Objective To explore the effect of cigarette smoke exposure on testis structure and nitric oxide (NO) level in testis of rats.Methods A total of 160 adult male SD rats were divided into control group and low,medium,high dose groups.The smoke-exposed rats were respectively exposed to the smog for the periods of 2,4,6,8 and 12 weeks,10 rats in each group.The smoke-exposed rats were exposed to cigarette smoke for 0.5 h per day.The testicular tissue structure was observed and the body mass and the NO level of testis were measured.Results Compared with the control group and low dose group,the body mass of the rats was significantly lower in the medium and high dose groups exposed for 4,6,8,12 weeks (P<0.05).Compared with the medium dose groups,the body mass of the rats was significantly lower in the high dose group exposed for 8 weeks and 12 weeks (P<0.05).And with the increase of exposure dose,the reducing was even more obvious.Compared with the control group and low and medium dose groups,NO level in testis of rats was significantly increased in the high dose groups exposed for 2,4,6,8 weeks (P<0.05).Compared with the control group,NO level in testis of rats was significantly increased in the medium dose groups exposed for 8 weeks (P<0.05).Compared with the control group,NO level in testis of rats was significantly increased in the low,medium and high dose groups exposed for 12 weeks (P<0.05);and compared with the low dose group,NO level in testis of rats was significantly increased in the medium and high dose groups(P<0.05).Conclusion Cigarette smoke exposure may have impacts on testis tissue and lead to the increase of NO level in testis of male rats.

Cerebral venous and sinus Thrombosis (CVST) is a rare ischemic cerebrovascular disease,the lesions of 60% patients are involved in multiple venous sinus,of which the superior sagittal sinus thrombosis is most common.The pathogenesis and pathophysiology of CVST has not yet been fully elucidated,and the establishment of stable and ideal animal models can provide a basis for the study of its development,prognosis and efficacy assessment.This article summarizes the characteristics and advantages of several available CVST models,but each method has its own limitations.Therefore,the establishment of a more ideal animal model will help to fully understand the pathogenesis and pathological process of CVST.

Objective To determine the changes of cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) ?-endorphin(?-EP) and C-reactive protein(CRP) in children with central nervous system(CNS) infection.Methods Sixty-five children suffered from CNS infection were determined the plasma and CSF ?-EP and CRP concentration during the acute and recovering stage with radioimmunoassay, which included 48 viral encephalitis, 12 purulent meningitis and 5 tuberculou meningitis,and 24 non-CNS disease children were as control group.Results The concentrations of plasma and CSF ?-EP of every experimental group were obviously higher than those of control group during the early stage of CNS infection and these were obviously lower during the recovering stage. The serum concentration of CRP during acute stage was significantly higher than that during recovering stage. No change of serum and CSF CRP concentration was determined during either the acute or recovering stage in the other two experimental groups.Conclusions Determining the plasma and CSF ?-EP is mea-(ningful) in early diagnosis of CNS infection,and determining the serum CRP at the same time may be helpful in differentiating septic and inseptic infection.

Objective To evaluate calcium deficiency and demand in pre-puberty twins and to analyze the heritability of serum bone alkaline phosphatase(BALP).Methods A total of 73 pairs of twins aged 9-16 years were examined by BALP test.Microsatellite polymorphism Was used To diagnose the zygosity of twins,while both intraclass correlation coefficient method and Christian formula were perfortled to investigate heritability of serum BALP.Results The results of zygosity diagnosis displayed that 34 pairs of twins were monozygotic(MZ)twins and 39 pairs were dizygotic(DZ)twins.97.9％of the subjects appeared unusual in the activity of BALP,with activity of BALP>250 U/L in 43.1％of subjects and 200-250 U/L in 54.8％of the subjects.The intake of calcium Was unsatisfied in 48.4％of the boys and 39.0％in girls.Less than 10.0％ of the Sllbiects were satisfied with the intake of calcium in each age group while over 45.0％of the snbjects in 10-13 age group were deficient in calcium.Differences between the means of BALP in different sex groups(t=1.633,P=0.105)and different age groups(F=0.323,P=0.924)were not statistically significant.Heritability analysis displayed that intra-class variation.Inter-class variation.Intra-class correlation coefficient were 191.54,1462.22,0.77 in MZ twins,and those were 491.03,1475.57,0.50 in DZ twins respectively with the heritability of BALP activity as 0.54.Conclusion Calcium deficiency Is commonplace in pre-puberty twins.Our data showed that the BALP activity was influenced both by genetic(54％)and environmental(46％)factors.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of venous sinus stenting in the treatment of refractory idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) complicated with venous sinus stenosis. Methods We reviewed our clinical database for 18 patients with resistant or fulminant IIH and cerebral venous sinus stenosis,who underwent placement of venous sinus stents between January 2013 and December 2016. Patients were considered eligible for stenting based on the following criteria: (1) medically refractory IIH;(2)papilledema confirmed by an ophthalmologist;and(3)dural venous sinus stenosis of the dominant venous outflow system with a gradient of ≥10 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). Prior to intervention, diagnostic angiography and venous pressure measurements were performed. Clinical follow-up was available in all patients at 6 to 48 months after stenting.Angiography to evaluate stent patency and restenosis was performed at 6 months after intervention;Relevant clinical, demographic and radiographic data were extracted after review of these records. The paired t test was used to compare the changes before and after the operation. Results The mean lumbar CSF pressure was reduced from (385±72) mmH2O(1 mmH2O=0.009 8 kPa) to (201±24)mmH2O(t=13.02,P<0.05).The mean pressure gradient across the venous stenosis was reduced from(31.5±11.4)mmHg before the procedure to(2.5±2.1)mmHg(t=10.96,P<0.05).Headache in 13 cases,vision in 14 were resolved. Papilledema and pulsatile tinnitus resolved in all patients. There was no instances of restenosis among the 18 patients with follow-up imaging.Conclusion In patients with IIH and documented evidence of venous sinus stenosis with a high pressure gradient,venous sinus senting represents an effective treatment strategy.

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of various planting densities on dynamic growth and root yield of Isatis indigotica.

METHODThe planting samples were collected to measure the growth period of each organ.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONUnder different planting densities, both main root length and breadth exhibited a trend of "fast-slow" by stages. However, the number of individual plant leaves were showed a trend of "slow-fast" on growth period. Meanwhile, the leaf length and breadth were exhibited a trend of "increase-decrease". The increase of dry leaf, dry root and whole plant dry matter was faster during the period of 65-76 days after seeding. The differences of root and leaf yields under various densities were significant. Planting densities has a great effect on yield of root. It must be shown that there was a positive development between the individual plant and colony. According to the dry matter of root and leaf, treatment B (i.e., 7 cm x 25 cm) was good choice.

Biomass ; Isatis ; growth & development ; Plant Roots ; growth & development

AIMTo prepare the cardiomyocyte-targeting liposomes and investigate their cardiomyocyte targetability in vitro.

METHODSLiposomes modified with compound PAC were prepared (PAC-L); The uptake of PAC-L by cardiomyocytes was studied by incubating fluorescence labeled liposomes with cardiomyocytes in vitro and measuring the association of liposomes by a fluorescence spectrophotometer.

RESULTSA high affinity of PAC-L to the cardiomyocytes was observed, the amount of cell uptake of PAC-L by cardiomyocytes was higher than that by nonmyocyte (P < 0.001); The amount of cardiomyocyte uptake of PAC-L on the normoxia condition 2 h was 2.9-fold higher than that of plain-L, and the increase was 5.2-fold when hypoxia occured; The form of liposome uptake changed, the amount of cardiomyocyte uptake of Plain-L by internalization was only 11%, while that of PAC-L was 56%.

CONCLUSIONIt is indicated that PAC-L was a potential drug carrier for targeting to ischemic myocardium.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cells, Cultured ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Fatty Alcohols ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Liposomes ; Mice ; Molecular Structure ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Propanolamines ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo understand clinical application of syndrome differentiation and treatment of meridians in acupuncture and moxibustion.

METHODSCollect and collate the literature about syndrome differentiation and treatment of meridians in Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Acupuncture Research, Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture & Moxibustion (Clinic edition B in 2003) and Clinical Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion from 2001 to 2003.

RESULTSLess literature about syndrome differentiation and treatment of meridians are involved, only accounting for 5.69% (163/2 864); and the literature about both treatment based on meridians and treatment based on syndrome differentiation of meridians only accounted for 1.22% (35/2 864).

CONCLUSIONAt present, clinically acupuncture and moxibustion do not play attention to treatment based on syndrome differentiation of meridians.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; China ; Humans ; Meridians ; Moxibustion

Biosimilars are biological medicinal products that are highly similar to an already licensed reference product in terms of quality, safety, and efficacy. BAT1706 is being developed by Bio-Thera Solutions, Ltd. as a proposed biosimilar candidate to bevacizumab reference product (Avastin^®). Bevacizumab acts by specifically binding to vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), and preventing the interaction of VEGF-A with its receptors on the surface of endothelial cells, then blocking the downstream signaling pathway mediated by ligand-receptor, and inhibiting endothelial angiogenesis, thus inhibiting tumor growth. Comprehensive analytical characterization studies incorporating orthogonal analytical techniques were performed to compare the in vitro functional activities of BAT1706 and Avastin^®. BAT1706 and Avastin^® showed highly similar binding activity to multiple VEGF-A isoforms and equivalent VEGF-A neutralizing activity, as well as inhibitory activity of VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-2 tyrosine kinase autophosphorylation. Both products exhibited similar binding of the Fcγ receptors and a lack of Fc-related effector functions such as antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). Overall, the results demonstrate that BAT1706 and Avastin^® are highly similar in terms of in vitro functional activities.

OBJECTIVETo observe the alterations of saliva nitrate and nitrite level in patients with oral candidiasis.

METHODSParotid saliva and whole saliva were collected from 33 patients and 34 healthy volunteers. Concentrations of nitrate and nitrite in saliva were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Follow-up observation was performed on 10 patients after treatment. The data were statistically analyzed with independent-samples t test or paired-samples t test at alpha = 0.05.

RESULTSThere was significant increase of the concentrations and secretion rate of parotid saliva nitrate in patient group as compared with controls: (49.70 +/- 0.50) vs (21.51 +/- 0.60) mg/L (t = 2.692, P = 0.009) and (27.71 +/- 0.50) vs (12.55 +/- 0.60) microg/min (t = 2.554, P = 0.013), respectively. Significantly increased concentrations and secretion rate of nitrate and nitrite [nitrate: (6.46 +/- 0.94) vs (1.11 +/- 0.70) mg/L (t = 3.792, P = 0.000); nitrite: (8.48 +/- 0.58) vs (3.39 +/- 0.53) mg/L (t = 2.888, P = 0.005); nitrate secretion rate: (10.57 +/- 0.91) vs (2.10 +/- 0.74) microg/min (t = 3.464, P= 0.001); nitrite secretion rate: (13.91 +/- 0.55) vs (6.42 +/- 0.58) microg/min (t = 2.397, P = 0.020)] were revealed in whole saliva of patients group. Significantly decreased nitrate and nitrite levels were also observed in patients after treatment, especially the changes of parotid saliva nitrate secretion rate [(37.50 +/- 0.50) vs (14.34 +/- 0.64) microg/min (t = 3.142, P = 0.012)], whole saliva nitrate [(14.29 +/- 1.01) vs (2.59 +/- 1.03) mg/L (t = 3.475, P = 0.007)] and whole saliva nitrate secretion rate [(25.97 +/- 0.93) vs (4.12 +/- 1.00) microg/min (t = 3.922, P = 0.003)].

CONCLUSIONThe present study revealed the significant increase of salivary nitrate and nitrite level in patients with oral candidiasis is considered to be associated with the host defense reaction.

Adult ; Aged ; Candidiasis, Oral ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitrates ; metabolism ; Nitrites ; metabolism ; Saliva ; secretion ; Young Adult