To apply chitooligosaccharide in the preparation of baicalin compound, in order to increase the drug dissolution in vitro, and investigate the basic property of the compound. Baicalin-chitooligosaccharide compound was prepared by using the solvent method. The structure and physicochemical properties of compound were analyzed by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and infrared vibrational spectrum (IR), and its dissolution behavior was also investigated. The results showed that the compound prepared at baicalin-chitooligosaccharide molar ratio of 1 : 1 could significantly improve the dissolution of baicalin. The results of DSC and XRD analysis suggested that baicalin may exist in an amorphous state. IR results indicated the interaction between baicalin and chitooligosaccharide. The baicalin-chitooligosaccharide compound could significantly improve dissolution in vitro of drug.
Calorimetry, Differential Scanning ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; Oligosaccharides ; chemistry ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared

The microRNAs (miRNAs) are an evolutionarily conserved class of 22 nucleotide (19 - 25 nt) non-coding RNAs. The miRNAs are partially complementary to 3' untranslated region of target mRNA, resulting in the repression of gene expression at post-transcriptional level. The miRNAs have been associated with diverse biological processes. This review summarizes recent progress of research on the characteristics and function of miRNAs, and the role of miRNAs in hematological malignancy development.
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; genetics ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; physiology

Objective The 4-and 16-hydroxylated metabolites of estrogens have been implicated in carcinogenesis,whereas its 2-hydroxylated metabolites have been shown to have antiangiogenic effects.We aimed to examine whether the polymorphisms of catechol-O-methyltransferase(COMT)involved in the estrogen metabolism are associated with endometrial cancer risk.Methods Polymerase chain reaction- restrictive fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP)analysis was used to study the variant allele frequency distributions of COMT Val158Met genetic polymorphism in a population based case-control study with 132 endometrial cancer cases and 110 controls.Odds ratios(OR)and 95% confidence intervals(CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression after adjustment for known or suspected risk factors for endometrial cancer.Results The most frequent genotype was COMT~(Val/Val)(47.2%,52/110)in control group and COMT~(Mal/Met)(58.3%,77/132)in endometrial cancer group.The difference between the two groups was of statistical significance(P

OBJECTIVETo study the risk factors of infection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL)-producing strains and drug resistance of Enterobacteriaceae that infected burn patients.

METHODSA retrospective study was performed on clinical information of 92 patients with Enterobacteriaceae infection in our burn unit from January 2001 to December 2008. The distribution and drug resistance of Enterobacteriaceae, and the detection rate, drug resistance of ESBL-producing strains, and its risk factors of nosocomial infection were analyzed. Data were processed with Chi-square test.

RESULTSOne hundred and nine strains of Enterobacteriaceae were isolated, with 38 (34.9%) strains of Enterobacter cloacae, 25 (22.9%) strains of Escherichia coli, 22 (20.2%) strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 13 (11.9%) strains of Proteus mirabilis, and 11 (10.1%) other strains of Enterobacteriaceae. Enterobacteriaceae were moderately or highly resistant to antibiotics except imipenem, resistance rate of which was less than 8.0%. ESBL-producing strains accounted for 44.0% in Escherichia coli, and 77.3% in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Drug-resistance rate of ESBL-producing strains to antibiotics was obviously higher than that of non ESBL-producing strains. Length of hospital stay longer than 20 days, and use of the third-generation cephalosporin longer than 5 days, quinolone antibiotics longer than 7 days, and topical antibiotics longer than 5 days were the risk factors of nosocomial infection caused by ESBL-producing strains, comparing with non ESBL-producing strains, the difference was statistically significant (with chi2 value respectively 5.491, 4.441, 15.186, 4.938, P values all below 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSEnterobacteriaceae strains in burn unit of our hospital are highly drug resistant, with high lactamase-producing rates, calling for intense monitor to control the risk factors that predispose the infection of ESBL-producing strains in order to lower the infection rate.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Burn Units ; Child ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Enterobacteriaceae ; drug effects ; Enterobacteriaceae Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult ; beta-Lactam Resistance

OBJECTIVETo evaluate wave intensity (WI) on left ventricular (LV) performance in the different hypertensive remolding hearts.

METHODS105 hypertensive and 98 control subjects were underwent noninvasive evaluation of carotid arterial wave intensity, LV structure and function.

RESULTS(1) There were increasing trends in the levels of blood pressure, LV end-diastolic diameter and LV mass index in the control, normal geometry group, concentric remodeling group, concentric and eccentric hypertrophy group. LV ejection fraction increased in the concentric hypertrophy group and decreased in the eccentric hypertrophy group in which mid-wall fractional shortening showed a decreasing trend. LV diastolic filling pressure presented increased progression accompanied by LV remodeling (P < 0.05). (2) Transient acceleration wave intensity (W1) in hypertensive subjects were higher than that in the control (P < 0.05). Transient deceleration wave intensity (W2) was lower than that in the control (P < 0.05). (3) W1 in the concentric hypertrophy group was higher and lower in the eccentric hypertrophy, compared with that in the control group, normal geometry group and concentric remodeling group (P < 0.05). W2 was lower in concentric hypertrophy group and eccentric hypertrophy group than that in the control, normal geometry group and concentric remodeling group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONWI is a noninvasively obtained, clinically useful parameter for evaluation of LV performance.

Aged ; Blood Flow Velocity ; physiology ; Carotid Artery, Common ; physiopathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulsatile Flow ; physiology ; Ventricular Function, Left ; physiology ; Ventricular Remodeling

OBJECTIVETo evaluate transient deceleration wave intensity (W2) of carotid artery on left ventricular diastolic function.

METHODS40 patients with hypertension and 43 healthy volunteers were enrolled and W2 of carotid artery of the both sides were measured. The parameters of left ventricular diastolic function by traditional and tissue Doppler imaging and NT-proBNP (N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide) were measured.

RESULTS(1) W2 is not different between two sides of carotid artery. W2 in hypertension was lower than the control, especially in left side(1126 +/- 996 mmHg x m/s3 vs 1690 +/- 1126 mmHg x m/s3, P < 0.01). (2) The correlation of W2 and else parameters were analyzed. There were notably decreasing in left ventricular diastolic function of the hypertensive group than the control, for example, the ratio of peak velocity of early filling of mitral flow to peak early diastolic motion velocity of mitral annulus (E/Em, 9.37 +/- 3.32 vs 7.39 +/- 1.83, P < 0.01) and NT-proBNP (94.6 +/- 48.5 vs 45.2 +/- 13.8, P < 0.01). (3) The correlation analysis showed negative relation between W2 and E/Em (r = - 0.46, P < 0.05) and negative relation between W2 and NT-proBNP (r = -0.21, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNew carotid W2 by non-invasive technology for hemodynamics is a deserving parameter in early evaluating left ventricular diastolic function.

Adult ; Carotid Artery, Common ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; blood ; Peptide Fragments ; blood ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Ventricular Function, Left

To detect chromosome translocation t(11;18) (q21;q21) and the nuclear expression of bcl-10 in gastrointestinal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma in Chinese, a possible API2-MALT fusion transcript specific to t(11; 18) (q21; q21) in tumors from 42 cases of primary gastrointestinal lymphoma (29 cases of low grade MALT lymphoma, 13 cases of transformed MALT lymphoma) and 40 cases of diffuse large B cell lymphoma was examined by means of RT-PCR and proved by DNA-sequencing. Bcl-10 expression was examined by immunohistochemical method. The results showed that t(11;18) (q21;q21) was 14% positive in cases of low grade MALT lymphomas and 46% positive in transformed MALT lymphomas, but none in cases of DLBCL. Bcl-10 nuclear expression was seen 61% in low grade MALT and 69% in transformed MALT lymphoma. It was suggested that t(11;18) (q21;q21) was related to the prognosis and development of highly advanced MALT lymphoma but not relevant to DLBCL. Bcl-10 nuclear expressions were not significantly different between these two groups, which remains to be explained.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; B-Cell CLL-Lymphoma 10 Protein ; Carrier Proteins ; analysis ; Cell Nucleus ; chemistry ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone ; chemistry ; genetics ; Translocation, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical value of modified Bethesda assay, modified Nijmegen assay and blank assay for detection of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitors in patients with hemophilia A and analyze the factors that affect FVIII inhibitor detection.

METHODSThe levels of FVIII inhibitors in 257 patients with hemophilia A were detected using modified Bethesda assay, modified Nijmegen assay and blank assay (in which the buffer or FVIII-deficient plasma in the control mixture was replaced by deionized water). The 3 methods were compared for positivity rates and FVIII inhibitor titers based on the positive cut-off value of FVIII inhibitors ≥0.60 BU/mL.

RESULTSThe positive rates of modified Bethesda assay, modified Nijmegen assay and blank assay were 79.38%, 85.21% and 72.37%, respectively. A strong correlation was found between the results by modified Bethesda assay and modified Nijmegen assay (r=0.996, P<0.001), and FVIII inhibitor titers (P<0.001) but not the positive rates (P=0.105) detected by the two methods differed significantly. The correlation coefficients between modified Nijmegen assay and blank assay was 0.994 (P<0.001), and a significant difference was found in FVIII inhibitor titers (P<0.001) but not the positivity rates (P=0.079) detected by the two methods. The correlation coefficient between modified Nijmegen assay and blank assay was 0.994 (r=0.994), and the two methods yielded significantly different FVIII inhibitor titers and positivity rates (P=0.001).

CONCLUSIONThe modified Bethesda assay has a lower sensitivity than modified Nijmegen assay but has a higher sensitivity than blank assay. The consistency level of coagulation factors in the reaction system and stable buffer system are important factors that affect FVIII-inhibitor detection.

Biological Assay ; Blood Coagulation Tests ; Factor VIII ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Hemophilia A ; blood ; Humans ; Plasma

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of neferine on Collagen-I, TIMP-1 and MMP-2 expressions and protein secretion of hepatic stellate cells.

METHODThe hepatic stellate cell line HSC-T6 was cultured in vitro, and then randomly divided into 5 groups: the control group, the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) group and PDGF + neferine (2, 6, 10 micromol x L(-1)) groups. All of the groups were cultured for 48 h, and their cells were collected to extract mRNA and detect Collagen-I, TIMP-1 and MMP-2 expressions with RT-PCR. Their cell supernatants were also collected to determine the protein content of three factors with ELISA.

RESULTCompared with the control group, PDGF could remarkably increase the Collagen-I, TIMP-1 and MMP-2 expressions and protein secretion of hepatic stellate cells. Compared with the PDGF group, PDGF + neferine (6, 10 micromol x L(-1)) groups showed a notable decrease in the Collagen-I and mRNA expression and protein secretion along with the increase in the concentration, whereas the PDGF + neferine (2 micromol x L(-1)) group showed no significant change in the Collagen-I and mRNA expression and protein secretion. Compared with the PDGF group, three PDGF + neferine groups showed no notable change in MMP-2 expression and protein secretion.

CONCLUSIONNeferine can inhibit the Collagen-I, TIMP-1 and mRNA protein expression and protein secretion of PDGF-induced HSCs along with the increase in the concentration, but with not remarkable effect on the MMP-2 expression and secretion.

Animals ; Benzylisoquinolines ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type I ; analysis ; genetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; chemistry ; drug effects ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; analysis ; genetics ; Rats ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; analysis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo examine the activation and cytotoxicity of human peripheral blood T lymphocyte induced in vitro by human 4-1-BB ligand (4-1-BBL) gene transfected into tumor Tca8113 cells.

METHODSThe eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-h4-1-BBL was transfected into human oral carcinoma cell line Tca8113 by Lipofectamine 2000. The transfected cells were then selected in medium containing G-418, cloned by limited dilution and named as Tca8113-4-1-BBL. Human 4-1-BBL mRNA and protein expression of transfected cells was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting respectively. The tumor cell vaccines (TCV) were obtained by treatment with mitomycin (MMC). Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were prepared from lymphoprep, and then stimulated with anti-CD-3 mAb and incubated with non-transfected or transfected TCV-Tca8113 cells, respectively. The proliferation of T cells was evaluated by trypan blue exclusion; the CCK-8 was used to detect the cytotoxic effect of T lymphocytes. Meanwhile, the secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin (IL)-2 in culture supernatant was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSThe Tca8113 cells transfected by pEGFP-h4-1-BBL could express human 4-1-BBL efficiently. As compared with wild type Tca8113 cells, the transfected Tca8113 cells could markedly promote proliferation, IL-2 and IFN-gamma production and cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes.

CONCLUSIONSThe transfection of human 4-1-BBL gene in Tca8113 cells is effective in enhancing its immunogenicity and inducing antitumor immune response in vitro.

4-1BB Ligand ; genetics ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; immunology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; immunology ; Interleukin-2 ; immunology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; Mouth Neoplasms ; genetics ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology ; Transfection