AIM: To explore the effect of Buddleia flavonoids drug-containing plasma and androgen receptor(AR) blocker on the expression of STAT1 phosphoprotein.METHODS: In vitro lacrimal gland epithelial cells were cultivated with H2O2 to establish the dry eye apoptosis state. Blank plasma group, Buddleia officinalis plasma total flavonoids interfere with drug-containing group, and the intervention group of testosterone propionate were set. The expressions of STAT1 phosphoprotein of each group were observed by Western blot and AR blocker flutamide was used to explore the intended androgen effect of Buddleia flavonoids.RESULTS: After the intervention of drug-containing plasma, the expression of STAT1 Phosphoprotein in Buddleja officinalis drug-containing plasma intervention group(0.353±0.494) and testosterone propionate intervention group(0.502±0.036) were enhanced and the differences between the two groups were significant (P<0.01). After using the AR blocker in all groups, the expression of STAT1 phosphoprotein in each group (0.268±0.061,0.283±0.106,0.213±0.071) had no difference.CONCLUSION: Buddleja officinalis drug-containing plasma total flavonoids can promote the expression of STAT1 phosphorylation.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of early oral feeding with enteral nutrition preparation after surgery on clinical outcomes in patients with gastric cancer.

METHODSSixty patients with gastric cancer undergoing radical operation between July 2010 and May 2011 were randomly divided into two groups using random digit table: experimental group(n=30, administration of water and enteral nutrition early after surgery) and control group(n=30, conventional postoperative care protocol). Clinical outcomes, immune function, and nutritional status between the two groups were compared.

RESULTSAs compared to the control group, duration of fever was significantly shorter in the experimental group [(81.1±6.4) h vs. (87.3±8.0) h, P<0.05], as were postoperative time of flatus [(79.9±9.5) h vs. (86.6±8.7) h, P<0.05] and postoperative hospital stay [(7.83±2.23) d vs. (9.57±1.96) d, P<0.01]. The medical cost [(30,220±3,220) RMB vs.(34,600±32,120) RMB, P<0.01] was lower than that in the control group. There was no significant difference in morbidity between the two groups[13.3%(4/30) vs. 16.7%(5/30), P>0.05]. The levels of CD3(+)T, CD4(+)T, NK cell, CD4(+)T/CD8(+)T, albumin, and prealbumin were higher in the experimental group as compared to the control group on postoperative day 3 and 7(P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONEarly oral feeding with enteral nutrition preparation after surgery can improve the nutritional status and immune function, and accelerate the rehabilitation for patients with gastric cancer.

Aged ; Enteral Nutrition ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Care ; Stomach Neoplasms ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of huatan jiangqi capsule (HJC) on the expression levels and functions of multi-drug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) in the bronchial epithelial cells of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) model rats, and to explore the mechanism of HJC for treating COPD.

METHODSTwenty-four male wistar rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, the model group, and HJC group. Except the normal control group, the COPD rat model was established in the rest groups using quantitative stimulation with tobacco, SO2, and caroid aerosol rebreathing method. The indices of the post-treatment lung functions, the cell counts of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), the pathological features of the lung tissue were observed. The concentration of LTC, in lung tissues was also examined by ELISA. The expression of MRP1 of the pulmonary tracheal epithelium was detected using immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTS(1) The pulmonary compliance, the forced expiratory volume at 0. 3 second (FEV 0.3%)/the forced vital capacity (FVC), the peak expiratory flow, the maximum mid expiratory flow decreased more significantly in the model group than in the normal control group (P < 0.05). The aforesaid pulmonary function indices obviously increased in the HJC group when compared with the model group (P < 0.05). (2) The air inflammation was aggravated with obvious emphysema in the model group. The inflammation and emphysema occurred in the HJC group in a milder degree. (3) Compared with the normal control group, the levels of LTC4 significantly increased in the lung tissue of the model group and HJC group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the levels of LTC4 significantly decreased in the lung tissues of the HJC group (P < 0.05). (4) Compared with the normal control group, the protein expression of the bronchial epithelial MRP1 significantly decreased in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the protein expression of the bronchial epithelial MRP1 were significantly enhanced in the HJC group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHJC could effectively alleviate the lung inflammation, postpone the occurrence and development of COPD possibly through effecting the functions and expressions of MRP1 in COPD rats.

Animals ; Bronchi ; cytology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; Male ; Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a common preventable and treatable disease, is characterized by airflow limitation that is usually progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways. Its main pathological manifestations include airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, oxidative stress and apoptotic epithelial cells. Recent research suggests that MAP kinases and Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway are involved in the pathological process of inflammation and oxidative stress. This review explores the potential role of the cross talk of these signaling pathways in airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, oxidative stress and apoptotic epithelial cells. To clarify the roles of cross talk between MAP kinases and Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway, we also focus on the drugs related to that in the treatment of COPD, and it provides ideas for more drug research in the treatment of COPD.
Apoptosis ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1 ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; Oxidative Stress ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; metabolism ; Respiratory System ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the safety and efficacy of self-expending metallic stents (SEMS) as bridge to surgery versus emergency surgery for left-sided malignant colorectal obstruction.

METHODSA comprehensive literature search of CENTRAL, PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, Ovid LWW, CMB, CNKI and Wanfang Databases were performed for all randomized controlled trials or retrospective studies comparing self-expending metallic stents as bridge to surgery(SABS group) with emergency surgery (ES group). A meta-analysis was carried out by RevMan5.1 software on the outcomes concerning safety and efficacy of the two groups.

RESULTSFourteen studies matched the criteria including 1083 patients. Five were randomized controlled trials and nine were retrospective analysis. Compared with the ES group, the SABS group had a lower short-term mortality(RR=0.52, 95% CI:0.30-0.93, P<0.05), lower overall complications(RR=0.46, 95% CI:0.31-0.70, P<0.05), higher resection rate(RR=1.90, 95%CI:1.33-2.70, P<0.01), shorter operative time(MD=-59.77, 95%CI:-87.51--32.04, P<0.01), and shorter interval to first flatus(MD=-10.78, 95%CI:-16.67--4.90, P<0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in permanent stomy and hospital stay.

CONCLUSIONThe safety and efficacy of self-expending metallic stents as bridge to surgery for left-sided malignant colorectal obstruction is superior to emergency surgery.

Colectomy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; complications ; surgery ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; etiology ; surgery ; Stents ; Treatment Outcome

With the advances in immunology and molecular biology, new recognition in the pathogenesis, progression, and metastasis of carcinoma have been achieved. Studies on gene therapy for pancreatic carcinoma have been attempted in different ways, such as inhibiting oncogene, activating tumor suppressor gene, inducing apoptosis, applying gene directed enzyme prodrug therapy, and immune activation. New specific target genes and further development of gene technology may bring the break-through in this field.
Animals ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Genetic Therapy ; methods ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; genetics ; immunology ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo develop a urine pretreatment method of Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) for the quantitative determination of a number of aristolochic acids (AAs) and aristololactams (ALs) in rat urine.

METHODThe HPLC peak area of AA-I , AA-II, AL-I and AL-II, and other sixteen AAs and ALs was chosen as evaluating index to study the extract results of five Solid Phase Extraction columns (Agilent C18/100 mg, Alltech HG18/100 mg, Alltech C18/100 mg, Alltech C18/300 mg and Agilent Phenyl/200 mg) comparatively. The influences of two washing solvents (water and 1% acetic acid-0.02% triethylamine solution) and seven eluting solvents (ether, acetone, chloroform, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, methanol and acetonitrile) on extract results of AAs and ALs are comparatively studied with the extracting recoveries of AA-I , AA-II, AL-I and AL-II as indicators. The HPLC peak area of AA-I , AA-II, AL-I and AL-II, and other seven AAs and ALs with good separation being targets, several factors which affect extracting efficiency of analytes, including activating volume, cleansing volume, washing volume and eluting volume, are optimized by orthogonal design experiments with four factors at three levels.

RESULTThe established method of SPE is as follows: Agilent Phenyl SPE column of 200 mg, activating with 1.0 mL methanol, cleansing with 1 mL water, adding 1.0 mL rat urine sample, washing with 0.8 mL 1% acetic acid 0.02% triethylamine solution, and eluting with 3.0 mL methanol.

CONCLUSIONThe established method of SPE is efficient, selective, simple and fast, and can be used as urine pretreatment method to analyze a variety of aristolochic acids and aristololactams in rat urine.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Aristolochia ; chemistry ; Aristolochic Acids ; urine ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Solid Phase Extraction ; methods

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Living Donors ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy ; methods ; Retroperitoneal Space ; surgery

Breeding is not only an important area of medicinal plants research but also the foundation for the superior varieties acquirement of medicinal plants. The rise of modern biotechnology provides good opportunities and new means for medicinal plants breeding research in China. Biotechnology shows its technical advantages and new development prospects in breeding of new medicinal plants varieties with high and stable yield, good quality, as well as stress-resistance. In this paper, we describe recent advances, problems, and development prospects about the application of modern biotechnology in medicinal plants breeding research in China.
Biotechnology ; methods ; Breeding ; China ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; Research ; Tissue Culture Techniques

Aim To establish a UPLC method for the determination of the concentration of hainanolidol in plasma of rats, and study the pharmacokinetics of hain-anolidol in rat plasma after single dose i. v. administra-tion of hainanolidol (1, 2, 4 mg·kg-1). Methods The UPLC method for the determination of hainanolidol in rat plasma was established using hainanolide as in-ternal standard. The mobile phase was methanol-water (47 ∶ 53), the flow rate was 0.17 mL·min-1, and the detection wavelength was UV 326 nm. The plasma concentration of hainanolidol in rats was determined by UPLC after single-dose intravenous injection in rats with 1, 2 and 4 mg·kg-1of hainanolidol, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS2.1. Results The result of calibration curve was linear over the range of 0.05 ~10.00 mg·L-1( r = 0.999 6) . The lower limit of quantification was 0.05 mg·L-1. The intra-day and inter-day precision were both lower than 5% , and the extraction recoveries were higher than 85% , respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study after i. v administration of hainanolidol in rats with do-ses of 1, 2 and 4 mg·kg-1. The T1/2was (39.82 ± 0.92), (40.11 ± 0.79) and (41.61 ± 2.07) min, respectively. The AUC0-twas ( 65.77 ± 1.08 ) , (130.48 ± 1.26) and (268.75 ± 1.24) min·mg· L-1, respectively. Conclusion A simple and specific UPLC method for the analysis of hainanolidol is suc-cessfully developed, which could be applied to phar-macokinetic study in rat plasma.