Agriculture ; Humans ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; analysis ; Radiation Dosage ; Radon ; adverse effects ; analysis ; Seasons

Objective To study the function and diurnal variation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid(HPT) axis,and the relationship with clinical characteristics of di-urnal rhythm in depressed patients. Methods Forty-nine depressed patients met diagnostic DSM-Ⅳ criteria and thirty-eight normal controls were collected. The plasma levels of cortisol (CORT), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), T3, T4, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) at 7 am and 7 pm were measured by radioimmunoassay, then the results concemed were compared among the depressed groups with and without diurnal variation and control group by multivariate analysis of variance. Results The plasma level of morning CORT, morning and evening TSH ((365.94±120.78) nmol/L; (6.24±2.47)μIU/ml; (6.68±2.42)μIU/ml; respectively) were respective-ly higher than those of control group((284.91±83.39) nmol/L; (3.82±1.75)μIU/ml;(4.01±1.69)μIU/ ml, P<0.05). The plasma levels of morning and evening T4 were significantly lower than those of control group(P <0.05). The CORT morning-evening difference variable distinguished between depressed and control group (P< 0.001),but no significant differences could be found between the depressed groups with and without diurnal varia-tion. There were no significant differences in the CORT, T3, T4, TSH morning-evening difference variable between various clinical subtypes of depressed patient (unipolar/bipolar; psychotic/nonpsychotic). Conclusion Abnormal CORT morning-evening difference variable was observed in the depressed patients compared with normal controls,and may be used as a special trait mark of depressed group.

AIM: To investigate the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and taurine (Tau) in preventing hyperoxia-induced the lens opacification and the changes of biochemical parameters on organ cultured rabbit lenses.METHODS: Twenty-four lenses from adult rabbits were divided into the control group, the hyperoxia-exposed group, the hyperoxia-exposed group containing 20mmol/L of NAC, the hyperoxia-exposed group containing 80mmol/L of Tau, respectively. The treated groups incubated with hyperoxia ( pO2>80%) for 4 hours per day throughout a 7-day period. Lens transparency, histology and enzymatic activities measurements were determined after this incubation.RESULTS: Gross morphological examination of these lenses revealed some severe cortical opacification in the hyperoxia-exposed group, moderate cortical opacification in the control group and the Tau treated group. There was minimal cortical opacification in the NAC treated group. The glutathione (GSH) content and the activity of Na, K-ATPase were significantly decreased in the hyperoxia-exposed group than that of the control group, by 37.8% (P<0.05) and 53.5% (P<0.05), respectively. However, they were increased in the two treated groups, especially in the NAC treated group. There were no significant differences in the water-soluble protein content and the catalase and GSH reductase activities in all group lenses.CONCLUSION: Hyperoxia can induce the cortical opaci-fication in the lens. The role of NAC in the prevention of hyperoxia-induced cataract is superior to Tau.

BACKGROUND:Titanium implants as a safe biological material have been used to produce the artificial Russian titanium cornea, but complications stil exist, including artificial cornea shift, leakage, corneal tissue melting and artificial cornea discharge.
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate in vivo biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite modified titanium skirt for keratoprosthesis in alkali burn cornea.
METHODS:A total of 30 alkali burned New Zealand white rabbit corneas were divided into three group groups. Hydroxyapatite modified titanium skirt (experimental group) and titanium skirt (control group) were respectively inserted into the corneal stroma of rabbits. In the blank control group, only a lamel ar corneal incision was made.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Al skirts were stable without necrosis, melting and exclusion during the observation period. The number of inflammatory cells in the experimental and control groups was significantly higher than that in the blank control group at 2 and 8 weeks postoperatively (P<0.05), but there was no difference in inflammatory cellinfiltration among different groups by the 16th week. The number of corneal fibroblasts increased significantly in the experimental group compared with the control and blank control group after 2, 8, 16 weeks (P<0.05). The extracellular matrix deposited on the surface of hydroxyapatite modified titanium skirt was denser and tighter than that on the surface of titanium skirt. It indicates that hydroxyapatite modified titanium skirt for keratoprosthesis can promote the interfacial biointegration of skirt and host cornea.

Acupuncture Points ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Biopsy ; Histological Techniques ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Indicators and Reagents ; Paraffin Embedding ; Ultrasonics

More and more studies have shown that NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has become the regulatory factor of inflammatory response and protective immunity, and the assembly and activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes are closely related to the anti-tumor immunity effect. Depending on the cell type and stimuli, activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome can induce immune cells to become polarized, hyperactive, or pyroptotic, releasing interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18, which leads to cascade immune or inflammatory responses, and its role in tumor immunity has received extensive attention. Here, we review the mechanisms of the NLRP3 inflammasome enhancing CD8⁺ T cells-mediated anti-tumor immunity by inducing the pyroptosis of tumor cell, the pyroptosis or hyperactive state of dendritic cells (DCs), and the pyroptosis or polarization of the macrophages. Different anti-tumor immune roles of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in tumor cells and immune cells provide new directions for future research and may influence the development of next-generation immunotherapy.

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effect of combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker on the quality of life (QOL) including appetite, defecation, and sleep in patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor.

METHODSTotally 147 patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor were assigned to 4 groups according to different treatment methods, i.e., the supportive treatment group (A, 20 cases), the acupressure treatment group (B, 41 cases), the magnetic sticker treatment group (C, 40 cases), and a combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker treatment group (D, 46 cases). They were respectively treated with different methods, supportive treatment for group A, acupressure for group B, magnetic sticker for group C, and a combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker for group D. The scores of food intake, defecation frequency, sleep time, Karnofsky, and QOL were compared before treatment and at day 14 after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the scores of food intake, defecation frequency, and sleep time were obviously improved in B, C and D groups (P < 0.01). There was statistical difference between group D and group A (P < 0.01). In addition, in comparison with A group, both Karnofsky score and QOL score increased in B, C and D groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe assisted therapy of the combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker could ameliorate QOL such as the digestive functions and sleep in patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor.

Acupressure ; methods ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; therapy ; Humans ; Magnetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo observe the characteristics of sperm single-stranded DNA breaks (SSB) and double-stranded DNA breaks (DSB) in infertile men, explore the association of DSB with male infertility, and provide a new observation index and idea for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

METHODSThis study involved 60 infertile men (infertility group) and 30 normal healthy males with infertile wives (control group). We comparatively analyzed the seminal parameters of the two groups, determined sperm concentration and viability using the computer aided sperm analysis system, measured the sperm survival rate by hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) test, examined sperm morphology by Diff-Quick staining, and detected sperm DNA damage by two-tail comet assay.

RESULTSNine two-tail comet models were established for detecting sperm DNA integrity. Comparisons between the fertility and control groups showed that the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was (33.8 ± 13.1) vs (16.3 ± 7.9)% (P < 0.01), the SSB-DFI was (19.2 ± 11.4) vs (14.9 ± 7.6)% (P > 0.05), the SSB-DFI/DFI was (56.8 ± 32.4) vs (91.4 ± 27.8)% (P < 0.01), the DSB-DFI was (23.9 +13.4) vs (6.1 ± 2.7)% (P < 0.01), and the DSB-DFI/DFI was (70.8 ± 19.5) vs (37.4 ± 11.3)% (P < 0.01). The optimal cut-off value of DSB-DFI/DFI in the diagnosis of male infertility was 39.5%, with the AUG, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.969, 98.3%, and 90%; that of DSB-DFI was 15.85%, with the AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.912, 86.7%, and 80%; and that of DFI was 18.65%; with the AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.861, 90%, 70%, respectively. In the infertile men, neither SSB-DFI nor SSB-DFI/DFI exhibited any correlation with semen parameters (P > 0.05); DFI was correlated negatively with the percentage of progressively motile sperm, sperm survival rate, and the percentage of morphologically normal sperm (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but not correlated with sperm concentration (P > 0.05); both DSB-DFI and DSB-DFI/DFI showed a negative correlation with sperm concentration, sperm survival rate, and the percentages of progressively motile sperm and morphologically normal sperm (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONDouble-stranded, rather than single-stranded DNA breaks, may be a factor inducing male infertility. The type of sperm DNA strand damage is of much reference value for the assessment of male fertility.

Case-Control Studies ; Comet Assay ; DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded ; DNA Breaks, Single-Stranded ; DNA Fragmentation ; Fertility ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Male ; Semen Analysis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sperm Count ; Spermatozoa ; Staining and Labeling

OBJECTIVE:To observe clinical efficacy and safety of Tianqi jiangtang capsules combined with metformin in the treatment of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with cerebral microvascular lesions. METHODS:A total of 96 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with cerebral microvascular lesions were randomly divided into control group(48 cases)and observation group(48 cases). Control group was given Metformin hydrochloride tablets 0.5 g orally,3 times a day. Observation group was additionally given Tianqi jiangtang capsules 1.6 g orally,3 times a day,on the basis of control group. Both groups received treatment for 4 weeks. Clinical efficacies of 2 groups were observed as well as total score of TCM symptoms,the levels of blood glucose(FPG,2 hPG,HbA1c),blood lipid(TC,TG,HDL-C,LDL-C),hs-CRP,ET-1,blood rheology and oxidative stress indexes(MDA,SOD),the occurrence of ADR. RESULTS:The total response rate of observation group was significantly higher than that of control group(89.58% vs. 70.83%),with statistical significance(P<0.05). After treat-ment,total score of TCM symptoms,the levels of blood glucose,hs-CRP,ET-1,TC,TG,LDL-C,blood rheology indexes and MDA in 2 groups were significantly lower than before;total score of TCM symptoms,the levels of FPG,2 hPG,hs-CRP,ET-1, TC,TG,LDL-C,blood rheology indexes and MDA in observation group were significantly lower than control group;the level of SOD in 2 groups were significantly higher than before,and the observation group was significantly higher than control group,and the level of HDL-C in observation group was significantly higher than before treatment and control group,with statistical signifi-cance(P<0.05). No obvious ADR was found in 2 groups during treatment. CONCLUSIONS:Tianqi jiangtang capsules combined with metformin show significant therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus,and can re-duce the levels of blood glucose and lipid,improve blood rheology and oxidative stress reaction,with goud safety.