Objective Serum pharmacochemistry was performed to screen the bioactive constituents of Resina Draconis.Methods Based on HPLC fingerprints of Resina Draconis,the migrating constituents absorbed into blood were determined by comparing the HPLC fingerprints of extraction of Resina Draconis(ERB),herb serum sample,and control serum sample,and with the help of LC-MS/MS.Results Six compounds absorbed into blood were detected,five of them were original in form which were 3,4′-dihydroxy-5-methoxystilbene,cochinchinenin B,4′-hydroxy-4,2′-dimethoxy-dihydrochalcone(a new compound),cochinchinenin A,and loureirin B,respectively.The other might be the original constituent or the metabolite.Conclusion The six constituents absorbed into blood are possible bioactive components of Resina Draconis in vivo.Further research will help clarify the bioactive constituents and mechanisms of Resina Draconis.

Aim To study the effects of Dicliptera chinensis polysaccharide(DCP)on alcoholic fatty liver disease(AFLD)in rats based on anti-inflammation and antioxidation.Methods 60 rats were randomly divid-ed into six groups:control group,model group,silybin group and DCP of high,medium and low dose groups. The control group was fed with normal diet, other groups were fed with high sugar and high fat diet,and given 5% alcohol 5 mL·kg-1 by gavage.The alcohol consistency increased 5%every week until AFLD mod-els in rats were made after 7 weeks.Except control group,other groups were fed with high sugar and high fat diet,and given 35% alcohol 5 mL · kg-1 and DCP.All rats were killed after five weeks,and blood and liver tissues were collected.The activity of alanine aminotransaminase (ALT),aspartate aminotransferase (AST ), alkaline phosphatase (AKP ), triglyceride (TG),total cholesterol (TC ),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high-density lipoprotein cho-lesterol(HDL-C)in serum were detected by using bio-chemical method. The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA),superoxide dismutase (SOD),reduced gluta-thione(GSH)in liver tissues were detected.The con-tents of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6 (IL-6 )and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1 ) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent as-say(ELISA)in liver tissues.The liver tissues were ob-tained and histologic analysis was done through HE. Results DCP reduced the activity or content of ALT, AST,AKP,TG,TC,LDL-C,HDL-C,TNF-α,IL-6, TGF-β1 in serum and liver tissues of rats(P<0.05 ), and increased the activity or content of HDL-C,SOD and GSH (P<0.05 ).DCP could remarkably inhibit the NF-κB expression in liver tissues(P<0.01 ).The pathological examination indicated that DCP could ob-viously alleviate the inflammation and fat denaturation of the liver cells.Conclusion DCP can inhibit the de-velopment of AFLD.The mechanism may be related to antioxidation,free radical scavenging, inhibition of lipidperoxidation,anti-inflammation,and inhibition of the TGF-β1 and NF-κB expression.

Objective To compare the clinical significance of peripheral blood neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods The clinical data of 661 patients with HCC were retrospectively analyzed.Routine peripheral blood test results were used to calculate the NLR and PLR,and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn.Using the thresholds of NLR and PLR,the patients were divided into the low NLR group and the high NLR group,and the low PLR group and the high PLR group.Overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) were evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method.Independent prognostic predictors were determined by the Cox proportional hazard model.Results The NLR and PLR thresholds were 2.790 and 99,respectively.Analysis of the ROC curves showed higher NLR and PLR were significantly associated with poorer OS and DFS (all P ＜ 0.05).Multivariate analysis showed that NLR was an independent risk factor of OS and DFS (both P ＜ 0.05).The results remained unchanged when the NLR was further analyzed by applying different cut-off values of 2.810 and 3.In subgroup analysis,NLR remained an independent factor of Barcelona Clinical Liver Cancer staging system (BCLC) 0/A/B (P ＜ 0.05 for all measurements).Conclusion An elevated preoperative NLR could be a better prognostic predictor for HCC patients in comparison with PLR,especially for BCLC 0/A/B patients.

Objective To investigate the significance of albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score in predicting prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods The clinical data of 644 HCC patients were retrospectively analyzed from May 2010 to May 2013 in the First People's Hospital of Changde City and the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University.Peripheral blood test results were used to calculate ALBI score,and ALBI score was categorized into the following 3 groups:grade 1,grade 2,grade 3.Overall survival(OS) and disease free survival(DFS) were evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method.And independent prognostic predictors were determined by the Cox proportional hazard model.Results Multivariate analysis showed that ALBI grade 2 was an independent risk factor for OS(P＜0.05).The ALBI grade stratified patients into at least two distinct overall survival cohorts (P＜0.05),whereas the CP grade did not.The ALBI grade also classified patients with CP grade A patients into two distinct overall survival cohorts (P＜0.05).In the subgroup analysis,the ALBI grade seemed to be an independent factor in terms of Barcelona Clinical Liver Cancer staging system(BCLC) 0-C.Conclusion For patients with HCC who underwent R0 resection,the ALBI grade is a good predictor of OS in HCC patients,and the above conclusions is true in patients with BCLC stage 0-C.

