Aged ; Deglutition Disorders ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Zenker Diverticulum ; complications ; pathology

Amyloidosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Laryngeal Diseases ; etiology ; Larynx ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharynx ; pathology

Seven terpenoids and three sterols were isolated from the methanol extracts of the aerial parts of Ricinus communis by chromatography methods and their structures were identified by spectra analysis as ficusic acid( 1), phytol(2), callyspinol(3) , lupeol(4), 30-norlupan-3beta-ol-20-one(5) , lup-20(29)-en-3beta,15alpha-diol(6) , acetylaleuritolic acid( 7), stigmast4-en-3-one(8) , stig-mast-4-en-6beta-ol-3-one(9) , and stigmast4-en-3,6-dione(10). Compounds 1-3 and 5-10 were obtained from this species for the first time and 5 and 6 showed significant inhibitive activity and good selectivity against 11beta-HSD of mouse and human in vitro. [Key words] Ricinus communis; terpenoids; sterols; 11beta-HSD
11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; 11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Mice ; Ricinus ; chemistry ; Sterols ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Terpenes ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

Objective To investigate the synergistic efficacy of different antibiotic combinations against KPC-2 carbapenemase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains in vitro and search for effective antibiotic combination.Methods During 2008 - 2009,a total of 24 strains of K.pneumoniae producing KPC-2 carbapenemase were collected from 8 hospitals in the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Zhejiang University,Ningbo LiHuiLi Hospital,Zhejiang People's Hospital,Hangzhou Third Hospital,the Second Hospital of Shaoxing,Hangzhou First Hospital,Fudan University Huashan Hospital,General Hospital of Nanjing Military Region.MLST technique was used for epidemiological analysis.The MIC of antibiotics,such as amikacin,minocycline,imipenem,amoxicillin/clavulanic-acid,ceftazidime,meropenem,gentamicin,cefoxitin,cefepime,rifampicin,polymyxinB,ciprofloxacin were determined by an agar dilution method,the MIC of tigecycline and piperacillin/tazobactain were determined by Etest.The antibacterial activities of cefepime in combination with amoxicillin/clavulanic-acid,amikacin,or ciprofloxacin,amikacin with ciprofloxacin,imipenem with amikacin,ciprofloxacin,polymyxinB,or minocycline,polymyxin B with rifampicin,ceftazidime with amoxicillin/clavulanic-acid were assessed by chequerboard synergy agar dilution tests against all the isolates.Results MLST showed 5 STs among 24 strains of KPC-2 carbapenemase producing K.pneumoniae,and the most prevalent clone was ST11 (15 strains).All isolates were susceptible to polymyxin B and tigecycline,and the resistance rate of minocycline was 4.2％.The synergetic effects were observed in cefepime-amoxicillin/clavulanic acid,imipenem-amikacin,ceftazidime-amoxicillin/clavulanic acid combinations as 19 isolates,13 isolates,and 13 isolates,respectively.Conclusions KPC-2 carbapenemase producing K.pneumoniae is sensitive to polymyxin B,tigecycline and minocycline.The synergetic effect is predominant in cefepime-amoxicillin/clavulanic acid,imipenem-amikacin ceftazidime-amoxicillin/clavulanic acid combinations in vitro,their clinical efficacy are worthy of further observation.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of vasectomy with the risk of prostate cancer in Chinese men.

METHODSWe systematically searched the databases CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library for the literature relating the relationship between vasectomy and the risk of prostate cancer in Chinese males up to December 2014. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, two investigators independently selected the eligible publications, evaluated their quality, and extracted relevant information, followed by a meta-analysis with the software STATA 12.0.

RESULTSNine studies were included in the analysis involving 1 202 cases of prostate cancer and 4,496 controls. Random-effect model analysis revealed no statistically significant correlation between vasectomy and the risk of prostate cancer (OR = 1.05; 95% CI 0.62-1.79), with an obvious heterogeneity (P < 0.001, I2 = 85.7%). No significant publication bias was found among the included studies (Egger, P = 0.824; Begg, P = 0.348).

CONCLUSIONThe results of our meta-analysis do not support the association of vasectomy with the increased risk of prostate cancer in Chinese population.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; ethnology ; etiology ; Risk Assessment ; Vasectomy ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of protein kinase C (PKC) activity and its role in the development of presyrinx state in rabbits.

METHODSPresyrinx state was established in 56 rabbits by intra-cisternal injection of kaolin. At 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after the injection, the water content in the upper cervical spinal cord was measured, its pathological changes observed microscopically and the PKC activity determined with substrate phosphorolysis kinase assay.

RESULTSSpinal cord edema occurred in rabbits one day after kaolin injection, with water content of (68.35-/+0.70)%, which increased to (72.70-/+0.88)% on day 3, reaching the peak level of (72.92-/+0.86)% on day 7, followed by gradual decline after 3 weeks [(70.03-/+0.77)%]. The membrane PKC activity increased from 5.67-/+0.26 pmol.mg(-1).min(-1) on day 1 after the injection to reach the peak level on day 7 (13.27-/+3.15 pmol.mg(-1).min(-1)), which was maintained till day 14 with subsequent decrease to 8.85-/+1.56 pmol.mg(-1).min(-1) on day 21. The cytoplasmic PKC activity showed changes of a reverse pattern.

CONCLUSIONIn rabbits with experimental presyrinx state, PKC translocation and activation is involved in ischemic spinal edema.

Animals ; Female ; Kaolin ; Male ; Protein Kinase C ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Spinal Cord ; enzymology ; Syringomyelia ; chemically induced ; enzymology

BACKGROUNDAnnexin A7 (synexin, ANXA7) is a member of annexins, which plays an essential role in the regulation of calcium homeostasis. Considerable evidence shows that the pathogenetic mechanism of acquired epilepsy (AE) has been related to the imbalance of calcium homeostasis. The aim of this study was to investigate ANXA7 expression and cellular localization in the cortex and hippocampus in the rat lithium-pilocarpine model of AE.

METHODSTotally 81 adult healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group (n = 9) and experimental group (n = 72), the experimental group contained eight subgroups according to sacrifice time (n = 9) (6-hour, 24-hour, 48-hour, 72-hour, 7-day, 15-day, 1-month, and 2-month). In the experimental group, rats were intraperitoneally injected by lithium-pilocarpine to induce AE model. We examined the expression and localization of ANXA7 via immunohistochemistry, double-label immunofluorescence with the use of neuron specific enolase (NSE) antibody, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) antibody and propidium iodide (PI), respectively. The data of optical density value were analyzed by analysis of variance.

RESULTSANXA7 expression increased significantly in the experimental groups especially in the acute period (6 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after the onset of seizure) using immunohistochemistry. Double-label immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy disclosed that ANXA7 localized in the neurons but not in astrocytes and did not localize in the nucleus, which were performed with anti-NSE, anti-GFAP and PI respectively.

CONCLUSIONANXA7 may play a potential role in the pathogenetic mechanisms of the rat lithium-pilocarpine model of AE.

Animals ; Annexin A7 ; analysis ; physiology ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cerebral Cortex ; chemistry ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Hippocampus ; chemistry ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lithium Chloride ; Male ; Pilocarpine ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Status Epilepticus ; chemically induced ; metabolism

Influenza is a major threat to millions of people worldwide. Vaccines and antiviral agents are two main options available to reduce the impact of the influenza virus, while anti-influenza agents are the most effective means to prevent the transmission of the highly contagious virus and to treat the epidemics of disease. At present, four anti-influenza agents have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of influenza, including two M2 protein ion channel inhibitors-amantadine and rimantadine and two neuraminidase inhibitors-zanamivir and oseltamivir. Arbidol hydrochloride, launched in Russia, is a potent inhibitor of influenza virus, too. Neuraminidase inhibitors could be classified generally by structure into six different kinds: sialic acid derivatives, benzoic acid derivatives, cyclohexene derivatives, cyclopentane derivatives, pyrrolidine derivatives and natural products. In this paper, recent progress in the research of the action mechanisms and structure-activity relationships of these anti-influenza virus agents were reviewed.
Amantadine ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antiviral Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Cyclopentanes ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Guanidines ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Indoles ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Influenza, Human ; drug therapy ; Neuraminidase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Orthomyxoviridae ; drug effects ; Oseltamivir ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Pyrrolidines ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rimantadine ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Viral Matrix Proteins ; antagonists & inhibitors ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Zanamivir ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVEUsing chitosan (CS)/beta-tricalcium phosphate (TCP)/recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP)-2 for the reconstruction of rabbits' mandible defect, to prove the feasibility of CS/beta-TCP as an injectable bone tissue engineering scaffold material.

METHODSTwenty-four New Zealand white rabbits were randomized into 4 groups on average: Experimental group 1 embedding CS/beta-TCP/rhBMP-2, experimental group 2 embedding CS/ beta-TCP, control group 1 embedding autograft bone group, control group 2 embedding nothing. At 2, 4 and 8 weeks after surgery, all rabbits were executed group by group. The new bone growth situations were observed with hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunofluorescence microscopy, the bone mineral density was detected by bone sonometers.

RESULTSAfter 2, 4, 8 weeks, there was significant difference among the areas of bone regeneration of all groups. The effect of experimental group 1 was better than experimental group 2. There was significant difference at different times, the areas of bone regeneration was gradually increased with time. The area of stained yellow in experimental group 1 was larger, the area of stained red was smaller. The quantities of bone density in experimental group 1 at every time after surgery were significantly higher than experimental group 1 and control group 2, but had no statistical significance with control group 1.

CONCLUSIONCS/beta-TCP/rhBMP-2 has good biocompatibility, degradability and the capacity of guided and inducing osteogenesis. CS/beta-TCP as a good injection of carrier could become a promising carrier for rhBMP-2 and potential new degradable biological material for repairing bone defect in clinical application.

Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ; Bone Regeneration ; Bone Transplantation ; Bone and Bones ; Calcium Phosphates ; Chitosan ; Humans ; Osteogenesis ; Rabbits ; Recombinant Proteins ; Tissue Engineering ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

Tubulin is the major protein of microtubule. alpha- and beta- tubulins form heterodimers, while gamma-tubulin regulates microtubule organization. The present study aimed to observe the dynamic changes of gamma-tubulin in preimplantation development of parthenogenetic mouse embryos. Immunofluorescence and laser confocal microscopy were used to detect the location of gamma-tubulin in preimplantation parthenogenetic embryos activated by SrCl2. The oocytes were collected at 13-14 h after hCG injection, and then activated with 10 mmol/L SrCl2 in Ca(2+)-free CZB medium with 5 mmol/L cytochalasin B (CB), fixed at 1 h intervals until 6 h after activation. The results showed that spindle was paralleled with the cell membrane all the time, when the meiosis of MII mouse oocytes resumed. The rotation of spindle was inhibited, but karyokinesis was not influenced. At 0 h after activation, i.e. at metaphase, gamma-tubulin was distributed mainly on the two poles of spindle. At 1 h after activation, i.e. at anaphase, following the separation of chromosomes, gamma-tubulin was transformed from dense to disperse. At 2 h after activation, gamma-tubulin was localized between the segregated sister chromatids at telophase. However, at 3-6 h after activation, gamma-tubulin concentrated around the two female pronuclei during their formation and juxtaposition. Moreover, another group of MII oocytes were activated for 6 h and cultured in droplets of KSOM medium under mineral oil in 5% CO2 in air at 37 degrees C to permit parthenogenetic development. The embryos were collected and fixed at 3 h, 14 h, 16 h, and 18 h of culture. At 3 h after culture, i.e. at mitotic interphase, it was shown that amorphous gamma-tubulin distributed around the nuclei of early parthenogenetic embryos. At 24 h after culture, i.e. at prometaphase, gamma-tubulin migrated along the spindle microtubule to the two poles. Our results showed that gamma-tubulin had similar location patterns at metaphase, anaphase and telophase in meiosis and mitosis. It was concluded that gamma-tubulin assembly in parthenogenetically activated oocytes facilitated the formation of negative pole cap and the stabilization of microtubule, thus promoting the spindle formation at meiosis and mitosis. The relocation of gamma-tubulin at anaphase and telophase might be induced by the event of segregation of homologous chromosome being pulled away by the spindle. gamma-tubulin might contribute to the migration and juxtaposition of the two female pronuclei as well.
Animals ; Embryo, Mammalian ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Meiosis ; Mice ; Mitosis ; Oocytes ; cytology ; Parthenogenesis ; Spindle Apparatus ; physiology ; Tubulin ; physiology