Methoxychlor inhibits growth of antral follicles by altering cell cycle regulators

Methoxychlor (MXC) reduces fertility in female rodents, decreases antral follicle numbers, and increases atresia through oxidative stress pathways. MXC also inhibits antral follicle growth in vitro. The mechanism by which MXC inhibits growth of follicles is unknown. The growth of follicles is controlled, in part, by cell cycle regulators. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that MXC inhibits follicle growth by reducing the levels of selected cell cycle regulators. Further, we tested whether co-treatment with an antioxidant, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), prevents the MXC-induced reduction in cell cycle regulators. For in vivo studies, adult cycling CD-1 mice were dosed with MXC or vehicle for 20 days. Treated ovaries were subjected to immunohistochemistry for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) staining. For in vitro studies, antral follicles isolated from adult cycling CD-1 mouse ovaries were cultured with vehicle, MXC, and/or NAC for 48, 72 and 96 h. Levels of cyclin D2 (Ccnd2) and cyclin dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4) were measured using in vivo and in vitro samples. The results indicate that MXC decreased PCNA staining, and Ccnd2 and Cdk4 levels compared to controls. NAC co-treatment restored follicle growth and expression of Ccnd2 and Cdk4. Collectively, these data indicate that MXC exposure reduces the levels of Ccnd2 and Cdk4 in follicles, and that protection from oxidative stress restores Ccnd2 and Cdk4 levels. Therefore, MXC-induced oxidative stress may decrease the levels of cell cycle regulators, which in turn, results in inhibition of the growth of antral follicles.     

生长抑素对大鼠胃窦肌条的兴奋作用

三种形式的生长抑素均兴奋大鼠胃窦环行肌条的活动,使其收缩波平均振幅增大,而对胃底、胃体和幽门等部位肌条的活动均无明显的影响。结果表明:生长抑素对大鼠离体胃平滑肌条的兴奋作用局限在胃窦环行肌区域带。     

Risk of lymphoid follicle development in patients with chronic antral gastritis: role of endoscopic features, histopathological parameters, CagA status and interleukin-1 gene polymorphisms

Objective: Helicobacter pylori infection causes gastritis, lymphoid follicle formation and development of MALT lymphoma. We evaluated endoscopic, histological, serological and genetic risk factors associated with lymphoid follicle development in gastritis. Materials and methods: After upper GI endoscopy, 3 antral biopsies were taken from 120 patients for histological examination. H. pylori was diagnosed using rapid urease test (RUT), modified Giemsa stain and IgG anti-CagA ELISA. Genotyping of IL-1B (−511C/T) and IL-1RN (86 bp VNTR) genes were performed by PCR-RFLP/PCR. Results: In 120 patients, 45 (37.5%) showed presence of lymphoid follicles in antral gastric mucosa. H. pylori was positive by modified Giemsa stain (26%) RUT (50%) and anti-CagA IgG in 67.5%, The presence of nodularity (p = 0.030), neutrophilic infiltration (p = 0.010), lymphocytic infiltration (p = 0.002), glandular atrophy (p = 0.0001), glandular shortening (p = 0.001), fibrosis (p = 0.0001), plasma cells (p = 0.007), eosinophils (p = 0.012), anti-CagA antibodies (p = 0.003) and H. pylori density (p = 0.020) were associated with risk (odds ratio = 11.5, 3.8, 11.0, 8.4, 3.8, 4.6, 5.8, 16.0, 10.8 and 2.8 respectively) of lymphoid follicle. However, IL-1 gene polymorphisms did not influence lymphoid follicle development Conclusion: The presence of modularity, lymphocytic infiltration, glandular atrophy, glandular shortening, fibrosis, plasma cells, eosinophils and anti-CagA IgG antibodies are risk factors for lymphoid follicle development in patients with gastritis. Received 21 February 2007; returned for revision 11 June 2007; accepted by C. Kasserra 31 July 2007     

Experimental cutaneous Bacillus anthracis infections in hairless HRS/J mice

Previous studies of experimental Bacillus anthracis cutaneous infections in mice have implicated hair follicles as a likely entry site. Hairless HRS/J mice were used to investigate this possibility because of their non-functional hair follicles that lack penetrating hair shafts. These mice also have diminished macrophage function, increased susceptibility to Listeria, and enhanced neutrophil responses. HRS/J and Balb/c mice were found to be resistant to epicutaneous inoculation with Bacillus anthracis (Sterne) spores onto abraded skin when compared with DBA/2 mice or leucopenic C57BL/6 mice. The HRS/J mice also resisted spore injections that bypassed hair follicles. Haired HRS/J heterozygote mice demonstrated similar reduced susceptibility to B. anthracis spores. Hairless HRS/J mice that were made leucopenic did become susceptible to the epicutaneous spore inoculations. Histologically, the hairless and haired HRS/J mice showed markedly reduced numbers of organisms in hair follicles and the interfollicular dermis when compared even with the resistant Balb/c mice; inflammatory cell infiltrates in the superficial dermis were increased in the HRS/J mice compared with more sensitive strains. Therefore, resistance in the HRS/J mice was apparent at the initial site of epicutaneous inoculation and seemed related to an accumulation of dermal neutrophils rather than to a lack of functional hair follicles.     

Unusual gastrointestinal features in a child with pernicious anemia

Pernicious anemia in childhood is a rare disease. The radiologic demonstration of gastric mucosal atrophy led directly to this diagnosis in an 11-year-old girl. In addition, there was deformity of the pyloric antrum and superficial ulceration in the stomach and duodenum. Endoscopy and biopsy confirmed these findings.     

基础窦卵泡计数等临床资料对体外受精-胚胎移植妊娠结局的预测作用

目的:了解基础窦卵泡计数等临床资料对IVF-ET妊娠结局的预测作用。方法:回顾性分析757名进行IVF-ET助孕术患者临床资料,比较妊娠组和非妊娠组患者AFC、基础FSH、年龄等指标的差异,通过ROC曲线下面积对各个指标的预测作用进行评估比较。结果:和未妊娠组患者相比,妊娠组患者的一般情况无明显差异,但总AFC稍高。各个指标中,两原核数的AUC值最高,总AFC的AUC值高于基础FSH和年龄。结论:各个指标对妊娠结局的预测作用均比较弱,应联合多个指标对患者生育能力和妊娠结局进行综合评估,但总AFC的预测价值要高于基础FSH和年龄。     

Felty综合征合并胃窦血管扩张症1例

病例:患者男,59岁,因"乏力气促,伴食欲减退3年"于2012年7月入院。患者3年前曾因"乏力气促,大便发黑,食欲减退2个月",于当地医院住院治疗,当时无发热、恶心、呕吐、腹痛、腹泻等不适。实验室检查:多次大便潜血试验阳性,血红蛋白最低为44g/L,白细胞计数下降,约2.0×10~9/L～4.1×10~9/L,白蛋白33.1g/L,余血生化未见明显异常。腹部B超示:肝脏结构改变(肝左叶略大,右叶稍小),     

Secondary amenorrhea due to primary ovarian failure in a mixoploid XX/XXX. Cytogenetic and clinicopathological studies.

A 31-year-old patient was studied because of secondary amenorrhea and mental retardation. Sex chromatin in buccal smears revealed the presence of single and double Barr bodies. Hormonal studies were consistent with primary ovarian failure and the histology of the gonads showed a fibrous cortex with very few primordial follicles. Sex chromatin studies of the gonad and chromosome analysis in peripheral blood cultures confirmed the presence of XX/XXX mixoploidy. Reports on this type of anomaly are scarce and no cytogenetic and histological data on the gonads are available for comparison. Sex chromatin in addition to chromosome studies appear particularly relevant in detecting the mixoploid forms of X-polysomies, and the presence of the chromosome anomaly in the gonad may be of primary importance to establish the degree of gonadal failure and reproductive risk.