Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of liraglutide for obesity or overweight. Methods Random controlled trials of liraglutide for obesity or overweight were gathered from MEDLINE, EMbase, CENTRAL, CNKI, VIP and WanFang. We screened the retrieved studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, evaluated the quality of included studies, and then performed meta-analyses with The Cochrane Collaboration's Revman 5. 3. 0 software. Results Twelve randomized controlled trials of liraglutide for obesity or overweight were included, in which 11 trials were written in English and one trial in Chinese. The results of meta-analyses showed that the body weight was significantly reduced in the liraglutide group than in placebo, insulin, exenatide and glimepiride groups [RR=-0. 91,95%CI(-1. 01,-0. 81),P<0. 000 01;RR=-2. 88,95%CI(-3. 37,-2. 39),P<0. 000 01; RR=-1. 12,95%CI(-1. 32,-0. 92),P<0. 000 01; RR=0. 45,95%CI(-0. 62,-0. 27),P<0. 000 01]. Moreover, liraglutide had significant effect in decreasing HbA1c and systolic blood pressure of patients with obesity or overweight. Conclusion Liraglutide is effective for controlling body weight of patients with obesity or overweight. But its long-term efficacy still needs to be confirmed by performing more RCTs with high quality, large sample and long term follow-up.

BACKGROUND: About one fourth of diabetic patients suffer from diabetic retinopathy(DR) and has greatly impacted their quality of life due to the decreased vision. Social support plays important role on rehabilitation of patients.OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between social support and quality of life(QOL) in patients with diabetic retinopathy in order to direct clinical practice and improve the patients' QOL.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study based on patients with diabetic retinopathy.SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital of Nanjing Military Area Command of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 81 patients admitted into Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital of Nanjing Military Area Command of Chinese PLA with diabetic retinopathy during January 2002 to May 2003 were selected. Inclusion criteria: suffer from diabetic retinopathy and willing to attend this study. Exclusion criteria: people with other complications (hypertension, kidney disease) . The patients were divided into two groups according to vision: 28 cases in the group with binocular vision between 0.06 -0. 1; 53 cases in the group with vision less than 0. 05.METHODS: Investigation was conducted to the two groups from three dimensions including objective support, subjective support and usage in order to assess the social support to patients with diabetic retinopathy of different vision. And modified quality of life index (MQLI) was used to assess the QOL in patients with diabetic retinopathy that covered 5 dimensions: somatic health, mental health, social function, self-image and material base.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The total score of social support and QOL of patients with diabetic retinopathy, score of somatic health, mental health,social functions and material base as well as the correlations among them.RESULTS: The total score of social support, score of objective support factor, subjective support factor and usage factor in roup with vision between 0.06 and 0. 1 were much higher than those in group with vision less than 0.05 ( P < 0.01 ). For patients with diabetic retinopathy, the social support had strong correlation with total score of QOL and factor score of other dimensions except of self-image( P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: Social support is an important factor that impacts QOL to patients with diabetic retinopathy. It will improve their QOL by reinforcing the social support.

To understand the structure of the soluble region of Enterovirus 68 3A protein, we construct a prokaryotic expression vector expressing the soluble region of EV-D68 3A protein, and identify the forms of expression product after purification. The EV-D68 3A(1-61) gene was amplified by PCR and then cloned into the expression vector pET-28a-His-SUMO. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 induced by IPTG to express the fusion protein His-SUMO-3A(1-61). The recombinant protein was purified by Ni-NTA Agarose and cleaved by ULP Protease to remove His-SUMO tag. After that, the target protein 3A(1-61) was purified by a series of purification methods such as Ni-NTA, anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromato- graphy. Chemical cross-linking reaction assay was taken to determine the multiple polymerization state of the 3A soluble region. A prokaryotic expression vector pET28a-His-SUMO-3A(1-61) expressing the solution region of EV-D68 3A was successfully constructed and plenty of highly pure target proteins were obtained by multiple purification steps . The total protein amount was about 5 mg obtained from 1L Escherichia coli BL21 with purity > 95%. At the same time, those results determined the homomultimer form of soluble 3A construct. These data demonstrated that the expression and purification system of the soluble region of 3A were successfully set up and provide some basic konwledge for the research about 3A crystal structure and the development of antiviral drugs targeted at 3A to block viral replication.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Enterovirus D, Human ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Models, Molecular ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; Sequence Alignment ; Viral Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To comprehensively analyze the effect of low-dose radiation on the lens of the eye of radiation workers.Methods The papers dealing with the relationship between occupational radiation exposure and the lens of the eye were collected by retrieving documents of the domestic and foreign medical information databases with references to other papers.There were 28 papers finalized with 17 608 workers included in the Meta-analysis.Stata12.0 was used for Meta-analysis,Q-test and I2 statistic for heterogeneity test,and funnel regression method,Begg's rank method and Egger's regression method for publication bias.Results The pooling odds ratio (OR) opacity in radiation workers were 2.51 (2.01,3.13),4.03 (2.77,5.85),respectively.Conclusions Low-dose radiation may lead to negative impact on ocular lens under the current occupational protection conditions.The proportion of posterior subcapsular opacity in radiation-related cataract is higher than that in age-related cataract.It is important to strengthen radiation protection of ocular lens.

Objective To evaluate the role of spinal IKK2/NF-κB pathway in the maintenance of bone cancer pain (BCP) in rats.Methods Twenty-eight unmated adult female Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 160-200 g,were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =7 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (group S),BCP group (group BP),BCP + normal saline group (group BN),and BCP + BMS345541 group (group BB).BCP was induced by injecting Walker 256 mammary gland cancer cell suspension 5 μl (4 × 105 cells/ml) into the bone marrow of the right tibia of rats anesthetized with chloral hydrate in BP,BN and BB groups,while the equal volume of normal saline was injected in group S.On 10-12 days after operation,selective IKK2 inhibitor BMS345541 (50 μg/10 μl) was intrathecally injected once a day in group BB,and the equal volume of normal saline (10μl) was given once a day in group BN.The mechanical paw withdrawal threshold (MWT) was measured before intra-tibia injection (T0),on 7 days after intra-tibia injection (T1),at 1 h before drug administration and 1,2,4,12 and 24 h after drug administration on day 10 after operation,and at 4 h after drug administration on day 12 after operation (T2-8).The rats were sacrificed after MWT was measured at Ts and L4-6 segments of the spinal cord were removed for determination of phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB) expression (using Western blot analysis).Results Compared with group S,MWT was significantly decreased at T1-2,and the expression of p-NF-κB was up-regulated in BP,BN,and BB groups.Compared with group BP,MWT was significantly increased at T4-6,and the expression of p-NF-κB in the spinal cord was down-regulated in group BB.Conclusion Spinal IKK2/NF-κB signaling pathway is involved in the maintenance of bone cancer pain in rats.

Objective To explore the relationship between substance P(SP),somatostatin(SS) expression and change of morphology structure in jejunum of arsenism rats.Methods Acoording to sex and body mass,forty five clean grade SD rats were divided into control(0.0 mg.kg-1.d-1),low-dose arsenic(0.4 mg.kg-1.d-1) and high-dose arsenic(10.0 mg.kg-1.d-1) groups,n =15.The rats in low-and high-dose groups were treated with As2O3(2,50 mg/L) through drinking water for 4 months,respectively.Morphology changes of jejunum were observed by histological technique-HE staining and SABC immunohistochemistry.SP and SS positive cells in the jejunum were observed and counted,and its average gray value was analyzed with image analysis software (Biomias).Results Some jejunal villi were irregular in arsenism rats; with some brush border loss and irregular; goblet cells increased; infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lamina propria; and vacuoles in some intestinal gland cells.The differences of SP and SS positive cells between groups were statistically significant (F =608.54,227.59,all P ＜0.05).Compared with the control group (0.94 + 0.21,1.14 + 0.14),SP and SS positive cells in low-and highdose arsenic groups(1.85 + 0.25,1.83 + 0.24 and 4.24 + 0.33,3.31 ± 0.41) were significantly higher(all P ＜0.05),and high-dose arsenic group was significantly higher than the low-dose arsenic group(all P ＜ 0.05).The differences of average gray values of SP and SS positive cells between groups were statistically significant(F =68.43,26.57,all P ＜ 0.05).Compared with the control group(133.76 ± 3.61,137.57 ± 5.49),SP and SS positive cells in low-and high-dose arsenic groups(125.13 + 2.35,131.28 ± 5.66 and 118.30 ± 4.58,124.03 ± 3.94) were significantly lower(all P ＜ 0.05),and high-dose arsenic group was significantly lower than the low-dose arsenic group (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Up-regulation of SP,SS may be related to jejunal mucosal injury and morphology structure in arsenic poisoning rats.

Objective To study the molecular mechanism of renal injury of chronic arsenic poisoning rats induced by the expression of cysteine caspase-8 and P53 in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells.Methods Sixty healthy SD rats were divided into three groups,high-,low-dose group,and control group,n =20 in each group.The rats in high and low dose groups were treated with As203 through drinking water,10.0 and 0.4 mg/kg,respectively.The control rats were given distilled water.Four months later,serum and urinary arsenic level was determined,and kidney specimens were taken.The expression of cysteine caspase-8 and P53 in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells was detected by histological technique-HE staining and SABC immunohistochemistry.In addition,cell number counting and image analyses were used in the study.Results The number of caspase-8 positive cells of renal proximal tubule in control group,low-and high-dose group was 3.33±1.32,31.14±8.02 and 46.50±7.20 cell number/visual fields,respectively,which was increased with dose increasing(all P ＜0.05);the average gray value was 151.34±6.40,133.58±4.63 and 128.34±16.28,respectively,decreased with dose increasing(all P ＜0.05).The number of P53 positive cells was 3.17±1.59,26.29±4.23 and 47.00±6.22 cell number/visual fields,respectively,increased with dose increasing (all P ＜ 0.05) ; the average gray value was 142.54±8.06,121.48±5.68 and 101.89±6.35,respectively,decreased with dose increasing (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The increase of caspase-8 and P53 positive cells is one of the molecular mechanisms of renal injury induced by arsenic poisoning.

The aim of this study was to detect the localization and level of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins during in vitro capacitation of guinea pig sperm. Sperm from mature guinea pigs were incubated in modified TALP under 5% CO_2 in air at 37 ℃. The capacitation effect was assessed by chlortetracycline (CTC) staining. Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence were used to analyze the level and localization of tyrosine phosphorylation. The results showed that guinea pig sperm underwent a time-dependent increase in protein tyrosine phosphorylation during the in vitro capacitation and the percentage of protein tyrosine phosphorylated sperm increased from 36% to 92% from the beginning of incubation to 7h incubation. Also, there was a shift in the site of phosphotyrosine-specific fluorescence from the head of sperm to both the head and the flagellum of sperm. Moreover, there were three proteins phosphorylated in this experiment. After 0 to 0.5h incubation, the protein of 40kDa was detected by anti-phosphotyrosine monoclonal antibody, and the intensity of this protein increased in the following incubation. Then, after 1h incubation, another protein of 80kDa was found and the level of this protein reached the highest point at 3h. Also, in 3h incubation, a protein of 45kDa was detected and the intensity of this protein increased in the following incubation.

This paper focuses on the trends in wearable medical devices for the applications in m-health. The state-of-art technologies for the continuous and noninvasive measurements of physiological parameters, implementation platforms of wearable medical devices - e-textile, and body sensor networks are reviewed here with examples of related recent research projects conducted in different countries. In addition, we introduce our recent research project on the e-textile-based health shirt (h-shirt), which can measure arterial blood pressure noninvasively, continuously and cufflessly.
Biomedical Technology ; instrumentation ; Clothing ; Equipment Design ; Monitoring, Ambulatory ; instrumentation ; Textiles

Fertilization is a process involving multiple steps that lead to the final fusion of one sperm and the oocyte to form the zygote. One of the steps, acrosome reaction (AR), is an exocytosis process, during which the outer acrosome membrane fuses with the inner sperm membrane, leading to the release of acrosome enzymes that facilitate sperm penetration of the egg investments. Though AR has been investigated for decades, the initial steps of AR in vivo, however, remain largely unknown. A well elucidated model holds the view that AR occurs on the surface of the zona pellucida (ZP), which is triggered by binding of sperm with one of the ZP glycosylated protein, ZP3. However, this model fails to explain the large number of 'falsely' acrosome-reacted sperms found within the cumulus layer in many species examined. With the emerging evidence of cross-talk between sperm and cumulus cells, the potential significance of AR in the cumulus oophorus, the outer layer of the egg, has been gradually revealed. Here we review the acrosome status within the cumulus layer, the cross-talk between sperm and cumulus cells with the involvement of a novel sperm-released factor, NYD-SP8, and re-evaluate the importance and physiological significance of the AR in the cumulus in fertilization.
Acrosome Reaction ; physiology ; Cell Communication ; Cumulus Cells ; metabolism ; Female ; Fertilization ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Oocytes ; metabolism ; Progesterone ; physiology ; Spermatozoa ; metabolism