Ginsenosides,which belongs to triterpenoid saponins of plant terpenoids,are the main active components of the valuable medicinal herbs ginseng and American ginseng.Recent studies show that ginsenosides have a variety of beneficial effects,including anti-inflamatory,antioxidant,and anticancer effects.Ginsenosides are synthesized by complicated modification of triterpenoid skeleton after cyclization of 2,3-oxidosqualene through triterpene saponin synthesis pathway in which they share common early steps with phytosterols synthesis.It outlines recent advances for the biosynthesis of ginsenosides,the cloning and characterization of genes encoding key enzymes in the pathway and the basal framework of ginsenosides biosynthesis pathway.The prospects of secondary metabolism engineering in the biosynthesis of plant natural products and its application in ginsenosides biosynthesis are also discussed.

Objective To analyze and compare the clinical application values of procalcitonin (PCT),leukocyte count (WBC) and C-reactive protein(CRP) in elder patients with infection.Methods In patients(age≥ 65 yrs,axillary temperature ＞38.0℃)with infection or suspected infection,PCT,WBC,CRP and other bacteriological examination were performed.The electronic medical records from the HIS system of our hospital were analyzed retrospectively in combination with medical history.Results Of the enrolled 219 patients,65 ones were in control group,48 ones SIRS,51 ones sepsis and 55 ones MODS.There was a positive correlation between the level of serum PCT and the infection degree.The Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.706 (95％CI:0.616-0.797,P=0.000).Based on the highest Youden index (sensitivity+specificity-1),the best cutoff point of diagnosis for PCT was ＞0.341 μg/L (sensitivity 84.5％,specificity 55.8％),a analysis of receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve about PCT,WBC and CRP was carried.Area under the curve (AUC) of PCT to controlled infection was 0.916 (95％CI:0.864-0.967,P=0.000).Based on the highest Youden index (sensitivity+ specificity-1),the judging threshold of PCT to infection controlled or not was 0.73 μg/L (sensitivity 84.6％,specificity 88.0％).PCT level after treatment ＞0.73 μg/L showed the uncontrolled infection,＜ 0.73 μg/L controlled.Conclusions PCT has a higher specificity for elder patients with infection.The variation of PCT level can guide the application of antibiotics,avoid abuse and decrease the occurrence of drug-resistant bacteria.

BACKGROUNDHyperostosis is a common pathological change among people more than 50 years old; it is connected with many risk factors, which are all indefinite. The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the correlation between obesity and female hyperostosis.

METHODSTotally 4326 females were included in this study and their basic information including their age, stature, body weight, course of disease, symptoms, medical complications, frequency of exercise and smoking, and X-ray and bone mineral density (BMD) examination results, was carefully collected for a statistical analysis. The t test or chi(2) test was used to evaluate the differences between two groups; an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the differences among several groups; the relationship between hyperostosis and body mass index (BMI), age, medical complications, exercise, average BMD was analyzed using Logistic regression.

RESULTSThe incidence rate of hyperostosis in obese patients was higher than that in patients with normal weight (P = 0.000). Obesity was relevant to hyperostotic sites (P = 0.000), and the incidence of hyperostosis in one or several sites of the lumbar vertebrae, knee joints, and other sites was higher in obese patients than in patients with normal weight. There was also a difference in the extent of hyperostosis between these two groups. BMI had positive effects on the incidence and degree of hyperostosis, which were also relative to the sites of hyperostosis, and the BMI of patients without hyperostosis were much lower than those of the patients with hyperostosis in their lumbar vertebrae, knee joints, or multiple sites. Obesity, age, and exercise had positive effects on the incidence of hyperostosis (P = 0.002, 0.000, 0.018).

CONCLUSIONSObesity is a significant potential stimulant of hyperostosis, especially hyperostosis in knee joints and multiple sites; keeping fit might be an important way to prevent it.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperostosis ; etiology ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; complications ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo present a new neurovascular island flap for fingertip reconstruction.

METHODSBased on the transverse palmar branch of the digital artery, this flap was designed on the volar side of a digit and reversed to repair the fingertip defects.

RESULTS12 fingers in 11 patients were reconstructed using this flap. Of them, 11 flaps survived and one necrosed. The contour of the reconstructed fingers looked well.

CONCLUSIONThis new neurovascular island flap provides excellent padding and sensation for fingertip reconstruction. The technique is simple.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Finger Injuries ; surgery ; Fingers ; blood supply ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Skin Transplantation ; Surgical Flaps ; blood supply ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDHistone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) have been reported to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. The effects of trichostatin A (TSA) on gastric cancer cells have not been well characterized. This study was aimed to explore the effects and mechanisms of TSA on human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells.

METHODSThe cells were treated with TSA and analyzed by cell proliferation assay, Western blot, TUNEL assay, flow cytometry by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) conjugated with Annexin V and PI staining, immunofluorescence analysis, analysis of subcellular fractionation, gene chips and real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTSTSA could inhibit cell growth and induced apoptosis in gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells through the regulation of apoptosis-related genes, such as Bcl-2, Bax and survivin. Further study indicated that the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk did not inhibit the apoptosis induced by TSA, and we did not observe the cleavage of poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) after TSA treatment too. In addition, apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) and EndoG were found to translocate from mitochondria to nucleus in the immunofluorescence assay and the Western analysis of subcellular fractionation confirmed the result of immunofluorescence assay.

CONCLUSIONSThe apoptosis induced by TSA in gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells involves a caspase-independent pathway.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspases ; physiology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ; Humans ; Hydroxamic Acids ; pharmacology ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; analysis ; Neoplasm Proteins ; analysis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; analysis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; analysis ; physiology ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; analysis

AIM To prepare nanosuspensions of flavonoids from Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and to determine the in vitro dissolution rate.METHODS Precipitation-high pressure homogenization method was adopted in the preparation of nanosuspensions.With mean particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) as evaluation indices,concentrations of flavonoids,povidone K30 (PVP K30) and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) as influencing factors,central composite design-response surface method was applied to optimizing the preparation.For the freedried powder prepared by freeze-drying method,the optimal kind and ratio of lyoprotectant were screened.Then the in vitro dissolution rates of freeze-dried powder and physical mixture were compared.RESULTS The optimal conditions were determined to be 10.00 mg/mL for flavonoids' concentration,and 2.30 mg/mL for both PVP K30 and PEG 400 concentrations,the mean particle size and PDI were (172.3 ± 1.2) nm and 0.175 ± 0.004,respectively.The optimal lyoprotectant was 5％ mannitol-lactose (3 ∶ 2),the mean particle size and PDI after redissolution were (239.7 ±2.1) nm and 0.193 ±0.032,respectively.The in vitro dissolution rate of lyoprotectant reached 87.7％ within 60 min,which was much higher than that of physical mixture (less than 30％).CONCLUSION Nanosuspension can effectively improve the in vitro dissolution rate of flavonoids from Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.

OBJECTIVETo observe the role of Panax notoginosides (PNS) in up-regulation of GATA family transcription factors, and explore intracellular signal pathway of PNS in the proliferation of hematopoietic cells.

METHODSHuman bone marrow cells were incubated with different concentrations of PNS for colony-forming assay. Human cell lines HL-60, K562, CHRF-288 and Meg-01 were incubated with PNS (10 mg/L) for 14 days. The cell nuclear proteins were extracted and analyzed by Western blot with antibodies against GATA-1, GATA-2. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and antibody gel supershift assay was performed using (32)P labeled GATA consensus oligonucleotide which contains binding site for GATA transcription factors.

RESULTSPNS could promote the proliferation of CFU-GM and CFU-E and induce the expression of GATA-1, GATA-2. The nuclear proteins of both GATA-1 and GATA-2 in K562, CHRF-288 and Meg-01 cells treated by PNS were increased by (1.5 - 2.8) and (2.0 - 3.1)-fold over untreated cells respectively. GATA binding activity initiated by PNS was apparently elevated to form higher density band of GATA-DNA complex. While there was no detectable change in HL-60 cells before and after PNS treatment. The predominant GATA binding complex was mainly attributable to both GATA-1 and GATA-2 proteins being in phosphorylated status.

CONCLUSIONPNS can induce the synthesis of transcription factors GATA-1 and GATA-2 and enhance their DNA binding activity, which could play a role in the up-regulation of the expression genes related to proliferation and differentiation in hematopoietic cells.

Blotting, Western ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; GATA1 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; GATA2 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Panax ; chemistry ; Up-Regulation ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between lymph node metastasis and prognosis in patients of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).

METHODSA retrospective clinical analysis was made in 132 cases of ICC, who admitted to our hospital from December 1996 to June 2003. Kaplan-meier method was used to calculate their survival rates, chi(2) test to compare the difference of sample rates. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing lymph node metastasis and log-rank univariate analysis was used to assess the role of lymph node metastasis in the long-survival.

RESULTSLymph node metastasis in hepatoduodenal ligament could be detected in all 29 preoperative and 48 postoperative lymph metastatic cases, without "jumping-metastasis". Lymph metastasis was one of the major causes of postoperative mortality, and resulted in 36 of 58 followed-up death postoperatively. According to logistic analysis, pathological types of the carcinoma (chi(2) = 4.071, P = 0.044) and periductal-infiltrating tumors (chi(2) = 3.872, P = 0.037) were significant predictors of lymph node metastasis. In all 98 radical resections, 46 cases performed skeletonization of the hepatoduodenal ligament while other 52 cases not. The median survival of the two groups was 20 months and 13 months respectively (chi(2) = 9.82, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSLymph nodes in the hepatoduodenal ligament may be sentinel nodes for ICC lymph node metastasis. Aggressive treatment of lymph node metastasis in the hepatoduodenal ligament is an important strategy to improve the long-survival of postoperative ICC patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; surgery ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; mortality ; secondary ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Caspases ; physiology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Isotretinoin ; pharmacology ; Melanoma ; pathology ; Receptors, Retinoic Acid ; physiology ; Retinoid X Receptors ; physiology ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of methylation on E-cadherin inactivation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell line HNE1 and CNE2, as well as evaluate the inhibitory effect of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC) on cell abilities of proliferation and invasion.

METHODSThe expression level of E-cadherin was measured by RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry (polymer method), the methyaltion status was analyzed by methylation-specific PCR (MSP), and cell proliferation and invasion were examined by MTT and invasion assay, separately before and after treatment with demethylating agent 5-Aza-dC.

RESULTSThe expression level of E-cadherin was down-regulated compared with the normal tissue, simultaneously partially methylated in gene promoter. Treatment with 20 µmol/L 5-Aza-dC increased the expression of E-cadherin and reduced the methylation degree. Moreover, it also significantly suppressed cell growth (27.6% for HNE1 cells and 34.3% for CNE2 cells, P < 0.05) and invasiveness (37.2% for HNE1 cells and 29.7% for CNE2 cells, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAberrant methylation around gene promoter region may play an important part in down regulation of E-cadherin in NPC, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for demethylating agents such as 5-Aza-dC.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; Azacitidine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Cadherins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; DNA Methylation ; Down-Regulation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Promoter Regions, Genetic