Animals ; Apoptosis ; radiation effects ; Electromagnetic Fields ; adverse effects ; Hippocampus ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Male ; Maze Learning ; radiation effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

AIM: To investigate the effect of ischemia induced by central retinal artery occlusion on retinal microstructure of macula using optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: Fourteen eyes of 14 patients with unilateral central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) in two to three days without fully recovery of retinal circulation underwent OCT examination with 4.5 mm length horizontal and vertical line scans through foveola to measure the retinal neurosensory layer (RNL) thickness on foveola, 175 ?m (fovea), 750 ?m (macula) to foveola, respectively. The other normal eyes of patients as control group underwent the same examination and measurement. RESULTS: The mean RNL thickness(?m) on foveola, fovea, macula were 169 91?10 96, 176 36?11 74 and 256 45?16 95 respectively in normal control eyes, and 235 64?47 02 , 241 84?49 36 and 401 57?54 53 respectively in CRAO eyes with retinal ischemia. There was a significant difference in thickness between two group ( P

Objective To observe the sub-chronic effects of low doses of arsenic poisoning in rabbits exposed to different periods on some of the serum enzymes and biochemical indicators, and to provide the basis for screening of meaningful hematologic indicators for early diagnosis of arsenic poisoning. Methods Twelve adult rabbits,weighing 2.0 - 3.5 kg, were randomly divided into four groups, 3 in each group, and they were fed with drinking water containing sodium arsenite 0(control),0.01,0.05,0.25 mg/L, respectively. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl transacylase (y-GT), total protein(TP), albumin(ALB), globulin(GLP), and ALB/GLP of rabbit were measured by SYSMEX-180 automated biochemistry analyzer after 8 weeks and 12 weeks exposure. Results The results showed that ALT in 0.05 mg/Lgroup of 12 week[(60.00 ± 4.14)U/L]increased significantly compared with the control[(41.50 ± 2.12)U/L, P ＜0.05];AST in 0.25 mg/L group of 8 week and 12 week[(46.50 ± 3.21 ), (52.33 ± 3.81 )U/L]increased significantly compared with the control[(21.33 ± 3.53), (29.50 ± 3.23 )U/L, all P ＜ 0.05];ALP in 0.05 mg/L and 0.25 mg/L group of 12 week [(78.68 ± 4.85 ), ( 103.00 ± 7.83 ) U / L]increased significantly compared with the control [(45.50 ± 5.50)U/L, all P ＜ 0.05];γ-GT in 0.05 mg/L group of 12 week[(19.33 ± 7.50)U/L]increased significantly compared with the contro1[(8.50 ± 3.53)U/L, P＜ 0.05]. TP, ALB, GLP, ALB/GLP of different groups of 8 week and 12 week were not significantly different statistically(F= 0.77,0.02,0.16,3.14 and 0.51,0.29,0.41,0.52, all P ＞ 0.05). Conclusions Zero point zero five mg/L and higher doses of sub-chronic arsenic exposure has some major damage to the liver. Compared with other serum enzymes and the biochemical indexes, serum AST is a early sensitive indicator of liver injury of the arsenic poisoning.

Objective:To observe the efficacy of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells on patients with advanced lung cancer. Methods:A total of 90 patients with advanced lung cancer were identified from January 2011 to December 2013. CIK therapy was given to 41 pa-tients in the observation group, whereas the other 49 patients in the control group received the best support treatments without che-motherapy or radiotherapy within one month of inclusion. Following up was conducted for the patients in the two groups, and KPS scores, median survival, and adverse reactions compared. Results:The KPS score in the observation group was higher than that of the control group after treatment (P=0.034). The median survival period of the observation group was eight months, which was one month longer than that of the control group (P=0.044). Major adverse reactions included fever, joint pain, and insomnia, which were recorded 51.22%, 36.58%, and 29.27%of occurrence, respectively. Conclusion:CIK cell therapy improved the quality of life and pro-longed the survival of advanced lung cancer patients with tolerable adverse reactions.

OBJECTIVETo find out the risk factors of drowning among children aged 1 and 14 in rural areas and to provide evidence for prevention and to reduce such incidents.

METHODS20 towns being selected as a cluster sampling study and screened out 133 drowning children aged 1-14 from Jan. 1, 2002 to Dec. 31, 2004 were screened. 1:2 matched case-control method was conducted. Data was analyzed with conditional univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSResults showed that falling into water took the leading type of drowning among children from the rural areas. The component of drowning displayed that boys was higher than girls. The majority occurred. during the warmer months, in summer and autumn. The places where drowning occurred was mainly at incidence site. Results from single and multiple factors analysis identified four major risk factors as: alcoholic drinking of his/her mother, lack of emergency treatment in the village, the child care-taker did not know what to do when drowning was occurring, the child usually played beside the water site. Factors preventing from drowning were: swimming training, the child caretaker keeping an eye on the child when he/she was swimming, the health condition of the caretaker and the communication with the parents.

CONCLUSIONThe risk factors of drowning among children aged 1-14 in rural areas were caused by multiple factors. Prevention and control program on drowning should be focusing on supervision, safety water, safety education and teaching swimming.

Adolescent ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Drowning ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Rural Health

Panax notoginseng (PN) is one of the commonly used clinical medicines for cardiovascular diseases and possesses a variety of pharmacological effects. P. notoginseng saponins (PNS) are the most important bioactive components in PN. The purpose of this study was to explain the mechanism of PNS on molecular network level. 18 targets of the main medicinal ingredients of PNS were gained by virtual screening based on pharmacophores and data mining. A protein interaction network of PNS was constructed with 189 nodes and 721 interactions. By a graph theoretic clustering algorithm Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE), 14 modules were detected. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of the modules demonstrated that the roles of PNS played in cardiovascular disease related to multiple biological processes, which could represent the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a whole to regulate the disease. The results showed that the blood circulation and hemostasis efficacy of PN related with the biological processes such as positive regulation of cAMP metabolic and biosynthetic process, platelet activation and regulation of blood vessel size, regulation of T cell proliferation and differentiation and so on. Therefore, the module-based network analysis will be an effective method for better understanding TCM.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Humans ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; Protein Interaction Maps ; drug effects ; Proteins ; chemistry ; Saponins ; chemistry

In order to establish a method by which the recombinant suicide plasmids integrated on the chromosome could be recircled, A simple method of transconjugative cloning was established with the helper plasmids pMT999 or pRK2013 and fusion strains of Shigella flexneri which were obtained by screening with in vivo expression technology. And the cloning efficiency with this method is very high.

Objective To study the influence of fluoride on the expression of osteoprotegerin(OPG) mRNA and protein in suckling rat osteoblasts. Methods Osteoblasts obtained from calvarial of suckling Wistar rats were cultured in vitro in the media supplemented with NaF at a series of doses[O(control), 1,2 and 4 mg/L groups], and OPG mRNA expression and protein were evaluated by RT-PCR and ELISA methods, respectively. Results OPG mRNA expression in suckling rat osteoblasts cultured in vitro significantly increased after exposure to NaF for 48 h and 72 h(F=333.48,808.34,P<0.05). OPG mRNA expression in suckling rat osteoblasts cultured in vitro after exposure to NaF for 48 h at different doses(0.810±0.003, 0.819±0.031 and 0.870±0.044 for 1,2 and 4 mg/L groups, respectively) compared with that of control (0.800±0.040, all P<0.05). OPG mRNA expression further increased for 72 h exposure to NaF(0.933±0.047,1.031±0.051,1.240±0.062 for 1,2 and 4 mg/L, respectively), significantly higher than that of the control (0.805±0.020,all P<0.05) and corresponding groups at 48 h. NaF doses and time exposure exhibited a significant synergistic effect on OPG mRNA expression(F=2004.16, P<0.05). NaF also enhanced OPG protein expression in suckling rat osteoblasts cultured in vitro. Significant differences were observed only in 4 mg/L group(0.228±0.014,0.277±0.048) and control(0.205±0.012,0.229±0.010) at 48 h and 72 h (P<0.05). In addition, OPG protein expression at 72 h post-exposure was higher than that at 48 h,but there was no synergistic effect between concentration and time(F=1.21,P>0.05). Conclusions The results suggested that NaF could increase OPG mRNA and protein expression in suckling rat osteoblasts with a synergistic effect between the doses and exposure time.

OBJECTIVETo identify the effect of NEP on Abeta -induced apoptosis in PC12 cells.

METHODSPC12 cells that stably express NEP is generated and the effect of NEP on the process of apoptosis induced by Abeta is analyzed, including the viability of the cells, the production of LDH, ROS and ATP, the activity of Caspase-3.

RESULTSNEP could improve the viability of cells and the production of ATP, inhibit the release of LDH and ROS. In the same time, the activity of caspase-3 descended (P < 0.05). But iNEP had not significant effect on cells apoptosis (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNEP has the protective effect on Abeta-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells.

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Endopeptidases ; genetics ; metabolism ; PC12 Cells ; Rats ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo investigate the status of male reproductive health among middle-aged and older men in the urban area of Nanjing.

METHODSWe collected the laboratory results of 884 middle-aged and older men aged 55 - 89 years from the Xuanwu District of Nanjing present for routine physical examinations, including those of blood routine tests, liver and kidney function, blood glucose, blood lipid, and total prostate specific antigen (TPSA), as well as such reproductive hormone indexes as total serum testosterone (TT), free serum testosterone (fT), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). We also obtained the above reproductive hormone indexes from 119 young and middle-aged men aged 20 - 39 years as controls.

RESULTSAging-related changes were found in the 50 percentiles of all the reproductive hormones and relevant parameters but those of TT and E2, with gradual increases in LH, FSH and SHBG and decreases in fT, TSI and fTI. Comparison of reproductive hormones and relevant parameters by Mann-Whitney U test did not show any statistically significant differences in the TT level between any two of the five age groups (20 - 39, 55 - 59, 60 - 69, 70 - 79, and > or = 80 yr) (P > 0.05) except between the control and > or = 80 yr groups and the 60 - 69 and > or = 80 yr groups (P < 0.05), nor in the E2 level between any two groups, nor in the levels of LH and FSH except between the 55 - 59 and 60 - 69 yr groups and the 70 - 79 and > or = 80 yr groups, and nor in the levels of fT and TSI except between the 55 - 59 and 60 - 69 yr groups. However, there were significant differences in the levels of SHBG and fTI between any two age groups. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that fT, TSI, and fTI were correlated negatively with aging and LH (P < 0.05, I r I > 0.5) but weakly positively with cholesterol, blood glucose and hemoglobin (P < 0.05, /r/ < 0.5), SHBG and LH positively with aging, SHBG weakly negatively with blood glucose and hemoglobin, LH weakly negatively with hemoglobin, and TT weakly negatively with aging but positively with hemoglobin.

CONCLUSIONThe levels of serum testosterone, particularly that of fT, declined with aging in middle-aged and older men in the urban area of Nanjing, which may contribute to abnormal lipid metabolism, low hemoglobin and high blood glucose.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aging ; blood ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin ; analysis ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; Testosterone ; blood