AIM: To investigate the effects of aging on sperm maturation and fertility in mice. METHODS: Sperm of caput epididymides and cauda epididymides were obtained from Kunming mice aged 6 months (n=15, as control) and 18 months ( n=15). Sperm parameters including sperm density, viability, motility and nor mal morphological rate were recorded. Sperm of cauda epididymides was observed b y transmission electron microscope. The fertility potential and embryo developme ntal competence were performed by in vitro fertilization and embryo culture. RESULTS: Sperm motility, density and normal morphological rate i n aged mice were lower than those in control (P

Obese gene was cloned and its protein product which named leptin was found to be expressed specially in fat tissues in 1994. As a metabolic signal of reproductive system, leptin reflects the situations of nutrition and energy, which the body supplys to the brain, and stimulates reproductive endocrinology system, then regulates the functions of reproduction through hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.The present status of eptin in this field was reviewed.

Obese gene was cloned and its protein product which named leptin was found to be expressed specially in fat tissues in 1994. As a metabolic signal of reproductive system, leptin reflects the situations of nutrition and energy, which the body supplys to the brain, and stimulates reproductive endocrinology system, then regulates the functions of reproduction through hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The present status of leptin in this field was reviewed.

In this study, serum adiponectin and resistin levels were determined in 46 patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and their correlation with serum sexual hormones and insulin resistance (IR) were examined. The subjects included 26 obese patients with body mass index (BMI)>25 and 20 non-obese patients with BMI[Symbol: see text]25, with 25 obese and 25 non-obese healthy volunteers without PCOS serving as controls. Serum adiponectin and resistin levels in all subjects were measured, and endocrinal and metabolic indices were also analysed. Our results showed that the serum adiponectin levels in both obese and non-obese PCOS groups were significantly lower than their controls, while the serum resistin levels in obese and non-obese PCOS group were significantly higher than in their controls (P<0.001). The serum adiponectin level was significantly lower and serum resistin level significantly higher in the non-obese PCOS group as compared with the obese control group (P<0.05). Serum adiponectin level was negatively correlated with FIN, HOMA-IR, LH and LH/FSH (P<0.05), but serum resistin level was positively correlated with FIN, HOMA-IR, LH and LH/FSH (P<0.05). We are led to conclude that PCOS patients have obvious IR, low serum adiponectin and high serum resistin, and adiponectin and resistin might play important roles in the pathogenesis of IR in PCOS patients.

AIM: To observe the effect of Retinervus luffae fructus (RLF) on the myocardial ischemia in mice. METHODS: Mice were supplied with RLF (166.7,333.3, 666.7 g/L) twice daily (0.01 mL/g, ig). One week later, 30 U/kg pituitrin was injected intraperitoneally. The electrocardiogram was recorded, and the content of lactose dehydrogenase (LDH) in the serum and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), maleicdialdehyde (MDA) in the myocardium were examined. RESULTS: RLF reduced the height of T wave in electrocardigram in myocardial ischemia mice and inhibited the decrease in heart rate. RLF also reduced the content of LDH in serum and the content of MDA in myocardium. The increase in the activity of SOD in myocardium was also observed. CONCLUSION: RLF may protect myocardium against ischemia injury. The mechanism may be related to the increase in activity of SOD and the suppression of the lipid peroxidation.

AIM: To determine the antioxidant and the immunoregulatory effects of Centella asiatica extracts. METHODS: Centella asiatica was extracted with alcohol and different organic solvent. The content of polyphenol was determined by Folin-ciocalteau method. The efficacy of the extracts to scavenge the hydroxy radical (OH·), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical (DPPH·) and intra-cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured. Lymphocyte proliferation was assessed to observe the influence of Centella asiatica extracts. RESULTS: (1) Centella asiatica was found to have abundant polyphenol extrated from different phases and in a descending order as follows: ethyl acetate extracts>n-butanol extracts>water extracts>ligarine extracts. (2) Extracts of Centella asiatica exhibited the scavenging efficacy of OH· and DPPH· free radicals, in which the acetic ether extracts showed the significant effect. (3) The acetic ether extracts had significant ability to inhibit the generation of ROS in stimulated lymphocytes. (4) The acetic ether extracts suppressed the lymphocyte proliferation. (5) The active ingredient was identified as flavone. CONCLUSION: Flavones in the Centella asiatica posseses antioxidant activity and effectively inhibits lymphocyte proliferation, showing ability of immunosuppre-ssion.

Objective To understand the growth pattern of infants of mothers with maternal glucose metabolism during pregnancy.Methods Totally,7600 infants,born from singleton pregnant women from January 1st,2007 to December 31st,2009 in Peking University First Hospital and were followed up at 6-12 weeks after birth,were included.Altogether,645 mothers were complicated with hyperglycemia and 6955 with normal glucose metabolism during pregnancy.All infants were divided into four groups based on maternal glucose metabolism and their birth weight:Group N1 (n =6432) was consisted of non-macrosomia infants with normal maternal glucose metabolism; Group N2 (n =523) included macrosomia infants with normal maternal glucose metabolism; Group A1 (n =588) were non-macrosomia infants with abnormal maternal glucose metabolism; Group A2 (n =57) were macrosomia infants with abnormal maternal glucose metabolism.Birth weight,body weight at the day of follow-up and average daily weight gain were compared among these four groups.T-test,single variance analysis and LSD was applied in statistics,and the time at follow-up was used as co variance to find out the early growth pattern of infants.Results The birth weight of infants in normal and abnormal glucose metabolism group showed no statistical difference [(3367.0±420.3) g vs (3368.2±475.1) g,t=-0.061,P＞0.05],but body weight at the day of follow-up and the daily weight gain in the former group were lower than in the latter [body weight at follow-up:(5459.3±625.2) g vs (5393.9±647.2) g;daily weight gain:(44.0±9.5) g vs (42.9±9.5) g,t=2.464 and 2.874,all P＜0.05].The birth weight of infants in Group N1,A1,N2 and A2 was (3300.6±359.2) g,(3282.1±397.0) g,(4183.8±203.8) g and (4256.8±248.8) g,respectively;the body weight at the day of follow-up was (5400.5±590.7) g,(5325.8±618.8) g,(6182.7±584.7) g and (6096.5±502.4) g;daily weight gain was (44.1±9.4) g,(43.2±9.4) g,(42.4±10.9) g and (39.6±10.0) g,respectively (F=1140.471,313.376 and 10.830,all P＜0.001).While using co-variance to compare among the four groups,statistically more daily weight gain was shown in Group N1 than in A1,A2 and N2,in Group N2 than in Group A2,in Group A1 than in A2 (all P＜ 0.05).Conclusions The growth speed may slow down in early infantile period for offsprings of mother with hyperglycemia during pregnancy.

Objective To investigate the effect of hepatitis B virus X (HBX) gene on apoptosis and immune molecules of human proximal renal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2).Methods The eukaryotic vector pcDNA3.1-myc-HBX containing HBX gene was transiently transfected into HK-2 cells by lipofectamine mediation.Untransfected HK-2 cells and those transfected with empty vector were used as controls.The TLR4 expression was detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting.The apoptosis of cells and expression of MHC-Ⅱ and CD40 were detected by flow cytometry,and the contents of IL-4 and IFN-γ in the supernatant were detected by EIISA.Results Compared with control groups,the number of apoptotic cells was significantly increased in the HBX transfection group (P ＜ 0.05),and the expressions of TLR4,MHC-Ⅱ and CD40 were also significantly increased in the HBX transfection group (all P＜0.05).IFN-γ level in the supernatant of HBX transfection group was higher (P ＜ 0.05),but IL-4 level was lower as compared to control groups (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Over-expression of HBX gene may induce apoptosis of HK-2 cells and upregulate the expression of immune molecules of renal tubular epithelial cells leading to injury of cells and dysfunction of immunomicroenviroment.

Objective To explore the content of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets and natural killer (NK) cells in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in different clinical stages and analyze their clinical significance.Methods Sixty-two DLBCL patients were divided into 3 groups according to clinical stages:stage Ⅱ group (21 cases),stage Ⅲ group (21 cases ),stage Ⅳ group (20 cases).Thirty healthy examiners were selected as control group.Two ml peripheral blood was taken from every person.Peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets(CD3+,CD4+,CD8+) and NK cell count were detected by flow cytometry(FCM) and CD4+/CD8+ was calculated.Results CD3+ in stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ groups[(854.6 ± 276.9 ) × 106/L,(823.3 ± 211.5)× 106/L] were lower than those in control group[(1268.8 ±684.0) × 106/L] and stage Ⅳ group [(1332.7 ±571.2) × 106/L](P ＜ 0.05).CD4+ in stage Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ groups [(433.5 ± 240.7) × 106/L,(423.8 ± 234.8) ×106/L,(423.0 ± 143.8 ) × 106/L] were lower than those in control group [(751.3 ± 367.4) × 106/L] (P ＜0.05).CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ in stageⅣ group [(861.2 ±634.1) × 106/L,0.5 ±0.3] were significantly higher than those in control group [(455.9 ± 334.6) × 106/L,2.1 ± 1.3],stage Ⅱ group [(390.6 ± 54.1 ) × 106/L,1.0 ±0.8] and stageⅢ group [(377.4 ±493) × 106/L,0.9 + 0.6](P＜0.05).NK cell in stage Ⅳgroup was obviously lower than that in control group[(210.3 ± 122.0) × 106/L vs.(353.3 ± 284.7) × 106/L,P＜ 0.05].And the higher clinical stage was,the lower NK cell was.Conclusions With the clinical stage increasing,the immunity depression and disorder of DLBCL patients become more and more serious,the more tumor burden is,the worse NK cell activity is.

Objective To investigate the values and characteristics of 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in pregnant women.Methods A total of 6 103 singleton pregnant women aged (30.4±3.8) years (18-49 years) who delivered in Peking University First Hospital between May 1,2011 and December 31,2012 underwent the 75 g OGTT at gestational age of 24-28 weeks.They were divided into five groups based on maternal age:＜25 years (n=222,3.6％),25-years (n=2 485,40.7％),30-years (n=2 573,42.2％),35-years (n=683,11.2％),and ≥ 40 years (n=140,2.3％).The normal values of the fasting,1 h and 2 h blood glucose were lower than 5.1,10.0 and 8.5 mmol/L.Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was diagnosed when blood glucose of any point was higher than or equal to normal value.Comparison between groups was tested by analysis of variance and LSD test.Logistic regression was used to calculate the risk for GDM in different age groups.Results (1) The fasting,1 h and 2 h blood glucose levels were in Gaussian distribution.The （-x）+2s were 5.51,11.12 and 9.49 mmol/L.The 97.5 percentile were 5.63,11.32 and 9.95 mmol/L.Fasting plasma glucose of ＜ 25,25-,30-,35-,and ≥ 40 years were (4.53±0.40),(4.60±0.40),(4.67±0.43),(4.74±0.46) and (4.82±0.49) mmol/L.The 1 h blood glucose were (6.98± 1.70),(7.55± 1.60),(7.92± 1.63),(8.30± 1.71) and (8.76± 1.86) mmol/L.The 2 h blood glucose were (6.11±1.33),(6.53±1.27),(6.89±1.33),(7.23±1.50) and (7.57±1.60) mmol/L.Therewas statistical difference in the blood glucose levels at a same time-point test among different age groups (F=29.61,60.17 and 72.29,all P＜0.01).(3) The total prevalence rate of GDM was 21.1％ (1 290/6 103) ; and the prevalence rates were 9.9％ (22/222),16.7％ (414/2 485),22.7％ (583/2 573),32.1％ (219/683) and 37.1％ (52/140) among the five age groups,respectively,with significant differences (x2=120.68,P=0.00).Compared with the group aged ＜25 years,the OR (95％CI) of the prevalence among 25-,30-,35-,and ≥40 years group were 1.82 (1.16-2.86),2.66 (1.70-4.18),4.29 (2.69-6.86) and 5.37 (3.08-9.39),respectively.Conclusions Advanced age is a risk factor for GDM.The risk of GDM increases significantly after 35 years old and pregnancy in women aged ＜ 35 years can reduce the risk of GDM.