AIM: To investigate the effects of synthetical glucocorticoid dexamethasone(Dex) on the activation of two members of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase1/2(ERK1/2 ) and p38 MAPK (p38) in human ovarian cancer cell line HO-8910. METHODS: The activation of ERK1/2 and p38 was determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Inhibition of activation of ERK1 and ERK2 by 10 -7 mol/L Dex occurred at 5 min, with maximum up to 41% and 54% respectively at 30 min ( P

Purpose:To investigate whether transforming growth factor ?1 (TGF ?1) pathway is involved in the mechanism of dexamethasone (Dex) mediated proliferation inhibition in ovarian cancer cell line HO 8910.Methods:To analyse cell proliferation and cell cycle distribution by cell counts and flow cytometric analysis, respectively ; to determine the expression levels of TGF ?1 and its two receptors, T?R Ⅰ and T?R Ⅱ , by quantative RT PCR, ELISA and(or) immunocytochemistry methods.Results:Dex induced a G 0 /G 1 cell cycle arrest in HO 8910 cells, and it up regulated T?R Ⅱ expression in a concentration dependent manner.The level of T?R Ⅱ mRNA was the highest after treatment with Dex for 8 hours, with 1.4 fold more than that of control at concentration of 10 -7 mol/L ( P

Objective:To investigate the expressions and their clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and extracellular matrix (ECM) components in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods:Expressions of VEGF and ECM components (fibronectin, FN and collagen Ⅳ, cⅣ) in 50 cases of NSCLC tissues and 20 cases of normal lung tissues were detected by immunohistological analysis. Their relationship with clinical features of NSCLC and the correlation of expression of VEGF and Fn and cⅣ were analyzed.Results:The positive expression rates of VEGF, Fn, and cⅣ were 96%, 78%, and 50% in NSCLC tissues. The expressions of VEGF and Fn were significantly higher than those in normal lung tissues (P<0.05). The expression of Fn and over-expression of VEGF were associated with lymph node metastasis (r=1.00, P<0.001). The survival rate of patients with over-expression of VEGF was greatly lower than that with weak expression of VEGF (P=0.022). The survival rate of Fn-negative patients was markedly higher than that of Fn-positive patients (P=0.046). Conclusion:VEGF and ECM component Fn were highly expressed in NSCLC, which correlated with lymph node metastasis and survival rate. Expression of ECM and VEGF had positive correlations, suggesting that ECM might be one of the anti-angiogenesis targets for tumor therapy.

Objective:To make a prospective study on the effectiveness and safety of toremifene (TOR) combined with novelbine/cisplatin (NP) in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose first line platinum-based chemotherapy was failure. Methods:Forty-four patients with stage ⅡB-Ⅳ NSCLC, who failed in the first line cisplatin-based chemotherapy from January 2004 to February 2006, were enrolled in this study. All the patients received TOR combined with NP second line chemotherapy for two cycles. The response rate and adverse reaction were evaluated. The survival rate was analyzed.Results:The 44 patients received average 1.8 cycles of chemotherapy (1-3 cycles). The response of 37 patients could be evaluated including 21 patients who received NP regimen before and 16 patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy. After second line therapy, 4 of the 37 patients had partial response (PR), 19 had stable disease (SD), 14 had progressive disease (PD), and no patient had complete response (CR). The total response rate (CR+PR) was 10.8% (4/37). The disease-controlling rate (CR+PR+SD) was 62.2% (23/37). The response rate and disease-controlling rate of squamous cell lung cancer (SCC) were 27.3% (3/12) and 72.7% (8/12), which were significantly higher than adenocarcinoma [0% (0/18) and 44.4% (8/18), P<0.05]. The median survival time was 8.2 months, the median time for SD was 4.0 months (1.0-10.2 months), and the 1-year survival rate was 24.4%. The median survival time and 1-year survival rate of SCC patients had no significant difference compared with adenocarcinoma patients (9.2 vs 7.1 months; 33.3% vs 27.7%, P＝0.72). There was no significant difference in survival rate between male and female patients. One patient stopped therapy for liver function injury (hyperbilirubinemia). The adverse reactions induced by chemotherapy mainly included gastrointestinal reaction, bone marrow suppression, and liver function injury. No serious adverse reaction occurred. Conclusion:The clinical efficacy of second line TOR combined with NP regimen is similar with the first line regimen for NSCLC patients, especially for SCC patients. The frequency of adverse reaction is not increased.

Objective To observe the effect of cervical plexus block combined with cervical vertebra traction treatment of cervical spondylosis of nerve root type .Methods 60 cases of nerve root type cervical spondylosis were divided into two groups by coin tossing:group A(n=32) cervical plexus block combined with cervical traction thera-py, group B( n=28) treated by cervical traction therapy ,according to the severity of pain compared two groups of treatment effect.Results after treatment,20d group 10d,30d,90d pain scores were (4.61 ±0.70)%,(3.71 ± 0.57)%,(3.30 ±0.65)%,(4.44 ±1.04)%,group B respectively (5.88 ±1.47)%,(5.61 ±1.35)%,(4.83 ± 0.86)%,(5.50 ±0.87)%,the difference between two groups was statistically significant (t=5.85,1.06,1.30, 7.51,all P<0.01).Conclusion The cervical plexus block combined with cervical traction for treatment of nerve root type of cervical spondylosis is better than the routine treatment of cervical traction ,which is suitable for promotion of primary health care units .

The spores suspension of Streptomyces roseosporus D-38 irritated with 20mW He-Ne laser for 20 min were incubated on G1 medium plates containing 1. 9?g/mL of streptomycin. Ten percent of mutants increased the potency of daptomycin by streptomycin-resistance method, including the mutant LC-54, which could produce daptomycin 81. 2 mg/L, which was 39% higher than that of the beginning strain by flask fermentation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α308,TNF-β252 genotypes and serum TNF-α and TNF-β levels in patients with gastric cancer (GC).MethodsA total of 57 pathological diagnosed GC patients were collected,of which 49 cases were from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University and 8 cases were from Tumor Hospital of Hubei Province.Another 18 age and sex matched healthy controls were enrolled at the same time.The TNF-α308 and TNF -β252 polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).The serum TNF-α and TNF-β levels of 57 GC patients and 18 healthy controls were measured by ELISA.The difference of TNF serum level in different TNF genotypes of GC and the difference between GC patients and the healthy controls was analyzed.Its relationship with clinical pathological characters was also analyzed.Results With TNF-α308 genotype,GA were 6 cases and GG were 51 cases.With TNF-β252 genotype,GG were 17 cases,GA and AA each were 20 cases.The serum TNF-α level of GC patients was significant higher than that of healthy controls (median 445 × 10-3 μg/L vs 5 × 10-3 μg/L,P＜0.05),and the serum level of each TNF-α308 andTNF-β 252 genotypes was significant higher than that of healthy controls (P＜0.05).However there was no statistical significance in TNF -β level compared with healthy controls (P＞0.05).In addition,the serum TNF-α levels of the TNF-α308G/TNF-β252G and TNF-α308G/TNF β252A haplotypes in GC patients were significant higher than those of the healthy controls (P＜0.05),and the increase like serum TNF-α level was associated with the patients'age and lymph node metastasis (P＜0.05).The TNF-β level in patients with TNF-α308A and TNF-β252G high-risk haplotypes showed a significant relation with smoking history (P＜ 0.05). Conclusions Serum TNF-α level of GC patients was significantly higher,however there was no significant association between the increase and TNF-α308 and TNF-β252 genotypes.The serum TNF-α levels of TNF-α308G/TNF-β252G and TNF-α308G/TNF-β252A haplotypes in GC patients were significant higher,and associated with the patients'age and lympb node metastasis.It was indicated that TNF haplotypes may have certain impact on the TNF expression and clinical subtypes in GC.

ObjectiveEvidence-based medicine was used to make an individualized treatment plan for rare solitary splenic metastasis of an ovarian carcinoma in a female patient. MethodsAfter clinical problems were discovered, evidence was collected from the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, CNKI and Wanfang databases according to our predefined search strategy. The search was done until October, 2009. The validity of the evidence was assessed. The evidence, combined with the doctor experience and the patient value, was applied to the patient. ResultsA total of 15 English literature and 11 Chinese literature were identified. A rational treatment plan was made upon a critical evaluation of the data. There were 5 review articles in PubMed, EMBASE and ScienceDirect databases and no RCT in the Cochrane Library. And there was one retrospective cohort study inCNKI and Wanfang databases. The others were all case reports. After 20 month follow-up, the treatment protocol was proven correct. Conclusion The patient has rare disease, and the evidence intension for the evidence-based medicine was low. It can not present the efficacy of the evidence-based medicine treatment sufficiently, though it could provide some suggestion for rare disease which was lack of large RCT for evidence-based Methods .

ObjectiveTo study the metabolite features of acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) in rats.MethodsA total of 22 Wistar rats were divided into ANP group (n =7 ),CP group (n =6) and the control group (n =9).ANP model was induced peritoneous injection of 20％ Larginine,and the rats were sacrificed 12 hours later.CP model was induced by intravenously injection of DBTC (8 mg/kg body weight),and the rats were sacrificed after 2 months.The rats in the control group received same amount of saline.Serum amylase was determined and pancreatic tissues were pathologically examined.Metabolic changes of pancreatic tissues in vitro were studied by high resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR ),and analyzed by using principal components analysis (PCA).Characteristic metabolites of ANP and CP were compared. Results Compared with the control group,increased leucine,iso-leucine and valine levels were observed in ANP group,however,the opposite trends were observed in CP group.Phosphocholine,glycerophosphocholine,choline levels were increased and fatty acids,lactate,betaine,glycine levels were decreased in both ANP and CP groups.The lipid content in CP group were significantly higher than that in ANP group and the increased taurine was only observed in CP group. Conclusions There were obvious metabolic features in pancreatic tissue in rats with pancreatitis disorders,and the increased taurine could be used as biomarker to discriminate ANP and CP.

OBJECTIVETo observe application value of multispectral animal living imaging technology in rats model of osteoarthritis.

METHODSFifteen male SD rats weighed (180 +/- 20) g (3 months old) were received intra-articular injection of iodoacetic acid for establishing osteoarthritis. Articular cavity of left knee of rats were injected into 50 microl iodoacetic acid. The same volume of sterile saline was injected into right knee articular cavity as control. X-ray living imaging and bone mineral density were observed at 2 and 4 weeks after establishment of model. After 4 weeks,rats were sacrificed and their bilateral joints were collected and determined histologically based on Collins classification and Kellgren-Lawrence classification.

RESULTSOsteoarthritis model was successfully established, compared with control group, model group showed typical manifestation of osteoarthritis, including irregular cartilage surface,osteophyte formation,joint deformity and cartilage defect,and combined with significant decrease of bone density (P < 0.01), while the decrease was not obvious in proximal tibia (P < 0.05). After 2 weeks, knee joints in model group was classified as Collins grade 1 and Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2,then classified as Collins grade 4 and Kellgren-Lawrence grade 3 after 4 weeks,control group showed smooth articular surface,normal joint space and intact cartilage surface, knee joints was classified as Collins and Kellgren-Lawrence grade 0, and bone density of distal femur and proximal tibia were normal.

CONCLUSIONMultispectral animal living imaging technology could be used in dynamic observation of living imaging and detection of bone density in the animal model of osteoarthritis, and it is significant for evaluation of osteoarthritis model, and its realted tesearch.

Animals ; Bone Density ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Osteoarthritis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Radiography ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley