OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of selective COX (cyclooxygenase)-2 inhibitor valdecoxib on the growth of human breast cancer MCF-7/ADR(MCF-7/adriamycin) cells. METHODS: MTT assay was used to observe the effect of drugs on the growth of cells. Flow cytometry and Hoechst 33258 dye were used to detect apoptosis of MCF-7/ADR cells. The levels of GSH and GSSG were detected by kit; Laser confocal microscopy was used to detect the levels of ROS. RESULTS: Valdecoxib significantly inhibited the growth of human breast cancer MCF-7/ADR cells and induced apoptosis of the cells. Caspase 3 inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO and caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK antagonized the inhibitory effect of valdecoxib on MCF-7/ADR cell growth. Valdecoxib significantly decreased GSH/GSSG ratio and increased the level of ROS, and antioxidant V-acetylcysteine antagonized the inhibitory effect of valdecoxib on MCF-7/ADR cell growth. CONCLUSION: The apoptosis of human breast cancer MCF-7/ADR cells induced by valdecoxib is associated with increase of ROS.

Effect of haemorrhagic shock on somatostatin (ss)-immunoreactive cells in rat pancreas was studied with the immunohistochemical PAP method. The results showed that at different time from 30 mins to 6 hours after haemorrhagic shock the number of SS-immunoreactive cells in pancreas was decreased significant. It is suggested that after haemorrhagic shock the releasing rate of somatostatin from the pancreatic D cells is increased. Therefore, the pancreatic D cells may play a role in the regulation of the pathological process of haemorrhagic shock.

Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; pathology

AIMTo produce a new, noninvasive, animal's blood pressure measuring apparatus.

METHODSBy applying the principle similar with the measurement of human blood pressure, we developed a software which knowledge property owned by this research group and solved the problems of exactly demarcating the measuring spot of diastolic pressure. The blood pressure of rabbits was measured by the novel noninvasive animal's blood pressure measuring apparatus and the classic surgical catheterizing method simultaneously.

RESULTSThe novel noninvasive animal's blood pressure measuring apparatus was successfully set up. The measured blood pressures by this apparatus are very similar (r > 0.9) with the values obtained from the classic, surgical catheterizing method, no matter the blood pressures are normal, high or low.

CONCLUSIONOur new apparatus can be a reliable method for noninvasive measurement of the blood pressure of rabbits and rats.

Animals ; Blood Pressure Determination ; instrumentation ; methods ; Equipment Design ; Rabbits ; Software ; Sphygmomanometers

OBJECTIVETo observe the long-time results of the treatment of buried penis with fixation at the base of penis through pre-pubic route.

METHODSFrom Aug 2002 to Dec 2003, the procedure was performed in 34 children without penile skin insufficiency. The major technique involved the release of hided penis shaft by partly shearing suspensory ligament, fixating the bucks fascia and tunica albuginea at 3 and 9 o'clock positions with the subcutaneous penile skin at the base of penis just under the pubic symphysis.

RESULTSTwenty-one patients have been reviewed over one year with satisfactory appearance. Thirteen patients were lost to follow-up. No recurrence happened in our group.

CONCLUSIONWe compare this technique with major treatment methods for buried penis in children at present, and we conclude this technique is a reasonable, simplified and aesthetical method for the treatment of buried penis in children.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Penis ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male ; methods

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the outcomes of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with AML-XH-99 protocol and explore how to improve the event-free survival (EFS) rate.

METHODSEighty-two patients entered AML-XH-99 clinical trial. Survival rates were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier method with SPSS.

RESULTSAmong the 82 patients, 58 (70.7%) achieved complete remission (CR) after one course treatment, and the total CR rate was 84.1%. The overall 5 year EFS rate was (46.1 +/- 9.1)% and disease-free survival (DFS) rate was (54.3 +/- 10.3)% over a median observation period of 23 months. The 5 year EFS rate of 56 patients received high-dose cytarabine(HD-Ara-C) as intensification therapy was (47.2 +/- 12.9)%. Relapse occurred in 19 patients (26.0%) with a median time of 10 months (ranges 2 approximately 53 months), 28 patients died.

CONCLUSIONAML-XH-99 protocol resulted in a higher CR rate, especially one course CR rate, which was one of the key factors for long-term EFS and HD-Ara-C intensification therapy was effective in the treatment of childhood AML.

Adolescent ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; drug therapy ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo analyse the treatment outcome of 158 childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients, and explore how to improve the event-free survival (EFS) rate in ALL.

METHODAll of the patients entered the ALL-XH-99 clinical trial. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival rates and differences were compared with the 2-sided log-rank test, statistics was done by SPSS.

RESULTSOut of the 158 patients, 153 (96.8%) attained complete remission (CR) in a median time of 33 days. The overall EFS rate at 5 years was (72.4 +/- 7.8)% with a median observation duration of 26 months. The EFS rates at 5 years in low-risk (LR), median-risk (MR) and high-risk (HR) groups were (88.9 +/- 5.5)%, (78.5 +/- 8.0)% and (53.4 +/- 10.9)%, respectively (P < 0.05). Relapse occurred in 15 patients (10.0%) in a median time of 12 months, including 13 isolated hematologic relapses, 2 isolated central nervous system (CNS) relapses. Seven patients died of complications, and 13 died of leukemia relapse.

CONCLUSIONThe early response to therapy was an important independent prognostic factor, high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) was effective for preventing haematological and testicular relapse. The ALL-XH-99 protocol decreased the rate of therapy-related death and improved the long-term event-free survival rate.

