Effects of Pelvic Floor Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Sling Exercise Training on Diastasis Recti Abdominis after Parturition / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To observe the effect of pelvic floor neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and sling exercise training (SET) on diastasis recti abdominis after parturition. Methods:From September to December, 2019, 90 patients with rectus abdominis separation > 2 cm and pelvic floor muscle strength above grade III were randomly divided into three groups, accepting simple pelvic floor NMES (group A), pelvic floor NMES and SET (group B), and simple SET (group C), respectively, for four weeks. The separation distance of rectus abdominis was measured before treatment, two weeks and four weeks after treatment, and four weeks follow-up. Results:The separation distance of rectus abdominis decreased in each group after treatment (F > 8.327, P < 0.01); and it was the least in group B (F > 8.327, P < 0.01), while the multiple comparison results showed that there was no significant difference between group A and group C (P > 0.05). Conclusion:Both pelvic floor NMES and SET can similarly relieve the diastasis recti abdominis after parturition, and it is more effective in combination.

Scavenging activity and mechanism study of ferulic acid against reactive carbonyl species acrolein / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Acrolein, known as one of the most common reactive carbonyl species, is a toxic small molecule affecting human health in daily life. This study is focused on the scavenging abilities and mechanism of ferulic acid and some other phenolic acids against acrolein. Among the 13 phenolic compounds investigated, ferulic acid was found to have the highest efficiency in scavenging acrolein under physiological conditions. Ferulic acid remained at (3.04±1.89)% and acrolein remained at (29.51±4.44)% after being incubated with each other for 24 h. The molecular mechanism of the detoxifying process was also studied. Detoxifying products, namely 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (product 21) and 5-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)pent-4-enal (product 22), were identified though nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), after the scavenging process. Ferulic acid showed significant activity in scavenging acrolein under physiological conditions. This study indicates a new method for inhibiting damage from acrolein.

Sperm origins and concentration do not impact the clinical outcomes in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

In the present study, we evaluated the impact of sperm origins and concentration on the clinical outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. A total of 1201 ICSI cycles were retrospectively analyzed for male azoospermia or oligozoospermia between January 2015 and December 2015 in the Peking University Third Hospital. Patients were divided into three groups (Group 1 vs Group 2/3; surgically extracted sperm vs ejaculated sperms): Group 1 included 343 ICSI cycles and Group 2 analyzed 388 cycles on semen with sperm concentration <5 × 106 ml-1 (severe oligozoospermia group). Group 3 included 470 cycles with sperm concentration between 5 × 106 ml-1 and 15 × 106 ml-1 (mild oligozoospermia group). Fertilization rates, clinical pregnancy rates, and live birth rates were analyzed and compared among groups of different semen origins and concentrations on the oocyte retrieval day. Group 2 showed a lower fertilization rate than Group 3 (62.9% ± 21.6% vs 66.8% ± 22.1%,P< 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in clinical pregnancy rate per transfer (51.3%, 46.7%, and 50.0%, respectively), live birth rate per transfer (44.4%, 40.9%, and 41.4%, respectively), accumulative live birth rate (58.3%, 51.0%, and 52.1%, respectively), twin birth rate (18.4%, 10.6%, and 12.6%, respectively), and birth defects rate (0, 0.3%, and 0.2%, respectively) among three groups. The results of this study indicated that sperm origins and concentration do not impact the clinical outcomes in ICSI cycles.

An experimental study of using Chai Lai Prescription to treat in vitro rabbit models of reflux esophagitis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Chai Lai Prescription is a Chinese herbal compound which is used to sooth the liver, strengthen the spleen and harmonize the stomach for descending adverse Qi. We initiated the study to investigate its mechanism of treating in vitro rabbit reflux esophagitis models.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Adult male Japanese white rabbits, weighing 1.8-2.2 kg, were divided into five groups of three each, which were: normal control group (Krebs buffer, pH7.4), esophagitis model group (Krebs buffer, pH5.8), esophagitis model proup+low-dose Chinese herbal medicine protection group (0.6 mg × ml(-1)× kg(-1)), esophagitis model group+moderate-dose Chinese herbal medicine protection group (6 mg × ml(-1)× kg(-1)), esophagitis model group+high-dose Chinese herbal medicine protection group (60 mg × ml(-1)×kg(-1)). The RT-PCR method was used to test the influence of Chai Lai Prescription on IL-1 and IL-6 in in vitro rabbit models of esophagitis. We treated the in vitro models with different doses of Chinese herbal medicine.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Esophageal mucosa were filled with various liquids. IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA expression was increased in rabbit esophageal mucosa stimulated with acid. Chinese herbal medicine significantly reduced the levels of IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA expression in the in vitro cultured rabbit esophageal mucosa. Using Chinese herbal medicine to treat in vitro models of RE, we found that the IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA expression levels went down, near to or lower than the normal control levels, compared with the group treated with acidified buffer solution.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Chai Lai Prescription lowered the IL-1β and IL-6 cytokine mRNA levels and protected the esophageal mucosa in the in vitro models of reflux esophagitis, suggesting that the traditional Chinese herbal compound may be able to treat reflux esophagitis by inhibiting the its inflammatory mediators.</p>

Effects of G894T mutation in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene on blood pressure / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the association between G894T (Glu298Asp) mutation at exon 7 in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene and essential hypertension.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and sixteen essential hypertensives without taking hypertensive medication and 136 normotensives screened from health workers in a steel factory were selected as subjects in this study. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Ban II restriction enzyme digestion were performed to detect the G894T mutation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>G894T mutation was significantly associated with essential hypertension. The T allele frequency in essential hypertensive group was significantly higher than that in normotensive group (16.0% versus 8.8%, P = 0.019, OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.14 - 3.37). The levels of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in the G894T mutant genotypes were all significantly elevated in hypertensive, normotensive, and the total subjects (P < 0.05). After adjusting factors as age, sex, smoking, alcohol drinking, body mass index, triglyceride, serum total cholesterol, serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol by analysis of multiple covariance, significant positive effect of the G894T mutant genotypes on blood pressure in the total subjects (P < 0.01) was noticed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This study suggested that the G894T mutation in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene might serve as a major risk factor of essential hypertension in this study population.</p>

Relationship between mutation of exon G894 T of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene and overweight to essential hypertension / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between the 7th exon G894T mutation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene and overweight in patients with essential hypertension.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally, 116 patients with essential hypertension taking no medications and 136 normotensives were selected from a steel workers as study subjects. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism were performed to detect mutation of the 7th exon G894T. Additive model was used to analyze interaction between G894T mutation and overweight on hypertension. Population attributable risk percent (PAR%) for them, etiologic fraction, was applied to their contribution to hypertension.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was a positive interaction between G894T mutation and overweight on essential hypertension, with an index of interaction of 1.99 and attributable interaction percent of 30.76%. Their pure attributable interaction percent was 36.38%. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that there still was positive interaction between G894T mutation and overweight on essential hypertension, adjusted for age, sex, smoking and alcohol drinking. Index of their attributable interaction was 2.85, with attributable interaction percent of 39.97%, also adjusted for the above-mentioned factors. Their pure attributable interaction percent was 46.49% and PAR% was estimated as about 15% under certain condition.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Interaction between mutation of the 7th exon G894T of eNOS gene and overweight played an important role in essential hypertension of the studied population. Control of body weight in the population with both G894T mutation and overweight could markedly decrease their risk of hypertension.</p>