Background and purpose:In in vivo and vitro studies, Rhodiola shows anti-cancer effect, but there were few reports about the effects of Rhodiola on growth of breast cancer and its possible mechanism. Methods:Xenograft of Human breast cancer cells MDA-MB-435 in female BALB/c nude mice were treated with and without Rhodiola extracts. The tumor volume and proliferation index (PCNA and Ki67) of the xenograft were studied.Results:After Rhodiola was given to nude mice for 4 weeks, the mean tumor volume was smaller (99.95mm 3 vs. 174.60mm 3 ) compared to untreated group,but there was no statistical significance(P=0.535). The proportion and intensity of cellular Ki-67 staining in Xenografts were decreased as compared to the untreated group, (average H-score 152.8 vs. 86, P=0.014), the same trend could be found for cellular PCNA staining, but there was no statistical significance(242 vs.210,P=0.221).Conclusions:The mechanism of anti-cancer effect of Rhodiola may be partly through inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells in vivo.

Objective To evaluate the value of united nerve electrophysiological tests in the diagnosis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DNP).Methods The quantitative temperature threshold (QTT), including the cold sensation threshold (CST) , thermal sensation threshold (WST), cold pain threshold (CPT) and thermal pain threshold (HPT), sympathetic skin response (SSR) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) were measured for 85 diabetic patients.Results The abnormal rate of QTT was 84.71％ , significantly higher than that of SSR and NCV (56.47％ and 31.76％ respectively).However, no significant difference was found in the abnormal rate of QTT between the DPN asymptomatic group and DPN symptomatic group (78.85％ and 93.94％ respectively).There was significant difference in the abnormal rate of SSR (48.08％ and 69.70％ respectively) and the abnormal rate of NCV (19.23％ and 51.52％ respectively) between the above two groups(P ＜ 0.05).There was no difference in the abnormal rate of QTT for patients with short or long course of disease (77.77％ and 89.80％ respectively), but significant difference in the abnormal rate of SSR (44.44％ and 65.31％ respectively) and the abnormal rate of NCV (19.44％ and 40.82％ respectively) Conclusion The abnormal rate of QTT was highest in detecting the diabetic patients, and it is not related to clinical symptoms or disease course.However, the abnormal rates of SSR and NCV were related to clinical symptoms and course.It is more sensitive to diagnose DPN using united electrophysiological tests of QTT, SSR and NCV.

Objective To explore causes of complications after endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) , for patients with superficial varicosities of the lower extremities. Methods In this study, 207 patients with a total of 268 lower limbs were treated by EVLT combined with surgical procedures. According to CEAP classification, there were C2 in 268 limbs, C3 in 56 limbs, C4 in 101, C5 in 23 and C6 in 18. Simple EVLT was performed for 25 limbs in 21 patients; EVLT combined with external banding valvuloplasty of superficial femoral vein for 23 limbs in 23 patients; EVLT combined with ligation of great saphenous vein (CSV) and denudation of superficial varicosities for 220 limbs in 163 patients. Results An average of 10?5 (3-24) months of follow up was achieved in 175 cases. Early complications (within the first 2-weeks after operation) included bruising or ecchymosis (178 cases, 66.42%) and skin burning (56, 20.90% ). Three month complication included painful induration or trabs (235 cases, 87. 69% ) as well as thrombophlebitis (28, 10. 45% ). Long-term complication (after 3 months) included skin numbness or pain at medial knee or ankle region (15,5. 60% ). Recanalization of CSV occurred in 4( 1. 49% ) treated limbs. Residual or reoccurred varicose veins were found in 13(4. 85% ) cases. Movement related swelling appeared in 6(2. 24% ) lower limbs. Conclusion EVLT is effective for patients with superficial varicosities of the lower extremities. Minor complications most often subsided within 3 months. Strict surgical protocol and high ligation of the GSV could prevent local recurrence of the varicose veins and the recanalization of GSV.

In order to investigate the effects of vector-based hairpin small interference RNA (shRNA) on the reversal of multi-drug resistance (mdr) of A2780/Taxol cells, a novel vector pEGFP-H1/mdr1 containing mdr1-shRNA targeting at position 2943-2963 of mdr1 was designed and synthesized. Subsequently, A2780/Taxol cells were transfected with pEGFP-H1/mdr1, and the expression of mdr1 mRNA and P-gp was detected by using RT-PCR and Western blot respectively. MTT was used to measure the 50% inhibition concentration (IC(50)) of Taxol to A2780/Taxol cells. The results showed that at the 24th and 48th h after transfection, the expression of mdr1 mRNA was decreased to (52.1+/-1.0)% and (0.01+/-1.7)%, and that of P-gp decreased to (88.3+/-2.1)% and 0%, respectively. At the 48th h after transfection, the relative reversal rate of A2780/Taxol cells to Taxol was 69.54%. In vivo, the nude mice xenografts were injected with pEGFP-H1/mdr1, and then administrated Taxol. The tumor volume in pEGFP-H1/mdr1-transfected group was significantly reduced as compared with that in blank control group or pEGFP-H1-transfected group (807.20+/-103.16 vs 1563.78+/-210.54 or 1480.78+/-241.24 mm(3), both P<0.01). These results suggested that transfection of pEGFP-H1/mdr1 could efficiently down-regulate the expression of mdr1 mRNA and P-gp in A2780/Taxol cells, and effectively restore the sensitivity of A2780/Taxol cells to Taxol both in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND: von Willebrand factor (vWF) is only released from endothelial cells and platelets and is an in vivo and in vitro marker of endothelial injury in septic patients with acute lung injury (ALI). Interleukin-8 (IL-8), as a proinflammatory mediator causing recruitment of inflammatory cells, induces an increase in oxidant stress mediators and makes it as a key parameter for localized inflammation. However, it has not been well established whether the level of serum IL-8 is associated with the severity of lung injury and whether it is a prognosis marker for severe lung contusion. This study was to investigate the expression of plasma vWF and IL-8 and their association with the severity and outcomes of severe pulmonary contusion. METHODS: A total of 63 patients were divided into a severe pulmonary contusion with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) group and a non-ARDS group, or a survivor group and a non-survivor group, or an injury severity score (ISS) <20 group and an ISS ≥20 group. Another 20 healthy volunteers served as controls. The levels of plasma vWF and serum IL-8 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days after injury. The expression patterns of the plasma vWF and serum IL-8 were compared between different groups. RESULTS: The concentrations of plasma vWF and serum IL-8 were significantly increased in all severe pulmonary contusion patients at all time points in comparison with the control group. The concentrations of plasma vWF in patients with ARDS increased during the whole study period, but vWF in patients with non-ARDS increased gradually until day 5 and then decreased at day 7. The concentration of serum IL-8 showed a similar expression pattern in both groups, but the expression increased more significantly in the ARDS group than in the non-ARDS group. Interestingly, both plasma vWF and serum IL-8 levels steadily increased in the non-survivor group. Furthermore, the level of plasma vWF was higher in the ISS≥20 group than in the ISS<20 group. The level of serum IL-8 in the ISS≥20 group was consistently high, while that in the ISS<20 group peaked at day 3 and decreased at day 5. In addition, the level of plasma vWF was positively correlated with platelet count, but negatively correlated with oxygen index. The level of serum IL-8 was positively correlated with white blood cell count and ISS score, and inversely correlated with oxygen index. CONCLUSION: The elevated levels of plasma vWF and serum IL-8 in severe pulmonary contusion patients reflect the severity of pulmonary injury and patients outcomes, suggesting that the plasma vWF and serum IL-8 are sensitive markers for clinical evaluation of the severity of pulmonary injury and predication of patient prognosis.

Objective To investigate dental caries in 3-year-old children in Jing′an District of Shanghai and analyze the influence of oral cleaning behavior on caries in children. Methods Six hundread 3-year-old children from 12 kindergartens in Jing′an District, Shanghai were randomly selected by cluster sampling method for oral examination, and a self-administered questionnaire survey on children′s oral cleaning behavior was completed by parents.SPSS 22.0 software package was used for statistical analysis. Results Among the 600 children, the prevalence of dental caries was 42.50%, and the average dmft index was 1.76±2.92.Children who did not brush their teeth had a statistically significant increase in rate of dental caries(χ²=29.995, P < 0.001).Children who brushed their teeth for more than three minutes each time had a statistically significant lower rate of caries(χ²=3.918, P=0.048).Children whose parents helped their children brush their teeth every day had a lower rate of caries than those who brushed teeth by themselves, and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=8.718, P=0.013).Logistic regression analysis showed that age of beginning brushing teeth, times of brushing teeth per day and length of brushing teeth per time were all influence factors for caries in children (P < 0.05). Conclusion For the prevention and control of dental caries in 3-year-old, proper oral cleaning behavior is very important.We should make parents as a priority group for doing oral hygiene in children.Schools should strengthen oral health education for parents.Medical institutions should guide and monitor the effectiveness of oral hygiene in children.It is important to reduce the rate of dental caries in preschool children from three aspects:family, school and medical institutions.

