Objective To identify reliable reference genes (RGs) for normalization of real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) data in Codonopsis pilosula. Methods The expression profiles of 10 candidate RGs (GAPDH, ACT, α-TUB, β-TUB, UBQ, CYP, EF-1α, NAC, F-box and PP2A) were examined in C. pilosula during the phenological period. The raw materials examined included roots, stems, leaves, and flower buds at flowering and boll-forming stages, five growth stages of untreated and treated roots with plant growth retardant. The best-suited RGs were accessed using geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder algorithms. Results The best-ranked references genes differed across the samples. GAPDH and PP2A were the most suitable for expression analysis in untreated tissues while GAPDH, α-TUB, and PP2A were ranked as the three most stably expressed genes in untreated roots, while NAC and CYP were the most stably expressed genes in stressed (i.e., treated) roots. The expression of UGPase, a key enzyme for CPP biosynthesis, was determined to further validate the selected RGs. Conclusion A total of 10 RGs can be used as reference genes of C. pilosula, however the appropriate one should be used as it may chance.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features, mechanism and cerebral functional correlation of hemianopic anosognosia.Methods16 patients with homonymous visual field defects due to ischemic infarcts were examined on visual field and MMSE. The neuropsychological tests were administered such as hemianopic awareness and visual neglect. The facts were analyzed with the location of ischemic infarct documented by MRI or CT. Results10 of 16 patients with hemianopia had anosognosia of their visual deficit. 8 of 13 right side lesion patients had hemianopic anosognosia. 2 of 3 left side lesion patients had hemianopia anosognosia. 3 of 6 awareness hemianopia patients had visual hemineglect. 7 of 10 hemianopic anosognosia patients had larger infarction of middle cerebral artery. 3 else had smaller infarction in the occipital lobe or in the connective area between the occipital and temporal lobes.ConclusionsThere is no specific cortical area for conscious visual perception. Visual awareness is processed by a distributed network including multiple cortices and subcortices. Both hemispheres are involved in visual processing and conscious awareness.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of bear bile powder (BBP) on the STAT3 pathway and its downstream target genes of nude mice hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) xenograft, and to explore its mechanism for treating HCC.

METHODSThe subcutaneous xenograft model was established using HepG2 cells. When the subcutaneous transplanted tumor was formed, naked mice were randomly divided into two groups, the BBP group and the control group. Mice in the BBP group were administered with BBP by gastrogavage, once daily for 3 consecutive weeks, while mice in the control group were administered with normal saline by gastrogavage, once daily for 3 consecutive weeks. The body weight and the tumor volume were measured once per week. By the end of medication, the tumor weight was weighed and the tumor inhibition ratio calculated. The apoptosis of the tumor tissue was detected by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). The expression of Bcl2-associated X protein (Bax), B cell lymphoma/eukemina-2 (Bcl-2), cyclin-dependent protein kinase (CDK4), cyclinD1 were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The protein expression levels of signal transducers and transcription activators 3 (p-STAT3), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Bax, Bcl-2, CDK4, and cyclinD1 were determined by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSBBP could inhibit the tumor volume and tumor weight, showing statistical difference when compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Results of TUNEL showed that BBP could significantly induce the apoptosis of hepatoma carcinoma cells. Results of RT-PCR showed that BBP could up-regulate the expression of Bax and down-regulate mRNA expression of Bcl-2, CDK4, and cyclinD1. Immunohistochemical results showed that BBP could up-regulate the expression of Bax and inhibit the protein expression of p-STAT3, PCNA, Bcl-2, CDK4, and cyclinD1.

CONCLUSIONBBP could induce the apoptosis of hepatoma carcinoma cells and inhibit their proliferation by regulating STAT3 pathway.

Animals ; Bile ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Ursidae ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

The commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials is a measure of the quality of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), which directly impacts on the safety and effectiveness of clinical medicines. It is an urgent problem to establish a set of standards which can both interpret the scientific connotation of the commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials and play a significant role on clinical medicines as well as markets. This paper reviews the research methods of the commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials such as sensory evaluation, chemical assessment, biological evaluation, and cited the applications of various methods for the classification of TCMs. It provides technical support for establishing standards of the commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials, and also constructs scientific basis for clinical rational drug use.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; economics ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; standards ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Research Design

Ductus Arteriosus ; abnormalities ; Fatal Outcome ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; etiology ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Rubella Syndrome, Congenital ; complications

The systematic treatment based on gemcitabine plus cisplatin is recommended as the current standard chemotherapy for unresectable or metastatic biliary tract cancers.However,the exact benefits from the recognized regime are still dismal.We thus elicit this study in an attempt to analyze whether targeted therapy coupled with various chemotherapy could produce improvement of survival benefits.The clinical trials were searched electronically from databases till July 2016 published in English and Chinese.Nine hundred and sixty-four patients from 7 trials were identified in our analysis.The overall analysis achieved a significantly higher overall response rate (ORR) among the patients treated with targeted drugs plus chemotherapy than chemotherapy alone (OR=1.87;95％ CI:1.37-2.57;P=0.000),but failed in the overall progression-free survival (PFS) [mean difference (MD)=0.63;95％ CI:-0.45-1.72;P=0.26] and overall survival (OS) (MD=-0.67;95％ CI:-2.54-1.20;P=0.49).In the sub analysis,better ORR was obtained with the addition of EGFR (OR=1.75;95％ CI:1.20-2.56;P=0.004) and VEGFR (OR=2.5;95％ CI:1.28-4.87;P=0.007) targeted therapy.Furthermore,the sub analysis of EGFR target showed an significant improvement on PFS (MD=l.36;95％ CI:0.29-2.43;P=0.01).No significant differences were observed in the incidences ofneutropenia (OR=1.37;95％ CI:0.89-2.12),thrombocytopenia (OR=l.40;95％ CI:0.83-2.39),anemia (OR=l.21;95％ CI:0.62-2.38),peripheral neuropathy (OR=1.52;95％ CI:0.81-2.88),increased AST/ALT (OR=l.40;95％ CI:0.82-2.39) as well as fatigue (OR=1.65;95％ CI:0.96-2.84) in either of the treatment groups.In conclusion,better ORR associated with chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy (both targeting EGFR and VEGF) is found in the present mcta-analysis without the cost of increased unacceptable toxicities,but regretfully not for the OS.The sub-analysis of targeting EGFR instead of VEGF obtains a superior PFS.Otherwise,there is no statistically significant difference in the overall PFS between the combination regime and chemotherapy alone.Given the paucity of favorable data,we need further studies to characterize optimal targeted agents to confirm the potential value to biliary tract cancer.

BACKGROUNDThe research of cancer in patients on hemodialysis (HD) in China has not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and histological features and outcomes of cancer in Chinese HD patients.

METHODSThe study subjects were 49 cancer patients (1.4%) out of 3448 end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients maintained on HD at China-Japan Friendship Hospital from October 1997 to July 2011.

RESULTSUrinary tract cancer (74%) was the most common followed by gastrointestinal tract cancer (12%), breast cancer (6%), lung cancer (4%), thyroid cancer (2%), and hematologic cancer (2%). Thirty-three patients (67%) had urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and 29 of them had aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) as underlying disease. Death occurred in eight patients out of 49, and the survival rate of HD patients with cancer was similar to those without cancer (P = 0.120).

CONCLUSIONThe urinary tract TCC is the most common cancer in HD patients with AAN in one of the centers of northern China.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aristolochic Acids ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; complications ; epidemiology ; metabolism ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; epidemiology ; etiology ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Renal Dialysis ; adverse effects ; Retrospective Studies ; Urologic Neoplasms ; complications ; epidemiology ; metabolism

Objective To evaluate the effect of self -efficacy training on hemiplegic patients after ischemic stroke. Methods Sixty cases were randomly divided into control group (n =30 )and self -efficacy training group (n =30).The self -efficacy group received rehabilitation training according to the self -efficacy theory (5 times /week, 40 min /per time,1 0 weeks of intervention).The movement and balance function were evaluated using Fugl -Meyer score (FMA)and the activities of daily living were evaluated by the task analysis scale and Barthel index.The self -efficacy level and quality of life were evaluated by the general self -efficacy scale (GSES)and medical outcomes study (SF -36).Results The scores of FMA,Barthel,SF -36 and GSES had no significant differences between the two groups before training (P >0.05 )and all indexes improved after training.Six scores of Barthel and all scores of FMA,SF -36 and GSES of self -efficacy group were significantly higher than those of control group after training (all P <0.05 ).Conclusion Self -efficacy application could improve the motor function on the rehabilitation of hemiplegic patients after ischemic stroke.

With the development of microorganism detection technology and lower respiratory tract specimen collection technology, respiratory microecology has been widely understood.There are many kinds of respiratory flora, showing a high degree of homology between the various parts, but different dominant flora in each part.As an organ connected with the outside world, respiratory microecology is affected by many factors, such as environment, antibiotics, feeding mode, delivery mode, etc.Abundant studies have found that respiratory microecology is closely related to various respiratory tract diseases.The interaction between respiratory flora and the host can affect the occurrence and development of many respiratory tract diseases, such as respiratory tracy infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary cystic fibrosis, etc.Therefore, this paper mainly describe the composition of respiratory tract microecology, influencing factors and its relationship with diseases, and provides new ideas for clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases and drug development.

Objective To evaluate the accuracy,sensitivity,specificity and economy of HLA-B*5801 gene polymorphisms detection in predicting allopurinol-related severe drug eruption before receiving allopurinol treatment using rapid health technology assessment(rHTA),to provide clinicians and policymakers with an efficient and convenient evidence-based basis.Methods PubMed,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,Embase,WanFang Data,CNKI databases and the official website of health technology assessment(HTA)agency were electronically searched to collect HTA reports,systematic reviews/Meta-analyses and pharmacoeconomic literature on the HLA-B*5801 gene polymorphisms detection from inception to December 31,2023.Two reviewers independently screened studies,extracted data,assessed the included studies'quality,and analyzed and summarised the results.Results A total of 16 literature were included,of which 5 systematic reviews/Meta-analyses and 11 pharmacoeconomic studies.The results showed that the HLA-B*5801 gene mutation rate was significantly higher in patients presenting with severe drug eruption than in the allopurinol-tolerant group(P＜0.05).Two studies reported the sensitivity and specificity of the HLA-B*5801 gene polymorphisms assay for predicting severe drug eruption,the sensitivity of 0.78,0.93,and specificity of 0.96,0.89,respectively.The economic study showed that HLA-B*5801 gene polymorphisms detection before allopurinol treatment was cost-effective in Chinese Han,Korean,Thai populations,but not in British,American(Caucasian or Hispanic),Singaporean and Malaysian populations.Conclusion HLA-B*5801 gene polymorphisms detection before allopurinol treatment and guiding drug use according to the screening results in Chinese Han population can reduce the risk of severe drug eruption and treatment costs.