Microbiome is a novel research field related to human health,agriculture,bio-energy and the environment. Gut microbiome has received much attention from researchers recently. Studies have shown that gut flora is related to some diseases,such as digestive disease(inflammatory bowel disease),metabolic disease(type 2 diabetes), cardie-cerebral vascular disease(Parkinson disease). Traditional Chinese materia medica(TCMM) has long been used as a tonic and taken in a large amount. Gut flora has an effect on pharmacology and toxicology of TCMM after entering the gastroin?testinal tract. This article is intended to review recent researches on microbiome,common detection techniques and the relationship with hepatotoxicity induced by Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.,scutel?laria baicalensis that directly affects the intestinal tract,nephrotoxicity induced by Rhizoma Alismatis and pneumonia induced by Xiao-Chaihu-Tang.

Objective To investigate the potential mechanism of inhibition of ursolic acid(UA) on growth of human gastric cancer cell lines SGC7901 in vitro.Methods SGC7901 cells were cultured in vitro,MTT assay was used to observe the effect of UA on growth of SGC7901 cells in various concentrations for different times.After SGC7901 cells were treated by 0—40 ?mol/L UA for 24 h,morphological changes were observed by inverted microscope.Apoptotic changes were detected by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry (FCM).Protein expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were determined by Western blotting.Results UA(20—40 ?mol/L) could significantly inhibit the growth of SGC7901 cells in a(dose-and) time-dependent manner,the IC_(50) value of UA for SGC7901 cells for 12,24,36,and 48 h were((57.50?)1.18),(34.28?2.05),(27.54?1.11),and(24.83?1.02) ?mol/L,respectively.After UA((20—)40 ?mol/L) treatment for 24 h,SGC7901 cells turned round and floated at different levels;SGC7901 cells were arrested at G_0/G_1 phase and apoptosis was induced,and the apoptotic rate was increased along with the increase of UA concentration.Meanwhile Bcl-2 protein expression decreased,whereas Bax protein expression unchanged.Conclusion UA has a stronger antitumor effect on SGC7901 cells.Cytotoxic effect,proliferation inhibition,and apoptosis may be involoved in the mechanism of UA,and the apoptosis caused by UA may be enhanced by decrease of Bcl-2 protein expression.

Objective:A study was conducted to observe and compare the efficacy and safety of endostar combined with peme-trexed in elderly patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Methods:Sixty advanced lung adenocarcinoma (ⅢB-Ⅳ) patients who never received any therapy were included. The patients were divided into two groups. One group comprised endostar treatment com-bined with pemetrexed (26 cases of males, 15 cases of females, and 11 cases of individuals aged 65 years old to 78 years old), and the other group comprised pemetrexed only (34 cases of males, 20 cases of female, and 14 cases of individuals aged 65 years old to 78 years old). The two groups were treated for 4 to 6 cycles, and evaluation of treatments was performed every two cycles. Results:The endostar group was re-treated for 80 cycles, and the average cycle was 3.1. The group without endostar was re-treated for 115 cycles. The short-term effects are as follows. The total effective rates (RRs) in the experimental and control groups were 23.1%and 14.7%, re-spectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The disease control rate (DCR) was not significantly different (P>0.05). For pleural effusion, RR and DCR were significantly better in the experimental group than in the control group (P<0.05). In the experimental group, compared with PD, the microvessel density (MVD) in the DCR showed higher expression, and a statistically signif-icant difference (P=0.03) was observed. In the control group, compared with PD, the MVD in the DCR also showed higher expression, but no significant difference (P=0.73) was observed. The long-term effects were as follows: median progression-free survival (PFS), median survival, and side effects between the two groups were not significantly different (P>0.05). Conclusion: Endostar combined with pemetrexed showed increase in total efficiency in elderly patients with lung adenocarcinoma, and malignant pleural effusion was controlled without increasing the toxicity of chemotherapy. MVD can be used as a predictor of Endostar application.

Objective To observe the effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on osteogenic differentiation abili?ty and cell proliferation of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), and to explore the role of bFGF on the process of osteogenic differencitiaion in vitro. Methods HGFs were cultured in vitro until the 3rd passage when they were divided into four groups:normal medium as group 1, normal medium with 10μg/L bFGF as group 2, osteogenic medium as group 3 and osteo?genic medium with 10μg/L bFGF as group 4. MTT assay was used to evaluate the proliferation of HGFs. Alkaline phospha?tase (ALP) staining and Alizarin red staining were applied to investigate osteogenic potential of HGFs under different culture conditions. Results bFGF at concentration of 10 μg/L could increase HGFs proliferation in both normal and osteogenic medium (P<0.01). HGFs could be induced towards osteogenic differentiation and form mineralized nodule in osteogenic me?dium. However, 10μg/L bFGF had no effects on ALP activity and mineralized nodule formation of HGFs during osteogenic differentiation. Conclusion bFGF could promote the proliferation of HGFs but show no effects on osteogenic differentiation of HGFs at concentration of 10μg/L.

Objective To explore any effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on the proprioception and balance of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).Methods Forty patients with KOA were randomly divided into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG),each of 20.The PNF techniques of isotonic combined contraction,and rhythmic stable and dynamic reversal were applied in the EG,while the CG received quadriceps muscle strength training.Knee proprioception was evaluated using knee angle reconstruction experiments,and balance ability was measured using the one leg standing test (OLS) and the five times sit to stand test (FTSST).Results The errors in active and passive knee angle reconstruction at 30°,60° and 110° all improved significantly in the EG,but not in the CG.After the treatment,the OLS and FTSST results improved significantly in the EG,but only the OLS results improved significantly in the CG,not the FTSST times.Even so,the average OLS time in the EG was significantly longer than that of the CG after the training.Conclusion Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation can improve the proprioception and balance of persons with knee osteoarthritis.

AIM: To explore the curative effect of methylprednisolone with octreotide retrobulbar injection therapy on thyroid associated ophthalmopathy.
METHODS:Fifty- one cases ( 96 eyes ) with thyroid associated ophthalmopathy were treated with methylprednisolone ( 500mg/d ) for 3d, and then retrobulbar injection of octreotide (0. 1mg/mo) for 3mo in one course. Symptoms and signs of the patients were observed before and after the treatment course.
RESULTS: Symptoms of 49 cases were improved significantly. In all cases, the mean value of exophthalmus of the patients was significantly decreased after the treatment by 3. 1 ± 1. 4mm. The height of palpebral fissure was significantly decreased after the treatment by 2. 4 ± 0. 9mm, there were statistically significant difference before and after treatment (P<0. 05).
COCLUSION: Methylprednisolone with octreotide retrobulbar injection therapy can improve symptoms and signs of the patients with thyroid associated ophthalmopathy with high safety and no obvious side effect.

AIM: To observe the effect of E2F decoy DNA on proliferation and apoptosis of androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line PC-3M.METHODS: E2F decoy DNA,ARE decoy DNA and control decoy DNA were transfected into PC-3M cells with lipofectamine,respectively.Their effects on cell proliferation were detected by MTT assay.The changes of cell morphology were observed by inverted phase contrast microscope.The cell apoptotic rate was determined by flow cytometry(FCM) analysis and chromosome DNA ladder was detected by DNA gel electrophoresis.The expression of c-Myc mRNA and cyclin D1 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR.The protein levels of c-Myc and cyclin D1 were detected by Western blotting.RESULTS: The growth of PC-3M cells was inhibited after transfection.The transfected PC-3M cells displayed typical apoptotic morphological changes.The apoptotic rate was 26.35% and DNA ladder was observed after transfection.The expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1 were inhibited.CONCLUSION: These results indicate that E2F decoy DNA induces apoptosis of androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines PC-3M and inhibits cell proliferation via inhibiting expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1.

Objectives To investigate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and its tissue inhibitor (TIMP-1) in cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and the relationship between the expression and invasive growth and metastasis of SCC. Methods Immunohistochemical method of streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) was used to detect the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 proteins on the paraffin embedded sections of 65 patients with cutaneous SCC and 5 cases of normal epidermis. The immunohistochemical results were analyzed quantitatively using an image analysis system. Results MMP-9 and TIMP-1 proteins were diffusely expressed on the tumor nests and the mesenchymal cells around the nests, while in normal epidermis MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were weakly positive. The expression level of MMP-9 protein and the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 were higher in aggressive SCC group than those SCC in situ group (t = 2.33 and 2.36, respectively, P

Objective To investigate the pluripotency of human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs), and provide a novel cell source for tissue engineering. Methods With informed consent from volunteers, fresh and healthy gingiva were collected. The hGFs were obtained from the gingiva by tissue culture. The third passage of hGFs was cultured in osteogenic medium, chondrogenic medium and adipogenic medium. Cells without differentiation were taken as control. Cells were examined by al?kaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, Alizarin red staining, Alcian blue staining and oil red O staining for detecting of the abili?ty of differentiation pluripotency. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was applied to examine the expression of osteogenic marker genes ALP, runt-related transcript factor 2 (Runx2), chondrogenic marker aggrecan (AGR) and adipogenic marker peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 (PPARγ2). Results The hGFs cultured in osteogenic medium showed massive violet deposit at day 7 and calcium nodulus at day 28, meanwhile, the expressions of ALP and Runx2 were higher than those of control (P<0.01). In chondrogenic group cells were found blue deposit at day 14. In adipogenic group lipid-filled droplets stained with oil red O were found in cells at day 14. However, hGFs in control group had no any positive stain?ing. Furthermore, expressions of AGR and PPARγ2 were significantly higher than those of control (P<0.01). Conclusion Human gingival fibroblasts have the pluripotency of osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation.

Objective Describes the changes of arterial blood gas analysis and pulmonary functions of emphysematous rabbits after unilateral and bilateral lung volume reduction surgery.Methods Sixty rabbits were randomly and equally divided into 6 groups:control group(A),emphysema group( B),unilateral sham operation group(C),unilateral lung volume reduction surgery group( D),bilateral sham operation group( E ) and bilateral lung volume reduction surgery group(F).Obstructive emphysema was induced with somg and papain in tie rabbits of the remaining groups except the control one.Eight weeks later,arterial blood gas analysis and pulmonary functions were detected.Results Compared with group B,pH,PaO2,PaCO2,SaO2,forced expirratory volume in 0.5 s,froced expiratory capacity,functional residual capacity,total lung capacity,dynamic compliance,and resistance in expiartory phase could be improved in group D ( P ＜ 0.05 ).The amelioration of those results were more obvious in group F ( P ＜0.05).Two rabbits in group F died after opertation.Conclusion Bilateral lung volume reduction surgery could more markedly improve the arterial blood gas analysis and pulmonary functions of emphysematous rabbits than unilateral operation.