Photodynamic Therapy-Induced Anti-Tumor Immunity: Influence Factors and Synergistic Enhancement Strategies.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an approved therapeutic procedure that exerts cytotoxic activity towards tumor cells by activating photosensitizers (PSs) with light exposure to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). Compared to traditional treatment strategies such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, PDT not only kills the primary tumors, but also effectively suppresses metastatic tumors by activating the immune response. However, the anti-tumor immune effects induced by PDT are influenced by several factors, including the localization of PSs in cells, PSs concentration, fluence rate of light, oxygen concentration, and the integrity of immune function. In this review, we systematically summarize the influence factors of anti-tumor immune effects mediated by PDT. Furthermore, an update on the combination of PDT and other immunotherapy strategies are provided. Finally, the future directions and challenges of anti-tumor immunity induced by PDT are discussed.

[Response of Soil Microbial Diversity to Long-term Enclosure in Degraded Patches of Alpine Meadow in the Source Zone of the Yellow River].

The soil pH, water content, nutrients, and microbial community composition and diversity among one-year term (E1), short-term (E4), and long-term (E10) enclosures were analyzed for understanding the response of soil bacterial and fungal communities to long-term enclosure in degraded patches of alpine meadow in the source zone of the Yellow River, through determining the soil physicochemical properties and microbial diversity using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the E1 enclosure significantly decreased soil pH, whereas long-term and short-term enclosures increased soil pH. The long-term enclosure could significantly increase soil water content and total nitrogen content, and the short-term enclosure could significantly increase available phosphorus content. The long-term enclosure could significantly increase the bacterial Proteobacteria. The short-term enclosure could significantly increase the abundance of the bacteria Acidobacteriota. However, the abundance of the fungus Basidiomycota decreased in both long-term and short-term enclosures. With the extension of enclosure years, the Chao1 index and Shannon diversity index of bacteria showed an increasing trend, but there was no significant difference between long-term and short-term enclosures. The Chao1 index of fungi gradually increased, and the Shannon diversity index first increased and then decreased, but there was no significant difference between long-term and short-term enclosures. Redundancy analysis indicated that enclosure altered microbial community composition and structure mainly by changing soil pH and water content. Therefore, the E4 short-term enclosure could significantly improve the soil physicochemical properties and microbial diversity at the degraded patches of alpine meadow. The long-term enclosure is not necessary and will lead to the waste of grassland resources, reduction in biodiversity, and restriction of wildlife activities.

1H NMR-based metabolomic study of striatal injury in rats with copper-loaded Wilson's disease by Chinese and Western medicine intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the metabolic mechanisms of Chinese and Western medicines on the metabolic network of striatal injury in a copper-loaded rat model of Wilson disease (WD) from a metabolomic perspective. METHODS: We divided 60 rats into 4 groups of 15 rats each according to a random number table, namely the control group, the model group, the Bushen Huoxue Huazhuo Recipe group, and the penicillamine group, and subsequently replicated the WD copper-loaded rat model according to the literature method for a total of 12 weeks. From the 7th week onwards, each intervention group was given an equivalent dose of the corresponding drug, and the control and model groups were given an equal volume of saline gavage until the end of the model replication. We used 1H NMR metabolomics techniques combined with multivariate statistical methods to describe the changes in the striatal metabolic profile of nerve injury in Wilson's disease and to analyze the effect of different treatments on their biomarker interventions. RESULTS: Nerve cell damage was evident in the WD copper-loaded rat model and could be reduced to varying degrees by different methods of intervention in the striatal nerve cells. The content of glycine, serine metabolism, and valine metabolism decreased in WD copper-loaded rat model; aspartate content increased after penicillamine intervention; glycolytic metabolism, valine metabolism, taurine metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism increased in the group of Bushen Huoxue Huazhuo Recipe. CONCLUSION: Different intervention methods of Chinese and Western medicine affect aspartate, glycolysis, taurine, tyrosine, valine, and carbon metabolism in striatal tissues of WD copper-loaded rats, and can regulate the metabolism of small molecules, which in turn have certain repairing effects on nerve damage in WD copper-loaded rats.

