The reproductive toxicity of environmental endocrine disruptors has attracted substantial attention from researchers in recent years. Bisphenol A (BPA) is among the most prominent environmental estrogens worldwide, demonstrated to be related with the impairment of male reproductive function as well as other health problems, such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. BPA acts primarily by mimicking antiandrogenic and estrogenic effects, disturbing the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and modulating gene expressions and enzyme activities in the hormone biosynthesis affecting steroids or its receptors. BPA is also involved in DNA methylation and the effects of epigenetics, resulting in dyszoospermia, oligoasthenoteratospermia/azoospermia and/or infertility in males. This review addresses the effects of BPA on male reproductive function, focusing on the mechanisms of its toxicity on spermatogenesis, semen quality, and the reproductive system.
Benzhydryl Compounds ; toxicity ; Endocrine Disruptors ; toxicity ; Endocrine System ; drug effects ; Environmental Pollutants ; toxicity ; Estrogens ; toxicity ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; chemically induced ; Male ; Phenols ; toxicity ; Semen Analysis ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects

Puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase (PSAP) belongs to the M1 family of aminopeptidases, characterized by the N-terminal substrate binding sequence GAMEN, the enzyme activity center HEXXH(X)₁₈E motif, and the C-terminal ERAP-1-like superfamily structural domain. Encoded by the gene NPEPPS located at 17q21.32, PSAP consists of 919 amino acids and is widely distributed throughout the human body, with the highest expression in the brain, followed by the heart and skeletal muscle. It is also found in the liver, renal tubular epithelium, small intestine, large intestine epithelium, and gastric epithelial cells. PSAP primarily relies on its aminopeptidase hydrolytic activity to remove toxic protein aggregates such as Tau, poly Q, and Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase 1, making it an important factor in the development of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's chorea, and tumors. Existing PSAP inhibitors include bestatin, amastatin, leuhistin, actinonin, and purinomycin, some of which are already available or in clinical trials. This review provides an overview of the structural and biological functions of M1 family aminopeptidases, with a focus on PSAP, to facilitate further research and targeted drug development.

Hemiplegics after stroke are often disabled in sit-to-stand(STS).This article discussed the biomechanics of STS in the hemiplegic stroke patients,in terms of kinematics,kinetics and surface electromyography,and the rehabilitation for the stroke patients with STS dysfunction.It was found that the stability,duration,symmetry of support and degree and se-quence of muscular activation were different when the patients finished the STS task in three foot positions of natural, symmetrical and unaffected foot behind.The early STS rehabilitation training or other rehabilitation may improve the function of the hemiplegic lower extremity to prevent falls and apraxia.

At present, breast cancer has become the most common female malignancy badly threatening health around the world, which suggests that early diagnosis and treatment are crucial. As a new ultrasound technique, ultrasonic elastography (UE) has developed rapidly and been applied widely. UE provides more significant information about tissue elasticity characteristics on the basis of B-mode ultrasound, and elasticity imagings show stiffness distribution of tissues directly. At the same time, tissue elasticity characteristics are closely associated with pathological component. Therefore, UE provides an important basis for clinical differential diagnosis of breast lesions. This paper reviews pathologic basis and application progress of UE in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions.

G,the noval insertion mutation of c.2298_2299insC is identified in Chinese patients.

OBJECTIVETo establish an instant determination method of emodin, aloe-emodin and rhein, from Rheum, and one of their preparations, Qinghai Wild Dahuang Tea, by micellar electrokinetic capillary electrophoresis for the first time.

METHODSeparation was carried out in an uncoated fused silica capillary (75 microm x 50.0 cm). Meanwhile, a running voltage 20 kV, 15.0 mmol x L(-1) borax buffer with 30.0 mmol x L(-1) SDS and 10% ethanol (pH 9.60) and a UV detector at 254 nm were adopted.

RESULTThe linear calibration rang was 4-120 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.992 1) for emodin, 10-200 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.997 0) for aloe-emodin, and 2-100 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.997 1) for rhein, respectively. Under the optimum conditions, the relative standard deviation (RSD) values (n = 6) for the migration time and the peak area of each peak were 0.59%-0.80%, 1.30%-3.22%, respectively. The contents of the analytes were easily determined with recoveries ranging from 97.6%-102.3%.

CONCLUSIONThe method is proved to be simple, rapid and accurate, and can be used for the quality control of medicinal herb, Rheum, and its tea preparation.

Anthraquinones ; analysis ; Chromatography, Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary ; methods ; Emodin ; analysis ; Plant Preparations ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rheum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the high expression of HPV16L2N120E7E6 fusion protein by prokaryotic expression system, and evaluate its immunogenicity and antitumor efficacy in vaccinated mice.

METHODSThe HPV16L2N120E7E6 fusion gene, its codons were optimized to increase the expression of the protein, was constructed by overlap extension PCR and inserted into prokaryotic expression vector pET9a. Then the fusion protein was expressed by inducing with IPTG in E. coli strain BL21 (DE3) harboring with plasmid pETL2N120E7E6, and further detected by SDS-PAGE and Western-blot. Finally, the humoral and cellular immune responses were measured by ELISA and ELISPOT, respectively, in vaccinated mice with the purified HPV16L2N120E7E6 fusion protein, and the antitumor efficacy was assessed in mice using the TC-1 tumor challenge model.

RESULTSThe codon-optimized HPV16L2N120E7E6 fusion gene was highly expressed in E. coli strain BL21 (DE3) harboring with plasmid pETL2N120E7E6, and the amount of fusion protein was nearly 48.6% of the total bacterial protein. The purified fusion protein could induce high titer of specific antibody against L2, E7 and E6 in vaccinated mice. When accompanied with the adjuvant CpG, the fusion protein was able to elicit strong and moderate cellular immune responses in vaccinated mice against peptide HPV16E7(49-57) and peptide pools of HPV16E6, respectively. Furthermore, the tumor therapeutic experiment showed that HPV16L2N120E7E6 + CpG could prevent the tumor formation in 80.0% (8/10) vaccinated mice.

CONCLUSIONSThe data of this study suggest that HPV16L2N120E7E6 fusion protein could be a promising candidate vaccine for treatment of chronic HPV16 infection and post-operative adjuvant therapy for cervical cancer.

Adjuvants, Immunologic ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Capsid Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Codon ; Escherichia coli ; immunology ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Immunization ; methods ; Immunotherapy ; methods ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides ; immunology ; Oncogene Proteins, Viral ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Papillomavirus E7 Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Papillomavirus Vaccines ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Plasmids ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism

Salivary analysis can be used to assess the severity of caries. Of the known salivary proteins, a paucity of information exists concerning the role of proteinase 3 (PR3), a serine protease of the chymotrypsin family, in dental caries. Whole, unstimulated saliva was collected from children with varying degrees of active caries and tested using a Human Protease Array Kit and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A significantly decreased concentration of salivary PR3 was noted with increasing severity of dental caries (P<0.01); a positive correlation (r=0.87; P<0.01; Pearson's correlation analysis) was also observed between salivary pH and PR3 concentration. In an antibacterial test, a PR3 concentration of 250 ng·mL⁻¹ or higher significantly inhibited Streptococcus mutans UA159 growth after 12 h of incubation (P<0.05). These studies indicate that PR3 is a salivary factor associated with the severity of dental caries, as suggested by the negative relationship between salivary PR3 concentration and the severity of caries as well as the susceptibility of S. mutans to PR3.
Child ; Dental Caries ; enzymology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Myeloblastin ; metabolism ; Saliva ; enzymology

OBJECTIVEIn order to observe the therapeutic efficacy of food control to recurrent oral ulcer (ROU), alimentary control of certain foods was employed to relieve outbreak of ROU.

METHODSThe kits for food intolerant IgG of certain food were used to test the intolerant food of fifty patients with ROU. Observations and assessments for alimentary control were made after three months' treatment on these patients.

RESULTSThe top three of intolerant foods were crab, egg and milk and the remission rate of ROU reached 74% after treatment.

CONCLUSIONThe result of food intolerant IgG testing has certain function to alimentary control therapy for remitting the outbreak of ROU.

Adult ; Diet ; Female ; Food ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oral Ulcer

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical features and surgical treatment of thoracic Castleman's disease.

METHODSThe clinical symptoms, pathological, laboratory, CT findings and results of surgery in 32 patients with Castleman's disease from June 1996 to November 2008 were evaluated. Among the 32 patients, there were 14 male and 18 female, aged from 16 to 48 years old with a mean age of 34.2 years old. Thirteen cases had symptoms including short of breath, irritable cough, or chest pain, while 14 cases had no symptoms. Mediastinal or hilar tumors were found by CT examination.

RESULTSTumor was surgically removed in all the 32 patients except one died with anesthetic accident. Castleman's disease was conformed by pathology. Five cases were diagnosed as with paraneoplastic pemphigus, 3 of them were attacked by bronchiolitis obliterans. All 5 cases were failed by the use of prednisone. The signs of PNP were dissolved after operation, but pulmonary lesions failed to improve. There was no recurrence in all cases.

CONCLUSIONSPNP and lung abnormalities are the rare and severe complications of thoracic Castleman's disease. Surgical resection of the tumor is the first choice for treatment.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Castleman Disease ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Diseases ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult