ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Xiaonang Tiaojing decoction（XNTJD）in improving polycystic ovary syndrome with insulin resistance（PCOS-IR）model rats based on anti-Müllerian hormone（AMH）/AMH type Ⅱ receptor（AMHRⅡ）signaling pathway. MethodForty-eight adult female SD rats were randomly divided into the blank group， model group， XNTJD group（11.4 g·kg-1·d-1） and Diane-35 group（0.21 g·kg-1·d-1）， PCOS-IR model was established by high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with letrozole in rats of all groups except the blank group， rats in the administration groups were given the corresponding dose of drugs by gavage for 15 days with an interval of 1 d every 4 d， normal saline of the same volume was given to the blank group and the model group. Estrous cycle was recorded daily during treatment. At the end of treatment， body weight and Lee's index were recorded， AMH， luteinizing hormone（LH）， LH/follicle stimulating hormone（FSH）， testosterone（T）and estradiol（E2）levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）， fasting plasma glucose（FPG）was measured by glucometer， fasting insulin（FINS） level was measured by radioimmunoassay（RIA）， and the insulin resistance index（HOMA-IR） and insulin sensitivity index（QUICKI）were calculated， triglyceride（TG）and total cholesterol（TC）levels were measured by automatic biochemical analyzer， hematoxylin-eosin（HE）staining was used to observe the morphological changes of the ovary， the levels of AMHRⅡ， bone morphogenetic protein-15（BMP-15）and Smad5 in ovarian tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry（IHC），Western blot was used to analyze the protein expression levels of AMHRⅡ， BMP-15 and Smad5. ResultCompared with the blank group， a large number of leukocytes were observed in the vaginal exfoliated cells of rats in the model group， mainly in diestrus， the levels of body weight， Lee's index， glucose-lipid metabolism indexes（FPG， FINS， HOMA-IR， TG， TC）， AMH and sex hormones（LH， LH/FSH， T）were significantly increased（P<0.01）， and QUICKI and E2 levels were significantly decreased（P<0.01）， there were more cystic bulges on the ovarian surface， more wet weight， more atretic and cystic dilated follicles in the ovarian tissues， and the thickness of granulosa cell layer was reduced without oocytes， the expression level of AMHRⅡ protein in ovarian tissues was significantly increased（P<0.01）， and the expression levels of BMP-15 and Smad5 proteins were significantly decreased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the exfoliated cells in the vagina of rats treated with XNTJD group showed keratinocytes from the 5th to 6th day of treatment， and a stable estrous cycle gradually appeared， body weight， Lee's index， glucose-lipid metabolism indexes（FPG， FINS， HOMA-IR， TG， TC）， AMH and sex hormones（LH， LH/FSH， T）levels were significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）， QUICKI and E2 levels were significantly increased（P<0.01）， ovarian surface was smoother and lighter in wet weight， oocytes and mature follicles were observed in ovarian tissues， the thickness of granulosa cell layer increased and the morphology was intact， the expression levels of BMP-15 and Smad5 proteins were significantly increased（P<0.01）and the expression level of AMHRⅡ protein was significantly decreased（P<0.01）in ovarian tissues. ConclusionXNTJD may mediate the up-regulation of BMP-15 and Smad5 in ovarian tissues of PCOS-IR rats by down-regulating AMH/AMHRⅡ， thereby improving ovarian function， sex hormones and glucose-lipid metabolism levels in PCOS-IR rats.
ABSTRACT
【Objective】 To explore the relationship of graduate students’ psychological stress and perceived stress with their mental health, and analyze the mediating effect of perceived stress. 【Methods】 We investigated 705 graduate students by Chinese College Student Mental Health Scale (CCSMHS), Chinese College Student Psychological Stress Scale (CCSPSS), and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS). Correlation and structural equation model analysis was made. 【Results】 The graduate students’ psychological stress and perceived stress had significant correlation with their mental health. SEM analysis showed that perceived stress served as a partial mediation variable between psychological stress and mental health. Psychological stress had direct effects (0.216) for mental health and indirect effects (0.126) through perceived stress. 【Conclusion】 Graduate students’ psychological stress can influence their mental health directly, and can also reduce mental health level by increasing perceived stress. Perceived stress has partial mediating effect between psychological stress and mental health.
ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the role and mechanism of tumor necrosis factor ligand -related molecule 1A (TL1A) in chronic experimental colitis associated intestinal fibrosis .Methods The model of chronic experimental colitis-associated intestinal fibrosis was induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS).The mice with high TL1A (L-Tg) expression in lymphoid cells and wild -type mice with the same genetic background were divided into wild type control group, wild type DSS group, transgenic control group and transgenic DSS group.The changes of body mass, length of colon, disease activity index (DAI) and colonic pathological score were compared among different groups .The degree of colonic inflammation was evaluated by Hematoxylin -Eosin (H-E) staining.The degree of intestinal fibrosis was assessed by Masson staining and Sirius red staining .The expression of vimentin, αsmooth muscle actin ( α-SMA), type Ⅰ collagen, Ⅲ collagen and transforming growth factor-β1 ( TGF-β1 ) /Smad3 in colon tissue was examined by immunohistochemistry .T test was performed for statistical analysis.Results The body mass of the transgenic DSS group decreased by (9.6 ± 1.8)％, which was more than wild-type DSS group (6.2 ±1.3)％, the difference was statistically significant (t =3.751, P <0.01).The DAI score and colonic pathological score of transgenic DSS group were both higher than those of wild-type DSS group (7.33 ±0.58 vs.6.00 ±1.00, and 14.00 ±1.05 vs.11.75 ±0.50, respectively), and the differences were statistically significant (t =2.818 and 4.739, both P <0.05).The results of Masson staining and Sirius red staining showed aggravation of intestinal fibrosis .The results of immunohistochemical staining showed that the cumulative positive absorbance values of vimentin , α-SMA, TGF-β1 and Smad3 of wild-type DSS group were lower than those of transgenic DSS group (0.650 ±0.050 vs. 0.800 ±0.020, 0.390 ±0.040 vs.0.600 ±0.040, 0.550 ±0.040 vs.0.730 ±0.040, 0.590 ±0.020 vs. 0.830 ±0.040), and the differences were statistically significant (t =6.823, 9.093, 7.794 and 10.390, all P <0.01).Conclusion TL1A may promote the proliferation and activation of fibroblasts through TGF -β1 /Smad3 pathway, leading to the genesis and development of experimental colitis associated intestinal fibrosis .