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.

Animals ; Creatine Kinase ; blood ; Lactate Dehydrogenases ; blood ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Male ; Rabbits ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; Weight-Bearing

Animals ; Creatine Kinase ; blood ; Energy Metabolism ; Lactate Dehydrogenases ; blood ; Male ; Pressure ; adverse effects ; Rabbits ; Serum ; enzymology

Objective To screen the proteins binding with HBV X-promoter and to investigate their potential role in the regulation of replication and expression of HBV DNA. Methods By using HBV X biotinylated promoter DNA as the selective molecule, the T7 select human liver cDNA library was biopanned and positive clones were selected. After screening, positive plaques were performed to amplify for inserted DNA fragment and cloned into pGEM-Teasy vector. Thirty positive plaques were chosen for DNA sequencing. Results Five kinds of known and nine kinds of novel cDNA sequences were obtained. The 5 kinds of known ones are human serum albumin, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4, prokininase, ubiquitin specific protease 10, and testis enhanced gene transcript. Conclusion The binding proteins of HBV Xp DNA were identified by phage display. The results suggest that this approach provides a new search tool for the study of replication and expression mechanism of HBV DNA.

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.