Objective To study the effect of Hedysarum polysaccharides(HPS)on the expression of transforming growth factor-β,(TGF-β1),smad homologue 3 recombinant protein(smad3)and smad7 in renal tissue of db/db mice with diabetic nephropathy(DN).Methods According to their body weight,6-week-old male db/db mice were randomly divided into 5 groups:model group(0.9％NaCl 0.2 mL·d-1),positive control group(22.75 mg·kg-1·d-1 irbesartan)and experimental-H,-M,-L groups(200,100,50 mg kg-1·d-1 HPS),with 10 mice in each group;another 10 SPF grade male C57BL/6 mice of the same week were selected as normal group(0.9％NaCl 0.2mL·d-1).The mice in the 6 groups were given intragastric administration once a day for 12 weeks.The blood glucose concentration of mice was measured before treatment and at the 4th,8th and 12th week after treatment.The expression levels of TGF-β1,smad3 and smad7 were detected by Western blotting.Results After treatment,the blood glucose levels of the model group was significantly higher than those of the normal group(all P＜0.01);compared with the model group,the levels of blood glucose in the experimental-H,-M groups decreased significantly,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The relative expression levels of TGF-β,protein in normal group,model group,positive control group and experimental-H,-M groups were 0.71±0.16,1.66±0.18,1.00±0.17,0.88±0.15 and 1.23±0.15;the relative expression levels of smad3 protein were 0.89±0.32,2.26±0.35,1.24±0.31,1.05±0.30 and 1.67±0.35;the relative expression levels of smad7 protein were 1.66±0.03,0.60±0.03,1.10±0.07,1.48±0.08 and 0.97±0.09;there were statistically significant differences between the experimental-H,-M groups and the model group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion Hedysarum polysaccharides can improve renal fibrosis and delay the development of diabetic nephropathy by regulating the level of blood glucose,inhibiting TGF-β1,smad3 and increasing the expression of smad7.

Objective To evaluate the performance of the disposable medical protective clothing in blocking the penetration of infectious agents,in order to provide data support for the setting of such performance indexes when the GB 19082 is revised.Methods Totally 10 batches of different brands and models of protective clothing were selected,and tests were carried out for penetration resistance to synthetic blood,phage,wet microorganisms,dry microorganisms and contaminated liquid aerosol and particle filtration efficiency according to YY/T 0700-2008,YY/T 0689-2008,YY/T 0506.6-2009,GB 19082-2009,YY/T 0506.5-2009 and YY/T 1799-2020.Results There were 2 batches of protective clothing with anti-synthetic blood penetration performance level 2,3,4,5 and 6,respectively;all the protective clothing had the highest level 6 for anti-wet microorganisms penetration,part of whom had the levels for the resistance to phage penetration lower than those for preventing anti-synthetic blood penetration;all of the protective clothing had the particle filtration efficiencies higher than 95％,and had the highest level 3 for anti-dry microorganisms penetration;there're 5 batches of protective clothing with the highest level 3 for contaminated liquid aerosol penetration,1 batch with level 2 and the remained 4 batches with undetermined levels,which all had an average logarithmic reduction higher than 4.5 after penetration.Conclusion Particle filtration efficiency and resistance to phage penetration may be involved in the requirements for resistance to infective agent penetration in revised GB 19082 for evaluating the ability of protective clothing materials to block microorganisms in airborne particles and liquid contaminants.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(5):16-21]

Objective:To compare the cost-effectiveness of hospitalized Chinese patients undergoing nucleic acid screening strategies for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, immunological screening strategy, and no screening strategy under different willingness to pay (WTP). The results might aid to decision-making for the optimal strategy.Methods:In this study, nucleic acid screening, immunological screening and no screening were used as screening strategies, and China′s GDP in 2021 (80 976 yuan) was used as the threshold of WTP to construct a Markov model. After introducing parameters related to the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B and C in inpatients, a cohort population of 100 000 inpatients was simulated by TreeAge Pro 2021 software, the total cost, total health effects, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and average cost-effectiveness ratio of different screening strategies were calculated, and cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted. Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were used to assess the impact of parameter uncertainty on the final results.Results:Compared with the non-screening strategy, the incremental total cost of the hepatitis B immunological screening strategy for cohort patients was 11 049 536 yuan, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 24 762 yuan/quality-adjusted life years (QALY), while the total incremental cost of nucleic acid screening was 19 208 059 yuan, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 29 873 yuan/QALY; the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of nucleic acid screening and immunological screening was 45 834 yuan/QALY. Compared with the non-screening strategy, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of hepatitis C immunological screening strategy was 5 731 yuan/QALY, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of nucleic acid screening strategy was 8 722 yuan/QALY, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of nucleic acid screening and immunological screening was 45 591 yuan/QALY. The results of probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that when the cost of nucleic acid testing exceeded 214.53 yuan, it was not cost-effective to perform hepatitis B nucleic acid screening under the WTP as 1 fold GDP. When the cost of nucleic acid testing exceeded 132.18 yuan, it was not cost-effective to conduct hepatitis C screening under the WTP as 1 fold GDP.Conclusions:Nucleic acid screening strategy can achieve more cost-effectiveness and is worthy of vigorous promotion. Compared with no screening, both the nucleic acid and immunological screening strategies are cost-effective, and hepatitis nucleic acid screening is the optimal strategy for hospitalized patients.

