OBJECTIVETo study the regulatory effect of Bushenfang on the serum testosterone (T) level of naturally aging rats and its mechanism, in order to provide a theoretical and experimental basis for the clinical treatment of late onset hypogonadism (LOH) in males.

METHODSThirty-two 18-month-old male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups of equal number, naturally aging model and low-, medium- and high-dose Bushenfang groups, and another eight 4-month-old rats were taken as normal controls. The rats of the aging model and normal control groups were treated with normal saline, while those of the low-, medium- and high-dose Bushenfang groups received intragastrically Bushenfang at 3.25, 7.50 and 15.00 g/kg, respectively, all for 3 weeks. Then the rats were sacrificed, the histomorphologic changes of the testis observed by HE staining, the serum T level measured by radioimmunoassay, and the expressions of the StAR protein, P450scc and 3beta-HSD I determined by RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe number of Leydig cells was obviously increased after Bushenfang treatment. The levels of serum T were significantly higher in the low-, medium- and high-dose Bushenfang groups ([6.74 +/- 1.56] nmol/L, [8.50 +/- 1.99] nmol/L and [12.41 +/- 2.91] nmol/L) than in the model group ([3.48 +/- 0.75] nmol/L) (P < 0.05). The three Bushenfang groups also showed a remarkable elevation in the mRNA expressions of StAR (0.74 +/- 0.29, 0.83 +/- 0.32 and 1.35 +/- 0.50), P450scc (0.72 +/- 0.36, 1.023 +/- 0.30 and 1.41 +/- 0.37) and 3beta-HSD I (0.58 +/- 0.14, 0.72 +/- 0.07 and 0.85 +/- 0.18), as compared with the models (StAR: 0.44 +/- 0.09; P450scc: 0.33 +/- 0.05; 3beta-HSD I: 0.34 +/- 0.02), with significant differences in the StAR expression between the high-dose Bushenfang and the model groups, as well as in P450scc and 3beta-HSD I expressions between the medium- and high-dose Bushenfang and the model groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONBushenfang could improve the pathological status of testicular injury and increase the expression of testosterone synthetase, which might be the mechanism behind its regulatory effect on the serum T level of aging rats.

Aging ; drug effects ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Hypogonadism ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testis ; drug effects ; Testosterone ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the relationship between the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) during hospitalization and the energy of injury in tibial plateau fractures (TPFs).Methods 140 patients were enrolled in the study between September,2014,and October,2017 in Honghui Hospital,Xi'an Jiaotong University.According to the Schatzker classification,the low-energy group (Schatzker Ⅰ-Ⅲ) X-ray showed a simple or lateral fracture or compression fracture of the lateral plateau (n =63);the high-energy group (Schatzker Ⅳ-Ⅵ) X-ray showed the medial tibia or double of the tibial plateau (n =77).Duplex Ultrasonography was performed in lower extremities before and after surgical intervention for DVT evaluation and record the incidence of DVT,the days during hospitalization,the blood loss during surgery and the level of D-Dimer.All patients received mechanical and chemical thromboprophylaxis.The patient was followed up for one month after surgery,and the lower extremity ultrasound was reviewed and recorded.The measurement data were expressed as ((x) ± s),and the categorical variables were expressed in composition ratio.The measurement data were all in accordance with the normal distribution and the variance was uniform.The t-test was used,and the Chi-square test was used for comparison between groups.Results The incidence of thrombosis of tibial plateau fracture in TPFs was 36.43％ and 46.43％ pre-operation and post-operation respectively.The thrombosis incidence was 31.75 ％ (20/63) in the low-energy group and 40.26％ (31/77) in the high-energy group pre-operation.The thrombosis incidence was 44.44％ (28/63) in the low-energy group and 48.05％ (37/77) in the high-energy group post-operation.Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups pre-operation (P =0.298) and post-operation(P =0.785).The days during hospitalization [(11.94 ± 4.18) d,(9.56 ± 2.54) d],the blood loss during surgery [(208.96 ±224.43) ml,(129.68 ± 142.14) ml] and the level of D-Dimer [(2.39 ± 3.38) mg/L,(1.21 ± 2.32) mg/L] at pre-operation showed differences in the high energy group and the low energy group,respectively.Conclusions The incidence of DVT in TPFs is high during the hospital,but most of DVT is concentrated in the distal to the knee.Although the incidence of high energy injury and low energy injury DVT is not significantly different in TPFs,we should also be alert to the occurrence of DVT.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the genetic mode of nasal polyp and the effect of genetic factor on occurrence of the disease.

METHODSA genetic epidemiological case-control study including 280 pedigrees (120 nasal polyp cases and 160 controls) was conducted. The segregation ratio and the heritability of nasal polyp were respectively estimated by the Li-Mantel-Gart method and the Falconer method.

RESULTSThe segregation ratio was 0.124 (95% CI 0.081-0.167), significantly lower than 0.25, which showed that nasal polyp did not possess the characteristics of monogenetic model. The prevalence rate of first-degree and second-degree relatives in cases were 8.571% and 3.086% respectively, which were significantly different (X2 = 24.851, P < 0.01) and were higher than that noticed 1.376% and 1.141% in controls (X2 = 33.547 and 14.274, all P < 0.01). The heritability of the first-degree and second-degree relatives of nasal polyp was 64.488% and 61.947%. Among the first-degree relatives of nasal polyp probands, the heritability of the adult group and the children group were respectively 60.735% and 74.598% (the difference was significant, X2 = 4.504, P < 0.05). The heritability of the first-occurred group was 62.839% and the recurred group was 74.304% (the difference was significant, X2 = 4.105, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThis study indicated that the genetic model of nasal polyp belonged to polygenetic and the genetic factors played an important role in the occurrence of nasal polyp, especially for young or recurred patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Inheritance Patterns ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasal Polyps ; epidemiology ; genetics ; Pedigree ; Young Adult