OBJECTIVETo establish gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell strain and study the role of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) in drug-resistant process.

METHODSGemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell strain SW1990/GZ was induced by increasing drug dosage intermittently, then the changes of its biological features and the activity of TrxR were examined.

RESULTSStable drug-resistant SW1990/GZ cell strain was established by culturing with gemcitabine for 9 months. The morphology and growth characteristics of the cell strain changed remarkably. The cells shrunk and became rounder; its endoplasm expanded; granular substances increased; and the doubling-time was prolonged. Resistance of the cell line to gemcitabine, fluorouracil, adriamycin, and mitomycin significantly increased. The TrxR activity of the drug-resistant cells was increased markedly.

CONCLUSIONSW1990/GZ has certain multidrug resistance to some chemotherapy drugs, and TrxR plays a role in the drug-resistant process.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Deoxycytidine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; Humans ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; enzymology ; pathology ; Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase ; drug effects ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe effects of removing arms and ovarian on lumbar intervertebral disc and vertebral bone mineral density (BMD) by establishing rat model of lumbar intervetebral disc degeneration (IDD) with kidney deficiency, and to explore internal mechanism of disc degeneration, relationship between disc degeneration and osteoporosis.

METHODSThirty Sprague-Dawley female rats aged one month were randomly divided into control group, lumbar IDD group and lumbar IDD with kidney deficiency group (combined group), 10 rats in each group. Lumbar IDD group removed double arms, lumbar IDD with kidney deficiency group removed double arms after 3 months, both ovaries were removed. Vertebral bone mineral density were observed by Micro-CT scan; morphological changes were tested by safranine O-fast green staining; II, X collagen protein expression in the intervertebral disc were obsevered by immunohistochemistry; extracellular matrix gene expression were obsevered by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in order to evaluate the effects of removed of forelimbs and double ovarian on degeneration and vertebral bone mineral density of intervertebral disc.

RESULTSMicro-CT scan showed osteoporosis in kidney deficiency group was obviously worse than other two groups; safranine O-fast green staining showed that intervertebral space became narrowed, intervertebral disc tissue degenerated obviously, chondral palte was underdeveloped in kidney deficiency group; immunohistochemistry showed that X collagen expression increased, type II collagen expression decreased in kidney deficiency group; RT-PCR showed that type II collagen expression in lumbar IDD group and kidney deficiency group was lower than control group, and had statistical meaning among three groups (P=0.000, P=0.000); Age 1 in lumbar IDD group and kidney deficiency group was lower than control group, and had statistical meaning among three groups (P=0.000, P= 0.000); while type X collagen expression was higher than control group, but no significant meaning; MMP-13 in lumbar IDD group and kidney deficiency group was higher than control group, with significant meaning compared among three groups (P= 0.000, P=0.000); aggrecanase-2 in lumbar IDD group and kidney deficiency group was higher than control group, with significant meaning compared among three groups (P=0.006, P=0.008).

CONCLUSIONRats model of lumbar disc degeneration established by removed forelimbs and ovariectomized can occure "bone like"--osteoporosis, which is similar with clinical kidney lumbar disc degeneration in tissue morphology, molecular cell biology expression.

Animals ; Collagen ; genetics ; metabolism ; Extracellular Matrix ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; etiology ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Kidney ; physiopathology ; Osteoporosis ; complications ; genetics ; metabolism ; Ovariectomy ; adverse effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

BACKGROUNDCerebral alveolar echinococcosis (CAE) grows infiltratively like a malignant tumor, causing great harm to the human body. It is possible to display mass lesions of CAE using various imaging systems, but regarding the infiltrating proliferation active regions, it is difficult to evaluate its actual range using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI). This research focused on proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)HMRS) techniques to find the mass and infiltration zone of CAE. We explored the marginal zone (MZ) of CAE nearly close to the actual infiltrating scope, to provide reliable images for clinical purposes, to overcome shortcomings of cMRI, to formulate beneficial clinical surgical plans and assess prognosis.

METHODSBetween September 2005 and May 2011, 15 patients who were suffering from CAE (36 effective lesions altogether) were examined by (1)HMRS at the first affiliated hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. Multi-voxel (1)HMRS was acquired with a 1.5T MRI scanner. Concentrations and the ratios of the metabolites of CAE were calculated. Furthermore, changes in the concentrations of the metabolites containing N-acetyl-aspartic-acid (NAA), choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), lipids and lactate (Lip + Lac) and the ratios of Cho/Cr, NAA/Cr, (Lip + Lac) /Cr were compared in the substantial region, 0 - 10 mm MZ, and 11 - 20 mm MZ of the infiltration zone, as well as the corresponding contralateral part of the normal brain parenchyma area (control group).

RESULTSIn this study, the ratios of Cho/Cr in the substantial region, 0 - 10 mm MZ of infiltration zone and the control group were 1.78 ± 0.70, 1.90 ± 0.54, and 0.78 ± 0.15, respectively; the ratios of NAA/Cr were 1.60 ± 0.20, 1.80 ± 0.42, 2.24 ± 0.86, respectively; the ratios of (Lip + Lac)/Cr were 25.69 ± 13.84, 25.18 ± 16.03, and 0.61 ± 0.15, respectively. From the control group, 11 - 20 mm MZ to 0 - 10 mm MZ and the substantial region of CAE, the concentrations of the metabolites showed that NAA and Cho decreased gradually and markedly. But (Lip + Lac) increased gradually and markedly. The ratios of Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr, (Lip + Lac)/Cr were statistically significant (P < 0.0083) between the substantial region and the control group, as well as between the 0 - 10 mm MZ and the control group. The ratios of Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr, (Lip + Lac)/Cr displayed no statistically significant differences (P > 0.0083) between the substantial region and the 0 - 10 mm MZ.

CONCLUSIONSThere was a pathological spectrum surrounding the infiltration zone of CAE. Multi-voxel 1HMRS has great clinical value for discerning the main lesion and the infiltration zone of CAE.

Adult ; Central Nervous System Infections ; pathology ; Echinococcosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the possibilities of an association between the degrees of HBV suppression with nucleoside treatments at week 24 and week 52 in hepatitis B patients and to find a useful predictor for treatment efficacy.

METHODSIn this phase III, double-blind, multicenter trial, we compared the efficacy of telbivudine treatment with lamivudine treatment in 332 Chinese compensated chronic hepatitis B patients. The patients were randomly assigned to a daily 600 mg telbivudine treatment group or daily 100 mg lamivudine group for 24 weeks. They were then categorized into 4 groups according to their serum HBV DNA levels (copies/ml) at week 24: a PCR-undetectable group (< 300 copies/ml); a QL- < 10(3) copies/ml group; a 10(3)-<10(4) copies/ml group; and a > or = 10(4) copies/ml group. The treatments were continued as they previously had been for another 28 weeks and the patients serum HBV DNA levels were examined again.

RESULTSAt week 52, mean reductions of serum HBV DNA were significantly greater in the telbivudine-treated patients than in the lamivudine-treated group (6.2 log10 vs 5.4 log10, t = 3.6, P < 0.01). Viral resistance was twice as common in lamivudine-treated patients compared to those receiving telbivudine. Telbivudine was well-tolerated with an adverse event profile similar to that of lamivudine. The lower the HBV DNA level achieved at week 24, the higher HBV DNA non-detectable by PCR. ALT normalization and HBeAg seroconversion achieved at week 52, and viral resistance at week 48 decreased parallel to the degree of HBV DNA inhibition.

CONCLUSIONHBV DNA PCR-undetectable at week 24 in nucleoside-treated hepatitis B patients suggests a better efficacy at week 52 and lower viral resistance at week 48. The degree of suppression of HBV at week 24 may be used as a predictor of 1-year outcome.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nucleosides ; therapeutic use ; Pyrimidinones ; therapeutic use ; Thymidine ; analogs & derivatives ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of FLAMIGEL (hydrogel dressing) on the repair of residual burn wound.

METHODSSixty burn patients with residual wounds hospitalized in 6 burn units from November 2011 to May 2012 were enrolled in the multi-center, randomized, and self-control clinical trial. Two residual wounds of each patient were divided into groups T (treated with FLAMIGEL) and C (treated with iodophor gauze) according to the random number table. On post treatment day (PTD) 7 and 14, wound healing rate was calculated, with the number of completely healed wound counted. The degree of pain patient felt during dressing change was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS). The mean numbers of wounds with score equal to zero, more than zero and less than or equal to 3, more than 3 and less than or equal to 6, more than 6 and less than or equal to 10 were recorded respectively. Wound secretion or exudate samples were collected for bacterial culture, and the side effect was observed. Data were processed with repeated measure analysis of variance, t test, chi-square test, and nonparametric rank sum test.

RESULTSWound healing rate of groups T, C on PTD 7 was respectively (67 ± 24)%, (45 ± 25)%, and it was respectively (92 ± 16)%, (72 ± 23)% on PTD 14. There was statistically significant difference in wound healing rate on PTD 7, 14 between group T and group C (F = 32.388, P < 0.01). Ten wounds in group T and four wounds in group C were healed completely on PTD 7, with no significant difference between them (χ(2) = 0, P > 0.05). Forty-two wounds in group T and seven wounds in group C healed completely on PTD 14, with statistically significant difference between them (χ(2) = 42.254, P < 0.01). Patients in group T felt mild pain during dressing change for 37 wounds, with VAS score higher than zero and lower than or equal to 3. Evident pain was observed in patients of group C during dressing change for 43 wounds, and it scored higher than 3 and less than or equal to 6 by VAS evaluation. There was statistically significant difference in mean number of wounds with different grade of VAS score between group T and group C (Z = -4.638, P < 0.01). Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, E. coli, Baumanii, and Staphylococcus epidermidis were all detected in both groups, but there was no statistical difference between group T and group C (χ(2) = 0.051, P > 0.05). No side effect was observed in either of the two groups during the whole trial.

CONCLUSIONSFLAMIGEL can accelerate the healing of residual burn wounds and obviously relieve painful sensation during dressing change.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bandages ; Burns ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogels ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult