The Clinical Study on Short-Term Efficacy of Pelvic Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Pelvic Muscle Biofeedback on Female Idiopathic Overactive Bladder

Objective

To evaluate the short-term efficacy of pelvic magnetic stimulation combined with pelvic muscle biofeedback on female Idiopathic Overactive Bladder (IOAB).

Methods

96 cases of IOAB females were randomly divided into control group (magnetic stimulation treatment n=48) and observation group (magnetic stimulation with biofeedback n=48). All the patients were dealt with the sacralneuromagnetic stimulation (once, qod), with 5 times in total. Then the patients in observation group were processed with biofeedback (10 times). Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), Patients Perception Bladder Condition (PPBC) and Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (I-QOL) were evaluated as the indexes.

Results

The effective rate of control group and observation group respectively were 89.58% and 93.75%. There were significant differences (P=0.67). The OABSS and PPBC of two groups were decreased, I-QOL were increased after treatment (P<0.05). Difference was statistically significant in OABSS three months after treatment between the two groups (P=0.00).The recurrence rate of three months after treatment of the two groups were 18.75% and 6.38% (P=0.04).

Conclusions

Both magnetic stimulation alone and magnetic stimulation with biofeedback were effective and safe in female patients with IOAB. Magnetic stimulation with biofeedback may reduce the recurrence rate and continue to improve the symptoms in a certain extent.

Adverse cardiovascular ageing among older women and cardiometabolic ageing

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public hospital(s). Main funding source(s): National Medical Research Council (NMRC)

Background

Despite longer life expectancies, women may experience reduced ‘health-span’ (period of life spent in good health) due to accumulation of risks over their longer life spans. Metabolic factors present in diet and lifestyle may provide modifiable solutions to tackle burdens of cardiovascular (CV) ageing in women.

Objective

We aim to study gender differences in CV structure and function among community older adults without clinical CV disease, as well as metabolic perturbations in their study samples.

Methods

We examined a prospective cohort study of older adults, obtaining their medical history, serum sampling, echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging on a single day visit. Echo E/A ratio was computed as a ratio of peak velocity flow in early diastole E (m/s) to peak velocity flow in late diastole by atrial contraction A (m/s) mitral inflow velocities. Longitudinal strain (ε) at any time point (t) in the cardiac cycle from end-diastole (time 0) was calculated as: ε(t)=(L(t)-L0)/L0, obtaining left atrial (LA) reservoir strain (εs), conduit strain (εe) and booster strain (εa) by CMR. Metabolomics profiling was performed by standard mass spectrometry techniques.

Results

Among n = 492 (49.6%, n = 244 women, mean age 73 ± 4 years) participants, women had lower prevalence of hypertension (52% vs 58%, p &lt; 0.0001), smoking (4% vs 35%, p &lt; 0.0001), but higher prevalence of dyslipidemia (52% vs 50%, p = 0.001) compared to men. Women had lower left ventricular mass index (69 vs 71 g/m2, p &lt; 0.0001) compared to men. However, women had more adverse CV function, such as lower E/A ratio (0.78 vs 0.85, p &lt; 0.0001), lower LA booster (εa) (16.5 vs 17.8, p = 0.027) and lower LA reservoir (εs) strain rate (1.5 vs 1.6, p = 0.012), compared to men. Amino acids such as alanine, arginine, aspartate, citrulline, glycine, phenylalanine and valine were similar between gender. However, women had higher levels of tyrosine (76 vs 68 μM, p = 0.015). On multivariate adjustment, apart from age, tyrosine was independently associated with E/A ratio (β=0.002, 95%CI 0.00-0.004, p = 0.044) and εs (β=0.004, 95%CI 0.00-0.009, p = 0.048) among women. 

Conclusion

Utilizing conventional and sensitive CV imaging, women appeared to have more adverse CV functions with ageing. As a branched chain amino acid linked to future risk of CV disease, tyrosine may be linked to adverse CV function. Factors that contribute to these cardiometabolic profiles, such as menopause, diet or lifestyle warrant further research.

Activin A overexpression promotes rat follicular development through SCF-kit-mediated cell signals

We explored the possible signaling pathway by which activin A induces oocyte maturation. Inhba-overexpressing lentivirus vectors were constructed and transfected into primary granulosa cells in vitro and ovary tissues in vivo in rats. The granulosa cell growth curve was drawn, and antibodies for phospho-Smad2, phospho-Erk5, phospho-Nur77, and stem cell factor (SCF) were prepared for western blot analysis. Protein expression of SCF and C-kit in the rat ovaries was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The rate of granulosa cell proliferation was higher in the Inhba gene overexpression group (INH) than in the control groups (CON group and GFP group) in vitro. Protein expression of SCF and C-kit was higher in the INH group than in the other two groups. phospho-Smad2, phospho-ERK5, P-nur77, and SCF proteins showed positive expression in rat ovarian granulosa cells in each group and were obviously increased in the INH group. Activin A overexpression may promote rat granulosa cell proliferation through Smad2/ERK5/nur77 signaling pathways, and rat granulosa cells overexpressing activin A in vitro showed increased levels of SCF and c-kit proteins.

