Stranski-Krastanov Growth of Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework Films.

Insights into the formation mechanisms of two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) at both the in-plane and interlayer levels are essential for improving material quality and synthetic methodology. Here, we report the controllable preparation of 2D COF films via on-surface synthesis and investigate the growth mechanism using atomic force microscopy. Monolayer, bilayer, and layer-plus-island multilayer COF films were successfully constructed on hexagonal boron nitride in a controlled manner. The porphyrin-based COF films grow in the Stranski-Krastanov mode, i.e., a uniform bilayer COF film can be formed through layer-by-layer growth in the initial stage followed by island growth starting from the third layer. Furthermore, fluorescence quenching caused by π-π stacking interactions between 2D COF neighboring layers was revealed. These results provide new perspectives on the synthesis of high-quality 2D COF films with controllable thickness and morphology, paving the way for a diverse range of applications.

Top 100 influential manuscripts in obstructive sleep apnea: a bibliometric analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the characteristics of the top 100 influential manuscripts on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: All manuscripts in English were searched from the Thomson Reuters Web of Science database by using OSA-related terms and ranked based on citation frequency. The top 100 influential manuscripts were selected and further analyzed by author, subject, journal, year of publication, country of origin, and institution. RESULTS: A total of 42,878 manuscripts were searched from the Web of Science. The top 100 influential manuscripts were published from 2005 to 2017, with a total citation frequency of 38,463 and a median citation frequency of 303 (range: from 210 to 2, 707). The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine published the largest number of manuscripts from the top 100 (n = 18; 5340 citations), followed by Sleep (n = 11; 3516 citations) and Chest (n = 7; 1784 citations). The most cited manuscript (Marin, J.M et al., Lancet 2005; 2707 citations) mainly analyzed long-term cardiovascular outcomes in men with OSA with/without continuous positive airway pressure. The most prevalent subject was associated diseases (n = 41), followed by treatments (n = 40). Most of the manuscripts were original articles (n = 63) based on observational clinical studies and published from American institutions (n = 60). CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified the top 100 influential manuscripts on OSA and provides insights into the characteristics of the most highly cited manuscripts to improve our understanding and management of OSA.

Potassium Alginate Oligosaccharides Alter Gut Microbiota, and Have Potential to Prevent the Development of Hypertension and Heart Failure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

Food-derived oligosaccharides show promising therapeutic potential in lowering blood pressure (BP), but the mechanism is poorly understood. Recently, the potential role of gut microbiota (GM) in hypertension has been investigated, but the specific GM signature that may participate in hypertension remains unclear. To test the potassium alginate oligosaccharides (PAO) mechanism in lowering BP and specific microbial signature changes in altering GM, we administered various dosages of PAO in 40 spontaneously hypertensive rats for a duration of six weeks. We analyzed BP, sequenced the 16S ribosomal DNA gene in the cecum content, and gathered RNA-seq data in cardiac tissues. We showed that the oral administration of PAO could significantly decrease systolic BP and mean arterial pressure. Transcriptome analyses demonstrated that the protective effects of developing heart failure were accompanied by down-regulating of the Natriuretic Peptide A gene expression and by decreasing the concentrations of angiotensin II and atrial natriuretic peptide in plasma. In comparison to the Vehicle control, PAO could increase the microbial diversity by altering the composition of GM. PAO could also decrease the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes by decreasing the abundance of Prevotella and Phascolarctobacterium bacteria. The favorable effect of PAO may be added to the positive influence of the abundance of major metabolites produced by Gram-negative bacteria in GM. We suggest that PAO caused changes in GM, and thus, they played an important role in preventing the development of cardiovascular disease.

Effect of Trimetazidine on Diabetic Patients with Coronary Heart Diseases: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Controlled Trials.

Objective To explore the therapeutic effects of trimetazidine (TMZ) on diabetic patients with coronary heart diseases.Methods We conducted a comprehensive electronic search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases between the inception dates of databases and May 2019 (last search conducted on 30 May 2019) to identify randomized controlled trials. The evaluation method recommended by Cochrane Collaboration for bias risk assessment was employed for quality assessment. Random or fixed models were used to investigate pooled mean differences in left ventricular function, serum glucose metabolism, serum lipid profile, myocardial ischemia episodes and exercise tolerance with effect size indicated by the 95% confidence interval (CI).Results Additional TMZ treatment contributed to considerable improvement of left ventricular ejection fraction (WMD=4.39, 95%CI: 3.83, 4.95, P<0.00001), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (WMD=-3.17, 95%CI: -4.90, -1.44, P=0.0003) and left ventricular end systolic diameter (WMD=-4.69, 95%CI: -8.66, -0.72, P=0.02). TMZ administration also significantly decreased fasting blood glucose (SMD=-0.43, 95%CI: -0.70, -0.17, P=0.001), glycosylated hemoglobin level (WMD=-0.59, 95%CI: -0.95, -0.24, P=0.001), serum level of total cholesterol (WMD=-20.36, 95%CI: -39.80, -0.92, P=0.04), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (WMD=-20.12, 95%CI: -32.95, -7.30, P=0.002) and incidence of myocardial ischemia episodes (SMD=-0.84, 95%CI: -1.50, -0.18, P=0.01). However, there were no significant differences in serum triglyceride level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, exercise tolerance between the TMZ group and the control group. Conclusion TMZ treatment in diabetic patients with coronary heart disease is effective to improve cardiac function, serum glucose and lipid metabolism and clinical symptoms.

Effect of Trimetazidine on Diabetic Patients with Coronary Heart Diseases: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Controlled Trials / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

Objective To explore the therapeutic effects of trimetazidine (TMZ) on diabetic patients with coronary heart diseases.Methods We conducted a comprehensive electronic search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases between the inception dates of databases and May 2019 (last search conducted on 30 May 2019) to identify randomized controlled trials. The evaluation method recommended by Cochrane Collaboration for bias risk assessment was employed for quality assessment. Random or fixed models were used to investigate pooled mean differences in left ventricular function, serum glucose metabolism, serum lipid profile, myocardial ischemia episodes and exercise tolerance with effect size indicated by the 95% confidence interval ().Results Additional TMZ treatment contributed to considerable improvement of left ventricular ejection fraction (=4.39, 95%: 3.83, 4.95, <0.00001), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (=-3.17, 95%: -4.90, -1.44, =0.0003) and left ventricular end systolic diameter (=-4.69, 95%: -8.66, -0.72, =0.02). TMZ administration also significantly decreased fasting blood glucose (=-0.43, 95%: -0.70, -0.17, =0.001), glycosylated hemoglobin level (=-0.59, 95%: -0.95, -0.24, =0.001), serum level of total cholesterol (=-20.36, 95%: -39.80, -0.92, =0.04), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (=-20.12, 95%: -32.95, -7.30, =0.002) and incidence of myocardial ischemia episodes (=-0.84, 95%: -1.50, -0.18, =0.01). However, there were no significant differences in serum triglyceride level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, exercise tolerance between the TMZ group and the control group. Conclusion TMZ treatment in diabetic patients with coronary heart disease is effective to improve cardiac function, serum glucose and lipid metabolism and clinical symptoms.

Evaluation of Prebiotic Potential of Three Marine Algae Oligosaccharides from Enzymatic Hydrolysis.

Alginate oligosaccharides (AlgO), agarose oligosaccharides (AO), and κ-carrageenan oligosaccharides (KCO) were obtained by specific enzymatic hydrolysis method. The molecular weight distributions of the three oligosaccharides were 1.0⁻5.0 kDa, 0.4⁻1.4 kDa, and 1.0⁻7.0 kDa, respectively. The culture medium was supplemented with the three oligosaccharides and fermented by pig fecal microbiota in vitro, for 24 h. Each oligosaccharide was capable of increasing the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially butyric acid, and altering the microbiota composition. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis results showed that the opportunistic pathogenic bacteria Escherichia, Shigella, and Peptoniphilus, were significantly decreased in AlgO supplemented medium. AO could improve the gut microbiota composition by enriching the abundance of Ruminococcaceae, Coprococcus, Roseburia, and Faecalibacterium. Besides, KCO could increase the abundance of SCFA microbial producers and opportunistic pathogenic flora. Therefore, these results indicate that AlgO and AO can be used as gut microbial regulators and can potentially improve animal/human gastrointestinal health and prevent gut disease, whereas the physiological function of KCO needs further evaluation.

A novel pathway for the anaerobic biotransformation of microcystin-LR using enrichment cultures.

Microcystin (MC) elimination is a global challenge that is necessary for the health of humans and ecosystems. Biodegradation of MC, one of the most environmental-friendly methods, had previously been focused on the aerobic condition. In this study, two enrichment cultures from Taihu sediments possessed high capacity for MC-leucine arginine (MC-LR) anaerobic biodegradation. Meanwhile, it was firstly found that MC-LR underwent similar degradation process under anaerobic conditions to that in aerobic condition. Furthermore, a novel degradation pathway, hydrolyzing of Ala-Mdha to form a new linear MC-LR intermediate, was proposed under anaerobic conditions. Combining MC-LR degradation with microbial community analysis, this study deduced that Candidatus Cloacamonas acidaminovorans str. Evry may play an important role in the degradation of MC-LR. These findings suggest an additional pathway involved in the environmental cycle of MC-LR, which implies that the biotransformation of MC-LR might play an important role in eliminating MC-LR in eutrophic lake sediments under anaerobic conditions.

Association between ERα gene Pvu II polymorphism and breast cancer susceptibility: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Estrogen has played an important role in the development of breast cancer. ER-α PvuII gene polymorphism is in close association with the occurrence risk of breast cancer, but no consensus has been achieved currently. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, Wanfang database, and VIP database were retrieved to collect the case-control studies on association between ERα gene Pvu II polymorphism and breast cancer risk published before September 1, 2017. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of the literatures, Stata 14.0 software was applied for meta-analysis, and the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. The subgroup analysis was performed to assess the confounding factors, followed by assessment of publication bias and sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: A total of 26 studies were enrolled in the analysis based on inclusion criteria, which included 15,360 patients and 26,423 controls. The results demonstrated that ERα gene Pvu II polymorphism was in significant association with the decrease of breast cancer risk in 3 genetic models (C vs T, OR = 0.962, 95% CI = 0.933-0.992, P = .012; CC vs TT, OR = 0.911, 95% CI = 0.856-0.969, P = .003; CC vs TT/CT, OR = 0.923, 95% CI = 0.874-0.975, P = .004). Subgroup analysis was conducted on the basis of ethnicity and source of controls, whose results illustrated that ERα gene Pvu II polymorphism was in significant association with the decrease of breast cancer risk in Asians rather than in Caucasians (CC vs TT, OR = 0.862, 95% CI = 0.750-0.922, P = .038; CC vs TT/CT, OR = 0.851, 95% CI = 0.755-0.959, P = .008). In population-based subgroup rather than in hospital-based subgroup, ERα gene Pvu II polymorphism was in significant association with the decrease of breast cancer risk in the allele model, homozygous model, dominant model, and recessive model (C vs T, OR = 0.943, 95% CI = 0.911-0.977, P = .001; CC vs TT, OR = 0.878, 95% CI = 0.817-0.944, P = .000; CC/CT vs TT, OR = 0.936, 95% CI = 0.881-0.994, P = .031; CC vs TT/CT, OR = 0.902, 95% CI = 0.847-0.960, P = .001). CONCLUSION: ERα gene Pvu II polymorphism exerts an important function in the progression of breast cancer.

Hydrolysis, adsorption, and biodegradation of bensulfuron methyl under methanogenic conditions.

Bensulfuron methyl (BSM), one of the most widely used herbicides in paddy soils, is frequently detected in natural and artificial aquatic systems. However, BSM transformation under methanogenic conditions has not been given sufficient attention. In this study, BSM elimination and transformation by anaerobic enrichment cultures were investigated. The results showed that BSM can be mineralized to methane through hydrolysis, adsorption, and biodegradation under a methanogenic environment. The adsorption led to protein static quenching in the extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) of the enrichment cultures. Specifically, BSM mainly reacted with the amine, amide, amino acid, and amino sugar functional groups in proteins. BSM hydrolysis and biodegradation occurred through the breakage of the sulfonylurea bridge and sulfonyl amide linkage. The cleavage of the sulfonylurea bridge occurred in both hydrolysis and biodegradation, while the cleavage of the sulfonyl amide linkage only occurred in hydrolysis. These results elucidated the complex transformation of BSM under methanogenic conditions, which will advance the studies on sulfonylurea herbicide biotransformation and hazard assessment in the environment.

TREM2/DAP12 Complex Regulates Inflammatory Responses in Microglia via the JNK Signaling Pathway.

DNAX-activating protein of 12 kDa (DAP12) is a signaling adapter protein expressed in cells that participate in innate immune responses. By pairing with different triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cell (TREM) proteins, DAP12 can mediate both positive and negative cellular responses. In particular, TREM1 acts as an amplifier of the immune response, while TREM2 functions as a negative regulator. TREM2 has also been shown to stimulate the phagocytosis of apoptotic neurons and define the barrier function in microglia. Notably, loss-of-function mutations of either DAP12 or TREM2 result in a disorder known as Nasu-Hakola disease (NHD); and mutations of these genes have been associated with the risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting that TREM2 and DAP12 may regulate common signaling pathways in the disease pathogenesis. In this study, we demonstrated an anti-inflammatory role of DAP12 in murine microglia that depends on the presence of TREM2. We also uncovered the JNK signaling pathway as the underlying molecular mechanism by which the TREM2/DAP12 complex suppresses the hyperactivation of microglia upon LPS stimulation. Interestingly, LPS down-regulates the expression of Trem2 via the activation of JNK and NF-κB signaling pathways, resulting in a vicious cycle that synergistically promotes the inflammatory responses. Our study provides insights into mechanism-based therapy for neuroinflammatory disorders.

Enhanced Diabetes Susceptibility in Community Dwelling Han Elders Carrying the Apolipoprotein E 3/3 Genotype.

Despite Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) being one of the main apolipoproteins in the blood, the association between its genotype and the high cholesterol or blood glucose levels commonly seen in clinical practice is inconclusive. Such research is also lacking in the Han population. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between APOE genotype, diabetes, and plasma glucose and lipid levels. We included 243 community-dwelling elderly residents in this study. Participant APOE genotypes were assessed and were simultaneously tested for weight, height, blood glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, and high- and low-density lipoprotein. In addition, gender, age, years of education, cognitive function, and medical history was recorded. Subjects were divided into 3 groups based on APOE genotype: APOE ε2 group (ε2/ε2 and ε2/ε3), APOE ε3 group (ε3/ε3), and APOE ε4 group (ε2/ε4, ε3/ε4 and ε4/ε4). Comparisons between groups were conducted for the incidence of diabetes, high blood pressure, and dementia, as well as for differences in body-mass index, fasting plasma glucose, and blood lipids. The APOE ε3/ε3 genotype exhibited the highest frequency (70.4%) among the subjects. Participants in the APOE ε3 group demonstrated significantly higher levels of fasting plasma glucose than those in the APOE ε2 and APOE ε4 groups (P<0.05). The APOE ε3 group had slightly higher abnormal fasting plasma glucose values than did the APOE ε2 group (P = 0.065). Furthermore, the APOE3 genotype was significantly correlated with both fasting plasma glucose level and glucose abnormality (P< 0.05) and trended toward statistically significant correlation with diabetes (P = 0.082). The correlation between APOE2 and low low-density lipoprotein levels also approached statistical significance (P = 0.052). Thus, elderly community dwelling residents of Han ethnicity carrying the APOE ε3/ε3 genotype might have higher plasma glucose levels and a higher occurrence of diabetes.

Demographic and Lifestyle Characteristics, but Not Apolipoprotein E Genotype, Are Associated with Intelligence among Young Chinese College Students.

BACKGROUND: Intelligence is an important human feature that strongly affects many life outcomes, including health, life-span, income, educational and occupational attainments. People at all ages differ in their intelligence but the origins of these differences are much debated. A variety of environmental and genetic factors have been reported to be associated with individual intelligence, yet their nature and contribution to intelligence differences have been controversial. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the contribution of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, which is associated with the risk for Alzheimer's disease, as well as demographic and lifestyle characteristics, to the variation in intelligence. METHODS: A total of 607 Chinese college students aged 18 to 25 years old were included in this prospective observational study. The Chinese revision of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (the fourth edition, short version) was used to determine the intelligence level of participants. Demographic and lifestyle characteristics data were obtained from self-administered questionnaires. RESULTS: No significant association was found between APOE polymorphic alleles and different intelligence quotient (IQ) measures. Interestingly, a portion of demographic and lifestyle characteristics, including age, smoking and sleep quality were significantly associated with different IQ measures. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that demographic features and lifestyle characteristics, but not APOE genotype, are associated with intelligence measures among young Chinese college students. Thus, although APOE ε4 allele is a strong genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, it does not seem to impact intelligence at young ages.

DAP12 Stabilizes the C-terminal Fragment of the Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-2 (TREM2) and Protects against LPS-induced Pro-inflammatory Response.

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a DAP12-associated receptor expressed in microglia, macrophages, and other myeloid-derived cells. Previous studies have suggested that TREM2/DAP12 signaling pathway reduces inflammatory responses and promotes phagocytosis of apoptotic neurons. Recently, TREM2 has been identified as a risk gene for Alzheimer disease (AD). Here, we show that DAP12 stabilizes the C-terminal fragment of TREM2 (TREM2-CTF), a substrate for γ-secretase. Co-expression of DAP12 with TREM2 selectively increased the level of TREM2-CTF with little effects on that of full-length TREM2. The interaction between DAP12 and TREM2 is essential for TREM2-CTF stabilization as a mutant form of DAP12 with disrupted interaction with TREM2 failed to exhibit such an effect. Silencing of either Trem2 or Dap12 gene significantly exacerbated pro-inflammatory responses induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Importantly, overexpression of either full-length TREM2 or TREM2-CTF reduced LPS-induced inflammatory responses. Taken together, our results support a role of DAP12 in stabilizing TREM2-CTF, thereby protecting against excessive pro-inflammatory responses.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast: report of 23 cases / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical and pathologic features of squamous cell carcinoma of the breast.Methods The clinical and pathologic data of 23 squamous cell carcinoma of the breast patients admitted between 1984 and 2013 to Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital was analyzed retrospectively.Results Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast was a very rare tumor accounting for 0.06％ of all breast cancers.All of the 23 patients were females aged 28 years to 87 years(median age 49 years).Average tumor size was 4.5 cm.9 patients suffered from lymph node metastasis at admission (39.1％).The positive rates of estrogen receptor (ER),progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) were 13.6％ (3/23),4.5％ (1/23) and 0 (0/20) respectively.With a follow-up time varying from 5 months to 36 months recurrence or metastasis were found in 8 patients,and another 1 patient was found having distant metastasis at admission.Lung metastasis (7/9) was most common.6 patients died.Conclusions Squamous cell carcinoma of the breast is highly invasive,with low rate of positive receptors and early distant metastasis or recurrence after operation,and poor patients' survival.

Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of male breast cancer: report of 102 cases / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the clinicopathological features,treatments and prognostic factors of male breast cancer (MBC) patients.Methods Clinical data of 102 MBC patients with histopathology confirmation at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital were retrospectively analyzed.Results All 102 cases got follow-up.The follow-up rate was 100％.The follow-up period was 3-279 months.The mean follow-up period was 65 months.During the follow-up period,recurrence was found in 21 cases,metastasis occurred in 28 cases (including pulmonary metastasis in 8,osseous metastasis in 7,hepatic metastasis in 9,brain metastasis in 3,and soft tissues and adrenal gland metastasis in 1).The 5-year disease free survival rate was 54.3％ and the 5-year overall survival rate was 72.8％.Univariate analysis showed that tumor size,axillary lymph node status,TNM stage,chemotherapy influenced the disease free and overall survival.Multivariate Cox regression shows that axillary lymph node status (P =0.085)was the independent prognostic factor of disease free survival for MBC.Tumor size(P =0.041)and axillary lymph node (P =0.024) status were independent prognostic factors of overall survival for MBC.Conclusions Early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment strategy consisting of radical mastectomy is essential to improve the survival of patients with MBC.

Role of catecholamine hormone in heroin addicts / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of catecholamine hormone on the blood and brain of heroin addicts.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats were divided into three groups and treated with the glucose (control group), the heroin (im) (heroin group), and the combination of the intramuscular injection of reserpine and heroin (reserpine group). Changes in the levels of the dopamine (DA), cAMP, and cGMP were detected by the radioimmunoassay (RIA) method in the blood and brain tissue.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No significant withdrawal symptoms were observed in the reserpine group. Compared with the control and heroin groups, the blood cAMP levels were increased by 35.36% and 15.53% in the reserpine group, respectively; the cAMP levels in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hippocampus (Hipp) were increased by 24.08% & 8.53%, 15.66% & 8.13%, and 21.95% & 8.40%, respectively. While compared to the control and heroin groups, the DA levels of the PFC, Hipp, striatum, and nucleus accumbens (NAc) were significantly reduced in the reserpine group, decreasing by 74.09% & 82.86%, 81.06% & 82.23%, 91.62% & 86.55% and 84.35% & 90.63%, respectively. The concentrations of cGMP of the brain tissues in the reserpine group were lower than those in the control group. In addition, the neural electrophysiological testing showed that the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and muscle spindle discharge diagram of rats in both the reserpine and heroin groups were apparently changed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Catecholamine hormone plays an important role in heroin addiction.</p>

Distribution and clinical features of Paragonimiasis skrjabini in Three Gorges Reservoir Region.

Paragonimiasis has previously been reported in the Southwest Provinces of China, including Chongqing and Sichuan. The construction of Three Gorges Dam, which was begun in 1994, has resulted in substantial changes to the depth and the flow pattern of the Yangtze River. To investigate epidemiology of the paragonimiasis, 724 people aged 2-49 years were selected and examined for Paragonimus infection by intradermal test (IDT), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A survey of eating habits was conducted face-to-face in 5 endemic counties. Freshwater crabs were collected from seven sites in the 5 counties to determine the rate of infection with Paragonimus metacercariae. Additionally, we analyzed 213 case reports from the region dated 2006 to 2009. According to the survey results, the prevalence of Paragonimus skrjabini infection in freshwater crab was 39.65%, and the human infection rates detected by IDT and ELISA were 14.36% (104/724) and 7.46% (54/724), respectively. These results show that the Three Gorges Reservoir is still an area of high paragonimiasis endemicity. The water level of the Yangtze River has risen to 175 m, and the area of water coverage in the region has increased to 1084 km(2). These conditions will favor the growth and expansion of the freshwater crab population.

[SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE improves the viability and movement parameters of human sperm in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE on the movement parameters and viability of human sperm in vitro. METHODS: We collected sperm samples from 33 normal fertile men, divided each into two, and cultured them in vitro with SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE + Hams-F10 and Hams-F10 alone, respectively. Then we measured the straight line velocity (VSL), curvilinear velocity (VCL), average path velocity (VAP) and the amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) of the sperm by computer-aided semen analysis at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 h. And the sperm viability was detected. RESULTS: VCL was significantly higher at 8 h (P < 0.05) and very significantly higher at 12 h (P < 0.01) in the SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE + Hams-F10 group than in the Hams-F10 group. VSL, VAP and ALH were significantly increased in the former group at 4, 8 and 12 h as compared with the latter (P < 0.05). The sperm viability was significantly decreased in the Hams-F10 group at 12 h (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE can improve sperm movement parameters and increase sperm viability in vitro.

SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE improves the viability and movement parameters of human sperm in vitro / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE on the movement parameters and viability of human sperm in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected sperm samples from 33 normal fertile men, divided each into two, and cultured them in vitro with SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE + Hams-F10 and Hams-F10 alone, respectively. Then we measured the straight line velocity (VSL), curvilinear velocity (VCL), average path velocity (VAP) and the amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) of the sperm by computer-aided semen analysis at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 h. And the sperm viability was detected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>VCL was significantly higher at 8 h (P < 0.05) and very significantly higher at 12 h (P < 0.01) in the SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE + Hams-F10 group than in the Hams-F10 group. VSL, VAP and ALH were significantly increased in the former group at 4, 8 and 12 h as compared with the latter (P < 0.05). The sperm viability was significantly decreased in the Hams-F10 group at 12 h (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SHENG MAI ZHUSHEYE can improve sperm movement parameters and increase sperm viability in vitro.</p>

DNAzymes targeted to EBV-encoded latent membrane protein-1 induce apoptosis and enhance radiosensitivity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is involved in the carcinogenesis of several types of cancers such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and Burkitt's lymphoma. The latent membrane protein (LMP1) encoded by EBV is expressed in the majority of EBV-associated human malignancies and has been suggested to be one of the major oncogenic factors in EBV-mediated carcinogenesis. Therefore, genetic manipulation of LMP1 expression may provide a novel strategy for the treatment of the EBV-associated human cancers. Deoxyribozymes (DNAzymes) are catalytic nucleic acids that bind and cleave a target RNA in a highly sequence-specific manner. We have designed several LMP1-specific DNAzymes and tested their effect on cell proliferation and apoptosis in LMP1-positive cells. Here, we show that active DNAzymes down-regulated the expression of the EBV oncoprotein LMP1 and inhibited cellular signal transduction pathways abnormally activated by LMP1. This down-regulation of the LMP1 expression was shown to be associated with a decrease in the level of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and an increase in Caspase-3 and -9 activities in the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE1-LMP1, which constitutively expresses the LMP1. When combined with radiation treatment, the DNAzymes significantly induced apoptosis in CNE1-LMP1 cells, leading to an increased radiosensitivity both in cells and in a xenograft NPC model in mice. The results suggest that LMP1 may represent a molecular target for DNAzymes and provide a basis for the use of the LMP1 DNAzymes as potential radiosensitizers for treatment of the EBV-associated carcinomas.