OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Bushen Tiaojing Recipe (BTR) on the quality of oocytes, reproductive hormones, and the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-15 (BMP15) of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) patients.

METHODSSixty infertility patients who prepared for IVF-ET were assigned to two groups according to the treatment order, the treatment group [20 cases, treated with BTR + controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH)] and the control group (treated with COH alone, 40 cases). Age, the time limit for infertility, basal follicle-stimulating hormone (bFSH) concentration, usage days and the dosage of gonadotropins (Gn), serum levels of estradiol (E2), luteotropic hormone (LH), and progesterone (P) on the HCG injection day, the number of retrieved occytes, the fertilization rate, the number of embryos, the high quality embryo rate, and the clinical pregnancy rate were compared. Concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), LH, E2, testosterone (T), and P in the follicular fluid were detected via chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay. The mRNA and protein expression of BMP-15 in mature granulosa cells was detected by real-time fluorescent PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSThirty-two patients were pregnant and the total pregnancy rate was 53.3%. Of them, 19 were pregnant and the total pregnancy rate was 47.5% in the control group, while 20 were pregnant and the total pregnancy rate was 65.0% in the treatment group. But there was no statistical difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the Gn dosage was lower and the high quality embryo rate was higher in the treatment group, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in serum concentrations of E2, LH, or P on the HCG injection day, the number of retrieved oocytes, or the fertilization rate (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, FSH concentrations in the follicular fluid were significantly lower and LH concentrations were significantly higher in the treatment group (P < 0.05). The LH concentrations in the follicular fluid were significantly higher in pregnant patients than non-pregnant patients, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05).There was no statistical difference in E2, T, or P concentrations (P > 0.05). The mRNA and protein expression of BMP-15 in granulosa cells was higher in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). It was also higher in pregnant patients than non-pregnant patients, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDuring the IVF-ET process, BTR could elevate the quality of oocytes, and increase the sensitivity of ovarian follicles to exogenous Gn, which was correlated with the mRNA and protein expression of BMP-15 in granulosa cells, and changing concentrations of FSH and LH.

Adult ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15 ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Embryo Transfer ; Estradiol ; blood ; metabolism ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; metabolism ; Follicular Fluid ; metabolism ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; metabolism ; Oocytes ; drug effects ; Pregnancy ; Progesterone ; blood ; metabolism ; Testosterone ; metabolism ; Young Adult

The antitussive activity assay for the root extraction of Disporum cantoniense was carried out with coughing mice induced by ammonia liquor. The results showed that the ethanol and water extractions of D. cantoniense possess strong antitussive activity, and the high dose of the former was better than positive control, and then the constituents of the ethanol extraction were separated and purified by various modern chromatographic techniques. Their structures were identified by physico-chemical properties and spectroscopic data. As a result, eight compounds were isolated and identified as stigmast-4-en-3-one(1), (22E, 24R)-ergosta-5, 7, 22-trien-3beta-ol(2), obtucarbamate A(3), obtucarbamate B(4), neotigogenin(5), azo-2, 2'-bis[Z-(2,3-dihydroxy-4-methyl-5-methoxy) phenyl ethylene] (6),dimethyl {[carbonylbis (azanediyl)] bis( 2-methyl-5, 1-phenylene) j dicarbamate (7) , and quercetin-3-O-pB-D-glucopyranoside(8). All compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time, and the result of bioactivity-directed isolation showed that compounds 3, 4, and 6 had obvious effect on antitussive activity, and compound 6 had the same level as positive control.
Animals ; Antitussive Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Ethanol ; chemistry ; Female ; Liliaceae ; chemistry ; Male ; Mice

Microsatellite instability(MSI)was defined according to the frequency of positive findings in a panel of MSI markers.High frequency MSI(MSI-H)was the phenotype in which repeat sequences were extraordinarily unstable, and was considered to be the bona fide phenotype of DNA mismatch repair defection. However base substitutions in some well studied oncogenes or tumor suppressors were reported to be uncommon in MSI-H tumors. To explore this obvious contradiction, the relationship between MSI and KRAS gene mutations were studied in a panel of 76 human colorectal carcinomas, the whole exon of MLH1 and MSH2 were sequenced for MSI-H tumors. KRAS gene mutation was confirmed by similar frequencies in tumors of different MSI status. Intriguingly, all of the KRAS mutant MSI-H tumors harbored sequence alterations in MLH1gene, which was a key player in DNA mismatch repair system. This implied that in MSI-H tumors carrying MMR mutations, KRAS mutation were frequently and almost exclusively occurred. Furthermore, these MMR mutants were uniformly carrying a unique "modification" + "jumping" type MSI, which was different to MSI-H tumors without MLH1 or MSH2 gene mutations. This study shaded lights on the heterogeneity of MSI-H tumors, and implied the connection between "modification" type MSI and DNA mismatch defection.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of folic acid cooperating with soybean isoflavone on the oxidative status of neural tube defects (NTDs) pregnant rats induced by cyclophosphamide, to observe the relationship of the two factors, folic acid and the isoflavone and to look for the best co-intervention group.

METHODSThe 100 pregnant rats of 2.5-3 months old were randomly divided into the control group, model group, co-intervention groups and solo-intervention groups. The animals were executed on the 20th day of gestation as to examining the levels of antioxidative indices (GSH, GSH-Px, Se, Mn, Fe) in blood. The incidence rates of NTDs were calculated.

RESULTSThe interaction of folic acid and isoflavone had significant effect on the indices related with antioxidation (P < 0.05). Folic acid 0.7 mg/kg cooperated with isoflavone 160 mg/kg had the best intervention effects in our study. Compared with the solo-intervention by folic acid 1.4 mg/kg and isoflavone 320 mg/kg, the effect of co-intervention (folic acid 0.7 mg/kg cooperated with isoflavone 160 mg/kg) was significantly better (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONFolic acid should be the main protective factor of NTDs, and isoflavone might reinforce the protective effects of folic the acid on NTDs by increasing the antioxidative ability, however, the effect is related with the ratio of the two factors.

Animals ; Cyclophosphamide ; Drug Interactions ; Female ; Folic Acid ; pharmacology ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Male ; Neural Tube Defects ; chemically induced ; prevention & control ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Soybeans ; chemistry

The present study investigated the influence of the methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid elicitors on the formation of phenylethanoid glycosides (PeG) in the suspension cultures of Cistanche deserticola. The results showed that methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid enhanced greatly the accumulation of PeG and echinacoside (Echin), but their optimum elicitation dosage and addition time were different. The yields of PeG and Echin were significantly increased in the presence of 5 micromol/L methyl jasmonate on day 14 (up to 2.59-fold and 3.82-fold, respectively), whereas treated with 50 micromol/L salicylic acid on day 28, the maximum content of them were, respectively, 2.71 and 3.16-fold higher than the untreated cell cultures.
Acetates ; pharmacology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cistanche ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Culture Media ; Cyclopentanes ; pharmacology ; Glycosides ; biosynthesis ; Oxylipins ; pharmacology ; Phenylethyl Alcohol ; metabolism ; Salicylic Acid ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo determine whether autoantibodies against the cardiac G-protein-coupled beta 2- and alpha 1-adrenergic and AT1 receptors are related to patients with primary hypertension.

METHODSSynthetic peptides corresponding to amino acid sequences of the second extracellular loops of the beta 2- and alpha 1-adrenergic and AT1 receptors were respectively used as antigens to screen sera from patients with hypertensive heart diseases (n = 50) as well as simple hypertension (n = 40) and healthy blood donors (n = 40) using ELISA test.

RESULTSThe positive ratio of autoantibodies against beta 2 and alpha 1 and AT1 receptors in patients with hypertensive heart diseases were significantly higher than patients with simple hypertension and healthy donors. The geometric mean titers of autoantibodies against beta 2- and alpha 1-adrenergic and AT1 receptors had no difference between the patients with hypertensive heart diseases and the patients with simple hypertension, but the geometric mean titers of two groups were higher than healthy donors. In the patients with hypertensive heart diseases, 81.0% of the patients with autoantibodies against beta 2-adrenergic receptor had autoantibodies against alpha 1-adrenergic receptor and 76.2% had autoantibodies against AT1 receptors. The percent of the autoantibodies against three receptors in patients with hypertensive heart diseases were 52.4%.

CONCLUSIONSAutoantibodies against beta 2- and alpha 1-adrenergic and AT1 receptors play an important role in the pathophysiological changes of primary hypertension, and may participate myocardial and vessel remodeling.

Adult ; Aged ; Autoantibodies ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; immunology ; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 ; immunology ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 ; immunology

Action Potentials ; Animals ; Electromyography ; Environmental Exposure ; Hypothermia ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Seawater ; Thigh ; physiology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Bushen Tiaojing Recipe (BTR) on the expressions of drosophila mothers against decapentaplegic protein (Smadl), Smad5, Smad8, and Smad4 on human mural granulosa cells.

METHODSSixty-six patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) were randomly assigned to two groups in the ratio of 1:2, the treatment group and the control group. Twenty-three patients in the treatment group were treated with BTR and GnRHa/FSH/hCG, while forty-three patients in the control group were treated with GnRHa/FSH/hCG. The mRNA expressions of Smad1, Smad5, Smad8, and Smad4 on mural granulosa cells of the mature follicle were detected by real-time PCR on the ovum retrieval day. The expressions of Smad1, Smad5, Smad8, and Smad4 at the protein level were observed using cell immunofluorescence method.

RESULTSThe mRNA and protein expressions of Smadl in the granulosa cells were significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group (P <0.05). There was no statistical difference in the mRNA and protein expressions of Smad5, Smad8, and Smad4 between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONThe mechanisms of BTR for improving the pregnancy rate and the ovarian functions might be correlated with up-regulating mRNA and protein expressions of Smadl of human mural granulosa cells.

Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Granulosa Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Ovarian Follicle ; cytology ; Signal Transduction ; Smad1 Protein ; metabolism ; Smad4 Protein ; metabolism ; Smad5 Protein ; metabolism ; Smad8 Protein ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression changes of intrinsic cytokines TGF-beta(1) and TNF-alpha, telomerase activity and bcl-2 during ongoing apoptosis of HL-60 and K562 cells induced by p53.

METHODSpN53cG (Val135), a temperature sensitive p53 mutant, which behaved like wild type p53 (wt-p53) at 32.5 degrees C, were introduced into p53-null HL-60 and K562 cells respectively by lipofectin. In the presence of G418, HL-60-pN53cG and K562 pN53cG clones expressing p53 protein were selected. The ongoing expression of intrinsic cytokines (TGF-beta(1) and TNF-alpha), bcl-2 oncogene and hTERT mRNA during the apoptosis of HL-60 and K562 cells induced by p53 and the effects of exogenous p53 gene, TGF-beta(1) and TNF-alpha antisense PS-ODNS on the apoptosis of HL-60 and K562 cells and the expression of bcl-2 were studied by RT-PCR, quantitative RT-PCR, DNA fragmentation, TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and flow cytometery. The levels of secreted TGF-beta(1) and telomerase activity were detected by ELISA and PCR-ELISA, respectively.

RESULTS(1) The expressions of intrinsic TGF-beta(1) and TNF-alpha mRNA were up-regulated, while that of bcl-2 and hTERT down-regulated. The levels of TGF-beta(1) in the supernatant of HL-60 and K562 cells were increased, and the level of telomerase activity decreased. (2) Antisense PS-ODNS of TGF-beta(1) and TNF-alpha could obviously inhibit the p53 inducing cell apoptosis, and restore bcl-2 mRNA and protein to pre-treated level.

CONCLUSIONSExogenous p53 induces leukemia cell apoptosis via up-regulating the expression of intrinsic TGF-beta(1) and TNF-alpha and down-regulating the expression of hTERT and bcl-2.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; genetics ; DNA, Antisense ; pharmacology ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia ; genetics ; pathology ; Mutation ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Telomerase ; genetics ; Transfection ; methods ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; genetics ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; physiology

A pairs of primers were designed according to the fusion protein(F)gene sequences of canine distemper virus(CDV)in GenBank.A 369 bp fragment aimed signal peptide fragment of F gene was amplified.The PCR products from viscera samples,blood,urine of fur animals including foxes,minks and raccoon dogs,which collected in the years 2005-2007,were cloned to pMD18-T Vector and sequenced.We obtained 13 positive signal peptide fragments from wild-type strains.The results indicated there was obviously genetic diversity between the wild-type strains and CDV3 and other vaccine strains.The homology with CDV3 is 80.7%-83.2%in nucleotide,and 64.8%-71.3%in amino acid.The analysis for the hydrophobic regions indicated the function of signal peptide fragment may be changed.This study can offer aca- demic data to research of CDV genetic variation and epidemiology.