Objective To observe the effects of chronic arsenic exposure on estrogen receptor-binding fragment-associated gene 9 (Ebag9) and estrogen-responsive finger protein (efp) mRNA expression in female rat' s myocardium.Methods Fifty female Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups according to arsenic (As2O3) concentrations in drinking-water:0.00(control),0.05,0.10,0.20,0.40 mg/L groups and RT-PCR was used to detect Ebag9 and efp mRNA expression of myocardium at the 32 weeks of experiment.Results Ebag9 and efp mRNA expression levels in 0.00,0.05,0.10,0.20,0.40 mg/L groups were respectively as follows:0.54 ±0.14,0.52 ± 0.10,0.48 ± 0.24,0.58 ± 0.13,0.45 ± 0.19 and 0.85 ± 0.14,0.86 ± 0.12,0.87 ± 0.09,0.99 ±0.10,0.86 ± 0.19.Compared to the control group,Ebag9 mRNA level of the 0.20 mg/L group was increased,and decreased in other groups,but the difference between two groups was not significant(all P ＞ 0.05).Compared to control group,the efp mRNA level of 0.20 mg/L group increased significantly(P ＜ 0.05),and showed increased tendency in other arsenic groups,but the difference between two groups was not significant (all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Ebag9 and efp mRNA expression have changed in myocardium of rats exposed to chronic arsenic.Arsenic may has endocrine disruptor effect to female rat's myocardium.

Astragalus polysaccharide has been widely used in food and medicinal industry owing to its health-promoting properties. In order to characterize better the relationship among molecular weight, structure-activity and activities, a simple method was used different concentration of ethanol including 30% (PW30), 50% (PW50), 70% (PW70), 75% (PW75), 80% (PW80) and 90% (PW90) to precipitate Astragalus polysaccharides into different molecular weight. As a result, PW90 showed smooth surface and the strongest antioxidant activity among these six fractions (P < 0.05). In conclusion, graded ethanol precipitation was a simple method to separate Astragalus polysaccharides into different molecular weight with different antioxidant activity fractions.
Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Chemical Precipitation ; Ethanol ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; pharmacology

Abstract: Objective　To analyze the laboratory indexes of patients infected with malaria patients and COVID-19, so as to provide reliable evidence for the diagnosis of mixed infection of both. Methods　The routine clinical laboratory items such as routine blood, biochemistry and lymphocyte subsets were tested in three cases of COVID-19 complicated with falciparum malaria who admitted to Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University from July to December 2020 were tested. Laboratory data were stage-wise analyzed in conjunction with changes in the course of disease. Results　Three patients confirmed COVID-19 infection recruited all had malaria infection history. Fever, headache, and other symptoms emerged on the 4rd to 11th day after admission. Malaria parasite was detected by malaria parasite antigen testing and blood smear testing, and all three patients had re-ignition of malaria after being confirmed COVID-19 infection. In the early stage of malaria relapse, lymphocytes decreased, CRP and SAA increased, and gradually returned to normal level after antimalarial treatment. Interestingly, we only found one patient at the initial stage of malaria detection showed PLT decreased, no other unnormal changes in other routine blood results (WBC, ESO) and liver function results (ALT, AST, GGT, TBIL, DBIL, CG) were found from the beginning to end course of the disease. Conclusion　COVID-19 infection may promote the resurgence of malaria, so the relapse of malaria should be monitored especially for the patient with malaria infection history who begin to develop fever and other symptoms a few days after the diagnosis of COVID-19. The inflammatory indicators would be worth able as an auxiliary judgment basis for the effective treatment of the two combined infection.

OBJECTIVETo explore effective pretreated methods for hydrosalpinx before frozen embryo transfer (FET).

METHODSA randomized controlled study was performed on 229 FET cycles of hydrosalpinx patients. They were assigned to two groups by random digit table, Group A (94 cases), Group B (89 cases), and Group C (46 cases). Patients in Group A received transvaginal aspiration of hydrosalpinx combined with auricular point sticking. Those in Group B received transvaginal aspiration of hydrosalpinx group. Those in Group C received no transvaginal aspiration of hydrosalpinx. Pregnancy outcomes of FET, endometrial and subendometrial blood flow distribution on the embryo transfer day were compared among the three groups.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in the endometrial thickness on FET day, the number of transfer embryos, the number of transferred good quality embryos among the three groups (P > 0.05). The clinical pregnancy rate and the embryo implantation rate were significantly higher in Group A than in Group C (P < 0.05), and the clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (P < 0.05). The early abortion rate and the transfer cycle cancel rate were significantly lower in Group A than in Group C (P < 0.05). Type A endometrial and subendometrial blood flow distribution was dominant in Group A, which was significantly higher in Group A than the rest two groups (P < 0.05). Type A distribution rate was also significantly higher in Group B than in Group C (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTransvaginal aspiration of hydrosalpinx combined with auricular point sticking before FET could improve the endometrial receptivity and improve outcomes of IVF.

Embryo Implantation ; Embryo Transfer ; methods ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; methods ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Rate

Objective To investigate the effect of catalpol from Radix Rehmanniae on A?25-35-induced apoptosis of PC12 cells.Methods PC12 cells were routinely cultivated and treated by A?25-35(final concentration,20 ?mol/L) 24 hours after the addition of catalpol or saline.Forty-eight hours later,cells were examined for viability and apoptosis by MTT method and TUNEL method,respectively,while Bax and Bcl-2 mRNA expression were analyzed by semi-quantitive RT-PCR. Results Catalpol could significantly elevate the viability at 1?10-5 mol/L and 1?10-4 mol/L(P

Objective To study the risk factors of skin lesion (keratosis and abnormal skin pigmentation) of population exposed to arsenic via drinking water in Inner Mongolia.Methods A cluster sampling method was used to select 902 cases from Linhe district,Hanghou and Wuyuan county in Inner Mongolia and physical examination was done.They were interviewed for information by questionnaire.The sample of fingernails and drinking water were collected.Water arsenic (As) was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS); fingernail As and Se content were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis(INAA).Data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate non-conditional Logistic regression.Results Single factor analysis showed that risk factors of keratosis were age,pesticide,arsenic in nails,smoking,years of smoking,drinking of alcohol,arsenic content in drinking water,fluorosis and duration of drinking arsenic-containing water,while occupation,nail selenium content and vitamin were protective factors.There were 10 risk factors for pigment abnormalities,which were age,pesticide,arsenic in nails,smoking,years of smoking,numbers of cigarette smoked daily,drinking of alcohol,fluorosis,the arsenic content in drinking water and duration of drinking arseniccontaining water,while sex,occupation and nails with selenium were protective factors.The multivariate factor analysis showed that the risk factors of keratosis were age,pesticide and arsenic content in drinking water(OR =1.387,1.583,1.321,all P ＜ 0.05),while occupation and vitamin were protective factors(OR =0.307,0.260,all P ＜ 0.05).The risk factors of abnormal skin pigmentation were age,pesticide,arsenic in nails,fluorosis and arsenic content in drinking water(OR =1.724,2.636,2.741,3.699,1.863,all P ＜ 0.05),while sex was protective factor(OR =0.255,P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions Many factors have influence on endemic arsenism and a composite measure should be implemented to prevent it such as excluding arsenic from drinking water,health education,and a reasonably intake of nutrients.

Ac-Phe-Lys-PABC-DOX (PDOX) is a smart doxorubicin (DOX) prodrug designed to decrease toxicities while maintaining the potent anticancer effects of DOX. This study was aimed at elucidating the effectiveness and toxicities of DOX and PDOX in patient-derived MCF-7 breast cancer cells in vitro. The MCF-7 cells were exposed to both PDOX and DOX, and cytotoxicities, cell cycle and P53/P21 signaling alterations were studied. Abundant cathepsin B was found in the MCF-7 cells, and treatment with PDOX and DOX triggered dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity and resulted in a significant reduction in cell viability. The IC50 of PDOX and DOX was 3.91 and 0.94 μmol/L, respectively. Both PDOX and DOX caused an up-regulation of the P53/P21-related signal pathway, and PDOX significantly increased expression of P53 and caspase 3, and arrested the cell cycle at the G1/G2 phase. As compared with DOX, PDOX reduced toxicities, and it may have different action mechanisms on breast cancer cells.

Objective To evaluate the performance of the ABX Micro C-reactive protein(CRP)in determination of CRP.Methods The analytic characteristics including precision,carry-over,linearity, stability,interference and comparability were examined.Results The coefficient of variation(CV)was less than 5.1%,10% and d.3% for within-run,between-run and between-day,respectively.Carryover was less than 1.2%.Whole blood samples held at either room temperature or 4℃ were stable for 48 hours with relative deviation less than 6.0% relatively.Linear range was 1.0-70.0 mg/L using undiluted samples.The comparison between the ABX Micro CRP and Behring Nephelometer Ⅱ was well correlated Both serum:Y=0.996 7X-0.398 5,r~2=0.965 9;serum for BN Ⅱ,whole-blood samples for the ABX Micro CRP:Y=0.908 8X-0.138 2,r~2=0.959 4;both serum and whole-blood samples for the ABX Micro CRP: Y=1.001 7X-0.898 2,r~2=0.952 7.No obvious interference was observed by hyperhemoglobinemia and hyperlipidemia.Conclusion The determination of CRP test with ABX Micro is accurate and reliable.

Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid(PCA)is one of the major antifungal compounds produced by plant growth-promoting rhizosphere(PGPR)pseudomonads and has been shown to contribute to the biological control of soil-borne plant pathogens.Model on secondary metabolite phenazine-1-carboxylic acid(PCA)fermentation nutrition conditions of gacA inactivate mutant Pseudomonas sp.M18G was constructed by Plackett-Burman design(PB)and Response Surface Method(RSM).In PB design four key components selected from 12 different factors have shown to play an important role for promoting PCA production.Center Composite Design(CCD)was adopted to establish a fermentation model for the four nutrition components using RSM.The optimal concentration of the four components based on analysis of regression equation were determined that soybean meal 33.4 g/L,glucose 12.7 g/L,soy peptone10.9 g/L,ethanol13.8 g/L,and the highest PCA production could reached 1.89 g/L after 60h fermentation and the yield increased to 6 fold over that before optimization.The contour graphs depicted interactions of the two nutrition components showed that soybean meal and ethanol played an even more crucial role for the highest production of PCA in fermentation.It establishes a method for high PCA production and lays a foundation for the further PCA commercial development.

Abstract: Objective To analyze the spatial-temporal characteristics of the active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and the pathogenic positive PTB in Fuling District of Chongqing during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, so as to explore the clustering areas, and provide scientific basis for the precise prevention and control of tuberculosis in Fuling District. Methods The PTB registration data of 27 townships in Fuling District from 2016 to 2020 were collected. The descriptive analysis were used to describe the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of patients, SaTScan9.0 and ArcGis10.6 was used for spatial-temporal scanning analysis and local auto-correlation analysis. The results were visualized by ArcGis10.6. Results A total of 4 038 case of active PTB patients were registered and a downward trend was observed in PTB during the 13th Five-Year Plan period in Fuling District. The average annual registration rate of PTB was 70.17/100 000, and the annual PTB registration rate declined by 8.21%. The peak of active PTB and etiological positive PTB were mainly concentrated in March and June respectively. The top five streets of cumulative active PTB patients registered were Lizhi street, Dunren street, Chongyi street, Ma 'an street and Jiangdong street, accounting for 60.18% of the total registered PTB patients during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The top three average annual registration rates were Dunren street (101.35/100 000), Chongyi street (101.34/100 000) and Wulingshan Township (99.21/100 000). The registered PTB from 2016 to 2020 showed a global auto-correlation (Moran's I=0.64, P<0.0001). The "high-high" area of active PTB and the etiological positive PTB all covered Lizhi street, Jiangdong street and Longqiao street. By scanning analysis of spatial-temporal, the primary cluster of active PTB concentrated in the main urban area south of the Yangtze River in Fuling during January 2016 to December 2017, and the primary cluster of pathogenic positive PTB concentrated in the main urban area south of the Yangtze River in Fuling and Jiangdong street during January 2019 to December 2020. Conclusions During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, there was the spatial-temporal clustering of PTB in Fuling District, which mainly gathered in the main urban area south of the Yangtze River in Fuling district and surrounding streets centered on Lizhi street.