Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is found to express at high levels in a variety of solid tumors including gliomas. This study was to examine the effect of an EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (AG1478) alone or in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) on the growth of glioma cells (U87). U87 glioma cells were treated with AG1478 (10 μmol/L) or CDDP (25 μmol/L) as a single agent or in combination for 24 or 48 h. The expression of EGFR and the components in its downstream signaling pathway [extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), protein kinase B (AKT)] in U87 glioma cells was detected by Western blotting. Cell growth, cell cycle distribution and cell apoptosis were determined by MTT method and flow cytometry, respectively. The results showed that CDDP could induce the activation of EGFR and the components in its downstream signaling pathways in a concentration-dependent manner. The combined treatment of AG1478 with CDDP could inhibit the proliferation of U87 glioma cells, arrest the cell cycle and promote cell apoptosis. In the EGFR signaling pathway, AG1478 decreased the phosphorylation of ERK, AKT and EGFR in U87 glioma cells. It was concluded that the combined treatment of AG1478 and CDDP may exert synergistic inhibitory effects on the growth of glioma cells by suppressing the activities of EGFR, AKT and ERK.

The parts of system automatically detecting the standard 12-synchronous-lead ECG (electrocardiograms) signal based on personal computer is introduced in this paper. The object-oriented programming method is adopted based on Windows System. We put forward methods to analyze QRS complex wave, P wave, T wave and ST fragment. In this paper the techniques such as ECG signal preprocessing, cardio wave parameters detecting and wave pattern cognizing are discussed too. Furthermore we use wavelet transform technique to analyze the wave pattern and get sound effect.
Algorithms ; Electrocardiography ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Pattern Recognition, Automated ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Software

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine combined with systemic chemotherapy and/or regional arterial perfusion for pancreatic cancer with liver metastases (PCLM).

METHODSWe retrospectively selected 292 patients with PCLM who were treated by Chinese herbal medicine combined with systemic chemotherapy and/or regional arterial perfusion at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital from January 2001 to December 2010. All patients were assigned to the Western medicine treatment group (157 cases) and the integrative medicine treatment group (135 cases). Patients in the Western medicine treatment group were treated with gemcitabine (GEM)-based chemotherapy, and partial of them received regional arterial perfusion. Those in the integrative medicine treatment group additionally took Chinese herbs of clearing heat and eliminating mass for at least 4 weeks. The median survival time (MST) , adverse reactions and the incidence of complications were observed.

RESULTSThere was no statistical significance in general data between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was statistical difference in MST between the two groups (4.8 months vs 5.5 months, P < 0.05). No death occurred during chemotherapy or regional arterial perfusion. All toxic or adverse reactions were tolerable.

CONCLUSIONChinese herbal medicine combined with systemic chemotherapy and/or regional arterial perfusion was effective and safe, and it could be optimally selected as palliative therapy for PCLM.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Complementary Therapies ; methods ; Deoxycytidine ; analogs & derivatives ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; secondary ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies

Objective: To explore the expression level of serum interleukin (IL)-7 in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and analyze the relationship between IL-7 level and prognosis. Methods: A total of 130 ACS patients [ACS group, including 70 cases with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 60 cases with unstable angina pectoris (UAP)], 33 cases with stable angina pectoris (SAP，SAP group) and 89 healthy subjects (healthy control group) were selected. IL-7 level was measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared among all groups. The 130 ACS patients were followed up, and Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between IL-7 level and prognosis. Results: Compared with healthy control group and SAP group, there was significant rise in IL-7 level in UAP group and AMI group [(1.84±0.47) pg/ml, (2.11±0.63) pg/ml vs. (4.87±0.52) pg/ml, (5.15±0.71) pg/ml, P<0.05 or P<0.01]. There were no significant difference in IL-7 level between healthy control group and SAP group, UAP group and AMI group (P>0.05 both); Logistic regression analysis indicated that expression level of serum IL-7 was an independent risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events in ACS patients (OR=1.212, 95%CI:1.061-1.418). Conclusion: Interleukin-7, as an important inflammatory cytokines, its serum level abnormally elevated in patients with acute coronary syndrome, it may have important prognostic value.

Objective To study the immunogenicity of human embryonic stem cells(hESCs)and the derived neural stem cells(NSCs)in vitro.Methods The constitutive expression of human leucocyte antigen(HLA)Ⅰ and Ⅱ in hESCs and the NSCs derived from these hESCs were detected by flow cytometry (FCM), as well as the expression of HLA-Ⅰ,Ⅱin NSCs induced by 30 ng/ml recombination human interferon-?(IFN-?).Meanwhile, the NSCs before and after induction of IFN-? were co-cultured with peripheral blood lymphocyte obtained from healthy person.Lymphocyte proliferation standing for the immunoreactivity of NSCs was then investigated.Results The hESCs slightly expressed HLA-Ⅰ(6.18%) and hardly any HLA-Ⅱ before differentiation.However, the NSCs expressed more HLA-Ⅰ(23.56%)as well as HLA-Ⅱ(1.28%, 1.73%)than the hESCs did.Both HLA-Ⅰ(46.43%)and HLA-Ⅱ(8.73%, 10.57%)expressed by the NSCs after they were induced by IFN-? were up-regulated.Conclusions hESCs express certain level of HLA-Ⅰ molecules but do not constitutively express HLA-Ⅱ molecules.The derived NSCs express heavy HLA-Ⅰ and a little HLA-Ⅱ, when treated by IFN-? they can inducibly up- regulated both molecules.The NSCs derived from HESCs are of immunogenicity, which induce rejection aiming at HLA-Ⅰ molecules or even at HLA-Ⅱ molecules when the host is inflammative or under stress, which can result in a failure of cellular transplantation.

BACKGROUNDPain is a common post-operative complication. Incidence of pain directly affects patients' quality of life in terms of patient physiology, psychology, and social characteristics. This study was to understand clinical attitudes with regards to Beijing surgeons, and patients' attitude towards pain treatment after orthopedic surgery.

METHODSA hospital-based cross-sectional and cluster sample survey of 40 hospitals in Beijing was conducted, including 20 level III (tier three) and 20 level II (tier two) general hospitals. Enrolled subjects completed a specifically designed interview-questionnaire.

RESULTSThe prevalence of pain 2 weeks post-orthopedic surgery was high in Beijing (96.1%). Meanwhile, collected data indicated most subjects in Beijing suffered moderate to severe pain, 45.1% and 41.4%, respectively, post-surgery. And for the concern of patients before surgery, most subjects chose full recovery from surgery (78.6%), as well as, the pain after operation was 39.2% ranked the third. According to the data from the study, Tramadol use was more common in Level III hospitals, where Somiton was preferred in Level II hospitals. When it came to the education of pain before and after operation, more patients get educated before operation than after it. In our study, case physicians or attending physicians enacted education before and after surgery. Related to the sense of patients, among the surgeons preferring post-operative analgesia, 67.6% considered administration when receiving complaints of moderate level pain, 50.0% indicated they will terminate analgesic treatment once pain degree scale wise decreases to benign pain.

CONCLUSIONSThe majority of orthopedic patients experience post-operative pain. Identification of post-operative pain will facilitate future awareness on pain treatment and nursing care in Beijing hospitals, with pain relief through regulated improvements in strategic pain management.

Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Orthopedics ; Pain, Postoperative ; drug therapy ; Postoperative Period ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tramadol ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

Adenoids ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; methods ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; methods

Objective To explore the mechanism of deep brain stimulation(DBS)therapy to Parkinson's disease(PD).Methods We produced hemi-parkinsonian rat model with stereotaxically injecting 6-OHDA to right medial forebrain bundle(MFB)and stimulated ipsilateral subthalamu nucleus (STN)with platinum electrodes chronically to investigate the influence of DBS to the expression of Calbindin-28,synaptophysin and tyrosine dioxydase(TH)in Striatum by Western blot.In addition,slices of bilateral PD rats after DBS were stained to observe the expression of Calbindin-28 and synaptophysin in substantia nigra by Immunohistochemistry.Results High frequency stimulation impaired the rotational frequency 31% of unilateral PD rats triggered by apomophine;Long-term DBS increased the expression of TH in innocent striatum of unilateral PD rats 78.6%?9.5%,since the ipsilateral striatum(lesion side) was TH depleted by 6-OHDA insults;Calbindin-28 expression in ipsilateral striatum of hemi-PD rats raised up 75.4%?15.0% and long-term DBS reduced the effect by 43.0%?7.1%,meanwhile Calbindin-28 positive neurons in substantia nigra compacta in sham,PD and DBS rats were 74.5?10.2,75.7?15.6, 33.1?7.8.However,Synaptophysin expression in substantia nigra and striatum kept stable even after long- term DBS.Conclusions Consistent to the treatment to PD patients,DBS to STN alleviated the motor disorder of PD rats,the treatment might be based on regulating the expression of Calbindin-28 and TH.

Objective To explore a kind of simple and high efficient approach to differentiate human embryonic stem cells(hESCs)into neural stem cells(NSCs).Methods hESCs were cultured in bacterial culture dish filled with serum free medium to gain embryoid bodies.Then the mature embryoid bodies grew in the special medium including B27 and noggin by adherent culture to differentiate into NSCs. Results The hESCs kept floating in the bacterial culture dish and growing all the time and then formed mature embryoid bodies 7 to 10 days later.The embryoid bodies could be differentiated into highly pure (96.4%)nestin positive cells.And these cells were differentiated into all kinds of neural cells if cultured further.Conclusions This kind of method is less time-consuming,cheaper,and more efficient than those of the results in literatures reported.It affords very good source of seed cells for cell transplantation therapy in the future.

No abstract available.
Angiography* ; Glomus Tumor* ; Multidetector Computed Tomography*