Er-Xian decoction exhibits protective activity in a rat model of asthenospermia through a mechanism associated with DJ-1 protein upregulation.

Asthenozoospermia (AZS) remains a significant clinical problem of male factor infertility. Er-Xian decoction (EXD) is a traditional Chinese medicine with potent antioxidant activity to treat AZS. To investigate the protective effects of EXD on sperm motility and deglycase (DJ)-1 expression in AZS model rats. Sixty mature male Sprague-Dawley rats (200 - 250 g) were randomized into five equally sized groups, including ornidazole (ORN)-induced AZS model group, or L-carnitine (0.1 g/kg) treated group or EXD group (7.5, 15, or 30 g crude drug/kg). Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). DJ-1 expression in testis and epididymis tissue was measured via qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to gauge morphological changes of testis and epididymis. Sperm motility was significantly reduced the AZS model group, while increased in the low-, intermediate-, and high-dose EXD treatment groups by 45.51%, 49.43%, and 58.31%, respectively (P < 0.001), which with a similar increase of 57.21% being observed in the L-carnitine treatment group. Relative to the control group, oxidative stress indices were significantly altered in AZS model rats, which exhibited significant reductions in SOD and GSH-Px levels and significantly increased MDA levels (49.44 ± 1.38 U/ml, 14.02 ± 0.70 U/ml, and 26.37 ± 1.03 nmol/ml, respectively). After EXD treatment, oxidative stress indexes were significantly improved relative to those in these model rats, with high-dose EXD yielding more significant improvements in these oxidative stress indices relative to L-carnitine treatment. While AZS model rats exhibited morphological abnormalities, tissue disorder, and reduced cell counts in the testis and epididymis, these were reversed by EXD treatment in a dose-dependent manner. EXD treatment was also associated with a significant increase in DJ-1 protein expression in testis and epididymis tissue samples relative to the levels observed in AZS model rats. EXD is firstly reported could significantly improve sperm motility in AZS rats and is more effective at higher dosage, even better than L-carnitine. The protective effect of EXD on sperm motility is based on the DJ-1 expression.

Effects of maternal and post-weaned rumen-protected folic acid supplementation on slaughter performance and meat quality in offspring lambs.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of rumen-protected folic acid (RPFA) on slaughter performance, visceral organ and gastrointestinal tract coefficients, and meat quality in lambs. Sixty-six lambs from 120 Hu ewes were selected based on body weight and maternal diets and then assigned to six groups using a randomised block experimental design in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. The first factor was folic acid (FA) as RPFA in the maternal diet (0 mg/kg (M0F), 16 mg/kg (M16F) or 32 mg/kg (M32F) on DM basis). The second factor was FA in the lambs' diet from weaning until slaughter (0 mg/kg (OC) or 4·0 mg/kg (OF)). The results indicated that the addition of 16 mg/kg FA to the maternal diet increased pre-slaughter weight (PSW), dressing and meat percentage, the reticulum and omasum coefficients, length of the jejunum and ileum, tail fat and perirenal fat coefficient and a* value of the meat colour. The addition of RPFA to the lambs' diet increased PSW, dressing and meat percentage, eye muscle area, abomasum weight, weight and length of the small intestine, but reduced the coefficients of tail fat. An M × O interaction was observed for the weights of heart, lungs, rumen and total stomach, weight and coefficient of omental fat and the girth rib value. Collectively, RPFA in the maternal and lambs' diet improved slaughter performance and meat quality by stimulating the morphological development of the gastrointestinal tract and the distribution of fat in the body.

Effects of dietary supplementation with grape seed procyanidins on nutrient utilisation and gut function in weaned piglets.

