Objective To investigate the clinical significance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in pa-tients with small-cell lung cancer patients (SCLC). Methods 42 SCLC patients, 10 patients with benign lung disease(hospitalized from June 2012 to June 2013), and 10 healthy volunteers from the First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University Medical College were studied and their clinical information was collected. Negative immuno-magnetic separation method and immunocytochemistry method were applied to collect the Pan-CK +/CD45 - of CTCs, in order to analyze the relationship between CTCs and clinical manifestation. Results CTCs were found in 32 cases of SCLC group, with a positive rate of 76.19%. CTCs was not found in peripheral blood in control group. Difference in the two groups is significant (P = 0.000). The presence of CTCs was correlated positively with the patients′ PS score , clinical stage , M stage , the number of metastatic sites , NSE value and LDH value (P < 0.05). Conclusion The CTCs number is correlated with patients′ PS score, clinical stage, M stage, the number of metastatic sites, NSE value and LDH value, respectively. CTCs detection is useful for more accurate risk assessment of patients.

OBJECTIVETo study the optimization process of microwave-assisted extraction for active ingredients in different parts of TMC.

METHODUsing the uniform design, the optimization processes of microwave-assisted extraction for Flavonoids and Paneonolum in Bidens and Cortex Moutan were gained.

RESULTThe optimization process of extraction for Flavonoids in Bidens can be described as following: microwave power was 850 W, radiation time was 30 min, solvent concentration was 40%, solvent volume was 13 times as the proportion of raw material, and dipping time was 60 min. The optimization process of extraction for Paneonolum in Cortex Moutan has also been gained which could be shown as following: 340 W as microwave power, 20 min as radiation time, 85% as solvent concentration, 1:5 as the proportion of raw material to solvent, and 30 min as the dipping time.

CONCLUSIONThese can prove it reasonable to get active ingredients in Bidens and Cortex Moutan with microwave-assisted extraction technology.

Acetophenones ; isolation & purification ; Bidens ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; isolation & purification ; Microwaves ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Reproducibility of Results ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; instrumentation ; methods

The secondary metabolites of plants are important sources of natural drugs. Betula plants have abundant pharmacological value, complex mechanism and wide applications, which are closely related to the triterpenoids of theirs. Triterpenoids in Betula species are mainly divided into dammarane-type, ocotillol-type, oleanane-type, lupane-type and cycloaltunane-type. The extracts of Betula species have varieties of activities such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, etc. And the biosynthetic pathways of triterpenoids after 2,3-oxidosqualene are split into four branches of dammarenediol-II, lupeol, cycloartenol and amyrin according to the different oxidosqualene cyclases. This review summarizes the chemical constituents, pharmacological activities and biosynthetic pathways of triterpenoids in Betula plants. It provides a reference for the research and development of new drugs and the production of these triterpenoids in microbial cell factories by synthetic biology methods.

Natural products are important sources of drug discovery. However, the traditional methods of extraction and isolation, as well as chemical synthesis for obtaining natural products are associated with issues such as operational complexity, high costs, low efficiency, and environmental pollution. Constructing microbial cell factories through synthetic biology methods to produce medicinal natural products has the advantages of high efficiency, low cost, and environmental protection. Nevertheless, the scope and yield improvement of the products are limited by the limitations of enzymes in microbial cell factories. Protein engineering is considered one of the most effective approaches to overcome these limitations. This article introduces commonly used methods of protein engineering technology and summarizes its specific applications in improving enzyme performance, modifying the enzymatic environment, and promoting the development of synthetic biology tools in the field of pharmaceutical natural product synthesis. Furthermore, it analyzes the current bottlenecks and challenges in protein engineering and looks forward to its future application prospects, offering insights for the development and practical use of protein engineering technology.

Objective To observe the bone density, serum osteoprotegerin (OPG) level,relevant parameters of bone metabolism and sex hormones in elderly men with osteoporosis before and after treatment with oral Fosamax for 3 years. Methods The serum OPG level was compared between 72 randomly selected elderly male patients with osteoporosis and age-matched healthy controls. The bone density, serum OPG level, sex hormones, serum calcium and phosphorus,parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteoealein and urine type Ⅰ collegen crosslinked N-telopeptides (NTX),urine calcium and cretinine were tested in all elderly male patients with osteoporosis before and after 3 years of oral Fosamax treatment. The role of OPG in anti-osteoporotic therapy was studied by comparison of the parameters tested during the course of treatment. Results The serum levels of OPG osteoealcin, PTH and urine NTX were obviously higher in elderly men with osteoporosis than in healthy controls [(10.56±2.56) pmol/L vs. (8.91±2.20) pmol/L, (9.544±4.40) g/L vs. (6.774±2.87)rig/L, (70.39±35.58) ng/L vs. (47.11±21.80) ng/L, (72.06±9.78) nmol/L vs. (63.36±14.61)nmol/L, all P<0.05]. After treatment with oral Fosamax , the bone density was significantly increased. However, serum levels of OPG[(8.23±2.96)pmol/L], osteocalcinE(6.18±2.27)μg/L],PTH[(40.46±14.43) ng/L] and urine NTX[(64.83±11.40) nmol/L] were significantly decreased after treatment (all P<0.05). Spearman analysis showed that the improvement of bone density after treatment was closely associated with serum OPG level. Conclusions Serum OPG level in elderly patients with osteoporosis is much higher than that in control group. The improvement in bone density after treatment is associated with the decrease in OPG level. Bone density and relevant parameters of bone metabolism can be improved in elderly male patients with osteoporosis by using oral Fosamax.

Objective To explore the clinical value of expression levels of serum COX-2 in patients with advanced NSCLC before and after EGFR-TKI treatment. Methods The serum was collected from 58 cases. Before and after targeted therapy , the serum COX-2 level was examined by ELISA. Meanwhile , CT scan was exercised to evaluate the treatment. Follow-up interview was done. The relationship among the change in expression level of serum COX-2 , efficacy and PFS was analyzed. Results The serum COX-2 level significantly decreased in the response group (t = 11.258, P = 0.000) and increased in the PD group (t = -7.759, P =0.000) after EGFR-TKI treatment, and not significantly changed in the SD group (t = 1.424, P = 0.170). Before treatment, the baseline serum COX-2 level in the response group was significantly higher than that in the SD group and the PD group (F = 20.852, P = 0.000 ). Before the targeted therapy, the higher the level of serum COX-2 was, the longer PFS patients would enjoy. Conclusion Detection of the serum COX-2 contributes to the judgment of therapeutic effect of EGFR-TKI and can be used as a prediction of EGFR-TKI drugs outcomes for patients with advanced NSCLC.

Objective To summarize our experience in prevention and treatment of stricture after esopageal burns in the past thirty years.Methods There were 168 cases in this series.Of them,158 cases underwent surgical management in this study.Modified intraluminal stenting was used in 34 cases, colon interposition without resection of strictured esophagus in 77 cases,gastric transposion with resection of the stricture in 27,repair of cervical stricture with platysma myocutaneous flap in 22,and miscellane- ous operation in 12.Eleven cases experienced operation twice or more at our department.Results Twenty-nine cases recovered after treatment with intraluminal stenting,and 5 re-experienced stricture after stent removal.One of the 5 cases with failed stent responded to bougienage,and the remaining 4 cases re- quired esophageal reconstruction later.Of the 77 colon interpositions,5 cases died postoperatively,and complications of cervical anastomotic fistula occurred in 14 cases,anastomotic stenosis in 4,and abdomi- nal incision dehiscence in 2 cases.In the 27 cases with gastric transpositions,postoperative complications of anastomotic stricture occurred in 2 cases and empyema in 1 patient.There was a cervical leak in 3 ca- ses of the 22 cases treated with the repair of cervical esopageal or anastomotic stricture with a platysma myocutaneous flap.In the 12 cases treated with miscellaneous operation,one died of intestinal obstruc- tion.All the survivors had regular diet after discharge.Conclusions Intraluminal stenting can prevent the formation of caustic esophageal stricture.The location of the cicatricial esophagus dictates whether to perform concomitant esophagectomy during esophageal reconstruction.Platysma myocutaneous flap repair is an excellent method for the treatment of severe cervical esophageal or anastomotic stricture.

This paper was focused on exploration of practices of innovative models and skills,with a view to developing nursing culture and including modern features and local characteristics of our hospital.The purpose of those practices was to construct a research nursing department,to create a nursing brand for its "heartwarming services",and to develop a first-rale nursing staff.

BmK AngM1 is a long-chain scorpion toxin purified from the venom of Buthus martensii Karsch. It has been reported to exhibit evident analgesic effect and low toxicity, and has the potential to be a novel analgesic drug. The BmKAngM1 gene was transformed into Pichiapastoris GS115. Mut+ and Mut(s) recombinant strains were screened by phenotype and Mut+ recombinant strains were used to detect BmK AngMl gene copy number in the real-time PCR. Expression of BmK AngM1 in the Mut+ recombinant strain was compared with that of the Mut(s) recombinant strain with the same single copy of BmK AngM1 gene under the same condition. The results indicated that the transcription level of BmK AngM1 gene in the Mut(s) recombinant strain was 2.7 fold of that in the Mut recombinant strain in the real-time PCR, and the expression of BmK AngM 1 in the Mut(s) recombinant strain was 1.5 fold of that in the Mut+ recombinant strain. Therefore, Mut(s) recombinant strain showed better ability to express BmK AngM1 than Mut+ recombinant strain.
Animals ; Arthropod Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Gene Dosage ; Pichia ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Scorpion Venoms ; chemistry

Objective To investigate the effects of the fibrin scaffold on the differentiation and the proliferation of neural stem cells and astrocytes. Methods Neural stem cells and the gliocytes derived from spinal cord were cultured in vitro respectively. The purified neural stem cells or gliocytes were seeded separately onto the fibrin scaffolds as experimental group and the glass slides modified with poly-L-lysine(PLL)as control group. At different time in culture the neural stem cells were immunofluorescence stained with antibodies against the marker of neurons I.e. Neurofilament(NF).The length of NF-positive neuritis was masured and the average value was calculated in the culture well (n=4). The gliocytes were immunofluorescence stained with antibodies against the marker of astrocytes I.e. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP ). The total number of the cells and the GFAP-positive cells were counted from 5 different fields of vision in the culture well (n=4), then the average ratio of GFAP-positive cells was calculated. The differentiation of neural stem cells, the extension of neurites and the proliferation of astrocytes on the fibrin scaffolds were compared with those on the slides. The protein of GFAP was detected by Western blotting to analyse the mature degree of astrocytes. All above experiments were repeated 3 times respectively. Results Immunofluorescence staining showed that the NF-positive neurites in the fibrin scaffold group were longer than those in the control group, whereas GFAP-positive cells were fewer than those in the control group. The expression of GFAP in the cells on the scaffold was lower than that in the control group.Conclusion The fibrin scaffold could promote differentiation of the neural stem cells to neurons and extension of the neurites. Meanwhile, the scaffold could inhibit proliferation and mature of the astrocytes.