Induction of cellulase production in Trichoderma reesei by a glucose-sophorose mixture as an inducer prepared using stevioside.

Sophorose is currently the most effective inducer of cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei; however, the use of byproduct sophorose from the stevioside acid hydrolysis process has not been developed. In this study, stevioside was hydrolysed with different concentrations of HCl to obtain isosteviol and a mixture of glucose and sophorose (MGS). Isosteviol showed good inhibitory effects on the growth of Aspergillus niger, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli after separation. At the same time, MGS, as a byproduct, was evaluated for cellulase production to determine the feasibility of this approach. MGS was compared with common soluble inducers, such as lactose, cellobiose, and a mixture of glucose and ß-disaccharide (MGD), and induced higher cellulase production than the other inducers. The cellulase activity induced by MGS was 1.64- and 5.26-fold higher than that induced by lactose and cellobiose, respectively, and was not significantly different from that induced by MGD. The crude enzyme using MGS as an inducer with commercial ß-glucosidase was further tested by hydrolyzing NaOH-pretreated corn stover with 5% solid loading, and 33.4 g L-1 glucose was released with a glucose yield of 96.04%. The strategy developed in this work will be beneficial for reducing inducer production cost through a simple stevia glycoside hydrolysis reaction and will contribute to studies aimed at improving cellulase production using soluble inducers for easier operation in industrial-scale cellulase production.

Isolation of Growth-Promoting Bacteria and Effect of Compound Bacteria on Yield of Fritillaria przewalskii / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the effects of anti-microbial compound （T1） from<italic> Bacillus </italic>（Phylum Firmicutes） and anti-microbial compound （T2） from <italic>Pseudomonas</italic> and <italic>Rhizobium</italic>， two growth-promoting agents， on the physiological characteristics and growth of <italic>Fritillaria przewalskii</italic>， in order to lay a foundation for the development of functional microbial agents and the promotion of ecological planting. Method:The endophytic bacteria of <italic>F. przewalskii</italic> were isolated and identified using conventional methods. The leaves of three-year-old <italic>F. przewalskii</italic> were sprayed with T1 and T2， followed by yield determination. The enzyme activities and physiological and biochemical indexes in the plant and microorganisms were measured using the corresponding assay kits， and the contents of related hormones by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry （LC-MS）. Result:The isolated endophytic bacteria were classified into Firmicutes，Proteobacteria， and Actinomycetes. The activities of superoxide dismutase（SOD） and peroxidase（POD） and auxin content after T2 treatment were significantly higher than those after T1 treatment， while the contents of siderophore，salicylic acid， and gibberellin were lower. Compared with the blank （CK） group， T1 and T2 increased the contents of endogenous gibberellin，cytokinin， and auxin in <italic>F. przewalskii</italic> leaves，but did not significantly change jasmonic acid and abscisic acid. T1 promoted the accumulation of endogenous salicylic acid in <italic>F. przewalskii</italic> leaves， but there was no significant change after T2 treatment. Compared with CK，T1 and T2 enhanced the activities of SOD， POD， and catalase （CAT） and decreased the content of malondialdehyde. T2 promoted the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in <italic>F. przewalskii</italic> leaves， but no significant difference was observed after T1 treatment. Compared with CK，both T1 and T2 increased chlorophyll，average iron content in rhizosphere soil， and 100-plant weight. Conclusion:T1 and T2 treatments help to increase the yield，and their specific mechanisms differ from each other. T1 exhibits better effect than T2.

Epidemiology of metabolic syndrome and its components in Chinese patients with a range of thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration and the risks of developing metabolic syndrome and its components. METHODS: A total of 10,140 residents of the Yunyan district of Guiyang (Guizhou, China) who were ≥40 years old were selected by cluster random sampling between May and August 2011, of whom 5692 were eligible. TSH concentration and indices of metabolic syndrome were documented at baseline and 3 years later. Participants were allocated to a euthyroid (TSH 0.55-4.78 mIU/L) or high TSH concentration (TSH >4.78 mIU/L) group. Patients with overt hypothyroidism or were undergoing treatment for hypothyroidism were excluded. RESULTS: The crude and adjusted prevalences of metabolic syndrome were 39.9% and 33.9% in the euthyroid group and 44.3% and 37.5% in the high TSH group, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between a high TSH concentration at baseline and the cumulative incidence of metabolic syndrome during follow up. CONCLUSIONS: High TSH is associated with a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome or one of its components; therefore, people with a high TSH concentration should be screened regularly to permit the early identification of metabolic syndrome and followed up thoroughly.

Complex network dynamics of the topological structure in a geochemical field from the Nanling area in South China.

The topological classification of geochemical elements is widely used as a reference for regional prospecting prediction. In this study, we analyze the topological correlation structures of 39 representative geochemical elements from the Nanling area of South China by implementing the complex networks theory. The topological correlation structures of geochemical elements have a high clustering coefficient (0.8120-0.8880), but the magnitude of the shortest path (1.2950-2.3600) is small. In combination with the analysis of complex networks characteristics, we report that the topological correlation structures of the geochemical elements in this area have small-world characteristics, which reveals the self-organized criticality. As shown in the topological network, two random elements have some level of associations, which present a specific community feature. Our preliminary result shows that with changing the control parameter (k) of "coarse-graining", the topological correlation structures undergo two critical phase transitions. As the control parameter (k) reaches 0.44, the entire element system evolves into two parts. When the control parameter (k) reaches 0.63, the system forms three "communities". It is worth noting that the three "communities" are basically consistent with the Goldschmidt's geochemical classification of the elements, which are lithophile, siderophile, and chalcophile groups, respectively. In these "communities", we also found that a small level of component units is nested.

Anti-dengue virus serotype 2 activity of tannins from porcupine dates.

BACKGROUND: Dengue fever is currently endemic in tropical and subtropical countries worldwide and effective drug against DENV infection is still unavailable. Porcupine dates, which are traditionally used to treat dengue fever, might contain potential anti-dengue compounds. Two porcupine dates, black date (BD) and powdery date (PD) from Himalayan porcupine (Hystrix brachyura), were investigated for their antiviral activities against DENV-2 in vitro. METHODS: The methanol crude extracts (MBD and MPD) were prepared from the raw material of porcupine dates. The tannin-rich fractions (BDTF and PDTF) were isolated from their methanol crude extracts using column chromatography. The presence of tannins in BDTF and PDTF extracts was determined by fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. The cytotoxicity and anti-DENV-2 activities including virus yield inhibition, virucidal, virus attachment and pre-treatment assays of the extracts were examined in Vero cells. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that all the extracts of porcupine dates exhibited antiviral activity against DENV-2 in Vero cells. The IC50 of BDTF and PDTF were 25 µg/mL and 11 µg/mL respectively, while their methanol crude extracts demonstrated lower antiviral efficacy (IC50 ≈ 101-107 µg/mL). BDTF and PDTF also exerted a similar higher virucidal effect (IC50 of 11 µg/mL) than methanol crude extracts (IC50 ≈ 52-66 µg/mL). Furthermore, all the extracts inhibited the attachment of DENV-2 by at least 80%. Pre-treatments of cells with BDTF and PDTF markedly prevented DENV-2 infection when compared to methanol crude extracts. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that porcupine dates possess antiviral properties against DENV-2, which is attributed to its tannin compounds.

Down-regulation of lncRNA NEAT1 regulated by miR-194-5p/DNMT3A facilitates acute myeloid leukemia.

