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Clinical research has revealed that stressed men are susceptible to develop benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In this study, restraint-stress mice model was employed to mimic the physiological conditions of the population that was susceptible to develop BPH. Male mice were subjected to restraint stress after being subcutaneously injected with testosterone propionate (TP) for 14 d. Results demonstrated that TP-induced BPH was significantly aggravated by restraint stress, as manifested by increases of prostate index, serum testosterone level, and prostate 5α-reductase (5AR) and serum acid phosphatase (ACP) activities. These findings were further supported by results of prostate pathological examination. However, we found that anthocyanins extract (AE) from bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) had additive effect with pollen of Brassica napus L. (PBN), a widely used folk remedy for BPH in traditional Chinese medicine, on stress-provoked BPH in mice. The mechanism was associated with the protective effects of AE against stress-induced oxidative damage, as indicated by decreased lipid peroxidation level, increased oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and glutathione (GSH) content, along with elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. Our results proved that stress-induced oxidative damage promoted the development and aggravation of BPH, while antioxidative defense contributed to the amelioration of BPH.

The role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (HBx) in the regulation of HBV replication remains controversial. In the present study, the role of HBx in regulating HBV replication was initially investigated in both HepG2 and Huh7 in vitro cell lines with a transient transfection system. Next, the regions of HBx responsible for transcriptional transactivation and promotion of HBV replication were mapped in an HBV replication mouse model by in vivo transfection of a series of HBx expression plasmids. In an in vitro setting, HBx deficiency had little effect on HBV replication in Huh7 cells, but impaired HBV replication in HepG2 cells. In an in vivo setting, HBx had a strong enhancing effect on HBV transcription and replication. For the C-terminal two-thirds of the protein (amino acids [aa] 51 to 154) was required for this function of HBx, and the regions spanning aa 52 to 72 and 88 to 154 were found to be important for the stimulatory function of HBx on HBV replication. In conclusion, the role of HBx in HBV replication regulation is affected by host cell type, and HBx has an important role in stimulating HBV transcription and replication in hepatocytes in vivo. Further, the transcriptional transactivation function of HBx may be crucial for its stimulatory effect on HBV transcription and replication.

Constipation is one of themost common chronic gastrointestinal problems. The estimated incidence of constipation in the United States is3% to 19% in general population.1,2 Patientswith head injuries, spinal cord injuries, pelvic fractures, lower extremity fractures ormultiple traumas require a long-term bed rest, during which the incidence of constipation reached as high as 50%.3,4 Constipation always brings inconvenience and tremendous suffering to patientsand strongly influences the recovery from primary disease. Irritants or lubricants can relieve the symptoms, but long-term application of them may lead to side effects like melanosis coli5 and cathartic colon6. The absorption of fat soluble vitamins is also affected.7 Polyethylene glycol 4000 (trade name: Forlax®), a long chain polymer with a high molecular weight, can conjugate withwater molecule through hydrogen bond to increase the water content and volume of stools, thereby, facilitate bowelmovement and defecation.8,9 It is neither absorbed nor metabolized in the digestive tract, hence it is highly safe and well tolerable. Thus, long-term medication of polyethylene glycol 4000 is conducive to the reconstruction of normal defecation pattern. Therefore, polyethylene glycol 4000 is now being widely used as the mainstay adult chronic functional constipation management.10,11 The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy and safety of polyethylene glycol 4000 on adult functional constipation of posttraumatic bedridden patients.

Two furostanol saponins were obtained from the rhizomes of Tupistra chinensis Bak. Their structures were determined as 5β-furost-δ25(27)-en-1β,2β,3β,4β,5β,7α,22ξ,26- octaol-6-one-26-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1) and 5β-furost-δ25(27)-en-1β,2β,3β,4β,5β,6β, 7α,22ξ,26-nonaol-26-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence. Both compounds displayed marked inhibitory action against NO production in rat abdomen macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 40 μg/mL.