Objective To investigate the association of radial arterial calcification damage with bone mineral density (BMD) and bone metabolism biomarkers in uremia patients.Methods Sixty-seven incident hemodialysis patients were recruited into uremic group.Serum creatinine,calcium,phosphorus,lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD were measured.Parathyroid hormone (iPTH),25OHD,1,25(OH)2D,fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 23,bone specific alkaline phosphates (BAP) and osteocalcin (BGP),type Ⅰ collagen pyridine crosslinked C-telopcptidc (ICTP) were detected.Radial artery calcification was analyzed by von Kossa staining and transmission electron microscopy.Arterial type Ⅰ collagen (Col Ⅰ) expression was examined.Twenty-three healthy cases received serum and BMD examination only as control.Results Uremic patients presented higher serum phosphate,iPTH,FGF23,lower serum calcium,25OHD,1,25 (OH)2D (all P ＜ 0.05),and lower lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD (all P ＜ 0.01) compared to controls.Significant calcium deposit was observed in radial arteries in 24 uremic cases (35.8％),including 10 cases of diabetes.Immunohistochemistric assay confirmed that Col Ⅰ expression increased around calcification site and electron microscope revealed that more calcium and phosphorus plaque attached among collagen fibers.No correlation was showed between iPTH and radial artery calcification (r =-0.08,P =0.306),but after stratified by iPTH levels,correlation of iPTH and calcification was found in low iPTH (＜ 150 ng/L) group and high iPTH group (＞ 300 ng/L) (r =-0.41,0.31,P=0.044,0.023).Diabetes,lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD,ICTP,FGF23 were correlated with arterial calcification (r =0.62,-0.25,-0.43,0.34,0.86,P =0.000,0.001,0.012,0.018,0.000).Multiple regression analysis showed femoral neck BMD,ICTP,FGF23 levels were independently associated with radial arterial calcification (β =-0.221,0.181,0.260,P =0.021,0.024,0.036).Conclusion In uremic patients,reduced BMD,abnormal bone turnover rate,especially accelerated bone reabsorption,and increased serum FGF23 level are independently associated with radial artery calcification.

OBJECTIVETo detect succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) of sperm mitochondria by an improved method, and to evaluate the relationship between SDH and the motility and viability of sperm.

METHODSIn 46 fertile and infertile men (aged from 25 to 36), the motility, viability and mitochondrial SDH of sperm were detected by computer-assisted semen analysis system, dead/live sperm molecular fluorescent probe and an improved cytochemical method. Then, the correlation between the motility and viability of sperm and the positive percentage of sperm mitochondrial SDH were analyzed.

RESULTSIn the 46 fertile and infertile men, the motility and viability of sperm were (67.33 +/- 7.37)% and (79.78 +/- 7.65)%, and the positive percentage of sperm mitochondrial SDH was (74.74 +/- 8.29)%. The motility and viability of sperm and positive percentage of sperm mitochondrial SDH had significant correlation (r = 0.901, P < 0.01; r = 0.876, P < 0.01; r = 0.917, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSDetection of sperm mitochondrial SDH has significance in evaluation of sperm mitochondrial function and may serve as an assisted marker of sperm viability.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Cell Survival ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Infertility, Male ; enzymology ; Male ; Mitochondria ; enzymology ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; enzymology ; Succinate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of the combination of musk and olibanum on the tight junction protein expressions in prostatic epithelial cells of normal and chronic prostatitis (CP) rats.

METHODSEighty male SD rats were randomly divided into 8 groups of equal number: normal control, normal musk, normal olibanum, normal musk + olibanum, CP model control, CP model musk, CP model olibanum, and CP model musk + olibanum. At 60 days after modeling, the rats in the control, musk, olibanum, and musk + olibanum groups were treated intragastrically with normal saline, musk (0.021 g per kg body weight per day), olibanum (1.05 g per kg body weight per day), or musk + olibanum respectively, all for 3 days. Then, all the rats were sacrificed and their prostate tissues harvested for detection of the expressions of the tight junction proteins Claudin-1, Claudin-3, Occludin, and ZO-1 in the prostatic epithelial cells by immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTSIn the CP models, only the expression of Claudin-1 was significantly increased. In the normal rats, the expression of Claudin-1 was remarkably upregulated after treated with musk (824.6 ± 393.3, P < 0.05), olibanum (982.0 ± 334.0, P < 0.05), and musk + olibanum (1088.1 ± 640.2, P < 0.01); that of Claudin-3 was elevated markedly by olibanum (1 009.5 ± 243.6, P < 0.05) and insignificantly by musk (597.5 ± 80.7), but the increasing effect of olibanum was reduced by musk + olibanum (678.4 ± 255.1). No statistically significant differences were found in the expression of Occludin among the rats treated with musk (693.0 ± 424.8), olibanum (732.1 ± 302.0), and musk + olibanum (560.2 ± 202.3), or in that of ZO-1 in the animals treated with musk (290.0 ± 166.8) and olibanum (419.7 ± 108.1), but the latter was markedly decreased in the musk + olibanum group (197.7 ± 98.2, P < 0.05). In the CP rat models, both the expressions of Claudin-1 (823.0 ± 100.1, P < 0.01) and Occludin (1160.0 ± 32.2, P < 0.05) were significantly increased. The expression of Claudin-1 was remarkably down-regulated by musk (764.9 ± 179.0), olibanum (468.4 ± 220.4), and musk + olibanum (335.1 ± 204.0) (all P < 0.05), but that of Claudin-3 up-regulated by musk (744.6 ± 94.5) and olibanum (700.1 ± 223.7) (both P < 0.05). The expression of Occludin was reduced by musk (615.0 ± 221.0), olibanum (749.6 ± 321.7), and musk + olibanum (505.8 ± 523.7), while that of ZO-1 increased by olibaum (443.2 ± 44.9) and decreased by musk + olibanum (213.5 ± 24.9, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn physiological and pathological conditions, the combination of musk and olibanum acts on the expressions of tight junction proteins in prostate epithelial cells in a selective and dual-targeting manner, promoting their permeability by down-regulating the expression of ZO-1 and maintaining their structural stability by regulating the expressions of Claudin-1, Claudin-3, and Occludin.

Animals ; Claudins ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated ; chemistry ; Frankincense ; chemistry ; Male ; Occludin ; metabolism ; Prostate ; cytology ; Prostatitis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tight Junction Proteins ; metabolism ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo explore the therapeutic effect of natural vitamin E (VitE) on oligospermia and asthenospermia in in- fertile men.

METHODSWe conducted a prospective multi-centered randomized controlled study on 64 infertile men with oligospermia (31 as controls treated with Tamoxifen 10 mg bid and 33 as experimental cases treated with Tamoxifen 10 mg bid + VitE 100 mg tid) and 42 cases of asthenospermia (20 as controls treated with Levocarnitine oral solution 1 bottle bid and 22 as experimental cases treated with Levocarnitine oral solution 1 bottle bid + VitE 100 mg tid). We compared the control and experimental groups in sperm concentration and percentage of progressively motile sperm before and 3 months after medication, as well as the rate of clinical pregnancy and adverse events.

RESULTSAmong the oligospermia patients, the average sperm concentrations in the control and experimental groups were 8.00 x 10(6)/ml and 10.66 x 10(6)/ml before medication (P > 0.05). After medication, the numbers of cases evaluated as with no, slight, moderate and marked improvement in sperm concentration were 10 and 9 (P > 0.05), 16 and 14 (P > 0.05), 5 and 4 (P > 0.05) and 0 and 0 (P >0.05); and the numbers of natural pregnancies were 0 and 6 in the control and experimental groups (P < 0.01). Among the asthenospermia patients, the average rates of progressively motile sperm were 17.00% and 18.10% in the control and experimental groups before medication (P > 0.05). After medication, the numbers of cases evaluated as with no, slight, moderate and marked improvement in the percentage of progressively motile sperm were 7 and 2 (P < 0.01), 4 and 8 (P < 0.01), 3 and 2 (P > 0.05) and 1 and 1 (P > 0.05), and the numbers of natural pregnancies were 5 and 9 in the two groups (P < 0.01), but no adverse events were observed.

CONCLUSIONAs a safe and effective adjuvant agent for the treatment of oligospermia and asthenospermia, vitamin E can improve sperm concentration, the percentage of progressively motile sperm, and finally the rate of natural pregnancy.

Adult ; Asthenozoospermia ; drug therapy ; Carnitine ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oligospermia ; drug therapy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Prospective Studies ; Tamoxifen ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitamin E ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of grape seed proanthocyanidin (GSP) on spermatogenesis following testicular torsion/detorsion in mice.

METHODSTwenty-four healthy male Kunming mice, aged 8 weeks and weighing 25 - 27 g, were randomly divided into a control, a torsion and a treatment group, each containing 8 animals. The unilateral testicular torsion/detorsion model was established in the treatment and torsion groups. Thirty minutes before detorsion, the animals of the treatment group were injected intraperitoneally with 50 mg/kg GSP, and those of the torsion group with normal saline at the same dose, both for 3 days postoperatively. On the 4th day after surgery, ipsilateral orchiectomy were performed to detect histopathological changes, the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and the apoptotic index (AI) of germ cells in all the mice.

