Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Lead Poisoning ; complications ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases ; Renal Insufficiency ; chemically induced

Human spermatozoa encounter an osmotic decrease from 330 to 290 mOsm l-1 when passing through the female reproductive tract. We aimed to evaluate the role of chloride channels in volume regulation and sperm motility from patients with asthenozoospermia. Spermatozoa were purified using Percoll density gradients. Sperm volume was measured as the forward scatter signal using flow cytometry. Sperm motility was analyzed using computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA). When transferred from an isotonic solution (330 mOsm l-1 ) to a hypotonic solution (290 mOsm l-1 ), cell volume was not changed in spermatozoa from normozoospermic men; but increased in those from asthenozoospermic samples. The addition of the chloride channel blockers, 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'- isulfonic acid (DiDS) or 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid (NPPB) to the hypotonic solution caused the normal spermatozoa to swell but did not increase the volume of those from the asthenozoospermic semen. DiDS and NPPB decreased sperm motility in both sets of semen samples. The inhibitory effect of NPPB on normal sperm motility was much stronger than on spermatozoa from the asthenozoospermic samples. Both sperm types expressed ClC-3 chloride channels, but the expression levels in the asthenozoospermic samples were much lower, especially in the neck and mid-piece areas. Spermatozoa from men with asthenozoospermia demonstrated lower volume regulating capacity, mobility, and ClC-3 expression levels (especially in the neck) than did normal spermatozoa. Thus, chloride channels play important roles in the regulation of sperm volume and motility and are downregulated in cases of asthenozoospermia.

Objective To assess the effectiveness of prevention program on iodine deficiency disorders and iodine nutritional status of residents in Guangdong Province.Methods Probability proportionate to size sampling(PPS) was employed in surveillance of iodine deficiency disorders.Thirty counties(cities,districts) were selected in Guangdong Province.In each county(city,district) one township(street) was selected; in each township (street) one primary school was selected and in each primary school 40 children aged 8-10 were chosen to examine their thyroid and to collect salt samples at their home for determination of salt iodine.Out of the 40 children,12 children were chosen to collect urine samples for determination of urinary iodine.From the primary schools chosen,40 grade 5 students were selected for intelligence quotient(IQ) test.In the nearby of the primary schools,3 townships(towns,street) were selected and in each township(town,street) 5 pregnant and 5 lactating women were selected to collect their urine samples for determination of urinary iodine.Type-B ultrasonic was used in measuring the thyroid volume.The iodine content of urine samples was measured by the method of arsenic and cerium catalysis spectrophotometry.The iodine content of salt was determined quantitatively with the titration method.IQ was tested by Chinese combined Raven's test.According to geographical location and the implementation of iodized salt,the effects of iodized salt on iodine deficiency disorders were analyzed in the plains and the Pearl River Delta Coastal region with mild iodine deficiency(iodized salt implementation region,referred to as the plains and the PRD),historical iodine deficiency areas (iodized implementation region) and the eastern and the western coastal areas of Guangdong(areas with non-iodized salt problem,referred to as the eastern and the western Guangdong).Results A total of 1200 children aged 8 to 10 were examined by type-B ultrasonic test,and goiter rate was 3.5％ (42/1200).The differences of goiter rate between the plains and the PRD,the historical iodine deficiency areas and the eastern and the western Guangdong were statistically significant (x2 =6.6,P ＜ 0.05).The goiter rate (6.1％) in the eastern and the western Guangdong was significantly higher than that of the plains and the PRD and the historical iodine deficiency areas (3.3％,2.0％,x2 =5.6,7.1,all P ＜ 0.05).A total of 1200 salt samples were examined.The median and coefficient of variation of iodine in the salt were 31.0 mg/kg and 23.2％,respectively.Coverage of iodized salt was 97.5％(1170/1200) while 96.1％(1153/1200) of consumed iodized salt was qualified.The median urinary iodine of 1200 children aged 8-10 was 186.5 μg/L,and the differences of median urinary iodine between the plains and the PRD,the historical iodine deficiency areas and the eastern and the western Guangdong were statistically significant(x2 =5.9,P ＜ 0.05).The median urinary iodine of the eastern and the western Guangdong(162.4 μg/L) was significantly lower than that of the plains and the PRD(207.5 μg/L,x2 =8.7,P ＜ 0.01).The difference of median urinary iodine between the plains and the PRD,the historical iodine deficiency areas and the eastern and the western Guangdong was statistically significant(x2 =58.9,P＜ 0.01).The median urinary iodine of the eastern and the western Guangdong(109.6 μg/L) was significantly lower than that of the historical iodine deficiency areas and the plains and the PRD(152.9,155.2 μg/L,x2 =18.3,20.6,all P ＜ 0.05).The mean IQ of the 1208 grade 5 students was 102.8 ± 14.3.The IQ of the plains and the PRD(104.3 ± 13.9) and the historical iodine deficiency areas(102.7 ± 14.3) was significantly higher than that of the eastern and the western Guangdong(100.3 ± 14.7,t =3.8,2.1,P＜ 0.01 orP＜ 0.05).Conclusions The goal of iodine deficiency disorders elimination is achieved as scheduled in Guangdong Province.The health level of general population has been improved significantly.Iodine nutrition is in the appropriate range (100-199 μg/L) in general population but low in pregnant women.The selling of non-iodized salt in the eastern and the western Guangdong Province should be followed closely.

