In order to ascertain prevalence rate of premarital sexual intercourse, unintended pregnancy and abortion, and evaluate associated factors of unintended pregnancy among undergraduates from all over China, the representative sample of unmarried undergraduates was obtained by using a multi-stage, stratified, probability cluster design, and data were collected by using a survey questionnaire. 62 326 available responders were gained. 11.6% of them acknowledged having experiences of premarital sexual intercourse (standardized prevalence rate of sexual intercourse was 13.8%). 31.5% of students active in premarital sex acknowledged undergoing unintended pregnancy. 76.2% of pregnant students selected abortion to end it. Of students active in premarital sex, 46.2% used contraception at the first sexual intercourse, 28.2% replied "always" using contraception in sexual intercourse. The rate of using condoms, oral contraceptives (OCs), and withdrawal among students who had used contraception was 52.0%, 31.0%, and 27.2% respectively. "No preparation for sex" (40.3%), "pleasure decrement" (32.1%), "won't-be-pregnancy in occasional sexual intercourse" (30.2%) were their common excuses for using no contraception. The identified risk factors for unintended pregnancy among students active in premarital sex by multivariate analysis were as follows: having no steady lover [having no steady lover vs having a steady lover: odds ratio (OR), 1.875; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.629-2.158], unaware of the course of conception (unaware vs aware: OR, 2.023; 95% CI, 1.811-2.260), considering abortion not endanger women's physical and mental health (no endangerment vs endangerment: OR, 2.659; 95% CI, 2.265-3.121), nonuse of contraception (never use vs always use: OR, 1.682; 95% CI, 1.295-2.185). Medical students were not less likely to experience an unintended pregnancy than nonmedical students (OR, 1.111; 95% CI, 0.906-1.287). The substantial proportion of unintended pregnancy among undergraduates indicates a need for convenient and targeted contraceptive education and services.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of sirolimus on differentiation, proliferation, adhesion and migration of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) in vitro.

METHODS(1) Mononuclear cells (MNC) were isolated from rat bone marrow by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation and cultured on fibronectin-coated culture dishes with or without sirolimus (0.01 - 100 ng/ml) for 12 days. (2) After 8 days cultured, attached cells were treated with sirolimus (0.1 - 200 ng/ml) or vehicle for various time points (12 h, 24 h, 48 h and 96 h). EPC were identified as adherent cells double positive stained for FITC-UEA-I and DiI-acLDL under laser confocal immunofluence microscope. EPC proliferation, migration were assayed with MTT assay and modified Boyden chamber assay respectively.

RESULTSEPC number differentiated from MNC at 12 days was significantly lower in sirolimus treated cells in a dose-dependent manner than that of vehicle-treated cells. Sirolimus also significantly inhibited the proliferative, migratory and adhesive capacity of EPC in a time and dose dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONPresent results suggested that sirolimus could inhibit EPC differentiation from MNC and reduce the proliferation, migration and adhesion capacities of EPC.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Female ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sirolimus ; pharmacology ; Stem Cells ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of COX1 and COX2 on angiogenesis and endothelial progenitor cell mobilization in rats with experimental myocardial infarction (MI).

METHODSThe rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: MI group, MI plus rofecoxib group and MI plus valeryl salicylate group. At the 7th day after operation, circulating EPCs, plasma VEGF and HIF-1alpha mRNA of ischemic myocardium were measured. At the 28th day post operation, capillary densities were also measured in ischemic myocardium.

RESULTCompared with the MI group and the MI plus valeryl salicylate group, circulating EPCs, plasma VEGF, HIF-1alpha mRNA and capillary densities of ischemic myocardium were all decreased in MI plus rofecoxib group.

CONCLUSIONThe present study revealed that COX2 play an important role with angiogenesis and endothelial progenitor cell mobilization in rat with experimental MI by modulating expression of VEGF and HIF-1alpha.

Animals ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; biosynthesis ; Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Female ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; biosynthesis ; Myocardial Infarction ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stem Cells ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; blood

To explore the fumigation and moxibustion therapy in treatment of ulcer and sore of yin syndrome. The fumigation and moxibustion therapy is the combination of fumigation and moxibustion, in which, smoking fumigation is provided with warming effect and the actions as moxibustion. This therapy works on the efficacy of both fumigation and moxibustion. In treatment, different herbal medicines can be selected flexibly, acting on dispersing yin and rescuing yang. The fumigation and moxibustion therapy can drain toxin and remove ulcer and sore. It contributes to the treatment of boils and chronic sores of yin syndrome and promotes wound healing.
Fumigation ; methods ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Pain Management ; Syndrome ; Ulcer ; therapy ; Yin-Yang

Anthracycline-Taxane chemotherapy is widely used in neoadjuvant treatment for breast cancers. However, there is limited data reported in patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Here, we evaluated the pathologic responses and survival of neoadjuvant epirubicin and taxanes chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced TNBC to provide some useful information for clinical practice. A total of 43 patients with locally advanced TNBC were enrolled in this study. Patients were administered with epirubicin 75 mg/m(2) plus paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) or docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks for at least 2 cycles. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR), which was defined as no residual invasive cancer, or only carcinoma in situ in both the excised breast and axillary lymph node, while relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were secondary endpoints. Thirty-nine (90.7%) patients were at clinical stages IIB-IIIC. Thirty-seven (86%) completed 4-6 cycles of preoperative chemotherapy, and objective response rate (ORR) was 81.4% (35/43). Forty-two patients underwent radical surgery subsequently. The pCR rate was 14.3% (6/42). The most common adverse events in neoadjuvant chemotherapy were nausea/vomiting (88.4%, 38/43) and neutropenia (88.4%). After a median follow-up period of 34.0 months, 3-year RFS and OS rate was 53.6% and 80.1%, respectively. All events of recurrence and death occurred in non-pCR patients, in whom the 3-year RFS and OS rates were 44.3% and 76.6%, respectively. This study suggest that neoadjuvant chemotherapy with epirubicin plus taxanes has a relatively low pCR rate and high early recurrence risk in locally advanced TNBC, which indicates the necessity for more efficacious treatment. Further study is needed to validate these results.
Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; administration & dosage ; Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant ; methods ; Disease-Free Survival ; Epirubicin ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; methods ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Neoplasm, Residual ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Paclitaxel ; administration & dosage ; Taxoids ; administration & dosage ; Treatment Failure ; Treatment Outcome ; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology

Objective To investigate the correlation between the number and activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), insulin resistance and severity of coronary lesions in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods Patients with coronary angiography evidenced CAD were divided in insulin resistance group ( IR, n = 25 ) and insulin sensitive group ( IS, n = 44) according to insulin level, 25 health volunteers served as control. Circulating EPCs were marked as KDR/CD133<'+ cells via fluorescence- activated cell sorter analysis. EPCs were also isolated from peripheral blood and cultured in vitro for 7 days, identified by DiI-acLDL uptake and lectin staining methods. EPCs migration activities were determined by modified Boyden chamber assay, EPCs proliferation activities were determined by MTT assay. Result Circulating EPCs number was significantly lower in IR group compared with IS group [ (0. 34±0. 08 ) ‰ vs. (0. 47±0. 09 )‰, P < 0. 01 ] and control group ( P < 0. 05 ). Both insulin resistence index (r = - 0. 291, P = 0. 01) and Gensini score ( r = - 0. 3984, P = 0. 006) were negatively correlated with number of circulating EPCs. Proliferation and migration capacities of EPCs were also significantly lower in IR group compared to those in IS group ( all P < 0. 05 ) and control group ( all P < 0. 05). Conclusions Insulin resistence/hyperinsulinemia could aggravate severity of coronary artery lesions via reducing the number and activities of circulating EPCs in patients with CAD.

In order to ascertain prevalence rate of premarital sexual intercourse,unintended pregnancy and abortion,and evaluate associated factors of unintended pregnancy among undergraduates from all over China,the representative sample of unmarried undergraduates was obtained by using a multi-stage,stratified,probability cluster design,and data were collected by using a survey questionnaire.62 326available responders were gained.11.6％ of them acknowledged having experiences of premarital sexual intercourse (standardized prevalence rate of sexual intercourse was 13.8％).31.5％ of students active in premarital sex acknowledged undergoing unintended pregnancy.76.2％ of pregnant students selected abortion to end it.Of students active in premarital sex,46.2％ used contraception at the first sexual intercourse,28.2％ replied “always” using contraception in sexual intercourse.The rate of using condoms,oral contraceptives (OCs),and withdrawal among students who had used contraception was 52.0％,31.0％,and 27.2％ respectively.“No preparation for sex” (40.3％),“pleasure decrement” (32.1％),“won't-be-pregnancy in occasional sexual intercourse” (30.2％) were their common excuses for using no contraception.The identified risk factors for unintended pregnancy among students active in premarital sex by multivariate analysis were as follows:having no steady lover [having no steady lover vs having a steady lover:odds ratio (OR),1.875; 95％ confidence interval (CI),1.629-2.158],unaware of the course of conception (unaware vs aware:OR,2.023; 95％ CI,1.811-2.260),considering abortion not endanger women's physical and mental health (no endangerment vs endangerment:OR,2.659; 95％ CI,2.265-3.121),nonuse of contraception (never use vs always use:OR,1.682; 95％ CI,1.295-2.185).Medical students were not less likely to experience an unintended pregnancy than nonmedical students (OR,1.111; 95％ CI,0.906-1.287).The substantial proportion of unintended pregnancy among undergraduates indicates a need for convenient and targeted contraceptive education and services.

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether acupuncture combined with moxibustion could inhibit epithelialmesenchymal transition in Crohn's disease by affecting the transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF- β 1)/Smad3/Snail pathway. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with Crohn's disease were randomly divided into an observation group (31 cases) receiving moxibustion at 43 °C combined with acupuncture, and a control group (32 cases) receiving moxibustion at 37 °C combined with sham acupuncture using a random number table. Patients were treated for 12 weeks. Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) was used to evaluate disease activity. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy were utilized to observe the morphological and ultrastructural changes. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF-β 1), T β R1, T β R2, Smad3, Snail, E-cadherin and fibronectin in intestinal mucosal tissues. RESULTS: The decrease of the CDAI score, morphological and ultrastructural changes were more significant in observation group. The expression levels of TGF- β 1, Tβ R2, Smad3, and Snail in the observation group were significantly lower than those before the treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). After treatment, the expression levels of TGF-β 1, TβR2, and Snail in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05); compared with the control group, the expression of fibronectin in the observation group was significantly decreased, and the expression of E-cadherin was significantly increased (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Moxibustion at 43 °C combined with acupuncture may suppress TGF-β 1/Smad3/Snail pathway-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition of intestinal epithelial cells in Crohn's disease patients by inhibiting the expression levels of TGF-β 1, Tβ R2, Smad3, and Snail. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IIR-16007751).
Acupuncture Therapy ; Cadherins/metabolism* ; Crohn Disease/therapy* ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Fibronectins/metabolism* ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Smad3 Protein/metabolism* ; Snail Family Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism*

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common complication during pregnancy. Obesity and overweight are closely related to metabolic diseases and diabetes. However, the role of adipose tissue in the pathogenesis of GDM remains to be studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of vitamin D (VD) levels, VD receptor (VDR), and peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression with GDM in overweight or obese women. Methods: One hundred and forty pregnant women with full-term single-birth cesarean-section were selected as the study subjects and grouped (70 GDM women, including 35 non-overweight/non-obese women [group G1] and 35 women with overweight or obesity [group G2]; 70 pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance, including 35 non-overweight/non-obese women [group N1] and 35 overweight/obese women [group N2]). The levels of serum VD, blood biochemistry, and adiponectin were compared in these women. Subcutaneous adipose tissue was isolated from the abdominal wall incision. VDR and PPARγ messenger RNA (mRNA) transcript levels in these adipose tissues were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The differences between the levels of PPARγ protein and phosphorylated PPARγ Ser273 were detected by Western blotting. Results: The serum VD level of GDM women was lower in comparison to that of women with normal glucose tolerance (G1 vs. N1: 20.62 ± 7.87 ng/mL vs. 25.85 ± 7.29 ng/mL, G2 vs. N2: 17.06 ± 6.74 ng/mL vs. 21.62 ± 7.18 ng/mL, P < 0.05), and the lowest in overweight/obese GDM women. VDR and PPARγ mRNA expression was higher in the adipose tissues of GDM women in comparison to that of women with normal glucose tolerance (VDR mRNA: G1 vs. N1: 210.00 [90.58-311.46] vs. 89.34 [63.74-159.92], G2 vs. N2: 298.67 [170.84-451.25] vs. 198.28 [119.46-261.23], PPARγ mRNA: G1 vs. N1: 100.72 [88.61-123.87] vs. 87.52 [66.37-100.04], G2 vs. N2: 117.33 [100.08-149.00] vs. 89.90 [76.95-109.09], P < 0.05), and their expression was the highest in GDM+ overweight/obese women. VDR mRNA levels positively correlated with the pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), pre-delivery BMI, fasting blood glucose (FBG), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and PPARγ mRNA while it negatively correlated with the VD and the adiponectin levels (r = 0.395, 0.336, 0.240, 0.190, 0.235, -0.350, -0.294, respectively, P < 0.05). The degree of PPARγ Ser273 phosphorylation increased in obese and GDM pregnant women. PPARγ mRNA levels positively correlated with pre-pregnancy BMI, pre-delivery BMI, FBG, HOMA-IR, serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acid, and VDR mRNA, while it negatively correlated with the VD and adiponectin levels (r = 0.276, 0.199, 0.210, 0.230, 0.182, 0.214, 0.270, 0.235, -0.232, -0.199, respectively, P < 0.05). Conclusions Both GDM and overweight/obese women had decreased serum VD levels and up-regulated VDR and PPARγ mRNA expression in adipose tissue, which was further higher in the overweight or obese women with GDM. VD may regulate the formation and differentiation of adipocytes through the VDR and PPARγ pathways and participate in the occurrence of GDM.

Objective: Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear. Methods: A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients' medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio ( Results: Overall, 158 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32 (2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension (2.87, 1.30-6.32), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (3.57, 2.32-5.49), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3.78, 1.81-7.89), fatty liver disease (7.53, 1.96-28.96), hyperlipidemia (2.15, 1.26-3.67), other lung diseases (6.00, 3.01-11.96), and electrolyte imbalance (10.40, 3.00-26.10) were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2DM (6.07, 2.89-12.75), CVD (8.47, 6.03-11.89), and electrolyte imbalance (19.44, 11.47-32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission (5.46, 3.25-9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes (6.58, 1.46-29.64) within two weeks. Conclusion Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes.
Adult ; Aged ; COVID-19/virology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome