A novel citrinin derivative, penicitrinol L (1), along with two known analogues, penidicitrinin B (2) and pennicitrinone A (3) were isolated from the marine-source fungus Penicillium citrinum. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by spectroscopic methods including one and two-dimensional NMR as well as high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis. Furthermore, compound 1 showed modest cytotoxic activity against HL-60 cell line and compound 3 showed weak cytotoxic activity against A375 cell line.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Citrinin ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Penicillium ; chemistry

Objective To investigate the presence of occult brain tissue damage in patients with relapsing neuromyelitis optica(RNMO)and its possible mechanism by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).Methods DTI scans were performed in 16 patients with RNMO and 16 sex-and age-matched healthy controls.Histogram analysis of mean diffusivity (MD)and fractional anisotropy (FA)was performed in brain tissue (BT),white matter (WM)and gray matter (GM)to detect the presence of occult brain tissue damage in RNMO patients.Region of interest(ROI )analysis of MD and FA was also performed in 6 dedicated regions with or without direct connection with spinal cord or optic nerve to determine the relationship between occult brain tissue damage and the damage of spinal cord and optic nerve.Results Patients with RNMO had a significantly higher average MD of the BT[RNMO(0.95?0.02)? 10~(-3)mm~2/s,controls (0.91?0.03)?10~(-3)mm~2/s,t = 3.940,P

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effect of lidocaine against lung injury after hemorrhagic shock in rabbits.

METHODSEighteen healthy rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=6), namely lidocaine group (group L), hemorrhagic shock group (group H) and control group (group C). Hemorrhagic shock model was established in rabbits in groups L and H, and the venous blood samples were collected for measurement of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxidedismutase (SOD) before phlebotomy (T0), 2 h after hemorrhagic shock (T1) and 2 h after resuscitation (T2). Blood samples were also taken for measurement of MDA and SOD at the same time points in group C. The wet to dry weight ratio of the lung (W/D) was measured at T2.

RESULTSMDA level was significantly lower while SOD level significantly higher in group L than in group H (P<0.05). The W/D ratio in group L was reduced significantly as compared with that in group H (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONLidocaine can remarkably alleviate lung injury after hemorrhagic shock by inhibiting MDA production and increasing SOD content.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Lidocaine ; pharmacology ; Lung ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Lung Injury ; prevention & control ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; Rabbits ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; drug therapy ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood

OBJECTIVETo observe the regional distribution of propofol in canine spinal cord under noxious stimulation.

METHODSTwelve healthy hybrid dogs (12-18 months old, weighing 10-12 kg) were randomly divided into control group (n=6) and stimulation group (n=6). All the dogs were anesthetized with a single bolus dose of propofol (7 mg/kg) in 15 seconds followed by propofol infusion at a constant rate of 70 mg/kg/h via the great saphenous vein of the right posterior limb. In the stimulation group, the tails of the dogs were clamped for 5 min after 45 min of propofol infusion. Blood samples were taken from the internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein at 50 min after propofol infusion to detect plasma propofol concentrations by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The dogs were then immediately sacrificed by decapitation and the frontal horn, posterior horn, intermediate zone, frontal funiculus, posterior funiculus and lateral funiculus of the spinal cord were dissected for determination of propol content by HPLC.

RESULTSThe plasma concentrations of propofol in the internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein were 5.07-/+0.23 and 5.03-/+0.10 microg/ml in the stimulation group, respectively showing no significant differences from those in the control group (5.09-/+0.03 and 5.08-/+0.03 microg/ml, P>0.05). In the control group, the propofol concentration was 5.09-/+0.08 microg/g in the frontal horm, 5.10-/+0.08 microg/g in the posterior horn, 5.05-/+0.19 microg/g in the intermediate zone, 5.06-/+0.14 microg/g in the frontal funiculus, 5.06-/+0.15 microg/g in the posterior funiculus and 5.06-/+0.41 microg/g in the lateral funiculus, showing no significant differences (P>0.05). The propofol concentrations in the frontal horn (7.65-/+0.47 microg/g) and posterior funiculus (7.06-/+0.82 microg/g) in the stimulation group were significantly higher than those in the other spinal cord tissues (P<0.05) and those in the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAt 50 min after intravenous injection of propofol at a constant rate of 70 mg/kg/h, plasma propofol concentrations in the internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein reaches equilibrium with a balanced distribution in all the spinal cord regions. Propofol concentration can be higher in the frontal horn and posterior funiculus under noxious stimulation.

