To study the effect of sodium aescinate in inducing human breast cancer MCF-7 cells apoptosis and its possible mechanism. MTT assay was used to detect the inhibitory effect of sodium aescinate on the proliferation of MCF-7 cells. The morphological changes were observed under inverted microscope. DAPI nuclear staining was used to detect the changes in cell nucleus. Annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometry was adopted to test the apoptosis rate. Changes in apoptosis-related proteins (PARP, cleaved caspase-8 and pro-caspase-3), cell survival-associated signal molecules (AKT and ERK) and their common upstream kinase SRC was detected by Western blotting. The result showed that after different concentrations of sodium aescinate were used to treat breast cancer MCF-7 cells, they inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner, induced cell apoptosis (typical morphological changes in nucleus, significant increase in cell apoptosis rate). The expressions of cleaved PARP and caspase-8 increased, while the expression of pro-caspase-3 decreased, which further verified sodium aescinate's effect in inducing cell apoptosis. Sodium aescinate significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of cell survival-related signal molecules (AKT, ERK) and down-regulate the activation of their common up-stream kinase SRC. The findings indicated that sodium aescinate can block signals transiting to downstream molecules AKT, ERK, inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cell MCF-7 cell apoptosis and induced cell apoptosis by suppressing the activation of SRC.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; genetics ; metabolism ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology ; src-Family Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Carcinosarcoma ; diagnosis ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prostate ; pathology ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Stromal Cells ; pathology ; Treatment Outcome

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of short-segment transpedicular fixation combined with augmentation vertebroplasty in treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures. MethodsFrom November 2006 to September 2009, 37 patients with thoracolumbar burst fracture were admitted and received transpedicular fixation combined with calcium sulfate cement augmentation vertebroplasty, and the clinical data including fracture types, complications and following-up results were collected for analysis. The multimethod evaluation strategies involved the anterior vertebral body height, the sagittal Cobb's angle, the restoration of nervous function, internal fixation failure, visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were retrospective analyzed. Results All patients were followed up for average 19 months (range, 14-37). There were no internal fixation failure, loss of reduction, neurological complications in all the patients. In 16 patients with partial neurologic deficits, 14 initially improved at the final follow-up, with no deterioration of neurologic functions. The mean time of calcium sulfate cement obvious absorption and union was 3 months and 5 months postoperatively, respectively. The anterior vertebral body height was 55.40％before surgery and 85.46％ after surgery on average, ended up with 82.35％. The sagittai Cobb's angle was improved from 22.45° to 6.86°, ended up with 9.66° on average. The mean VAS and ODI at the final followup were respectively 1.2 and 20.4 on average. ConclusionShort-segment transpedicular fixation combined with augmentation vertebroplasty appears to be effective in achieving stable biomechanics with high security,which seems to be a feasible option in the management of thoracolumbar burst fractures.

Objective To observe the effect of Sinisan on the learning and memorial ability and the expression of synaptohydin in the hippocampus of exercise-fatigue rats. Methods Rats were made into the fatigue model by Exhaustive Swimming. Learning and memorial ability of the rats were observed by moving-back with current stimulation experiment; expression of synaptohydin protein in hippocampus of exercise-fatigue rats treated with Sinisan for 10 days were detected by immunohistochemistry technique and compared to control group and model group.Results The moving-back time and the error times of the exercise-fatigue rats as follows: model group(73.00±61.96) s/(1.67±1.15), control group(144.25±57.14) s/(0.50±0.80)，Sinisan group (166.17±47.92) s/(0.38±0.49). Comparison of mean optical density of synaptohydin protein in hippocampus of rats in different groups as follows: control group (0.2636±0.10654) and Sinisan group (0.2555±0.163380) were higher than the model group (0.0474±0.1837)(P<0.05). The synaptohydin staining Results showed that synaptohydin-positive granules around the neuron in hippocampus of rats in control group were the darkest and densest, the Sinisan group were darker than the model group rats.Conclusion Sinisan could improve the learning and memorial ability and increase the synaptohydin protein in the hippocampus of the exercise-fatigue rats.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of changing source-sink ratio on dry matter accumulation yield, distribution and interrelated physiological index of Cynanchum bungei.

METHODBud, fruit or side tress of C. bungei were picked artificially in the development stage. LAI, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis of single leaf, accumulation and distribution of dry matter at different and treatments were measured. The untreated plant was used as the control.

RESULTAlthough leaf decrease can be compensated by the increasing photosynthesis rate of single leaf, the LAI was small, chlorophyll decomposes quickly and these leaves showed the signs of early ageing. The matter accumulation was lower than that of control. Picking bud and fruit made photosynthesis rate of single leaf descend, chlorophyll decomposes slowly and its content keeps high, that inhibited ageing of the plant obviously. The LAI keeps larger, photosynthate was abundant. Dry matter accumulation and distribution to the root were higher than that of control and that of side tress picked. So, the yield with this treatment increased.

CONCLUSIONPicking bud can increase LAI, postpone the decomposition of chlorophyll, and protract the functional leaves. Consequently, picking bud can add the accumulation of dry matter, increase proportion to radix and improve the yield and economy benefit.

Biomass ; Chlorophyll ; metabolism ; Cynanchum ; growth & development ; metabolism ; physiology ; Fruit ; physiology ; Photosynthesis ; physiology ; Plant Leaves ; physiology ; Plant Roots ; metabolism ; physiology ; Plant Shoots ; physiology ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development ; metabolism ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo compare the wear between the enamel and two types of dental decoration porcelains for all-ceramic restorations (Vita-alpha, Vintage AL).

METHODSFriction coefficients, wear scar width, element concentrations and wear surface evolution were considered relatively to the tribology of that in vivo situation. The wear scars of the samples were characterized by means of dynamic atomic force microscopy (DFM). The different element concentrations of the surface before/after the wear test were determined with energy dispersion spectrometry (EDS).

RESULTSThe friction coefficient varied from time in each kind of material. The statistical differences between materials were observed in wear scar width and properties of materials (P<0.05). DFM results showed wear surface of natural tooth full of abrasive particles and denaturation of dental texture. Wear surface of veneering ceramics consisted mainly of abrasive particles, plough and microcracking. EDS results showed that the element concentration of Fe was obviously found on the samples after wear.

CONCLUSIONThe main underlying mechanisms of natural teeth wear are abrasive, and denaturation of dental texture. Abrasive wear, adhesion and fatigue of veneering ceramics characterize the wear patterns which plays different role in Vita-alpha and Vintage AL. The wear patterns of veneering ceramics can be described as mild wear.

Ceramics ; Dental Enamel ; Dental Porcelain ; Dental Restoration Wear ; Materials Testing ; Surface Properties ; Tooth Attrition

To develop a fed-batch fementation process of E. coli TOP10 containing a recombinant plasmid pBAD/HBs Fab. Cells were grown in semi-defined medium at 37 degrees C, and the feed operation using glycerol as carbon source was performed when dissolved oxygen increased. When the target cell concentration reached to 64g/L, arabinose was added to a final concentration of 0.02%. Cells were grown for another 5h with the culture temperature decreased from 37 degrees C to 30 degrees C. In the whole process, cell growth was monitored by measuring OD600 of samples taken at 1/2h intervals and the dissolved oxygen was kept above 30%. After the fementation, E. coli pellets were collected for purification of Fab protein. The specificity of Fab protein was confirmed by Western blot, and binding activity to HBsAg was verified by Dot blot. Cell concentration we got is 96g wet bacteria per liter, the Fab protein is about 6% of total protein of the host, that is 80mg per liter. Stable fermentation parameters were obtained for fermentation to improve productivity of the Fab protein. The Fab protein was produced in the form of soluble biologically active protein, it's better than inclusion bodies from which biologically active protein can only be recovered by complicated and costly denaturation and refolding process.
Blotting, Western ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; physiology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of combined therapy with Xuezhikang Capsule (XZK) and Valsartan on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and heart rate turbulence (HRT) in hypertensive patients.

METHODSNinety primary hypertensive patients with LVH were randomly assigned to three groups. Basic treatment, including aspirin, beta-blockers, calcium antagonists, etc. were administered to all patients. Additionally, Valsartan (VS, 80 mg once a day) was given to the 30 patients in the VS group. Valsartan (in the same dosage) and XZK (600 mg, twice a day) were given to the 32 patients in the Chinese medicine (CM) group, while none was given to the 28 patients in the control group. The therapeutic course lasted for 24 months. Changes in left ventricular mass index (LVMI) measured by cardiac ultrasonic indices, HRT parameters, including the original heart rate (TO) and slope coeffificient (TS), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP), as well as blood cholesterol level (TC) were measured before and after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, TO and LVMI were lowered, while TS increased in both the VS group and the CM group (P<0.01), but changed insignificantly in the control group. Significant differences between the CM group and the control group were shown in terms of TO, LVMI, SBP, DBP and TS (P<0.01); and between the CM group and the VS group in terms of TO, LVMI and TS (P<0.01). Moreover, HRT parameters showed an evident correlation with LVMI (r=0.519-0.635, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONCombined therapy with XZK and Valsartan can improve hypertensive LVH and HRT parameters, and lessen the damage on the autonomous nervous system.

Administration, Oral ; Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Capsules ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Female ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; drug therapy ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Integrative Medicine ; methods ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Tetrazoles ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Treatment Outcome ; Valine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; Valsartan

0.05) and the two methods had good correlation(r=0.822).CONCLUSIONS The method of FCST established by as in this study is simple,repeatable,with high accuracy and easy to determine MIC and has good application prospects in clinical antifungal susceptibility testing.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of remaining integrated mediastinal pleura upon the aortic arch and performing the anastomosis at the left cervix in radical operation for esophageal carcinoma. METHODS: Ninety-eight patients with esophageal carcinoma were treated with the operation mentioned above. Among them, 56 patients had cancer in the middle, 12 in the upper-middle, 24 in the lower-middle segments, and 6 had double-primary tumors, with carcinoma length of (5.2+/- 2.4) cm. The TNM stages were 6 of Stage I and 92 of Stages II-III. All cases were squamous cell carcinomas. RESULTS: All patients had satisfactory operation processes, without perioperative death, chylothorax, dyspnea, gastric retention, incision infection, and severe gastro-esophageal reflux. The life quality of the patients was improved. CONCLUSION The radical operation with remaining integrated mediastimal pleura upon the aortic arch and anastomosis at the cervix for treating esophageal carcinomas is of minimal invasion with fewer complications, and may be used in clinical practice.
Aged ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; methods ; Aorta, Thoracic ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; surgery ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pleura ; surgery ; Thoracic Surgical Procedures ; methods