OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects and mechanisms of diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) on morphology and function of progenitor Leydig cells (PLC) in rats.

METHODSTwenty pregnant SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups ( n = 5): normal control group, DEHP low dose group , middle dose group, and high dose group, which were treated from postnatal day (PND) 1 to PND 21 of the pubs with DEHP at the doses of 0, 10, 100, 750 mg/(kg · d) in 0.5 ml of corn oil by gavage respectively. At the end of the treatment, the male pups were killed and blood samples were collected for determination of serum testosterone concentration by chemiluminescence method. The body weight, testis weight and anogenital distance (AGD) were measured. The morphology of PLC was observed by light and transmission electron microscopy. The protein expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein(StAR) in PLC was determined by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in the testis was assayed by real-time PCR.

RESULTSCompared with normal control group, the serum testosterone and AGD of male pubs from the middle and high dose groups were declined significantly (P < 0.01), the testis weight and body weight from high dose group were decreased significantly (P < 0.01), while the testis weight increased in the low dose group (P < 0.05). Under light microscope, PLC showed hyperplasia and cluster aggregation in the low dose group and focal hyperplasia in the middle and high dose group. The spermatogenic cells in seminiferous tubules showed decrease, apoptosis and unfix in the high dose group. Under transmission electron microscope, the PLC showed decreased lipid droplets, smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondriae in the treated group. The mRNA expression of IGF-I increased in the low dose group, and the protein expression of StAR decreased in the middle and high dose group.

CONCLUSIONLactating exposure to DEHP may interfere with the synthesis of testosterone of PLC in male pubs, the decrease of StAR and the damage of PLC may be involved in it.

Animals ; Body Weight ; Diethylhexyl Phthalate ; adverse effects ; Female ; Germ Cells ; drug effects ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; metabolism ; Lactation ; Leydig Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Male ; Organ Size ; Phosphoproteins ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Testis ; Testosterone ; blood

To investigate the delivery mechanism of micro-porous osmotic pump tablets ( MPOP), taking tramadol hydrochloride ( TR) as the model drug, tramadol hydrochloride micro-porous osmotic pump tablets (TR MPOP) were prepared with compressible starch as diluent, cellulose acetate as coating material, polyethylene glycol 400 as pore-forming agents. The equilibrium solubility and osmolality of TR were determined. The effects of fillers in tablet cores, coating levels, and osmotic pressures of release media on expansion behavior of preparations were described. The influences of the category, osmolality, and pH value of release media, release methods, and release conditions on release curves of tablets were evaluated. Based on several models, the delivery pattern of TR MPOP was fitted. The equilibrium solubility in water and osmolality of TR were (775.8 +/- 17.7) g x L(-1) and 4.036 Osmol x kg(-1), respectively. During the drug-release period, it was observed that the tablets expanded markedly in response to the expansion characteristics of compressible starch and the osmotic pressure difference across the membrane. When osmotic pressure of release media increased, the significant change of the equilibrium solubility of TR was not found, but the release rates of TR MPOP decreased significantly. The delivery rate was not influenced by the pH of release mediums, dissolution methods and paddle stirring rates. The drug release profile conformed to the model of zero order in 8 h. The pore-forming agents were dissolved in release medium, which caused micro-pores. The expansion of tablets made the size of micropores bigger, and then the drug-releasing pores were obtained. It was proved that the drivers of drug delivering from TR MPOP were mainly the difference of osmotic pressure, and secondly the difference of solubility. TR MPOP were the controlled-release preparation.
Analgesics, Opioid ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Cellulose ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Delivery Systems ; methods ; Drug Stability ; Osmosis ; Osmotic Pressure ; Polyethylene Glycols ; chemistry ; Porosity ; Solubility ; Starch ; chemistry ; Tablets, Enteric-Coated ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Tramadol ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics

This retrospective analysis compared standard regimen of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) with the dose-dense ABVD regimen (ABVD-21) in terms of efficacy and toxicity. Patients who had early-stage unfavorable or advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) according to German Hodgkin Study Group criteria from March 1999 to February 2011 were analyzed for treatment response, long-term survival and hematological toxicity. There were 85 patients in the ABVD-21 group and 118 patients in the ABVD group respectively. The complete remission rates after completion of treatment were 92.9% and 90.7% for ABVD-21 and ABVD, respectively. During a median follow-up period of 62 months, no significant difference was found in projected 10-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates (84.7% and 94.1% respectively for ABVD-21; 81.4% and 91.5% for ABVD). Subgroup analyses showed that ABVD-21 was significantly better than ABVD for patients with IPS≥3 in terms of PFS and OS rates. Grade 3 to 4 leukopenia (51.8% vs. 28.8%, P=0.001) and neutropenia (57.6% vs. 39.0%, P=0.009) were more common with ABVD-21. We were led to conclude that dose-dense ABVD did not result in better tumor control and overall survival than did ABVD for early-stage unfavorable HL. However, patients at high risk, for example, with IPS≥3, may benefit from dose-dense ABVD.

OBJECTIVE: In order to understand which kind of function genes play an important role for estimating wound age, the variation of difference genes' mRNA expression were compared after injury. METHODS: The mRNA expression levels of seven candidate genes (ICAM-1, NF-κB, MX2, MT1, MT2, sTnI, and Cox6c) were analyzed in contused rat skeletal muscle at different time points using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The raw Ct values were normalized relative to that of RPL32 mRNA, and converted to standard Ct values. At each time point after injury, the standard deviations (SD) of the standard Ct values were calculated by SPSS. RESULTS: The expression trends of the seven genes were all found to be related to wound age, but there were lower variation coefficients and greater reliability of s TnI and Cox6c when compared with other genes. CONCLUSION The genes encoding structural proteins or proteins that perform basic functions can be suitable for wound age estimation.
Animals ; Contusions/genetics* ; Forensic Pathology ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B ; Proteins ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Regression Analysis ; Reproducibility of Results ; Time Factors ; Wound Healing/genetics*

Although a variety of regimens are available for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), severe adverse reactions and unpopular costs often limit their usage. In contrast, certain inexpensive, naturally-occurring ingredients are proven effective for AD with fewer side effects. The beneficial effects of these ingredients can be attributed to inhibition of cytokine and chemokine expression, IgE production, inflammatory cell infiltration, histamine release, and/or the enhancement of epidermal permeability barrier function. Since herbal medicines are widely available, inexpensive and generally safe, they could be valuable alternatives for the treatment of AD, particularly for those patients who are not suitable for the utilization of immune modulators. In this review, we summarize the therapeutic benefits of natural ingredients for the treatment of AD and the mechanisms of their actions.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Biological Products ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Permeability ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo explore the efficacy and safety of 980 nm diode laser vaporization in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

METHODSWe treated 92 BPH patients by 980 nm diode laser vaporization. The patients were aged 65 - 89 years, with a mean prostate volume of (50.1 +/- 13.0) ml. We analyzed and compared the mean operation time, intra-operative blood loss, postoperative complications, international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) score, maximum urine flow rate (Qmax), and post void residual (PVR) before and after surgery.

RESULTSOperations were successful in all the 92 cases, with an average operation time of (70.2 +/- 16.9) min, very little blood loss and no blood transfusion. The transurethral catheter indwelling time was 2 -5 (2.4 +/- 0.3) days. The patients were followed up for 1 to 3 months, which revealed a significant reduction in IPPS (P < 0.01) and improvement in Qmax and PVR (P < 0.01) as compared with preoperation. No severe complications were reported, including urinary incontinence and bladder irritation symptoms. None of the patients complained of impaired erectile function.

