Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; metabolism ; Fibrinolysis ; drug effects ; Glycoproteins ; blood ; Humans ; Injections ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; blood ; Platelet Aggregation ; drug effects ; Pulmonary Heart Disease ; blood ; drug therapy ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator ; blood

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of breast MRI in patients presenting with microcalcifications on mammography.Methods Eight four patients were retrospectively analyzed,who had mammographically detected BI-RADS (breast imaging reporting and data system) 3 to 5 microcalcifications and underwent breast MRI before surgical biopsy.All mammography and MR images were reviewed with BI-RADS.With histopathological diagnosis as golden standard,the sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of the two methods were calculated and compared with x2 test or Fisher exact test.The diagnostic efficacy of the two methods was compared with ROC curve.Results Pathologic examination revealed 91 lesions in 84 patients including 49 benign lesions and 42 malignant lesions.For 21 lesions of category 3 microcalcifications,the specificity of mammography and MR was 100.0％ (21/21) and 95.2％ (20/21),which had no significant difference (P=1.000).For 51 lesious of category 4,sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of mammography were 100.0％(23/23),0 and 45.1％(23/51).The corresponding values for MR were 91.3％(21/23),82.1％ (23/28) and 86.3％ (44/51).The difference for specificity and accuracy between the two methods was statistical significant(x2 value was 30.030 and 19.182,respectively,with P＜0.01),but not for sensitivity(x2=0.523,P=0.470).Nineteen lesions of category 5 were all correctly diagnosed on mammography and MRI.For all the 91 lesions,the sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of mammography were 100.0％(42/42),42.9％(21/49) and 69.2％(63/91),respectively.The corresponding values for MRI were 95.2 ％(40/42),87.8％(43/49) and 91.2％(83/91).There was significant difference for specificity and accuracy between the two methods (x2 value was 21.798 and 13.851,respectively,with P＜0.05),but not for sensitivity (x2=0.512,P=0.474).The areas under ROC curve for mammography and MR were 0.844,0.945(P＜0.01),for the estimation of the benign and the malignent.Conclusions Compared with mammography,breast MRI significantly improved the diagnosis of category 4 microcalcifications with increased specificity and accuracy.But for microcalcifications of category 3 and 5,MR didn't improve the diagnostic effect.

Objective: To observe the protective effect of Silybin Capsules (SC) on mice hepatic toxic injury induced by isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH) and rifampin (RFP) when used in combination Methods: The serum level of ALT, liver index, contents of glutathion (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA), activity of microsomal cytochrome P450 and its isoform P4502E1 in liver were measured. Results: SC obviously inhibited the rising of liver index, serum ALT, liver MDA and the activity of microsomal cytochrom P450 and its isoform P4502E1, and increased the liver GSH. Histopathological examination showed that Silibinin Capsules evidently alleviated the condition of the degeneration of hepatic cells and that of necrosis. Conclusion: The protective effect of SC on mice hepatic injury induced by both IIVit and RFP may be related to stabilizing the liver membrane, inhibiting the the lipid peroxidation, scavenging the free radical and decreasing the activity drug metabolizing enzyme.

OBJECTIVETo explore the role of Compound Danshen Injection (CDI) in regulating the expression of aquaporin 3 (AQP3) in human amnion epithelium cells (hAECs), and to study the relation between c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signal pathway and AQP3.

METHODShAECs were isolated and primarily cultured from term pregnancy with normal amniotic fluid volume and from term pregnancy with oligohydramnios, and then hAECs were further divided into four groups, i.e., the blank control group (A), the SP600125 group (B), the CDI group (C), and the SP600125 +CDI group (D). The cell viability was measured by cell counting kit-8 assay (CCK-8). The expression of total JNK, phosphorylated JNK, and AQP3 were determined by Western blot.

RESULTS(1) In hAECs with normal AFV or with oligohydramnios: There was no statistical difference in the cell viability or the expression of total JNK among the 4 groups (P > 0.05). But there was statistical difference in the expression of p-JNK (P < 0.05). Compared with A group, the expression of p-JNK was obviously down-regulated in B group, but obviously up-regulated in C group (P < 0.05). The expression of p-JNK was significantly lower in D group than in C group, but higher than that in A group or B group (P < 0.05).The AQP3 expression in the hAECs with normal amniotic fluid volume of C group and D group were higher than that in the A group (P < 0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in the AQP3 expression between C group and D group (P > 0.05). In hAECs with oligohydramnios, the expression of AQP3 obviously decreased in B group, but up-regulated in C group (both P < 0.05). The expression of AQP3 was lower in D group than in C group, but higher than in B group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCDI could regulate the AQP3 expression in hAECs with oligohydramnios via activating the JNK signal pathway.

Amnion ; cytology ; drug effects ; Aquaporin 3 ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; physiology

With the successful implementation of Human Genome Project, more and more scientists started to pay attention on the second genome of human body: Microbiome. This paper will briefly introduce the latest developments of the Human Microbiome Project, the human oral microbiome research, and new technologies of microbial gene research.
Humans ; Metagenome ; Microbiota ; Mouth ; microbiology

From the chloroform-soluble fraction of the ethanol extracts of the whole plant of Taxus chinensis var. mairei (Lemee et Lev1), four compounds were isolated by using repeated column chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20. Based on spectroscopic data (UV, IR, ESI-MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR), the compounds were identified as taxamairin K (1), 2alpha, 4alpha-dideacetoxy-7beta-benzoyloxy-5beta,20-epoxy-9alpha, 10beta, 13alpha, 15-tetrahydroxy-11(15-->1) abeotaxa-11-ene (2), 7beta-xylosyl-taxol (3), 10-deacetoxy-7-xylosyl-taxol (4). Among them, taxamairin K is a new compound.
Diterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Taxus ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of icariin on vascular endothelial cells (VECs) injury induced by hypoxia.

METHODSThe hypoxia-ischemia model was established. The effect of icariin on injury of VECs activity induced by hypoxia was determined by MTT assay. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in cell homogenate were measured with corresponding kit. Effect of icariin on cells apoptosis induced by hypoxia was determined by Hoechst 33342 fluorescent staining, cell ultrastructure observation under transmission electron microscopy and analysis on gene fragmentation by flow cytometry and DNA gel electrophoresis.

RESULTSICA could inhibit the hypoxia induced VECs reduction, suppress LDH activity, reduce the MDA production, and enhance SOD activity under hypoxia. Hypoxia could induce VECs apoptosis, revealed chromation condensed in nuclei with the fragments arranged along the nuclear membrane. DNA gel electrophoresis showed typical ladder strands of DNA. Cells displayed a typical sub-diploid peak in flow cytometry. ICA could significantly inhibit the hypoxia induced apoptosis of VECs.

CONCLUSIONICA has the protective effect on hypoxia injured VECs, which may be related to its effect of anti-apoptosis, anti-lipid peroxidation and SOD activity enhancing.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Endothelial Cells ; pathology ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Umbilical Veins ; pathology

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) offer a non-selective and receptor-independent mode to promote cellular uptake. Although the non-specificity of CPP-mediated internalization allows this approach applicable to a wide range of tumor types potentially, their universality is a significant obstacle to their clinical utility for targeted delivery of cancer therapeutics and imaging agents. Accordingly, many reports have focused on selective switching of systemically delivered inert CPPs into their active form in lesions (tumor). In this review, our attention is mainly confined to such an enzyme-sensitive domain incorporated delivery system with activatable CPPs (ACPPs), which have displayed the exciting strength in balancing the CPPs' pros and cons, and potential in the treatment and diagnosis of some diseases.
Cell-Penetrating Peptides ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Enzymes ; chemistry ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVE: To establish a technical process for the separation and purification of total flavones from Licorice. METHODS: The static absorption capacity of macroreticular adsorptive resins D101、Hz-806、AB-83 for total flavones from licorice were compared. The macroreticular adsorptive resin columns on the Licorice extractives were eluted respectively with different concentrations of ethanol, then the content, the weight of residue and purity coefficient of flavones from Licorice in the eluant were detected. RESULTS: The optimal technological conditions were found in AB-8 as follows: flow rate=3ml/min, sample concentration=1.5 mg/ml, pH=5 and 80% ethanol was used as eluting agent. CONCLUSIONS: AB-8 macroreticular adsorptive resin can effectively separate and purify total flavones from licorice, the purity coefficient thus obtained being over 50%, which meets the requirement of the study of effective components of herbal medicine.

To reduce extensive radical procedures and decrease morbidity in gynecologic malignancies, much effort is being focused on implementing less aggressive interventions. Two different approaches such as lymphatic mapping and lymphoscintigraphy are currently used to identify sentinel lymph nodes. In vulvar and cervical carcinomas, metastatic spread of disease commonly follows stepwise progressive drainage. Thus, sentinel lymph node identification may significantly reduce the number of patients undergoing unnecessary, extensive lymphadenectomy in the absence of metastatic disease. The addition of novel techniques, such as histopathologic ultrastaging, step sectioning, and immunohistochemistry staining, will help increase the accuracy and rate of detection of the disease. Any definitive statements can be made to the validity of sentinel lymphadenectomy until we got data with long-term follow-up.
Endometrial Neoplasms ; pathology ; Female ; Genital Neoplasms, Female ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Lymph Nodes ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; pathology ; Vaginal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Vulvar Neoplasms ; pathology