Objective:To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at four sacral points on overactive bladder syndrome.Methods:A total of 120 female patients with overactive bladder syndrome were allocated to a treatment group of 80 cases and a control group of 40 cases on a voluntary basis.The patients in the treatment group received EA at four sacral points,and the treatment was given three times a week for 6 consecutive weeks,while the patients in the control group received oral administration of M-receptor antagonist tolterodine tartrate,which was given 4 mg each time,once a day for 6 consecutive weeks.Then the symptom scores were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.Results:At the end of treatment,the symptom scores showed statistical significant differences in comparing with those before treatment in both groups (both P＜0.01);the symptom score in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group,showing a statistically significant difference (P＜0.05).Conclusion:EA at four sacral points is an effective method for overactive bladder syndrome.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Chronic Disease ; Daunorubicin ; adverse effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Heart Failure ; chemically induced ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Humans ; Lipoma ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Thymus Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Diagnosis, Differential ; Ependymoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Hemangioblastoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Meningioma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Mucin-1 ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Vimentin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protect effects of sodium ferulate (SF) on the daunormbicin(DNR-induced cardiotoxicity in juvenile rats.

METHODSForty male juvenile SD rats were randomly divided into control group (Control), daunorubicin group (DNR), sodium ferudate treatment group (DNR + SF), sodium ferudate group (SF) (n = 10) . Juvenile rats were intraperitoneally treated with DNR (2.5 mg/kg every week for a cumulative dose of 10 mg/kg) preparation immature myocardial injury model in presence with SF (60 mg/kg) oral treat- ment for 25 days. The left ventricular pressure and its response to isoproterenol were measured using left ventricular catheter. Rat myocardium myocardial pathology specimens and ultrastructure changes were also observed. The expression of cardiac Troponin I (cTNI) was detected by Western blot and RT-PCR. Results: SF treatment could inhibit the decreasing of heart rates induced by DNR damage (P < 0.05); it could increase the left ventrivular end diastolic pressure(LVEDP), heart rate, the maximal left ventrivular systolic speed(LVP + dp/dtmax) and the maximal left ventrivular diastolic speed (LVP-dp/dtmax) responding to isoproterenol stimulation(P < 0.01); SF also could improve the myocardial ultrastructure injuries and inhibit the decreasing of cTNI expression caused by DNR damages (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSF treatment could alleviate the decreasing of cardiac reservation induced by DNR damages in juvenile rats, which might be related to its reversing the effects on the cardiac systolic and diastolic function injuries and its inhibiting effects on the decreasing of cTNI expression caused by DNR. The mechanism of SF preventing daunorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in juvenile rats is relevant to inhabited cardiac Troponin I expression.

Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiotoxicity ; drug therapy ; Coumaric Acids ; pharmacology ; Daunorubicin ; toxicity ; Heart ; physiopathology ; Heart Rate ; Isoproterenol ; Male ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Troponin I ; metabolism

Background Pupillary light reflex has been widely used in the diagnosis and evaluation of visual system and nervous system diseases.However,in animal experiments,functional evaluation of the visual system and nervous system needs more advanced technology and are affected by many factors.Objective This study was to explore the use of the dynamic pupillometer in evaluating pupillary light reflex and to discuss the influence of brightness of stimulate on relevant curve parameters in C57BL/6 mouse.Methods Ten healthy SPF male C57BL/6 mice were collected in this experiment.White light of five luminance levels (2,8,32,128,256 cd/m2) was used to stimulate the mice following a 2-hour dark adaptation.The stimulation was given at the 60-second intervals,for a duration of 100 ms at every stimulation.An infrared camera and video capture card were used to capture digital images during the measuring process in a scotopic environment,at a speed of 60 frames per second.Measuring outcome was saved in the*.AVI format.A software that was developed by our group was used to determine pupil diameter and output pupillary light reflex curve offline.Pupil initial diameter (R1),constriction amplitude (CA),constriction velocity (CV),latency (T1),time for maximum velocity (T2),time for maximum constriction (T3),time for maximun con-striction to 10.1％ R1 re-dilation (RT)and re-dilation velocity (RV)were assessed,and the correlations between luminosity and measuring parameters were analyzed using the Spearman rank correlation.The use of animals followed the Regulations for thd Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Commission.Results R1 values showed no statistically significant difference among the 5 different luminosity groups(F=1.117,P=0.361).A positive linear correlation was found between stimulating luminosity and CA(r=0.508,P＜ 0.01),but negative correlations were seen between stimulating luminosity and CV or RV (r=-0.625,-0.609,P＜0.01).T1 and T2 values in the 5 different luminosity groups were not statistically significant (F =0.202,P =0.936 ; F =1.584,P =0.195).The different levels of stimulating luminosity showed positive linear correlations with T3 and RT values (r =0.791,0.609,P＜ 0.01).Conclusions The dynamic pupillometer can quantitatively measure the pupillary light reflex of C57BL/6 mice.The pupillary light reflex dynamic curve parameters of mouse were affected by stimulus luminosity levels.These outcomes offer a basis for the application of the dynamic pupillometer system for measuring pupillary light reflex in animal models.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Chinese herbs for stasis removing and collaterals dredging (CHSRCD) upon angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-angiotensin-(1-7)-Mas axis in the renal cortex of diabetic nephropathy rats.

METHODSTotally 89 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the blank control group (C group, n=22), the high-glucose high-fat control group (H group, n=10), and the streptozotocin (STZ)-injecting group (n=57). The diabetes rat model (n=50) was induced by feeding high-glucose high-fat diet in combination with intraperitoneal injection of STZ, which were further divided into the model group (M group, n=24), the irbesartan group (I group, n=13), and the CHSRCD (Z group, n=13). Rats in I and Z groups were intragastrically fed with suspension of irbesartan and CHSRCD, once daily for 16 weeks. Equal volume of drinking water was administrated to rats in the rest groups. Blood glucose and 24 h urine protein quantitation were tested at four time points. And the mRNA expression of ACE2 and Mas at various time points was detected by Real-time PCR, immunohistochemical assay, and Western blot. Quantitative analyses of ACE2 and Mas protein expression were performed at the end of week 16.

RESULTSCompared with the C group, blood glucose increased in the H and M groups (P < 0.01). It was higher in the H group (P < 0. 01). 24 h urine protein quantitation at different time points increased in the M group, and it was higher than that in the H group (P < 0.05). Compared with the M group, 24 h urine protein quantitation decreased at the end of week 8 in the I group, and at the end of week 8 and 16 in the Z group (P < 0.05). It was lower in the Z group than in the I group at the end of week 16 (P < 0.05). Compared with the C and H groups, the expression of ACE2 mRNA in the renal cortex was lower in the M group at the end of week 16 (P < 0.01). Compared with the M group, it was higher in the Z group (P < 0. 01). There was no statistical difference in the expressions of Mas mRNA at the end of week 16 between the C group and the M group (P > 0.05). It was lower in the M group than in the H group (P < 0.05). It was higher in the Z group than in the M group (P < 0.05), and higher than in the I group (P < 0.05). The expression of ACE2 and Mas protein in the M group decreased as time went by. The expression quantitation of ACE2 and Mas protein at the end of week 16 was lower in the M group than in the C group (P < 0.05). Compared with the M group, ACE2 expression of the Z group and Mas of the I and Z groups increased more significantly (P < 0. 05).

CONCLUSIONCHSRCD could play a role in renal protection for diabetic nephropathy rats by up-regulating the mRNA and protein expression of ACE2 and Mas, promoting the ACE2-Ang-(1-7)-Mas axis, and lowering urinary protein.

Angiotensin I ; metabolism ; Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Kidney Cortex ; metabolism ; Male ; Peptide Fragments ; metabolism ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the imaging characteristics of both intra- and extrathoracic sarcoidosis on 18F-FDG PET/CT.Methods From 2007 Aug.to 2009 Nov.,22 patients( 10 males,12 females) with sarcoidosis,confirmed by pathological study and clinical follow-up,underwent 18 F-FDG PET/CT imaging.The imaging patterns of intrathoracic and extrathoracic lesions were analyzed.The patterns were classified as the typical or atypical ( symmetrical or asymmetrical FDG accumulation and enlargement of hilar lymph nodes) based on PET and CT separately.Nonparametric McNemar test,independent t-test and Fisher exact test were applied for statistical analysis.Results For typical pattern vs atypical pattem identification,PET was significantly different from CT ( 18 and 4 vs 12 and 10,P =0.031 ).In those with atypical pattern demonstrated by CT alone at hilar region,PET showed either symmetrical or asymmetrical accumulation of FDG.Except for mediastinal lymph nodes involvement,lung parenchyma was the second common site ( 19/22,86.4％ ),followed by lymph nodes at abdomen and (or) pelvis ( 12/22,54.5％ ).Conclusion The imaging characteristics of both intra- and extrathoracic sarcoidosis on 18F-FDG PET/CT may be helpful for the diagnosis of atypical sarcoidosis on CT image alone.

Zona pellucida (ZP) plays a key role in the recognition, combination and penetration of sperms and oocytes, the prevention of multiple impregnation, the protection of embryos, and so on. The paper reviews the constitution, molecular structure, biological function and application of zona pellucida in male fertilization.
Acrosome Reaction ; physiology ; Animals ; Female ; Fertility ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Molecular Structure ; Zona Pellucida ; chemistry ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo observe the outcome of the fractured immature anterior permanent teeth after pulpotomy by X-ray measurement.

METHODSA total of 31 (25 cases) fractured immature anterior permanent teeth after pulpotomy was reviewed. Radiographic measurements were performed on 12 cases with unilateral fractured central incisors and completely formed roots after pulpotomy and 100 (50 subjects) healthy maxillary central incisors.

RESULTSThe roots development continued after pulpotomy, and the root length and periapical configuration were both similar to the healthy teeth, but some root canals became narrow or even nearly obturated at the root apex. There was no significant difference in root canal width between healthy right and left maxillary central incisors at the site of 1/4 [right: (0.67 +/- 0.14) mm, left: (0.66 +/- 0.12) mm, P > 0.05], 1/2 [right: (1.05 +/- 0.19) mm, left: (1.04 +/- 0.17) mm, P > 0.05], 3/4 [right: (1.78 +/- 0.34) mm, left: (1.76 +/- 0.30) mm, P > 0.05] of root, but the root canal width of the fractured incisors at the same site was significantly different from that of the contralateral healthy incisor, the 1/4 site pulpotomy: (0.70 +/- 0.23) mm, control: (0.99 +/- 0.17) mm, the 1/2 site pulpotomy: (1.16 +/- 0.24) mm, control: (1.51 +/- 0.25) mm; the 3/4 site pulpotomy: (1.96 +/- 0.34) mm, control: (2.24 +/- 0.36) mm.

CONCLUSIONSThere was a tendency that the root canals of fractured teeth after pulpotomy became narrowed and obturated. It should not be followed up for too long to perform root canal treatment when roots completely formed.

Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Incisor ; diagnostic imaging ; injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Pulpotomy ; Radiography ; Root Canal Therapy ; Tooth Fractures ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; X-Ray Film