This study is to investigate the effect of Vam3, a dimeric derivative of resveratrol, on SNP-induced apoptosis and its potential mechanism in rat articular chondrocytes. Isolated rat articular chondrocytes were treated with sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, to induce apoptosis. Apoptosis percentage was evaluated by Annexin V-PI and nucleus fracture was examined by DAPI staining. Level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected using 2, 7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) as a fluorescence probe by fluorescence microplate reader. The change in mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by TMRE staining. Expressions of SIRT1, acetylated p53 (ac-p53), cleaved caspase 9 and cleaved caspase 3 were determined by Western blotting. It showed that Vam3 up to 10 micromol x L(-1) could significantly reduce SNP-induced rat articular chondrocytes apoptosis (P < 0.01) and nucleus fracture, inhibit the increase of intracellular ROS level (P < 0.01) and reverse the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (P < 0.01). Simultaneously, Vam3 could upregulate the expression of SIRT1, deacetylate p53, and inhibit the cleavage of caspase 9 and caspase 3 (P < 0.01) of rat articular chondrocytes exposed to SNP. This study indicates Vam3 could protect rat articular chondrocytes against SNP-induced apoptosis, perhaps through the upregulation of SIRT1 and deacetylation of p53.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Arabidopsis Proteins ; pharmacology ; Cartilage, Articular ; cytology ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Caspase 9 ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; drug effects ; Nitric Oxide Donors ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Nitroprusside ; pharmacology ; Qa-SNARE Proteins ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Sirtuin 1 ; metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the application of prognosis evaluation of ulnar nerve injury by 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). METHODS: The metabolites of first dorsal interossei (FDI) of two hands from 12 healthy volunteers and 1 volunteer with complete ulnar nerve injury were detected by 1H-MRS and the data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: For the FDI of healthy adults, the female peaks area of extra-myocellular lipids (EMCL) was higher than the male (P < 0.05); There was no significant difference in Cho, Cr and intra-myocellular lipids (IMCL) between male and female (P > 0.05); There was no significant difference in all the peaks area between the left and right hand (P > 0.05). The EMCL peak of the injury side was higher than that of the healthy side, and the area of FDI was reduced in the volunteer with ulnar nerve injury. CONCLUSION Noninvasive and quantitative detection of 1H-MRS may be valuable for prognosis evaluation of peripheral nerve injury.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods* ; Sex Distribution ; Ulnar Nerve/metabolism*

Chinese medicinal formulae (CMF) were usually used in the clinics of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), which were critical for modernization of Chinese medicine to shed light on the interaction between CMF and biological organisms. However, correlation between system and part, macroscopic actions and microcosmic mechanism, ADME process and pharmacologic actions were usually neglected. The put-forward of integrative pharmacology provided a feasible approach to solve the problem of the fragmentation of TCM. For the past years, we applied the strategy of integrative pharmacology to study Yuanhu Zhitong prescription( YZP) systematically, and established two modes, chemical fingerprints-metabolism fingerprints-network targets and intestinal absorption-activity evaluation-data mining, to establish the interaction rule between the chemical composition and biological activity from multiple levels, such as the calculation and in vitro/vivo, which provided proof for the quality control, pharmacodynamic material basis and pharmacological action of YZP. In this paper, we summarized the related progresses of the research of YZP.
Drug Combinations ; Drug Prescriptions ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Molecular Structure

AIM: To screen TIGR/myocilin gene (MYOC) mutation in high myopic Chinese children with family history.METHODS: Gene sequencing was performed in exon 3 of the TIGR gene in high myopic Chinese Children. The coding sequence of TIGR exon 3 was screened by capillary electrophoresis sequencing. The sequence alterations were analyzed by bioinformatics.RESULTS: TIGR gene mutation was not found in high myopic patients and normal controls group.CONCLUSION: No identified gene mutation is found in TIGR gene in high myopic Chinese children.

