OBJECTIVETo explore the molecular biological mechanism of ZHU's Tiaojing Cuyun Recipe (TCR) for treating anovulatory infertility patients with Shen deficiency syndrome (SDS) by observing its clinical efficacy.

METHODSUsing randomized blocking methods, 80 patients were assigned to the treatment group (40 cases) and the control group (40 cases). Patients with regular menstrual cycle started medication from the 5th day of menstruation. Those with irregular menstrual cycle first took progesterone till withdrawal bleeding ,and then started medication from the 5th day of vaginal bleeding. Patients in the treatment group took ZHU's TCR, one dose per day, while those in the control group took Clomifene Citrate (CC), 50 mg per day. Three menstrual cycles consisted of one therapeutic course, a total of 2 courses. Clinical efficacy such as pregnancy rates and abortion rates were observed. Ovulation indices (the maximal diameter of mature follicles, luteinized follicles, ovulational follicles, and the endometrial thickness on the ovulation day), SDS, and integrals of menstrual symptoms were monitored before and after treatment. Serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) , and estradiol (E2) were determined using chemiluminescent immunoassay before treatment and after on therapeutic course. Serum levels of activin A (ACTA), inhibin B (INHB), and follistatin (FS) were detected using double antibody sandwich ELISA.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the pregnancy rate was obviously elevated and the abortion rate was obviously lowered in the treatment group (P <0. 05). Ovulation rates of mature follicles and luteinizing follicles decreased more in the treatment group (P < 0.05). Compared with before treatment, integrals for SDS were lower, the maximal diameter of pre-ovulational follicles was increased, and integrals for menstrual symptoms in non-pregnant patients of the two groups were obviously lowered. Meanwhile, the endometrial thickness on the ovulation day was increased in the treatment group after treatment, but reduced in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, integrals for SDS were decreased, and the maximal diameter of pre-ovulational follicles was lowered in the treatment group after treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Integrals for SDS and the difference in the endometrial thickness on the ovulation day were increased, but the difference in the maximal diameter of pre-ovulational follicles were reduced (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In the treatment group serum levels of E2 and ACTA increased more after one therapeutic course than before treatment (P < 0.01), but serum levels of INHB and FS decreased more after one therapeutic course than before treatment (P < 0.05). In the control group serum levels of FSH and ACTA increased more, and the serum level of FS decreased more after one therapeutic course than before treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, serum levels of FSH and ACTA increased more, and serum levels of INHB decreased more in the treatment group after one therapeutic course than before treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSZHU'sTCR could improve SDS of anovulatory infertility patients, regulate the follicular development, and elevate the pregnancy rate. Its actions might be associated with regulating their sex hormones, expressions of ovary local factors such as INHB, ACTA, and FS.

Activins ; Clomiphene ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Estradiol ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Follistatin ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; complications ; therapy ; Inhibins ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Ovarian Diseases ; Ovarian Follicle ; Ovulation ; Progesterone

Objective: To investigate the mechanism responsible for lost sensibility of tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) to dexamethasone(Dex) in human hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721 through examining the cDNA sequence of TAT and the status of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) pathway. Methods: The TAT cDNA fragment containing the full length of coding sequence was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and was sequenced. The expression of TAT mRNA was determined by real-time quantitative PCR to observe the influence of Dex on expression of TAT mRNA in SMMC-7721 cells. The experiement with HepG2 cells was performed as the control. Reporter genes (GRE-tk-LUC and GRE-MMTV-CAT) were transiently transfected into SMMC-7721 cells by electroporation. The induction effieiencies of LUC and CAT genes expression by Dex were examined and compared between SMMC-7721 cells and HepG2 cells. Results: The results showed that there was a same-sense mutation (Gln576Gln) in TAT cDNA sequence. TAT mRNA could be induced by Dex, with the maximal induction level being 2.22-folds in SMMC-7721 cells, which was significantly lower than that in HepG2 cells (15.1-fold increase, P<0.01). Dex induced the expression of LUC and CAT genes in SMMC-7721 cells as well as the HepG2 cells. Conclusion: The induction efficiency of Dex for expression of TAT mRNA is decreased in SMMC-7721 cells, which might be due to the unchanged activity of TAT.

Background Retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury is a common pathological process in ophthalmology.It can cause permanent visual impairment.The prevention and treatment of retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury is one of the focus topics at home and abroad up to now.Objective Present study was to evaluate the protective effects of geranylgeranylacetone(GGA)on retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury.Methods The retinal ischemia/reperfusion models were established in 40 SD rats by the infusion of normal saline solution into the anterior ehamber to elevate the intraoeular pressure for 1 hour and then remove the process.GGA of 2 ml (800 ms/kg)was intragastrieally administered in 20 model rats as GGA group,and the equal volume of normal saline solution was used at the same way in other 20 models as model group.Four normal matched SD rats were served as normal control group.The histological changes of retina in 6,24,48,72 hours after modeling was examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining under the light microscope.and the expression of heat shock protein 70(HSP70)and caspase-3 in retina at the time points mentioned above was detected by immunohistochemistry.Results The edema of cornea and retina of rats appeared in 1 hour and peaked in 24 hours after modeling.In 72 hours after modeling,the edema was alleviated but the disorder of retina structure was found in model group.However,although the pathological change process was similar to that of model group,the damage of retina tissue was milder in the rats of GGA group under the light microscope.HSP70 and caspase-3 were absent in the retina of normal rats.But。The expression of HSP70 in retinal ganglion cells(RGCs)was found in 6 hours after modeling,reached peak in 24 hours and declined after that in model group.The numbers of positive cells for HSP70 in retina was significantly increased in various time points in GGA group,showing statistically significant differences between model group and GGA group(P<0.05).In model group,a few of caspase-3 positive cells were found 6 hours after reperfusion and increased gradually until reaching the peak 24 hours and then decreased gradually 48 hours later.Few caspase-3 positive cells were found 72 hour8 after reperfusion.The numbers of positive cells for caspase-3 decreased in GGA group compared with model group during the experimental duration with the considerable difference between these two groups(P<0.05).Conclusion GGA could protect RGCs against isehemia/reperfusion injury by upregulating the expression of HSP70 and downregulating the expression of caspase-3 in retina.

China ; Humans ; Tinnitus

Geographic information system (CIS) was applied to analyse the endemic situation of schistosomiasis and the distribution of snails in Dali City. Hie data of endemic situation of schistosomiasis in Dali City from 2002 to 2008 were collected and a CIS database was set up. The endemic situation and the distribution of snails and acute schistosomiasis cases were analyzed by ArcGIS 9. 2 software. The results showed that the schistosomiasis transmission areas included 11 towns, 91 villages, and 401 nature villages. The trend surface analysis suggested that snail distribution in 2008 had a trend to accumulate in the northwest, while the population infection had a trend of gathering to the southeast. All acute schistosomiasis cases distributed in 6 towns, 23 villages, which showed significant aggregation by space-time clustering analysis, and three endemic villages in Xizhou Town in 2002 were identified as the first stratum endemic areas. It is concluded that CIS as database and graphics management tools can describe the epidemic situation intuitively, imaginably and macrosopically.

AIM: To establish the quality standard for Yinchai Granules (Caulis Lon icerae, Radix Bupleuri, Folium Eriobotryae, etc). METHODS: TLC was used to identify Radix Bupleuri, Folium Eriobotrya e and HPLC to determinate the chlorogenic acid content was determined by HPLC. RESULTS: The linear range of chlorogenic acid was 23.64～378.24ng, r=0.9999, respectively. The average recovery was 99.14%. CONCLUSION: The method is simple. The result is accurate and the reproducibility is good and can be used as the quality control of Yin chai Granules.

Objective To deduce the interactions between genes from time series microarray data.Methods We used inter-transaction association rules mining technique and GO (Gene Ontology) annotation to analyze the microarray data. Results Using 2-fold-change method, 119 differential expression genes were identified from total 10 080 genes or ESTs, whose expression levels varied significantly on 6 periods of fetus cerebellar development. As a result, about 1 300 inter-transaction association rules were extracted and 10 top rules were kept for their maximum J-measure values. A genes association network graph was deduced based on the 10 top rules. Conclusion Inter-transaction association rules are able to deduce the interactions between genes from time series microarray data and the gene expression status can be predicted based on the association rules.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of self-made quality control materials on chemiluminescence analyzer .Meth-ods Residual serum in blood bags were collected and served as matrixes .Complex quality control materials of tumor markers [car-cinoembryonic antigen ,alpha-fetoprotein ,carbohydrate antigen 125(CA125) ,CA199 ,CA153 ,human chorionic gonadotrophin and total prostate specific antigen ] and hormonal markers (luteinizing hormone ,follicle-stimulating hormone ,estradiol ,testosterone , progesterone and prolactin) were prepared .The monthly average value ,coefficient of variation(CV)% value ,cumulative average value and the number of out-of-control of each marker during the 12 months were calculated .Results All self-made quality control serum which stored and packaged separately showed appearance of clear and transparent after freezing and thawing ,without turbidi-ty and sedimentation .Difference of monthly average value and cumulative average value of each marker had no statistical significance (P>0 .05) .Compared with monthly average value and cumulative average value of each marker ,no obvious drift and trends were found .Monthly indoor imprecision of each hormonal marker were controlled within the allowable range .36 times of out-of-control alarm were monitored during a year ,among them ,25 for system error and 11 for random error .Conclusion Self-made quality con-trol materials has good stability and may find the instability factors of detection system timely to guarantee the reliability of test re-sults of chemiluminescence analyzer .