inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and INF-γ.

Animals ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; Brain Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Complement C3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glioma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Knockout ; Mice, Nude ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the effect of exogenous kallikrein on apoptosis of the neurons aroundthe cerebralinfarctareain rats. Methods Thirty rats wjth cerebral infarction induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)were assigned randomly into 3 groups(n=10),namely the blank control group,saline group,and pAdCMV-HTK group.In the pAdCMV-HTK group,kallikrein gene was delivered into the cerebral ischemie lesion via a replication-defective adenovims using stereotaetic injection technique, and the expression of exogenous kallikrein was detected immunohistoehemically.TUNEL staining was performed to evaluate the neuronal apoptosis around the infarct area,and RT-PCR used to detect the mRNA expressions ofbcl-2,bax and caspase-3 in the brain tissues. Results At 24 h aftertreatment there were some HTK expressed cells found in group C and peal(at 72 h after treatment.While compare with group B and group C,there existed significant difference(112±6.1,68±4.2,59±3.9,P<0.05).At 72 h after treatment,the NSS of group C was significantly lower than that ofgruop B and A(6.70±0.16,8.13±0.16,7.93±0.20,P<0.05);7 days after the treatment,the difference was more significant(5.14±0.18,7.82±0.14,7.91±0.10,P<0.01).Apoptotic cells were mostly seen around the infarct area.The ratsinpAdCMV-HTK group showed significantly reduced number of cells positive for TUNEL staining as compared to those in the saline and blank control groups at 3 days(10.1±0.9,16.7±1.1,and 20.4±0.8,respectively)and 7 days after the treatment(15.2±1.2,33.6±1.3,and 28.8±1.7,respectively)(P<0.05).The mRNA levels ofbc1-2.bax and caspasc-3 were elevated in all the groups at 24 h,peaked at 72 h,and decreased gradually till 7 days alter the treatment.Compared with those in the other two groups，bcl-2 mRNA level in the pAdCMV-HTK group increased slightly P>0.05) while bax and caspase-3 mRNA levels decreased markedly(P<0.05) 72 h and 7 days after the treatment.Conclusion Kallikrein can inhibit neuronal apoptosis around the cerebral infarct and improve the neurological fimction of rats following cerebral infarction probably by reducing the expressions of such apoptotic factors as bax and caspase-3.

Objective To investigate the effects ofkallikrein gene transfer on microvascularproliferation around the cerebral infarct and on the recovery of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF)following ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. Methods The rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusioninjury induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were randomly assigned into blank controlgroup, saline group, and pAdCMV-HTK treatment group and received corresponding injections into thetissues around the infarct area. Each group was divided into 3 subgroups (n=10) for observation at 12, 24and 72 h after the treatment. The neurological deficits of the rats before and after the treatment wereevaluated using neurological severity scores (NSS), and the expressions of exogenous human tissuekallikrein (HTK) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the brain tissues were detectedimmunohistochemically. TIC staining was performed to measure the changes in the infarct size.14C-iodoantipyrine tracing technique was used to define the rCBF in the rats. Results Compared tothe blank control group, the cerebral infarct size was significantly reduced in pAdCMV-HTK group 24 hafter the treatment, and was further reduced at 72 h (P<0.05). At 24 h after the treatment, the NSS inpAdCMV-HTK group was significantly lower than that in the blank euntrol and saline groups (P<0.05),and was further reduced at 72 h (P<0.01). After MCAO, the VEGF-positive cells were found mostly inthe cortex and the white matter around the infarct area. The expression of VEGF in pAdCMV-HTK groupwas markedly higher than that in the other two groups at 12, 24, and 72 h after the treatment (P<0.05). Inall the 3 groups, the rCBF around the infarct was slightly decreased as compared to that in thecontralateral hemisphere, pAdCMV-HTK slightly increased the rCBF 12 h after the injection (P>0.05),and significant increase in the rCBF occurred 24 h and 72 h after the injection (P<0.05). ConclusionKallikrein gene transfer following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury promotes vascular proliferationaround the infarct and increases the rCBF to reduce the infarct volume and attenuate neurological deficitsin rats.

Respiratory diseases(e.g.,lung inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis)are a serious threat to human health.Mitochondria,organelles unique to eukaryotic cells,not only have important functions in energy production,biosynthesis,and the maintenance of intracellular homeostasis but also act as diverse signaling organelles involved in inflammation,proliferation,differentiation,cell repair,and other processes.The mitochondrial quality control system involves mitochondrial biogenesis,dynamics,and autophagy.Certain pathological mechanisms of respiratory diseases,such as oxidative stress and inflammation,are closely related to the dysregulation of mitochondrial quality control systems.This paper summarizes the progress of research into mitochondrial quality control dysregulation in respiratory diseases(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,pulmonary fibrosis,acute lung injury,asthma,and bacterial pneumonia)to explore new ideas for the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical efficacy of Shengjing prescription for oligoasthenozoospermia and its action mechanism.

METHODSWe equally assigned 120 patients with oligoasthenozoospermia to receive Shengjing prescription (treatment group) and vitamin E (control group), respectively, for 12 weeks. Before and after the treatment, were obtained sperm concentration, sperm motility, the percentage of morphologically normal sperm, the levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T) and luteinizing hormone (LH), sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), the percentage of hypotonic swelling sperm, and the levels of seminal plasma elastase, x-glucosidase, fructose, zinc and acrosin.

RESULTSCompared with vitamin E, Shengling prescription significantly improved sperm concentration, motility and morphology (P < 0.01), decreased the serum FSH level, elevated the serum T level (P <0. 01) , reduced DFI and seminal plasma elastase, and increased the percentage of hypotonic swelling sperm as well as the levels of seminal plasma cx-glucosidase, fructose, zinc and acrosin.

CONCLUSIONShengjing prescription improves semen parameters of patients with oligoasthenozoospermia at multiple levels and through multiple channels.

Adult ; Asthenozoospermia ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitamin E ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of Lewis y antigen on the gene expression of partial drug resistance associated proteins in human ovarian cancer cell line RMG-I-H.

METHODSRT-PCR was used to determine the gene expressions of partial drug resistance associated proteins in RMG-I-H cell line transfected with alpha1, 2-fucosyltransferases gene and RMG-I cell line, as well as in RMG-I-H treated with or without anti-Lewis y monoclonal antibody at the concentration of 10 micro/g/ml. The immunocytochemical method was used to detect the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in RMG-I and RMG-I-H cell lines. RMG-I and RMG-I-H cells were transplanted into nude mice and the expression of P-gp in the tissues was measured by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe mRNA expressions of protein kinase C-alpha (PKC-alpha), topoismerase I ( Topo I ), multidrug resistance-associated protein-1 (MRP-1), and MRP-2 were significantly higher in RMG-I-H cells than those in RMG-I cells (0.46 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.27 +/- 0.05, 0.82 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.52 +/- 0.04, 0.66 +/- 0.07 vs. 0.34 +/- 0.12, and 0.44 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.23 +/- 0.05; all P < 0.05). However, the mRNA expression of multi-drug resistance 1 (MDR-1) was significantly lower in RMG-I-H cells than that in RMG-I cells (0.26 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.45 +/- 0.08, P < 0.05). The P-gp level increased in RMG-I-H cells compared with that in RMG-I cells both in vivo and in vitro (P < 0.05). Expressions of MDR-1, MRP-1, MRP-2, PKC-alpha, and Topo I mRNA decreased by the time in RMG-I-H cells treated with anti-Lewis y monoclonal antibody (all P < 0.05), while mRNA expressions of those genes in the control group did not statistically change (P > 0.05). In addition, MDR-1, MRP-1, MRP-2, PKC-alpha, and Topo I mRNA expressions were significantly lower in RMG-I-H cells treated with anti-Lewis y monoclonal antibody than those in the control group at 6 hours (all P < 0.05) and the inhibition ratios were 48.55%, 77.50%, 70.18%, 45.86%, and 46.13%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe Lewis y antigen of the human ovarian cancer cell surface is closely correlated with the regulation on the gene expression of partial drug resistance associated proteins.

ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family B, Member 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA Topoisomerases, Type I ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; genetics ; Female ; Fucosyltransferases ; Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Regulation ; physiology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; physiology ; Humans ; Lewis Blood-Group System ; physiology ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Transfection