Orphan nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. It regulates the expression of multiple genes involved in adrenal and gonadal development,steroidogenesis,and reproductive function. Twenty five different mutations have been described and their clinical features are various. Detection of SF-1 gene may be contribute to the etiological diagnosis for 46, XY disorder of sex development patients.

Astrocyte elevated gene (AEG) -1 is cloned as a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) -1-inducible and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-inducible transcript in primary human fetal astrocytes (PHFA) by a rapid subtraction hybridization approach. AEG-1 has been reported to be up-regulated in various types of human cancers. Multivariate analyses indicat that AEG-1 correlates with the ability of growth, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis and chemoresistance of tumors. AEG-1 over-expression activates the PI3K-Akt,nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathways in several crucial aspects of tumorprogression. AEG-1 represents a viable potential target for the therapy of human cancers.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of vitapex paste in the treatment of deciduous teeth with periapical inflammation.Methods 112 children with chronic apicitis of deciduous teeth were divided into two groups randomly and averagely.The research group used vitapex paste,while the control group used zinc oxide eugenol paste.The clinical effects of the 2 groups were compared.Results Compared to the control group,the response to root canal filling of the research group was much weaker ( 10.7％ to 25.0％ ),which had statistical difference ( x2 =3.02,P =0.0 1 1 ).There wasalso significant difference betweenthe success rateofthetwogroups after 1 year followed up( x2 =5.16,P =0.004).Conclusion sing vitapex paste for root canal filling had a higher success rate and a weaker respose to root canal filling.

In recent years,it has been reported that the osteopontin attracts great attention for its roles in tumor growth and metastasis.In many tumors,osteopontin plays an important role in promoting tumor growth,metastasis and enhancing adhesion and migration abilities.In particular,in hepatocellular carcinoma,osteopontin has very satisfactory sensitivity and specificity in early diagnosis and is relatively effective on prognosis prediction.Suppression osteopontin expression will inhibit liver cancer growth and metastasis,indicating that the osteopontin stays a new target for liver cancer treatment and possesses intangible clinical potential.

Objective To investigate the clinical manifestations and imaging features of moyamoya disease (MMD).Method The clinical manifestations and the results of CT angiography ( CTA ) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) examinations of 162 cases diagnosed with M MD were analyzed retrospectively.Results In 162 patients with MMD, 132 cases (81.48% ) had stroke, in which cerebral infarction and transient ischemic attack (TIA) were 20 cases, intraventricular hemorrhage were 48 cases, cerebral hemorrhage were 52 cases, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) were 10 cases and acute subdural hemorrhage were 2 cases; 8 cases(4.94%) had simple migraine and 22 cases(13.58%) had simple epilepsy.All the patients were with typical imaging findings: ( 1 ) The central branch of the internal carotid artery,bilateral internal carotid artery clinoid segment and proximal arterial stenosis or occlusion was the main performance of MMD.(2) Abnormal vascular network in the skull base was the most feature of MMD changes.(3) The performance of collateral circulation.Conclusions CTA and DSA can be used for the diagnosis of MMD patients.DSA is the gold standard for diagnosis of MMD.

Vildagliptin is a potent and specific inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase 4,which has been implicated to enhance and prolong the physiological actions of incretion hormones including glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide.Vildagliptin is an orally administered drug and has been licensed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.Vildagliptin monotherapy or in combination with other drugs can effectively lower glycosylated haemoglobin levels to a great extent.In addition,vildagliptin acts in a glucose-dependent manner,explaining its low risk of hypoglycemia.This drug has been proved well tolerated with few gastrointestinal side effects or oedema.Therefore vildagliptin is a promising new option for type 2 diabetic patients,and these patients would achieve better glycemic control and fewer complications in the long run.

Background:The ability of tumor cells to evade destruction by immune system is known as tumor immune escape. Regulatory T cells( Treg cells)and myeloid-derived suppressor cells( MDSCs)are considered to be the most critical cell subsets participating in tumor immune escape. Aims:To determine the percentages of Treg cells and MDSCs in peripheral blood of patients with gastric cancer for investigating the effects of these two cell subsets on development and progression of gastric cancer. Methods:Peripheral blood specimens from 77 patients with gastric cancer and 20 healthy controls were collected for measurements of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells and MDSCs by flow cytometry. Correlations between Treg cells,MDSCs and clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer were analyzed. Results:Percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3 + Treg cells in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells and percentage of MDSCs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were both significantly higher in gastric cancer patients than in healthy controls( Treg cells:4. 72% ± 1. 01% vs. 1. 57% ± 0. 99%,P<0. 01;MDSCs:21. 72% ± 10. 12% vs. 2. 90% ± 1. 80%,P<0. 01). Percentage of Treg cells in peripheral blood was correlated with the clinical stage,depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer(P<0. 05), while percentage of MDSCs was correlated with the clinical stage of gastric cancer(P<0. 05). Furthermore,a significant positive correlation was observed between percentages of Treg cells and MDSCs in peripheral blood of gastric cancer patients ( rs =0. 681,P<0. 01). Conclusions:Gastric cancer patients are characterized by high expressions of immunosuppressive cells in peripheral blood,such as Treg cells and MDSCs,which might be related with the development and progression of gastric cancer via tumor immune escape.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Astragalus injection (AI) on basal-like breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-468 and murine bone marrow stromal stem cells (mMSCs). METHODS: MDA-MB-468 cells and primary cultured mMSCs were treated by different concentrations of AI, and with untreated MDA-MB-468 cells as blank control. The morphology of cells was observed by phase-contrast inverted microscope and transmission electron microscopy. Cytotoxic effects of AI on MDA-MB-468 cells and mMSCs were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis of MDA-MB-468 cells induced by AI were measured by flow cytometry. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in supernatants was measured by enzymatic colorimetric method. The expressions of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and p53 protein in MDA-MB-468 cells were evaluated by streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. RESULTS: A time-dependent cytotoxic effect of 1 g/ml AI was observed in MDA-MB-468 cells. 1 g/ml AI also had cytotoxic effect on mMSCs, but its effect was not better than cisplatin. 0.1 g/ml AI could promote the proliferation of mMSCs. Different concentrations of AI could all induce the apoptosis of MDA-MB-468 cells. There was no significant difference in LDH activity in the supernatants between blank control group and AI-treated and cisplatin-treated groups. AI could down-regulate the expressions of EGFR and p53 protein. CONCLUSION: The effects of AI on MDA-MB-468 cells and mMSCs are related to the concentration of AI, and its mechanism of inhibiting the proliferation of MDA-MB-468 cells may be due to down-regulation of the expressions of EGFR and p53 protein.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney on proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture. METHODS: The normal human mammary epithelial cells were dissociated by digestion with collagenase type I. The morphological identification of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture was determined under inverted phase contrast microscope and transmission electron microscope. The estradiol and progesterone were added to culture medium to induce the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture, and the different doses of Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney and tamoxifen were also added into the culture medium. The MTT assay was used to evaluate the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture under the different conditions of interventions. RESULTS: The normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture presented typically morphological features of normal human mammary epithelial cells in vitro. The proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture was significantly improved by intervention of estradiol and progesterone both with concentration of 1x10(-5) g/L. The high-dose Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney could obviously promote the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture, while the proliferation was obviously inhibited by low-dose Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney. The tamoxifen exerted no effects on the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture. CONCLUSION: The estradiol and progesterone can enhance the ability of proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture. The regulating effect of Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney on proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture is dose-dependent.

Points Fengfu(GV 16), Fengchi(GB 20) and Anmian were selected as main acupoints to treat painful heels and the total effective rate of 96.9% was got. The technique of lifting needle was the key to the therapy.