Objective To study the effect of fluoride on the expression of bcl-2 and Bax in chondrocyte in vitro, and investigate the mechanism of action of chondrocyte apoptosis induced by fluoride. Methods Articular chondrocytes of neonate rat were cultured in vitro and treated with 0(control),5,20,40 mg/L of fluoride,respectively, for 10 days. Then observed the u]trastructure of chondrocytes under eletronicmicroscope, and tested the expression of bcl-2 and Bax in chondrocyte in different groups by Western blotting. Results Abundant rough endoplasmic reticulums (RERs) and complete structure of mitochondria membranes were presented in globular chondrocytes in the control group and 5 mg/L group; but more lipid droplets and vacuoles were seen in the cytoplasm, and the structure of intracellular membranes became incomplete, and some shrieked chromatin and pyknosis were seen in the chondrocytes of the 20,40 mg/L groups. The expression of bcl-2 markedly decreased in 20 mg/L group(0.626 ± 0.042) and 40 mg/L group(0.531± 0.039) compared to the control group(0.876 ± 0.035,all P ＜ 0.01 ). And the expression of Bax significantly increased in 20 mg/L group(0.966 ± 0.047) and 40 mg/Lgroup ( 1 .289 ± 0.156) compared to the control group(0.642 ± 0.050, all P ＜ 0.01). But there was no statistical significant difference of the expression of bcl-2 or Bax between 5 mg/L group(0.885 ± 0.065,0.657 ± 0.045) and control group (all P ＞ 0.05 ). However there were statistical differences of expressions of bcl-2 and Bax between 20 and 40 mg/L groups(all P ＜ 0.01 ). Conclusions Twenty and 40 mg/L fluoride can cause damage to the ultrastructure of chondrocyte, and fluoride possibly promotes chondrocyte apoptosis by reducing the expression of antiapoptotic factor bcl-2 and increasing the expression of Bax.

Objective To research effects of water extraction of Salvia miltiorrhiza in sperm quality of mice. Methods Forty adult male Kunming mice were randomly divided into 5 groups, including low concentration group, medium concentration group, high concentration group, control group and positive control group in eight mice in each group. The low, medium and high concentration groups were given by gavage with 1 500, 3 000 and 6 000 mg/kg water extraction of salvia miltiorrhiza once a day respectively, while the control group was given gavage with 10 mL/kg normal saline daily, as well as the positive control group was injected with 100 mg/kg cyclophosphamide once; All mice were sacrificed after 30 days. We measured the weight gain, viscera coefficient and sperm quality in each mouse. Results There were no statistical difference in the weight of every week, increase of the weight, testis and epididymis coefficients among the control group, the low, medium and high concentration groups (P > 0.05), while the weight and weight increase were significantly higher than that in the positive control group (P < 0.05). Sperm concentration, viability, morphology, motility, PR, VSL, VAP of low, medium and high concentrations group were significantly improved than the control group (P < 0.05), and the sperm quality in the four groups were higher than that in the positive control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Water extraction of salvia miltiorrhiza can obviously improve the sperm viability, morphology, and motility of mice.

Two hundred and fourteen patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Serum ischemic modified albumin (IMA) levels were measured in patients at admission.The major adverse cardiac events (MACE),including cardiac death,nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) and recurrent ischemia leading to urgent revascularization were observed during 1-y period of follow-up.Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves,Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression were used to assess the prognostic value of IMA for 1-y MACE.Twenty one patients experienced major adverse cardiac events during 1-y follow up period,including 6 cases of cardiac death,8 cases of new or recurrent MI,7 cases of target vessel/lesion revascularization or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).ROC showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.667,and when IMA was used to predict 1-y major adverse cardiac events,the cut-off value of 65.3 kU/L was most effective.Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that IMA was significantly correlated with the occurrence of 1-y MACE(P ＜ 0.01).But Cox regression model showed that IMA levels were not independent risk factor for 1-y MACE in NSTEACS patients,when adjusted with other risk factors.

AIM:To explore the molecular mechanism of panaxadiol saponin(PDS)by observing Toll like receptor(TLR)2 and TLR9 mRNA expression induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS).METHODS:Rats were divided into LPS,LPS+PDSL,LPS+PDSM and control group,respectively.Nitric oxide synthase(NOS)activity,nitric oxide(NO)content,LPO content,SOD activity and TLR2 and TLR9 mRNA expression were assayed 4 h after intravenous injection of LPS.RESULTS:NOS activity,NO content,LPO content of LPS+PDSL group and LPS+PDSM group were significantly lower than those in LPS group.TLR2 mRNA expression in the liver tissue of LPS+PDSL group and LPS+PDSM group was decreased compared with LPS group.CONCLUSION:PDS has a protective effect on liver tissues by triggering the down-regulation of TLR2 expression,reducing NOS activity,and NO content.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of serum 14-3-3η protein levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and secondary osteoporosis (OP). Methods 259 RA patients and 80 healthy controls were recruited. Serum 14-3-3η levels were determined by ELISA and bone mineral density (BMD) were detected by the DEXA. Results Firstly, the levels and the positive rate of serum 14-3-3η protein were significantly high-er in RA patients than healthy controls (P < 0.000 1). Secondly, ROC curve revealed that the sensitivity of 14-3-3η protein for diagnosis of early RA was 91.7% and its specificity was 99.6% when the cut-off point was 0.879 ng/mL (AUC = 0.917, P < 0.000 1). Finally, 14-3-3η protein concentrations revealed significant differ-ence among the groups of bone mass normal, osteopenia and osteoporosis in early RA (χ2=7.974, P = 0.019). Conclusion Serum 14-3-3η protein levels increase significantly in RA , especially in early RA , which is relat-ed to clinical symptoms and osteoporosis.

Objective To evaluate the value of serum E2 levels during COH in predicting IVF-ET outcome. Method Data from 311 IVF-ET cycles received long protocol were collected and analyzed according to E 2 levels 5 days after stimulation:Group A (E2≤500 pmol/L), Group B (500 2 000 pmol/L). Results In groups with E2>1 000 pmol/L, the conditions of oocyte and embryo are higher than E2<1 000 pmol/L. With the increase of E2 levels, period cancellation rate increases. When E2> 2 000 pmol/L, the pregnancy rate become lowest. Conclusion E2 levels among 1 000~1 500 pmol/L during early COH predicts a better pregnancy outcome.

Objective To explore the effect of vitamin D deficiency and falls on osteoporotic fracture (OPF) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods A total of 852 patients with RA were recruited, anteroposterior and lateral X-rays examination of vertebral column were conducted for every patient.Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and bone mineral density (BMD) of all the vertebrae of lumbar were exam-ined.Clinical and laboratory index of patients were recorded in details meanwhile.Data of 156 normal subjects during the same period were collected as the control group.Numerical data and categorical data comparisons were analyzed using t test, x2 test, single factor analysis of variance test, linear correlation and Logistic regression analysis test.Results ① The prevalence of vertebral OPF in RA was 16.1％(137/852).Compared to RA without OPF, patients with OPF had lower serum 25(OH)D levels [(14±4) ng/ml vs (18±7) ng/ml, t=2.898, P=0.004].② The occurrence rate of falls in RA patients was 19.7％(36/183).Patients with falls had lower serum 25(OH)D levels [(14±4) ng/ml vs (18±6) ng/ml, t=2.854, P=0.005].③ The prevalence of falls in RA with vertebral OPF was higher than that in RA without OPF (38.1％ vs 14.2％,x2=11.708, P=0.001).④ Linear correlation analysis found that serum levels of 25 (OH)D was positively correlated with total lumbar region BMD in RA patients.⑤ Logistic regression analysis revealed that age [OR=1.124, P=0.002, 95％CI: (1.045, 1.209)]and usage of glucocorticostroid (GC) [OR=6.724, P=0.031,95％CI: (1.196, 37.813)] were the risk factors for occurrence of OPF in RA, while serum 25 (OH) D level [OR=0.850, P=0.046, 95％CI: (0.725, 0.997)] was the protective factor.Conclusion Spinal OPF in patients with RA is clearly related with vitamin deficiency, falls and usage of GC.