RESULTSCompared with the torsion group, the treated mice showed significantly increased Johnsen score (5.00 +/- 1.85 vs 7.38 +/- 0.92, P < 0.05), seminiferous tubule diameter ([176.50 +/- 1.60]microm vs [178.75 +/- 1.58] microm, P > 0.05), spermatogenic cell layers (3.75 +/- 1.03 vs 5.75 +/- 0.71, P < 0.05) and SOD activity ([29.04 +/- 4.46] U/mg prot vs [52.67 +/- 3.57] U/mg prot, P < 0.05), but remarkably reduced level of MDA ([4.63 +/- 0.05] nmol/mg prot vs [2.91 +/- 0.04] nmol/mg prot, P < 0.05) and AI of germ cells ([40.50 +/- 1.60]% vs [16.25 +/- 1.67] %, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONGrape seed proanthocyanidin has a protective effect against spermatogenic injury in mice, the mechanisms of which may be related to its actions of scavenging oxygen free radicals, inhibiting lipid peroxidation and improving the antioxidant ability of the body.

Animals ; Grape Seed Extract ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Proanthocyanidins ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Vitis

To investigate the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes and their elements in people with subhealth fatigue.

AIM To study the interactions of component (group) compatibility of Sanwu Huangqin Decoction in incubation model of rat liver microsomes.METHODS With maackiain and ephedrine as internal standards,HPLC was adopted in the simultaneous content determination of total tlavonoids (baicalin,wogonoside,baicalein,wogonin and oroxylin A) from Scutellariae Radix and total alkaloids (oxymatrine,oxysophocarpine and matrine)from Sophorae flavescentis Radix in whole prescription component (group) compatibility and single medicinal material part (group) at seven time points (0,15,30,45,60,90 and 120 min),followed by the calculation of their in vitro metabolic rates.RESULTS In whole prescription component (group) compatibility,the contents of baicalin and wogonoside were first increased (0-0.5 h) and then decreased (0.5-2.0 h),those of baicalein,wogonin and oroxylin A showed increasing trends (more obvious within 0.5 h).The stable and gende metabolisms of various alkaloids reached balance within 20 min.CONCLUSION The bioavailability improvement and efficacy enhancement of total flavonoids from Scutellariae Radix may attribute to the compatibility with total alkaloids from Sophorae flavescentis Radix and total polysaccharides from Rehmanniae Radix in Sanwu Huangqin Decoction

OBJECTIVETo provide a possible targeted gene therapy scheme for prostate cancer, and explore the expression efficiency and tissue-specific expression of prostate specific antigen (PSA) promoter.

METHODSThree plasmids with egfp, pa-EGFP(including ARI, ARII), pba-EGFP (including ARI, ARII, ARIII) and pdeltaba-EGFP (including ARI, ARII and mutated ARIII) were designed, and the expression status was observed by transfecting into HepG2, SMMC-7721, Hela and PC-3.

RESULTSIn prostate cancer cell PC-3, pba-EGFP expressed more GFP than pa-EGFP and pdeltaba-EGFP, which showed that ARIII could notably increase the transcription efficiency of PSA promoter. Further, there was no GFP expression in HepG2, SMMC-7721 and Hela transfected with pa-EGFP, p deltaba-EGFP and pba-EGFP.

CONCLUSIONAn expression vector based on elements of the PSA gene regulatory sequences has been developed and shown to be tightly regulated in a panel of cells from tissues of various origins. With the tissue-specific functional protein, it should provide a solid platform for clinical studies.

Androgens ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cloning, Molecular ; Humans ; Male ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Prostate ; metabolism ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Response Elements ; Transfection

Objective By comparing the pain reactions of different needling methods for subcutaneous injection among patients,to explore a reasonable needling method to alleviate the pain of subcutaneous injections.Methods Totals of 90 cases who received subcutaneous needling were recruited,and they received the traditional needling method of the side grip-type in odd day(200 times) and received the improved needling method of write type in even day ( 200 times ).Changhai pain scale was used to assess patients' pain.Results Among 200 times of needling of the improved needling cases,the times of moderate pain were 72 (32.7％),and the times of the traditional needling cases were 150 ( 68.2％ ),and the difference was statistically significant( x2 =55.31,P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions Write-type method can be used as a reasonable method of subcutaneous injection,which can alleviate the pain of patients.

Objective To predict and analyze the structure and function of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia OmpA. Methods Bioinformatics software and biological databases were used to analyze the physicochemical properties, signal peptides,and transmembrane structures of the OmpA protein and to predict the subcellular localization, secondary and tertiary structures,sequence homology and conserved domains,and epitopes of OmpA.Results OmpA protein had strong hydrophilicity but without transmembrane helices in mature protein,and positions 1-22 of the sequence were predicted as signal peptide.In the second structure random coil helix,αlpha-helix,beta-turn and extended strand made up 50.27%, 24.59%,9.29%and 15.85%,respectively.The three-dimensional structure was β-barrel.OmpA was highly conserved among S.maltophilia strains but shared minimal homology with human and mouse proteins.The N-terminal domain of OmpA was OM-channels superfamily and the C-terminal domain of OmpA was OmpA_C-like superfamily.OmpA protein contained 11 dominant antigen epitopes.Conclusion The characteristics of OmpA identified by bioinformatics analysis can not only provide reference for the study of the structure and novel function of OmpA,but also theoretically contribute to the research on related new subunit vaccines.