This paper explored the specific peptides from Bubali Cornu by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and based on mathematics set theory. Following the profile analysis of peptides from Bubali Cornu, Bovis Grunniens Cornu, Caprae Hircus Cornu, and Suis Cornu by nano LC-LTQ-Obitrap-MS after digestion with trypsin, the relationship of peptide composition among different samples was analyzed using the mathematics set theory. The ones that existed only in the Bubali Cornu set rather than in any other set were considered as the specific peptides of Bubali Cornu. The further bioinformatic analysis revealed four specific peptides from Bubali Cornu, whose specificity was verified by UPLC-QQQ-MS. The results showed that these four peptides could be used for distinguishing Bubali Cornu from Caprae Hircus Cornu and Suis Cornu. This study has provided a rapid and simple method for seeking the specific peptides in animal medicines, which can be utilized for quality evaluation of animal medicines, thus making them authenticable and traceable.
Animals ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Cornus ; Horns/chemistry* ; Peptides/chemistry* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

BACKGROUND: Thin or damaged endometrium causes uterine factor-derived infertility resulting in a failure of embryonic implantation. Regeneration of endometrium is a major issue in gynecology and reproductive medicine. Various types of cells and scaffolds were studied to establish an effective therapeutic strategy. For this type of investigations, production of optimal animal models is indispensable. In this study, we tried to establish various murine uterine damage models and compared their features. METHODS: Three to ten-week-old C57BL/6 female mice were anesthetized using isoflurane. Chemical and mechanical methods using ethanol (EtOH) at 70 or 100% and copper scraper were compared to determine the most efficient condition. Damage of uterine tissue was induced either by vaginal or dorsal surgical approach. After 7-10 days, gross and microscopic morphology, safety and efficiency were compared among the groups. RESULTS: Both chemical and mechanical methods resulted in thinner endometrium and reduced number of glands. Gross morphology assessment revealed that the damaged regions of uteri showed various shapes including shrinkage or cystic dilatation of uterine horns. The duration of anesthesia significantly affected recovery after procedure. Uterine damage was most effectively induced by dorsal approach using 100% EtOH treatment compared to mechanical methods. CONCLUSION: Taken together, murine uterine damage models were most successfully established by chemical treatment. This production protocols could be applied further to larger animals such as non-human primate.
Anesthesia ; Animals ; Copper ; Dilatation ; Endometrium ; Ethanol ; Female ; Gynecology ; Horns ; Humans ; Infertility ; Isoflurane ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Primates ; Regeneration ; Reproductive Medicine ; Uterus

We identified the echinostome metacercariae in Chinese mystery snails, Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata, from Xiengkhuang Province, Lao PDR with morphologies of adult worms recovered. Total 20 snails were examined with artificial digestion method and then the collected metacercariae were orally infected to a mouse and a rat. Adult worms recovered from experimental animals were observed with a light microscope and a SEM. The metacercariae were round, 125×123 μm in average size, with a moderately thick cyst wall, collar spines distributed in the head collar and excretory granules in 2 canals of excretory tube. Adult flukes (3-week-old in a rat) were elongated, ventrally curved and 5.310×1.023 mm in average size. Head collar distinct, bearing 43 collar spines with 5 end group ones on each side. Oral sucker subterminal, prepharynx very short, pharynx well developed, and esophagus relatively short. Cirrus sac well developed, with a saccular seminal vesicle, and ventral sucker very large. Ovary round and on the median line of the body. Testes tandom and elongated. Eggs operculated, elliptical and 90×57 μm in average size. In the SEM observation, the head crown prominent, with 43 collar spines resembled with horns of younger stag. Scale-like tegumental spines were densely distributed on the surface between the head collar and ventral sucker, and their densities were decreased posteriorly. Conclusively, the metacercariae detected in C. chinensis malleata from Lao PDR were identified as those of Echinostoma macrorchis based on the morphological characteristics of adult worms.
Adult ; Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Crowns ; Digestion ; Echinostoma ; Eggs ; Esophagus ; Female ; Head ; Horns ; Humans ; Metacercariae ; Methods ; Mice ; Ovary ; Ovum ; Pharynx ; Rats ; Seminal Vesicles ; Snails ; Spine ; Testis ; Trematoda

