Objective To investigate the involvement of sympathetic nerve system in the transmission of nociceptive information related to vascular headache. Methods Fos expression in the midbrain periaqueductal grey (PAG) induced by electrical stimulation of dural matter near the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) of the rat was determined before and after the extirpation of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) using standard avidin-biotin immunohistochemistry. Results Fos immunoreactive positive neurons were detected in the ventrolateral PAG, and were bilateral symmetry. Fos expression was (133.3±12.5) in SCG extirpated group, and higher than that in sham-operated group (76.0±11.3). Conclusion The sympathetic system may be involved in the transmission of nociceptive information through PAG, associated with vascular headache such as migraine.

In recent years,many investigations manifested that cortical spreading depression was probably the physiologic foundation of migraine aura.The authors reviewd the relationship between migraine aura and cortical spreading depression.

Objective To examine the expression of MMP-2 gene and Survivin gene in subclinical microscopic tumor and its peripheral normal esophageal tissues,and study the radiation target in molecular level. Methods Esophageal squamous cancer and its peripheral tissue samples of 34 patients were cut into sequential sections.The expression of MMP-2 gene and Survivin gene then examined.The length of the peripheral esophageal tissue,positively expressing the two genes,was measured,and the relation among the experimental date,tumor stage and vertical length of tumor were analyzed. Results For tumor tissue,subclinical microscopic tumor and the peripheral differentiated normal tissue,the positive expression rate of MMP-2 was 85%,83%and 79%,respectively.The positive expression rate of Survivin was 76%,85%and 85%,respectively.The positive expression level of both MMP-2 and Survivin genes in subclinical microscopic tumor was significantly higher than that in the peripheral differentiated normal tissue(χ2=6.46,P=0.028 and χ2=16.15,P=0.001).The length was 17.2-70.4 mm and 15.0-82.4 mm of cancerous peripheral tissue with positive expression of MMP-2 gene upside and downside of the tumor.The length was＜70 mm in 97% of the samples.For Survivin gene.the length was 3.7-76.4 mm and 16.1-56.3 mm.and was＜70 mm in 96%of the samples.The length of cancerous peripheral esophageal tissue expressing the two genes increased significantly along with tumor stage or tumor length,and there was statistical correlation between the length of tumor and the positive expression ranges of Survivin gene. Conclusions Both MMP-2 gene and Survivin gene are positively expressed in esophageal cancerous peripheral tissue.The range positively expressing the two genes is＜70 mm in more than 96%of the samples,and the length is correlated with the tumor stage.More attention should be paid to the peripheral differentiated normal tissue with positive expression of MMP-2 gene and Survivin gene in esophageal squamous carcinoma.

Objective To evaluate the effect of TGF-β1 and IL-1β expression in serum on acute radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) in patients with thoracic tumors.Methods Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) or intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) was delivered at 1.8-2.0 Gy,5 times per week to a total dose of 50-66 Gy to 44 patients with lung cancer and 10 patients with esophagus cancer.The target and organs at risk dose distribution were analyzed by 3-dimensiond treatment planning system.The expressions of TGF-β1 and IL-1β in serum were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay before and at the end of the irradiation.The cardiac injury was evaluated by detecting the cmyocardium creatase,cardiac troponin I (cTnI),electrocardiogram and cardiac function before and at the end of the irradiation within 90 d.The acute RIHD was evaluated by the Common Terminology Criteria V 3.0 (NCI-CTCAE 3.0).The expressions of TGF-β1 and IL-1β in the serum of RIHD patients with thoracic tumors were analyzed.Results The expression of TGF-β1 in serum was (888.4 ± 41.1) μg/L before the irradiation and approached to (926.1 ± 23.1) μg/L at the end of the radiotherapy.The expression level of TGF-β1 in the serum of acute RIDH group was (900.6 ± 34.5) μg/L,higher than that of normal group [(865.7 ±47.0) μg/L,t =-2.646,P ＜0.05)].The acute RIDH was correlated with the expression level of TGF-β1 before irradiation and the difference before and at the end of irradiation (r =0.378,0.311,P ＜0.05).The IL-1β expression had no significant difference before and after irradiation.The expression of TGF-β1 in serum before and at the end of irradiation had positive correlation with the expression of IL-1β at the end of the irradiation (r =0.416,0.389,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The expression of TGF-β1 in the serum of patients with thoracic tumor increases after irradiation and correlated with the acute RIHD,but the expression of IL-1β in serum has no relationship with RIHD.TGF-β1 could induce the expression of IL-1β at the end of the irradiation.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of induction chemotherapy plus concurrent radiochemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through a meta-analysis.Methods CBM, CNKI, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and EMbase were searched for the articles on comparison between induction chemotherapy plus concurrent radiochemotherapy and concurrent radiochemotherapy for patients with locally advanced NSCLC.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the data on short-term outcome and survival were collected.A Meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the clinical effect of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent radiochemotherapy.Results A total of 5 articles were included, which involved 845 patients.The results showed that the short-term outcome and the 2-and 3-year survival rates were similar between patients receiving induction chemotherapy plus concurrent radiochemotherapy and those receiving concurrent radiochemotherapy ( OR=0.875, 95% CI 0.507-1.510, P=0.631;HR=0.770, 95% CI 0.515-1.151, P=0.203;HR=0.809, 95% CI 0.559-1.172, P=0.262), but the patients receiving induction chemotherapy plus concurrent radiochemotherapy showed a significantly higher incidence rate of grade ≥ 3 leukopenia than those receiving concurrent radiochemotherapy alone ( OR=0.637, 95% CI 0.435-0.931, P=0.020).Conclusions Induction chemotherapy plus concurrent radiochemotherapy shows no significant advantages over concurrent radiochemotherapy alone in the short-term outcome and 2-and 3-year survival rates, but it significantly increases myelosuppression.Since there are few studies involving a limited number of cases included in this analysis, more multicenter randomized trials are needed to provide more detailed data and further clarify the clinical value of induction chemotherapy plus concurrent radiochemotherapy.

Objective To determine whether rizatriptan has an effect on cortical spreading depression (CSD) and c-Fos expression within periaqueductal grey (PAG) induced by CSD in rats. Methods The experimental SD rats were randomly divided into group A injected with KCl, group B KCl plus rizatriptan and group C NaCL The number and amplitude of CSD were recorded after KCl or NaCl injection. C-Fos positive neurons of different layer were identified by the immunohistochemical technique 2 hours after the first injection of KCl or NaCl. Results There was no CSD in group C. The number of CSD in group A ( 10.70±3.23 ) was significantly more than that in group B (6.10±2.56, t = - 3.528, P < 0.01 ). The amplitude of CSD in group A ( 17.33 (95% CI 11.45--23.11 ) mV) was significantly greater than that in group B (11.82 (95%CI 9.24--14.70) mV, Z= -4.360, P< 0.01). There were more cFos-like immnoreactive neurons in every layer in group A than in group C (P < 0.01 ) and in group B (P < 0.05 ). Conclusion Rizatriptan has an inhibitory effect on CSD, which might induce the headache through exciting the neurons in PAG.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of HIF-1α on adhesion and invasion of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-1 cells under hypoxia and underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODSCoCl₂was used to mimic tumor hypoxic microenvironment. mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α, E-cadherin and CXCR4 in CNE-1 cells at different hypoxic time phases were detected by RT-PCR and ELISA respectively. The influences of silencing HIF-1α using RNA interference on E-cadherin and CXCR4 expressions were evaluated. Adhesion test Transwell invasion test were used to evaluate the effects of HIF-1α gene silencing on cell adhesion and invasion.

RESULTSUnder hypoxia, HIF-1α mRNA expression in CNE-1 cells was stable, but its protein expression increased obviously (P<0.05). Both mRNA and protein expressions of E-cadherin were decreased significantly with prolonged hypoxia, while mRNA and protein expressions of CXCR4 increased significantly (P<0.05). After silencing HIF-1α gene, expression of E-cadherin protein was up-regulated, but with down-regulated expression of CXCR4 protein, with a decrease significantly in adhesion rate or invasive cell number of CNE-1 cells (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHypoxia can increase HIF-1α protein expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE-1. Silencing HIF-1α by RNA interference can reduce inhesion and invasion abilities of CNE-1 cells, which may be mediated by down-regulating E-cadherin expression and up-regulating CXCR4 expression.

Cadherins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Carcinoma ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Messenger ; Receptors, CXCR4 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy and safety of pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (PEG-rhG-CSF) in the salvage therapy for the grade IV neutropenia induced by concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and to provide evidence for its clinical rational application.

METHODS114 malignant tumor patients suffered with grade IV neutropenia induced by concurrent chemoradiotherapy were treated in the following groups. In the P-50 group, 42 patients received a single subcutaneous injection of 50 µg/kg PEG-rhG-CSF. In the P-100 group, 30 patients received a single subcutaneous injection of 100 µg/kg PEG-rhG-CSF. In the P+R group, 22 patients received a single subcutaneous injection of 50 µg/kg PEG-rhG-CSF and multiple subcutaneous injections of 5 µg×kg(-1)×d(-1) rhG-CSF, until the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 2.0×10(9)/L. In the R group, 20 patients received multiple subcutaneous injections of 5 µg×kg(-1)×d(-1) rhG-CSF, until ANC ≥ 2.0×10(9)/L. The P-50, P-100 and P+R groups were experimental groups, and the R group was defined as control group. In each group, the neutrophil proliferation rate and the neutrophil counts at different time points, the period of neutropenia symptom relief, and the rate of adverse reactions induced by above drugs were analyzed.

RESULTSBoth neutrophil proliferation rates and neutrophil counts in the patients of experimental groups at different time points were significantly higher than those in the control group. In the experimental groups the period of the clinical effect began in 12-24 hours, and the conditions of neutropenia were improved in 36 hours. In the experimental groups, the period of the symptom relief such as fever and skeletal muscle pain was (30.00 ± 7.48) hours and (30.00 ± 5.10) hours, respectively, significantly shorter than (72.00 ± 17.89) hours and (59.00 ± 11.46) hours in the control group (P < 0.05). The adverse drug reaction rate was 26.1% in the experimental groups and 25.0% in the control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSFor the treatment of grade IV neutropenia induced by concurrent chemoradiotherapy, PEG-rhG-CSF is effective and safe. The recommend dose of this drug for the salvage therapy for those patients is a single hypodermal injection of 50 µg/kg. Usually it becomes effective in 12-24 hours.

Chemoradiotherapy ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Leukocyte Count ; Neutropenia ; chemically induced ; Neutrophils ; Recombinant Proteins ; Salvage Therapy ; methods