Reproduction-related proteins differentially expressed in the testes of the mice with kidney-yang or kidney-yin deficiency / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To compare the differentially expressed proteins in mice with kidney-yang deficiency and those with kidney-yin deficiency induced by hydrocortisone, and explore the similar and different material bases of male infertility caused by the two types of kidney deficiency.@*METHODS@#Thirty Kunming mice were equally randomized into a normal control, a kidney-yang deficiency and a kidney-yin deficiency group. The animals of the normal control group were injected intraperitoneally with normal saline at 0.2 ml qd for 7 days, while those of the latter two groups with hydrocortisone at 25 mg/kg/d for 10 days and 50 mg/kg/d for 7 days, respectively, for establishment of kidney-yang deficiency and kidney-yin deficiency models. Then the pathological changes in the testicular tissue of the mice were observed by HE staining and the differentially expressed proteins were compared among different groups using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) and the bioinformatics method.@*RESULTS@#Sod1 was found to be a reproduction-related node protein differentially expressed in the testis tissues of the two types of kidney-deficiency mice, more highly expressed in the kidney-yin than in the kidney-yang deficiency group (P < 0.05). Five reproduction-associated node proteins were co-expressed in the testes of the two groups of kidney-deficiency mice, with significantly up-regulated expression of Rps28 and down-regulated expressions of Rpl11, Rplp2, Svs2 and Svs3a (P < 0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Sod1 may be one of the key material bases for the differentiation of male infertility caused by kidney-yang deficiency from that induced by kidney-yin deficiency, while Rps28, Rpl11, Rplp2, Svs2 and Svs3a may be the common material bases of male infertility caused by the two types of kidney deficiency.

Expression of G-protein coupled estrogen receptor in the testis of the male mouse with kidney yin or kidney yang deficiency and its impact on the reproductive function of the mouse / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the expression of the G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) in the testis of the male mouse with kidney yin or kidney yang deficiency and its influence on the reproductive function of the mouse.@*METHODS@#We randomized 30 six-week-old male Kunming mice into three groups of equal number: kidney yang deficiency, kidney yin deficiency, and normal control, and established the models of kidney yang deficiency and kidney yin deficiency by peritoneal injection of hydrocortisone at 50 mg/kg for 5 days and 25 mg/kg for 10 days, respectively. We observed the behavioral changes of the mice using the elevated plus-maze, exhaustive swimming and field experiment, examined the semen quality with the automatic sperm quality analyzer, calculated the average number of the offspring, measured the serum testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) levels and T/E2 ratio by Roche electrochemiluminescence assay, and determined the localization and expression of GPER in the testis by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the mice with kidney yin deficiency, those with kidney yang deficiency showed remarkably fewer entries into the open arm and central area (P 0.05); the latter group also exhibited significant decreases in the epididymal sperm count (［7.27 ± 1.30］ vs ［3.05 ± 1.06］ ×108/g, P 0.05), and markedly reduced serum T (［24.96 ± 6.18］ vs ［16.72 ± 5.92］ ng/dl,P <0.05), E2 (［19.81 ± 4.01］ vs ［15.24 ± 1.11］ pg/ml,P <0.05) and T/E2 ratio (1.41 vs 1.25, P <0.05). The expression of GPER was found in the cytoplasm of the Leydig cells, negative in the nuclei and cell membrane, significantly higher in the kidney yang than in the kidney yin deficiency group (P <0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The numbers of sperm and offspring decreased while the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm increased in both the kidney yang and kidney yin deficiency mice, even more significantly in the former, which might be associated with the up-regulated expression of GPER in the testis of the mouse with kidney yang deficiency and consequently the reduced serum T level and T/E2 ratio.

Study on extraction of cinnamon polyphenols from defatted cinnamom bark powder / 中草药

Objective To research the extraction conditions of cinnamon polyphenols with defatted cinnamon bark powder. Methods Cinnamon bark powder was extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction to de-fat firstly and then the effects of extraction time, ethanol concentration, ratio of feed to liquid, and extraction temperature on the extraction ratio of polyphenols were investigated in detail. Results The result shows that the optimum extraction conditions of cinnamon polyphenols from the defatted cinnamon bark powder are: extraction time 2 h, ethanol concentration 55%, feed liquid ratio 1:8, and temperature 60 ℃. Under the above conditions, the extracted ratio of the polyphenols from the defatted cinnamon bark powder went up to 106.4 mg/g and the yield of cinnamon bark extract went up to 20.7%. The content of polyphenols in the dry extract was 51.4%, which was much higher than that from the original cinnamon powder while the content of coumarin of the extract was 104 μg/g. Conclusion The defatting of cinnamon powder by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction in advance can greatly increase the yield of cinnamon polyphenols and reduce the content of coumarin in the cinnamon bark extract.

Protective effect of Icariin against TGF-β1-induced injury of rat Leydig cells / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>Objective</b>To study the effect of Icariin on rat Leydig cells with TGF-β1-induced injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We determined the optimal concentration of Icariin for protecting primarily cultured Leydig cells against TGF-β1-induced injury by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. We detected the effects of Icariin on the secretion of estradiol (E2) and activity of aromatase in the injured Leydig cells by radioimmunoassay and Tritium water release experiment and its effect on the gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) between the Leydig cells by fluorescence distribution after photobleaching.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Different concentrations of Icariin showed different degrees of protective effect on the TGF-β1-treated Leydig cells, the effect observed at 20 μg/ml and at its optimum at 160 μg/ml. After treatment of the injured Leydig cells with Icariin at 160 μg/ml, significant improvement was observed in the E2 secretion and aromatase activity (P<0.01) as well as in the GJIC between the Leydig cells (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Icariin can effectively protect rat Leydig cells against TGF-β1-induced injury, which is largely attributed to its effects of increasing E2 synthesis, enhancing aromatase activity, and improving GJIC between Leydig cells.</p>

Inhibition of polylysine-EDTA on rabbit lens epithelial cell growth in vitro / 中华实验眼科杂志

BackgroundPosterior capsule opacification(PCO) is the main cause inducing low vision after extacapsular cataract extraction. Our previous study determined that polylysine-ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) (PLE) can suppress the incidence of PCO. ObjectiveThe goal of this experiment was to investigate the inhibition of polylysine-EDTA on rabbit lens epithelial cells (LECs)proliferation in vitro and the effective concentrations of polylysine-EDTA. MethodsThe anterior capsular membranes from 10 3-month-old clean New Zealand white rabbits were digested and then cultured to obtain the LECs. The second and third generation of LECs were inoculated on the 96-hole culture plate with the cell density of the 1 × 105/ml. 12.5,25.0,50. 0,100. 0 μmol/Lof PLE were added into the culture medium for 48 hours respectively,and the DMSO medium was used at the same way as the control group. The proliferation of the LECs was then detected by MTT method and the inhibitory rate of PLE on LECs growth was calculated. ResultsLECs grew at a near normal state in ≤25.0 μmol/L PLE groups,however,cultured LECs were out of shape and the numbers decreased with the weakened adhesion ability in ≥50.0 μ mol/L PLE groups. The A490 values of LECs were 0. 278±0. 013,0. 266±0. 028,0. 260±0. 022 and 0. 247±0. 012 in 12. 5,25.0,50. 0, 100. 0 μmol/L polylysine-EDTA groups respectively and were lower than 0. 311 ±0. 038 of DMSO control group( P=0. 035,0. 011,0. 009,0.013 ). The inhibitory rates of 12. 5,25.0,50. 0, 100.0 μmoL/L PLE on LECs proliferation were 10.61％ , 14.47％ , 16.40％ and 20. 58％ respectively. ConclusionsPolylysine-EDTA can inhibit the growth and proliferation of LECs in vitro at a dose-dependent manner.

A cross-sectional study on health-related knowledge and skills and its influencing factors among the Chinese college students / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To investigate the status on health-related knowledge and skills among the college students. Methods 5070 Chinese students from 28 universities or colleges were sampled, using the multiple-stage stratified, purposive and convenient mixed sampling method. A cross-sectional investigation on health literacy was conducted with self-designed questionnaire, and SPSS 13.0 was used to statistically analyze the data. Results The average scores on health-related related knowledge and skills among the subjects was 74.139 ± 12.0223, with 38.4% on basic health-related literacy (scores≥80). The rate (1.1%) of passing the margin line set for the awareness on chronic disease prevention appeared to be the lowest. And there noticed significant differences (P＜0.05) in different regions, types, and genders on the basic health-related knowledge and skills as well as on the prevalence rates of total and each dimensional health-related literacy among universities and colleges. Regions and types of universities and colleges were the main influencing factors on the levels of health-related knowledge and skills among the college students. Conclusion The prevalence of basic health-related knowledge and skills was low and the prevalence rates of health-related knowledge and skills were differently distributed among student populations under study.