Objective:To explore the association of bone resorption marker β carboxyterminal peptide of collagen Ⅰ (β-CTX) with hypercalcemia in patients with Graves′ disease (GD).Methods:287 patients with GD who were hospitalized in the endocrinology department of Fuyang People′s Hospital from January 2021 to December 2021 were divided into control group ( n=251) and hypercalcemia group ( n=36) according to the corrected blood calcium level. The clinical data and serum β-CTX level of the two groups were compared. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of hypercalcemia in GD patients. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between serum β-CTX level and other indexes. Results:Of the 287 GD patients, 36 were diagnosed as hypercalcemia, and the incidence of hypercalcemia was 12.54%. The levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), blood phosphorus (P) and β-CTX in hypercalcemia group were higher than those in control group, and the total parathyroid hormone (iPTH) in hypercalcemia group were lower than those in control group (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that FT3 ( OR=1.283, 95% CI: 1.049-1.570, P<0.05), iPTH ( OR=0.924, 95% CI: 0.863-0.989, P<0.05), β-CTX ( OR=2.488, 95% CI: 1.193-5.189, P<0.05) were the influencing factors for hypercalcemia in GD patients. Pearson correlation analysis showed that β-CTX was positively correlated with FT3, FT4, blood calcium, P, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total procollagen type I amino end terminal peptide (PINP), N-bone-gamma-carboxyglutamic-acid-containing proteins (N-MID) and 25(OH)D, and negatively correlated with iPTH (all P<0.05). Conclusions:β-CTX is highly expressed in the serum of GD patients with hypercalcemia, which is a risk factor for the occurrence of hypercalcemia in GD patients.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and value of histogram analysis based on two-dimensional gray-scale ultrasonography in the differential diagnosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and thyroid adenoma (TA). Methods: The preoperative ultrasound images of 86 newly diagnosed MTC patients and 100 TA patients treated in the Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2015 to October 2021 were collected. Histograms were performed based on the regions of interest (ROIs) delineated manually by two radiologists, thereafter, mean, variance, skewness, kurtosis, percentiles (1st, 10th, 50th, 90th, 99th) were generated. The histogram parameters between the MTC group and the TA group were compared, and the independent predictors were screened by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to compare the individual diagnostic efficacy and joint diagnostic efficacy of independent predictors. Results: Multivariate regression analysis showed that mean, skewness, kurtosis and 50th percentile were independent factors. The skewness and kurtosis in the MTC group were significantly higher than those in the TA group, and the mean and 50th percentile were significantly lower than those in the TA group. The area under the individual ROC curve of mean, skewness, kurtosis and 50th percentile is 0.654-0.778. The area under the combined ROC curve is 0.826. Conclusion: Histogram analysis based on two-dimensional gray-scale ultrasonography is a promising tool to distinguish MTC from TA, in which the joint diagnosis value of mean, skewness, kurtosis and 50th percentile is the highest.
Humans ; ROC Curve ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Ultrasonography ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods*

· AIM:To investigate the correlation between retinal thickness (CSRT) in the macular region and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.· METHODS:Totally 39 cases of patients with diabetes (77 eyes) who screened from May 2016 to March 2017 were selected,and were divided into two groups according to the levels of HbA1c,which the 24 cases (47 eyes) in the low HbA1c group (HbA1c＜8％) and 15 cases (30 eyes) in high HbA1c group (HbA1c≥8％).Other 22 cases of normal people (normal control group) and who for healthy physical examination were selected in the same period.Then,the correlation between HbA1c level and CSRT were analyzed by the Spearman correlation analysis.· RESULTS:In the high HbA1c group,HbA1c was (10.45±1.30)％,FBG was 10.67±1.64mmol/L and 2hPG was 15.98± 1.38mmol/L,which was higher than that in the low HbA1c group,and there was significant difference between the two groups (P＜ 0.05).The CSRT in the normal group was lower than the low HbA1c group and the high HbA1c group,and there was significant difference between the groups (P＜ 0.05).According to the analysis of the Spearman method,there was positive correlation between HbA1c and CSRT,macular volume,average macular thickness,FBG and those parameters,2hPG and them (P＜0.01).· CONCLUSION:The HbA1c level is associated with retinal thickening in the macular region of patients with diabetes,which could predict the severity of diabetic retinopathy and provide important guidance for prevention and treatment.

Objective To explore the feasibility of low-concentration contrast agent and low-dose technology for pulmonary angiography by comparing the image quality and radiation doses to the patient by different tube voltages and concentrations of contrast agents.Methods Totally 60 patients suspected with pulmonary embolism were divided into C, L1 and L2 groups, of which,Group C had the scanning parameters of 120 kV and 350 mgI/ml,Group L1 had the parameters as 100 kV and 350 mgI/ml and Group L2 had the parameters of 100 kV and 270 mgI/ml.The three groups had the tube voltage as 500 mA, the contrast agent dose as 25 ml,physiological saline dose as 40 ml and flow rate as 4.5 ml/s.SPSS 19.0 software was used to compare and analyze the CT values of pulmonary artery segment,superior vena cava and ascending aorta,main pulmonary artery noises,the image quality as well as the radiation doses of volume scanning. Results The three groups had the main pulmonary aortas and their branches display clearly to meet clinical requirements.When compared with Group C,Group L1 had higher CT values of the main pulmonary aorta and its branches,higher image noise while lower radiation dose (P<0.01);Group L2 had equivalent CT values of the main pulmonary aorta and its branches (P>0.05),higher image noise while lower radiation dose (P<0.01).When compared with Group L1,Group L2 had lower CT values of the main pulmonary aorta and its branches (P<0.01),and equivalent image noise and radiation dose (P>0.05).Conclusion Low-concentration contrast agent and low-dose technology gains feasibility and advantages when used in 320-slice CT pulmonary angiography.

This study is to investigate the effect of the major chemical composition in rhizome of Pterocypsela elata, lactuside B, on expression of bcl-2, bax mRNA and their protein in rats' cerebral cortex after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. First, middle cerebral artery ischemia-reperfusion injury model was established, and each group was treated with the corresponding medicines. Animals were separately sacrificed at 24 h and 72 h. The brain infarct volumes were detected by TTC dye, bcl-2 and bax mRNA expression was checked by RT-PCR, and the proteins of bcl-2 and bax were explored by two-step immunohistochemistry in cerebral cortex of rats. Lactuside B can reduce brain infarct volume of cerebral cortex of rats, increase the expression of bcl-2 mRNA and decrease that of bax mRNA. Moreover, the ratio of bcl-2 to bax mRNA is higher in 12.5 and 25 mg kg(-1) dose group, respectively, which is significantly different from that of model group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Generally, either 12.5 or 25 mg kg(-1) dose group is better than positive control medicine nimodipine (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). In addition, the expression of bcl-2 and bax protein is consistent with their gene expression. Infarct volume and the ratio of bcl-2 to bax mRNA expression are significantly different (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) between 72 h and 24 h group. The results demonstrated that lactuside B could play a good role in resisting cerebral ischemia by upregulating the expression of bcl-2 mRNA and protein and downregulating that of bax mRNA and protein.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Asteraceae ; chemistry ; Brain Ischemia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cerebral Cortex ; metabolism ; pathology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Glucosides ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Male ; Neurons ; drug effects ; pathology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Vasodilator Agents ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism

The existence of RNA has been confirmed in human mature sperm, including mRNA and some members of the microRNA family. Different expressions of sperm mRNA have been found to be correlated with sperm motility and male reproduction. Some sperm specific mRNA and microNA play important roles in the regulation of sperm-oocyte fusion and early embryogenesis. Many published results indicate the variety of sperm RNA in composition and quantity as well as its indispensability for embryogenesis. Further researches on the function of sperm RNA will promote the progress in such fields as male infertility, human assisted reproduction technology and nuclear transfer.
Humans ; Male ; MicroRNAs ; physiology ; RNA, Messenger ; physiology ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) ligand on angiotensin II (AngII)-induced endothelin-1 (ET-1) and NO secretion by endothelial cells in comparison with AngII type I receptor (AT1R) antagonist losartan, so as to reveal the relationship between PPAR gamma and essential hypertension.

METHODSCultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with AngII, PPAR gamma ligand troglitazone, AngII plus troglitazone, and AngII plus AT1R antagonist losartan, respectively, and the concentrations of NO and ET-1 in the cell culture supernatant were measured to evaluate the effects of troglitazone and losartan on AngII-induced NO and ET-1 production by human endothelial cells.

RESULTSTreatment of the HUVECs with troglitazone at 10 micromol/L and 50 micromol/L did not produce significant changes in ET-1 concentration in the cell culture supernatants, but significantly increased NO concentration as compared with the control group (P<0.05). Triglitazone at the concentration of 50 micromol/L significantly inhibited AngII (1x10(-6) mol/L)-induced ET-1 production (P<0.05), and at both 10 and 50 micromol/L, troglitazone inhibited the NO release-lowering effect of AngII in the endothelial cells (P<0.05). Both troglitazone and losartan inhibited AngII-induced ET-1 production by the endothelial cells, but losartan showed more potent effect (P<0.05). Similarly, both troglitazone and losartan inhibited decreased NO production in response to AngII treatment, and again losartan showed stronger effect (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONPPAR gamma ligand troglitazone can inhibit AngII-induced ET-1 production enhancement and decreased NO release by the endothelial cells, but its effect is not so strong as losartan, suggesting that troglitazone modulates blood pressure not solely through AT1R pathway.

Angiotensin II ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Chromans ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; secretion ; Endothelin-1 ; secretion ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Hypertension ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Losartan ; pharmacology ; Nitric Oxide ; secretion ; PPAR gamma ; metabolism ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; metabolism ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology