OBJECTIVE: To investigate the absorption kinetics of fenofibrate nanosuspension in rat intestine. METHODS: The intestine of rats was cannulated for in situ recirculation. UV spectrophotometry was used to determine the concentrations of phenol red while HPLC was used to determine the concentrations of fenofibrate and fenofibric acid. RESULTS: The fenofibrate nanosuspension exhibited substantial absorption enhancement in entire intestine compared to the crude drug solution. The difference in drug absorption at concentrations from 50 to 200 μg · mL-1 between fenofibrate nanosuspension and crude drug solution was not significant. Different pH values of K-R buffer had no effect on the intestinal permeability (Papp) and absorption rate constant (KR) for the two dosage forms. The absorption rate constants (h-1) of fenofibrate nanosuspension at duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon were (0.373 ± 0.0021), (0.329 ± 0.0008), (0.362 ± 0.0014), and (0.347 ± 0.0079), respectively. CONCLUSION: Fenofibrate nanosuspension can be well absorbed in the whole intestinal segments. The absorption of fenofibrate nanosuspension in rat intestine is a first order process with passive diffusion mechanism.

Objective To explore the potential changes of connexin Cx36 in hippocampus and cortical neurons of rats with hyperthermia -induced convulsion.Methods Rats were divided into 2 groups according to the random number table method:normal control group and experimental group.Febrile convulsion model was elicited through im-mersion in warm water.The experimental group was generated following febrile convulsion model:hyperthermia group and febrile convulsion group.Among normal control group,hyperthermia group and febrile convulsion group,western blot analysis and immunofluorescence labeling techniques were used to examine the expression of Cx36 protein in the hippo-campus and cortex area.One -Way ANOVA was used to compare the mean of multiple sample,the LSD test was used to compare the two means.Tamhane′s test was used when variance were uneven.Results The incubation period,seizure duration and temperature were (4.39 ±0.08)min,(5.38 ±0.07)min,(41 .87 ±0.06)℃ after hyperthermia-in-duced convulsion,respectively.Western blot analysis showed that the expression of Cx36 protein in the hippocampus and cortex area decreased gradually after 1 0 times of seizure in normal control group,hyperthermia group and febrile convulsion group,and the febrile convulsion group decreased most obviously.Compared with normal control group and hyperthermia group,respectively,in febrile convulsion group Cx36 expression obviously decreased in the hippocampus and cortex in rats with 1 ,5,1 0 seizure times induced by hyperthermia,and with the increase of number of induced con-vulsion,the expression of Cx36 was significantly decreased in the cortex (0.1 04 ± 0.01 2)and CA1 (0.091 ± 0.01 1 ),CA3 (0.090 ±0.01 1 )and DG (0.092 ±0.01 2)areas of hippocampal neurons compared with the normal control group (0.21 2 ±0.01 7,0.1 67 ±0.01 3,0.1 59 ±0.01 4,0.1 71 ±0.01 3)and the hyperthermia group (0.1 89 ± 0.006,0.1 44 ±0.008,0.1 29 ±0.005,0.1 65 ±0.01 1 )(all P <0.05).Furthermore,the extent of reduction in Cx36 expression seemed to correlate with the number of seizures.Conclusion With the increase of thermal seizure frequen-cy,Cx36 expression of rats was decreased obviously which may lower convulsion threshold and lead to recurrent seizures.

Objective To discuss a new temporal bone tomography radiographic technique for the assessment of cochlear implantation and its clinic value. Methods Plane radiographs of both the temporal bone tomography and cochlear position tomography were taken on 10 children after cochlear implantation. The numbers of inserted electrodes of both techniques were compared. Results The inserted electrodes were shown clearly in both techniques. There was no difference in the data be-tween the 2 methods and between the operation and radiography outcomes (P>0.05). Conclusion Temporal bone tomography is a new method to evaluate cochlear implants in postoperative patients.

