Rosmarinic acid exerts anti-inflammatory effect and relieves oxidative stress via Nrf2 activation in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage.

Background: Rosmarinic acid (RA) has biological and pharmaceutical properties and shows hepatoprotective potential. However, the hepatoprotective mechanism of RA needs to be further elucidated in vivo and in vitro.

Objective: This study was aimed to evaluate the protective effect of RA on carbon tetrachloride (CCl)-induced liver injury and elucidate the hepatoprotective mechanism of RA in vivo and in vitro.

Compatibility of sodium alginate and konjac glucomannan and their applications in fabricating low-fat mayonnaise-like emulsion gels.

In this study, the compatibility of alginate (Alg) and konjac glucomannan (KGM) in aqueous solutions was evaluated by dilute solution viscometry (DSV). It was found that when Alg: KGM ratio was lower than 6:4 (w/w), Alg and KGM were compatible, which was subsequently confirmed by SEM, AFM and TEM. Moreover, by dispersing emulsified oil droplets into Alg gel matrix, followed by addition of KGM to thicken the system, where the ratio of Alg: KGM was 5:5, a class of emulsion gels with significant thixotropy and viscoelasticity could be obtained.

Protective effect of free phenolics from Turcz. root on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury and .

Protective effect of free phenolics from Turcz. root (FPLR) on CCl-induced hepatotoxicity and was first evaluated. Oral administration of FPLR (100 mg/kg bw) to mice significantly reduced the CCl-induced elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, and total bilirubin.

Subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with metabolic syndrome and clomiphene citrate resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Background: To evaluate the possible relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and metabolic syndrome (MS) and the response to clomiphene citrate (CC) stimulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: One hundred and ninety-six women with PCOS were divided into two groups: (1) the SCH group with 92 patients; (2) the euthyroid (EU) group with 104 patients. Physical characteristics and metabolic parameters as well as the reaction to CC stimulating test were compared between these two groups.

Variation in nutritional compositions, antioxidant activity and microstructure of Lycopus lucidus Turcz. root at different harvest times.

The objective of this study was to investigate the variation in nutritional compositions, antioxidant activity and microstructure of Lycopus lucidus Turcz. root at different harvest times. L.

Phenolic composition, DNA damage protective activity and hepatoprotective effect of free phenolic extract from Sphallerocarpus gracilis seeds.

The phenolic composition of the free phenolic extract from Sphallerocarpus gracilis seeds was analyzed by HPLC-MS and predominant compounds were chlorogenic acid, di-caffeoylquinic acid glucoside and luteolin-7-O-glucoside. The free phenolic extract was evaluated for DNA damage protective activity induced by ROO and OH radicals and hepatoprotective effect in vivo and in vitro. Results revealed that the free phenolic extract exhibited significant protective activity against both ROO and OH radical-induced DNA damage and the phenolic extract exerted more potent inhibitory activity against OH radical-induced damage than against that induced by ROO radicals.

Long-term follow-up of children conceived through assisted reproductive technology.

Children conceived via assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are nowadays a substantial proportion of the population. It is important to follow up these children and evaluate whether they have elevated health risks compared to naturally conceived (NC) children. In recent years there has been a lot of work in this field.

Different sperm sources and parameters can influence intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes before embryo implantation.

To evaluate the effects of sperm with different parameters and sources on the outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), 1972 ICSI cycles were analyzed retrospectively. Groups 1 to 5 were composed of cycles using ejaculated sperm and were grouped according to sperm quantity, quality, and morphology into normal (288 cycles), or mild (329 cycles), moderate (522 cycles), severe (332 cycles), and extremely severe (171 cycles) oligozoospermia and/or asthenozoospermia and/or teratozoospermia (OAT) groups. Group 6 was composed of 250 cycles using testicular or epididymal sperm, and Group 7 consisted of 80 cycles using frozen-thawed sperm.

Main nutrients, phenolics, antioxidant activity, DNA damage protective effect and microstructure of Sphallerocarpus gracilis root at different harvest time.

Sphallerocarpus gracilis roots harvested at two different times (T1: 12-10-2009 and T2: 15-04-2010) were analysed for their main nutrients, phenolics, antioxidant activity, DNA damage protective effect and microstructure. Results revealed that higher amounts of starch were detected in T1 S. gracilis root, whereas higher levels of reducing sugar, protein, amino acids and phenolic compounds were determined in T2 S.

[Research progress in outcome and safety of ICSI by different origin of sperm].

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an crucial part of assistant reproductive technology nowadays, mainly used in severe male infertility. It's a very hot question whether different origin of sperms will affect the outcome and safety of ICSI. In this article,we reviewed the present researches on the outcome and safety of ICSI by different origin of sperms, including ejaculated sperms, testicular sperms,epididymal sperms and frozen-thawed sperms.