This present study is to detect the content of free thiols(-SH) in the horn derived traditional Chinese medicines( TCMs) from different animals and different regions by using fluorescence derivatization method. TCEP was used as a disulfide bond reducing agent,while SBD-F as a derivatization reagent. Fluorescent spectrophotometry was used to determine the content of-SH,and the maximum excitation wavelength and emission wavelength were set as 375 and 510 nm,respectively. As a result,under the optimized condition,the extraction of Caprae Hircus Cornu showed the highest free-SH concentration,followed by Bovis Grunniens Cornu,Bubali Cornu,and Elaphuri Davidiani Cornu. In the present study,we point out that the-SH-contained components might be the most important material basis in animal horn derived TCMs. With good accurate,sensitive and rapid properties,the present method can provide reference basis for the quality evaluation of animal horn derived TCMs and guides for the investigation on effective material basis.
Animals ; Cornus ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Horns ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Sulfhydryl Compounds

No abstract available.
Animals ; Horns* ; Keratoderma, Palmoplantar*

The differences and the variations of chondroitin sulfate content in different parts of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum(CCP) with different processing methods were investigated. The chondroitin sulfate from velvet was extracted by dilute alkali-concentrated salt method. Next， the chondroitin sulfate was digested by chondroitinase ABC.The contents of total chondroitin sulfate and chondroitin sulfate A， B and C in the samples were determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).The content of chondroitin sulfate in wax，powder，gauze，bone slices of CCP with freeze-drying processing is 14.13，11.99，1.74，0.32 g·kg⁻¹， respectively. The content of chondroitin sulfate in wax，powder，gauze，bone slices of CCP with boiling processing is 10.71，8.97，2.21，1.40 g·kg⁻¹， respectively. The content of chondroitin sulfate in wax，powder，gauze，bone slices of CCP without blood is 12.47，9.47，2.64，0.07 g·kg⁻¹， respectively. And the content of chondroitin sulfate in wax，powder，gauze，bone slices of CCP with blood is 8.22，4.39，0.87，0.28 g·kg⁻¹ respectively. The results indicated that the chondroitin sulfate content in different processing methods was significantly different.The content of chondroitin sulfate in CCP with freeze-drying is higher than that in CCP with boiling processing.The content of chondroitin sulfate in CCP without blood is higher than that in CCP with blood. The chondroitin sulfate content in differerent paris of the velvet with the same processing methods was arranged from high to low as： wax slices， powder， gauze slices， bone slices.
Animals ; Chondroitin Sulfates ; analysis ; Deer ; Horns ; chemistry

The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) contains two types of neurons projecting to either the rostral ventrolateral medulla (PVN(RVLM)) or the intermediolateral horn (IML) of the spinal cord (PVN(IML)). These two neuron groups are intermingled in the same subdivisions of the PVN and differentially regulate sympathetic outflow. However, electrophysiological evidence supporting such functional differences is largely lacking. Herein, we compared the electrophysiological properties of these neurons by using patch-clamp and retrograde-tracing techniques. Most neurons (>70%) in both groups spontaneously fired in the cell-attached mode. When compared to the PVN(IML) neurons, the PVN(RVLM) neurons had a lower firing rate and a more irregular firing pattern (p < 0.05). The PVN(RVLM) neurons showed smaller resting membrane potential, slower rise and decay times, and greater duration of spontaneous action potentials (p < 0.05). The PVN(RVLM) neurons received greater inhibitory synaptic inputs (frequency, p < 0.05) with a shorter rise time (p < 0.05). Taken together, the results indicate that the two pre-sympathetic neurons differ in their intrinsic and extrinsic electrophysiological properties, which may explain the lower firing activity of the PVN(RVLM) neurons. The greater inhibitory synaptic inputs to the PVN(RVLM) neurons also imply that these neurons have more integrative roles in regulation of sympathetic activity.
Action Potentials ; Animals ; Fires ; Horns ; Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials ; Membrane Potentials ; Neurons ; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Lateral Horn

PURPOSE: To investigate whether autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment can improve regeneration of the endometrium in an experimental model of ethanol-induced damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into three groups: control group, ethanol group, and PRP-treated group (administration of 0.25 mL of PRP into both uterine cavities 72 hours after ethanol injection). After 15 days of endometrial damage, all the animals were sacrificed during the estrous cycle, and samples were taken from the mid-uterine horn. Functional and structural recovery of the endometrium was analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Masson trichrome (MT) staining, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, and immuno-histochemical (IHC) analyses. RESULTS: H&E and MT staining confirmed significantly decreased fibrosis and increased cellular proliferation in the PRP-treated group, compared to the ethanol group. The endometrial areas in the ethanol and PRP-treated groups were 212.83±15.84 µm² and 262.34±12.33 µm² (p=0.065). Significantly stronger IHC expression of cytokeratin, homeobox A10 (HOXA10), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and Ki-67 was found in the PRP-treated group, compared to the ethanol group. In real-time PCR analyses, interleukin-1β mRNA was down-regulated, while c-Kit mRNA was up-regulated, in the PRP-treated group, compared to the ethanol group. CONCLUSION: Intrauterine administration of autologous PRP stimulated and accelerated regeneration of the endometrium and also decreased fibrosis in a murine model of damaged endometrium.
Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Endometrium* ; Estrous Cycle ; Ethanol ; Female ; Female* ; Fibrosis ; Genes, Homeobox ; Horns ; Humans ; Keratins ; Models, Theoretical ; Platelet-Rich Plasma* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Regeneration* ; RNA, Messenger ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of a joint distractor in arthroscopy in small-breed dogs. Sixty stifle joints, which were collected from thirty cadavers, were used in this study. To simulate different injuries, no medial meniscal tear, a full-thickness vertical longitudinal tear, a partial-thickness vertical longitudinal tear, full- and partial-thickness vertical longitudinal tears, or a peripheral detachment were created on the caudal horn of the medial meniscus of each stifle joint along with rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament. Each stifle joint then underwent arthroscopy with and without a joint distractor. The sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and correct classification rate (CCR) for the diagnosis of each type of medial meniscus pathology were calculated. For arthroscopy with and without a joint distractor, the Sn was 85% and 60%, the Sp was 96% and 92%, the PPV was 85% and 65%, the NPV was 96% and 90%, and the CCR was 94% and 86%, respectively. Arthroscopy is an effective diagnostic method for the assessment of medial meniscal pathologies in small-breed dogs, especially when performed with the aid of a joint distractor.
Animals ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Arthroscopy ; Cadaver ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Dogs* ; Horns ; Joints* ; Menisci, Tibial ; Methods ; Pathology ; Rupture ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stifle ; Tears

OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder that is characterized by repetitive collapse or partial collapse of the upper airway during sleep in spite of ongoing effort to breathe. It is believed that OSA is usually worsened in REM sleep, because muscle tone is suppressed during REM sleep. However, many cases showed a higher apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) during NREM sleep than during REM sleep. We aimed here to determine the characteristics of REM sleep-dependent OSA (REM-OSA) and NREM sleep-dependent OSA (NREM-OSA). METHODS: Five hundred sixty polysomnographically confirmed adult OSA subjects were studied retrospectively. All patients were classified into 3 groups based on the ratio between REM-AHI and NREM-AHI. REM-OSA was defined as REM-AHI/NREM-AHI > 2, NREM-OSA as NREM-AHI/REM-AHI > 2, and the rest as sleep stage-independent OSA (IND-OSA). In addition to polysomnography, questionnaires related to subjective sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and emotion were completed. Chi-square test, ANOVA, and ANCOVA were performed. RESULTS: There was no age difference among subgroups. The REM-OSA group was comprised of large proportions of mild OSA and female OSA patients. These patients experienced poor sleep and more negative emotions than other two groups. The AHI and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) were lowest in REM-OSA. Sleep efficiency and N3 percentage of REM-OSA were higher than in NREM-OSA. The percentage of patients who slept in a supine position was higher in REM-OSA than other subgroups. IND-OSA showed higher BMI and larger neck circumference and abdominal circumference than REM-OSA. The patients with IND-OSA experienced more sleepiness than the other groups. AHI and ODI were highest in IND-OSA. NREM-OSA presented the shortest total sleep time and the lowest sleep efficiency. NREM-OSA showed shorter sleep latency and REM latency and higher percentage of N1 than those of REM-OSA and the highest proportion of those who slept in a lateral position than other subgroups. NREM-OSA revealed the highest composite score on the Horne and Östberg questionnaire. With increased AHI severity, the numbers of apnea and hypopnea events during REM sleep decreased, and the numbers of apnea and hypopnea events during NREM sleep increased. The results of ANCOVA after controlling age, sex, BMI, NC, AC, and AHI showed the lowest sleep efficiency, the highest AHI in the supine position, and the highest percentage of waking after sleep onset in NREM-OSA. CONCLUSION: REM-OSA was associated with the mild form of OSA, female sex, and negative emotions. IND-OSA was associated with the severe form of OSA. NREM-OSA was most closely related to position and showed the lowest sleep efficiency. Sleep stage-dependent characteristics could provide better understanding of OSA.
Adult ; Animals ; Apnea ; Female ; Horns ; Humans ; Neck ; Oxygen ; Polysomnography ; Respiration ; Retrospective Studies ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Sleep, REM ; Supine Position