Rhizome atractylodes macrocephalae is the dry roots of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. It is one of commonly used Chinese medicine. In the ″Shennong's Herbal″, it was listed as the top grade. It mainly contains volatile oil, atractylenolides, atractylodes polysaccharides, glycosides and amino acids.And it has the medical functions of good for spleen and intestine, diuretic and dehumidifi?cation, hidroschesis, miscarriage prevention and soon.In order to provide references for further devel?opment and utilization, this paper systematic arranged the Chinese medicine atractylodes chemical composition, pharmacological effects, processing technology and effect of processing technology on chemical composition and pharmacological action.

AIM: To clarify the protective effect of long-term administration of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor fluvastatin on ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) in rats and its mechanisms. METHODS: Myocardial infarction were established by ligated left coronary anterior artery in SD rats, 24 hours after the operation, the survival rats were treated by gavage fluvastatin (20 mg?kg~(-1)?d~(-1)) or distilled water for 8 weeks. Doppler echocardiography, homodynamic and cardiac histomorphometry were used to assess the ventricular remodeling and cardiac function. The plasma levels of total cholesterol (Tch), creatinine (Cr), glutamic-oxal (o) acetic transaminase (AST), lipid peroxidation (LPO), glutathione perioxidase (GSH-PX), nitrogen monoxide (NO_2~-/NO_3~-) were detected. RESULTS: The Tch, Cr and AST were not significant difference in groups. Left ventricular end-diastole pressure, right relative weight, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, collagen volume fraction and the lung weight were decreased in AMI+fluvastatin group compared to AMI group (P

Objective To evaluate the surgical treatment of carotid artery stenosis. MethodAccording to the level and degree of the stenosis, different operations were performed on 120 patients who suffered from the extracranial carotid stenosis. Treatment result was retrospectively reviewed. ResultSurgery was successful in all the patients. We performed carotid endarterectomy on 111 cases and other operations on 9 cases. The incidence of postoperative complications was low, especially for carotid endarterectomy. ConclusionCarotid endarterectomy is still the main therapy for the treatment of carotid artery stenosis with a satisfactory result.

AIM: To determine the relevance of NADPH oxidase subunit p22hox and the expression of superoxide anion on ventricular remodeling in myocardial infarction (MI) rats. METHODS: MI of Sprague-Dawley rats were established by left anterior descenting coronary artery ligation. 8 weeks after MI, Doppler echocardiography, hemodynamic study and histomorphometry were performed to analyze the ventricular remodeling. The level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance in plasma and myocardium were measured, and the distribution of superoxide anion was observed with laser scanning confocal microscope. The expression of p22phox mRNA and protein level was detected by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The left ventricular remodeling was significant in MI rats, also the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance increased in the plasma and non-infarcted myocardium. The expressions of p22-phox mRNA and protein levels, and superoxide anion increased in infarcted and non-infarcted myocardium in MI rats. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the expression of NADPH oxidase and its derived superoxide anion may take part in left ventricular remodeling through oxidative stresss after MI.

To simplify the macrocyclic fragment and to modify the zinc binding group of the natural product apicidin, two series of S-hexyl (heptyl) ethanethioate derivatives were designed and synthesized. Twenty-six compounds were synthesized and confirmed with 1H NMR, IR, MS and HR-MS spectrum, which were not reported. Take vorinostat as control, their antiporliferative activities against cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and HL-60, were tested with MTT assay or trypan blue staining method. Generally in both series it was found that, the chiral carbon atom at 7 position is not necessary, compounds II-1, II-3, II-6 and II-13 showed good activity on HL-60 cells in vitro, with the IC50 values less than 10 micromol x L(-1). II-7 and II-8 showed stronger activity against MCF-7 than Vorinostat, with the IC50 of 3.19 and 6.29 micromol x L(-1), respectively.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor ; HL-60 Cells ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; MCF-7 Cells ; Peptides, Cyclic ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Structure-Activity Relationship

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of carotid endarterectomy (CEA)and carotid artery stenting(CAS)for the treatment of carotid artery stenosis in the elderly.Methods Clinical data of 116 elderly patients aged over 65 years with carotid artery stenosis were retrospectively analyzed.Of 116 patients,73 patients underwent CAS(the CAS group) and 32 received CEA(the CEA group).The success rate,30-day perioperative complications and follow-up results were compared between the two groups.Results There was no significant difference in the success rate (96.8％ vs.100.0％,P ＞ 0.05),30-day perioperative complications,such as bradycardia (6.25％ vs.4.5％,x2 =0.228,P=0.663),acute myocardial infarction(0.0 vs.1.4％,x2 =0.432,P=0.511),transient hypotension(6.3％ vs.8.1％,x2 =0.114,P =0.735),ischemic stroke(6.3％ vs.6.8％,x2 =0.009,P =0.923),and cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (18.8 ％ vs.10.8％,x2 =0.009,P =0.923),between the CEA and CAS groups.The incidence of persistent hypotension was lower in the CEA group than in the CAS group(3.1％ vs.17.6％,x2 =4.398,P=0.036).No significant difference was found in carotid artery restenosis(moderate:6.3％ vs.8.1％,x2 =0.114,P =0.735;severe:3.1 ％ vs.2.7％,x2=0.014,P=0.905)and ipsilateral stroke(3.1％ vs.5.4％,x2 =0.279,P=0.598)between the CEA and CAS groups at one-year fellow-up.Conclusions Both CEA and CAS have good effieacies in treating carotid artery stenosis in the elderly,while the incidence of persistent hypotension is higher with CAS than with CEA.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of long-term administration of fluvastatin on improvement of ventricular remodeling of rats after myocardial infarction and its mechanism.

METHODSSprague-Dawley rats were subjected to ligation in anterior descending branch of coronary artery and treated with fluvastatin (20 mg.kg(-1) d(-1)) or distilled water for 8 weeks. Doppler echocardiography, hemodynamic study and cardiac histomorphometry were used to estimate the ventricular remodeling and cardiac function. Laser scanning confocal microscope was used to definite the distribution of superoxide anion (O(2)(*-)) and nitrogen monoxide. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of NOS2 and p22phox in mRNA and protein level. The level of lipid peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase, nitrogen monoxide and total cholesterol were detected too.

RESULTSAdministration of fluvastatin ameliorated left ventricular remodeling without affecting the infarct size [(40 +/- 6 vs 42 +/-5)%, P>0.05]. The level of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure [(18.24 +/-6.58 vs 10.74 +/-4.71) mmHg, P<0.05], right ventricular ameliorated relative weight [(0.92 +/-0.19 vs 0.71 +/-0.13) g/kg, P<0.05], the thickness of left ventricular posterior wall [(3.04 +/-0.28 vs 2.60 +/-0.36) mm, P<0.05] decreased after fluvastatin treatment. The left ventricular ejection fraction was not influenced, the relative lung weight and the left atrium diameter reduced [(5.79 +/-2.92 vs 3.69 +/-0.68) g/kg, (0.55 +/-0.12 vs 0.45 +/-0.04) mm, P<0.05]; the expressions of LPO in the plasma and myocardium [(8.64 +/-0.59 vs 7.71 +/-0.66) U/dl, P<0.05; (3.12 +/-0.38 vs 1.93 +/-0.40) ng/microg.pro, P<0.01] were reduced, and the overexpressed NO was inhibited [(436.87 +/-47.22 vs 313.78 +/-34.35) mg/dl, P<0.01], but the expression of GPx increased [(66.13 +/-8.31 vs 79.78 +/-2.38) mg/dl, P<0.01]. The expression of O(2)(*-) and the activity of NADPH oxidase subunit p22phox increased; NOS2 and its products NO were over-expressed too.

CONCLUSIONVentricular remodeling and hemodynamics are improved profoundly in MI rats treated with fluvastatin. The effect of antioxidative stress of fluvastatin might be involved in the mechanism.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Fatty Acids ; pharmacology ; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated ; pharmacology ; Indoles ; pharmacology ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Ventricular Remodeling ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo observe the anti-tumor effect of silencing the expression of HIF-1alpha on cervical cancer in nude mice and to explore its mechanism of action.

METHODSHuman cervical cancer cell line Siha cells were divided into 3 groups: mock control group, control group transfected with scrambled sequence plasmid, and experimental group transfected with pU-HIF-1alpha-shRNA eukaryotic expression plasmid. Cultured cells of the three groups were inoculated in nude mice to establish cervical cancer-bearing nude mice. HIF-1alpha RNAi assay was performed to evaluate the tumor-suppressive effect of HIF-1alpha silencing on cervical cancer-bearing nude mice. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to observe the distribution and protein expression of HIF-1alpha and GLUT1, while RT-PCR was adopted to detect the gene expression of HIF-1alpha, GLUT1 and HKII. The product of glycolysis (lactic acid) and apoptosis in tumor cells were detected by colorimetry and semi-quantitative TUNEL staining, respectively.

RESULTSThe tumor growth in experimental group was significantly slower than that in the two control groups (P < 0.05). On the 50th day after transplantation, the tumor weight in the experimental group was (1.90 +/- 0.28) g, significantly lower than (2.95 +/- 0.77) g in the control group and (2.54 +/- 0.56) g in the mock group (P < 0.01). In the experimental group, the gene and protein levels of HIF-1alpha were 0.45 +/- 0.04 and 1.25 +/- 0.92, and the levels of GLUT1 were 0.32 +/- 0.02 and 1.25 +/- 0.48, respectively. Both indicators in HIF-1alpha and GLUT1 were lower than that in the two control groups (P < 0.05). The expression levels of HKII gene and lactic acid in the experimental group were lower than that in the two control groups (P < 0.05), but the apoptotic cells were much more numerous in the experimental group than that in matched control groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe gene therapy by siRNA targeted silencing of HIF-1alpha may down-regulate its downstream genes GLUT1 and HKII expression, therefore, to reduce the tumor glycolysis activity and promote tumor cell apoptosis, and exert a tumor-suppressing effect in vivo.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Gene Silencing ; Genetic Therapy ; Glucose Transporter Type 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hexokinase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plasmids ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Transfection ; Tumor Burden ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy

Pancreatic tuberculosis (TB) is extremely rare and mimics pancreatic carcinoma both clinically and radiologically. This paper discusses the occurrence of 2 heterogeneous masses located in the head and tail of the pancreas in an adult male. In this patient, laparotomy was performed because of the high suspicion of pancreatic carcinoma. Intraoperative fine needle aspiration biopsy revealed the coexistence of pancreatic carcinoma with pancreatic TB, and a combined resection of the distal pancreas and spleen was successfully performed. Following surgery, the patient received standard chemotherapy for TB. At 7-month follow-up, computed tomography showed resolution of the mass in the pancreatic head. Clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for pancreatic TB in patients with pancreatic masses. The coexistence of malignancy and TB should be considered when patients present with multiple pancreatic masses.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Spleen ; Tuberculosis

Pancreatic panniculitis is a rare type of disorder associated with pancreatic diseases. We describe here a case of 54-year-old man who was admitted to the Department of Dermatology with the diagnosis of erythema nodosum. The patient presented with a 9-month history of painful erythematous nodules on the extremities, joint pain and swelling, and weight loss. A highly elevated level of pancreatic lipase was found on the laboratory examinations. The biopsy specimens from the skin lesions showed subcutaneous fat necrosis. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a large mass with central necrosis in the body and tail of the pancreas. Distal pancreatectomy, splenectomy and partial transverse colectomy were successfully performed on day 17 of the hospitalization. The histopathologic findings supported the diagnosis of acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas (ACCP). Postoperatively, the level of serum lipase returned to normal, and the skin lesions and joint manifestations gradually regressed. However, the swelling did not significantly resolve in the left knee. In view of the non-specific clinical presentation of this disease, clinicians should be alert and have a high index of suspicion for pancreatic panniculitis.
Acinar Cells ; Arthralgia ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Acinar Cell ; Colectomy ; Dermatology ; Erythema Nodosum ; Extremities ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Lipase ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Pancreas ; Pancreatectomy ; Pancreatic Diseases ; Panniculitis ; Skin ; Splenectomy ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Weight Loss