Benchmark Dose Assessment for Coke Oven Emissions-Induced Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Damage Effects / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#The study aimed to estimate the benchmark dose (BMD) of coke oven emissions (COEs) exposure based on mitochondrial damage with the mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) as a biomarker.@*METHODS@#A total of 782 subjects were recruited, including 238 controls and 544 exposed workers. The mtDNAcn of peripheral leukocytes was detected through the real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Three BMD approaches were used to calculate the BMD of COEs exposure based on the mitochondrial damage and its 95% confidence lower limit (BMDL).@*RESULTS@#The mtDNAcn of the exposure group was lower than that of the control group (0.60 ± 0.29 vs. 1.03 ± 0.31; P < 0.001). A dose-response relationship was shown between the mtDNAcn damage and COEs. Using the Benchmark Dose Software, the occupational exposure limits (OELs) for COEs exposure in males was 0.00190 mg/m 3. The OELs for COEs exposure using the BBMD were 0.00170 mg/m 3 for the total population, 0.00158 mg/m 3 for males, and 0.00174 mg/m 3 for females. In possible risk obtained from animal studies (PROAST), the OELs of the total population, males, and females were 0.00184, 0.00178, and 0.00192 mg/m 3, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#Based on our conservative estimate, the BMDL of mitochondrial damage caused by COEs is 0.002 mg/m 3. This value will provide a benchmark for determining possible OELs.

Establishment and Validation of a Nomogram for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Concerning the Prognostic Effect of Parotid Lymph Node Metastases / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#The prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with parotid lymph node (PLN) metastasis remains unclear. This study was performed to investigate the prognostic significance and optimal staging category of PLN metastasis and develop a nomogram for estimating individual risk. @*Materials and Methods@#Clinical data of 7,084 non-metastatic NPC patients were retrospectively reviewed. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint. A nomogram was established based on the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The accuracy and calibration ability of this nomogram was evaluated by C-index and calibration curves with bootstrap validation.ResultTotally, 164/7,084 NPC patients (2.3%) presented with PLNs. Multivariate analyses showed that PLN metastasis was a negative prognostic factor for OS, progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS). Patients with PLN metastasis had a worse prognosis than N3 disease. Five independent prognostic factors were included in the nomogram, which showed a C-index of 0.743. The calibration curves for probability of 3- and 5-year OS indicated satisfactory agreement between nomogram-based prediction and actual observation. All results were confirmed in the validation cohort. @*Conclusion@#NPC patient with PLN metastasis had poorer survival outcome (OS, PFS, DMFS, and LRFS) than N3 disease. We developed a nomogram to provide individual prediction of OS for patients with PLN metastasis.

Characteristics of brain injury induced by shock wave propagation in solids after explosion in rats explosion in rats / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To observe the characteristics of rat brain injury induced by shock wave propagation in solids resulting from underwater explosion and explore the related mechanism. Methods Explosion source outside the simulated ship cabin underwater was detonated for establishing a model of brain injury in rats by shock wave propagation in solid; 72 male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (n=8), injury group 1 (600mg RDX paper particle explosion source, n=32), injury group 2 (800mg RDX paper particle explosion source, n=32). The each injury group was randomly divided into 4 subgroups (n=8), 3, 6, 24 and 72h groups. The division plate as a whole and the head of 8 rats in each injury group were measured for the peak value of the solid shock wave, its rising time and the duration time of shock wave propagation in solid. To observe the physiological changes of animals after injury, plasma samples were collected for determination of brain damage markers, NSE and S-100 β. All the animals were sacrificed, the right hemisphere of the brain was taken in each group of animals, weighting after baking, and the brain water content was calculated. Pathological examination was performed for left cerebral hemisphere in 24-h group. The normal pyramidal cells in the hippocampal CA1 region were counted. Results The peak value, rising time and duration time of shock wave propagation on the division plate and head were 1369.74± 91.70g, 0.317± 0.037ms and 24.85± 2.53ms, 26.83± 3.09g, 0.901± 0.077ms and 104.21± 6.26ms respectively in injury group 1, 1850.11± 83.86g, 0.184± 0.031ms and 35.61± 2.66ms, 39.75± 3.14g, 0.607± 0.069ms and 132.44± 7.17ms in injury group 2 (P<0.01). After the injury, there was no abnormality in the anatomy, and brain damage markers NSE, S-100 β increased, reached the peak at 24 h, and they were highest in injury group 2 and lowest in control group with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The brain water content increased, reached the peak at 24h, and was the highest in injury group 2 and the lowest in control group with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). No visible change was observed in the brain of injury groups, but acute neuronal damages to the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were observed under microscope. The neuronal density of hippocampal CA1 subfield was the lowest in injury group 2 and the highest in control group (P<0.05). Conclusions Shock wave propagation in solids from underwater explosion may lead to pathological changes such as brain edema and neuronal degeneration in rats, and cause mild traumatic brain injury in rats, thus, it is essential to strengthen prevention and care.

Effect of Quyu Jiedu granule on microenvironment of ova in patients with endometriosis / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Quyu Jiedu Granules (, QJG) on the micro- microenvironment of ova in patients with endometriosis (EM). environment</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty EM patients who received in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) were randomized equally into a treated group and a control group. Further, 20 patients who received IVF-ET due to oviduct factors were enrolled into a non-endometriosis group. The dosage of gonadotrophic hormone used, the number of ova attained, fertilization rate and clinical pregnancy rate were all observed, and the levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-right harpoon over left harpoon) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in follicular fluid as well as their mRNA expressions in ovarian granular cells were detected by RT-PCR on the very day of ovum attainment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ova attainment (13.80+/-6.87) and fertilization rate (0.69+/-0.31) in the treated group were all higher than the corresponding values in the control group (9.80+/-5.32 and 0.47+/-0.22); the follicular fluid contents of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in the treated group were 1.38+/-0.21 ng/mL and 130.56+/-12.81 pg/mL, respectively, which were lower than those in the control group (1.98+/-0.34 ng/mL and 146.83+/-17.65 pg/mL, respectively). Further, the treated group showed much lower mRNA expressions of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in ovarian granular cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The elevation of TNF-alpha and IL-6 contents in follicular fluid and their mRNA expressions in ovarian granular cells are possibly related to the low quality of ova in EM; QJG might raise the ova quality by reducing TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels to improve the living micro-environment for the ova.</p>

Effect of human follicular fluid from endometriosis patients treated with quyu jiedu granule on mouse embryonic development / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of human follicular fluid (HFF) from endometriosis (EM) patients treated with Quyu Jiedu Granule (QJG) on mouse embryonic development.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cultured 2-cell mouse embryos were divided into three groups. To the medium of Group A (70 embryos), HFF from endometriosis patients treated with QJG was added; to that of Group B (60 embryos), HFF from endometriosis patients untreated with QJG, and to Group C (59 embryos), HFF from patients with fallopian tube obstruction was added. The percentages of embryos developed to 8-cell stage, morula stage and blastula stage were counted, and the early stage number and rate of high-quality embryo were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 70 embryos in Group A, 53 (75.71%) developed to 8-cell stage, 48 (68.57%) to morula stage and 45 (64.28%) to blastula stage; while in the 60 embryos of Group B, the corresponding number (percentage) were 34 (56.67%), 29 (48.33%), 21 (35.00%), respectively, showing significant differences between groups (P < 0.05). High-quality of embryo was 61 (87.14%) in Group A and 44 (73.3%) in Group B, the difference between groups also showed statistical significance (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HFF from endometriosis patients is toxic to 2-cell mouse embryos, but after treated by QJG, it could elevate the quality of cultured mouse embryo in the early stage.</p>