Overview of systematic reviews of acupuncture for vascular cognitive impairment / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To overview the methodological quality, report quality and evidence quality of the systematic review (SR) of acupuncture for vascular cognitive impairment ( VCI ).@*METHODS@#The SRs regarding acupuncture for VCI were searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang and VIP databases. The retrieval period was from the establishment of the database to September 24, 2020. The report quality, methodological quality and evidence quality of the included SRs were evaluated by PRISMA statement, the AMSTAR 2 tool and the GRADE system.@*RESULTS@#A total of 22 SRs were included, including 102 outcome indexes. The methodological quality was generally low, with low scores on items 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, 15 and 16. The report quality was good, with scores ranging from 19 points to 24.5 points. The problems of report quality were mainly reflected in the aspects of structural abstract, program and registration, other analysis and funding sources. The level of outcome indexes of SRs was mostly low or very low, and the main leading factor was limitation, followed by inconsistency and inaccuracy.@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture for VCI is supported by low quality evidence of evidence-based medicine, but the methodological quality and evidence body quality of relevant SRs are poor, and the standardization is needed to be improved.

Analysis of visual quality of myopia and myopia combined with astigmatism after SMILE surgery for 1a / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To present the visual quality and refractive outcomes obtained in small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)refractive surgeries, and observe the follow-up of patients over 1a period.<p>METHODS: Retrospective comparative analysis of 85 patients(85 eyes)were treated with SMILE between July and December 2019. Pre- and postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity(UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity(CDVA), spherical equivalent refraction(SE)were all observed, to evaluate the efficacy, safety and predictability after SMILE refractive surgery. Total corneal higher-order aberrations(HOAs), modulation transfer function cut-off(MTF_cutoff), strehl ratio(SR), and objective scattering index(OSI)were evaluated. <p>RESULTS: One year after SMILE refractive surgery, the efficacy index was 1.08, 84 eyes(99%)reached an UDVA as or over CDVA preoperatively, 22 eyes(26%)gained one line of CDVA than preoperatively. The safety index was 1.04, 59 eyes(69%)of the treated eyes had an unchanged CDVA postoperatively, 24 eyes(28%)gained one line of CDVA, 2 eyes(2%)gained two lines of CDVA. 85 eyes(100%)were all within ±0.50D. The pre-correction is highly related with the actual correction of SE(<i>Y</i>=0.9949<i>X</i>-0.0033; <i>R</i>²=0.9977). HOA, spherical aberration and coma were increased under pupil diameters of 6mm(all <i>P</i><0.001). Both MTF_cutoff and SR were higher than that of SMILE preoperatively(<i>P</i><0.05).<p>CONCLUSION: SMILE demonstrated to be safe, effective, and predictable in the treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism, and good accuracy in correcting medium and low astigmatism. The post-quality of retinal image is better than that of SMILE preoperatively.

Study on mechanism of Bushen Culuan Formula in treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome based on network pharmacology and molecular docking / 中国中药杂志

This study used network pharmacology and molecular docking to study the mechanism of Bushen Culuan Formula in the treatment of infertility caused by polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS). The active ingredients and potential drug targets of Bushen Cu-luan Decoction were obtained by searching the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology(TCMSP) database, and the targets of PCOS by searching GeneCards. After the drug targets and disease targets were corrected by Uniprot, the intersection genes were obtained. STRING database and Cytoscape 3.7.2 were used for protein-protein interaction(PPI) analysis of the intersection genes. The ClueGO plug-in of Cytoscape 3.7.2 was employed to perform gene ontology(GO) enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment for the intersection genes. Finally, molecular docking of the key active ingredients with the targets of Bushen Culuan Formula was performed using AutoDockVina and MGLtools. A total of 136 active ingredients and 314 drug targets of the decoction were obtained from TCMSP, and 136 disease targets from GeneCards. Finally, 49 drug-disease intersection genes were obtained. GO enrichment found that the genes were mainly involved in the regulation of muscle cell apoptosis, positive regulation of small molecule metabolism, core promoter binding, RNA polymerase Ⅱ regulation of pri-miRNA transcription, negative regulation of transmembrane transport and other biological functions. The enriched KEGG pathways mainly included MAPK, PI3 K-Akt, p53, and HIF-1 signaling pathways. The results of molecular docking showed that quercetin and PTGS2 can bind stably and interact through amino acid residues THR206, TRP387, ASN382, etc. This study preliminarily reveals the multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway mechanism of Bushen Culuan Formula in the treatment of PCOS-related infertility, which provides a basis for further research.

Effect of therapies for kidney-tonifying and blood-activating in treatment of anovulatory infertility in eugenics / 中国中药杂志

In the context of the new era, paying attention to maternal and child health and advocating prenatal and postnatal care can effectively improve the quality of the birth population. Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of prenatal and postnatal healthcare with rich content, which is the theoretical basis of modern related services. With the social development and the improvement of people's awareness of prenatal and postnatal healthcare, people have gradually shifted the focus of prenatal and postnatal healthcare to the peri-pregnancy stage at present, namely that couples of childbearing age are guided to prepare for pregnancy under the premise of solving their basic diseases. Infertility is a common and refractory disease for women of childbearing age. Ovulation disorder is one of its common pathological mechanisms. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that kidney deficiency is the main cause and pa-thogenesis of anovulation infertility and blood stasis is an important factor throughout the disease course. In clinical practice, therapies for invigorating kidney and activating blood are safe and reliable to treat anovulatory infertility mainly by adjusting the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis, improving ovarian function, uterine environment and gamete quality and increasing endometrial volume. Under the guidance of the thought of prenatal and postnatal healthcare, the authors tried to explore the effect of therapies for kidney-tonifying and blood-activating in the treatment of anovulatory infertility in eugenics, with the purpose of providing ideas and basis for subsequent relevant clinical studies and contributing to prenatal and postnatal healthcare services.

Strategy adjustment in foreign prevention and control of COVID-19 and the related focus in China / 上海预防医学

This study introduces the current status of the coronavirus disease 2019 （COVID-19） epidemic， the adjustment of response initiatives， and the global variation of novel coronaviruses and vaccination in Europe， the United States， Japan， and Singapore. It summarizes the achievements in prevention and control efforts in China during COVID-19 epidemic. In addition， it describes the key public health issues in Chinese response strategy that includes： promoting the establishment of a population immunization system； optimizing health certification by unifying health codes， trip codes， and vaccine passes as a triple-identification at the national level； retaining nucleic acid testing as a technical means of detecting the source of infection and epidemiological investigation of close contacts； adhering to the requirements of public places， public transportation and other measures such as wearing masks； strengthening the surveillance of COVID-19 and respiratory infectious diseases； normalizing the timing of implementation of prevention and control strategies.

Strategy adjustment in foreign prevention and control of COVID-19 and the related focus in China / 上海预防医学

This study introduces the current status of the coronavirus disease 2019 （COVID-19） epidemic， the adjustment of response initiatives， and the global variation of novel coronaviruses and vaccination in Europe， the United States， Japan， and Singapore. It summarizes the achievements in prevention and control efforts in China during COVID-19 epidemic. In addition， it describes the key public health issues in Chinese response strategy that includes： promoting the establishment of a population immunization system； optimizing health certification by unifying health codes， trip codes， and vaccine passes as a triple-identification at the national level； retaining nucleic acid testing as a technical means of detecting the source of infection and epidemiological investigation of close contacts； adhering to the requirements of public places， public transportation and other measures such as wearing masks； strengthening the surveillance of COVID-19 and respiratory infectious diseases； normalizing the timing of implementation of prevention and control strategies.

Prevalence of CYP2C19 gene mutations in patients with coronary heart disease and its biological activation effect in clopidogrel antiplatelet response / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of CYP2C19 gene mutations on clopidogrel antiplatelet activity in the patients with coronary heart disease treated by percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods: Patients with coronary heart disease, who hospitalized in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from March 2011 to June 2019, and healthy individuals with matching genetic background, gender, and age as controls were included in this study. Basic clinical data were analyzed and blood samples of all research subjects were obtained for extraction of DNA, and Sanger first-generation sequencing method was used to detect CYP2C19 gene mutation from full exon and exon and intron junction. CYP2C19 gene variations in patients with coronary heart disease were compared with the 1000 Genomes Browse database and the sequencing results of healthy controls to determine whether the gene variation was a genetic mutation or a genetic polymorphism. After that, PolyPhen-2 prediction software was used to analyze the harmfulness of gene mutations to predict the effect of mutations on protein function. The same dose of CYP2C19 wild-type plasmid and the CYP2C19 gene mutant plasmids were transfected into human normal liver cells HL-7702. After transfection of 24 h, the expression of CYP2C19 protease in each group was detected. The liver S9 protein was incubated with clopidogrel, acted on platelets to detect the platelet aggregation rate and the activity of human vasodilator-activated phosphoprotein (VASP). Results: A total of 1 493 patients with coronary heart disease (59.36%) were enrolled, the average age was (64.5±10.4) years old, of which 1 129 were male (75.62%). Meanwhile, 1 022 healthy physical examination volunteers (40.64%) were enrolled, and the average age was (64.1±11.0) years old, of which 778 were male (76.13%). A total of 5 gene mutations of CYP2C19 gene were identified in 12 patients (0.80%), namely, 4 known mutations T130K (1 case), M136K (6 cases), N277K (3 cases), V472I (1 case) and one new mutation G27V (1 case), no corresponding gene mutation was found in healthy controls. It was found that T130K and M136K were probably damaging, G27V was possibly damaging, and N277K and V472I were benign mutations. In vitro, we demonstrated that the platelet aggregation rate of the M136K gene mutation group was 24.83% lower than that of the wild type (59.58% vs. 34.75%; P<0.05), and the phosphorylated VASP level was 23.0% higher than that of the wild type (1.0 vs. 1.23; P<0.05). However, the platelet aggregation rate and phosphorylated VASP level were similar between of G27V, T130K, N277K, V472I gene mutation groups and wild type group (P>0.05). Conclusions: In this study, 5 gene mutations are defined in patients with coronary heart disease, namely G27V, T130K, M136K, N277K, V472I. In vitro functional studies show that CYP2C19 gene mutation M136K, as a gain-of-function gene mutation, can enhance the activation of CYP2C19 enzyme on clopidogrel, thereby inhibiting the platelet aggregation rate.

Effect of orthokeratology on myopia control in adolescents / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To investigate the related factors influencing the myopia control effect in adolescents with orthokeratology.<p>METHODS: This study selected 102 adolescents who wearing ortho-k lens in the First Affiliation Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University during July 2014-October 2017.Their axial elongation, refraction, wearing time were observed.<p>RESULTS: After 3a treatment, the axial elongation of 102 adolescents increased 0.42±0.37mm. Among the low myopia, the middle and high myopia groups, the axial elongation increased 0.65±0.35mm, 0.32±0.37mm and 0.30±0.29mm, respectively. The axial elongation in the high myopia groups was the most slowest(the combination of orthokeratology and spectacles); There was an interaction between the wearing time and the initial refraction, the wearing time and the initial age(all <i>P</i><0.001). It is suggested that the axial elongation is slower in middle-high myopia than that in the low myopia. The axial elongation was slower in the older adolescents than that in the younger adolescents; There was no interaction between wearing time and gender(<i>F</i>=0.292, <i>P</i>=0.695). The axial elongation has no difference between male and female.<p>CONCLUSION: The initial refraction and the initial age of myopic adolescents were important factors influencing axial elongation. The combination of orthokeratology and spectacles has effection in controlling axial elongation.

Evaluation of cycloplegic effectiveness of atropine, cyclopentolate and tropicamide / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM:To investigate the effectiveness of three cycloplegia drugs: atropine, cyclopentolate and tropicamide on school-age children, and provid theoretical basis in choosing cycloplegic drugs for school-age children. <p>METHODS: Totally 420 myopic school-age students(818 eyes)in out-patients department were selected during July to August 2017. Candidates were divided into three medicine groups according to their age: Group A: <8 years old, utilizing 1% atropine; Group B: 8-12 years old, utilizing the cyclopentolate; Group C: >12 years old, utilizing the tropicamide. The difference of refraction degree before and after medicine application were calculated. <p>RESULTS: The coincidence rate of spherical equivalent refraction with cycloplegia and without cycloplegia was 81.0% in atropine group, 81.3% in cyclopentolate group and 79.4% in tropicamide group respectively. There was statistical difference of refraction results of the Group A between with atropine cycloplegia and without cycloplegia. The mean difference was -0.113±0.226D(<i>t</i>=-4.663, <i>P</i><0.001). There was no statistical refraction difference of the Group B between with cyclopentolate cycloplegia and without cycloplegia, the mean difference was -0.025±0.192D(<i>t</i>=-1.665, <i>P</i>=0.099). So does the difference of Group C between with tropicamide cycloplegia and without cycloplegia, which was -0.026±0.193D(<i>t</i>=1.760, <i>P</i>=0.080). <p>CONCLUSION: For children older than 8-years old and without strabismus and amblyopia, cyclopentolate or tropicamide can be used to give cycloplegia refraction for the first time, which is convenient for their daily activities. The cycloplegia refraction results should been re-checked after used atropine, and giving prescription by using the principle of maximum plus to maximum visual acuity(MPMVA).

Implementing antimicrobial management toimprove susceptibility of Pseudom onas aeruginosa to carbapenems / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To analyze susceptibility of clinically isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)to carbape-nems,and observe the effect of classified management of antimicrobial agents on carbapenem susceptibility.Methods PA isolated from Peking University Cancer Hospital between October 2012 and March 2014 were collected,uni-variate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were adopted to study the risk factors for non-suscepti-bility to carbapenems,susceptibility of PA to carbapenems before and after the implementation of classified manage-ment of antimicrobial agents was analyzed.Results A total of 125 strains of PA were isolated,mainly from patients with esophageal cancer(n=30,24.0%)and colorectal cancer(n=29,23.2%);the main specimens were drainage fluid and wound secretion(n=62,49.6%);the main source departments were surgical wards(n=86,68.8%). Univariate analysis showed that non-susceptibility of PA to carbapenems was related to strains from surgical wards,hospitalization within 3 months,carbapenem exposure,and length of hospital stay>4 weeks. Logistic regression analysis showed that 3 independent risk factors were:strains from surgical wards,exposure to carbapenems,and length of hospital stay>4 weeks. Susceptibility of PA to carbapenems after implementation of antimicrobial man-agement was 74.6%,which was higher than 53.4% before management(P= 0.015).Conclusion Strains from surgical wards,carbapenem exposure,and length of hospital stay>4 weeks are independent risk factors for no-sus-ceptibility of PA to carbapenems;susceptibility of PA to carbapenems is increased after strict implementation of antimicrobial classified management system.

Analysis of T2DM to the Serum Nesfatin-1 Level Changes of Patients with NAFLD Horizontal / 现代检验医学杂志

Objective To study the effects of the serum Nesfatin-1 level change by type 2 diabetes in patients with Non-alcoholic fatty liver,and provides a reliable basis for its prysiological effects.Methods Selected 300 cases with type 2 diabetes mellitus in deoartment of endocrinology from January 2014 to January 2016 in Affiliated Hospital of Yan'an University as the object of this study.According to whether the patients were combined with non-alcoholic fatty liver,the patients were divided into T2DM with NAFLD group (150 cases) and T2DM without NAFLD group (150 cases).In addition,150 volunteers for healthy check-up in the hospital were selected as control group.Compared the serum Nesfatin-1 levels of three group patients,and monitored the insulin resistance index of two groups patients with type 2 diabetes.Results BMI,TG,ALT and INS of NGT(23.1±1.9,1.7±0.5,26.9±12.7 and 9.7±2.4,respectively) group and T2DM (22.1±2.5,2.0± 0.9,22.1 ± 10.5 and 11.2± 4.5,respectively) group were significantly lower than those of T2DM-NAFLD group (26.5 ± 3.8,3.0± 2.5,31.9 ± 11.5 and 14.2 ± 6.5;all P value were 0.00).FBG,HbAlc,LDL-C,HOMA-IR and Nesfatin-1 of T2DM group (8.4±3.1,8.8±2.7,3.4±1.0,4.5±2.9 and 6.9±3.0) and T2DM-NAFLD group (8.2±2.7,8.5± 1.9,3.7 ± 2.1,5.2 ± 2.7 and 5.2 ± 2.7) were significantly higher than those in serum NGT group (5.1 ± 0.5,5.4 ± 0.4,2.7 ±0.8,2.7±0.8 and 2.3± 0.7,all P value were 0.00).The serum Nesfatin-1 levels of T2DM patients and patients with T2DM-NAFLD had moderate correlation (r=-0.421,P＜0.05) by Pearson correlation analysis.BMI,TG and serum Nesfatin-1 levels were closely associated with the occurrence of fatty liver (r=-0.402 ～ 0.273;P=0.00 ～ 0.01).Conclusion Nesfatin-1 may be involved in type 2 diabetes mellitus and the occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver.

Effects of Naoluo Xintong Decoction on vascular dementia rats' memory and learning, and hippocampal neuronal intracellular calcium concentration / 中成药

AIM To study the effects of Naoluo Xintong Decoction (NLXTD) on vascular dementia (VD)rats' memory and learning,and hippocampal neuronal intracellular calcium concentration.METHODS Rats were divided randomly into model group,NLXTD group (8.54 g/kg),Huperzia-A group (0.06 mg/kg) and sham group.They were made into vascular dementia rats by the improved bilateral carotid artery ligation method (2-VO)thereafter if necessary.After one-month corresponding intragastric administration,the rats were ethologically evaluated by the Morris water maze experiment;their fluorescence intensity of hippocampal neuronal intracellular calcium concentration was determined by flow cytometry,and the expression levels of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and its hippocampus receptor were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).RESULTS Compared with the model group,rats in NLXTD group displayed overall superiority to those of the model group in terms of significantly shortened time of escape latency (P ＜0.01),significantly increased number through the platform and the times in the fourth quadrant (P ＜ 0.01),a lower fluorescence intensity indicating a lower hippocampal neuronal intracellular calcium concentration (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION The significant improvement of memory and learning observed among VD rats' due to NLXTD intervention may be attributable to its efficacy in reducing the hippocampal neuronal intracellular calcium concentration by enhancing the expression levels of CGRP and its receptor.

Chinese Medicine for Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effificacy of oral Chinese medicine (CM) in comparison with donepezil, a cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI), for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been searched, and the effect of CM compared with donepezil in AD has been investigated. An electronic search of MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Cochrane Library, Chinese Biological Medicine Database (CBMdisc), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) to identify articles in English and Chinese from the inception of the database until October 18, 2015. A modifified Jadad score (7-points) to judge the methodological quality of studies, comprehensive meta-analysis was performed with Cochrane Collaboration Revman 5.3. Dichotomous data were analyzed by relative risk (RR) with a 95% confifidence interval (CI), while continuous variables were analyzed by using mean differences (MD) with 95% CI for effect size.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Six studies involving 596 AD patients through Jadad assessment with low bias were included in the meta-analysis. No signifificant difference was observed in cognitive improvement and daily abilities of patients using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (MD: 0.69, 95% CI:-0.17 to 1.56) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale (MD: 0.94, 95% CI:-1.54 to 3.43). There were no signifificant differences in status of illness or MD for mild-moderate AD patients at 24 weeks (MD: 0.62, 95% CI:-2.99 to 4.23) and 48 weeks (MD:-0.73, 95% CI:-5.02 to 3.56). Severe AD patients were also assessed at 24 weeks (MD: 3.13, 95% CI:-6.92 to 13.18) and 48 weeks (MD: 4.23, 95% CI:-6.38 to 14.84). Furthermore, compared with donepezil, Xin (Heart)-regulating CM and Shen (Kidney)-tonifying groups were observed (MD:-1.50, 95% CI:-3.08 to 0.08; MD:-1.92, 95% CI:-3.50 to-0.33; respectively). CM had fewer side effects in AD patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared with donepezil, oral CM showed no signifificant difference in effectiveness in AD patients, and more evidence is needed to verify the fifindings.</p>

Changes in T helper lymphocytes and their subsets in children with tic disorders / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the changes in T helper lymphocytes and their subsets in children with tic disorders (TD) and their clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Flow cytometry was used to measure the percentages of T helper lymphocytes and their subsets in the peripheral blood of children with TD and healthy children (controls).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The percentage of T helper lymphocytes was significantly lower in the TD group than in the control group (P<0.001). The abnormal rate of T helper lymphocytes in the TD group was significantly higher than that in the control group (68.7% vs 18.8%; P<0.001). The percentage of T helper lymphocytes was negatively correlated with Yale Global Tic Severity Scale score (r=-0.3945, P<0.001). As for the subsets of T helper lymphocytes, the TD group had a significantly higher percentage of Th1 cells and a significantly lower percentage of Th2 cells compared with the control group (P<0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The abnormality of T helper lymphocytes and the imbalance of their subsets may be associated with the pathogenesis of TD in children. The percentage of T helper lymphocytes can be used as an indicator for assessing the severity of TD.</p>

Effect of puerarin in Longmaining formula on pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics correlation in rats with myocardial ischemia / 中国中药杂志

To study the pharmacokinetics of puerarin in compound Longmaining(FFLMN) in normal rats and myocardial ischemia rats, and investigate its correlation with anti-myocardial ischemia effect of FFLMN. Models of myocardial ischemia rats were produced by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol(ISO), then FFLMN extract solution was administered by gavage. Orbital sinus blood sampling was collected at different time points after gavage. HPLC-UV method was applied to determine the concentration of puerarin in plasma, and compare the difference in pharmacokinetics between normal rats and model rats after application of same dose of FFLMN. Meanwhile, microplate reader was used to determine IL-6 and SOD activities in plasma of different time points, and draw dose-effect curve. The results indicated that the pharmacokinetics of puerarin conformed to the two-compartment model in both normal group and myocardial ischemia model group. In the comparison of main pharmacokinetic parameters between two groups: AUC0-∞=(11.451±3.228) mg•h•L⁻¹,AUC0-t=(14.047±3.765) mg•h•L⁻¹, Cmax=(5.623±1.40) mg•L⁻¹ in normal group; AUC0-∞=(68.849±50.396 9) mg•h•L⁻¹, AUC0-t= (58.312±45.802) mg•h•L⁻¹,Cmax=(18.456±7.517) mg•L⁻¹ in treatment group. The SOD level was significantly increased and IL-6 concentration was significantly decreased in plasma, indicating that as compared with the normal group, puerarin in FFLMN had a higher plasma concentration, slower elimination rate and higher bioavailability. Therefore, puerarin concentration in plasma has correlation with the anti-myocardial ischemia effect of FFLMN, which could increase SOD level and inhibit the release of IL-6.

Detection of marginal leakage of Class V restorations in vitro by micro-CT / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the reliability and superiority of micro-CT in marginal leakage assessment of Class V restorations.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Class V preparations with gingival margins in dentin and occlusal in enamel were made in sixteen extracted non-carious human molars and restored with dental bonding agents and composite resin. All teeth were then immersed in 50% ammonia-silver nitrate solution for 12 hours, followed by developing solution for 8 hours. Each restoration was scanned by a micro-CT and silver leakage was measured and three-dimensional image of the silver leakage alone cavity wall were reconstructed. Afterward, all restorations were sectioned and examined for leakage depth using a microscope. The silver leakage depth of each restoration obtained by micro-CT and microscope were compared for equivalency.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The silver leakage depths in gingival wall obtained with micro-CT (0.78 mm) and microscope (0.74 mm) showed no significant difference (P > 0.05), while the judgment of leakage depths in occlusal wall in micro-CT image (0.40 mm) was affected by adjacent enamel structure, giving less leakage depths compared to microscope (0.72 mm)(P < 0.01). The three-dimensional shapes of the microleakages displayed clearly by micro-CT alone wall of Class V restorations were multiform and some leakages showed channels on their way to spreading.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Micro-CT can detect precisely the silver leakage in the dentin wall of a restoration and display its three-dimensional shape fully. Enamel structure affects the detection of the silver leakage next to it.</p>

Effects of quercetin on multidrug resistance and expression of related genes in human erythroleukemic K562/a cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

The study was aimed to investigate the effect of quercetin, flavonoid molecules on reversing leukemia multidrug resistance and its mechanism. K562/A cells were cultured in vitro with different concentrations of quercetin. Cell growth inhibition and adriamycin (ADR) sensitivity were detected by MTT method. Intracellular ADR concentration was determined by flow cytometry. Cell apoptosis was assayed by Annexin V/PI staining method. The expressions of drug transporter and apoptosis related genes were measured by real-time PCR array. The results indicated that quercetin inhibited the proliferation of K562 and K562/A in 5-160 µmol/L and with dose-dependent manner. Quercetin increased the sensitivity of K562/A cells to ADR in a low toxicity concentration. Flow cytometry showed that the quercetin increased the accumulation of ADR in K562/A cells when cells were co-cultured with 5 µmol/L ADR for 2 hours. Quercetin could induce the apoptosis of K562 and K562/A cells with dose dependent manner. Furthermore, some drug transport related genes such as ATP-binding cassette (ABC) and solute carrier (SLC) and some apoptosis-related genes such as BCL-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) families were down-regulated by quercetin. It is concluded that quercetin reverses MDR of leukemic cells by multiple mechanisms and the reversing effect is positively related to drug concentration.

Examination of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin in Camptotheca acuminata plant and cell culture, and the affected yields under several cell culture treatments

Camptothecin and its derivatives are monoterpenoid indole alkaloids exhibiting significant anti-tumor actions. With the aim of improving the production of these pharmaceuticals, the contents of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin in different tissues including roots, stems, leaves, young flower buds, opening flowers, fading flowers and seeds from Camptotheca acuminata, were investigated. The young flower buds had the highest alkaloid concentrations (camptothecin, 2.46 mg/g of dry weight; 10-hydroxycamptothecin, 1.41 mg/g of dry weight). Callus showed lower concentrations but it should also be considered as a potential source of these pharmaceuticals. In the present study, the growth rate of Camptotheca acuminata cells in culture did not correlate with contents of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin. Alkalo id accumulation by cells under various treatments (heavy metal ions, UV-B), methyl-jasmonate, abscisic acid, salicylic acid and hydrogen peroxide was examined, and the most notable effects appeared in the cells induced by UV-B light (which showed an 11-fold increase in camptothecin concentration) and by salicylic acid (which showed a 25-fold increase in 10-hydroxycamptothecin concentration). These results are significant in the context of the production of both pharmaceuticals.

Diagnosis and treatment of ovotesticular disorders of sex development in children / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of ovotesticular disorders of sex development (DSD) in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We reviewed the clinical data of 9 cases of ovotesticular DSD admitted in our department from 1988 to 2007.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The patients ranged in age from 9 months to 9 years, 7 raised as males and 2 as females. As for the karyotype, 4 cases were 46,XX, 2 were 46,XX/46,XY, 1 was 46,XY, and the other 2 had no karyotype data. All of them presented with obscure external genitalia: perineal or penoscrotal hypospadias with or without cryptorchidism in males and hypertrophy of the clitoris in females. They were diagnosed with ovotesticular DSD by gonad biopsy and underwent genitoplasty.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The gender assignment of the ovotesticular DSD patient was chiefly based on the development of external genitalia, dominant gonad, karyotype and the parent's will. Laparoscopic technology is recommended in gonad biopsy and orchiopexy during the treatment of ovotesticular DSD.</p>

cDNA cloning and expression analysis of a mannose-binding lectin from Pinellia pedatisecta.

Pinellia pedatisecta agglutinin (PPA)is a very basic protein that accumulates in the tuber of P.pedatisecta .PPA is a hetero-tetramer protein of 40 kDa,composed of two polypeptide chains A (about 12 kDa)and two polypeptides chains B (about 12 kDa).The full-length cDNA of PPA was cloned from P.pedatisecta using SMART RACE-PCR technology; it was 1146 bp and contained a 771 bp open reading frame (ORF)encoding a lectin precursor of 256 amino acid residues with a 24 amino acid signal peptide.The PPA precursor contained 3 mannose-binding sites (QXDXNXVXY) and two conserved domains of 43% identity,PPA-DOM 1 (polypeptides A)and PPA-DOM 2 (polypeptides B).PPA shared varying identities,ranging from 40% to 85%,with mannose-binding lectins from other species of plant families such as Araceae, Alliaceae, Iridaceae, Liliaceae, Amaryllidaceae and Bromeliaceae. Southern blot analysis indicated that ppa belonged to a multi-copy gene family. Expression pattern analysis revealed that ppa expressed in most tested tissues, with high expression being found in spadix,spathe and tuber.Cloning of the ppa gene not only provides a basis for further investigation of its structure,expression and regulatory mechanism,but also enables us to test its potential role in controlling pests and fungal diseases by transferring the gene into plants in the future.