PURPOSE: We aim to examine nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) characteristics and survival outcomes in patients aged 70 years and older in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2006 to 2013, 126 non-metastatic NPC patients aged ≥ 70 years who were treated with IMRT +/‒ chemotherapy were included. Adult Comorbidity Evaluation 27 (ACE-27) was used to measure patient comorbidities. The overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS)were calculatedwith the Kaplan-Meier method, and differenceswere compared using the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to carry out multivariate analyses. RESULTS: For the entire group, only two patients (1.6%) presented stage I disease, and up to 84.1% patients had stage III-IVB disease. All patients had a comorbidity score of 0 in 24 (19.0%), 1 in 45 (35.7%), 2 in 42 (33.3%), and 3 in 15 (11.9%) patients. The main acute grade during radiotherapy was 3-4 adverse events consisting of mucositis (25.4%), bone marrow suppression (16.7%), and dermatitis (8.7%). After treatment, four patients (3.2%) developed temporal lobe injury. Five-year CSS and OS rates were 67.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 58.6% to 77.4%) and 54.0% (95% CI, 45.6% to 63.9%), respectively. Five-year OS was significantly higher for ACE-27 score 0-1 than ACE-27 score 2-3 (72.9% and 39.9%, respectively; p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses showed ACE-27 score 0-1 was significantly associated with superior OS (hazard ratio [HR], 3.02; 95% CI, 1.64 to 5.55; p < 0.001). In addition, the rate of OS was higher for stage I-III than that of stage IV, with borderline significance (HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 0.99 to 2.82; p=0.053). But no significant advantage was observed in OS when chemotherapy was used (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest IMRT +/– chemotherapy has a manageable toxicity and provides an acceptable survival in patients aged ≥ 70 years with NPC. ACE-27 score was significantly associated with survival outcomes in this group population.
Adult ; Bone Marrow ; Comorbidity ; Dermatitis ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Methods ; Mucositis ; Multivariate Analysis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated* ; Temporal Lobe

Objective To explore the expression characteristics of cytochrome P450(CYP)candidate genes(CYP6M3, CYP6Y1,CYP6P5,CYP4H14,CYP4G17,CYP12F16)in Anopheles sinensis.Methods The samples were collected from dif-ferent developmental stages(eggs,larvae,pupae and adult mosquitoes(females and males)),and different tissues(salivary glands,malpighian tubes,midguts,ovaries,and fat bodies)of An.sinensis and the female adult mosquitoes exposed by differ-ent insecticide doses(0,1.25,3.75,6.25,12.5μg/bottle)and time points(0,5,15,30,60 minutes),then the total RNA was extracted. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR(qPCR)assay was used to analyze the relative expressions of six CYP genes in An.sinensis at different developmental stages,tissues and different insecticide exposure doses and time.Results The expressions of CYP6M3 and CYP6Y1 in the male adult mosquitoes were the highest,the expression of CYP6M3 gene in the males was 35.1 times higher than that in the females,the expression of CYP6Y1 in the males was 61.4 times higher than that in the females;the expression level of CYP4H14 in the larvae was the lowest,the expression of CYP4H14 in the females was 22.5 times higher than that in the fourth instar larvae.The expressions of candidate CYP genes in different tissues of An.sinensis were significantly different,the expression of CYP6M3 in the malpighian tubule was 38.9 times higher than that in the ovary,the ex-pression of CYP6Y1 in the fatbody was 9.1 times higher than that in the ovary,the expression of CYP4G17 was 4.6 times higher than that in the ovary,and the expression of CYP12F16 was 4.4 times higher thanthat in the ovary.The exposure to different in-secticide doses and time showed some induction effects in the expressions of candidate CYP genes,which affected the expres-sions of candidate CYP genes in An.sinensis.Conclusion The expression of candidate CYP genes varies significantly in differ-ent developmental stages and various tissues of An.sinensis,and exposure to deltamethrin at various doses and time points af-fects CYP genes expression in An.sinensis.

In order to explore the correlation between the medicinal properties，efficacy and application in the same genetic relationship，explain the scientific connotation of the medicinal properties and effects of traditional Chinese medicines(TCM)，promote the academic development of the theory of traditional Chinese medicines，and provide reference for the research and development of the traditional Chinese medicines of a same genus. In this paper, a literature study of ancient and modern works of Chinese herbal medicine was conducted to investigate the correlation between the properties, meridians tropism, efficacy and application of Alpinia officinarum， A. katsumadai， Galangae Fructus and Alpinae Oxyphyllae Fructus, four kinds of Alpinia Chinese medicines．The results showed that the similar properties of these four kinds of Alpinia Chinese medicines included that they were acrid, warm,and mainly getting into the spleen and stomach channels; the similar efficacies included that dispelling cold，relieving pain，warming stomach，anti-nausea，anti-diarrheal，reinforcing spleen to promote digestion and other effects; in application aspects, the similarities were that they were all mainly used in treatment of catching cold or spleen deficiency induced by abdominal pain，vomiting，diarrhea,diet indigestion, etc. indicating that phylogenetic relationship was closely related with the herbal properties, efficacy and application. It is an effective way to explore，collate and research traditional Chinese medicine by using plant phylogenetic relationships in exploring the internal relations and laws of TCM theories，material bases, pharmacological effects and clinical applications, also with a strong maneuverability to explain their scientific connotation.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of ginsenoside Rg-1 on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) and to explore the possible application on the alveolar bone regeneration.

METHODSTo determine the optimum concentration, the effects of ginsenoside Rg-1 ranging from 10 to 100 μmol/L were evaluated by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo(-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide, alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition. Expressions of runt-related transcription factor 2, collagen alpha-2(I) chain, osteopontin, osteocalcin protein were examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, a certain concentration (10 μmol/L) of the Rg-1 solution significantly enhanced the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs (P<0.05). However, concentrations that exceeds 100 μmol/L led to cytotoxicity whereas concentrations below 10 nmol/L showed no significant effect as compared with the control.

CONCLUSIONGinsenoside Rg-1 can enhance the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs at an optimal concentration of 10 μmol/L.

Adolescent ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Calcification, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Separation ; Cell Shape ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Flow Cytometry ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Osteoblasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Osteogenesis ; drug effects ; genetics ; Periodontal Ligament ; cytology ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Time Factors ; Young Adult

To explore the growth and development and analyze the quality of the parthenocarpy fruit induced by exogenous hormones of Siraitia grosvenorii. the horizontal and vertical diameter, volume of the fruit were respectively measured by morphological and the content of endogenous hormones were determined by ELISA. The size and seed and content of mogrosides of mature fruit were determined. The results showed that the fruit of parthenocarpy was seedless and its growth and development is similar to the diploid fruit by hand pollination and triploid fruit by hand pollination or hormones. But the absolute value of horizontal and vertical diameter, volume of parthenocarpy fruit was less than those of fruit by hand pollination, while triploid was opposite. The content of IAA, ABA and ratio of ABA/GA was obviously wavy. At 0-30 d the content of IAA and ABA of parthenocarpy fruit first reduced then increased, content of IAA and GA parthenocarpy fruit was higher than that of fruit by hand pollination. Mogrosides of parthenocarpy fruit was close to pollination fruit. Hormones can induce S. grosvenorii parthenocarpy to get seedless fruit and the fruit shape and size and quality is close to normal diploid fruit by hand pollination and better than triploid fruit by hormone or hand pollination.
Cucurbitaceae ; chemistry ; drug effects ; genetics ; growth & development ; Diploidy ; Fruit ; chemistry ; genetics ; growth & development ; Plant Growth Regulators ; pharmacology

Questionnaire survey was conducted among thirty traditional Chinese pharmaceutical companies nationwide. We studied the following factors and how they impose the significance on the culture of big brands, namely, the policies, the access to market, the specialty of the product, the foundation of research, the market, the salesmanship, the resource insurance of product and the security. And these could be referred when the enterprises cultivate the big brands. The findings show that interviewees and different firms hold various opinions on the factors of culture of the big brands. The policies and the access to market always attract the most attention for the enterprises, and whether the product is classified into the catalogue of health insurance or into the basic medicinal directory plays a pivotal role in the development of big brand. The uniqueness of the product can be regarded as a natural advantage, the construction of team of academic experts is more and more emphasized on the development of the product, and the security of the product deserves increasing attention.
Administrative Personnel ; Drug Industry ; economics ; organization & administration ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; economics ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; growth & development