20(Z= -2.117, P=0.034), and between the patients with OD and without OD (Z=-3.089, P=0.002), but PCT was not so between the non-surviror and survivor (Z=-1.307, P=0.191). The serum PCT level correlated with the incidence of organ dysfunction (x~2=14.82, P=0.033) and APACHEII (x~2=12.83, P

Natural products are important sources for the discovery of anti-tumor drugs. Evodiamine is the main alkaloid component of the traditional Chinese herb Wu-Chu-Yu, and it has weak antitumor activity. In recent years, a number of highly active antitumor candidates have been discovered with a significant progress. This article reviews the research progress of evodiamine-based antitumor drug design strategies, in order to provide reference for the development of new drugs with natural products as leads.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of Yizhi Capsule (YZC) on learning and memory disorder and beta-amyloid peptide induced neurotoxicity in rats.

METHODSVarious doses of YZC were administered to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats for 8 consecutive days, twice a day. On the 8th day of the experiment, scopolamine hydrobromide was intraperitoneally injected to every rat and Morris water maze test and shuttle dark avoidance test were carried out respectively to explore the changes of learning and memory capacities in the rats. Besides, after the cerebral cortical neurons of newborn SD rats aged within 3 days were cultured in vitro for 7 days, drug serum containing YZC was added to the cultured neurons before or after beta amyloid peptide(25 - 35) (Abeta(25 - 35)) intoxication to observe the protective effect of YZC on neurotoxicity by MTT assay and to determine the LDH content in the supernatant.

RESULTSCompared with those untreated with YZC, the rats having received YZC treatment got superiority in shorter time of platform seeking in Morris water maze test, as well as elongated latent period and less times of error in shuttle dark avoidance test. On the cultured neurons, YZC drug serum could effectively increase the survival rate of Abeta(25 - 35) intoxicated neurons and reduce the LDH contents in cultured supernatant.

CONCLUSIONYZC has an action of improving learning and memory disorder, and good protective effect on Abeta(25 - 35) induced neurotoxicity in SD rats.

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; toxicity ; Animals ; Avoidance Learning ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cerebral Cortex ; cytology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; analysis ; Learning ; drug effects ; Male ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Memory Disorders ; drug therapy ; Neurons ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Scopolamine Hydrobromide ; pharmacology

Objective To investigate the effect induced by specific inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor 1 400 W on nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2 cells lines and its mechanism.Methods CNE-2 cells were treated by different concentrations of 1 400 W,diamminedichloroplatinum (DDP),and both chemicals.Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to examine the viability of cells.Quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to detect the iNOS mRNA expression.Results The expression of iNOS mRNA was down-regulated by 1400W and was positively correlated with inhibitionrate of cell proliferation.1 400 W inhibits proliferation of CNE-2 cell in a concentration-dependent manner.The proliferation inhibition rate of CNE-2 cells treated by 1 400 W combined with DDP was not enhanced.Conclusions Specific inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor 1 400 W can exerts anti-tumor effect though inhibiting the expression of iNOS mRNA;The mechanism of chemosensitization induced by iNOS inhibitor on CNE-2 cells may be closely related level of down-regulation of iNOS expression.

OBJECTIVETo isolate MSCs from adult human bone marrow cells and to induce them into adipocytes.

METHODSMSCs were isolated from adult human bone marrow aspirated by Percoll and expanded in L-DMEM. The surface antigen of MSCs, CD14, CD34, CD45, CD44, VLA-1, HLA-DR and cell cycle were analysed on a FACScan flow cytometer. MSCs were cultured in adipogenisis inducing medium including insulin, 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine, indomethine and dexamethasone for 7 days and stained with Oil Red O.

RESULTSMSCs grew as adherent cells and expanded more than 10 passages. They were positive for CD44 and negative for CD14, CD34, CD45, HLA-DR. The expression of VLA-1 was weak. After 7 days of adipocyte inducing, about 85%of the cells displayed accumulation of lipid vacuoles, as detected by Red Oil O.

CONCLUSIONMSCs isolated and cultured from adult human bone marrow can be induced to adipogenisis committed differentiation.

Adipocytes ; physiology ; Adult ; Antigens, CD34 ; analysis ; Bone Marrow Cells ; physiology ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Cells, Cultured ; HLA-DR Antigens ; analysis ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; analysis ; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors ; analysis ; Stem Cells ; physiology

Biosimilars are biological medicinal products that are highly similar to an already licensed reference product in terms of quality, safety, and efficacy. BAT1706 is being developed by Bio-Thera Solutions, Ltd. as a proposed biosimilar candidate to bevacizumab reference product (Avastin^®). Bevacizumab acts by specifically binding to vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), and preventing the interaction of VEGF-A with its receptors on the surface of endothelial cells, then blocking the downstream signaling pathway mediated by ligand-receptor, and inhibiting endothelial angiogenesis, thus inhibiting tumor growth. Comprehensive analytical characterization studies incorporating orthogonal analytical techniques were performed to compare the in vitro functional activities of BAT1706 and Avastin^®. BAT1706 and Avastin^® showed highly similar binding activity to multiple VEGF-A isoforms and equivalent VEGF-A neutralizing activity, as well as inhibitory activity of VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-2 tyrosine kinase autophosphorylation. Both products exhibited similar binding of the Fcγ receptors and a lack of Fc-related effector functions such as antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). Overall, the results demonstrate that BAT1706 and Avastin^® are highly similar in terms of in vitro functional activities.

OBJECTIVETo explore the methods of maintaining the stability of middle turbinate (MT), reducing the incidence of middle meatus synechia formation and improving the treatment effect of endoscopic sinus surgery.

METHODSA prospective study was conducted in 54 consecutive patients with chronic sinusitis. The patients were allocated into two groups. During the operation, the most anterior and superior MT attachments to the agger nasi region were preserved, and anterior and posterior ethmoidectomy were performed in group A (27 cases 47 sides). Besides above structures, the most posterior and inferior aspects of the basal lamellae and the horizontal boney strut structures of the basal lamellae were preserved in group B (27 cases 51 sides).

RESULTSThere were no significant differences between the two groups in age, course and preoperation visual analogue scale (VAS) score. The VAS scores in group A before and 1 year after operation were (6.41 +/- 0.25) and (1.70 +/- 0.36), the difference was significant (t = 10.472, P < 0.05). The VAS scores in group B before and 1 year after operation were (6.78 +/- 0.23) and (0.66 +/- 0.16), the difference was significant (t = 17.195, P < 0.05). The Lund-Kennedy scores in group A and group B one year after operation were (1.85 +/- 0.47) and (0.67 +/- 0.16), the difference was significant (t = 2.290, P < 0.05). The MT position was described as stable, slight drifting laterally and synechia formation. And the incidence of stable, slight drifting laterally and synechia between MT and the nasal lateral wall in group A and group B was 57.4%, 23.4%, 19.1% and 88.2%, 3.9%, 7.8% respectively, the differences were significant (chi(2) = 12.511, P < 0.05)

CONCLUSIONSConservation of the horizontal bony strut of basal lamellae could better maintain the stability of MT, reduce the incidence of MT drifting laterally and synechia formation, and finally improve the curative effect of endoscopic sinus surgery.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Prospective Studies ; Sinusitis ; surgery ; Turbinates ; anatomy & histology ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo express a bioactive fusion protein comprising rat soluble transforming growth factor beta type II receptor and interferon gamma(rsTGFbetaR II-IFN gamma) in mammalian cells.

METHODSmRNA was extracted from rat liver and the sTGFbetaR II-IFN gamma genes amplified by RT-PCR, then the two gene segments were cloned into the same pSecTag2A expression vector, and pSecTag2A/rsTGFbetaR II-IFN gamma recombinant plasmid was obtained, which was later transfected into CHO cells using liposomes. The expression of pSecTag2A/rsTGFbetaR II-IFN gamma in the supernatant was detected by ELISA and Western blotting. The bioactivities of the fusion protein were tested by sTGF betaR II-IFN gamma and IFN gamma bioassays.

RESULTSpSecTag2A/rsTGFbetaR II-IFN gamma transfectants expressed rsTGF betaR II-IFN gamma fusion protein. The purified fusion protein exhibited anti-viral activity and antagonized the proliferation-inhibitive effect of TGFbeta1 on CCL-64 cells. It inhibits the HSC activation in vitro.

CONCLUSIONThe pSecTag2A/rsTGFbetaR II-IFN gamma recombinant plasmid constructed in this study can express bioactive rsTGFbetaR II-IFN gamma fusion protein.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; CHO Cells ; Cloning, Molecular ; Cricetinae ; Eukaryotic Cells ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; Hepatocytes ; metabolism ; Interferon-gamma ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; Rats ; Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Recombinant Proteins

OBJECTIVETo construct a eukaryotic expression vector encoding the gene of extracellular region of type II transforming growth factor beta receptor (sTGFbetaR II), to express the protein in CHO cell line and to determine its biological activity.

METHODSThe extracellular region (amino acids 1-159) of the human TGFbetaR II cDNA was amplified by PCR from a TGFbetaR II chimeric plasmid,and the eukaryotic expression plasmid pCDNA3.1/myc-his(-)B-sTGFbetaR II(pCDNA-sTGFbetaR II) was constructed by inserting the sTGFbetaR II cDNA into the EcoR I/Hind III-digested pCDNA. The DNA sequence was confirmed by double digestion and the pCDNA-sTGFbetaR II plasmid was transfected into the CHO cell line. The sTGFbetaR II protein was confirmed by Western blotting analysis and its biological function was determined.

RESULTSThe specific protein was observed in western blotting, and the protein abrogated the growth-inhibitory effects of TGF-beta1 on mink lung epithelial cells (Mv1Lu).

CONCLUSIONThe eukaryotic expression plasmid pCDNA-sTGFbetaR II has been successfully constructed and the sTGFsTGFbetaR II protein with biological activity obtained.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; CHO Cells ; Cloning, Molecular ; Cricetinae ; DNA, Complementary ; Eukaryotic Cells ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Recombination, Genetic ; genetics ; Transfection

To verify the effect of echinacoside on replication and antigen expression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) by using HBV-transfected HepG2. 2. 15 cells as the in vitro model. The ELISA method was used to determine HBeAg and HBsAg levels in cellular supernatants. The effect of echinacoside on HBV replication was studied by using HBV transgenic mice as the in vivo model. First of all, the HBV DNA level in hepatic tissues was quantified with PCR method. Meanwhile, the serum transaminase levels and hepatic pathological changes were also evaluated. Subsequently, HBV transgenic mice were divided into five groups: the control group, the lamivudine group (50 mg · kg(-1)) and echinacoside high, medium and low dose group (50, 25 and 12.5 mg · kg(-1)). The mice were orally administered with drugs once per day for 30 days. At the 31st day, the mice serum was separated to measure HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV DNA. Additionally, the liver HBV DNA level and histopathological change were detected. The results indicated that echinacoside at 50 and 100 mg · L(-1) suppressed significantly HBsAg and HBeAg expressions on the sixth day, with the maximum inhibition ratios of 42.68% and 46.29%; And echinacoside at 100 mg · L(-1) also showed an inhibitory effect on HBV DNA. Besides, echinacoside at 50 mg · kg(-1) inhibited significantly HBsAg and HBeAg expressions of HBV transgenic mice, with the inhibition ratios of 42.82% and 29.12%, and reduced markedly the serum HBV DNA level in HBV transgenic mice. In conclusion, the study suggested that echinacoside has a strong effect against HBV replication and antigen expression.
Animals ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Glycosides ; pharmacology ; Hep G2 Cells ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Virus Replication ; drug effects