Objective To investigate Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) expression in tumor associated inflammation in patients with adamantinomatous craniopharyngima..Methods Fifty-four patients (31 male and 23 female) with craniopharyngioma from 3 to 66 years of age were recruited from May 2004 to March 2006.NF-κB and Osteopontin (OPN) expression in human craniopharyngiomas were detected using immunohistochemical staining.High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a systemic marker of inflammation, was examined in patients' tumor hydatid fluid, cerebrospinal fluid and serum.Results NF-κB expression was significantly increased in the adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma.Spearman;s correlation analysis demonstrated that NF-κB expression was associated with OPN expression.The hs-CRP level was also increased in the tumor hydatid fluid (4.28±0.90 mg/mL), cerebrospinal fluid (0.035±0.006 mg/mL) and serum (1.72±0.54 mg/mL) in patients with adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma.Conclusions NF-kappa B is closely associated with tumor associated inflammation which further mediates adhesion of tumor to surrounding important structures in patients with adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma.

To study the chemical constituents of Lysimachia patungensis Hand.-Mazz., silica gel column chromatography, reverse phase ODS column chromatography, MCI and Sephadex LH-20, were used to separate the 95% EtOH extract of the whole plant of Lysimachia patungensis Hand.-Mazz.. The structures of the isolated compounds have been established on the basis of chemical and NMR spectroscopic evidence as well as ESI-MS in some cases. Twelve phenolic compounds were obtained and identified as quercetin-3, 3'-di- O-alpha-L-rhamnoside (1), myricetrin (2), quercitrin (3), rutin (4), 2-hydroxynaringenin-4'-O-glucopyranoside (5), naringenin 7-O-glucopyranoside (6), liquiritin apioside (7), licochalcone B (8), tetrahydroxymethoxy chalcone (9), methyl-p-coumarate (10), 2, 4, 6-trihydroxy acetophenone-2-O-glucopyranoside (11) and vaccihein A (12). Among them, compound 1 is a new compound, and compounds 5, 11 and 12 are isolated from the genus Lysimachia L. for the first time, and the others are isolated from the plant for the first time.

AIM: In this study, we aimed to explore the alteration and pathophysiological significance of the L-arginine (L-Arg)/NOS/NO pathway in the adventitia of rats with sepsis. METHODS: Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Rat cardiac function was determined. NO generation, NOS activity and L-Arg transport were measured. The iNOS mRNA levels was determined by using RT-PCR. RESULTS: Cecal ligation and puncture induced severe sepsis with severe low glucose, high lacticemia and cardiac function inhibition. The iNOS activity was increased by 2.8-fold compared with controls (P

AIM: To investigate the differentiative and apoptotic effect of CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides on HL60 cells and its mechanism. METHODS: After HL60 cells were exposed to synthetic CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides, non-CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides or ZpG-oligodeoxynucleotides for 72 hours, respectively, the inhibition of HL60 cells were detected using MTT method, NBT test was used and CD14 expression were determined. Apoptosis of HL60 cells were mensurated with flow cytometry and transmission electron microscope, and caspase 3, Bcl-2 and Bax expression of HL60 cells treated with oligodeoxynucletides were detected using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Treatment with CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides induced the differentiation and apoptosis in HL60 cells, but non-CpG-oligodeoxynu- cleotide and ZpG-oligodeoxynucleotide had no effect on HL60 cells. CONCLUSION: CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides can induce the differentiation and apoptosis in HL60 cells. It may provide a new approach for the immunological treatment of leukemia.

Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; surgery ; Endovascular Procedures ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Intestinal Fistula ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective To explore the alteration of brain pain functional areas in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) overlap by rectal balloon volume stimulation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the differences with IBS alone patients and healthy individuals were compared.Methods A total of 11 IBS alone patients,16 IBS overlapped with FD patients (IBS-FD) and 10 healthy controls were recruited.Sensory thresholds and visual analogue scale (VAS) were recorded during the rectal balloon air injection process. The changes of brain activated areas were analyzed by functional MRI (fMRI) when the rectum was stimulated at the volume of 50,100 and 150 ml.The data were analyzed by least significant difference (LSD) test.Results Under rectal volumetric stimulation,the sensory thresholds of IBS-FD group and IBS alone group were (53.14 ± 16.05) ml and (59.20 ± 20.55) ml and the difference was not statistically significant (LSD test,P＞0.05).There was no significant difference in VAS score between IBS alone group and IBS-FD group (LSD test,P＞0.05).Rectal stimulated under different volume,the results of fMRI indicated the activation of anterior cingulated cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,postporietal cortex,thalamus and insular cortex in both IBS alone group and IBS-FD group.And there was no significant difference in activated areas and intensity between IBS alone group and IBS-FD group (LSD test,P＞0.05).Conclusions There was no significant difference in activations of brain areas between IBS alone and IBS-FD patients under rectal volumetric stimulation. Under rectal volumetric stimulation,although symptoms overlapped,there was no evidence of the overlap of braingut axis and visceral hypersensitivity between IBS alone and IBS-FD.

Objective To evaluate the influential factors of iron acquisition during Francisella tularensis LVS infection of mouse macrophages.Methods F.tularensis LVS expressing green fluorescent protein was used to infect murine macrophage J774A.1 cells.Transferrin receptor 1(Tfr1)was detected with mono-antibody and visualized with a goat-anti mouse IgG conjugated to Alexa 594.The expression profile of 5 iron metabolism related genes of J774A.1 murine macrophages uninfected or infected with F.tularensis LVS was determined with real-time PCR.Immunoblot analysis was used to compare the Tfr1 expression of live Francisella infected macrophage with dead bacteria.Tfr1 knock-off in J774A.1 cells was performed with siRNA.The transfected cells were infected with Francisella for immunoblotting and microscopy and infection assay.Results It was revealed that the live vaccine strain of F.tularensis induced the expression of Tfr1 in host macrophages.Gene expression analysis indicated that F.tularensis LVS drove an active iron acquisition program with induction of Tfr1 and iron regulatory proteins(Irp1 and Irp2).It was shown by Western-blotting that the siRNA-Tfrc-1 could knock off about 75% of Tfr1 in J774A.1 cells.It was determined by infection assay that,Tfr1 was knocked off,the bacteria number at 1h infection with Francisella was not different from that of control(F=1.06,P=0.326 5),while it was decreased significantly after 24h of infection(F=24.12,P=0.000 6).Conclusions It is demonstrated that upregulation of the Tfr1 may be mediated by post-transcriptional regulation during early infection,but sustained later through increased expression of Irp 1 and Irp 2.Increased expression of Tfr1 expands the intracellular iron pool through transferrin-mediated delivery and may thus be readily available for uptaking by Francisella.Knocking off the expression of Tfr1 does not affect bacterial invasion.Francisella,however,may fail to proliferate in macrophages in which the expression of transferrin receptor has been suppressed.

OBJECTIVETo establish an RP-HPLC method for determination of betulinic acid in Callicarpa macrophylla, a commonly used herbal in Yunnan.

METHODA Kromasil-C18 column (4.6 mm x 200 mm, 5 microm) and a mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid (63: 37) were used. The flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1) and the UV detector wavelength was 205 nm.

RESULTBetulinic acid was well separated from other compounds in C. macrophylla. The content of betulinic acid in C. macrophylla from different origins showed apparent differences, the content of betulinic acid in C. macrophylla from Yunnan was the highest. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.016 6-0.332 mg x mL(-1) of betulinic acid with correlation coefficient 0.999 8. The average recovery of betulinic acid was 98.5%.

CONCLUSIONThe method is simple, accurate and reproducible, and is suitable for the quality control of C. macrophylla.

Calibration ; Callicarpa ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Linear Models ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Triterpenes ; analysis ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of total flavonoids of epimedium (TFE) on the streptozocin (STZ)-induced kidney injury in diabetic rats and discuss the possible mechanism.

METHODSDiabetes was produced by a single injection of streptozocin (40 mg/kg, iv) in male SD rats. The rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 10): control group, model group and TFE group (100 mg/kg, ig). Animals were sacrificed 12 weeks later. The level of blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) as well as the renal index were determined. Detect the specific biochemical of renal tissue: superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA). Use masson staining to observe the morphology of the renal tissue. Immunohistochemistry was employed to determine the protein levels of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1).

RESULTSCompared to control group, the enhancement of blood glucose, renal index, BUN and Cr was found in model group, which was significantly attenuated by treatment with TFE. Meanwhile, elevated MDA level in renal tissue as well as decreased SOD activities in renal tissue were significantly remitted by TFE. Furthermore, TFE decreased the expression of TGF-beta1.

CONCLUSIONTFE can evidently relieve renal damage in rats with diabetic nephropathy induced by STZ, which might be related to antioxidation and modulating the expression of TGF-beta1 protein.

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective: To explore the peri-operative application of GLP-1 analogue and insulin on myocardial perfusion and clinical prognosis in patients of acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with stress-induced hyperglycemia. Methods: Our research was a prospective single center randomized control study. A total of 114 consecutive STEMI patients received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 12h of onset were enrolled, the patients had no diabetes while blood glucose ≥11.1mmol/L at immediate admission. Based on random number table, the patients were divided into 2 groups: Observation group, the patients received GLP-1 analogue, n=59 and Control group, the patients received insulin, n=55. The post-operative myocardial perfusion, indicators of myocardial damage and cardiac function, myocardial infarct area (MIA) and myocardial salvage index (MSI) were compared between 2 groups. The patients were followed-up for 6 months to record the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Results: At peri-operative period, compared with Control group, Observation group had decreased peak values of creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) and troponin T (cTnT), P<0.05. At 6 months post-operation, compared with Control group, Observation group showed increased myocardial perfusion and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), P<0.05, reduced MIA (15±12) g vs (20±14) g, P<0.05 and 12% elevated MSI as (0.64±0.13) vs (0.56±0.12), P<0.001. The MACE incidence was similar between 2 groups, P=0.217. Conclusion: In STEMI patients with stress-induced hyperglycemia, peri-operative application of GLP-1 analogue may safely regulate blood glucose, improve cardiac perfusion and function, reduce MIA; while it had no influence on myocardial perfusion at peri-operative period and no impact on MACE occurrence at 6 months post-operation.