OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of natural and synthetic borneol on the transdermal absorption of emodin. METHODS: The supplying and receiving solutions containing emodin were selected from the abdominal skin of mice in vitro, and the samples were analyzed by HPLC. The cumulative permeability, permeability rate and permeability enhancement factor were used as the evaluation indexes of the permeability enhancement effect. RESULTS: The saline containing 1% Tween 80-80% ethanol and 60% ethanol could increase the solubility of emodin to 648 μg•mL -1 and obtain conditions of leaking trough. The penetration rate of emodin was 648 μg•mL - 1 > 569 μg•mL -1 > 457 μg•mL -1 in the range of concentration. The penetration enhancement effect of synthetic borneol was 2% > 4% > 1% > blank control group > 3% and 5%, and the steady-state permeation rates of 2% natural borneol (15.90 μg•cm- 2•h - 1 ) were higher than those of 2% synthetic borneol(12.44 μg•cm-2•h-1). CONCLUSION: Natural borneol and synthetic borneol can promote the transdermal penetration of emodin, which is limited by their concentration. This provides an experimental basis for the selection of emodin transdermal enhancers.

This review introduced the anti-tumor effects of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and summarized their possible molecular mechanisms according to recent abroad literatures and our research results. Some evidence showed that the anti-tumor mechanisms of NSAIDs were different in various tumors.NSAIDs decreased the biosynthesis of PGE_2 and regulated the expressions of downstream correlated genes and proteins through restraining abnormal expression of COX-2 in certain neoplasms,which resulted in the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis and proliferation as well as induced apoptosis. But in other cancer cells, NSAIDs, as activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ? (PPAR?), induced COX-2 expression, promoted the biosynthesis of cyclopentenone prostaglandins (cyPGs). cyPGs further induced tumor cell apoptosis with PPAR? dependently or PPAR? independently. Since their special mechanisms of anti-proliferation and pro-apoptosis, NSAIDs revealed significant synergistic effects with other anti-tumor treatments.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of IFNα combined with mannan peptide in treatment of patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B ( CHB ). Methods Eighty HBeAg-positive CHB patients with HBV DNA quantity ranging from 10 to 10 eopies/mL were enrolled and randomized into the treatment group and the control group ( n = 40 for each ). Patients in treatment group were given daily subcutaneous injection of IFNα-2b 5,000,000 U for 52 weeks, and received mannan peptide 10 mg per intravenous injection or 2. 5 mg per intramuscular injection for a total of 2 to 3 treatment courses (12 weeks for each). The control group received only IFNα-2b treatment. Liver function, serum markers of hepatitis B, HBV DNA quantity and blood tests were performed before the treatment and at 2, 4, 8, 16, 26 and 52-week during the treatment; and the adverse effects were recorded. Results The rates for ALT normalization, negative HBsAg, negative HBeAg, HBeAg seroconversion and negative HBV DNA were 91. 8% , 17. 5% , 52. 5% , 27. 5 % and 47. 5% at 52nd week in the treatment group, while those in the control group were 80. 0% , 12. 5% , 30. 0% , 10. 0 % and 25. 0% , respectively. There were significant differences in HBeAg-negative, HBeAg-seroeonversion and HBV DNA-negative rates between two groups (χ2 = 4. 178, 4.021 and 4.381, P < 0. 05 ) , and these indexes in the treatment group were increased to 57. 5% , 30. 0% and 50. 0 respectively at 52nd week after drug withdraw. White blood cells began to be elevated at 4th week and were restored to the normal levels at 8th week in the treatment group, while the count in the control was lower than the normal value even at 52nd week of the treatment with the average of (3.45±1. 18)×109/L. Conclusion Alpha-interferon combined with mannan peptide therapy is effective for patients with HBeAg-positive CHB, which may restore the declined peripheral WBC counts induced by interferon and improve the compliance.

OBJECTIVETo explore the application of sinusitis mixture (SM) in endoscopic sinussurgery, thereby improving clinical curative rate of chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps.

METHODSA totalof 50 chronic sinusitis patients were equally assigned to the experimental group (nasal douching by SM)and the control group (nasal douching by Compound Sodium Chloride Injection). Mucosa tissue 0.1 cmbefore natural opening was collected before surgery, at week 4, 12, and 24 after surgery. Changes ofmucosa cilia cells, goblet cells, stroma of mucosal membrane, inflammatory cells, and mucous glandwere observed. The numbers of goblet cells in the upper epithelia and ciliated cells, as well as their ratioswere calculated.

RESULTSThere was statistical difference in cavity cleaning time, cavity mucosal epithelization time, numbers of goblet cells in the upper epithelia and ciliated cells, as well as their ratio between the two groups (t = -2.342, -2.015, -2.145, respectively; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSM could effectively promote and accelerate cleaning and mucosal epithelization of functional endoscopic sinus surgery, and significantly promote mucosal ciliary structure and function recovery of ostium-meatus nasicomplex.

Chronic Disease ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Endoscopy ; Epithelium ; pathology ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; cytology ; pathology ; Sinusitis ; surgery

Study the serum level of HGF, Cys C and TGF-beta1 in type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN), the infect of Pingshen decoction on those index. Selected 69 cases of 2 type DN and randomly divided into therapy group (36 cases) and control group (33 cases). The therapy group were treated with Pingshen decoction 1 dose/d, bid po. The control group were treated with NephritisShu tablet, 6 tablet, tid po. 8 weeks was a course. Before and after treatment, we examine the serum level of HGF, Cys C and TGF-beta1 by ELISA and immunonephelometry, and compare with 30 cases of healthy control group. The study demonstrates that before treatment, the serum level of HGF in both groups were significantly lower than healthy control group (P < 0.01), but Cys C, TGF-beta1 were significantly higher (P < 0.01). After treatment, the serum level of HGF of both groups were increased. The serum level of HGF of therapy group were significantly higher than of control group (P < 0.01), but the serum level of Cys C and TGF-beta1 were significantly lower than control group (P < 0.01). The serum level of HGF was correlated negatively with Cys C,TGF-beta1. In control group, the UAER, urine beta2-MG and quantity of 24-hour urine protein were significantly decreased after treatment (P < 0.01). The index of urine of therapy group were significantly lower than control group (P < 0.01). Results indicate that test of serum level of HGF and Cys C,TGF-beta1 of diabetic nephropathy have important clinical significance. Pingshen decoction can effectively intervene in the serum level of HGF and Cys C, TGF-beta1 and index of urine.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Case-Control Studies ; Cystatin C ; blood ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; blood ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; blood

OBJECTIVETo compare the effect of reinforcing Shen method (RSM) and activating blood method (ABM) in treating osteoarthritis (OA) at the molecular level.

METHODSThe physical and chemical characteristics of components from respective recipes of RSM and ABM, and network features of component-target interaction network were analyzed by computer simulation methods including chemical space, molecular docking, and biological network, etc.

RESULTSThe chemical components of RSM and ABM were scarcely scattered with larger overlapping. Among established networks, the distribution of network features was partially similar in RSM and ABM. The average target number correlated with each component was 1.86 in RSM and 2.11 in ABM respectively. Each average target number was respectively correlated with 4.46 compounds and 3.93 compounds, reflecting multi-component and multi-target actions.

CONCLUSIONComputer simulation could intuitively trace out similarities and differences of two different methods and their interaction with targets, which revealed that the compatibility of RSM and ABM could have broader protein targets and potential synergism at the molecular level.

