AIM:To investigate the effect of hypericin(Hyp)on the heart of rats with myocardial ischemia-re-perfusion injury(MIRI),and to explore its mechanism.METHODS:Thirty SPF male SD rats were divided into 5 groups:sham group,MIRI group,low-dose Hyp(L-Hyp)group(MIRI+L-Hyp group),high-dose Hyp(H-Hyp)group(MIRI+H-Hyp group),and positive control trimetazidine(TMZ)group(MIRI+TMZ group),with 6 rats in each group.Apart from the sham group,the MIRI model was established by ligating the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery and then recanalizing it in the remaining four groups of rats.The success of the modeling was determined by monitor-ing the electrocardiogram.We assessed the cardiac function in rats using echocardiography.TTC staining was employed to measure the area of myocardial infarction in rats,and HE staining was utilized to observe the morphological traits of rat myocardium.We assayed the activities of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)and the levels of malondialdehyde(MDA)in rat serum using biochemical kits.ELISA kits were applied to assess the contents of cardiac troponin I(cTnI)and reactive oxygen species(ROS)in rat serum.Western blot analysis was perfomed to measure the pro-tein expression levels of AMPK,p-AMPK,Nrf2,and HO-1 in rat myocardial tissues.RESULTS:The rats in MIRI group exhibited increased myocardial tissue injury,larger myocardial infarction areas,decreased left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),and reduced left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS)compared with sham group,as shown by echo-cardiography.Additionally,there were increases in LDH activity,cTnI,MDA and ROS levels,along with significant de-creases in SOD activity,and p-AMPK,Nrf2 and HO-1 protein levels(P<0.05).Compared with MIRI group,the rats in MIRI+L-Hyp,MIRI+H-Hyp and MIRI+TMZ groups showed decreased myocardial histopathological damage and reduced myocardial tissue infarction area,increased LVEF and LVFS,and lowered serum levels of LDH activity,cTnI,MDA and ROS,while SOD activity,p-AMPK,Nrf2 and HO-1 protein levels were elevated(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Hypericin attenuates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats,possibly by modulating the AMPK/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling path-way.

This study assessed the feasibility of testis tissue cryopreservation (TTC) for fertility preservation in prepubescent boys with cryptorchidism. From January 2014 to December 2022, the University Hospital of Copenhagen (Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark) implemented TTC for 56 boys with cryptorchidism to preserve their reproductive potential. Testis tissue samples were collected during orchiopexy (32 cases) or at subsequent follow-up procedures (24 cases), necessitated by an increased risk of infertility as indicated by hormonal assessments and/or findings from initial surgical biopsies. Testis samples were procured for TTC and pathological analysis. The cohort had an average age of 1.3 (range: 0.3-3.8) years at the time of orchiopexy, with 91.1% presenting bilateral cryptorchidism. The study revealed a median germ cell count of 0.39 (range: 0-2.88) per seminiferous tubule, with germ cells detected in 98.0% of the bilateral biopsies and 100% of the unilateral, indicating a substantial potential for fertility in these immature tissues. A dark spermatogonia (Ad) was detected in 37 out of 56 patients evaluated, with a median Ad spermatogonia count of 0.027 (range: 0.002-0.158) per seminiferous tubule. A total of 30.2% of the samples lacked Ad spermatogonia, indicative of potential gonadotrophin insufficiency. The median hormone levels measured were as follows: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) at 0.69 (range: 0.16-2.5) U l -1 , luteinizing hormone (LH) at 0.21 (range: 0.05-3.86) U l -1 , and inhibin B at 126 (range: 17-300) pg ml -1 . Despite early orchiopexy, 20%-25% of boys with cryptorchidism remain at risk for future infertility, substantiating the necessity of TTC as a precaution. The study highlights the need for refined predictive techniques to identify boys at higher risk of future infertility.
Humans ; Male ; Cryptorchidism/pathology* ; Cryopreservation ; Testis/pathology* ; Fertility Preservation/methods* ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Orchiopexy ; Spermatogonia/pathology* ; Infertility, Male/etiology*

