Brachytherapy ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Iodine Radioisotopes ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Medical Staff, Hospital ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiation Monitoring

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (tadalafil) on the testis following testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

METHODSEighty-four healthy adult male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into groups A (sham operation), B (testicular torsion + low-dose tadalafil), C (testicular torsion + high-dose tadalafil), and D (testicular torsion + placebo). Models were established in the latter three groups by 7200 torsion of the right testis for 2 hours. The animals in groups A and B were treated by gavage with tadalafil at the dose of 0. 5 mg per kg per day, those in group C at 2 mg per kg per day, and those in group D with saline at the same dose. After 3, 7, and 14 days of treatment, the torsioned testes were harvested for evaluation of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the testis tissue. The pathological changes in the testis were observed under the light microscope.

RESULTSAt 3, 7, and 14 days, the SOD activity was (254.46 +/- 7.43), (278.49 +/- 8.33), and (317.99 +/- 3.31) nU/mg prot in group B, and (277.12 +/- 8.80), (309.40 +/- 2.14), and (320.39 +/- 4.72) nU/mg prot in group C, all obviously higher than in D ([223.21 +/- 4.65], [231.45 +/- 4.16] and [248.28 +/- 5.74] nU/mg prot), while the MDA content was lower in the former two groups than in the latter. At 3 and 7 days, the SOD activity was significantly higher and the MDA level significantly lower in group C than in B (both P < 0.01) , while at 14 days, neither showed any remarkable differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). No obvious histopathological change was observed in the testis tissue of group A. At 3 and 7 days, pathological examination of the testis tissue revealed significant differences in the number of seminiferous epithelial layers, testicular histological score, and seminiferous tubule diameter in group B (P < 0.01), but the three indexes at 14 days in group B and at 7 days in group C exhibited no remarkable differences from those at 14 days in group A.

CONCLUSIONTadalafil can alleviate testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury following testis torsion/detorsion in a time- and dose-dependent manner.

Animals ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Carbolines ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Seminiferous Tubules ; pathology ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; complications ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Tadalafil ; Testis ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, S-methyl thiocarbamate (SMT), on proteoglycan metabolism in repaired articular cartilage in rabbits.

METHODSTwenty-four male New Zealand white rabbits, aged 8 months and weighing 2.5 kg+/-0.2 kg, were used in this study. Cartilage defects in full thickness were created on the intercondylar articular surface of bilateral femurs of all the rabbits. Then the rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=8 in each group). The defects in one group were filled with fibrin glue impregnated with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2, BMP group), in one group with fibrin glue impregnated with rhBMP-2 and hypodermic injection with SMT (SMT group) and in the other group with nothing (control group). All the animals were killed at one year postoperatively. The tissue sections were stained with safranine O-fast green and analyzed by Quantiment 500 system to determine the content of glycosaminoglycan through measuring the percentage of safranine O-stained area, the thickness of cartilages and the mean gray scale (average stain intensity). Radiolabelled sodium sulphate (Na(2)(35)SO(4)) was used to assess the proteoglycan synthesis.

RESULTSAt one year postoperatively, the percentage of safranine O-stained area, the mean gray scale and the cartilage thickness of the repaired tissues in SMT group were significantly higher than those of BMP group (P<0.01) and the control group (P<0.05). Result of incorporation of Na(2)(35)SO(4) showed that the proteoglycan synthesis in SMT group was higher than those of BMP group and the control group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSSMT, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, can significantly increase the content of glycosaminoglycan and proteoglycan synthesis, and computer-based image analysis is a reliable method for evaluating proteoglycan metabolism.

Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Biopsy, Needle ; Cartilage Diseases ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Cartilage, Articular ; drug effects ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Immunohistochemistry ; Isothiuronium ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Probability ; Proteoglycans ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Reference Values ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVEA perspective study was conducted to describe the epidemiologic profile of nosocomial infection in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

METHODSThe newborn infants who were admitted in the NICU for more than 48 hrs were enrolled from February 2006 to January 2007. The clinical data were collected. The rate of nosocomial infection was calculated according to the CDC surveillance system. The risk factors of nosocomial infection were investigated by multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTSA total of 1 159 neonates were recruited. A total of 169 nosocomial infections occurred, with a cumulative rate for nosocomial infection of 14.58%. The incidence of nosocomial infection was 19.52 per 1 000 patient-days. Ninety-two cases of pneumonia, including 38 cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), were reported, with a nosocomial infection rate of 7.94%, which was the most common nosocomial infection in the NICU. Among these infants the rate of VAP was 48.8 per 1 000 ventilator days. The major microorganisms isolated from the infected patients were Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Coagulase negative staphylococcus, and aeruginosus Bacillus. Birth weight (OR 2.130, 95%CI 1.466-3.094), mechanical ventilation (OR 7.038, 95%CI 3.901-12.698), chest tube drainage (OR 7.004, 95%CI 1.841-26.653) and ibuprofen therapy (OR 2.907, 95% CI 1.303-6.487) were the risk factors for the development of nosocomial infection.

CONCLUSIONSPulmonary infection is the most common nosocomial infection in the NICU, and the Gram-negative bacillus is the main pathogen. Low birth weight, mechanical ventilation, chest tube drainage and ibuprofen therapy are independent risk factors for nosocomial infection in the NICU.

Birth Weight ; Chest Tubes ; adverse effects ; Cross Infection ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Ibuprofen ; adverse effects ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Male ; Respiration, Artificial ; adverse effects ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of E-cadherin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its relationship with cervical lymph node metastasis.

METHODSThe expression of E-cadherin in 80 patients with NPC was detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSLower expression of E-cadherin was associated with advanced N-stage of the tumor (P = 0.018). There was no significant correlation between the expression of E-cadherin and lymph node size (P = 0.435). The expression of E-cadherin was higher in patients with cervical lymph node metastasis limited to a single area than that distributing in some scattered areas (P = 0.000). There was a trend that the expression of E-cadherin in the cases with the tumor and lymph nodes in the same side was higher (56.5%) than that in the patients with bilateral lymph node metastases (32.6%), however, the difference was not significant (P = 0.059). The expression rates of E-cadherin in patients with lymph node metastasis in levels II, III and Va were higher than that in levels I, IV, Vb and VI, but with a non-significant difference (P = 0.059).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of E-cadherin has influence on the lymph node metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. E-cadherin expression is negatively correlated with the numbers of the lymph node metastases and the metastasis distance, i.e. a lower expression of E-cadherin leads to an advanced N-stage. The lymph node metastasis of nasopharyngeal cancer from above to below is more considerably influenced by E-cadherin expression than the metastasis towards contralateral lymph nodes.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Staging ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of memantine in the treatment of patients with Alzheimer' s disease (AD).Methods This was a 16-week,multi-center,randomized,double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (Study 10116).A total of 258 AD patients (MMSE score 5—18) were randomized in a 1:1 ratio into either memantine 10—20 mg/day (MEM,n=128) or placebo (PBO,n= 130) group for 16 weeks.Efficacy was primarily assessed in terms of changes of severe impairment battery (SIB) score in patients from baseline up to SIB assessment in the 16th week (16-week completers set, CS16).While ehanges of MMSE,ADCS-ADL_(19),and NPI (neuropsychiatric inventory) were evaluated as secondary efficacy parameters on both CSI6 and full-analysis set (FAS).Safety was assessed by physical examination,lab assays,ECG,and adverse events.Results 236 subjeets (CS16:MEM n=117,PBO n=119) were eligible for the efficacy assessment.No statistically significant difference between the treatments was observed on the primary and seeondary efficacy analysis,although both treatment groups had a slight increase from baseline in SIB total score.Post hoe evaluation of the data identified two bias factors that had a significant impact on the results of the pre-protoeol specified primary and secondary analyses.In a re-analysis of the data (CS16_(modified),MEM n=94,PBO n=95) excluding patient data affeeted by these factors,memantine-treated patients showed a statistically significant improvement related to placebo in the 16th week on the SIB (MEM 2.2 vs PBO 0.3,P=0.04),MMSE (MEM 1.0 vs PBO 0.1,P=0.03),and ADL (MEM 0.1 vs PBO-1.6,P=0.02) scales,indicating that memantine improved the cognitive function of AD patients and stabilized the activity of daily life.Memantine was well tolerated with an adverse event profile similar to that of placebo.Conclusion This study provides further support for pre-existing data,showing that memantine is efficacious,safe,and well-tolerated in patients with moderate to severe AD.

OBJECTIVETo determine the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in children in Shanghai.

METHODThis study was conducted on the infants and young children who were below 24 months of age recruited consecutively from April 2008 to June 2008 from the 12 communities in Minhang district in Shanghai. The questionnaire on gastrointestinal symptoms and growth was sent to 5030 children < 24 months old. The age distribution of the 5030 children was: < 6 months: 1922 infants (38.2%), 6 - < 12 months: 1933 (38.4%) infants; 12 - < 18 months: 811 (16.1%) children; 18 - < 24 months: 364 (7.2%) children.

RESULTAmong the 5030 children, 1909 had gastrointestinal disorders (38.0%). There was no significant difference in the rate of the disorders between sexes (P = 0.06). Regurgitation was found in 899 (17.9%) infants/children, constipation in 690 (13.7%), 619 (12.3%) infants/children suffered from diarrhea and only 71 (1.4%) suffered from colic. The incidence of gastrointestinal disorders was significantly different among different age groups. The incidence of constipation and regurgitation decreased and the incidence of diarrhea increased with growth (P < 0.01). Infants growth parameters in the group with gastrointestinal disorders especially in those with regurgitation were lower than those without gastrointestinal disorders, the difference is statistically significant. The hospital visit rate of infants with diarrhea was 62.68%, which was higher than the rate of the other three symptoms (4.45% - 16.90%).

CONCLUSIONGastrointestinal disorders are common in infants and young children in Shanghai and may have a great impact on growth. Early management could relieve the disorders and ensure infants to get normal growth and development.

China ; epidemiology ; Colic ; epidemiology ; Diarrhea ; epidemiology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Male ; Prevalence ; Vomiting ; epidemiology

Animals ; Bone and Bones ; cytology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Durapatite ; metabolism ; Female ; Osteoporosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Ovariectomy ; adverse effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo analyze the mutations in Cx30 gene in a Chinese family with hidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) and to make prenatal diagnosis on the embryo which has been pregnant for 5 months.

METHODSA family including 2 affected and 4 unaffected individuals was collected, and their informed consents were obtained. The affected woman had a five-month pregnancy. An 884 bp fragment containing the whole GJB6 coding sequence was amplified by PCR and the products were bi-direction sequenced directly. The mutation was further confirmed with restriction endoenzyme digesting. On the base of successful gene diagnosis, the following detection procedure on the pregnant baby was performed. First the whole coding region of Cx30 was amplified using primers Cx30-F and Cx30-R and the PCR products were digested by Hae II. Then the PCR products were cloned into pUCm-T vector. Blue-white blot screening method and PCR-restriction endoenzyme digesting technique were used to identify the correct clones. The mutant allele clone was sequenced to confirmed the mutation.

RESULTSA heterozygous missense mutation 263C --> T in the Cx30 gene was detected in the affected little girl and her affected mother, which led to an amino acid substitution (A88V) in the second transmembrane domain of GJB6. The mutation was confirmed by Hae II digestion. A88V mutant allele cannot be cut while the wild normal allele can be cut into two fragments, 520 and 278 bp. The result of analyse on the five-month pregnancy show the embryo carried the A88V mutation too. So the embryo will be a patient.

CONCLUSIONAn A88V missense mutation in the Cx30 gene can also cause HED in Chinese Han population. Based on the gene diagnosis, prenatal diagnosis can be played using bi-direction sequencing and confirmed with restriction endoenzyme digesting.

Adult ; Amino Acid Substitution ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; Connexin 30 ; Connexins ; genetics ; Ectodermal Dysplasia ; ethnology ; genetics ; Female ; Fetal Diseases ; diagnosis ; ethnology ; genetics ; Genetic Testing ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Mutation, Missense ; Pedigree ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; methods ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

OBJECTIVETo study the therapeutic effect of Dabuyin Wan on true precocious puberty of female rats and its possible mechanism.

METHODTwenty-two-day-old female SD rats were subcutaneously injected with 40 mg x kg(-1) N-methyl-DL-aspartic acid (NMA) at 14:00 and 16:00 every day; meanwhile, the rats were given Dabuyin Wan for intervention. Visual inspection was conducted for the time of vaginal opening. The first estrus was observed by yaginal smear test. Their ovaries and uterus were weighed to calculate organ coefficients. Conventional pathological slices were made to observe morphological changes in ovaries and uterus and calculate the thickness of uterine walls and the number of corpus luteums. The level of E2 in serum was detected to assess the therapeutic effect of Dabuyin Wan on NMA precocious puberty in rats. expressions of GnRH, GPR54 and Kiss-1 mRNA in hypothalamus were measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR to investigate the possible mechanism of Dabuyin Wan.

RESULTDabuyin Wan at 3.24 g x kg(-1) and 1.62 g x kg(-1) significantly decreased the organ coefficients in rats with precocious puberty (P < 0.05), decrease the number of vaginal openings in rats (P < 0.01) and the thickness of uterine walls and the number of corpus luteums (P < 0.05), and notably down-regulated expressions of GnRH, GPR54 and Kiss-1 mRNA in hypothalamus (P < 0.05), without significant impact on E2 in serum.

CONCLUSIONDabuyin Wan may inhibit GnRH synthesis and release as well as startup of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis by down-regulating Kiss-1/GPR54 mRNA expression in hypothalamus, in order to realize the therapeutic effect on true precocious puberty.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Estrus ; drug effects ; Female ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; genetics ; Hypothalamus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Kisspeptins ; genetics ; Ovary ; drug effects ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; genetics ; Receptors, Kisspeptin-1 ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sexual Maturation ; drug effects ; genetics ; Time Factors ; Uterus ; drug effects ; Vagina ; drug effects