Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; Humans ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; diagnosis ; genetics

Natural biocompatible nanomaterials such as self-assembled triterpene natural small molecule products with favorable anticancer activity show great potential for biomedical application. However, the mechanisms of their molecular self-assembled structures have not been investigated systematically, while there are still few reports of the natural active carrier for drug delivery. Herein, in this work, we further explored the molecular assembly mechanism and common regularity of tetracyclic triterpenes ergosterol, stigmasterol as well as pentacyclic triterpenes glycyrrhetinic acid and ursolic acid, which suggested that the coplanarity and orderliness of molecular arrangements which are speculated to be responsible for their self-assembly into the spherical, rod-like or lamellar nanostructure. Besides, ergosterol (ET) with better anticancer activity was chosen as a representative substance for construction of the synergistic antitumor nanodrug. By intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking, chemotherapeutic drug paclitaxel (PTX) was encapsulated into ET-PTX NPs successfully. Then, the anti-cancer efficacy of the tumor-bearing mice was evaluated according to the protocol approved by the Experimental Animal Research Center of Harbin Medical University. The resulting nanodrug exhibited excellent biosafety and enhanced in vivo anticancer activity efficiency of 52.3%, higher than free PTX (29.4%) or ET NPs (32.5%) alone, further verifying the potential medical application value of triterpene natural products. This work provides not only a theoretical basis for exploring the self-assembly behavior of small molecule natural products, but also a promising perspective for the fabrication of active natural biocompatible nanodrug delivery systems for synergistic antitumor therapy and other biomedical applications.

BACKGROUND: Tongxinluo acts on benefiting qi, promoting circulation in collateral, activating blood circulation and resolving stasis, which is well effective in treatment of ischemic cerebral vascular disease. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) provides reliable reference evidence objectively and sensitively for clinical evaluation of therapeutic effects.OBJECTIVE: SPECT and clinical neurofunctional defect score (NDS)were used to observe the therapeutic effect of tongxinluo capsule on cerebral infarction.DESIGN: Case analysis was designed.SETTING: Internal Department of Neurology of First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 22 cases of acute cerebral infarction were admitted in Internal Department of Neurology of First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from March 2002 and July 2003, in which 12 cases were male and 10 cases were female, aged varied from 40 to 78 years, sick duration in range from 3 hours to 3 days.METHODS: Voluntarily, 22 cases of acute cerebral infarction were randomized in tongxinluo capsule group (capsule group)(11 cases) and the control (11 cases). In the control, danshen tablet was administrated,4 tablet/time, 3 times/d. In capsule group, tongxinluo capsule group was administrated, 4 pills/time, 3 times/d. The drugs were administrated for 15 days in two groups. Before and after treatment, SPECT ROI technique was used to assay ROI average radioactive counts on the affected and healthy sides to understand local blood flowing volume of brain in two groups. Neurofunctional defect evaluation was done before and after treatment on each patient.in two groups.RESULTS: Totally 22 cases of cerebral infarction all entered result analcontrol after treatment [(49.182±5.344 5), (28.364±4.610 3) score P ＜ 0.001].the affected side of the control and treatment group before treatment was decreased. Fifteen days after treatment, the volume in original decreased flowing area of brain was improved after taking the capsule (66.536±18.676,ter administration of the capsule reflected in SPECT radionuclide, but it was not improved remarkably in the control.CONCLUSION: Tongxinluo capsule improves definitely cerebral blood flow in patients with cerebral infarction. With improvement of blood flowing in brain, the neurofunctional defect score is promoted clinically, too. It is explained that the capsule promotes the recovery of nerve function.

To retrospective analyze the clinical profiles of 80 patients undergoing thoracotomy with protection of intercostal nerve versus traditional method.The doses of narcotics of two groups were (12 ± 5)and (43 ± 11) mg respectively.The postoperative levels of visual analogue score (VAS) and such potential complications as pneumonia,atelectasis and paraesthesia were examined (P ＜ 0.01).Protective technique of intercostal nerve during thoracotomy could effectively relieve postoperative chest pain,reduce the dosage of narcotics and lower the occurrence of lung complications.

