Cestode Infections ; parasitology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male

ObjectiveTo evaluate the adequacy of hemodialysis by online clearance monitoring (OCM) and Kt/V of correlation analysis.MethodsThe Kt/V values of 48 maintenance hemodialysis patients in the Department of Nephrology of General Hospital of PLA were accessed by both OCM of Germany BeiLang Dialog + hemodialysis machine and single-pool urea kinetic model.The Kt/V calculation value was also checked by the urea dynamics - room variable volume model.The results generated at different time point were compared,including at the real time,before and after appearing through blood by On - line Clearance Monitoring,and correlation analysis of Kt/V value was performed.ResultsThere was no significant difference on evaluating the level of Kt/v by these two methods.The relationship between the results of the two methods was significantly positive related.(r=0.539,P ＜ 0.01).ConclusionsDuring hemodialysis,the OCM option provides an accurate tool for continuous on-line monitoring of urea clearance.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of the executive function and working memory in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and the relations between working memory and executive function and the effects of working memory on patient' s daily functioning.Methods Thirty patients with MCI and 30 healthy elderly subjects were tested with a wide neuropsychoingical battery of tests including those of executive function, working memory and other cognition domain tests.Executive function was evaluated by using the verbal fluency test (VFT), color trail test (CTT), digital span (DS).Results The results showed the presence of significant executive function and working memory impairment in MCI patients as compared with the healthy controls.The scores of executive function test in MCI patients were decreased significantly in CTT (130.8±58.2 vs 52.0±13.5), CTT-B (210.2±81.8 vs 121.0±33.4),DS (3.4±0.9 vs 4.2±1.1), VFT (8.9±5.4 vs 16.4±5.4) and visuo-objective working memory (0.73±0.12 vs 0.85±9.18) respectively (t = 7.108, 5.159,-2.544,-4.879, and-4.351, all P <0.01 or P < 0.05) .In the stepwise liner regression analysis objective working memory test made a significant independent contribution to ADL (β =-0.720, t =-3.571, P < 0.01).Conclusion The patients with MCI have the deficit in executive function and working memory.Visuo-objective working memory is closely correlated with general cognitive function such as daily function, resulting in daily function decline.

The effect of water temperature, stocking density and feeding cycle on the growth of Poecilobdella manillensis juvenile was conducted P. manillensis was conducted respectively under different conditions: water temperatures(18, 22, 26, 30,34, 38 degrees C and CT), stocking density (75, 125, 200, 275, 350 individual/L) and feeding cycle(2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16 d). After 30 days, survival rate, weight gain rate, specific growth rate were measured. There was a significant correlation between water temperature and specific growth rate (γ = -0.066x2 + 3.543 1x -38.09, R2 = 0.837 9). Based on the regression equation, the specific growth rate of P. manillensis achieved the maximum (9.461 4) at 26.84 degrees C. And the most optimal water temperature was 26-30 degrees C. Meanwhile, the survival rates of P. manillensis was 0 at 38 degrees C in 3 d. There was significant negative correlation between density and specific growth rate (γ = -0.005 7x + 9.197 3, R2 = 0.998 3) and between feeding cycle and specific growth rate (γ = -0.468 2x + 10.574, R2 = 0.998 8).
Animals ; Annelida ; growth & development ; physiology ; Body Size ; Feeding Behavior ; Temperature ; Water ; chemistry

Aim To observe the effects of benazepril and irbesartan on myocardial collagen in chronic heart failure ( CHF ) rats and the possible mechanisms. Methods CHF model in rats was made by partially banding abdominal aorta to induce pressure overload cardiac hypertrophy. The rats were given benazepril or/and irbesartan for 8 weeks. Systolic blood pressure ( SBP) was monitored by rat tail artery. The ultrastruc-ture of myocardium was detected by transmission elec-tron microscope. The content of myocardial hydroxyproline and amount of cross-linked collagen were measured by hydrolysis method. The expression of type Ⅰ and Ⅲ collagen protein in myocardium was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The expression of p-38 MAPK and p-p38 MAPK proteins was detected by Western blot. Results Compared with the model of CHF, there was no significant difference in SBP af-ter treatment. The content of hydroxyproline in myocar-dium, degree of cross-linked collagen, as well as ex-pression of type I collagen, type Ⅲ collagen and p-p38 MAPK proteins were significantly decreased after treatment with benazepril or irbesartan ( P <0. 05 ) , and the combined treatment of them had better effects. Conclusion There is a synergistic effect of attenua-ting the quantity and quality of myocardial collagen in CHF rats by combined use of benazepril and irbesar-tan, which may be related to the down regulation of p-p38MAPK protein expression.

Angiotensin II ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; secretion ; Endothelins ; secretion ; Humans ; Polyphenols ; pharmacology ; Propanolamines ; pharmacology ; Tea ; chemistry ; Weightlessness Simulation

Aging can cause degenerative changes in the function of multiple tissues and organs in the body. Gastrointestinal diseases and intestinal dysfunction are very common in the elderly people. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of the total extract of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. on intestinal function and gut microbiota homeostasis in natural aging mice, which will provide clues for further mechanism study. The natural aging mice model is established and animal experiments follow the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The overall health of the mice was evaluated by the "frailty index" scoring method. The intestinal absorption and transport function were measured by detecting intestinal glucose absorption capacity, transport time, lipase and amylase activities of aging mice. Intestinal inflammation was assessed by detecting inflammatory cytokines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The pathological changes in the intestines of aging mice were tested by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and alizarin blue (AB) staining. The qRT-PCR method was used to explore the gene transcription level related with the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells. Microbiota analysis based on 16S rDNA were used to evaluate the composition of gut microbiota. The results showed that Astragalus had a tendency to reduce the "frailty index" of aging mice, but did not show a significant difference. In some indicators of aging phenotype, Astragalus has the most significant effect on hair loss and physical fitness. In terms of intestinal function, Astragalus could increase intestinal glucose absorption capacity, shorten intestinal transportation time and promote lipase secretion in aging mice. The levels of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-‍α) in the aging intestinal tissue were reduced after Astragalus administration. Astragalus also ameliorated the pathological degeneration of the intestinal tissue of aging mice by increasing the length of small intestinal villi, the thickness of colonic mucosa and goblet cell number. In addition, Astragalus elevated the expression of genes associated with the proliferation and differentiation in jejunum and modulated gut microbiota, especially restoring the abundance of Lachnospiraceae. Taken together, the above research results demonstrate the total extract of Astragalus as a key factor improving the intestinal function and gut microbiota homeostasis of aging mice.

In this study, the ameliorative effects of Flos Abelmoschus manihot on mice with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were investigated and its effects on the structure of the intestinal flora as well as the lipid profile in feces of IBD mice were analyzed. All animal welfare and experimental procedures followed the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Nanjing University of Chinese medicine. A mouse model with chronic IBD induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was used to evaluate changes in body weight, disease activity index (DAI), colonic histopathological damage as well as gene expression levels of inflammatory factors in the colon. Fecal samples from mice in each group were collected and subjected to Illumina high-throughput sequencing to detect the abundance of intestinal flora; samples were analyzed by UHPLC-Q-Exactive^® HF Quadrupole-Orbitrap^® of untargeted lipidomics, which detects lipid content in feces. Administration of Flos Abelmoschus manihot could significantly restore the body weight and ameliorate colonic histopathological damage in IBD mice. Sequencing of the gut microbiota revealed that the species diversity and richness of the gut microbiota in IBD mice were decreased, with a significant increase in the abundance of Verrucomicrobia and a significant decrease in the abundance of Bacteroidetes; Flos Abelmoschus manihot significantly increased the richness and diversity of intestinal microbiota in IBD mice, increased the number of taxa species at each level, and restored the abundance of bacteria in the phylum Bacteroidetes. Analysis of fecal lipid profiles identified the most significant changes in sphingolipid and glycerophospholipid metabolic pathways in IBD mice, with Flos Abelmoschus manihot inhibiting ceramide and sphingomyelin synthesis in sphingolipid metabolism. In summary, Flos Abelmoschus manihot can effectively improve the disease condition of mice with chronic IBD, and it has the effect of regulating intestinal flora homeostasis and lipid metabolism, but the related mechanism between the two still needs to be deeply explored.