Objective To investigate symptom characteristics and their their prevalence in terminally ill patients with ovarian carcinoma.Methods A retrospective study was carried out based on clinical data of 98 terminally ill patients with ovarian carcinoma who died in our hospital during January 1995 to December 2004.Fifteen most common symptoms were analyzed with a focus on the followings:symptom incidence,survival time after symptom occurrence,regularity of symptom cluster,and common causes of death.Fifteen symptoms were:pain,cachexia,pleural effusion and ascites,dyspnea,fever,intestinal obstruction,renal failure,bone marrow depression,lung infection,hemorrhage,deep venous thrombosis (DVT),intestinal or pancreatic fistula,mycotic infection,jaundice and emergency conditions.Results (1)The most prevalent symptom was pleural effusion and ascites(63%),followed by pain(60%), cachexia(59%),dyspnea(52%)and intestinal obstruction(49 %).(2)The symptom which lasted longest survival time was mycotic infection(77 days),followed by intestinal or pancreatic fistula(75 days), intestinal obstruction(67 days),pain(60 days)and eachexia(60 days).Symptoms such as bone marrow depression,renal failure,dyspnea and emergency conditions were comparatively critical associated with shorter survival times(14,13,12,7 days,respectively).(3)Terminal symptoms occurred typically in clusters,with 4.9?1.5 symptoms per case.Of 98 cases,84 cases(86%)had 4 or more symptoms,with the median survival time of 63 days from the last day of anti-cancer therapy,and a slow death process.The remaining 14 cases(14%)with 3 or fewer symptoms survived only 25 days,of which 10 cases(71%)died of emergency diseases.The survival time for two groups was significantly different(P

Objective Toinvestigate the association between genetic susceptibility of gastric carcinoma and single nucleotide polymorphism of REG1a gene in Chinese Han population. Methods The genotype of REG1a gene were detected by PCR and DNA sequencing in 183 Chinese patients with gastric carcinoma and 204 controls.Results It was found 3 new SNPs in REG1a gene at site 929(T/C),1790(C/G) and 2751(A/T), respectively; and the different genotypes of site 929 and 1790 were significant between gastric carcinoma patients and controls(P<0.05). Conclusions Sequencing of REG1a gene from specific population is available for screening candidate SNPs. The study reveals that the initially gastric carcinoma may be associated with site 929 and 1790. It provides a basis for further screening suitable SNPs labeling forecasting risk for gastric carcinoma.

Objective To localize the sinoatrial node (SAN) of the newborn rabbits in vivo and cut it for purifying cultivation and study the morophologic characters of primary cultured pacemaker cells of SAN under light microscope and transmissional electron microscope. Methods Hearts of the newborn rabbits were embedded in paraffin for HE-staining and observed the location, form of SAN under optical microscope; SAN cells isolated from neonatal rabbits cultured and purified with the method of differential attachment and BrdU-treatment.Results SAN localized in the anterior wall of the superior vena cava and the posterior-lateral atrial wall.There was about 0.32 mm between its lowest point and sulcus terminalis. Three distinctly different types of cells were observed among the cultured cells of SAN: spindle, araneiform and polygon. The spindle cells covered the greatest proportion of the cultured cells of SAN (59.6%?7.3%). The frequency of spontaneous contraction of spindle cells was the highest among the constrcting cells (145 ?9)time/min. The results of ultrastructure observation showed that myofibrils and other organelles in spindle cells were poorly organized and significantly decreased in number compared with araneiform cells. There was no significant difference between araneiform cells isolated from SAN and from atrial muscle.Conclusion Among the cultured cells from neonatal rabbits SAN, the spindle cells are the pacemaker cells of SAN.

Objective To study the role of hematopoietic growth factor(HGF)of placenta chorionic villus in fetal hematopoiesis during embryo ontogeny by observation of the appearance time and the content changes with the fetal growth, which was compared with HGF in cord blood. Methods Thirty embryo villus (2 g each) and 30 cord blood (2 mL each) were collected separately from early pregnant stage(6- 8 weeks), middle pregnant stage(16-22 weeks)and late pregnant stage (37-42 weeks). The levels of HGF were detected by enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay. Results HGF were produced on the early pregnant stage and the content of FL-T3,IL-3 increased gradually.There were significantly differences at different stages(P

With the deepening of research in recent years, tumor metabolic reprogramming has gradually become the focus of research, and targeting tumor cell metabolism has also become a new means of tumor therapy. The metabolic process affects almost all the physiological processes of the organism, and lipid metabolism is an important part of the metabolic process. Studies have shown that changes in lipid uptake, storage and fatty acid synthesis and decomposition have occurred in a variety of tumors. Abnormal lipid metabolism will promote the rapid proliferation of tumors. Abnormal expression of a variety of key metabolic enzymes in the process of lipid metabolism is the key to tumor progression. The purpose of this paper is to explain the metabolic regulation of lipid metabolism and related metabolic enzymes in hematological tumors, and to provide ideas for the treatment of hematological tumors.

The shape and structure of granules are controlled by the granulation process, which is one of the main factors to determine the nature of the solid dosage forms. In this article, three kinds of granules of a traditional Chinese medicine for improving appetite and promoting digestion, namely, Jianwei Granules, were prepared using granulation technologies as pendular granulation, high speed stirring granulation, and fluidized bed granulation and the powder properties of them were investigated. Meanwhile, synchrotron radiation X-ray computed micro tomography (SR-µCT) was applied to quantitatively determine the irregular internal structures of the granules. The three-dimensional (3D) structure models were obtained by 3D reconstruction, which were more accurately to characterize the three-dimensional structures of the particles through the quantitative data. The models were also used to quantitatively compare the structural differences of granules prepared by different granulation processes with the same formula, so as to characterize how the production process plays a role in the pharmaceutical behaviors of the granules. To focus on the irregularity of the particle structure, the box counting method was used to calculate the fractal dimensions of the granules. The results showed that the fractal dimension is more sensitive to reflect the minor differences in the structure features than the conventional parameters, and capable to specifically distinct granules in structure. It is proved that the fractal dimension could quantitatively characterize the structural information of irregular granules. It is the first time suggested by our research that the fractal dimension difference (Df,c) between two fractal dimension parameters, namely, the volume matrix fractal dimension and the surface matrix fractal dimension, is a new index to characterize granules with irregular structures and evaluate the effects of production processes on the structures of granules as a new indicator for the granulating process control and optimization.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Fractals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Powders ; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship ; Synchrotrons ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective In our previous study,we established DNA microarray technology for identification of medical viruses on genus levels and arboviruses on species levels.In this study,we employed these microarrays to determine the pathogen of newly isolated unknown virus in July,2006 from pig brain in Shanxi province.Methods The pathogen isolated from pig brains were inoculated in BHK21 cells.After CPE were observed,the supernatants were collected and RNA was extracted.After reverse transcription and random PCR amplification,the labeled nucleic acids were hybridized with DNA microarrays.Results The hybridization results with medical viruses DNA microarray indicated that the unknown virus belonged to Flavivirus.Combined with epidemiological investigation,we presumed that it might be a kind of arbovirus. Then the labeled specimen were further hybridized with arbovirus DNA microarray and the results confirmed that it was Japanese encephalitis virus(JBV).This coincided with PCR and sequencing analysis.Conclusions The DNA microarray we established previously could be employed to identify unknown viruses.This method provides a new method for determining new viral pathogens.

Background Our previous studies have indicated that the beneficial effects of grafting neural stem cells (NSCs) overexpressing glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in rats after stroke.However,the underlying mechanisms are highly debatable.In this study,we investigated whether neurogenesis,Akt,and extracellular signalregulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2) signaling were involved in this process.Methods Transient ischemic stroke were induced by occluding middle cerebral artery for 2 hours and reperfusion.At 3 days after reperfusion,GDNF/NSCs,NSCs,and vehicle were administered.Immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate neurogenesis by nestin antibody; phosphorylation of Akt and Erk1/2 was investigated by Western blotting analysis.Results Transplantation of GDNF/NSCs and NSCs significantly increased nestin-positive cells compared to control group (vehicle) from 1 to 7 weeks after reperfusion,and GDNF/NSCs showed stronger effect than NSCs at 2 and 3 weeks after reperfusion.Meanwhile,enhanced phosphorylation level of Erk1/2 was observed in the GDNF/NSCs and NSCs groups compared with control group,and phosphorylation level of Erk1/2 in GDNF/NSCs group was remarkably higher than that of NSCs group at any given time.In contrast,expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1),known as inhibitor of Erk1/2 signaling,was significantly decreased in the GDNF/NSCs and NSCs groups compared with the control group.Moreover,much enhanced and prolonged phosphorylation level of Akt of GDNF/NSCs group was detected compared with control and NSCs group.Conclusion Grafting GDNF/NSCs enhances neurogenesis and activates Akt and Erk1/2 signaling,that may provide the potential for GDNF/NSCs in stroke treatment.

The purpose of this investigation was to study the variation of p73 gene expression in the apoptotic process of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line U937 induced by methotrexate (MTX). Morphological changes of apoptotic cells were observed with microscopy and Wright's + Giemsa staining. DNA ladder and cell cycle were examined by agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry respectively. Using semi-quantitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the expression of p73 mRNA was examined. Results showed that MTX could induce U937 cell apoptosis effectively. Condensed nuclei, fragmentation of chromosome and DNA ladder were seen after 6 hour following treatment of MTX 5 micro mol/L. Sub-G(1) peak and S + G(2)/M arrest were also determined by FCM, but the quantity of p73 expression was generally constant. In conclusion, U937 cell apoptosis induced by MTX did not change p73 mRNA level.
Acute Disease ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; genetics ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; DNA, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Flow Cytometry ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid ; drug therapy ; genetics ; pathology ; Methotrexate ; pharmacology ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tumor Protein p73 ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; U937 Cells