Objective: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on uterine prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in rats with primary dysmenorrhea (PD) and to discuss the possible mechanism in EA intervening PD. Methods: Forty Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group, an EA group and an ibuprofen group, with 10 rats in each group. The PD model was established using estradiol benzoate combined with oxytocin in the model group, EA group and ibuprofen group. At the same time of modeling, rats in the EA group were given EA at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) once a day for 20 min each time for 10 consecutive days. Ibuprofen was intragastrically administered once a day for 10 consecutive days in the ibuprofen group. The same amount of normal saline was intragastrically administered once a day for 10 consecutive days in the blank group and model group. The number of writhing of rats in each group within 30 min was compared on the 11th day just after the interventions. The uterine homogenate supernatant was separated and the PGF2α level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot was applied for the detection of the expression levels of COX-2, phospho-NF-κB p65 and NF-κB p65 proteins in uterine tissues. Results: Compared with the blank group, the number of writhing in the model group increased significantly (P<0.01), and the expression levels of PGF2α, COX-2, phospho-NF-κB p65 and NF-κB p65 proteins in uterine tissues were significantly increased (all P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the number of writhing in the EA group and ibuprofen group were significantly reduced (both P<0.01), and the expression levels of PGF2α and COX-2 protein in uterine tissues were significantly reduced (both P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the phospho-NF-κB p65 level in uterine tissues in the EA group was significantly reduced (P<0.01). Compared with the ibuprofen group, the phospho-NF-κB p65 level in the EA group was significantly reduced (P<0.01). Conclusion: The mechanism of EA for PD rats may be related to inhibiting the phosphorylation of NF-κB and reducing the levels of COX-2 and PGF2α in uterine tissues.

Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Vehicle Emissions

BackgroundIt has been proved that as a chemokine,interferon-inducible protein-10(IP-10)can regulate the immuno-inflammatory reaction.Some new researches showed that IP-10 also played role in regulating the neovascular vessel formation.Corneal neovascularization (CNV) is associated with multiple cellular factors,but its mechanism is below clear.Objective The present study was to address the roles of exogenous mouse IP-10 in alkali burn-induced CNV.Methods Eighty-two SPF BALB/c mice were used in this experiment and grouped according to random number table.The corneal alkali burn models were established by putting the filter paper with 1 mol/L NaOH at the central corneas of the left eyes for 40 seconds.10 mg/L IP-10 was topically administered from the first day or 14 days after modeling in the early intervene group( 10 eyes)or middle-late intervene group(5 eyes).CNV area was measured as a percentage of whole cornea.0.2％ sodium hyaluronate(HA) as vehicle was utilized in the model control group.Angiogenic factor expression in corneal tissue in the early intervene group was quantified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)and compared with model control group.All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research and complied with the standards of Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of Soochow University. ResultsThe CNV percentage was(88.67±10.22) ％ in the model control mice,showing a significant increase in comparison with that of IP-10 early intervene group (70.06±12.21)％ (t=3.77,P=0.00).In 21 days after corneal alkali burn,the CNV percentage was(87.33±13.47)％ in the model control mice,and that of the IP-10 middle-late intervene group was ( 86.56± 12.47 ) ％ without significant difference between them ( t =1.26,P＞0.05 ).Two days or four days after IP-10 early intervene,the expressions of chemokine receptor type 3 ( CXCR3 ) in corneal tissue were significant higher than model control group( t =3.13,3.07,P＜0.05 ),but the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cornea were lowed ( t =5.99,6.27,P＜0.01),and so were transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) (t =8.50,P＜0.01;t =4.53,P＜0.05).Conclusions The early topical administration of the exogenous mouse IP-10 can inhibit CNV by up-regulating CXCR3 expression and down-regulating VEGF and TGF-β1 expression in cornea.However,middle-later usage of the IP-10 is uneffective.

Objective To explore the status of iodine nutrition in 8～10 years children after universal salt iodization(USI)in the iodine deficiency area.Methods Probability proportion to size method(PPS)or simple random sampling methods were used to sample children aged 8～10 years in iodine deficiency area in the vear 1995,1997,1999,2002 and 2005, respectively.Goiter were detected by palpation and B-ultrasound, iodine concentration in salt was detected by direct titration method and that in urine by the method of As3+-Ce4+catalytic spectrophotometry.Results After USI has been implemented,the median of salt and urinary iodine tended to mcreaseand the goiter rate tended to decrease year by year.In 2005,the coverage rate of iodinated salt was elevated to 97.2%,qualified iodize salt rate was 97.1%and edible qualified iodinated salt rate was 94.3%in the whole iodine deficiency areas.The median of urinary iodine Was 227.7 μg/L 89.7%(323/360)of the population had a level of the urinary iodine over 100μg/L Goiter rate of 8～10 years children Wag decreased from 22.3%(282/1267)to 4.4%(53/1200) from 1995 to 2005.Conclusion After 10-year USI,the status of iodine nutrition in ShaJldong Province has been promoted obviously and it is in a suitable iodine nutritional status.

Paracetamol was used as a model drug in this study to investigate the synergetic effects of lipid coating and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) inclusion for masking the bitter taste of poorly soluble drugs. To control the concentration as low as possible of the free drug which produced a bitter taste, a kinetic model was established to calculate the drug distribution theoretically among the free drug in medium, lipid coated particles and molecular inclusion on the basis of the preparation and characterization of the lipid microspheres, so as to select the proper amount of beta-CD. Finally, the synergetic drug delivery systems were prepared and characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), molecular simulation and the electronic tongue. As a result, the drug release rate constant (k) of the lipid microspheres coated with octadecanol was determined as 0.001 270 s(-1). Then, the synergetic drug delivery systems were prepared with the ratio of 6.74 : 1 (w/w) for beta-CD and paracetamol. The chemical shift values for the fingerprint peaks of paracetamol all increased and hydrogen bonds were formed between the oxygen on the phenolic hydroxyl group, the nitrogen on the imino in paracetamol and the hydrogens on the hydroxyl groups in beta-CD. The results tested by the electronic tongue indicated that the paracetamol, lipid microspheres, beta-CD inclusion and their mixture showed different taste characteristics, with the bitterness order of the synergetic drug delivery systems approximately lipid microspheres < beta-CD inclusion < paracetamol, which confirmed the synergetic taste masking effects of lipid coating and beta-CD molecular inclusion. In summary, the synergetic taste masking was jointly achieved through the retard of the drug release by the lipid coating and the inclusion of the free paracetamol by beta-CD through hydrogen bonds.
Acetaminophen ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Administration, Oral ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Electrical Equipment and Supplies ; Electrochemical Techniques ; instrumentation ; methods ; Hydrogen Bonding ; Kinetics ; Lipids ; chemistry ; Microspheres ; Solubility ; Taste ; drug effects ; beta-Cyclodextrins ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the impact of nicotine- and tar-free cigarette smoke extract (fCSE) on the serum testosterone (T) level and erectile function of male rats.

METHODSWe randomized 30 male SD rats to three groups of equal number to receive subcutaneous injection of PBS (1.0 ml / 300 g body weight per day), fCSE (1.0 ml/300 g body weight per day), and reduced glutathione hormone (GSH, 200 mg per kg body weight per day) in addition to fCSE (fCSE + GSH), respectively, all for 8 weeks. Then we evaluated the erectile function of the rats by measuring the maximal intracavernous pressure (MICP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), ICP/MAP ratio, time of stimulation to MICP (Tmax), and cavernosal filling fate (CFR). We determined the serum T level, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) , malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the cavernosal tissue, and also observed the morphological changes of the corpus cavernosum.

RESULTSCompared with the controls, the rats of the fCSE group showed obvious decreases in the levels of serum T ([5.37 ± 1.43] vs [3.22 ± 1.11] μg/L), NOS ([2.90 ± 0.27] vs [1.67 ± 0.18] U/mg) , and SOD ([18.41 ± 1.09] vs [13.36 ± 1.18] U/mg prot) and erectile function-related indexes MICP ([85.92 ± 6.36] vs [58.99 ± 10.76] mmHg), MICP/MAP (0.86 ± 0.09 vs [0.56 ± 0.08]), and CFR (2.14 ± 0.44 vs 0.89 ± 0.44), but markedly increased Tmax ([29.90 ± 5.78] vs [42.90 ± 8.56]s), with a positive correlation between the serum T level and CFR (r = 0. 364, P < 0.05). Masson staining revealed a lower ratio of the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle tissue to collagen fiber in the fCSE group (0.27 ± 0.04) than in the control (0.98 ± 0.12). Compared with the fCSE group, the fCSE + GSH group exhibited significantly improved MICP ([58.99 ± 10.76 ] vs [77.95 ± 7.71] mmHg), MICP/MAP (0.56 ± 0.08 vs 0.77 ± 0.09), and CFR (0.89 ± 0.44] vs 1.76 ± 0.42) and shortened Tmax ([42.90 ± 8.56 ] vs [32.10 ± 5.84 ] s). The ratio of the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle tissue to collagen fiber was higher in the fCSE + GSH than in the fCSE group (0.77 ± 0.09 vs 0.27 ± 0.04) but still lower than in the control (0.98 ± 0.12).

CONCLUSIONNicotine- and tar-free cigarette smoke extract reduces the serum T level and erectile function of rats, which is related to oxidative stress. Antioxidant therapy can improve erectile function but has a limited value for morphological protection of the penile tissue.

Animals ; Erectile Dysfunction ; chemically induced ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Muscle, Smooth ; pathology ; Nicotine ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Penile Erection ; drug effects ; Penis ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Smoke ; adverse effects ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Tars ; Tobacco ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of noise exposure level and cumulative noise exposure (CNE) on the relationship between rs2070424 and rs10432782 SNPs in SOD1 and the susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

METHODSA case-control study was performed for investigating the effects of environmental risk factors on the susceptibility to NIHL in 201 sensitive workers and 202 resistant workers.A questionnaire was utilized to investigate the occupational health and to identify the occupational risk factors. The noise exposure levels were detected according to the Chinese standard Measurement of noise in the workplace (GBZ/T 189.8-2007). The peripheral blood samples (5 ml blood for each sample) were from sensitive workers and resistant workers. Genomic DNA was extracted on the basis of the standard procedures of Takara kit. SNPs were detected using standard procedures of TaqMan probe allele identification method.

RESULTSIn group exposed to 85 - 92 dB noise (A), the risk of NIHL in the subjects with the AA genotype of rs2070424 was lower than that in the subjects with the GG genotype, OR = 0.37 (95%CI: 0.17∼ 0.80). In group exposed to > 82 dB CNE (A), the AA genotype of rs2070424 is a protective factor of NIHL, as compared with the GG genotype, OR = 0.25 (95%CI: 0.09 ∼ 0.70). In group exposed to 85 - 92 dB noise (A), the risk of NIHL in the subjects with the GG genotype of rs10432782 was compared with the risk of NIHL in the subjects with the TT genotype, OR = 3.17 (95%CI: 1.16 ∼ 6.89). The GT genotype was compared with TT genotype, OR = 2.39 (95%CI: 1.16 ∼ 4.97). In group exposed to 75 ∼ 82 dB CNE (A), the risk of NIHL in the subjects with the GG genotype was compared with the risk of NIHL in the subjects with the TT genotype, OR = 2.35 (95%CI: 0.96 ∼ 5.72), P = 0.06. The GG genotype may bea risk factor of NIHJ.

CONCLUSIONThe noise exposure level and CNE may influence the relationship between rs2070424, rs10432782 SNPs in SOD1 and noise-induced hearing loss.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced ; etiology ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Noise, Occupational ; adverse effects ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Superoxide Dismutase ; genetics ; Superoxide Dismutase-1 ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo study the genetic polymorphism of twelve short tandem repeat loci of Y chromosome in Chaoshan Han populations.

METHODSTwelve Y short tandem repeat loci, of which the template DNAs were extracted from blood samples of 121 unrelated Chaoshan Han individuals, were amplified by using the PowerPlex Y system. The PCR products were genotyped with ABI PRISM 3100 genetic analyzer.

RESULTSFrom the loci DYS19, DYS437, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS438, DYS439, DYS393, DYS391, DYS390, and DYS392, 4-7 alleles were checked out; from the loci DYS385, 35 alleles were observed. The overall observed haplotype diversity reached 0.9976. DYS391 was the locus with the lowest gene diversity (0.4445), while DYS385 had the highest gene diversity (0.9525).

CONCLUSIONThe 12 Y-STR loci are highly polymorphic and suitable to forensic casework, population genetics and anthropology studies.

China ; Chromosomes, Human, Y ; genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect and mechanism of soybean-derived Bowman-Birk inhibi-tor (BBI)on LPS-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines in intestinal epithelial cells.Methods Cytotoxicity effect of LPS and BBI on intestinal epithelial cells was analyzed by MTT assay.Intestinal epithelial cells were pre-treated with BBI,followed by LPS stimulation,expression of inflammatory cytokines(TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-8,and MCP-1)was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction;the activation of NF-κB was measured by pNF-κB-luc system and Western Blot.Results The maximum concentration of LPS (10000 ng/mL)and BBI (1000 μg/mL)had no cytotoxicity effect on intestinal epithelial cells.LPS could potently up-regulate the expression of inflammatory cytokines(TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-8,and MCP-1 ),the up-regulation was positively correlated to the concentration of LPS;LPS-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines in intestinal epithelial cells could achieve the highest level,then decreased over time.The up-regulation of LPS on inflammatory cytokines in intestinal epi-thelial cells had dose-time effect;when intestinal epithelial cells were pretreated by BBI for 6 hours,the inhibitory effect of BBI on LPS-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines in intestinal epithelial cells was most obvious, and had dose-time effect.Conclusion BBI can potently inhibit LPS-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines through inhibiting NF-κB in intestinal epithelial cells.

ObjectiveTo look into the distribution of “iodine suitable” region in iodine-deficient areas in Shandong province and to provide a scientific basis for guiding the redesignate of iodine-deficient areas and launch scientific supply of iodine.Methods One to 3 copies of water source samples were collected in 105 existing iodine-deficient counties by village.Water iodine content was detected by arsenic-cerium catalytic spectrophotometry.The areas with water iodine content below 10 μg/L was defined as iodine-deficient areas and among 10 - 150 μg/L were “iodine suitable areas” and greater than 150 μg/L were high iodine areas.Results The research was carried out in 14 cities,105 counties,and 1337 towns.We collected 65 716 water samples.Sample recovery efficiency reached 99.8％.The median of water iodine was 5.57 μg/L.In the 1337 towns surveyed,there were 82.05％(1097/1337) of the township with water iodine median ＜ 10 μg/L,17.43％(233/1337) between 10 - 150 μg/L,and 0.52％(7/1337) ＞ 150 μg/L.Conclusions In Shandong province,the water “iodine suitable” regions are distributed scattered with considerable proportion.In iodine-deficient areas,there are areas with high water iodine,and iodine-deficient regions should be redrawn.Emphasis should be put on iodine nutritional status of residents in “high iodine and iodine suitable” regions,and iodine supplementation should be carries out scientifically.