Radiotherapy is one of the most important treatment method for esophageal cancer. Cene expression profile of cancer cells may be one of key factors in determining the effectiveness of radiation therapy To provide guidance for individual therapy, research advances in gene expression involved in radiosensitivity of esophageal cancer are discussed from three aspects: radiation damage repair, cell cycle distribution and signal traneduetion.

The esophageal cancer mouse models have three categories:chemical carcinogenesis model,xenograft tumor model and genetic engineering model.Chemical carcinogenesis model can simulate well the pathological processes of human esophageal cancer and is prepared simply.Xenograft tumor model is currently the most commonly used esophageal cancer animal model,which has advantages of rapid tumor formation,higher tumor formation rate and lower cost.Genetic engineering model involves mainly p53,Cyclin D1,Brca1 and p120ctn,and it helps to understand the biological characteristics of tumors,but it is expensive and the preparation time is long.

Objective As important transcription factors, SOX2, TWIST and SNAIL are closely related to breast cancer me?tastasis. The aim of this study was to explore the expressions of SOX2, TWIST and SNAIL in breast cancer and the relationship between the three factors. Methods We collected 74 specimens of breast cancer and another 74 from paired normal tissue from January 2012 to January 2013. Using immunohistochemistry, we determined and compared the expression of SOX2 in the breast cancer and normal tissues. We also detected the expressions of TWIST and SNAIL proteins and analyzed the relationship of SOX2, TWIST and SNAIL ex?pressions with the clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer as well as the correlation between the three proteins. Results The expression of SOX2 was significantly higher in the breast cancer than in the normal tissues (25.7% vs 8.1%, P=0.004) and corre?lated with the grade, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage of breast cancer ( P<0.05) , while the expressions of TWIST and SNAIL were significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and clinical TNM stages of the malignancy ( P<0.05) . The protein expression of TWIST was correlated positively with those of SOX2 ( Cc=0. 325, P<0.005) and SNAIL (Cc=0.308, P<0.008), and so was that of SNAIL with that of SOX2 (Cc=0.275, P<0.018). Conclusion The SOX2 protein is highly expressed in breast cancer. The expres?sions of SOX2, TWIST and SNAIL are closely related to lymph node metastasis of the malignancy and the three factors are interacted coor?dinatively in the metastasis of breast cancer.

INDENA SPA Company in Italy is a multi-national company that produces and sells plant extracts. Based on its own re- search advantages in the field of Ginkgo biloba preparation, the company protects its own products market effectively through building patent portfolio around the patents of its opponent. Based on the multi-angle analysis for patent portfolio of G. biloba preparation from the aspects of application time, legal status, technical development route, and patent portfolio layout, this article provides technical reference on research and development of G. biloba preparation, and the author suggest that Chinese applicants learn techniques and layout experiences of other patents fully to enhance the level of research and patent protection level.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; economics ; legislation & jurisprudence ; Ginkgo biloba ; chemistry ; Italy ; Patents as Topic ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; economics ; isolation & purification

Zusanli (ST 36), Shangjuxu (ST 37) and Xiajuxu (ST 39) are considered as the lower He-sea points, which are located along the leg lines of stomach meridian of foot Yangming from top to bottom. According to the corresponding zang-fu of lower He-sea points, the distribution order from top to bottom is stomach, large intestine and small intestine. This is significantly different from digestive physiology function sequence of stomach, small intestine and large intestine in modern medicine. However, it conforms to their anatomical position from top to bottom. In order to make a further confirmation that the indication specificity of Zusanli (ST 36), Shangjuxu (ST 37) and Xiajuxu (ST 39) is closely associated with anatomical location, a great number of ancient and modern literature is reviewed. It is found that the functions of the three acupoints are obviously related to stomach, large intestine and small intestine, respectively, indicating that the sequence of Zusanli (ST 36), Shangjuxu (ST 37) and Xiajuxu (ST 39) is related to anatomical position of corresponding zang-fu. This study conclusion could play an important role for exploring the significance of anatomical location in indication specificity of acupoints.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; China ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Intestine, Large ; physiopathology ; Medicine in Literature ; Meridians ; Stomach ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo observe preventive and therapeutic effects of Tanshinone IIA (T II A) on oxaliplatin induced peripheral neuropathy (OlPN) and to explore its effects on the expression of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and never growth factor (NGF).

METHODSTotally 36 phase II - III patients with malignant tumor of digestive tract undergoing chemotherapy program with oxaliplatin, were equally assigned to the T II A group (using THA at 80 mg/day 1 day before oxaliplatin chemotherapy for 3 successive days) and the control group (using chemotherapy program with oxaliplatin alone) by segmented randomization. After 4 cycles of chemotherapy, the incidence degree and incidence of OlPN were evaluated. Sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) and motor nerve conduction velocity ( MNCV) were tested by EMG evoked potential device. Serum levels of CGRP and NGF were also detected in the two groups before and after chemotherapy. The correlation of serum levels of CGRP and NGF to OIPN was assessed using linear correlation analysis.

RESULTSAfter chemotherapy the OlPN incidence was 27.8% (5/18 cases) in the T II A group, obviously lower than that in the control group (55.6%, 10/18 cases; P < 0.05). Compared with before treatment in the same group, SNCV and MNCV of common peroneal nerve were slowed down, serum NGF levels decreased, and serum CGRP levels obviously increased in the two groups (all P < 0.05). Compared with the control group after treatment, SNCV and MNCV of common peroneal nerve were obviously accelerated, serum NGF levels increased, and serum CGRP levels obviously decreased in the THA group (all P < 0.05). Results of linear correlation analysis indicated serum NGF level was negatively correlated with peripheral neuropathy (PN), serum CGRP expression was positively correlated with neurotoxicity (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONT II A could reduce the incidence of OlPN, which might be associated with inhibiting the expression of CGRP and up-regulating NGF activities.

Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; blood ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; therapeutic use ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Nerve Growth Factor ; blood ; Neural Conduction ; drug effects ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; adverse effects ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Up-Regulation

Objective To explore the effect of postural reduction and balloon dilation on the correction of vertebral height following balloon percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for osteoporotic vertebral coinpressive fracture (OVCF).Methods From June 2012 to December 2013,47 OVCF patients involving 57 fractured thoracolumbar vertebrae with intact posterior wall underwent PKP.In all patients postural reduction was performed under general anesthesia.The percentages of vertebral height loss before and after balloon dilation were compared.The curative effects were evaluated by comparing preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale(VAS) scores and cobb angles.Results Compared with preoperation,the vertebral heights of anterior and middle columns were significantly improved after postural reduction,balloon dilation and PKP (P ＜ 0.05),but there was no significant improvement before and after balloon dilation (P ＞0.05).The postoperative average cobb angle (22.8°± 8.1°) was significantly decreased compared with the preoperative one (22.8° ± 8.1°) (P ＜ 0.05).The VAS scores at preoperation,one day postoperation and the final follow-up were respectively 8.5 ± 0.4,3.4 ± 0.2 and 3.1 ± 0.3.The postoperative ones were significantly lower than the preoperative one (F =7.518,P =0.006).Conclusions In PKP,postural reduction under general anesthesia plays an important role,but balloon dilation may exert an insignificant effect on restoration of vertebral height.

Objective To study the prospective memory and the severity of the impairment of event- based prospective memory(EBPM)and time-based prospective memory(TBPM)in normally aging adults. Methods We set a neuropsychological battery to measure the education-matched 40 adults and 40 normally aging adults who were given EBPM and TBPM tasks.Results Compared with the young controls(EBPM, 6.25?1.60;TBPM,5.38?0.87),both EBPM(2.50?0.85)and TBPM(4.93?1.07)in the elderly had been impaired,especially EBPM(t = 13.117,P

Objective To investigate the episodic memory monitoring ability in patients with Parkinson' s disease (PD) and explore the mechanism of the episodic memory impairment.Method The feeling-of-knowing (FOK) paradigm were established and subsequently administered in 25 PD patients and 25 healthy control (HC) participants who were matched in age and educational level.Results Compared with healthy control group ( FOK-EM recall 39.67％ ±6.11％ ; recognition 58.42％ ±7.50％ ; FOK accuracy 0.61 ±0.22),the episodic memory and its monitoring ability in PD patients were significantly impaired on the accuracy rate of FOK-EM recall ( 19.33％ ±5.10％,t =-4.833,P ＜0.01 ),recognition (45.93％ ±7.82％,t =-2.497,P ＜0.05) and FOK accuracy( -0.18 ±0.46,t =-5.986,P ＜0.01).Furthermore,the correct judgment and correct recognition of FOK-EM ( 20.47％ ± 10.78％ ) and the correct judgment and false recognition of FOK-EM (29.53％ ±5.62％ ) in the PD group were significantly higher than the HC group ( the correct judgment and correct recognition of FOK-EM:39.47％ ± 9.47％ and the correct judgment and false recognition of FOK-EM:13.90％ ±5.50％ ; t =3.564,P ＜0.05 ; t =2.306,P ＜0.05).Most importantly,the stroop effect was positively correlated with the correct judgment and false recognition of FOK-EM in PD group ( r =0.640,P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusions In the present study,the PD patients demonstrated an overestimation of their recognition ability of episodic memory,moreover,this impairment of memory monitoring was positively correlated with the deficit of executive function,indicating that this mechanism could be an influential factor of memory disorder in PD.

Objective To summarize the clinical experience of laparoacopic cholecystectomy(LC) for acute cholecystitis. Methods LC was performed in 68 cases of acute cholecystifis for 2004 to 2007. The operation was completed under CO2 pneumoperitoneum by using 4-port technique. Results The LC was successfuUy accomplished in 64 cases, while a conversion to open surgery was required in 4 cases. A drainage tube at the foramen of Winslow was placed in 1 cases. Conclusion Strict adhesion to surgical indications of LC, standard performance of the proce-dure, timely conversion to open surgery, and proper placement of drainage tube are key factors to ensure a successful operation.