Objective To investigate the expression and the effects of X-chromosome linked inhibi- tor of apoptosis (XIAP) associated factor 1 (XAF1) on apoptosis and cell proliferation in SMMC7721 hepatocellur carcinoma (HCC) cell line.Methods The expression of XAF1 mRNA and protein in hu- man SMMC7721 cell line were detected by semi-quantitative,RT-PCR and Western blot.Plasmid con- structs expressing sense and antisense XAF1 were generated and transfected into SMMC7721 cell line to establish stable transfectants.Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by MTT,flow cytometry and TUNEL.Results XAF1 mRNA and protein were detectable in SMMC7721 cell line but lower than that in normal liver cell.Stable expression of XAF1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and increased spontaneous apoptosis in SMMC7721 cell (P＜0.05).Over-expression of XAF1 in stable transfactants increased the sensitivity of SMMC7721 cell to chemotherapeutic drugs such as 5-fluorouracial and hydroxycamptothecin.Conclusions Over-expression of XAF1 induces apoptosis and inhibits SMMC7721 cell growth.XAF1 may be a promising candidate for HCC gene therapy.

Objective To assess the reliability of a newly developed enzyme immunoassay for Helicobacter pylori-specific antigen detection in the old patients' stools. Methods The 199 old patients referred to our department for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were included. Among which, 48 patients suffered from subtotal gastrectomy previously, and 151 patients never had any gastric surgery. All patients underwent gastroscopy with biopsies for rapid urease test (RUT) and histology (Warthin-Starry stain). Used RUT and Warthin-Starry stain as gold standard, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) status was defined positive (or negative) if both RUT and Warthin-Starry stain were positive (or negative). A stool specimen was collected for each patient and tested by using a novel enzyme immunoassay for H. pylori detection (HpSA). Every patient was also detected by 13 C-urease breath test ( 13C-UBT). Sensitivity and specificity of these two tests were calculated respectively. Results H. pylori ststus was positive in 81 patients and negative in 70 patients of 151 patients. The sensitivity and specificity of HpSA were 96.3% and 90.0%, and 13 C-UBT were 92.6% and 92.9% respectively; H. pylori infection was confirmed in 23 of 48 patients with gastric surgery, the sensitivity of HpSA test for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection was 91.3% and its specificity 88.0%, and 13 C-UBT were 65.2% and 92.0% respectively, the sensitivity of 13 C-UBT was lower than HpSA in the patients with a history of gastric surgery (P

Objective To investigate the efficacy of the first radioiodine (131 I) ablation of residual thyroid on differentiated thyroid carcinomas after surgery and to analyze the influential factors for efficacy.Methods All 91 differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients were treated with 131I after surgery.According to pathologic types of the tumor,surgical options,and time interval between surgery and radioiodine treatment,patients were divided into different groups,then the efficacy was observed.Results Fifty of 91 patients (54.9％) achieved successful thyroid remnant ablation after the first dose.The success rate of first ablation of residual thyroid tissues had no relationship with the pathologic type of the tumor(P ＞ 0.05).While it was statistically related to the surgical options,among which patients undertaking the total thyroidectomy possessed the highest success rate (79.3％)(P ＜0.05).Ninety one patients were divided into 3 groups according to the time interval between surgery and radioiodine ablation:group less than 3 months (3M group),group from 3 to 12 months (3 ～ 12 M group),group beyond 12 months (12M).Among them,the 3M group possessed the highest success rate (68.0％) (P ＜0.05).Conclusions There would be better effect of the first ablation of residual thyroid tissues with total thyroidectomy,ablation conducted within 3 months after surgery.

0.05);the 2 hours postprandial plasma glucose(2hPG) was significantly lower in insulin aspart 30 injection group than in mixed protamine zinc recombinant human insulin injec- tion one(P

Post-marketing evaluation is a process which evaluate the risks and benefits of drug clinical application comprehensively and systematically, scientific and systematic results of post-marketing evaluation not only can provide data support for clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine, but also can be a reliable basis for the supervision department to develop risk control measures. With the increasing demands for treatment and prevention of disease, traditional Chinese medicine has been widely used, and security issues are also exposed. How to find risk signal of traditional Chinese medicine in the early stages, carry out targeted evaluation work and control risk timely have become challenges in the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry.
Drug Evaluation ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVETo observe application value of multispectral animal living imaging technology in rats model of osteoarthritis.

METHODSFifteen male SD rats weighed (180 +/- 20) g (3 months old) were received intra-articular injection of iodoacetic acid for establishing osteoarthritis. Articular cavity of left knee of rats were injected into 50 microl iodoacetic acid. The same volume of sterile saline was injected into right knee articular cavity as control. X-ray living imaging and bone mineral density were observed at 2 and 4 weeks after establishment of model. After 4 weeks,rats were sacrificed and their bilateral joints were collected and determined histologically based on Collins classification and Kellgren-Lawrence classification.

RESULTSOsteoarthritis model was successfully established, compared with control group, model group showed typical manifestation of osteoarthritis, including irregular cartilage surface,osteophyte formation,joint deformity and cartilage defect,and combined with significant decrease of bone density (P < 0.01), while the decrease was not obvious in proximal tibia (P < 0.05). After 2 weeks, knee joints in model group was classified as Collins grade 1 and Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2,then classified as Collins grade 4 and Kellgren-Lawrence grade 3 after 4 weeks,control group showed smooth articular surface,normal joint space and intact cartilage surface, knee joints was classified as Collins and Kellgren-Lawrence grade 0, and bone density of distal femur and proximal tibia were normal.

CONCLUSIONMultispectral animal living imaging technology could be used in dynamic observation of living imaging and detection of bone density in the animal model of osteoarthritis, and it is significant for evaluation of osteoarthritis model, and its realted tesearch.

Animals ; Bone Density ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Osteoarthritis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Radiography ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To investigate the relationship between portal vein pressure and liver regeneration after 90% portal branch ligation in rats.Methods Forty-five male SD rats underwent 90% portal branch ligation (including 5 rats underwent sham operation),and then the changes of portal vein pressure and weight of unligated hepatic lobes were detected.The morphological changes of hepatocytes of the unligated hepatic lobes were observed under a light microscope.Proliferative cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)index was detected by immunohistochemistry,and hepatocyte apoptosis of the unligated hepatic lobes by TUNEL method.All data were analyzed by Pearson rank correlation analysis and t test.Results Thirty-eight out of 40 rats survived(95%).The ligated hepatic lobes diminished progressively,whereas the unligated hepatic lobes regenerated.Preoperative portal vein pressure was(9.1±1.8)cm H_2O(1 cm H_2O=0.098 kPa),and it was increased significantly shortly after the ligation and reached (15.8±2.7)cm H_2O 12 hours later(t=6.847,P＜0.05).The portal vein pressure decreased from(13.6±2.3)cm H_2O at day 1 to(9.3±2.0)cm H_2O at day 28.Preoperative positive PCNA index was 7%±3%,which was significantly lower than 14%±5%at postoperative 12 hours,21%±6%at day 3 and 26%±7%at day 5(t=9.129,P＜0.05),and it began to return to normal at day 5.Few apoptotic hepatoeytes were observed in preoperative liver tissue and unligated hepatic lobes.The expression of PCNA in unligated hepatic lobes and portal vein pressure had apositive correlation at postoperative day 1,3,5(r=0.913,0.896,0.908,P<0.05)and a negative correlation at postoperative day 14(r=-0.926,P<0.05).Conclusions The regeneration of hepatocytes in unligated hepatic lobes is activated after 90% portal branch ligation,and the regenerated liver compensates the weight loss of the ligated hepatic lobes.Liver is regenerated mainly by speeding hepatocyte proliferation rather than reducing hepatocyte apoptosis.Changes of portal vein pressure may play an important role in liver regeneration.

BACKGROUND:Our prior experiments have confirmed that 10 μmol/L oxytocin can induce transformation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels into myocardial cels. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Ginsenoside Rh2 on oxytocin-induced transformation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels into myocardial cels. METHODS:Rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels were isolated by differential adherence method. These isolated cels were randomly divided into five groups. In the blank control group, cels were routinely cultured. In the oxytocin group, cels were cultured with 10 μmol/L oxytocin for 2 consecutive weeks. In the Ginsenoside Rh2 low-, middle-, and high-dose groups, cels were treated with 0.5, 1, 2 μmol/L Ginsenoside Rh2respectively for 24 hours and then with oxytocin for additional 2 consecutive weeks. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Optical microscopy showed that compared to the blank control group, some cels in the oxytocin group exhibited an increased soma and some cels grew in clusters and the cel clusters enlarged with the increase in Ginsenoside Rh2 dose. Immunocytochemical staining and western blot analysis showed that cardiac Troponin T and connexin 43 protein expression in the oxytocin, Ginsenoside Rh2 low-, middle-, and high-dose groups were significantly greater than in the blank control group (P < 0.05), and cardiac Troponin T and connexin 43 protein expression in the Ginsenoside Rh2 groups was increased with the increase in Ginsenoside Rh2 dose and was significantly higher than that in the oxytocin group (P < 0.05). Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that the relative fluorescence intensity of free calcium in the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels in the oxytocin group was significantly increased after induction by oxytocin for 2 weeks (P < 0.05), while the relative fluorescence intensity in the Ginsenoside Rh2 groups was significantly higher than that in the Ginsenoside Rh2 groups and was positively correlated with the dose of Ginsenoside Rh2. These findings suggest that Ginsenoside Rh2 can obviously promote oxytocin-induced transformation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels into myocardial celsin vitro.

The adverse reaction monitoring is important in warning the risks of traditional Chinese medicines at an early stage, finding potential quality problems and ensuring the safe clinical medication. In the study, efforts were made to investigate the risk signal mining techniques in line with the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicines, particularly the complexity in component, processing, compatibility, preparation and clinical medication, find early risk signals of traditional Chinese medicines and establish a traditional Chinese medicine safety evaluation system based on adverse reaction risk signals, in order to improve the target studies on traditional Chinese medicine safety, effective and timely control risks and solve the existing frequent safety issue in traditional Chinese medicines.
China ; epidemiology ; Drug Evaluation ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Product Surveillance, Postmarketing

Aim To investigate the antioxidant capacity of crocetin and crocin in an in vivo system.Methods Column chromatography was applied to the seperation of crocetin and crocin-1 from gardenia.Crocetin(6.25,12.5 and 25.0 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) and crocin (18.7,37.5 and 75.0 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) were orally administered to kunming mice.Then,superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),total antioxidant capacity(TAOC)and malondialdehyde(MDA)in mice were determined for the comparison of antioxidant activity of crocetin and crocin-1.Results Oral administration of crocetin and crocin for six weeks could enhance SOD of liver and kidney,GSH-Px of liver and TAOC of heart and kidney.In addition,it could decrease MDA of serum in mice.Conclusions The comparison of results suggests the evidence supporting the comparable antioxidant activity of crocetin and crocin.The results of the research also indicate that liver and kidney are two organs targeted for protection concerning endogenous antioxidant among various tissues.