OBJECTIVETo evaluate whether or not administration of folic acid and resveratrol have preventive effects on cleft palate formation as well as the comparison of the two drugs' s effects.

METHODSPregnant mice were randomly divided into 9 groups, with 8 mice in each group. The TCDD group mice were dosed with TCDD 28 microg/kg body weight on gestation day 10 (GD 10) animals in folic acid group were respectively dosed with folic acid 15, 10, 5 mg/kg and TCDD 28 microg/kg; resveratrol treated mice were divided into 3 groups: resveratrol 50 mg/kg were orally administered for 6 consecutive days, from gestational day GD 8 to GD13 in resveratrol (GD8-13 ) group; resveratrol 50 mg/kg were orally administered for 6 consecutive days, from gestational day GD 8 to GD13, followed hy an oral administered with TCDD on GD10 in resveratrol (GD8-13) + TCDD group; resveratrol 50mg/kg and TCDD 28 microg/kg were used by gavage administration at GD10 in resveratrol (GD10) + TCDD group. Control mice were treated with the same volume of water for 6 consecutive days from GD8 to GD13 and were given a single dose of corn oil on GD10. The pregnant mice weight and embryos, the number of live, cleft palate, dead and resorption fetal mice were recorded on GD 17.5. The coronal sections of the fetal mice heads were prepared at GD 17.5 and observed by microscopy.

RESULTSTotal frequency of clefts was 92.86% in TCDD group, 84.00% (15 mg), 73.08% (10 mg), 84.00% (5 mg) in folic acid + TCDD groups, 0% in resveratrol (GD10) group, 74.51% (GD10), 57.78% (GD8-13) in resveratrol + TCDD groups. The frequency of cleft was 0% in the control group. Compared with the control and the TCDD groups, there were significant differences in the number of live, dead and resorption fetal mice in TCCD + resveratrol (GD8-13) group (P < 0.05). No significant differences in embryonic weight, live fetuses weight, the number of live, dead and resorption fetal mice were found in the other groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTest dose of folic acid and resveratrol both had certain antagonistic effect on cleft palate in mice induced by TCDD, with folic acid 10 mg/kg, resveratrol 50 mg/kg GD8-13 doses having stronger antagonistic action. Effects of both the two drugs have no significant difference, but resveratrol (50 mg/kg, GD8-13) significantly affects the fetal mice's growth and development under TCDD exposure in utero.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced ; prevention & control ; Animals ; Cleft Palate ; chemically induced ; prevention & control ; Female ; Fetus ; Folic Acid ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Pregnancy ; Random Allocation ; Stilbenes ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Teratogens

OBJECTIVETo explore a method to repair nasal side mucosa of wide incomplete cleft palate and reduce the tension of wound by using oral mucosa flap in the top of fissure.

METHODS27 cases of wide incomplete cleft palatal were included in the study. On the basis of two-flap palatoplasty, the triangular oral mucosa flap in the top of fissure was turned and sewed with side mucosa to repair nasal side mucosa of wide palatal cleft.

RESULTSWithout postoperative active bleeding, airway obstruction and wound infection, 27 cases had been repaired satisfactorily by this procedure. 1-3 months followed up demonstrated that all the wounds healed well without wound dehiscence or fistulas and the scars in the palate were not severe.

CONCLUSIONUsing oral mucosa flap in the top of fissure to repair nasal side mucosa of wide palatal cleft can get a reduced tension and correspondingly increase the width of mucoperiosteal flaps so as to decrease incidence rate of palatal fistulas and reduce formation of scars.

Cleft Palate ; Female ; Humans ; Mouth Mucosa ; Nasal Mucosa ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Surgical Flaps

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of chronic amiodarone therapy on L-type calcium current recovery and action potential duration of rabbit ventricular myocytes.

METHODSHealthy rabbits (1.6-1.8 kg) were treated with amiodarone (80 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) for four weeks. Action potential duration (APD) was recorded under isolated arterially perfused left ventricular wedge preparation, then single myocytes were isolated using enzyme digestion. L-type calcium current recovery (time constant, tau) were determined by fitting data with monoexponential. Tau/APD90 were compared in cells treated with saline, amiodarone and sotalol (3 x 10(-5) mmol/L).

RESULTSIn chronic amiodarone treated myocytes, tau [(164 +/- 8) ms vs. (98 +/- 8) ms, P<0.05], APD90 [(321 +/- 12) ms vs. (220 +/- 10) ms, P<0.05] and tau/APD90 (0.51 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.44 +/- 0.03, P<0.05) were significantly increased than those in control myocytes. Sotalol significantly increased tau [(128 +/- 7) ms vs. (98 +/- 8) ms, P<0.05] and ADP90 [(405 +/- 13) ms vs. (220 +/- 10) ms, P<0.05] while reduced the tau/APD90 (0.32 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.44 +/- 0.03, P<0.05) compared to control myocytes.

CONCLUSIONThe differential effect of amiodarone and sotalol on ventricular myocytes tau/APD90 ratio might be responsible for the safety profile of these two drugs.

Action Potentials ; Amiodarone ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; pharmacology ; Calcium Channels, L-Type ; drug effects ; physiology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; physiology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Rabbits ; Sotalol ; pharmacology

Human tumstatin(hTumstatin)cDNA was amplified from recombinant plasmid pET-3c-tum, cloned in frame with the signal sequence in yeast vector pPICZalphaA and transformed into Pichia pastoris GS115 by electroporation. The expression of hTumstatin in GS115(pPICZalpha-tum)was then induced by methanol and secreted into the culture medium, with a yield of 25mg/L as shown by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The expressed hTumstatin was purified to more than 85% purity using a simple one-step SP-Sepharose cation exchange chromatography. The MTT and chick chorioallantoic membrane assay showed that the yeast produced hTumstatin could inhibit the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and the neovascularization induced by bFGF. Hoechst 33258 fluorescent staining also demonstrated the apoptotic change in endothelial cellular nuclear morphology.
Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; metabolism ; Autoantigens ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type IV ; genetics ; metabolism ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Electroporation ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Pichia ; genetics ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Umbilical Cord ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of acupuncture for treatment of perimenopausal syndrome.

METHODSThe rats of perimenopausal syndrome were randomly divided into 3 groups, including an acupuncture group treated with acupuncture, a medication group with Gengnian'an, and a perimenopausal control group, with young rats used for a control group. Granulocyte apoptosis and expressions of Bcl-2 and Fas proteins in the ovary of the rat were detected.

RESULTSGranulocyte apoptosis increased significantly (P < 0.01), expression of Bl-2 proteins decreased significantly (P < 0.01) and expression of Fas proteins increased significantly (P < 0.01) in the ovary of perimenopausal rats as compared with the young rats; after acupuncture treatment, granulocyte apoptosis decreased significantly (P < 0.05), expression of Bel-2 proteins increased significantly (P < 0.05) and expression of Fas proteins decreased significantly (P < 0.01); after treatment of Gengnian'an, granulocyte apoptosis did not significantly change (P > 0.05), expression of Bcl-2 prteins increased significantly (P < 0.05) and expression of Fas proteins decreased significantly (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture can inhibit granulocyte apoptosis, up-regulate expression of Bcl-2 proteins and down-regulate expression of Fas proteins in the ovary of the perimenopausal rat.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Female ; Granulocytes ; pathology ; Ovary ; metabolism ; pathology ; Perimenopause ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; fas Receptor ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of cleft palate in mice induced by 2, 3, 7, 8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD).

METHODSOn gestation day 10 (GD 10), 12 pregnant mice were randomly divided into two groups as the treated group and the control group with 6 mice in each group. The mice in the treated group received intragastric administration with 64 microg TCDD/kg, while the mice in the control group received equivalent corn oil. The embryos were examined under stereomicroscope to detect the incidence of cleft palate on GD 18.5. Another 18 pregnant mice were randomly divided into two groups (treated group and control group) on GD 10 with 9 pregnant mice in each group. Then each group was divided into 3 subgroups: GD 13.5, GD 14.5 and GD 15.5, with 3 pregnant mice in each subgroup. The palatal shelves were dissected from the embryos for RNA and DNA extraction on GD 13.5, GD 14.5 and GD 15.5. At last the expression of Smad 2-4 and Smad 7 mRNA was investigated by RT-PCR, and the TGF-beta3 promoter methylamine levels were investigated by methylation specific PCR (MSP).

RESULTSThe cleft palate mice model was established successfully by exposing pregnant C57BL/6J mice to TCDD. Total frequency of clefts was 100% in TCDD group, and the frequency of clefts was 0 in the control group. The relative expression of Smad 2 mRNA was 0.263 +/- 0.088, 0.296 +/- 0.016 and 0.159 +/- 0.027 in TCDD group, 0.180 +/- 0.042, 0.282 +/- 0.029 and 0.165 +/- 0.018 in control group. The relative expression of Smad 3 mRNA was 0.453 +/- 0.153, 0.551 +/- 0.160 and 0.328 +/- 0.049 in TCDD group, 0.375 +/- 0.126, 0.510 +/- 0.145 and 0.259 +/- 0.035 in control group. The relative expression of Smad 4 mRNA was 0.675 +/- 0.174, 0.577 +/- 0.070 and 0.396 +/- 0.066 in TCDD group, 0.557 +/- 0.138, 0.587 +/- 0.080 and 0.441 +/- 0.054 in control group. The relative expression of Smad 7 mRNA was 0.283 +/- 0.050, 0.320 +/- 0.068 and 0.169 +/- 0.045 in TCDD group, 0.207 +/- 0.043, 0.288 +/- 0.051 and 0.155 +/- 0.040 in control group. There was no significant difference between the TCDD treated mice and the control (P > 0.05). The TGF-beta3 promoters were at the un-methylation state both in the TCDD treated and control group.

CONCLUSIONIt suggests that TCDD could induce a stable formation of cleft palate, but it is not through the TGF-beta/Smad signaling nor through the modification of TGF-beta3 promoter methylation.

Animals ; Cleft Palate ; chemically induced ; DNA Methylation ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins ; toxicity ; Pregnancy ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Signal Transduction ; Smad Proteins ; metabolism ; Teratogens ; toxicity ; Transforming Growth Factor beta3 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of regional lymph nodes targetting with enrichment of radioactive 99mTc-polyphase liposome of 5-fluorouracil (99mTc-FL, FL).

METHODS18 rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups, 6 rabbits per group. All rabbits were injected hypodermally with of 99mTc-FL in the right and left big toe webs, 18.5 MBq each side. The post-injection interval was 3 h in group 1, 6 h in group 2, and 8 h in group 3. The radioactivity was examined in the resected local lymph nodes, non-draining lymph nodes, liver, spleen, kidney, heart, lung, intestines, and in blood and urine.

RESULTSThe radioactive isotope uptake percentage (%) was 2.32 +/- 0.75 in group 1, 5.37 +/- 1.73 in group 2, 8.61 +/- 1.89 in group 3. The radioactive isotope uptake percentage (%) per gram in local lymph nodes was significantly different between each two groups among the 3 groups (P < 0.05). The ratios of x of regional lymph nodes/non-draining lymph nodes, regional lymph nodes/blood, regional lymph nodes/urine, regional lymph nodes/liver, regional lymph nodes/spleen, regional lymph nodes/kidney, regional lymph nodes/heart, regional lymph nodes/lung, regional lymph nodes/intestine in group 1 were 232.00, 16.57, 23.20, 29.00, 19.33, 25.78, 46.40, 46.40 and 25.78, respectively. The ratios in group 2 were 89.50, 41.31, 18.52, 67.13, 41.31, 25.57, 134.25, 59.67 and 59.67, respectively. The ratios in group 3 were 86.10, 61.50, 16.56, 53.81, 57.40, 10.01, 107.63, 107.63 and 86.10, respectively. The differences of radioactive isotope uptake percentage were statistically significant (P < 0.01) between regional lymph nodes and other organs, i. e. non-draining lymph nodes, blood, urine, liver, spleen, kidney, heart, lung and intestine per gram in each group.

CONCLUSIONThe radioactive 99mTc-FL may slowly flow into regional lymphatic chains rather than directly enter blood circulation. So 99mTc-FL can be highly accumulated in the local lymph nodes. This regional lymph nodes targetting with enrichment of radioactive 99mTc-FL evidently indicates the feasibility of regional lymph system chemotherapy for pulmonary malignancies.

Animals ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; Heart ; diagnostic imaging ; Intestines ; diagnostic imaging ; Kidney ; diagnostic imaging ; Liposomes ; Liver ; diagnostic imaging ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; Lymph Nodes ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Organotechnetium Compounds ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Rabbits ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Random Allocation ; Spleen ; diagnostic imaging

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of daily low-dose tadalafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) following pelvic fracture-induced urethral injury (PFUI).

METHODSBased on the length of time between pelvic fracture and the patients' clinic visit, we divided 42 PFUI-caused ED patients into groups A (< 1 month), B (6-24 months) and C (> 24 months). We treated them with tadalafil at 5 mg daily for 12 weeks consecutively, followed by evaluation of the therapeutic effect using IIEF-5 questionnaire and Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP) diaries.

RESULTSThirty-four patients (83.3%) completed the investigation and all responded well to tadalafil medication. Group A showed significant differences from B and C in the increase of IIEF-5 scores and the positive rate of SEP.

CONCLUSIONDaily low-dose tadalafil helps penile rehabilitation in ED patients following PFUI, and the earlier the medication is initiated, the better the effect will be.

Adult ; Carbolines ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Fractures, Bone ; complications ; Humans ; Male ; Pelvis ; injuries ; Tadalafil ; Treatment Outcome ; Urethra ; injuries