OBJECTIVETo study the effect of sophoridine against bone cancer pain in bone cancer pain model rats induced by W256 tumor cells and its mechanism.

METHODThe rat model of bone cancer pain was reproduced by injecting W256 tumor cells into the rat marrow cavity. Ten days after the model establishment, 36 rats were selected and randomly divided into the model control group and the sophoridine treated group. At the same time, other 10 rats with sham-operation were selected to be the normal control group. Since the 15th day after the operation, rats in the treated group had been given sophoridine (25 mg x kg(-1)) for 10 days. The mechanical withdrawal threshold and the thermal withdrawal latency of each group were measured before and after the treatment. After the last treatment, the radiological and histopathological observation shall be conducted for sick legs of all rats. The expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in tumor tissues were detected by mmunohistochemistry.

RESULTSophoridine could significantly increase the mechanical withdrawal threshold and the thermal withdrawal latency (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), significantly relief the bone injury caused by W256 tumor cells (P < 0.05), and notably down-regulate the COX-2 and VEGF expressions in tumor tissues (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSophoridine has the effect in relieving pain and inhibiting tumor progression in bone cancer pain rats induced by W256 tumor cells. Its mechanism may be related to the down-regulated expressions of COX-2 and VEGF.

Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Bone Neoplasms ; complications ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Hyperalgesia ; complications ; drug therapy ; Pain ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Quinolizines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

Acupuncture anesthesia is a technique by partially or completely replacing anesthetics with acupuncture in surgery based on the traditional acupuncture analgesia mechanism.It emerged in the 1950s,went viral in the 1970s and then gradually fell into decline.In the recent years,this technique has regained attention and further research.Acupuncture anesthesia can be classified as either pure acupuncture anesthesia or acupuncture-medication combined anesthesia.To expand the application of this technique,a patient with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome in urgent need of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) received pure acupuncture anesthesia because of an allergy to lidocaine,and the operation went successfully.This is the first time that pure acupuncture anesthesia and coronary arteriography were combined,which is of great significance in further study and development of acupuncture anesthesia.

OBJECTIVETo compare the transcription difference of the mannitol PTS genes between epidemic and non-epidemic strains of Vibrio cholerae El Tor in mannitol ferment tests.

METHODSGrowth curves of 10 epidemic strains (slow-ferment) and 10 non-epidemic strains (rapid-ferment) of Vibrio cholerae were detected in the process of fermentation test, and the transcriptional level of mannitol PTS operon of these strains were determined with quantitative reverse-transcriptional PCR.

RESULTSAfter 4 hours of test, the non-epidemic strains became positive and the average growth density of the non-epidemic strains was higher than that of the epidemic strains; however, some were still lower than the epidemic strains. In contrast, at the eighth hour of test, when epidemic strains got positive, they showed higher average growth density. Compared to the epidemic strains, the transcription of mannitol PTS genes of the non-epidemic strains were much more active at the 1st and 2nd hour and were lower at the 4th and 8th hour.

CONCLUSIONSThe difference of mannitol PTS operon transcription level should be an important feature to identify the epidemic and non-epidemic strains of Vibrio cholerae, which directly influences the mannitol fermentation rate during the test. The growth rate is not a key factor that affect such difference.

Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ; Mannitol ; metabolism ; Operon ; Phosphoenolpyruvate ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases ; metabolism ; Transcription, Genetic ; Vibrio cholerae ; classification ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between the level of serum testosterone and atherosclerosis in middle-aged and elderly men.

METHODSWe conducted a population-based study of 413 males aged 40-75 years in a community in Guangzhou. We obtained the sociodemographic characteristics, clinical data, physical measurements, and laboratory results of sex hormones, blood glucose, and blood lipid of the subjects. We also measured the carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) by color Doppler ultrasonography.

RESULTSThe subjects were divided into a carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) group (CIMT ≥ 0.9 mm) and a non-CAS group (CIMT < 0.9 mm). The medians of free testosterone (FT) were 57.41 and 59.72 pmol/L in the CAS and non-CAS groups, respectively (P = 0.005), and no significant difference was found between the two groups in total testosterone (TT). The levels of serum FT and TT were negatively correlated to CIMT, with Spearman's rank correlation coefficients of -0.126 (P = 0.011) and -0.188 (P < 0.001), respectively. The incidence rates of CAS were 23.30, 13.46, 17.48, and 7.77% in the Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups, respectively according to the quartile of FT (P for trend = 0.008) and 17.48, 18.27, 16.50, and 9.71% respectively according to the quartile of TT (P for trend = 0.116). Based on the quartile of FT and after adjustment for age, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and HbAlc, the risk of CAS was significantly increased in the Q1 group as compared with Q4 (OR = 2.491, 95% CI 1.01-6.149), but no statistically significant differences were observed according to the quartile of TT.

CONCLUSIONA low serum FT level may be a risk factor of atherosclerosis in Chinese men aged 40 years or older.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; blood ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; Testosterone ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women and its correlation with redundant prepuce or phimosis in the patients' sexual partners.

METHODSWe conducted a questionnaire investigation among the women outpatients at the cervical disease clinic of Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Hospital from May to December 2011. We obtained information on their sexual life and determined whether their sexual partners had redundant prepuce or phimosis according to the schematic illustrations we offered. We used biology-hybridize HPV-type test kit, PCR and hybrid membrane methods for detection of different HPV genotypes in cervical exfoliated cells, taking any type of HPV detected as positive. We made between-group comparisons by chi-square test and analyzed independent risk factors by non-conditional logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSOf the 2 040 questionnaires, 1 568 were collected and 1 110 (71%) accepted as valid by inclusion criteria. Among the 1 110 subjects, 566 (50.9%) were infected with HPV, and 445 (78.6%) of the infected women admitted that their sexual partners had redundant prepuce or phimosis. The most frequent infection type was HPV16 (34.2%), followed by HPV58 (28.1%), HPV52 (20.2%) and HPV18 (10.8%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that redundant prepuce or phimosis in the women's sexual partners was an independent risk factor for HPV infection (OR 3.387, 95%CI [2.491-4.607]).

CONCLUSIONIn Nanjing urban area, the majority of the sexual partners of the HPV-infected women have redundant prepuce or phimosis, which is an independent risk factor for female cervical HPV infection. Male circumcision is necessitated in Nanjing to reduce the incidence of cervical HPV infection.

Adult ; Aged ; Cervix Uteri ; virology ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Foreskin ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Papillomavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; virology ; Phimosis ; virology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sexual Partners ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVEDyspareunia is a common sexual trouble in women during the sexual intercourse. This study is to investigate the risk factors for dyspareunia in urban Chinese women and to supply some evidence for its preventive measures.

METHODSWe conducted a hospital-based survey by distributing 2 658 copies of a questionnaire among the women in Nanjing urban area who came for regular physical examination in Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Hospital and their female companions aged over 20 years. The sexual function of the subjects was evaluated according to female sexual function indexes, dyspareunia indicated by sexual pain score < 4.4, and the results analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSTotally, 1 856 (69.8%) of the subjects completed the questionnaire, and 1 457 that met the criteria were included for analysis, of whom 43.0% (626/1457) admitted to dyspareunia during the sexual intercourse. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age (> or = 50 years) , smoking, hysterectomy, vaginal lubrication disorder, lack of sexual communication with partners were independent risk factors for dyspareunia (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDyspareunia is associated with multiple factors including age (> or = 50 years), smoking, hysterectomy, vaginal lubrication disorder, lack of sexual communication with partners.

Adult ; Causality ; Dyspareunia ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVEFemale sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a common problem affecting women's quality of life. However, reports are rarely seen on sexual problems in Chinese women. This study is to investigate the prevalence of FSD among urban Chinese women in Nanjing and offer some evidence for the establishment of preventative measures for FSD in China.

METHODSA cross-sectional hospital-based survey was conducted in Nanjing, China between August 2008 and March 2009. The sexual function of 609 women aged 20 -56 years from the urban area of Nanjing were investigated using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The total FSFI score of < 25 was used as the diagnostic criterion for FSD.

RESULTSThe total FSFI score was 24.21 +/- 4.40 in this group of women, and it decreased with the increase of age. The overall prevalence of FSD was 56.8%, and it increased with the increase of age, 47.1%, 57.0%, 75.0% and 90.3% in the < 29 yr, 30 - 39 yr, 40 - 49 yr and > or = 50 yr groups, respectively. The most common problems were low sexual satisfaction (43.2%) and orgasm disorder (41.7%), followed by sexual pain (40.2%), hyposexuality (35.1%), vaginal dryness (31.4%) and sexual arousal disorder (29.6%).

CONCLUSIONFSD is a common problem among urban Chinese women in Nanjing, and the most common sexual problems are low sexual satisfaction and orgasm disorder.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological ; epidemiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urban Population ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the effects of magnesium sulfate in combination with astragalus membranaceus injection on the birth outcomes and expression of placenta tissue related gene of patients with gestational hypertension. Methods Seventy-six gestational hypertension patients were selected and randomly assigned to control group (n = 38) and treatment group (n = 38). The control group was given intravenous injection of 25％ magnesium sulfate (60 mL) once daily for 7 days,while the treatment group was give intravenous injection of astragalus (60 mL) on the basis of the control group once daily for 7 days. The changes of blood pressure,mean arterial pressure (MAP) and 24 h urine protein content of the two groups were compared. The placenta tissue of the two groups were collected after childbirth. Results After treatment,the total effective rates of the control group and the treatment group were86. 84％ (33/38) and 97. 37％ (37/38) ,respectively; the difference was statistically significant (P < 0. 05). There were significant differences between the control group and the treatment group in systolic blood pressure [(147. 21 ± 20. 01) mmHg vs (128. 46 ± 18. 43) mmHg],diastolic blood pressure [(90. 25 ± 15. 46) mmHg vs (73. 14 ± 14. 53) mmHg],MAP [(126. 76 ± 9. 65) mmHg vs (108. 15 ± 9. 57) mmHg] and the 24 h urine protein content [(2. 65 ±0. 87) g vs (1. 34 ±0. 79) g](P < 0. 05). Conclusion Magnesium sulfate combined with astragalus membranaceus injection can reduce the blood pressure of gestational hypertension patients,improve the pregnancy outcome; the action mechanism maybe related to the up-regulation of PLGF and MMP-9 protein expression of placenta tissue.

Objective To investigate the effect of puerarin on oxidative stress and immune status in placenta of preeclampsia (PE) rats. Methods Forty-five pregnant female SD rats were randomly divided into control group,model group and test group,15 rats in each group. The rats in model group and test group were subcutaneously injected with 100 mg·kg-1 of L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) once daily from Day 13-21 of gestation,the rats in control group were injected with the same amount of saline; and the rats in test group were intraperitoneally injected with 80 mg·kg-1 of puerarin solution once daily from Day 17-21 of gestation,control group and model group were injected with the same amount of 0. 9％ NaCl. The caudal arterial pressure and 24 h urinary protein content were measured at Day 10,16 and 21 of gestation,the oxidative stress indexes in rat placenta was detected by thibabituric acid method and Xanthine oxidase method,the cellular immune function was detected by flow cytometry,and the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) expressionin of rat placenta trophoblasts was detected by Western blot. Results On Day 21 of gestation,there were significant differences between the model group and the control/test group in caudal arterial pressure [(136. 25 ± 5. 48) mm- Hg vs (119. 25 ± 4. 21) mmHg or (123. 52 ± 6. 45) mmHg],24 h-urinary protein contents [((11. 83 ± 0. 12) mg vs 6. 42 ± 0. 08) mg or (8. 58 ± 0. 12) mg],the content of MDA in placenta tissue [(4. 75 ± 0. 08) mmol·mg-1 vs(10. 69 ± 0. 07) mmol·mg-1,(8. 37 ± 0. 08) mmol·mg-1 ],the content of SOD [(93. 26 ± 4. 29) U·mg-1 vs(168. 97 ± 3. 42) U·mg-1 or (112. 63 ± 3. 48) U·mg-1 ],the ratio of CD4 +/CD8 + [(2. 61 ± 0. 56) vs(1. 46 ± 0. 05) or (1. 48 ± 0. 12) ] and the relative expression of XIAP protein in trophoblast [(0. 89 ± 0. 05) vs(0. 36 ± 0. 09) or (0. 41 ± 0. 11) ](all P < 0. 05). Conclusion Puerarin can inhibit the oxidative stress reaction and enhance the cellular immune function in the placenta of PE rats,and reduce the expression of XIAP protein in the placenta tissue trophoblasts to reduce the apoptosis of placenta trophoblasts.

Objective: To explore drug resistance of different viral loads, and investigate the relationship between drug resistance and CD4⁺T cell counts in patients with HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) in China from 2003 to 2015. Methods: Data were extracted from the Chinese National HIVDR Surveillance database from 2003 to 2015. For this study, the data collected were as follows: having received ART for ≥12 months; 18 years or older; demographic characteristics, information of ART, CD4⁺T cell counts, viral load (VL) and HIV drug resistance of a total of 8 362 patients were collected. Multi-variables non-conditional logistic regression model was used to study the relationship between viral load, HIV drug resistance and CD4⁺T cell counts. Results: Participants with age of (41.8±10.5) years were enrolled in this study. Among them, 59.9% (5 009 cases) were men. The percentage of CD4⁺T cell counts <200 cells/μl in the total population was 17.9% (1 496 cases), the highest was in VL ≥1 000 copies/ml with drug resistance, which was 43.0% (397/923) , followed by VL 50-999 copies/ml with drug resistance, which was 31.1% (69/222), and the lowest was in VL 50-999 copies/ml without drug resistance 13.2% (273/2 068). Compared to VL 50-999 copies/ml without drug resistance, VL<50 copies/ml, VL 50-999 with drug resistance, VL≥1 000 copies/ml without drug resistance, and VL ≥1 000 copies/ml with drug resistance, the OR (95%CI) of CD4 <200 cells/μl were 0.9 (0.7-1.0), 3.2 (2.3-4.4), 2.6 (2.1-3.2), and 4.9 (4.0-5.9), respectively. Among 222 patients with VL 50-999 and HIVDR, the most frequent antiretroviral drugs were EFV and NVP, both of which were NNRTI, and whose percentage both were 94.1% (209 cases). The most frequent mutations were M184V/I (NNRTI), and the percentage was 26.1% (58 cases). The second one was K103N (NNRTI), and the percentage was 22.5% (50 cases). The percentage of V32L/E (PI) and V82A (PI) were lower, they were 0.9% (2 cases) and 0.5% (1 case) respectively. Conclusion Decreased CD4⁺T cell counts were associated with HIV drug resistance at low viraemia. In the case of low viral load, the most vulnerable were the NNRTI antiviral drugs such as EFV and NVP.