ObjectiveTo study the expression and clinical significance of osteopontin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues.MethodsOsteopontin expression was determined in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues in 44 cases and normal mucosa tissues in 25 cases by immunohistochemical staining.The relationship between osteopontin expression and pathological features of nasopharyngeal car(e)inoma was analyzed.ResultsThe positive expression rate of osteopontin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that in normal tissues and the positive staining area was larger [77.27％(34/44) vs.8.00％(2/25),(60.24 ± 17.51 )％ vs.(1.32 ± 0.48)％ ](P＜0.05).The positive expression of osteopontin was correlated with clinical staging and lymph node metastasis(P ＜ 0.05),while had no relationship with pathological staging(P＞ 0.05).ConclusionsThere is a close correlation between expression of osteopontin and tumor cell invasion and metastasis.Over-expression of osteopontin may be one of the important factors contributing to the invasion and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and safety of pregabalin and gabapentin in treatment of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain.MethodsSixty patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain were allocated into pregabalin group(30 cases ) and gabapentin group (30 cases) for a 4-week period treatment by random digits table method.The efficacy was measured with visual analogue scale (VAS) score,while the side effects were evaluated.ResultsVAS score in both groups was significantly lower at the end of 1st,2nd or 4th week after treatment than that before treatment [pregabalin group:( 4.05 ±0.93),(2.73 ±0.72),(2.06 ±0.58) scores vs.(7.45 ±0.82) scores; gabapentin group:(5A2 ±0.88),(2.93 ± 0.80),(2.19 ± 0.64) scores vs.(7.68 ± 0.84) scores] (P ＜ 0.01 ).VAS score in pregabalin group was lower than that in gabapentin group at the end of 1st week significantly (P＜ 0.01 ).Not only there was no significant difference in VAS score at the end of 2nd or 4th week between two groups,but also in response rates at the end of 4th week (P ＞ 0.05 ).The rate of adverse reaction in pregabalin group was significantly lower than that in gabapentin group [16.67％ (5/30) vs.36.67％( 11/30)] ( P ＜ 0.01 ).ConclusionPregabalin is as effective as gabapentin in treatment of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain,but it has faster effect and less adverse events than gabapentin.

Objective: To explore the changes of pulmonary function in type 2 diabetes and its related factors.Methods: The pulmonary functions of 72 patients with type 2 diabetes and 22 healthy objects were measured,and the related factors,such as duration of DM,HbA1c,BMI,were analysed with linear regression analysis.Ninteen of them underwent a 12-week-long intensive insulin therapy and pulmonary function tests before and after the treatment.Results: Vital capacity(VC),forced vital capacity(FVC),forced expiratory volume in the first second(FEV1),total lung capacity(TLC) and carbon monoxide diffusion in the lung(DLco) were significantly decreased in the diabetes patients.Correlation analysis revealed that DLco was negatively correlated with the duration of DM.which was shown by linear regression analysis to be the only significant predictor.After a 12-week-long intensive insulin therapy,DLco and DLco/VA decreased significantly.Conclusion:Patients with type 2 diabetes have abnormal pulmonary ventilatory function and impaired pulmonary diffusive function,and the latter is related to the time of hyperglycemia,and can not ameliorated by short-term glycemic control.

Objective To study the effects of paeonol on the tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis in co-culture model of human melanocytes and keratinocytes. Methods Melanocytes and the co-culture model of human melanocytes and keratinocytes were cultivated and the proliferation of melanocytes and the co-cultures was measured by MTT colorimetric assay. The tyrosinase activity and melanin level were measured by enzymic method. Results The melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity were markedly suppressed by paeonol in a dose-dependent manner at the concentrations of 50?mol/L, 100?mol/L, and 200?mol/L in both melanocytes and co-cultures. The significant stronger suppression was observed with 100?mol/L and 200?mol/L of paeonol than that with controls (P

Although empirically well understood in their clinical administration, volatile anesthetics are not yet well comprehended in their mechanism studies. A major conundrum emerging from these studies is that there is no validated model to assess the presumed candidate sites of the anesthetics. We undertook this study to test the hypothesis that the single-celled Paramecium could be anesthetized and served as a model organism in the study of anesthetics. We assessed the motion of Paramecium cells with Expert Vision system and the chemoresponse of Paramecium cells with T-maze assays in the presence of four different volatile anesthetics, including isoflurane, sevoflurane, enflurane and ether. Each of those volatiles was dissolved in buffers to give drug concentrations equal to 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 EC50, respectively, in clinical practice. We could see that after application of volatile anesthetics, the swimming of the Paramecium cells was accelerated and then suppressed, or even stopped eventually, and the index of the chemoresponse of the Paramecium cells (denoted as I ( che )) was decreased. All of the above impacts were found in a concentration-dependent fashion. The biphasic effects of the clinical concentrations of volatile anesthetics on Paramecium simulated the situation of high species in anesthesia, and the inhibition of the chemoresponse also indicated anesthetized. In conclusion, the findings in our studies suggested that the single-celled Paramecium could be anesthetized with clinical concentrations of volatile anesthetics and therefore be utilized as a model organism to study the mechanisms of volatile anesthetics.

Objective To investigate blood plasma melatonin level in night-shift nurses and explore the relationship of blood plasma melatonin level with nervous system symptom (insomnia、anxiety、depression). Methods ELISA were used for detection of blood plasma melatonin level in 80 night-shift nurses of different age group. Results Blood plasma melatonin level of shift work nurses (36to40、41to45 yearold) were significant lower than the corresponding age group of the control group, the nervous system symptom of these age group night-shift nurses correlated to melatonin level of melatonin. Conclusions Blood plasma level of melatonin have a close relation to nervous system symptom(insomnia、anxietydepression).

To determine the inhibition of IL-13 by recombinant sIL-13Rα2 in NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells for its potential therapeutic value in hepatic fibrosis caused by Schistosoma japanicum in mice . IL-13 and sIL-13Rα2 from liver of BALB/c mice infected with S.japonicum at different infection time (weeks 0,6,8,10 and 12) were analyzed by ELISA and RT-PCR. The recombinant sIL-13Rα2 expression plasmidwas constructed, followed by transfection into NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells. TypeⅠcollagen produced by NIH-3T3 cells were examined by RT-PCR and Western blotting. It was demonstrated that the expression of IL-13 increased gradually after infection, reached peak density (16.1586 pg/mL)at week 8 and then reduced but was still higher than the level of control mice(3.4146 pg/mL;P =0.017 ). The secretion of sIL-13R α2 reached to its peak 10 weeks after infection(4827.426 pg/mL)and then reduced slowly but still higher than normal(4057.112 pg/mL; P=0.021). Meanwhile, the changes in mRNA level of IL-13 and sIL-13R α2 were coincided with that examined by ELISA. Both IL-13 and sIL-13Rα2 reached their peak density (P=0.033) at week 8 and 10 (P=0.025) respectively, and they were followed by a slower degree of decrease. The sIL-13Rα2 could significantly inhibit the effect of IL-13 on NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells, showing decreased mRNA level(P =0.012)and protein level of typeⅠcollagen compared with normal groups(P =0.031). It is concluded that the sIL-13Rα2 can inhibit the effect of IL-13 on NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells which leads to a reduced production of typeⅠcollagen, demonstrating its potential therapeutic value in hepatic fibrosis of schistosomiasis.

Although empirically well understood in their clinical administration, volatile anesthetics are not yet well comprehended in their mechanism studies. A major conundrum emerging from these studies is that there is no validated model to assess the presumed candidate sites of the anesthetics. We undertook this study to test the hypothesis that the single-celled Paramecium could be anesthetized and served as a model organism in the study of anesthetics. We assessed the motion of Paramecium cells with Expert Vision system and the chemoresponse of Paramecium cells with T-maze assays in the presence of four different volatile anesthetics, including isoflurane, sevoflurane, enflurane and ether. Each of those volatiles was dissolved in buffers to give drug concentrations equal to 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 EC50, respectively, in clinical practice. We could see that after application of volatile anesthetics, the swimming of the Paramecium cells was accelerated and then suppressed, or even stopped eventually, and the index of the chemoresponse of the Paramecium cells (denoted as I ( che )) was decreased. All of the above impacts were found in a concentration-dependent fashion. The biphasic effects of the clinical concentrations of volatile anesthetics on Paramecium simulated the situation of high species in anesthesia, and the inhibition of the chemoresponse also indicated anesthetized. In conclusion, the findings in our studies suggested that the single-celled Paramecium could be anesthetized with clinical concentrations of volatile anesthetics and therefore be utilized as a model organism to study the mechanisms of volatile anesthetics.
Anesthetics, Inhalation ; administration & dosage ; Biological Assay ; methods ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; physiology ; Chemotaxis ; drug effects ; physiology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; methods ; Paramecium tetraurelia ; drug effects ; physiology ; Volatile Organic Compounds ; administration & dosage

To assess the potential therapeutic effect of propofol in the treatment of endotoxemia, 76 rats were randomly assigned to 5 groups: control group(A), endotoxemic group(B), pre-treatment group(C), simultaneous treatment group(D) and post-treatment group(E). Five h after endotoxin injection, PO2, pH, MAP, plasma concentrations of Nitrite/nitrate (NO2-/NO3-) and mortality rates were assessed in each group. After the rats were sacrificed, lung tissue was sampled to measure myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha contents. It was found that endotoxin injection produced progressive hypotension, metabolic acidosis, and a large increase in the plasma NO2-/NO3- concentrations and increased mortality rates in 5 h. Endotoxin injection significantly increased MPO activity and TNF-alpha contents in lung tissue (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). These changes response to endotoxin were significantly attenuated in the groups B, C and D. But these beneficial effects were blunted in the group E. The results suggest that propofol administration may offer advantages in endotoxemia.
Animals ; Free Radical Scavengers ; therapeutic use ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Lung ; metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Propofol ; therapeutic use ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Shock, Septic ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

Objective To study the effect of lithium chloride on the gap junction in the myocardium under chronic hypoxia.Methods Twenty-five C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normoxia group,hypoxia group,normoxic control group,hypoxia + saline group and hypoxia + lithium chloride group.Hypoxia group was treated with 10％ oxygen concentration for 4 weeks.Hypoxia + saline group and hypoxia + lithium chloride group were intraperitoneal injection of saline and lithium chloride.Electrophysiology and cardiac catheterization were used to assess arrhythmias,heart rate and ejection fraction.The expression of Cx43,phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3β(p-GSK-3β) and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the normoxia group,the hypoxia group had a faster heart rate [(448 ± 18) bpm vs.(401 ± 13) bpm,P＜0.05),and the ejection fraction was decreased [(56±5)％ vs.73±4)％,P＜0.05],arrhythmia score increased [(3.4±0.5)％ vs.(0.6±0.5)％,P＜0.05],Cx43 expression was decreased.Compared to hypoxia + normal saline group,the heart rate decreased[(412±11)bpm vs.(454±18)bpm,P＜0.05],ejection fraction increased[(69±3)％ vs.(55±4)％,P＜0.05],the score of arrhythmia decreased [(1.8±0.4) ％ vs.(3.0±0.7)％,P＜0.05] in hypoxia + lithium chloride group,the expression of Cx43 and the rate of p-GSK-3β to GSK-3β were increased.Conclusion During the chronic hypoxia,lithium chloride can sustain the gap junction through inhibition of GSK-3β signaling way,which can also reduce the rate of arrhythmia.