The pregnane X receptor (PXR), a liver and intestine specific receptor,, has been reported to be related with the repression of inflammation as well as activation of cytochromosome P450 3A (CYP3A) expression. We examined the effect of PXR on tetrachloromethane (CCl4)-induced mouse liver inflammation in this work. Ginkgolide A, one main component of Ginkgo biloba extracts (GBE), activated PXR and enhanced PXR expression level, displayed both significant therapeutic effect and preventive effect against CCl4-induced mouse hepatitis. siRNA-mediated decrease of PXR expression significantly reduced the efficacy of Ginkgolide A in treating CCl4-induced inflammation in mice. Flavonoids, another important components of GBE, were shown anti-inflammatory effect in a different way from Ginkgolide A which might be independent on PXR because flavonoids significantly inhibited CYP3A11 activities in mice. The results indicated that anti-inflammatory effect of PXR might be mediated by enhancing transcription level of IkappaBalpha through binding of IkappaBalpha. Inhibition of NF-kappaB activity by NF-kappaB-specific suppressor IkappaBalpha is one of the potential mechanisms of Ginkgolide A against CCl4-induced liver inflammation.
Animals ; Carbon Tetrachloride* ; Flavonoids ; Ginkgo biloba ; Hepatitis ; Inflammation* ; Intestines ; Liver* ; Mice* ; NF-kappa B ; Repression, Psychology

OBJECTIVETo provide a convenient method for screening obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in pregnant women.

METHODSSeventy-eight pregnant women with suspected OSAHS were calculated for the EP index using Epworth sleepiness score (ESS) with also measurement of the neck circumference (NC) and body mass index (BMI). The apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) was calculated and the lowest SaO(2) (LSaO(2)) measured through a 7-h polysomnography (PSG). The women were then divided into 4 groups according to the AHI and LSaO(2). The ESS was compared with the PSG-AHI and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was generated.

RESULTSAll the clinical indexes (NC, BMI, EP, AHI, and LSaO(2)) showed significant differences between the 4 groups (P<0.05). EP and PSG were found to have greater correlations to AHI (r=0.759, P=0.000) than NC (r=0.668) and BMI (r=0.663). The area under the ROC of the EP (0.825) was greater than that of NC (0.772) and BMI (0.784). The index of EP showed greater clinical diagnostic value of OSAHS in pregnancy. Base on the ROC, EP at the optimal operating point of 7.5 had a sensitivity of 76.8% and specificity of 68.2% for diagnosis of OSAHS in pregnant women.

CONCLUSIONThe ESS is an economic and convenient method for screening OSAHS in pregnant women with high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Polysomnography ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; diagnosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; diagnosis ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; standards ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVELong-term inhaled corticosteroids are the preferred treatment for asthma, but their safety still controversial. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of inhaled corticosteroids on bone age and growth in children with asthma.

METHODSSeventy-three children with asthma received inhaled fluticasone treatment at a starting dosage of 250 μg/d for 3 months, when the dosage was reduced by a third. Three months later, the patients were treated with fluticasone at a dosage of 125 μg/d for 6 months. Bone age, heights and weights were measured before and one year of treatment.

RESULTSThe increase in the heights, weights and RUS (radius, ulna and short finger bones) bone age of the children with asthma after one year of treatment was not significantly different from healthy children. There were no significant differences in body mass index (BMI) before and after one year of treatment, however the level of carpal bone age [-0.2(-0.6,0.8) years] was delayed after therapy compared to before treatment [-0.5(-1.0,0.6) years] (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTreatment with inhaled corticosteroids for 1 year may suppress the level of carpal bone age, but the level of RUS bone age, heights, weights and BMI are not affected. It is necessary to monitor the growth of children with asthma who receive long-term inhaled corticosteroid treatment.

Administration, Inhalation ; Age Determination by Skeleton ; Androstadienes ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Body Height ; drug effects ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Bone Development ; drug effects ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fluticasone ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVETo analyze the patterns of serum soluble CD14 (sCD14) and C-reactive protein (CRP) alterations in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and investigate the correlations of sCD14 variation to the etiology, clinical symptoms, and the number of mononuclear cells in these patients.

METHODSThis study involved 246 CHF patients stratified according to their etiology and clinical symptoms, with 107 normal individuals serving as the control group. Blood samples were collected from these patients the next day after admission and also from the control subjects for measuring serum sCD14 and CPR levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and rate nephelometry, respectively.

RESULTSThe CHF patients had significantly higher serum levels of sCD14 and CRP than the control subjects (P<0.01). In the CHF patients, serum sCD14 and CRP levels differed significantly in the patients with clinical symptoms of different severities (F=3.787, P=0.024), and those with moderate and severe symptoms had significantly higher levels than the asymptomatic patients (P<0.05). The difference in etiologies also resulted in significant difference in sCD14 levels (P<0.05), which were significantly lower in coronary artery disease group than in hypertension group (P<0.05). Significant positive correlations were found between sCD14 and the CRP levels in the CHF patients (r=0.227, P=0.018) and between sCD14 level and the clinical symptoms (r=0.206, P=0.001), but sCD14 level was not correlated to the absolute or relative number of mononuclear cells.

CONCLUSIONSSerum sCD14 and CRP levels are significantly elevated in CHF patients, but this condition may vary as the etiologies and clinical symptoms differ. Increased mononuclear cells do not contribute to the elevation of serum sCD14.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Chronic Disease ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Heart Failure ; blood ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUNDLaparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) approaches have been reported for treating various kidney and pelvic procedures, and are feasible and effective in selected patients. In this study, we aimed to present the initial experience and evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy performed through a single incision using a multichannel port.

METHODSBetween July 2010 and April 2011, six patients diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer underwent LESS radical prostatectomy (RP) in our institute. A multichannel port was inserted transperitoneally through a 2-cm umbilical incision. Specially articulating and flexible laparoscopic were used. Some technical tricks and points were applied during the operation to overcome the drawbacks and reduce the difficulties of this approach. Two continuous urethrovesical sutures in both sides were performed to complete both lateral aspects of anastomosis. The two ends of the suture threads were fixed by double Lapro-Clips, instead of the difficult knot-tying.

RESULTSTotal operative time was (265 ± 43) minutes. Mean blood loss was (230 ± 65) ml. All cases were completed successfully, without conversion to open surgery or adding additional abdomen ports. No patient required a blood transfusion and no intraoperative complications occurred. The Foley catheter was removed at the 14th day (range 12th - 16th) after surgery. At the 12th week of follow-up, all patients had an undetectable prostate-specific antigen level. Two patients used 2 or 1 pad for continence daily; other patients had achieved good continence.

CONCLUSIONIn selected cases, LESS-RP is feasible and effective; these technic points and the flexible-articulating instruments are helpful to reduce the operation difficulties.

Aged ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Male ; Prostatectomy ; methods

The study was aimed to evaluate if the modified in situ cryopreservation could affect the biological function of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in vitro. Mesenchymal stem cells from human bone marrow were isolated by standard method and characterized with their morphology, cell-surface antigen profile and differentiation repertoire in vitro. The culture-expanded MSC were cryopreserved in situ with culture medium (DMEM-LG) containing 10% D MSO and 30% selected FCS in -70 degrees C. Following recovery of cryopreservation, differentiation to adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteoblast in vitro and cell cycle analysis were performed to investigate whether the cryopreservation would change the differentiation potential of MSC. The results showed that after recovery of cryopreservation, there was no changes detected as compared with the culture-expanded MSC in both differentiation potency and growth pattern at 12 weeks. In conclusions: this optimized short term in situ cryopreservation at -70 degrees C could retain biological characteristics of human MSC for at least 3 months, and this method may be useful for cryopreservation of hum an bone marrow MSCs.
Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Separation ; Cell Survival ; Cryopreservation ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology