Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, MT) is a hormone synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland. Recent studies show that melatonin plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of many reproductive processes. High-concentration melatonin exists in human preovulatory follicular fluid and melatonin receptors are present in ovarian granulosa cells, which indicates the direct effects of melatonin on ovarian function. Reactive oxygen species are involved in a number of reproductive events, including folliculogenesis, follicular atresia, ovulation, oocyte maturation, and corpus luteum formation. Melatonin and its metabolites, as powerful antioxidants and free radical scavengers, can potentially inhibit premature ovarian failure. Literature published in recent years shows the essential roles of melatonin in improving human ovarian function and oocyte quality as well as in the management of infertility. Researches on the action mechanisms of melatonin may provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of some clinical diseases.
Female ; Granulosa Cells ; metabolism ; physiology ; Humans ; Melatonin ; metabolism ; physiology ; Ovarian Follicle ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Ovary ; physiology ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism

Aim To find out the effect of the different organic solvents extracts and plumbagin from Plumbago zeylanica L.on EMT-6 breast cancer of BALB/C mouse and transplanted S180 of KM mouse primarily.Method Experiments of animal transplanted tumor in vivo were adopted.Results ① The high dose of chloroform group and plumbagin group could inhibit the growth of EMT-6 breast cancer in BALB/C mice in vivo.Compared with that of physiological saline group,tumor weight has obviously lightened(P

Objective To investigate the construction of compound membrane with corneal stromal cells and collagen-chitosan by tissue engineering technique and its biocompatibility.Methods Rabbit and human corneal stromal cells were separated and seeded into collagen-chitosan membrane.The compound membrane was transplanted into rabbit corneal stroma.Then the growth condition of keratocytes,the effect on normal keratocytes and degradation of compound membrane were detected by corneal confocal microscope,anterior OCT and histological and immunohistochemical methods ex vivo 1,2,4 weeks after grafting.Results The rabbit and human corneal stromal cells grown well in collagen-chitosan scaffold.The compound membrane degradated gradually after grafting.There was no necrosis and dissolvation.Corneal epithelium,stroma and endothelial cells were all normal.Conclusion Collagen-chitosan can be used as a biological scaffold for construction of corneal stroma.Corneal confocal microscopy and anterior OCT are new methods to observe the biological activity of constructed corneal stroma.

The evaluation systems for chronic venous insufficiency of lower extremities play a very important role in standardizing the diagnosis and evaluating the curative effect in patients with the disease. This paper gives an introduction to the CEAP classification system, VSS evaluation system and chronic venous insufficiency questionnaire.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with ultraviolet therapy on herpes zoster at the acute stage and the impacts on serum interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in the patients.

METHODSThirty-four patients of herpes zoster were randomized into a medicine group and a combined therapy group, 17 cases in each one. In the medicine group, the intravenous drops with acyclovir injection, muscular injection with cobamamide and the topical with acyclovir ointment were applied. Additionally, TDP was radiated locally. In the combined therapy group, on the basis of the treatment as the medicine group, EA and ultraviolet therapy were supplemented. The duration of treatment was 10 days in the two groups. Before and after treatment, blister relief, incrustation time and the visible analogue scale (VAS) were recorded in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was assessed in the two groups and the levels of serum IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 were determined in the two groups.

RESULTSIn the combined therapy group, the time of blister relief and incrustation was earlier apparently than that in the medicine group (both P<0.05). VAS score after treatment were reduced as compared with that before treatment in the two groups (both P<0.01), and the reducing amplitude in the combined therapy group was larger than that in the medicine group (P<0.01). The total effective rate was 94. 1% (16/17) in the combined therapy group, higher than 76.4% (13/17) in the medicine group (P<0.05). After treatment, IL-2 levels were increased as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (both P<0.05), the levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were reduced obviously as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (all P<0.01). After treatment, the levels of IL-6, IL-10 were reduced much more apparently in the combined therapy group as compared with those in the medicine group (both P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA combined with ultraviolet irradiation more rapidly and effectively relief the symptoms of herpes zoster, significantly relief pain, shorten the duration of sickness, improve the body immunity and reduce nerve injury.

Acyclovir ; administration & dosage ; Adult ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Herpes Zoster ; blood ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultraviolet Therapy

Objective To observe and compare the effects of four methods of anesthesia in patients with anorectal surgery.Methods One hundred patients with anorectal surgery were equally divided into the group Ⅰ (low-dose epidural anesthesia),group Ⅱ (epidural anesthesia),group Ⅲ (caudal) and group Ⅳ (local anesthesia) based on a random draw principles,each group of 25 cases.The onset time of anesthesia,patient satisfaction,postoperative adverse reaction and hemodynamics were observed in the 4 groups.Results The anesthesia onset time in the group Ⅰ and group Ⅳ were (4.12 ±2.11) min and (3.69 ±1.11) min,significantly shorter than group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ ((10.34 ±3.10) min and (12.55±3.23) min,P＜0.05).Anesthesia satisfaction of four groups were 96.0％ (24/25),84.0％ (21/25),64.0％ (16/25) and 40.0％ (10/25),the differences among 4 groups were statistically significant (P＜0.05),and the anesthesia satisfaction of guoup Ⅰ was the best.Four groups of postoperative urinary retention difference were not statistically significant (P＞0.05),but the postoperative nausea and vomiting(n =3),referred pain (n =12),headaches (n=4) and other adverse events in the group Ⅳ were significantly higher than the other 3 groups(P＜0.05).Differences between-groups and inner-group were not statistically significant of the intraoperative mean arterial pressure,oxygen saturation and pulse rates of the four groups (P＞ 0.05).Conclusion Compare to other anesthetic methods,low-dose epidural anesthesia in anorectal surgery applications with faster onset time of anesthesia and anesthesia satisfaction results,it has litter adverse reactions and maintain stable hemodynamics body,worthy applications.

Objective To evaluate the effect of type Ⅱ odontoid fracture,type Ⅰ Hangman fracture,C2-C3 disc injury on stability of C1-C2 and C2-C3 segments and investigate the clinical significance.Methods Ten fresh-frozen cadaveric cervical specimens (5 men and 5 women; 25-45 years of age,mean 35.7 years) were selected to test the stability of C1-C2 and C2-C3 segments in the settings of intact condition (control group),type Ⅰ Hangman fracture,type Ⅱ odontoid fracture,type Ⅰ Hangman fracture + type Ⅱ odontoid fracture,type Ⅰ Hangman fracture + type Ⅱ odontoid fracture + C2-C3 disc injury.Range of motion (ROM) and neutral zone (NZ) of those segments were measured.Results Compared with the intact condition,type Ⅰ Hangman fracture produced no significant variations in C1-C2 ROM in all loading modes and C2-C3 ROM during left and right lateral bending; type Ⅱ odontoid fracture produced no significant variations in C2-C3 ROM in all loading modes and C1-C2 ROM during left and right rotation; type Ⅰ Hangman fracture + type Ⅱ odontoid fracture revealed no significant variations in C1-C2 ROM during left and right rotation and C2-C3 ROM during extention; type Ⅰ Hangman fracture + type Ⅱ odontoid fracture + C2-C3 disc injury produced no significant variations in C1-C2 ROM during left and right lateral bending and extension-flextion and C2-C3 ROM in all loading modes (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Type Ⅰ Hangman fracture can reserve C1-C2 segmental left and right rotation and extension-flextion; type Ⅱ odontoid fracture can reserve C1-C2 segmental left and right lateral bending and extension-flextion; type Ⅰ Hangman fracture + type Ⅱ odontoid fracture + C2-C3 disc injury can reverse atlantoaxial rotationary stability and C1-C3 segmental stability in all directions.This study provides the biomechanical basis for clinical treatments and the related researches of internal fixation.

Objective To evaluate the influence of aging on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function by quantitative tissue velocity image(QTVI) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Methods Sixty healthy participants aged from 36 to 82 years old were divided into age <60 years group (32 cases) and age≥60 years old group (28 cases). Compared traditional echocardiography,QTVI and BNP between the two groups, and analysised the correlation between age and the abovementioned measurements. Results Compared age ≥60 years group with age <60 years group, the ratio of early to late mitral annulus flow velocity(E/A) (0. 92 ±0. 18 vs. 1. 28 ± 0. 18), mean of systolic mitral annulus velocity (Sm) ([6. 04 ± 0.77] cm/s vs.[6. 89 ± 1. 03] cm/s) ,mean of early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (Em) ([5. 67 ±0.99]cm/s vs. [7.29 ± 1. 11]cm/s),the ratio of Em to Am(Em/Am) (0. 79 ± 0. 13 vs. 1.18 ± 0. 33) were significantly decreased (t =5. 396,2.478,4.075,3. 535, respectively, Ps < 0. 05), whereas mean of late diastolic mitral annulus velocity (Am) ([7. 67 ±0. 80]cm/s vs. [6. 80 ± 1. 16] cm/s),the ratio of E to Em(E/Em) (14. 83 ±4.43 vs. 10. 68 ±2. 85), BNP ([51. 25 ± 12. 21] ng/L vs. [14. 15 ± 6. 68] ng/L) were significantly increased (t =-2. 268,-2.995 and-3. 523, Ps < 0.05) . Age was negatively correlated with Sm, Em, Em/Am, E/A (r =-0.411,-0. 631,-0.622,-0. 614,Ps<0.05),and age was positively correlated with Am,E/Em and BNP (r = 0.481,0.614 and 0. 684,Ps <0. 05). Conclusion Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function decreased with aging. QTVI and BNP could evaluate left ventricular function sensitively and easily.

Antrodia cinnamomea is a medicinal fungi originated in Taiwan. It is rich of triterpene substances, polysaccharide, and adenosine, and exhibits pharmacological activity of antitumor, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory effects, and so on. In recent years, it gradually becomes the hot spot about application and research of A. cinnamomea due to more and more research reports. This paper reviews the biological characteristics, chemical constituents, and pharmacological effects of A. cinnamomea, which can provide the references for future research and application of A. cinnamomea.

Antrodia cinnamomea, an edible and medicinal fungus with significant economic value and application prospects, is rich in terpenoids, benzenoids, lignans, polysaccharides, and benzoquinone, succinic and maleic derivatives. In this study, the transcriptome of A. cinnamomea cultured on the wood substrates of Cinnamomum glanduliferum (YZM), C. camphora (XZM), and C. kanehirae (NZM) was sequenced using the high-throughput sequencing technology Illumina HiSeq 2000, and the data were assembled by de novo strategy to obtain 78,729 Unigenes with an N50 of 4,463 bp. Compared with public databases, about 11,435, 6,947, and 5,994 Unigenes were annotated to the Non-Redundant (NR), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG), respectively. The comprehensive analysis of the mycelium terpene biosynthesis-related genes in A. cinnamomea revealed that the expression of acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase (AACT), acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA), mevalonate pyrophosphate decarboxylase (MVD), and isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI) was significantly higher on NZM compared to the other two wood substrates. Similarly, the expression of geranylgeranyltransferase (GGT) was significantly higher on YZM compared to NZM and XZM, and the expression of farnesyl transferase (FTase) was significantly higher on XZM. Furthermore, the expressions of 2,3-oxidized squalene cyclase (OCS), squalene synthase (SQS), and squalene epoxidase (SE) were significantly higher on NZM. Overall, this study provides a potential approach to explore the molecular regulation mechanism of terpenoid biosynthesis in A. cinnamomea.