The effects of vasectomy on the reproductive organs in various species are controversial. This study investigated the morphological change and apoptosis of the testis, epididymis, and vas deferens in beagle dogs 12 months after vasectomy. The male beagles were divided into two groups: vasectomized and sham-operated groups (n=5 in each). Histopathological, ultrastructural, and TUNEL evaluation of the changes in the testis, epididymis, and ductus deferens of each animal were conducted 12 months after surgery. The mean lumen diameter, cellular thickness, mean interstitial distance, and lumen area fraction of each seminiferous tubule and ductus epididymis were measured by stereological analysis. The results showed that, compared with the sham-operated group, the seminiferous tubular epithelial cells of the testes in the vasectomized group were disorderly arranged and scattered. Significant atrophy and apoptosis were found in the endothelial cells, and a range of ultrastructural variations were observed in the cells of testes, epididymis, and vas deferens in vasectomized group. It was concluded that complete obstruction of the vas deferens as a traditional contraception method is not absolutely safe in terms of the reversal of fertility in the long run. Techniques of relieving the inner pressure in the vas deferens while maintaining the efficacy of male contraception need to be explored.

Objective To determine the optimal pressure for facemask ventilation during induction of general anesthesia by real-time ultrasonographic measurement of antral cross-sectional area (CSA) in adult patients.Methods Sixty American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ patients,aged 18-60 yr,with body mass index of 20-25 kg/m2,scheduled for elective operation under general anesthesia,were divided into 5 groups (n=12 each) using a random number table:P10 group,P13 group,P16 group,P19 group and P22 group.After induction of anesthesia,an oropharyngeal airway was inserted,and the patients were ventilated for a 2-min period in a pressure-controlled mode using the two-handed mask ventilation technique.The pressure for facemask ventilation was 10,13,16,19 and 22 cmH2O in P10,P13,P16,P19 and P22 groups,respectively.The antral CSA was measured using real-time ultrasonography before and after facemask ventilation.Respiratory parameters were recorded.Results Compared with group P1O,the number of patients in whom CSA＜340 mm2 after facemask ventilation was significantly decreased in P16,P19 and P22 groups,and the number of patients in whom the tidal volume ≥ 6 ml/kg was increased in P13,P16,P19 and P22 groups (P＜ 0.01).The number of patients in whom optimnal pressure for facemask ventilation was achieved was 2,10,6,4 and 1 in P10,P13,P16,P19 and P22 groups,respectively,with the most cases in group P13 (P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion The optimal pressure is 13 emH2O for facemask ventilation during induction of general anesthesia when determined by realtime ultrasonographic measurement of antral CSA,and it can ensure adequate oxygen supply and reduce gastric insufflation in adult patients.

To investigate the safety, feasibility and effectiveness of transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in the ablation of canine prostate, 20 dogs were divided randomly into 5 groups. Sixteen canine prostates were treated with the third-generation transrectal HIFU device (Sonablate-500). Transrectal ultrasound images of the prostate and prostatic urethra were observed preoperatively and postoperatively. Serial study was performed 30 min, 30 days, 60 days and 180 days after the therapy. The rectum, periprostatic tissues, and prostate were excised en bloc and the tissues were fixed for gross and histological analysis. Our results showed that the average maximal diameter of prostatic urethra was 0.59+/-0.11 cm before the operation and 2.57+/-0.98 cm 60 days after the operation. The volume of prostate was 6.5+/-3.12 cm(3) before the treatment while the volume was 4.13+/-0.23 cm(3) 60 days after the treatment and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Histologically, there was a clear demarcation between the necrotic area of the treated tissues and the unaffected surrounding tissues. All the necrotic tissues in the targeted zone broke off and the prostatic urethra became cavitary 60 days later. The more frequent complications were urinary retention and frequency and hematuria. No rectal injury occurred during the treatment. It is concluded that the third-generation transrectal HIFU is capable of destroying prostatic tissue, substantially increasing the width of the prostatic urethra without causing injury to the adjacent tissues. The risk of postoperative complications associated with HIFU was low. HIFU may become a safe, effective and minimally invasive alternative for the treatment of prostatic diseases.

As a comprehensive, quantifiable identification method based on the chemical composition information of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine has become an internationally recognized effective way to control the quality of natural medicine. Chemical pattern recognition in traditional Chinese medicines is an important breakthrough for the infiltration between fuzzy and pharmaceutical sciences, has been used in the field of quality assessment and control for traditional Chinese medicine. It has solved the problem of comprehensive analysis with multi-dimensional information, and gradually been accepted by more researchers to in-depth study in the further. With the development of modern chemical analysis and computer techniques, there are more technologies were applied to the establishment of fingerprints of traditional Chinese medicine, more chemometric methods have been applied to the data processing of TCM fingerprint, and more quality identification and assessment for TCM to be achieved. And the technology has matured and achieved a lot. In this paper, we make a review for the chemical pattern recognition in traditional Chinese medicines since it be invented, provide a reference for the further research.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods

This study seeks to explore the early signs of cognitive impairment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). According to polysomnography, twenty patients diagnosed with OSAHS and twenty normal controls underwent event-related potential (ERP) examination including mismatch negativity (MMN) and P300. Compared with normal controls, OSAHS patients showed significantly prolonged latency of MMN and P300 at Cz. After controlling age and body mass index (BMI), MMN latency positively correlated with apnea hypopnea index (AHI), oxygen reduction index, stage N1 sleep and arousal index, while MMN latency negatively correlated with stage N3 sleep and mean blood oxygen saturation; and P300 latency positively related to AHI and oxygen reduction index; no relationships were found among MMN latency, MMN amplitude, P300 latency and P300 amplitude. These results suggest that the brain function of automatic processing and controlled processing aere impaired in OSAHS patients, and these dysfunction are correlated with nocturnal repeatedly hypoxemia and sleep structure disturbance.
Case-Control Studies ; Cognition Disorders ; complications ; physiopathology ; Event-Related Potentials, P300 ; Humans ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; Oximetry ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; complications ; physiopathology ; Sleep Stages

Objective To apply color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and transcranial Doppler (TCD) to the follow-up observation of the changes of cervical vessel,intracranial hemodynamics and cerebrovascular reserve capacity (CVR) of the patients after carotid artery stent implantation.Methods Totally 96 patients with carotid artery stent implantation underwent CDFI and TCD examinations,and the changes of hemodynamics were compared before and 1 month,6 months,1 a and 2 a after implantation.Results The values of peak systolic velocity (PSV) and resistance index (RI) at the areas of carotid stenosis were lower significantly than those before implantation,while the values of PSV,pulsatility index (PI) and CVR of the middle cerebral artery were obviously higher than those before implantation (P＜0.05).There were no significant differences between the cervical and intracranial hemodynamics indexes 1 month,6 months,1 a and 2 a after treatment.Two-year follow-up found 4 cases of restenoses after implantation,and the rate for restenosis was 4.2％.Conclusion Carotid artery stent implantation improves significantly cervical and intracranial blood supply as well as CVR of the carotid stenosis patient,and CDFI combined with TCD can be used for the accurate evaluation of the efficacy and postoperative follow-up of carotid artery stent implantation.

OBJECTIVETo compare the agronomic characters, HPLC fingerprints, the content of main component and amino acid between erective and creepy Ophiopogon japonicus of Sichuan.

METHODAgronomic characters were measured by conventional methods; HPLC was applied on a C18 column with CH3OH-CH3CN-2% CH2COOH solution by gradient elution, quercetin was used as the internal standard reference, the contents of total saponins, flavone and polysaccharide were determined by UV spectrophotometry and amino acid was determined by automatic amino acid analyzer.

RESULTThere were extremely significant differences in the most agronomic characters between erective and creepy O. japonicus of Sichuan. The yield per plant was closely relevant to the roots number and the fresh weight of aerial part. The differences were not significant both in 69 common peaks and 23 uncommon peaks in HLPC fingerprints and the content of main component between erective and creepy O. japonicus.

CONCLUSIONThere is no obvious difference in chemistry component between the two types of O. japonicus. The yield per plant was closely relevant to the roots number and the fresh weight of aerial part. In cultivation it is appropriate to choose the creepy O. japonicus.

Amino Acids ; analysis ; Biomass ; China ; Flavones ; analysis ; Ophiopogon ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; Polysaccharides ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo develop an HPLC method for content determination of protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid in Zhuang medicine Blumea megacephala (Randeria), and explore the content variation of the 3 components of the herbs harvesting in different months, and provide the scientific basis of reasonable application.

METHODThe determination was carried out on a Shimadzu VP-ODS column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) eluted with acetonitrile and water containing 0.1% phosphoric acid in a linear gradient elution. The flow rate was 1 mL min(-1), and the detected wavelength was set at 258, 327nm.

RESULTThe peak areas and the concentrations of the three components had good linear relationship in the range of 1.7-17 mg x L(-1) for protocatechuic acid, 15.6-156 mg x L(-1) for chlorogenic acid, 3.96-39.6 mg x L(-1) for caffeic acid. The average recoveries were 103.4%, 102.2%, 98.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe method was proved to be simple, accurate and used for the quality evaluation of Blumea megacephala (Randeria).

Asteraceae ; chemistry ; Caffeic Acids ; chemistry ; Chlorogenic Acid ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Hydroxybenzoates ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the action of miRNA-326 on its target gene BCL-XL and the molecular mechanism of platelet apoptosis regulated by miRNAs. METHODS: Dual-luciferase vectors containing respectively the wild-type and mutant 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) fragments of the BCL-XL gene were constructed with firefly and renilla luciferases and transfected into 293T cells. Relative fluorescence intensities of the transfected cells were measured. RESULTS: Dual-luciferase reporter gene vectors for PsiCHECK- BCL-XL -3'UTR-WT (wild-type) and PsiCHECK- BCL-XL -3' UTR-MT (variant) were respectively constructed. Relative fluorescence intensities of the 293T cells co-transfected by miRNA-326 and PsiCHECK- BCL-XL -3'UTR-WT plasmid were significantly lower compared with the control group (co-transfected by a miRNA-326 negative sequence and PsiCHECK- BCL-XL -3' UTR-WT plasmid) ( P = 0.034). The relative fluorescence intensity was also significantly reduced in cells co-transfected by miRNA-326 and PsiCHECK- BCL-XL -3' UTR-WT plasmid compared with the mutant control group co-transfected by miRNA-326 and PsiCHECK- BCL-XL -3'UTR-MT plasmid (P = 0.022). CONCLUSION miRNA-326 may participate in the regulation of platelet apoptosis by acting on the 3'-UTR of the BCL-XL gene.