Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Hypopituitarism ; etiology ; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; Postoperative Period ; Turbinates ; surgery

AlM: To study clinical reference value of retinal microvascular changes in patients with cerebral microbleeds ( CMBs) and discuss its clinical significance.
METHODS:From January 2012 to December 2013, 125 hospitalized patients were collected, including 81 cases were male, 44 cases were female, mean age 76. 3 ± 11. 2 years old. For all patients, functions of liver and kidney, blood - lipoids, blood sugar and blood biochemical examination were tested, and fundus photography and cerebral MR was done. According to the fundus camera eyes, retinal arteriolar equivalent ( RAE) , retinal venular equivalent ( RVE) , retinal vein diameter ratio ( AVR) and arteriovenous crossing sign ( AVN ) were identified, CMBs were classified with cerebral MRl. All the data were processed by SPSS statistical software.
RESULTS: The central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE), central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) and AVR values in the eyes were found no statistical difference (P<0. 05). Of CMBs classification, the grade 0 in 75 cases, 1 in 27 cases, 2 in 9 cases and 3 in 14 cases were included. The RVE, AVR and AVN and the different grades of CMBs had statistically significant correlation ( P<0. 01). The higher CMBs classification, the more obvious retinal microvascular changes were found. ln respectively to eliminate risk factors such as age, sex, blood glucose and blood pressure, AVR and AVN were still influencing factors for CMBs classification.
COCLUSlON: The results show that retinal microvascular changes, especially small retinal vein arteriovenous cross width, and arteriovenous crossing phenomenon, in which CMBs will happen more likely. After sex, age, hypertension and hyperglycemia in patients with traditional cardiovascular risk factors being ruled out, the retinal microvascular changes are still relatively factors of CMB's occurrence.

OBJECTIVEAIM To establish a drug screening model based on transcriptional regulation of estrogen responsive element (ERE) and use it to screen compounds for discovering new ligands of estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes.

METHODA recombinant reporter vector pERE-TAL-SEAP was constructed by inserting a synthetic sequence composed of five tandem copies of EREs upstream of promoter of the reporter vector pTAL-SEAP. The pERE-TAL-SEAP and the internal control plasmid pCMV were transiently co-transfected into Hela cells expressing ER subtype or ER subtype, and the effects of pure ER agonists 17estradiol, phytoestrogen genistein and pure ER antagonist ICI182, 780 on reporter gene SEAP expression were observed.

RESULTIn the Hela cells expressing ER alpha or ER beta subtype, the expression of SEAP gene were induced in a dose dependent manner by 17-estrodiol with a maximal effect at approximately 10 nmol.L-1 and with EC50 of (80.58 +/- 8.51) pmol.L-1 and (103.90 +/- 5.29) pmol.L-1, respectively, so done by phytoestrogen genistein with a maximal effect at 1 mumol.L-1 and with EC50 of (10.86 +/- 0.75) nmol.L-1 and (39.38 +/- 2.26) nmol.L-1, respectively. The maximal level induced by estrodiol and genistein were about 7-14 fold higher than that of vehicle. The pure antiestrogen ICI182, 780 at concentration of 1 mumol.L-1 completely blocked the inductions of 17-estrodiol and genistein.

CONCLUSIONThe cellular drug screening model can be established by transfecting reporter vector pERE-TAL-SEAP in Hela cell lines expressing ER alpha or ER beta. The cell lines can be used to screen compounds with estrogenicity by testing SEAP activity in the culture media of cells growing in microtitier wells. The system should provide an efficient model for screening and analyzing the activity of large numbers of ligands of ER.

Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; methods ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; Estrogen Receptor beta ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Genes, Reporter ; Genistein ; pharmacology ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Ligands ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Receptors, Estrogen ; genetics ; Transfection

BACKGROUNDChemokine-like factor 1 (CKLF1) was recently identified as a novel cytokine. The full-length CKLF1 cDNA contains 530 bp encoding 99 amino acid residues with a CC motif similar to that of other CC family chemokines. Recombinant CKLF1 exhibits chemotactic activity on leucocytes and stimulates proliferation of murine skeletal muscle cells. We questioned whether CKLF1 could be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammation and proliferation in the lung. Therefore we used efficient in vivo gene delivery method to investigate the biological effect of CKLF1 in the murine lung.

METHODSCKLF1-expressing plasmid, pCDI-CKLF1, was constructed and injected into the skeletal muscles followed by electroporation. Lung tissues were obtained at the end of week 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively after injection. The pathological changes in the lungs were observed by light microscope.

RESULTSA single intramuscular injection of CKLF1 plasmid DNA into BALB/c mice caused dramatic pathological changes in the lungs of treated mice. These changes included peribronchial leukocyte infiltration, epithelial shedding, collagen deposition, proliferation of bronchial smooth muscle cells and fibrosis of the lung.

CONCLUSIONSThe sustained morphological abnormalities of the bronchial and bronchiolar wall, the acute pneumonitis and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis induced by CKLF1 were similar to phenomena observed in chronic persistent asthma, acute respiratory distress syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome. These data suggest that CKLF1 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of these important diseases and the study also implies that gene electro-transfer in vivo could serve as a valuable approach for evaluating the function of a novel gene in animals.

Animals ; Base Sequence ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; cytology ; Cell Movement ; Chemokines ; genetics ; physiology ; Electroporation ; Humans ; Lung ; pathology ; MARVEL Domain-Containing Proteins ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Plasmids ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; etiology

Objective: To explore the effect of okra extract on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) rats and its probable molecular mechanism. Methods: A total of 30 female SD rats were caged with male rats for pregnancy, 27 pregnant rats were obtained and weighed. The pregnant rats were equally randomized into the control group, GDM group and intervention group. Once the pregnancy was verified, GDM group and intervention group were given 45 mg/kg streptozotocin by peritoneal injection for inducing GDM, control group was given equal volume of citrate buffer. Once the model was established successfully, intervention group was administered orally the solution containing 200 mg/kg/d okra extract, the other groups were given the diet and water only. On the 19th day of pregnancy, the blood samples and fetal rats of all groups were collected, fetal rats weight and placental weight was recorded and the serum glucose, lipids, serum insulin and C-peptide of pregnant rats before the delivery were determined. Results: The pregnant rats weight before the delivery, fetal rats weight and placental weight of GDM group were lower than control group and intervention group (P < 0.05). After the treatment of okra extract, serum glucose and lipids levels of intervention group were both improved significantly (P < 0.05), especially, the FBG, HDL, FINS, serum m insulin and hepatic glycogen levels were equivalent to control group (P > 0.05). Antioxidant enzymes levels of GDM group in liver and pancreas tissues were lower than the other groups, and after treatment of okra extract, antioxidant enzymes levels in liver and pancreas tissues were equivalent to control group (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Okra extract, rich in antioxidant substances, could avoid the excessive consuming of antioxidant enzymes, then, suppresses the oxidative stress and insulin resistance, thereby improving blood glucose level of GDM rats.

Psoraleae Fructus is the dried and mature fruit of the legume Psoralea corylifolia. It is warm in nature， pungent and bitter in flavor， and attributive to the kidney and spleen meridians. Its main effect include warming the kidney and assisting Yang， absorbing Qi and relieving asthma， warming the spleen and relieving diarrhea， etc.， and it also can for external use of eliminating wind and freckle. Clinically， Psoraleae Fructus is mainly used for the treatment of impotence due to kidney deficiency， soreness of waist and knees， vitiligo， etc. The existing studies have shown that Psoraleae Fructus has a variety of pharmacological effect， such as anti-tumor， anti-oxidant， anti-bacterial， anti-inflammatory， promoting bone growth and protecting cardiovascular. But at the same time， many studies at home and abroad have found that taking Psoraleae Fructus and its compounds for a long time or in large doses can cause liver toxicity， phototoxicity， nephrotoxicity， etc. The most common is liver toxicity， most of the clinical reports on the toxicity of psoralen are caused by drug-induced liver injury events， which limits the clinical use of Psoraleae Fructus and can't exert its proper therapeutic effect. Therefore， it is particularly important to fully understand the toxicological mechanism of liver injury caused by Psoraleae Fructus and its attenuation methods. In this paper， by consulting the domestic and foreign related literatures in recent years that reported the hepatotoxicity of Psoraleae Fructus， the four aspects of clinical report on liver injury， hepatotoxic components， toxicological mechanisms and attenuation methods of Psoraleae Fructus were reviewed， including bile acid stasis and oxidative stress. The hepatotoxicity of Psoraleae Fructus was discussed in terms of reaction， mitochondrial damage， liver fat deformation， etc.， and the attenuation methods of Psoraleae Fructus were summarized from the aspects of compatibility attenuation and processing attenuation， aiming to comprehensively and objectively clarify Psoraleae Fructus. The potential toxicological mechanism of lipid-induced hepatotoxicity and research progress in attenuation were expected to provide a theoretical basis for further study of Psoraleae Fructus hepatotoxicity and clinical rational use of drugs.