[Wnt/ß-catenin signal pathway mediated Salidroside induced directional differentiation from mouse mesenchymal stem cells to nerve cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the molecule mechanism of Salidroside inducing directional differentiation of mouse mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into neuronal cells. METHODS: The mouse multipotent mesenchymal precursor cell line (D1) was taken as the objective. Cultured MSCs were divided into the negative control group (complete culture solution), the positive control group (containing 1 mmol/L ß-mercaptoethanol), the Salidroside induced group (20 mg/L Salidroside), and the blocked group (20 ng/ ml DKK1, a special inhibitor of Wnt/ß-catenin signal pathway). All cells were inoculated in a 6-well plate (1 x 10(4) cells/cm2) and grouped for 24 h. The expression of p-catenin was detected by fluorescence Immunochemistry in the negative control group, the positive control group, and the Salidroside induced group. The expression of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), beta 3 class III tubulin (ß-tubulin III), nuclear receptor related factor 1 (Nurr1), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA, Wnt3a, ß-catenin, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein6 (LRP6), Axin mRNA were detected using reverse transcrip- tion PCR (RT-PCR). The expression of ß-catenin and NSE protein were analyzed by Western blot in the negative control group, the positive control group, and the Salidroside induced group. Ca2+ chelating agents (EGTA), L-type Ca2+ channel blocker (Nifedpine), and IP3Ks special inhibitor (LY294002) were used to block Ca2+ signal pathway respectively. The expression of Wnt3a, LRP-6, Axin, glycogen syn- thase kinase (GSK-3), and ß-catenin mRNA were detected by RT-PCR. The ß-catenin protein expression was analyzed using Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the positive control group, ß-catenin protein was strong positively expressed; the expression of Wnt3a, ß-catenin, LRP6, Axin, NSE, ß-tubulin III, Nurr1 mRNA, and NSE protein were obviously up-regulated in the Salidroside induced group (P < 0.01). Compared with the positive control group and the Salidroside induced group, ß-catenin, NSE, Nurr1, and ß-tubulin III mRNA expression decreased; ß-catenin and NSE protein expression were also down-regulated in the blocked group (P < 0.01). Compared with the Salidroside induced group, the expression of Wnt3a, LRP-6, ß-catenin, and Axin mRNA were down-regulated in the Ca2+ signal blocked group and the salidroside induced group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Salidroside affected directional differentia- tion of MSCs into neuronal cells through Wnt/ß-catenin and Ca2+ signal pathway.

[Effect of Osteoking on Bone Mineral Density and Dickkopf-1 Protein Levels in Rabbits with Osteoporotic Fracture].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Osteoking on bone mineral density (BMD) and serum Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) protein levels in rabbits with osteoporotic fracture (OPF). METHODS: Totally 45 female Japanese big-ear rabbits were randomly divided into the treatment group, the model group, and the blank control group (as the control group), 15 in each group. Bilateral ovaries were ectomized for 24 weeks in the treatment group and the model group. Their left radial factures were induced after confirmed osteoporosis. Rabbits in the treatment group were administered with Osteoking by gastrogavage, once per two days. Equal volume of normal saline was given to rabbits in the model group. The general BMD and serum DKK-1 protein levels were detected before ovariectomy, at week 24 and 48 after ovariectomy. RESULTS: There was significant difference in the general BMD at week 24 after ovariectomy between the model group and the control group, and it was lower in the model group. Compared with the model group, the general BMD significantly increased and serum DKK-1 protein levels significantly decreased in the treatment group after intervention. Serum DKK-1 protein levels were significantly lower after intervention than before intervention in the treatment group. CONCLUSION: Osteoking could improve the BMD of OPF rabbits, and reduce their serum DKK-1 protein levels as well.

Salidroside induces rat mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by the loss of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons that leads to a reduction in striatal dopamine (DA) levels. Replacing lost cells by transplanting dopaminergic neurons has potential value to repair the damaged brain. Salidroside (SD), a phenylpropanoid glycoside isolated from plant Rhodiola rosea, is neuroprotective. We examined whether salidroside can induce mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to differentiate into neuron-like cells, and convert MSCs into dopamine neurons that can be applied in clinical use. Salidroside induced rMSCs to adopt a neuronal morphology, upregulated the expression of neuronal marker molecules, such as gamma neuronal enolase 2 (Eno2/NSE), microtubule-associated protein 2 (Map2), and beta 3 class III tubulin (Tubb3/ß-tubulin III). It also increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNAs, and promoted the secretion of these growth factors. The expression of dopamine neurons markers, such as dopamine-beta-hydroxy (DBH), dopa decarboxylase (DDC) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), was significantly upregulated after treatment with salidroside for 1-12 days. DA steadily increased after treatment with salidroside for 1-6 days. Thus salidroside can induce rMSCs to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons.

[Correlation Analysis between Serum Fibronectin 3 Levels and Early Severe Bleeding in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlation between serum fibronectin 3 (Ficolin-3) levels and early severe bleeding in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients. METHODS: A total of 125 patients with newly diagnosed APL admitted to Shanxi Bethune Hospital from January 2020 to August 2023 were selected. All patients were given all-trans retinoic acid+arsenic for induction therapy. The severe bleeding events within 30 days of induction therapy (assessed by WHO bleeding score, grade 0, grade 1 and grade 2 were no bleeding or mild bleeding, grade 3 and grade 4 were severe or fatal bleeding) were used as observation endpoints. The serum Ficolin-3 levels was dected by ELISA method, baseline data and other laboratory indicators were counted, and the correlation between serum Ficolin-3 levels and early severe bleeding in newly diagnosed APL patients was analyzed. RESULTS: 23 out of 125 APL patients experienced early severe bleeding during induction therapy, including 13 cases of grade 3 bleeding and 10 cases of grade 4 bleeding. There were 102 cases of non-serious bleeding, including 30 cases of grade 0, 24 cases of grade 1 bleeding, and 48 cases of grade 2 bleeding. The proportion of serum promyelocytes, white blood cell count, and D-D level in the severe bleeding group were significantly higher than those in the non severe bleeding group (P < 0.05), while the levels of PLT and FIB were significantly lower than those in the non-serious bleeding group (P < 0.05). The serum Ficolin-3 levels in the severe bleeding group were significantly lower than those in the non severe bleeding group before treatment, days of treatment, 14 days of treatment, and 30 days of treatment (P < 0.05). Confirmed by point two column correlation, serum Ficolin-3 levels were negatively correlated with early severe bleeding in newly diagnosed APL patients before treatment, 7 days, 14 days, and 30 days after treatment (r values were -0.485, -0.397, -0.304, and -0.183, respectively). The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) graph of the subjects was drawn, and the results showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of serum Ficolin-3 levels before treatment and at 7 and 14 days after treatment for predicting early severe bleeding in newly diagnosed APL patients was greater than 0.7, all of which had certain predictive efficacy, and the serum Ficolin-3 level before treatment had the best predictive efficacy. CONCLUSION: The serum Ficolin-3 levels in newly diagnosed APL patients are associated with early severe bleeding, and the serum Ficolin-3 levels before treatment have a significant advantage in predicting early severe bleeding in newly diagnosed APL patients.

[Effects of Grazing on Plant Diversity and Their Carbon Stocks in Different Types of Grasslands].

With the drying and warming of the climate and irrational grazing, various types of grasslands in Inner Mongolia have been degraded to different degrees, and different management modes will inevitably affect the plant diversity and vegetation carbon stock of soil grasslands. To clarify the changes and influencing factors of plant diversity and carbon stock in different types of grasslands under different management modes, plant species composition, aboveground biomass, and vegetation carbon were analyzed based on 18 sentinel monitoring stations across three different types of grasslands in Inner Mongolia. The results showed that grazing increased the dominance of typical grassland and desert grassland, whereas meadow grassland decreased, and the evenness index and Shannon Wiener diversity index increased less in meadow grassland and desert grassland. Grazing decreased graminaceous biomass in meadow grassland and typical grassland, whereas it increased in desert grassland. Above-ground vegetation and below-ground root carbon stocks were much higher than those in grazing areas, 1.5 and 1.2 higher, respectively, but vegetation carbon stocks in long-term grazing sites were significantly lower than those in short-term grazing. Further, the structural equations showed that the effects of geographic location, climatic factors, and soil factors on the biomass and vegetation carbon stocks of the three grassland types differed significantly. The results can provide a reference for the ecologically sustainable development of grassland and the optimization of management mode.

meso-Tetrakis[4-(heptyloxy)phenyl]porphyrin.

The core of the novel title centrosymmetric porphyrin derivative, C72H86N4O4, with long flexible hexyloxy substituents, is almost planar, which is anticipated to facilitate π-electron delocalization and lead to a significant deviation between the planes of the benzene rings and the molecular plane. The two N-bound H atoms on the pyrrole rings are disordered and the occupancy factors refined to a ratio of 0.28 (2):0.72 (2).

[Salidroside via ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway induces mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells differentiation into neural cells].

To investigate the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and PI3K/AKT/ mTOR signal pathway inducing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) differentiation into neural cells, mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell lines D1 cells were used as research object. And they were divided into control groups and salidroside (SD) groups. Different concentrations (5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 microg x mL(-1) of SD were used and SD (100 microg x mL(-1)) was used to induce at different time (0.5, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h). The immunofluorescence staining chemical technology, real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the positive rates of NSE, MAP2, beta-Tubulin III, NES, GFAP and the expression levels of beta-Tubulin III, NSE, ERK1/2, AKT. The expression of ERK1/2 and NSE was detected when the ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT/ mTOR signal pathway was blocked by PD98059 and LY294002. It indicated that the positive rates of NSE, MAP2, beta-Tubulin III, NES and GFAP were gradually enhanced with time increased. The expression level of NSE and beta-Tubulin III protein were significantly higher than those in control groups (P < 0.01). The expression of ERK1/2, AKT mRNA and protein were higher with concentration and time increased. When the ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway were blocked, the expression levels of NSE, NES and beta-Tubulin III mRNA and NSE protein were inhibited significantly. It points out that SD can stimulate the ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway to promote BMSCs differentiation into neural cells.

[Analysis of Irregular Blood Group Antibody Distribution and Blood Transfusion Efficacy in Patients with Malignant Tumor].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution of irregular blood group antibodies in patients with malignant tumors, and to analyze the relationship between it and efficacy of blood transfusion in patients. METHODS: 5 600 patients with malignant tumors treated in Shanxi Bethune Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021 were selected as the research subjects. All patients received blood transfusion, and cross matching test was conducted before blood transfusion, irregular antibody results of patients were tested; the irregular distribution of blood group antibodies was observed, and the relationship between it and efficacy of blood transfusion in patients was analyzed. RESULTS: Among 5 600 patients with malignant tumors, 96 cases were positive for irregular antibody, and the positive rate was 1.71%; the main blood group systems involved in the irregular antibody positive of 96 patients with malignant tumors were RH, MNSs and Duffy system, among which Rh blood group was the most common, and the proportion of anti-E was the highest; among the malignant tumor patients with positive blood group irregular antibody, the proportion of female was higher than that of male; the proportion of patients aged >60 years was the highest, followed by patients aged >40 and ≤50 years, and the proportion of patients aged 18-30 years was the lowest; the patients with positive blood group irregular antibody were mainly in blood system (including lymphoma), digestive system, reproductive and urinary system; the positive rate of irregular antibody of patients in the ineffective group was higher than that of patients in the effective group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis results showed that, irregular antibody positive was a risk factor for ineffective blood transfusion in patients with malignant tumor (OR>1, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The irregular blood group antibody positive of patients with malignant tumor are mostly female, and the proportion of patients aged >60 is the highest, which is mainly distributed in malignant tumors of blood system, digestive system and urogenital system, and the positive blood group irregular antibody is related to the efficacy of blood transfusion in patients.

Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for postpartum hypogalactia: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Breast milk is recognised as the best natural food for neonates, but many women experience postpartum hypogalactia (PH). Randomised trials have found that acupuncture exert therapeutic effect on women with PH. However, systematic reviews on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture are still lacking; therefore, this systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for PH. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Six English databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, EBSCO, Scopus, and Web of Science) and four Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan-Fang, Chinese Biomedical Literature and Chinese Scientific Journal) will be systematically searched from their establishment to 1 September 2022. Randomised controlled trials of the efficacy of acupuncture for PH will be reviewed. The study selection, data extraction and research quality evaluation will be conducted independently by two reviewers. The primary outcome is the change in serum prolactin level from baseline to the end of treatment. Secondary results include milk secretion volume, total effectiveness rate, degree of mammary fullness, rate of exclusive breast feeding, and adverse events. A meta-analysis will be performed using RevMan V.5.4 statistical software. Otherwise, a descriptive analysis will be conducted. The risk of bias will be assessed using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This systematic review protocol does not require ethical approval because it does not include private information/data of the participants. This article will be published in peer-reviewed journals. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022351849.

Comparison of the conventional tube and erythrocyte-magnetized technology in titration of red blood cell alloantibodies.

BACKGROUND: Erythrocyte alloantibodies are mainly produced after immune stimulation, such as blood transfusion, pregnancy, and transplantation, and are the leading causes of severe hemolytic transfusion reactions and difficulty in blood grouping and matching. Therefore, antibody screening is critical to prevent and improve red cell alloantibodies. Routine tube assay is the primary detection method of antibody screening. Recently, erythrocyte-magnetized technology (EMT) has been increasingly used in clinical practice. This study intends to probe the application and efficacy of the conventional tube and EMT in red blood cell alloantibody titration to provide a reference for clinical blood transfusion. AIM: To investigate the application value of conventional tube and EMT in red blood cell alloantibody titration and enhance the safety of blood transfusion practice. METHODS: A total of 1298 blood samples were harvested from blood donors at the Department of Blood Transfusion of our hospital from March 2021 to December 2022. A 5 mL blood sample was collected in tubing, which was then cut, and the whole blood was put into a test tube for centrifugation to separate the serum. Different red blood cell blood group antibody titers were simultaneously detected using the tube polybrene test, tube antiglobulin test (AGT), and EMT screening irregular antibody methods to determine the best test method. RESULTS: Simultaneous detection was performed through the tube polybrene test, tube AGT and EMT screening irregular antibodies. It was discovered that the EMT screening irregular antibody method could detect all immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) irregular antibodies, and the results of manual tube AGT were satisfactory, but the operation time was lengthy, and the equipment had a large footprint. The EMT screening irregular antibody assay was also conducted to determine its activity against type O Rh (D) red blood cells, and the outcomes were satisfactory. Furthermore, compared to the conventional tube method, the EMT screening irregular antibody method was more cost-effective and had significantly higher detection efficiency. CONCLUSION: With a higher detection rate, the EMT screening irregular antibody method can detect both IgG and IgM irregular antibodies faster and more effectively than the conventional tube method.

Inhibitory effects of the attenuated Salmonella typhimurium containing the IL-2 gene on hepatic tumors in mice.

To observe the inhibitory effects of an attenuated S. typhimurium strain carrying IL-2 gene (TPI) on hepatoma cell line (HepG2) and transplanted tumors in mice. TPI, TPG (an attenuated S. typhimurium strain carrying green fluorescent protein gene), and TP (an attenuated S. typhimurium strain) strains were transfected into HepG2 cells. At 48 h after transfecting, the transfection rate was 82.58 ± 1.74%. The expression level of IL-2 was (99.5 ± 12.2) ng/1 × 10(6) cells. Compared with TPG, TP, and normal mouse groups, the proportion of CD4(+) T and CD8(+) T cells in the blood from the TPI group was higher, the levels of IgM and IgG(1) were significantly increased, and the proliferation activity of splenic lymphocyte was significantly stronger. The transplanted tumor weight in the TPI group was significantly smaller than that in the other two groups. The infiltration of lymphocytes increased in the tumor from TPI group mice. TPI was effectively transfected into cancer cells, which expressed the protein of interest. Oral administration of TPI prolonged survival of mice transplanted with hepatoma cell tumours.

{5,10,15,20-Tetra-kis[4-(hex-yloxy)phen-yl]porphyrinato}nickel(II).

The mol-ecule of the title compound, [Ni(C(68)H(76)N(4)O(4))], is located on a crystallographic inversion center. The Ni-N distances within the square-shaped coordination environment are 1.951 (2) and 1.954 (2) Å. Three terminal C atoms in one of the hexyl groups are disordered over two sets of sites, with site-occupancy factors of 0.615 (13) and 0.385 (13).

[Chinese herbal medicine for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease based on syndrome differentiation: a randomized controlled trial].

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by its gradual progression. At present, the cause and mechanism of AD are yet unclear, and there is no effective therapy for treating it. With development of global aging, the prevalence rate of AD is increasing. The life quality of elderly people is affected severely by AD that is ultimately life-threatening. Recently, study on treating AD with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has deepened. OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effects of a syndrome differentiation-based TCM regime in treating patients with mild to moderate AD for improving cognition, and to evaluate the changes in brain function of AD patients observed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Adopting the internationally recognized criteria developed by National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Diseases and Stroke/Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, the clinical trial was conducted on 131 patients with mild to moderate AD from 5 communities and 7 social welfare institutions. Participants were accepted after informed consent was received, and laboratory tests and a head imaging study were conducted. The patients were randomly divided into Chinese medicine group (CMG) (66 cases) or Western medicine group (WMG) (65 cases). Patients in the CMG were treated monthly with Chinese medicine according to syndrome differentiation. Patients in the WMG were treated with donepezil at a dose of 5 mg once daily. The therapeutic course lasted 48 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The scores of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Fuld Object-Memory Evaluation (FOM), Block Design (BD) and Digit Span (DS) were used to evaluate the cognitive function; resting-state fMRI was used for observing brain function. The questionnaires and fMRI were performed before and after treatments. RESULTS: The cognitive functions of the patients in the CMG and WMG were improved after treatment. MMSE score was improved significantly in both groups (P<0.05 or P<0.001). After 48 weeks of treatment, 70.91% patients in the CMG had an improved MMSE score and 20% got worse, however, 55.77% patients in the WMG were improved in MMSE score and 34.62% got worse. Scores of FOM denominator and BD increased significantly in both groups; scores of FOM numerator and DS were also increased in the CMG (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The results of fMRI suggested that both Chinese medicine and donepezil treatment improved the connectivity between posterior cingulated gyrus and specific areas in the brain. The influence range of Chinese medicine primarily impacted on the left parietal lobe, being less than the influence range of donepezil, which primarily affected both sides of frontal lobes. CONCLUSION: TCM treatment based on syndrome differentiation is effective in improving cognitive function of patients with mild to moderate AD and increasing the brain function by increasing connectivity between posterior cingulated gyrus and specific areas in the brain.

16S rDNA analysis of osteoporotic rats treated with osteoking.

Introduction. Osteoporosis (OP) is characterized by microstructural degeneration of bone tissue, low bone mass, bone fragility and even brittle fracture (osteoporotic fracture, OPF). OP and OPF are common and there are many disadvantages to the current medications for OP/OPF. Osteoking is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originating from the Yi nationality (Yunnan, China) that has been used to treat bone diseases for decades.Hypothesis/Gap Statement. This study will reveal the changes in the intestinal microbiota of OP rats after 70 days of osteoking treatment.Method. With duplication of sham and OP rats, eight groups were established, with six rats in each group. The intestinal microbiotas were analysed by 16S rDNA sequencing.Results. The results showed that osteoking changed the intestinal microbiota of sham rats and OP rats. The mechanism by which osteoking improves OP is related to the functions of the intestinal microbiota. After 70 days of treatment with osteoking, the contents of Pseudonocardia, Pedomicrobium, Variovorax, Niastella and Actinosynnema were decreased in OP rats. The functions of the above intestinal microbiota related to iron metabolism affected calcifediol and 25(OH)D, and measuring these bone metabolic indicators is required for further study.Conclusion. Osteoking changes the intestinal microbiota to improve OP, and further study which reveals these intestinal microbiota and mechanism is needed.

[(1,3-Benzothia-zol-2-yl)amino-carbon-yl]meth-yl piperidine-1-carbodithio-ate monohydrate.

In the title compound, C(15)H(17)N(3)OS(3)·H(2)O, the piperidine ring has a chair conformation. The crystal structure is stabilized by weak inter-molecular N-H⋯O, O-H⋯N and O-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions.

{5,10,15,20-Tetra-kis[4-(oct-yloxy)phen-yl]porphyrinato}copper(II).

In the title compound, [Cu(C(76)H(92)N(4)O(4))], the central Cu(II) ion is situated on an inversion centre. The porphyrinate core exhibits a nearly planar conformation [maximum deviation = 0.027 (3) Å], with Cu-N distances of 1.997 (2) and 2.001 (2) Å. The benzene rings of the 4-octyloxyphenyl groups are rotated at angles of 84.02 (8) and 77.02 (6)° with respect to the mean plane of the porphyrin fragment. The two terminal C atoms in the octyl group are disordered over two positions of equal occupancy.

{meso-Tetra-kis[p-(hept-yloxy)phen-yl]-porphyrinato}silver(II).

The title compound, [Ag(C(72)H(84)N(4)O(4))], crystallizes with the Ag(II) cation on a centre of symmetry. The macrocyclic 24-membered ring core is planar with a mean deviation of 0.0311 (15) Šand the four-coordinate Ag(II) cation fits into its center, at 2.0814 (19) and 2.0872 (19) Å, from the surrounding pyrrole-N atoms, in agreement with what is found in related compounds. The p-heptyl-oxyphenyl groups are rotated 75.51 (5) and 84.45 (8)° with respect to the porphyrin mean plane, due to steric hindrance with the pyrrole-H atoms of the macrocycle.

[Effects of polychlorinated biphenyl on the expressions of c-fos, c-Myc and beta-catenin in the rat testis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) on the phenotype of the testis tissue and the testis tissue and the expression c-fos, c-Myc and beta-catenin in the rat testis. METHODS: Forty-five Wistar male rats were divided into a control and three perimental groups, the former fed normally, and the latter with PCB at 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg respectively for 90 days. Then the effects of PCB on the phenotype of the testis tissue and the expressions of c-fos, c-Myc and p-catenin were determined by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Histopathological examinations revealed testis edema, damage of the mesenchymal phenotype, morphological changes of the contorted seminiferous tubules, absence of stromal cells, spermiocytes and prespermatids, and decreased number of sperm. The expressions of c-fos and c-Myc were significantly higher in the 1 and 10 mg/kg PCB groups than in the control and 0.1 mg/kg PCB groups (P < 0.01). The expression of beta-catenin was downregulated in the 0.1 mg/kg PCB group, with significant differences from the other groups (P < 0.01), but it was higher in the 1 mg/kg PCB than in the control and 10 mg/kg PCB groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: PCB causes changes in the phenotype of the testis tissue, and the abnormal expressions of c-fos, c-Myc and beta-catenin are closely related to the PCB-induced testis injury.

16S rDNA analysis of the intestinal microbes in osteoporotic rats.

This study aimed to reveal the differences in intestinal microbes in osteoporotic rats. The rats were divided into two groups: the control and OP (osteoporosis) groups (n=6). Days 0 and 70 were set as the time points. The rats in the OP group underwent bilateral ovariectomy (OVX). Differences between the control and OP groups were determined by 16S rDNA analysis. The relative abundances of OTUs and alpha/beta diversities were determined at days 0 days and 70. The abundances of Verrucomicrobia at the phylum level and Aerococcus, Coprobacillus, Veillonella, Anaerobiospirillum, Flavobacterium, Comamonadaceae, Ohtaekwangia, etc., at the genus level were found to be different between the control_70d and OP_70d groups. KEGG ontology analysis showed that the function of lipid metabolism could be related to OP. The 16S rDNA analysis in the OP rats revealed that intestinal microbes take part in the processes of OP and could affect lipid metabolism. Further study of the relationship between OP and intestinal microbes is necessary, and the prospect for intestinal microbes is a potential treatment for OP.

Symptoms Based on Deficiency Syndrome in Traditional Chinese Medicine Might Be Predictor of Frailty in Elderly Community Dwellers.

BACKGROUND: The most widely used frailty phenotype and frailty indexes are either time-consuming or complicated, thus restricting their generalization in clinical practice; and therefore, an easier and faster screening tool is needed to be developed. OBJECTIVE: To select sensitive symptoms in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and study whether they can improve the risk prediction of frailty. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study enrolling 2249 Chinese elderly community dwellers. Data were collected via face-to-face inquiries, anthropometric measurements, laboratory tests, and community health files. Frailty was the main outcome measure, and it was evaluated by Fried's frailty phenotype (FP). The ordinal logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with frailty. The risk assessment plot was used to compare the discriminative ability for frailty among models with and without TCM symptoms. RESULTS: The identified sensitive influential factors for frailty included age, education level, dietary habits, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, cerebral infarction, osteoporosis, cold limbs, lethargy and laziness in speaking and moving, weakness of lower limbs, slow movement, dry mouth and throat, and glazed expression. The risk prediction for "frailty cumulative components ≥1" was not significantly increased, while for "frailty cumulative components ≥2", a new model developed with the above selected TCM symptoms had a higher AUC than the baseline model without it (0.79 VS 0.81, P=0.002). And the NRI and IDI for the new model were 41.4% (P=0.016) and 0.024% (P=0.041), respectively. CONCLUSION: This research might provide an easier and faster way for early identification and risk prediction of frailty in elderly community dwellers.