BACKGROUND:We tried to combine 8-bromo-7-methoxychrysin and sorafenib in order to offset the tolerance of hepatocelular cancer stem cels to sorafenib, thereby comprehensively improving the therapeutic efficacy on hepatocelular carcinoma. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of 8-bromo-7-methoxychrysin, sorafenib and their combination on apoptosis of liver cancer stem-like cels SMMC-7721, and to analyze their mechanisms. METHODS:SMMC-7721 cels were treated with 8-bromo-7-methoxychrysin, sorafenib alone and their combination for 24 hours. Then, flow cytometry was used to detect cel apoptosis and western blot assay was used to determine nuclear factor-κB protein expression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with 8-bromo-7-methoxychrysin group and sorafenib group, the apoptotic rates of SMMC-7721 cels were significantly enhanced after treatment with the combination of 8-bromo-7-methoxychrysin group and sorafenib (2.5, 5, 10, 50 μmol/L), and meanwhile, the protein expression of nuclear factor-κB was down-regulated significantly. These findings indicate that the combined therapy of 8-bromo-7-methoxychrysin group and sorafenib can enhance the apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cels, which may be associated with down-regulation of nuclear factor-κB protein.

Objective To explore the effects of anti-tumor immunity induced by dendritic cells (DCs) vaccine pulsed with PEP3-KLH (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) on induction of specific immunity against prostate cancers.Methods DCs were propagated from bone marrow of C57BL/6 mice in vitro with granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (IL-4).On day 5 of culture, DCs were harvested and incubated with PEP3-KLH or KLH.Then the DC vaccine was inoculated into C57BL/6 mice by subcutaneous injection for three times with an interval of two weeks.One week after the last vaccination, the levels of IL-2, IL-12, and interferon (IFN)-γwere measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.The aforementioned immunized mice with DC vaccines were challenged with transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP)-C2 tumor cells, the tumor growth curve was drawn, and survival rate was checked and compared.The cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity induced by DCs was tested with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release method.The percentages of CD3 + , CD4+ ,or CD8 + T cells in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were determined with flow cytometry.Results PEP3-KLH-DC group stimulated the body and induced higher levels of secreted IL-2, IL-12, and IFN-γ compared to DCs control and KLH-DC groups (P ＜ 0.01).The tumor of mice vaccinated with PEP3-KLHDC grew significantly slower than that injected with DCs or KLH-DC (P ＜0.01).Compared to the others, the survival rate in PEP3-KLH-DC group raised remarkably (P ＜ 0.01).PEP3-KLH-DC group induced more outstanding specific CTL activities of killing tumor cells than DCs control group and KLH-DC group (P ＜ 0.01), and the cytotoxicities of TILs in PEP3-KLH-DC group was significantly enhanced (P ＜0.01).The percentages of CD3 + , CD4 + , or CD8 + T cells in TILs (40.9％, 34.1％) in PEP3-KLH-DC group were significantly higher than those in DC-KLH (27.3％, 5.2％) or DCs (26.2％, 5.1％) group.Conclusions PEP3-KLH-DC vaccine can inhibit effectively tumor growth, enhance long-term survival in mice,intensify the local immunologic function of tumor, and elicit and promote profound specific anti-prostate cancer cellular immune responses.

Functions of the 3′untranslated regions (3′UTR) of eukaryotic mRNAs are complicated. They can control the stability and intracellular localization of mRNAs, and direct the translation of special amino acids. Mutations in the 3′UTR of some mRNA can cause serious diseases, and recent studies showed that the 3′UTR of some eukaryotic mRNAs possess tumor-suppression function.

Objective:To explore influence of negative emotions on prognosis of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) .Methods :Self‐rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self‐rating depression scale (SDS) were used to assess 90 patients undergoing PCI .According to the score results ,patients were divided into pure depression group (n=28 ,occupied 31.11% ) ,pure anxiety group (n=22 ,24.44% ) ,anxiety com‐plicated depression group (n= 25 ,27.78% ) and normal group (n = 15 ) . All patients were followed up for 12 months ,and Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze risk factors for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) .Results:Incidence rates of MACE in pure depression group ,pure anxiety group and anxiety complicated depression group were significantly higher than that of normal group (42.86% vs .40.91% vs .64.00% vs .6.67% , P<0.05 or <0.01) ,and that of anxiety complicated depression group was significantly higher than those of pure depression group and pure anxiety group (P<0.05 both) .Logistic regression analysis indicated that anxiety ,depres‐sion ,anxiety complicated depression were risk factors for MACE (OR = 1.49 ,2.16 ,3.28 , P < 0.05 or < 0.01) . Conclusion : Most patients undergoing coronary intervention possesses negative emotions ,which are risk factors for adverse clinical events and affect their prognosis .

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of warming spleen and stomach for dispersing phlegm recipe (Wenzhong Xiaotan Recipe, WZXTR), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in S(180) tumor tissue in mice, and to explore the effectiveness and its mechanism. METHODS: Fifty mice were randomly divided into five groups: untreated group, cold water-treated group, cold water and WZXTR-treated group, cold water and dispersing phlegm and eliminating stagnation recipe (Xiaotan Sanjie Recipe, XTSJR, another compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine) treated group, cold water and tegafur-treated group. Mice in the latter 4 groups were fed 0-4 degrees centigrade cold distilled water 10 ml/(kg x d) one week before tumor inoculation for 3 weeks. Mice in the 5 groups were inoculated neoplastic cells which were diluted 2 x 10(7)/ml with normal saline in the right armpit at the second week. Forty-eight hours later, the mice were given drugs intragastrically (WZXTR, XTSJR and tegafur, respectively). The mice were continually intervened by cold water in the morning and given drugs in the afternoon. Mice in the cold water-treated group were given normal saline, and nothing was given in untreated group. Morphology appearance and changes of rectal temperature were observed, and the tumor weight and volume were measured and inhibitory rate was calculated 22 days after tumor inoculation. IL-8 was detected by avidin-biotin system-enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ABC-ELISA) and real-time reverse polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR). RESULTS: The content of IL-8 in tumor tissue of the untreated group was significantly higher than that of the other groups (P<0.01), and that of the cold water-treated group was higher than that of the cold water and WZXTR-treated group (P<0.01) and the cold water and XTSJR-treated group (P<0.05), respectively. The gray scale value of cDNA amplification strap was descent more evidently in both the cold water and WZXTR-treated group and the cold water and XTSJR-treated group as compared with that of the cold water-treated group and the untreated group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: WZXTR can restrain tumor growth, and the mechanism may be that it can degrade the expression of IL-8 in S180 tumor.

AIM:To make compound demethycantharidin(including Radix astragali and Rhizoma bletillae) into stomach remaining-floating sustained-release preparation. METHODS:Radix astragal and Rhizoma betillae pulverized to superfine powders were combined with hydrophilic gel to manufacture stomach remaining-floating sustained-release tablet(floating tablet). RESULTS:The tablet started to drift in 3 min in the artificial gastric juice and float lasted for more than 8 h. By isotopic tracering,the floating tablets given on an empty stomach were retarded for 2-3 h and on large meal for 4-5 h in combination with ordinary tablet only retarded for 1 h. A pharmacopoeia dissolution method was set up to determine the release. 50% of tablets were disintegration in 5 h,70% in 8 h. The t 1/2 was 5.1 h(2-4 h for ordinary tablets),and the MRT was 8.3 h(3.3 h for ordinary tablets),and the remaining-floating sustained-release tablets showed a relative bioavailability of 230.71%. CONCLUSION:Pretreatment of raw herbs from compound demethylcantharidin and selection of the excipients will help to produce the herb-containing floating tablet.

Objective To explore the Monte Carlo calculation methods for the absolute dose calibration and output factor of 6 MV flattening-filter ( FF) and flattening-filter free ( FFF) photon beams based on TrueBeam accelerator .Methods The BEAMnrc code was used to model the LINAC head of FF and FFF modes.The BEAM_up covers the components from the target to the monitor chamber , and BEAM_down includes the structures beneath the chamber , the dose deposit to the monitor chamber contributed by the incidence electrons and scattered particles from the secondary collimators were calculated respectively .The incidence electron-induced dose at certain depths on the central axis were simulated by means of the DOSXYZnrc code .By means of dose calibration equation , the calibration factor for the standard field (10 cm ×10 cm) and the output factors for various fields (1 cm ×1 cm-40 cm ×40 cm) were computed respectively .Results For the 6 MV FF and FFF beams under the standard 10 cm ×10 cm field, 1 MU equals to 7.747 ×1013 ±3.099 ×1011 and 3.248 ×1013 ±1.624 ×1011 electrons to the target , respectively , which deposited 21.53 and 35.01 cGy to the monitor chamber of the virtual accelerator respectively .The difference between the simulated and calculated output factors were 0.72%±1.4%and 0.56%±0.78%for FF and FFF , respectively .Conclusions The model generated and measured output factors agree well , indicating the good accuracy of the dose calculation by the model , which would provides basis for further clinical dosimetric studies .

Objective To investigate the transfer rate of alkaloids in extraction and purification process of Cortex Phellodendri Amurensis (CPA) and to ascertain the optimal purification technology.Methods We purified the alkaloids from Cortex Phellodendri Amurensis by AB-8 macroporous resin.With the contents of berberine hydrochloride and palmatine hydrochloride as the reference indexes,content determination of alcohol extract,sample solution and eluent from AB-8 macroporous resin were determined by HPLC.Results The optimal technology was as follows:using 8-fold 75 %(V/V) ethanol as extract,extracting for 3 times and lasting one hour for each time.The transfer rate of alkaloids was 83.75 %under the above condition.The transfer rate of alkaloids was about 80 %when the concentration of sample solution(pH value being 8 and centrifugation) was 0.1 g/mL,and the transfer rate of alkaloids in eluent was 75.14 %.Conclusion The optimum technology is stable and feasible,and the purification effect of alkaloids from Cortex Phellodendri Amurensis by AB-8 macroporus resin is good.

Objective To compare the performances of four commercially available LINAC daily QA instruments.Methods The dosimetric stability of a LINAC including central axis output,flatness and symmetry were verified and fine-tuned using a 3-dimensional water phantom,dosimeters and ionization chambers.The baseline of the four instruments including LINA-C,QUICK-C,BEAM-C and QA3 were set thereafter.Daily measurements of LINAC were conducted with these instruments respectively and the results were compared.Arbitrary errors (CAX and SYM) beyond TG-142 tolerances were introduced to the LINAC to test the sensibilities of each instrument in detecting these changes.Results Relative to the baseline that were measured by the 3-dimensional water phantom and dosimeters,the results monitored by the four instruments were comparable.The maximum disparities of the CAX,FLAT,and SYM were 0.5％ (LINA-C),-0.45％ (QUICK-C),and 0.5％ (BEAM-C),respectively.All checkers detected the known errors successfully.Conclusions The stabilities of all the four evaluated instruments met the requirements of daily QA for LINAC.LINA-C verifies CAX only.QUICKE-C,BEAM-C and QA3 can be used to perform all the daily QA protocols as suggested by AAPM TG 142 report.They also provide unique additional functions.The setup of baseline determines if the morning checkers could measure the LINAC dosimetric parameters correctly.When an error is alarmed by the morning checker,it is recommended to verify the performance of the instrument first rather than recalibrating the LINAC immediately.

An analytical procedure for the determination of water-and methanol-extractable pentachlorophenol ( PCP) in soils using vortex assisted liquid-liquid extraction ( VALLE ) and gas chromatography ( GC ) was developed. Significant extraction parameters, such as liquid-liquid ratio and vortex speed were optimized. The recovery of PCP was the highest ( 97. 4%) at the vortex rotation speed of 2000 r/min, with good reproducbility and a small relative sdandard deviation ( RSD, 0. 5%), with regard to the volume ratio of derivatization solution to n-hexane, the recovery of PCP was 103% with an RSD of 0. 7% at 10:4. The linearity of the calibration ranged from 1. 25 μg/L to 4000 μg/L, with a correlation coefficient ( R2 ) of 0. 9999. The detection limit of the PCP in water was below 0. 2 μg/L. Compared with traditional liquid-liquid extraction ( LLE) and solid phase extraction ( SPE) , the VALLE method was more simple and more economic in terms of chemical consumption, also with a recovery of 96. 8% and a RSD of 3. 7%. Four different soils were used to check the reliability of this method. The soils were respectively extracted with water once and methanol three times. The total recoveries were 89. 5%-98. 9% and 88. 7%-98. 4% at the PCP spiking level of 1 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. It is concluded that the VALLE method satisfied the extraction and determination of water and methanol extractable PCP in soils with varying PCP polluting rates.