Computer Simulation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Osteoarthritis ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy ; methods

AIM:To observe the pathological changes of the lower segment of nasolacrimal duct mucosa in rabbits at different stages after retrograde lachrymal dilated drainage tube implantation.
METHODS:Totally 14 New Zealand rabbits were used in the present study. One side of nasolacrimal duct was obstructed to produce an experimental model and operated the reverse implantation of nasolacrimal duct intubation. Histological changes of the lower segment of nasolacrimal duct mucosa were observed by routine light microscope at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14wk after the operation.
RESULTS: Compared with the control side, the group of 2 and 4wk after surgery presented the inflammatory cytokine. The group of 12wk after the operation presented isolated granuloma. Group 12 and 14wk presented scattered granuloma. The size of the granulomas was smaller and the density of epithelioid cell and fibroblast were lower in group 12wk than those in group 14wk by HE and Masson trichrome stain.
CONCLUSION:Recurrent Silicone Tube is used to treat nasolacrymal duct obstruction. Nasolacrimal duct can be narrowed and blocked again by granuloma, progressive fibrosis and adhesion of surrounding tissues when tube is in the duct more than 12wk.

Effects of Cr 6+ concentration and culture time on four heavy metal removing strains,stability of these four strains removing Cr 6+,configuration changes inside or outside their cells,effects of Cr 6+ on soluble reductive sugar inside their cells,and effect of several factors on these strains had been studied,and the Cr 6+ resistance mechanisms of these strains have been discussed elementarily. The results showed that the Lethality of these strains caused by Cr 6+ was similar with one another, namely, increasing at first, then decreasing, and finally increasing again as culture time passed. Acclimatization of Candida sp. was better than Sporobolomycetaceae sp.,and the Cr 6+ resistance of Sporobolomycetaceae sp. 7-3 was the best of the four. The research also demonstrated that the metabolic activity of these strains had been influenced by Cr 6+ in a certain extent. Scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and atomic force microscopy observations approved that removal of Cr 6+ by Candida sp. was depended on both surface adsorption and intracellular accumulation. Effects of Cr 6+ concentration, pH, culture time, nitrogen source, carbon source and adsorption time on these strains are not the same.

To explore the expression of livin gene in acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) cells and its clinical significance, the mRNA level of livin gene in 46 ANLL adult patients were measured by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Other 10 healthy adults were selected as normal controls (NC), HL-60 cell line was employed as positive control. The results showed that the mRNA level of livin gene in ANLL patients was significantly higher than that in NC, while it decreased in patients with complete remission (CR). In relapsed patients, the level of livin mRNA increased again. In ANLL patients, the CR rate of patients with livin positive was lower than that of patients with livin negative (p<0.05). It is concluded that overexpression of livin gene may play a synergic role in the pathogenesis of ANLL and associates with CR rate in ANLL. It seems that high expression of livin gene may be used as a marker of poor prognosis in acute non-lymphocytic leukemia.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; genetics ; metabolism ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Prognosis ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo construct pPICZalphaA-soluble interleukin-1 receptor type I (sIL-1RI) recombinant expression vector containing the gene fragment encoding the extracellular domain of sIL-1RI for its expression in Pichia pastoris.

METHODSsIL-1RI gene was amplified by RT-PCR and inserted into the yeast expression vector pPICZalphaA by digestion ligation. The recombinant plasmid pPICZalphaA-sIL1RI was transformed into E.coli Stb13, and the positive clones were analyzed by PCR and DNA sequencing. The pPICZalphaA-sIL1RI recombinant plasmid was electroporated into GS115 cells and the transformants were analyzed by PCR. After phenotype identification, the recombinant strains were induced by methanol to express the target protein, which was analyzed by Western blotting of the cell extract and supernatant.

RESULTSThe recombinant plasmid pPICZalphaA-sIL-1RI was constructed successfully, and the results of Western blotting showed that yeast induced by methanol expressed a protein of about 39 kD.

CONCLUSIONsIL-1RI protein has been successfully expressed in P.pastoris expression system, which provides the basis for further study of sIL-1RI.

Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Pichia ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; Receptors, Interleukin-1 Type I ; biosynthesis ; genetics