ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Bushen Tiaojing Formula （补肾调经方） on the quality of early embryos in repeated controlled ovarian stimulation （COS） and its possible mechanism. MethodsA total of 150 ICR female mice were divided into a normal group， a model group， an inhibitor group， a low-dose and a high-dose Bushen Tiaojing Formula group. Mice in the normal group， inhibitor group and model group were gavaged with distilled water 0.25 ml a day， and mice in the low- and high-dose groups were given 25.6 and 51.2 g/（kg·d） of Bushen Tiaojing Formula， respectively. All groups were gavaged once a day for 13 days as a cycle. Mice in the normal group were injected intraperitoneally with 0.1 ml normal saline on the 11th day of gavage， while mice in the other four groups were used to establish COS models. The inhibitor group was injected with the endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitor 4-phenylbutyric acid 0.2 ml one hour before modelling. All groups were injected by gavage and intraperitoneal injection for 3 consecutive cycles， with an interval of 4 days between cycles. Immediately after the third intraperitoneal injection， mice were grouped with male mice of the same strain in a ratio of 2∶1， and at 8AM of the second day， the mice were examined， and those with spermatozoa or spermatozoa in the vaginal smears were recorded as pregnant. The mice were executed in the afternoon of the 4th day of pregnancy， and the blastocysts were obtained under an inverted microscope. The morphology of the blastocysts was observed， and the total number of blastocysts and the number of high-quality blastocysts were recorded to calculate the rate of high-quality blastocysts； the apoptosis of blastocyst cells was detected by the Tunel method， and the apoptosis rate was calculated； the endoplasmic reticulum molecular chaperone protein glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， C/EBP homologous protein （CHOP）， B-lymphoblastoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， cystathionin 3 （Caspase-3） and cystathionin 12 （Caspase-12） protein levels and their mRNA expression were detected by immunofluorescent assay and RT-qPCR assay， respectively. ResultsIn the normal group， blastocysts had regular morphology， good morphological development and low fragmentation rate； in the model group， blastocysts were poorly developed， cell morphology was irregular， fragmentation rate was high， and there was some stagnation； in the inhibitor group and high-dose， low-dose Bushen Tiaojing Formula groups， cell morphology could be seen to be better developed， with regular morphology and less fragmentation rate. Compared with the normal group， the rate of high-quality blastocysts in the model group reduced， the rate of apoptosis of blastocyst cells increased， the levels of GRP78， CHOP， Caspase-12， Caspase-3， Bax protein and its mRNA expression in blastocysts increased， while the level of Bcl-2 protein and its mRNA reduced （P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the rate of high-quality blastocysts increased， the rate of apoptosis of blastocysts decreased， the levels of GRP78， CHOP， Caspase-12， Caspase-3， Bax protein and their mRNA expression decreased， and the levels of Bcl-2 protein and its mRNA expression increased in the blastocysts in the inhibitor group and the high-dose and low-dose Bushen Tiaojing Formula groups （P＜0.01）. Compared with the inhibitor group， GRP78， CHOP， Caspase-12， Bax protein levels and their mRNA expressions increased in the high-dose Bushen Tiaojing Formula group， and Caspase-12， Caspase-3， Bax protein levels and their mRNA expressions increased in the low-dose formula group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionBushen Tiaojing Formula can inhibit the apoptosis of blastocyst cells caused by repeated controlled ovarian stimulation by improving endoplasmic reticulum stress， which plays a role in improving the quality of early embryos.

Overweight and obesity are main risk factors for chronic metabolic diseases, and are strongly associated with the increased risk of premature death. Low carbohydrate diet (LCD) has been proven to effectively control body weight and fat mass in overweight and obese patients by short-term (≤6 months) dietary intervention studies. The mechanisms include regulation of energy metabolism, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, alteration in expression of lipid metabolic-related genes and modulation of intestinal flora. However, the conclusions are inconsistent on whether LCD can cause durable weight loss and reduce the risk of overweight and obesity. This review summarizes the current research progress on the mechanisms, epidemiological studies, intervention studies and potential risks of LCD in controlling overweight and obesity, providing a reference for the future research and clinical application.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of imatinib on growth impairment in children with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) in the chronic phase.Methods:From July 2018 to July 2019, questionnaires were distributed to CML children aged <18 years at the time of diagnosis who were receiving imatinib for at least 3 months or to their parents in China. The height-for-age standard deviation score (HtSDS) and the difference of standard deviation integral (△HtSDS) were used to explore the change in height with imatinib therapy.Results:The data of 238 respondents were included; 138 (58.0% ) respondents were men. The median age at the first diagnosis of CML was 11.0 years (range, 1.4-17.9 years) , and 93 (39.0% ) respondents were at the prepuberty stage. At the time of completing the questionnaires, the median age was 15.0 years (range, 2.0-34.0 years) . The median duration of imatinib therapy was 28 months (range, 3-213 months) . Among all the respondents, the mean HtSDS when completing the questionnaires (-0.063±1.361) was significantly lower than that at the time of starting imatinib treatment (0.391±1.244) ( P<0.001) . Total 71.0% respondents showed growth impairment that was more common in those starting imatinib therapy at prepubertal age than in those starting at pubertal age. Multivariate analysis showed that younger at the start of imatinib therapy ( P<0.001) and longer duration of imatinib therapy ( P<0.001) were significantly associated with severe growth impairment on imatinib therapy. Conclusions:Imatinib induced growth impairment in children with CML-CP. Younger the age of initiation and longer the duration of imatinib therapy, more obvious the effect of imatinib on growth impairment.

Objectives To investigate the effect of different physical activities on the blood pressure in elderly patients with hypertension,and to provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.Methods 256 elderly patients with grade 1,2 hypertension and no other complications,and 256 healthy elderly people were selected as the control subjects.According to the blood pressure and the level of physical activity,the patients were divided into hypertension combined with low physical activity group(HL group),hypertension combined with middle physical activity group(HM group),normal blood pressure combined with low physical activity group(NL group)and normal blood pressure combined with middle physical activity group (NM group).The changes of blood pressure were compared in quiet,during and after physical activity.Results The diastolic blood pressure(DBP) and systolic blood pressure(SBP) measured at rest,peak exercise and 5 minutes after exercise were significantly higher in group HL and HM group than in NL group and NM group,and the differences between groups were statistically significant(SBP:F=11.846、18.337、10.976,all P＜ 0.001 for all;DBP:F=13.182、11.694、11.453,all P＜0.05).The DBP and SBP in HL group at rest and 5 minutes after exercise were significantly higher than those in the HM group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The change magnitudes of DBP and SBP were significantly lower in HL group than in the HM group,and the differences were statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Taking part in an appropriate exercise can improve blood pressure level and a recovery capability of post-exercise blood pressure in elderly patients with hypertension.

Objective To investigate the correlation between the frailty and nutritional status of the elderly hospitalized patients.Methods A total of 244 hospitalized patients were enrolled in this investigation. By using comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA),patients answered these questions together with experts (questionnaire assessment by professional instructions). Researchers input the result into computer at same time. Results Compared with normal patients,frailty patients were older (P<0.001),and had lower ability to take care of themselves (P<0.001),in other words,they had more demands from their families and carers in terms of medical care (P<0.01). In addition, frailty patients had higher risks of having depressive symptom (P=0.016),cognitive impairment (P<0.001), living function disability (P<0.001),as well as malnutrition (P<0.001). Regression analysis result showed a negative correlation between frailty and nutrition (P=0.005).Conclusions Malnutrition is closely related to frailty,and malnutrition patients and patients with risks of malnutrition were easily to acquire frailty.

BACKGROUND:Silk fibroin, as a kind of high-performance biomaterial, has been widely used to construct scaffolds in bone tissue engineering. However, whether silk fibroin itself holds osteoinductive ability has not been reported yet. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the impact of different concentrations of silk fibroin solution on the proliferation and differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s (BMSCs) in vitro. METHODS:Silk fibroin and BMSCs were respectively isolated from silkworm cocoon and rat tibia, and were identified. Then, BMSCs were cultured in different concentrations of silk fibroin solution (0.01%, 0.05%and 0.1%), and the cell proliferation and the alkaline phosphatase activity were detected at different time points. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:FTIR spectra of the sample extracted from silkworm cocoon showed distinct absorption peaks at 1 653 (amide I), 1 530.5 (amide II) and 1 212.3 cm-1 (amide III), which could be confirmed to be silk fibroin. Thus generated BMSCs showed long fusiform or astral morphology, positive for representative markers (CD29, CD44 and CD90) relating to mesenchymal stem cells, and could differentiate into osteocytes, chondrocytes and adipocytes under specific induction conditions, which further confirmed the extracted cells were BMSCs. Compared with the control group (without silk fibroin), 0.05% silk fibroin not only significantly promoted the cell adhesion, migration and proliferation, but also enhanced the alkaline phosphatase activity (P<0.01). With the increasing of the silk fibroin concentrations, the osteodifferentiation capacity of the BMSCs was progressively improved within the range of 0-0.05%and then declined at 0.01%of silk fibroin solutions. These results suggest that silk fibroin can promote osteogenesis, thus providing scientific evidence for developing silk fibroin-based tissue-engineered scaffolds.

0.05).CONCLUSION:Administration of Dexamethasone or Diprazine before blood transfusion is ineffective in preventing against nonhemolytic transfusion reaction.