Objective Using healthy female reproductive-age rhesus macaques as the research subjects,we explored the correlation between menstrual cycle abnormalities and gut microbiota composition by using 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing.Methods Twenty-seven healthy female rhesus macaques were divided into regular menstrual and irregular menstrual groups.Fecal samples were collected at follicular phase(FP),ovulation phase(OP)and luteal phase(LP)of the two groups.The structure and diversity of bacterial flora in different physiological periods were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Results At the phylum level,Firmicutes,Bacteroidetes,and Proteobacteria dominated the sample flora in the follicular,luteal,and ovulatory phases of the rhesus macaques in both the regular and irregular groups,with a combined percentage of more than 98% .At the genus level,the genus Prevotella_9,Ruminococcaceae_UCG-002,Lactobacillus,Prevotella_2,Phascolarctobacterium,Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005,Streptococcus,Blautia,Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group,Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group were dominant.In the luteal phase the percentage of Firmicutes was higher in the regular group than in the irregular group,while the opposite was true for Bacteroidetes.Spirochaetes were higher in the regular group than in the irregular group at all 3 stages(P＜0.05).Conclusion There were some differences in intestinal microbial composition between the two groups of macaques with regular and irregular menstrual cycles,which provided some reference for the study of intestinal bacteria and ovulation disorders.

Humans ; Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology* ; Carcinoma, Papillary/pathology* ; World Health Organization ; Adenocarcinoma, Follicular/pathology*

Objective:To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on synaptic plasticity and the expression of autophagy-related proteins in the hippocampus in Alzheimer′s disease (AD). To explore how EA might improve cognition in AD.Methods:Healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group and an EA group. The rat model of AD was established by injecting Aβ1-42 into the bilateral CA1 area of the hippocampus. The sham operation group was injected with an equal amount of normal saline at the same site. Starting the day after the successful modelling, the EA group received 20 minutes of EA treatment at the Baihui (DU20) and bilateral Shenshu (BL23) acupoints once a day, 6 times a week for 2 weeks. The rats′ learning and memory were then tested using a Morris water maze. The long-term potentiation (LEP) in the hippocampus was assessed using a MED64 microelectrode array and any ultrastructural changes of autophagosomes were detected using an electron microscope. The expression of the autophagy-related proteins Beclin-1 and microtubule associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) in the hippocampus were determined using western blotting.Results:The escape latency was significantly shorter and the times crossing the platform increased significantly in the EA group compared with the model group. The average amplitude of the postsynaptic excitatory field potentials in the EA group was significantly higher than among the model group. There were many autophagosomes in the hippocampal neurons of the model group, significantly more than in the EA group. The LC3II/LC3I ratio and Beclin-1 protein expression decreased significantly in the EA group compared to the model group.Conclusions:EA can improve learning and memory and restore LEP in the hippocampus of rats modeling AD. The mechanism may be related to its regulation of autophagy in hippocampal neurons.

We explored the effect of therapy with bacteriophages for pandrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections.Kunming mice (Specific Pathogen Free) were divided into two groups:experimental group (severe infection caused by pandrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii) and the control group.The mice of experimental group were treated with Phages AB46 while the mice of control group were treated with broth.The survival rate was compared with statistical method and the spleen bacteria count was analyzed.Results showed that there were statistical difference between the experimental group and control group of Pandrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii groups of 1 ∶ 10 dilution,P=0.020＜0.05.There were no statistical difference between each two groups of 1 ∶ 2 (P=0.650) and 1 ∶ 5 (P=0.170) dilution,both were＞0.05.There were no dead mice in groups of 1 ∶ 50 dilution with statistical difference of spleen bacteria count,P=0.026.Therapy with phages was an ef fective method to control infection caused by Pandrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii which could increase the survival rate and decrease spleen bacteria count of the mice with light infection.

This study was aimed to establish an experimental mouse model of combined transgenic inhibition of both multifunctional Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and inward rectifier potassium current (Ik1), and to observe whether the specific inhibition of both CaMKII and Ik1 can bring about any effects on cardiac remodeling. Mice were divided into 4 groups: wild type (WT), CaMKII inhibited (AC3-I), Ik1 inhibited (Kir2.1-AAA) and combined inhibition of both CaMKII and Ik1 (AC3-I+Kir2.1-AAA). Mice in each group received electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiography examination. ECG in the condition of isoproterenol (ISO) injection was also checked. The whole cell patch clamp technique was used to measure Ik1 and the transient outward potassium current (Ito) from enzymatically isolated myocytes of left ventricle. In the condition of basal status, no significant changes of heart rate, PR interval and QRS interval were observed. No mouse showed ventricular arrhythmias in all of the 4 groups. After ISO injection, each group presented no significant ventricular arrhythmias either. The indexes measured by M-mode (motion-mode) and two-dimensional echocardiography had no significant differences among the four groups. Ik1 in AC3-I group was significantly higher than those in other three groups (P < 0.01) because of the results brought about by CaMKII inhibition. Among the latter three groups, both Kir2.1-AAA group and AC3-I+Kir2.1-AAA group had a significant reduced Ik1 compared with that of WT group, which was due to the Ik1 inhibition (P < 0.01). Ito in AC3-I group was higher than that of the other three groups (P < 0.01), but there were no significant differences in Ito among WT, Kir2.1-AAA and AC3-I+Kir2.1-AAA groups. Thus, combined transgenic myocardial CaMKII and Ik1 inhibition eliminated the up-regulation of Ik1 in CaMKII inhibited mice, and had no effects on cardiac remodeling including heart structure and function as well as arrhythmias at the basic and ISO conditions. The results of this study may provide a basis for the further investigation of combined inhibition of CaMKII and Ik1 in pathogenic cardiac remodeling.
Animals ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Brugada Syndrome ; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 ; physiology ; Cardiac Conduction System Disease ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electrocardiography ; Heart ; physiology ; Heart Conduction System ; abnormalities ; Heart Ventricles ; Isoproterenol ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying ; physiology ; Up-Regulation ; Ventricular Remodeling

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) exposure on the behaviors and hippocampal oxidative stress and ATPase in rats and the molecular mechanism of neurobehavioral toxicity of B[a]P.

METHODSA total of 120 male SD rats (21 days old) were randomly and equally assigned to five groups: blank control group, vegetable oil (solvent control) group, and 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg B[a]P exposure groups. The rats in B[a]P exposure groups were injected intraperitoneally with B[a]P once a day for 4 consecutive weeks. Then, Morris water maze and shuttle box were used to evaluate the learning and memory abilities of rats; colorimetric assay was used to measure the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, and Ca(2+)/Mg(2+)-ATPase and the content of malonaldehyde (MDA) in the hippocampus; the concentration of Ca(2+) in the hippocampus was measured by fluorescent labeling.

RESULTSCompared with the blank control group and solvent control group, the B[a]P exposure groups exhibited significant increases in escape latency, active avoidance response latency, and passive avoidance response latency and significant decreases in number of platform crossings and active avoidance response frequency in the last test (P < 0.05 for all comparisons), with a dose-effect relationship. In addition, the B[a]P exposure groups had significantly lower activities of SOD, Na(+)/K(+)-AT-Pase, and Ca(2+)/Mg(2+)-ATPase and significantly higher MDA level and Ca(2+) concentration than the blank control group and solvent control group (P < 0.05 for all comparisons), with a dose-effect relationship.

CONCLUSIONThe neurobehavioral toxicity of B[a]P may be related to increased oxidative stress and decreased activities of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)/Mg(2+)-ATPase in the hippocampus of rats.

Animals ; Benzo(a)pyrene ; toxicity ; Ca(2+) Mg(2+)-ATPase ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; Fas Ligand Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver Cirrhosis ; pathology ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Plant Oils ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; fas Receptor ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the value of R2*map for quantitatively tracing superparamgnetic ironoxides (SPIO) labeled endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).

METHODSThe EPCs were isolated from Balb/c mice bone marrow and cultured in vitro. After 7 days, expression of acetylated low-density lipoprotein (acLDL) and Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1 (UEA-1), two markers of EPCs, was observed by double staining using fluorescence microscope, the expression of stem cell antigen-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) was confirmed by flow cytometry. EPCs were labeled by incubating with 50 microg/ml SPIO and 6 microl/ml lipofectamine2000, SPIO labeled EPCs were observed under transmission electron microscope (TEM). Labeled and unlabeled EPCs were mixed with 10 g/L agarose and scanned using a 3.0T MR scanner, R2* map and R2 map images were obtained on workstation.

RESULTAfter 7 days of in vitro culture, most of the cells showed characteristics of EPCs. There was no morphological difference between SPIO labeled EPCs and unlabeled EPCs. R2* and R2 values exhibited a linear correlation with the number of labeled cells in the agarose gel. Compared to R2, R2* was a better indicator of the number of labeled cells.

CONCLUSIONMR R2* map can be used to trace SPIO labeled EPCs quantitatively.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Ferric Compounds ; chemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Magnetics ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Stem Cells ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo prove if it is possible for using the shattering extraction with solvent to extract ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine.

METHODThe shattering extraction with solvent, the refluxing extraction and the ultrasonic extraction were used to extract paeoniflorin from Radix Paeoniae rubra, and to extract baicalein from Radix Scutellariae, and to extract chlorogenic acid from Flos lonicerae japonicae respectively, using ingredient content and extract yield as the measuring indexes.

RESULTThe content of each every ingredient obviously higher by using shattering extraction with solvent than using refluxing extraction or the ultrasonic extraction.

CONCLUSIONThe shattering extraction with solvent is a high efficiency, simple and quick extraction. It may be used to extract the ingredient of three kinds of traditional Chinese medicine.

Benzoates ; isolation & purification ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; isolation & purification ; Chemical Fractionation ; methods ; Chlorogenic Acid ; isolation & purification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Flavanones ; isolation & purification ; Glucosides ; isolation & purification ; Monoterpenes ; Solvents ; chemistry ; Time Factors

Objective To explore the changes in regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF)and cerebral hemodynamics in patients with CCVI.Methods Twenty patients diagnosed as CCVI were enrolled to undergo single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT)rCBF imaging or transcranial Doppler uhrasonography(TCD)examination.All the patients were free from cerebral structural abnormalities as demonstrated by X-CT or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).Cranial arteries blood flow velocity,pulsating index(PI)were measured by TCD and compared with the mean of rCBF as measured by SPECT.Results On SPECT images, decreased rCBF lesions were found in 95 percent of patients(19/20).The areas of hypoperfusion were mainly located in frontal,temporal,parietal lobes and fondues nodus.Increased cranial arteries blood flow velocity was found in the anterior cerebral artery(ACA)and middle cerebral artery(MCA)in 80 percent of patients (16/20).There were no correlations among rCBF,the decreased percentage of rCBF,average velocity,and PI of cranial arteries.Conclusions By performing SPECT rCBF and TCD on CCVI patients,the degree of changes in rCBF and hemodynamics Can be evaluated easily,which is valuable for early clinical diagnosis and treatment of CCVI.