AIM:To retrospectively analyze the lipid metabolism disturbance and subacute inflammation within the microenvironment of follicular fluid between Chinese polycystic ovarian syndrome ( PCOS ) patients and the controls . METHODS:Serum lipid indexes , steroid hormone levels , and inflammatory cell counts were analyzed .The inflammatory cytokine and apolipoprotein levels were detected in the serum and follicular fluid .The mRNA expression of apolipoproteins and cytokines in the granulose cells was determined by real-time PCR.RESULTS: PCOS patients showed typical obesity accompanied with hyperlipidemia and hyperandrogenemia .Significantly elevated inflammatory cell number and cytokine lev-els were detected in both serum and follicular fluid .The mRNA expression levels of the inflammatory cytokines and apoli-poproteins in the granulose cells from the PCOS patients were higher than those from the controls .CONCLUSION:Elevat-ed apolipoproteins reflect systematic hyperlipidemia in the follicular fluid .Serum lipids and cytokines penetrate follicle-ser-um barrier and get into follicle fluid .Meanwhile , increased intake of apolipoproteins or elevated synthesis of cytokines ( IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α) by granulose cells could also be crucial to stabilize microenvironment of follicular fluid .Oocyte and subsequent embryos are sensitive to the originaal follicular environment .The lipid metabolism disturbance , inflammatory cell infiltration and hyperandrogenemia may possibly disturb oocyte developmental potential .

Objective To analyze the perceived control of lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and to explore its influencing factors. Methods A total of 185 patients with lung cancer were recruited and assessed by homemade general information questionnaire and the Cancer Experience and Efficacy Scale. Results The total score of cancer experience during chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer was (62.50±6.99) points. The total score of efficacy during chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer was (42.52±8.08) points. Single factor analysis showed the influencing factors of perceived control were personal income, sex, education, metastasis, surgical treatment and stage of disease. Conclusions The cancer-related experience and efficacy of patients with lung cancer is at middle level. Health-care worker should pay attention to the impact of lung cancer patients and take effective measures to mitigate the negative cancer-related experience, thereby improving the perceived control of the lung cancer patients.

Firstly discovered in 1980s,human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to affect more and more people.However,there is no effective drug available for the therapy of HIV infection.Betulinic acid existing in various medicinal herbs and fruits exhibits multiple biological effects,especially its outstanding anti-HIV activity,which has drawn the attentions of many pharmacists.Among the derivatives of betulinic acid,some compounds exhibited inhibitory activities at the nanomolar concentration,and have entered phase Ⅱ clinical trials.This paper summarizes the current investigations on the anti-HIV activity of betulinic acid analogues,and provides valuable data for subsequent researches.

Background:Microwave therapy is a minimal invasive procedure and has been employed in clinical practice for the treatment of various types of cancers.However,its therapeutic application in non-small-cell lung cancer and the underlying mechanism remains to be investigated.This study aimed to investigate its effect on Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumor in vivo.Methods:Fifty LLC tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice were adopted to assess the effect of microwave radiation on the growth and apoptosis of LLC tumor in vivo.These mice were randomly assigned to 10 groups with 5 mice in each group.Five groups were treated by single pulse microwave at different doses for different time,and the other five groups were radiated by multiple-pulse treatment of a single dose.Apoptosis of cancer cells was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay.Western blotting was applied to detect the expression of proteins.Results:Single pulse of microwave radiation for 5 min had little effect on the mice.Only 15-min microwave radiation at 30 mW/cm2 significantly increased the mice body temperature (2.20 ± 0.82)℃ as compared with the other groups (0.78 ± 0.29 ℃,1.24 ± 0.52 ℃,0.78 ± 0.42 ℃,respectively),but it did not affect the apoptosis of LLC tumor cells significantly.Continous microwave radiation exposure,single dose microwave radiation once per day for up to seven days,inhibited cell division and induced apoptosis of LLC tumor cells in a dose-and duration-dependent manner.It upregulated the protein levels of p53,Caspase 3,Bax and downregulated Bcl-2 protein.Conclusions:Multiple exposures of LLC-bearing mice to microwave radiation effectively induced tumor cell apoptosis at least partly by upregulating proapoptotic proteins and downregulating antiapoptotic proteins.Continuous radiation at low microwave intensity for a short time per day is promising in treating non-small-cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVETo study the plasma homocysteine (Hcy) distributive characteristics in different sex and age groups of the community residents in Guangdong, and to analyze its associated factors as well as its effects on cerebral artery stenosis.

METHODSIn this study, we presented data concerning 2500 residents who had undergone a systematic health checkup,including clinical and biologic examinations. Plasma was saved from 1020 residents who were asymptomatic but having TCD examination. Hcy concentration was measured by fluorescence ration biochemical assay kit.

RESULTSThe average plasma Hcy levels of males (15.0 micromol/L+/-5.8 micromol/L) were significantly higher than those of females (12.4 micromol/L-I 3.9 micromol/L, P< 0.05). Hcy level increased parallel with age. The prevalence rate of hyperhomocysteinemia in males (47.2%) was higher than in females (23.2%). Hcy levels in MCA stenosis group (18.3 micromol/L+ 5.3 micromol/L) were significantly higher than that in control group (12.9 micromol/L+/- 4.6 micromol/L, P< 0.05). Based on logistic regression analysis, Hcy was only associated with sex and age, but not with blood lipids etc.

CONCLUSIONHcy levels were different in sex and age groups which emerged as independent predictors of hyperhomocysteinemia but had no association with blood lipids in the community residents, suggesting that hyperhomocysteinemia might worsen cerebral artery stenosis.

China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Homocysteine ; blood ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; epidemiology ; Male ; Prevalence ; Reference Values

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of KaVo KEY laser on Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) within infected root canals and roots surface in vitro.

METHODSFifty single-rooted teeth were selected, and infected root canals and roots surface vitro models were prepared. Then, these specimens were divided into three groups. First group were untreated as blank control. The other two groups were the laser groups: Irradiated 15 s and 30 s respectively with 80 mJ and 140 mJ in root canals and on roots surface. Microbiological samples were collected from root canals and roots surface at two time points (before irrigation and immediately after irrigation). The dentin chips from three different zone of part of root canals in each group were immediately collected and were cultured for 24 h in brain heart infusion (BHI).

RESULTSThe number of E. faecalis in root canal and root surface in each of the groups were effectively reduced (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between each two groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the blank control, the bacterial number in 100 microm of dental tubules decreased after specimens treated with 80 mJ, and the experimental group irradiated 15 s was a significant decease (P < 0.05). The other groups were no changed in different zone of dental tubules.

CONCLUSIONKaVo KEY laser is effective on sterilizing infected root canals and roots surface. It has also significant effect on bacterial in superficial dental tubules with low energy and short time.

Dental Pulp Cavity ; microbiology ; Enterococcus faecalis ; radiation effects ; Humans ; Lasers

The HLA system was discovered by virtue of the fact that it was polymorphic. The impetus for its discovery was the search for polymorphic antigens to match for transplantation, by analogy with the human red cell blood groups. The most usually DNA method of HLA typing is sequence specific oligonucleotides (SSO) and PCR sequence specific primers (SSP). SSO technique is perfectly suited for analyzing large number of samples, it is not suitable for individual or small numbers. The SSP method is ideal for typing individual samples, but it is costly and requires high capacity thermal cycles for larger numbers of samples. To set up a simple, quick, cheap and high resolution DNA method, were collected sixty-three cord blood samples from Guangzhou Cord Blood Bank, got DNA from blood by the traditional guanidine hydrochloride distillation method. Each sample was simultaneously typed by SSOP, PCR-SSP and reverse dot-blot hybridization (RDB) methods. All of typed is success. The results of three DNA methods are consistent each other. 60 HLA-DRB1 alleles could be accurately distinguished with the RDB method. Our results show that RDB method is a simple, quick, cheap and high resolution method for HLA-DRB types. It can be used in any HLA typing.
Fetal Blood ; immunology ; metabolism ; Genotype ; HLA-DR Antigens ; genetics ; Histocompatibility Testing ; methods ; Humans ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; methods

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of quercetin, a flavonoid, on the learning and memory ability of 3-day-old neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain white matter damage (WMD).

METHODSSixty 3-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, WMD model,and quercetin treatment groups (20 and 40 mg/kg). There were 15 rats in each group. Rats in the WMD model and the two quercetin treatment groups were subjected to right common carotid artery ligation followed by 2 hrs of exposure to 8% O2 to induce periventricular white matter injury. After the operation quercetin was administered daily in the two quercetin treatment groups for 6 weeks. Six weeks later, Morris water maze and open-field tests were carried out to test memory and learning ability as well as behavior and cognition.

RESULTSFrom the second day of training, escape latency in the Morris water maze test was more prolonged in the WMD model group than in the control group (P<0.01). The escape latency in the two quercetin treatment groups was shortened significantly compared with the WMD model group (P<0.05). The WMD model group crossed the original platform fewer times compared with the control and quercetin treatment groups (P<0.05). The open-field test indicated that the number of rearings increased and time spent in the centre was extended in the WMD model group compared with the control group. Compared with the WMD model group, the number of rearings was significantly reduced (P<0.05) and time spent in the centre was significantly shortened in the quercetin treatment groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSQuercetin treatment can improve memory and learning ability as well as cognitive ability in neonates with WMD, suggesting that quercetin protects against WMD resulting from hypoxia-ischemia.

Animals ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Learning ; drug effects ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Quercetin ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore the diagnostic value of the dual-energy technique with dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) for anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

METHODSThe clinical data of 8 patients with arthroscopic results were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent two- and three-dimensional imaging by multiplanar reconstruction, volume rendering, and tendon mode on DSCT. Dual-energy characteristics were compared with arthroscopic results.

RESULTSSix patients who were arthroscopically diagnosed as anterior cruciate ligament injuries, all of them were also correctly diagnosed by DSCT. Two patients who were arthroscopically diagnosed as normal, one was also diagnosed as normal by DSCT and the other was misdiagnosed. The overall agreement rate was 87.5% (7/8) . Under the dual energy tendon mode, the dual energy staining of the injured anterior cruciate ligament was lower than that of the contralateral normal cruciate ligament of the patient.

CONCLUSIONThe staining diminution in DSCT imaging may be a new feature that can be used to effectively diagnose anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Injuries ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods ; Young Adult

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a member of genetically conserved heat shock protein family. As an important molecular chaperone in eukaryotic cells, HSP90 plays a key regulatory role in maintaining cellular protein homeostasis. HSP90 clients encompass a wide range of proteins, thus HSP90 is involved in diverse biological process. With the deeper study, it is found that HSP90 takes an important part in the development and metastasis of cancer,and has become a promising target for the study of anticancer biology. We review the progress of HSP90 as molecular chaperone and its relationship with cancer.