AIM: To investigate the effects of pioglitazone on corneal neovascularization(CNV)induced by alkali burnin rats and on expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF).METHODS: CNV was induced by alkaline burn in rats which were then administered pioglitazone subconjunctivally.Corneal angiogenesis was evaluated and observed with a slit lamp microscope and the VEGF and b-FGF level were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot at different intervals.RESULTS: The CNV of the rats was shown two days after alkaline burn, and reached its highest level in 7-10 days. The mean values of the area and length of neovascularization and the VEGF and b-FGF levels in the pioglitazone-treated group were significantly lower than those in the control group at various time.CONCLUSTON: Local application of pioglitazone could remarkably inhibit CNV, probably by means of downregulation of VEGF and b-FGF expression.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of hyperglycemia on the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) signaling pathway in rat penile tissue and its relationship with erectile function.

METHODSTwenty healthy male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into groups A (4-week healthy control), B (4-week diabetes mellitus model), C (6-week healthy control) and D (6-week diabetes mellitus model). The rats in groups B and D were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin at 50 mg/kg to induce diabetes mellitus, while those in groups A and C with the same volume of normal saline. The animals were killed at 4 (groups A and B) and 6 weeks (groups C and D) after treatment for measurement of the maximal intracavernous pressure/mean arterial blood pressure (ICP(max)/MAP) by electrostimulation, determination of the H2S concentration in the plasma and penile tissue, and detection of the expressions of cystathionine-beta-synthetase (CBS) and cystathionine-gamma-lyase (CSE) in the penile corpus cavernosum by immunohisto- chemistry and Western blot.

RESULTSWith electrostimulation of the pelvic ganglia at 5V and 7 V, ICP(max)/MAP was significantly reduced in groups B (0.19 +/- 0.03 and 0.29 +/- 0.04) and D (0.14 +/- 0.04 and 0.25 +/- 0.04) as compared with A (0.46 +/- 0.07 and 0.68 +/- 0.09) and C (0.43 +/- 0.07 and 0.65 +/- 0.16) (P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in the level of serum testosterone either between groups A and B ([469.19 +/- 126.46] ng/dl vs [359.08 +/- 60.06] ng/dl, P > 0.05) or between C and D ([470.44 +/- 209.28] ng/dl vs [297.01 +/- 96.58] ng/dl, P > 0.05). Groups B and D showed remarkable reduction in the H2S concentration (P < 0.05) and the expressions of CBS and CSE (P < 0.05) in comparison with A and C, and the CBS and CSE expressions were even more significantly decreased in D than in B (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe reduced concentration of H2S and decreased expressions of CBS and CSE in the penile corpus cavernosum of the diabetic rats suggested that the H2S signaling pathway might be involved in hyperglycemia-induced erectile dysfunction.

Animals ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Cystathionine gamma-Lyase ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Electric Stimulation ; methods ; Erectile Dysfunction ; etiology ; Humans ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; metabolism ; Hyperglycemia ; metabolism ; Lyases ; metabolism ; Male ; Penis ; enzymology ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; Testosterone ; metabolism

Objective To establish a pancreatic ?-cell developmet fish model with specific spatial expression patterns.Methods Molecular cloning,microinjection,whole embryo in-situ hybridization(WISH)and fluorescence microscopy in living were used to analyze of ?-cell development through generation of transgenic zebrafish.ResultsScreened and established pancreatic ? cells of transgenic zebrafish,and confirmed the fluorescence protein expression in the same spatiotemporal pattern with endogenous insulin gene to achieve dynamic monitoring islet ?-cell development situation in vivo.Conclusion The pancreatic ? cells of transgenic zebrafish animal model can successfully trace pancreatic ? cell development.

Objective:To evaluate the role of nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group D, member 1/brain and muscle Arnt-like 1(Rev-erbα/Bmal1) signaling pathway in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in diabetic rats and its relationship with autophagy.Methods:SPF-grade adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 6-8 weeks, weighing 200-220 g, were used in this study.Type I diabetes mellitus was induced by intraperitoneal streptozotocin 60 mg/kg.The rats were continuously fed for 8 weeks after successful establishment of the model.Thirty rats with type 1 diabetes mellitus were divided into 3 groups by a random number table method: diabetic sham operation group (DS group, n=6), diabetic myocardial I/R group (DI/R group, n=12) and diabetic myocardial I/R plus Rev-erbα antagonist SR-8278 group (DI/R+ SR group, n=12). Eighteen non-diabetic rats were divided into 2 groups by a random number table method: non-diabetic sham operation group (NS group, n=6) and non-diabetic myocardial I/R group (NI/R group, n=12). The myocardial I/R model was established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min followed by 120-min reperfusion in anesthetized rats.SR-8278 2 mg/kg was intravenously injected via the femoral vein at 1 h before ischemia in group DI/R+ SR.Blood samples were collected from the carotid artery immediately after the end of reperfusion for determination of serum troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Then the rats were sacrificed, and myocardial tissues were obtained for determination of myocardial infarct size (by TTC method), expression of Rev-erbα and Bmal1 mRNA (by real-time polymerase chain reaction) and expression of Rev-erbα, Bmal1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain (LC3) Ⅱ and LC3Ⅰ (by Western blot) and for calculation of the ratio of LC3 Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰand the number of autophagosomes (with a transmission electron microscope). Results:Compared with group NS, the percentage of myocardial infarct size, serum levels of cTnI, CK-MB and LDH and the number of autophagosomes were significantly increased, the expression of Rev-erbα and its mRNA in myocardial tissues was up-regulated, the expression of Bmall and its mRNA was down-regulated, and the ratio of LC3 Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰwas increased in group NI/R, and serum levels of cTnI, CK-MB and LDH were increased, the number of autophagosomes was decreased, the expression of Rev-erbα and its mRNA in myocardial tissues was up-regulated, the expression of Bmall and its mRNA was down-regulated and the ratio of LC3 Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰwas decreased in group DS ( P<0.05). Compared with group NI/R, the percentage of myocardial infarct size and serum levels of cTnI, CK-MB and LDH were significantly increased, the number of autophagosomes was decreased, the expression of Rev-erbα and its mRNA in myocardial tissues was up-regulated, the expression of Bmall and its mRNA was down-regulated, and the ratio of LC3 Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰwas decreased in group DI/R ( P<0.05). Compared with group DS, the percentage of myocardial infarct size, serum levels of cTnI, CK-MB and LDH and the number of autophagosomes were were significantly increased, the expression of Rev-erbα and its mRNA in myocardial tissues was up-regulated, the expression of Bmall and its mRNA was down-regulated, and the ratio of LC3 Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰwas increased in group DI/R ( P<0.05). Compared with group DI/R, the percentage of myocardial infarct size, serum levels of cTnI, CK-MB and LDH and the number of autophagosomes were significantly decreased, the expression of Rev-erbα and its mRNA in myocardial tissues was down-regulated, the expression of Bmall and its mRNA was up-regulated, and the ratio of LC3 Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰwas increased in group DI/R+ SR ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Rev-erbα/BMAL1 signaling pathway is involved in the process of myocardial I/R injury by regulating cell autophagy in diabetic rats.

Objective To assess the clinical significance of three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (3D-STI) in the evaluation of left ventricular myocardial function in breast cancer survivors with postoperative anthracycline-based chemotherapy.Methods A total of 51 breast cancer survivors with postoperative anthracycline-based chemotherapy were recruited and 31 female healthy volunteers as the controls.Conventional echocardiography and 3D-STI derived parameters [including global longitudinal strain (GLS) and global area strain (GAS)] were measured before and at 3 and 6 anthracycline-based chemotherapeutic cycles.The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was constructed to determine optimal sensitivity and specificity of 3ID-STI derived parameters for the prediction of future cardiotoxicity.Results In comparison with the controls and baseline cases,GLS and GAS deteriorated significantly (P ＜ 0.05 for both).No statistical difference in GCS and conventional parameters showed before and after the initiation of chemotherapy (P ＜0.05,respectively).The ROC curves showed that GAS as the best 3D-STI predictor of patients who develop cardiotoxicity during the follow-up.The area under ROC(AUC) of GAS was 0.894,and its optimal cut-off value was-28.4％,with a specificity of 88.0％ and a sensitivity of 82.9％.AUC of GLS was 0.802,and its optimal cut-off value was-14.3％,with a specificity of 62.0％ and a sensitivity of 85.4％.Conclusions Early decreases in GAS and GLS based on 3D-STI may allow the prediction of subsequent cardiotoxic development accurately in breast cancer survivors with postoperative anthracycline-based chemotherapy.

The ingredients of five kinds of Zhejiang's yellow Chrysanthemum morifolium with different flower blossoming stages were comparatively analyzed. Polysaccharides, total flavonoids, volatile oil, alcohol extract, water extract, chlorogenic acid, luteolin, 3,5-O-dicaffeoyl quinic acid and fingerprint of the ingredient were determined as indicators. During flower blossoming stages, the ingredients of Ch. morifolium showed a big difference with a certain variation. At the early opening stage, the contents of flavonoids and volatile oil were higher, the content of chlorogenic acid, luteolin, 3,5-O-dicaffeoyl quinic acid were higher in the middle of the flowers 50% -80% fowers blossoming degree is the optimal time for harvest.
China ; Chlorogenic Acid ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chrysanthemum ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; Flowers ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Quality Control ; Quinic Acid ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy of He-wei Jie-gu (Chinese characters) decoction on femoral intertrochanteric fractures after internal fixation in elderly.

METHODSFrom January 2010 to January 2012, 90 elderly patients with osteoporotic intertrochanteric fracture were randomly divided into two groups. The patients in experimental group were treated with open reduction and internal fixation, He-wei Jie-gu decoction and Caltrate D in oral, including 18 males and 27 females with an average age of (77.8±11.3) years old ranging from 65 to 89 years old;the time from injured to operation was 2 to 9 days with an average of (6.6±2.1) days; according to Evans-Jensen classification, 17 cases were in type I, 8 in type II, 15 in type III, 3 in type IV, 2 in type V. Meanwhile, the patients in control group were treated with open reduction and internal fixation, Caltrate D in oral, including 16 males and 29 females with an average age of (81.2±9.6) years old ranging from 67 to 91 years old; the time from injury to operation was 2 to 10 days with an average of (6.8±2.6) days; according to Evans-Jensen classification, 15 cases were in type I, 10 in type II, 14 in type III, 4 in type W, 2 in type V. The VAS score, hip BMD value before and after treatment, fracture healing and the Harris function score after operation were recorded and compared.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 3 to 9 months with an average of (5.6±2.8) months. Compared with the control group, the VAS score of the experimental group had an obviously reduction (F=98.138, P<0.01) after treatment; the hip BMD value at 3 months after treatment in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05); the fracture healing rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05); Harris score in 3 months of follow-up in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (t=2.542, P<0.05); all the differences between two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONHe-wei Jie-gu decoction can reduce postoperative pain and increase bone mineral density after internal fixation of femoral intertrochanteric fracture in elderly, promote the fracture healing and functional recovery in the hip joint.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Density ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Femur ; injuries ; surgery ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Hip Fractures ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Pain, Postoperative ; drug therapy ; physiopathology

Animals ; Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Coxsackievirus Infections ; physiopathology ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Myocarditis ; physiopathology ; virology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; virology

Adolescent ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Anti-Ulcer Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Penicillin G Procaine ; therapeutic use ; Stomach Ulcer ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; pathology ; Syphilis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; pathology ; Syphilis Serodiagnosis ; methods ; Treponema pallidum ; isolation & purification

Objective To study the accuracy and the clinical significance of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB)after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.Methods A total of 90 patients with StageⅡorⅢbreast cancer and negative axillary node after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled in the study.Mapping proce- dure and SLNB were performed using methylene blue injected at the site of the primary breast cancer,followed by the axillary lymph node dissection.Results The sentinel lymph node(SLN)was successfully identified in 82 out of 90 patients(91.1%).The number of sentinel harvested nodes ranged from 1 to 4(average 1.6).The accuracy of SLNB to predict the axillary lymph node status was 93.9 %(77/82),the sensitivity,positive predictive value,nega- tive predictive value and false negative rate were 87.5 %(40/45),100 %,88.1% and 11.1%(5/45),respectively. The SLN identification rate tended to be higher and false negative rate tended to be lower in patients with T2 prima- ry tumor before neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Conclusion Our study indicated that SLNB after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with StageⅡorⅢbreast cancer had a similar effect as SLNB in non-neoadjuvant studies. SLNB was considered to be able to accurately predict the axillary lymph node status in patients with T2 primary tu- mor before neoadjuvant chemotherapy.