Adolescent ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantatation in children with advanced solid tumors.

METHODSBone marrow was collected from the anterior crista of iliac in both sides in 13 cases while peripheral mononuclear cell was harvested with CS-3000 cell separator in other 15 patients after G-CSF mobilization. Since one of them was suspected to have bone marrow involvement of the neuroblastoma cells, the autograft was purged with CliniMACS based on the CD34 positive selection. Conditioning regimen was CBV protocol (cyclophosphamide + bischloro-nitrosourea, i.e., BCNU + etopside) in two children with Hodgkin's disease and etopside plus carboplatin plus melphalan in others.

RESULTSThe number of mononuclear cells collected from bone marrow or peripheral blood was equal to (5.4 +/- 2.1) x 10(8)/kg and (4.1 +/- 1.9) x 10(8)/kg, respectively. Hematopoietic reconstitution was achieved in all patients. Mean time of the neutrophil count recovery to 0.5 x 10(9)/L and mean time of platelet recovery over 2.0 x 10(9)/L were 11.8 +/- 5.7 and 21.0 +/- 9.3 days, respectively. Three units of packed red blood cells and three units of platelet products were transfused in the course of transplantation on average. A total of 12 children developed neutropenic fever and 3 of them had positive blood culture, including staphylococcus epidermal, staphylococcus saprophyte and bacillus subtilis. None of the children died of transplantation-associated complication. One child developed acute renal failure, pulmonary edema and pericardial effusion followed by respiratory distress syndrome. Mechanical ventilation and pulmonary surfactant were used and the patient recovered at last. Another patient developed BCNU associated pulmonary injury, severe pulmonary hypertension and eosinophilosis and recovered after treatment. The mean follow up time was 13 months. Among the 27 children, five died of relapse 5 months after transplantation, and one case of NHL had CNS involvement 3 months after transplantation but has got 17 months of survival till now. The remaining twenty one children were in status of disease-free survival.

CONCLUSIONAutologous stem cell transplantation might be effective in the treatment advanced solid tumors in children.

Child ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; pathology ; therapy ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVEWilms' Tumor Trial (WT-99) of Shanghai Children's Medical Center was designed and conducted by applying therapeutic regimens stratified by stage and histology in accordance with National Wilms' Tumor Study (NWTS) criteria of U.S.A. The main aim of WT-99 was to reduce treatment of low-stage, favorable-histology (FH) tumors without impairing survival and to improve prognosis of stage III and IV (FH) and unfavorable-histology (UFH) tremors with more intensive chemotherapy.

METHODSDiagnosis and treatment was decided by the multi-disciplinary team including oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists and diagnostic radiologists. Twenty consecutively diagnosed patients were recruited between October 1998 and October 2002. The regimen for patients at favorable-histology (FH) stage I and II and anaplastic stage I was vincristine (Vcr) and dactinomycin (Act-D) only, while for those at focal anaplastic stage II to IV and FH stage III and IV the regimen was Vcr, Act-D and adriamycin (Adr). Patients at diffuse anaplastic stage II to IV and clear cell stage I to IV received four-drug regimen including Vcr, etoposide (VP16), Adr and cytoxan (CTX). For those at rhabdoid stage I to IV the regimen was carboplatin, VP-16 and CTX. Un-resectable patients received 2 courses of Ifosfamide, Vcr and VP-16 as pre-surgery therapy. No radiation therapy was used for patients at stage I and FH stage II.

RESULTSTwenty patients, from 7 months to 12 years old, were enrolled. Pathologic analysis showed fourteen cases were at their FH, three at unfavorable-histology (UFH), two at clear cell and one at rhabdoid stage. Five patients were at stage I, five at stage II, six at stage III, three at stage IV and one at stage V. Eighteen reached complete response (90%), and two failed. One relapsed after 24 months of CCR and reached the second CR after intensive chemotherapy. No therapy-related death happened. Survival rate (SR) was 90% (18/20) and event-free survival (EFS) was 85% (17/20) at 11-45 months, average 27 months.

CONCLUSIONMulti-disciplinary team work model and protocol WT-99 are safe and effective for Wilms' tumor.

Academic Medical Centers ; Bone Transplantation ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Kidney Neoplasms ; classification ; therapy ; Male ; Neoplasm Staging ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Treatment Outcome ; Wilms Tumor ; classification ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo induce hepatic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) in vitro.

METHODShADSCs were isolated from human adipose tissue and treated with improved hepatic medium containing HGF, bFGF and FGF4. After 7 days of culture, OSM was added to the culture media. Cell growth during hepatic differentiation was evaluated by CCK8 assay. Morphology of differentiation was examined under light microscope. Liver specific genes and proteins were detected by RT-PCR analysis and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. And functional characteristics of hepatocytes were also examined.

RESULTSThe number of hADSCs cultured in the improved hepatic media was increased significantly in comparison to hADSCs cultured in control media from 5 days to 21 days (t=6.59, 8.69, 15.94 and 24.64, respectively, P<0.05). The hADSCs-derived hepatocyte-like cells exhibited hepatocyte morphology, expressed hepatocyte markers, possessed hepatocyte-specific activities, such as uptake and excretion of indocyanine green, glycogen storage and albumin production.

CONCLUSIONhADSCs can be induced into hepatocyte-like cells in this differentiation system. And this differentiation system promoted the growth of hADSCs.

Adipose Tissue ; cytology ; Albumins ; metabolism ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Separation ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; pharmacology ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; metabolism