Cardiovascular Diseases ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Humans

Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Methionine ; blood ; Tyrosine ; blood ; Tyrosine Transaminase ; deficiency ; Tyrosinemias ; blood ; diagnosis ; enzymology ; pathology ; therapy

Objective: In view of druggability issue of limonin (LM), the liposomal preparation was developed. The liposomal formulation and preparation process were optimized, and its in vitro antitumor activity was investigated. Methods: In this study, LM was loaded in liposomes to increase its stability and solubility. Meanwhile, in vitro cytotoxicity of LM@Lip was evaluated. LM@Lip were prepared by thin-film dispersion method, and formulation selection and process optimization were operated by single factor and orthogonal experiment. Size distribution, PDI and zeta potential were measured by Malvern sizer, and the encapsulation efficiency and drug loading content were determined by HPLC. The dialysis method was used to investigate the release profile of LM@Lip. In vitro cytotoxicity against HepG2 and A549 cells were estimated by MTT method. Results: The optimized preparation conditions of liposomes were as follows: drug/lipid ratio was 1:150, cholesterol/lipid ratio was 1:9, the ultrasonic power was 120 W for 6 min (1 s interval). The average particle size, PDI and Zeta potential of optimized LM@Lip were (119.5 ± 6.2) nm, 0.318 ± 0.124, (-17.2 ± 1.3) mV, respectively, and the encapsulation efficiency and drug loading content were 87.9% and 0.57%. The final concentration of LM was 63.4 μg/mL. The release results showed 58.59% drug was released in 12 h. MTT results showed that the IC50 of LM@Lip on HepG2 and A549 cells was 20.16 and 15.39 μg/mL, respectively, and its in vitro antitumor was superior to that of LM. Conclusion: Liposomes can increase the stability and solubility of LM. LM@Lip showed slow-release profile and significant tumor inhibition superior to LM.

Aerospace medicine has paid more and more attention to abnormal changes of physiological functions induced by weightlessness and studies on their prevention during space flight. In this paper, the effect of space weightlessness on cognitive functions was introduced. We tried to analyze the correlation between the cognitive function changes and relevant Chinese medical syndromes, thus providing a potential available way to prevent and treat weightlessness induced cognitive deficit during space flight.
Aerospace Medicine ; Cognition ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Weightlessness

China boasts for its abundant resources of Trapa L.The fruit of Trapa has been given high edible and medicinal values so far.Trapa L.plants mainly contain terpenoids,sterols,phenolic acids and flavonoids.Current studies profotmdly analyzed the biological activities on hypoglycemic,anti-oxidation,anti-tumor,antibacterial and immunomodulatory effects of it.Some preliminary studies over biological activities included the effects on reducing the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),the inhibition of H2O2-induced injury of human umbilical vein endothelial cells,inducing HeLa cell apoptosis,analgesia,liver protection,anti-atherosclerosis and deworming.This paper reviewed literature on the chemical constituents and biological activities of Trapa L for the provision of a reference for the exploration and utilization of Trapa L.

Objective To compaire the physical characteristics of semen morphology before and after semen coagulation-liquefaction under microscope and understand the significance of these characteristics for the determination of semen liquefaction.Methods Semens were placed in sperm counting chamber immediately after collection.The morphological changes of the seminal gelatinous substance during liquefaction were observed under microscope and analyzed.Results Morphological changes during semen liquefaction can be clearly observed.Among 32 samples of semen,forward sperm progression and motility were (30.3?12.4)% and (45.0?14.9)%,(44.9?12.7)% and (59.0?15.3)%,before and after the liquefaction,respectively.The differences were statistically significant (t=-1.130,5.023,P0.05).Conclusions Microscopic observation of the seminal gelatinous substance is a simple and feasible method for objective measurement of sperm liquefaction.These findings suggest it may provide pathological significance on semen liquefaction abnormality in infertility clinic.

Animals ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; physiology ; RNA, Small Interfering ; physiology ; RNA, Untranslated ; physiology

Total 1188 subjects aged 35-74 in an urban community of Beijing were recruited by a multistage stratified random sampling procedure. Dental caries were examined by three dentists independently. The prevalence of dental crown caries was 79. 6% (DF), that of DMFS was 24. 39% and the root caries index (RCI) was 3.5% in this group. 22. 3% of the examinees required treatment for the crown caries and 26. 0% for root caries. Bivariate correlation analysis showed that DMFS was significantly correlated with RCI (P <0. 01 ), and there was no significant difference of DMFS and RCI between males and females. The study indicates that dental caries is a common health problem in adults and elderly population of urban Beijing, and the development of community oral health service system is necessary.

OBJECTIVETo study and compare the prophylatic efficacy of levetiracetam, valproate and phenobarbital on febrile convulsions in rats.

METHODSSixty Wistar rats were randomly administered with levetiracetam (200 mg/kg), valproate (250 mg/kg), phenobarbital (30 mg/kg) or normal saline (8 ml/kg) for 5 days. Five days later, febrile convulsions were induced by hyperthermal bath (45 Celcius degree). The latency, duration and the severity of seizures were observed.

RESULTSIn all the three drug-treated groups, the latency was significantly prolonged, and the duration and the severity of seizures were notably reduced compared with the saline group (P<0.05 or 0.01). The phenobarbital group had the shortest duration of seizures and the least severe seizures among the three drug-treated groups. There were no significant differences between the levetiracetam and valproate groups.

CONCLUSIONSContinuous administration of levetiracetam, valproate or phenobarbital is effective in preventing recurrent febrile convulsions in rats. Phenobarbital appears to be more effective than levetiracetam and valproate. There were no significant differences in the prophylactic efficacy between levetiracetam and valproate.

Animals ; Anticonvulsants ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Phenobarbital ; therapeutic use ; Piracetam ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Recurrence ; Seizures, Febrile ; prevention & control ; Valproic Acid ; therapeutic use

Objective To investigate the correlation between cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen 4 (CTLA - 4 ) and primary nephrotic sysdrome(PNS) with the pathologic type of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis(MsPGN) of glucocorticoid(GC) resistance. Methods The polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism( PCR - RFLP) analysis was used to investigate the genotype of position - 318 promoter of CTLA- 4 gene of 36 patient children and 30 healthy controls. Results The frequences of genotypes at position - 318 promoter of CTLA- 4 gene in patients were 38.9% for CC,61.1 % for TC and 0% for TT. The frequences of alleles at this position were 69.4% for C allele and 30.6% for T allele. The frequences of genotypes and alleles in children were not significantly different from those in controls. Conclusion CTLA-4 promoter ( -318)C/T dimorphism was not associated with PNS- MsPGN of GC resistance, which hinted that the polymorphism may be not inlolved in pathogenensis of PNS-MsPGN and the mechanism of GC resistance.