This study was to examine the mechanism of oleanolic acid (OA) induces G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma Bel-7402 cells. MTT and trypan blue exclusion test assay were adopted to detect the proliferate status of cells treated with OA. We assayed the cell cycle by flow cytometry using PI staining. Apoptosis was determined by Annexin V-FITC staining and PI labeling. The expressions of cycle related proteins and apoptotic related proteins were determined by Western blot analysis. OA strongly inhibited human hepatoma cells proliferation. When Bel-7402 cells were pretreated with OA for 24 h, OA induced apoptosis and G₂/M phase cell cycle arrest in a concentration-dependent manner. Analysis of the cell cycle regulatory proteins demonstrated that OA decreased the protein levels of cyclin B1, but increased the protein levels of p-Cdk1 (Tyr15) and p-Cdc25C (Ser 216). Moreover, OA modulated the phosphorylation of protein kinases Chk1 and p2l. Western blotting assay also showed significant decrease of Bcl-2 protein expression and increase of Bax protein expression, the cytosol Cyt c level, cleaved-caspase-9 and cleaved-caspase-3 activity. These data suggest that OA produces anti-tumor effect via induction of G₂/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; G2 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; drug effects ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; drug effects ; Oleanolic Acid ; pharmacology

Adult ; Female ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Tachycardia, Reciprocating ; etiology ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; etiology

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other aging-related diseases have become an important public health issue in China. However, current clinical drugs have failed to reverse the pathological process of AD. The holistic approach of traditional Chinese medicine offers advantages in improving cognitive function in AD through multiple molecular pathways, and may have potential for preventing AD. This paper summarizes the effects of classical traditional Chinese medicine and its active components in the improvement of AD-related cognitive dysfunction and describes the functional targets and related molecular mechanisms. This may have significance for the prevention and treatment of AD through multi-target intervention.

Objective To investigate the effects of different clipping time of first time using permanent aneurysm clips on common carotid artery wall in rabbitsMethods Sixty healthy male Japanese white rabbits were selected.The first time permanent aneurysm clips were used to clip common carotid artery for 30 min or 60 min respectively according to the random number method (n=30 in each group).Thirty segments of common carotid artery specimens clipped by aneurysm clips were collected respectively.Mean-Whitney U test was used to conduct the comparison of histopathological damage grade of vascular wall.Results The aneurysm clips were use to clip 30 min and 60 min caused vascular wall injury could observe the middle elastic plastic plate deformation and endothelial denudation.The vascular walls in the clipping 60 min group had local necrosis with inflammatory response,and even rupture of vascular wall.There were significant differences in overall damage degree of vascular wall (U=324.00,P=0.045) and severe injury rate (0%[0/30] vs.20.0%[6/30],P=0.031) between the clipping 30 min group and the clipping 60 min group (all P<0.05).Conclusion The vascular wall injury of using disposable permanent aneurysm clips for clipping 60 min was more severe than 30 min.Attention should be paid to shortening the time of carotid artery occlusion in operation.

Objective To explore the effect of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and related mechanism.Methods The bone marrow MSCs were isolated from male Sprague Dawley rats and cultured in vitro.The flow cytometer was used to identify the bone marrow MSCs by detecting positive labels (CD29 and CD90) and negative labels (CD34 and CD45).The advanced glycation end products-bovine serum albumin (AGE-BSA),one of the AGEs,was used in this study.The methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method was used to detect the effect of AGE-BSA on proliferation of the bone marrow MSCs.In MTT test,there were 3 groups:AGE-BSA group,BSA group,and control group.In AGE-BSA group,different doses of AGE-BSA (0,25,50,100 and 200 μg/ml) was used to stimulate the bone marrow MSCs for 6 h,12 h or 24 h.In BSA group,the 200 μg/ml BSA was used to stimulate the bone marrow MSCs for 6 h,12 h or 24 h.Gene chips detection was used to detect change of genes expression in bone marrow MSCs.Results The proliferation of the bone marrow MSCs could be inhibited by AGE-BSA,in a dose- and time-related manner.Compared with the BSA group,after being treated with 100 μg/ml AGE-BSA for 24 h or 200 μg/ml AGE-BSA for 12 h and 24 h,the proliferation of the bone marrow MSCs decreased obviously.The gene chips detection found that there were changes in expression of 17 genes in the bone marrow MSCs after being treated with AGE-BSA (200 μ.g/ml) for 12 h or 24 h,and the genes were same at the two time points.Among 17 genes,the expression of 12 genes increased,including four inflammatory factors (CCL3,CCL2,CCL4 and IL-1β),and 5 genes decreased.Conclusion AGE-BSA can inhibit the proliferation of bone marrow MSCs,which may be related to the onset of the diabetic osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the knowledge and the attitude toward prostate cancer (PCa) among Chinese city men and raise some suggestions for the improvement of the present state.

METHODSIn October 2007, a questionnaire investigation was conducted among males in 17 Chinese cities on the knowledge of PCa in the following 6 aspects: general state of PCa susceptible city men, basic knowledge, risk factors, symptoms, management and outcome, and attitude toward the treatment of PCa. The influences of education on their scores were analyzed and compared.

RESULTSWe distributed 1,700 copies of the questionnaire and collected 376 (22.1%) valid ones. The subjects averaged 67.1 +/- 10.1 years of age, 80.1% with junior high school education and above. As for the basic knowledge of PCa, 92.6% of them admitted hearing of it, but only 45.5% knew what it was, with statistically significant differences among men of different educations. The most common accesses to PCa knowledge were media (43.3%), hospital consultation (25.2%) and health booklets (10.1%). Of the total number of subjects, 32.7% regarded "Father has prostate cancer" as a risk factor, 82.2% knew that PCa could be treated by surgery, but only 8.9% knew that " hormonotherapy has an important role in PCa treatment". More positive attitudes toward PCa treatment and its consequence were found among those with higher education.

CONCLUSIONPCa susceptible men in Chinese cities have insufficient knowledge on the disease. Strengthened education in this aspect can improve the present state and promote early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

Aged ; China ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Men ; psychology ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; prevention & control ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urban Population

OBJECTIVETo investigate the performance of soil-slurry bioreactor used for remediating contaminated soil with 4-nitrophenol (4-NP).

METHODSThe slurry bioreactor was used to degrade different concentrations of 4-nitrophenol with or without inoculating the acclimated activated sludge. HPLC system (Hewlett-Packard model 5050 with a UV detector) was used for the quantification of 4-nitrophenol.

RESULTSThe indigenous microorganisms exhibited a little activity for simulated soil with 50 mg 4-NP/kg soil. However, at the concentration of 10 mg 4-NPkg soil, a considerable degradation occurred within two weeks. It appeared that high concentrations of 4-nitrophenol apparently produced an inhibitory effect on microbial activity. For system receiving 50 mg 4-NP/kg soil, the maximum rate of 4-NP degradation measured in the reactor inoculated with 25 g sludge/kg soil was approximately 10 times higher than the uninoculated reactor, suggesting that the degradation rate of 4-nitrophenol could be enhanced greatly by means of inoculating acclimated sludge.

CONCLUSIONThe addition of sludge capable of degrading 4-nitrophenol can result in enhance the degradation rate of 4-nitrophenol.

Biodegradation, Environmental ; Bioreactors ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Nitrophenols ; metabolism ; Sewage ; chemistry ; microbiology ; Soil Microbiology ; Soil Pollutants ; metabolism ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Epimedium brevicornum, E. sagittatum, E. koreanum, E, wushanense and E. elongntum on the growth of cartilage and proliferation of cartilage cell in vitro.

METHODAccording to the paired design method, either femur of each chichen embryo was put into the control tube with the medium containing no Epimedium injection, and the other was put into the treated tube with the medium containing 3% Epimedium injection. The length and weight of cultured cartilage and proliferation of cartilage cell (MTY method) were used as the indices to observe the cartilage biological activities of the five species of Epimedium in culture.

RESULTThe results showed that the indices of length, weight and MTT in the E. brevicornum and E. sagittatum group were significantly higher than those in the contral group, but the above indices in groups E. koreanum, E. wushanens and E. elongntum were similar to those of the control with no statistical difference.

CONCLUSIONE. brevicornum and E. sagittatum can improve the growth of cartilage and proliferation of cartilage cell in vitro, and other three Epimedium have not the same effect in this test.

Animals ; Cartilage ; cytology ; drug effects ; embryology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Chick Embryo ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; classification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; Species Specificity

Adult ; Aged ; Decompression, Surgical ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nerve Block ; methods ; Spinal Nerve Roots ; Spinal Stenosis ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the operative management and surgical techniques for lumber disc herniation (LDH) in aged patients (>or=65 years).

METHODSFrom 2005 to 2010,the data of 43 patients with LDH underwent surgical treatment were retrospectively analyzed. There were 25 males and 18 females,aged from 65 to 70 years old with an average of 67.6 years. The course of disease was from 6 weeks to 7 years with an average of 10.2 years. Fenestratiodn discectomy or extended fenestration discectomy and unilateral or bilateral fenestration were used according to the conditions of location,type of herniated macleos polposus and nerve root compression. Among the patients,the nerve root canal was enlarged,hyperplastic osteophyma and soft tissue were removed, bilateral articular process was reserved in order to maintain the stability of the lumbar segment.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up from 1.2 to 5.2 years. According to the criteria of HU you-gu, 25 cases got excellent results, 15 good, 2 fair and 1 poor. No infection or nerve injury was found. Nerve function of patients had a normal or near normal recovery.

CONCLUSIONFor the treatment of LDH in aged patents,it is key that reasonably choose the operative method, completely remove the hyperplasy of diseased region and enlarge the nerve root canal, thoroughly loose the nerve root.

Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Retrospective Studies