Effect of GnRH Active Immunisation on Reproductive Performance of Male Sprague Dawley Rats.

To investigate the effect of active immunisation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) on the reproductive function in male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, 24 42-day-old rats were randomly assigned to treatment with GnRH6-MAP, GnRH-OVA, a surgical castration group, and a blank control group. Each rat in the treatment groups was intramuscularly injected at 6, 8, and 10 weeks of age. The serum concentrations of testosterone (T), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), and anti-GnRH antibodies were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The results showed that active immunisation with recombinant GnRH6-MBP and GnRH-OVA significantly increased the serum levels of anti-GnRH antibodies and reduced the serum concentrations of testosterone compared to the black control. Eight weeks after immunisation, the rats' testes were surgically removed for morphological evaluation, showing atrophy of the convoluted vasculature, relative emptying of the lumen, and insignificant differentiation of spermatogonial cells, which were increased in weight and volume compared with the blank control group. These findings indicated that active immunisation with GnRH can lead to testicular atrophy and reduce gonadal hormone concentrations, suggesting that GnRH is a highly effective immunogen.

Topical Steroids and Antibiotics for Adult Blepharokeratoconjunctivitis (BKC): A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

PURPOSE: A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical treatments (including steroids and antibiotics) for adults with blepharokeratoconjunctivitis (BKC). METHODS: The following databases were searched for relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs): China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials database (CENTRAL). Two reviewers selected studies and analyzed the risk of bias independently. The treatments were loteprednol 0.5%/tobramycin 0.3% (LE/T) and dexamethasone 0.1%/tobramycin 0.3% (DM/T). The efficacy outcome measures were change from baseline (CFB) in composite scores of ocular symptoms and signs; the CFB in the signs composite scores for blepharitis, conjunctivitis, and keratitis at each visit; the total ocular adverse event incidence (AEs); and the incidence of intraocular pressure (IOP) increase after treatment. Prepost mean differences (MDs) were compared for continuous outcome variables, and incidences were analyzed for dichotomous data. The pooled effect sizes were analyzed using 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in a fixed-effect model. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the Q-test and I 2 statistic. RESULTS: The CFB to final visit in ocular symptoms and signs of BKC was not statistically different between the two treatments (95% CI, -0.33 to 1.50; MD = 0.58; P=0.21). The CFB in signs composite scores for blepharitis (95% CI, -0.16 to 0.48; MD = 0.16; P=0.32), conjunctivitis (95% CI, -0.55 to 1.76; MD = 0.61; P=0.30), and keratitis (95% CI, 0.00-0.28; MD = 0.14; P=0.05) was also similar with the two treatments. LE/T was a safer intervention than DM/T, with fewer overall adverse events (95% CI, 0.34-0.80; RR = 0.52; P=0.003) and significantly less elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) (95% CI, 0.32-0.70; RR = 0.47; P=0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: DM/T and LE/T are both effective treatments for BKC, but LE/T may be a safer intervention.

Draft Genome Sequence of Sphingomonas sp. WG, a Welan Gum-Producing Strain.

We report the draft genome sequence of Sphingomonas sp. WG, a high welan gum-producing strain with a yield of 33 g/L. The core of wel cluster for welan gum biosynthesis contained 24 coding sequences in the genome, which will provide the genetic information on welan gum production.

Historical development and future perspectives of Environmental Specimen Bank in China: a mini review.

Environmental problems as well as their related ecosystem stress and human health risk in China have raised wide concerns along with the rapid economic development in recent years. Numerous studies with a sharp increase in publication number have addressed the ubiquitous of anthropogenic chemicals in various environmental compartments and human tissues. However, very few data were available to clarify the temporal trend and to give the retrospective analysis of chemical pollution in China. Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) is a system for the systematic collection and long-term storage of specimens, which has been established since the 1970s in developed counties and recognized as a fundamental complement for environmental monitoring and scientific research. Currently, the value of ESB is becoming more broadly recognized globally, and China is still at the early stage. This article described the history and status and put forwarded the future key points of Chinese ESB development for illustrating the intensive environmental changes in China and the world.

Acetazolamide attenuates chemical-stimulated but not thermal-stimulated acute pain in mice.

AIM: Acetazolamide (AZA), a carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitor, has been found to alleviate inflammatory and neuropathic pain in rats. In the present study, we investigated the effects of AZA on thermal- and chemical-stimulated acute pain in mice and the possible mechanisms underlying the effects. METHODS: Five acute pain models based on thermal and chemical stimuli were established to investigate the effects of AZA on different types of nociception in mice. The antinociceptive effects of methazolamide (another CA inhibitor) and diazepam (a positive allosteric modulator of GABAA receptor) were also examined. The drugs were administered either intraperitoneally (ip) or intrathecally. RESULTS: AZA (50-200 mg/kg, ip) did not produce analgesia in two thermal-stimulated acute pain models, ie, mouse tail-flick and hot-plate tests. In contrast, AZA (50-200 mg/kg, ip) dose-dependently reduced paw licking time in both capsaicin and formalin tests in mice. A similar result was observed in a mouse acetic acid-induced writhing test. However, AZA (10 nmol/mouse, intrathecally) did not produce significant analgesia in the 3 chemical-stimulated acute pain models. In addition, methazolamide (50-200 mg/kg, ip) and diazepam (0.25-1.0 mg/kg, ip) did not produce significant analgesia in either thermal- or chemical-stimulated acute pain. CONCLUSION: AZA produces analgesia in chemical-stimulated, but not thermal-stimulated acute pain in mice. The attenuation of chemical-stimulated acute pain by AZA may not be due to enhancement of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition via inhibiting CA activity but rather a peripheral ion channel-related mechanism.

Activation of presynaptic alpha7 nicotinic receptors evokes an excitatory response in hippocampal CA3 neurones in anaesthetized rats: an in vivo iontophoretic study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: alpha7 Nicotinic receptors have been suggested to play an important role in hippocampal learning and memory. However, the direct action of this receptor subtype on hippocampal pyramidal neurones in vivo has not yet been fully investigated. The availability of selective agonists for alpha7 receptors [AR-R17779 and (R)-(-)-5'-phenylspiro[1-azabicyclo[2.2.2] octane-3,2'-(3'H)furo[2,3-b]pyridine (PSAB-OFP)] has now allowed this role to be investigated. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Single-cell extracellular recordings were made from hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurones in anaesthetized rats. The effects of nicotine, AR-R17779 and PSAB-OFP, applied either systemically or iontophoretically, were studied on the activity of these neurones. KEY RESULTS: Intravenous injection of cumulative doses of nicotine and PSAB-OFP induced dose-related, significant increases in neuronal firing in the majority of neurones tested. This excitation could be inhibited by intravenous administration of methyllycaconitine (MLA), a selective alpha7 nicotinic receptor antagonist. Furthermore, iontophoretic application of nicotine, AR-R17779 and PSAB-OFP each evoked current-dependent excitation of most CA3 pyramidal neurones studied, and this excitation was antagonized by co-iontophoretic application of MLA. In addition, the excitation induced by iontophoretic application of nicotine, AR-R17779 or PSAB-OFP was also blocked by co-iontophoretic application of either 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX) or D(2)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate (D-AP5), selective N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptor antagonists respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: CA3 pyramidal neurones are modulated by activation of presynaptic alpha7 nicotinic receptors, which, at least in part, enhances glutamate release onto post-synaptic (RS)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole proprionic acid and NMDA receptors on these CA3 neurones. This mechanism probably contributes to the effects of nicotine on hippocampal learning and memory.

[Systematic review of penetrating keratoplasty rejection treated by immunosuppressants].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the validity and side-effect of immunosuppressants for preventing and treating of immune rejection after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP). METHODS: Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials of immunosuppressants after PKP were searched from Pubmed, EMbase.com, Cochrane library, CNKI and Wanfang database; methodological quality and meta-analysis were carried out according to Evidence-Based Medicine(EBM). RESULTS: Thirty-one studies in all were evaluated, of which twenty-three were about the prevention, and nine were about the treatment after PKP. The rate of immune rejection after normal PKP is 4.9%-28.9% when using corticosteroids to prevent immune rejection, especially for long-time use. According to meta-analysis: the effectiveness of local cyclosporine A and local FK-506 in preventing immune rejection after PKP is significant, and FK-506 is more effective than CsA topically; systemic CsA and MMF could effectively prevent immune rejection after high-risk PKP; as far as treating immune rejection, corticosteroid, whether topical or systemic, was effective; however additional topical CsA could not improve the treatment effect. CONCLUSION: The use of immunosuppressants such as corticosteroids and CsA whether topical or systemic can effectively prevent the occurrence of immune rejection after high-risk PKP.

[Preparation of polyelectrolyte microcapsules contained gold nanoparticles].

In this work, polyelectrolyte microcapsules containing gold nanoparticles were prepared via layer by layer assembly. Gold nanoparticles and poly (allyamine hydrochloride) (PAH) were coated on the CaCO3 microparticles. And then EDTA was used to remove the CaCO3 core. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the surface of microcapsules. SEM images indicate that the microcapsules and the polyelectrolyte multilayer were deposited on the surface of CaCO3 microparticles. FITC-bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA, 2 mg) was incorporated in the CaCO3 microparticles by co-precipitation. Fluorescence microscopy was used to observe the fluorescence intensity of microcapsules. The encapsulation efficiency was (34.31 +/- 2.44) %. The drug loading was (43.75 +/- 3.12) mg g(-1).

Fingerprint quality control of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with discriminant analysis.

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed in the fingerprint analysis of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. A chromatographic profile of A. sinensis (Oliv.) Diels from the Dingxi District of Gansu province, China, was established as the characteristic fingerprint. The feasibility and advantages of employing chromatographic fingerprint combined with discriminant analysis were investigated and demonstrated for the evaluation of A. sinensis (Oliv.) Diels for the first time. Our results showed that the chromatographic fingerprint combining with discriminant analysis can efficiently distinguish A. sinensis (Oliv.) Diels from various areas.