AIM: To investigate the effect of relieving liver-qi recipes(Radix Bupleuri,Radix Paeoniae Alba,Fructus Aurantii,etc.) on the neuro reproductive endocrine in female rats under psychologic stress. METHODS: The psychologic stress induced syndrome of liver-qi stagnation in female rats was established by tail pinch.The hypothalamus pituitary and serum levels of NE,DA,5 HT,5-HIAA,DOPAC,HVA and the serum FSH,LH,E2,T,P,PRL in rats of any groups were measured. RESULTS: The levels of NE in hypothalamus pituitary and FSH,LH,E2,P in serum of model rats were lower and the contents of DA,5-HT,5-HIAA in hypothalamus pituitary and in serum and NE,T in serum were significantly higher than those of the normal control.The serum P and LH in the complex group were elevated.The descending NE in hypothalamus pituitary and FSH,E2 in serum increased and the ascended DA,5-HT,5-HIAA in hypothalamus pituitary and NE,5-HT,T in serum significantly descresed in the shugan group and the complex group.The enhance of NE in hypothalamus pituitary and FSH,P in serum and the reduction of 5-HT in hypothalamus pituitary and 5-HT,NE,T in serum were also obversed in the bushen group. CONCLUSION: Regulating liver-qi and tonifying the kidney recipes could improve the function of neuro reproductive endocrine system which could be attenuated or disturbed by psychologic stress.

Combined hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-CC) is a rare primary hepatic neoplasm (PHN) with features of both hepatocellular and biliary differentiation. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are the major causes of HCC-CC. Surgical treatment is the main therapeutic method for HCC-CC. For patients with unresectable lesions, curative or palliative locoregional therapy is applied, including radiofrequency ablation (RFA), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and supportive treatment. Because of the rare occurrence and ambiguous clinical features of HCC-CC, it is most often misdiagnosed with the other two types of primary liver cancer. Thus, the realization of the current progress of combined hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma is particularly important for us. This article aims to summarize the epidemiology and clinical futures, the treatment and prognosis, the progress of genetics and molecular analysis of HCC-CC.

Objective To study positron yield quantitatively in different phantoms by means of PET imaging after high energy photon irradiation,and to investigate the feasibility of bio-dose verification by PET in high energy photon radiotherapy.Methods The phantoms (hydrogel,HDPE,inhomogeneous phantom) were scanned with PET 1 min later after exposure to 2,4,6,8 Gy dose with/using 25 and 50 MV photon irradiation.The positron account rates were recorded every minute in PET scanning process and then fitted to get the half-lives of yielded nuclides.Positron distribution in each phantom was compared with dose distribution to investigate the relationship between positron activity and dose delivered.Results The half-lives of nuclides yielded in hydrogel and HDPE were supposed to be 2.23 and 19.47 min,respectively by fitting results,which had negligible difference with half-lives of 11C (20.2 min) and 15O (2.08 min).The positron amounts induced by 50 MV photon in hydrogel and HDPE were 3.88 and 3.86 times that of 25 MV photon,and increased in proportion to dose delivered.Except for build-up region and cavity,activity distributions in depth and off-axis were similar to dose distribution.Conclusions The amount and distribution of positron induced by high energy photon are related to dose delivered,and it is feasible to do dose verification with PET imaging in high energy photon radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of radical resection for cancer patients complicated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: The management and clinical outcome of a sigmoid cancer patient with COVID-19 were analyzed. RESULTS: The inflammation indicators and fever of this patient were effectively controlled and the lung lesions remained stable after active anti-viral treatment, then the radical colorectomy was performed after the viral negative conversion for twice. CONCLUSIONS The case indicates that radical resection can be performed in SARS-CoV-2 patients with twice-negative SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing results.
Betacoronavirus ; isolation & purification ; Colonic Neoplasms ; complications ; surgery ; Coronavirus Infections ; complications ; therapy ; Disease Management ; Humans ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; complications ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of surgical treatment for cancer patients complicated with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: The management and clinical outcome of a sigmoid cancer patient with COVID-19 were analyzed. RESULTS: The inflammation indicators and fever of this patient were effectively controlled and the lung lesions remained stable after active anti-viral treatment, then the radical colorectomy was performed after the viral negative conversion for twice. CONCLUSIONS The case indicates that it may feasible to undergo radical tumor surgery for cancer patients with COVID-19 after the virus nucleic acid testing turns negative and more studies are needed to confirm this conclusion.
Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Betacoronavirus ; Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Colonic Neoplasms ; complications ; surgery ; virology ; Coronavirus Infections ; complications ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Fever ; Humans ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; complications ; diagnosis ; drug therapy

Bioactive peptides play important roles in promoting human health, such as lowering blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipid, anti-obesity, and anti-cancer. Thus, exploring functional bioactive peptides and developing efficient production technologies are of crucial importance. Herein, we review the development of function discovery and production technology for natural bioactive peptides. Presently, the top-down and bottom-up approaches are mainly used for the function discovery and production of natural active peptides. The top-down approach includes the direct extraction and identification for functional discovery, and the direct extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial fermentation for production. The bottom-up approach includes the polypeptide modification and database mining for functional discovery, and the chemical synthesis, enzyme synthesis, recombinant expression and cell-free synthesis for production. The top-down approach is usually associated with complicated process, lower efficiency, higher cost, harder quality control, and uncertain functionality, while the bottom-up approach is more suitable for the development of peptide drugs but difficult to be used for functional foods. With the technology development of sequencing and mass spectrometry, it is easier to obtain the proteomic information of various organisms at the molecular level. Based on the proteomic information, the top-down and bottom-up approaches can be combined to overcome the disadvantages of using these two approaches alone, thus providing a new strategy for the rapid development and production of natural active peptides.
Fermentation ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Peptides/metabolism* ; Proteomics ; Technology

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of aucubin （AU） on the proliferation and tumor growth of prostate cancer （PC） cells by regulating the protein kinase B （Akt）/murine double minute2 （MDM2）/p53 signaling pathway. METHODS Prostate cancer cell PC3 were separated into control group， 50 μmol/L AU group， 100 μmol/L AU group， SC79 （Akt activator） group （5 μmol/L）， and 100 μmol/L AU+SC79 group. The cell cloning and proliferation ability were investigated； the rate of cell apoptosis and the expressions of Akt/MDM2/p53 signaling pathway-related protein were detected. Meanwhile， xenograft tumor models of nude mice were constructed and separated into tumor group， AU group （80 mg/kg）， SC79 group （50 mg/kg）， and AU+SC79 group （80 mg/kg AU+50 mg/kg SC79）， with 10 mice in each group. They were given relevant medicine， once a day， for 21 d. After the last medication， tumor weight was determined， and the expressions of nucleus-associated antigen （Ki-67） and Akt/MDM2/p53 signaling pathway-related protein were detected in tumor tissue. RESULTS In the cell experiment， compared with control group， the cell clonal formation number， proliferation rate and phosphorylation levels of Akt and MDM2 protein in 50 μmol/L AU and 100 μmol/L AU groups were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， while the cell apoptosis rate and p53 protein expression levels were significantly increased （P＜0.05）； however， the change trend of each index in SC79 group was opposite （P＜0.05）. Compared with 100 μmol/L AU group， the cell clonal formation number， proliferation rate and phosphorylation levels of Akt and MDM2 protein in 100 μmol/L AU+SC79 group were significantly increased （P＜0.05）， while cell apoptosis rate and p53 protein expression levels were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）； however， compared with SC79 group， the changing trend of indexes was the opposite （P＜0.05）. In the in vivo experiment， compared with the tumor group， the tumor mass and Ki-67 positive expression and the phosphorylation levels of Akt and MDM2 protein in nude mice of AU group were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， and the expression level of p53 protein was significantly increased （P＜0.05）， but the changing trend of above indexes of nude mice in SC79 group were opposite （P＜0.05）. Compared with AU group， the tumor mass， Ki-67 positive expression and phosphorylation levels of Akt and MDM2 protein in tumor tissues of nude mice in AU+SC79 group were significantly increased （P＜0.05）， while the expression level of p53 protein was significantly decreased （P＜0.05）； however， compared with SC79 group， the changing trend of above indexes was opposite （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS AU can inhibit PC cell proliferation and tumor growth by inhibiting Akt/MDM2/p53 signaling pathway.