The skeletal muscle mass accounts for more than 40% of the body weight of healthy adults. The skeletal muscle not only plays an important role in physical activities but also affects the function of other organs as a secretory organ secreting multiple muscle factors. Therefore, it is important to maintain the normal quantity and function of skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle mass is the basis of skeletal muscle function and is often affected by many factors such as exercise and disease. Resistance exercise training induces increased protein synthesis in skeletal muscle cells, while limb disuse, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, cachexia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and many other pathological conditions lead to decreased protein synthesis or enhanced protein degradation of skeletal muscle cells. The process of skeletal muscle hypertrophy involves changes in multiple signaling pathways, such as IGF-1/PI3K/Akt, myostatin and G protein. On the other hand, activations of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, IGF-1/Akt/FoxO, autophagy-lysosomal pathway, NF-κB, and the glucocorticoid-mediated signaling pathways play important roles in regulating muscle atrophy. These signaling pathways regulate skeletal muscle mass and are modulated by some different conditions. This review briefly summarizes the signaling pathways of skeletal muscle mass control.
Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal ; physiology ; Muscular Atrophy ; Organ Size ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo establish the quality classification criteria of Oldenlandia diffusa seeds.

METHODThirty batches of O. diffusa seeds from different provenances with different collecting time were selected. And the seed germination percentage, seed purity, weight per 1 000 grains, moisture content and seed viability were determined and analyzed through SPSS 11.0 software.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONSeed germination percentage was selected as the main index for classification, while seed purity, weight per 1 000 grains and moisture content could be used as references. The quality classification criteria of O. diffusa seeds have been initially established.

Germination ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; standards ; Oldenlandia ; growth & development ; physiology ; Organ Size ; Quality Control ; Seeds ; growth & development ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the dynamic changes of the epididymal size 1 year after vasectomy.

METHODSFifty male volunteers received vasoligation. Before and at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months after operation, we measured the size and detected the internal echoes of the epididymis using color Doppler ultrasonography.

RESULTSThe bilateral epididymides were both thickened post-operatively in all the 50 cases, with statistically significant differences between the baseline and the 1st month, the 1st and the 2nd month, the 2nd and the 3rd month, or the 3rd and the 6th month after surgery (all P < 0.01), but not between the 6th and the 12th month (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONWithin 6 months after vasectomy, the bilateral epididymides manifested a progressive thickening, but basically restored their balance of secretion-absorption after 6 months.

Epididymis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Organ Size ; Postoperative Period ; Time Factors ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; Vasectomy

Micropigs are the most likely source animals for xenotransplantation. However, an appropriate method for evaluating the lung of micropigs had not been established. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of 64-channel multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) to measure the diameter of the pulmonary arteries and the lung volume in micropigs. The mean diameters of the trachea, and left and right bronchi were 1.6 +/- 0.17, 1.18 +/- 0.14, and 1.1 +/- 0.11 cm, respectively. The mean diameters of the main, right, and left pulmonary arteries were 1.38 +/- 0.09, 1.07 +/- 0.26, and 0.98 +/- 0.13 cm and the diameters of right, left, and common inferior pulmonary veins were 0.97 +/- 0.20, 0.76 +/- 0.20, and 1.99 +/- 0.26 cm, respectively. The mean lung volume was 820.3 +/- 77.11 mL. The data presented in this study suggest that the MDCT may be a noninvasive, rapid, and accurate investigational method for pulmonary anatomy in living lung donors.
Animals ; Humans ; Lung/physiology/*radiography ; Organ Size/physiology ; Pulmonary Artery/physiology/*radiography ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature/*anatomy & histology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods ; Transplantation, Heterologous/*methods

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the effect of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) on germ cell apoptosis in cryptorchidism.

METHODSForty-eight immature male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the cryptorchid and the control group randomly. Testes were harvested at 1, 3 and 7 days after the operation. Germ cell apoptosis was determined by TUNEL technique, at the same time the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the level of malonic diethyl aldehyde (MDA) were detected with spectrophotometer.

RESULTSAt the 7th day, as compared with the control, testicular weight, SOD activities, CAT activities and the ratio of SOD/(CAT + GSHPx) were reduced significantly(P < 0.01), GSHPx activities had no apparent change(P > 0.05), while apoptosis index and the MDA level increased predominantly in cryptorchidism(P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSGerm cell apoptosis in cryptorchidism related closely to the decrease of antioxidant enzyme activity.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Catalase ; physiology ; Cryptorchidism ; pathology ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; physiology ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Male ; Organ Size ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermatozoa ; pathology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo study the effects on the male reproduction in adult male rats and its mechanisms through simulated weightlessness using tail-suspension, in order to do a basic works of exploring the effects on human being's reproduction in outer space.

METHODSForty Spraque-Dawley adult male rats were randomly divided into four groups, two experimental groups and two control groups. Rats in the two experimental groups were tail-suspended for 14 d and 28 d respectively, then we examined the weight and morphology of testis, the quality and amount of sperm, also tested the serum hormone by radioimmunoassay and analyzed apoptosis rate of testicular cells by TUNEL in the experimental rats and control rats.

RESULTSAfter tail-suspension, the weight of testis, the sperm count and sperm motility significantly decreased (P <0.05), while the apoptosis rate of testicular cells and the amount of abnormal sperm markedly increased (P <0.05). The content of testosterone significantly decreased (P <0.05), but the contents of FSH and LH mildly increased (P > 0.05). These changes were not significant between two experimental groups (P > 0.05). In addition, the seminiferous tubules became atrophy with the reduction of the layers of seminiferous epithelium, and sperm amount in lumens of seminiferous tubules decreased in experimental groups. The above were more remarkable in the 28 d experimental group.

CONCLUSIONSimulating weightlessness has a harmful effect on reproduction of adult male rats. These may be caused by inducing apoptosis. The blocking apoptosis of testicular cells may be useful in improving the harmful effect.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Hindlimb Suspension ; Male ; Organ Size ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reproduction ; physiology ; Spermatozoa ; physiology ; Testis ; pathology ; Weightlessness Simulation

OBJECTIVETo study the immunotoxicity induced by 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzathrancene (DMBA) in metallothionein gene-knocked-out mice [MT(-/-)] as compared with that in wild-type mice [(MT(+/+)].

METHODSFemale mice were treated with 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of DMBA i.p., respectively and immunized with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) i.v. on the following day and rechallenged by injection of SRBC via footpad s.c. on the fourth day post-immunization. Humoral and cell-mediated immune function was assessed by the number of spleen IgM antibody plaque formation cells (PFC) to SRBC and cell-mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) measured by footpad swelling thickness.

RESULTSAfter treatment with 25 mg/kg DMBA, a decrease in weight of their spleen and thymus and PFC/spleen were observed in MT(-/-) mice, while only decrease in thymus weight of MT(+/+) mice. The humoral function was suppressed by 72% in MT(-/-) mice. No obvious change in cell-mediated immune function was observed both in MT(-/-) and MT(+/+) mice. Both humoral and cell-mediated immune function were suppressed more severe (91%) in MT(-/-) mice treated with 50 mg/kg DMBA than those treated with 25 mg/kg DMBA (72%). DTH was not altered by DMBA in MT(+/+) mice. The weight of their spleen and thymus decreased and humoral immune function suppressed in MT(+/+) mice, but these changes were significantly less severe. No obvious suppression of cell-mediated immune function was observed in MT(+/+) mice.

CONCLUSIONTheir humoral and cell-mediated immune function was more susceptible to being suppressed by DMBA in MT(-/-) mice, indicating that MT could protect their immune function from damage caused by DMBA.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene ; toxicity ; Animals ; Immunity ; drug effects ; Metallothionein ; physiology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Knockout ; Organ Size ; drug effects

OBJECTIVESTo study the effect of nitric oxide (NO) and total antioxide capacity (T-AOC) on the germ cell apoptosis in the cryptorchidism rat.

METHODSImmature rats (22 day-olds Sprague Dawley) were selected to make the model of unilateral cryptorchid. Germ cell apoptosis was examined by terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated d-UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). Biochemical parameters (NO, T-AOC) were evaluated with spectrophotometric determination.

RESULTSAt the seventh day after the operation, as compared to the normal side testis, the number of apoptotic germ cells increased significantly in the undescended testis (P < 0.01), but the testes weight decreased predominantly; the NO level in the undescended testis was significantly higher than that in the normal side testis, and the T-AOC level was predominantly lower (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSExperimentally-induced cryptorchidism can lead to the increase of grem cell apoptosis in rat. The results is closely related to the increase of No level and the decrease of T-AOC.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Apoptosis ; Cryptorchidism ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; physiology ; Organ Size ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermatozoa ; cytology

The study illustrate the inner correlation between global DNA methylation variation and different birth weights. Infant birth weight was used to identify cases and controls. Cord blood and placentas were collected. We performed DNA methylation profiling of bisulphite-converted DNA. We have identified many differentially methylated CpG sites in experimental groups; these sites involved in hundreds of signalings. Among these, more than ten pathways were referred to the glucose and lipid metabolism. Methylation changes in the insulin-signaling pathway (ISP), adipocytokine signaling pathway (ASP) and MAPK signaling pathway are involved in the fetal programming of diabetes..
Birth Weight ; DNA Methylation ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; physiology ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Organ Size ; Placenta ; anatomy & histology ; Pregnancy ; Signal Transduction

Varicocele is a common finding in men. Varicocele correction has been advocated for young patients with testicular hypotrophy, but there is a lack of morphofunctional follow-up data. We assessed whether percutaneous treatment of left varicocele is associated with testicular "catch-up growth" in the following 12 months by retrospectively reviewing data from an electronic database of 10 656 patients followed up in our clinic between 2006 and 2016. We selected all young adults (<35 years) with left varicocele who underwent percutaneous treatment, had a minimum of 12 months' ultrasound imaging follow-up, and had no other conditions affecting testicular volume. One hundred and fourteen men (mean±standard deviation [s.d.] of age: 22.8 ± 5.4 years) met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Left testicular hypotrophy (LTH), defined as a ≥20% difference between left and right testicular volume at baseline, was observed in 26 (22.8%) men. Participants with LTH (mean±s.d.: 14.5 ± 2.7 ml) had lower baseline testicular volume compared to those without LTH (mean±s.d.: 15.7 ± 3.8 ml; P = 0.032). Repeated measures mixed models showed a significant interaction between LTH and time posttreatment when correcting for baseline left testicular volume (β = 0.114, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.018-0.210, P = 0.020), resulting in a catch-up growth of up to 1.37 ml per year (95% CI: 0.221-2.516). Age at intervention was also associated with reduced testicular volume (-0.072 ml per year, 95% CI: -0.135--0.009; P = 0.024). Percutaneous treatment of left varicocele in young adults with LTH can result in catch-up growth over 1 year of follow-up. The reproductive and psychological implications of these findings need to be confirmed in longer and larger prospective studies.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Organ Size/physiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Testis/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultrasonography ; Varicocele/surgery* ; Young Adult