OBJECTIVE: miR-194-5p and NEAT1 have been reported to be associated with multiple malignancies, but their roles in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains not fully understood. METHODS: Bone marrow samples were collected for monocyte separation. qRT-PCR assay was performed to investigate the expression patterns of NEAT1 and miR-194-5p in AML. CCK-8, soft agar colony formation, flow cytometry and transwell assays were employed to explore the biological functions of NEAT1 or miR-194-5p. Methylation PCR was performed to monitor the methylation of NEAT1. Luciferase reporter assay was subjected to verify the relationship between miR-194-5p and DNMT3A. Immunofluorescence and western blotting were performed to detect the alterations of protein expression. RESULTS: NEAT1 and miR-194-5p were both down-regulated in AML. Overexpression of either NEAT1 or miR-194-5p repressed proliferation, induced apoptosis and restrained migration and invasion of AML cells. There was a negative correlation between NEAT1 and DNMT3A in AML. Knockdown of DNMT3A dramatically decreased the methylation of NEAT1. Moreover, DNMT3A was identified as a downstream target of miR-194-5p. Furthermore, down-regulation of DNMT3A rescued the impacts on the malignant phenotypes of NEAT1 inhibition by miR-194-5p inhibitor. CONCLUSION: Altogether, down-regulation of NEAT1 mediated by miR-194-5p/DNMT3A axis promotes AML progression, which might provide therapeutic targets in AML treatment.

[Effects of straw returning combined with nitrogen fertilizer on spring maize yield and soil physicochemical properties under drip irrigation condition in Yellow River pumping irrigation area, Ningxia, China]. / æ»´çŒæ¡ä»¶ä¸‹ç§¸ç§†è¿˜ç”°é æ–½æ°®è‚¥å¯¹å®å¤æ‰¬é»„çŒåŒºæ˜¥çŽ‰ç±³äº§é‡å’ŒåœŸå£¤ç†åŒ–æ€§è´¨çš„å½±å“.

Soil compaction and nutrient deficiency are common problems in Ningxia Yellow River pumping irrigation area, which adversely affect crop yield. A two-year (2017-2018) field experiment of straw returning combined with nitrogen fertilizer were designed. Four nitrogen application levels (pure N with 0, 150, 300 and 450 kg·hm-2) were set under the condition of full smashing of maize straw (12000 kg·hm-2) returning, with the conventional nitrogen application (pure N with 225 kg·hm-2) without straw returning as the control (CK) to investigate the effects of straw returning combined with different amounts of nitrogen fertilizer on soil physical and chemical properties and maize yield under drip irrigation condition. The results showed that, compared with no-straw returning treatment, the treatments of straw returning combined nitrogen fertilizer with 300 and 450 kg·hm-2 reduced soil bulk density (0-20 cm) by 3.3% and 5.4%, but increased soil porosity by 3.7% and 7.1%, respectively. Straw returning combined with nitrogen with 300 kg·hm-2 and 450 kg·hm-2 was the best treatment which increased soil organic matter content, available K, P, alkaline N and total N in 0-40 cm soil layer. Compared with the non-returning treatment, straw returning combined with nitrogen fertilizer 300 kg·hm-2 significantly increased soil water storage by 13.6% and 22.1%, increased maize yield by 31.1% and 46.0 % in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The analysis of yield components showed that the high maize yield was achieved mainly by increasing grain number and the100-grain weight. Curve fitting showed that the optimum amount of nitrogen fertilizer was 260 kg·hm-2. Our results provide important basis for soil fertility improvement and sustainable production.

[Design and finite element analysis of customized pelvic prosthesis].

OBJECTIVE: To introduce the design of customized pelvic prosthesis, to evaluate the biomechanical property under three load conditions of customized pelvic prosthesis under three load cinditions. METHODS: A titanium alloy prosthesis for reconstruction of pelvic tumors was designed by CAD software. The strength and stiffness of the custom prosthesis under static and slow gait conditions were analyzed and evaluated by finite element method. RESULTS: The results of the finite element analysis suggested that the maximum von Mises stress in the pelvic under three load conditions were 39.0, 202.8 and 42.4 MPa; the maximum displacement were 0.199, 0.766 and 0.847 mm. The maximum von Mises stress in the prosthesis under three load conditions were 62.3, 318 and 468 MPa. The maximum Von Mises stress in the Ti-alloy prosthesis and pelvic was far smaller than the yield strength of Ti-alloy. CONCLUSIONS: The study can design the size and shape of prosthesis accurately according to patient's condition. The finite element method can reduce the bone stress level and fracture risk, prolong the service life of prostheses, and ensure the safety and stability of the postoperative patients under normal gait.

Increased Risk of Chronic Kidney Diseases in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: A 3-year Prospective Cohort Study.

The relationship of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its components with incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) and rapid decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was investigated. A total of 10 140 patients participating in the epidemiological study (Risk Evaluation of Cancers in Chinese Diabetic Individuals, REACTION) of risk factors of type 2 diabetes in China were followed up for 3 years, with MS being diagnosed by adult treatment panel III (ATPIII) combined with waist circumference in Asian population and renal function being evaluated by eGFR <60 mL·min-1(1.73 m2)-1 and rapid decline of eGFR ≤30%. The results showed that as compared with the non-MS group, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of CKD and rapid decline of eGFR were 1.64 (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.20-2.25, P<0.05) and 1.23 (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.05-1.43, P<0.05) respectively in MS group. With the increase in the number (0, 1, 2, 3 and ≥4) of MS components, the prevalence of CKD was 1.42%, 1.44%, 2.80%, 3.42%, and 4.03% (P<0.001), respectively. The ORs of incident CKD were 1.67 (OR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.22-2.27, P<0.05) for high TG, 1.50 (OR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.10-2.05, P<0.05) for low HDL-C, and 1.39 (OR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.02-1.91, P<0.05) for hyperglycemia. The risk for developing incident CKD was higher in the group with the highest HOMA-IR than in the group with the lowest HOMA-IR (OR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.16-2.89, P<0.05). It is suggested that MS is an independent risk factor for incident CKD. The occurrence and development of CKD is closely related to insulin resistance.

Design and finite element analysis of customized pelvic prosthesis / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To introduce the design of customized pelvic prosthesis, to evaluate the biomechanical property under three load conditions of customized pelvic prosthesis under three load cinditions.@*METHODS@#A titanium alloy prosthesis for reconstruction of pelvic tumors was designed by CAD software. The strength and stiffness of the custom prosthesis under static and slow gait conditions were analyzed and evaluated by finite element method.@*RESULTS@#The results of the finite element analysis suggested that the maximum von Mises stress in the pelvic under three load conditions were 39.0, 202.8 and 42.4 MPa; the maximum displacement were 0.199, 0.766 and 0.847 mm. The maximum von Mises stress in the prosthesis under three load conditions were 62.3, 318 and 468 MPa. The maximum Von Mises stress in the Ti-alloy prosthesis and pelvic was far smaller than the yield strength of Ti-alloy.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The study can design the size and shape of prosthesis accurately according to patient's condition. The finite element method can reduce the bone stress level and fracture risk, prolong the service life of prostheses, and ensure the safety and stability of the postoperative patients under normal gait.

[Effects of returning straw with nitrogen application on soil water and nutrient status, and yield of maize]. / ç§¸ç§†è¿˜ç”°é æ–½æ°®è‚¥å¯¹åœŸå£¤æ°´è‚¥çŠ¶å†µå’ŒçŽ‰ç±³äº§é‡çš„å½±å“.

The study focused on the problems of lean soil and low fertility in arid area of central Ningxia. To explore the optimum rate of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application under straw returning, taking the treatment with straw return and no nitrogen fertilization as control, we investigated the effects of three N application levels (150, 300, 450 kg·hm-2) with return of total maize straw (9000 kg·hm-2) on soil water and nutrient status and maize yield. The results showed that the soil water storage (0-100 cm) at 300 and 450 kg N·hm-2 in middle and late growing period of maize was significantly increased by 10.1% and 9.0%. The enhancement of soil fertility was highest at 300 kg N·hm-2, with significant increases of the contents of soil organic matter, total N, alkali-hydrolyzable-N, available P, and available K by 12.8%, 31.6%, 11.6%, 20.6% and 74.2%, respectively. The enhancement of maize grain yield was highest at 300 and 450 kg N·hm-2, with the value being 32.1% and 23.7%, respectively. The net income at 300 and 450 kg·hm-2 N was significantly increased by 31.8% and 16.8%, respectively. Our results showed that straw returning plus proper quantity of N fertilizer could improve soil water and fertilizer status and enhance maize yield and net income in arid area of central Ningxia. The treatment of straw returning with 300 kg·hm-2 N was the best one.

Molecular Adsorption Mechanism of Elemental Carbon Particles on Leaf Surface.

Plant leaves can effectively capture and retain particulate matter (PM), improving air quality and human health. However, little is known about the adsorption mechanism of PM on leaf surface. Black carbon (BC) has great adverse impact on climate and environment. Four types of elemental carbon (EC) particles, carbon black as a simple model for BC, graphite, reduced graphene oxide, and graphene oxide, and C36H74/C44H88O2 as model compounds for epicuticular wax were chosen to study their interaction and its impact at the molecular level using powder X-ray diffraction and vibrational spectroscopy (infrared and Raman). The results indicate that EC particles and wax can form C-H···π type hydrogen bonding with charge transfer from carbon to wax; therefore, strong attraction is expected between them due to the cooperativity of hydrogen bonding and London dispersion from instantaneous dipoles. In reality, once settled on the leaf surface, especially without wax ultrastructures, BC with extremely large surface-to-volume ratio will likely stick and stay. On the other hand, BC particles can lead to phase transition of epicuticular wax from crystalline to amorphous structures by creating packing disorder and end- gauche defects of wax molecular chain, potentially causing water loss and thereby damage of plants.

Finite element analysis applied in the biomechanical study of hallux valgus:reliability and room for improvement / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Hallux valgus is a common orthopedic disease, and its causes are complex and treatment is varied. The mechanical analysis of hallux valgus is an issue of concern. The finite element analysis makes it predictable to treat hallux valgus. OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical application of finite element analysis in biomechanical study of hallux valgus.METHODS: The first author searched CNKI and PubMed databases from January 1980 to March 2017 using the key words of "finite element, hallux valgus" in English and Chinese, respectively. The repetitive, irrelevant and low-quality articles were excluded. Finally 33 eligible articles were included in accordance with the inclusion criteria, and the critical issues of finite element analysis applied in hallux valgus were reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) There are many researches concerning finite element of hallux valgus, which mostly require physicians to work with engineers. These methods are already very mature, but most of the model and material properties of the data come from foreign researches. (2) The finite element analysis is important and reliable for the etiology of hallux valgus, preoperative planning and prognosis. (3) The finite element model of the hallux valgus is only used on static analysis and gait cycle analysis, the modeling details and definition of material properties still need to be improved.

Construction of semantic relations of the top-level ontology of military medicine / 军事医学

Objective To explore a construction method of semantic relations of the top-level ontology of military medicine in order to construct the top-level ontology semantic network.Methods The military medical corpus was selected,and the relationships between the concepts were extracted using text analysis.On the basis of inheriting the semantic relations of UMLS,the special semantic relations of military medicine were added.Results A method of establishing the semantic relations of the top-level ontology of military medicine was proposed,the applicability of which was verified by example of the branch of military medical equipment.Conclusion The proposed method is effective and feasible,which can provide important support to the establishment of top-level semantic networks of military medicine.

[An epidemiological survey of the prevalence of thyroid diseases in mild iodine deficiency city after salt iodization].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of iodine nutrition and the prevalence of thyroid diseases in Guiyang, a mild iodine deficiency city practiced salt iodization for 25 years. METHODS: A representative sample of 1509 adults aged 20 years old or above in Guiyang, selected by a multistage stratified sampling method, participated in the study. After an overnight fasting, serum thyroid hormones, serum thyroid autoantibodies, and urine iodine were measured. B-mode ultrasonography of the thyroid was performed in the population. Meanwhile, urine iodine of 80 children aged 8 - 10 years old in the same community were measured after an overnight fasting. RESULTS: The median of 8-10 years old children's urinary iodine was 228.7 µg/L. The prevalence of overt hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, overt hyperthyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism was 1.79%, 14.12%, 1.52% and 1.06% respectively. The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism was significantly higher than overt hypothyroidism (P < 0.05) and was significantly higher in female than that in male (P < 0.05). The prevalence of positive thyroid peroxidase antibody, positive thyroglobulin antibody and autoimmune thyroiditis was 14.38%, 13.59% and 4.44% respectively, which were significantly higher in female than that in male (all P values < 0.05). The prevalence of diffuse goiter and nodular goiter was 0.86% and 0.20% respectively, with a significant difference (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: After 25 years of salt iodization, the iodine nutrition in Guiyang is more than adequate with high prevalence of overt hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis.

[Survey of vitamin D status in 700 healthy adult males in Guiyang, China].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the vitamin D status of healthy adult males living in Guiyang. METHODS: A total of 700 healthy volunteers aged 20 - 79 years were selected randomly from a community in Guiyang by stratified sampling method. Questionnaires for living habits and fasting blood samples were collected in the morning from November 2009 to January 2010. The serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were measured by the DiaSorin radioimmunoassay kit. RESULTS: The mean levels of serum 25(OH)D was (21 ± 10) µg/L. And the percentages of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D < 20 µg/L), insufficiency (20 µg/L ≤ 25(OH)D < 30 µg/L) and sufficiency (25(OH)D ≥ 30.0 µg/L) were 315(50.2%), 202 (32.2%) and 110(17.6%)respectively. The concentrations of serum 25(OH)D in young, middle-aged and old adults were (18 ± 10) µg/L, (24 ± 10) µg/L and (22 ± 8)µg/L respectively. The serum level of 25(OH)D was lower in the smokers than that in the non-smokers (20 µg/L vs 22 µg/L, P = 0.003). The serum concentrations of 25(OH)D were (24 ± 10) µg/L, (23 ± 10) µg/L, (22 ± 9) µg/L and (18 ± 9) µg/L in education level (≤ 6, 7 - 9, 10 - 12 and ≥ 10 years in school) respectively. Significant inverse correlations existed between the concentrations of serum 25(OH)D and the education levels (r = -0.138, P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D is common in healthy adult males in Guiyang, especially among the youth, smokers and higher educated groups.

Correlation between the distribution of SP and CGRP immunopositive neurons in dorsal root ganglia and the afferent sensation of preputial frenulum.

The aim of this study was to explore the distribution of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactive nerve terminals in the penis prepuce and the preputial frenulum. The possible correlation between SP- and CGRP-immunopositive neurons in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and the afferent sensation of the penile preputial frenulum is also discussed. Immunohistochemistry showed SP- and CGRP-positive nerve terminals in the epidermal basal layer of the prepuce and frenulum in adult human males. The majority of the nerve terminals presented as bundles of different lengths and a few as enlarged nodosities. The density of SP- and CGRP-immunopositive nerve terminals in the preputial frenulum was significantly higher than those in the penis prepuce (P<0.01). Fluoro-Gold (FG) retrograde tracing method was used to trace the origin of nerve terminals in Sprague-Dawley rats. SP and CGRP immunofluorescence labeling was employed to detect the distribution of SP- and CGRP-immunoreactive neurons in DRG. FG retro-labeled neurons were localized in L(6) -DRG and S(1) -DRG. All the FG/SP and FG/CGRP double-labeled neurons were medium or small-sized. One-third of the FG-labeled neurons were SP-immunoreactive, and a half of them CGRP-immunoreactive in L(6) -DRG and S(1) -DRG, respectively. The FG/SP/CGRP-labeled neurons accounted for one fifth of the FG retro-labeled neurons. Taken together, these data suggest that the SP- and CGRP-immunopositive nerve fibers may participate in the transmission of afferent sensation in the preputial frenulum.