OBJECTIVETo study the effects of Chinese materia medica (CMM) combined chemotherapy on the recurrence, metastasis, and the disease free survival (DFS) of stage II and III colorectal cancer (CC) patients after radical cure.

METHODSRecruited were 366 inpatients and outpatients with stage II and III colorectal cancer (CC) from Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, and Tumor Department of Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2002 to December 2008. A non-randomized concurrent control method was adopted. Patients were assigned to the combination group (treated by CMM + chemotherapy, 189 cases) and the chemotherapy group (177 cases) according to whether they were willing to receive the CMM treatment for more than 6 successive months. By using follow-ups at clinics, by letter, and by telephone, the DFS, 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year DFS ratios were observed. The correlations between DFS and the gender, age, tumor location, staging of clinical pathology, pathological type, chemotherapeutic cycle, radiotherapy, CMM treatment, end point event (recurrence and metastasis) were analyzed.

RESULTSThe recurrence or metastasis occurred in 145 cases (39. 61%) of the 366 patients. Of them, local recurrence occurred in 17 cases (11.72%), liver metastasis in 45 cases (31.03%), lung metastasis in 52 cases (35.86%), and metastasis in other parts in 53 cases (36.55%). Results of one-factor analysis showed six factors such as the tumor location, pathological type, staging of clinical pathology, chemotherapeutic cycle, radiotherapy, and CMM treatment were correlated with the DFS, showing statistical difference (P<0.01, P<0.05). Results of multifactor analysis showed staging of clinical pathology, chemotherapeutic cycle, and CMM treatment were correlated with the DFS, showing statistical difference (P<0.01). Results of stratified study on the staging of clinical pathology indicated that the primary tumor location (P=0.016) and the pathological type (P=0.047) were the independent predictors for DFS of stage II CC. The median DFS of the two groups could not be calculated. Results of stratified study on the stages of clinical pathology indicated that CMM treatment (P=0.000) and chemotherapeutic cycle (P=0.017) were independent predictors for DFS of stage III CC. As for comparing the composition ratio of the two therapeutic cycles, results showed the baselines of the chemotherapeutic cycle of the two groups were balanced. Further comparison showed the median DFS for the chemotherapy group at stage III was 24. 16 months, while it could not be calculated in the combination group. The DFS, 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year DFS ratios were 92%, 72%, 61%, and 59%, respectively in the stage III CC combination group, while they were 74%, 50%, 36%, and 20%, respectively in the stage IlI CC chemotherapy group.

CONCLUSIONCMM combined chemotherapy could prolong the DFS of stage III CC patients after radical cure.

Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Phytotherapy

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP) in left to right shunt congenital heart disease accompanied by heart failure in PICU.Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 52 cases diagnosed left to right shunt congenital heart disease in the PICU of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from January 2012 to June 2014.The cases were divided into negative control group(n=18) and heart failure group(n=34) according to the criteria for the diagnosis of pediatric heart failure.We respectively compared plasma BNP,size of heart defects,left ventricular end-diastolic volume index(LVEDVI),ratio of left ventricular early diastolic filling blood flow velocity and left ventricular late diastolic filling blood flow velocity(E/A),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),pulmonary artery systolic pressure(PASP),and cardiothoracic ratio between the two groups.We analyzed the correlation between plasma BNP and the size of heart defects,LVEDVI,E/A,cardiothoracic ratio,LVEF,PASP.The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off value of plasma BNP to diagnose heart failure.Results Plasma BNP were 87.7(22.7,165.7)pg/ml in negative control group and 716.5(326.8,1813.0)pg/ml in heart failure group.The plasma BNP level of heart failure group was significantly higher than that of negative control group(Z=5.3,P<0.01).Size of heart defects were 5.0(3.0,6.8) mm in negative control group and 7.4(5.5,9.0)mm in heart failure group.Size of heart defects of heart failure group was significantly higher than that of negative control group(Z=3.5,P<0.01).LVEDVI were (44.6±18.3)ml/m3 in negative control group and (70.8±38.4)ml/m3 in heart failure group.LVEDVI of heart failure group was significantly higher than that of negative control group(t=2.7,P=0.01).E/A were 1.3±0.3 in negative control group and 1.1±0.3 in heart failure group.E/A of negative control group was significantly higher than that of heart failure group(t=2.2,P=0.04).Plasma BNP had a positive relation with cardiothoracic ratio(r=0.49,P=0.01) and a negative correlation with E/A(r=-0.28,P=0.04).The optimal cut-off value of plasma BNP was 181.8 pg/ml.The sensitivity of diagnosis of heart failure was 94% and the specificity was 88%.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.951.Conclusion Plasma BNP may comprise a sensitive marker for heart failure of left to right shunt congenital heart disease.It is recommended that 181.8 pg/ml is the optimal cut-off value to diagnose heart failure of left to right shunt congenital heart disease.

Objective To investigate the pharmacokinetics and relative bioavailability of praziquantel injection in buffaloes in contrast to praziquantel tablet. Methods A single oral administration of praziquantel tablet at a dose of 20 mg/kg or intramus-cular administration of praziquantel injection at a dose of 10 mg/kg was performed in six healthy adult buffalos according to a two-period crossover design. The praziquantel concentration in plasma was determined by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)method. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by non-compartmental analysis. Results The main pharma-cokinetic parameters of praziquantel tablet were as follows:Tmax=(0.60±0.29)h,Cmax=(0.57±0.37)μg/ml,T1/2β=(0.70±0.42) h,AUC=(0.80±0.70)(μg/ml)·h. The main pharmacokinetic parameters of praziquantel injection were as follows:Tmax=(0.65± 0.49)h,Cmax=(3.82 ± 1.17)μg/ml,T1/2β=(1.00 ± 0.73)h,AUC=(1.61 ± 0.89)(μg/ml)·h. The relative bioavailability of pra-ziquantel injection was 402.5％in contrast to praziquantel tablet. Conclusion The praziquantel injection has pharmacokinetic characteristics of rapid absorption,high bioavailability and extensive distribution,and the clinical recommended dosage of pra-ziquantel injection is 10 mg/kg.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the cardiopulmonary exercise capacity in patients with essential hypertension (EH) complicating with or without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).

METHODSGraded maximal exercise test on the bicycle ergometer with respiratory gas analysis were performed in 30 gender and age matched normotensive controls, 40 EH patients without LVH and 30 EH patients with LVH (LVMI>125 g/m2 in males and > 120 g/m2 in females). Metabolic equivalents (METs), oxygen uptake (VO2), oxygen uptake to body mass ratio (VO2/kg) and oxygen uptake to heart beat ratio (VO2/HR) at time of reaching anaerobic threshold (AT) and at maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) were measured and compared.

RESULTSMETs and VO2/kg were significantly reduced in EH patients with or without LVH compared with controls [at AT, METs: 3.57 +/- 0.8 and 4.34 +/- 1.47 vs. 5.21 +/- 1.45; VO2/kg: 12.38 +/- 2.85 and 14.42 +/- 4.33 vs. 18.48 +/- 4.52, all P < 0.01; at VO2max, METs: 4.94 +/- 1.24 and 5.90 +/- 1.51 vs. 6.96 +/- 1.85; VO(2)/kg: (17.20 +/- 4.34) mlxmin(-1)xkg(-1) and (20.41 +/- 4.59) mlxmin(-1)xkg(-1) vs. (24.04 +/- 5.21) mlxmin(-1)xkg(-1), all P < 0.01]. METs and VO2/kg at both time points were also significantly reduced in EH patients with LVH compared EH patients without LVH (all P < 0.05). The lower VO2/kg in hypertensive patients was significantly correlated to higher LVMI (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCardiopulmonary exercise capacity was reduced in hypertensive patients, especially in hypertensive patients with LVH.

Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Exercise Test ; Exercise Tolerance ; Female ; Heart ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; physiopathology ; Lung ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory Function Tests

OBJECTIVETo study the role of hepatic sinusoidal endothelium injury during hepatic fibrogenesis induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in rats.

METHODSHepatic fibrosis of rats was induced by administration of DMN intraperitoneally three times a week for 4 weeks. The animals were harvested on day 2 and week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, and 24. The formation of liver fibrosis and hepatic sinusoid capillarization were successively observed by morphological observation and other methods.

RESULTSTwo days after treated with DMN, there was no obvious changes in the liver, but the fenestration of the sinusoidal endothelial cells decreased, and it became more obvious after one week. After four weeks, there was a large necrotic area and a number of pseudolobes appeared. The HA in the serum was lower than that of control (231.30 ng/ml +/- 143.80 ng/ml vs 56.50 ng/ml +/- 18.10 ng/ml; t=3.14, P<0.05), but the hydroxyproline content was obviously higher than that of control (223.04 microg/g +/- 37.09 microg/g vs 61.55 microg/g +/- 20.85 microg/g; t=8.28, P<0.05). Hepatic sinusoid capillarization was gradually formed and defenestration of the hepatic sinusoidal endothelium preceded the appearance of serious hepatocellular damage, hepatic fibrosis and basement membrane.

CONCLUSIONSThe damage and phenotypic alteration of the hepatic sinusoidal endothelium may be a vital issue triggering the liver fibrosis induced by DMN.

Actins ; analysis ; Animals ; Dimethylnitrosamine ; toxicity ; Endothelium, Vascular ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Fibrosis ; chemically induced ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver ; blood supply ; chemistry ; pathology ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Time Factors ; von Willebrand Factor ; analysis

Large-scale cohort study has unique advantages in the field of etiology research for its large sample size a multi-time point data, but it also brings great difficulty in data management and quality control at the same time. Recently, China has initiated a number of large-scale population cohort studies, posing enormous challenges to the management and quality control of related cohort data. This paper summarizes the existing experience and consensus in the field of cohort study in China from the characteristics of the cohort data, aiming at the types and main forms of the four main sources of questionnaire data, clinical diagnosis and treatment data, biological sample detection data and observation outcome data, from the data storage, circulation and transmission work.The contents and methods of queue data management are comprehensively summarized. Corresponding data quality control strategies are advised in the questionnaire evaluation, data logic verification, survey object sampling and multi-database review, etc. The goal of this review is to provide guidance for the management of data and the formulation of quality control strategies in the cohort study in China.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of work pressure and psychological capital on job burnout of college teachers. METHODS: A total of 287 teachers from 7 universities in Nanjing City were selected as the research subjects using the convenient sampling method. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, Job Stress Scale for University Teachers and Psychological Capital Questionnaire were used to investigate their job burnout, job stress and psychological capital. RESULTS: The total scores of job burnout and job stress were(42.9±12.5) and(48.5±12.4) respectively, and the occurrence of job burnout was 64.1%. The total scores of psychological capital was(106.7±14.7), and the scores of the four dimensions including self-efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism were(27.6±4.6),(26.7±4.8),(27.0±4.2) and(25.4±3.8) respectively. The total score of job stress was positively correlated with the total score of job burnout [correlation coefficient(r)=0.41, P<0.01]. The total score of psychological capital, self-efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism were negatively correlated with the total score of job burnout(r values were-0.42,-0.28,-0.36,-0.36 and-0.42, respectively, P<0.01). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that after adjusting the influence of confounding factors and excluding other confounding factors, the higher the job stress, the higher the job burnout level(P<0.01), the higher the psychological capital optimism dimension score, the lower the job burnout level(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The job stress and psychological capital of college teachers can independently affect their job burnout level, with a dose-effect relationship.

AIM:To identify transcriptional differences between the ocular surface ectoderm(OSE)and surface ectoderm(SE)using RNA-seq, and elucidate the OSE transcriptome landscape and the regulatory networks involved in its development.METHODS:OSE and SE cells were differentiated from human embryonic stem(hES)cells. Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between OSE and SE were analyzed using RNA-seq. Based on the DEGs, we performed gene ontology(GO)analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis, and protein-protein interaction(PPI)network analysis. Transcription factors(TFs)and hub genes were screened. Subsequently, TF-gene and TF-miRNA regulatory networks were constructed using the NetworkAnalyst platform.RESULTS:A total of 4 182 DEGs were detected between OSE and SE cells, with 2 771 up-regulated and 1 411 down-regulated genes in OSE cells. GO-BP analysis revealed that up-regulated genes in OSE were enriched in the regulation of ion transmembrane transport, axon development, and modulation of chemical synaptic transmission. Down-regulated genes were primarily involved in nuclear division, chromosome segregation, and regulation of cell cycle phase transition. KEGG analysis indicated that up-regulated genes in OSE cells were enriched in signaling pathways such as cocaine addiction, axon guidance, and amphetamine addiction, while down-regulated genes were enriched in proteoglycans in cancer, ECM-receptor interaction, protein digestion and absorption, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Additionally, compared with SE, 204 TFs(including FOS, EGR1, POU5F1, SOX2, and PAX6)were up-regulated, and 80 TFs(including HAND2, HOXB6, HOXB5, HOXA5, and HOXB8)were down-regulated in OSE cells. Furthermore, we identified 6 up-regulated and 9 down-regulated hub genes in OSE cells, and constructed TF-gene and TF-miRNA regulatory networks based on these hub genes.CONCLUSIONS:The transcriptome characteristics of OSE and SE cells were elucidated through RNA-seq analysis. These findings may provide a novel insight for studies on the development and in vitro directed induction of OSE and corneal epithelial cells.