OBJECTIVETo study the effect of total flavanones of Sedum sarmentosum (SSTF) on the apoptosis of rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6) and its mechanism.

METHODDifferent concentrations of SSTF and HSC-T6 cells were co-cultured for different period of time. The MTT assay was used to detect the inhibitory effect of SSTF on the proliferation of HSC-T6 cells. The flow cytometry Annexin-V/PI double staining method was adopted to detect SSTF's effect on HSC-T6 cell apoptosis. Western blotting and Real-time PCR methods were applied to observe the effect on the protein and mRNA expressions of apoptosis-related cytokines Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3.

RESULTSSTF significantly inhibited HSC-T6 cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in a dose and time dependent manner. According to Western blotting result, SSTF promoted apoptosis by inhibiting Bcl-2, Bax and promoting the protein expression of Caspase-3; according to a further Real-time PCR study, Bcl-2 mRNA levels can inhibit Bcl-2 and promote Bax and Caspase-3 expressions.

CONCLUSIONSSTF has the effect of promoting the apoptosis of HSC-T6 mainly by inhibiting Bcl-2 and promoting protein and mRNA expressions of Bax and caspase-3.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Flavanones ; pharmacology ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Sedum ; chemistry

Objective To explore the differentiation potential of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) to enteric neuron in vitro and to seek proper induction methods.Methods BMSC were harves- ted from male rats and cultured in DMEM supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum,and characterized by flow cytometry.At passage 6,BMSC were pre-induced by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF,10 ng/ml) for 24 h,then induced in two groups:glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) group, 10 ng/ml GDNF in fetal gut condition medium (FGCM) for 10 d.Vitamin A acid (VA) group,VA, zinc in FGCM for 10 d.The expressions of neuronal markers,neural specific enolase (NSE) and neu- rofilament (NF),glial cell marker,glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP),enteric neuronal marker,pro- tein gene production 9.5(PGP9.5),nitric oxide synthase (nNOS),enteric neural transmitter,vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were detected by fluorescent immunohistochemistry method.Results The cul- tured BMSC were CD90 positive and CD45 negative on flow cytometry.After 10 d of induction,a certain number of cells adopted neuron-like morphological changes and showed the expressions of NSE,NF, PGPg.5,nNOS and VIP without the expression of GFAP by fluorescent immunohistoehemistry method in both groups.But in GDNF group,the positive rate of NF,PGP9.5,nNOS and VIP was significantly higher than that in VA group (75.6%?8.4% vs 48.5?7.5%;57.7%?6.5% vs 35.7%?7.2% 46.6%?5.4% vs 30.5%?6.6%;72.3%?6.7% vs 40.4%?7.4%;P＜0.01).Conclusion BMSC can be induced to differentate into enteric neuron in vitro by different methods.GDNF with FGCM can induce higher rate of enteric neuron like cells compared with VA etc.

Objective To observe the intervention effects of fluid wax on the therapeutic course of patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction.Methods Two hundreds and eighty-eight patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction admitted into the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery of Huzhou Central Hospital from December 2014 to June 2016 were enrolled, and they were divided into a fluid wax group and acontrol group by mechanical sampling method, each group 144 cases. The control group was treated with conventional comprehensive non-surgical treatment, in the fluid wax group, on the basis of the above conventional treatment, additionally after 2 hours of gastrointestinal decompression, the fluid wax 3 mL/kg was injected through a gastric tube that then was closed by a clip for 2 hours. The first exhaust and defecation times, the time for amelioration of abdominal pain, the time of gas-liquid flat disappearance, the length of stay in hospital, the rate of operation and the occurrence of adverse reactions were observed in the two groups.Results After treatment, the first exhaust time, the first defecation time, the time of relieving abdominal pain, the time of gas-liquid flat disappearance and the length of stay in hospital were significantly shorter in fluid wax group than those in control group [the first exhaust time (hours): 29.97±19.71 vs. 49.28±33.61, the first defecation time (hours): 60.25±28.37 vs.74.23±50.12, the time of relieving abdominal pain (hours): 35.78±20.98 vs. 51.83±25.02, the time of gas-liquid flat disappearance (hours): 71.60±39.50 vs. 90.98±57.91, the length of stay in hospital (days): 7.00±3.77 vs. 9.00±5.81, allP < 0.05], and the rate of operation in the fluid wax group was lower than that in the control group [18.75% (27/144) vs. 27.08% (39/144),P < 0.05]. No patients died in the two groups. In nearly 1 year follow-up, there were no adverse reactions associated with the study in the fluid wax group.Conclusion The intervention of fluid wax combined with conventional non-surgical methods can significantly shorten the disease course, reduce the rate of operation and the hospitalization time in patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction.

Objective To increase the awareness of virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome.Methods Sixteen cases of virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome were retrospectively analyzed.Results All presented with persistent high fever,cytopenia,hepato-splenomegaly,hepatic dysfunction,hypertriglyceridemia,hyperferritinemia,coagulopathy,hypofibrinogenemia,cytokine storm and a low natural killer cell activity.All patients had lymphohistiocytic accumulation in bone marrow.Treatment with high-dose gamma-globulin and high-dose methylprednisolone.Clinical symptoms and laboratory improved,and five patients died.Conclusion Aggressive early diagnosis and treatment are critical to improve survival.

Background Some aboard studies showed that polyatomic pathway play an important role in the microsvasculopathy of type 2 diabetes,and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) gene is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy(DR).There is no relevant research at home up to now.Objective This study was to investigate the correlation of sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) G-888C gene polymorphism with diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods The SDH genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reactionreaction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 187 patients with diabetes and 123 normal contrels.Patients were divided into two groups depending on the presence or absence of DR(DR:n=118;NDR:n=69).The frequencies of SDH genotype and allele were assayed and compared among these groups.This study was approved by Ethic Committee of Guangdong General Hospital.Written informed consent was obtained from each individual prior to any relevant medical procedure.Results The disease course in the DR group was significantly longer than that in NDR group(t=2.070,P=0.042),and other clinical features in both groups were non-significant (all P>0.05).The genotype frequencies in the DR group,NDR group and normal control group were 24.6%,8.7% and 8.1%,respectively,and frequencies of the G allele were 42.4%,25.4% and 29.7%,showing statistically significant differences among these three groups.The GG genotype and G allele frequencies were significantly higher in the DR group than those in the NDR group and normal control group (GG:P=0.007,P=0.001;G:P=0.001,P=0.004).There were no significant differences in the frequencies of the GG genotype and G allele between the NDB group and normal control group ( P>0. 05) as well as the proliferative DR group and non-proliferative DR group (P>0.05).Conclusion SDH G-888C gene polymorphism is associated with the development of diabetic retinopathy in southern Chinese.

Acute Disease ; Anemia ; etiology ; Child ; Fever ; etiology ; Humans ; Leukemia ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Male ; Patient Care ; Prognosis

AIM: To analyze the composition, distribution and characteristics of the elderly primary ocular tumors.
METHODS: This was a retrospective study and all 504 cases with primary ocular tumors aged 60 years or older were collected in Shanxi Eye Hospital, during the year 2000- 2012. The onset age, location and pathological pattern were analyzed.
RESULTS: There were 346 cases of benign ocular tumors (68. 7%), and 158 cases of malignancy (31. 3%). Papillomas was the most common type of the benign with 83 cases (16. 5%), followed by a variety of inflammatory cysts and lesions with 69 cases ( 13. 7%) and 64 cases (12-7%) respectively. Among malignant tumors cases, eyelid basal cell carcinoma originated from epithelial was the most common with 72 cases (14. 3%), followed by skin appendages sources malignant tumors with 39 cases (7. 7%). Concerning the location of ocular tumors, there were 282 cases of eyelid tumor (56. 0%) occupied the first position followed by conjunctival tumor with 157 cases (31. 2%).
CONCLUSION: The prevalence and type of primary ocular tumor in elderly people are significant differences from the general population and children's, and the proportion of malignant tumors tended to increase along with the increase of age.

Since 1995, four different types of artificial heart pumps and artificial valvo-pumps have been developed in Jiangsu University of China. Three types of heart pumps and valvo-pumps have been applied in animal experiments in University Texas, Medical Branch, USA and in Zhenjiang No.1 People's Hospital of China. The recently-developed UJS-IV pump is a totally implantable trans-ventricular and cross-valvular pump for emergercy treatments.
Equipment Design ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Heart, Artificial ; Heart-Assist Devices

Objective To explore the protection of valsartan combined with simvastatin on kidney in early diabetic nephropathy rats. Methods Diabetic nephropathy rats model were induced by streptozocin (STZ) ,the experimental rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: control (group C), diabetic nephropathy (group D) ,diabetes treated with valsartan (group X) ,diabetes treated with simvastatin (group Z) ,and diabetes treated with combined valsartan and simvastatin ( group L). Blood glucose (BG), HbA1c, blood cholesterol ( TC), trigalloylglycerol ( TG ), blood ureanitrogen ( BUN ), serum creatinine (SCr) , urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) were measured, and the podocyte ultrastructure was observed by transmission electronic microscopy. Results The levels of BG, HbA1c,TC,TG and UAER in group D increased significantly compared togroup C(BG:[20.3 ±3.2]mmol/L vs [6.1 -±0. 4]mmol/L;HbA1c:[7.18 ±0.47]% vs [3.37 ±0. 15]% ;TC: [2. 69 ±0. 35] mmol/L vs [1.28 ±0. 24] mmol/L;TG: [3.09 ±0. 37] mmol/L vs [1.18 ±0. 25]mmol/L) (P ＜ 0. 05 ). Creatinine clearance rates (Ccr) in group D ( [0. 89 ± 0. 19] ml/min ) decreased significantly compared to group C( [1.27 ±0. 33] ml/min) ,as well as group X,Z and L( Ps ＜ 0. 05 ). UAER in group D was significantly higher than that in group C ( [19. 87 ±3. 85] μg/24 h vs [3. 67 ± 1.01] μg/24 h) (P ＜ 0. 05 ), as well as group X, Z and L ( P ＜ 0. 05 ), and the improvement in group L was particularly significant ( P ＜ 0. 05 ). The projections of podocyte in group D severely syncretized, there were slightly improvement in group X, Z and L compared to group D, and the improvement in group L was remarkable. Conclusion The treatment with valsartan, simvastatin and their combination will effectively protect the kidney in early diabetic nephropathy rats,and the effect of using the combination therapy is much better.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the total saponins of Panaxginseng (TSPG) on cells expression of apoptosis-related genes bax and bcl-xl in HL-60 cells and its mechanism inducing apoptosis of HL-60 cells. The morphology of HL-60 cells was observed under normal and fluorescence microscopes; the percentage of apoptotic HL-60 cells was assayed by flow cytometry and the DNA ladder was observed by DNA agarose gel electrophoresis; the expression changes of bax and bcl-xl mRNAs were detected by RT-PCR after HL-60 cells were treated with TSPG at final concentrations of 0, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 microg/ml for 48 hours. The results showed that the percentage of apoptotic HL-60 cells went up as the dose increased, the typical apoptotic cell morphology and the appearance of apoptotic DNA ladder could be observed when treated with 0 - 400 microg/ml TSPG for 48 hours. At the same time and same range of concentration, the expression of bax mRNA increased and the bcl-xl expression decreased gradually. When higher than 400 microg/ml of TSPG was used, cell necrosis appeared and the percentage of apoptotic HL-60 cells even decreased. It is concluded that the apoptosis or necrosis in HL-60 cells can be induced by TSPG at certain range of concentration, and the percentage of apoptosis is dose-dependent. The effect on up-regulation of bax mRNA and down-regulation of bcl-xl mRNA probably play an important role in apoptosis of HL-60 cells induced by TSPG.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Panax ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism