Confining the Growth of AgNPs onto Epigallocatechin Gallate-Decorated Zein Nanoparticles for Constructing Potent Protein-Based Antibacterial Nanocomposites.

Sliver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted tremendous interest as an alternative to commercially available antibiotics due to their low microbial resistance and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. However, AgNPs are highly reactive and unstable and are susceptible to fast oxidation. Synthesizing stable and efficient AgNPs using green chemistry principles remains a major challenge. To address this issue, we establish a facile route to form AgNP-doped zein nanoparticle core-satellite superstructures with ultralow minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). In brief, polyphenol surface-functionalization of zein nanoparticles was performed, and the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) layer on zein nanoparticles served as a reducing-cum-stabilizing agent. We used EGCG-decorated zein nanoparticles (ZE) as a template to direct the nucleation and growth of AgNPs to develop metallized hybrid nanoparticles (ZE-Ag). The highly monodispersed core-satellite nanoparticles (∼150 nm) decorated with ∼4.9 nm AgNPs were synthesized successfully. The spatial restriction of EGCG by zein nanoparticles confined the nucleation and growth of AgNPs only on the surface of the particles, which prevented the formation of entangled clusters of polyphenols and AgNPs and concomitantly inhibited the coalescence and oxidation of AgNPs. Thus, this strategy improved the effective specific surface area of AgNPs, and as a result, ZE-Ag efficiently killed the indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) after 20 min of incubation, with MBCs of 2 and 4 µg/mL, respectively. This situation indicated that as-prepared core-satellite nanoparticles possessed potent short-term sterilization capability. Moreover, the simulated wound infection model also confirmed the promising application of ZE-Ag as an efficient antimicrobial composite. This work provides new insights into the synthesis and emerging application of AgNPs in food preservation, packaging, biomedicine, and catalysis.

An Encoding Table Corresponding to ASCII Codes for DNA Data Storage and a New Error Correction Method HMSA.

DNA storage stands out from other storage media due to its high capacity, eco-friendliness, long lifespan, high stability, low energy consumption, and low data maintenance costs. To standardize the DNA encoding system, maintain consistency in character representation and transmission, and link binary, base, and character together, this paper combines the encoding method with ASCII code to construct an ASCII-DNA encoding table. The encoding method can encode not only pure text information but also audio and video information and satisfies the GC content constraint and the homopolymer constraint, with the encoding density reaching 1.4 bits/nt. In particular, when encoding textual information, it directly skips the binary conversion process, which reduces the complexity of encoding, and increasing the encoding density to 1.6 bits/nt. In order to solve the problem of errors in sequences, under the influence of heuristic algorithms, this paper proposes a new error correction method (HMSA) by combining minimum Hamming distance, multiple sequence alignment, and encoding scheme. It can correct not only substitution, insertion, and deletion errors in Reads but also consecutive errors in Reads. It greatly improves the utilization of the Reads and avoids the waste of resources. Simulation results show that the recovery rate of Reads increases with the increasing number of sequencing times. When the number of erroneous bases in a 150nt sequence reaches 5nt, the error correction rate can exceed 96% by sequencing the base sequence only 10 times regardless of whether the errors are consecutive or not. Additionally, the HMSA error correction method is applicable to all coding schemes for lookup code table types.

One-Step Generation of O/W/O Double Pickering Emulsions Utilizing Biocompatible Gliadin/Ethyl Cellulose Complex Particles as the Exclusive Stabilizer.

Double emulsions hold great potential for various applications due to their compartmentalized internal structures. However, achieving their long-term physical stability remains a challenging task. Here, we present a simple one-step method for producing stable oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) double emulsions using biocompatible gliadin/ethyl cellulose complex particles as the sole stabilizer. The resulting O/W/O systems serve as effective platforms for encapsulating enzymes and as templates for synthesizing porous microspheres. We investigated the impact of particle concentration and water fraction on the properties of Pickering O/W/O emulsions. Our results demonstrate that the number and volume of inner oil droplets increased proportionally with both the water fraction and particle concentration after a 60-day storage period. Moreover, the catalytic reaction rate of the encapsulated lipase within the double emulsion exhibited a significant acceleration, achieving a substrate conversion of 80.9% within 15 min. Remarkably, the encapsulated enzyme showed excellent recyclability, enabling up to 10 cycles of reuse. Additionally, by utilizing the O/W/O systems as templates, we successfully obtained porous microspheres whose size can be controlled by the outer water droplet. These findings have significant implications for the future design of Pickering complex emulsion-based systems, opening avenues for extensive applications in pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, material synthesis, and (bio)catalysis.

Assessment of adaptive immune responses of dairy cows with Burkholderia contaminans-induced mastitis.

Burkholderia contaminans, an emerging pathogen related to cystic fibrosis, is known to cause potentially fatal infections in humans and ruminants, especially in immunocompromised individuals. However, the immune responses in cows following its infection have not been fully elucidated. In this study, T- and B-lymphocytes-mediated immune responses were evaluated in 15 B. contaminans-induced mastitis cows and 15 healthy cows with multi-parameter flow cytometry. The results showed that infection with B. contaminans was associated with a significant decrease in the number and percentage of B lymphocytes but with a significant increase in the proportion of IgG+CD27+ B lymphocytes. This indicated that humoral immune response may not be adequate to fight intracellular infection, which could contribute to the persistent bacterial infection. In addition, B. contaminans infection induced significant increase of γδ T cells and double positive (DP) CD4+CD8+ T cells but not CD4+ or CD8+ (single positive) T cells in blood. Phenotypic analysis showed that the percentages of activated WC1+ γδ T cells in peripheral blood were increased in the B. contaminans infected cows. Interestingly, intracellular cytokine staining showed that cattle naturally infected with B. contaminans exhibited multifunctional TNF-α+IFN-γ+IL-2+ B. contaminans-specific DP T cells. Our results, for the first time, revealed a potential role of IgG+CD27+ B cells, CD4+CD8+ T cells and WC1+ γδ T cells in the defense of B. contaminans-induced mastitis in cows.

Analysis of Non-Genetic Factors Affecting Wood's Model of Daily Milk Fat Percentage of Holstein Cattle.

This research paper aimed to explore the characteristics of Holstein cattle's milk fat percentage lactation curve and its influencing factors. The Wood model was used for fitting the lactation curve of 398,449 DHI test-day milk fat percentage records of Holstein cows from 2018 to 2020 in 12 dairy farms in Jiangsu province, and the influencing factors­including farm size, parity, calving season, calving interval, and 305-days milk production­on the parameters of the lactation curve were analyzed. The results showed that the non-genetic factors such as dairy farm size, calving season, parity, calving interval, and 305-days milk yield have a significant impact on milk fat percentage (p < 0.01); the average R2 of the daily milk fat percentage curve was 0.9699; the lowest milk fat percentage was 3.54%; the time to reach the lowest milk fat percentage was 126 days; and the persistence of milk fat percentage was 3.59%. All of these factors explored in this study fit at different levels above 0.96. The Wood model performed well in the fitting and analysis of the milk fat percentage curve of Holstein cattle in Jiangsu Province. This study provides a reference for improving the milk fat percentage of Holstein cattle.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Hypertensive Patients Infected with COVID-19: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension has been reported as the most prevalent comorbidity in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This retrospective study aims to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes in COVID-19 patients with or without hypertension. METHODS: A total of 944 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were included from January to March 2020. Information from the medical record, including clinical features, radiographic and laboratory results, complications, treatments, and clinical outcomes, were extracted for the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 311 (32.94%) patients had comorbidity with hypertension. In COVID-19 patients with hypertension, the coexistence of type 2 diabetes (56.06% vs 43.94%), coronary heart disease (65.71% vs 34.29%), poststroke syndrome (68.75% vs 31.25%) and chronic kidney diseases (77.78% vs 22.22%) was significantly higher, while the coexistence of hepatitis B infection (13.04% vs 86.96%) was significantly lower than in COVID-19 patients without hypertension. Computed tomography (CT) chest scans show that COVID-19 patients with hypertension have higher rates of pleural effusion than those without hypertension (56.60% vs 43.40%). In addition, the levels of blood glucose [5.80 (IQR, 5.05-7.50) vs 5.39 (IQR, 4.81-6.60)], erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) [28 (IQR, 17.1-55.6) vs 21.8 (IQR, 11.5-44.1), P=0.008], C-reactive protein (CRP) [17.92 (IQR, 3.11-46.6) vs 3.15 (IQR, 3.11-23.4), P=0.013] and serum amyloid A (SAA) [99.28 (IQR, 8.85-300) vs 15.97 (IQR, 5.97-236.1), P=0.005] in COVID-19 patients with hypertension were significantly higher than in patients without hypertension. CONCLUSION: It is common for patients with COVID-19 to have the coexistence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and so on, which may exacerbate the severity of COVID-19. Therefore, optimal management of hypertension and other comorbidities is essential for better clinical outcomes.

Hofmeister Effect-Assistant Fabrication of All-Natural Protein-based Porous Materials Templated from Pickering Emulsions.

Porous materials derived from natural and biodegradable polymers have received growing interest. We demonstrate here an attractive method for the preparation of protein-based porous materials using emulsions stabilized by gliadin-chitosan hybrid particles (GCHPs) as the template, with the addition of gelatin and kosmotropic ions to improve the mechanical strength. The microstructure, mechanical properties, cytotoxicity, and fluid absorption behavior of porous materials were systematically investigated. This strategy facilitated the formation of porous materials with highly open and interconnected pore structure, which can be manipulated by altering the mass ratio of hexane or gelatin in the matrix. The Hofmeister effect resulted from kosmotropic ions greatly enhanced the Young's modulus and the compressive stress at 40% strain of porous materials from 0.56 to 6.84 MPa and 0.26 to 1.11 MPa, respectively. The developed all-natural porous materials were nontoxic to HaCaT cells; they also had excellent liquid (i.e., simulated body fluid and rabbit blood) absorption performance and advantages in resisting stress and maintaining geometry shape. The effects of different concentration amounts and type of salts in the Hofmeister series on the formation and performance of porous materials were also explored. Mechanical strength of porous materials was gradually enhanced when the (NH4)2SO4 concentration increased from 0 to 35 wt %, and the other four kosmotropic salts, including Na2S2O3, Na2CO3, NaH2PO4, and Na2SO4, also showed positive effects. This work opens a simple and feasible way to produce nontoxic and biodegradable porous materials with favorable mechanical strength and controllable pore structure. These materials have broad potential application in many fields involving biomedical and material science, such as cell culture, (bio)catalysis, and wound or bone defect healing.

Fabrication and Characterization of Novel Water-Insoluble Protein Porous Materials Derived from Pickering High Internal-Phase Emulsions Stabilized by Gliadin-Chitosan-Complex Particles.

Pickering high internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) and porous materials derived from the Pickering HIPEs have received increased attention in various research fields. Nevertheless, nondegradable inorganic and synthetic stabilizers present toxicity risks, thus greatly limiting their wider applications. In this work, we successfully developed nontoxic porous materials through the Pickering HIPE-templating process without chemical reactions. The obtained porous materials exhibited appreciable absorption capacity to corn oil and reached the state of saturated absorption within 3 min. The Pickering HIPE templates were stabilized by gliadin-chitosan complex particles (GCCPs), in which the volume fraction of the dispersed phase (90%) was the highest of all reported food-grade-particle-stabilized Pickering HIPEs so far, further contributing to the interconnected pore structure and high porosity (>90%) of porous materials. The interfacial particle barrier (Pickering mechanism) and three-dimensional network formed by the GCCPs in the continuous phase play crucial roles in stabilization of HIPEs with viscoelastic and self-supporting attributes and also facilitate the development of porous materials with designed pore structure. These materials, with favorable biocompatibility and biodegradability, possess excellent application prospects in foods, pharmaceuticals, materials, environmental applications, and so on.

Fabrication of Zein/Pectin Hybrid Particle-Stabilized Pickering High Internal Phase Emulsions with Robust and Ordered Interface Architecture.

Diets containing partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) expose the human body to trans fatty acids, thus endangering cardiovascular health. Pickering high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) is a promising alternative of PHOs. This work attempted to construct stable Pickering HIPEs by engineering interface architecture through manipulating the interfacial, self-assembly, and packing behavior of zein particles using the interaction between protein and pectin. Partially wettable zein/pectin hybrid particles (ZPHPs) with three-phase contact angles ranging from 84° to 87° were developed successfully. ZPHPs were irreversibly anchored at the oil-water interface, resulting in robust and ordered interfacial structure, evidenced by the combination of LB-SEM and CLSM. This situation helped to hold a percolating 3D oil droplet network, which facilitated the formation of Pickering HIPEs with viscoelasticity, excellent thixotropy (>91.0%), and storage stability. Curcumin in HIPEs was well protected from UV-induced degradation and endowed HIPEs with ideal oxidant stability. Fabricated Pickering HIPEs possess a charming application prospect in foods and the pharmaceutical industry.

Development of Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Gliadin/Proanthocyanidins Hybrid Particles (GPHPs) and the Fate of Lipid Oxidation and Digestion.

This work attempted to engineer emulsions' interface using the special affinity between proline-rich gliadin and proanthocyanidins (PA), to develop surfactant-free antioxidant Pickering emulsions with digestive-resistant properties. This binding interaction between gliadin and PA benefited the interfacial adsorption of the particles to corn oil droplets. Pickering droplets as building units assembled into an interconnected three-dimensional network structure, giving the emulsions viscoelasticity and ultrastability. Oxidative markers in Pickering emulsions were periodically monitored under thermally accelerated storage. Lipid digestion and oxidation fates were characterized using in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) models. The interfacial membrane constructed by antioxidant particles served as a valid barrier against lipid oxidation and digestion, in a PA dose-dependent manner. Briefly, lipid oxidation under storage and simulated GI tract was retarded. Free fatty acid (FFA) fraction released decreased by 55% from 87.9% (bulk oil) to 39.5% (Pickering emulsion), implying engineering interfacial architecture potentially benefited to fight obesity. This study opens a facile strategy to tune lipid oxidation and digestion profiles through the cooperation of the Pickering principle and the interfacial delivery of antioxidants.

[Outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer in treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with infertility. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed from 52 patients with PCOS (PCOS group) and 408 cases with tubal infertility (control group). Both groups underwent IVF-ET treatment from 2001 to 2004. The duration of stimulation, amps of gammaFSH, the level of serum E2, P on the day of HCG injection, the number of oocytes retrieved, the rates of fertilization, cleavage, implantation and pregnancy, the incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and cancelled rate of ET were compared between the two groups. RESULT: The duration of stimulation and amps of gammaFSH were not significantly different between the two groups. The concentration of serum E2, P on the day of HCG injection, the numbers of oocytes retrieved and cleavaged embryos were significantly higher in PCOS group (P <0.01, <0.05). Fertilization rate was significantly lower in PCOS group (P <0.01). The implantation, pregnancy and miscarriage rates per ET were not statistically significant. The OHSS rates and cancelled rates of ET were higher in PCOS group (P <0.01). CONCLUSION: Women with PCOS have a lower fertilization rate compared with those with tubal-factor fertility during IVF-ET. However, more oocytes are recovered and the preimplanted embryo has a normal chance of implantation leading to similar pregnancy rates. The OHSS rates and cancelled rates of ET are higher in PCOS because of a greater number of oocytes developed and a higher level of E2.

Prolonged gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy reduced expression of nitric oxide synthase in the endometrium of women with endometriosis and infertility.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether endometrial expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) or inducible NOS (iNOS) protein in women with endometriosis-associated infertility is different from that in the fertile controls, whether GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) regulates the endometrial expression of NOS in women with endometriosis-associated infertility, and whether there is a correlation between serum E2 or P levels, and the endometrial expression of eNOS or iNOS. DESIGN: Prospective controlled study. SETTING: University hospital for reproductive medicine and gynecologic endocrinology. PATIENT(S): Thirty patients with endometriosis-associated infertility and 19 patients with carcinoma in situ of the cervix. INTERVENTION(S): Endometrial biopsy specimens and blood samples. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Endometrial eNOS and iNOS protein relative levels and serum concentrations of E2 or P. RESULT(S): By Western blot analysis, iNOS was not detected, and a unique menstrual cycle-dependent expression of eNOS was observed. Eutopic endometrium in women with endometriosis-associated infertility before GnRH-a treatment showed higher levels of eNOS than that of the control group. After 3 months of GnRH-a therapy, eNOS levels in the endometrium were reduced. In addition, a significant positive correlation was found between serum E2 or P concentrations, and the endometrial expression of eNOS. CONCLUSION(S): The GnRH-a treatment attenuated the endometrial expression of eNOS in women with endometriosis-associated infertility. Endogenous ovarian steroids influence endometrial eNOS expression.

