Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemicals which can exist in the form of vapor at room temperature.Endogenous VOCs can be produced by different biochemical processes in the human body.They can be transfered to lung through bloodstream and released through breath.Many researches show that exhaled VOCs can be significantly changed when people suffering cancers or inflammation. Detecting exhaled VOCs through instrument with high sensitivity make it possible to detect cancers in early phase in a noninvasive and rapid way,which reduce the suffering of patients.In conclusion,exhaled VOCs detection is a promising method for early diagnosis of cancers.

Objective To explore the before taking finasteride on transurethral plasmakinetic resection of prostate(TUPKVP)patients about IPSS,QOL,Qmax,PVR and other indicators.Methods 180 cases with benign prostatic hyperplasia were randomly divided into observation group and control group,90 cases in each group.Observation group and control group were given conventional therapy and the observed patients took 5 mg of finasteride everyday one week before surgery,all patients were followed up for 1 month.The two groups of TUPKVP patients were compared about IPSS,QOL,Qmax and PVR,intraoperative blood loss,operation time,irrigation fluid volume indicators.Results 180 patients were given successfully TUPKVP surgery.IPSS,QOL,Qmax and PVR contrast were significantly improved after treatment(t=5.11,7.01,3.06,6.17,11.82,4.13,4.52,5.17,all P＜0.05).IPSS,Qmax,PVR of the observation group after treatment was significantly better than that of the control group(t=11.35,5.26,3.12,all P＜0.05),the QOL difference between the two groups after treatment was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The cure rate of the observation group was 87.8％,which was significantly higher than 63.33％ in the control group(x2=14.56,P＜0.05).Intraoperative flushing fluid volume,intraoperative blood loss,duration of surgery in the observation group were significantly different compared with the control group,(t=21.15、43.12,5.33,all P＜0.05).Conclusion The preoperative taking finasteride can reduce TUPKVP blood loss and flushing fluid volume,shorten operation time and effectively improve the security of the operation.

Purpose:To investigate whether transforming growth factor ?1 (TGF ?1) pathway is involved in the mechanism of dexamethasone (Dex) mediated proliferation inhibition in ovarian cancer cell line HO 8910.Methods:To analyse cell proliferation and cell cycle distribution by cell counts and flow cytometric analysis, respectively ; to determine the expression levels of TGF ?1 and its two receptors, T?R Ⅰ and T?R Ⅱ , by quantative RT PCR, ELISA and(or) immunocytochemistry methods.Results:Dex induced a G 0 /G 1 cell cycle arrest in HO 8910 cells, and it up regulated T?R Ⅱ expression in a concentration dependent manner.The level of T?R Ⅱ mRNA was the highest after treatment with Dex for 8 hours, with 1.4 fold more than that of control at concentration of 10 -7 mol/L ( P

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus Huayu Paishi Decoction (stagnation- eliminating and stone-removing decoction) in treating nephrolithiasis of qi and blood stagnation type.Methods Sixty patients with nephrolithiasis of qi and blood stagnation type were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 30 cases each. The treatment group received acupuncture plus oral administration of Huayu Paishi Decoction and the control group, oral administration of Huayu Paishi Decoction alone. The symptoms and signs were scored and renal hydrops was measured in the two groups before and after treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups. Results The total efficacy rate was 76.7% in the treatment group and 56.7% in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the symptom and sign scores in the two groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in pre-/post-treatment symptom and sign score difference values between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment difference in renal hydrops volume in the treatment group (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in pre-/post-treatment renal hydrops volume difference value between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05).Conclusions Acupuncture plus Huayu Paishi Decoction is an effective way to treat nephrolithiasisi of qi and blood stagnation type. It can markedly improve the clinical symptoms and reduce renal hydrops in the patients.

AIM: To investigate the effects of synthetical glucocorticoid dexamethasone(Dex) on the activation of two members of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase1/2(ERK1/2 ) and p38 MAPK (p38) in human ovarian cancer cell line HO-8910. METHODS: The activation of ERK1/2 and p38 was determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Inhibition of activation of ERK1 and ERK2 by 10 -7 mol/L Dex occurred at 5 min, with maximum up to 41% and 54% respectively at 30 min ( P

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of obtaining good quality ultrasound pictures of sutures and anterior fontanelle with three-dimensional and two-dimensional ultrasound. Methods Eighty fetuses at 16-35 weeks of gestation were evaluated with two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasound. The sagittal, coronal, lambdoidal and metopic sutures, as well as anterior fontanelle, were inspected. Results The visualization of the sagittal suture of three-dimensional ultrasound was significantly superior to that of two-dimensional ultrasound, while no significant difference in visualization of the metopic, lambdoidal, coronal sutures and anterior fontanelle was found between the two modalities. The visualization of all sutures and anterior fontanelle was significantly superior with three-dimensional ultrasonography to that of two-dimensional ultrasonography before 30 weeks of gestation, whereas no significant difference was found between the two modalities after 30 weeks of gestation. Conclusion Three-dimensional ultrasound can provide more comprehensive information of fetal cranial sutures and anterior fontanelle than two-dimensional ultrasound does. Three-dimensional ultrasound can also supply high visualization of all sutures and anterior fontanelle before 30 weeks of gestation.

Objective To assess the application value of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound in visualizing fetal cranial sutures and fontanels. Methods One hundred women at different pregnant ages (16-19~+ weeks, 20-24~+ weeks, 25-29~+ weeks, 30-34~+ weeks, respectively) underwent 3D ultrasound, in order to observe the cranial sutures and fontanels of fetuses. Results ①Most cranial sutures and fontanels (70.00%-98.00%) could be visualized with 3D ultrasound. However, the sagittal suture revealed a lower displaying rate (53.00%) than others. ②At different pregnant ages, there was no significant difference of displaying rate of the metopic, coronal, squamoal sutures and the sphenoid, mastoid fontanels between fetuses and there was significant difference of displaying rate of the anterior and post fontanels, sagittal and lambdoid sutures. Conclusion 3D ultrasound can be used as an effective method for visualizing fetal cranial sutures and fontanels.

Objective: To study the in vitro effects of propofol on apoptosis and Bax expression induced by TNF-α in mouse spinal cord neurons. Methods: Spinal cord neurons were isolated from fetal mice and cultured in neurobasal medium with B27 supplement. On the 7th day of culture, neurons were randomly divided into 6 groups: control group, propofol (50 μmol/L) group, TNF-α group, propofol(25 μmol/L) with TNF-α group, propofol(50 μmol/L) with TNF-α group and propofol(100 μmol/L) with TNF-α group. Propofol with different concentrations was incubated with cultured cells for 30 min, then TNF-α was added with the final concentration of 2 000 U/ml for another 24 h incubation. Apoptosis was detected by PI/Hoechst33342 double staining technique and fluorescence microscopy. Bax expression was determined by immunocytochemical technique. Results: The apoptosis rate and expression of Bax in TNF-α group were both increased compared with those in control group ([21.8±1.1]% vs [2.8±0.8]%,P<0.01; [0.251±0.016] vs [0.141±0.015],P<0.01). The apoptosis rates and expression of Bax in 3 propofol groups(25, 50, 100 μmol/L) were ([16.2±1.2]%, [15.3±0.6]% and [12.2±0.8]%) and ([0.198±0.011],[0.188±0.012] and [0.167±0.014]), respectively, and they were all significantly decreased compared with those in TNF-α group ([21.8±1.1]% and [0.251±0.0163], all P<0.05). Moreover, a dose-dependent manner was observed in the above changes. Conclusion: Propofol within clinical concentration ranges may inhibit the apoptosis of spinal cord neurons induced by TNF-α through modulating the expression of Bax.

Objective: To investigate the effect of ART 1 (arginine-specific adenosinediphosphateribosyltransferase 1) gene silencing by shRNA (short hairpin RNA) interference on the proliferation ability of mouse colon cancer CT26 cells, and to explore its possible mechanism. Methods: It was confirmed that ART1 expression existed in CT26 cells by immunofluorescence assay. Lentivirus of ART1-shRNA was infected into mouse colon carcinoma CT26 cells. The CT26 cells uninfected or infected with a negative NC-shRNA (control-shRNA) served as the controls. The expression of ART1 mRNA was detected by RTPCR, and the expressions of ART1, RhoA, c-myc, and c-fos proteins were examined by Western blotting. The cell proliferation in each group was measured by CCK8 (cell counting kit-8) assay. Results: It was determined that ART1 expression existed in the CT26 cells. Lentivirus of ART1-shRNA or NC-shRNA was infected into CT26 cells successfully, and the CT26 cell line with stable low-expression of ART1 was successfully established. Compared with CT26 cells infected with NC-shRNA lentivirus or those were un-infected, the expression of ART1 mRNA was significantly reduced in CT26 cells infected with ART1- shRNA lentivirus (P < 0.01), and the protein expression levels of ART1, RhoA, c-myc, and c-fos were all obviously decreased (P < 0.01). The inhibition rate of cell proliferation of CT26 cells infected with ART1-shRNA lentivirus was markedly increased compared with the control groups (P < 0.01). Conclusion: RNA interference targeting ART 1 gene can inhibit the proliferation ability of mouse colon carcinoma CT26 cells. This effect probably associates with the down-regulation of the expressions of RhoA and its downstream effectors c-myc and c-fos after silencing the expression of ART 1 gene. Copyright © 2012 by TUMOR.

Objective: To investigate the expression of angiopoietin-related growth factor (AGF) in obese patients and its relationship with body mass index(BMI), waist circumference(WC), waist-hip ratio(WHR), blood glucose(FBG), plasma insulin(FINS) levels, and HOMA-insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR). Methods: Plasma AGF levels were assayed by ELISA in 40 patients with obesity and 40 normal controls. The relationship of AGF level with BMI, WC, WHR, HbA 1c, blood lipids, FBG, FINS, and HOMA-IR was also analyzed. Results: AGF levels in patients with obesity were significantly increased compared with that in the control group ([177.55±74.09] ng/ml vs [122.37±66.91] ng/ml, P<0.05). We also found that AGF level was positively correlated with Triglyceride(TG), FINS and HOMA-IR(r=0.325, P<0.05; r = 0.451, P<0.01; r = 0.483, P<0.01); and was negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL, r= -0.529, P<0.01). Multiple regression analysis showed that HDL, BMI and FINS were the factors influencing AGF levels. Binomial Logistic regression analysis indicated that AGF level was positively correlated with obesity after adjusting sex, age, total cholesterol (TC), TG, HDL and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (OR>1). Conclusion: The change of AGF level is associated with the metabolism disorder in obese patients, and it may also contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity.