Kidney theory is an important figure in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it proposes that the kidney is the root of life, in which stores congenital essence and energy of human body that promotes reproduction, growth and development. The facts that body development begins from oosperm have long been elucidated in modern medicine and life science. Furthermore, oosperm is a totipotent stem cell. The totipotent stem cell with its derived embryonic stem cell (ESC) and stem cell constitute the source of growth, development and tissue regeneration. It is rational to comprehend ESC by means of the Kidney theory of TCM, investigate the effect of Kidney-nourishing on the activities of ESC, such as proliferation, aging and apoptosis, and on its related genes regarding transcription, expression and functional regulation. Our works have suggested that classical Kidney-yin-nourishing herb formula Zuo-gui-wan could inhibit the ESC differentiation and apoptosis, stimulate proliferation, and promote the process of cell cycle. These observations coincide with up-regulate expression of Wnt and Oct3/4, and down-regulate expression of P16INK4a. At the same time, classical Kidney-yang-nourishing herb formula You-gui-wan could inhibit ESC apoptosis induced by H2O2, up-regulate Notch expression and down-regulate P16INK4a expression. In addition, there have been some evidences indicated Kidney-nourishing could promote mesenchymal stem cells proliferate. These observations strongly suggest that, Kidney theory of TCM, as the root of the life, is associated with ESC and stem cell; it may provide insight into Kidney theory of TCM and stem cell research.

Objective: To observe the effects of Tenglong Buzhong Decoction (TLBZD), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on proliferation and apoptosis of colon carcinoma cell line LS174T in vitro. Methods: Human colon carcinoma cell line LS174T and human colon epithelial cell line CRL-1790 were treated with different doses of TLBZD. Cell proliferation was detected with cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and clone formation assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry, and caspase-3, -8 and -9 activities in LS174T cells were detected by colorimetric assay. Results: TLBZD had no obvious cytotoxicity in normal CRL-1790 cells. After 72-hour treatment of 1 mg/mL TLBZD, or 48- and 72-hour of 2 mg/mL TLBZD, or 24-, 48- and 72-hour of 5-20 mg/mL TLBZD, proliferation of LS174T cells was significantly inhibited. Clone formation of LS174T cells was significantly inhibited by 1 to 20 mg/mL TLBZD treatment. TLBZD at doses of 5 to 20 mg/mL also induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G(0)/G(1) phase in LS174T cells. In addition, caspase-3, -8 and -9 activities were significantly elevated after 5 to 20 mg/mL TLBZD treatment. Conclusion: TLBZD can inhibit cell proliferation, arrest cell cycle at G(0)/G(1) phase, and induce apoptosis in LS174T cells, which may be related to activating of caspase-3, -8 and -9.

Cell senescence is an important anti-cancer mechanism and may contribute to cancer therapeutic outcome. The present study observed the effects of Tenglong Buzhong Decoction (TLBZD), a Chinese herbal formula, on senescence in human colon carcinoma LS-174-T cells.

AIM: To examine whether tolerogenic dendritic cells(DC) loaded with heat shock protein 60(HSP60) could restore endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic apolipoprotein E(apoE)-null mice.METHODS: Bone marrow derived DC of the mice was loaded with HSP60 and co-cultured with rapamycin to generate tolerogenic DC.The tolerogenic DC,DC loaded only with HSP60(DChsp) and saline were injected into the apoE-null mice at 6 weeks of age for two times at a one-week interval.C57BL/6 mice at the same age were taken as normal control two weeks after the last injection.Aorta was harvested for ex vivo vascular ring tension test.Immune parameters were also analyzed in vitro and in vivo.RESULTS: Compared with the non loaded DC,HSP60 pulsed DC expressed higher levels of CD86,and stimulated T lymphocytes to proliferation significantly,while the tolerogenic DC expressed lower levels of CD86,and inhibited T lymphocytes to proliferation.After immunization with different injection,Ach-induced relaxation was reduced significantly in(DChsp) group compared with saline group(P

Bombyx mori bidensovirus (BmBDV) has been identified as causing chronic densonucleosis in Bombyx mori specifically. The replication mechanism of BmBDV remains unknown. Its genome comprises two single stands DNA (VD1 and VD2). In order to rescue infectious virions in vitro, we obtained the total viral DNA extracted from the BmBDV-infected larvae midguts, subsequently cloned the full-length sequence of BmBDV genome fragments by PCR and constructed recombinant plasmids pMD18T-VD1 and pUC-VD2. The linear genome fragments were obtained by digesting recombinant plasmids with corresponding restriction enzymes, and then collectively transfected BmN cells by the method of liposome-embedding. We determined the replication of the virus gene by PCR with the template of demethylated total DNA extracted from the post-transfect BmN cells. Meanwhile, we collected the total proteins from the post-transfect BmN cells and the larvae midgut of feeding the post-transfect BmN cells to perform Western blotting analysis, and detected the expression of viral genes. Here we firstly confirm that infectious virions can be rescued in BmN cells by linear co-transfect method.
Animals ; Bombyx ; DNA, Viral ; Densovirus ; growth & development ; Larva ; Transfection ; Virion ; Virus Cultivation

The function of CD4+CD25+regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and the effects of atorvastatin were investigated. Forty-eight patients with ACS were randomly divided into two groups: group C receiving conventional therapy (n=24), and group C+A receiving conventional therapy+atorvastatin (10 mg/day, n=24). T lymphocytes from ACS patients (before and 2 weeks after the treatment) or 18 healthy subjects were separated and the flow cytometry was used to measure the percentage of Treg. The inhibitory ability of Treg on effector T cells was determined by mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of cytokines (IL-10, TGF-β1 and IFN-γ) before and after treatment. The results showed that as compared with normal control group, Treg percentage was decreased significantly (P<0.01), the in- hibitory ability of Treg on the T lymphocytes proliferation was reduced (P<0.01), IFN-γ, levels were increased and IL-10 and TGF-β1 levels were lowered in ACS patients. After treatment with atorvas- tatin, Treg percentage and the inhibitory ability of Treg on T lymphocytes proliferation were signifi- cantly increased in ACS patients. Serum IFN-γ, was decreased significantly, while IL-10 and TGF-β1 were elevated significantly as compared with the non-atorvastatin group. The number of Treg was positively correlated with serum TGF-β1, but negatively with serum IFN-γ and CRP. It was concluded that ACS was associated with decreased number and defected function of Treg, which may play an important role in initiating immune-inflammatory response in ACS. The inhibitory ef- fects of atorvastatin on inflammation in ACS may be due to its beneficial effects on Treg and restora- tion of immune homeostasis.

Objective To investigate the application of bundles of intervention in the treatment of postoperative delirium in esophageal cancer.Methods Thirty-six cases of delirium associated with esophageal cancer(study group)after the application of bundles of intervention in the Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from November 2015 to August 2016 were analyzed,and 41 cases of postoperative delirium(control group)from January 2015 to October 2015 were treated by routine treatment.Results The mean duration of postoperative delirium was(3.6±0.8)d in the study group and(4.7± 1.2)d in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(t =4.783,P<0.01).The incidence rates of other complications in the study group and control group were 19.4％(7/36)and 34.1％(14/41),respectively,and there was no significant difference(χ2=2.089,P=0.148).The incidence rates of accidental events in the study group and control group were 13.9％(5/36)and 31.7％(13/41),respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(χ2= 4232,P= 0.040).There was no significant difference in the postoperative exhaust time and removal of chest tube drainage time between the two groups(both P＞ 0.05),but there was a significant difference in postoperative hospital stay and hospital costs between the two groups(t values were 4.726 and 2.065,both P<0.05).Conclusions In the treatment of postoperative delirium in esophageal cancer,applying the bundles of intervention concept is feasible and effective.It can significantly reduce postoperative delirium duration and accelerate the rehabilitation of patients.

Objective To compare the efficacy of neoadjuvant radiotherapy and adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of patients who underwent radical esophagectomy for T3 N0 stage. Methods Totally 555 cases of T3 N0 , who underwent t neoadjuvant radiotherapy or adjuvant radiotherapy from 2004 to 2014, were selected from the SEER cancer registry in this study. 486 cases received neoadjuvant radiotherapy ( neoadjuvant radiotherapy group ) and 69 cases received adjuvant radiotherapy ( adjuvant radiotherapy group). Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to analyze the overall survival ( OS) and cancer specify survival ( CSS) of the two groups. A propensity score model was utilized to balance the baseline covariates. Results The CSS in the neoadjuvant radiotherapy group was significantly better than that in the adjuvant radiotherapy group (χ2 = 6. 030, P<0. 05 ) . Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that age, gender, and radiotherapy sequence with surgery were important factors influencing the prognosis of esophageal cancer with T3N0 stage ( Wald=10. 099, 10. 562, 4. 331, P<0. 05) . Compared with the neoadjuvant radiotherapy group, the adjuvant radiotherapy group had a worse CSS ( hazard ratio:1. 649, 95％CI 1. 173-2. 316, P=0. 004) and OS ( hazard ratio:1. 402, 95％CI 1. 020-1. 928, P=0. 037) . According to K-M survival analysis, the adjuvant radiotherapy group showed the worse CSS ( hazard ratio: 1. 813, 95％CI 1. 072-3. 069, P=0. 027) and OS ( hazard ratio: 1. 424, 95％ CI 0. 896-2. 262, P=0. 134) than the neoadjuvant radiotherapy in esophageal cancer with T3N0 stage, which was similar to the matched cohort. Conclusions Compared with postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy, neoadjuvant radiotherapy significantly improves the CSS and OS of T3 N0 patients with esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the application of bundles of intervention in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma anastomotic leak.

METHODSFrom January 2014 to May 2015, 44 cases of esophageal carcinoma anastomotic fistula were treated by bundles of intervention (through the collection of a series of evidence-based treatment and care measures for the treatment of diseases) in Department of Thoracic Surgery, Huai'an First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University (bundles of intervention group), and 68 patients with esophageal carcinoma postoperative anastomotic leak from December 2013 to January 2012 receiving traditional therapy were selected as the control group. The clinical and nutritional indexes of both groups were compared.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in general data and proportion of anastomotic leak between the two groups. Eleven patients died during hospital stay, including 3 cases in bundles of intervention group(6.8%) and 8 cases in control group (11.8%) without significant difference(P = 0.390). In bundles of intervention group, 1 case died of type III( intrathoracic anastomotic leak, 2 died of type IIII( intrathoracic anastomotic leak. In control group, 2 cases died of type III( cervical anastomotic leak, 2 died of type III( intrathoracic anastomotic leak and 4 of type IIII( intrathoracic anastomotic leak. The mortality of bundles of intervention group was lower than that of control group. The duration of moderate fever [(4.1±2.4) days vs. (8.3±4.4) days, t=6.171, P=0.001], the time of antibiotic use [(8.2±3.8) days vs.(12.8±5.2) days, t=5.134, P = 0.001], the healing time [(21.5±12.7) days vs.(32.2±15.8) days, t=3.610, P=0.001] were shorter, and the average hospitalization expenses[(63±12) thousand yuan vs. (74±19) thansand yuan, t=3.564, P=0.001] was lower in bundles of intervention group than those in control group. Forty-eight hours after occurrence of anastomotic leak, the levels of hemoglobin, albumin and prealbumin were similar in both groups. However, at the time of fistula healing, the levels of hemoglobin [(110.6±10.5) g/L vs.(103.8±11.1) g/L, t=3.090, P=0.002], albumin [(39.2±5.2) g/L vs.(36.3±5.9) g/L, t=2.543, P=0.013] and prealbumin [(129.3±61.9) g/L vs.(94.1±66.4) g/L, t=2.688, P=0.008] were significantly higher in bundles of intervention group.

CONCLUSIONIn the treatment of postoperative esophageal carcinoma anastomotic leak, application of bundles of intervention concept can significantly improve the nutritional status and improve the clinical outcomes.

Anastomotic Leak ; mortality ; therapy ; Anti-Infective Agents ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma ; complications ; surgery ; Esophageal Fistula ; complications ; mortality ; therapy ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; complications ; surgery ; Esophagectomy ; adverse effects ; mortality ; Female ; Fever ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Hemoglobins ; metabolism ; Hospital Costs ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutritional Status ; Patient Care Bundles ; mortality ; statistics & numerical data ; Prealbumin ; metabolism ; Serum Albumin ; metabolism ; Treatment Outcome