Animals ; Dogs ; Female ; Male ; Nociceptors ; drug effects ; physiology ; Pain ; physiopathology ; Physical Stimulation ; Propofol ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Spinal Cord ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDPulmonary embolism, a potentially fatal event, occurs more frequently in cancer patients than in the general population. To offer an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment to such patients in China, we analyzed the incidence rate and clinical features of pulmonary embolism in patients with solid tumor hospitalized in the Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital.

METHODSA retrospective analysis was made of the hospitalized patients with solid malignancies complicated with pulmonary embolism who had been admitted into the PUMC Hospital from January 2002 to December 2008.

RESULTSThe incidence of pulmonary embolism in hospitalized patients with solid malignancies was 0.27% (120/43 967). The median age at diagnosis was 57.5 years. The male to female ratio was 1.0:1.4 (49:71). Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) constituted the largest proportion of the 120 patients (37.5%), followed by patients with breast (9.2%), ovarian (8.3%), pancreatic (6.7%), and liver cancer (6.7%). Eighty patients (66.7%) had stage IV cancer. Bone was the most common site of distant metastasis (46.3%). D-dimer level was elevated in 90.9% of the 66 tested patients. The incidence of bleeding due to anti-coagulation therapy was 3.6%. Thirty-six (30.0%) of the 120 patients had concurrent deep venous thrombosis in the lower extremities. Seventeen patients developed acute pulmonary embolism within 2 weeks after surgery, 3 of whom died suddenly. Four patients presented with deep venous thrombosis and 1 with pulmonary embolism prior to the identification of malignancy.

CONCLUSIONSPatients with cancer of the lung, ovarian, breast, pancreas, and liver are more likely to be complicated with pulmonary embolism than those with other types of solid tumors. Patients with distant metastasis are at a higher risk of pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism without concurrent deep venous thrombosis is more frequently observed than concurrence of both disorders in the clinical setting.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anticoagulants ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heparin ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms ; classification ; complications ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Pulmonary Embolism ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Young Adult

Wound combined with total body irradiation (TBI) injury results in impairment of tissue repair and delayed processes of healing, so it has been considered as an important and representative model of impaired wound healing, but the mechanism is not fully clarified. Fibroblasts in wound are the most important cells participating in tissue repair, whereas its radiosensitivity is not high. To understand whether TBI injury has direct damaging effects on fibroblasts in wound, fibroblasts in wound combined with TBI injury and in wound of simple incision injury were isolated and cultured, and parameters associated with tissue repair were determined. The results showed that the abilities of proliferation, attachment and adhesion of fibroblasts isolated from wounds combined with TBI injury significantly decreased as compared with those of simple incision injury, nevertheless, apoptotic ratio of fibroblasts isolated from wounds combined with TBI injury increased significantly. These data suggest that TBI injury may cause direct damaging effects on fibroblasts in wounds, which might be one of the dominant reasons for impairment of wound healing when it is combined with TBI injury.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fibroblasts ; metabolism ; physiology ; radiation effects ; Radiation Injuries, Experimental ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Skin ; injuries ; Whole-Body Irradiation ; Wound Healing ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of propofol at doses for different anesthesia depths on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in different cerebral regions at propofol uptake equilibrium in dogs.

METHODSTwelve 12-18-month-old healthy hybrid dogs weighing 10-12 kg were randomly divided into light anesthesia group (n=6) and deep anesthesia group (n=6) with a single bolus dose of propofol (5.5 and 7.0 mg/kg, respectively) completed in 15 s followed by intravenous propofol infusion at a constant rate (55 and 70 mg·kg(-1)·h(-1), respectively). Blood samples (2 ml) were taken from the internal carotid artery and jugular vein to measure plasma propofol concentrations 50 min after the start of the infusion. The dogs were then sacrificed and tissues were taken from different brain regions and the cervical cord to measure GABA concentrations using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC).

RESULTSThe plasma propofol concentrations in internal carotid artery and jugular vein were similar in both light anesthesia group (3.00 ± 0.31 and 3.10 ± 0.51 µg/ml, respectively, P>0.05) and deep anesthesia group (6.41 ± 0.05 and 6.40 ± 0.11 µg/ml, respectively, P>0.05). GABA concentrations in the brain regions were significantly higher in deep anesthesia group than in light anesthesia group (P<0.05). The dorsal thalamus and hypothalamus showed greater GABA variations [(83.83 ± 2.230%) and (85.83 ± 1.72)%] compared to other brain regions at different anesthesia depths (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIn both groups, plasma propofol concentrations in the internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein reach equilibrium at 50 min of propofol infusion. The variation of GABA is associated with the anesthesia depth of propofol, and GABA variation in the dorsal thalamus and hypothalamus plays an important role in propofol anesthesia.

Anesthetics, Intravenous ; pharmacokinetics ; Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; Dogs ; Female ; Male ; Propofol ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the prophylactic effect of acupuncture Neiguan (PC 6) on nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic operation.

