Administration, Inhalation ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Budesonide ; administration & dosage ; Drug Combinations ; Eosinophils ; drug effects ; Ethanolamines ; administration & dosage ; Formoterol Fumarate ; Humans ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Powders

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference of the therapeutic effect of acupuncture and western medicine on the patients with vertebral-basilar insufficiency (VBI), and investigate its mechanism.

METHODSAccording to the different velocity of blood flow recorded by Transcranial Doppler (TCD), sixty patients with VBI were divided into an acupunture group (31 cases) and a western medicine group (29 cases). In the acupuncture group, the patients were punctured at Fengchi (GB 20) and "Gongxue" (Extra). In the western medicine group, the patients were orally given the Flunarizine hydrochlorid capsules. Before and after two-week treatment, the clinical symptoms and related data of TCD were compared, analyzed and evaluated.

RESULTSThe clinical symptoms were obviously improved in the acupuncture group, which was better than the western medicine group (P < 0.05). Acupuncture not only could up-regulate the velocity of vertebral-basilar blood flow (VBF) on the patients with slower VBF of peak-systolic phase (Vs), end-diastolic phase (Vd) and mean value (Vm), but also reduced the VBF on the patients with faster Vs, Vd and Vm. In comparison of the data before and after treatment, there were significantly differences in two groups (P < 0.05), however, there were no difference between the two groups (all P > 0.05). On the index of vascular pulsation (PI), resistance index (RI) and Vs/Vd, there were no difference in both groups before and after treatment (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncturing at Fengchi (GB 20) and "Gongxue" has bidirectional and beneficial function of regulation on the VBF, but no active role on the compatibility of vertebral-basilar blood vessel.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency ; therapy ; Young Adult

Reduced radiosensitivity of lung cancer cells represents a pivotal obstacle in clinical oncology. The hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α plays a crucial role in radiosensitivity, but the detailed mechanisms remain elusive. A relationship has been suggested to exist between hypoxia and autophagy recently. In the current study, we studied the effect of hypoxia-induced autophagy on radioresistance in lung cancer cell lines. A549 and H1299 cells were cultured under normoxia or hypoxia, followed by irradiation at dosage ranging from 0 to 8 Gy. Clonogenic assay was performed to calculate surviving fraction. EGFP-LC3 plasmid was stably transfected into cells to monitor autophagic processes. Western blotting was used to evaluate the protein expression levels of HIF-1α, c-Jun, phosphorylated c-Jun, Beclin 1, LC3 and p62. The mRNA levels of Beclin 1 were detected by qRT-PCR. We found that under hypoxia, both A549 and H1299 cells were radio-resistant compared with normoxia. Hypoxia-induced elevated HIF-1α protein expression preferentially triggered autophagy, accompanied by LC3 induction, EGFP-LC3 puncta and p62 degradation. In the meantime, HIF-1α increased downstream c-Jun phosphorylation, which in turn upregulated Beclin 1 mRNA and protein expression. The upregulation of Beclin 1 expression, instead of HIF-1α, could be blocked by SP600125 (a specific inhibitor of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase), followed by suppression of autophagy. Under hypoxia, combined treatment of irradiation and chloroquine (a potent autophagy inhibitor) significantly decreased the survival potential of lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, hypoxia-induced autophagy through evaluating Beclin1 expression may be considered as a target to reverse the radioresistance in cancer cells.

Through study on the correlation between Atractylodis macrocephala lactones ingredient content and topographic factors, we researched regionalization from topography of five main producing provinces of the country, in order to provide a scientific basis for A. macrocephala reasonable cultivation. By sampling from 40 origins of five main producing provinces of the country, the variation of A. macrocephala lactones ingredient content in different conditions of topographic factors and the effect of altitude, slope and aspect was analyzed by SPSS. Then according to the relationship between A. macrocephala lactones ingredient content and topographic factors, the ecological suitability regionalization was conducted by using ArcGIS based on topographic factors. It is suitable for growth of A. macrocephala in the hilly and mountainous areas of southern whose A. macrocephala lactones ingredient content is in high levels. It is unsuitable for growth of A. macrocephala in Northern plain areas, but we can cultivate A. macrocephala in the hilly and mountainous areas of Northern. The most suitable topographic condition for cultivation of A. macrocephala : altitude 200 meters above, slope 3.00-4.99 degrees.
Altitude ; Atractylodes ; chemistry ; growth & development ; China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Ecosystem

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fibroma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Vimentin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEThe aim of work was to evaluate the efficacy of microvascular decompression (MVD) in patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) associated with hypertension.

METHODSFive hundred and thirty-eight cases of TN associated with hypertension treated with MVD were retrospectively analyzed, all the cases were treated with MVD in the zone of the ventrolateral medulla oblongata and inspected postoperative blood pressure.

RESULTSAmong 538 cases, 341 cases (63.4%) had cure result, 71 cases (13.2%) had obvious effectiveness, 53 cases (9.8%) had effectiveness, and 73 cases had no effectiveness. Four hundred and eighty-three cases have been followed 1.0 approximately 15.8 years, mean 6.3 years. At the time of their follow-up, 313 cases had cure result, 63 cases had obvious effectiveness, 42 cases had effectiveness and 65 cases had no effectiveness.

CONCLUSIONSIt was pathogenesis of nedulla oblongata by abnormal vascular tab, long-term aching stimulation and emotional stress. It was an effective method to treat TN associated with hypertension with MVD in this zone.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Decompression, Surgical ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; Male ; Medulla Oblongata ; pathology ; Microsurgery ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Trigeminal Neuralgia ; complications ; surgery ; Vascular Surgical Procedures ; methods

OBJECTIVEIntroducing a new technique for preventing the scar growthing in split thickness skin donor sites using the great sheets of epidermis covering.

METHODSThe donor sites of split thickness skin were grafting with the great sheets of the epidermis, of the thickness about 0.07 approximately 0.12 mm, harvested by electrical power dermatome and fixed the edges of the epidermal sheet with the verges of donor wound together using the nanoparticles-Ag-gauze stripes adding the sutures or skin stapler, dressing the wounds with the nanoparticles-Ag-gauze using the tie-over technique, left the dressing entire for a 5-day period.

RESULTSThis method were used in a total of 209 donor sites of both the split-thickness skin and epidermis for 133 reconstructed sites of 118 cases from November 1999 to November 2003, and the smooth, near normal skin appearance without scarring were obtained in the split thickness skin donor sites, and the epidermal donor sites healed good enough 5 days after surgery, and skin appearance is near normal in 3 months later.

CONCLUSIONSCovering the donor sites of split thickness skin with the large sheets of epidermis is an effective and useful method for preventing the scarring in the split thickness skin donor sites.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cicatrix ; prevention & control ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Skin Transplantation ; methods ; Surgical Flaps ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Wound Healing ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between NDRG1 and metastasis of breast cancer and the effects of NDRG1 overexpression on the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells.

METHODSNDRG1 was detected at its protein level by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and its messenger RNA (mRNA) was detected by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (real time RT-PCR) in clinical breast cancer specimens. Liposome was used to transiently transfer NDRG1 into MDA-MB-231, a highly invasive human breast cancer cell line. The proliferation of MDA-MB-231 was measured by Bromodeoxy Uridine (BrdU) incorporation assay and the transfection effect on cell cycle distribution was determined by fluorescence assisted cell sorting (FACS). The invasive ability of the transfected cells was investigated by reconstituted matrigel invasion and polycarbonate filters migration experiments.

RESULTSNDRG1 expressions at protein and mRNA levels in tumors of patients with lymph node metastases were significantly lower as compared with those with localized breast cancers (P < 0.01). The amount of NDRG1 mRNA in MCF7, a relatively non-invasive breast cancer cell line, was 10.8 times higher than that in MDA-MB-231 cells (P < 0.01). The BrdU incorporation rate declined significantly (P < 0.05) in NDRG1 overexpressing MDA-MB-231 cells. An increase of the cell population at G(0)/G(1) phase was observed 48 hours post-transfection along with a decrease of cell population at S phase. Overexpression of NDRG1 significantly retarded the invasiveness of MDA-MB-231 cells in matrigel-coated invasion chambers (P < 0.05), when compared to cells transfected with control vectors. However, the migration abilities of cells with or without the transfection were virtually identical.

CONCLUSIONSNDRG1 expression reversely correlates with breast cancer metastasis and progression, and may serve as a prognostic biomarker for predicting early metastasis. The inhibition of proliferation and invasion demonstrated by our MDA-MB-231 transfection experiments implies that NDRG1 is a tumor metastasis suppressor gene and may be a new candidate for gene therapy against human breast cancer.

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; metabolism ; physiology ; Cell Movement ; physiology ; Cell Proliferation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; metabolism ; physiology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of exogenous caveolin-1 on the growth of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and its mechanisms.

METHODSEukaryotic expression vectors containing human caveolin-1 gene were transfected into Hep-2 cell line, the positive clones with high expression of caveolin-1 were identified by fluorescence quantitative real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western Blot. Cell proliferation viability was tested by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay, the protein expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), P-EGFR, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1, 2 (Erk1, 2), P-Erkl, 2 and caveolin-1 were detected by Western Blot. The combination of caveolin-1 and EGFR were studied by immunoprecipitation and Western Blot. The in vivo antitumor activity of caveolin-1 was tested in Hep-2 xenograft tumor models in athymic nude mice, and the protein expressions of P-EGFR, P-Erk1, 2 and caveolin-1 were examined by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThree of caveolin-1 stably transfected Hep-2 cell clones were established. MTT assay showed that the proliferation of caveolin-1 overexpression Hep-2 cell clones decreased significantly comparing with the control. Immunoprecipitation and western Blot showed that caveolin-1 and EGFR were combined in Hep-2 cell line. Comparing with the parental cell line and cells transfected with control vector, there were the lower phosphorylation of EGFR and Erk1, 2 in the caveolin-1 overexpression Hep-2 cell clones. In the xenograft tumor models in nude mice, caveolin-1 overexpression Hep-2 cell clones showed the slower growth, smaller tumor size and the lower phosphorylation of EGFR and Erk1, 2.

CONCLUSIONSOverexpression of caveolin-1 inhibits growth of Hep-2 cell line in vitro and in vivo, arresting EGFR-MAPK signal pathway may involve in its mechanism.

Animals ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; Caveolin 1 ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases ; metabolism ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo study the correlation of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) expression with Gleason score of prostate carcinoma.

METHODSMonoclonal antibodies against epitopes of PSMA extracellular domain were prepared, with which the expression of PSMA of prostate carcinoma (PC) was determined by immunohistochemical staining. Correlation of its expression with Gleason score of PC was statistically analyzed, and compared with that of PSA.

RESULTSEight hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies specific for PSMA were prepared. PSMA expression level was positively correlated with Gleason score. In poorly differentiated prostate carcinoma, the expression intensity of PSMA was higher than that of medium-and well-differentiated prostate carcinoma (P < 0.01). However, there was no correlation between level of PSA expression and Gleason score (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPSMA expression level may be used as a useful surrogate marker in Gleason grading of prostate carcinoma. It may be a more suitable target than PSA in antibody mediated immunotherapy against poorly differentiated prostate carcinoma which is usually not sensitive to hormonal therapy.

Antigens, Surface ; metabolism ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology