Superior cycle control with a contraceptive vaginal ring compared with an oral contraceptive containing 30 microg ethinylestradiol and 150 microg levonorgestrel: a randomized trial

BACKGROUND: This trial was conducted to compare cycle control with vaginal ring a combined contraceptive vaginal ring, and a combined oral contraceptive (COC) delivering 30 mug ethinylestradiol (EE) and 150 mug levonorgestrel. METHODS: This open-label, randomized, multi-centre, Phase III study involved adult women from 11 countries. Subjects were treated with either vaginal ring or a COC for 13 cycles (12 months). RESULTS: A total of 1030 subjects (vaginal ring, n=512; COC, n=518) comprised the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. The percentage of women in the ITT population who completed the trial was 70.9% for vaginal ring and 71.2% for the COC group. The incidence of breakthrough bleeding and spotting over cycles 2-13, the primary efficacy parameter, was lower with vaginal ring (range 2.0-6.4%) than the COC (range 3.5-12.6%), and for cycles 2 and 9 the lower incidence with vaginal ring was confirmed as statistically significant (P=0.003 and P=0.002 respectively). The incidence of intended bleeding was significantly higher over all cycles with vaginal ring (58.8-72.8%) than with the COC (43.4-57.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Cycle control with vaginal ring was excellent and superior to that of a COC containing 30 mug EE.     

Auditory brainstem response in premenopausal women taking oral contraceptives

BACKGROUND: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effects of the new monophasic oral contraceptives on the audiological system in premenopausal women. METHODS: The auditory brainstem response (ABR) was measured in 94 women during the follicular, periovular and luteal phases of one menstrual cycle in which ovulation was confirmed using sonography and serum progesterone concentration. The latencies for waves I, III and V were determined, and the inter-peak intervals were calculated for waves I-III, I-V and III-V. All 94 women began taking oral contraceptives: 23 women used 20 microg ethinyl estradiol (EE) plus 150 microg desogestrel, 24 women used 30 microg EE plus 75 microg gestodene, and 47 women used 15 microg EE plus 60 microg gestodene. During the third month of contraceptive intake, each subject was again tested for ABR, as above. RESULTS: The wave latencies and inter-peak intervals showed shorter values during the periovular phase with respect to the luteal phase (P < 0.05), the follicular phase for wave I and for inter-peak interval I-V (P < 0.05) of the menstrual cycle. All of the ABR results in pill users were statistically different from those of the periovular phase (P < 0.05), though similar to those of both the luteal and follicular phases (P = NS). CONCLUSIONS: ABR seems to depend on the variations of ovarian steroids during the menstrual cycle and during oral contraceptive intake.     

互隔交链孢霉提取物对淋巴细胞核仁形成区及细胞增殖周期的影响

本实验应用人类核仁形成区(NORs)选择性银染方法和细胞光度术,观察了互隔交链孢霉两菌株提取物261-B_2-3和C_(12)b_3-2对人淋巴细胞NORs活性的影响以及后者对细胞增殖周期移行的影响。结果显示,应用不同浓度的261-B_2-3和C_(12)b_3-2提取物处理细胞后,细胞携带Ag-NORs的染色体数明显减少,与对照组比较差异极显著(P<0.01)。表明两株提取物能明显抑制淋巴细胞NORs的活性。细胞暴露于不同浓度的C_(12)b_3-2提取物后,G_1%明显增多,S%和G_2+M%显著减少,与对照相比差异极显著(P<0.01)。说明C_(12)b_3-2提取物可能作用于G_1后期或S早期,延缓和阻滞了细胞周期的移行。     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis> Ats1p interacts with Nap1p,a cytoplasmic protein that controls bud morphogenesis

Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATS1 (-tubulin suppressor 1) was originally identified as a high-copy suppressor of class two -tubulin mutations and was proposed to have a regulatory role in coordinating the microtubule state with the cell cycle. Here, we show that Ats1p interacts with Nap1p, a cytoplasmic protein that regulates the activity of the Cdc28p/Clb2p complex. Loss of Nap1p results in a delayed switch from polar to isotropic bud growth. The delayed switch results in elongated buds. Nap1p and Ats1p interact in two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation assays. Both nap1 and ats1 cells have a Clb2p-dependent elongated bud morphology. Deletion of ATS1 partially suppresses the elongated bud morphology and benomyl resistance of nap1 mutants. Our results suggest Ats1p might regulate coordination of the microtubule state with the cell cycle through an interaction with Nap1p.Communicated by S. Hohmann     

Hepatic gluconeogenesis and Krebs cycle fluxes in a CCl4 model of acute liver failure

Acute liver failure was induced in rats by CCl4 administration and its effects on the hepatic Krebs cycle and gluconeogenic fluxes were evaluated in situ by 13C NMR isotopomer analysis of hepatic glucose following infusion of [U-13C]propionate. In fed animals, CCl4 injury caused a significant increase in relative gluconeogenic flux from 0.80+/-0.10 to 1.34 +/-0.24 times the flux through citrate synthase (p<0.01). In 24-h fasted animals, CCl4-injury also significantly increased relative gluconeogenic flux from 1.36+/-0.16 to 1.80+/-0.22 times the flux through citrate synthase (p<0.01). Recycling of PEP via pyruvate and oxaloacetate was extensive under all conditions and was not significantly altered by CCl4 injury. CCl4 injury significantly reduced hepatic glucose output by 26% (42.8+/-7.3 vs 58.1+/-2.4 micromol/kg/min, p=0.005), which was attributed to a 26% decrease in absolute gluconeogenic flux from PEP (85.6+/-14.6 vs 116+/-4.8 micromol/kg/min, p<0.01). These changes were accompanied by a 47% reduction in absolute citrate synthase flux (90.6+/-8.0 to 47.6+/-8.0 micromol/kg/min, p<0.005), indicating that oxidative Krebs cycle flux was more susceptible to CCl4 injury. The reduction in absolute fluxes indicate a significant loss of hepatic metabolic capacity, while the significant increases in relative gluconeogenic fluxes suggest a reorganization of metabolic activity towards preserving hepatic glucose output.     

Single-equation models for the tear film in a blink cycle: realistic lid motion.

We consider model problems for the tear film over multiple blink cycles that utilize a single equation for the tear film; the single non-linear partial differential equation that governs the film thickness arises from lubrication theory. The two models that we consider arise from considering the absence of naturally occurring surfactant and the case when the surfactant is strongly affecting the surface tension. The film is considered on a time-varying domain length with specified film thickness and volume flux at each end; only one end of the domain is moving, which is analogous to the upper eyelid moving with each blink. Realistic lid motion from observed blinks is included in the model with end fluxes specified to more closely match the blink cycle than those previously reported. Numerical computations show quantitative agreement with in vivo tear film thickness measurements under partial blink conditions. A transition between periodic and non-periodic solutions has been estimated as a function of closure fraction and this may be a criterion for what is effectively a full blink according to fluid dynamics.     

低氧诱导因子1α诱导卵巢癌细胞周期阻滞的研究

目的：探讨低氧诱导因子1α（HIF-1α）对卵巢癌细胞周期的阻滞作用。方法: 采用化学性低氧诱导剂氯化钴（CoCl2）和物理性低氧培养箱两种方法对体外培养的卵巢癌SW626细胞诱导低氧，用诱骗法（decoy）阻断HIF-1α功能，Western blotting、RT-PCR和流式细胞术分别检测HIF-1α蛋白、mRNA的表达水平和细胞周期比率。结果： B1组(3.75±1.31)和C1组(3.48±1.01) HIF-1α蛋白表达水平明显高于A1组(0.97±0.31)（P<0.05), decoy法对HIF-1α蛋白表达没有明显影响(P>0.05)；A1组（0.65±0.32）和B1组（0.64±0.34）HIF-1α mRNA表达水平明显低于C1组（1.28±0.62）（P<0.05），decoy法对HIF-1α mRNA 表达没有明显影响（P>0.05）；流式细胞术检测发现B1组（81.78±24.33）和C1组（77.62±22.76）G0/G1期细胞比率显著高于A1组（49.49±18.54）（P<0.05）；B2组（61.54±20.84）明显低于B1组（P<0.05），C2组明显低于C1组（56.03±21.42），而A1组和A2组之间无明显差异（P>0.05）。结论：CoCl2或物理性低氧均能明显诱导卵巢癌细胞SW626 G0/G1期细胞周期阻滞和HIF-1α的表达，HIF-1α在低氧引起的卵巢癌细胞SW626的细胞周期阻滞中起重要作用。     

启动子区5′CpG岛去甲基化对人结肠癌细胞生物学表型的影响

目的：探讨DNA启动子区5′CpG岛甲基化状态与人结肠癌RKO细胞增殖凋亡等生物学特征的关系。方法： 应用特异性DNA甲基转移酶（DNMTs）抑制剂-5-氮-2′-脱氧胞苷（5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine，5-Aza-CdR）处理肠癌RKO细胞72 h，甲基化特异性PCR（methylation-specific PCR,MSP）及DNA测序法分析p16/CDKN2基因CpG岛甲基化状态；MTT、FCM、荧光染色及透射电镜检测启动子区去甲基化后细胞生长、形态和细胞周期凋亡的影响。 结果： DNMTs抑制剂能较好地逆转启动子区胞嘧啶甲基化状态；CpG岛去甲基化后能明显地抑制肠癌细胞的生长，增加细胞群体倍增时间（P<0.01），诱导肠癌细胞凋亡，影响肠癌细胞周期分布，并具有良好的量效依赖关系。 结论： 通过逆转CpG岛高甲基化能有效地抑制肠癌细胞增殖，为临床治疗大肠癌提供新的作用靶点。