OBJECTIVETo investigate the cytotoxic effect of extracts of Trichosanthes kirilowi (TK) root on Hela cells in vitro and its probable anti-tumor mechanism.

METHODSThe cytotoxic effect in vitro on the growth of Hela cells was evaluated by microculture tetrazolium assay (MTT). Cell ultrastructural changes were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and DNA agarose electrophoresis was performed to determine apoptosis and biochemical changes of Hela cells.

RESULTSExposure of Hela cells to TK extracts for 24-48 hrs resulted in a cell growth arrest, which showed in a time- and dose-dependent manner (r > 0.880, P < 0.01). With SEM and TEM, marked changes were observed, including microvilli disappearance or reduction, cell membrane vesiculation, cell shrinkage, condensation of chromosomes and apoptotic bodies with complete membrane. Besides, the apoptosis of Hela cells was confirmed by typical DNA ladder formation on gel electrophoresis.

CONCLUSIONExtracts of TK has a marked anti-tumor activity and could induce apoptosis of Hela cells.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; DNA ; biosynthesis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Trichosanthes ; chemistry

The nitrite-reducing activity of aerobic denitrifying bacterial strain N6-1 was studied. It showed that the nitrite-reducing activity reached the highest at 30℃, 120 r/min, pH 8.5 and C/N ratio 12, using CH3COONa and NaNO2 as the sole carbon source and nitrogen source, respectively. When the initial NaNO2 concentration was 2 g/L, NO2--N was reduced completely after 20 hours cultivation with the reducing rate of 20.3 mg/L?h. There would be no effect on its nitrite-reducing activity in the present of 1.5% NaCl or 1% peptone. The cell concentration could reach 1.2?1011 CFU/mL after 24 hours cultivation in 10 L fermentor.

Objective To explore the relationship of the ratio of plasma adrenomedullin(AM)and endothelin-1(ET-1)with serum concentration of neuron-specific enolase(NSE)in full-term neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE).Methods Plasma concentrations of AM,ET-1 and serum NSE from 32 full-term neonates with HIE were detected by radioimmunoassay(RIA)on the 1,3 and 7 d after parturition,30 neonates in the corresponding periods in our hospital were employed as controls.The infants with HIE were divided into mild,moderate or severe group in terms of diagnostic standard of HIE.Results 1.Plasma concentrations of AM and ET-1 in newborns with mild,moderate or severe HIE were significantly higher than that of control group at 1 d after life with a decline from 3-7 d(Pa

Objective To construct PPAR?and PPAR?response element (PPRE)-controlled luciferase expression vectors,and to determine whether the traditional Chinese medicine emodin activates PPAR?and improves the glucose uptake by HepG2 hepatocytes.Methods (1) PPAR?and PPRE luciferase expression vectors were constructed and were applied to screen more than 20 ingredients of the traditional Chinese medicine. (2) HepG2 cells were incubated with emodin which can activate PPAR?and PPRE luciferase activity,and the PPAR?mRNA expression level was evaluated by RT-PCR/Southern blot.(3) PPAR?and glucose transporter 2 (Glut2) proteins were determined by Western blot analysis in HepG2 cells treated with emodin.(4) The glucose uptake rate was measured using 2-deoxy-[~3H]-D-glucose in HepG2 cells after treatment with emodin.Results (1) Emodin stimulated luciferase activity controlled by PPRE in dose-dependent manner at concentrations of 0.04 to 180?mol/L in COS-7 cells.The highest value was about 4 folds of control in the cells treated with 90?mol/L emodin (P

Objective To analyse the high-dose dexamethasone suppression test(HDDST)-related differences in the clinical and biochemical features of the patients with Cushing's disease Methods Cases were drawn from 60 consecutive patients with Cushing's disease,who were then divided into two groups according to the response to the HDDST.The clinical and biochemical features between two groups were compared.Results(1) Of the 60 patients with Cushing's disease,23.3%(14/60)of patients(group A)did not yield results of suppression with the HDDST,and the others(group B)did.No difference was found in the age[(33.8?10.4 vs 36.2?11.2)years]and duration of illness[(2.1?1.6 vs 3.9?3.1)years]between two groups.(2)In clinical features,the patients in group A were more likely to have edema of lower limbs(64.3% vs 32.6%),hypokalemia (71.4% vs 28.3%),secondary diabetes(57.1% vs 26.1%)and purple striae(85.7% vs 54.3%,all P

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection on the expression of survivin and cell cycle in human tongue squamous carcinoma TSCCa cells.

METHODSThe proliferation of TSCCa cells infected with NDV in vitro was evaluated by means of MTT assay, and survivin expression in the infected cells was detected using RT-PCR and Western blotting. Flow cytometry was performed to assess the changes in the cell apoptosis, cell cycle and cell proliferation index (PI) of the cells.

RESULTSNDV infection resulted in decreased survivin expression and increased apoptosis of TSCCa cells, with reduced cell percentage in G2/M and S phases and lowered PI of the cells, showing significant differences from those of the negative control cells (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONNDV infection can inhibit survivin expression, affect the cell cycle of TSCCa cells and induce their apoptosis.

Apoptosis ; physiology ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology ; Cell Cycle ; physiology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Newcastle disease virus ; physiology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tongue Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology

BACKGROUNDSubclinical apoplexy of pituitary functional adenoma can cause spontaneous remission of hormone hypersecretion. The typical presence of pituitary growth hormone (GH) adenoma is gigantism and/or acromegaly. We investigated the clinical characteristics of patients with spontaneous partial remission of acromegaly or gigantism due to subclinical apoplexy of GH adenoma.

METHODSSix patients with spontaneous remission of acromegaly or gigantism were enrolled. The clinical characteristics, endocrinological evaluation and imageological characteristics were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSIn these cases, the initial clinical presences were diabetes mellitus or hypogonadism. No abrupt headache, vomiting, visual function impairment, or conscious disturbance had ever been complained of. The base levels of GH and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were normal or higher, but nadir GH levels were all still > 1 µg/L in 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. Magnetic resonance imaging detected enlarged sella, partial empty sella and compressed pituitary. The transsphenoidal surgery was performed in 2 cases, and the other patients were conservatively managed. All the patients were in clinical remission.

CONCLUSIONSWhen the clinical presences, endocrine evaluation, biochemical examination and imageology indicate spontaneous remission of GH hypersecretion in patients with gigantism or acromegaly, the diagnosis of subclinical apoplexy of pituitary GH adenoma should be presumed. To these patients, conservative therapy may be appropriate.

Acromegaly ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Gigantism ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Growth Hormone-Secreting Pituitary Adenoma ; complications ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; complications ; Young Adult

This study was aimed to construct a lentiviral vector of RNA interfered (RNAi)-kir2ds4 gene. In accordance with study-confirmed effective sequence of siRNA targeting kir2ds4 gene, the complementary DNA containing both sense and antisense oligonuctide of the targeting sequence was designed, synthesized and inserted into pSicoR-GFP vector containing U6 promoter and GFP sequence. The resulting lentiviral vector containing kir2ds4 shRNA was named as LV-sh kir2ds4, and confirmed by PCR and sequencing. 293T cells were co-transfected with lentiviral vector LV-sh kir2ds4 and packaging system. All virus stocks were produced by Lipofectamine 2000-mediated transfection. The titer of virus was tested according to the expression level of GFP. As a result, PCR and DNA sequencing demonstrated that the lentivirus RNAi vector of kir2ds4 was constructed successfully. The titer of virus tested by expression level of GFP was 6 x 10(8) TU/ml. It is concluded that the lentivirus RNAi vector of kir2ds4 has been successfully constructed.
Base Sequence ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptors, KIR ; biosynthesis ; genetics

Objectives: This study sought to describe our institutional experience of repeated percutaneous stellate ganglion blockade (R-SGB) as a treatment option for drug-refractory electrical storm in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM). Methods: This prospective observational study included 8 consecutive NICM patients who had drug-refractory electrical storm and underwent R-SGB between June 1, 2021 and January 31, 2022. Lidocaine (5 ml, 1%) was injected in the vicinity of the left stellate ganglion under the guidance of ultrasound, once per day for 7 days. Data including clinical characteristics, immediate and long-term outcomes, and procedure related complications were collected. Results: The mean age was (51.5±13.6) years. All patients were male. 5 patients were diagnosed as dilated cardiomyopathy, 2 patients as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and 1 patient as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The left ventricular ejection fraction was 37.8%±6.6%. After the treatment of R-SGB, 6 (75%) patients were free of electrical storm. 24 hours Holter monitoring showed significant reduction in ventricular tachycardia (VT) episodes from 43.0 (13.3, 276.3) to 1.0 (0.3, 34.0) on the first day following R-SGB (P<0.05) and 0.5 (0.0, 19.3) after whole R-SGB process (P<0.05). There were no procedure-related major complications. The mean follow-up was (4.8±1.1) months, and the median time of recurrent VT was 2 months. Conclusion: Minimally invasive R-SGB is a safe and effective method to treat electrical storm in patients with NICM.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Female ; Stroke Volume ; Stellate Ganglion/surgery* ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Cardiomyopathies/complications* ; Tachycardia, Ventricular/therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Catheter Ablation

Objective: To compare the short-term efficacy and long-term prognosis of laparoscopic and laparotomy radical resection for gallbladder cancer(GBC). Methods: From January 2010 to December 2020,the clinical data and survival information for 133 patients who underwent radical resection of GBC at the Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery,Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital,were retrospectively collected. Eighty patients(23 males and 57 females) underwent laparoscopic radical resection and had a median age(M(IQR)) of 66.0(12.8)years(range:28.0 to 82.0 years). Fifty-three patients(45 males and 8 females) who received laparotomy were 63.0(6.0)years old(range:45.0 to 80.0 years old). There were no significant differences in age,gender,body mass index,preoperative albumin,preoperative total bilirubin,N stages,vascular invasion,peri-neural invasion or tumor differentiation between the laparoscopic and laparotomy group(all P>0.05). But there were significant differences in preoperative CA19-9(Z=-2.955, P=0.003), preoperative ALT level(Z=-2.801,P=0.031) and T stage (χ²=19.110,P=0.007) between the two groups. A non-parametric test was used for quantitative data. χ² test or Fisher exact probability method was used for count data. Results: Patients in the laparoscopic group did not differ from those in the laparotomy group in terms of length of operation,number of lymph node yield,number of positive lymph nodes,the incidence of intraoperative gallbladder rupture,incidence of postoperative bile leakage,abdominal bleeding or abdominal infection,30-day mortality,90-day mortality, the incidence of incision implantation or peritoneal cavity metastasis(all P>0.05). Patients in the laparoscopic group showed less intraoperative bleeding(100.0(200.0)ml vs. 400.0(250.0)ml)(Z=-5.260,P<0.01),fewer days with drainage tube indwelling(6.0(3.8)days vs. 7.0(4.0)days)(Z=-3.351, P=0.001), and fewer postoperative days in hospital(8.0(5.0)days vs. 14.0(7.5)days)(Z=-6.079,P<0.01) than those in the laparotomy group. Patients in the laparoscopic group displayed better overall survival (P<0.01) and progression-free survival (P<0.01). Subgroup analysis for GBC of T1b-T2 and T3 stages revealed comparable overall survival and progression-free survival between the laparoscopic and laparotomy groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: Laparoscopic radical resection can achieve long-term survival for GBC comparable to that with open surgery. Laparoscopic radical resection has advantages over open surgery regarding surgical trauma and postoperative recovery.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Female ; Gallbladder Neoplasms/surgery* ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome