This study was aimed to evaluate the subchronic toxicity of diosgenin in mice. A total of 80 mice were divided into 4 groups, which were 0 (control), 100, 200, and 400 mg·kg-1 by the random number table. Intragastric administration was given once a day for 90 days in the assessment of subchronic toxicity of diosgenin among mice. The observed indexes contained body weight, fur color, diet, feces, and etc. The detected indexes contained blood routine analysis, blood biochemistry and pathological examination. The results showed that compared with the control group, the body weights of mice in the male medication group were slight reduced. There were no significant hematologic and pathologic abnormalities. It was concluded that the subchronic toxicity of diosgenin with no observed adverse effect dose level was more than 400 mg·kg-1. The oral administration was relatively safe.

This paper was aimed to study effects of diosgenin on expressions of activator protein-1 (AP-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in synovial tissues of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats induced by bovine type II collagen, in order to investigate the possible mechanism of herbal medicine diosgenin in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). After the CIA rats models were successfully established, rats were randomly divided into the blank control group, CIA model group, diosgenin group, and positive medicine control (tripterygium) group. The in situ hybridization was used to detect the expressions of AP-1 (c-fos and c-jun) in synovial tissues of the knee joint. The real-time PCR was used to detect the VEGF mRNA expression in synovial tissues of rats’ knee joints. The results showed that c-jun and c-fos, VEGF mRNA expressions in synovial tissues of rats’ knee joints were obviously higher than that of the blank control group (P<0.01). After treatment of diosgenin and tripterygium, the expressions of c-jun and c-fos, VEGF mRNA were significantly reduced (P<0.01). It was concluded that diosgenin may regulate the expression of VEGF in synovial tissues through c-jun and c-fos of AP-1 in order to inhibit synovial angiogenesis for the treatment of RA.

Objective To know the situation of the hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection in blood donors of Maoming City,and pro-vide the basic data for recruiting volunteer blood donors and preventing of HCV infection.Methods Blood samples were collected in Maoming blood center,and were detected by using HCV antibodies of different manufacturers and operated by different people.Du-plicate test was used to reexamine the specimens which were reactive in the initial test.Statistical analysis was performed.Results HCV prevalence of blood donors from Maoming was 0.74%.The prevalence of female was slightly higher than the male,but the difference was not statistically significant(P >0.05).The HCV prevalence of civil servant and medical personnel was relatively low-er.HCV prevalence of repeat blood donors was obviously lower than blood donors for the first time(P <0.05).Conclusion HCV prevalence of blood donors in Maoming City was in a relative low level.The risk of HCV infection in people who is younger than 35 years old and at the same time qualified to donate blood is quite low.Establish a stable volunteer blood donor group is beneficial to blood safety.It's necessary to strength the propaganda and prevention of HCV knowledge to population besides civil servant and medical personnel,which would be helpful for the control of HCV infection.

Objective:To observe chicken typeⅡcollagen-induced arthritis( CIA) in serum of mice with the dynamic changes of IL-27,IL-17,IL-10. Methods: 54 DBA1/J mice were randomly divided into control group(n=6) and model group(n=12), according to the progress of CIA mouse course early,middle and late(7,14,and 35 days after booster immunization) ,taking the eyeball for blood and separating the serum under sterile condition. The dynamic levels of cytokines IL-27,IL-17,IL-10 were detected by flow cy-tometry. Results:The level of IL-27 in the model group was significantly declined in the the progress of CIA mouse course early and middle(P<0. 05,P<0. 01) compared with the control group,but there was no significant difference between late disease and control group(P> 0. 05);the level of IL-17 in the disease early and late was no significant difference(P> 0. 05) compared with the control group,while in the mid course significantly higher than control group(P<0. 05) during the course of disease. The level of IL-10 showed no difference from the experiment beginning(P> 0. 05). Conclusion: IL-27,IL-17,IL-10 paticipate in the pathogenesis of CIA and their alterations at different stages of the disease have a relation to the development of arthritis.

Objective To study the effects of medicated serum with total saponins from Rhizoma Dioscreae Nipponicae (RDN) on VEGF mRNA expression and AP-1 activity in rat synovial cell strain RSC-364 induced by IL-17 and TNF-α. To investigate the mechanism about total saponin from RDN inhibition of angiogenesis. Methods Medicated serum of total saponins from RDN and tripterygium (positive control) were prepared. Rat synovial cells RSC-364 were divided into four groups: the blank control,IL-17+TNF-α model,tripterygium medicated serum,and total saponins medicated serum groups. After one hour of incubation,all groups except for the blank control were incubated with both IL-17(10 μg·L-1 ) and TNF-α(10 μg·L-1 ) for 24 hours. VEGF mRNA expression in RSC-364 was detected by PrimeScriptTM real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) detection kit,and the AP-1 DNA-binding activity was detected by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Results Compared with the control blank group,both of the VEGF mRNA expression and AP-1 activity in rat synovial cell strain RSC-364 induced by IL-17 and TNF-α increased remarkably (P<0. 05,P<0.01). The VEGF mRNA expression and AP-1 activity in tripterygium medicated serum group and total saponins medicated serum group were remarkably lower than those of the model control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two medicated serum groups. Conclusion Serum medicated with total saponins from RDN can remarkably decrease VEGF mRNA expression and AP-1 activity,indicating that the total saponins from RDN could influence VEGF secretion by inhibiting the AP-1 signal transduction pathway,VEGF is the key factor of angiogenesis,thereby to restrain angiogenesis.

OBJECTIVETo understand the distributions of DNA and neutralizing antibodies of human papillomavirus (HPV)16, 18 in 18-45 year-old women.

METHODSTotally, 1494 women were enrolled through multistage random sampling in Funing, Jiangsu province. Cervical exfoliated cells were collected from them for HPV DNA testing, and serum samples were taken from them for the detection of HPV16, 18 neutralizing antibodies by using pseudovirion-based neutralization assay(PBNA).

RESULTSAmong the 1494 women, 28(1.9%) and 188(12.6%) were positive for DNA and neutralizing antibody of HPV16 respectively, and 15(1.0%) and 60(4.0%) were positive for DNA and neutralizing antibody of HPV18, respectively. There were no significant differences in the detection rates of DNA and neutralizing antibody of HPV16, 18 among different age groups. About 16.7% of the women were infected with HPV16, 18, or both.

CONCLUSIONIn Funing county of Jiangsu province, most women aged 18-45 years has no immunity to HPV16 and 18, indicating that they are appropriate targets for HPV 16/18 vaccination.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; isolation & purification ; Antibodies, Viral ; isolation & purification ; China ; DNA, Viral ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; immunology ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; immunology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Papillomavirus Infections ; prevention & control ; Papillomavirus Vaccines ; Young Adult