Effects of apelin on proliferation and apoptosis in rat ovarian granulosa cells

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of apelin on proliferation and apoptosis in rat ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) in vitro.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Primary culture of SD rat ovarian GCs was cultured with different concentrations of apelin 10(-8) mol/L, and APJ expression in GCs was inhibited by small RNA interfering (siRNA). Signaling inhibitor LY294002 of PI3K/Akt, HIMO intervention, MTT assay and flow cytometry were combined to observe the cell proliferation and apoptosis; Western blot was used to detect signaling protein expression related with cell apoptosis.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the differences on cell proliferation rate detected by MTT assay in APJ-siRNA group, LY294002 group, and HIMO group had statistical significance (p < 0.05). Protein expressions of Bad, Bax, and Foxo3a in GCs in APJ-siRNA group, LY294002 group, and HIMO group were apparently upregulated (p < 0.05), and the protein expression of Bcl-2 in APJ-siRNA group, LY294002 group, and HIMO group was obviously downregulated (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Apelin can promote proliferation of GCs and inhibit apoptosis via PI3/Akt signaling pathway.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Grumgzimailo's toad-headed agama, Phrynocephalus grumgrizimailoi (Reptilia, Squamata, Agamidae)

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), long-and-accurate PCR and directly sequencing by primer walking was used to sequenced he complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Grumgzimailo's toad- headed agama, Phrynocephalus grumgrizimailoi. The Genbank accession was KM093859. There was 16,301 bp in length of the entire mitochondrial genome of P. grumgrizimailoi and the content of A, T, C, and G were 36.4%, 26.5%, 25.0% and 12.1%, respectively, that was similar to most vertebrate. The complete mitochondrial genome of P. grumgrizimailoi contain 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, plus 2 control regions and was similar to those of other Phrynocephalus sand lizards in gene arrangement and composition, except P. przewalskii and P. versicolor. The complete mitochondrial genome of P. grumgrizimailoi provided fundamental data for resolving phylogenetic relationship problems related to Agaimidae and genus Phrynocephalus.

Changes in the reproductive endocrine function in rat following intraovary microinjection of inhba overexpression lentivirus vectors

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the reproductive endocrine changes after inhba overexpression into rat ovary.

METHOD

Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups. Inhba overexpression lentivirus vectors (LV-eGFP-inhba) were microinjected into rat ovary (INH group); Control animals received the same amount lentivirus vector empty (CON group) or LV-eGFP (GFP group). Antral follicle amount and diameter were counted and serum level of activin A, E2, P, FSH, and LH and the expression of ER-α, ER-β, PR, FSHR, and LHR were measured.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference among three groups in antral follicle amount; antral follicle diameter was increased in INH group rats compared with the other group rats. Serum levels of activin A, E2, P, and FSH were increased and LH was decreased in INH group rats compared with the other group rats. The mRNA and protein expression of ER-α, ER-β, FSHR was higher in INH group rats than that in the other group rats. There was no significant difference in mRNA and protein expression of PR among the three group rats, LHR expression was decreased in INH group rats compared with the other two group rats.

CONCLUSION

inhba overexpression in rat ovary in vivo may change reproductive endocrine function.

Lentivirus vectors mediated eGFP transfected into rat ovary in vivo

PURPOSE

To evaluate the optimum dosage and time-effect relationship of lentivirus vectors mediated enhanced green fluorescence protein gene (lenti-eGFP) transfection into the rat ovary in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Lenti-eGFP was microinjected into rats' ovaries with different dosage (2 x 10(6) TU and 10 x 10(6) TU virosome respectively, n = 5 rats). The expression of eGFP was examined by the fluorescence microscope at injection at five days. The fluorescence intensity of different dose groups was calculated and determined the optimum dosage. The authors observed the expression of eGFP in ovaries and others tissues at days 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 after the rats' ovaries were microinjected with the optimum dosage of lenti-eGFP. Reserve transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and RT-quantitative (q) PCR (RT-qPCR) were used to qualitative and quantitative analyze the expression of eGFP in different tissues and organs of transfected rats.

RESULTS

The expression of eGFP in both ovaries of every rat was seen at five days of transfection. Semi-quantitative assessment of green fluorescence for the two-dosage group was 0.2311 +/- 0.0203 and 0.2307 +/- 0.0199, respectively. There was no significant difference in both groups (p = 0.976). The expression of eGFP enhanced with transfection time prolongation and continued with 75 days of transfection (the fluorescence density in different time was 0.2307 +/- 0.0199, 0.3119 +/- 0.0213, 0.3462 +/- 0.0264, 0.3568 +/- 0.0127, 0.3496 +/- 0.0133, and 0.3513 +/- 0.0172, respectively). Furthermore, there were efficient and durable expressions of eGFP in other tissues and organs of rats. RT-PCR and RT-qPCR proved these results.

CONCLUSION

Lenti-eGFP may successfully transfect ovary tissues and other organs in vivo simultaneously, the expression of eGFP is highly efficient and durable.