CONCLUSIONTransurethral 980 nm diode laser vaporization is a safe and effective treatment for BPH.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; methods ; Lasers, Semiconductor ; Male ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; surgery ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate ; methods ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of probucol and losartan on the prevention of restenosis after balloon angioplasty in hypercholesterolaemic rabbits, and to examine the expression of growth factors. METHODS: Forty male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into high cholesterol diet group, probucol group, losartan group and combined drugs group. After one week of diet, all rabbits were injured on iliac arteries with balloon. Four weeks after the injury, the morphology of the iliac arteries of the rabbits were observed, and the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were examined by immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: Compared with the high cholesterol diet group, the lumen areas of the probucol group, losartan group and combined drugs group were larger (P < 0.01), the intimal areas were smaller (P < 0.05), and the expression of IGF-IR and VEGF significantly decreased (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference among the three groups. CONCLUSION Probucol and losartan can prevent the restenosis of rabbits' iliac artery from balloon injury, and inhibit the expression of IGF-IR and VEGF. There is no statistical difference between combined drugs and single drug administration.
Angioplasty, Balloon ; adverse effects ; Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Coronary Restenosis ; prevention & control ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Hypercholesterolemia ; therapy ; Losartan ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Probucol ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Receptor, IGF Type 1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the expression of secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5) mRNA and the time interval after skeletal muscle injury in rats by real-time PCR. METHODS: A total of ninety SD rats were randomly divided into the contusion groups at different times including 4h, 8h, 12h, 16h, 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h, 40h, 44h, 48h after contusion, incision groups at different times including 4h and 8h after incision and the control group. The samples were taken from the contused zone at different time points. The total RNA was isolated from the samples and reversely transcribed to analyze the expression levels of SFRP5 mRNA. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the expression of SFRP5 mRNA in contusion groups were down-regulated within 48 h after contusion and reached the lowest level at 20 h, and the expression of SFRP5 mRNA gradually increased from 20 h to 48 h after contusion. The expression of SFRP5 mRNA in the incised groups were significantly lower than that of the contusion groups at 4 h after injury. At the time of 8 h, the expression levels between the contusion and incision groups showed no statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION It is suggested that SFRP5 mRNA analysis may show regular expression and can be a marker for estimation of skeletal muscle injury age.
Animals ; Biomarkers/metabolism* ; Contusions/metabolism* ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism* ; Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

This retrospective analysis compared standard regimen of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) with the dose-dense ABVD regimen (ABVD-21) in terms of efficacy and toxicity. Patients who had early-stage unfavorable or advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) according to German Hodgkin Study Group criteria from March 1999 to February 2011 were analyzed for treatment response, long-term survival and hematological toxicity. There were 85 patients in the ABVD-21 group and 118 patients in the ABVD group respectively. The complete remission rates after completion of treatment were 92.9% and 90.7% for ABVD-21 and ABVD, respectively. During a median follow-up period of 62 months, no significant difference was found in projected 10-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates (84.7% and 94.1% respectively for ABVD-21; 81.4% and 91.5% for ABVD). Subgroup analyses showed that ABVD-21 was significantly better than ABVD for patients with IPS≥3 in terms of PFS and OS rates. Grade 3 to 4 leukopenia (51.8% vs. 28.8%, P=0.001) and neutropenia (57.6% vs. 39.0%, P=0.009) were more common with ABVD-21. We were led to conclude that dose-dense ABVD did not result in better tumor control and overall survival than did ABVD for early-stage unfavorable HL. However, patients at high risk, for example, with IPS≥3, may benefit from dose-dense ABVD.
Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; administration & dosage ; Bleomycin ; administration & dosage ; Combined Modality Therapy ; methods ; Dacarbazine ; administration & dosage ; Disease-Free Survival ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Doxorubicin ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Hodgkin Disease ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prednisone ; Retrospective Studies ; Vinblastine ; administration & dosage

OBJECTIVETo summarize our clinical experience in adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (ALDLT).

METHODSClinical data of 12 patients with ALDLT performed in our center from September 2000 to June 2005 were analyzed, retrospectively.

RESULTSLeft lobe (segments II, III, IV, including the middle hepatic veins) transplantation was performed in 3 patients and right lobe (segments V, VI, VII, VIII, with or without the middle hepatic veins) transplantation was performed in 9 patients. Donors: There were no operative deaths. The median operative time was 6.20+/-1.40 hours and their blood loss ranged from 300 ml to 1200 ml. Postoperative complications included biliary fistula (1 donor) and wound fat liquefaction (1 donor). During a 6-12 months follow-up, no long-term complications were found. Recipients: The operating time ranged from 5 to 11 hours and their blood loss ranged from 800 to 7000 ml. Modified outflow reconstruction, microvascular reconstruction of the hepatic artery and duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction were done during the recipient operations. The median cold ischemia time was 1.90+/-0.50 hours. The median anhepatic phase of recipients was 1.63+/-0.43 hours. Graft/recipient weight ratio (GRWR) was (1.20+/-0.26)%. One recipient presented a postoperative complication of biliary fistula and another recipient died 1 month after the operation from serious infection. The other 11 recipients had long-term survivals.

CONCLUSIONALDLT is an effective treatment for decompensated end-stage liver disease patients and is relatively safe for the donors.

Adult ; Female ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration ; surgery ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; surgery ; Liver Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Male