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Angiosarcoma is a rare subtype of soft tissue sarcoma with identifiable vascular differentiation. It can occur at any age and develop throughout the body, but it is most commonly found in skin, soft, and breast tissues. Primary retroperitoneal angiosarcoma is rarely reported in the relevant literature. This article reports a case of primary retroperitoneal angiosarcoma in a middle-aged man, with the relevant literature reviewed in detail. A 46-year-old male had experienced left waist pain for 2 months. An ultrasonic examination revealed a mass in the left retroperitoneum, and left retroperitoneal lesions were confirmed via computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The tumor was removed surgically, and the CT scan revealed local tumor recurrence after 1 month when the first adjuvant therapy was performed. The patient died of a massive hemorrhage from a ruptured tumor. Angiosarcoma has high malignancy and a poor prognosis. Its early diagnosis and treatment significantly impact the long-term survival rate of patients.

Objective To explore the performance and mechanism of(+)-corynoline in treating triple negative breast cancer MDA-MB-436 cells and thus provide an option for the development of drugs against this cancer. Methods The viability,proliferation,apoptosis and migration/invasion of MDA-MB-436 cells treated with(+)-corynoline were detected by CCK-8 assay,colony formation assay,flow cytometry and Transwell assay,respectively.Furthermore,Western blotting was employed to determine the expression of related proteins,and RNA-Seq was performed for the MDA-MB-436 cells treated with(+)-corynoline. Results (+)-corynoline inhibited the proliferation and stemness and promoted the apoptosis of MDA-MB-436 cells.Further,(+)-corynoline may activate the oxidative phosphorylation pathway to play a role in inhibiting triple negative breast cancer. Conclusion (+)-corynoline can inhibit triple negative breast cancer cells,which helps to address the poor efficacy of existing chemotherapeutics and facilitate the development of drugs against this cancer.

In this paper, we calculate the energy spectrum of interacting gases by converting the cluster expansion method in statistical mechanics into a method of solving energy eigenvalues. We obtain an explicit expression of the energy eigenvalue, by which we can calculate the eigenvalue of an interacting gas from the interparticle potential directly. As an example, we calculate the energy spectrum for an interacting gas with soft-sphere potentials.

We construct a model for considering the quantum correction of the gravitational constant. In the model, the gravitational constant originates from a coupling between the gravitational field and a scalar field. If the scalar field, as it should be in the real physical world, is a quantum field, the gravitational constant will have a quantum correction. The quantum correction, generally speaking, varies with spacetime coordinates. Therefore, the gravitational constant is no longer a constant. In different spacetime, the quantum correction is different, for the coupling in different spacetime is different. As a result, the gravitational constant in different spacetime is different, though the difference is only at the quantum level. We calculate the quantum correction of the gravitational constant in the Schwarzschild spacetime, the H3 (Euclidean AdS3) spacetime, the H3/ Z spacetime, the universe model, the de Sitter spacetime, and the Rindler spacetime.

Background Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) is involved in various human diseases. Aberrant expression of LKB1 expression is involved in glioma progression and associated with prognosis, however, the specific mechanism involving NF-κB/Snail signaling pathways remain unknown. Materials and methods In the present study, quantitative real-time PCR analysis was used to investigate the expression of LKB1 tumor tissue samples and cell lines. In glioma cell lines, CCK-8 assay, transwell invasion and migration assays were used to investigate the effects of LKB1on proliferation and invasion. Results We observed that LKB1 knockdown promoted glioma cell proliferation, migration and invasion. This effect was induced through NF-κB/Snail signaling activation. Also, LKB1 overexpression suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion, which could be rescued by Snail overexpression. Conclusion Taken together, our results show that LKB1 knockdown promotes remarkably glioma cell proliferation, migration and invasion by regulating Snail protein expression through activating the NF-κB signaling. This may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for glioma.

We suggest an indirect approach for solving eigenproblems in quantum mechanics. Unlike the usual method, this method is not a technique for solving differential equations. There exists a duality among potentials in quantum mechanics. The first example is the Newton–Hooke duality revealed by Newton in Principia. Potentials that are dual to each other form a duality family consisting of infinite numbers of family members. If one potential in a duality family is solved, the solutions of all other potentials in the family can be obtained by duality transforms. Instead of directly solving the eigenequation of a given potential, we turn to solve one of its dual potentials which is easier to solve. The solution of the given potential can then be obtained from the solution of this dual potential by a duality transform. The approach is as follows: first to construct the duality family of the given potential, then to find a dual potential which is easier to solve in the family and solve it, and finally to obtain the solution of the given potential by the duality transform. In this paper, as examples, we solve exact solutions for general polynomial potentials.

The exact solution of the two-thirds power potential is given. The two-thirds power potential has only bound states.

In this paper, we solve the massive scalar field in the Reissner–Nordstrom spacetime. The scalar field in the Reissner–Nordstrom spacetime has both bound states and scattering states. For bound states, we solve the bound-state wave function and the eigenvalue spectrum. For scattering states, we solve the scattering wave function and give an explicit expression for scattering phase shift by the integral equation method. Especially, we introduce the tortoise coordinate for the Reissner–Nordstrom spacetime. Moreover, in the calculation of scattering cross sections, we encounter a difficulty in partial sum approximation. If the sum of partial waves cannot be performed exactly, one has to turn to the partial sum approximation which approximates a function by the first several terms of the series. However, in the partial sum approximation there exists an incorrect oscillation which cannot be eliminated by keeping more terms. In the appendix we suggest an approach for eliminating such oscillations in the partial sum.

In conventional gravitational wave scattering theory, a large-distance asymptotic approximation is employed. In this approximation, the gravitational wave is approximated by its large-distance asymptotics. In this paper, we establish a gravitational wave scattering theory without the large-distance asymptotic approximation.

The coal of Anyuan Mine has the characteristic of easy spontaneous combustion. Conventional method is difficult to predict it. Coal samples from this mine were tested in laboratory. The data obtained from laboratory determination were initialized for the value which was defined as “K”. The ratio of each index gas and value of “K”, and the ratio of combination index gases and value of “K”, were analyzed simultaneously. The research results show that for this coal mine, if there is carbon monoxide in the gas sample, the phenomenon of oxidation and temperature rising for coal exists in this mine; if there is C2H4 in the gas sample, the temperature of coal perhaps exceeds 130 °C. If the coal temperature is between 35 °C and 130 °C, prediction and forecast for coal spontaneous combustion depend on the value of Φ(CO)/K mainly; if the temperature of coal is between 130 °C and 300 °C, prediction and forecast for coal spontaneous combustion depend on the value of Φ(C2H6)/Φ(C2H2) and Φ(C2H6)/K. The research results provide experimental basis for the prediction of coal spontaneous combustion in Anyuan coal mine, and have better guidance on safe production of this coal mine.

The causes of damage during the operation of the container mainly include the different types of goods, the loading and unloading operations of loading and unloading stations, and the rust damage caused by transportation and staying in different areas. Classification of railway container handling stations according to the climate data of the city in which it is located is extremely important for studying the impact of climate on container corrosion. According to the main factors of container corrosion, this paper selected the corresponding climate indicators, writed the crawling program, and collected the original climate data of 320 prefecture-level cities in China from the weather website. Through the preprocessing of data, the paper obtained the basic indicator data of urban climate clustering, and completed analysis by Kmeans clustering method. Sun, rain, salt, and pollution become the main factors in the corrosion of containers. And after cluster analysis, 320 cities are divided into 10-15 clustering groups.

Multiple questions relating to contributions of cultural and demographical factors in the process of human geographical dispersal remain largely unanswered. India, a land of early human settlement and the resulting diversity is a good place to look for some of the answers. In this study, we explored the genetic structure of India using a diverse panel of 78 males genotyped using the GenoChip. Their genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) diversity was examined in the context of various covariates that influence Indian gene pool. Admixture analysis of genome-wide SNP data showed high proportion of the Southwest Asian component in all of the Indian samples. Hierarchical clustering based on admixture proportions revealed seven distinct clusters correlating to geographical and linguistic affiliations. Convex hull overlay of Y-chromosomal haplogroups on the genome-wide SNP principal component analysis brought out distinct non-overlapping polygons of F*-M89, H*-M69, L1-M27, O2a-M95 and O3a3c1-M117, suggesting a male-mediated migration and expansion of the Indian gene pool. Lack of similar correlation with mitochondrial DNA clades indicated a shared genetic ancestry of females. We suggest that ancient male-mediated migratory events and settlement in various regional niches led to the present day scenario and peopling of India.

Fiber Bragg grating and resistance strain gauge have been used to test the stress change in key parts of structure of 61t-55m quayside container crane under the same testing conditions. The testing data and stress-time history diagrams obtained by the resistance strain gauge and fiber Bragg grating have been analyzed. The results verify good real-time property and high reliability of the structural health monitoring system based on fiber Bragg grating system.

Y chromosome haplogroup O3-M122 is the most prevalent haplogroup in East Asia, and provides an ideal tool for dissecting primary dispersals of the East Asians. Most of the sub-haplogroups of O3-M122 have been sufficiently investigated except for O3a1c-002611, despite its great prevalence and huge population, especially in Han Chinese. In this study, we identified 508 individuals with haplogroup O3a1c-002611 out of 7801 males from 117 East and Southeast Asian populations, typed at two newly discovered downstream Y-SNP markers and ten commonly used Y-STRs. Defined by SNPs IMS-JST002611 (in short, 002611), F11, and F238, three lineages internal to haplogroup O3a1c-002611 have distinct geographical distributions. Furthermore, Y-STR diversity shows a general south-to-north decline, which is consistent with the prehistorically northward migration of the other O3-M122 lineages. The northward migration of haplogroup O3a1c-002611 started about 13 thousand years ago (KYA). The expansions of subclades F11 and F238 in ancient Han Chinese began about 5 and 7 KYA immediately after the separation between the ancestors of the Han Chinese and Tibeto-Burman.

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the expression and distribution of transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM)- and vanilloid (TRPV)- related channels in rat spermatogenic cells and spermatozoa. Spermatogenic cells and spermatozoa were obtained from male Sprague-Dawley rats. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to detect the expression of all TRPM and TRPV channel members with specific primers. Western blot analysis was applied for detecting the expression of TRPM and TRPV channel proteins. Immunohistochemistry staining for TRPM4, TRPM7 and TRPV5 was also performed in rat testis. The mRNAs of TRPM3, TRPM4, TRPM7 and TRPV5 were detected in the spermatogenic cells and spermatozoa in rat. Western blot analysis verified the expression of TRPM4, TRPM7 and TRPV5 in the rat spermatogenic cells and spermatozoa. Immunocytochemistry staining for TRPM and TRPV channel families indicated that TRPM4 and TRPM7 proteins were highly expressed in different stages of spermatogenic cells and spermatozoa, while TRPV5 protein was lowly expressed in these cells. Our results demonstrate that mRNAs or proteins for TRPM3, TRPM4, TRPM7 and TRPV5 exist in rat spermatogenic cells and spermatozoa. These data presented here may assist in elucidating the possible physiological function of TRPM and TRPV channels in spermatogenic cells and spermatozoa.

In the present study 161 Japanese father/son haplotype transfers in 147 pedigrees were analyzed at 14 Y-STRs with two multiplex PCR-based typing systems. Five isolated single repeat mutations were identified at the DYS389I, DYS439, Y-GATA-H4, DYS389II and DYS391 loci, and a pedigree showing triple alleles at the DYS385 locus (a duplicate locus) without allelic discrepancy between the father and son was also observed. The overall mutation rate estimated across the 14 Y-STRs in the Japanese population was 0.22%/locus/meiosis (95% C.I. 0.09-0.51%). This rate was not significantly different (p>0.05) from those of autosomal STRs and Y-STRs in other populations, including German, Austrian, Polish and Norwegian populations. Furthermore, 138 haplotypes were identified in 147 pedigrees with a haplotype diversity value of 0.9983. Therefore, a combination of the two systems should permit effective analysis with sufficient discriminatory power.

To investigate the genetic polymorphisms of 15 X-STR loci in Shandong Han population in order to establish the forensic application database.The multi-PCR primers of these loci were designed by Primer Premier 5.0 software and labeled by 4 fluoresceins (FAM, VIC, NED and TET). The developed multi-PCR was used to investigate 15 X-STR loci (DXS10011, DXS101, GATA 165B12, DXS6795, DXS6800, DXS6801, DXS6803, DXS7132, DXS7133, DXS7423, DXS7424, DXS8377, DXS8378, DXS9898 and HPRTB) selected from the X chromosome of 481 unrelated individuals (295 females and 186 males) in Shandong Han population.Among the 15 X-STR loci, GATA 165B12, DXS6800, DXS6803, DXS7133 and DXS7423 showed moderate polymorphisms, while the rest 10 X-STR loci showed high polymorphisms (PIC0.5 and H0.5). No shared haplotype was detected among the males in Shandong Han population.The developed multi-PCR system with fluorescence detection provides an effective way to establish X-STR loci database of population genetics in Shandong Han population and shows its forensic application.

We examined allele frequency distributions at 15 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci including 13 Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) core STRs in four regional Japanese populations (Akita, Nagoya, Oita and Okinawa). Those distributions were compared pairwise and statistically among them. We also analyzed the distributions with published data on a Korean population by genetic distance DA to construct a tree based on the neighbor-joining method. Consequently, we obtained one that coincides well with their geographical distributions.

We analyzed the genotypes and haplotypes at 14 short tandem repeat (STR) loci on Y-chromosome (Y-STRs) in 10 East and Southeast Asian populations including two regional Japanese populations (Nagoya and Okinawa) using two multiplex typing systems. The allele frequency at each locus was calculated in each population and then compared among the populations. We also estimated the gene diversity at each locus and the haplotype diversity in each population. As a result, Japanese populations seemed to be genetically less diverse than other Asian populations. Furthermore, we constructed a tree based on the neighbor-joining method using a genetic distance DA. The resultant tree was comprised of three clusters (Japanese, Chinese and Southeast Asian) and coincided well with their geographical distributions.

Microbial lipids, which are also known as single cell oils (SCO), are produced by oleaginous microorganisms including oleaginous bacteria, yeast, fungus and algae through converting carbohydrates into lipids under certain conditions. Due to its unique environment having extremely low temperature and anoxia, the Tibetan Plateau is amongst the regions with numerous rare ecotypes such as arid desert, salt marsh, alpine permafrost, hot spring, and lawn. By using a rapid, convenient screening method, we identified 31 strains of oleaginous microorganisms from different habitats in the Tibetan Plateau, which include wetlands, lawn, hot spring, alpine permafrost, and saline-alkali soil. Molecular identity analysis showed that they belong to 15 different species, 7 of which are reported for the first time as lipid-producing microorganisms, that is, Cladosporium sp., Gibberella fujikuro, Ochrobactrum sp., Plectosphaerella sp., Tilletiopsis albescens, Backusella ctenidia, and Davidiella tassiana. The distribution of the oleaginous microorganisms varies with habitats. 11 strains were found in hot spring (35.5%), 10 in farmland (32.3%), 6 in lawn (19.4%), 2 in sand (6.4%), 1 in wetland (3.2%), and 1 in permafrost (3.2%). Carbon utilization analysis indicated that most of these filamentous fungi can use xylose and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as carbon source, where Backusella ctenidia, Fusarium sp. and Gibberella fujikuroi have the strongest capability.

To evaluate the potential usefulness of DNA methylation in individual discrimination of monozygotic twins by investigating the differences of DNA methylation profiles in monozygotic twins' blood samples.Blood samples from 22 pairs of monozygotic twins were obtained with informed consent. Genomic DNA extracts were bisulfite treated followed by detection with Infinium HumanMethylation27 BeadChip Assays(Illumina, USA). Epigenetic distances between each pair of monozygotic twins and each pair of unrelated individuals of same gender were calculated with Euclidean distance algorithms. Distribution of epigenetic distance in monozygotic twin group was statistically compared with that in unrelated individuals.Difference of epigenetic distance between male and female pairs was not statistically significant in unrelated individual group or in monozygotic twin group (P = 0.0695 and 0.4825, respectively). Epigenetic distance of monozygotic twins was significantly lower than that of unrelated individual pair of same gender (Median: 6.02 vs 7.20, P = 0.0002). However, all the epigenetic distance in monozygotic twin group or in unrelated individuals were significantly higher than 4.00 (P0.000 1).DNA methylation profiles of monozygotic twin's blood samples were significantly different with each other, which was similar to that in unrelated individuals of same gender. These results indicated that DNA methylation was a useful biomarker in individual discrimination of monozygotic twins.

To investigate the mutation frequency in 7 mutation hot-spots of deafness gene in southern Jiangsu province and verify the performance of the SNaPshot technology platform, designed for genetic screening of non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) in Chinese.One hundred and twenty-five NSHL patients were enrolled. Amplification of 235delC, 299-300delAT in GJB2 gene, IVS7-2AG, 2168 AG in SLC26A4 gene, and 1555AG, 7445 AG and 3243 AG in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was performed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. Afterwards, the sequence-specific probe interrogated each locus and labeled it at the 3' end using fluorescent dideoxynucleotide chemistry by the SNaPshot Multiplex Kit, the resulting products were then separated electrophoretically in ABI PRISM R 3130 Genetic Analyzer and analyzed in the presence of a fifth-dye-labeled size standard. Finally, the genotyping results were verified by direct sequencing or PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).(1) The total mutation frequency for the 7 mutation hot-spots was 53.6%. The mutation frequency of 235delC was 24.0%, 299-300delAT was 5.6% in the GJB2 gene, IVS7-2AG was 15.2%, 2168AG was 3.2% in the SLC26A4 gene. The mutation frequency of 1555AG and 7445 AG in mtDNA was 4.8% and 0.8% respectively. The mutation 3243 AG was not detected. (2) The SNaPshot results were consistent with that from direct sequencing or PCR-RFLP, and the specificity and sensitivity of detection were 100%.(1) More than half of the patients with deafness in southern Jiangsu province carry the mutations of the seven hot-spots. (2) The genetic screening technology platform based on SNaPshot can detect 7 mutations in one reaction, and is efficient and suitable for clinical practice.

Y-chromosome Haplogroup O is the dominant lineage of East Asians, comprising more than a quarter of all males on the world; however, its internal phylogeny remains insufficiently investigated. In this study, we determined the phylogenetic position of recently defined markers (L127, KL1, KL2, P164, and PK4) in the background of Haplogroup O. In the revised tree, subgroup O3a-M324 is divided into two main subclades, O3a1-L127 and O3a2-P201, covering about 20 and 35% of Han Chinese people, respectively. The marker P164 is corrected from a downstream site of M7 to upstream of M134 and parallel to M7 and M159. The marker PK4 is also relocated from downstream of M88 to upstream of M95, separating the former O2(*) into two parts. This revision evidently improved the resolving power of Y-chromosome phylogeny in East Asia.

Objective: Growing evidence has shown that menthol has potent anticancer activity in various human cancers via the transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8)-dependent pathway or in a TRPM8-independent manner. However, its effect on bladder cancer remains obscure. In the present investigation, we examined the expression of TRPM8 and the role of menthol in cells of the human bladder cancer cell line T24. Methods: RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunocytochemistry were used to confirm the expression and location of TRPM8 in T24 cells. Results: TRPM8 was highly expressed in T24 cells and located in both the cell membrane and cytoplasm. With the use of small interfering RNA to silence the expression of TRPM8, we found that menthol could increase the concentration of intracellular calcium and decrease cell viability via the TRPM8 channel in T24 cells. We also found that menthol could induce cell death through TRPM8 in T24 cells, rather than cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Moreover, the detection of mitochondrial membrane potential showed that menthol could induce mitochondrial membrane depolarization in T24 cells. Conclusions: In the present study, we demonstrated that menthol can induce mitochondrial membrane depolarization via the TRPM8 channel in cells of the human bladder cancer cell line T24, resulting in cell death. It would be helpful to explore the precise mechanism of action of menthol in bladder cancer with a view to its possible use as intravesical chemotherapy.

Background Longevity is a multifactorial trait with a genetic contribution, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms were found to be involved in the phenomenon of longevity. Methodology/Principal Findings To explore the effects of mtDNA haplogroups on the prevalence of extreme longevity (EL), a population based case-control study was conducted in Rugao – a prefecture city in Jiangsu, China. Case subjects include 463 individuals aged ≥95 yr (EL group). Control subjects include 926 individuals aged 60–69 years (elderly group) and 463 individuals aged 40–49 years (middle-aged group) randomly recruited from Rugao. We observed significant reduction of M9 haplogroups in longevity subjects (0.2%) when compared with both elderly subjects (2.2%) and middle-aged subjects (1.7%). Linear-by-linear association test revealed a significant decreasing trend of N9 frequency from middle-aged subjects (8.6%), elderly subjects (7.2%) and longevity subjects (4.8%) (p = 0.018). In subsequent analysis stratified by gender, linear-by-linear association test revealed a significant increasing trend of D4 frequency from middle-aged subjects (15.8%), elderly subjects (16.4%) and longevity subjects (21.7%) in females (p = 0.025). Conversely, a significant decreasing trend of B4a frequency was observed from middle-aged subjects (4.2%), elderly subjects (3.8%) and longevity subjects (1.7%) in females (p = 0.045). Conclusions Our observations support the association of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups with exceptional longevity in a Chinese population.

To investigate the expression of transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM) and transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channel family genes in rat spermatogenic cells.Rat spermatogenic cells were isolated by a mechanical procedure and the total RNA was extracted using TRIzol reagent. TRPM and TRPV channel family genes were amplified by RT-PCR and the presence of the target genes was detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. The relative gene expression levels were measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR.TRPV5, TRPM3, TRPM4 and TRPM7 mRNAs were expressed in rat spermatogenic cells, but TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV3, TRPV4, TRPV6, TRPM1, TRPM2, TRPM5, TRPM6, TRPM7 and TRPM8 mRNAs were not detected. The relative expressions of TRPM and TRPV mRNA were determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. TRPM7 expression was the highest among all the TRPM subtypes in rat spermatogenic cells, at a level equivalent to (0.0430-/+0.0034)% of beta-actin expression. TRPM3 and TRPM4 were also highly expressed, but their expression levels were only approximately 56% and 63% of that of TRPM7, respectively. For the TRPV subfamily, only TRPV5 mRNA was abundantly expressed at the level of (0.0157-/+0.0029)% relative to that of beta-actin.TRPV5, TRPM3, TRPM4 and TRPM7 mRNAs were coexpressed in spermatogenic cells in rats, among which TRPM4 and TRPM7 mRNA were expressed at high levels. TRPM4 and TRPM7 channels may be involved in the regulation of growth, differentiation and maturation of rat spermatogenic cells and are associated with the generation of the sperms.

To investigate the best dose and the long-term effect of the human insulin-like growth factor-1 (hIGF-1) gene injection into the penis of aged rats.Included in this study were 10 young (4 months old) and 40 aged (24 months old) Sprague-Dawley male rats, the latter equally divided into a PBS control and a 10 microg, a 100 microg and a 1 000 microg hIGF-1 injection group. Electrical stimulation was conducted 4 and 8 weeks after hIGF-1 injection into the penile corpus cavernous of the rats to detect the intracavernous pressure (ICP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Dose - and time -associated therapeutic results were analyzed and the mRNA expression of hIGF-1 determined by RT - PCR.ICP, MAP and total ICP were significant decreased by electrical stimulation in the aged rats as compared with the young ones (P0.05), statistically increased in the three hIGF-1 dose groups in comparison with the PBS controls (P0.05), and showed no obvious difference between the young rats and the latter two dose groups at 4 and 8 weeks. Although less obvious effect was achieved in the 10 microg group than in the young rats, the therapeutic result was still of significance. The mRNA expression of the hIGF-1 gene was confirmed in all the hIGF-1 treated rats.The hIGF-1 therapy can improve erectile function in aged rats, 100 microg suffices for effective erection and the effect may last at least 8 weeks for a single dose.

Introduction Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is one of the growth factors that have a wide range of biologic effects. We have confirmed that gene transfer of IGF-1 to the penis could improve erectile capacity. However, there are some limitations in gene therapies, such as toxicity or a risk of insertional mutagenesis. Protein treatment may be another choice for decreasing these risks. Aim To investigate whether intracavernosal injection of IGF-1 protein can restore erectile function in the aging rat. Main Outcome Measures Erectile responses, morphological changes, and nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO-cGMP) signaling pathways-related marker were determined. Methods Ten young (4 months) and 30 old (24 months) Sprague-Dawley male rats were enrolled in this study. The old rats were divided into three groups: vehicle-only (N = 10), IGF-1 1 µg/kg (N = 10) and IGF-1 10 µg/kg treatment group (N = 10). After 4 and 8 weeks of single IGF-1 injection treatment, intracavernous pressure (ICP) responses with electrical stimulation to the cavernous nerve were evaluated. The percent of smooth muscle in corpus cavernosum tissue, the expression of mRNA and protein of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were also evaluated. The activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and concentration of guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic-monophosphate (cGMP) that act upon the major NO-cGMP signaling pathways in penile tissue were also analyzed. Results After IGF-1 treatment, the ICP responses was significantly increased as the young control group in both the IGF-1 1 µg/kg and the IGF-1 10 µg/kg group compared with the vehicle-only group at 4 and 8 weeks ( P Conclusions IGF-1 improved erectile function in aged rats via restoration the integrity of smooth muscle of corpus cavernosum and modulation of NO-cGMP pathways. Pu, X-Y, Wang X-H, Gao W-C, Yang Z-H, and Li S-L. Insulin-like growth factor-1 restores erectile function in aged rats: Modulation the integrity of smooth muscle and nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling activity.

The crystallization behavior of Fe77.2P18Si4.8 metallic glass has been investigated. Spinodal decomposition occurs prior to crystallization. Both nucleation and growth are observed during crystallization. The kinetic parameters of crystallization are determined using differential scanning calorimetry and the equations of the maximum crystallization rate. The activation energy of crystallization is about 152 kcal mol−1 and the values of the Avrami exponent are about 4 for a heating rate of 2.5–10°C min−1, and 5 for a heating rate of 20°C min−1. This suggests that the nucleation rate of crystallization increases with time.