Immunomodulatory and anti-SARS activities of Houttuynia cordata

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a life-threatening form of pneumonia caused by SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). From late 2002 to mid 2003, it infected more than 8000 people worldwide, of which a majority of cases were found in China. Owing to the absence of definitive therapeutic Western medicines, Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (Saururaceae)(HC) was shortlisted by Chinese scientists to tackle SARS problem as it is conventionally used to treat pneumonia. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study aimed to explore the SARS-preventing mechanisms of HC in the immunological and anti-viral aspects. RESULTS: Results showed that HC water extract could stimulate the proliferation of mouse splenic lymphocytes significantly and dose-dependently. By flow cytometry, it was revealed that HC increased the proportion of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. Moreover, it caused a significant increase in the secretion of IL-2 and IL-10 by mouse splenic lymphocytes. In the anti-viral aspect, HC exhibited significant inhibitory effects on SARS-CoV 3C-like protease (3CL(pro)) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). On the other hand, oral acute toxicity test demonstrated that HC was non-toxic to laboratory animals following oral administration at 16 g/kg. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provided scientific data to support the efficient and safe use of HC to combat SARS.     

Estrogen receptor beta gene haplotype is associated with pelvic organ prolapse

OBJECTIVE: Estrogen and estrogen receptors are known to play important roles in the pathophysiology of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). We investigated whether estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) gene polymorphisms were associated with POP by conducting a case-control association study in 69 women with POP and 141 women without POP. STUDY DESIGN: Genotypes of the ERbeta gene polymorphisms (rs2987983, rs1271572, rs944459, rs1256049, and rs1255998) were determined by polymerase chain reaction, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Haplotyping analysis was used to determine the relationship among five polymorphisms in the ERbeta gene and POP. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between women with and those without POP in the distribution of any of the genotypes evaluated. In haplotype frequency estimation analysis, haplotype CGCGC was more prevalent in women with POP (16.7%) than in women without POP (8.9%) (p=0.011). Using multivariable logistic regression, age, parity and haplotype CGCGC were significantly associated with POP. CONCLUSION: Although the sample size of women with POP studied is small, the present study shows that ERbeta gene haplotype may be associated with POP.     

Kiwi Omnicup versus Malmstrom metal cup in vacuum assisted delivery: a randomized comparative trial

AIM: To compare the success, clinical outcomes, and maternal and neonatal complications between the Kiwi Omnicup and the Malmstrom metal cup in vacuum assisted delivery. METHODS: This was a prospective randomized comparative trial. Women who required vacuum assisted vaginal delivery were randomized into the Kiwi Omnicup (KO) group and the Malmstrom metal cup (MM) group. The vacuum assisted deliveries were conducted according to hospital protocol. Details of the procedure and delivery outcomes including success and complications were analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-four women were recruited - 85 were assigned to vacuum assisted delivery using the KO and 79 the MM. One hundred percent delivery success was achieved with no significant differences between the two instruments in terms of maternal morbidity (P = 0.66). Six women in the MM group sustained post delivery complications in comparison to five in the KO group. Three babies were diagnosed with birth asphyxia in each group. More babies in the MM group were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (10 babies versus 5 babies) and suffered complications (14 versus 12 babies), compared to the KO group, although the difference was not statistically significant. There were no intrapartum or neonatal deaths and of those admitted to the NICU, all were discharged within a week without any serious consequences. CONCLUSION: Kiwi Omnicup is an effective alternative to the currently available Malmstrom metal cup for vacuum assisted delivery with no increase in maternal or neonatal morbidity or mortality.     

Improvement of heat－tolerance by training I．Evaluation of effects of long－distance running and march training on heat－toleran

Ｉｍｐｒｏｖｅｍｅｎｔｏｆｈｅａｔ－ｔｏｌｅｒａｎｃｅｂｙｔｒａｉｎｉｎｇＩ．Ｅｖａｌｕａｔｉｏｎｏｆｅｆｆｅｃｔｓｏｆｌｏｎｇ－ｄｉｓｔａｎｃｅｒｕｎｎｉｎｇａｎｄｍａｒｃｈｔｒａｉｎｉｎｇｏｎｈｅａｔ－ｔｏｌｅｒａｎｃｅＱｉｕＲｅｎｚｈｉ（邱仞之...     

双入路小切口坏死组织清除术联合持续灌注引流治疗感染性坏死性胰腺炎的临床疗效

目的:探讨双入路小切口坏死组织清除术联合持续灌注引流治疗感染性坏死性胰腺炎（INP）的临床疗效。方法:采用回顾性描述性研究方法。收集2016年4月至2019年7月陆军军医大学大坪医院收治的20例INP病人的临床资料;男11例,女9例;年龄为（42 ±9）岁。20例病人均行双入路小切口坏死组织清除术,联合术后...     

Protective effect of valerian extract capsule (VEC) on ethanol- and indomethacin-induced gastric mucosa injury and ameliorative effect of VEC on gastrointestinal motility disorder

ContextValerian extract capsule (VEC) is an effective Chinese patent medicine used for gastrointestinal (GI) diseases.ObjectiveTo investigate the detailed pharmacological activity for VEC clinical effects in GI diseases.Materials and methodsSprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups: control, model, and drug-treated (VEC-L, VEC-M, VEC-H, and teprenone). Rats were orally administered VEC (124, 248, 496 mg/kg) and teprenone (21.43 mg/kg) for 3 consecutive days. After 1 h, the five groups (except the control group) were orally given ethanol (10 mL/kg) for 1 h or indomethacin (80 mg/kg) for 7 h. The spasmolytic activity of VEC (0.01–1 mg/mL) on ACh/BaCl₂-induced New Zealand rabbit smooth muscle contraction was performed. The C57BL/6 mice carbon propelling test evaluated the effects of VEC (248–992 mg/kg) on intestinal motility in normal and neostigmine/adrenaline-induced mice.ResultsCompared with the model group, VEC treatment reduced the gastric lesion index and mucosal damage. Further experiments showed that the pathological ameliorative effect of VEC was accompanied by augmentation of the enzymatic antioxidant system and cytoprotective marker (COX-1, p < 0.01; PGI2 p < 0.05;), along with the alleviation of the levels of MPO (ethanol: 15.56 ± 0.82 vs. 12.15 ± 2.60, p < 0.01; indomethacin: 9.65 ± 3.06 vs. 6.36 ± 2.43, p < 0.05), MDA (ethanol: 1.66 ± 0.44 vs. 0.81 ± 0.58, p < 0.01; indomethacin: 1.71 ± 0.87 vs. 1.09 ± 0.43, p < 0.05), and inflammatory mediators. VEC decreased the high tone induced by ACh/BaCl₂ and promoted intestinal transit in normal and neostigmine/adrenaline-induced mice.Discussion and conclusionsVEC showed a potential gastroprotective effect, suggesting that VEC is a promising phytomedicine for the treatment of GI diseases.     

Microstructural Evolution,Tensile Failure,Fatigue Behavior and Wear Properties of Al2O3 Reinforced Al2014 Alloy T6 Heat Treated Metal Composites

The paper focused on an experimental study on the microstructural, mechanical, and wear characteristics of 15 wt.% alumina (Al₂O₃) particulates with an average particle size of 20 µm, reinforced in Al2014 alloy matrix composite as-cast and heat-treated samples. The metal matrix composite (MMC)samples were produced via a novel two-stage stir-casting technique. The fabricated composite samples were subjected to evaluate hardness, tensile strength, fatigue behavior and wear properties for both as cast and T6 heat-treated test samples. The Al2014 alloy and Al2014-15 wt.% Al₂O₃ MMCs were in solution for 1 h at a temperature of 525 °C, quenched instantly in cold water, and then artificially aged for 10 h at a temperature of 175 °C. SEM and X-ray diffraction analyses were used to investigate the microstructure and dispersion of the reinforced Al₂O₃ particles in the composite and the base alloy Al2014. The obtained results indicated that the hardness, tensile and fatigue strength and wear resistance increased when an amount of Al₂O₃ particles was added, compared to the as-cast Al2014 alloy and it was observed that after subjecting the same composite samples to heat treatment, there was further enhancement in the mechanical and wear properties in the Al2014 matrix alloy and Al2014-15 wt.% Al₂O₃ composite samples.     

Fracture Mode Transition during Assembly of TC4 High-Lock Bolt under Tensile Load: A Combined Experimental Study and Finite Element Analysis

Fracture during the assembly process is an important failure mode for high-lock bolts used in the aviation industry, which greatly increases the potential of unpredictable accidents during service. In the current study, the underlying reasons for fracture during the assembly of a TC4 high-lock bolt was investigated using a tensile test and finite element analysis (FEA). The microstructure of the as-received bolt consisted of a high proportion of α phase, some β phase, and a small amount of α′ phase formed via martensite phase transformation during the rammer process. The experimental force–displacement curves revealed an average yield load of 55.9 kN and a breaking load of 67.65 kN. The corresponding yield strength was calculated to be 0.9 GPa, which was smaller than the standard value of TC4. This was attributed to the preload-induced stress concentration on the thread surface, leading to obvious strain hardening, which can lead to crack initiation. The effect of preload was further confirmed by the fractographies in which the initial crack was observed on the thread surface. The fractographies suggested that hybrid fracture occurred on the tensile loaded bolt. The initial failure was brittle fracture on the thread surface, transforming into ductile fracture in the screw. The results can contribute to understanding the effect of preload on the load carry capacity of high-lock bolts and provide a strategy to design its assembly specification.     

传统扬琴的地域特征

扬琴是一种有着广泛的世界性和民族性的击弦乐器,于明代自国外传至中国。四百多年采扬琴在中国传统音乐文化环境的影响下,不断和民间音乐融合,并在一代代的扬琴艺人的探索和创新中,发展成了具有中国特色的民族乐器,成为世界扬琴三大体系之一的中国扬琴体系,同时形成了中国传统扬琴的四大流派。     

Prenatal Bisphenol a Exposure and Postnatal Trans Fat Diet Alter Small Intestinal Morphology and Its Global DNA Methylation in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats,Leading to Obesity Development

In this study, we aimed to determine whether a postnatal trans fat diet (TFD) could aggravate prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure effects on offspring’s small intestine and adulthood obesity, due to the relatively sparse findings on how the interaction between these two variables interrupt the small intestinal cells. Twelve pregnant rats were administered with either unspiked drinking water (control; CTL) or BPA-spiked drinking water throughout pregnancy. Twelve weaned pups from each pregnancy group were then given either a normal diet (ND) or TFD from postnatal week (PNW) 3 until PNW14, divided into control offspring on normal diet (CTL-ND), BPA-exposed offspring on normal diet (BPA-ND), control offspring on trans fat diet (CTL-TFD), and BPA offspring on trans fat diet (BPA-TFD) groups. Body weight (BW), waist circumference, and food and water intake were measured weekly in offspring. At PNW14, small intestines were collected for global DNA methylation and histological analyses. Marked differences in BW were observed starting at PNW9 in BPA-TFD (389.5 ± 10.0 g; p < 0.05) relative to CTL-ND (339.0 ± 7.2 g), which persisted until PNW13 (505.0 ± 15.6 g). In contrast, water and food intake between offspring were significantly different (p < 0.01–0.05) at earlier ages only (PNW4–6 and PNW7–9, respectively). Furthermore, substantial differences in the general parameters of the intestinal structures were exclusive to ileum crypt length alone, whereby both BPA-ND (150.5 ± 5.1 μm; p < 0.001), and BPA-TFD (130.3 ± 9.9 μm; p < 0.05) were significantly longer than CTL-ND (96.8 ± 8.9 μm). Moreover, BPA-ND (2.898 ± 0.147%; p < 0.05) demonstrated global small intestinal hypermethylation when compared to CTL-ND and CTL-TFD (1.973 ± 0.232% and 1.913 ± 0.256%, respectively). Prenatal BPA exposure may significantly affect offspring’s physiological parameters and intestinal function. Additionally, our data suggest that there might be compensatory responses to postnatal TFD in the combined BPA prenatal group (BPA-TFD).