BACKGROUND: To review progressions in the pharmacological study of natural plant Ficus carica L. (fig), summarize its main pharmacological effects so as to manifest values in clinical practice.DATA SOURCES: .By computer retrieval system, the relevant papers on the researches on Ficus carica were retrieved on Medline from January 1950 to September 2004 and limited at the referred word "Ficus carica" in English. Simultaneously, the relevant papers were searched by the computer on China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database from January 1999 to September 2004, focusing on the referred word "Fieus carica" in Chinese.STUDY SELECTION: Of all the relevant papers, ones focusing on the pharmacological study of Ficus carica were selected and the whole text were checked, meanwhile those had no relation with the pharmacological latex as well as various constituents and preparations. Exclusion criterion:repeated studies.DATA EXTRACTION: A total of 226 papers were checked on the study of Ficus carica, 30 papers were consistent with the standards. Among the 196 excluded papers, 189 were excluded because they were clinical experience report or repeated studies, 7 were reviews.DATA SYNTHESIS: Investigations of the fig, its leaves and latex as well as various constituents and preparations, have revealed many pharmacological effects such as: anti-tumor effects, the ability to mediate body metabolism, mediating hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and cholesterol levels, enhancing oxidation resistance, antibiotic effects, antivirus effects, the ability to mediate immunity, activating blood coagulation etc. It also may play an important role in supportive therapy in tumor treatment by reducing toxicity and side effects in actinotheraphy and chemotherapy. Several reports of anaphylaxis after fig intake have reported both in China and abroad.CONCLUSION: As an herb, fig has wide pharmacological effects and clinical practise values. The main pharmacological studies of it were focused on its anti-tumor effects and the ability to mediate body metabolism.Separation and purification of its active components and determining the interactions between them as well as the pharmacological and toxicological effects need further study. New pharmacological effect s will be found by studying various fig extracts.

Objective To investigate the expression and relationship between hepatocyte cell adhesion molecule (hepaCAM) protein and some multidrug resistance proteins in renal carcinoma tissue.Methods Expressions of hepaCAM,multidrug resistance associated protein (MRP),P-glycoprotein (P-gp),lung resistance protein (LRP),and topoisomerase Ⅱ (TOPO Ⅱ) protein were detected by immunohistochemistry in different areas of human renal cell carcinoma tissues and their relationships were analyzed.Results In the peripheral zone of renal tumor,hepaCAM,MRP,P-gp and LRP protein were showed positive expression.In the central region of the renal tumor,the expressions of hepaCAM,P-gp and LRP were negative or weakly positive,while the expressions of MRP and TOPO Ⅱ protein were positive.The expressions of MRP and TOPO Ⅱ protein in the central region of tumor were stronger than those in the peripheral zone of tunor (31.23 ±5.67 vs.23.89 ±4.56;45.66 ±2.34 vs.5.23 ±0.66),with statistically significant differences (t =-6.20,P =0.00;t =-100.16,P =0.00).While the expressions of other proteins (hepaCAM,P-gp and LRP) in the central region of tumor were weaker than those in the peripheral zone of tumor (3.21 ±1.12 vs.27.25±2.23;2.34±0.33 vs.51.23±3.45;4.22±1.78 vs.44.23 ± 1.45),with statistically significant differences (t =60.87,P =0.00;t =90.35,P =0.00;t =107.18,P =0.00).Correlation analysis showed that the expression of hepaCAM protein in the central region of renal carcinoma was related with the expression of MRP protein (r =0.94,P =0.01),but it was not related with the expressions of P-gp,LRP and TOPO Ⅱ protein (r=0.22,P=0.44;r=0.14,P=0.80;r=0.34,P=0.07).Conclusion The expression of hepaCAM protein in renal carcinoma may be related to tumor drug-resistance.

Objective To study the influence of probucol on the diabetic mellitus patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) about blood lipids,serum level of the total antioxidant capacity (TAOC),malondialdehyde (MDA),superoxide dismutase (SOD) and macular edema,so as to provide clinical basis for the prevention and treatment of early DR by probucol.Methods 66 type 2 diabetes patients with 127 NPDR eyes were included.Patients were random divided into control and treatment groups,the control group was treated by intensive therapy of blood glucose and blood pressure control,and the treatment group was treated with the intensive therapy and probucol 0.375g,2 times a day for 12 months.Before and after treatment,the blood lipids,oxidative stress indicators and fundus fluorescein angiography in both groups had been determined.Results 62 cases with 120 eyes were enrolled in this study.Probucol obviously decreased levels of total cholesterol (TC) [ (3.6 ± 0.58) mmol/L VS (4.71 ± 0.61)mmol/L,t = 7.65,P ＜ 0.01 ],triglyceride (TG) [ (1.07 ± 0.35) mmol/L VS (1.23 ± 0.43) mmol/L,t = 2.02,P ＜ 0.05 ],low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) [ (2.0 ± 0.47) mmol/L VS (2.55 ±0.56)mmol/L,t =4.18,P ＜0.01] and MDA[ (10.35 ±2.97)nmol/L VS (14.83 ±2.75)nmol/L,t =6.18,P ＜0.01] in plasma of the patients.Levels of TAOC [(19.25±4.11)u/ml VS (16.63 ±3.27)u/ml,t =3.57,P ＜0.01 ]and SOD[ (94.52 ± 10.28)u/ml VS (75.37 ± 9.87) u/ml,t =8.62,P ＜0.01]were significantly improved in the probucol group,and the macular edema was significantly reduced in patients of the probucol group(x2 =4.219,P ＜0.05).Conclusion Probucol regulated serum lipids,and it had the apparent action of antioxidant,and it decreased the incidence of macular edema.Probucol had a therapeutic effect in patients with NDPR.