Objective To study the clinical value of vascular ultrasound examination in detection of carotid artery disease. Methods 53 cases of ischemic cerebrovascular disease who served as experimental group,tested 387 vessels; and used the same period 55 cases of healthy persons as control group, tested 394 blood vessels. Comparison of two blood flow parameters between groups with differences in plaque detection. Results The results of vascular ultrasound examination could detect the visual display and quantitative carotid artery lesions in the experimental group a significant thickening of carotid artery IMT,carotid artery plaque prevalence was significantly higher than control group (P ＜0.01). Conclusion Vascular ultrasound examination was an effective screening method to detect ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

The amino group PEGylation of rhIFNomega with monomethoxy polyethylene glycol succinimidyl succinate (mPEG-SS, 20 000) was investigated, and the modified mixture was separated and purified by ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. Under the optimized purification conditions, the average content ofmono PEG-rhIFNomega in the collect liquid reached 182 microg x mL(-1). The average purified yield of mono PEG-rhIFNomega exceed to 22%, and the purity of mono PEG-rhIFNomega was greater than 98% by SDS-PAGE and RP-HPLC. Relative molecular mass of mono PEG-rhIFNomega was 43 790 detected by MALDI-TOF MS. The apparent molecular mass measured by SDS-PAGE was about 60 810. The purified PEG-rhIFNomega has the characteristics of typical PEGylated protein. Activity reservation rate of mono PEG-rhIFNomega was 15.0%, while the antigenicity decreased by at least 64 folds. In addition, the acid stability, thermal stability and stability in serum and trypsin solution of mono PEG-rhIFNomega were markedly better than those of the rhIFNomega. The pharmacological properties of mono PEG-rhIFNomega were significantly improved. The prepared PEG-rhIFNomega might be developed to a novel safe and long-acting interferon.

Objective To investigate the different effect among ropivacaine,bupivacaine,lidocaine on analgesia after harvesting grafts from the scalp in burn patients. Methods 84 patients who need harvesting grafts from the scalp after burn were divided in 4 groups random-ly(n=21). Patients in group C hypodermically injected with saline 200 mL were control,while patients in group R injected with 0. 05% ropi-vacaine 200 mL,group B with 0. 188% bupivacaine,and group L with 0. 1% lidocaine. Motor activity assessment scale( MAAS) and visual analogue scale(VAS) were made before anesthesia(T0) and 20 min,5 h,10 h after awake of patients. VAS were made focus on head and body in part. Vital signs were also monitored and recorded for assessment of security. Results All patients in 4 groups had passed the period of operation safely. Patients in group R have better VAS than other groups. Conclusion Low concentration ropivacaine hypodermically injec-tion of head is helpful to relieve the pain after harvesting grafts from the scalp.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the enhanced effect of gemcitabine by emodin and the possible mechanisms of the enhancement.

METHODBased on the model of SW1990 cell xenograft on athymic mouse, the mice were randomized to four groups with intraperitoneal (IP) injections of different drugs: group N (injecting 0.9% sodium chloride), group E (emodin, 40 mg x kg(-1)), group G (gemcitabine, 125 mg x kg(-1)), and group E + G (emodin 40 mg x kg(-1) and gemcitabine 80 mg x kg(-1) in combination). The tumor volume, tumor weight and body weight of mice were measured during the drug therapy. The mice were sacrificed one week after last injection of drug. Tunel assay were used used to detect the apoptosis of tumor cells. And immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot (WB) were used to detect the variance of the apoptosis relative protein expression of Bax, Bcl-2, and Cytochrome C .

RESULTOne week after the last administration, the mean tumor volume and tumor weight in group E + G were significantly decreased compared to the other groups. Tunel assay showed group E + G presented apparently more apoptosis than the other groups. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot (WB) analysis showed the expression of Cytochrome C in cytoplasmin and Bax in group E + G was apparently upregulated while the expression of Bcl-2 was apparently downregulated compared to the other groups. As a result, Bcl-2/Bax ratio was significantly decreased in group E + G.

CONCLUSIONEmodin can significantly improve the antitumor effect of gemcitabine on transplanted tumor of SW1990 cell line through apparently enhancing the tumor cell apoptosis by gemcitabine. Downregulation of Bcl-2/Bax ratio and promoting release of Cytochrome C from mitochondria is possibly one of the mechanisms of the augmented apoptosis.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Cytochromes c ; metabolism ; Deoxycytidine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Drug Synergism ; Emodin ; pharmacology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Tumor Burden ; drug effects ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of 20% fluor-hydroxyapatite (FHA) on proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human MG63 osteosarcoma cells.

METHODSFHA was prepared by chemical precipitation method, and its structure and surface features were tested by scanning microscope, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. MG63 cells were cultured and divided into FHA, hydroxyapatite (HA) and control groups (n = 3). The proliferation of the cells was evaluated using methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay. ALP activity of the cells was assessed. Osteogenic differentiation was evaluated based on the reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) of differentiation-related genes, namely, collagen type I (Col I), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OCN) and core binding factor α1 (Cbfα1). The data were analyzed statistically by one-way analysis of variance using SPSS 13.0 software.

RESULTSXRD test showed that the main crystalline phase of FHA was similar to that of HA. Absorptance value of cells exposed to FHA(1.87±0.06) measured by MTT was higher than that of the control(1.25±0.02) on the third day(P < 0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference between the cells exposed to FHA and HA(1.84±0.03) (P > 0.05). ALP activity of the cells exposed to FHA(4.62±0.09)was higher than that of the control (1.92 ± 0.05) (P < 0.05). RT-PCR tests showed that compared with the control, FHA up-regulated the expression of Col I, ALP and OCN mRNA, down-regulated the expression of Cbfα1 mRNA.

CONCLUSIONSFHA enhances the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation-related gene expression, and has good biocompatibility.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Analysis of Variance ; Biocompatible Materials ; Bone Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; genetics ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; physiology ; Collagen Type I ; genetics ; metabolism ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit ; genetics ; Durapatite ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hydroxyapatites ; Osteocalcin ; genetics ; metabolism ; Osteogenesis ; Osteosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; X-Ray Diffraction

A bicyclic depsipeptide, chromopeptide A (1), was isolated from a deep-sea-derived bacterium Chromobacterium sp. HS-13-94. Its structure was determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with a related known compound. The absolute configuration of chromopeptide A was established by X-ray diffraction analysis employing graphite monochromated Mo K α radiation (λ=0.71073 Å) with small Flack parameter 0.03. Chromopeptide A suppressed the proliferation of HL-60, K-562, and Ramos cells with average IC50 values of 7.7, 7.0, and 16.5 nmol/L, respectively.