Objective : To analyze the status and influencing factors of the intention of people aged 18 to 25 years to primary medical institutions and their satisfaction for health services in Zhejiang Province, so as to provide basis for the improvement of health services in primary medical institutions. Methods: During November and December in 2019,the 18-25 year-old people in Zhejiang Province were recruited to investigate the general information, intention to seek medical advice and satisfaction for health services in primary medical institutions through WeChat. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the influencing factors of the intention and the satisfaction. Importance matrix was used to analyze the key drivers of the satisfaction. Results: Among the 620 people surveyed, with a response rate of 93.37%, 142 (22.90%) chose primary medical institutions for advice. Actually 516 (83.23%) people went to primary medical institutions last year, and 384 ( 74.42% ) of them were satisfied with the health services. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the people aged 18-25 years who were under the new rural cooperative medical care system ( OR=3.062, 95%CI: 1.745-5.373 ) and who had records in community health centers ( OR=0.547, 95%CI: 0.308-0.970 ) were more likely to go to primary medical institutions for medical advice; the ability of doctors ( OR=1.478, 95%CI:1.168-1.871 ) ,the drug notification by medical staff ( OR=1.308, 95%CI: 1.065-1.606 ) , routine examination items ( OR=1.523, 95%CI: 1.227-1.889 ) , the ways of payment ( OR=1.168, 95%CI: 1.017-1.340 ) , the comfort of environment ( OR=1.785, 95%CI: 1.437-2.219 ) and the bulletin boards of health knowledge ( OR=1.302, 95%CI: 1.086-1.561 ) were associated with the satisfaction. The results of importance matrix analysis showed that the ability of doctors and routine examination items were the priorities to improve, followed by the drug notification by medical staff; the comfort of environment had competitive advantages; the ways of payment and the bulletin boards of health knowledge needed to be further analyzed. Conclusions The 18-25-year-old people in Zhejiang Province were less intended to seek medical advice in primary medical institutions, which was associated with the type of medical insurance and records in community health centers. They were satisfied with the health services, the ability of doctors and routine examination items were the key drivers.

Objective: To understand the satisfaction of the residents in Hangzhou with primary health care services and its influencing factors, so as to provide basis for improving the quality of primary health care services. Methods: This study adopted multi-stage stratified random sampling method to recruit the residents aged 14 years or over in Hangzhou from July to September, 2019. A self-designed electronic questionnaire for primary health care services in Hangzhou was used to collect the demographic information, the utilization of primary health care institutions, the scores of the indicators of primary health care services and the satisfaction. The ordinal and multinomial logistic regression model was conducted to analyze the influencing factors for the satisfaction with primary health care services. Results: Totally 1 600 questionnaires were issued, 1 454 valid ones were collected, and the response rate was 90.88%. Five ( 0.34% ) residents were very dissatisfied, 16 ( 1.10% ) residents were dissatisfied, 153 ( 10.52% ) residents were generally satisfied, 780 ( 53.65% ) residents were satisfied, and 500 ( 34.39% ) residents were very satisfied with primary health care services. The ordinal and multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that basic medical insurance for urban employees ( OR=0.514, 95%CI: 0.370-0.714 ) , no health records in primary health institutions ( OR=0.528, 95%CI: 0.331-0.844 ) or unknown ( OR=0.524, 95%CI: 0.331-0.829 ) , the queuing time spent for getting medicines ( OR=0.698, 95%CI: 0.531-0.917 ) , ways of getting medicines (OR=0.639, 95%CI: 0.452-0.903 ) and completeness of testing equipment ( OR=1.315, 95%CI: 1.012-1.710) were influencing factors for the satisfaction with primary health care services. Conclusions The residents in Hangzhou are generally satisfied with the primary health care services, which are associated with the type of medical insurance, the condition of health records in primary institutions, the queuing time spent for getting medicines, the ways of getting medicines and the completeness of inspection equipment.

The contents of schisandrol A, schisandrol B, schisantherin A, schisandrin A , schisandrin B, schisandrin C in Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus (SCF) were determined simultaneously by HPLC. Collect 100-seed weight, color, pulp content, longitude and latitude of SCF of different batches were collected. SIMCA-P and SPSS were applied to make PLS-DA analysis of 24 batches of SCF and correlation analysis of relevant parameters. According to the 13 parameters, SCF from three different places of origin could be distinguished effectively. It was found that the content of chemical component of SCF increased with latitude and longitude first, and then decrease. The results provide some theoretical basis for study of SCF genuineness and traditional method of identifying just from experience.
China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Schisandra ; chemistry ; classification

Objective To evaluate the effects of compound glycyrrhizin on the percentage of Th17 cells and expression of interleukin(IL)-17A in peripheral blood of patients with psoriasis vulgaris, and to explore their relationship with therapeutic effects. Methods A total of 30 patients with mild to moderate progressive psoriasis vulgaris were randomly and equally divided into two groups:group 1 treated with compound glycyrrhizin injection, antihistamines and topical drugs, group 2 treated with antihistamines and topical drugs. Twelve healthy human subjects served as the control group. Blood samples were collected from the patients 1 day before start of treatment and after 3 weeks of treatment, and from the control group. Flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)were performed to determine the percentage of Th17 cells and expression level of IL-17A respectively in the peripheral blood samples. Results Before the treatment, the percentage of Th17 cells and expression level of IL-17A were both significantly higher in the two patient groups than in the control group (all P<0.05). After the treatment, group 1 showed significant decreases in the percentage of Th17 cells and expression level of IL-17A compared with those before the treatment (both P<0.05), while no significant differences were observed in group 2 between pre-and posttreatment IL-17A expression level or Th17 cell percentage (both P>0.05). Furthermore, both Th17 cell percentage and IL-17A expression were significantly different between the two patient groups after the treatment (both P< 0.05). Conclusion Compound glycyrrhizin may treat psoriasis vulgaris by regulating Th17 cell percentage and IL-17A expression in peripheral blood.

OBJECTIVETo establish a highly sensitive screening method for phytoestrogen active constituents and to primarily screen the phytoestrogenic active constituents from the chickpea extractions by the method.

METHODHuman ERalpha cDNA was cloned using MCF-7 total RNA as the template by RT-PCR and then was constructed into a pcDNA3 and named as pERalpha. The cell line MCF-7 was co-transfected with pERalpha and the reporter plasmid pERE-Luc which carrying the estrogen response element (ERE) plus the luciferase reporter gene. The luciferase activity was then assayed. The model was optimized by changing the ratio of two plasmids. The feasibility of the optimized model was further proved by the several known phytoestrogen compounds including fermononetin, biochanin A and genistein, et al. As an application of the model, the phytoestrogen activity of the extracts of the chickpea was assayed.

RESULTThe recombinant plasmid (pERalpha) can enhance luciferase activities of pERE-Luc transfected MCF-7 cells. The highest transfection efficiency and luciferase activity were found at the ratio of 10:1 (pERE-Luc: pERalpha), the luciferase activity was improved five times as high as the unique pERE-Luc transfection. The co-transfection screening model also indicated that fermononetin, biochanin A and genistein could induce ERE-driven luciferase activity and ICI 182,780 suppressed the induced transcription. As the application of the model, the results showed that the ethanol (70%) total extraction, the ethyl acetate extraction and the ligarine extraction of the chickpea can induce ERE-driven luciferase activity. Concurrent treatment with ICI 182,780 abolished the induced luciferase activity.

CONCLUSIONA phytoestrogen active constituent screening mode have been established based on co-transfection method. It is sensitive to assay the phytoestrogen active constituents and can be applied to screen the active component of phytoestrogens.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Cicer ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; methods ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; genetics ; metabolism ; Genes, Reporter ; drug effects ; Genetic Vectors ; metabolism ; Genistein ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Luciferases ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Phytoestrogens ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Plasmids ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Transfection ; methods