Objective: To investigate the benzo[a]pyrene ( B[a]P ) diolepoxide ( BPDE )-DNA adduct levels in offspring rats with intrauterine exposure to B[a]P, and examine the effects of BPDE-DNA adduct levels on pancreatic functional impairment and glucose metabolism in offspring rats. Methods: Forty pregnant rats were randomly divided into the blank control group, standard-dose group, low-dose group, medium-dose group and high-dose group (daily dose of 0, 2, 200, 800, 1 600 μg/kg B[a]P, respectively), of 8 animals in each group. Rats in the B[a]P treatment groups were administered by oral gavage with a mixture of B[a]P and corn oil at a dose of 0.2 mL/100 g body weight since day 1 of pregnancy until 21 days after delivery, while rats in the blank control group were given the same volume of coin oil by oral gavage. The BPDE-DNA adduct levels were measured and the pancreatic development was observed in the offspring rats 2 and 21 days and 12 weeks after birth, and the correlation between pancreas volume index and dose of exposure to B[a]P was examined using Spearman's rank correlation analysis. In addition, glucose metabolism was measured in offspring rats 12 months after birth using glucose tolerance test ( GTT ) and insulin tolerance test ( ITT ). Results: There was no abnormal appearance, death, abortion or preterm birth in pregnant or offspring rats in the five groups, and no significant differences were seen in activity, diet, drinking water or mental status in rats. The greatest level of BPDE-DNA adducts was measured in offspring rats 2 days after birth, with median levels ( interquartile range ) of 1 089.60 ( 586.10 ) to 1 405.49 ( 346.47 ) pg/mL, and no BPDE-DNA adducts were found in offspring rats 12 weeks after birth. The pancreas volume index correlated negatively with the dose of exposure to B[a]P in offspring rats 2 ( rs=-0.620, P=0.001 ) and 21 days after birth ( rs=-0.801, P=0.001 ). Hypoplasia of pancreas with loose tissues was seen in offspring rats 2 days after birth, while well pancreatic development was found in offspring rats 12 weeks after birth, with tight exocrine portion. GTT showed an increase in glucose levels in offspring rats in all five groups following abdominal injection of glucose and declined 30 min post-injection ( F=365.578, P<0.001 ), and ITT showed a tendency towards a decline in glucose levels in offspring rats in all five groups ( F=461.215, P<0.001 ). Conclusions The levels of BPDE-DNA adducts in offspring rats increase with the dose of intrauterine B[a]P exposure, and insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance occur 12 months post-exposure to B[a]P. Intrauterine B[a]P exposure affects pancreatic development in offspring rats and causes abnormal glucose metabolism in adult offspring rats.

ObjectiveTo explore the influence of electrical stimulation on nervous cells.MethodsOn 5th day the brain primitive nervous cells of rat brain, in vitro culturing, were divided into 4 groups, in order of control group, electrical pole control group, low stimulation group, and high stimulation group. The cells were stimulated with electro-acupuncture apparatus for 7 days, 30 minutes once, twice a day. On 10th day, the cells were observed microscopically for 3 days and taken photos.ResultsElectrical stimulation is helpful to raise the survival rate of cell.Conclusions Electrical stimulation influences morphological change of nervous cells during culturing.

Objective: To observe the effects of perinatal exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) on the expression of pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) and mitochondrial DNA copy number in offspring mice, and to explore the role of maternal exposure to B[a]P in the pancreatic function damage of offspring mice. Methods: Forty pregnant rats were randomly divided into the control group, the lowest dose group (2 μg/kg), the low dose group (200 μg/kg), medium dose group (800 μg/kg) and high dose group (1 600 μg/kg), with 8 rats in each group. From day 1 of pregnancy, each exposed group was given 0.2 mL/100 g body weight of B[a]P and corn oil mixture by gavage once a day until 3 weeks after delivery, while the control group was given the same dose of corn oil. The pancreatic tissue of three-week-old mice were collected after abdominal anesthesia for insulin immunohistochemical detection. The protein and mRNA expression levels of PDX-1 and TFAM, as well as mitochondrial DNA copy number were detected. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between B[a]P exposure dose and the above indicators. Results: The insulin-positive area ratio and average optical density of insulin in the medium and the high dose groups were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The insulin-positive area ratio and average optical density of insulin were negatively correlated with the B[a]P dose (rs=-0.862 and -0.858, both P<0.05). The protein expression levels of PDX-1 and TFAM in the high dose group were significantly lower than those in the control group (both P<0.05). The protein expression levels of PDX-1 and TFAM were negatively correlated with the B[a]P dose (rs=-0.756 and -0.799, both P<0.05). The mRNA expression levels of PDX-1 and mitochondrial DNA copy number in the medium and high dose groups were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the mRNA expression level of TFAM in the high dose group was significantly lower than that in the control group (all P<0.05). The mRNA expression levels of PDX-1, TFAM, and mitochondrial DNA copy number were negatively correlated with the B[a]P dose (rs=-0.722, -0.550 and -0.840, all P<0.05). Conclusion Perinatal exposure to B[a]P can induce the damage of islet β cells in offspring rats, which may be related to the decreased expression of PDX-1 and TFAM and the copy number of mitochondrial DNA.

Objective: To investigate the association between body mass index ( BMI ) and mortality risk among older Chinese based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study ( CHARLS ). Methods: The demographic features, BMI, prevalence of chronic diseases and mortality among the elderly at ages of 60 years and greater were captured from the CHARLS database from 2011 to 2018. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to examine the association between BMI and the risk of death. Results: Totally 6 023 subjects were enrolled, including 3 006 men ( 50.09% ) and 3 017 women ( 49.91% ), and 68.69% of the participants ( 4 137 subjects ) were at ages of 60 to 69 years. There were 637 subjects ( 10.58% ) with underweight, 1 544 ( 25.63% ) with overweight, and 557 ( 9.25% ) with obesity. During the follow-up period ( 35 091 person-years ), 1 035 subjects died. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed an increased risk of mortality among the underweight elderly ( HR=1.496, 95%CI: 1.261-1.775 ) and a reduced risk of mortality among the obese elderly ( HR=0.671, 95%CI: 0.511-0.881 ) relative to the elderly with normal weight, after adjustment for age, gender, smoking, household registration, administration of anti-diabetic drugs, administration of anti-dyslipidemia drugs, and administration of anti-hypertensive drugs. Conclusion It is found that the risk of mortality among the Chinese elderly correlatives with BMI through the analysis of CHARLS data.

Objective:To explore influence of health education on quality of life and compliance in community pa‐tients with coronary heart disease (CHD) .Methods :A total of 83 community CHD patients were selected and ran‐domly divided into routine treatment group (n=38 ,received routine treatment of CHD ) and health education group (n=45 ,received CHD health education based on routine treatment ) .Score of Seattle angina questionnaire (SAQ) after intervention ,therapeutic compliance and incidence rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) with‐in six months were compared between two groups .Results:Compared with routine treatment group after interven‐tion ,there were significant rise in each item score and total score of SAQ [total score ,(54.3 ± 7.2) scores vs .(65.4 ± 7.5) scores] ,P<0.05 all;and therapeutic compliance also significantly rose (good rate ,52.6% vs .77.8% ) in health education group , P< 0.05. After six‐month follow‐up ,total incidence rate of MACE in health education group was significantly lower than that of routine treatment group (8.9% vs .26.3% ) , P< 0.05. Conclusion:Health education can significantly improve quality of life ,compliance and prognosis in community patients with cor‐onary heart disease ,which is worth clinical extending and use .

To study the effect of interleukin-15 (IL-15) on the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of MDS CD34(+) cells, CD34(+) cells of high enrichment were separated by MACS system, and cultured in liquid media with different concentration of IL-15 in treated group and without IL-15 in the control group. Apoptosis of hematopoietic precursors was assayed by propidium iodine staining and cell by FCM, and the other MDS CD34(+) cells were stained by cytochemical staining after culture. The results showed that after culture with IL-15 the proliferation and differentiation of MDS CD34(+) cells were obviously promoted. It was found the every lineage of mature cells developed, the expressions of cell surface antigens CD71, CD33 and CD19 all increased in the MDS CD34(+) cell treated with IL-15. It is suggested that IL-15 stimulates the proliferation and differentiation of MDS CD34(+) cells, and partly shows anti-apoptosis effects which may be applicable to the therapy MDS.
Antigens, CD ; immunology ; Antigens, CD19 ; immunology ; Antigens, CD34 ; immunology ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; immunology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; immunology ; pathology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Interleukin-15 ; pharmacology ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; blood ; immunology ; pathology ; Receptors, Transferrin ; immunology ; Sialic Acid Binding Ig-like Lectin 3

Objective:To observe the lipid-lowering effect of different transdermal absorption enhancers applied to the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion in hyperlipidemia model rabbits, and to explore the possible mechanism. Methods:Forty New-Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 5 groups using the random number table method, with 8 rats in each group. Rabbits in the blank group were fed routinely with normal diet; rabbits in the other groups were fed with high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish the hyperlipidemia model. Rabbits in the blank and the model groups were not treated. After the model was prepared, rabbits in the non-transdermal absorption enhancer group received herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion without transdermal absorption enhancer; rabbits in the laurocapram group and the borneol group received herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion with laurocapram or borneol respectively. After 4 weeks of treatment, serum was collected for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the liver tissues were isolated for immunohistochemistry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western-blotting (WB) detection. Results: Serum ELISA results showed that leptin was significantly decreased in the model group compared with the blank group (P＜0.05); compared with the model group, leptin was significantly increased in the non-transdermal absorption enhancer, the laurocapram and the borneol groups (all P＜0.05); compared with the non-transdermal absorption enhancer group, leptin was significantly increased in the laurocapram group and the borneol group (both P＜0.05); there was no significant difference in leptin between the laurocapram and the borneol groups (P＞0.05). The qPCR results of rabbit liver tissues showed that the mRNA expressions of leptin, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in the model group were significantly lower than those in the blank group (all P＜0.05); compared with the model group, the mRNA expressions of leptin, leptin receptor (LR), JAK2 and STAT3 in the non-transdermal absorption enhancer, the laurocapram and the borneol groups were significantly increased (all P＜0.05); compared with the non-transdermal absorption enhancer group, the mRNA expressions of leptin, LR, JAK2 and STAT3 in the laurocapram and the borneol groups were significantly increased (all P＜0.05); compared with the laurocapram group, the mRNA expressions of leptin, LR, JAK2 and STAT3 in the borneol group were significantly increased (P＜0.05). The trend of immunohistochemistry and WB detection results was basically consistent with the qPCR assay results. The immunohistochemistry and WB detection results of phosphorylated JAK2 (phospho-JAK2) and phosphorylated STAT3 (phospho-STAT3) were basically consistent with those of JAK2 and STAT3. Conclusion: The molecular expression of Leptin/JAK2/STAT3 pathway in the hyperlipidemia model rabbits was decreased. The molecular expression of Leptin/JAK2/STAT3 pathway was significantly increased after the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion. The application of laurocapram and borneol, as transdermal absorption enhancers, in the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion could more obviously up-regulate the factors of the Leptin/JAK2/STAT3 lipid-regulating pathway than the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion alone.

Ethnicity ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic

OBJECTIVEThe development of neonatology and the availability of pulmonary surfactant have been helpful in effective reduction of the mortality of very low birth weight infants at the expense of an increasing number of survivors with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) caused by lung immaturity. BPD is a common syndrome in newborns, especially in preterm infants, when treated with hyperoxia and mechanical ventilation. Unfortunately, there have been no effective measure for the prevention and treatment of BPD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1 (rh-IGF-1) on cell apoptosis and Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP) expression during the lung injury induced by hyperoxia, so as to assess its effect on the inflammatory lung injury and its developmental repair.

METHODSEighty full term neonatal Wistar rats under the same condition were divided randomly into four groups on the second day after birth. Group I was air control, group II was exposed to hyperoxia, group III air + rh-IGF-1, and group IV was treated with hyperoxia + rh-IGF-1. The pups in the control group were kept in room air, while pups in hyperoxia group were kept in a Plexiglas chamber and exposed to over 85% oxygen. Pups in group III were under the same raising condition except for exposure to room air and treated with intraperitoneal injection of rh-IGF-1 (1 microg/Kg) everyday from the third day. Pups in group IV were treated with intraperitoneal injection of rh-IGF-1 (1 microg/Kg) everyday from the third day of exposure to hyperoxia. Lung tissue sections of the neonatal rats were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) after 7 d of hyperoxia exposure, expression of CCSP was examined by immunohistochemical method, and apoptotic cell index of lung tissue was calculated by using TUNEL method.

RESULTSIt was observed from immunohistochemical examination that positive staining of CCSP was distributed mainly in distal and respiratory bronchioles. The percentage of Clara cells in distal and respiratory bronchioles epithelium decreased in hyperoxia group (32.17 +/- 3.19)% compared to that in air control group (68.32 +/- 2.04)%, P < 0.01. Statistically significant differences were found in intensity of positiveness of Clara cells between hyperoxia (29.45 +/- 5.56) and air control group (42.37 +/- 3.24), P < 0.01. TUNEL assay showed that most apoptotic cells were alveolar and bronchial epithelial cells. The apoptotic index increased significantly in the hyperoxia group (55.77 +/- 6.09)% compared to the air control group (16.41 +/- 4.01)%, (P < 0.01). The positive rate (52.98 +/- 2.68)% of Clara cells and the expression (41.22 +/- 6.36) of CCSP in hyperoxia + rh-IGF-1 group increased significantly when compared with hyperoxia group, and the differences between these two group were also statistically significant (P < 0.01). The apoptotic index increased significantly in the hyperoxia + rh-IGF-1 group (27.98 +/- 3.09)% compared to the hyperoxia group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSHyperoxia exposure can promote the pneumocyte apoptosis and inhibit the expression of CCSP. Rh-IGF-1 can remove the block of the formation of lung alveoli, increase the secretion of CCSP, mitigate inflammatory responses in airway and alleviate lung injury via pneumocyte apoptosis. Therefore, the results of this study provide a theoretic and experimental evidence for clinical application of rh-IGF-1 in prevention and treatment of BPD.

Alveolar Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Hyperoxia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Infant, Newborn ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; genetics ; metabolism ; Lung ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats, Wistar ; Uteroglobin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of in vivo tumor detection using magnetic resonance (MR) molecular imaging with targeted magnetic nanoparticles as imaging probe.

METHODSTargeted probe was synthesized by covalently linking the recombinant human gonadotropin releasing hormone analog (the targeting portion) with the ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (the imaging portion). The imaging portion served as the control material. The in vitro tumor cell experiment and the in vivo experiment using nude mice bearing tumors were carried out to test the targeting ability of the probe. In the in vitro experiment, the targeting probe and control materials were incubated separately with A549 cells which had high affinity to gonadotropin releasing hormone. Then the cells were taken out and lysed. The resultant solution was then subjected to MR imaging. The T2 value of the solutions was measured and compared. In the in vivo experiment, the targeting probe was administered into nude mice bearing A549 tumors. Dynamic MR imaging was carried out to measure the signal and T2 value of the tumor. The control material was also administered into control group of nude mice, and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging was performed. The T2 value of the tumor in both groups were recorded and compared.

RESULTSBoth the in vitro and in vivo experiments proved the targeting ability of targeted probe. Compared with control material, the targeting probe had higher combining ability with tumor cells.

CONCLUSIONMR molecular imaging of tumor can be realized by using targeting magnetic nanoparticles.

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Dextrans ; metabolism ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; methods ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Magnetics ; Magnetite Nanoparticles ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Molecular Imaging ; Nanoparticles ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Recombinant Proteins ; metabolism