OBJECTIVETo investigate the estrogen-like activities of icariin (ICA), icaritin (ICT) and desmethylicaritin (DICT) and their structure/activity relationships.

METHODSICT was hydrolyzed from ICA by cellulase and then DICT was demethylated from ICT in boron tribromide and dichloromethane system. Estrogen-sensitive MCF-7 cells and T47D cells were co-incubated with different concentrations of test compounds for 6 and 9 d respectively, and the cell proliferation was measured by MTT.

RESULTSICT and DICT both markedly enhanced cell proliferation. Compared with estradiol (10.(-9) mol/L), the proliferative effects of 10.-6 mol/L ICT and DICT on MCF-7 cells were 90.0% and 94.0% (P<0.01), respectively, and those of T47D cells were 65.6% and 50.0%. (P<0.01). But this phenomenon was not observed with ICA. Cell proliferation induced by ICT and DICT was completely antagonized by 10.(-7 )mol/L pure estrogen receptor antagonist, ICI182,780.

CONCLUSIONICT and DICT possess estrogen-like activity of enhancing proliferation in MCF-7 and T47D cells. However, ICA appears to have no estrogenicity on MCF-7 and T47D cell lines in vitro.

Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Phytoestrogens ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

At the present time, training student to have innovative and applied ability has become the object of higher education in China. In this paper, it was proposed that teacher was obligated to create certain atmospheres in classroom to achieve this goal, including friendliness, harmoniousness, encouragement, happiness, discussion, exploration, etc. At the same time, student-centered study should be encouraged. Through these measures, the spirit of innovation will be inspired, the applied ability will be trained, the capability of self-study will be enhanced.

Objective To summarize the preliminary experience of endovascular stent-graft exclusion for aortic dissections. Methods From October 2003 to February 2007,121 patients[86 males,37 females,mean age(53.7?13.8)years,range 29～ 72 years]underwent endovascular stent-graft exclusion for aortic dissections,including Stanford B in 114 patients,Stanford A in 4, and traumatic aortic mptore in 3.An emergency operation was performed in 4 patients for acute aortic rapture.Results No primary conversion was needed.There was no postoperative death,no spinal cord iscbemic injury,or stent displacement or subclavian steal syndrome.Postoperative hospital stay time was(4.0?1.3)days.Complications included fever in 35 patients,type Ⅳ endoleak in 11,type Ⅰ endoleak in 1 and acute renal dysfunction in 1.Contusion Endovascular thoracic aorta repair is an effective,less inva- sire and safe surgery for patients with Stanford B or some Stanford A aortic dissection and traumatic aortic rupture.

Objective To investigate the effect of L-camitine on renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury (IRI) and Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway in rats.Methods Rats were randomly separated into the following experimental groups:control group (group C),IRI group (group I) and L-carnitine group (group L).Rats accepted no treatment of ischemic reperfusion in group C.In groups I and group L,the renal IRI model was established.L-carnitine was injected through the tail vein in group L,while the equal volume of saline was injected in group C and group I.Rats were killed at 3,6,and 24 h after IR.The levels of serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN),the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the content of malonaldehyde (MDA) in serum were measured.The histopathological lesions were observed in renal tissues after 24-h IR.RT-PCR was used to detect the levels of Nrf2,HO-1 and γ-GCS mRNA.Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the levels and localization of Nrf2 protein in renal tissues after 6-h IR.Results The levels of Cr and BUN in group I and group L were higher than those in group C at 3 h after IR.At 6 h after IR,the levels of Cr and BUN in group L were lower than those in group I (P＜0.01 ).At 24 h after IR,the levels of Cr and BUN in group L were still lower than those in group I though both of them were reduced (P＜0.05).At all time points,the activity of SOD in group L was higher and the content of MDA was lower than those in group I (P＜ 0.05). As compared with group I,the renal histopathological lesions were alleviated in group L at 24 h after IR.At 6 h after IR,levels of Nrf2,HO-1,γ-GCS mRNA and Nrf2 protein in group I were increased as compared with group C,but decreased as compared with group L.Beyond that,the expression of nuclear Nrf2 protein in group L was higher than that in group I.Conclusion L-carnitine can protects the kidney against IRI significantly,which may be due to the up-regulated expression of antioxidant genes by activating the Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway.

Humans ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous/pathology* ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology*

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical effects of the circumcision stapler, circumcision cerclage, and traditional circumcision in the treatment of phimosis and redundant prepuce.

METHODSUsing the circumcision stapler (group A), foreskin cerclage (group B), and traditional circumcision (group C), we treated 276 patients with phimosis or redundant prepuce. We made comparisons among the three groups in the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative and 24-hour postoperative pain scores, and incidence of postoperative complications. Results: The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and intraoperative pain score were (6.52 ± 2.45) min, (1.93 ± 0.82) ml, and 1.37 ± 0.68 in group A and (7.24 ± 1.86) min, (1.51 ± 0.72) ml, and 1.20 ± 0.79 in group B, all significantly lower than (28. 36 ± 4.22) min, (9.52 ± 3.29) ml, and 3.06 ± 0.75 in group C (P <0.05). The 24-hour postoperative pain score was remarkably higher in group B than in A and C (3. 18 ± 0. 82 vs 1. 85 ± 0. 63 and 1. 82 ± 0. 75, P <0. 05). The incidence rate of postoperative complications was markedly lower in group A than in B (5. 43% vs 14. 13%, P < 0.05), but with no significant differences between either A and C or B and C (P >0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe circumcision stapler, with its advantages of simple operation, minimal invasiveness, fewer complications, and better cosmetic result, deserves a wider clinical application.

Blood Loss, Surgical ; Circumcision, Male ; adverse effects ; instrumentation ; methods ; Foreskin ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Postoperative ; diagnosis ; Penis ; abnormalities ; Phimosis ; therapy ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period

The contents of schisandrol A, schisandrol B, schisantherin A, schisandrin A , schisandrin B, schisandrin C in Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus (SCF) were determined simultaneously by HPLC. Collect 100-seed weight, color, pulp content, longitude and latitude of SCF of different batches were collected. SIMCA-P and SPSS were applied to make PLS-DA analysis of 24 batches of SCF and correlation analysis of relevant parameters. According to the 13 parameters, SCF from three different places of origin could be distinguished effectively. It was found that the content of chemical component of SCF increased with latitude and longitude first, and then decrease. The results provide some theoretical basis for study of SCF genuineness and traditional method of identifying just from experience.
China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Schisandra ; chemistry ; classification

The experiment's aim was to optimize the processing technology of Xanthii Fructus which through comparing the difference of UPLC fingerprint and contents of toxicity ingredient in water extract of 16 batches of processed sample. The determination condition of UPLC chromatographic and contents of toxicity ingredient were as follows. UPLC chromatographic: ACQUITY BEH C18 column (2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.7 microm) eluted with the mobile phases of acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acidwater in gradient mode, the flow rate was 0.25 mL x min(-1) and the detection wavelength was set at 327 nm. Contents of toxicity ingredient: Agilent TC-C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm), mobile phase was methanol-0.01 mol x L(-1) sodium dihydrogen phosphate (35: 65), flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1), and detection wavelength was 203 nm. The chromatographic fingerprints 16 batches of samples were analyzed in using the similarity evaluation system of chromatographic, fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine, SPSS16.0 and SIMCA13.0 software, respectively. The similarity degrees of the 16 batches samples were more than 0.97, all the samples were classified into four categories, and the PCA showed that the peak area of chlorogenic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and caffeic acid were significantly effect index in fingerprint of processed Xanthii Fructus sample. The outcome of determination showed that the toxicity ingredient contents of all samples reduced significantly after processing. This method can be used in optimizing the processing technology of Xanthii Fructus.
Caffeic Acids ; analysis ; toxicity ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; toxicity ; Quinic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; toxicity ; Xanthium ; chemistry ; classification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the chemical constituents of the rhizome of Ervatamia hainanensis.

METHODThe solvent extraction and silica column chromatography were used to separate the chemical constituents, and their structures were identified by physico chemical properties and spectra analysis.

RESULTTwelve compounds were isolated and their structures were identified as voacangine (1), ibogaine (2), ibogamine (3), coronaridine (4), 19-heyneanine (5), 19-epi-heyneanine (6), 3-hydroxyl coronaridine (7), coronaridine hydroxyindolenine (8), 3-(2-oxopropyl) coronaridine (9), vobasine (10), alpha-amyrin (11), alpha-amyrin acetate (12).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1, 2, 6, 11 and 12 were first found from this plant.

Apocynaceae ; chemistry ; Chromatography, Gel ; Ibogaine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Oleanolic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry

BACKGROUNDCoronary heart disease (CHD) is a multifactorial disease and is thought to have a polygenic basis. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is one such candidate with its common ε2/ε3/ε4 polymorphism in CHD. In recent years, numerous case-control studies have investigated the relationship of APOE polymorphism with CHD risk. However, the results are confusing.

METHODSTo clarify this point, we undertook a meta-analysis based on 14 published studies including 5746 CHD cases and 19,120 controls. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were assessed for association using a random-effects or fixed-effects model using STATA version 10 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA).

RESULTSOverall, the analysis showed that carriers of APOE ε2 allele decreased risk for CHD (ε2 allele vs. ε3 allele: OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.75-0.90, P < 0.001; ε2 carriers vs. ε3 carriers: OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.73-0.89, P < 0.001), compared with those carrying ε3 allele, especially in Caucasian population. However, those with ε4 allele had a significant increased risk for CHD (ε4 allele vs. ε3 allele: OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.15-1.57, P < 0.001), especially in Mongoloid population. Potential publication bias was observed in the genetic model of ε4 versus ε3, but the results might not be affected deeply by the publication bias. When we accounted for publication bias using the trim and fill method, the results were not materially alerted, suggesting the stability of our results.

CONCLUSIONSTaken together, our meta-analysis supported a genetic association between APOE gene and CHD. ε4 increased the risk of CHD, whereas ε2 decreased the risk of CHD.

Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; Coronary Disease ; genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic