OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of modified Yupingfeng granule on nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB)expression in mice with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).

METHODSMouse models of ACD were treated with the granules at low, medium and high doses, with normal saline and hydrocortisone as the negative and positive controls, respectively. The expressions of NF-kappaB and its distribution in the lesions were detected using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe staining intensity, area and positive expression rates of NF-kappaB p50 were significantly different between the treatment group and the normal saline group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONModified Yupingfeng granule can effectively inhibit the expression of NF-kappaB in ACD, which might be a possible mechanism for its therapeutic effect on ACD.

Animals ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism

Objective To explore the clinical applicating and efficacy of free fibula osteomyocutane- ous flap in mandible defect reconstruction in osteoradionecrosis patients.Methods The mandible defects were reconstructed by free fibula flaps with or without muscle cuff.The soft tissue defects were repaired by skin paddles.Status of osteotomy in fibula and flap survival was recorded.The complication in recipient site and donor site,as well as mouth opening and occlusion were reviewed.Facial contour and chewing function after reconstruction were evaluated.Results Patients were followed up 3-16 months.4 free fibula flaps with muscle cuff and 5 without muscle cuff survived well.The size of mandible defects covered from 6cm to 17cm. And the harvested fibula flaps with length of 8.6-17cm were cut into 3 segments in 2 cases,and 2 segments in 5 cases.Fibula flap was divided into 2 segments and overlapped in 2 cases.No serious complication was oh- served in recipient site and donor site.Satisfying esthetic result and normal occlusiong of heath mandible were obtained in all cases.The degree of mouth opening was 2.5-3.3cm.Fair chewing function was revealed in re- constructive region after prosthesia repaired.Conclusion Free fibula osteomyocutaneous flap is relatively ideal reconstruction material of mandible defect in osteoradionecrosis patients for its high survival rate and well esthetic results.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effects of scraping therapy on perimenopausal syndrome.

METHODSTwenty women with perimenopausal syndrome were treated with scraping therapy and the dorsal course of the Governor Vessell and the Urinary Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang were scraped, especially on the Back-shu points and Ashi points. The clinical symptoms were observed and compared with a modified Kupperman score before and after treatment.

RESULTSIn all the 20 patients, 3 cases were cured, 6 cases were markedly effective, 9 cases were effective, 2 cases were ineffective, and the total effective rate was 90.0%. The Kupperman total score after treatment of (10.4 +/- 7.5) was significantly lower than the score before treatment of (25.0 +/- 5.3) (P < 0.001), in which, hot flushes and sweating, insomnia, fatigue, paresthesia, anxiety/irritability, hypaphrodisia, urinary system infection, tinnitus, dizziness, memory deterioration and headache were eased significantly (P < 0.001, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe scraping therapy has a good clinical effect on perimenopausal syndrome and can significantly improve the clinical symptoms.

Acupuncture Points ; Dizziness ; therapy ; Female ; Hot Flashes ; therapy ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Meridians ; Middle Aged ; Perimenopause ; physiology ; Sweating ; Treatment Outcome

Autistic Disorder ; genetics ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 15 ; Humans ; Infant ; Male

OBJECTIVE Diabetic nephropathy (DN) has been one of the most common complications of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Glomerular hyperfiltrationis central in earlystage of DN and leads to the progression of renal architectonic and functional abnormalities. Salvi?anolic acid A (SalA) has been proved to protect diabetic complications such as hepatic fibrosis and neuropathy. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of SalAon glomerular endothelial dysfunctionand diabetic nephropathy. METHODS Primary glomerular endothelial cells were subjected to assess permeability under injury of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). AGEs-induced changes of RhoA/ROCK pathway and cytoskeleton rearrangement were assessed bywestern blotandimmunoflu?orescence. The beneficial effects of SalA on diabetic nephropathy were investigated in a rat model induced by high-fat and high-glucose diet combined with low dose of streptozocin (35 mg·kg- 1, ip). Renal function and architectonic changes were evaluated by biochemical assay and PAS staining. RESULTS SalA 3μMameliorated AGEs- induced glomerular endothelial permeability (P<0.05) and suppressed rearrangement of cytoskeleton through inhibiting AGE-RAGE-RhoA/ROCK pathway. SalA 1 mg · kg- 1 markedly reduced endothelium loss (P<0.01) and glomerular hyperfiltration (P<0.05) in diabetic kidney. Subsequently,SalA 1 mg·kg-1 suppressed glomerular hypertrophy and mesangial matrix expansion, eventually reduced 24 h-urinary albumin and ameliorated renal function by decreasing blood urine nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and serum n-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG). AGEs-RAGE-Nox4-induced oxidative stress was suppressed by the treatment of SalA 1 mg·kg-1. CONCLUSION SalA ameliorated AGEs-induced glomerular endothelial hyperpermeability, and effec?tively protected against early-stage diabetic nephropathy by reducing hyperfiltration and alleviating renal structural deterioration through inhibiting AGEs and its downstream pathway. Thus, SalA might be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of long-term power frequency electromagnetic field (50 Hz) exposure on the proliferation and apoptosis of human lens epithelial cells (SRA01/04 cells).

METHODSSRA01/04 cells in the exponential growth phase were exposed or sham-exposed to power frequency electromagnetic field (50 Hz, 2.3 mT) for 2 hours per day, 5 days every week. After 11 weeks of exposure, the cells were collected; the cell morphology was observed under a microscope, the cell viability was measured by MTT assay, the cell cycle and apoptosis were examined by flow cytometry, and the protein expression levels of cyclin D and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were determined by western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the sham-exposed SRA01/04 cells, most exposed cells became rounded and more stereoscopic, and heterochromatin gathered near the nuclear membrane in some exposed cells. The MTT assay showed that the viability of exposed cells was significantly increased compared with that of the sham-exposed cells (P < 0.05). Long-term power frequency electromagnetic field exposure led to significantly increased number of cells in S phase (P < 0.05), and the proliferation index was significantly higher in the exposed cells than in the sham-exposed cells (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in apoptotic rate between the exposed cells and sham-exposed cells (P > 0.05). The exposed cells had significantly higher protein expression levels of cyclin D and PCNA than the sham-exposed cells (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONLong-term power frequency electromagnetic field exposure can promote cellular proliferation and change cell cycle in SRA01/04 cells, but it has no marked effect on the apoptosis of SRA01/04 cells.

Apoptosis ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Electromagnetic Fields ; adverse effects ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Lens, Crystalline ; cytology ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical outcome of reconstruction of maxillary defects with vascularized iliac crest flap and simultaneous osseointegrated implant embedding.

METHODSDuring September to October 2003, two patients with maxillary defects from tumor resection underwent microsurgical reconstruction. The free iliac osteomuscular flap transferring and simultaneous osseointegrated implant embedding were performed to repair the defects. Three months after the reconstructive surgery, an abutment operation was preformed and denture was applied in both cases.

RESULTSThe flaps survived well. Postoperative follow-up for 8 to 9 months showed that the patients obtained good zygomaxillary appearance, normal occlusion, and satisfactory pronunciation, without oronasal fistula or other serious complications.

CONCLUSIONSThe free iliac crest osteomuscular flap with simultaneous osseointegrated implant embedding is an ideal, effective and cosmetically acceptable method for maxilla reconstruction.

Adult ; Bone Transplantation ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Ilium ; transplantation ; Male ; Maxilla ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVEThrough comparison of HER2/neu oncogene detected by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in breast cancer, to explore the effect of CISH on detecting gene amplification of HER2.

METHODSSelected formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast samples whose pathological types were infiltrating ductal carcinomas (255 retrospective samples, 271 prospective samples), and these samples were detected by IHC and CISH.

RESULTS(1) In the retrospective study, CISH identified gene amplification in 91.6% of IHC score 3+ tumors (120/131) and in 56.5% of IHC score 2+ tumors (39/69), thus the concordant ratio between IHC and CISH was 81.2% (207/255). The two results showed significant correlation (P<0.01). (2) In the prospective study, the ratio of HER2 protein over expression detected by IHC was 31.7%, the ratio of HER2 gene amplification detected by CISH was 27.3%. CISH identified gene amplification in 91.4% of IHC score 3+ tumors (53/58) and in 46.4% of IHC score 2+ tumors (13/28), Concordant ratio between IHC and CISH was 89.7% (243/271). Two results showed significant correlation (P<0.01). (3) Paired CISH/FISH results were concordant in 14 of 15 cases. The remaining case was detected by FISH, but showed no HER2 gene amplification by CISH. (4) The gene amplification by CISH had a significantly reverse correlation with ER and PR expression (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe results of HER2 gene amplification detected by CISH have high concordance with the results detectd by IHC and FISH. CISH is a novel technique for detecting HER2 gene amplification.

Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Gene Amplification ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; methods ; In Situ Hybridization ; methods ; Prospective Studies ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism ; Receptors, Progesterone ; metabolism ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo study the molecular mechanism of TAp63gamma-induced cell apoptosis.

METHODSTranscription and protein expression of apoptosis inducing factor and p63 were investigated by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR in human esophageal squamous carcinoma cell line EC9706 respectively. Twenty-four hours after transfection with pcDNA3.1-TAp63gamma, the apoptosis and translocation of apoptosis inducing factor in EC9706 cells were studied by flow cytometry, laser confocal microscopy and mitochondrial/cytosol/nuclear extraction analysis respectively. Down-regulation of apoptosis inducing factor protein was achieved by RNAi and pretreatment with caspase inhibitor zVAD.fmk of EC9706 cells.

RESULTSPresence of protein expressions of apoptosis inducing factor and absence of TAp63gamma was observed in the cytoplasm of untransfected cells. RT-PCR verified the subtype of p63 in EC9706 cells was DeltaNp63. After 24 hours of transfection, both nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of apoptosis inducing factor protein were observed in cells transfected with TAp63gamma and p53 expression vectors, but not in cells transfected with control vector. Cell apoptosis rates were 1.37%, 13.64%, 4.52%, 4.03% and 1.91% in the pcDNA3.1 transfection group, pcDNA3.1-TAp63gamma transfection group, apoptosis inducing factor siRNA and pcDNA3.1-TAp63gamma transfection group, zVAD.fmk treatment group, and the group receiving apoptosis inducing factor siRNA, plus zVAD.fmk treatment and pcDNA3.1-TAp63gamma transfection, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSApoptosis inducing factor of EC9706 cells is released from mitochondria into both the cytoplasm and nucleus during TAp63gamma induced apoptosis. Down-regulation of apoptosis inducing factor inhibits TAp63gamma-induced apoptosis. Overall, TAp63gamma-induced apoptosis is dependent on the expression of apoptosis inducing factor and caspase.

Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Inducing Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Caspase Inhibitors ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Nucleus ; metabolism ; Cytoplasm ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Mitochondria ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; Protein Transport ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Trans-Activators ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transcription Factors ; Transfection ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of integrative medical program based on blood cooling and detoxification recipe (BCDR) in treating patients with hepatitis B virus related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) of heat-toxicity accumulation syndrome (HTAS).

METHODSAdopting randomized controlled clinical design, a total of 105 HBV-ACLF patients of HTAS were randomly assigned to the trial group (64 cases) and the control group (41 cases). Patients in the control group were treated with comprehensive Western therapy, while those in the trial group were treated with comprehensive Western therapy plus BCDR. All were treated for 8 weeks and followed up for 40 weeks. Effect and safety of the treatment were assessed, including fatality, liver functions [total bilirubin (TBIL), albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST)], and prothrombin activity (PTA) after treatment and at week 48 of follow-ups.

RESULTSAfter 8-week treatment, there was statistical difference in the overall fatality rate (15.63% vs 34.15%), the fatality rate in the mid-term (25.0% vs 64.7%), TBIL at week 8 (64.54 +/- 79.75), AST [at week 2: (178.97 +/- 44.24) U/L vs (288.48 +/- 58.49) U/L; at week 4: (61.65 +/- 27.36) U/L vs (171.12 +/- 89.11) U/L] and PTA [at week 4: (58.30 +/- 15.29) vs (42.56 +/- 15.27); at week 6: (60.77 +/- 20.40) vs (43.08 +/- 12.79)] (all P < 0.05). At week 48 of the followup, the fatality rate of the trial group (21.88%) decreased by 17. 14% when compared with that of the control group (39.02%; P < 0.05). No obvious adverse event occurred in the two groups during the 8-week treatment period.

CONCLUSIONBCDR could significantly reduce the mortality of HBV-ACLF patients.

Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure ; drug therapy ; virology ; Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; End Stage Liver Disease ; Female ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Young Adult