OBJECTIVETo examine the distribution of 3 polymorphisms of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase gene in Chinese population and the association of these polymorphisms with lipid metabolism in patients with atherosclerotic heart disease (CHD).

METHODSGenotypes and frequencies of 3 sites were examined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique in 209 unrelated normal control individuals and 203 CHD patients.

RESULTSThe observed allele frequencies conform well to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequency of 608T allele was significantly higher in controls than that in patients (P=0.034). Compared with the CHD patients without 608T, the CHD patients with 608T exhibited a significant increase in plasma HDL-C concentration (P=0.015). 911T/C and 1188C/T polymorphisms were not found in either group.

CONCLUSION608T polymorphism of LCAT gene was associated with higher plasma HDL-C level in CHD patients, while 911T/C and 1188C/T polymorphisms maybe very rare in Chinese population.

Alleles ; China ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, VLDL ; blood ; Coronary Artery Disease ; enzymology ; genetics ; DNA ; genetics ; metabolism ; DNA Restriction Enzymes ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Triglycerides ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the polymorphism of angiotensinogen gene (AGT) and the risk for hypertension in a Chinese population.

METHODSThree polymorphisms of AGT gene were analyzed in 335 patients with documented essential hypertension and 196 control subjects by using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Expectation maximization(EM) algorithm was then used for pairwise linkage disequilibrium test and haplotype analysis of AGT polymorphisms.

RESULTSLinkage disequilibrium between M235T and A-20C, between M235T and A-6G, between A-20C and A-6G was observed (P<10(-4)). The case-control analysis revealed that the frequency of T235 is significantly higher in essential hypertension patients than in control subjects. But all haplotype frequencies showed no significant difference between the patient and control groups.

CONCLUSIONNo association was noted between the haplotypes of AGT gene and hypertension in tested people, but T235 allele might play an important role in increased risk for essential hypertension.

Alleles ; Angiotensinogen ; genetics ; DNA ; genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Hypertension ; genetics ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features of minor salivary gland tumors and to discuss the treatment modalities for these tumors. METHOD: Retrospective analysis of 54 cases with minor salivary gland tumor operated in our hospital from 1997 to 2004. RESULT: Among 54 cases with minor salivary gland tumors in this series, 16 patients lost of follow up. Among the remaining 38 patients, 2 patients with nasal cavity adenoid cystic carcinoma died of tumor recurrence 2 and 3 years after the surgery respectively, one patient with laryngeal myoepithelial carcinoma died of tumor recurrence 3 years after the surgery and one patient with paranasal sinus mucoepidermoid carcinoma died of recurrence 17 months after the surgery. Two patients with paranasal sinus adenoid cystic carcinoma recurred after the primary surgery and were survived without tumor after salvage surgery. The other patients survived with no tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION While different histopathology of minor salivary gland tumors were found in this group, malignant tumors were predominant, accounting for 81.4%. The choice of treatment for minor salivary gland tumors depends upon the location and the histopathology of the tumors. The treatment policy for benign tumors is simple tumor excision, while that for malignant tumors is surgery combined with pre- or post-operative radiation therapy. Complete surgical resection of tumor masses and tumor free margin is essential for successful treatment of malignant minor salivary gland tumors.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms ; surgery ; Salivary Glands, Minor ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Tear film hyperosmolarity plays a core role in the development of dry eye disease (DED) by mediating the disruption of ocular surface homeostasis and triggering inflammation in ocular surface epithelium. In this study, the mechanisms involving the hyperosmolar microenvironment, glycolysis mediating metabolic reprogramming, and pyroptosis were explored clinically, in vitro, and in vivo. Data from DED clinical samples indicated that the expression of glycolysis and pyroptosis-related genes, including PKM2 and GSDMD, was significantly upregulated and that the secretion of IL-1β significantly increased. In vitro, the indirect coculture of macrophages derived from THP-1 and human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) was used to discuss the interaction among cells. The hyperosmolar environment was found to greatly induce HCECs' metabolic reprogramming, which may be the primary cause of the subsequent inflammation in macrophages upon the activation of the related gene and protein expression. 2-Deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG) could inhibit the glycolysis of HCECs and subsequently suppress the pyroptosis of macrophages. In vivo, 2-DG showed potential efficacy in relieving DED activity and could significantly reduce the overexpression of genes and proteins related to glycolysis and pyroptosis. In summary, our findings suggested that hyperosmolar-induced glycolytic reprogramming played an active role in promoting DED inflammation by mediating pyroptosis.