The market and literature were studied to understand the existing situation of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex goods, and the collected samples were analyzed, combined with the actual production, a new standard of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex commercial specification and grade was drafted. Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex goods was divided into two categories according to the source in the old standard. Then each category was divided into four kinds of specifications according to the site. Each kind of specification was divided into several grades according to the length and weight. To judge the quality of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex goods was mainly based on the appearance quality. In the new standard, the classification of commercial specification and grade is based on the thickness, magnolol and honokiol content. The goods of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex can be divided into three specifications: Tongpu, Genpu and Doupu. Tongpu is divided into three grades, the remaining two are not graded.
Magnolia ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry

A reasonable and practicable quality standard was developed for mori liquid extract from different sources by TLC, HPLC and fingerprint technology. In TLC method, the compounds were separated on polyamide film using glacial acetic acid-water (1: 3) as mobile phase at a UV wavelength of 365 nm. All qualified samples had the spots of the same color as the control herb and substance. The RP-HPLC method was used to determine the content of mulberroside A with mobile phase of methanol-water (25: 75) at a wave-length of 326 nm. The mulberroside A was in good linear with a regression equation of Y = 46.965X (r = 0.999 6) in the range of 4.6 - 228 mg x L(-1). In 14 batches of samples, the mulberroside A in 4 batches of them was less than 0.5 g x L(-1), and was more than 2.0 g x L(-1) in the other batches. It was suggested that the content limit of mulberroside A should be no less than 1.5 g x L(-1). The HPLC fingerprints were evaluated by the similarities. It has found that the similarities of different mori liquid extracts were very low and the chemical diversity of mori cortex was the major factor of similarity. Moreover, the process impact was minimal. Thus the fingerprint was not included in this quality standard.
China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Disaccharides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; standards ; Morus ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Stilbenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Through the investigation of Phellodendron Cortex on the market, and 28 batches of samples were collected. By using spectrophotometer the color values of outer surface, inner surface and cross - section of these samples were measured. These measured color data was translated into 3D structure diagram by using the Lab color space tool. The level difference value, the mean value and the threshold value were calculated based the measured color data of these different batches of samples. All 28 groups measured data was analyzed using the methods of Ward linkage and average Euclidean distance. At the same time, we invited Professor Jin Shiyuan, the "Chinese medicine master", to identify, quality-evaluate and grade these 28 batches of Phellodendron Cortex samples base on the traditional experience, then compared the traditional empirical results with the spectrophotometer measurement results. The result showed that, the Phellodendron Cortex could be divided into Phellodendri Amurensis Cortex and Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex by color numerical clustering, and classified according to quality. The classification result has a high degree of consistency with the traditional experience.
China ; Color ; Herbal Medicine ; economics ; Phellodendron ; chemistry ; classification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; Quality Control ; Spectrophotometry

BACKGROUND:Poststroke depression is one of the most common psychological behavior disorders after stroke and its mechanism remains unclear. Studies have suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in neurogenesis and synaptogenesis may play an important role in psychology diseases. OBJECTIVE:To observe the expression of miR-137 in the blood and brain of poststroke depression rats and its effect on the behaviors of rats. METHODS:Thirty-six rats were equal y divided into six groups:control, model, agomir-137, agomir-NC, agomir-137+Grin2A and agomir-137+vector groups. Control group had no treatment. Poststroke depression models were established by ligation of middle cerebral artery and chronic mild stimulation in the latter four groups fol owed by receiving an injection of nothing, agomir-137, agomir-NC, LV-CMV-Grin2A or control plasmids into the left lateral ventricle, respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:We found significantly lower miR-137 levels in the brain and peripheral blood of post-stroke depression rats compared with normal rats. Vertical scores and horizontal scores on the behavior test were significantly higher in the agomir-137 group than the agomir-NC and model groups at 3 weeks after cerebral ischemia;while, sucrose consumption percentage was also higher in the agomir-137 group at the end of 2 weeks after cerebral ischemia. Luciferase assays showed miR-137 bound to the 3’ UTR of Grin2A, regulating Grin2A expression in a neuronal cel line. Grin2A gene overexpression in the brain of post-stroke depression rats noticeably suppressed the inhibitory effect of miR-137 on post-stroke depression. Overal , these findings show that miR-137 suppresses Grin2A protein expression through binding to Grin2A mRNA, thereby exerting an inhibitory effect on post-stroke depression and offering a new therapeutic target for poststroke depression.