METHODSOne hundred patients with laparoscopic gastrointestinal operation were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a control group, 50 patients in each group. The operation was carried out with the combined infusion and inhalation anesthesia. The patients in the acupuncture group were being punctured at bilateral Neiguan (PC 6) before anesthesia and during the operation. The needles were extracted after operation, and the acupoints were covered with opaque tape. In contrast, the patients in the control group only accepted tape covering without acupuncture. After operation, all patients were given the self-controlled intravenous analgesia, and followed up at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h for recording the incidence rate of the nausea, retching and vomiting, then scoring with VAS.

RESULTSAt 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h after operation, in the acupuncture group, the incidence rates of the nausea were 12.0%, 6.0%, 6.0% and 2.0%, and the incidence rates of the retching were 0, 0, 2.0% and 2.0%, respectively; in the control group, the incidence rates of the nausea were 28.0%, 20.0%, 12.0% and 2.0%, and the incidence rates of the retching were 2.0%, 6.0%, 2.0% and 0, respectively. At 6 h, 12 h after operation, the incidence rates of the nausea and retching in the acupuncture group were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). The vomiting was not happened in both groups. There was no difference between the two groups according to the scoring with VAS.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncturing at Neiguan (PC 6) can reduce the incidence rates of the patients' nausea and retching after laparoscopic operation, especially in 24 h.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Analgesics ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Postoperative Complications ; therapy ; Vomiting ; prevention & control ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of ulinastatin on lung injury in hemorrhagic shock rats.

METHODSTwenty-four normal SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=8), namely the control group, hemorrhagic shock group (group H) and ulinastatin group (group U). In group H and group U, blood was drawn from the femoral artery over a period of 10 min until a mean arterial pressure of 40 mmHg was obtained. Controlled hypotension was then maintained at 40-/+5 mmHg for 60 min by blood drawing or infusion when necessary. All the blood drawn and an equivalent volume of Ringer lactate solution were subsequently infused for resuscitation. Four hours after the resuscitation, the activity of superoxidedismutase (SOD), content of malondialdehyde (MDA), expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), wet to dry weight ratio (W/D), and pathologic changes of the lung tissues were measured or observed.

RESULTSCompared with those in the control group, the content of MDA, expression of HO-1 and W/D increased significantly in both group H and group U (P<0.05); these indexes in group U were significantly lower than those in group H (P<0.05). The activity of SOD in group U was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05) but higher than that in group H (P<0.05). Optical microscopy demonstrated milder inflammatory cell infiltration and interstitial edema in the lung tissues in group U than in group H.

CONCLUSIONUlinastatin can lower the content of MDA, W/D and the expression of HO-1, increase the activity of SOD, and reduce histological lung injury in rats with hemorrhagic shock.

Animals ; Glycoproteins ; pharmacology ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; metabolism ; Lung Injury ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; complications ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical efficacy of and complications arising from low-dose ketamine combined with fentanyl for intravenous postoperative analgesia in comparison with the exclusive use of fentanyl in elderly patients.

METHODSEighty elderly patients were randomized into two equal groups following thoracoabdominal surgery, and received intravenous analgesia with the combination of 0.5 mg/ml ketamine, 5.0 microg/ml fentanyl and 50 microg/ml midazolam (KF group) and with 7.5 microg/ml fentanyl plus 50 microg/ml midazolam (FT group), respectively. The drugs used were diluted in 200 ml normal saline. For analgesic administration, a loading dose (2-4 ml) was given followed by a background infusion (2.5-3.5 ml), with patient-controlled bolus doses of 2.0-3.0 ml with lock-out time of 20 min via PCA pump (Automedical, Korea). The static pain score (VAS), sedation score, and incidences of nausea, vomiting, pruritus and hallucinations were recorded during the initial 48 h after the surgery.

RESULTSThe total analgesic dosage and PCA dosage in the two groups were similar (P>0.05). With similar VAS in the two groups (P>0.05), the sedative effect in KF group was much better than that in FT group (P<0.05) during the initial 48 h postoperatively. The incidences of nausea, vomiting and itching were lower in KF group than in FT group (P<0.05), and no illusion was reported in two groups during the initial 48 h.

CONCLUSIONFor producing comparable postoperative analgesic effect, low-dose ketamine combined with fentanyl can markedly reduce fentanyl requirement in the elderly patients and lowers the incidences of nausea, vomiting and itching in comparison with the exclusive use of fentanyl.

Aged ; Analgesics, Opioid ; administration & dosage ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Fentanyl ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Ketamine ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Midazolam ; administration & dosage ; Pain, Postoperative ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Thoracic Surgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; Treatment Outcome