[Expressions of zinc homeostasis proteins, GPR39 and ANO1 mRNA in the sperm of asthenozoospermia patients and their clinical significance].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expressions of zinc homeostasis-related proteins, G protein-coupled receptor 39 (GPR39) and ANO1 mRNA in the sperm of patients with asthenozoospermia (AS), and analyze their correlation with sperm motility. METHODS: We collected semen samples from 82 male subjects with PR+NP < 40%, PR < 32% and sperm concentration > 15×106/ml (the AS group, n = 40) or PR+NP ≥ 40%, PR ≥ 32% and sperm concentration > 15×106/ml (the normal control group, n = 42). We analyzed the routine semen parameters and measured the zinc content in the seminal plasma using the computer-assisted sperm analysis system, detected the expressions of zinc transporters (ZIP13, ZIP8 and ZNT10), metallothioneins (MT1G, MT1 and MTF), GPR39, and calcium-dependent chloride channel protein (ANO1) in the sperm by real-time quantitative PCR (RT qPCR), examined free zinc distribution in the sperm by laser confocal microscopy, and determined the expressions of GPR39 and MT1 proteins in the sperm by immunofluorescence staining, followed by Spearman rank correlation analysis of their correlation with semen parameters. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the zinc concentration in the seminal plasma between the AS and normal control groups (P>0.05). Compared with the controls, the AS patients showed a significantly reduced free zinc level (P<0.05), relative expressions of MT1G, MTF, ZIP13, GPR39 and ANO1 mRNA (P<0.05), and that of the GPR39 protein in the AS group (P<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in the relative expression levels of ZIP8, ZNT10 and MT1 mRNA between the two groups (P>0.05). The relative expression levels of GPR39, ANO1, MT1G and MTF mRNA were positively correlated with sperm motility and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The expressions of zinc homeostasis proteins (MT1G, MTF and ZIP13), GPR39 and ANO1 mRNA are downregulated in the sperm of asthenozoospermia patients, and positively correlated with sperm motility.

[A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of visual impairment in 2006 in Hubei province, China].

OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare the prevalence and causes of visual disability in urban and rural areas of Hubei province. METHODS: A cross-sectional study. From April 1 to May 31 in 2006, based on a stratified, multi-stage, cluster-sampling strategy, 31 counties (cities, districts), 124 townships (towns, streets), altogether 248 investigation districts, 101 674 sample individuals from Hubei province were selected to conduct inquiry registration, screening and visual disability evaluation. The revised 'Criteria of Disability' formulated by the specialist committee of the 2nd National Sample Survey of Disability was applied. The diagnosis and grading of visual disability were based on history of illness and vision function examination. The etiology diagnosis was made according to the causes of disability and the causing diseases. Chi-square test was used to investigate differences due to gender, age, and areas (urban and rural). RESULTS: The overall prevalence rate of visual disability in Hubei province is 1.40% (95%CI: 1.33% - 1.47%). The rate is 0.93% (95%CI: 0.88% - 0.98%) for urban areas and 1.62% (95%CI: 1.24% - 2.00%) for rural areas. Rural areas have a higher rate than urban ones and the difference is statistically significant (chi(2) = 68.2410, P < 0.0001). The rate increases with age in both urban and rural areas. In age groups older than 10, the prevalence rate in rural areas is higher than urban areas, and the difference becomes significant (chi(2) = 33.6569, P < 0.0001) for age groups 30-80. Females have a higher rate (1.63%) than males (1.18%) (chi(2) = 37.8386, P < 0.0001). The main eye diseases causing visual disability in urban areas are cataract (53.77%), retinopathy and choroidopathy (10.82%), ametropia (7.87%), glaucoma (6.23%) and hereditary/congenital diseases and developmental disorders (5.90%). The main causing diseases in rural areas are cataract (48.61%), corneal diseases (14.17%), glaucoma (6.91%), retinopathy and choroidopathy (6.19%) and hereditary/congenital diseases and developmental disorders (5.20%). CONCLUSIONS: The rural areas have a higher prevalence rate of visual disability than urban areas in Hubei province. Cataract is the leading cause of visual disability. We should continue the work of prevention and cure of visual disability, the primary work being cataract surgery. More stress should be placed on the prevention and cure effort in rural areas and for females and elderly people.

[Influence of ASODN to the human tenon's fibroblasts in expressing CTGF induced by transforming growth factor beta2].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of connective tissue growth factor's antisense oligonucleotides (ASODN) on the growth of human tenon' s capsule fibroblasts (HTF) induced by transforming growth factor beta2 (TGF-beta2) in vitro. METHODS: It was a experimental study. HTF was collected from glaucoma patients and cultured. The 5-6 passage was used for experiments. The HTF induced by TGF-beta2 was divided into the following groups: N group: normal HTF; T group: HTF induced by TGF-beta2; A group: CTGF ASODN antisense:5'-TACTGGCGGCGGTCAT-3' encapsulated with liposome; S group: sense 5'-ATGACCGCCGCCAGTA-3' encapsulated with liposome; D group: HTF encapsulated with liposome only. The activity of HTF treated by different concentrations of liposome was detected using methylthianolyldiphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MT) colorimetry. The expression of CTGF was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunocytochemistry assays. The expression of fibronectin (Fn) was examined by Western blot and immunocytochemistry assays. RESULTS: Liposome-ASODN (A group) significantly (F=15.25, 204.88, 19.73, 90.00; P <0.05) inhibit the expression of CTGF and Fn in HTF induced by TGF-beta2 compared with S and D group. However, Liposome alone (T group) has no significant impact in HTF growth compared with T group (t = 0.90, 2.32, 0.75, 2.11; P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: CTGF-ASODN inhibits the CTGF and Fn expression of HTF induced by TGF-beta2, which may delay the formation of scar in glaucoma filtering surgery.

Water-soluble poly(2,7-dibenzosilole) as an ultra-bright fluorescent label for antibody-based flow cytometry.

A series of novel water-soluble PEGylated dibenzosilole-based conjugated polymers were prepared as ultra-bright fluorescent labels for biomolecules. Due to their superior solubility and brightness, antibody conjugates labeled with functionalized polymers showed significantly enhanced signal and sensitivity relative to traditional fluorophores in functional flow cytometry applications.

[Inhibition of rat corneal neovascularization by inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappaB].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects and mechanism of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) on inhibiting corneal neovascularization. METHODS: The corneal neovascularization was induced by alkali burn in 48 Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, 12 rats in each group. The PDTC eye drops with different concentrations were applied four times daily during days 0 - 28 in each group: 0.5 mg/ml in group A, 1 mg/ml in group B, 2 mg/ml in group C and 0.9% sodium chloride in group D (control). The development of corneal neovascularization and corneal opacity were observed daily with slit lamp. Corneas were excised at day 4 and 28 (six eyes were selected randomly in each group per time) for histopathological examinations. The expression of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in the cornea was examined by Western Blot. RESULTS: The corneal neovascularization area in groups B and C were significantly smaller than that in the control group (P < 0.01). The corneal opacification and inflammation level in groups B and C were also lower than that in the control group. No significant difference was found in corneal neovascularization areas and corneal opacification levels between group A and group D (P > 0.05). The activity of NF-kappaB in groups B and C was significantly lower than that of group D. No significant difference in NF-kappaB could be detected between group A and group D. CONCLUSION: Topical application of PDTC has significant effects on the inhibition of activation of NF-kappaB and cornea neovascularization.

Friedländer approach for the incorporation of 6-bromoquinoline into novel chelating ligands.

Nitration of 3-bromobenzaldehyde followed by sodium dithionite reduction provides 5-bromo-2-aminobenzaldehyde, which undergoes the Friedländer condensation with a variety of enolizable ketones to afford bidentate and tridentate 6-bromoquinoline derivatives. These species may be dimerized with Ni(0) to form biquinolines or treated under Sonogashira conditions to afford 6-alkynyl derivatives. Examination of optical properties indicate an unusually high emission quantum yield for 6,6'-biquinolines. [structure: see text]

[The investigation of tranilast on the proliferation and migration of human Tenon's capsule fibroblasts].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of tranilast, N-(3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl) anthramilic acid, on the proliferation and migration of human Tenon's capsule fibroblasts. METHODS: fibroblasts were cultured from Tenon's tissue of a glaucoma patient after trabeculectomy. The subcultured cells were incubated with DMEM medium containing different concentrations of tranilast for 72 h. The growth of fibroblasts was measured by methyl thiazlyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and the cell count, and migration was evaluated by crutch method. The expression level of Protein kinase C (PKC) in fibroblasts was tested by immunohistochemical associated with image biological analysis (IBAS) methods. RESULTS: Treated with tranilast varying from 12.5 mg/L to 100.0 mg/L concentration, the proliferation of fibroblasts declined in a dose dependent manner. The migration of fibroblasts decreased from 40.20 +/- 5.83 to 22.50 +/- 4.21 and 9.80 +/- 2.14 cells/per field (P < 0.05) at 50.0 and 100.0 mg/L, respectively, and PKC expression was suppressed by tranilast from 0.2591 +/- 0.0038 to 0.2375 +/- 0.0106 and 0.1273 +/- 0.0573 Absorption value (P < 0.05) at 50.0 and 100.0 mg/L, respectively. CONCLUSION: Tranilast inhibited the proliferation as well as migration of fibroblasts in vitro, at least in part, by downregulation of PKC expression.

[Anoxic bioremediation of urban polluted river water with biofilm].

Reactor like oxidation ditch was used for anaerobic bioremediation of urban river water, in which biofilm formed on ceramic honeycomb carrier was used instated of activated sludge. The dissolved oxygen in the wastewater was controlled under 0.5 mg/L for anoxic oxidation, and ammonia nitrogen was removed 40 to 60 percent, and total nitrogen removed 40 to 45 percent, that is ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen were removed at the same time, also, nitrite was not any accumulated during the process. The biofilm was taken into flask to culture under anoxic oxidation condition in order to prove if anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) occurred in the process, and ammonia and nitrite nitrogen were also removed at the same time in the experiment, which suggested that nitrification-denitrification and ANAMMOX occurred in bioremediation of urban surface water with low ratio of carbon and nitrogen at the same time. The anammox bacteria were existed in the biofilm according to molecular biological analysis. The experiment will be significant for bioremediation of eutrophication water body.

A luminescent Pt(II) complex with a terpyridine-like ligand involving a six-membered chelate ring.

The ligand 2-(8'-quinolinyl)-1,10-phenanthroline (1) was prepared in 79% yield by the Friedlander condensation of 8-amino-7-quinolinecarbaldehyde and 8-acetylquinoline. The complex [Pt(1)Cl]+ was prepared and compared with the isomeric 2-(2'-quinolinyl)-1,10-phenanthroline (2) complex. An X-ray analysis indicated that the six-membered chelate ring in the tridentate complex resulted in a relief of angle strain as well as some non-planarity in the bound ligand 1. The control system for photophysical studies is [Pt3Cl]+ where denotes 2-(2'-pyridyl)-1,10-phenanthroline. Relative to the complex of 3, in dichloromethane solution [Pt(1)Cl]+ exhibits noticeably higher energy charge-transfer absorption but slightly lower energy emission. The gap between the onset of absorption and emission is larger because the emission from [Pt(1)Cl]+ originates from a triplet excited state with substantial intra-ligand character. At room temperature in deoxygenated dichloromethane, [Pt(1)Cl]+ has an excited-state lifetime of 310 ns vs. 230 ns for [Pt(1)Cl]+. Within the series, [Pt(1)Cl]+ also exhibits the largest activation barrier for thermally induced quenching at 2730 cm(-1) in fluid dichloromethane solution. However, the barrier is only about 50% larger than that found for [Pt(1)Cl]+. There is reduced ring strain in [Pt(1)Cl]+, but inter-ligand steric interactions weaken the ligand field.

Cu(I) complexes of 3,3'-polymethylene bridged derivatives of 2,2'-bi-1,10-phenanthroline.

A series of 3,3'-polymethylene-2,2'-bi-1,10-phenanthrolines coordinate with Cu(I) to form dinuclear complexes [(CuL)(2)](2+). As the 3,3'-bridge is lengthened from two to four carbons, the ligand becomes more twisted about the 2,2'-bond, favoring dinuclear coordination. The distance between the two copper atoms varies from 2.92 A for the dimethylene-bridged system to 3.59 A for the tetramethylene bridge. Favorable pi-stacking interactions occur between opposing ligands and promote complex formation. Competition experiments indicate that self-recognition is important and only homoleptic complexes are observed. Under equilibrium conditions, formation of the tetramethylene-bridged complex appears to be the most favored while the dimethylene-bridged system is least favored. The intensity of the long wavelength metal-ligand charge-transfer absorption band decreases as the 3,3'-bridge is shortened. Interaction between the two copper centers is evidenced by a splitting of the oxidation wave, and this splitting increases as the Cu-Cu distance is decreased.

Bi-1,10-phenanthrolines and their mononuclear Ru(II) complexes.

A series of four biphen (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) ligands, 2,2'-biphen (1), 3,3'-biphen (2), 2,2'-dimethylene-3,3'-biphen (3), and 2,3'-dimethylene-3,2'-biphen (4), is prepared by coupling and Friedländer methodology. The corresponding mononuclear Ru(II) complexes, [Ru(1-4)(Mebpy)(2)](2+) where Mebpy = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, are prepared. These complexes show long wavelength electronic absorptions at 441-452 nm and emissions at 622-641 nm. Metal-based oxidations occur in the range 1.18-1.21 V, and ligand-based reductions, at -1.20 to -1.30 V. The addition of Zn(2+), Cd(2+), or Hg(2+) ions results in a strong enhancement and red shift of the luminescence of complex Ru-3. Alkali and alkaline earth metal ions barely affect the luminescence of Ru-3 while transition metal ions such as Co(2+), Cu(2+), Ni(2+), and Mn(2+) lead to efficient quenching of the Ru-3 luminescence. The luminescence of Ru-2 and Ru-4 is quenched in the presence of Zn(2+) because of a conformationally induced reduction in electronic communication between the two phen halves of the ligand. The addition of Zn(2+) has only a slight effect on the luminescence of Ru-1 because of steric hindrance toward complexation.