Grape seed procyanidins (GSPs), widely known for their beneficial health properties, fail to bring about the expected improvement in piglets' growth performance. The effects of dietary supplementation with GSPs on nutrient utilisation may be a critical influencing factor. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with GSPs on nutrient utilisation and gut function in weaned piglets. One hundred and twenty crossbred piglets were allocated randomly to four treatment groups, with three replicate pens per treatment and 10 piglets per pen. Each group was given one of the four dietary treatments: the basal diet (control group) or the basal diet with the addition of 50-, 100- or 150-mg/kg GSPs. The trial lasted 28 days. Faeces were collected from d 12 to 14 and from d 26 to 28 for measuring the coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of the nutrients. Blood samples were collected on d 14 and 28 for detecting the blood biochemical parameters. Two piglets per pen were slaughtered to collect the pancreas and intestinal digesta for evaluating the digestive enzyme activity and the coefficient of ileal apparent digestibility (CIAD) of the nutrients. On d 14 and 28, supplementation with 150-mg/kg GSPs significantly decreased the CTTAD of DM and CP in piglets. On d 14, GSPs supplementation at a concentration of 150 mg/kg led to a remarkable decrease in the CIAD of CP and gross energy (GE). On d 28, GSPs supplementation at a dose of 150 mg/kg generated a marked decline in the CIAD of DM, GE, CP and ether extract. Grape seed procyanidins supplementation at concentrations of 100 or 150 mg/kg inhibited the activities of lipase and amylase. In contrast, the jejunum mucosa maltase and sucrase activities increased due to the inclusion of GSPs at a concentration of 100 mg/kg in the piglet diet. Compared with the levels of the control group, the serum glucose and total protein levels were enhanced significantly by supplementation with GSPs at 100 mg/kg and reduced dramatically at 150 mg/kg. The serum diamine oxidase activity and endotoxin levels were decreased by GSPs supplementation in piglet diets. In conclusion, higher concentrations of GSPs in weaned piglet diets attenuated nutrient digestion and inhibited digestive enzyme activity; however, suitable concentrations of GSPs could promote brush-border enzyme activity, enhance serum glucose and total protein concentrations and decrease epithelial permeability.

[Effect of docosahexenoic acid microalgae oil supplementation during pregnancy and lactation on levels of serum polyunsaturated fatty acid and tolerance to ovalbumin in suckling mice].

Objective: To study the tolerance to ovalbumin (OVA) in suckling mice whose mothers had different doses of docosahexenoic acid (DHA) microalgae oil (DMO) supplementation during pregnancy and lactation. Method: According to different doses of DMO fed to mother mice during pregnancy and lactation, 66 suckling mice were divided into four groups. Suckling mice whose mothers were fed with 0.7% DMO were designated as low dose group (group L) (n=16), 2.1% DMO as middle dose group (group M) (n=16), 3.5% DMO as high dose group (group H) (n=17) and no DMO as control group (n=17). Before exposing to OVA, 8 suckling mice were killed in each group at 21-day-old. Remaining suckling mice were killed at 59-day-old after repeated OVA exposure. The serum polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels of suckling mice were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) at the age of 21- and 59-day.Histological examinations of jejunum were performed by HE staining and the mast cells in jejunum were observed by toluidine blue staining. OVA-IgE in serum, total IgA and OVA-IgA in the feces and IL-4 and IFN-γ in the supernatants of splenic mononuclear cells (SMC) were measured by ELISA. Real time PCR was performed to identify the gene expression of IL-10, TGF-ß1 mRNA in SMC. Differences among groups were compared by one-way AVOVA and that between each group were compared by LSD. Result: In group M and H, the serum levels of n-3DHA (108±29)µg/ml; (102±34)µg/ml vs.(40±19)µg/ml (F=12.052, P=0.000)and n-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (6.7±2.3)µg/ml; (7.7±2.0)µg/ml vs. (3.9±1.1)µg/ml(F=9.573, P=0.000) were significantly higher than that in control group at the age of 21-day. The serum levels of n-3DHA were higher in group H (17.1±2.9)µg/ml than that in control group (5.9±3.3) µg/ml after repeated OVA exposure at the age of 59-day (F=10.339, P<0.000). Compared with control group (53±12) pg/ml, the levels of IL-4 in SMC in group H (42±9)pg/ml were lower (F=2.484, P<0.05). Conclusion: The serum levels of DHA in baby mice, whose mothers was fed with DMO during pregnancy and lactation, were significantly increased till adulthood. However, the effect on tolerance to OVA was limited.

[Inhibitive effect of puerarin on increased NO production by neonatal cardiomyocytes during hypoxia/reoxygenation injury].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of puerarin (Pue) on nitric oxide (NO) produced by neonatal rat cardiomyocytes during hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. METHOD: NO contents in the culture supernatants sampled from different groups (control, model, and therapeutic groups with 1, 0.1, 0.01 g.L-1 Pue) at different time were assayed with nitrate reductase method. RESULT: NO content of model increased after reperfusion (P < 0.01), while it increased sharply at 6 h after reperfusion and kept thereafter. Only at 6 h after reperfusion did Pue in these three doses inhibit NO production (P < 0.01) and kept to the 24 h after reperfusion. CONCLUSION: Pue exerts inhibitive effect only after NO production is enhanced sharply during hypoxia/reperfusion injury in a dose-dependent trend.

Effects of extract F of red-rooted Salvia on mucosal lesions of gastric corpus and antrum induced by hemorrhagic shock-reperfusion in rats.

AIM: To compare the effects of extract F of red-rooted Salvia (EFRRS) on mucosal lesions of gastric corpus and antrum induced by hemorrhagic shock and reperfusion in rats. METHODS: The rats were subject to hemorrhagic shock and followed by reperfusion, and were divided randomly into two groups. Group 1 received saline, and group 2 received EFRRS intravenously. The index of gastric mucosal lesions (IGML) was expressed as the percentage of lesional area in the corpus or antrum. The degree of gastric mucosal lesions (DGML) was catalogued grade 0,1,2 and 3. The concentrations of prostaglandins (PGs) were measured by radioimmunoassay. The concentration of MDA was measured according to the procedures of Asakawa. The activity of SOD was measured by the biochemical way. The growth rates or inhibitory rates of above-mentioned parameters were calculated. RESULTS: As compared with IGML (%), grade 3 damage (%) and MDA content (nmol/g tissue) of gastric antrum which were respectively 7.96 +/- 0.59, 34.86 +/- 4.96 and 156.98 +/- 16.12, those of gastric corpus which were respectively 23.18 +/- 6.82, 58.44 +/- 9.07 and 230.56 +/- 19.37 increased markedly (P <0.01), whereas the grade 0 damage, grade 1 damage, the concentrations of PGE(2) and PGI(2)(pg/mg tissue), the ratio of PGI(2)/TXA(2) and the activity of SOD (U/g tissue) of corpus which were respectively 3.01 +/- 1.01, 8.35 +/- 1.95, 540.48 +/- 182.78, 714.38 +/- 123.74, 17.38 +/- 5.93 and 134.29 +/- 13.35 were markedly lower than those of antrum which were respectively 13.92 +/- 2.25, 26.78 +/- 6.06, 2218.56 +/- 433.12, 2531.76 +/- 492.35, 43.46 +/- 8.51 and 187.45 +/- 17.67 (P<0.01) after hemorrhagic shock and reperfusion. After intravenous EFRRS, the growth rates (%) of grade 0 damage, grade 1 damage, the concentrations of PGE(2) and PGI(2), the ratio of PGI(2)/TXA(2) and the activity of SOD of corpus which were respectively 632.56, 308.62, 40.75, 74.75, 92.29 and 122.25 were higher than those in antrum which were respectively 104.89, 58.40, 11.12, 56.58, 30.65 and 82.64, whereas the inhibitory rates (%) of IGML, grade 3 damage and MDA content of gastric corpus were 82.93, 65.32 and 59.09, being higher than those of gastric antrum which were 76.64, 53.18 and 42.37. CONCLUSION: After hemorrhagic shock reperfusion, the gastric mucosal lesions in the corpus were more severe than those in the antrum, which were related not only to the different distribution of endogenous PGs in the mucosa, but also to the different ability of anti-oxidation of the mucosa. The protective effect of EFRRS on the gastric mucosa in the corpus was more evident than that in the antrum, which was related to higher growth degree of PGs contents and anti-oxitative ability in gastric corpus after administration of EFRRS.

Helicobacter pylori infection, garlic intake and precancerous lesions in a Chinese population at low risk of gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cangshan County of Shandong Province has one of the lowest rates of gastric cancer (GC) in China. While intestinal metaplasia (IM) and dysplasia (DYS) are less common in Cangshan than in areas of Shandong at high risk of GC, these precursor lesions nevertheless affect about 20% of adults age > or = 55. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: In order to evaluate determinants of IM and DYS in Cangshan County, a low risk area of GC a survey was conducted among 214 adults who participated in a gastroscopic screening survey in Cangshan County in 1994. METHOD: A dietary interview and measurement of serum Helicobacter pylori antibodies were performed. RESULTS: The prevalence of H. pylori was lowest (19%) among those with normal gastric mucosa, rising steadily to 35% for superficial gastritis (SG), 56% for chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), 80% for IM, and 100% for DYS. The prevalence odds of precancerous lesions were compared with the odds of normal histology or SG. The odds ratio (OR) or CAG associated with H. pylori positivity was 4.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] : 1.7-10.0), while the OR of IM/DYS associated with H. pylori positivity was 31.5 (95% CI: 5.2-187). After adjusting for H. pylori infection, drinking alcohol was a risk factor for CAG (OR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.1-9.2) and IM/DYS (OR = 7.8, 95% CI: 1.3-47.7). On the other hand, consumption of garlic showed non-significant protective effects and an inverse association with H. pylori infection. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that infection with H. pylori is a risk factor and garlic may be protective, in the development and progression of advanced precancerous gastric lesions in an area of China at relatively low risk of GC.

[Observation of therapy of integrated TCM-WM on repeatedly relapsed primary nephrotic syndrome in adults].

The therapy of integrated traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine (TCM-WM) on repeatedly relapsed primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) was observed. There were 30 and 32 cases in the WM group and TCM-WM group respectively. The results showed that in WM group the recurrence rate was 11.8%, 23.5%, 35.3% at 6,12,47 months after the PNS was remitted, while in TCM-WM group, it was 0, 3.3%, 13.3% respectively. The mean remission period was 12.4 +/- 3.2 months and 35.9 +/- 3.7 months in WM group and TCM-WM group respectively. The recurrence rate in TCM-WM group at various time was significantly lower than that in WM group (P < 0.01). The mean remission period in TCM-WM group was also significantly longer than that in WM group (P < 0.01). This indicated that the therapy of TCM-WM on repeatedly relapsed PNS is superior than that of WM alone.

[Experimental pathological study of brain damage in rats with copper deficiency].

Pathological observations on brain damage in baby rats with experimental copper deficiency were carried out and the following observations were made: 1. The cerebrum were decreased in size and weight, the cortex became thinner and the corpus striatum atrophic. 2. Vacuolar degeneration and swelling of the mitochondria in the extrapyramidal system within the corpus striatum resulted in axon damage and disintegration of the myelin sheath. 3. Proliferation of endoplasmic reticulum in the dark neurons, swelling and rupture of mitochondria in the light neurons, which can result in necrosis of both types of neurons. The damage due to copper deficiency could not be reversed by copper supplements in diet.

[Therapy of integrated traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine on 74 lupus nephritis].

The therapy of integrated traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine (TCM-WM) on lupus nephritis (LN) was explored. There were 74 and 66 cases in the TCM-WM group and WM group respectively. The results showed that in TCM-WM group the effective rate and recurrence rate were 95.9% and 4.1% respectively, while in WM group they were 80.3% and 21.2% respectively. The occurrence rate of side effect was 37.9% and 77.3% in TCM-WM group and WM group respectively. It indicated that the therapy of TCM-WM could significantly enhance curative rate and reduce recurrence and side effect rate.

Fast atom bombardment and collisional activation mass spectrometry in the structural analysis of steroidal oligoglycosides.

Fast atom bombardment (FAB) followed by collisional activation (CA) mass spectrometry was used for structural analysis of steroidal oligoglycosides, containing two to four sugar units. In the molecular ion region of the FAB mass spectra of these underivatized natural products, intense protonated molecular ions were observed. The collisional activation spectra of these mass selected ions yield more sequence information than FAB mass spectra and are not contaminated with interfering peaks originating from impurities or matrix.