Objective To investigate the effects of pentoxifylline on the cell proliferation of, collagen synthesis and TGF-β1 expression by human fibroblasts derived from keloid. Methods Skin samples were obtained from the lesions of 3 patients with keloid and normal skin of 3 human controls followed by primary culture of fibroblasts. Fibroblasts of 5th to 8th generation were cultured with pentoxifylline of 0.1 to 3 g/L for various durations. Then, MTT assay was performed to detect the cell proliferation of fibroblasts, double antibody sandwich-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure the expression of TGF-β1, and reversetranscription PCR to examine the mRNA expressions of procollagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ in these fibroblasts. Results The pentoxifylline of 0.1 to 2 g/L markedly inhibited the proliferation of fibroblasts derived from keloid lesions and normal skin, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with the strongest effect observed in fibroblasts treated with pentoxifylline of 2 g/L. A significant reduction was induced in the TGF-β1 mRNA expression in keloidand normal skin-derived fibroblasts by pentoxifylline of 0.5 to 2 g/L (all P < 0.01), and in the mRNA expression of procollagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ by pentoxifylline of 1 and 2 g/L (P < 0.05 or 0.01). Concretely, the relative mRNA expression level of procollagen Ⅰ and Ⅲwas 0.873 ± 0.077, 0.571 ± 0.050 respectively in keloid fibroblasts respectively, and 0.473 ± 0.035, 0.370 ± 0.045 in the control fibroblasts, after treated with pentoxifylline of 1 g/L, 0.750 ± 0.036 and 0.433 ± 0.045 respectively in keloid-derived fibroblasts, 0.390 ± 0.030 and 0.250 ±0.123 respectively in the control fibroblasts, after treated with pentoxifylline of 2 g/L, significantly lower than that in the keloid-derived (1.216 ± 0.061 and 0.953 ± 0.060) and control (0.836 ± 0.080 and 0.776 ± 0.041) fibroblasts without treatment. Conclusion Pentoxifylline shows an evident suppressive effect on the cell proliferation of, as well as the expression of TGF-β1 and procollagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ in fibroblasts derived from keloid lesions and normal skin.

Objective To determine the content of taurine in Mactra veneriformis by pre-column derivation HPLC.Methods Ultrasound method was used for the extraction of taurine from Mactra veneriformis.In alkaline condition,amino acids reacted with phenyl isothiocyanate and resulted in the derivatives of benzene isothiocyanate-amino acid complex.Kromasil C18 column(4.6 mm ?250 mm,5 ?m) was used and the absorbance at 254 nm was measured.The mobile phase consisted of sodium acetate solution,water and methanol.Results Corresponding chromatographic peaks of taurine were obtained in extract sample and the control.The linear range of taurine was from 10.04 ?g?mL-1 to 50.20 ?g?mL-1,and the recovery was 97.95 %(RSD=1.41%,n=9).Conclusion This method is simple,accurate and reproducible.The seasonal variation range of taurine level is from 10.56 mg/g to 20.91 mg/g,and the taurine level arrived to the peak in June.

Objective To investigate whether early goal-directed therapy ( EGDT ) could lower the mortality rate in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. Methods Articles with items sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock, EGDT were retrieved from MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, Wanfang Data and CNKI. Inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trial, subjects concerning patients with severe sepsis or septic shock, endpoints with short-term mortality [ in-hospital, intensive care unit ( ICU ) or 28-day ] and long-term mortality ( 60-day or 90-day ). Related risk ( RR ) and 95% confidence interval ( 95%CI ) were used as indices to judge the difference in mortality rate between EGDT group and standard treatment group. RevMan 5.2 software was used for Meta analysis. Results There were 8 studies meeting inclusive criteria with a total of 4 853 patients. For patients with severe sepsis and septic shock, compared with the group with routine treatment, EGDT showed a decrease in the short-term mortality ( RR = 0.74, 95%CI=0.66-0.82, P<0.000 01 ), but did not decrease the long-term mortality ( RR=0.99, 95%CI=0.92-1.06, P=0.81 ). Conclusion EGDT strategy may decrease the short-term mortality in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock, but it showed no influence on the long-term mortality.

Designing of natural product-like compounds using natural products as template structures is an important strategy for the discovery of new drugs. Gambogic acid (GA), which is a Garcinia natural product with a unique caged xanthone scaffold, inhibits potent antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo. This review summarized the researches on the identification of the antitumor pharmacophore of GA, and the design, structural optimization and structure-activity relationship (SAR) of natural product-like caged xanthones based on it.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Biological Products ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor ; Garcinia ; chemistry ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Xanthones ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

Objective To re-evaluate the diagnoses of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) and analyze the incidence and reason of misdiagnosis.Methods Patients who were previously diagnosed as AS and nr-axSpA before referrals to Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) were re-evaluated by three rheumatologists of PUMCH according to the modified New York criteria for AS and Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) axial SpA classification criteria for nr-axSpA.Results Totally 87 prior AS patients and 53 prior nr-axSpA patients were enrolled in this study.After re-evaluation,57 patients were still diagnosed as AS and 16 patients were still diagnosed as nr-axSpA.The misdiagnosis incidences were 34.48％ and 69.81％,respectively.The misdiagnosis incidence of nr-axSpA was higher than that of AS (P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions The misdiagnosis of AS were mainly due to the misjudgment of sacroiliac joints by CT.The misdiagnosis of nr-axSpA were mainly due to the misjudgment of sacroiliac joints by magnetic resonance imaging.Moreover,the misuse of ASAS axial SpA classification criteria contributed to the misdiagnosis also.

AIM:To determine whether acellular porcine cornea stroma (APCS) could support the growth of the rabbit corneal cells in vitro.METHODS: APCS was prepared. The rabbit's corneal epithelium and stromal cells were cultured and seeded on, APCS in vitro.The observation of phase contrast photograph and histological examination were performed.RESULTS: Histological examination showed the epithe- lium grew on the scaffold of APCS in 2-3 layers at 10th day. The stromal cells adhered to the surface of the scaffold after 24 hours and invaded into the interlaminar of the material at 5th day.CONCLUSION: These results indicate that APCS can support the growth and proliferation of the corneal epithelium and stromal cells in vitro.

Objective To explore the effect of Ginsenoside Rgl on glutathion (GSH) level and glutathion peroxidase (GPx) activity after oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion in cultured hippocampal cells. Methods The model of oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion were established with the hippocampal neurons of rats. They were randomly divided into control group, model group and Ginsenoside Rgl treatment groups (5 μmol/L, 20 μmol/L, 60 μmol/L). The GSH level and GPx activity were measured 6 h after reperfusion. The apoptosis and the metabolic rate of methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) were detected 24 h after reperfusion. Results Compared with model group, the GSH level, GPx activity, and metabolic rate of MTT improved (P<0.001), and the apoptosis decreased in the Ginsenoside Rgl groups (P<0.001) except with the dosage of 5 μmol/L (P>0.05). Conclusion Ginsenoside Rgl can protect the brain from ischemia by increasing the GSH level and GPx activity.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of HBV infection and the risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in patients with inflammatory arthritis receiving tumour hecrosis factor alpha (TNFα) inhibitors.Methods The liver function,serology of HBV and viral loads (HBV DNA) were tested before using TNFα inhibitors,at 3 months and 6 months.Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection (HBV DNA ＞ 1 × 103copies/ml) were eliminated.Results A total of 162 patients were investigated including 156 patients who finished the study.Eleven (7.05％) patients were HBsAg-positive.Two patients with HBV DNA ＞ 1 × 103copies/ml were eliminated before starting anti-TNFα therapy.Among HBsAgpositive patients,HBV reactivation was documented in only one of the 11 patients.This patient with rheumatoid arthritis developed elevation of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (ALT) and HBV DNA copies three months after infliximab therapy.Therefore lamivudine was given for three months,which translated into the fall of ALT and HBV DNA copies back to normal level.After follow-up for six months,the virology and serology remained stable.In contrast,none of the other 155 patients had demonstrated evidence of HBV infection or HBV reactivation.Conclusion The kinetics of HBV viral loads should be carefully monitored in patients with inflammatory arthritis and HBsAg-positive during anti-TNFα therapy.HBV reactivation should be treated with antiviral medicine through out the period of anti-TNFα therapy.

A method was developed for analyzing the stable carbon isotope ratio of five volatile components ( Ethanol, Glycerol, Acetic acid, Ethyl lactate, 2-methyl-butanol ) in wine using gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometer ( GC-C-IRMS ) . The sample injection volume was less than 0. 5 μL, and the analytical time of each run was less than 14 min. The precision of this method was 0. 08‰-0. 25‰ for analyzing standards, while 0. 09‰-0. 36‰ for wine samples. Compared to element analysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry ( EA-IRMS) results, the deviations were lower than 0. 5‰. Fifty-four wine samples from France, Australia, America and China were considered. The δ13 C of five volatile components were measured using GC-C-IRMS. Discriminant analysis ( DA) was employed for analyzing the geographical origin traceability of selected wine. The result indicated that δ13 C of volatile components could be used to distinguish the origin of wines. The method was shown to be effective in improving detection of the origin traceability of wine.

A 26-year-old woman presented with scaly atrophic erythema on the chest and abdomen for nearly 2 years.Direct microscopic examination of the lesion scrapings revealed numerous stubby hyphae and clustered spores.Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining of the biopsy tissue showed the presence of numerous hyphae and spores in the horny layer.The stain for elastic fibers revealed that the number of elastic fibers decreased,and some elastic fibers became fine and disrupted.The patient was diagnosed with atrophying pityriasis versicolor.The lesions subsided and direct microscopic examination was negative after 1-week treatment with oral itraconazole of 200 mg once daily and 4-week treatment with topical 2％ sertaconazole cream.