Objective To explore the maternal toxicity in Wistar rats induced by exposure to methylmercury in rats during pregnancy Methods The parameters of physiological development,reproductive process and brain histomorphology were observed and monoamine neurotransmitters(noradrenaline,dopamine and 5 HT) were determined during pregnancy and lactation periods,continuous oral perfusion with methylmercury with different concentrations of 0 00,0 01,0 05 and 2 00 mg/(kg?d) was performed during the 6th~9th day after conception to terminal pregnancy Results The levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in brain tissue of maternal rats in exposure groups increased significantly compared with those in control group(P

Background Endophthalmitis is a serious infectious eye disease.Efficient drug therapy plays a key role in the early stage.There have been few researches on teicoplanin treating endophthalmitis and pharmacokinetics in ocular tissue.Objective The present study was to investigate the intraocular pharmacokinetic course and feature of intravitreal administration of teicoplanin.Methods Thirty-three Japanese white rabbits were included in this study and randomized into 6 groups.The right eyes of the rabbits were used in experiment.5 g/L of teicoplanin was injected into the vitreous cavity,and vitreous and aqueous humor samples were extracted after 15 minutes,30 minutes,1,2,4,6,12,24,48,96 and 192 hours,and the concentration of teicoplanin was determined by bioassay.Results The logarithmic value of the concentration of teicoplanin was raised with the increase in the bacterial inhibition zone diameters,of which the equation of the regression curve was Y =0.174X-0.813(R2=0.999).A good linear relationship was presented within 1.0-80.0 mg/L.Single intravitreal injection of teicoplanin was compliant with the two-compartment model.Moreover,the distribution phase Tα1/2 and elimination phase Tβ1/2 of vitreous were 1.68 and 152.15 hours,separately.And Tα1/2 and Tβ1/2 of the aqueous humor were 2.83 hours and 70.56 hours,individually.The peak teicoplanin concentrations in the vitreous and aqueous humor were(358.47±21.53)mg/L and(102.17±9.54)mg/L at 1 hour,respectively and remained at(4.38±0.68)mg/L and(2.38±0.38)mg/L,respectively 192 hours later.Conclusions Intravitreal injection of 0.5 mg of teicoplanin can remain therapeutic concentration for a long time in the vitreous and aqueous humor.

OBJECTIVETo study the renal protective effect of Xinganbao Capsule on rats with adriamycin induced nephropathy (AIN).

METHODSForty male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, i.e., the normal control group (N), the AIN model group (M), the Benazepril group (B),and the Xinganbao Capsule group (X). AIN rat model was established by left unilateral nephrectomy and repeated caudal vein injection of adriamycin. Gastric perfusion of xinganbao Capsule (at the dose of 500 mg/kg per day) and Benazepril (at the dose of 4 mg/kg per day) was given to rats in the X group and the B group respectively one week after nephrectomy. Rats were sacrificed at the 8th week after medication. The 24-h urinary protein excretion (24 h-UP) and blood biochemical indices were determined. Renal tissues were collected for pathological changes under light and electron microscopes. Expressions of fibronection (FN), collagen IV (COL-IV), and osteopontin (OPN) in renal tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. mRNA levels of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were measured by fluorescent Real-time PCR.

RESULTSWhen compared with the model group, 24 h-UP, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum creatinine (SCr), and blood lipids levels were significantly lowered in the X group. The mesangial matrix percentage was less in the X group than in the M group. Renal FN, COL-IV, and OPN expressions more significantly decreased in the X group than in the M group. Similarly mRNA expressions of TGF-beta1,, TIMP-1, PAl-1 in renal tissues obviously decreased.

CONCLUSIONXinganbao Capsule could exert its renal protective action possibly through reducing the urinary protein excretion, correcting lipid metabolic disturbance, inhibiting excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix, decreasing the expression of fibrosis factors, and improving the pathological damage of kidneys in the AIN rat model.

Animals ; Benzazepines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Doxorubicin ; adverse effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Fibrosis ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To explore the relationship between adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) and lower limb vascular disease (LLVD) in the elderly with type 2 diabetes(T2DM).Methods Bilateral lower limb vessels were checked by the High Resolution Color Doppler in all the subjects,including 40 healthy subjects as control (group A),126 T2DM patients.42 T2DM patients had no LLVD (group B),40 had mild LLVD (group C),and 44 had severe LLVD (group D).The levels of plasma A-FABP,blood glucose,lipid profiles,HOMA-IR,hypersensitive C reactive protein (hs CRP),and e-glomerular filtration rate were determined.Results The levels of plasma A-FABP were in the following ascending order of group A(4.5± 1.7)μg/L＜group B(6.1±2.1)μg/L＜group C (7.2 ± 2.3)μg/L ＜ group D (8.4 ± 3.2)μg/L (P＜ 0.01).A-FABP levels elevated along with the decrease of ABI and the increase of L IMT.Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that A FABP levels was main influencing factor of lower limb vascular disease (LLVD) in the elderly with type 2 diabetes.LDL C,HbA1c,HOMR-IR,hs-CRP were the predictive factors for the plasma A-FABP levels in the elderly with T2DM after multiple stepwise regression analysis.Conclusions For elder T2DM patients,the level of plasma A FABP is correlated with the degree of LLVD,and plays an important role in the progress of LLVD.

BACKGROUND:YY1 is mainly expressed in the undifferentiated epidermic cells in mouse basal lamina, and the expression level is gradual y down-regulated as the differentiation towards suprabasal lamina. The differential expression indicates that, YY1 is one of the regulators in the process of epidermic cells differentiation.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of YY1 over-expression on the differentiation of HaCaT cells infected with lentivirus.
METHODS:Lentivirus-YY1 was transferred into the HaCaT cells by using Lipofectamine 2000. After selection of the puromycin, monoclonal celllines were established, and the control group were lentivirus-infected HaCaT cells and uninfected HaCaT cells. The expression of YY1 was detected by using western blot analysis. cells in Lentivirus-YY1-HaCaT group and HaCaT-YY1 group were further divided into two subgroups according to the calcium concentration in culture medium, cells were either cultured in low-calcium medium (0.12 mmol/L) for 48 hours, or cultured in low-calcium medium (0.12 mmol/L) for 24 hours and in high-calcium medium (0.35 mmol/L) for additional 24 hours. Keratin K1, K10, K14, and involucrin, filaggrin and loricrin after over-expression of YY1 were detected with western blot analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The HaCaT cells were successful y infected with lentivirus-YY1, and we obtained over-expression of YY1 protein in monoclonal celllines under high-calcium concentrations, the over-expressed YY1 could decrease the expression of K1, involucrin and loricrin, thereby preventing the process of epidermal keratinocytes and maintaining the cells in an undifferentiated state. Lentivirus can efficiently infect human immortalized epidermal cellHaCaT, and YY1 may the important factor of inhibiting the differentiation of basal epidermal cells and maintaining the undifferentiated proliferation status.

BACKGROUND:The development of keloid is a progress of fibrosis in wound healing, and involves various fibrosis-related cytokines. Bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7), Gremlin and high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) play an important role in fibrosis of many organs, but their role in keloid tissue has rarely been reported.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role of BMP7, Gremlin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and HMGB1 in the development of keloid.
METHODS:The protein levels and distribution of BMP7, Gremlin, VEGF and HMGB1 in 20 cases of keloid and 20 cases of normal skin were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis, respectively. And the correlations among expression levels of BMP7, Gremlin, VEGF and HMGB1 in keloid were analyzed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In keloid tissue, the expression levels of Gremlin, VEGF and HMGB1 were significantly higher than that in normal skin (P<0.01), while the expression levels of BMP7 were significantly lower (P<0.01). The levels of Gremlin were negatively correlated with the levels of BMP7 (r=-0.539, P<0.05). And the levels of VEGF were positively correlated with the levels of HMGB1 (r=0.56, P<0.05). The overexpression of Gremlin and decreased expression of BMP7, as wel as the increased expression of HMGB1 and VEGF, may contribute to the pathogenesis of fibrosis in the development of keloid.

Objective To analyze the changes of clinical and pathological features in the patients of IgA nephropathy with anemia.Methods Four hundred and nine patients of IgA nephropathy diagnosed by renal biopsy were classified into two groups:IgA nephropathy with nonanemia (group 1) and IgA nephropathy with anemia (group 2).Changes were studied retrospectively between the groups.Results Serum hemoglobin level was correlated with the clinical parameters of IgA nephropathy.Companed to group 1,changes in group 2 were as followed:serum creatinine increased,eGFR decreased,proteinuria increased; the global sclerosis,segmental sclerosis,crescents and tubulointerstitial lesions worsened.The glomerular and tubulointerstitial lesions were negatively correlated with serum hemoglobin and eGFR,but positively correlated with serum uric acid and proteinuria (P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that anemia was an independent risk factor for the tubulointerstitial lesion.Conclusion Clinical feature and pathological damages in the patients of IgA nephropathy with anemia are more serious than those with non-anemia.

Objective To investigate the factors predicting endoscopic stone extraction complications during operation and 1 week within operation. Methods The clinical data of 136 patients with common duet stones during endoscopic procedures and 1 week within procedures were collected, and the impacts of the number, size of stones, and the first-attack versus recurrent-attack stone, with or without cholangeitis on the complications during operation and 1 week within operation were analyzed, and the effect of nasobiliary drainage was investigated. Results The success rate in single-stone group was high, the incidences of complications during endoscopy including sphincter hemorrhage, cardiac laceration, hyperamylasemia, acute pancreatitis were significantly lower than those in the multi-stones group ( P < 0. 05 ). The group of < 2 cm stone also had high success rate of stone extraction, the incidences of complications including sphincter hemorrhage, stone impaction, cardiac laceration, hyperamylasemia, acute pancreatitis were significantly lower than those in the ≥2 cm group. The first-attack group had low success rate of stone extraction, the incidences of complications including sphincter hemorrhage, stone impaction, hyperamylasemia, acute pancreatitis and biliary infection were significantly higher than those in the recurrent-attack group. The patients with cholangeitis had low success rate of stone extraction, the incidences of complications including sphincter hemorrhage, hypoxemia, hyperamylasemia, acute pancreatitis and biliary infection were significantly higher than those without cholangeitis. After nasobiliary drainage, the incidences of hyperamylasemia, acute pancreatitis and biliary infection significantly decreased while the incidence of sphincter hemorrhage significantly increased. Conclusions The number, size of stones, and the first-attack versus recurrent-attack stone, symptoms with orwithout cholangeitis could predict the complications of stone extraction;post-ERCP nssobiliary drainage could decrease the complications, but increase the possibility of sphincter hemorrhage.

Objective To evaluate the semen quality and sperm morphology in the patients with different grades of varicocele. Methods Semen from 121 patients with varicocele which were divided into three groups, gradel, grade Ⅱ and grade Ⅲ, were studied and those of 23 normal male were taken as the control. Semen analysis was performed with the methods described in the WHO manual and sperm morphology was evaluated by WHO cri-teria. Results A significant reduction of semen quality and sperm morphology and an increase of small oval head, tapering head and amorphous head sperm were found in patients with different grades of varicocele compa-ring with those of the control. There was no difference in routine analysis between different groups. A reducetion of normal morphology percentage in grade Ⅲ were found comparing with grade Ⅱ (P<0.01). An increase of a-morphous head sperm in grade Ⅲ was found comparing with that of sperm in grade Ⅱ (P <0.01). Canclusions The routine semen analysis can not distinguish seminal damage between different grades of varicocele, but the sperm morphology can reflect the sperm state. Therefore, the patients with varicocele should not only get routine semen analysis but also check the sperm morphology.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effects of stellate ganglion block(SGB) on the stress ulcer in burn patients and explore the underlying mechanisms.Methods:40 patients with burn injury induced stress ulcer were randomized to two groups:SGB group (n=20) and Control group (n=20).SGB group was treated with conventional symptomatic therapy,SGB group underwent SGB every two days for 1 week on the basis of Control group.And the levels of plasma ET-1 and NO were detected using ELISA before and after therapy.And the clinical efficacy of the two groups was observed after the treatment.Results:Compared with the Control group,the levels of plasma ET-1 and NO were markedly lower in the SGB group (P＜0.05),while the clinical efficacy was higher(P＜0.05).Conclusion:SGB could enhance the clinical efficacy stress ulcer in bum patients,which might be related to the decrease of plasma ET-1 and NO levels.