Objective To investigate the differential diagnostic values of CT bronchial sign for peripheral solitary pulmonary lesions(SPLs).Methods One hundred and eleven patients with peripheral SPLs were scanned using multi-slice helical CT(MSCT),and multiplanar reconstruction was performed to show the relationship between the lesion and bronchus,the diffefences between the benign and malignancy were compared by using chi-square test.Results Bronchial cutoff rate in malignant lesions(47/95,49.5%)was markedly hi er than that in benign lesions(10/42,23.8%.X12=7.896,P＜0.05),the frequency of type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ air bronchogram presented in malignant lesions(10/11.8/9)was higher than benign lesions(1/11,1/9.X2=6.975,4.818,P＜0.05),but type Ⅳ in benign lesions(12/17)was more common than that in malignant lesions(5/17.X2=7.390,P＜0.05).No significant difference was found in bronchus ran at the periphery of the lesion and bronchus dragged by the lesion between benign(9/24.1/4)and malignant lesions(15/24,3/4.X2=0.641,0.062,P＞0.05).The focal bronchial wall thickening in malignancy(21/22)was markedly higher than benign lesions(1/22.X2=4.185.P＜0.05),whereas the extensive thickening in benign lesiom(4/7)was more common(3/7.X2=8.650,P＜0.05).Conclusion CT bronchial sign is very important in the differentiation of benign and malignant pulmonary lesions.

Objective To investigate the effects of low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the supplementary motor area (SMA) of children with Tourette's syndrome (TS). Methods Thirty TS subjects less than 16 years old were treated with 1 Hz rTMS to the SMA at 110％ of the resting motor threshold (RMT) in 20 daily sessions,receiving 1200 pulses/day.Clinical assessment and physiological measures of the left and right RMT were conducted at different time points during the treatment. ResultsAfter 4 weeks of treatment,statistically significant reductions were observed in assessments with the Yale global tic severity scale (YGTSS) and in terms of clinical global impression (CGI).Symptomatic improvement was correlated with dramatic increases in both right and left RMTs. ConclusionApplication of 1 Hz rTMS to the SMA can improve the clinical symptoms of TS children.

With the advanced development of information technology, there is a huge impact on various industries for the arrival of big data. In the biomedical field, innovative genome sequencing technology enables low-cost, high-throughput, and high-speed to become a reality, which leads to an explosive growth in data and also appeared in an urgent need to process those massive biological information. High performance computing (HPC) along with effective methods is one of the best ways to deal with the problem of big data in biomedical field which could serve the biomedical development best. We discussed the issues faced in biomedical big data processing and concluded that the bioinformatics is an indispensable component of biomedical technologies.
Biomedical Research ; trends ; Computational Biology ; Computing Methodologies ; Humans

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; genetics ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Leukemia ; physiopathology ; Male ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vault Ribonucleoprotein Particles ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the impact of the water extract from Codonopsis thalictrifolia Wall (CTW) on the reproductive

METHODSWe divided 32 male SD infant rats into four groups of equal number to be treated intragastrical-system of male infant rats. ly with distilled water (control) and CTW at 10 g/kg (low dose) , 20 g/kg (medium dose), and 40 g/kg (high dose), respectively, twice a day for 2 weeks. Then we killed the rats, measured the levels of testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the serum, obtained the testis weight, body weight, testis visceral coefficient and sperm concentration, and detected sperm viability, sperm motility and the level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in the Leydig cells, followed by

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the low-dose, me-analysis of differences among different groups using the SPSS software. Medium-dose and high-dose CTW groups showed significant decreases in the serum T level ([3.09 +/-0.42] vs [1.22 +/-0. 32] , [1.06 +/- 0.29] and [0.57 +/-0.18] nmol/L, P<0.01), testis weight ([1.40 +/-0.16] vs [0.96 +/-0.09], [0.92 +/-0.11] and [0.91 +/- 0.08] g, P <0.01), and sperm concentration ([1.03 +/-0.16] vs [0.19 +/-0.07], [0.17 +/-0.08] and [0.16 +/-0.07] x 10(6)/ml, P <0.01), but a dramatic elevation in the testis visceral coefficient ([42.22 +/- 3.02] vs [51.39 +/- 3.09], [52.28 +/- 4.86] and [54.13 +/-6.06] mg/10 g, P <0.01); the medium- and high-dose CTW groups exhibited remarkable increases in the levels of serum LH ([13.62+/-0.89] vs [14.69 +/-0.12] and [14.93 +/-0.28] ng/L, P<0.01) and FSH ([4.32 +/-0.18] vs [4.77 +/-0.23] and [4.89 +/-0. 38] IU/L, P <0.05); all the three CTW groups showed markedly inhibited serum T secretion ([1.85 +/- 0.18] vs [1.42 +/-0.15], [1.12+/-0.18] and [0.88 +/-0.21] nmol/L, P<0.01) and intracellular cAMP ([5.51 +/-0.12] vs [4.39+/-0.06], [4.28 +/-0.07] and [4.11 +/- 0.10] nmol/L, P <0.01) in the Leydig cells.

CONCLUSIONThe water extract from CTW may reduce the synthesis of testosterone in the serum of male infant rats through the PKA pathway and consequently inhibit their testicular development and sperm production and affect the development of their reproductive system.

Animals ; Codonopsis ; chemistry ; Cyclic AMP ; metabolism ; Leydig Cells ; metabolism ; Male ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testosterone ; blood ; Urogenital System ; drug effects

ObjectiveTo find out if the immune system derived thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) β splice variant(TSHβ-Ⅴ) would be regulated by circulating thyroid hormone levels to get a further understanding of the function and mechanism of this TSHβ-Ⅴ in thyroid homeostasis.MethodsA total of 20 weaning Balb/c mice (half male and half female) were selected and randomly divided into two groups according to their body mass and gender(n =10).Mice of control group were fed with common diet and deionized water.Mice of the low-iodine(LI) group were fed with low-iodine diet(containing iodine 20 - 40 μg/kg,iodine-intake about 0.25 μg/d) and deionized water.The experimental period was 3 months.At the end of the experiment,mice were executed and the blood was collected to observe the levels of TSH and thyroid hormone by chemiluminescence immunoassay (CIA) ; bone marrow (BM),peripheral blood(PBL),thyroid gland and pituitary were collected to assay the TSHβ-Ⅴ mRNA expression by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).ResultsThe serum free thyroxine(FT4) and total thyroxine(TT4) levels in LI group of mice[(0.47 ± 0.70)nmol/L,(2.41 ± 0.28)pmol/L] were significantly lower than that of the control group of mice [(55.2 ± 3.68) nmol/L, (32.72 ± 1.02) pmol/L,t =43.81,86.04 、all P ＜ 0.01 ] and the serum total triiodothyronine(TT3) and free triiodothyronine(FT3) reduction in LI group of mice[ (0.76 ± 0.08)nmol/L,(4.01 ± 0.40)pmol/L] were significantly lower than that of the control group of mice [ (1.10 ± 0.06)nmol/L,(5.40 ± 0.38)pmol/L,t =9.81,7.5 1,P ＜ 0.01 ].Iodine insufficiency strongly elevated the serum TSH in LI group of mice[ (35.67 ± 17.39)mU/L] than that in control group of mice[ (0.24 ± 0.10)mU/L,t =- 6.11,P ＜ 0.01 ].The mRNA levels of TSH β-Ⅴ in BM (9.62 ± 0.60) and in PBL( 9.25 ± 0.83 ) of LI group of mice were lower than those in control group of mice (7.69 ± 0.36,7.11 ± 0.41,t =6.77,5.64,P ＜ 0.01),while the mRNA level of TSH β-Ⅴ in pituitary of LI group of mice (1.99 ± 0.61) was increased compared with that in control group of mice (5.75 ± 0.98,t =- 8.02,P＜ 0.01).Compared with control group of mice(9.12 ± 0.62),the level of thyroid TSH β-Ⅴ mRNA in LI group of mice (9.32 ± 0.91 ) was not significantly changed (t =0.45,P ＞ 0.05).There was no detectable native TSHβ in BM,PBL and thyroid.The mRNA level of native TSHβ in pituitary in LI group of mice( - 7.17 ± 1.78) was dramatically elevated compared to that in control group of mice( - 1.43 ± 0.51,t =- 7.60,P ＜ 0.01 ).ConclusionsThe mRNA levels of TSHβ-Ⅴ are suppressed in BM and PBL in low iodinediet induced hypothyroidism mice,which suggest that immune system derived TSHβ-Ⅴ may be more important thannative TSHβ in immune-thyroid regulation.