Ubiquitin-specific protease activity of USP9Y,a male infertility gene on the Y chromosome

Deletions of USP9Y have been observed among infertile males with defective spermatogenesis. Therefore, the gene has been designated as a male infertility gene on the Y chromosome. However, it remains to be determined how male infertility results from deletions of this gene. In order to initiate an investigation into the cellular functions of USP9Y in male germ cell development, in the present study we characterized the enzymatic specificity of USP9Y. Our results show that both USP9Y and Fam, the mouse infertility protein Usp9x, possess a protease activity specific to ubiquitin. These results suggest that, through de-ubiquitination, USP9Y may stabilize a specific target protein that is important for male germ cell development.     

Histological and functional aspects of different regions of the rabbit vagina

Relatively little data is available on regional differences in both morphological and functional studies of vaginal smooth muscle in the rabbit. Histological and in vitro strip studies were performed upon the vaginal walls of 10-week-old New Zealand White rabbits discriminately according to location (upper, middle or lower) and the type of muscle arrangement (longitudinal or circular). The contraction and relaxation responses of the vaginal smooth muscle were assessed. The upper and middle third of the vagina were histologically characterized by an abundance of smooth muscle, while the lower third was composed of numerous sinusoids scattered among smooth muscle bundles. The peak amplitudes of 60 mM KCl-induced contraction per tissue strip weight were regionally different (upper>middle>lower). Contractile responses induced by adrenergic agonists (epinephrine, norepinephrine, phenylephrine and isopreterenol) showed regional differences, and were mainly of a tonic nature in lower part and strong phasic in middle and upper vagina. Electrical field stimulation induced a prominent relaxation response in the lower third of the vagina precontracted with phenylephrine (5 microM). This relaxation response was partially inhibited by N-omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (NAME, 43.3+/-6.9%, s.e.), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, and D-vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) (11.3+/-4.4%), a VIP receptor antagonist. The type of muscle arrangement did not affect the results. Our results demonstrated that rabbit vagina has regional difference, not only histologically but also functionally. The contractile response was induced in all regions of the rabbit vagina by sympathetic agonists, while the prominent nerve-mediated relaxation was identified in the lower third portion of the rabbit vagina. The nature of relaxation and contractile function of vagina awaits future investigation.     

The relationship between hypertension and anxiety or depression in Hong Kong Chinese

BACKGROUND:

Psychosocial stress can be the cause or the consequence of hypertension.

OBJECTIVE:

To study the association between hypertension and anxiety or depression in adults from Hong Kong, China.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:

Patients with diagnosed hypertension (n=197) were recruited to complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire. The control group comprised 182 normotensive subjects recruited using random telephone numbers.

RESULTS:

The score in the anxiety subscale (HADS-A) of the HADS correlated with age (r= −0.23, P<0.001) and sex (r=0.11, P=0.042), and was found to be higher in women. The score in the depression subscale (HADS-D) correlated with age (r=0.17, P=0.003) and hypertension (r=0.12, P=0.039), but not with sex (r=0.02, P=0.68). When the control subjects were matched for sex and age with the subjects with hypertension, the mean HADS-A score was 5.51±0.41 in 113 hypertensive subjects and 4.38±0.39 in 113 normotensive subjects (P=0.047). The mean HADS-D score was 5.56±0.39 in the hypertensive and 4.76±0.32 in the normotensive subjects (P=0.11). Multiple regression analysis using data from both groups indicated that the HADS-A score was related to the HADS-D score (β=0.49, P<0.001), age (β= −0.25, P<0.001) and sex (β=0.12, P=0.01) (R²=0.28), whereas the HADS-D score was related to the HADS-A score (β=0.48, P<0.001), age (β=0.30, P<0.001), positive smoking status (β=0.13, P=0.004) and lack of exercise habit (β=0.12, P=0.008) (R²=0.31). Hypertension was related to waist circumference, history of parental hypertension and age (R²=0.38, P<0.001). Anxiety and depression scores were rejected as independent variables.

CONCLUSIONS:

Hypertension was associated with anxiety but not depression; however, age, history of parental hypertension and central obesity appeared to have a stronger association with hypertension in adults from Hong Kong.     

Pancreaticoduodenectomy with vascular reconstruction for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas with borderline resectability

AIM: To analyze whether pancreaticoduodenectomy with simultaneous resection of tumor-involved vessels is a safe approach with acceptable patient survival.METHODS: Between January 2001 and March 2012, 136 patients received pancreaticoduodenectomy for adenocarcinoma at our hospital. Seventy-eight patients diagnosed with pancreatic head carcinoma were included in this study. Among them, 46 patients received standard pancreaticoduodenectomy (group 1) and 32 patients received pancreaticoduodenectomy with simultaneous resection of the portal vein or the superior mesenteric vein or artery (group 2) followed by reconstruction. The immediate surgical outcomes and survivals were compared between the groups. Fifty-five patients with unresectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas without liver metastasis who received only bypass operations (group 3) were selected for additional survival comparison.RESULTS: The median ages of patients were 67 years (range: 37-82 years) in group 1, and 63 years (range: 35-86 years) in group 2. All group 2 patients had resection of the portal vein or the superior mesenteric vein and three patients had resection of the superior mesenteric artery. The pancreatic fistula formation rate was 21.7% (10/46) in group 1 and 15.6% (5/32) in group 2 (P = 0.662). Two hospital deaths (4.3%) occurred in group 1 and one hospital death (3.1%) occurred in group 2 (P = 0.641). The one-year, three-year and five-year overall survival rates in group 1 were 71.1%, 23.6% and 13.5%, respectively. The corresponding rates in group 2 were 70.6%, 33.3% and 22.2% (P = 0.815). The one-year survival rate in group 3 was 13.8%. Pancreaticoduodenectomy with simultaneous vascular resection was safe for pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.CONCLUSION: The short-term and survival outcomes with simultaneous resection were not compromised when compared with that of standard pancreaticoduodenectomy.     

常咯啉在实验性心律失常狗的药代动力学-药效动力学分析

用Harris冠脉结扎法诱发的心律失常狗研究常咯啉药代动力学-药效动力学。7只狗按83.33μg·kg^-1·min^-1静脉滴注60min,在给药期间和停药后不同时间记录ECG及测定血药浓度。C-T数据用药代程序计算药代参数;药效数据用药代-药效同步分析模型计算药效动力学参数,K₁₀, T_1/2,Vd,Cl分别为0.0087min^-1,78.03min,40.55ml·kg^-1和0.421ml·kg^-1·min^-1;K_eO和Ce(50)分别为0.0048min^-1和2.01μg·ml^-1.     

Restorative role of persimmon leaf (Diospyros kaki) to gamma irradiation-induced oxidative stress and tissue injury in rats

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of persimmon leaf extract (PL (as a rich plant source) in modulation of radiation-induced liver injury and some metabolic variations in gamma-irradiated rats.

Materials and methods: PL at a dose of 1000?mg/kg body weight (P₁₀₀₀) was administered to male albino rats via gastric intubation for 15 days after whole body γ-irradiation (6?Gy).

Results: Irradiated rats showed significant decreases in hepatic glutathione content (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) activities with significant increases in malondialdehyde (MDA) level and xanthine oxidase (XO) activity designating oxidative stress. In parallel significant increases in serum aspartate and alanine transaminase (AST, ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl-transferase (GGT) activities and bilirubin content were recorded indicating liver injury. In addition, hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia and dyslipidemia (elevated total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol and Atherogenic Index and decreased high density lipoprotein-cholesterol) were recorded. PL treatment has significantly attenuated radiation-induced oxidative stress in hepatic tissues concomitant with significant amelioration of liver function and metabolic disturbances.

Conclusion: It is concluded that PL may have therapeutic potential to alleviate the severity of radiation-induced liver injury, hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia and dyslipidemia.     

The leftward deletion alpha-thal-2 haplotype in a black subject with hemoglobin SS

We have identified a black individual with homozygous sickle cell anemia who is the silent carrier of alpha-thalassemia (genotype - alpha/alpha alpha) due to heterozygosity for the leftward deletion alpha-thal-2 haplotype. This deletion has not been described previously in a black subject and is the only leftward deletion that we have found among 255 alpha-thal-2 chromosomes from sickle cell subjects. Its effects on the clinical, hematologic, biosynthetic, and cellular pathology of sickle cell anemia resemble those reported for the common alpha-thalassemia genotypes of the black population.     

国产麻黄的形态组织学研究——Ⅰ.北方主产的七种麻黄

据文献记载和作者的调查,我国产麻黄属(Ephedra)植物共有13种3变种1变型。本文报道我国北方生产的7种麻黄生药形态组织学比较研究结果。7种麻黄是:草麻黄Ephedra sinica Stapf、木贼麻黄E.equisetina Bunge、中麻黄E.intermedia Schrenk ex Mey.、膜果麻黄E.przewalskii Stapf,单子麻黄E.monosperma Gmel.ex Mey.、雌雄麻黄E.fedtschenkoae Pauls和细子麻黄E.reaeliana Florin。文中附有生药性状与组织构造特征比较表及生药组织图     

Hemodynamics of revascularization of the corpora cavernosa in an animal model

Summary Numerous revascularization procedures are used for the treatment of vasculogenic impotence. In an animal model we created three different types of bypasses: inferior epigastric artery to dorsal penile artery, to dorsal artery and to dorsal vein (anastomotic arteriovenous fistula), and to dorsal vein alone. Epigastro-dorsal anastomoses remained fully patent without anticoagulants in 3 of 4 animals. With erection the flow in the inferior epigastric artery and the retrograde flow in the dorsal artery (towards the cavernous artery) increased significantly. In the 4 studies incorporating an anastomotic arteriovenous fistula we could not establish a clear reason to incorporate the artery; runoff was demonstrated only to the venous system. Arterial bypass to the dorsal vein with a simulated emissary vein increased outflow resistance as well as improved intracorporeal pressure during erection of the corpora in 4 animals. As resting pressure was also elevated, the penile smooth muscle might be at risk for further degeneration with this procedure.Part of this paper was presented at the 10th Symposium of the Association for Experimental Urology of the German Urological Society, June 21–23, 1990, Munich, FRG