Objective To study effect of octreotide combined with ulinastatin on serum lipase, CRP and clinical efficacy in patients with acute pancreatitis.Methods 60 cases with acute pancreatitis were selected and divided into 2 groups.30 cases in the control group were treated with ulinastatin.30 cases in the experiment group were treated on the base of the control group by octreotide.Clinical effects, lipase and CRP were compared after 1 weeks treatment.Results Compared with the control group after treatment, the serum lipase, CRP level was lower in the experiment group (P<0.05), and the clinical total effective rate was significantly higher in the experiment group than in the control group ( P<0.05 ) . Conclusion Octreotide combined with ulinastatin has good clinical curative effect on acute pancreatitis.It is speculated that the mechanism may be related to the decreasing of serum lipase and CRP level in patients.

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between NB4 cell apoptosis induced by tanshinone IIA (TanIIA) and the cell mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DeltaPsim).

METHODSNB4 cells were treated with TanIIA, As(2)O(3), TanIIA plus 1.0 micro g/ml CsA and As(2)O(3) plus 1.0 micro g/ml CsA, respectively. Morphological changes were observed under light microscope and transmission electron microscope. The percentages of sub-G(1) cells and DeltaPsim of cells doublely stained with PI and Rh123 were assayed by flow cytometry.

RESULTSThe percentages of sub-G(1) cells after treatment with 1.0 micro g/ml and 2.0 micro g/ml TanIIA had no significant difference but was higher than that of 0.5 micro g/ml. After treatment with TanIIA, NB4 cells appeared the classical apoptotic morphology. The percentages of sub-G(1) cells were increased, while the DeltaPsim reduced (P < 0.01) and there was a linear correlation between them. The increment of sub-G(1) cell percentages and decrement of DeltaPsim induced by TanIIA were partly inhibited by CsA (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSTanIIA can induce NB4 cells apoptosis through opening the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and reducing DeltaPSgr;m, and this effect could be inhibited by CsA.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; DNA ; metabolism ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; Humans ; Membrane Potentials ; drug effects ; Mitochondria ; drug effects ; Phenanthrenes ; pharmacology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Background and purpose:Huachansu has been widely used to treat cancer in China.But maximum tolerated dose(MTD) of huachansu is still not well defined.The purpose of this study was to conduct a Phase Ⅰ study to determine the MTD of huachansu in the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma,non-small cell lung or pancreatic cancer.Toxic profile and efficacy of huachansu were also assessed qualitatively.Methods:Huachansu was intravenously administered to patients with stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ hepatocellular carcinoma,non-small cell lung cancer,or pancreatic cancer.Each cycle consisted of daily huachansu for 14 days with an interval of 7 days between two cycles.2 or more cycles were delivered to the patients if no severe adverse event occurred.The planned dose escalation schedule for huachansu was as follows,10,20,40,60,90 and 120 ml/(m2?d).Results:Fifteen patients(3 at each level) have been recruited to the study(11 with hepatocellular carcinoma,2 with pancreatic cancer,and 2 with lung cancer).There were no dose limiting toxicities found after dose level 5.Among all these patients,the efficacy in 14 patients could be valued,in which,6 were SD(42.9%),8 were PD(57.1%).At dose level 1,there was one patient with hepatocellular carcinoma achieving a 20% reduction in tumor mass that lasted 11 months,6 of 15(42.9%) patients with stable disease and 8 of 15(57.1%) with progress disease after the treatment.Conclusions:To date,dose limiting toxicity has not been seen with doses up to eight times higher than that typically used before.Of interest, several patients had prolonged stable disease or minor tumor shrinkage.

Objective:To evaluate the role of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in repair of lung tissues in mice with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).Methods:Fifty SPF male C57BL/6 mice, aged 6-8 weeks, weighing 21-23 g, were divided into 5 groups ( n=10 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C), EGF group, LPS+ PBS group, LPS+ EGF group and AG1478+ LPS+ EGF group.PBS 0.1 ml was intraperitoneally injected in group C. EGF 10 μg (0.1 ml) was intraperitoneally injected in group EGF.The equal volume of PBS and EGF 10 μg was intraperitoneally injected at 12 h after tracheal infusion of LPS in group LPS+ PBS and group LPS+ EGF, respectively.EGF receptor (EGFR) antagonist AG1478 1 mg was intraperitoneally injected, 30 min later LPS was tracheally instilled, and 12 h later EGF 10 μg was intraperitoneally injected in group AG1478+ LPS+ EGF.ARDS model was developed by endotracheal instillation of LPS 3 mg/kg.The mice were sacrificed on the 1st and 5th days after development of the model, and lung tissues were obtained for microscopic examination of the pathological changes which were scored after HE staining.Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on 5th day after development of the model and before sacrifice, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected to detect total protein concentration (by BCA method) and IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Lung tissues were obtained for determination of the wet/dry lung weight ratio (W/D ratio), expression of lung surfactant associated protein C (SP-C) and proliferating nuclear antigen (PCNA) (by immunofluorescence method), and expression of EGFR, phosphorylated EGFR (p-EGFR), protein kinase B (Akt), and phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) (by Western blot). Results:Compared with group C, the pathological score, W/D ratio, concentrations of total protein, IL-6 and TNF-α in BALF and neutrophil count were significantly increased, the number of cells co-expressing SP-C and PCNA was increased, and p-EGFR/EGFR and p-Akt/Akt ratios were increased in group LPS+ PBS ( P<0.01), and no significant change was found in the indexes mentioned above in group EGF ( P>0.05). Compared with group LPS+ PBS, the pathological score, W/D ratio, concentrations of total protein, IL-6 and TNF-α in BALF and neutrophil count were significantly decreased, the number of cells co-expressing SP-C and PCNA was increased, and p-EGFR/EGFR and p-Akt/Akt ratios were increased in group LPS+ EGF ( P<0.01). Compared with group LPS+ EGF, the pathological score, W/D ratio, concentrations of total protein, IL-6 and TNF-α in BALF and neutrophil count were significantly increased, the number of cells co-expressing SP-C and PCNA was decreased, and p-EGFR/EGFR and p-Akt/Akt ratios were decreased in group AG1478+ LPS+ EGF ( P<0.01). Conclusions:EGF can promote the repair of lung tissues in mice with ARDS, and the mechanism may be related to activation of EGFR signaling pathway and promotion of proliferation of alveolar epithelial cell type Ⅱ.

Alemtuzumab ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, T-Cell ; Transplantation, Autologous