AIM: To comparatively analyze the pain related factors levels and therapeutic response in patients treated with ~(99)Tc-MDP and ~(153)Sm-EDTMP for painful skeletal metastases. METHODS: Plasma endothelin (ET), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), thromboxane B_2 (TXB_2) and 6-keto-prostaglandin F_ 1? (6-k-PGF_ 1? ) levels were analyzed in 93 patients with painful skeletal metastases prior and 3 months after treatment. 55 cases were just treated with 153 Sm-EDTMP (group A); 19 cases were treated only with 99 Tc-MDP (group B); and 19 cases were treated with both 153 Sm-EDTMP and 99 Tc -MDP (group C). RESULTS: 69.1 %, 73.7 % and 89.5 % of the patients were experienced pain relief 3 months after treatment in groups A, B and C, respectively. Comparative analysis shows that: ET and 6-k-PGF_ 1? levels increased significantly 3 months after treatment in all patients (P

It was found that pre-X region was present in five clones of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome from 2 patients with chronic HBV infection. The open reading frame (ORF) consisted of 168 base pair (bp), and could be transslated with the X gene in frame. To investigate the activity of pre-X gene promoter, promoter DNA sequence was amplified from HBV-DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), The amplified product was cloned into pCAT3 vector, The HepG2 cells were transfected by pCAT3-Pre-X-p. The CAT activity was detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. It was found that pCAT3-Pre-X-p had higher activity of CAT, which was 3.5 fold over that of pCAT3-promoter. This result implicated that pCAT3-Pre-X-p possessed promoter activity.

To investigate the promoter activity of pre-pre-S gene, which was found in five clones of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome from 2 patients with chronic HBV infection, promoter DNA sequence was amplified from HBV-DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).The amplified product was cloned into pCAT3 reporter vector. The HepG2 cells were transfected by pCAT3-pre-pre-S-p. The CAT activity was detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. It was found that pCAT3-pre-pre-S-p had higher activity of CAT which was 10 fold over that of pCAT3-basic. This result implicated that pCAT3-pre-pre-S-p had promoter activity.

Objective To screen the HBV SPⅡ promoter DNA-binding protein, and to investigate its potential role in the regulation of replication and expression of HBV DNA. Methods By using HBV SPⅡ biotinylated promoter DNA as a selective molecule, the T7 select human liver cDNA library was biopanned and the positive clones were selected. After screening, amplification of positive plaques was performed for inserted DNA fragment and then they were cloned into the pGEM-Teasy vector. Results Four positive plaques were chosen for DNA sequencing. The binding protein of HBV SPⅡ promoter was demonstrated as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase 4 by BLAST. Conclusion The result suggests that this approach may provide a new tool for the study of replication and expression mechanism of HBV DNA.

Objective To screen and clone the target genes transactivated by nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Methods The mRNA was isolated from HepG2 cells transfected with pcDNA3.1(-)-NS5A and pcDNA3.1(-) empty vector, respectively. Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method was employed to analyze the differentially expressed DNA sequence between the two groups. The obtained sequences were searched for homologous DNA sequence from GenBank. The new gene with no homology with known genes in this database was confirmed, and electric polymerase chain reaction was conducted for cloning the full-length DNA of the new gene and in conjunction with Kozak rule and the terminus of polyadenyl signal sequence. The reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was used to amplify the new gene from mRNA of HepG2 cell as the template. The coding sequence of the new gene was deduced according to the nucleotide sequence. Results A new gene with unknown function was named as NS5ATP3. The nucleotide sequence of the NS5ATP3 gene and its corresponding amino acid have been determined, which contained 1 572nt and 524aa. The sequence of the NS5ATP3 gene was deposited into GenBank, with the accession number AF529364. Conclusions NS5ATP3 gene transactivated by HCV NS5A protein was cloned and identified successfully by combining molecular biological technology and bioinformatics technique. These results will pave the way for the study of the molecular mechanism of the transactivating effects of HCV NA5A protein and the development of new therapy for chronic hepatitis C.

Objective To investigate the activating effect of HBV X protein on transcription of calgizzarin S100A11 gene promoter. Methods The sequence of calgizzarin S100A11 gene promoter was identified in GenBank by bioinformatics and amplified from HepG2 genome by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplified product was cloned into pCAT3 reporter vector. The HepG2 cells were transfected by pCAT3-S100-p, and then co-tranfected by pCAT3-S100-p and pcDNA3.1(-)-X. The choloraphenical acetyltransferase(CAT) activity was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) kit. Results It was shown that pCAT3-S100-p could regulate the expression of CAT in HepG2 cells. The expression of CAT in co-transfection of pCAT3-S100-p and pcDNA3.1(-)-X was 2.1 fold higher than pCAT3-S100-p plasmid. Conclusion HBV-X protein can trans-activate the expression of S100A11 protein, and it further proved our previous results by SSH and biochips.