Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; immunology ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukotrienes ; immunology ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Respiratory Sounds ; drug effects ; immunology ; physiopathology

Objective To obtain a lasting and purified cell line of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by primary culture, and to provide these test materials related research. Methods The primary and transfer culture was done by tissue - piece inoculationand trypsin digestion,respectively. The cells were frozen in liquid nitrogen,and cultured cells were identified by phase contrast microscopy and immunohistochemical SP kit. Results 85% of inoculated tissue pieces survived. More than 90% of VSMCs regrew in transfered culture. The frozen cells could recover their proliferation by several culture transfers. The VSMCs showed the typical "peak and valley" characteristics under microscopy. Immunohistochemical staining with antibody against SM - a - actin expression in these cells was positive. Conclusion The tissue - piece inoculation is a simple method for obtaining satisfactory VSMCs in short term.

Apolipoprotein A5(ApoA5)level and other indices were determined in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and healthy individuals.Compared to control group,ApoA5 level in the diabetic group was lower (P

Objective To discuss the protective effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell(BMSC)on lung injury induced by vibrio vulnificus sepsis and its mechanism. Methods BMSCs were isolated by whole bone marrow adherent culture from mouse. Male ICR mice were randomly divided into normal saline control group(NS group),normal saline+BMSC control group(NSB group),vibrio vulnificus sepsis group(VV group),vibrio vulnificus sepsis + BMSC group(VVB group)according to random number table,with 40 mice in each group. Sepsis mouse model was reproduced by injecting vibrio vulnificus(1×107 cfu/mL)5 mL/kg through the left side peritoneal cavity, and caudal intravenous injection of BMSC(4×105 cfu/mL)5 mL/kg for intervention after model reproduction. Ten mice in each group were sacrificed at 6,12,24 or 48 hours after injecting vibiro vulnificus,and their lung tissues were harvested. The lung wet/dry(W/D)ratio was calculated. The expression of nuclear factor-κBp65(NF-κBp65)in nucleus was measured by Western Blot. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukins(IL-1β, IL-6)in lung tissue were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The pathological changes in lung tissue were observed after hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and uranyl acetate-lead citrate staining. Results After vibrio vulnificus injection,lung W/D ratio,the expression of NF-κBp65 in nucleus,and the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β,IL-6 in the lung tissues were significantly increased in VV group compared with those in NS group at all the time points,and peaked at 12 hours. Compared with the VV group,the VVB group had significantly decreased levels of lung W/D ratio,NF-κBp65 expression,and the levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,with significant differences at all the time points〔VV group vs. NS group at 12 hours:lung W/D ratio 7.22±0.03 vs. 5.21±0.02,NF-κBp65 expression (glay scale)1.86±0.74 vs. 0.75±0.07,TNF-α(ng/L)433.24±3.23 vs. 106.57±1.21,IL-1β(ng/L)35.64±0.15 vs. 10.64±0.48,IL-6(ng/L)58.84±0.55 vs. 17.69±1.35,all P<0.05;VVB group vs. VV group at 12 hours:lung W/D ratio 6.49±0.06 vs. 7.22±0.03,NF-κBp65 expression(A value)1.16±0.08 vs. 1.86±0.74,TNF-α(ng/L)357.22±3.25 vs. 433.24±3.23,IL-1β(ng/L)27.77±0.59 vs. 35.64±0.15,IL-6(ng/L)38.68±1.29 vs. 58.84±0.55,all P<0.05〕. There were no significant differences in above indexes between NS group and NSB group. In the NS and NSB groups pathological changes were not obvious under light microscopy,in the VV group lung tissue hyperemia and edema was significant,the edema fluid,red blood cells and inflammatory cells also could be seen, and in the VVB group lung damage that mentioned above could be alleviated. In the NS and NSB groups epithelial cell structure of type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ was completed,and the changes were not obvious under the transmission electron microscopy. In the VV group the alveolar walls were damaged significantly,with type Ⅰ epithelial cell cytoplasm swelling,bubbling and rupture,with type Ⅱ epithelial cells visible cytoplasm decrease,cavitation,addiction to osmium lamellar corpuscle emptying,lysosome hyperplasia,microvilli reduction,and in the VVB group the above damage was alleviated. Conclusion Vibrio vulnificus sepsis can cause acute lung damage and edema,and BMSC can down regulate inflammatory cytokines,reduce lung injury caused by vibrio vulnificus sepsis.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the relationship between leukotriene expression in blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) and the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in children with asthma.

METHODSThirty-two children with asthma (5-12 years) and ten healthy children (control group) were enrolled. The asthmatic children were subdivided into ICS well-controlled and ICS poorly-controlled groups based on their clinical symptoms and lung function. The level of leukotriene C4 synthase (LTC4S) mRNA in PMNL was detected by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The level of LTC4S mRNA was expressed by the value of qCt, and the value of qCt was diversely correlated with the level of LTC4S mRNA expression. The concentration of urinary leukotriene E4 (LTE4) was measured using ELISA.

RESULTSThe expression of LTC4S mRNA in PMNL was significantly higher in children with asthma (qCt: 1.12+/-0.27) than that in the control group (qCt: 1.42+/-0.12; P< 0.05). The expression of LTC4S mRNA in PMNL in the ICS poorly-controlled group (qCt: 1.03+/-0.17) was significantly higher than that in the ICS well-controlled group (qCt: 1.24+/-0.33; P< 0.05) and the control group(1.42+/-0.12; P< 0.01). There was no significant difference in the level of urinary LTE4 among the the ICS poorly-controlled, the ICS well-controlled and the control groups.

CONCLUSIONSLTC4S mRNA expression in PMNL in asthmatic children increases, and the LTC4S mRNA expression in the ICS poorly-controlled group is higher than that in the ICS well-controlled group. This suggests that an increased leukotriene expression might be associated with poorly-controlled asthma.

Administration, Inhalation ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; administration & dosage ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Glutathione Transferase ; genetics ; Humans ; Leukotriene E4 ; urine ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; blood

To investigate the effect of Yunkang Oral Liquid on preventing lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced abortion and regulating immune tolerance in mice,sixty normal ICR mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group,Yunkang Oral Liquid high,middle and low dose groups and progesterone group.Abortion model was established by tail vain injection of LPS(0.1μg/mouse)on the 7th day of pregnancy.Since the first day of pregnancy,the same volume of distilled water,Yunkang Oral Liquid at the dose of 36,18 and 9 m L·kg~(-1)·d~(-1),and progesterone at the dose of 0.038 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)were given in corresponding groups.The mice were sacrificed at the 9th day of pregnancy,and the embryo loss of each group was calculated.The levels of Th1 type cytokines(TNF-α,IFN-γ)and Th2 type cytokines(IL-4,IL-10)in uterus homogenate were detected by ELISA.HE staining was performed to examine the histopathological changes in the decidua.The expression levels of CD14,F4/80 in macrophages of uterus were detected by immunohistochemistry.Western blot was used to investigate the protein expression of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB in uterine decidua.In our study,all Yunkang Oral Liquid groups could significantly reduce the embryo absorption rate of mice,while high dose group can significantly increase the levels of IL-10 and IL-4;both medium and high dose groups can significantly decrease TNF-α,and IFN-γlevelsin the uterus of model mice,reduce the protein expression of NF-κB,MyD88 and TLR4 in uterine decidua tissue.Various treatment groups could reduce the counts of F4/80,CD14 macrophages and decrease expression area in uterine tissue.Our results showed that Yunkang Oral Liquid could prevent LPS-induced abortion,and the mechanism may be associated with inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and regulating the balance of Th1/Th2 immune factors,which could improve the endometrial receptivity of mice,and promote the development of decidua and implantation of embryo.
Abortion, Induced ; Animals ; Female ; Immune Tolerance ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; NF-kappa B ; Pregnancy

BACKGROUNDBevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor, has shown promising activity in recurrent malignant gliomas. We reported the treatment response for the combination of bevacizumab and chemotherapy in a series of six patients with recurrent malignant glioma and investigated the molecular alterations in cancer pathways using the surgical biopsies from these patients.

METHODSStandard therapy with primary resection followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy had failed in all patients. Bevacizumab was administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Concomitantly, four patients received temozolomide (50 mgxm(-2)xd(-1)), one patient irinotecan (125 mg/m(2) every 2 weeks) and one patient topotecan (1.2 mgxm(-2)xd(-1)). Response to therapy was mainly determined by magnetic resonance imaging. The expression of Ras, phosphorylated mitogen activated protein kinase (p-MAPK), phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT), phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) were semiquantitatively assessed by immunohistochemistry using surgical biopsies before the initial treatment.

RESULTSFive of the six patients had a radiographic response. Three were complete response, and two were partial response. Only one patient had progressive disease. The 6-month progession-free survival (PFS) was 33% and the median PFS was 15 weeks, with a range of 6 to more than 60 weeks. Of the three core pathways analyzed in this study, the Ras/MAPK and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mTOR pathways were more likely to be associated with the treatment response to bevacizumab. In two younger patients (ages < 50) with complete response, simultaneous overexpression of p-MAPK, p-AKT and p-mTOR might be the crucial feature.

CONCLUSIONSBevacizumab in combination with chemotherapeutic agents may be an effective strategy for patients with recurrent malignant glioma. Activated MAPK and AKT might be possible biomarkers for selecting suitable patients for this targeted therapy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Bevacizumab ; Camptothecin ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Glioma ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; mortality ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study on the differences of metabolites in the blood of rats after injection or oral administration of volatile oil in Houttuyniae Herba and of 2-undecanone in order to validate hypothesis of network compatability and to establish the theoretical foundation of elucidating metabolic mechanism for multiple constituents in Chinese Material.

METHODA gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method was employed for qualitative determination of the metabolites in blood of rats by injection or oral administration of volatile oil in Houttuyniae Herba and of 2-undecanone, which were compared with the differences between binary two drugs as well as two administration.

RESULTThere were 45 kinds of ingredients in volatile oil for original materials for Houttuyniae Herba, and 53, 69 kinds of metabolites were detected in blood of rats for oral administration of volatile oil in Houttuyniae Herba, and 2-undecanone, respectively, whereas 52, 42 kinds of metabolites were detected for injection administration. Although there were various constitutes, i. e. single versus multiple ingredients, administrated by various ways, i. e. oral versus injection, the metabolites were so similar with each manners, in which alpha-pinene and beta-myrcene occurred in two constitute forms and two administrations, while there were 18, 13 kinds of ingredients for oral or injection administration of volatile oil in Houttuyniae Herba, i. e. 34%, 25% of total ingredients, respectively, and 17, 15 kinds of ingredients, i. e. 24.6%, 35.7% for that of, 2-undecanone, respectively, on average of 29.8% that suggested one of third as co-metabolites.

CONCLUSIONThere are network compatibility existed in metabolism of the houttuynia volatile oil in rats, and similar metabolic pathways in accordance with original plant, among their ingredients no matter alone or multiple constitute forms and oral or injection administration.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Herb-Drug Interactions ; Houttuynia ; chemistry ; Injections, Intravenous ; Ketones ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Oils, Volatile ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats

3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'-furyl)-1-benzyl indazole (YC-1), the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) inhibitor, suppresses tumor proliferation and metastasis by down-regulating HIF-1α expression under hypoxic conditions. Our previous studies demonstrated that YC-1 inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation under normoxic conditions. In the current study, we investigated the targets of YC-1 and mechanism of its action in MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells. In the in vitro experiments, we found that YC-1 significantly inhibited MDA-MB-468 cell proliferation in normoxia and hypoxia. Under normoxic conditions, YC-1 induced apoptosis of MDA-MB-468 cells and blocked cell cycle in the G1 phase, and these effects were possibly related to caspase 8, p21, and p27 expression. RT-PCR and Western blotting results showed that YC-1 primarily inhibited HIF-1α at the mRNA and protein levels under hypoxic conditions, but suppressed the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) at the mRNA and protein levels under normoxic conditions. In vivo, YC-1 prolonged survival, increased survival rate, decreased tumor size and metastasis rate, and inhibited tissue EGFR and HIF-1α expression. However, YC-1 exerted no obvious effect on body weight. These results indicate that YC-1 inhibits the proliferation of MDA-MB-468 cells by acting on multiple targets with minimal side effects. Thus, YC-1 is a promising target drug for breast cancer.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Female ; G1 Phase ; drug effects ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Indazoles ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Tumor Burden ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment and prognosis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in adolescents.

METHODSThe data of 46 patients with DTC under the age of 18 years were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTSTwenty patients were misdiagnosed in this group (43.5%). All patients received operation, including 39 unilateral neck dissection and 6 bilateral neck dissection, followed by postoperative thyrotropin suppressive therapy. There were 42 cases of papillary carcinoma (91.3%) and 4 cases of follicular carcinoma (8.7%). Cervical lymph node metastasis was found in 39 cases (84.8%). In the follow-up period of 1 to 25 years (mean 10 years), no death of thyroid carcinoma occurred.

CONCLUSIONSThe most common DTC in adolescents is papillary carcinoma with better prognosis regardless of the higher incidence of cervical lymph node metastasis. The optimal extent of primary thyroidectomy and neck dissection followed by postoperative thyrotropin suppressive therapy in adolescents with DTC may improve the quality of life and decrease the incidence of complications.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Adolescent ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Child ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland ; pathology ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; therapy