[Influences of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist treatment on nitric oxide synthase expression in women with endometriosis and infertility].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthase (eNOS and iNOS) in the eutopic endometria of patients with endometriosis and infertility, and to detect the effect of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) therapy on their expressions. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and Western immunoblot assay were used to screen eNOS and iNOS expression in endometria of patients with stage III to IV endometriosis and infertility without (30 cases, endometriosis group) and with GnRH-a treatment (18 cases, treatment group), and of 19 patients with carcinoma in situ of the cervix (control group). Using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, serum estradiol (E(2)) or progesterone (P) concentrations were assayed. RESULTS: eNOS was localized predominantly to the endometrial glandular epithelium, luminal epithelium, and microvascular endothelium. iNOS staining was light, and it, when present, was predominantly found in glandular epithelium and stromal cells. By Western immunoblot analysis, iNOS was not detected. During the early-, mid-, and late-proliferative phases, and the early-, mid-, and late-secretory phases, endometrial eNOS protein relative levels were 0.30 +/- 0.04, 0.40 +/- 0.03, 0.49 +/- 0.03, 0.43 +/- 0.04, 0.55 +/- 0.04 and 0.48 +/- 0.03 in endometriosis group, 0.22 +/- 0.03, 0.37 +/- 0.03, 0.45 +/- 0.04, 0.35 +/- 0.05, 0.50 +/- 0.03 and 0.41 +/- 0.00 in treatment group, and 0.21 +/- 0.03, 0.33 +/- 0.03, 0.45 +/- 0.04, 0.40 +/- 0.03, 0.47 +/- 0.05 and 0.41 +/- 0.03 in control group, respectively. Eutopic endometria in endometriosis group showed higher levels of eNOS protein than that of the control group, but a significant difference was found only in early-, mid-proliferative phases and mid-, late-secretory phases (P < 0.05). Compared with endometriosis group, endometrial eNOS levels in treatment group were reduced, but a significant difference was found only in early proliferative phase and early-, mid-secretory phases (P < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was found between serum E(2) or P concentrations and endometrial expression of eNOS (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The higher endometrial expression of eNOS in patients with stage III to IV endometriosis may be related to the pathogenesis of endometriosis and the associated subfertility. The expression of eNOS is markedly reduced by administration of GnRH-a.

[Relationship between imbalanced synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin alpha and beta subunits and pregnancy-induced hypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between imbalanced synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) alpha and beta subunits and the pathology of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). METHODS: Total hCG, free alphahCG and betahCG were measured in serum samples collected from 60 cases of PIH and 30 normal gravid women by radioimmunoassay. The ratio of total hCG/betahCG, betahCG/FalphahCG, (FalphahCG+betahCG)/betahCG were calculated. Immunohistochemical staining was performed in 13 placenta from each group. RESULTS: In PIH group the levels of FalphahCG, total hCG and betahCG were significantly higher than those of normal group (FalphahCG: 528 +/-421 IU/L compared with 222 +/-129 IU/L; betahCG: 39396 +/-6412 IU/L compared with 24265 +/-5575 IU/L; total hCG: 66597 +/-9294 IU/L compared with 36078 +/-4767 IU/L, all P<0.001). The betahCG/FalphahCG ratio in PIH was lower than that of normal group (91.23 +/-53.38 Compared with 119.4 +/-80.1, P<0.05); (FalphahCG+betahCG)/betahCG ratio and total hCG/betahCG ratio in two groups were (1.022 +/-0.026 compared with 1.015 +/-0.011; 1.802 +/-0.339 compared with 1.807 +/-0.258, respectively P>0.05). The immunohistochemical intensity of betahCG and FalphahCG in syncytiotrophoblast was significantly increased in 13 PIH compared with the control. CONCLUSION: These data suggested that the imbalanced synthesis of hCG alpha and beta subunits may cause hypertension.

[Effect of yangjing zhongyu decoction on matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression in endometrium and sex hormone regulation in women with cryptogenic infertility].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Yangjing Zhongyu decoction (YZD) on metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and its inhibitor-1 (TIMP-1) expression and sex hormone regulation in mid-luteal phase endometrium of women with cryptogenic infertility. METHODS: In situ hybridization and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method was used to detect MMP-9 and TIMP-1 mRNA, and radioimmunoassay was used to determine levels of serum estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) synchronously, of 22 infertile women during mid-luteal phase. RESULTS: After treatment, the mid-luteal serum E2 and P level was 451.501 +/- 226.342 pmol/L and 46.502 +/- 19.948 nmol/L respectively, significantly higher than that before treatment (304.656 +/- 135.853 pmol/L and 33.782 +/- 15.459 nmol/L respectively), the difference was significant (P < 0.01). Staining of MMP-9 mRNA positive granules in cytoplasm and nuclei of adeno-epithelial cell mid-luteal phase endometrium deepened significantly, but the change in mesenchym was insignificant. The MMP-9 mRNA expression after treatment was 0.617 +/- 0.186 (grey level), significantly higher than the level before treatment (0.490 +/- 0.370), comparison between them showed significant difference (P < 0.05). Change of TIMP-1 mRNA expression in adeno-epithelial and mesenchym before and after treatment was insignificant (0.588 +/- 0.191 vs 0.621 +/- 0.146, P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the quantitative difference of P value before and after treatment was positively correlated with the difference of MMP-9 mRNA before and after treatment (r = 0.682, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: YZD could soothen Gan and nourish Shen, raise the level of mid-luteal phase serum P, and further promote MMP-9 gene expression in endometrium to benefit the degradation of extracellular matrix of endometrium, and facilitate for blastocyst implantation.

[Insulin-like growth factor II and its receptor gene expression in the endometrium of women with unexplained infertility].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) and its type I receptor (IGF-IR) and type II receptor (IGF-IIR) in the endometrium of women with unexplained infertility and their relation to steroid levels. METHODS: In situ hybridization method was utilized to detect the location of IGF-II, IGF-IR and IGF-IIR mRNA. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was employed to detect quantitatively IGF-II, IGF-IR, and IGF-IIR mRNA expression levels in the endometrium during mid-luteal phase. Serum concentrations of estradiol and progesterone were measured by radioimmunoassay. Thirty-eight patients with unexplained infertility were included as study group, and 20 patients with men factor infertility or normal volunteer women were selected as control group. RESULTS: IGF-II and IGF-IIR mRNA were diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm of stromal cells and IGF-IR mRNA was observed in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. Endometrial IGF-II, IGF-IR and IGF-IIR mRNA expression during mid-luteal phase in study group were significantly lower than those in the control group respectively (0.71 +/- 0.34 vs 0.96 +/- 0.34, P < 0.05; 0.62 +/- 0.28 vs 0.93 +/- 0.51, P < 0.05; 0.49 +/- 0.27 vs 0.73 +/- 0.36, P < 0.05). The serum progesterone level of study group was significantly lower than that of control group, (34 +/- 15) nmol/L vs (53 +/- 17) nmol/L (P < 0.05). The levels of IGF-II mRNA were positively correlated with IGF-IR mRNA and IGF-IIR mRNA in both groups. There were significant positive correlations between serum progesterone level and IGF-II, IGF-IR and IGF-IIR mRNA. CONCLUSIONS: IGF-II and its receptors mRNA play important roles in the process of implantation. Their decreased expression in relation with lower progesterone level may be one of the major causes of unexplained infertility.

[Expression of matrix metalloproteinases-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 mRNA in the endometrium during mid- luteal phase in women with unexplained infertility].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) mRNA in the endometrium during mid-luteal phase in women with unexplained infertility and its steroidal regulation. METHODS: In situ hybridization method was utilized to detect the location of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 mRNA. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was utilized to detect and quantitate MMP-9 and TIMP-1 mRNA expression levels in the endometrium during mid-luteal phase. Serum concentration of estradiol (E(2)) and progesterone (P) were measured by radioimmunoassay. Thirty-eight patients with unexplained infertility were included as study group, and 20 women with male factor infertility or normal volunteers were selected as control group. RESULTS: MMP-9 and TIMP-1 mRNA were diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm and nuclei of glandular and stromal cells. Their staining in control group were more abundant than those in study group. Endometrial MMP-9 and TIMP-1 mRNA expression during mid-luteal phase showed by RT-PCR in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (0.42 +/- 0.19 Vs 0.57 +/- 0.19, P < 0.05; 0.59 +/- 0.19 Vs 0.81 +/- 0.20, P < 0.01 respectively). Serum P of the study group was significantly lower than that of control group [(34 +/- 15) nmol/L Vs (53 +/- 17) nmol/L, P < 0.01]. Serum P level was positively correlated with MMP-9 mRNA only in control groups. CONCLUSIONS: MMP-9 and TIMP-1 mRNA might play an important role in the process of implantation. The decreased expression of their gene related to P level might be one of the major causes in unexplained infertility.

[Multifetal pregnancy reduction of triplets to twins: a prospective comparison of pregnancy outcome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcome of triplet pregnancy and the necessity and benefit of multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR). METHODS: Sixty cases of triplet pregnancy were collected. In 15 cases that did not choose MFPR, the triplets were spontaneously obtained. Out of the 45 cases with triplets obtained after infertility treatment, 32 chose reduction to obtain twins using transvaginal puncture of the fetal heart and physical hurt. The maternal obstetric complication rate, preterm delivery rate, means gestational age at delivery, birth weight of infants and percentage of fetal weights < 1,500 g were compared between these two groups. RESULTS: The maternal obstetric complication rate and preterm delivery rate were lower significantly in the reduction group. Deliveries occurred earlier slightly in the triplets group compared with the reduction group. The mean birth weight of infants was higher and the percentage of low weight infants (< 1,500 g) was lower in the reduction group. CONCLUSION: MFPR of triplets to twins is effective to improve pregnancy outcome. MFPR applied on triplets is reasonable and should be accepted if requested.

[Analysis of 55 cases of transvaginal multifetal pregnancy reduction].

OBJECTIVE: To report the outcomes of transvaginal ultrasound-guided multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR) in early high-order multiple gestation. METHODS: Fifty-five cases of high-order multiple pregnancy including 1 septuplet, 7 quintuplets, 16 quadruplets and 31 triplets resulted from either superovulation/intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer, were treated by transvaginal ultrasound guided MFPR at 49 - 79 days of gestational age. Their outcomes and complications were reported. RESULTS: Multifetal reduction were successfully done in 53 cases (96%). Miscarriage occurred in 8 patients (15%). Twenty-one cases (47%) were premature delivery and 24 patients underwent term delivery resulting in 87 infants. Five preterm infants died of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Among them none has malformation. Of the 82 live infants, 1 had hexadactyly and another arterial septum defect occurred. No organ injury, massive hemorrhage and infection occurred after MFPR. CONCLUSIONS: MFPR during early pregnancy is a safe, effective, simple operation for the purpose of reducing perinatal and maternal complication.

Long dwell-time exposure of human chorionic villi to transvaginal ultrasound in the first trimester of pregnancy induces activation of caspase-3 and cytochrome C release.

Bioeffects after exposure to ultrasound are correlated to its duration. Although diagnostic ultrasound has been suggested to induce apoptosis, the underlying signal transduction pathway remains elusive. In this study, women in the first trimester of pregnancy were exposed to transvaginal diagnostic ultrasound with 5.0-MHz frequency for 0, 10, 20, or 30 min. The chorionic villi were obtained 4 h after exposure and activation of caspase-3 and cytochrome c release were analyzed by Western blotting. In contrast with the 0- and 10-min groups, cleavage products of active caspase-3 and cytochrome c release significantly increased in 20- and 30-min groups in a time-dependent manner. We show that long-duration exposure to transvaginal ultrasound activates effector caspase-3-mediated apoptotic cascade of chorionic villi in the first trimester of pregnancy. This occurs through the intrinsic death pathway involved in cytochrome c release. Our findings provide a molecular rationale for discriminant use of transvaginal ultrasound at the early stage of pregnancy.