Through several murine transplantable tumor models, we studied the immunoprotective effect and mechanism of action of specific active immunization with various tumor cell vaccines (TCV) treated by: (1) Oleum Curcuma Aromatica (OCA, a Chinese anticancer medicament) and its effective monomer ?-elemene; (2) MMC and glutaraldehyde; (3) ~(60)Co and X-ray irradiation; and (4) vaccinia virus (VV) and newcastle disease virus (NDV), including virus infected TCV membrane fraction (Mfr). The reproducible results of immunoprotective effect indicated that the specific active immunotherapy with such TCVs might be of practical value in clinical immunological approaches to cancer therapeutics.

Elemene is a new anticancer drug isolated from a Chinese traditional medicine Curcuma aromatica. In previous work, we discovered that tumor cell vaccine (TCV) treated with oleum Curcuma aromatica or elemene could induce significant immunoprophylactic effect against a variety of aminal tumor strains and the method of preparation of elemene combo-TCV(EC-TCV) already got China's inventive patent. In this paper we further studied the active immunotherapeutic effect and the possible cellular/molecular mechanisms of EC-TCV immunization. The results were as follows:(1) EC-TCV immunization showed significant therapeutic effects (P＜0.05) against murine Ca761 syngeneic mammary carcinoma (H-2k) and HCa-F allogeneic hepatic carcinoma (H-2-) models; (2) The spleen cells of Hca-F EC-TCV immunized mice displayed higher cytotoxicity and IL-12 level while the secretion of IL-10 was decreased (P＜0.05); (3) Similar to heat shock, elemene(E), mitomycin C(MMC) and glutaraldehyde (G) could act alone as stressor, and induce significant changes of the expression of membrane heat shock proteins(HSP70 or/and HSP90) on L615 leukemia and HCa-F hepatoma cells and the EC-TCVs (E+MMC+G treated in combination) showed the highest level of membrane HSPs expression (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01 );(4) The HSP70-peptide complex isolated from HCa-F EC-TCV through ADP-agarose affinity chromatographic system could induce active immunoprotection against lethal dose challenge of HCa-F hepatic cancer cell but could not protect against the cross challenge of lethal dose of L615 leukemia. The results indicated that the immunoprotective effect of EC-TCV was in some extent tumor-specific, MHC-nonrestricted, and HSPs might play an important role in its molecular mechanisms.

BACKGROUND:Abnormal hippocampal neurogenesis during aging has been reported to result in learning and memory dysfunction. But its mechanism is unclear.
OBJECTIVE: To understand the changes of mouse neurogenesis in the hippocampal subgranular zone during aging.
METHODS:C57BL/6 mice 2, 6 and 20 months of age were used. Immunochemistry was used to count the number of neural stem cels (nestin+), neuroblasts (Doublecortin+, DCX+), and proliferative cels (proliferating cel nuclear antigen+, PCNA+) in the hippocampal subgranular zone. mRNA expressions of aging-related genes, p19Arf and p21Cip1/Waf1, in the hippocampus were detected by reverse transcription-PCR.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the young and middle age groups, the number of PCNA+ cels, nestin+ and DCX+ cels in the hippocampal subgranular zone of the aged group decreased dramaticaly; the expression of p19Arf and p21Cip1/Waf1 mRNA increased in the aged group. Proliferation activity, the number of neural stem cels and neuronal differentiation al decreased. These findings indicate that the decline of hippocampal neurogenesis may be associated with increased expression of aging-related genes p19Arf and p21Cip1/Waf1 in the p19Arf-Mdm2-p53-p21Cip1/Waf1pathway.

Objective To investigate and evaluate the clinical value of full endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal approach for the surgery of pituitary adenomas.Methods Seventy-two patients,who underwent full endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal approach for the surgery of pituitary adenomas,were selected from the Medical Center of Pituitary Adenomas of our hospital from January 2009 to March 2012.To retrospectively investigate pre- and post-operation symptoms,hormone levels,images information,operation information,complications,following-up information and so on.Results Among the 72 consecutive patients,there were 22 nonfunctioning adenomas,twenty-four prolactin secreting adenomas,seven somatotropin secreting adenomas,five adrenocorticotropic hormone secreting adenomas,one thyrotropin secreting adenomas,and 13 multi-secreting adenomas.The tumor removal was total in 56(77.8％),subtotal 13(18.0％),and partial 3(4.2％).Five cases had CSF leaks,and 6 diabetes insipidus.After 3-24 months of follow-up,the levels of increasing-hormone declined to normal levels in most patients.Conclusion Full endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal approach for the surgery of pituitary adenomas is a kind of technique which is safe,minimally invasive,having less complications and fast recovery.However,it is necessary for surgeons to accept systematic and specialized training,and own advanced equipments.

No data were available on the acute oral toxicity, short-term oral toxicity of vegetable carbon in animals. This study was designed to evaluate the safety of two commercially available dietary bamboo charcoal powders (BCP1 and BCP2). The size distribution of the two powders was determined by a Mastersizer 2000 laser particle size analyzer prior to the in vivo safety studies. For the acute toxicity study, a single dose of 11.24 g/kg body weight of BCP1 and BCP2 was given once orally to healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Mortality and clinical symptoms were observed and recorded for the first 30 min after treatment, at 4 h post-administration, and then at least once daily for 14 days after administration. In the repeated dose 28-day oral toxicity study, BCP1 and BCP2 were administered orally at doses of 2.81, 5.62, and 11.24 g/kg body weight for 28 days to SD rats. Animals were sacrificed and organs and blood samples were analyzed. Results showed that both BCP1 and BCP2 were micro-sized and various in size. In the acute toxicity and the repeated dose 28-day oral toxicity studies, BCP caused neither mortality nor visible signs of toxicity in rats. No significant differences were found in the relative organ weights or in biochemical parameters in BCP treated groups compared to a control group. No treatment-related histological changes were observed in the organs of these animals. Based on these data, it is concluded that the median lethal dose (LD50) of BCP for both male and female rats is more than 11.24 g/kg body weight and the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) is >11.24 g/kg body weight for 28 days.
Animals ; Bambusa ; chemistry ; Diet ; Female ; Male ; Powders ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toxicity Tests, Acute

Objective To investigate the significance of computed tomography(CT)and 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)in intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMRT)for esophageal carcinoma. Methods Thirty-five patients newly diagnosed with esophageal carcinoma who received radical radiotherapy in our hospital from November 2013 to April 2015 were enrolled as subjects. Target volume was delineated on the CT images and MRI images(T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted fusion images). The MRI-and CT-based IMRT plans were designed using the same dose prescription and dose constraints for organs at risk(OAR). The target volume,prescribed dose,and doses for OAR were compared between the two plans. Results In the two plans, dose distribution and planning parameters met the clinical requirement. The length of lesion,gross tumor volume (GTV),and planning target volume(PTV)defined by 3.0 T MRI were significantly smaller than those defined by CT(P=0.00,0.03,0.03). There were no significant differences in the D 2%,D 98%,D 50%,homogeneity index,or conformity index for primary GTV(PGTV)and PTV-PGTV between the two plans(all P>0.05). Compared with the CT-based plan,the 3.0 T MRI-based plan had a significantly smaller mean dose to the lungs and an insignificantly smaller actual dose to the lungs(P=0.00;P>0.05).There were no significant differences in maximum doses tolerated by the spinal cord or heart between the two plans. Conclusions In terms of target volume delineation and dosimetric parameters, both CT-and 3.0 T MRI-based plans meet the clinical requirement. The 3.0 T MRI-based plan may provide potential benefits for some OAR due to a smaller target volume compared with the CT-based plan.

Objective To investigate the effect of nutritional intervention upon the clinical efficacy of chemoradiotherapy in patients diagnosed with esophageal carcinoma. Methods A total of 46 patients who were diagnosed with esophageal cancer in Anhui Cancer Hospital from November 2016 to August 2017 were enrolled in this prospective study. All patients were randomly and evenly divided into the nutritional intervention (NI) and routine treatment (RT) groups. The changes in body mass index (BMI),PG-SGA, serum albumin ( ALB), hemoglobin ( HB), white blood cell ( WBC) and other objective nutritional parameters and the incidence of chemoradiotherapy-induced complications were recorded before and after chemoradiotherapy. Results Prior to chemoradiotherapy,age,sex,BMI,ALB,PLT and clinical staging did not significantly differ between two groups (all P>0. 05).In the NI group,the BMI was (21.52±2. 67) after chemoradiotherapy,significantly higher than (21.13±2. 73) before radiotherapy (P= 0. 000).Moreover,the PG-SGA score after chemoradiotherapy was significantly lower compared with that before chemoradiotherapy (P= 0. 000).In the RT group,the BMI,Hb,ALB,PLT and WBC after chemoradiotherapy were significantly lower than those before radiotherapy, and thePG-SGA score was worse after chemoradiotherapy ( all P<0. 05).In the NI group, the incidence of grade 3 myelosuppression was 4. 34％, significantly lower than 8. 68％ in the RT group ( P= 0. 000 ). Conclusions Patients with esophageal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy have a high nutritional risk. Nutritional intervention can improve the nutritional status, reduce the incidence of chemoradiotherapy-induced complications,and probably improve the quality of life and clinical prognosis.