Objective To explore the neurobehavioral change of mice from dams with human cytomegalovirus(HCMV) infection during first trimester. Methods Eight-week-old fertilized female Kunming mice were randomly divided into infected group and control group.On the 4th gestation day mice in infected group were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5 mL HCMV (1?10-6 50 percent of tissue cultured infective dose),and those in control group were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5 mL supernatant of cultured human fibroblast.Caesarean birth operation was performed on 3 randomly chosen fertilized mice before delivery. Fetuses were observed and their brain tissue were collected and analyzed under light and electron microscope separately.PCR test was used to determine HCMV pp65 antigen of offspring′s sera.Neurobeha-vioral test such as Morris Water Maze and Lashley Ⅲ Water Maze were performed on offspring mice of 6-7 weeks old.Results Compared with control group,the pathological changes such as degeneration,necrosis,and nucleus disappearance of nerve cells and giant cells were found in offspring′s brain of mice in infected group under light microscope. Under electron microscope,swelling of nerve cells and spherical virus particle in the cytoplasm were found in the brain of mice in infected group. HCMV pp65 antigen was detected in 7 offspring mouse′s se-rum in infected group.Offspring′s swimming time and speed were(30.21?12.74) s and(19.10?1.90) cm/s in infected group,while those in control group were (11.87?3.62) s and (23.21?1.02) cm/s by Morris Water Maze test,there were significantly differences between 2 groups (Pa

OBJECTIVETo optimize the combined extraction methods of Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi.

METHODThe extraction effects of three processes (SFE CO2, alcohol-extraction, water-extraction) were compared by the contents of deoxyschizandrin, the dried extraction yield and production feasibility.

RESULTThe method of alcohol-extraction was the best of the three methods, and the extraction conditions were optimized by orthogonal design as follows: sixfold 90% alcohol for two times and each for one hour.

CONCLUSIONThe extraction method is steady and feasible, which can be used for reference for the extraction process of Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi.

Alcohols ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid ; Cyclooctanes ; isolation & purification ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Lignans ; isolation & purification ; Ligustrum ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polycyclic Compounds ; isolation & purification ; Schisandra ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of sperm DNA damage and sperm-nucleoprotein transition with acrosin activity and seminal parameters.

METHODSWe collected 535 semen samples, assessed sperm DNA damage by sperm chromatin dispersion test, and analyzed the correlation of sperm DNA damage and sperm-nucleoprotein transition with acrosin activity and seminal parameters according to the WHO criteria.

RESULTSStatistically significant differences were observed in sperm DNA damage among sperm-nucleoprotein transition, acrosin activity, sperm concentration and the percentage of grade a + b sperm (P < 0.01). Sperm DNA damage was positively correlated with age, sperm-nucleoprotein transition, sperm concentration and the percentage of grade d sperm (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), but negatively correlated with acrosin activity (P < 0.001). Stepwise linear regression analysis demonstrated that age, sperm concentration, the percentage of grade d sperm, sperm-nucleoprotein transition and acrosin activity were independent variables related to the DNA fragmentation index (DFI). The abnormality rates of sperm-nucleoprotein transition, acrosin activity, sperm concentration and graded a + b sperm were significantly higher in the sperm DNA damage group (DFI > or = 30%) than in the normal control (DFI < 30%) (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSperm DNA damage is closely related with sperm-nucleoprotein transition, acrosin activity and seminal parameters, which may become another important independent parameter for the evaluation of sperm quality.

Acrosin ; genetics ; Adult ; Chromatin ; DNA Damage ; DNA Fragmentation ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; genetics ; Male ; Nucleoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa

BACKGROUNDTo compare the biological characteristics of West Nile virus (WNV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), including cells sensitivity, pathogenicity, viral morphology, as well as the results of immunological and molecular biological detection.

METHODSCytopathic effect (CPE) and pathogenicity were observed in C6/36 cells and in suckling mice inoculated intracerebrally with the WNV or JEV, respectively. The sliced tissue samples for electron microscopic examination were prepared for the morphologic observation of the viruses. Serum antibody to WNV or JEV was detected using indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and the viral RNA was analyzed by RT-PCR method.

RESULTSWNV or JEV-caused CPE was characterized by cell fusion and cell shedding, respectively. There was no significant difference in the pathogenicity to suckling mice between WNV and JEV. The morphologic observation showed that the shape and size of the two virions were similar. WNV and JEV were found to have antigenic cross-reactivity. The viral RNA could be detected from both WNV and JEV samples with universal primer set, but only nucleoside fragments of corresponding virus could be amplified when specific primers were used.

CONCLUSIONCPE in C6/36 cell and detection of the viral RNA should be useful in discrimination of WNV and JEV, and simultaneously examining the titers of serum antibodies against WNV and JEV may be helpful to diagnosis of infection with these agents.

Animals ; Brain ; virology ; Cell Line ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Encephalitis, Japanese ; diagnosis ; virology ; Flavivirus Infections ; diagnosis ; virology ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; West Nile virus ; immunology ; isolation & purification

Objective To investigate and evaluate the effects and safety of the operationabsorption of irrigation fluid occurs during 1470 nm diode laser vaporization of the prostate by ethano. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data about 32 cases of BPH treated by 1470 nm diode laser vaporization from May 2016 to December 2016 intraoperative use of isotonic saline contains 1.0％ ethanol as perfusion fluid, monitor the patients' breath ethanol concentration, calculation of perfusion fluid absorption. Results All the operations were successfully completed, the average operation time was (57.6 ± 32.9) min, the average perfusion fluid volume was (21.5 ± 9.9) L, only 5 cases detected perfusion fluid absorption, the average absorptive amount was (156.8 ± 111.7) ml. During operation, all the patients with stable breathing, circulation, no alcohol poisoning symptoms, no bleeding, capsular perforation, cardiorespiratory failure occurred. All the 32 cases patients were followed up for 3 months, which revealed a significant improvement in dysuresia, no severe complications such as urethrostenosis, urinary incontinence, secondary hemorrhage were noted. Conclusion Fluid absorption little occurs during 1470 nm diode laser vaporization, it is safe and effective in treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of Dangua Recipe (DGR) on glycolipid metabolism, serum reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) positive expression and its mRNA expression level in the thoracic aorta of diabetic rats with atherosclerosis, thus revealing its partial mechanisms for intervening chronic diabetic complications.

METHODSRecruited 40 Goto-Kakisaki (GK) Wistar rats were fed with high fat forage containing metabolic inhibition Propylthiouracil, and peritoneally injected with endothelial NOS inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester to establish a high fat diabetes model with atherosclerosis. The modeled GK rats were stratified by body weight, and then, by blood glucose level from high to low, randomly divided into the DGR group (at the daily dose of 8 mL/kg), the metformin group (MET, at the daily dose of 150 mg/kg), the simvastatin group (SIM, at the daily dose of 2 mg/kg), and the model group (MOD, fed with pure water, at the daily dose of 8 mL/kg) according to the random number table, 10 in each group. Another 10 Wistar rats of the same ages and comparable body weight level were recruited as the normal control group. All the interventions lasted for 24 weeks by gastrogavage. The fasting blood glucose (FBG) and body weight were monitored. The HbA1c, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG, serum ROS were determined. The aortic NF-kappaB level was analyzed with immunohistochemical assay. The expression of NF-kappaB (P65) mRNA in the aorta was detected with Real-time PCR.

RESULTSThe body weight in the normal control group was eventually heavier than others (P < 0.01). There was no difference among the four groups of GK modeled rats (P > 0.05). The FBG in the four GK modeled groups were higher than that in the normal control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the blood glucose level at the first visit and at the baseline among the GK modeled groups (P > 0.05). The last FBG level was obviously lower in the MET and DGR groups than in the MOD group (P < 0.01) and the SIM group (P < 0.05). Twenty-four weeks after intervention, the level of FBG, HbA1c, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and NF-kappaB positive expression rate of the thoracic aorta of the four groups of GK modeled rats, and NF-kappaB mRNA expression in the thoracic aorta in the MOD group, the MET group, and the DGR group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The TG level, serum ROS in the MET, DGR, and SIM groups, and the NF-kappaB mRNA expression level in the thoracic aorta in the SIM group were significantly lower than those in the normal control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The levels of FBG, TC, LDL-C, serum ROS, NF-kappaB mRNA expression level in the thoracic aorta in three drug intervention groups, and NF-kappaB positive expression rate in the DGR and MET groups, and the levels of HbA1c, TG in the DGR group were significantly lower than those in the MOD group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The level of FBG in the MET and DGR groups were lower than that in the SIM group (P < 0.05). The level of NF-kappaB mRNA expression in the thoracic aorta of the SIM and DGR groups, and the levels of TC and LDL-C in the DGR group were significantly lower than those in the MET group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONDGR played a role in preventing and treating chronic diabetic complications by comprehensively regulating blood glucose and serum lipids, as well as down-regulating oxidative stress.

Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; metabolism ; Atherosclerosis ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Diabetic Angiopathies ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Lipid Metabolism ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; Phytotherapy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; blood

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effectiveness and safety of fire-needle therapy, an external approach of Chinese medicine in treating plaque psoriasis. METHODS: This study was a two-parallel-arm randomized controlled trial. A total of 151 participants with plaque psoriasis were randomly assigned to the fire-needle therapy group (treatment group, 76 cases) or the control group (75 cases) at a 1:1 allocation ratio using SAS software. All participants received Oral Huoxue Jiedu Decoction (, HXJDD) and applied externally vaseline cream twice a day. Participants in the treatment group received fire-needle therapy once weekly for 4 weeks plus HXJDD and vaseline cream applied the same as the control group. The primary outcome measure was Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, and the secondary outcomes were Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQL), and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), as well as Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome score and photos of target lesions. The indices were evaluated before and after treatment. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients in each group completed the study. The treatment group has not yet achieved significant improvement in PASI score (P>0.05) compared to the control group. However, significant differences were found between the two groups in relieving CM syndrome (P<0.05) and improving quality of life (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Fire-needle appears to be safe and may have benefit for psoriasis, the short-term treatment and small sample size limit the conclusions of this study. Further rigorous randomized controlled trials with longer treatment are recommended.