Alternaria zinniae was a plant fungal pathogen isolated from a world-wide weed Xanthium occidentale,which could cause some weeds of Asteraceae disease. It was found that the fungus made disease spot on the leaf through producing secondary metabolite—phytotoxin. The toxin-producing capability of the fungus was studied. The optimal cultural conditions for producing phytotoxin were temperature 25℃,pH 6.5,cultured period 9~11d,rotating speed 110r/min,darkness and enough dissolved O_2,crude toxin was obtained through large scale fermentation. Analysis on the influence of time,temperature,lightness for storing on the stability of phytotoxin of Alternaria zinniae showed that the phytotoxin had the potential to develop as a herbicide originating from microorganism.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Peptic Ulcer

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of topotecan(TPT) in the treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Methods 84 patients with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma received TPT(1.25mg/m~2) as a 30-minute infusion daily for 1-5 days,21 days for a cycle.The efficacy was evaluated after 2 cycles of chemotherapy.Response was confirmed 4 weeks later.Results In 84 selected patients,72 were assessable for response and 84 for toxicity.The overall response was 22.2%,including 2 CR and 14 PR.The response rate for untreated and recurrent advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma was 25.0% and 20.8%,respectively.The main side effects were neutropenia and leukopenia.WHO grade III-IV of them were 26.1% and 26.1%,respectively.The non-hemotological toxicity was mild.Conclusion TPT is effective and well-tolerated in the treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma,especially in recurrent patients.

AIM: To detect the protein expression of protein gene product (PGP9.5) in cervical carcinoma samples, and to explore its relationship with clinicopathological features and prognosis of cervical carcinoma patients.The potential value of PGP9.5-siRNA in the treatment of cervical cancer was preliminarily investigated in vitro.METHODS:The clinical data of cervical cancer patients ( n=180 ) who received surgical treatment in Department of Gynecology of Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology and Obstetrics from January 2008 to June 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.Immunohistochemical staining for PGP9.5 in all pathological specimens from cervical cancer biopsy was performed.The patients were divided into high expression of PGP9.5 group and low expression of PGP9.5 group.The relationship between PGP9.5 expression and clinicopathological parameters, such as age, HPV infection, path-ological grade, tumor diameter, lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion and clinical stage, were analyzed.The overall survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test.The PGP9.5-siRNA, NC-siRNA, PGP9.5 eukaryotic expression plasmid and empty vector were transfected into the SiHa cells, and the effects of PGP9.5 expression on the abili-
ties of colony formation and cell invasion were determined by Western blot, colony formation assay and Transwell experi-ment.RESULTS:The relationships between the expression level of PGP9.5 and patients’ pathological characteristics in-cluding grade, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion, vascular involvement and clinical stage were statisti-cally significant ( P<0.05) .The overall survival rates of 3 and 5 years in PGP9.5 high expression group were significantly lower than those in PGP9.5 low expression group ( P<0.05 ) .Compared with control group, the protein expression of PGP9.5, the number of colony formation and the number of invasive cells in si-PGP9.5 group were significantly decreased. The protein expression of PGP9.5, the number of colony formation and the number of invasive cells in PGP9.5 group were significantly increased.CONCLUSION:Over-expression of PGP9.5 protein indicates poor prognosis of cervical cancer, which may be a good predictor for the prognosis of cervical cancer patients.Inhibition of PGP9.5 expression may be an ef-fective way of gene therapy for cervical cancer.

Objective To investigate the clinicopathological features ,diagnosis and differential diagnosis of primary leiomyo‐sarcoma of the thyroid gland .Methods The pathological characteristics and immunohistochemical features in a case of primary leio‐myosarcoma of the thyroid gland were analyzed and the relevant literatures were reviewed .Results Grossly ,the mass measured 5 .5 cm × 4 .0 cm × 3 .5 cm ,gray and yellow in cut surface and partial hard quality .Histologically ,the tumor was composed of spin‐dle cells ,arranging in bundles with obvious dysplasia ,nuclear mitosis was easily found .The tumor infiltrated thyroid follicles and in‐vaded surrounding tissues .The immunohistochemical study showed that Vimentin ,SMA ,Caldesmon and Actin were positive ,and CK ,CK8 ,EMA ,TTF‐1 ,P53 and LCA were negative .Conclusion Primary leiomyosarcoma of thyroid gland is extremely rare ,its diagnosis should be combined with clinical and imageologic data ,histological characteristics and immunohistochemistry .

Objective To study the cell metabolism changes of hippocampal region in patients with vascular dementia (VD) after stroke by 1 H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS),and to observe the relationship between cell metabolism changes and clinical symptoms after donepezil hydrochloride treatment.Methods Enrolled 18 patients with VD after stroke,16 males and 2 females,with a mean age of (76.9±2.7) years,13 patients without VD after stroke,11 males and 2 females,with a mean age of (76.2±3.6) years and 14 health volunteers as control group,12 males and 2 females,with a mean age of (75.1+2.4) years.The mini-mental state examination (MMSE),activities of daily living (ADL) and Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) were used to assess the effects on cognitive function,ability of daily living and behavior symptoms.1 H-MRS examination of bilateral hippocampus was conducted in all subjects.Metabolisms of N-acetylaspartate (NAA),choline (Cho) and creatine (Cr) were examined and the ratios of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr were calculated.The patients with VD were prescribed donepezil and given 1 H-MRS assessment half a year later.Results The patients with VD had a significantly lower NAA/Cr ratio in bilateral temporal hippocampus area than did health controls and the patients without VD (F=4.23,4.98,both P＜0.05),and a higher Cho/Cr ratio than did health controls and the patients without VD in left hippocampus (P＜0.05).The NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios in patients without VD had no significant changes compared to health controls.There was a positive relationship between MMSE score and NAA/Cr ratio,and negative relationship between MMSE score and Cho/Cr ratio in the bilateral hippocampus area in patients with VD.After 6 months of treatment of donepezil hydrochloride,the MMSE and ADL scales significantly increased (both P＜0.05),and NAA/Cr ratio had no significant change in hippocampal region (t=-2.02,-2.04,both P＞0.05),whereas Cho/Cr had significant decrease (t=2.86,2.23,both P＜0.05).Conclusions The data suggest that the lower NAA/Cr ratio and higher Cho/Cr ratio in hippocampus area might be helpful in distinguishing VD and no-VD in patients with stroke.Donepezil improves general cognition function in patients with VD,which may be associated with regulating the cholinergic pathogenesis of VD in vivo and in vitro.

Objective To investigate the changes of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1)in serum and urine of lupus nephritis(LN)patients in active phase and remission phase.Methods The levels of MCP-1 in serum and urine of 58 LN patients(27 of active phase and 31 of remission phase)were measured by ELISA.The correlation between the levels of MCP-1 in variant phase of LN and other relevant factors were analyzed.Results The MCP-1 levels in sera of both active phase and remission phase of LN patients were markedly higher than those in controls(548.5?347.2 ng/L and 469.1?298.4 ng/L vs 273.3?146.7 ng/L,P0.05).Conclusion The MCP-1 levels in urine of LN patients is more suitable to evaluate the activity of disease as a sensitive marker.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Oncogene Proteins, Viral ; genetics ; Papillomavirus E7 Proteins ; Plasmids ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics ; Transfection ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; biosynthesis ; genetics

AIM:To study the correlation of serum uric acid ( UA) level with carotid plaques and arterial stiff-ness in the patients with essential hypertension ( EH) , and to explore the predictive value of serum UA for evaluating EH preclinically .METHODS:A total of 92 patients with EH and 30 healthy individuals were enrolled .The value of UA and other indicators were detected .B-mode ultrasound examination was performed to measure the common carotid artery intima -media thickness ( IMT) and the sites of plaque in the internal carotid-artery, external carotid artery and carotid bifurca-tions.Carotid-femoral arterial pulse wave velocity ( CFPWV) was assessed by Complior?atherosclerosis measurement in-strument.RESULTS:The serum level of UA in the patients with EH was higher than that in control group [(361.51 ± 83.81) μmol/L vs (317.03 ±62.22) μmol/L, P<0.05].The mean value and abnormal rate of IMT between hyperten-sion group and control group were significant difference [(0.69 ±0.14) mm vs (0.60 ±0.12) mm, 42.39%vs 10.00%, P<0.05].In 92 EH patients, 45 cases had carotid plaques .These 45 cases were divided into 3 groups according to the plaque severity, among which the serum UA level had statistically significant differences [(285.25 ±78.41) μmol/L, (341.19 ±63.99) μmol/L and (401.33 ±88.49) μmol/L, P<0.05].Compared with rigid plaque group ( n=34), the serum UA level in soft plaque group (n=11) was significantly higher [(389.00 ±69.45) μmol/L vs (323.03 ± 72.71) μmol/L, P<0.05].A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that age ( r=0.414), systolic blood pressure (r=0.224), pulse pressure (r=0.270) and uric acid (r=0.219) were predisposed factors for higher CFP-WV (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:UA is one of the risk factors causing hypertension .Serum UA level may reflect the sever-ity and stability of carotid plaques .The increased arterial stiffness is closely related to the increased serum UA level in EH .

The approach of stem cell transplantation to treat different types of diseases has been becoming a hot issue in the field of regenerative medicine.Potentially, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) possess strong proliferation and multi-di-rection differentiation ability .Under special certain kind of induction circumstances , BMMSCs can trans-differentiate into myocardial cells, osteoblasts, fat cells, neurons, endothelial cells.It is difficult that how to obtain enough BMMSCs for basic and clinical studies using BMMSCs treating diseases .Currently , there are many methods of in vitro proliferation of BMMSCs with advantages and disadvan -tages.In this paper, an overview of BMMSCs proliferation strategy in vitro is provided .